Exodus 29:15-18; Leviticus 8:18-21
"Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar. And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head. And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar; it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the Lord."-Ex. 29:15-18
"And he brought the ram for the burnt-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor, and an offering made by fire unto the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses."- Lev. 8:18-21
Next " he brought the ram for the burnt-offering." The burnt-offering is the highest sacrifice in Scripture, for all of it ascended from off the fire of the altar as a sweet savor unto the Lord. The Hebrew word (ohlah) translated "burnt-offering," means in reality that which " ascends," or " goes up." It designates a sacrifice which entirely ascended in fragrance. Noah's offerings when he came out from the ark into the new world, were of this character. Gen. 8:20,22. " The Lord smelled a sweet savor," or as it is in the margin, " a savor of rest," and said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: neither will I again smite any more everything living as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Abraham was also directed to offer Isaac for a "burnt-offering." Gen. 22:2-13.
Whilst God's perfect rest, satisfaction and delight in this sacrifice were expressed by its all ascending as a sweet savor; the devotedness also, and perfect obedience of Him whom it portrayed, are implied in the words recorded of the offerer, Lev. 1:3, " he shall offer it of his own voluntary will." And throughout this 8th chap. of Lev. the words "and he brought," ver. 14, 18, 22, express the readiness of the victim to draw near the altar, like the phrase, Isa. 53:7, " he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter;" or as it is in Acts 8:32, " he was led as a sheep to the slaughter."
In the Gospel of John we have this Scripture remarkably fulfilled. "And they led him away to Annas first-then led they Jesus from Caiaphas." Chapter 18:13,28. " Then came Jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns. He brought Jesus forth. They took Jesus and led him away. And he, bearing his cross, went forth." xix. 5, 13, 16, 17.
" And Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram, and killed it," ver. 18, 19.
Again, they identified themselves with the victim. All their sins and failures in obedience being transferred from themselves to it. Immediately this was done, Moses killed the ram. Death instantly succeeded the laying of their hands upon its head.
" And Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about." Thus the altar was completely consecrated by blood. Blood had been put upon the horns of it round about; had been poured at the bottom of it, and now was sprinkled round about it. The top, base, and sides presented in every direction the records of death; for there can be no access to God, and no worship, save through death, the death of Christ.
" And he cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar," ver. 20, 21.
Every portion of the ram came under the eye of Moses. The head, the seat of mind and intellect: the inwards, the seat of the will and affections: the legs, the tokens of the outward walk and conduct. All were scrutinized, and presented in perfect cleanness to God, upon the altar. The type this of the unblemished ways, and spotless intrinsic purity of Christ.
" In Him is no sin." 1 John 3:5.
" He knew no sin." 2 Cor. 5: 21.
He did no sin." 1 Pet. 2: 22.
And though tempted in all points like as we are, He was " without sin." Heb. 4:15. A blessed fourfold testimony to the perfection of Christ. But this is not all. Not only sinless, so as to be personally ignorant of sin; without it under every temptation; and never doing it; but actively devoting Himself to God throughout the whole course of His life on earth, and at last in perfect subjection and obedience, yielding up that life on the cross; giving " Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor." Eph. 5:2. In all the full value of Him, who thus gave Himself, we are accepted. The same burnt-offering whose blood was poured out as an atonement for sin, was burnt as a sweet savor upon the altar. And the priests who laid their hands upon it, found remission of sin through the shedding of its blood, and at the same time perfect acceptance with God, according to the full value of the spotless victim consumed on the altar.
Although the sin-offering presented most strongly and vividly the aspect of Christ's death under wrath, because of sin, yet even in that case portions of the sacrifice were burnt as a sweet savor upon the altar. And the burnt-offering, which has regard more especially to the death of Christ as that through which we are perfectly justified, and according to the value of which we are accepted of God; still keeps in view the fact, that that death has also atoned for us as sinners. In the shedding of blood, sin, the cause of death, is always acknowledged. And as without shedding of blood there could be no remission; so also, there can be no justification but by the blood. The song of (Rev. 5:9,12) is, "Thou art worthy for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."
" Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," seems especially to contemplate the death of the Lord Jesus, in all the value of the burnt-offering. We claim His worthiness, whilst we own our worthlessness. We are accepted in the Beloved, whilst in ourselves, " we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
The fourth part of the chapter here concludes with the same words before repeated, "as the Lord commanded Moses."
THE RAM OF CONSECRATION
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" And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. " Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about."- Ex. 29:19-20
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" And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. " And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. "And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about"-Lev. 8:22.-24
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THE last sacrifice offered was " the Ram of Consecration." Two rams were brought, (5:1;) one was offered for a burnt-offering, and the other is called " the ram of consecrations;" or, of filling (the hands.) The word consecrations is in the plural, and is found in Ex. 29:22,26,27: " for it is a ram of consecrations"-" the ram of Aaron's consecrations"-" the ram of the consecrations." Lev. 9:22, 29. In Ex. 29:34, the word occurs in the plural-" flesh of the consecrations," as it ought to be throughout.
Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of this ram, and Moses slew it, as in the two former cases. The death of the victim following immediately upon this act of identification.
" And Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet." Thus the ear, the right hand, and the right foot of Aaron and his sons, were dedicated to God by blood. From henceforth their ear was to listen to no sounds, but such as might be heard in connection with the blood of the sacrifice.
So also the believer at the present time. His ear has been consecrated to God, through the death of Christ, that he might hearken to His voice; inclining his ear to hear heavenly words; and listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd. He is to allow no whispers of temptation, and no sound of human revelry or ambition, to enter his priestly ear: but to be deaf as his Lord was, opening the ears of others, whilst He Himself heard not the temptations of the enemy. Isa. 42:19,20. That perfect servant of Jehovah was blind and deaf-blind to all fascinations of the world, and deaf to every suggestion of Satan. And when at last led to the slaughter, He was dumb, uttering no words of reviling or threatening when falsely accused; not opening His mouth when buffeted, spit upon, mocked, and crucified.
May we set before ourselves the blessed example of our Lord, and remember that by His blood we have a priestly circumcised ear.
The thumbs of the right hand were also touched with the blood. The right hand is in Scripture used to express power. " Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, 0 Lord, bath dashed in pieces the enemy." " Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them." Ex. 15:6,12.
And also skill. " A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart, at his left." Eccl. 10:2. That is, he guides the activities of his hand with wisdom: he is prompt also to execute the counsels of his heart.
" If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget (her cunning.) Psa. 137:5. The psalmist finds it as impossible to forget Jerusalem, as it would be impossible for his right hand not to act with rapidity and skill at the prompting of his will.
The thumb is that part which peculiarly distinguishes the human hand from the paw of those animals, which in appearance most resemble the human form.. It is the most valuable finger of the hand; without it, this member of the body would be comparatively useless.
The priestly hand touched with the blood was consecrated to handle gifts and sacrifices for God. Its skilfulness was devoted to the Lord's service, and the priest was not to touch any unclean or dead thing. Another beautiful type of the occupations of the believer, whose business in life is to serve God in all that he undertakes. Even when handling the things of this world, he is to do so to God's glory. His faculties, his powers of mind and body, are for the Lord; the precious blood has separated him off to God, and the most ordinary actions of life, which as an unbeliever he performed in self-will, and for mere self-pleasing, he is now to do " to the glory of God."
In all things he is to " seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness;" and strange as it may seem, he is not to labor for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. This latter precept of the Lord Jesus has been softened down by some to mean, that " we are not to labor inordinately, or exclusively, for the meat which perisheth, and that if the text were taken without some qualification, it would encourage idleness." In answer to this, it may be said that we have no right to qualify the text. The words of the Lord are distinct and emphatic, " labor not for the meat which perisheth." The difficulty is easily solved. We are, even in the necessary occupations of life, to make the Lord's glory our object, and not to be laboring for the meat which perisheth, as if that were our only purpose- We are to do all things in such a way, that we may be exhibiting ourselves as sons of God without rebuke, shining as lights in the world. Phil. 2:14,15; and we are not to live as if we had two existences, a secular, and a religious.
