THE believer, in a certain sense, finds in himself the antitype of Priest, Levite, Leper, and Nazarite; consequently, he may gain much profit in the consideration of the rites and ceremonies observed in the consecration, cleansing, and separation of these.
First, in the consecration of the Priests, (Ex. 29; Lev. 8, 9) this ceremony occupied a period of eight days, i.e. of seven and one. Seven days they dwelled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, preparatory to the glories of the eighth day. This tells us of the seven days of time, and of the eighth, or resurrection day. In the former we now are; the latter, we look for. Peculiar privileges (Num. 18), and the best of everything, were the Priests. Their dress and food, as well as their duties were different from those of the congregation. The seven days of time are now going on. As during that period which typified them, the Priests, the Sons of Aaron, were washed, clothed, anointed, and sprinkled with blood and oil, and thus sanctified; so, now, the children of God are washed by the washing of regeneration, clothed with the righteousness of God, anointed by the Spirit of God, sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and sanctified.
These are the great and all-important concerns of time—matters worthy of our deepest interest; but the eighth day is nigh at hand, when the glory will appear. (Lev. 9:2323And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. (Leviticus 9:23).) And yet, inasmuch as we are at present in the region of faith, and have “boldness to enter into the holiest,” we may say that glory is already begun. (John 17:2222And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22).) By faith, risen with Christ, we may say that we are in the eighth day. Many very important details of the order of ceremonies will be seen in Lev. 8, such as the consecration of Aaron first, then that of Aaron and his sons, thus pointing out to us the work of the Lord Jesus, the “Great High Priest,” and the union of His people with Him as Priests. Aaron and his sons were washed; Aaron was clothed, and anointed with oil, himself first; afterward, his sons were clothed, and the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the ram of consecration offered; then Aaron first, and afterward his sons, were sprinkled with some of the blood of the ram of consecration, part of it being put upon their right ears, thumbs, and toes; then were they sprinkled with the anointing oil, themselves and their garments. Thus sanctified, they fed upon the flesh and the bread of consecrations, (1 Cor. 9:13,13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? (1 Corinthians 9:13)) at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation; and, as Priests, were fitted for the services of the sanctuary.
On each of the seven days, a bullock for a sin offering for atonement was offered (Ex. 29:3636And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. (Exodus 29:36)); and on the eighth day, special and multiplied offerings were slain: first, for Aaron and his sons, and then for the people. (Lev. 9) By faith we may offer the antitype to these sacrifices daily, but on the eighth day we must expect that a full display of the virtues of the atonement, and of the sacrifice of Christ, will burst upon our wondering view. Then shall we truly be able to appreciate the inestimable value of the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering.
The Ep. to the Hebrews opens to us much concerning our “Great High Priest,” and those things connected with the subject before us: Revelation 1:6,6And 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) verse 10, and 1 Peter 2:5, 95Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
9But 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). tell us of our title and of our dignity, as “Kings and Priests,” unto Him.
Passing to the Levites (Num. 8); these had water of purification sprinkled upon them; their flesh was shaven; their clothes washed; a burnt offering and sin offering, with a meat offering, offered: and then they were offered before the Lord, and given as a gift to Aaron (Num. 8:1313And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord. (Numbers 8:13)), “to do the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation.” These also fed on peculiar food; the tithes of the children of Israel were theirs. (Num. 18) The children of God have been presented as a gift unto Christ (John 10:29, 17:2); they have been sprinkled and washed by better water of purification; and a sacrifice, all-sufficient, both for sin and satisfaction to God, has been offered; and, thus consecrated, they are not only to serve God, as Priests, but also to engage in the more humble service represented by that of Levites.
The Leper is a familiar and favorite type of the sinner cleansed and reconciled. (Lev. 13-14.) The Priest goes “forth out of the camp” to look upon him, and gives commandment concerning his cleansing.
Death and resurrection are typified by the two birds, which show forth in lively figures the work of the Lord Jesus: blood is sprinkled seven times upon the Leper, his clothes are washed, all his hair shaven for seven days; on the eighth day a trespass offering is offered: the tip of the right ear, and the thumb of the right hand, as well as the great toe of the right foot, Are tipped with the blood of this sacrifice; these then are tipped with oil “upon the blood,” the rest of the oil being poured upon the head of the Leper. The sin offering, the burnt offering, and the meat offering, are offered; and the cleansed Leper enters into the camp.
What a tale does all this tell of the wondrous grace of God to sinners! The Priest was not tipped with both the blood and the oil; the Leper was!
The living bird let loose shadows the great fact of sin forgiven―sin put away forever, and remembered no more; and reminds us of Him, who, by “His own blood, entered in once into the Holy Place.” Again, the poorest has respect paid to his poverty, and, if he cannot offer much, God accepts his little. All believers have not the same amount of faith; some can, as it were, offer the lamb, others, but the dove; yet faith in the sacrifice of Christ, (not faith in degree, but) faith in reality, which looks only to Him, will meet its great reward.
These seven days, as in the consecration of the Priests, brings before us something of our present condition as sinners sprinkled and cleansed, (14:7; see also Col. 1:21,21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:21) &c.) though not yet admitted to full enjoyment of blessing. The word of God again says, “Now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.” But, as before observed, the eighth day is ours, by faith. When we come to enter into it actually, then shall we fully enter into all our rich blessing; then shall we know the wonders of Divine grace, and understand the love of God, in sending His Son from heaven to redeem, and to cleanse such vile and unclean sinners as we know ourselves to be, and finally to bring us into His very presence. “We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him.” Then shall we “see Him as He is,” and praise Him as we ought.
The Nazarite, (Num. 6) separated from wine and strong drink, allowed to eat nothing made from the vine tree, from the kernel to the husk, and all his hair shaven, presents in type to us the Christian who is called especially into a position of separation to God, from the world, its pleasures, and its sins.
He renounces his own natural strength and glory; his pleasures, and his joys are in God, for he is taught to “love not the world, neither the things which are in the world.”
The Nazarite may contract defilement, and as there is remedy for Jewish defilement, so is there for the defilement of the Christian. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” “The blood of Jesus Christ....cleanseth us from all sin.” “The heavenly things...with better sacrifices.” (Heb. 9:2323It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23).)
These are the days of separation, days in which we have to fear defilement, which is on every side around us. But, as in the previous instance, the eighth day is at hand, the eighth day of sacrifices and offerings, of entire devotion to God, of the drinking of wine, and of the fullness of joy, and of “pleasures for evermore.”
“Then shall we see His face,
And never, never sin;
Then from the rivers of His grace
Drink endless pleasures in.
And now, before we rise
To that immortal state,
The thoughts of such amazing bliss
Should constant joy create.”