Exposition of Hebrews 6-10, Exegesis of chapter 9 · Exegesis of verse 19
VER. XIX.
For when Moses had spoken every Precept unto all the People according unto the Law; he took the Blood of Calves and of Goats, with Water and Scarlet Wool and Hyssop, and sprinkled both the Book and all the People.
There are two things considerable in the words.
1. The Person made use of in the Dedication of the Covenant, which was Moses.
2. What he did therein; which is referred unto two Heads. (1) His speaking or reading the Terms of the Covenant, every Precept out of the Book. (2) His sprinkling of the Book and People with Blood.
1. Moses was the Internuntius between God and the People in this great Transaction. foreign.On Gods part he was immediately called unto this Employment. Exod. 3. And on the part of the People he was chosen and desired by them to transact all things between God and them, in the making and confirmation of this Covenant, because they were not able to bear the effects of Gods immediate Presence, Exod. 19. 19. Deut. 5. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. And this choice of a Spokesman on their part, God did approve of, ver. 27. Hence he became in a general sense a foreign, a Mediator between God and Men in the giving of the Law: Gal. 3. 19. Whatever therefore was done by Moses in this whole Affair of the Dedication of the Covenant on the Part of God, or of the People, was firm and unalterable, he being a publick Person authorized unto this work. And
1. There can be no Covenant between God and Men, but in the hand or by vertue of a Mediator. The first Covenant in the state of Innocency, was immediately between God and Man. But since the entrance of sin, it can be so no more. For (1) Man hath neither Meetness nor confidence to treat immediately with God. Nor (2) Any Credit or Reputation with him, so to be admitted as an Undertaker in his own Person. Nor (3) Any Ability to perform the conditions of any Covenant with God.
2. A Mediator may be either only an Internuntius, a Messenger, a Days-man; or also a Surety and an Undertaker. Of the first sort was the Mediator of the old Covenant; of the latter of the New.
3. None can interpose between God and a People in any sacred Office, unless he be called of God and approved of the People, as was Moses.
2dly. That which Moses did in this Affair, was first in way of Preparation; And there are three things in the Account of it. (1) What he did precisely. (2) With respect unto whom. (3) According to what Rule or Order he did it.
1. He spake every Precept, Vul. Lat. lecto omni Mandato; having read every command; which is the sense intended. foreign, is as much in this place as recited. foreign.So it is rendred by most Translators, cum recitasset, that is, when he had read in the Book. For his first speaking unto the People, ver. 3. is not here intended, but his reading in the Audience of the People, ver. 7. He spake what he read, that is, audibly; so it is in the story: he read it in the Audience of the People, so as that they might hear and understand. It is added by the Apostle that he thus read, spake, recited every Precept or Command. He took the Book of the Covenant and read in the Audience of the People, saith the Text; that is, the whole Book, and all that was contained in it, or every Precept. And the whole is reduced by the Apostle unto Precepts. It was foreign, Eph. 2. 15. a Law, a Systeme of Precepts. And it is so called to intimate the nature of that Covenant. It consisted principally in Precepts or Commandments of Obedience, promising no Assistance for the performance of them. The new Covenant is of another nature; It is a Covenant of Promises. And although it hath Precepts also requiring Obedience, yet is it wholly founded in the Promise, whereby strength and Assistance for the performance of that Obedience are given unto us. And the Apostle doth well observe that Moses read every precept unto the People: For all the Good things they were to receive by vertue of that Covenant, depended on the Observation of every Precept. For a Curse was denounced against every one that continued not in all things written in the Law to do them. Deut. 27. 26. And we may observe;
1. A Covenant that consisted in meer Precepts without an Exhibition of Spiritual strength to enable unto Obedience, could never save sinners. The insufficiency of this Covenant unto that end, is that which the Apostle designs to prove in all this Discourse. But thereon a double enquiry may be made. (1) Why God gave this Covenant which was so insufficient unto this great End? This Question is proposed and answered by the Apostle, Gal. 3. 19. (2) How then did any of the People yield Obedience unto God, if the Covenant exhibited no Aid nor Assistance unto it? The Apostle answereth in the same place; that they received it by Faith in the Promise, which was given before, and not disanulled by this Covenant.
2. In all our Dealings with God, respect must be had unto every one of his Precepts. And the Reason hereof is given by the Apostle James, namely, that the Authority of God is the same in every one of them, and so may be despised in the neglect of the least as well as of the greatest. Jam. 2. 10, 11.
