Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 26 – Chapter 31
CHAP. XXVI. Ver. 1. Take one young bullock]
ALL ſorts of Sacrifices (Sin-offerings, Burnt-offerings, Peace-offerings) were to bee offered for the Prieſts, becauſ of the ſpecial holineſs and honor of their calling.
Ver. 2. And unleavened bread] See 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. with the Notes there.
Ver. 4. Waſh them with water] A type of Chriſt's Baptiſm, Matth. 3.
Ver. 6. The holie crown] See the Note on Chap. 28.37.
Ver. 7. The annointing oil] Typing out that abundance of the holie Spirit powred upon Chriſt. Iſa. 61.1. and upon Chriſtians. 1 John 2.27. Pſalm. 133.2.
Ver. 8. Coats, &c.] See the Note on Chap. 28.40.
Ver. 9. Conſecrate] Heb. Fill their hands, ſe. with ſacrifices: they were not to fill their own hands, as Jeroboam's Prieſts did. 1 King. 13.31. See Heb. 5.5.
Ver. 10. Shall put their hands] As transferring the guilt of their ſins upon Chriſt. Iſa. 53.6.
Ver. 11. By the door] Pointing to Chriſt, the door into heaven. Heb. 10.20.
Ver. 12. The blood of the bullock] For without blood, there was no remiſſion of ſin. [Beſide the bottom of the Altar] To ſignifie the plenteous Redemption wrought by Chriſt.
Ver. 13. All the fat that covereth] God muſt have the verie beſt of the beſt; ſith Chriſt offered himſelf, and the beſt parts hee had.
Ver. 14. Without the camp] See the Note on Heb. 13.12. and on Heb. 7.27, 28.
Ver. 15. Thou ſhalt alſo take] After the Sin-offering, other offerings: till ſin bee expiated, no ſervice is accepted.
Ver. 16. Sprinkle it] See 1 Pet. 1.2.
Ver. 17. Waſh the inwards of him] This ſignified that intire holineſs, that through ſanctification. 1 Theſ. 5.23.
Ver. 18. The whole ram] Rom. 1.1. with the Note.
Ver. 19. Put their hands] Both their hands between the horns of the ram.
Ver. 20. Ʋpon the tip of the right ear] To ſet forth the holie obedience required of them in all their ſenſes, actions and motions. Iohn 13.5, 6, 9.
Ver. 21. Of the blood, and of the annointing oil] Signifying Chriſt's Merit and Spirit.
Ver. 22. A ram of the conſecration] A Thank-offering to God for advancing Aaron to the Prieſt-hood. See the like in S. Paul. 1 Tim. 1.12.
Ver. 23. Ʋnleavened bread] See 1 Cor. 5, 7, 8. with the Notes there.
Ver. 24. And ſhalt wave them] As acknowledging God's Omnipreſence: and that manie ſhould com from Eaſt, Weſt, North, and South, to partake of the Merits & Benefits of Chriſt, our true ſacrifice.
Ver. 25. It is an offering made by fire] Chriſt in like ſort having offered himſelf for a Burnt-offering, for a ſweet ſavor before the Lord, aſſcended up into heaven, and gave gifts unto men.
Ver. 26. It ſhall bee thy part] Becauſ hee did for this time extraordinarily execute the Prieſt's office.
Ver. 27. The breaſt of the Wave-offering and ſhoulder] To teach the Prieſts to ſerv the Lord with all their hearts, and with all their ſtrength.
Ver. 28. A Heav-offering] Signifying the heaving of Chriſt upon the Croſs, and the heaving up of our hearts to God for ſo great benefits.
Ver. 29. Shall bee his ſons after him] His garments remained for ever, ſo doth the robe of Chriſt's righteouſneſs. Iſa. 61.10.
Ver. 30. And that ſon] There were garments but for one: there is but one Mediator, the Man Chriſt Jeſus.
Ver. 31. And thou ſhalt take the ram] i. e. The remnant of him.
Ver. 33. And they ſhall eat thoſe things] Applie Chriſt's death by faith to their own ſouls. John 6.51.
Ver. 34. Thou ſhalt burn the remainder] The Thank-offering was not to bee kept till the morrow, to teach us to bee prompt and preſent in praiſing God, and applying Chriſt.
Ver. 35. Seven daies] To teach the Prieſt's to conſecrate their whole lives to God's ſervice.
Ver. 36. Cleanſ the Altar] Which as well as the creatures, may bee defiled by man's ſin. Lev. 16.16.
Ver. 37. Whatſoever toucheth the Altar] See Matth. 23.19. with the Note there.
Ver. 38. Daie by daie continually] When this dailie ſacrifice was intermitted (as in the daies of Antiochus that little Anti-Chriſt) they counted it an abomination of deſolation.
Ver. 39. Thou ſhalt offer in the morning] Theſe two lambs were types of the Lamb of God, taking away the ſins of the world, with a commemoration of whoſe benefits the daie was begun and ended. Wherefore, alſo from David's daies, and forwards, they ſang the 22 Pſalm at the Morning Sacrifice, and the 136 Pſalm at the Evening.
Ver. 45. And I will dwell] See the Note on 2 Cor. 6.16.
