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Leviticus
Chapter Twenty-one
Leviticus 21
Chapter Contents
Laws concerning the priests.
As these priests were types of Christ
so all ministers
must be followers of him
that their example may teach others to imitate the
Saviour. Without blemish
and separate from sinners
He executed his priestly
office on earth. What manner of persons then should his ministers be! But all
are
if Christians
spiritual priests; the minister especially is called to set
a good example
that the people may follow it. Our bodily infirmities
blessed
be God
cannot now shut us out from his service
from these privileges
or from
his heavenly glory. Many a healthful
beautiful soul is lodged in a feeble
deformed body. And those who may not be suited for the work of the ministry
may serve God with comfort in other duties in his church.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Leviticus》
Leviticus 21
Verse 1
[1] And
the LORD said unto Moses
Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron
and say
unto them
There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Among his people —
None of the priests shall touch the dead body
or assist at his funeral
or eat
of the funeral feast. The reason of this law is evident
because by such
pollution they were excluded from converse with men
to whom by their function
they were to be serviceable upon all occasions
and from the handling of holy
things. And God would hereby teach them
and in them all successive ministers
that they ought entirely to give themselves to the service of God. Yea
to
renounce all expressions of natural affection
and all worldly employments
so
far as they are impediments to the discharge of their holy services.
Verse 2
[2] But for his kin
that is near unto him
that is
for his mother
and for
his father
and for his son
and for his daughter
and for his brother
Near to him —
Under which general expression his wife seems to be comprehended
though she be
not expressed. And hence it is noted as a peculiar case
that Ezekiel
who was
a priest
was forbidden to mourn for his wife
Ezekiel 24:16
etc. These exceptions God makes
in condescension to human infirmity
because in such cases it was very hard to
restrain the affections. But this allowance concerns only the inferior priest
not the high-priest.
Verse 3
[3] And
for his sister a virgin
that is nigh unto him
which hath had no husband; for
her may he be defiled.
That is nigh him —
That is
by nearness not of relation
(for that might seem a needless addition)
but of habitation
one not yet cut off from the family. For if she was married
she was now of another family
and under her husband's care in those matters.
Verse 4
[4] But
he shall not defile himself
being a chief man among his people
to profane
himself.
Being —
Or
seeing he is a chief man
for such not only the high-priest
but others
also of the inferior priests were. He shall not defile himself for any other
person whatsoever.
To profane himself —
Because such defilement for the dead did profane him
or make him as a common
person
and consequently unfit to manage his sacred employment.
Verse 5
[5] They shall not make baldness upon their head
neither shall they shave off
the corner of their beard
nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
They shall not make baldness — In funerals
as the Heathens did. Though I allow them to defile
themselves for some of the dead
yet in no case shall they use these
superstitious rites
which also the people were forbidden to do; but the
priests in a more peculiar manner
because they are by word and example to
teach the people their duty.
Verse 6
[6] They
shall be holy unto their God
and not profane the name of their God: for the
offerings of the LORD made by fire
and the bread of their God
they do offer:
therefore they shall be holy.
Holy unto their God — Devoted
to God's service
and always prepared for it
and therefore shall keep
themselves from all defilements.
The name of their God — Which they especially bear.
The bread of their God — That is
the shew-bread: or rather
all the other offerings
besides
burnt-offerings: which are called bread
because bread is commonly put for all
food.
Verse 7
[7] They
shall not take a wife that is a whore
or profane; neither shall they take a
woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
Profane — Or
defiled
or deflowered
though it were done secretly
or by force: because the
priest must take care that all the members of his family be free not only from
gross wickedness
but from all suspicions of evil.
Verse 8
[8] Thou
shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be
holy unto thee: for I the LORD
which sanctify you
am holy.
Thou — O
Moses
and whosoever shall succeed in thy place
to whom it belongs to see my
laws observed
shall take care that the priest be holy
and do not defile
himself by any of these forbidden marriages.
Verse 9
[9] And
the daughter of any priest
if she profane herself by playing the whore
she
profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
And the daughter —
And by analogy his son also
and his wife
because the reason of the law here
added
concerns all. And nothing is more common than to name one kind for the
rest of the same nature
as also is done Leviticus 18:6.
She profaneth her father — Exposeth his person and office
and consequently religion
to contempt.
