Notes on the Book of Leviticus Part 9

In like manner the divided hoof was insufficient if not accompanied by the chewing of the cud.--"The swine, though he divide the hoof and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you."

(Ver. 7.) In a word, then, the two things were inseparable in the case of every clean animal; and as to the spiritual application, it is of the very last importance, in a practical point of view. The inward life and the outward walk must go together. A man may profess to love and feed upon--to study and ruminate over the Word of G.o.d--the pasture of the soul; but if his footprints along the pathway of life are not such as the Word requires, he is not clean. And on the other hand, a man may seem to walk with pharisaic blamelessness; but if his walk be not the result of the hidden life, it is worse than worthless. There must be the divine principle within, which feeds upon and digests the rich pasture of G.o.d's Word, else the impression of the footstep will be of no avail. The value of each depends upon its inseparable connection with the other.

We are here forcibly reminded of a solemn pa.s.sage in the first epistle of John, in which the apostle furnishes us with the two marks whereby we may know those that are of G.o.d.--"In this the children of G.o.d are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever _doeth not righteousness_ is not of G.o.d, neither he that _loveth not his brother_." (1 John iii. 10.) Here we have the two grand characteristics of the eternal life of which all true believers are possessed, namely, "righteousness" and "love"--the outward and the inward. Both must be combined. Some professing Christians are all for love, so called, and some for righteousness. Neither can exist, in a divine way, without the other. If that which is called love exist without practical righteousness, it will, in reality, be but a lax, soft, easy-going habit of mind, which will tolerate all manner of error and evil; and if that which is called righteousness exist without love, it will be a stern, proud, pharisaic, self-sufficient temper of soul, resting upon the miserable basis of personal reputation. But where the divine life is in energy, there will ever be the inward charity combined with genuine practical righteousness. The two elements are essential in the formation of true Christian character. There must be the love that will express itself in reference to the very feeblest development of that which is of G.o.d, and, at the same time, the holiness that shrinks, with intense abhorrence, from all that is of Satan.

We shall now pa.s.s on to the consideration of that which the Levitical ceremonial taught with respect to "all that are in the waters." Here, again, we find the double mark. "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you." (Ver. 9, 10.) Two things were necessary to render a fish ceremonially clean, namely, "fins and scales," which obviously set forth a certain fitness for the sphere and element in which the creature had to move.

But doubtless there was more than this. I believe it is our privilege to discern, in the natural properties with which G.o.d has endowed those creatures which move in the waters, certain spiritual qualities which belong to the Christian life. If a fish needs a "fin" to enable him to move through the water, and "scales" to resist the action thereof, so does the believer need that spiritual capacity which enables him to move onward through the scene with which he is surrounded, and, at the same time, to resist its influence--to prevent its penetrating--to keep it out. These are precious qualities. The fin and the scale are pregnant with meaning--full of practical instruction to the Christian. They exhibit to us, in ceremonial garb, two things which we specially need, namely, spiritual energy to move onward through the element which surrounds us, and the power to preserve us from its action. The one will not avail without the other. It is of no use to possess a capacity to get on through the world if we are not proof against the world's influence; and though we may seem to be able to keep the world out, yet if we have not the motive-power, we are defective. The "fins" would not do without the "scales," nor the "scales" without the "fins." Both were required, to render a fish ceremonially clean; and we, in order to be properly equipped, require to be incased against the penetrating influence of an evil world, and, at the same time, to be furnished with a capacity to pa.s.s rapidly on.

The whole deportment of a Christian should declare him a pilgrim and a stranger here. "_Onward_" must be his motto--ever and only onward. Let his locality and his circ.u.mstances be what they may, he is to have his eye fixed on a home beyond this perishing, pa.s.sing world. He is furnished, by grace, with spiritual ability to go forward--to penetrate energetically through all, and carry out the earnest aspirations of his heaven-born spirit. And while thus vigorously pushing his way onward--while "forcing his pa.s.sage to the skies," he is to keep his inward man fenced round about and fast closed up against all external influences.

