In the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ there is an infinite fullness, which meets every necessity of man, both as a sinner and as a worshiper. The infinite dignity of His Person gives eternal value to His work. In the book of Genesis we have seen "God's remedy for man's ruin" in the promised seed--the Ark of Salvation, and in the rich unfoldings of divine grace to fallen and sinful man. There we have the _Bud_, the full-blown glories and fragrance of which shall yet fill the heavens and the earth with joy and gladness.
In the book of Exodus we have seen "God's answer to man's question." There, man is not only outside of Eden, but he has fallen into the hands of a cruel and powerful enemy,--he is the bond-slave of the world. How is he to be delivered from Pharaoh's thraldom--from Egypt's furnace? How can he be redeemed, justified, and brought into the promised land? God only could answer such questions, and this He did in the blood of the slain Lamb. In the redemption-power of that blood, every question is settled. It meets Heaven's highest claims, and man's deepest necessities. Through its amazing efficacy, God is glorified, man is redeemed, saved, justified, and brought to God's holy habitation; while the enemy is completely overthrown, and his power destroyed.
And now, in our meditations on the book of Leviticus, we find most fully unfolded what we may call, "God's provision for man's need;" or, a Sacrifice, a Priest, and a Place of Worship. These are essentially necessary in drawing near unto God, as this book most abundantly proves. But every thing therewith connected was appointed by God, and established by His law. Nothing was left to be supplied by man's fertile imagination, or his prudential arrangement.--"So Aaron and his sons did _all things which the Lord commanded_ by the hand of Moses." (Chap. viii. 36; ix. 6, 7.) Without the word of the Lord, neither priest nor people could take a single step in the right direction. _It is so still._ There is not a single ray of light in this dark world but that which is shed from holy Scripture.--"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. cxix. 105.) It is truly happy when the children of God so honor His Word as to be guided by it in all things. We need _now_, as much as the Jew did _then_, divine direction and divine guidance for acceptable worship. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the _true worshipers_ shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." (John iv. 23, 24.) More than sincerity or devoutness of feeling is required in the children's worship: it must be in the unction of the Spirit, and according to the truth of God. But we have all (blessed be His name!) in the Person and work of our blessed Lord Jesus. He is both our Sacrifice and Priest, and our right of entrance into the holiest of all. O, to be kept near to His wounded side, and in the abiding sense that He is the ground, the material, and the sweet incense of all our worship!
Let us now briefly notice the three points already mentioned.
I. In the first place, we would observe that _sacrifice is the basis of worship_. Acceptable worship to God must be based on a sacrifice acceptable to Him. Man being in himself guilty and unclean, he needs a sacrifice to remove his guilt, cleanse him from his defilements, and fit him for the holy presence of God. "Without shedding of blood is no remission;" and without remission, and the _knowledge_ of remission, there can be no happy worship,--no real, hearty praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. Going to what is called "a place of worship," and worshiping God, are widely different things. God is holy, and man must approach Him in His own way, and according to what He is. As Moses said unto Aaron on the solemn occasion of the sin of Nadab and Abihu, "This is it that the Lord spake, saying, '_I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me_, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" The Lord alone could give directions as to how the people were to draw nigh unto Him: this is the great subject of the book of Leviticus. The "Notes" on the first seven and the sixteenth chapters will give the reader a very full and interesting view of the ordinance of sacrifice, and the character of Jewish worship.