Verse 10
[10] And
he that is the high priest among his brethren
upon whose head the anointing
oil was poured
and that is consecrated to put on the garments
shall not
uncover his head
nor rend his clothes;
The garments —
Those holy garments
which were peculiar to him.
Shall not uncover his head — This being then the posture of mourners
Leviticus 10:6
though afterwards the custom was
changed and mourners covered their heads
2 Samuel 15:30; Esther 6:12.
Nor rent his clothes — Another expression of mourning.
Verse 11
[11]
Neither shall he go in to any dead body
nor defile himself for his father
or
for his mother;
Go in —
Into the chamber or house where they lie. This and divers other rites here prescribed
were from hence translated by the Heathens into their use
whose priests were
put under the same obligations.
Verse 12
[12]
Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary
nor profane the sanctuary of his God;
for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
Out of the sanctuary — To attend the funerals of any person: for upon other occasions he might
and did commonly go out.
Nor profane the sanctuary — Either by the performance of a civility
or by entering into the
sanctuary before the seven days allotted for his cleansing
Numbers 19:11
were expired.
The crown of the anointing oil — Or
the crown
the golden plate
which is called the holy crown
Exodus 29:6
and the anointing oil of his God
are upon him. So there is only an ellipsis of the conjunction and
which is
frequent. And these two things
being most eminent
are put for the rest
as the
sign is put for the thing signified
that is
for he is God's high-priest.
Verse 13
[13] And
he shall take a wife in her virginity.
In her virginity —
Or
a virgin
partly because as he was a type of Christ
so his wife was a type
of the church
which is compared to a virgin
and partly for greater caution
and assurance that his wife was not a defiled or deflowered person. Most of
these things are forbidden to all the priests; and here to the high-priest
to
shew that he also
and he especially is obliged to the same cautions.
Verse 15
[15]
Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify
him.
I the Lord sanctify him — I have separated him from all other men for my immediate service
and
therefore will not have that race corrupted.
Verse 17
[17]
Speak unto Aaron
saying
Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that
hath any blemish
let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
Of thy seed —
Whether the high priest
or the inferior ones.
That hath — In
all successive ages
any defect or excess of parts
any notorious deformity or
imperfection in his body. The reason hereof is partly typical
that he
might
more fully represent Christ
the great high-priest
who was typified both by
the priest and sacrifice
and therefore both were to be without blemish; partly
moral
to teach all Christians and especially ministers of holy things
what
purity and perfection of heart and life they should labour after
and that
notorious blemishes in the mind or conversation
render a man unfit for the
ministry of the gospel; and partly prudential
because such blemishes were apt
to breed contempt of the person; and consequently
of his function
and of the
holy things wherein he ministered. For which reason
such persons as have notorious
defects or deformities
are still unfit for the ministry except where there are
eminent gifts and graces
which vindicate a man from the contemptibleness of
his bodily presence. The particular defect's here mentioned
I shall not
enlarge upon because some of the Hebrew words are diversely interpreted
and
because the use of these things being abolished
the knowledge of them is not
necessary.
Verse 18
[18] For
whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish
he shall not approach: a blind man
or a lame
or he that hath a flat nose
or any thing superfluous
A flat nose —
Most restrain this word to the nose
and to some great deformity relating to
it. But according to others
it signifies more generally
a person that wants
some member or members
because the next word
to which it is opposed
signifies one that hath more members than he should.
Verse 21
[21] No
man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to
offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not
come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
A blemish —
Any notorious blemish whereby he is disfigured
though not here mentioned.
Verse 22
[22] He
shall eat the bread of his God
both of the most holy
and of the holy.
He shall eat —
Which a priest having any uncleanness might not do whereby God would shew the
great difference between natural infirmities sent upon a man by God
and moral
defilements which a man brought upon himself.
Verse 23
[23] Only
he shall not go in unto the vail
nor come nigh unto the altar
because he hath
a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
To the veil — To
the second veil which was between the holy and the most holy place
to burn
incense
to order the shew-bread
and to dress the lamps
which were nigh unto
that veil though without.
My altar —
The altar of burnt-offering
which was without the sanctuary. The sense is
he
shall not execute the priest's office
which was to be done in those two
places.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on
Leviticus》
21 Chapter 21
Verses 1-24
Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron.