Lastly, the blood was put upon the great toes of their right feet The Hebrew word is the same for great toe as for thumb. The principal finger of the most active hand, and the principal toe of the most active foot, were alike touched with the blood. No pathway was to be followed, in which the priest could not walk with the blood anointed foot. His feet being holy, he was ever to tread upon holy ground, passing his life in the precincts of the sanctuary. So the priests to God of the present time are to be careful in their walk and conduct, lest they be found treading unholy paths, mingling themselves in the world's follies and amusements, forgetful of the blood whereby they have been sanctified. Our feet were naturally swift to shed blood-destruction and misery were in our ways-the way of peace we once knew not. Rom. 3:15,17. Now, our path is to be that of the righteous; our feet are to be beautiful, as messengers of glad tidings 1 our ways are to be ways of pleasantness and peace May we avoid all companies into which we cannot go with the blood sprinkled feet; into which we cannot carry the good news of the blessed name of Jesus. The ear, the hand, and the foot are the Lord's. " Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.
Moses next " sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about." vet 24. The same blood which had been put upon the priests, was sprinkled on the altar. Thus the vessel at which they habitually ministered was alike separated off to God with themselves. The patterns of things in the heavens being purified with these typical sacrifices, whilst the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Heb. 9:23
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"Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration;
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"And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder: "And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before
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"And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord. "And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and thou shalt wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. "And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor before the Lord; it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord. "And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord: and it shall be thy part. "And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: "And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute forever from the children of Israel; for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord.-Ex. 29:22-28
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the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: " And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. " And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord. " And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for o! the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the Lord commanded Moses.-Lev. 8:25-29
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SEVEN portions of the ram were thus taken by Moses: the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder.
The word for " fat" has especial reference to the inside fat of the victim, and is in the margin of Lev. 3:3, translated " suet." Three portions of fat were taken; the fat, all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the fat of the kidneys. This proved the healthiness, the inward vigor of the animal. No human eye could perceive this development of life, until the victim had been slain. Beautiful figure this of the complete devotedness of Christ, as to all His inward affections, and will, and desires, to please God; He could say, " I delight to do thy will O my God-yea thy law is within my heart." Psa. 40:8. The truth of this wonderful inner life, in all its richness and fullness dedicated to God, was made manifest when the Lord hung upon the tree, " obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." We can now look back upon the life and ways of the blessed Lord, and see in them that humbling of Himself; that dedication to God; that one object of pursuit, to glorify God; the one motive of His heart, which He finally so marvelously displayed in laying down His life at the commandment of His Father. He that discerneth the thoughts and intents of the heart, could be appealed to by Christ in the words of Psa. 139:23, " search me, oh God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me," or (margin) " way of pain or grief." He could challenge the eyes of Him to whom all things are naked and opened, to search His inmost soul, well knowing that there was not a thought within, which would grieve His Father, but that He would have the ready response, " my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."-" mine elect in whom my soul delighteth." Love to God being the pure motive from which all His actions took their rise, He could with truth say, " I do always those things that please him." John 8:29. Blessed perfectness, sinless purity, unswerving obedience! How contrasted with the mixed motives, the unclean desires, the constant unbelief and disobedience which meet the eye of our heavenly Father, as He marks our thoughts and intents, as He searches our purposes and our ways.
" The caul above the liver." It will be perceived on referring to the margin of the Bible, that " midriff"
is substituted for " caul." Ex. 29:13; Lev. 3:4. And this probably is the right translation, midriff, or diaphragm, being the portion here specified. This is a muscular membrane, dividing the body into two parts, and is the great organ by means of which the breath is inhaled. It is in the type always mentioned in close connection with the liver.
The word " above," or upon the liver is used in Ex. 29:13; Lev. 3:4,10,15 Lev. 4:9 Lev. 7:4 Lev. 9:10. This word " above" is omitted in Ex. 29:22; Lev. 8:16,25 Lev. 9:19, in which passages, the caul would almost seem to be identified with the liver.
Thus the organ by which the victim breathed, (the midriff,) and which was closely connected with that (the liver) wherein gall and bitterness were naturally secreted, was wholly presented to God. In the Antitype the whole power of His inner life, every breath He drew was altogether for God-and there was no gall or bitterness in Him; no envy or malice to taint the inward feelings of His soul. He was " meek and lowly in heart."
