211 lines
16 KiB
XML
211 lines
16 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Lev.iv" n="iv" next="Lev.v" prev="Lev.iii" progress="51.61%" title="Chapter III">
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<h2 id="Lev.iv-p0.1">L E V I T I C U S</h2>
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<h3 id="Lev.iv-p0.2">CHAP. III.</h3>
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<p class="intro" id="Lev.iv-p1">In this chapter we have the law concerning the
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peace-offerings, whether they were, I. Of the heard, a bullock or a
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heifer, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.1-Lev.3.5" parsed="|Lev|3|1|3|5" passage="Le 3:1-5">ver. 1-5</scripRef>. Or, II.
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Of the flock, either a lamb (<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.6-Lev.3.11" parsed="|Lev|3|6|3|11" passage="Le 3:6-11">ver.
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6-11</scripRef>) or a goat, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.12-Lev.3.17" parsed="|Lev|3|12|3|17" passage="Le 3:12-17">ver.
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12-17</scripRef>. The ordinances concerning each of these are much
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the same, yet they are repeated, to show the care we ought to take
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that all our services be done according to the appointment and the
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pleasure God takes in the services that are so performed. It is
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likewise to intimate what need we have of precept upon precept, and
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line upon line.</p>
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<scripCom id="Lev.iv-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3" parsed="|Lev|3|0|0|0" passage="Le 3" type="Commentary"/>
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<scripCom id="Lev.iv-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.1-Lev.3.5" parsed="|Lev|3|1|3|5" passage="Le 3:1-5" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Lev.3.1-Lev.3.5">
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<h4 id="Lev.iv-p1.6">Law of the Peace-Offering. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p1.7">b. c.</span> 1490.)</h4>
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<p class="passage" id="Lev.iv-p2">1 And if his oblation <i>be</i> a sacrifice of
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peace offering, if he offer <i>it</i> of the herd; whether <i>it
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be</i> a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before
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the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p2.1">Lord</span>. 2 And he shall lay
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his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it <i>at</i> the
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door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the
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priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
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3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an
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offering made by fire unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p2.2">Lord</span>;
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the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that <i>is</i>
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upon the inwards, 4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that
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<i>is</i> on them, which <i>is</i> by the flanks, and the caul
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above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. 5
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And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt
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sacrifice, which <i>is</i> upon the wood that <i>is</i> on the
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fire: <i>it is</i> an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto
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the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p2.3">Lord</span>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Lev.iv-p3">The burnt-offerings had regard to God as in
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himself the best of beings, most perfect and excellent; they were
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purely expressive of adoration, and therefore were wholly burnt.
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But the peace-offerings had regard to God as a benefactor to his
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creatures, and the giver of all good things to us; and therefore
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these were divided between the altar, the priest, and the owner.
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Peace signifies, 1. Reconciliation, concord, and communion. And so
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these were called <i>peace-offerings,</i> because in them God and
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his people did, as it were, feast together, in token of friendship.
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The priest, who was ordained for men in things pertaining to God,
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gave part of this peace-offering to God (that part which he
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required, and it was fit he should be first served), burning it
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upon God's altar; part he gave to the offerer, to be eaten by him
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with his family and friends; and part he took to himself, as the
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days-man that laid his hand upon them both. They could not thus eat
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together unless they were agreed; so that it was a symbol of
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friendship and fellowship between God and man, and a confirmation
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of the covenant of peace. 2. It signifies prosperity and all
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happiness: <i>Peace be to you</i> was as much as, <i>All good</i>
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be to you; and so the peace-offerings were offered either, (1.) By
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way of supplication or request for some good that was wanted and
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desired. If a man was in the pursuit or expectation of any mercy,
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he would back his prayer for it with a peace-offering, and probably
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put up the prayer when he laid his hand upon the head of his
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offering. Christ is our peace, our peace-offering; for through him
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alone it is that we can expect to obtain mercy, and an answer of
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peace to our prayers; and in him an upright prayer shall be
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acceptable and successful, though we bring not a peace-offering.
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The less costly our devotions are the more lively and serious they
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should be. Or, (2.) By way of thanksgiving for some particular
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mercy received. It is called <i>a peace-offering of
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thanksgiving,</i> for so it was sometimes; as in other cases <i>a
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vow,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.7.15-Lev.7.16" parsed="|Lev|7|15|7|16" passage="Le 7:15,16"><i>ch.</i> vii. 15,
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16</scripRef>. And some make the original word to signify
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<i>retribution.</i> When they had received any special mercy, and
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were enquiring what they should render, this they were directed to
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render to the God of their mercies as a grateful acknowledgment for
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the benefit done to them, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.116.12" parsed="|Ps|116|12|0|0" passage="Ps 116:12">Ps. cxvi.
