Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 1 · Section 4
VERSE 5.
And offer a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free-Offerings, for this liketh you, O yee Children of Israel, saith the Lord.
IN this Verse the Prophet continues his Sarcasm, and bids the Israelites goe on in their superstitious practices, imitating Gods people in their choysest Sacrifices, viz. in their Eucharistical, Votive, Free-will-offerings; but withall he lets them know, though this please them, yet it displeaseth God, as appears by those several Judgements which hee had already laid upon them, and yet further threatens against them.
Offer a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving with leaven; q. d. imitate Gods people, who in their Sacrifices of praise did offer leavenned bread according to the Law (Levit. 7.13.) so doe yee in the VVorship of your Idols, what Gods people did holily at Ierusalem to the true God, that doe yee hypocritically at Bethel and Gilgal, to your false gods.
Q. But here a doubt ariseth, whether this people did sin in offering leaven with their Sacrifices of Thanksgiving?
A. Some learned men conceive they did sin, and that their Sacrificing here with leaven was contrary to the Law, Levit. 2.11. But as learned men on the other side say, they did not sin in so doing; for though the Lord did forbid leaven in other Sacrifices (Levit. 2.11.) yet in Eucharistical and Thank-offerings, as here, they might bring leavened bread, Levit. 7.13. The Lord therefore doth not blame them here for offering with leaven,Vide Planius Piscator. in Amos 4.5. in Scholiis. for himself had so appointed it, and in these external circumstantials they were very diligent; but the Lord blames them because they offered those Sacrifices of praise which were due to him, to their Idols, and that in the Temple of Idols.
Q. But why did the Lord forbid leaven in other Sacrifices, and yet command it in Eucharistical ones?
A. Sundry Reasons might be given.
1 The Lord might enjoyn it, to intimate unto us the due preparation of our hearts before we praise him; for so wee finde Leaven to be used, sometimes in Scripture in good part, for the secret working, preparing, and fitting of the Dough for baking▪ making it rise and heave, which else would bee sad and heavie (Mat. 13.33.) so doth Gods Spirit prepare and raise our spirits in love and thankfulness to God for his mercies, Psal. 108.1. to 6.
2 To teach us to temper our joys with sorrow, and in all our approaches to God in this duty, to rejoyce with trembling, Psal. 2.11. Hence the Passeover was to bee eaten with sower herbs.
3 Or else to signifie to us his gracious acceptation of our praises, though mixt with the leaven of many infirmities.
4 To mind them (say some) of their deliverance from those things which are set forth by leaven, viz. false Doctrin, Hypocrisie, Prophanness, and the like.
Proclaime and publish the Free-offerings, q. d. though you bring your Sacrifices to me every morning and evening, according to my Commandement, and though yee offer other Sacrifices on your Feastival-dayes, yea and though yee adde to them all Voluntary-oblations, solemnized with great pomp and Majesty; yet all this is but adding sin to sin, it is a burden, and an abomination to me, because not done in that place, and by those Priests which I have ordained for that work. Those Voluntary-free-will-offerings we read of, Levit. 7.16. & 22.18. Numb. 15.3. Deut. 12.17. these were commanded by Law, and these the Israelites did imitate. These they did publish and proclaime by publick authority,Kiru, vocata ecclesiam & caelum populi ad osserandum victimas & alias oblationes. with great pomp and solemnity, being very curious in Ceremonies, but careless in substantials; yet for the better clearing of this Point, wee must know, that those Free-will offerings were a kind of Peace-offerings for some Blessings received: of which we finde three sorts: Some were
1 Eucharistical.
2 Votive.
3 Voluntary.
1 Some were Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and praise, for some Blessings already received, as recovery from Sickness, victory over Enemies, success in a Journey; for blessings of the Feild, of the Wombe, &c. they were to come to the Holy place, and bring a Bullock, or the like, and offer it as a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving to God, for those mercies received, Levit. 7.11, 12, 13.
2 There were Votive Sacrifices, which were joyned with Prayer for a blessing upon their undertakings; or as others say, for the performance of some Vow made upon the obtaining of some special blessing from God, Lev. 7.16.