--
Sacred relationship demands sanctity of life
If there is one fact more notably emphasised than another
in this address to priests
it is this: their--
I. Absolute and
indestructible relationship. Every son of Aaron was a “priest.” Of this union
with Aaron it is observable that--
1. It results from a living relationship. By birth he was connected
with Aaron
a lineal descendant of God’s high priest. And no truth is more a
truism than that every Christian is by birth-relationship connected with
Christ--the moment he is quickened and becomes a believing and a living soul
he is a “priest unto God.” By no process of spiritual development or
self-culture or studied effort does the convert to Christ become a “priest”; he
is that by virtue of his living relationship to the High Priest: for as all the
sons of Aaron were priests
so are all the sons of God through their connection
with Christ.
2. The relationship is inalienable and indestructible. Conduct is not
the basis of relationship with Christ
but life. A son of Aaron may be defiled
“for the dead” (Leviticus 21:2)
yet he did not thereby
cease to be related to Aaron. If we were only priests to God as our conduct was
faultless
who could stand? We are all unclean; defile ourselves continuously
with “the dead
” the guilty and contaminating things of earth. But “our life is
hid with Christ in God”; and by virtue of that life-union we remain priests.
3. Imperfections of nature and character do not sever relationship. A
“blemish
” deformity of body
prove a disqualification for ministry
but did
not destroy association with Aaron. Yes; there is exclusion from high and
honoured services in consequence of irremediable defect and fault; and
Christians with incurable weakness of disposition
worldliness of sympathy
infirmities of character
vacillation of purpose
are thereby set aside from
honour in the Church and highest ministries for their Lord; yet still the
relationship to Christ continues
for it is a birth-relationship
based upon a
life-union with Jesus. But though relationship is absolute and indestructible--
II. Privilege is
dependent and conditional.
1. Defilement is a disqualification for near fellowship and highest
enjoyment of the priestly relationship.. Contact with “the dead” was forbidden;
it excluded the priest from the service of God until cleansed anew and so
reinstated. All contamination works disqualification
therefore “touch not
taste not
handle not.” A priestly life should be pure.
2. Defect is a disqualification for highest service for our Lord.
Holy unto their God.
Holy priests
I. The honourable
position of the priests.
1. They are sanctioned by God
consecrated to His especial service
they bear His stamp upon them
wear His livery
and receive of the honour that
belongs to Him.
2. They perform the high function of offering the bread of God. This
phrase included not only the placing of the shewbread in the sanctuary
but
also the presentation to God of the various sacrifices which become the
materials for His glory and praise. The enlarged priesthood of the New
Testament
embracing the whole body of believers in Christ Jesus
are similarly
dedicated to sacred office. They present spiritual sacrifices
they “showforth
the excellences of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvellous
light.”
II. Honour involves
obligation and restriction. Many acts permissible to the people were not so to
the priests. They were evidently to be models of holiness in their persons
families
and social relationships. Men like the idea of occupying posts of
dignity
but do not sufficiently realise the responsibilities thence accruing.
We are always more anxious to get than to give; sinecure livings are at too
high a premium of estimation.
III. Perfect holiness
implies beauty
life
and joy. It is in opposition to disfigurement
death
and
sorrow. How different this conception of holiness from that of gloom and
moroseness which many entertain. Let young people know that God loves pretty
children
and handsome men and women
when the glory of the Spirit is thus
reflected in the outer person; He delights in the vigour and innocent mirth of
the young
and in the happy enthusiasm
the lively rejoicing of their elders
when these are the outcome of righteousness and devoted service. The
imperfection of this present state is evident in the fact that holiness does
not mean exemption from anxiety and tribulation. It sometimes appears as if the
most faithful children of God were visited with heaviest chastisements. We are
assured of a future state where these contradictions shall be removed. The
ideal shall not only be approximated
but attained to; “death shall be no more
neither shall there be mourning nor crying
nor pain any more: the first things
are passed away
” symbolical and ascriptional righteousness shall give place to
real perfect holiness; in the presence of God there shall be fulness of joy. (S.
