The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 264

of offering embodied the general idea of sacrifice, and in a sense represented tho wholo sacrificial institute. "The peace offering" was presented upon the acceptance of any special Divine mercies, and portions of the victim were restored to the offerer, who, with his family and friends, feasted on them. "This sacrificial feast was peculiar to the peace offerings, and indicated that the atonement was complete, that the sin was covered and cancelled which had separated the offerer from Jehovah, who now welcomed him to his table, and in this meal gave him a pledge of reconciliation" and acceptance. So the two offerings, together with the subsequent feast, signified thankful recognition of God's mercies, entire consecration to God's service, and a happy realization of God's acceptance. These were precisely suitable to the occasion of the restoration of the ark. I. O1'""E TRING IS BIGHT FOB MAN-TO BE WHOLLY GoD's. Right because of the Divine relat-ions; right because of the Divine claims; and right because of the Divine me1·cies. Our Lord expressed the duty of man in a brief sentence, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and strength." II. 'l'm:s MAN MAY FITTINGLY DECLARE IN A SOLEMN PU13LIC ACT. Because, in bis love and loyalty to God, he should wish to influence others by his own consecration. A man may not keep his religious life to himself; he is responsible to God for making it a gracious persuasion and power upon others. Press the duty of the public modes of expressing our dedication to God, such as "confirmation" and "joining the Church." Such acts of public consecration may be wisely and helpfully renewed on special occasions. Illustrate by such a public acknowledgment of God as was made at the "thanksgiving" for the recovery of the Prince of Wales. That was, for this Christian age, just such a scene as David's offering of burnt and peace offerings. - Ill. IN OLDEN TIMES THE APPROPRIATE ACT WAS OFFERING A BURNT OFFERING, In it the sacrificer consecrated to the Deity alone the enjoyment of the whole victim, and it represented the full and complete surrender of the man himself to God. It was called the whole burnt offering, or perfect sacrifice, because the whole creature wa8 as it were sent up to God on the wings of fire. It signified that the offerer belonged wholly to God, and that he dedicated himself soul and body to him, and placed his life at his disposal. IV. SocH AN OFFERING WAS RIGHTLY MADE EVERY DAY. At the morning and evening services; and the offering was doubled on the sabbath (Exod. :xxix. 38--44; Lev. vi. 9-13). "Every morning and evening a lamb was sacrificed, with its usual meat and drink offering, as a burnt offering on behalf of the whole covenant people, and the evening victim was to be so slowly consumed that it might last till the morning, an expressive symbol of that continual self-dedication to God, which is the duty of ruan." V. SoCH OFFERINGS WERE RENEWED ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. These were (1) at the new moon, (2) the three great festivals, (3) the great Day of Atonement, and (4) tho Feast of Trumpets. On every great national occasion a solemn public reassertion of the nation's full consecration to God was made by means of the burnt offering. For us such offerings are appropriate at the new year, birthdays, etc. VI. SOCH OFFERINGS MIGHT BE REPRESENTATIVE, AND OFFERED IN THE NAME A1'"D oN THE BEHALF OF OTHERS. As was the case with Job's offerings for his children, and in some degree with David's offerings on this occasion. This point leads on to dealing with the Lord Jesus Christ as our great Burnt Offering, which we make ours by faith, and present to God as the solemn pledge that our "whole selves we d~dicate to him," and hold as his. "Every such sacrifice was a type of the ~rfect offer~ag made hy Christ, on behalf of the race of man, of his hnman nature and will to the will o! the Father." Compare St. Paul's pleadings, " I beseech you, therefore, by the mercies_ of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."-R. T, Vers. 8-10.-The duty of praise. David calls upon the people, ~s a matter of solemn duty, to" give thanks unto the Lord . . . and sing psal!11s unto h~m." Dr. Goul- burn well says," Praise is the religious exercise-the one relig10us ~xerc1se-of h~ave':1. Angels are offering it ceaselessly, resting not night or day_. ~amts are offermg 1t ceaselessly in paradise. Nature in her every district is offermg it ce~se!essly. Fro'!1 the heavens, which declare the glory of God, and the firmament which showeth h1~ handiwork, down to the dew-drop which sparkles with the colours of the rainbow, ancl. OH. XVL 1-43,] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 261