Two other portions, " the rump, and the two kidneys," were also selected. The kidneys are elsewhere translated, reins. God is said to try, to search, and to see the heart and reins. Psa. 7:9; Jer. 11:20;17. 10; 20: 12. He searches the inward motive, and the secret affection. The hidden desire is known to Him. The Lord Jesus could appeal to the judgment of God, and say, " Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord: I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Psa. 26:1, 2. He was the only one who could claim an integrity of His own. And this word integrity is interesting, because it is almost the same as the Thummim; the perfections, the uprightnesses, placed in the breastplate His inward perfections were the power of His outward walk-like the upper and hinder part of the victim's legs, presented with the kidneys. So also He could say, " I shall not slide." His own integrity, and His ceaseless trust in Jehovah preserved His foot in an even place. And not only so, but when proved and tried, yea, and scorched with the refining fire of God's holiness, His reins and His heart were fit for the altar, and yielded nothing but the sweetest savor to God.
The word, try my reins and my heart, is that used for the refining of metals in the furnace. This blessed one could also say, " I will bless the Lord who bath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the right seasons." Psa. 16:7. The counsel He received from Jehovah found an immediate response from His own will. And in that one night of fearful sorrow, that unnatural night-when the sun was darkened at noon-day, His own desire to accomplish the commandment of God, instructed Him to lay down His, life of Himself, even though in so doing He had to bear sin and shame, and curse and wrath.
Wondrous perfection, when the inward will and strength of the Son of Man, answered completely the mind and purpose and counsel of God.
The right shoulder completed these precious portions of the ram of consecrations, expressive of the power patiently to endure, all that might be laid upon the victim by the hands of another.
There was strength in Jesus adequate to the heavy burden laid upon Him by God-in nothing did He fail. He bore the weight of our sins upon the tree, till He knew that the stripes of God upon His soul had reached the appointed number, and till the bruising of Jehovah ended in His yielding up the ghost. God could, according to the infinite measure of His own holiness, and His infinite judgment upon sin, say, " it is enough." The burden had been borne-the chastisement of our peace was completed. The strength of the blessed victim had sufficed, and the body of the Lord laid in the tomb in the helplessness of death, witnessed that sin was put away, and remitted-and that the great object which from all eternity had been in the counsels of God, was completed. The way of access for the sinner to the glory was made-the way into the holiest was laid open.
Moses next took out of the basket three sorts of bread-one unleavened cake—one unleavened cake mingled with oil-and one wafer, unleavened, anointed with oil.
Leaven is universally used in Scripture, as a type of sin spreading its corrupting influence. A secret working of evil, which may not be outwardly manifest, but which arises from a corrupt nature within. All types therefore of the blessed Lord, which refer to Him as the bread from heaven, are without leaven. No leaven could be burnt on the altar in any offering of the Lord made by fire; because God could not accept a sacrifice in which there was the slightest taint or corruption.
Three aspects of Christ as the bread of life are presented to us in these three portions selected from the basket of unleavened breadFirst, His sinless purity, the unleavened cake. Next, as the Christ of God-from His birth filled with the Holy Ghost, the unleavened cake mingled with oil; and thirdly, as anointed by the Holy Ghost with power to accomplish the most minute precept of God, the unleavened wafer, anointed with oil. He is the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth-the true bread from heaven-the bread of life- the living bread-the bread of God-the bread which God has provided. The sixth chapter of John seems to be the Lord's exposition of the manna, and the meat-offerings. And we find in that chapter, He mingles the thought of flesh and blood with bread. " The bread that I will give is my flesh."-" whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life."-" for my flesh is true meat, and my blood is true drink."-" he that eateth me even he shall live by me."-" this is that bread which came down from heaven-he that eateth of this bread shall live forever," verses 51, 54, 55, 57, 58. Thus the Lord closely connects the fact of His death, with His being the bread of life. Indeed there is no feeding on Christ except in close connection with His death on the cross. The contemplation of His life of perfect obedience, will not avail us, or strengthen our souls to follow His example, unless we connect such meditations with the sacrifice of Himself upon the tree. These cakes therefore were presented to God, already baken in the oven-a type of Christ contemplated in His death.
Filling the hands. Moses put these unleavened cakes " on the fat, and on the right shoulder, and put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord," verses 26, 27.
