LOOK carefully at our picture on the opposite page, as it gives, in a general way, the situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, surrounded by the tents of the tribes of Israel. Over the tabernacle the cloud of God's protection is spread—a covering to the children of Israel from the great heat of the sun, and a light to them during the hours of darkness. The scene of the tabernacle, and the tents around it, as presented in our picture, is supposed to be from a point on one of the steep, rocky hills of the wilderness of Sinai. You look down upon the camp of Israel, and see its order and arrangement. The mountains of Sinai, bright with eastern sunlight, rise up in the distance.
We might say much to you concerning the tabernacle itself, as it is presented to the eye by our picture, but our purpose now is to speak a little of the sacrifices. In the foreground, some men are represented bringing bullocks down the steep hill, to offer them to Jehovah. The offering of the herd was the rich man's gift; those who were very poor brought only turtle doves, or young pigeons. There were two great divisions of the sacrifices—sweet savor sacrifices and sin offerings— of these we read in detail in the early chapters of the Book of Leviticus. Sinners need a sacrifice. The first time the word sin is mentioned in the Word of God is in direct connection with sacrifice. After Cain had slain Abel, when his countenance had fallen in despair, Jehovah said to him, "If thou doest not well, sin lieth"—or, as some render it, a sin offering croucheth—"at the door" (Gen. 4:77If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7).) The word used for sin and sin offering is the same. At the door of the sinner's habitation the sin offering lay.
The man who had sinned, brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. You can easily see where the door is by the picture. God has only one way to Himself.
Also, says the scripture, the man who had sinned must bring his offering "before the Lord." (Lev. 9:44Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the Lord will appear unto you. (Leviticus 9:4).1 We must be in God's presence about sin. It was not simply that the religion of Israel demanded sacrifice for sin, but the person who had sinned must needs be before the Lord with his sacrifice. Have you been thus in God's presence about your sins, and the sacrifice of the Saviour, who died upon the cross to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself? It is not enough to be brought up in a Christian land, to read the Bible and to know its doctrines —you must be in heart before God concerning sin and Christ's sacrifice.
Being in this solemn place, the man who had sinned, laid his hand upon the bullock's head. What does this mean? Sometimes your father or grandfather will lay his hand upon your head and say, "Bless you, my child." And we read in the Bible of hands being laid in blessing upon the head. Do you think that blessing is intended by laying the hand on the head of the sin offering? Oh, no; something very different. The offerer confessed his sins on the head of the sacrifice for his sins.
When the sinner laid his hand upon the head of his sin offering, it was just as if he had said, This victim takes my place, it is about to be slain for my sin.
After this act he killed the bullock "before the Lord." The victim, "without blemish," suffered death in the stead of the sinner. There is averse of a hymn which brings this type very sweetly to our hearts, as speaking of Jesus: —
O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head,
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner's stead,
To bear all ill for me.
A victim led, Thy blood was shed—
Now there's no load for me.
Then the priest took of the blood of the slain sacrifice and sprinkled it seven times before the vail of the holy place, where Jehovah dwelt. You have observed "before the Lord" has already been mentioned three times in these first few verses of the fourth chapter of Leviticus. The sinner brought his sin offering before the Lord; he laid his hand upon its head and killed it before the Lord; and then the priest took of its blood and sprinkled that seven times before the Lord.
The sinner's hand was laid upon his sin-offering's head; the sacrifice was slain; and then the blood, which had been shed for his sin, was before the Lord instead of his sin.
All who believe on the blessed Lord who died for our sins, have the privilege of knowing that God looks not at their sins, but upon the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, which was shed for them.
Once more we have these words "before the Lord." Look at the seventh verse of our chapter, and you will find them there. But I must ask you to turn again to our picture. The "door of the tabernacle" is close to the square block upon the slanting base, which you observe within the curtained enclosure where the tabernacle stands. This is the brazen altar. Next to the brazen, altar you see a kind of basin; this is the laver. Then comes the sacred tent or tabernacle itself, It was at the vail or door of the tabernacle the blood was sprinkled. Inside the tabernacle was another altar, but made of gold, upon which sweet incense used to be burnt; after the priest had sprinkled some of the blood before the vail of the tabernacle, he went inside the tent and “put of the blood upon the horns [the four corners] of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord.”
The man who had sinned, could not see the priest do this. The priests only could enter within the tabernacle. This act was done before Jehovah, for Him to see. It teaches us of His satisfaction in the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses us who believe from every sin. Very happy it is for us to know that God looks upon the blood of Jesus which was shed for our sins, instead of our sins; and very restful it is to think what God's thoughts are respecting the value of that sacred blood.
What a sweet tale does this ancient sacrifice tell us about our sins, our holy God, and Jesus, who died for our sins. Let the sinner, who feels his sin, get before the Lord concerning Christ our sacrifice, and let him, by faith, confess that Christ died for him—or, at least, that his sins called for the Saviour's death.
“Oh I but I do believe that," I hear one of my dear young friends say; "but still I have no comfort, no peace within my soul." Well, you cannot do any more, neither is it necessary that you should. God is glorified by the death of His Son for us; we have simply to believe. Christ is our priest, and is in the presence of God for us.
The anointed priest took the blood of the slain victim and sprinkled it before the Lord before the vail, and he touched the horns of the golden altar inside the tabernacle with the blood. This the corner to God could not do. Neither could he see what the priest did inside the tabernacle. He had to believe God. And you and I have to believe God, and peace and joy is ours in believing.
God bids you come to Christ, bids you trust in the blood which Jesus shed. This is what you are called to do. The full benefit of Christ's work is thenceforth yours. No longer are your sins crying out to God. The precious blood of Him who died for you, and not your sins, is "before the Lord." But what the value of this blood itself is in the eye of God in heaven, no creature can truly declare.
Where the sweet incense rises up to Him, there the precious blood is to be found;
In heaven Thy blood forever speaks
In God's omniscient ear.