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12</scripRef>. And we must offer to God the sacrifice of praise
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continually, by Christ our peace; and then this shall please the
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Lord better than an ox or bullock. Observe,</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Lev.iv-p4">I. As to the matter of the peace-offering,
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suppose it was of the herd, it must be <i>without blemish;</i> and,
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if it was so, it was indifferent whether it was male or female,
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<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.1" parsed="|Lev|3|1|0|0" passage="Le 3:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. In our spiritual
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offerings, it is not the sex, but the heart, that God looks at,
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<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Gal.3.28" parsed="|Gal|3|28|0|0" passage="Ga 3:28">Gal. iii. 28</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Lev.iv-p5">II. As to the management of it. 1. The
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offerer was, by a solemn manumission, to transfer his interest in
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it to God (<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.2" parsed="|Lev|3|2|0|0" passage="Le 3:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>), and,
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with <i>his hand on the head</i> of the sacrifice, to acknowledge
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the particular mercies for which he designed this a thank-offering,
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or, if it was a vow, to make his prayer. 2. It must be killed; and,
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although this might be done in any part of the court, yet it is
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said to be <i>at the door of the tabernacle,</i> because the
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mercies received or expected were acknowledged to come from God,
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and the prayers or praises were directed to him, and both, as it
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were, through that door. Our Lord Jesus has said, <i>I am the
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door,</i> for he is indeed the door of the tabernacle. 3. The
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priest must <i>sprinkle the blood upon the altar,</i> for it was
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the blood that made atonement for the soul; and, though this was
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not a sin-offering, yet we must be taught that in all our offerings
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we must have an eye to Christ as the propitiation for sin, as those
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who know that the best of their services cannot be accepted unless
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through him their sins be pardoned. Penitent confessions must
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always go along with our thankful acknowledgments; and, whatever
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mercy we pray for, in order to it we must pray for the removal of
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guilt, as that which keeps good things from us. First <i>take away
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all iniquity,</i> and then <i>receive us graciously,</i> or <i>give
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good,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Hos.14.2" parsed="|Hos|14|2|0|0" passage="Ho 14:2">Hos. xiv. 2</scripRef>. 4.
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All the fat of the inwards, that which we call the tallow and suet,
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with the caul that encloses it and the kidneys in the midst of it,
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were to be taken away, and burnt upon the altar, as an offering
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<i>made by fire,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.3-Lev.3.5" parsed="|Lev|3|3|3|5" passage="Le 3:3-5"><i>v.</i>
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3-5</scripRef>. And this was all that was sacrificed to the Lord
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out of the peace-offering; how the rest was to be disposed of we
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shall find, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Lev.7.11-Lev.7.34" parsed="|Lev|7|11|7|34" passage="Le 7:11-34"><i>ch.</i> vii.
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11</scripRef>, &c. It is ordered to be burnt upon the
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burnt-sacrifice, that is, the daily burnt-offering, the lamb which
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was offered every morning before any other sacrifice was offered;
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so that the fat of the peace-offerings was an addition to that, and
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a continuation of it. The great sacrifice of peace, that of the
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Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, prepares the
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altar for our sacrifices of praise, which are not accepted till we
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are reconciled. Now the burning of this fat is supposed to signify,
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(1.) The offering up of our good affections to God in all our
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prayers and praises. God must have the inwards; for we must pour
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out our souls, and lift up our hearts, in prayer, and must bless
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his name with all that is within us. It is required that we be
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inward with God in every thing wherein we have to do with him. The
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fat denotes the best and choicest, which must always be devoted to
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God, who has made for us a feast of fat things. (2.) The mortifying
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of our corrupt affections and lusts, and the burning up of them by
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the fire of divine grace, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:Col.3.5" parsed="|Col|3|5|0|0" passage="Col 3:5">Col. iii.
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5</scripRef>. Then we are truly thankful for former mercies, and
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prepared to receive further mercy, when we part with our sins, and
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have our minds cleared from all sensuality by the <i>spirit of
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judgment</i> and the <i>spirit of burning,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:Isa.4.4" parsed="|Isa|4|4|0|0" passage="Isa 4:4">Isa. iv. 4</scripRef>.</p>
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</div><scripCom id="Lev.iv-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.6-Lev.3.17" parsed="|Lev|3|6|3|17" passage="Le 3:6-17" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Lev.3.6-Lev.3.17">
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<p class="passage" id="Lev.iv-p6"> 6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of
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peace offering unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.1">Lord</span>
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<i>be</i> of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without
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blemish. 7 If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall
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he offer it before the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.2">Lord</span>.