Oh, for more of the onward bent--the upward tendency! for more holy fixedness of soul and profound retirement from this vain world! We shall have reason to bless the Lord for our meditations amid the ceremonial shadows of the book of Leviticus if we are led thereby to long more intensely after those graces which though so dimly portrayed there are nevertheless so manifestly needful for us.

From verse 13 to verse 24 of our chapter, we have the law with respect to birds. All of the carnivorous kind, that is, all that fed on flesh, were unclean; the omnivorous, or those who could eat any thing, were unclean; all those which though furnished with power to soar into the heavens would nevertheless grovel upon the earth were unclean. As to the latter cla.s.s, there were some exceptional cases (ver. 21, 22.); but the general rule, the fixed principle, the standing ordinance, was as distinct as possible--"All fowls that creep, going upon all fours, shall be an abomination unto you." (Ver. 20.) All this is very simple in its instruction to us. Those fowls that could feed upon flesh, those that could swallow any thing or every thing, and all groveling fowls, were to be unclean to the Israel of G.o.d, because so p.r.o.nounced by the G.o.d of Israel; nor can the spiritual mind have any difficulty in discerning the fitness of such an ordinance. We can not only trace in the habits of the above three cla.s.ses of fowl the just ground of their being p.r.o.nounced unclean, but we can also see in them the striking exhibition of that in nature which is to be strenuously guarded against by every true Christian. Such an one is called to refuse every thing of a carnal nature. Moreover, he cannot feed promiscuously upon every thing that comes before him. He must "try the things that differ;" he must "take heed what he hears;" he must exercise a discerning mind, a spiritual judgment, a heavenly taste.

Finally, he must use his wings; he must rise on the pinions of faith, and find his place in the celestial sphere to which he belongs. In short, there must be nothing groveling, nothing promiscuous, nothing unclean, for the Christian.

As to "creeping things," the following was the general rule: "And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten." (Ver. 41.) How wonderful to think of the condescending grace of Jehovah! He could stoop to give directions about a crawling reptile. He would not leave His people at a loss as to the most trivial affair. The priest's guide-book contained the most ample instructions as to every thing. He desired to keep His people free from the defilement consequent upon touching, tasting, or handling aught that was unclean. They were not their own, and hence they were not to do as they pleased. They belonged to Jehovah; His name was called upon them; they were identified with Him.

His Word was to be their grand regulating standard in every case. From it they were to learn the ceremonial _status_ of beasts, birds, fishes, and creeping things. They were not to think their own thoughts, to exercise their own reasoning powers, or be guided by their own imaginations in such matters. _G.o.d's Word was to be their sole directory._ Other nations might eat what they pleased, but Israel enjoyed the high privilege of eating that only which was pleasing to Jehovah.

Nor was it as to the mere matter of _eating_ aught that was unclean that the people of G.o.d were so jealously guarded. Bare _contact_ was forbidden. (See ver. 8, 24, 26-28, 31-41.) It was impossible for a member of the Israel of G.o.d to touch that which was unclean without contracting defilement. This is a principle largely unfolded both in the law and the prophets.--"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, 'Ask ye now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?' And the priests answered and said, 'No.' Then said Haggai, 'If one that is unclean by a dead body _touch_ any of these, shall it be unclean?' And the priests answered and said, 'It shall be unclean.'" (Hag. ii. 11-13.) Jehovah would have His people holy in all things. They were neither to eat nor touch aught that was unclean.--"Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby."

Then follows the powerful reason for all this careful separation.--"_For I am the Lord your G.o.d_: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; _for I am holy_: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be _your G.o.d_: ye shall therefore be holy, _for I am holy_." (Ver. 43-45.)