3 The Free-will-offering was of meer Devotion, when a man was not tied either by general or special obligation, (Levit. 7.16,) either of Mercies received, or of the want of any blessing; but of Devotion in general, by way of acknowledging Gods goodness to them in the general, and testifying their desire of the continuance of his love and favour to them;Ahabtem, dilaxistis, from Ahab, dilexit, chorum habuit. For this pleaseth you, or, this yee love, O yee Children of Israel, saith the Lord. What the Prophet had spoken before Ironically, now he speaks plainly without a Figure, and shews that he did not exhort them to doe such things, but shews what things they delighted to doe, and therefore hee bids them goe on, and take what they get; you love to have it so, but you consider not what will be the end thereof, Ier. 5. ult. q. d. This kind of sacrifice may please you, who have made your own wills your rule, delighting your selves in outward shewes and Ceremonies; but it is aispleasing unto me, though you love to have it so, yet I hate your doings, and require no such things at your hands. My Sacrifices I expect at Jerusalem, yet you think any prophane place will serve turn, you should have consulted my Law, and my Messengers, and observed what pleased me; but you have despised my Law, and despited my Messengers, and followed your own inventions to your own confusion; go on therefore in these your rebellious practices, and perish.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Hipocrites are very strict in observing outward Ceremonies and Circumstances, but very negligent in fundamentals and substantials. They strain at a Gnat, yet swallow a Camel; they have a form of godliness, but they have not the power of it; they may have their morning and evening Sacrifices, they may pay Tithes, bring Euchari…tical and Free-will-offerings, and goe as farre in outward performances as (if not further then) the people of God,Vide Dyke on the Heart, p. 29 & p. 110. and yet for want of sincerity bee nothing. Ignorance and impudence, gain, and applause of men, will carry men a great way. Most mens religion now adaies lies in censuring of others, in holding some seemingly strict Opinions, and high-flown Notions beyond the rule; in disputing and questioning every thing, but beleeving nothing. The Scribes and Pharisees, what adoe did they make about Tything of Mint, and Cummin, and Annise; but the weighty matters of the Law lay unregarded; these forget that obedience is better than sacrifice. Thus our perfect Pharisees the Quakers, how precise seeme they in their words, even beyond the rule; What adoe doe they make about Pulpits, Hourglasses, Churches, Steeples, Bells, Gownes, Clokes, Laces, Fringes, Hatbands, making of Leggs, Curchies, Titles of Honour, &c. and yet these Atheistical Libertines, whose Religion is meer Irreligion, make no bones of Blasphemy, Heresie, Lying, Equivocating, Rayling, Witch-craft, &c. God will smite such gross Hipocrites.
2 Obs. Sacrifices of praise are due only to God. The Lord was here greatly displeased with Israel, for offering their Sacrifices of praise to their Idols, which were due to him. As it was their Sin that they spent the silver and the gold which God had given them, in the service of Baal (Hos. 2.8.) so to give the calves of their lips (as Praises are called, Hos. 14.2.) as well as the calves of their stalls to Idols, must needs be a God-provoking sin. As all our Blessings come from him, so it is great reason that all our Praises should bee given to him. This hath ever been the practice of the Saints, Psal. 56.12. & 93.30.33. & 107.22. Ionah 2.9. and is oft commanded, Psal. 50.14, 15. Ephes. 5.20.
3 Obs. God delighteth in Free-will offerings. The Prayers and Praises that we offer unto God must be voluntary, ingenuous, free, Exod. 25.2. 1 Chron. 28.9. Esa. 1.19. 2 Cor. 8.12. Christ saved us willingly (Psal. 40.6, 7.) and therefore we should serve him willingly; yea the Angels which are more noble Creatures than we, yet serve God willingly, Psal. 103.20. we must resemble them, yea the unreasonable creatures delight to serve God, Psal. 19.5.
Compulsive obedience is no obedience; the service wee perform to God must have three ingredients in it, it must bee done Scienter, Volenter & Constanter.
1 Our service must be reasonable service, for blind obedience is no obedience, Rom. 12.1.
2 It must be performed cheerfully and willingly, for as God loves a cheerful Giver, so he loves a cheerful Hearer, a cheerful Prayer, and a cheerful observer of his Sabbaths, Isa. 58.15. It was Prophesied, that in Gospel times Gods people should be willingnesses in the abstract and Plural Number,Populus spontaneitatum, i. e. summem spontaneus. Heb. that is, they should bee a prompt People, that are even composed as it were of willingness, so ready should they bee to worship him, Psal. 110.3.
3 It must be *See more in Mr. Burgess Spi. Refining 1 Part, Serm. 91. p. 542. See ten Qualifications of Obedience in Mr. William Shepheards Treat, of Sincerity, p. 198. &c.constant, we must not only doe righteousness at sometimes, but at all times, Psal. 106.3.
4 Obs. Idolatry is marvellous pleasing to our corrupt natures. Men love to have it so, Ier. 5. ult. Corrupt Principles suit well with our corrupt hearts. Hence it is that men are said to be wedded to their Idols,V. Weems on the second Com. chap. 7. p. 85. Hos. 4.17. those they love and serve, and seek to worship, Jer. 8.2. this makes multitudes goe after the Whore with her bewitching, alluring golden Cup, Revel. 13.3. on this side Hell there is not a sorer Judgement, than thus to be given up to our own currupt affections.