R. Aldridge
B. A.)
Personal requirements of the priests
It is a truth which ought ever to be before the minds of those who
minister in holy things
and deeply graven on their hearts
that righteousness
of life and consistency in private conduct is the most vital element of a
preacher’s power. Let his ordination
his talents
his attainments
his
eloquence
be what they may
without a life corresponding to his teachings he
is only “as sounding brass
or a tinkling cymbal.” Actions speak louder than
words. Character is more eloquent than rhetoric. What a man is always has more
weight than what he says. And in the same proportion that an unholy life
weakens a minister’s influence
does uprightness
fidelity
and consistency
enhance it. A truly honest and good man
whatever his sphere
will always have
weight. However people may revile his profession
they always feel rebuked in
his presence
and pay homage to him in their secret souls. There is might in
virtue. It tells upon a man in spite of him. It strikes at once into the heart
and conscience. And when a minister has a pure and spotless life to sustain his
profession
he becomes a host in strength. Jehovah says of His priests
“They
shall be holy unto their God
and not profane the name of their God.” “He that
ruleth among men must be just
ruling in the fear of the Lord.” But the law
prescribes for the domestic relations and social surroundings of the priest as
well as for his personal perfections. Upon this point also it becomes a
minister to be particular.
I. The ancient
priest was required to be physically perfect. Otherwise he could not be a fit
representative of that perfect humanity which was found in our Saviour. He was
required to be without bodily blemish
that Israel might know what sort of a
Priest Messiah to expect. Their eyes were to be directed to Jesus as one
“altogether lovely.”
II. The ancient
priest was required to be properly and purely mated. As a type of Christ in all
other respects
so was he also in his espousals. The Lamb is not alone. He has
His affianced bride--His holy Church. He hath chosen her as a chaste virgin--as
one whom “the daughters saw and blessed.” Not a divorced woman--not a vile
offender--not an unclean thing--is the Church of Jesus. And the priest’s wife
had to be pure to typify these pure espousals of the Lamb
and the excellencies
of that Church which He has chosen for His everlasting bride.
III. It was required
of the ancient priest that his children should be pure. The transgression of
his daughter degraded him from his place. It is one of the demands laid upon
Christian pastors to have “faithful children that are not accused of riot
nor
unruly.” The reason is obvious. A minister’s family
as well as himself
is
made conspicuous by the very nature of his office. Their misdeeds are specially
noticed by the world
and readily laid to his charge. Any unholiness in them
operates as a profanation of his name. It is so much taken from his power. The
Holy Ghost therefore calls upon him to “rule well his own house
having his
children in subjection.” But the law was typical. It relates to Christ and His
Church. It points to the fact that everything proceeding from His union with
His people is good and pure.
IV. There are other
requirements which were made of the ancient priests
both in the twenty-first
and twenty-second chapters
which I will sum up under the general name of
holiness. They were not to defile themselves with the dead
or by eating
improper food
or by contact with the unclean
or by irreverence towards the
holy things. They were to be very particular about all the laws
and to devote
themselves to their office as men anointed of God. In one word
they were to be
holy; that is
whole
entire
complete
fully separated from all forbidden
and
fully consecrated to what was commanded. This was necessary for personal and
official reasons; but especially for the high priest as a type of Christ. It
was a requirement to shadow forth the character of Jesus
and the sublime
wholeness and consecration which were in Him. Men have despised and desecrated
the sanctity of everything else related to religion; but when they came to the
character of Jesus
their hands grew powerless
their hearts failed
their
utterance choked
and they turned aside in reverent awe of a goodness and
majesty which could not be gainsaid. Infidelity itself has freely and
eloquently confessed to His matchless excellence. Paine disavows “the most
distant disrespect to the moral character of Jesus Christ.” Rousseau is struck
with admiration at His excellence. “What sweetness
what purity in His manner!
What an affecting gracefulness in His delivery! What sublimity in His maxims!
What profound wisdom in His discourses l What presence of mind
what subtlety
what truth in His replies! How great the command of His passions! Where is the
man
where the philosopher
who could so live
and so die
without weakness and
without ostentation?. . . Yea
if Socrates lived and died like a sage
Jesus
lived and died like a God.” What would man be without Christ--without His holy
life? In Him
and in Him alone
earth rises into communion with heaven
and
light shines in upon our benighted humanity.
