297 lines
23 KiB
XML
297 lines
23 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Ez.xlvii" n="xlvii" next="Ez.xlviii" prev="Ez.xlvi" progress="66.63%" title="Chapter XLVI">
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<h2 id="Ez.xlvii-p0.1">E Z E K I E L.</h2>
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<h3 id="Ez.xlvii-p0.2">CHAP. XLVI.</h3>
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<p class="intro" id="Ez.xlvii-p1" shownumber="no">In this chapter we have, I. Some further rules
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given both to the priests and to the people, relating to their
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worship, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.1-Ezek.46.15" parsed="|Ezek|46|1|46|15" passage="Eze 46:1-15">ver. 1-15</scripRef>. II.
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A law concerning the prince's disposal of his inheritance,
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<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.16-Ezek.46.18" parsed="|Ezek|46|16|46|18" passage="Eze 46:16-18">ver. 16-18</scripRef>. III. A
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description of the places provided for the boiling of the
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sacrifices and the baking of the meat-offerings, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.19-Ezek.46.24" parsed="|Ezek|46|19|46|24" passage="Eze 46:19-24">ver. 19-24</scripRef>.</p>
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<scripCom id="Ez.xlvii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46" parsed="|Ezek|46|0|0|0" passage="Eze 46" type="Commentary"/>
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<scripCom id="Ez.xlvii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.1-Ezek.46.15" parsed="|Ezek|46|1|46|15" passage="Eze 46:1-15" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Ez.xlvii-p1.6">
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<h4 id="Ez.xlvii-p1.7">Rules Relating to Worship. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p1.8">b. c.</span> 574.)</h4>
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<p class="passage" id="Ez.xlvii-p2" shownumber="no">1 Thus saith the Lord <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.1">God</span>; The gate of the inner court that looketh
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toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the
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sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall
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be opened. 2 And the prince shall enter by the way of the
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porch of <i>that</i> gate without, and shall stand by the post of
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the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his
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peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate:
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then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the
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evening. 3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at
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the door of this gate before the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.2">Lord</span> in the sabbaths and in the new moons.
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4 And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto
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the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.3">Lord</span> in the sabbath day <i>shall
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be</i> six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish.
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5 And the meat offering <i>shall be</i> an ephah for a ram, and the
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meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin
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of oil to an ephah. 6 And in the day of the new moon <i>it
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shall be</i> a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a
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ram: they shall be without blemish. 7 And he shall prepare a
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meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and
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for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and a hin of
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oil to an ephah. 8 And when the prince shall enter, he shall
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go in by the way of the porch of <i>that</i> gate, and he shall go
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forth by the way thereof. 9 But when the people of the land
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shall come before the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.4">Lord</span> in the
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solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to
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worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that
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entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of
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the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby
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he came in, but shall go forth over against it. 10 And the
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prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when
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they go forth, shall go forth. 11 And in the feasts and in
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the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock,
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and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and
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a hin of oil to an ephah. 12 Now when the prince shall
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prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily
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unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.5">Lord</span>, <i>one</i> shall then
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open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall
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prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on
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the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth
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<i>one</i> shall shut the gate. 13 Thou shalt daily prepare
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a burnt offering unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.6">Lord</span>
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<i>of</i> a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt
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prepare it every morning. 14 And thou shalt prepare a meat
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offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the
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third part of a hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat
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offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p2.7">Lord</span>. 15 Thus shall they prepare the
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lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning <i>for</i>
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a continual burnt offering.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p3" shownumber="no">Whether the rules for public worship here
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laid down were designed to be observed, even in those things
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wherein they differed from the law of Moses, and were so observed
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under the second temple, is not certain; we find not in the history
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of that latter part of the Jewish church that they governed
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themselves in their worship by these ordinances, as one would think
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they should have done, but only by law of Moses, looking upon this
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<i>then</i> in the next age after as mystical, and not literal. We
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may observe, in these verses,</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p4" shownumber="no">I. That the place of worship was fixed, and
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rules were given concerning that, both to prince and people.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p5" shownumber="no">1. The east gate, which was kept shut at