It is well to see that the personal holiness of G.o.d's people--their entire separation from all manner of uncleanness, flows out of their relationship to Him. It is not upon the principle of "Stand by thyself: I am holier than thou;" but simply this: "G.o.d is holy," and therefore all who are brought into a.s.sociation with Him must be holy likewise. It is in every way worthy of G.o.d that _His_ people should be holy. "Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, forever." What else save holiness could become the house of such an One as Jehovah? If any one had asked an Israelite of old, Why do you shrink so from that reptile which crawls along the path? He would have replied, Jehovah is holy, and I belong to Him. He has said, "Touch not." So also now, if a Christian be asked why he walks apart from the ten thousand things in which the men of this world partic.i.p.ate, his answer is simply to be, _My Father is holy_. This is the true foundation of personal holiness. The more we contemplate the divine character, and enter into the power of our relationship to G.o.d, in Christ, by the energy of the Holy Ghost, the holier we must, of necessity, be. There can be no progress in the condition of holiness into which the believer is introduced, but there is and ought to be progress in the apprehension, experience, and practical exhibition of that holiness. These things should never be confounded. All believers are in the same condition of holiness or sanctification, but their practical measure may vary to any conceivable degree. This is easily understood. The condition arises out of our _being brought_ nigh to G.o.d by the blood of the cross; the practical measure will depend upon our _keeping_ nigh by the power of the Spirit. It is not a man setting up for something superior in himself--for a greater degree of personal sanct.i.ty than is ordinarily possessed--for being in any wise better than his neighbors. All such pretensions are utterly contemptible in the judgment of every right-thinking person. But then, if G.o.d, in His exceeding grace, stoop down to our low estate and lift us into the holy elevation of His blessed presence, in a.s.sociation with Christ, has He not a right to prescribe what our character is to be as thus brought nigh? Who could think of calling in question a truth so obvious? And further, are we not bound to aim at the maintenance of that character which He prescribes? Are we to be accused of presumption for so doing? Was it presumption in an Israelite to refuse to touch "a creeping thing"? Nay, it would have been presumption of the most daring and dangerous character to have done so. True, he might not have been able to make an uncirc.u.mcised stranger understand or appreciate the reason of his conduct; but this was not his province. Jehovah had said, "Touch not," not because an Israelite was holier in himself than a stranger, but because Jehovah was holy, and Israel belonged to Him. It needed the eye and the heart of a circ.u.mcised disciple of the law of G.o.d, in order to discern what was clean and what was not. An alien knew no difference. Thus it must ever be. It is only Wisdom's children that can justify her and approve her heavenly ways.

Ere turning from the eleventh chapter of Leviticus, my reader might, with much spiritual profit, compare it with the tenth chapter of Acts, ver. 11-16. How strange it must have appeared to one who had, from his earliest days, been taught the principles of the Mosaic ritual, to see a vessel descending from heaven, "wherein were _all manner_ of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and _creeping things_, and fowls of the air;" and not only to see such a vessel so filled, but also to hear a voice, saying, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

How wonderful! No examination of hoofs or habits! There was no need of this. The vessel and its contents had come from heaven. This was enough. The Jew might ensconce himself behind the narrow inclosures of the Jewish ritual, and exclaim, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean;" but then the tide of divine grace was rising majestically above all such inclosures, in order to embrace, in its mighty compa.s.s, "all manner" of objects, and bear them upward to heaven, in the power and on the authority of those precious words, "What G.o.d hath cleansed, that call not thou common." It mattered not what was in the vessel if G.o.d had cleansed it. The Author of the book of Leviticus was about to raise the thoughts of His servant above the barriers which that book had erected, into all the magnificence of Heaven's grace. He would teach him that true cleanness--the cleanness which Heaven demanded--was no longer to consist in chewing the cud, dividing the hoof, or any such ceremonial marks, but in being washed in the blood of the Lamb, which cleanseth from all sin, and renders the believer clean enough to tread the sapphire pavement of the heavenly courts.

This was a n.o.ble lesson for a Jew to learn; it was a divine lesson, before the light of which the shadows of the old economy must pa.s.s away. The hand of sovereign grace has thrown open the door of the kingdom, but not to admit aught that is unclean. This could not be.

Nothing unclean can enter heaven. But then, a cloven hoof was no longer to be the criterion, but "_what G.o.d hath cleansed_." When G.o.d cleanses a man, he must needs be clean. Peter was about to be sent to open the kingdom to the Gentiles, as he had already opened it to the Jews, and his Jewish heart needed to be enlarged. He needed to get above the dark shadows of a by-gone age, into the meridian light that was shining from an open heaven, in virtue of a completed sacrifice.

