A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe on the eighth day that Moſes called Aaron and his ſonnes, &c.]
That is, on the very next day after the ſeven dayes of the prieſts conſecration were ended, whereof mention was made in the 33. verſe of the foregoing chapter, as is evident alſo by that which the Prophet Ezeklel ſaith in his alluſion to this, Ezek. 43. 26, 27. Seven dayes ſhall they purge the altar, and conſecrate themſelves, and when theſe dayes are expired, it ſhall be that upon the eighth day and ſo forward the priests ſhall make your burnt-offerings upon the altar, &c. What day of the monethmonth this was done, is not expreſſed. Evident it is that the tabernacle was erected on the firſt day of the firſt monethmonth in the ſecond year after their coming out of Egypt, Exod. 40. 17. and immediately the Lord ſpake unto Moſes out of the tabernacle and gave him the ſeverall Laws concerning the ſacrifices ſet down in the firſt chapter of this Book, as is noted, Lev. 1. 1. After this Moſes performed all that was injoyned him for the conſecrating of Aaron and his ſonnes, and for the anointing and ſanctifying of the tabernacle and all that was therein, wherein ſeven dayes were ſpent, and then the next day after Aaron and his ſonnes entred upon the executing of the prieſts office, as is here related. Indeed ſome hold that the ſeven dayes of the conſecration of Aaron and his ſonnes were before the firſt day of the firſt monethmonth when the tabernacle was reared up by Moſes, and that becauſe the Princes offered on that very day when the altar was anointed by Moſes, Numb. 7. 1, 10. (which they conceive was done at the ſame time when the tabernacle was erected) and the prieſts could not have offered the Princes ſacrifices if they had not been before that time conſecrated and ſettled in their prieſthood. But this opinion is grounded upon a double miſtake, to wit, that the altar was anointed by Moſes the ſame day the tabernacle was erected, and that the Princes ſacrifices were offered on the ſame day whereon the altar was anointed, which indeed cannot be truly inferred from that forecited place in the 7. of Numbers, as ſhall be ſhown in the notes there. All that can be ſaid concerning the day when Aaron and his ſonnes entred upon the execution of their prieſthood is, that it was the very next day after the ſeven dayes of their conſecration were ended.
Verſ. 2. And he ſaid unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a ſinne-offering.]
Before Aaron might be ſuffered to offer up any ſacrifice, he is commanded by Moſes to offer up a young calf as a ſinne-offering for himſelf: And hence the Apoſtle proves the weakneſſe and inſufficiency of the Leviticall prieſthood, to wit, that thoſe prieſts were not fit in themſelves to ſtand as Mediatours betwixt God and the people, being ſinners themſelves, but were types and ſhadows of another to come, to wit, Chriſt, who was holy, harmleſſe, undefiled and ſeparate from ſinners, &c. Heb. 7. 26, 27. But ſince a young bullock is appointed for the high prieſts ſinne-offering. Levit. 4. 3. Why is Aaron here commanded to offer a young calf for a ſinne-offering? I anſwer, between a young calf and a young bullock there was no great difference (the one happely was, as the Hebrews ſay, of the firſt year, the other of the ſecond) but yet of that difference the reaſon we may conceive to be this, becauſe in the fourth chapter a ſinne-offering is appointed onelyonly by way of atonement for ſome particular ſinne of ignorance committed by the high prieſt; but this ſinne-offering here injoyned was for the ſinnes of the prieſts in generall, and that alſo in a particular caſe, for their firſt entrance upon the execution of their office, and therefore here not a young bullock, as there was injoyned▪ but a young calf was offered for their ſinne-offering, and that by the Lords ſpeciall direction.
Verſ. 3. Take yee a kid of the goats for a ſinne-offering, &c.]
Here alſo (as in a ſpeciall particular caſe) the very ſame ſacrifices are not injoyned either for the ſinne-offerings, burnt-offerings, or peace-offerings of the people, that are injoyned by the generall Laws in the former chapters; onelyonly reſpect is had that ſome of every kind ſhould be now offered by the prieſts at their firſt entrance upon their office.
Verſ. 4. For to day the Lord will appear unto you.]
See ver. 24.
Verſ. 9. And put it upon the horns of the altar, &c.]
That is, the braſen altar; herein alſo this ſinne-offering for the high prieſt ſeemeth to differ from others that followed after, whoſe bloud was to be carried into the Sanctuary, Levit. 4. 5, 6, 7. and it was becauſe Aaron as yet had not acceſſe into the holy place, till he had prepared away by this firſt ſacrifice into the court; the like is to be obſerved in the peoples ſinne-offering, ver. 15. compared with Levit. 4. 13, 17, 18.
Verſ. 10. But the fat and the kidneys and the caul above the liver of the ſinne-offering he burnt upon the altar.]
That is, he offered them upon the altar, and ſo they were afterward burnt by that fire which came down from heaven, ver. 24.
Verſ. 15. And he brought the peoples offering and took the goat, &c. and offered it for ſinne as the firſt.]
That is, in the ſame manner as that for the prieſt, ver. 8. and ſo he burnt it alſo without the camp as the other was, ver. 11. for which he is reproved by Moſes, Lev. 10. 17. Wherefore have ye not eaten the ſinne-offering in the holy place, ſeeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you, &c.
Verſ. 17. Beſide the burnt ſacrifice of the morning.]
That is, this was not the burnt-offering and meat-offering which was every morning to be offered, as God appointed Exod. 24. 38, 39, 40. but an extraordinary offering beſides, which by ſpeciall direction was offered at this time.
Verſ. 22. And Aaron lift up his hand toward the people, and bleſſed them.]
This was a kind of applying the ſacrifice to them, and to make known that God did gratiouſly accept of thoſe ſacrifices from them; and it was done according to the manner ſet down, Numb. 6. 23, &c. Speak unto Aaron and his ſonnes, ſaying, On this wiſe ſhall bleſſe the children of Iſrael, ſaying unto them, The Lord bleſſe thee, and keep thee, the Lord make his face ſhine upon thee, and be gratious unto thee, the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. So alſo it is ſaid of our Saviour that a little before his Aſcention he lift up his head and bleſſed his diſciples; and indeed Aaron was in this a type of Chriſt, in whom all the Nations of the world are bleſſed, Gen. 18. 18.
Verſ. 22. And came down from offering of the ſinne-offering, &c.]
That is, from the bank or hilly-place of the altar which was higher then the other ground.
Verſ. 23. And Moſes and Aaron went into the tabernacle, &c.]
Hitherto the prieſts had onelyonly made entrance upon their office in the court of the prieſts. Now Moſes went with Aaron into the tabernacle that he might there inſtruct him concerning the ſervice he was there to perform, both about the lights, the table of ſhewbread, and the altar of incenſe.
And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.]
That is ſomme viſible ſigne of Gods glory and favour, as by the cloud, Exod. 16. 10.
Verſ. 24. And there came a …ire out from the Lord, and conſumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat.]
That is, either from heaven, as 2. Chron. 7. 1. or elſe out of the tabernacle.
Which when all the people ſaw, they ſhouted and fell on their faces.]
With aſtoniſhment and joy, giving thanks for this ſigne of Gods favour, and of his accepting their ſacrifices.