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other times, was to be opened on the sabbath days, on the moons
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(<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.1" parsed="|Ezek|46|1|0|0" passage="Eze 46:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>), and whenever
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the prince offered a voluntary offering, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.12" parsed="|Ezek|46|12|0|0" passage="Eze 46:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>. Of the keeping of this gate
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ordinarily shut we read before (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.44.2" parsed="|Ezek|44|2|0|0" passage="Eze 44:2"><i>ch.</i> xliv. 2</scripRef>); whereas the other gates
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of the court were opened every day, this was opened only on high
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days and on special occasions, when it was opened for the prince,
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who was to <i>go in by the way of the porch of that gate,</i>
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<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.2 Bible:Ezek.46.8" parsed="|Ezek|46|2|0|0;|Ezek|46|8|0|0" passage="Eze 46:2,8"><i>v.</i> 2, 8</scripRef>. Some
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think he went in with the priests and Levites into the <i>inner
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court</i> (for into that court this gate was the entrance), and
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they observe that magistrates and ministers should join forces, and
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go the same way, hand in hand, in promoting the service of God. But
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it should rather seem that he did not go <i>through</i> the gate
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(as the glory of the Lord had done), though it was open, but he
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went <i>by the way of the porch of the gate,</i> stood <i>at the
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post of the gate,</i> and <i>worshipped at the threshold of the
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gate</i> (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.2" parsed="|Ezek|46|2|0|0" passage="Eze 46:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>),
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where he had a full view of the priests' performances at the altar,
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and signified his concurrence in them, for himself and for the
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people of the land, that stood behind him <i>at the door of that
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gate,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.6" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.3" parsed="|Ezek|46|3|0|0" passage="Eze 46:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. Thus
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must every prince show himself to be of David's mind, who would
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very willingly be a <i>door-keeper in the house of his God,</i>
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and, as the word there is, <i>lie at the threshold,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.84.10" parsed="|Ps|84|10|0|0" passage="Ps 84:10">Ps. lxxxiv. 10</scripRef>. Note, The greatest of
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men are less than the least of the ordinances of God. Even princes
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themselves, when they draw near to God, must worship <i>with
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reverence and godly fear,</i> owning that even they are unworthy to
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approach to him. But Christ is <i>our prince,</i> whom God causes
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to <i>draw near</i> and <i>approach to him,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p5.8" osisRef="Bible:Jer.30.21" parsed="|Jer|30|21|0|0" passage="Jer 30:21">Jer. xxx. 21</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p6" shownumber="no">2. As to the north gate and south gate, by
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which they entered into the <i>court of the people</i> (not into
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the inner court), there was this rule given, that whoever came in
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at the <i>north gate</i> should go out at the <i>south gate,</i>
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and whoever came in at the <i>south gate</i> should go out at the
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<i>north gate,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.9" parsed="|Ezek|46|9|0|0" passage="Eze 46:9"><i>v.</i>
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9</scripRef>. Some think this was to prevent thrusting and jostling
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one another; for God is <i>the God of order, and not of
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confusion.</i> We may suppose that they came in at the gate that
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was next their own houses, but, when they went away, God would have
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them go out at that gate which would lead them <i>the furthest way
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about,</i> that they might have time for meditation; being thereby
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obliged to go a great way round the sanctuary, they might have an
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opportunity <i>to consider the palaces</i> of it, and, if they
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improved their time well in fetching this circuit, they would call
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it the nearest way home. Some observe that this may remind us, in
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the service of God, to be still pressing forward (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Phil.3.13" parsed="|Phil|3|13|0|0" passage="Php 3:13">Phil. iii. 13</scripRef>) and not to <i>look
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back,</i> and, in our attendance upon ordinances, not to go back as
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we came, but more holy, and heavenly, and spiritual.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p7" shownumber="no">3. It is appointed that <i>the people shall
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worship at the door of the east gate,</i> where the prince does, he
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at the head and they attending him, both <i>on the sabbath and on
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the new moons</i> (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.3" parsed="|Ezek|46|3|0|0" passage="Eze 46:3"><i>v.</i>
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3</scripRef>), and that, when they come in and go out, the prince
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shall be <i>in the midst of them,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.10" parsed="|Ezek|46|10|0|0" passage="Eze 46:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>. Note, Great men should, by
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their constant and reverent attendance on God in public worship,
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give a good example to their inferiors, both engaging them and
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encouraging them to do likewise. It is a very graceful becoming
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thing for persons of quality to go to church with their servants,
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and tenants, and poor neighbours about them, and to behave
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themselves there with an air of seriousness and devotion; and those
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who thus honour God with their honour he will delight to
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honour.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p8" shownumber="no">II. That the ordinances of worship were
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fixed. Though the prince is supposed himself to be a very hearty
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zealous friend to the sanctuary, yet it is not left to him, no, not
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in concert with the priests, to appoint what sacrifices shall be
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offered, but God himself appoints them; for it is his prerogative
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to institute the rites and ceremonies of religious worship. 1.
