A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 2. IF a ſoul ſhall ſinne through ignorance, &c.]
Hitherto in this book direction hath been given for burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings: Now the Lord here beginnes his directions for thoſe offerings whereby expiation was made for ſome particular ſinne which the offerer found himſelf guilty of, which in ſome caſes were called ſinne-offerings, and in ſome caſes trespaſſe-offerings. The firſt generall command concerning theſe is in theſe words, to wit, that if a ſoul, that is, any perſon whatſoever, ſhould ſinne through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord, then that perſon ſhould bring a ſinne-offering by way of expiation for that ſinne: where by ſinnes committed through ignorance, or errour (for ſo the word in the originall may alſo be rendered) are not onelyonly meant ſuch ſinnes as men commit and yet know not that they ſinned, as being ignorant of the fact done, or of the unlawfulneſſe of the fact, thinking they did well when indeed they tranſgreſſed ſome law and commandment of God; but alſo ſuch ſinnes as men commit through infirmity and weakneſſe, when they are ſuddenly overtaken in a fault, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Gal. 6. 1. overborn by the ſtrength of their luſts and corrupt affections, which do for the preſent as it were blind their judgement and reaſon, and ſo they do not for the time mind the law of God, or not lay it to heart as they ought to do. Yet withall we muſt conſider that it is no way probable that all ſinnes of this nature are here intended, but onelyonly ſuch greater externall ſinnes for which the conſcience is more likely to be ſtricken then for every ordinary aberration: for who can think that there was a ſeverall ſinne-offering to be brought for every tranſgreſſion of Gods law, though but in thought or word, which in the beſt are every day ſo many? No, other ſinnes were expiated by the dayly burnt-offerings which were offered for the whole Church, or by the ſacrifice offered on the day of atonement, concerning which it is ſaid, Levit. 16. 30. On that day ſhall the prieſt make an atonement for you, to cleanſe you, that you may be clean from all your ſinnes before the Lord. Theſe ſinne-offerings were onelyonly for ſuch particular ſinnes, for which their conſciences were in a more ſpeciall manner ſmitten: and they were all types of Chriſt; for For God made him to be ſinne for us who knew no ſinne, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him, 2. Cor. 5. 21.
Verſ. 3. If the prieſt that is anointed do ſinne, &c.]
That is, the high prieſt, who onelyonly was anointed in the ages following, as is before noted upon Exod. 29. 7. & 40. 15. now in that the Leviticall high prieſt had himſelf need of an offering for ſinne, they were taught that he was not the Mediatour that could ſtand between God and them, and make a perfect atonement for them; but that they were to look for another, in whom there was no ſinne, of whom the Leviticall high prieſt in his holy garments was a ſhadow and type. See Heb. 7. 26, 27, 28. For ſuch an high prieſt became us who is holy, harmleſſe, …ndefiled, and ſeparate from ſinners; who needeth not dayly as thoſe high prieſts to offer …p ſacrifice, firſt for his own ſins, and then for the peoples, &c.
Then let him bring for his ſinne which he hath ſinned a young bullock, &c.]
A greater ſacrifice then the common perſons, verſ. 28. or the rulers, verſ. 22. and equall to the congregations, verſ. 14. becauſe his ſinne was greateſt and moſt pernicious to the people.
Verſ. 4. And ſhall lay his hand upon the bullocks head, &c.]
So teſtifying his faith and reſting on Chriſt, whom that ſacrifice figured. See the note upon chapter 1. 4.
Verſ. 5. And the prieſt that is anointed ſhall take of the bullocks bloud.]
This anointed prieſt is the ſinner himſelf, Heb. 7. 27. who is here injoyned to take of the bullocks bloud, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation, that is, into the tabernacle, which was not yet preſcribed to be done in any other ſacrifice: and this ſhewed that by the bloud of Chriſt we have a way opened into heaven, Heb. 10. 19. 20. Having boldneſſe to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jeſus, by a new and living way which he hath conſecrated for us through the vail, that is to ſay, his fleſh.
Verſ. 6. And ſprinkle of the bloud ſeaven times before the Lord, &c.]
A myſticall number, ſignifying the full ſatisfaction that was given to God, and the full and perfect cleanſing of ſinne by the ſprinkling of the bloud of Jeſus, Heb. 9. 13, 14. For if the blo…d of bulls and of goats and the aſhes of an heifer ſprinkling the unclean ſanctiſieth to the purifying of the fleſh; How much more ſhall the bloud of Christ &c. purge your conſcience from dead works to ſerve the living God? and that our ſinnes need much purgation, Pſalm. 51. 2. Waſh me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanſe me from my ſinne.
Verſ. 11. And the skin of the bullock, and all his fleſh, &c.]
