Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 1 · Part 5
EXERCITAT. V. Where they worſhipped when the Arke and Tabernacle were ſeparated. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 2.
1 King. 3.4. And the King went to Gibeon to ſacrifice there; for that was the great high place, a thouſand burnt offerings did Salomon offer upon that Altar.
MOyſes Tabernacle was removed from Shilh, The Tabernacle removed from Shilo after the Arke was taken out of it.Pſal. 78.60. He refuſed the Tabernacle of Shiloh; and it ſeemeth to have beene tranſported at that time, when the Arke was taken out of it, and the Philiſtims had overcome the Iſraelites, 1 Sam. 4.11. It was removed from Shilo, Iere. 17.12. But goe yee now into my place which was in Shilo; where I ſet my name at the firſt, and ſee what I did to it, and Pſal. 78.67. Moreover he refuſed the Tabernacle of Ioſeph, and choſe not the Tribe of Ephraim, but he choſe the Tribe of Iudah: the Mount Sion which he loved, that is, hee rejected Shiloh which ſtood in the Tribe of Ephraim, and the Tabernacle of Ioſeph, becauſe Ephraim was Ioſephs ſonne.
The Tabernacle was tranſported from Shiloh to Nob, The Tabernacle caried to Nob.a Citie of the Prieſts unto which David did flie; from thence it was tranſported to Gibeon, a Citie in the Tribe of Benjamin, where it remained untill Salomon brought it to Ieruſalē, 2 Chro. 1.3. And Salomon & al the Congregation with him went unto the high place which was in Gibeon; Salomon brought the Tabernacle to Ieruſalem.for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God, which Moyſes the ſervant of God had made in the Wilderneſſe. From thence Salomon brought the Tabernacle of the Congregation into the Temple of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.5.6.7. And the Prieſts brought the Arke of the covenant of the Lord unto his owne place; but the Tabernacle, as the Hebrewes ſay, was layd up without any more uſe.
Queſt. When the Arke and the Tabernacle were ſeparated, whether might they worſhip in any other place then before the Arke or the Tabernacle?
Anſw. Who might ſacrifice in other places then at the Arke or Tabernacle.Theſe who had an extraordinarie warrant, as Salomon, David, and ſuch, ſacrificed in other places; as Samuel ſacrificed at Rama, and David built an Altar in the threſhing floore of Arauna the Iebuſite, and ſacrificed there; and the Hebrewes ſay, Aram privatam non eſſe licitam niſi Prophetis.
Sometimes the ſacrifice, Prieſt and place are changed.In extraordinary ſacrifices yee ſhall ſee ſometimes the place onelyonly changed, as in Samuel and Davids ſacrificing; ſometimes the Lord changed the place, the ſacrifice, and the Prieſts; he changed the ſacrifice when Gideon had prepared a Kid for a feaſt to the Angell, the Kid was onelyonly to bee offered in a ſacrifice for the ſinne of the Prince,Gideons ſacrifice. Leviticus. 4.2. yet hee offered the Kid here; then no ſacrifice was boiled before it was offered; but this was boiled firſt, and then offered; then he offered the bread for the meat offering, and the broth for the drinke offering: and the Prieſt was changed, the Angell was the Prieſt, and Gideon was the Levite; and laſt the place was changed. The Lord who is the lawgiver, and giveth lawes to men, and not to himſelfe, he may change time, place, and perſon as he pleaſeth.
Queſt. What are we to thinke of Salomons ſacrificing in Gibeon, 1 King. 3.3. And Salomon loved the Lord walking in his ſtatutes, as David his father, onelyonly hee ſacrificed and burnt incenſe in high places.
Anſw. Salomon ſacrificed upon the braſen Altar which was in Gibeon, as his father did, 1 Chr. 1.30.Salomon ſinned not in offering in Gibeon. this is not ſet downe as a blemiſh to Salomon, as if he had done any thing otherwiſe then his father; for he loved the Lord, and walked in his ſtatutes as his father David: foreign eſt particula reſtrictiva, non excluſiva vel exceptiva.and rak here is not particula exceptiva vel excluſiva, but onelyonly reſtrictiva; that is, he ſacrified in no other places, but onelyonly in the place where hee ſaw his father ſacrifice.
Quest. What are we to thinke of the peoples ſacrificing in the high places before the Temple was built, 1 King. 3. onelyonly the people ſacrificed in the high places; becauſe there was no houſe built unto the name of the Lord in thoſe dayes.
Anſw. Three ſorts of thoſe who ſacrificed before the Temple was builded.Some anſwer that there were three ſorts of thoſe who ſacrificed in thoſe dayes, firſt, thoſe who ſacrificed to the true God in a place appointed by him; ſecondly, ſome ſacrificing to the true God, but in a place not appointed or allowed; and thirdly, ſome ſacrificing to Idols in a place not appointed by him: and they make the people ſacrificing in high places becauſe the Temple was not built yet, to be worſhippers of the ſecond ſort;The high places in the Scriptures uſually are taken in an evill ſenſe. but if we ſhall looke in what ſenſe the high places are taken uſually in the Scriptures, we ſhall finde that they ſignifie a place where they worſhipped falſe gods.
Queſt. What Altars are theſe, Pſal. 84.3. which David ſpeaketh of when he ſaith, yea the Sparrow hath found a houſe, and the Swallow a neſt for her ſelfe where ſhe may lay her young ones, even thine Altar; Seeing no uncleane thing was permitted to enter within the Temple; and the Hebrewes write,foreign inhibens corvum that there was cole gnorebb a ſcar-crow ſet up upon the Temple to fright the foules, that they might not come neare it.
Anſw. What Altars are meant that David ſpeaketh of.By the Altars here, are meant the Altars which were built in the high places to the Lord by the Prophets, before the Temple was built; for as yet Salomons Temple was not builded: or it may be ſayd that David ſpake this by the ſpirit of propheſie, of the Altars in the time of the captivitie, when the Swallowes built their neſts in the ruins of the Altars.
Queſt. What Altars doth Elias meane of, when hee ſaith, they have deſtroyed thine Altars, ſeeing now there were no Altars in the high places, which were the Lords Altars?
Anſw. They have deſtroyed thy Altars, that is, all the meanes of thy worſhip;By Altars is meant the meanes of Gods worſhip. or if we take the Altars literally, it may be underſtood of thoſe Altars built by the Prophets extraordinarily after the Temple was built, as Elias built an Altar in mount Carmel.
The Iewes adde farther, that all the times that they ſacrificed upon theſe Altars, they ſacrificed a female and not a male,foreign 1 Sam. 7.9. vajagnalehu, & obtulit ipſum; but the critickes of the Iewes, the Maſoreth readeth it vajagnaleah, that is, they offered a female upon theſe Altars, and not a male.
It was a fault to offer in the high places after the Temple was builded.Offering of ſacrifice upon the high places was found fault with after the Temple was built; Iehoſaphat is blamed for this, that he tooke not away the highplaces, 1 King. 22.43. and likewiſe Aſa, 1 King. 15.14. becauſe he tooke not away the high places; but the Lord commended Ezekiah much for taking away the high places, yet Rabſache blamed him for taking away theſe high places and Altars, Eſay 36.7.
Concluſion. The Concluſion of this is, the Lord by degrees withdrew his typicall preſence from the Iewes, firſt, he ſeparated the Arke and the Tabernacle, ſecondly, the Arke from the Temple, thirdly, hee deſtroyed the Temple, that they might looke onelyonly to him who was both the Arke, the Tabernacle, and the Temple.