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Every morning, as duly as the morning came, they must offer <i>a
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lamb</i> for a <i>burnt-offering,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.13" parsed="|Ezek|46|13|0|0" passage="Eze 46:13"><i>v.</i> 13</scripRef>. It is strange that no mention
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is made of the evening sacrifice; but Christ having come, and
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having offered himself now <i>in the end of the world</i>
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(<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.9.26" parsed="|Heb|9|26|0|0" passage="Heb 9:26">Heb. ix. 26</scripRef>), we are to
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look upon him as the evening sacrifice, about the time of the
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offering up of which he died. 2. On the sabbath days, whereas by
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the law of Moses four lambs were to be offered (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Num.28.9" parsed="|Num|28|9|0|0" passage="Nu 28:9">Num. xxviii. 9</scripRef>), it is here appointed that (at
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the prince's charge) there shall be <i>six lambs</i> offered,
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<i>and a ram</i> besides (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.4" parsed="|Ezek|46|4|0|0" passage="Eze 46:4"><i>v.</i>
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4</scripRef>), to intimate how much we should abound in sabbath
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work, now in gospel-time, and what plenty of the spiritual
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sacrifices of prayer and praise we should offer up to God on that
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day; and, if <i>with such sacrifice God is well-pleased,</i> surely
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we have a great deal of reason to be so. 3. On the new moons, in
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the beginning of their months, there was over and above the usual
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sabbath-sacrifices the additional offering of a young bullock,
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<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.6" parsed="|Ezek|46|6|0|0" passage="Eze 46:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. Those who do
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much for God and their souls, statedly and constantly, must yet,
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upon some occasions, do still more. 4. All the sacrifices were to
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be <i>without blemish;</i> so Christ, the great sacrifice, was
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(<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.6" osisRef="Bible:1Pet.1.19" parsed="|1Pet|1|19|0|0" passage="1Pe 1:19">1 Pet. i. 19</scripRef>), and so
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Christians, who are to present themselves to God as living
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sacrifices, should aim and endeavour to be—<i>blameless, and
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harmless, and without rebuke.</i> 5. All the sacrifices were to
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have their meat-offerings annexed to them, for so the law of Moses
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had appointed, to show what a good table God keeps in his house and
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that we ought to honour him with the fruit of our ground as well as
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with the fruit of our cattle, because in both he has blessed us,
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<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.7" osisRef="Bible:Deut.28.4" parsed="|Deut|28|4|0|0" passage="De 28:4">Deut. xxviii. 4</scripRef>. In the
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beginning, Cain offered the one and Abel the other. Some observe
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that the meat-offerings here are much larger in proportion than
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they were by the law of Moses. Then the proportion was <i>three
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tenth-deals to a bullock,</i> and <i>two to a ram</i> (so many
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tenth parts of an ephah) and half a hin of oil at the most
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(<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.8" osisRef="Bible:Num.15.6-Num.15.9" parsed="|Num|15|6|15|9" passage="Nu 15:6-9">Num. xv. 6-9</scripRef>); but here,
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for every bullock and every ram, a whole ephah and a whole hin of
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oil (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.9" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.7" parsed="|Ezek|46|7|0|0" passage="Eze 46:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>), which
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intimates that under the gospel, the great atoning sacrifice having
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been offered, these unbloody sacrifices shall be more abounded in;
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or, in general, it intimates that as now, under the gospel, God
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abounds in the gifts of his grace to us, more than under the law,
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so we should abound in the returns of praise and duty to him. But
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it is observable that in the meat-offering <i>for the lambs</i> the
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prince is allowed to offer <i>as he shall be able to give</i>