In other ſinne-offerings after the fat was offered upon the altar, the remainer of the ſacrifice was eaten by the prieſts, chap. 6. 26. The prieſt that offers it for ſinne ſhall eat it; in the holy place ſhall it be eaten: but in the ſinne-offering for the prieſt here another order is given, and ſo likewiſe in the ſinne-offering for the whole congregation, verſ. 21. (becauſe there the prieſ…s were included with the reſt) to wit, that it ſhould be wholly carried forth without the camp, and burnt there, whence is that law, chap. 6. 30. that no ſin-offering ſhould be eaten, whereof any of the bloud was brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withall in the holy place (which was onelyonly done in the ſinne-offering for the prieſt and for the congregation) but that they ſhould be burnt with fire. The literall reaſon of this doubtleſſe was, becauſe the offerer himſelf might not eat of the ſinne-offering, and in theſe ſinne-offerings the prieſt himſelf was the offerer, either ſolely by himſelf, as here; or jointly with the reſt of the people, as in the ſinne-offering for the whole congregation: but withall aſſuredly there was a myſtery in it: for firſt, hereby they we…e taught how deteſtable a thing ſinne is, eſpecially the ſinnes of ſacred perſons, and common ſinnes of a whole Church and people, which here were laid as it were upon the bullock that was carried forth out of the camp: 2. It ſignified that Chriſt, the true ſinne-offering, ſhould be carried out of Jeruſalem to ſuffer, as the Apoſtle himſelf ſaith, to ſhew the meaning of this ceremony, Heb. 13. 11, 12. The bodies of thoſe beaſts whoſe bloud is brought into the Sanctuary by the high priest for ſin are burnt without the camp; Wherefore Jeſus alſo, that he might ſanctifie the people with his own bloud, ſuffered without the gate: 3. To teach us that by Chriſts ſufferings our ſinnes are perfectly forgiven, caſt as it were out of doores, and removed farre away from us. As for the perſon that was to carry forth this bullock for a ſinne-oſfering without the camp, and to burn him there, though the words in the 12. verſ. may ſeem to have reference to the prieſt that offered the ſinne-offering, The whole bullock ſhall he carry forth without the camp, &c. yet the meaning onelyonly is that he ſhould ſee it were done, not that he ſhould do it himſelf, and ſo become unclean thereby, as may appear by what is ſaid in another place that is parallel vvith this, chap. 16. 27, 28.
Verſ. 13. And if the whole congregation of Iſrael ſinne through ignorance, &c.]
That is, if the vvhole congregation ſhall of mere ignorance or infirmity, vvhichwhich is a kind of ignorance, or errour, becauſe ſuch as ſinne thus are for the time as men blinded carried avvay vvith the ſtrength of their corruptions, ſhall do any thing that is evil, and either not take any notice of it, or not lay to heart the evil they have done, after they come to knovv it, or to be touched in conſcience for it, they ſhall offer a ſinne-offering for their atonement: vvhere by the vvay it is vvorth the noting that the vvhole aſſembly of particular Churches may erre.
Verſ. 14. When the ſin, which they have ſinned againſt it, is known, then the congregation ſhall offer a young bullock, &c.]
In Numb. 15. 24. the Iſraelites are injoyned to bring a kid of the goats for a ſinne-offering for the ſinne of the vvhole congregation: but that vvas onelyonly for the ſinne of omitting any of thoſe ceremoniall duties there injoyned them, but this is more generall for all ſin vvhatſoever, vvhichwhich you may ſee more fully explained in the note upon that place.
Verſ. 20. And he ſhall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a ſinne-offering, &c.]
That is, the bullock for the prieſts ſinne-offering, vvhereof before the firſt bullock, as it is called, verſ. 21.
Verſ. 22. When a ruler hath ſinned, &c. and is guilty, or if his ſinne wherein he hath ſinned come to his knowledge, &c.]
That is, vvhen any civil magiſtrate hath ſinned, vvhether he be preſently ſtruck vvith an acknovvledgement of his guilt, or vvhether his ſinne be aftervvards by any means diſcovered to him, ſo ſoon as he comes to the knovvledge of it he ſhall bring his ſinne-offering.
Verſ. 24. And he ſhall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place, &c.]
That is, on the Northſide of the altar. See Levit. 1. 11.
Verſ. 25. And the prieſts ſhall take of the bloud of the ſinne-offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar, &c.]
The bloud of this ſinne-offering for the ruler (as likewiſe that for the common people) why was it not as in the former carried into the tabernacle, ſprinkled before the vail, and upon the altar of incenſe? ſurely becauſe the ſinne of the prieſt and congregation was more hainous then that of the ruler, therefore was there a more ſolemn manner of atonement appointed for their ſin then for the rulers or the private perſons.
Verſ. 26. And he ſhall burn all his fat upon the altar, &c.]
The remainer was eaten by the prieſts. See Levit. 6. 26. whereas the remainer of the ſin-offerings for the prieſt and congregation were burnt without the camp for the reaſon above ſhown in the note upon verſ. 11.
Verſ. 27. And if any one of the common people ſinne through ignorance, &c.)
That is, either Iſraelite or ſtranger that is joyned unto them. See Numb. 15. 15.
Verſ. 30. And the prieſt ſhall take of the bloud thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar, &c.]
See the note verſ. 25.
Verſ. 32. And if he bring a lambe for a ſinne-offering, &c.]
This ſacrifice is ſpoken of apart from the former of the goat, becauſe of the difference in the fat that was burned, which was not wholly the ſame in a lambe as it was in a goat. See the note upon chap. 3. 9.