2dly. To whom did Moses thus read every Precept; It was, saith the Apostle, foreign.to All the People. In the story it is said indefinitely, in the Audience of the People; as afterwards, he sprinkled the People. The Apostle adds the note of Universality in both places; to All the People. For whereas these things were transacted with the Representatives of the People, (for it was naturally impossible that the one half of the individuals of them should hear Moses reading) they were all equally concerned in what was said and done. Yet I do believe that after Moses first told the People, that is, the Elders of them, all the words of the Law, ver. 3. there was means used by the Elders and Officers, to communicate the things, yea to repeat the words unto all the People, that they might be enabled to give their rational consent unto them. And we may observe;
1. The first eminent use of the writing of the Book of the Law, that is, of any part of the Scripture, (for this Book was the first that was written,) was that it might be read unto the People. He gave not this Book to be shut up by the Priests; to be concealed from the People, as containing Mysteries unlawful to be divulged, or impossible to be understood. Such conceits befell not the Minds of men, until the Power and Ends of Religion being lost, some got an opportunity to order the concerns of it unto their own worldly Interest and Advantage.
2. This Book was both written and read in the Language which the People understood and commonly spake. And a Rule was herein prescribed unto the Church in all Ages; if so be the Example of the Wisdom and Care of God towards his Church may be a Rule unto us.
3. God never required the Observance of any Rites or Duties of Worship, without a previous warranty from his Word. The People took not on them, they were not obliged unto Obedience with respect unto any positive Institutions, until Moses had read unto them every precept out of the Book.
4. The writing of this Book was an eminent Priviledge, now first granted unto the Church, leading unto a more perfect and stable condition, then formerly it had enjoyed. Hitherto it had lived on Oral Instructions, from Traditions, and by new immediate Revelations; the evident Defects whereof were now removed, and a standard of Divine Truth and Instruction set up and fixed among them.
3dly. There is the Rule whereby Moses proceeded herein, or the Warranty he foreign.had for what he did: According to the Law. He read every Precept according to the Law. It cannot be the Law in general that the Apostle intends, for the greatest part of that Doctrine which is so called, was not yet given or written; nor doth it in any place contain any Precept unto this purpose. Wherefore it is a particular Law, Rule or Command, that is intended. According unto the Ordinance or Appointment of God. Such was the Command that God gave unto Moses for the framing of the Tabernacle; See thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed thee in the Mount. Particularly it seems to be the Agreement between God and the People, that Moses should be the Internuntius, the Interpreter between them. According unto this Rule, Order or divine Constitution, Moses read all the words from God out of the Book unto the People. Or it may be the Law may here be taken for the whole Design of God in giving of the Law; so as that according unto the Law, is no more but, according unto the Soveraign Wisdom and Pleasure of God in giving of the Law, with all things that belong unto its Order and Use. And it is Good for us to look for Gods especial warranty, for what we undertake to do in his service.
The second thing in the words is, what Moses did immediately and Directly towards the Dedication or Consecration of this Covenant. And there are three things foreign.to this purpose mentioned. (1) What he made use of. (2) How he used it. (3) With respect unto what and whom.
1. The first is expressed in these words. He took the Blood of Calves and Goats, with water and Scarlet-wool and Hyssop. He took the Blood of the Beasts that were offered for Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings; ver. 5, 6. Unto this End, in their slaying he took all their Blood in Basons; and made an equal Division of it. The one half he sprinkled on the Altar; and the other half he sprinkled on the People. That which was sprinkled on the Altar, was Gods Part; and the other was put on the People. Both the Mutual stipulation of God and the Congregation in this Covenant, and the Equality of it, or the Equity of its Terms, were denoted hereby. And herein lies the principal force of the Apostles Argument in these words: Blood was used in the Dedication of the first Covenant. This was the Blood of the Beasts offered in Sacrifice unto God. Wherefore both Death, and Death by blood-sheding, was required unto the Confirmation of a Covenant. So also therefore must the new Covenant be confirmed, but with Blood and a Sacrifice far more precious than they were.
This Distribution of Blood, that half of it was on the Altar, and half of it on the People; the one to make Attonement, the other to purifie or Sanctifie; was to teach the two-fold Efficacy of the Blood of Christ, in making Attonement for Sin unto our Justification, and the purifying of our Natures in Sanctification.
2. With this Blood he took the things mentioned with respect unto its Use, foreignwhich was Sprinkling. The manner of it was in part declared before. The Blood being put into Basons, and having water mixed with it to keep it fluid and aspersible, He took a bunch or bundle of Hyssop bound up with Scarlet wool, and dipping it into the Basons sprinkled the Blood, until it was all spent in that Service.