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(<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.10" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.5-Ezek.46.6 Bible:Ezek.46.11" parsed="|Ezek|46|5|46|6;|Ezek|46|11|0|0" passage="Eze 46:5,6,11"><i>v.</i> 5, 7, 11</scripRef>),
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<i>as his hand shall attain unto.</i> Note, Princess themselves
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must spend as they can afford; and even in that which is laid out
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in works of piety God expects and requires but that we should do
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according to our ability, every man <i>as God has prepared him,</i>
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<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.11" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.16.2" parsed="|1Cor|16|2|0|0" passage="1Co 16:2">1 Cor. xvi. 2</scripRef>. God has not
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<i>made us to serve with an offering</i> (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p8.12" osisRef="Bible:Isa.43.23" parsed="|Isa|43|23|0|0" passage="Isa 43:23">Isa. xliii. 23</scripRef>), but considers our frame and
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state. Yet this will not countenance those who pretend a disability
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that is not real, or those who by their extravagances in other
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things disable themselves to do the good they should. And we find
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those praised who, in an extraordinary case of charity, went not
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<i>only to their power,</i> but <i>beyond their power.</i></p>
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</div><scripCom id="Ez.xlvii-p8.13" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.16-Ezek.46.18" parsed="|Ezek|46|16|46|18" passage="Eze 46:16-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Ez.xlvii-p8.14">
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<h4 id="Ez.xlvii-p8.15">Laws Concerning the Prince's
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Inheritance. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p8.16">b. c.</span> 574.)</h4>
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<p class="passage" id="Ez.xlvii-p9" shownumber="no">16 Thus saith the Lord <span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p9.1">God</span>; If the prince give a gift unto any of his
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sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it <i>shall
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be</i> their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he give a
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gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be
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his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince:
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but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them. 18 Moreover
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the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by
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oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; <i>but</i> he
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shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my
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people be not scattered every man from his possession.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p10" shownumber="no">We have here a law for the limiting of the
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power of the prince in the disposing of the crown-lands. 1. If he
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have a <i>son</i> that is a favourite, or has merited well, he may,
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if he please, as a token of his favour and in recompence for his
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services, settle some parts of his lands upon him and his heirs for
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ever (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.16" parsed="|Ezek|46|16|0|0" passage="Eze 46:16"><i>v.</i> 16</scripRef>),
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provided it do not go out of the family. There may be a cause for
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parents, when their children have grown up, to be more kind to one
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than to another, as Jacob gave to Joseph one portion <i>above his
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brethren,</i> <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Gen.48.22" parsed="|Gen|48|22|0|0" passage="Ge 48:22">Gen. xlviii.
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22</scripRef>. 2. Yet, if he have a servant that is a favourite, he
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may not in like manner settle lands upon him, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p10.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.17" parsed="|Ezek|46|17|0|0" passage="Eze 46:17"><i>v.</i> 17</scripRef>. The servant might have the
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rents, issues, and profits, for such a term, but the inheritance,
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the <i>jus proprietarium—the right of proprietorship,</i> shall
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remain in the prince and his heirs. It was fit that a difference
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should be put between a child and a servant, like that <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p10.4" osisRef="Bible:John.8.35" parsed="|John|8|35|0|0" passage="Joh 8:35">John viii. 35</scripRef>. <i>The servant abides
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not in the house for ever,</i> as the son does. 3. What estates he