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8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill
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it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons
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shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
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9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an
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offering made by fire unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.3">Lord</span>;
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the fat thereof, <i>and</i> the whole rump, it shall he take off
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hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and
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all the fat that <i>is</i> upon the inwards, 10 And the two
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kidneys, and the fat that <i>is</i> upon them, which <i>is</i> by
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the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it
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shall he take away. 11 And the priest shall burn it upon the
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altar: <i>it is</i> the food of the offering made by fire unto the
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<span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.4">Lord</span>. 12 And if his offering
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<i>be</i> a goat, then he shall offer it before the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.5">Lord</span>. 13 And he shall lay his hand upon
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the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the
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congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood
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thereof upon the altar round about. 14 And he shall offer
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thereof his offering, <i>even</i> an offering made by fire unto the
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<span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.6">Lord</span>; the fat that covereth the
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inwards, and all the fat that <i>is</i> upon the inwards, 15
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And the two kidneys, and the fat that <i>is</i> upon them, which
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<i>is</i> by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the
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kidneys, it shall he take away. 16 And the priest shall burn
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them upon the altar: <i>it is</i> the food of the offering made by
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fire for a sweet savour: all the fat <i>is</i> the <span class="smallcaps" id="Lev.iv-p6.7">Lord</span>'s. 17 <i>It shall be</i> a perpetual
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statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye
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eat neither fat nor blood.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Lev.iv-p7">Directions are here given concerning the
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peace-offering, if it was a sheep or a goat. Turtle-doves or young
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pigeons, which might be brought for whole burnt offerings, were not
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allowed for peace-offerings, because they have no fat considerable
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enough to be burnt upon the altar; and they would be next to
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nothing if they were to be divided according to the law of the
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peace-offerings. The laws concerning a lamb or goat offered for a
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peace offering are much the same with those concerning a bullock,
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and little now occurs here; but, 1. The rump of the mutton was to
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be burnt with the fat of the inwards upon the altar, the <i>whole
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rump</i> (<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.9" parsed="|Lev|3|9|0|0" passage="Le 3:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>),
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because in those countries it was very fat and large. Some observe
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from this that, be a thing ever so contemptible, God can make it
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honourable, by applying it to his service. Thus God is said to give
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more <i>abundant honour to that part which lacked,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.12.23-1Cor.12.24" parsed="|1Cor|12|23|12|24" passage="1Co 12:23,24">1 Cor. xii. 23, 24</scripRef>. 2. That which
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was burnt upon the altar is called the <i>food of the offering,</i>
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<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.11 Bible:Lev.3.16" parsed="|Lev|3|11|0|0;|Lev|3|16|0|0" passage="Le 3:11,16"><i>v.</i> 11, 16</scripRef>. It fed
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the holy fire; it was acceptable to God as our food is to us; and
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since in the tabernacle God did, as it were, keep house among them,
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by the offerings on the altar he kept a good table, as Solomon in
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his court, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.4" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.4.22-1Kgs.4.28" parsed="|1Kgs|4|22|4|28" passage="1Ki 4:22-28">1 Kings iv.
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22</scripRef>, &c. 3. Here is a general rule laid down, that
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<i>all the fat is the Lord's</i> (<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.5" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.16" parsed="|Lev|3|16|0|0" passage="Le 3:16"><i>v.</i> 16</scripRef>), and a law made thereupon, that
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they <i>should eat neither fat nor blood,</i> no, not in their
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private houses, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.6" osisRef="Bible:Lev.3.17" parsed="|Lev|3|17|0|0" passage="Le 3:17"><i>v.</i>
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17</scripRef>. (1.) As for the <i>fat,</i> it is not meant of that
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which is interlarded with the meat (that they might eat, <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.7" osisRef="Bible:Neh.8.10" parsed="|Neh|8|10|0|0" passage="Neh 8:10">Neh. viii. 10</scripRef>), but the fat of the
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inwards, the suet, which was always God's part out of the
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sacrificed beasts; and therefore they must not eat of it, no, not
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out of the beasts that they killed for their common use. Thus would
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God preserve the honour of that which was sacred to himself. They
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must not only not feed upon that fat which was to be the food of
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the altar, but not upon any like it, lest the <i>table of the
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Lord</i> (as the altar is called), if something were not reserved
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peculiar to it, should become contemptible, and <i>the fruit
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thereof, even its meat, contemptible,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.8" osisRef="Bible:Mal.1.7 Bible:Mal.1.12" parsed="|Mal|1|7|0|0;|Mal|1|12|0|0" passage="Mal 1:7,12">Mal. i. 7, 12</scripRef>. (2.) The blood was
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universally forbidden likewise, for the same reason that the fat
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was, because it was God's part of every sacrifice. The heathen
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drank the blood of their sacrifices; hence we read of their
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<i>drink-offerings of blood,</i> <scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.9" osisRef="Bible:Ps.16.4" parsed="|Ps|16|4|0|0" passage="Ps 16:4">Ps.
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xvi. 4</scripRef>. But God would not permit the blood, that made
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atonement, to be used as a common thing (<scripRef id="Lev.iv-p7.10" osisRef="Bible:Heb.10.29" parsed="|Heb|10|29|0|0" passage="Heb 10:29">Heb. x. 29</scripRef>), nor will he allow us, though we
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have the comfort of the atonement made, to assume to ourselves any
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share in the honour of making it. He that glories, let him glory in
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the Lord, and to his praise let all the blood be poured out.</p>
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</div></div2> |