Here we have an explanation of the word "consecrations" -in the Hebrew literally—"fillings." (of the hand.)
The word is used in the following connections " The ram of consecrations." Ex. 29:22,26,27; Lev. 8:22,29.
" The flesh of the consecrations." Ex. 29:34.
" Basket of consecrations." Lev. 8:31.
" Days of consecrations." Lev. 8:33.
" Consecrations* for a sweet savor." Lev. 8:28.
The peculiar meat-offering recorded in Lev. vi. 1923, which was offered by Aaron and his sons on the day when he was anointed, is also called " consecrations." Lev. 7:37.
Aaron's hands and his sons' hands were filled with parts of the ram, and the unleavened cakes. They handled the most precious portions of the sacrifice-thus appreciating their value; their hands had previously been laid upon the heads of the victims, and thereby they had in figure transferred their own sin, guilt, and need to those victims. So these hands thus emptied of their The word " consecration" is plural in all these passages. own guiltiness, were then filled with peculiarly choice parts of the slain ram, and with unleavened cakes of fine wheat flour-wondrous transfer! May we behold by faith, all our sin and misery laid on Jesus crucified, and may we have our hearts filled with contemplations of His preciousness.
We may be assured that our hands and hearts will be occupied with one thing, or another. Either the world with its vanities, and the flesh with its lusts will take their place within-or Christ and His comeliness, His beauty, His perfections, will fill our souls.
It seems as if the priests were waved with their hands thus filled, as a wave-offering before God. The attention of Jehovah was called to contemplate them. His eyes might be invited to search them, because their hands were filled with the costly consecrations. They were identified with, and became one with the hallowed things which they handled. This was one peculiar and especial part of priestly consecration. The priests had to estimate for themselves the value of the sacrifices, and to handle various portions thereof, that they might know how to approach and worship God, and might stand in the place of intercession for others.
The apostle John opens his epistle with a declaration of somewhat of this priestly experience, " that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and skew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us-that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you." 1 John 1:1-3.
We have first to know for ourselves, and to see for ourselves, and as it were to touch and handle for ourselves the sacrifice, in its sweet savor and acceptableness to God; before we can testify to others of its value, or can worship God in spirit and in truth. A witness must not ground his testimony upon mere hearsay reports which he has received from others; but must himself know and comprehend the facts to which he testifies. The Lord Himself in speaking to Nicodemus says, " verily, verily I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness." John 3:11. He speaks in the plural number, including all true witnesses with Himself, the faithful and true witness.
Are our hands so filled with Christ, are our hearts so occupied with Him, that we have no desire to meddle with the things of the world, and that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh?
All these parts of the sacrifice, and the unleavened bread, which had filled the hands of the priests were taken by Moses " from off their hands and burnt on the altar, upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor, it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord," 5:28.
The priests were by this act identified before the Lord with the burnt-offering, and accepted according to its sweet savor. They had been cleansed, atoned for, personally dedicated, had their hands filled, and were accepted, in the full value of the offerings which had been presented on their behalf to God, and according to the preciousness of the blood shed for them. One portion of the ram of consecration was especially reserved for Moses: he " waved the breast before the Lord, for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part," v. 29.
Throughout this scene Moses acted on the part of Jehovah-as a substitute accurately fulfilling His commands. And the breast of the ram of consecrations became his portion on that account. He was to enter with something like the estimate of God, into the love of Him, who was portrayed in these sacrifices. The breast is a type of the seat of the affections. To God alone primarily belong the affections of Christ. To the Son of God alone primarily belong the affections of God.
Who can estimate, save the Father, the love of His Son; and who can enter, save the Son, into the full understanding of the love of the Father?
And yet, wondrous grace! we hear the Lord saying, " thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me "—and it is said by the Holy Spirit of Him, " He loved us and gave Himself for us." God has given to us to know the love of Jesus towards us. He has given us His own heart's affections, and the affections of His Son. And Jesus has revealed to us the deep secret of the cross, viz., that it was love for the Father, and love for us because we are loved of the Father, that led Him to lay down His life. O mystery of love! the subject for our everlasting contemplation, and for our eternal fellowship and joy.
