The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 52

which it was giYcn to man. Of this ceremonial law it is true that every "jot n11d tittle" must be fulfilled, not only by Obrist himself" A.I! born under the lnw," or in Christ ns the antitype and subst:.anoe of these shadows and figures, but, in their spirit, by the disciples of Christ. For the principles of the worship of God, which tho ordinances of the ceremonial law embodied and demanded of the Ieraelites, were the very ee.me as those which are necessary for ourselves. First of all this lnw, by its minute and strict provisions, required of man that he should recognise and acknowledge himself as a sinner, both in his nature from hie birth to hie death, and in hie daily life. It was not only as an inference from the Sinnitio law that there was "by the law the knowledge of sin,'' but in the ceremonial system, the perpetual and ever-present exponent of God's law to Israel, sin and death stared man in the £nee, haunted him day and night, forced their presence upon him even in his holiest hours, compelled him to feel that all real and acceptable worship of a God of holiness and truth must begin with a consciousness that we have transgressed his commandments, and thus, in the emphatic language of St. Paul, "the Scripture," that is the Torah, "shut up all things under sin. 11 1 . This law again, with equal clearness, continually and definitely required of man that he should worship God through faith in an atonement for sin. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminds those to whom lie writes 2 that the first covenant (that of the law) was inaugurated in blood; 1 and, Le adds, " we may almost say that in blood all things are purified according to the law, and without shedding of blood there is 110 remission. 11 The pouring out of the blood in every sacrifice was the "outward and visible sign" not of sin merely, but of atonement for sin. And to make it more apparent, through these " elements of the world," what kind of atonement it is on which sinful man can rely, the great sin o:lierings made once a year on the day of atonement had their blood taken within the Holy of Holies to the very mercy-seat of God, on which the Shechinah, the manifested Presence of Jehovah, rested. And yet, the annual repetition of this most significant rite -the most solemn by far of all the ordinances of the law-indicated emphatically that the atonement signified was not thus accomplished, that the blood of the true sacrifice, which would take away sin and satisfy the conscience, had not yet been taken before the true mercy-seat in the heavens, of which that in the tabernacle was but an image and pattern. The law therefore demanded by its ordinances faith in an atonement for sin by a real sacrifice, yet to be revealed, the blood of which must be, when offered, taken into the trne Holy of Holies where God is in his glory. The.twhich is required of us is the very same in every respect, eave that now the true sacrifice has been finished, and the blood of Christ has been taken by our true High Priest within the veil. The very lelli!t of the commandments, which indicated to Israel these principles of acceptable worship to God, embodies that which cannot be neglected by the Cliristian without spiritual loss. Lastly, through these ordinances, Israel was assured of peace with a reconciled God, and of communion with him and with their brethren through sacrifice. Even the stern economy of law, the direct purpose of which was to make man's sin and guilt more distinctly seen and more keenly felt, yet was no reign of terror, or house of bondage. The son, though under restraints in his child- !iood, is nevertheless a son; none the less assured of his Father's love; assured that l1is own offences, though they are severely chastised, do not alienate his Father's lieart from him, ii only he approach God through the blood of the covenant. Perhaps there ie no aspect of the law which is overlooked, or at least not sufficiently appre- ciated, by Christians so frequently, and with so much loss to their own enjoyment of tl1e blessings of Christ's kingdom, as that which the peace offerings represented to Israel. I Go], iii. n 2 Heh. x. 18-22. ~ Se.e Exod. xxiv. 6-8.  INTnoDUCTlON TO THE PENTATEUC.:H. llXX!X