V. There is yet
one particular in the requirements concerning the ancient priests to which I
will refer. It is said of the high priest
“he shall not uncover
” &c. (Leviticus 21:10-12). That is to say
he
was not to allow any natural sympathies to interfere with the pure and proper
discharge of the duties of his high office. Some have regarded this as a
coldness and harshness thrown around the old priesthood
which has nothing to
correspond to it in the Christian system. I do not so understand it. The very
reverse is the truth. The high priest was a great religious officer for the
entire Jewish nation. He belonged more to the nation than to his family or
himself. It would therefore have been a most heartless thing to allow a little
natural domestic sympathy and affection to set aside all the great interests of
the Hebrew people. So far from throwing a chilliness around the high
priesthood
it gave to it a warmth and zeal of devotion
and showed an
outbreathing of heart upon the spiritual wants of the congregation
superior to
the love of father or mother. And it was meant to shadow forth a precious
truth: viz.
that Christ
as our High Priest
consecrated all His highest
warmest
and fullest sympathies in His office. He loved father and mother
and
was properly obedient to them; but when it came to the great duties of His
mission
the interests of a perishing world were resting upon His doings
and
He could not stop to gratify domestic sympathies. Rising then above the narrow
circle of carnal relationships
“He stretched forth His hand toward His
disciples
and said
Behold My mother and My brethren!” His sympathies are
those of the spirit
and not of the flesh. (J. A. Seiss
D. D.)
Any blemish.--
Blemishes affect service
not sonship
To be a child of God is one thing; to be in the enjoyment of
priestly communion and priestly worship is quite another. This latter is
alas!
interfered with by many things. Circumstances and associations are allowed to
act upon us by their defiling influence. We are not to suppose that all
Christians enjoy the same elevation of walk
the same intimacy of fellowship
the same felt nearness to Christ. Alas! alas! they do not. Many of us have to
mourn over our spiritual defects. There is lameness of walk
defective vision
stunted growth; or we allow ourselves to be defiled by contact with evil
and
to be weakened and hindered by unhallowed associations. In a word
as the sons
of Aaron
though being priests by birth
were
nevertheless
deprived of many
privileges through ceremonial defilement and physical defects; so we
though
being priests unto God by spiritual birth
are deprived of many of the high and
holy privileges of our position by moral defilement and spiritual defects. We
are shorn of many of our dignities through defective spiritual development. We
lack singleness of eye
spiritual vigour
whole-hearted devotedness. Saved we
are through the free grace of God
on the ground of Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
“We are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus”; but
then
salvation is one thing
communion is quite another. Sonship is one thing
obedience is quite another. These things should be carefully distinguished. The
section before us illustrates the distinction with great force and clearness.
If one of the sons of Aaron happened to be “broken-footed
or broken-handed
”
was he deprived of his sonship? Assuredly not. Was he deprived of his priestly
position? By no means. It was distinctly declared
“He shall eat the bread of
his God
both of the most holy and of the holy.” What
then
did he lose by his
physical blemish? He was forbidden to tread some of the higher walks of
priestly service and worship. “Only he shall not go in unto the vail
nor come
nigh unto the altar.” These were very serious privations; and though it may be
objected that a man could not help many of these physical defects
that did not
alter the matter. Jehovah could not have a blemished priest at His altar
or a
blemished sacrifice thereon. Both the priest and the sacrifice should be
perfect. Now we have both the perfect priest and the perfect sacrifice in the
Person of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. (C. H. Mackintosh.)
Verse 22
He shall eat the bread of his God.
The Divine banquet
It is not easy to say whether the words
“bread of his God
” refer
generally to the sacrifices and offerings
or specially to the “shewbread.” We
take them as pointing to the latter; as
indeed
in any interpretation of the
expression
the shewbread must be included
if not mainly intended. It was
called the “shewbread”; or
more properly
“the bread of the presence”; the
bread that stood on the King’s table
and in the King’s presence; the bread
which was therefore intimately connected with Him who is called “the Angel of
the Presence” (Isaiah 62:9); the bread which was associated
with Him whose “presence” went with Israel whithersoever they went (Exodus 33:14).
I. It is provided
by God. As in carrying out His purpose in the old creation
He provided every
fruit-bearing tree for man
so
in accomplishing the new creation
He has
supplied the “food convenient.” He has made the provision for His house; and He
has also blessed it. For the sustaining the life which He imparts
He provides
the food required.