He needed to get out of the narrow current of Jewish prejudices, and be borne upon the bosom of that mighty tide of grace which was about to roll through the length and breadth of a lost world. He had to learn, too, that the standard by which true cleanness must be regulated was no longer carnal, ceremonial, and earthly, but spiritual, moral, and heavenly. a.s.suredly, we may say, these were n.o.ble lessons for the apostle of the circ.u.mcision to learn upon the housetop of Simon the tanner. They were eminently calculated to soften, to expand, and elevate a mind which had been trained amid the contracting influences of the Jewish system. We bless the Lord for these precious lessons. We bless Him for the large and wealthy place in which He has set us, by the blood of the cross. We bless Him that we are no longer hemmed round about by "Touch not this; taste not that; handle not the other thing;" but that His Word a.s.sures us that "every creature of G.o.d is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the Word of G.o.d and prayer." (1 Tim. iv. 4, 5.)

CHAPTER XII.

This brief section reads out to us, after its own peculiar fashion, the double lesson of "man's ruin and G.o.d's remedy." But though the fashion is peculiar, the lesson is most distinct and impressive. It is, at once, deeply humbling and divinely comforting. The effect of all Scripture, when interpreted to one's own soul directly by the power of the Holy Ghost, is to lead us out of self to Christ. Wherever we see our fallen nature, at whatever stage of its history we contemplate it--whether in its conception, at its birth, or at any point along its whole career, from the womb to the coffin, it wears the double stamp of infirmity and defilement. This is sometimes forgotten amid the glitter and glare, the pomp and fashion, the wealth and splendor, of human life. The mind of man is fruitful in devices to cover his humiliation. In various ways he seeks to ornament and gild, and put on an appearance of strength and glory, but it is all vain. He has only to be seen as he enters this world, a poor helpless creature, or as he pa.s.ses away from it, to take his place with the clod of the valley, in order to have a most convincing proof of the hollowness of all his pride, the vanity of all his glory. Those whose path through this world has been brightened by what man calls glory, have entered in nakedness and helplessness, and retreated amid disease and death.

Nor is this all. It is not merely helplessness that belongs to man--that characterizes him as he enters this life: there is defilement also. "Behold," says the Psalmist, "I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Ps. li. 5.) "How can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Job xxv. 4.) In the chapter before us, we are taught that the conception and birth of "a man-child" involved "seven days" of ceremonial defilement to the mother, together with thirty-three days of separation from the sanctuary; and these periods were doubled in the case of "a maid-child." Has this no voice? Can we not read herein a humbling lesson? Does it not declare to us, in language not to be misunderstood, that man is "an unclean thing," and that he needs the blood of atonement to cleanse him? Truly so. Man may imagine that he can work out a righteousness of his own, he may vainly boast of the dignity of human nature, he may put on a lofty air and a.s.sume a haughty bearing as he moves across the stage of life; but if he would just retire for a few moments and ponder over the short section of our book which now lies open before us, his pride, pomp, dignity, and righteousness would speedily vanish, and instead thereof, he might find the solid basis of all true dignity, as well as the ground of divine righteousness, in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The shadow of this cross pa.s.ses before us in a double way in our chapter; first, in the circ.u.mcision of the "man-child," whereby he became enrolled as a member of the Israel of G.o.d; and secondly, in the burnt-offering and sin-offering, whereby the mother was restored from every defiling influence, rendered fit once more to approach the sanctuary and to come in contact with holy things. "And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest; who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female." (Ver. 6, 7.) The death of Christ in its two grand aspects is here introduced to our thoughts as the only thing which could possibly meet and perfectly remove the defilement connected with man's natural birth. The burnt-offering presents the death of Christ according to the divine estimate thereof; the sin-offering, on the other hand, presents the death of Christ as bearing upon the sinner's need.