Here closes the fifth portion of the chapter with the words again repeated, " as the Lord commanded Moses."
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"And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him."-Exod, 29: 21
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" And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him," -Lev. 8:30
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If we compare the parallel passage in Ex. 29:21, we shall find a remarkable alteration both in the arrangement of the verses, and in the order in which the blood stands It will be observed in the passage in Exodus, that this sprinkling upon Aaron and his garments, is placed immediately after the blood is put upon Aaron's right ear, etc.; and the filling of the hands of Aaron and his sons comes afterward.
In this chapter of Leviticus which we are contemplating, the hands of the priests are filled before the sprinkling takes place; and immediately after their ears, etc., are touched with the blood. In Exodus also the blood is mentioned before the oil. In Leviticus the anointing oil precedes the blood.
There may be a purpose in this variation, to link so closely together the anointing oil and the blood, and the blood and the anointing oil, that we may not either sever the one from the other, or give precedence to one before the other.
There has been a thought expressed by some of the Lord's people, that there may be an interval of time, between the salvation of a sinner through the application of the precious blood of Christ to his heart and conscience, and the anointing of the Holy Ghost. There has also been a tendency in writers on the work of the Holy Spirit, to attribute redemption to Christ, and sanctification to the Holy Spirit exclusively. The type we are contemplating negatives both these suppositions.
Immediately the sinner believes on the Lord Jesus he is born again; the power of the Holy Ghost communicating to him life and faith in Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. The same Spirit baptizes him at the same moment into the one body, and he receives the Holy Ghost as the indwelling Spirit of God, because he is a child of God, and is united to the living Christ, the Son of God, a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. But besides this establishing of the believer in Christ, he is also anointed with the Spirit of God. He is united to a Christ, an anointed one, and therefore has the Spirit of God. And he also receives a special anointing of the Spirit, enabling him to fulfill his duties as a member of the body, and giving him a gift in accordance with that membership.
The Spirit of God is also the seal, or stamp of God, upon the believer, proving by His very presence with, and in the believer, that he is a child of God-that he is a new creation of God-a deed executed by God-a fiat of God's love and power. The Spirit also is the earnest in the believer's heart of the future glory-a pledge from the right hand of the throne of God-from the risen Christ, of the glorious resurrection which shall be his when Christ returns. An earnest of the bright inheritance which awaits him, and which will be his in possession when Jesus comes.
The anointing oil and the blood go together. Redemption through the blood of Christ, and the anointing of the Spirit, are simultaneous. " Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and bath anointed us, is God; who bath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Cor. 1: 21, 22.
" In whom (Christ) ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Eph. 1:13,14.
In this passage the words " after ye believed," do not imply any interval of time: they might better be rendered, " in whom having believed, ye were sealed;" or, according to our English idiom, we should insert the word, " and;" "in whom ye believed and were sealed." Here the presence of the Holy Ghost with, and in the believer as God's seal, and as the earnest of the glory, is immediate upon faith.
We have a striking illustration of this in the case of Cornelius and his household, recorded in Acts 10 An interval had elapsed between the conversion of the Jewish believers, and the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them at Pentecost. But there was no such interval in the case of these first Gentile converts, Immediately Peter in his discourse had reached the point where he declared that " through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins; while he yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." Or as Peter himself declares, when subsequently relating the circumstance-"And as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." Acts 11:15. The word of faith was heard and believed, and the Spirit of God at once attested the fact by His presence and anointing. It is also interesting to remark, that Peter made use of the words " whosoever believeth in him," the very words of the Lord Jesus Himself, when preaching the Gospel to Nicodemus.
Sanctified.-Let us turn now to the subject of sanctification. It may be observed that the object of the whole ritual described in Ex. 29 and Lev. 8 was to sanctify Aaron and his sons, in order that they might be priests. "And this is the thing that thou shalt do to hallow (or sanctify) them." And this sanctification is expressly repeated in connection with the blood and the oil: " And he shall be hallowed, (sanctified,) and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him." Ex. 29:21. And sanctified Aaron and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments., with him." Lev. 8:30. The sacrifices, the blood, and the oil, were the means employed in this sanctification.