II. It is prepared
by God himself. Moses
as representing God
prepared the twelve loaves; and God
Himself has prepared the better bread
the flesh of the Son of Man. “A body
hast Thou prepared Me.” In the history of the birth
the life
the sorrows
the
hardships
the blood-shedding
the death of the incarnate Son of God
we have a
description of the way it
which the “shewbread” or “presence-bread” of the
Church was prepared
according to God’s own method
for our everlasting food.
III. It is given to
us by God. God causes it to be provided for us; nay
He prepares it Himself;
and then having thus provided and prepared it
He gives it: “God so loved the
world that He gave His only-begotten Son” (John 3:16); “The bread that I will give
is My flesh
which I will give
” &c.
IV. Who they are
who feast on it. Perhaps the answer to such a question will be--God’s
priesthood
His Church. Nor would this be incorrect; yet it would be defective.
No doubt this heavenly bread is for them
just as the tree of life was for
Adam
or the Temple shewbread was for the sons of Aaron. But it is so specially
called “the bread of our God”; and the table on which it is set is so specially
God’s own table; and the place where it is to be eaten is so manifestly the royal
banquet-hall of heaven
that we come to the conclusion that God Himself is partaker of
this feast as well
as we. The King
sitting at His own table
in His own festal chamber
not only
feeds His guests
bat Himself partakes of that which is set before them.
Israel’s various sacrifices and offerings of all kinds were the various dishes
set upon the great Temple table; each of them full of meaning; each of them
containing that which would satisfy and comfort; every one of them setting
forth some part of the glorious fulness of the God-man
as the true food of
souls; and all of them together representing that complete and blessed feast of
“fat things” partaken of by God and His redeemed
in some measure now
but
hereafter to be more fully enjoyed at the great marriage-supper in the New
Jerusalem
when that shall be fulfilled
so long realised but in parts and
fragments
“I will come in to him
and will sup with him
and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). (H. Bonar
D. D.)
The bread of God
It was an ancient heathen notion that in sacrifice food was
provided for the deity in order thus to show him honour. And
doubtless
in
Israel
ever prone to idolatry
there were many who rose no higher than this
gross conception of the meaning of such words. Thus
in Psalms 50:8-15
God sharply rebukes
Israel for so unworthy thoughts of Himself
using language at the same time
which teaches the spiritual meaning of the sacrifice
regarded as the “food” or
“bread” of God . . . Of which language the plain teaching is this. If the
sacrifices are called in the law “the bread of God
” God asks not this bread
from Israel in any material
sense
or for any material need. He asks that which the offerings symbolise;
thanksgiving
loyal fulfilment of covenant engagements to Him
and that loving
trust which will call on Him in the day of trouble. Even sol Gratitude
loyalty
trust! this is the “food of God
” this the bread which He desires that
we should offer
the bread which those Levitical sacrifices symbolised. For
even as man
when hungry
craves food
and cannot be satisfied without it
so
God
who is Himself Love
desires our love
and delights in seeing its
expression in all those offices of self-forgetting and self-sacrificing service
in which love manifests itself. This is to God even as is food to us. Love
cannot be satisfied except with love returned; and we may say
with deepest
humility and reverence
the God of love cannot be satisfied without love
returned. Hence it is that the sacrifices
which in various ways symbolize the
self-offerings of love and the fellowship of love
are called by the Holy Ghost
“the food” or “bread of God.” And yet we must
on no account
hasten to the
conclusion
as many do
that therefore the Levitical sacrifices were only
intended to express and symbolise the self-offering of the worshipper
and that
this exhausts their significance. On the contrary
the need of infinite love
for this “bread of God” cannot be adequately met and satisfied by the
self-offering of any creature
and
least of all
by the self-offering of a
sinful creature
whose very sin lies just in this
that he has fallen away from
perfect love. The symbolism of the sacrifice as “the food of God
” therefore
by this very phrase
points toward the self-offering in love of the eternal Son
to the Father
and in behalf of sinners for the Father’s sake. It was the
sacrifice on Calvary which first became
in innermost reality
that “bread of
God
” which the ancient sacrifices were only in symbol. It was this
not
regarded as satisfying Divine justice (though it did this)
but as satisfying
the Divine love; because it was the supreme expression of the perfect love of
the incarnate Son of God to the Father
in His becoming “obedient unto death
even the death of the Cross.”
(S. H. Kellogg
D. D.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》