“And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord." (vss. 15-16).
We have seen that the oil speaks of the Holy Spirit. Now the priest turns away from the leper, for the moment he is forgotten, and the oil is "sprinkled before the Lord." The leper, as we have seen, was presented before the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in virtue of the sacrifice of Christ. But now the oil is sprinkled before the Lord. I think this tells us of the perfect delight that God has in His Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are apt to forget that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, and is not merely an "influence," but is the true and living God.
Seven speaks of perfection, and how wonderful it is to remember, when we look around this world, with all its sorrow and sin and suffering, that in spite of all these things, there is One who dwells down here now, who is altogether well-pleasing to God in heaven. You remember how God the Father delighted to look down from the open heavens when His Son dwelt upon this earth, and of Him, and Him alone, say, 'Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Mark 1:1111And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:11). In like manner can God look down now upon the Holy Spirit, and to all eternity He will be His delight in heaven. Although He dwells in every believer, and is their strength and power for all things of God, yet we need to remember that first of all He is down here for God, and for His glory.
“And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering" (vs. 17).
We believe that the oil put on top of the blood of the trespass offering tells of the power and energy of the Holy Spirit for the believer's life and song and service in those courts of glory. The Lord promised that the Comforter should abide with us forever, and surely all the activities of heaven will be in His power.
“And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed" (vs. 18).
It is lovely to see the way that oil never fails. Although sprinkled before the Lord seven times, and put on the ear, thumb and toe of the leper, there is still more left. It reminds us of the word, "God giveth not the Spirit by measure." John 3:3434For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34). Whatever need we have for His power and energy, we may be sure that the Spirit of God is more than sufficient for our every need. And after every requirement of the oil towards God, and towards men, has been fully met, there is still more, and this is poured on the head of the man that is to be cleansed. Those in Israel who were anointed were the priests, the kings, and, in one case at least, a prophet—and the cleansed lepers! What a wondrous company into which he is brought! And does it not tell us of the place into which the Lord has brought us. In Rev. 1:66And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6) we read, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." In 1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9) we are called a "royal priesthood." The new song of Rev. 5:10 (J.N.D. Trans.) says, "And made them to our God kings and priests.”
It is all so far beyond our comprehension or our dreams. Who could have ever conceived the thought that one who was a poor, vile, despised, unclean outcast should be brought into a place which no other Israelite possessed, even that of a priest and a king! That thought was God's, and His alone. We can but bow in adoration and wonder, as we gaze upon this lovely scene.
“And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord" (vs. 18).
I think this verse completes the wonderful picture of the trespass offering and the oil, a scene which began in verse 12. It was not, I think, the oil that made the atonement, but the blood of the trespass offering. In Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11) we read, "It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Blood, not oil, makes atonement. Blood alone can cover sins. But this pronouncement, being placed as it is at the end of verse 18, at the close of the section which includes both the trespass offering and the oil, shows us clearly how intimately connected the Spirit of God is with the offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14).) We see the "man that is to be made clean" not only cleansed by the blood, but also sheltered by the blood, and all his trespasses covered by it. Truly we may exclaim, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Psa. 32:11<<A Psalm of David, Maschil.>> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (Psalm 32:1).
What more could be added to such a picture? We would think that one more stroke might spoil it, but we find that there still are needed two more scenes to complete its perfection.
“And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering" (vs. 19).
What a perfect and complete work our Savior accomplished at the cross. Not only are all the trespasses blotted out by the blood of the trespass offering: but even that old incurable root of sin, was judged. The sin offering told out that nothing but death could deliver us from this. That old nature is not forgiven, it is judged. Our Sin Offering has died, and we have died with Him, and with Him we are risen; and when in that home in the glory, never again will we be troubled with that old, sinful nature, that often causes us so much sorrow now.
There is but one scene more, and the picture is complete and perfect. "And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean" (vs. 20).
In the trespass offering, the offerer put his hand on the head of the offering, and all his sins and trespasses passed over from him to it; and he was left clear and free from guilt. In the burnt offering, the offerer again put his hand on the head of the offering, but now all the efficacy and virtue of the offering passes over to the offerer. The burnt offering is especially God's part in that mighty offering at the cross. The burnt offering was not brought because the man had sinned, but it was brought as the highest mark of worship that man could offer to God. The meat offering (or meal offering, as it might more correctly be termed) tells of the pure and holy life of our Lord Jesus Christ down here.
Now, the cleansing of the leper is completed. He looks back over the history of those days, the old life outside the camp, his cleansing, his presentation to the Lord, his marking by the blood that had blotted out his trespasses, that wondrous new place of the priest and the king into which he has been brought, that sin offering that had delivered him from his old self. What a story it has been! What can he offer now to the One who has done all this for him? His heart overflows in worship and praise and thanksgiving, and he brings that which gives the greatest joy to the heart of God. He offers the burnt offering and the meat offering. He offers to God the sacrifice of His own dear Son, in the way in which that sacrifice was specially God's part, and he brings to Him also that spotless undefiled life down here, so very, very different to his own. Not only has the cleansed leper come into the place of the priest and the king, but now he has become a worshipper, and we leave him bowed before that altar, with the burnt offering ascending to God as a sweet savor, and we hear him exclaim:
“Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over!”
True worship is the overflow of the heart to God—a heart so full that it cannot be held back, and it overflows in praise and worship and adoration. This, we believe, is what the burnt offering and the meat offering, both going up as a sweet savor to God, tell us here.
We have sought in a feeble way to follow the leper from outside the camp to his place as a worshipper before that burnt offering, going up as a sweet savor to God. What a path it has been, and yet, dear fellow-Christian, it is your path and mine. What infinite grace! May it move our hearts to a more burning love to the One who has done so much for us!