This Rite or way of Sprinkling was chosen of God as an expressive token or sign of the effectual Communication of the Benefits of the Covenant unto them that were sprinkled. Hence the Communication of the Benefits of the Death of Christ unto Sanctification is called the Sprinkling of his Blood. 1 Pet. 1. 2. And our Apostle comprizeth all the effects of it unto that end, under the name of the blood of Sprinkling, chap. 12. 24. And I fear that those who have used the expression with some contempt, when applyed by themselves unto the sign of the Communication of the Benefits of the Death of Christ in Baptisme, have not observed that Reverence of Holy things, that is required of us. For this Symbol of Sprinkling was that which God himself chose and appointed, as a meet and apt token of the Communication of Covenant-Mercy, that is, of his Grace in Christ Jesus unto our Souls. And,
The Blood of the Covenant will not benefit or advantage us without an especial and particular Application of it unto our own Souls and Consciences. If it be not as well Sprinkled upon us, as it was offered unto God, it will not avail us. The Blood of Christ was not divided as was that of these Sacrifices, the one half being on the Altar, the other on the People; but the Efficacy of the whole produced both these effects, yet so, as that the one will not profit us without the other. We shall have no Benefit of the Attonement made at the Altar, unless we have its efficacy on our own Souls unto their Purification. And this we cannot have unless it be sprinkled on us; unless particular Application be made of it unto us by the Holy Ghost, in and by an especial Act of Faith in our selves.
3. The Object of this Act of Sprinkling was the Book it self and all the People. The same Blood was on the Book wherein the Covenant was recorded, and the foreignPeople that entred into it.
But whereas this Sprinkling was for purifying and purging, it may be enquired, Unto what end the Book it self was sprinkled, which was holy and undefiled? I Answer; There were two things necessary unto the Dedication of the Covenant with all that belonged unto it. (1) Attonement. (2) Purification; and in both these respects it was necessary that the Book it self should be sprinkled. (1) As we observed before, it was sprinkled as it lay upon the Altar, where Attonement was made; And this was plainly to signifie that Attonement was to be made by blood, for sins committed against that book or the Law contained in it. Without this that book would have been unto the People like that given to Ezekiel, that was written within and without, and there was written therein Lamentations and Mourning and Woe; Chap. 2. 10. Nothing but Curse and Death could they expect from it. But the Sprinkling of it with blood as it lay upon the Altar, was a Testimony and Assurance, that Attonement should be made by blood, for the sins against it, which was the Life of the things. (2) The Book in it self was Pure and Holy; and so are all Gods Institutions; but unto us every thing is unclean that is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ. So afterwards the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of it were purified every year with blood, because of the Uncleannesses of the People in their Transgressions. Levit. 16. Wherefore on both these accounts, it was necessary that the Book it self should be sprinkled.
The blood thus sprinkled was mingled with water. The natural Reason of it was, as we observed, to keep it fluid and aspersible. But there was a Mystery in it also. That the blood of Christ was typified by this blood of the Sacrifices used in the Dedication of the Old Covenant, it is the Apostle's Design to declare. And it is probable that this mixture of it with water might represent that Blood and Water which came out of his side when it was pierced. For the Mystery thereof was very great. Hence that Apostle which saw it and bare Record of it in particular. Joh. 19. 34, 35. affirms likewise that he came by water and blood; and not by blood only, 1 Epist. chap. 5. ver. 6. He came not only to make Attonement for us with his blood, that we might be justifyed; but to sprinkle us with the efficacy of his blood in the communication of the Spirit of Sanctification compared unto water.
For the Sprinkler it self composed of Scarlet wool and Hyssop, I doubt not but that the Humane Nature of Christ, whereby and through which all Grace is communicated unto us, (for of his fulness we receive, and Grace for Grace) was signified by it. But the Analogie and Similitude between them are not so evident, as they are with respect unto some other Types. The Hyssop was an humble Plant, the meanest of them, yet of a sweet savour, 1. Kings 4. 33. So was the Lord Christ amongst men in the days of his flesh, in comparison of the tall Cedars of the Earth. Hence was his complaint; that he was as a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the People; Psal. 22. 6. And the Scarlet wool might represent him as red in the blood of his Sacrifice. But I will not press these things, of whose Interpretation we have not a certain Rule.
Secondly; The principal Truth asserted is confirmed by what Moses said, as well as what he did.