Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 1 · Part 23
EXERCITAT. XXIII. Of the day of Expiation. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 4.
Levit. 23.24. On the tenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth there ſhall be a day of Atonement, &c.
THis day of Atonement is called Dies cippurim, the day of expiation.foreign Picavit, pice obduxit. foreign Aliquem iniuſtum pronuntiare. Caphar properly is to cover a thing with pitch or plaſter, Gen. 6.14. Chriſt muſt cover our ſinnes ſo that they appeare no more, contrary to this is Hirſhiangh, to condemne a man or to make him wicked, that is, to pronounce him to bee wicked.
Foure things commanded to be done in the day of expiation.There were foure memorable things commanded on this day of expiation, firſt, that they ſhould faſt; Secondly, that they ſhould abſtaine from al ſorts of work; and all ſorts of delights; Thirdly, that they ſhould afflict their ſoules; Fourthly, that they ſhould proclaime the Iubile this day.
The day of expiation called a faſt by way of appropriation.Firſt, they were commanded to faſt this day; they had many faſts, as the faſt of the fourth monethmonth, and the faſt of the fift, and the faſt of the ſeventh MonethMonth, and the the faſt of the tenth monethmonth, Zach. 8.19. But this was called the great faſt, as Act. 8.9. Sailing was dangerous becauſe the faſt was now paſt, this faſt was the day of expiation.
No workes to be done upon the day of expiation.Secondly, they were commanded to abſtaine from all workes this day. In other feaſt dayes they were commanded to abſtaine frō ſervile works, as plowing, ſowing, reaping, but this day was to be kept as Holy as the Sabbath it ſelfe, they might kindle no fire this day nor dreſſe meat, they were to abſtaine from all delights and pleaſures this day, as firſt, from waſhing of themſelves, ſecondly from anointing of themſelves, thirdly, from putting on of their ſhooes and fine apparell. Firſt, from anointing,They abſtained from pleaſures that day. in the day of affliction they did not anoynt themſelves. Dan. 20.3.12. So they laid aſide their ornaments. Exod. 33.4▪ 6. So they went barefooted. 1 Sam. 15.30. So wearing Sackloth. Pſal. 35.13. Not waſhing themſelves. 2 Sam. 12.20.21.They afflicted their ſoules on the day of expiation. Not to lye with their wives. 2. Sam. 11.11. Thirdly, This day they afflicted their ſoules or humbled their ſoules, for the outward humiliation had beene nothing with out the inward. Eſay. 58 5. Is it ſuch a faſt that I have choſen? a day for a man to afflict his ſoule. Outward abſtinence without humiliation of the ſoule is nothing acceptable to God.
Fourthly, this day they proclamed the Iubile,Why the Iubile was proclaimed on the day of expiation. they were humbled in their ſoules this day in afflicting themſelves, and then he biddeth them proclaime the Iubile; to teach us, that the Lord giveth grace to the humble; and ſecondly, that the Lord mixeth griefe and joy together to his children in this life, they are ſweet-ſowre joyes, and all the promiſes have Annexionem Crucis, a condition of ſome croſſe adjoyned to them. Marc. 10.30. He ſhall receive an hundreth fold in this life, &c. With perſecutions.
This day was inſtituted for to purge all the defects and wants which had beene in their Sacrifices all the yeere long, and when this day was not able to purge them from their ſinnes, this taught them that they muſt expect another Sacrifice to purge ſinne, for Non datur proceſſus in infinitum, but there muſt be one perfect Sacrifice to purge all our ſinnes, wherein we ſhould reſt.
They had many reaſons to ſhew them the weakeneſſe of this Leviticall Law,The weakeneſſe of the Ceremonies ſhewed by the Prieſts and ſacrifices. both in the Sacrifices, and in the Prieſt; in the Sacrifices, Num. 19.8.9. When the Heifer was burnt, they put the aſhes in water to purge theſe who were put out of the Campe for uncleanneſſe; therefore it was called the water of ſeparation: thoſe aſhes purged them that were ſeparated, yet they defiled them that burnt them, and gathered them, Verſ. 10. Therefore this Sacrifice could not purge him.
So the weakeneſſe of theſe ceremonies was alſo ſhewed in the Prieſts themſelves, that the Prieſt being a ſinner, could not make atonement for himſelfe; when the Prieſt eat the meate offering of the people, he made atonement for them; but he might not eate his owne meat offering. Levit. 10.17. This ſheweth the Imperfection of the ceremonies, in eating the ſinne offering of the people, but not his owne ſinne offering. This was alſo ſhewed to them by this; If the high Prieſt had beene defiled by any thing, there was a ſecond high Prieſt appointed to ſupply his wants, 1 King. 2. which ſhewed the Imperfection of his Prieſthood. Laſtly, this Highprieſt entered but once in the yeere, into the Holieſt of all, and he alone, therefore this Prieſthood could bring nothing to perfection.
Heb. 10.5. Sacrifices and Mincha, thou wouldſt not have, but a body thou haſt prepared for me; in the oblation of Chriſts Body, the legall ſervices were aboliſhed, and the meatoffering ceaſed when CHRIST came. Dan. 9.2.
Three ſorts of purification.The Iewes had diverſe ſorts of purifications. Firſt they had foreign which was a purifying by water Ioh. 11.55. foreign, they went up to Ieruſalem, to purifie themſelves, and this the Latines called Luſtratio. The Greeke called the ſame foreign, which was a purifying by fire, for foreign is the heat of the ſunne, this they borrowed from that Idolatrous cuſtome which the Prieſts of Moloch uſed,foreign tranſitus per ignem. when as they had Magnabhir Baiſh Tranſitum per ignem, when they did initiate their young children by making them paſſe through two fires.
Their ſecond purification was foreign,Purifying with water for what? a waſhing with water, whereas the former was but a ſprinkling with water; Ioh. 3.25. There was a queſtion betwixt ſome of Iohns Diſciples and the Iewes foreign, about purifying, and it was for this purification that thoſe water pots of ſtone were ſet. Ioh. 2.6. for when they came home from their markets, or had touched a gentile or any uncleane thing, they waſhed their cloathes, their hands and their feete, in thoſe pots of water.
Their third ſort of purification was foreign Piaculum, The manner of the heathen expiating ſinne.or victima piacularis, when as they offered a ſacrifice of any beaſt after they were thus purified, and this was called foreign, which the Gentiles abuſed, as the Carthaginians, when they tooke a man, and laid all the ſinnes of the people upon him, they offered him in a ſacrifice, and burnt him in the fire to be foreign, or an expiation for the whole people of that Country or City.
When Iohn the Baptiſt,Iohn changed all theſe waſhinge. the forerunner of CHRIST came to aboliſh the ceremonies of the Iewes, and to make way for the Goſpell both to the Iewes and Gentiles, he changed foreign this ſprinkling of water into repentance, and he changed foreign the waſhing with water foreign in baptizing with the holy Ghoſt and with fire; & he changed foreign that ſacrifice for ſinne, into that Vniverſall foreign, the ſacrifice of Ieſus Chriſt, when he ſaid, Behold the Lamb of God, foreign, that taketh away the ſinnes of the World.