CHAP. XL. Contains an account of the tabernacle being commanded to be reared, and anointed, and Aaron and his sons to be sanctified. 1 2 A ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle 3 of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the veil, hang 4 the veit before the ark: And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it, the shew bread; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light 5 the lamps thereof. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the 6 hanging of the door to the tabernacle. And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the taber7 nacle of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and 8 shalt put water therein. And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate. And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tab- ernacle, and all that [is] therein, and shalt hallow it, and all 10 the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and 11 sanctify the altar; and it shall be an altar most holy. And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it. 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with wa13 ter. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me 14 in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and 15 clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.* 16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD command17 ed him, so did he. And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first [day] of the month, [that] the 18 tabernacle was reared up. And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, 19 and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars. And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, the curtains of goats' hair, and put the covering of the tent above upon it, both that of ram's skins, and badger's skins; as the LORD commanded 20 Moses. And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon * A sign or seal that their priesthood should continue as long as their polity should last; and this unction should be sufficient for all succeeding priests, that they should not need to be anointed again, except the high priest. 21 the ark: And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the covering, and covered the ark of the testi22 mony; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tab23 ernacle northward, without the veil. And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had command24 ed Moses. And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle 25 southward. And he lighted the lamps before the LORD, as 26 the LORD commanded Moses. And he put the golden altar 27 in the tent of the congregation, before the veil: And he burnt 28 sweet incense thereon; as the LORD Commanded Moses. And 29 he set up the hanging [at] the door of the tabernacle. And he put the altar of burnt offering [by] the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD Com 30 manded Moses. And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash 31 [withal.] And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their 32 hands and their feet thercat: When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, 33 they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation; that cloud mentioned in chap. xiii. 21, 22, miraculously removed hither, as a testimony of God's presence and approbation ; and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle, whereby God took possession of it, (see ch. xxv. 8. 1 Kings viii. 10, 12. Ezek, 35 xliii. 4, 5, 7. and Rev. xxi. 11.) And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the taberná 36 cle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their jour37 neys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journey38 ed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD [was] upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. 1 The Third BOOK of MOSES, CALLED, LEVITICUS. INTRODUCTION. THIS Book being chiefly employed in describing the sacrificea and services of the tabernacle, to be performed by AARON the Levite, as he is called, Exod. iv. 14. and by his sons, who alone had the office of priesthood, in the tribe of Levi, it is therefore termed, both by the Greek and Latin translators, LEVITICUS : and that part of the Jewish religion which is ceremonial, is fitly denominated the Levitical Law.* CHAP. I. Contains an account of the burnt offerings of the herd, of the flocks, and of the fowls. 1 2 AND ND the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, [even] of the herd, and of the flock. • These ceremonial services are reducible to the following heads: 1. Sacrifices of several kinds. These, though but external ordinances of positive insti. tution, yet had a relation to spiritual worship, and pointed out several moral duties; while the whole was a typical scheme, and a fit introduction to the more perfect dispensa tion of the Messiah, by whom both they and we were to receive our full atonement and acceptance with God. 2. Purifications from various kinds of legal uncleanness. Which, though they cannot be denied to have been a troublesome branch of the Jewish religion, and one of those circumstances which denominated it an elementary piety, and a yoke which neither they nor their fathers were well able to bear, they were not however intended to terminate in mere ritual observance, they were most apt significations of inward and substantial holl. ness; such as reverence toward God, and purity of heart and life. 3. The solemn festivals. The observance whereof was so far from being a needless ine stitution, that they appear to have been exceeding proper for preserving the whole nation in the practice of true, and from the corruptions of false, religion. They were thankful commemorations of signal national mercies, and by their constant attendance on these joyful solemnities, at so many stated times of the year, and at the one fixed place of na. tional worship, they went through those courses of divine service, and such acts of kind. ness, generosity, and charity to each other, as tended to confirm them in the true relig jon, and in the love of that happy constitution. As to the civil and judicial laws here prescribed, they cannot but seem, to any resonable man, to be far the best body of rules that are to be found on the records of any nation : as making the surest provision for the honour of magistracy and government, and for se euring the rights and properties of the people, and not only so, but for advancing that be nevolence and mutual love, as well as common justice to each other, which are the strongest cements of society. 3 If his offering [be] a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 4 before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to 5 make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD, by the hands of the priests or Levites; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and 'sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar, that [is by] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his 7 pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon 8 the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire. And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that [is] on the fire which [is] 9 upon the altar. But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, [to be] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. 10. And if his offering [be] of the flocks, [namely,] of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it 11 a male without blemish. And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar: 12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat : and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that [is] 13 on the fire which [is] upon the altar: But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water and the priest shall bring [it] all, and burn [it] upon the altar: it [is] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the 14 LORD. And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD [be] of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, 15 or of young pigeons. And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn [it] on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar: 16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes : The historical parts of this Book are few, but very instructive; chiefly for creating in men a just veneration for all persons and things consecrated to the service of God. ***This introduction, which is continued in the above note, is taken from a Critical and Practical Exposition of the Pentateuch, by Jameson; a work but little known, though exceeding valuable. The Editor could easily have enriched this volume with a variety of useful and curious notes from this excellent writer, but was fearful of swelling the publication, and defeating the end designed, which was a Short and Plain Exposition for the nse of Families. * There were five sorts of sacrifices; burnt offerings, ch. 1. meat offerings, ch. 2. peace offerings, ch. 3. sin offerings, ch. 4. and trespass offerings, ch. v. 15. &c. The burnt offering was the first and principal, wherewith God served every day by the children of Israel, (Num. xxviii. 3.) so called, because it was all burnt, c. 8, 9, 13. except the skin, (ch. vii. 8.) whereas of all other sacrifices only part was burnt. was |