Sanctification implies separation "from," and separation "to." Separation from sin and sinners, unto a holy God. A very concise and yet full definition of this occurs in Lev. 20:26. " And ye shall be holy unto me; for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine." Israel had been severed from Egypt, and set apart to God in distinctness from all other nations of the earth. This separation had been effected through judgment. They had been redeemed from wrath, through the blood of the Paschal Lamb; and had been redeemed out of Egypt and from Pharaoh's power, through the waters of the Red Sea.
Thus they had been sanctified to God. The family of the priests were still further sanctified; being separated from the rest of Israel, and brought peculiarly nigh to God. The believer is by the blood of the Lamb, separated from the flesh, from sin, from the world, to be a child of God, a king and priest; quickened together with Christ, risen with Christ, one with Christ, and therefore holy unto God his Father.
The Word of God speaks of sanctification as effected either by the will of God; by the Holy Spirit as the agent; by the offering of Christ as the means; or, by the Word of God, as the instrument.
By the will of God-" by the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Heb. 10:10.
This passage attributes sanctification to the eternal purpose of God, whose will it was to separate to Himself a family of priests; and the way in which He was able to accomplish His will was through Christ coming to do it, and offering up Himself as a sacrifice for sin.
Paul, when relating before Agrippa the history of his wonderful conversion, gives a striking summary of the commission he then received from the Lord, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles: " To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26:18.
Faith in Christ is here declared, by the Lord Jesus Himself, to be the sanctifying power; separating off the Gentile to be holy to the Lord, and to an inheritance with the saints in light. It is a " most holy faith," through which we Gentile sinners have been severed from the world around us, to be God's holy ones; and it is a " most holy faith " upon which we, thus sanctified, are to be constantly building ourselves. Jude 20.
In Jude, ver. 1, we have sanctification attributed to God the Father, or rather, the passage may be rendered, " sanctified in God the Father; " the security of the believer is contemplated, for he is looked at as holy, because of his union with the Father and the Son.
We find the phrase "called saints" occurring more than once in the epistles. In our version the words "to be" are unhappily inserted; they tend to impair the real force of the expression. We are actually made " saints," or holy ones by God's call; for we are " Holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling." " Who bath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 9: 9. " Ye also are the called of Jesus Christ, beloved of God, called saints." Rom. 1:6,7. " All things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28. " To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." 1 Cor. i. 2. " Preserved in Jesus Christ, called." Jude 1 From all these passages it is clear God's call is not an exhortation from Him to us, requiring us to accomplish a holiness of our own, but that His calling is His own effectual act, separating us as holy ones to Himself. We are partakers of His calling; we are saints, made so by His calling. The voice of His power sounding effectually in our hearts, has transformed us from sinners to saints, has created us anew in Christ Jesus. We cannot be too particular as to this truth-for on the one hand there is a kind of inherent notion that in some way or other death purifies the sinner and makes him holy; and on the other hand there is a common belief even amongst the children of God, that the work of the Holy Ghost in the believer gradually renders him more holy, and more fit for heaven. Both these very current opinions are contrary to God's truth. A believer in Jesus is not sanctified by death, but he is sanctified in Christ Jesus. Neither is it any gradual operation of the Holy Ghost in us that makes us holy, so as to render us fit for God and His glory. The song in the glory will be " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," and has “redeemed us to God by His blood."
The sinner is already saved through faith in the Lord Jesus, and has to give thanks to the Father that already "He hath made him meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light;" that already "He hath delivered him from the power of darkness, and bath translated him into the kingdom of his dear Son;" " In whom" (His Son) already "he hath redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin." Col. 1:12-14.
Sanctification attributed to the Holy Spirit-" that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." Rom. 15:16. The apostle speaks of himself as a priest presenting to God a meat-offering of the Gentiles; like the new meat-offering on the day of Pentecost, when two wave loaves were waved before God as bread of first-fruits.
This type of first-fruits was fulfilled as regards the Jews on the day of Pentecost. There were no Gentiles present when the Holy Ghost was poured out. Paul being especially the apostle to the Gentiles, and writing his epistle to believers dwelling in the ruling Gentile city of the world, speaks of the presentation to God of Gentiles converted through his preaching, as a similar meat-offering; sanctified by the Holy Ghost; manifested as holy, by the presence and indwelling of that blessed Spirit. Like the oil poured upon a meat-offering.
