Part 9 (1/2)

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 peris.h.i.+ng, 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 pus.h.i.+ng 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 relations.h.i.+p 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 relations.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+ning 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 fas.h.i.+on, the double lesson of ”man's ruin and G.o.d's remedy.” But though the fas.h.i.+on 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 fas.h.i.+on, 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 s.h.i.+nes 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 s.h.i.+nes 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,”