"And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for a burnt-offering and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." Nothing but blood-shedding could impart cleanness. The cross is the only remedy for man's infirmity and man's defilement. Wherever that glorious work is apprehended, by faith, there is perfect cleanness enjoyed. Now, the apprehension may be feeble, the faith may be but wavering, the experience may be shallow; but let the reader remember, for his soul's joy and comfort, that it is not the depth of his experience, the stability of his faith, or the strength of his apprehension, but the divine value, the changeless efficacy, of the blood of Jesus. This gives great rest to the heart.

The sacrifice of the cross is the same to every member of the Israel of G.o.d whatever be his _status_ in the a.s.sembly. The tender considerateness of our ever-gracious G.o.d is seen in the fact that the blood of a turtle-dove was as efficacious for the poor as the blood of a bullock for the rich. The full value of the atoning work was alike maintained and exhibited in each. Had it not been so, the humble Israelite, if involved in ceremonial defilement, might, as she gazed upon the well-stocked pastures of some wealthy neighbor, exclaim, Alas! what shall I do? how shall I be cleansed? how shall I get back to my place and privilege in the a.s.sembly? I have neither flock nor herd: I am poor and needy. But, blessed be G.o.d, the case of such an one was fully met. A pigeon or turtle-dove was quite sufficient. The same perfect and beautiful grace shines forth in the case of the leper in chapter xiv. of our book--"And _if he be poor and cannot get so much_, then he shall take, etc.... And he shall offer the one of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons, _such as he can get; even such as he is able to get_.... This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, _whose hand is not able to get_ that which pertaineth to his cleansing." (Ver. 21, 30-32.)

Grace meets the needy one just where he is and as he is. The atoning blood is brought within the reach of the very lowest, the very poorest, the very feeblest. All who need it can have it. "If he be poor"--what then? Let him be cast aside? Ah, no; Israel's G.o.d could never so deal with the poor and needy. There is ample provision for all such in the gracious expression, "Such as he can get; even such as he is able to get." Most exquisite grace! "To the poor the gospel is preached." None can say, The blood of Jesus was beyond me. Each can be challenged with the inquiry, How near would you have it brought to you? "I bring _near_ My righteousness." How "near"? So near, that it is "to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the unG.o.dly." (Rom. iv. 5.) Again, "The Word is _nigh_ thee." How "nigh"?

So nigh, "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) So also that most touching and beautiful invitation, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and _he that hath no money_." (Is. lv. 1.)

What matchless grace shines in the expressions, "To him that _worketh not_," and, "He that hath _no money_"! They are as like G.o.d as they are unlike man. Salvation is as free as the air we breathe. Did we create the air? did we mingle its component parts? No; but we enjoy it, and, by enjoying it, get power to live and act for Him who made it. So is it in the matter of salvation. We get it without a fraction, without an effort. We feed upon the wealth of another, we rest in the work finished by another; and, moreover, it is by so feeding and resting that we are enabled to work for Him on whose wealth we feed and in whose work we rest. This is a grand gospel paradox, perfectly inexplicable to legality, but beautifully plain to faith. Divine grace delights in making provision for those who are "not able" to make provision for themselves.

But there is another invaluable lesson furnished by this twelfth chapter of Leviticus. We not only read herein the grace of G.o.d to the poor, but, by comparing its closing verse with Luke ii. 24, we learn the amazing depth to which G.o.d stooped in order to manifest that grace. The Lord Jesus Christ--G.o.d manifest in the flesh--the pure and spotless Lamb--the Holy One, who knew no sin, was "made of a woman,"

and that woman (wondrous mystery!), having borne in her womb, and brought forth, that pure and perfect, that holy and spotless, human body, had to undergo the usual ceremonial, and accomplish the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses. And not only do we read divine grace in the fact of her having thus to purify herself, but also the mode in which this was accomplished.--"And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, _a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons_." From this simple circ.u.mstance we learn that the reputed parents of our blessed Lord Jesus were so poor as to be obliged to take advantage of the gracious provision made for those whose means did not afford "a lamb for a burnt-offering." What a thought! The Lord of glory, the most high G.o.d, Possessor of heaven and earth, the One to whom pertained "the cattle upon a thousand hills"--yea, the wealth of the universe, appeared in the world which His hands had made, in the narrow circ.u.mstances of humble life. The Levitical economy had made provision for the poor, and the mother of Jesus availed herself thereof. Truly there is a profound lesson in this for the human heart. The Lord Jesus did not make His appearance in this world in connection with the great or the n.o.ble. He was pre-eminently a poor man. He took His place with the poor.--"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." (2 Cor. viii. 9.)