Again, " God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thess. 2:13.
And, " Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:2.
In both these texts, the Spirit is presented as separating off in holiness the believer through belief in the truth in the first case; and in the latter, separating him off unto the obedience of faith, and unto the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit being the agent employed by God the Father to accomplish His will, in communicating faith in the precious blood of Christ to the sinner, in order to his salvation.
Sanctification is attributed to Christ. " Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word." Eph. 5:25,26.
The Lord's death is presented to us in this passage as accomplished by Himself, that He might thereby sanctify and cleanse the Church. The cleansing power of the blood being applied by the word of God.
The Lord Jesus is also called the Sanctifier, " both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one-for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb. 2 II. And the means whereby He accomplishes this is His own precious blood-" Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without the gate." Heb. 13:12.
And believers are of God, "in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." A very blessed passage tracing our new creation up to God, in union with Christ, and telling us that Christ is made to us the full and blessed treasury of all wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. If we lack wisdom, God has given us all wisdom in Jesus. If we are conscious of unrighteousness, Christ is our righteousness. If we are conscious of our unholiness, He is our sanctification. If we look around us upon the world and find ourselves differing but little from the unredeemed, He is our redemption. We are in God's sight severed as far from this world, and as distinct from it, as the Lord Jesus Himself is at the right hand of God.
The Lord Jesus Himself was separated off as Goes elect and sent into the world-that holy one, the Son of God. John 10:36. And He sanctified Himself for our sakes-separating Himself unto God through the death of the cross, that we might be sanctified through the truth. His prayer to the Father was, " sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." John 17:17.
The Holy Spirit uses the word of God, first to communicate life in separation to God; and next, to cleanse us practically from the defilements and uncleannesses constantly attaching to us through the flesh, and the world. Practical holiness in our walk and conversation is only to be obtained through the word of God under the power of the Spirit of God. We are saints, we are holy, we are washed, we are sanctified, we ate justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. We have to be practically clean, and practically holy-and that through the same power and means by which we have been already saved. The word of God, testifying to the precious blood of Christ, applied by the Spirit of God. Thus the oil and the blood are inseparable. The Holy Ghost testifies to Jesus and His Cross.
We should aim to be what we really are. Our struggles, our conflicts should result from the fact that we are children of God, that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ, that we are alive in the Spirit, that we are God's holy ones. If we turn the eye within, we have no power; we shall only discover unworthiness, weakness, and sin; and this will give us no strength for conflict. We must keep our eye fixed on Jesus. Looking away from all other objects unto Him, the Author and Finisher of faith. And as we contemplate Him, we gain strength, we become practically more holy; we are changed into His likeness, we grow up into Him.
This was the last act of Moses, sprinkling the oil and the blood upon Aaron and his sons, and upon their garments. They and their garments were sanctified. It is to be observed that Aaron's sons, and his sons' garments are closely linked in this sprinkling with Aaron himself-" upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him."-This is four times repeated. Ex. 29:2; Lev. 8:30.
Their persons were first sanctified, then their garments. And thus they stood a hallowed family in connection with Aaron their head.
May we not see in this a little figure of the truths expressed in the epistle to the Hebrews, though at the same time there is a contrast. Aaron and his garments had to be sanctified. Christ sanctified Himself for our sakes. Aaron's sons derived no sanctification from any act of Aaron. Christ's house derive all their sanctification from Christ their Head, and High Priest.
Thus far there is a contrast-but we read, " he who sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." and, " holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." Heb. 2 II; iii. I. Here is the fulfillment of those little words "with him," we are all of one with Him that sanctifieth us. We are partakers of that wondrous calling of which He is the High Priest. We are " holy brethren," and " He is not ashamed to call us brethren "-a priestly family-a spiritual house, builded by God, belonging to the Son of God, over which He is the Head.
Wondrous calling! accomplished by a wondrous God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A family, named of the Father; children and heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: brethren whom Jesus is not ashamed to own as His brethren. An assembly in the midst of which He will sing praise to God-a congregation of priests anointed with the Holy Ghost-an holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," and " to show forth the praises (virtues) of him who bath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Pet. 2: 5, 9