IT is of the last importance that every Christian should be clear and settled in his faith as to the sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus. God (Who has His glory before Him, cannot disallow the truth, and knows the needs of His people in all their variety) has not failed to furnish the amplest testimony for them, causing His word to shine with abundant light to guide them on this vital subject. He knew how the enemy would seek to lower men’s thoughts about the holy person of His Son, and how disposed they would be to read into the life of the Lord Jesus sinful propensities like their own. But He has graciously made provision to meet the evil, and to deliver His saints from so blasphemous a snare. He knew, too, that those who looked adoringly at the person of the Lord would search His word for language to express their heart’s satisfaction; and He has prided words suited to their heaven-born affection, expressive of what they have found in the person of Him Who is the true God and eternal life.
As the Old Testament is full of the coming, character, work, and kingdom of Christ, so is it full of light as to the absolute spotlessness of “Him which was, and is, and is to come.” When Jehovah would set forth in type the redemption of His people, He said, “Let them take to them every man a lamb;” but an indispensable requisite was, “your lamb shall be without blemish.” Any deformity or disease, any defect or superfluity, would disqualify the offering for the purpose intended. Who does not see in this the immaculateness of Christ as plainly written as when the Father spoke from the excellent glory, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased?”
Whenever any among God’s people would approach Him, as in Leviticus 1, it must be by bringing a burnt offering. It might be of the flocks or of the herd; but in either case it must be without blemish, because it was a type of the holy and righteous Servant thereafter to come. God’s teaching for us on this subject is not to be disposed of in general expressions, or by a text or two. It is not a subject for a sermon or an essay to slur over in vague platitudes. It is a fundamental truth. It is essential to the Saviour’s person and God’s honor. It permeates scripture.
In order that we may think and feel that we may worship and walk aright, God would have the untainted humanity and the supreme deity of Christ before us at every turn. Thus when we reach Leviticus 2 The meat offering is to be of fine flour, mixed and anointed with oil, and with frankincense also. It might be a cake, or it might be a wafer, but it must be unleavened, with salt, and without honey. Thus in burnt offering and in meat offering God skews us that what represents Christ in death as in life, truly a “sweet savor” to Him, must exclude the least evil.
Such was Christ always, and never more peremptorily demanded than in the type that set forth His human life down here. It seems very wonderful that into a world where every human being was defiled God’s own Son should come, and be the only undefiled One. Yet so it was, and this is what God teaches us in His word, drawing out our hearts in adoration of Him that knew no sin; so that while “beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord.” We behold Him thus on high.
Is it not this unblemishedness of Christ which, as it alarmed the demons beyond measure, becomes the heart’s joy of all that are saved by His grace? When despairing of finding purity in themselves, after striving it may be for years to remove defects, blemishes, superfluities, and deformities in themselves, after agonizing for a riddance of the leaven of sin, which they ultimately find to be in their very nature, at length their eyes are opened, and they see in the Lord the perfect expression of what they have vainly looked for in themselves. How then do these scriptures which unfold Christ’s moral glory beam for them with a cheering and beautiful meaning Then it is that in an infinitely higher sense than David ever saw, the blessed Lord is “much set by.” Then do they rejoice in His word “as one that findeth great spoil;” and none can cry out with such deep soul joy as they, “Who among the sons of the mighty can be compared to the Lord?” “My beloved is white;” “Thou art fairer than the sons of men;” “Unto you therefore which believe is the preciousness;” but He it is that is the secret and the power by the Holy Spirit.
(To be continued).