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gives his children must be of his own (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p10.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.18" parsed="|Ezek|46|18|0|0" passage="Eze 46:18"><i>v.</i> 18</scripRef>): He <i>shall not take of the
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people's inheritance,</i> under pretence of having many children to
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provide for; he shall not find ways to make them forfeit their
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estates, or to force them to sell them and so <i>thrust his
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subjects out of their possession;</i> but let him and his sons be
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||
content with their own. It is far from being a prince's honour to
|
||
increase the wealth of his family and crown by encroaching upon the
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||
rights and properties of his subjects; nor will he himself be a
|
||
gainer by it at last, for he will be but a poor prince when the
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||
people are <i>scattered every man from his possession,</i> when
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||
they quit their native country, being forced out of it by
|
||
oppression, choosing rather to live among strangers that are free
|
||
people, and where what they have they can call their own, be it
|
||
ever so little. It is the interest of princes to rule in the hearts
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||
of their subjects, and then all they have is, in the best manner,
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||
at their service. It is better for themselves to gain their
|
||
affections by protecting their rights than to gain their estates by
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||
invading them.</p>
|
||
</div><scripCom id="Ez.xlvii-p10.6" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.19-Ezek.46.24" parsed="|Ezek|46|19|46|24" passage="Eze 46:19-24" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Ez.xlvii-p10.7">
|
||
<h4 id="Ez.xlvii-p10.8">Buildings about the Temple. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ez.xlvii-p10.9">b. c.</span> 574.)</h4>
|
||
<p class="passage" id="Ez.xlvii-p11" shownumber="no">19 After he brought me through the entry, which
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||
<i>was</i> at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the
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||
priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there
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||
<i>was</i> a place on the two sides westward. 20 Then said
|
||
he unto me, This <i>is</i> the place where the priests shall boil
|
||
the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake
|
||
the meat offering; that they bear <i>them</i> not out into the
|
||
utter court, to sanctify the people. 21 Then he brought me
|
||
forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four
|
||
corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court
|
||
<i>there was</i> a court. 22 In the four corners of the
|
||
court <i>there were</i> courts joined of forty <i>cubits</i> long
|
||
and thirty broad: these four corners <i>were</i> of one measure.
|
||
23 And <i>there was</i> a row <i>of building</i> round about
|
||
in them, round about them four, and <i>it was</i> made with boiling
|
||
places under the rows round about. 24 Then said he unto me,
|
||
These <i>are</i> the places of them that boil, where the ministers
|
||
of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.</p>
|
||
<p class="indent" id="Ez.xlvii-p12" shownumber="no">We have here a further discovery of
|
||
buildings about the temple, which we did not observe before, and
|
||
those were places to boil the flesh of the offerings in, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.20" parsed="|Ezek|46|20|0|0" passage="Eze 46:20"><i>v.</i> 20</scripRef>. He that kept such a
|
||
plentiful table at his altar needed large kitchens; and a wise
|
||
builder will provide conveniences of that kind. Observe, 1. Where
|
||
those boiling-places were situated. There were some at the entry
|
||
into the inner court (<scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.19" parsed="|Ezek|46|19|0|0" passage="Eze 46:19"><i>v.</i>
|
||
19</scripRef>) and others under the rows, in the four corners of
|
||
the outer court, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.21-Ezek.46.23" parsed="|Ezek|46|21|46|23" passage="Eze 46:21-23"><i>v.</i>
|
||
21-23</scripRef>. These were the places where, it is likely, there
|
||
was most room to spare for this purpose; and this purpose was found
|
||
for the spare room, that none might be lost. It is a pity that holy
|
||
ground should be waste ground. 2. What use they were put to. In
|
||
those places they were to <i>boil the trespass-offering and the
|
||
sin-offering,</i> those parts of them which were allotted to the
|
||
priests and which were more sacred than the flesh of the
|
||
peace-offerings, of which the offerer also had a share. There also
|
||
they were to <i>bake the meat-offering,</i> their share of it,
|
||
which they had from the altar for their own tables, <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p12.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.46.20" parsed="|Ezek|46|20|0|0" passage="Eze 46:20"><i>v.</i> 20</scripRef>. Care was taken that
|
||
they should not <i>bear them out into the outer court, to sanctify
|
||
the people.</i> Let them not pretend to sanctify the people with
|
||
this holy flesh, and so impose upon them; or let not the people
|
||
imagine that by touching those sacred things they were sanctified,
|
||
and made any the better or more acceptable to God. It should seem
|
||
(from <scripRef id="Ez.xlvii-p12.5" osisRef="Bible:Hag.2.12" parsed="|Hag|2|12|0|0" passage="Hag 2:12">Hag. ii. 12</scripRef>) that
|
||
there were those who had such a conceit; and therefore the priests
|
||
must not carry any of the holy flesh away with them, lest they
|
||
should encourage that conceit. Ministers must take heed of doing
|
||
any thing to bolster up ignorant people in their superstitious
|
||
vanities.</p>
|
||
</div></div2> |