May it ever be our joy to feed upon this precious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which we have been made rich for time and for eternity. He emptied Himself of all that love could give, that we might be filled; He stripped Himself that we might be clothed; He died that we might live. He, in the greatness of His grace, traveled down from the height of divine wealth into the depth of human poverty, in order that we might be raised from the dunghill of nature's ruin, to take our place amid the princes of His people forever. Oh that the sense of this grace, wrought in our hearts by the power of the Holy Ghost, may constrain us to a more unreserved surrender of ourselves to Him, to whom we owe our present and everlasting felicity, our riches, our life, our all!

CHAPTERS XIII. & XIV.

Of all the functions which, according to the Mosaic ritual, the priest had to discharge, none demanded more patient attention or more strict adherence to the divine guide-book than the discernment and proper treatment of leprosy. This fact must be obvious to every one who studies, with any measure of care, the very extensive and important section of our book at which we have now arrived.

There were two things which claimed the priest's vigilant care, namely, the purity of the a.s.sembly, and the grace which could not admit of the exclusion of any member save on the most clearly established grounds. Holiness could not permit any one to remain in who ought to be out; and on the other hand, grace would not have any one out who ought to be in. Hence, therefore, there was the most urgent need, on the part of the priest, of watchfulness, calmness, wisdom, patience, tenderness, and enlarged experience. Things might seem trifling which in reality were serious, and things might look like leprosy which were not it at all. The greatest care and coolness were needed. A judgment rashly formed, a conclusion hastily arrived at, might involve the most serious consequences, either as regards the a.s.sembly or some individual member thereof.

This will account for the frequent occurrence of such expressions as the following; namely, "The priest shall look"--"The priest shall shut up him that hath the plague _seven days_"--"And the priest shall look on him the seventh day"--"Then the priest shall shut him up _seven days more_"--"And the priest shall _look on him again_ the seventh day"--"And the priest shall _see him_"--"Then the priest shall _consider_." No case was to be hastily judged or rashly decided. No opinion was to be formed from mere hearsay. Personal observation, priestly discernment, calm reflection, strict adherence to the written Word--the holy, infallible guide-book--all these things were imperatively demanded of the priest if he would form a sound judgment of each case. He was not to be guided by his own thoughts, his own feelings, his own wisdom, in any thing. He had ample guidance in the Word, if only he was subject thereto. Every point, every feature, every movement, every variation, every shade and character, every peculiar symptom and affection--all was provided for, with divine fullness and forethought, so that the priest only needed to be acquainted with and subject to the Word in all things, in order to be preserved from ten thousand mistakes.

Thus much as to the priest and his holy responsibilities.

We shall now consider the disease of leprosy, as developed in a person, in a garment, or in a house.

Looking at this disease in a physical point of view, nothing can possibly be more loathsome; and being, so far as man is concerned, totally incurable, it furnishes a most vivid and appalling picture of sin--sin in one's nature, sin in his circ.u.mstances, sin in an a.s.sembly. What a lesson for the soul in the fact that such a vile and humiliating disease should be used as a type of moral evil, whether in a member of G.o.d's a.s.sembly, in the circ.u.mstances of any member, or in the a.s.sembly itself!

I. And first, then, as to leprosy in a person; or in other words, the working of moral evil, or of that which might seem to be evil, in any member of the a.s.sembly. This is a matter of grave and solemn import--a matter demanding the utmost vigilance and care on the part of all who are concerned in the good of souls and in the glory of G.o.d, as involved in the well-being and purity of His a.s.sembly as a whole or of each individual member thereof.