CHAP. XXX. Ver. I. An Altar to burn incenſ in]
SHadowing Chriſt, as perfuming and preſenting the Praiers of Saints. Rev. 8.3. and 5.8. and obteining anſwer thereto from the four horns of the golden Altar. Rev. 9.13.
Ver. 2. A cubit ſhall bee the length] That in Ezekiel, Chap. 41.22. is much larger, as ſetting forth the ſervice of God under the Goſpel.
Ver. 3. Overlaie it with pure gold] Shadowing Chriſt's Deïtie, yielding glorie to his humanitie. [A crown of gold round about] To ſhew, that Devotion is a rich roial virtue, beſt beſeeming the beſt Princes.
Ver. 6. Where I will meet with thee] To give oracles and anſwers of MercieMercy. God ſtill meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteouſneſs. Iſa. 64.5.
Ver. 7. Shall burn thereon ſweet incenſ] Facium & veſpae favos. The Heathens had the like cuſtom; Verbenáſque adole pingues, Virgil.& maſcula thura.
Ver. 8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps] To ſhew, that our praiers muſt bee made according to the light and direction of God's Word, leſt wee ask wee know not what, and worſhip wee know not how.
Ver. 10. An attonement upon the horns of it] Pardon muſt bee ſought for the defects found in praiers; as Nehemiah craved merciemercy for his Reformations.
Ver. 12. That there bee no plague] David in numbering the people, neglected this dutie: thence the plague.
Ver. 13. half a ſhekel] Towards the making of the Tabernacle; and as an amercing himſelf for his ſin, that ſubjected him to utter deſtruction. Verſ 15.
Ver. 15. The rich ſhall not give more] They are both of a price, becauſ in ſpirituals they are equal. 2 Pet. 1.1.
Ver. 16. That it may bee a memorial] A perpetual poll-monie, in token of homage and ſubjection to the Almightie.
Ver. 18. Between the Tabernacle and the Altar] The laver and Altar ſituated in the ſame court, ſignified the ſame; as the water and blood iſſuing out of Chriſt's ſide; viz. the neceſſarie concurrence of Juſtification and Sanctification in all that ſhall bee ſaved.
Ver. 19. For Aaron and his ſons] Here they were to waſh, before they praied for the people. Heb. 10.22.Wee muſt firſt make our own peace with God before wee take upon us to intercede for others. So did David. Pſalm 25.22. and Pſalm 51.18, 19. So wee are adviſed to do. Lam. 3.39, 40.
Ver. 21. That they die not] Com not to an untimelie end, as they did. Lev. 10.1, 2.
Ver. 26. And thou ſhalt annoïnt the Tabernacle] So to conſecrate the ſame to God's ſervice, and to ſet forth how joifully and gladly men ſhould ſerv the Lord.
Ver. 29. Whatſoever toucheth them] So are all thoſe annointed holie, that by a lively faith touch the Lord Chriſt.
Ver. 30. Aaron and his ſons] Thoſe onelyonly that ſucceeded him in the office of High-prieſt. Lev. 4.3, 5, 16. and 16.32.
Ver. 32. Ʋpon man's fleſh] A Latine Poſtiller hence infer's, in an hyperbolical ſenſ, that Prieſts are Angels, not having humane fleſh.
Ver. 33. Whoſoever compoundeth anie thing like it] Holie things muſt not bee profaned on pain of death. No people ſo abuſe Scripture to common and ordinarie uſe as the Jews do.
CHAP. XXXI. Ver. 3. And I have filled him]
GOd gift's whomſoever hee call's to anie emploiment.
Ver. 4. To deviſe cunning works] All skill in lawful callings, whether manual or mental, is of God. Iſa. 28.26.
Ver. 5. And in cutting of ſtones] Moſes might well doubt where hee ſhould finde fit work-men among thoſe brick-makers for Egypt.
Ver. 6. I have given with him] Two is better then one; four eies ſee more then two: God uſually therefore coupleth his agents. See the Note on Mat. 10.2, 3. Luke 10.1.
Ver. 13. Verily my ſabbaths yee ſhall keep] q. d. Though this Sanctuarie-work is to bee don, yet it ſhall bee no Sabbath's-daies work. The good women in the Goſpel forbare on the Sabbath to annoint the dead bodie of our Saviour, reſting according to the Commandement. [For it is a ſign] And withal an effectual means to conveigh holineſs into the heart.
Ver. 14. For it is holie unto you] Hence the Hebrews gather (but falſly) that onelyonly Iſraël was charged with the Sabbath-daie, and not the nations of the world. But the Sabbath was kept before Iſraël was born.
Ver. 15. Whoſoever doth anie work] A certain Indian that had been taught by the Engliſh, coming by, and ſeeing one of the Engliſh profaning the Lord's daie, by felling of a tree, ſaid to him, New-England's firſt-fruits.Do ye not know that this is the Lord's daie in Maſſaquſets (one of the Engliſh Plantations) much machet man, that is, verie wicked man, why break you God's daie?
Ver. 18. Written with the finger of God] Of the Decalogue, above all other holie Writ, God ſeem's to ſaie as Paul, Philem. 19. Behold, I have written it with mine own hand: i. e. by mine own power and operation.