A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Verſ. 2. IF a ſoul ſinne, and commit a treſpaſſe againſt the Lord, &c.]
This Law is concerning ſinnes done wittingly, where an injury is done to a neighbour, and God alſo is particularly offended by a li… and falſe oath.
Verſ. 5. He ſhall even reſtore it in the principall.]
That is, the very thing it ſelf, or the full worth of it.
And ſhall adde the fifth part more thereto, &c.]
If he were judicially convicted of it, he was to be proceeded againſt according to thoſe judiciall Laws, Exod. 22. which injoyn double paiment: but this Law is for thoſe, who touched in conſcience confeſſe that whereof they could not be convinced by the Law; in which caſe they were onelyonly to adde a fifth part, and to give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, whether the firſt owner, or the heire, &c.
Verſ. 9. Command Aaron and his ſonn…s, &c.]
Hitherto the ſubſtance of the ſacrifices have been preſcribed, now the ſeverall rites of each are deſcribed more particularly. And firſt for burnt-offerings, though the daily burnt-offering which was offered every morning, and the laſt every evening is here chiefly intended.
Becauſe of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, &c.]
Not onelyonly all day, but all night alſo; for as the morning burnt-offering burnt till the evening, ſo the evening burnt-offering burnt all night untill the morning.
And the fire of the altar ſhall be burning in it.]
That is, ſhall be nouriſht continually.
Verſ. 10. And the prieſt ſhall put on his linen garment, &c.]
That is, not onelyonly the linen breeches, but alſo the linen coat.
And take up the aſhes which the fire hath conſumed with the burnt-offering, &c.]
Aſhes are ſaid to be conſumed, when the wood and ſacrifices are conſumed and turned to aſhes: as meal is ſaid to be ground, when the corn by grinding is turned to meal, Eſai. 47. 2. Take the milſt…ne, and grind meal.
And he ſhall put them beſides the altar.]
See the Notes upon Levit. 1. 16.
Verſ. 11. And carry forth the aſhes without the camp unto a clean place.]
The contrary is ſaid to…ching the ſtones and duſt of a leprous houſe, Levit. 14. 40, 41. Then the prieſt ſhall command that they …ake the ſtones in which the plague is, and they ſhall caſt them into an unclean place without the city, &c. Becau…e theſe came from the Lords holy houſe, therefore they were to be laid in a clean place, where no dead carkaſes, dung, or other filth was laid.
Verſ. 12. And the fire upon the altar ſhall be burning in it, &c.]
That ſo the …ire which firſt came from heaven, might in a m…nner by the continuall ſupply of wood be ſtill preſerved upon the altar: which might ſignifie, 1. the excluding of all humane devices in Gods worſhip, wherein nothing is allowed but is given by direction from heaven: And ſecondly, that no ſacrifice is accepted with God, but what is offered by the ſpirit, that fire from heaven, Matth. 3. 11. He ſhall baptize you with the holy Ghoſt and with fire: And withall the continuing of this fire, which at firſt came from heaven to teſtifie Gods favourable acceptance of that ſacrifice, was to teach them that as at firſt ſo ſtill he did continually accept of their ſacrifices and ſervice, as long as they did it according to the direction of his law.
And the priest ſhall burn the wood on it every morning.]
Queſtionleſſe they laid on wood upon the altar to maintain the fire thereon, not onelyonly in the morning, but all the day long, eſpecially at even, when the evening burnt-offering was to be burnt upon the altar; onelyonly there is a particular direction here for laying on wood in the morning, becauſe then having cleanſed the altar, and taken away the aſhes, they made the fire anew.
Verſ. 16. And the remainer thereof ſhall Aaron and his ſonnes eat.]
The males onelyonly, becauſe theſe things being moſt holy might not be touched but by conſecrated perſons.
With unleavened bread ſhall it be eaten in the holy place.]
That is, in the co…rt of the Sanctuary: for ſo it is explained concerning the ſinne-offering, verſe 26. In the holy place ſhall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. Other holy things, as the tithes and firſt-fr…its, and the ſhoulder and breaſt of the peoples peace-offerings, &c. might be eaten elſewhere, and the prieſts daughters were to have a ſhare therein, Numb. 18. 11. The heave-offering of their gift with all the wave-offerings of the children of Iſrael, I have given them unto thee, and to thy ſonnes, and to thy daughters with thee by a ſtatute for ever: every one that is clean in thy houſe ſhall eat of it. But thoſe things that were moſt holy, to wit, the prieſts portion of all ſacrifices, whereof part was burnt upon the altar, were onelyonly to be eaten by Aaron and his ſonnes, and that in the holy place, 1. That by their eating in Gods preſence they might be put in mind to uſe theſe holy things with all ſobriety; 2. To put them in mind of that ſingular purity and holineſſe which God required in them that were honoured above the people; and 3. To ſignifie perhaps that none but thoſe within Gods holy Church ſhall have any benefit by Chriſt. As for this charge not to eat it with leavened bread, ſee the note upon chap. 2. 11.
Verſ. 20. This is the offering of Aaron and his …onnes, &c.]
That is, this is the offering that Aaron ſhall offer unto God in the d…y … he is an…inted, and which his ſonnes ſucceſſively that ſhall come to be high prie…s ſhall offer unto the Lord in the day that they are anointed: for it is evident that this meat-offering i… appointed for the high prieſt onelyonly (for he onelyonly was anointed in ſucceeding … as is ſhown before upon Exod. 29. 7.) to wit, Aaron for the preſent, and that ſon of his ſucceſſively that ſhould be anointed high prieſt in his ſtead, as it is expreſſed ve…ſe 22.
The tenth part of an Ephah of fine flowre for a meat-offering perpetuall, &c.▪
That is, ever to be offered when any of them came to be high prieſts.
Verſ. 23. For every meat-offering for the prieſt ſhall be wholly burnt.]
The prieſts eating of the ſinne-offering ſigured the bearing of the ſinners iniquity▪ Levit. 10. 17. but becauſe no prieſt being a ſinner could make atonement for himſelf; therefore his meat-offering might not be eaten, but is all burnt on the altar, to teach him to expect ſalvation not by himſelf but onelyonly by Chriſt.
Verſ. 26. The prieſt that offereth it for ſinne ſhall eat it.]
Except in the caſe mentioned verſe 30. when the bloud thereof was carried into the tabernacle.
Verſ. 27. And when there is ſprinkled of the bloud thereof upon any garment, thou ſhalt waſh, &c.]
viz. caſually. Now theſe ordinances peculiar onelyonly to the ſinne-offering (becauſe that in ſpeciall ſort figured Chriſt who was made ſinne for us) ſhadowed the contagion of ſinne, and our care to cleanſe our ſelves by repentance and faith.
Verſ. 28. But the earthen veſſell wherein it is ſodden ſhall be broken: and if it be ſodden in a braſen pot, &c.]
Becauſe the liquour wherein the ſin-offering was ſodden might ſoak into an earthen pot, therefore that muſt be broken, the rather, becauſe the loſſe of breaking it was not great; but if it were ſod in an iron or braſſe pot, that was onelyonly to be ſcoured and rinſed; all which was ſtill to ſhadow forth the contagion of ſinne.
Verſ. 30. And no ſin-offering whereof any of the bloud is brought into the tabernacle, &c.]
Namely the ſin-offering for the prieſt and the congregation. See Levit. 4. & 16. which were burnt without the camp: and this might ſignifie that men cleaving to the legall prieſthood, and not ſeeking for the better prieſthood of Chriſt, could not be ſaved.