It is important to see that while the broad principles of leprosy and its cleansing apply in a secondary sense to any sinner, yet in the scripture now before us, the matter is presented in connection with those who were G.o.d's recognized people. The person who is here seen as the subject of priestly examination is a member of the a.s.sembly of G.o.d. It is well to apprehend this. G.o.d's a.s.sembly must be kept pure, because it is His dwelling-place. No leper can be allowed to remain within the hallowed precincts of Jehovah's habitation.

But then, mark the care, the vigilance, the perfect patience, inculcated upon the priest, lest aught that was not leprosy might be treated as such, or lest aught that really was leprosy might be suffered to escape. Many things might appear "in the skin"--the place of manifestation--"like the plague of leprosy," which, upon patient, priestly investigation, would be found to be merely superficial. This was to be carefully attended to. Some blemish might make its appearance upon the surface, which, though demanding the jealous care of the one who had to act for G.o.d, was not, in reality, defiling. And yet, that which seemed but a superficial blemish might prove to be something deeper than the skin, something below the surface, something affecting the hidden springs of the const.i.tution. All this claimed the most intense care on the part of the priest. (See ver. 2-11.) Some slight neglect, some trifling oversight, might lead to disastrous consequences. It might lead to the defilement of the a.s.sembly, by the presence of a confirmed leper, or to the expulsion, for some superficial blemish, of a genuine member of the Israel of G.o.d.

Now, there is a rich fund of instruction in all this for the people of G.o.d. There is a difference between personal infirmity and the positive energy of evil--between mere defects and blemishes in the outward character, and the activity of sin in the members. No doubt it is important to watch against our infirmities; for, if not watched, judged, and guarded against, they may become the source of positive evil. (See ver. 14-28.) Every thing of nature must be judged and kept down. We must not make any allowance for personal infirmity _in ourselves_, though we should make ample allowance for it _in others_.

Take, for example, the matter of an irritable temper. I should judge it in myself; I should make allowance for it in another. It may, like "the burning boil" in the case of an Israelite (ver. 19, 20.), prove the source of real defilement--the ground of exclusion from the a.s.sembly. Every form of weakness must be watched, lest it become an occasion of sin. "A bald forehead" was not leprosy, but it was that in which leprosy might appear, and hence it had to be watched. There may be a hundred things which are not in themselves sinful, but which may become the occasion of sin if not diligently looked after. Nor is it merely a question of what, in our estimation, may be termed blots, blemishes, and personal infirmities, but even of what our hearts might feel disposed to boast of. Wit, humor, vivacity of spirit and temper--all these may become the source and centre of defilement. Each one has something to guard against--something to keep him ever upon the watch-tower. How happy it is that we have a Father's heart to come to and count on with respect to all such things! We have the precious privilege of coming, at all times, into the presence of unrebuking, unupbraiding love, there to tell out all, and obtain grace to help in all, and full victory over all. We need not be discouraged so long as we see such a motto inscribed on the door of our Father's treasury--"He giveth more grace." Precious motto! It has no limit: it is bottomless and boundless.

We shall now proceed to inquire what was done in every case in which the plague of leprosy was unquestionably and unmistakably defined. The G.o.d of Israel could bear with infirmity, blemish, and failure; but the moment it became a case of defilement, whether in the head, the beard, the forehead, or any other part, it could not be tolerated in the holy a.s.sembly. "The leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be." (Ver. 45, 46.) Here was the leper's condition, the leper's occupation, the leper's place. With rent garments, bare head, and covered lip; crying, "Unclean, unclean;"

and dwelling outside, in the dreary solitude--the dismal desert waste.

What could be more humiliating, what more depressing, than this? "He shall dwell alone." He was unfit for communion or companionship. He was excluded from the only spot in all the world in which Jehovah's presence was known or enjoyed.

Reader, behold, in the poor, solitary leper, a vivid type of one in whom sin is working. This is really what it means. It is not, as we shall see presently, a helpless, ruined, guilty, convicted sinner, whose guilt and misery have come thoroughly out, and who is, therefore, a fit subject for the love of G.o.d and the blood of Christ.

No; we see in the excluded leper one in whom sin is actually working--one in whom there is the positive energy of evil. This is what defiles and shuts out from the enjoyment of the divine presence and the communion of saints. So long as sin is working, there can be no fellowship with G.o.d or with His people. "He shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be." How long? "All the days wherein _the plague_ shall be in him." This is a great practical truth. The energy of evil is the death-blow to communion. There may be the outward appearance--the mere form--the hollow profession, but communion there can be none so long as the energy of evil is there.

It matters not what the character or amount of the evil may be--if it were but the weight of a feather--if it were but some foolish thought, so long as it continues to work, it must hinder communion--it must cause a suspension of fellowship. It is when it rises to a head--when it comes to the surface--when it is brought thoroughly out that it can be perfectly met and put away by the grace of G.o.d and by the blood of the Lamb.

This leads us to a deeply interesting point in connection with the leper--a point which must prove a complete paradox to all save those who understand G.o.d's mode of dealing with sinners. "And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague, from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; then the priest shall consider; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall p.r.o.nounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean." (Chap.

xiii. 12, 13.) The moment a sinner is in his true place before G.o.d, the whole question is settled: directly his real character is fully brought out, there is no further difficulty. He may have to pa.s.s through much painful exercise ere he reaches this point--exercise consequent upon his refusal to take his true place--to bring out "all the truth" with respect to what he is; but the moment he is brought to say, from his heart, "_Just as I am_," the free grace of G.o.d flows down to him. "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." (Ps. x.x.xii. 3, 4.) How long did this painful exercise continue? Until the whole truth was brought out--until all that which was working inwardly came fully to the surface.--"I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,' and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." (Ver. 5.)

It is deeply interesting to mark the progress of the Lord's dealing with the leprous man, from the moment that the suspicion is raised, by certain features in the place of manifestation, until the disease covers the whole man, "from the crown of the head unto the sole of the foot." There was no haste and no indifference. G.o.d ever enters the place of judgment with a slow and measured pace; but when He does enter, He must act according to the claims of His nature. He can patiently investigate. He can wait for "seven days;" and should there be the slightest variation in the symptoms, He can wait "seven days more;" but the moment it is found to be the positive working of leprosy, there can be no toleration. "Without the camp shall his habitation be." How long? Until the disease comes fully to the surface. "If the leprosy have covered _all_ his flesh, he shall p.r.o.nounce him clean." This is a most precious and interesting point.

The very smallest speck of leprosy was intolerable to G.o.d; and yet when the whole man was covered, from head to foot, he was p.r.o.nounced clean--that is, he was a proper subject for the grace of G.o.d and the blood of atonement.

Thus is it, in every case, with the sinner. G.o.d is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity" (Hab. i. 13.); and yet the moment a sinner takes his true place, as one thoroughly lost, guilty, and undone--as one in whom there is not so much as a single point on which the eye of Infinite Holiness can rest with complacency--as one who is so bad that he cannot possibly be worse, there is an immediate, a perfect, a divine settlement of the entire matter. The grace of G.o.d deals with sinners, and when I know myself to be a sinner, I know myself to be one whom Christ came to save. The more clearly any one can prove me to be a sinner, the more clearly he establishes my t.i.tle to the love of G.o.d and the work of Christ. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to G.o.d." (1 Pet. iii. 18.) Now, if I am "unjust," I am one of those very people for whom Christ died, and I am ent.i.tled to all the benefits of His death. "There is not a just man upon earth;"

and inasmuch as I am "upon earth," it is plain that I am "unjust," and it is equally plain that Christ died for me--that He suffered for my sins. Since, therefore, Christ died for me, it is my happy privilege to enter into the immediate enjoyment of the fruits of His sacrifice.

This is as plain as plainness itself. It demands no effort whatsoever. I am not called to be any thing but just what I am. I am not called to feel, to experience, to realize any thing. The Word of G.o.d a.s.sures me that Christ died for me just as I am; and if He died for me, I am as safe as He is Himself. There is nothing against me: Christ met all. He not only suffered for my "_sins_," but He "made an end of _sin_." He abolished the entire system in which, as a child of the first Adam, I stood, and He has introduced me into a new position, in a.s.sociation with Himself, and there I stand before G.o.d, free from all charge of sin and all fear of judgment.