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20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

for ever in all your dwellings
throughout your generations.
22 And when ye reap the
harvest of your land, thou shalt
not make clean riddance of the
corners of thy field when thou
reapest, neither shalt thou ga-
ther any gleaning of thy har-
vest: thou shalt leave them unto
the poor, and to the stranger:
your God.

21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein it shall be a statute I am the LORD :

LECTURE 224.

Of providing for them that are strangers to the Gospel. Besides the weekly festival of the sabbath, which was to be observed by the Israelites in all their dwellings, and in which "no work" whatsoever might be done, several other feasts are recounted in this chapter, whereof the most part have been mentioned before. Here we learn how the right season for each feast was ascertained; a matter of no little difficulty, when time was measured chiefly by the monthly moons, and when the length of the year was not accurately known. It appears then that whenever the first fruits of the earliest corn were nearly ripe, which in the holy land happened in our spring, they proclaimed that month, dating from the new moon, to be the first month, or month of Abib. On the fourteenth day of this first month at even was the Lord's passover, on the fifteenth day began the feast of unleavened bread. See Exod. 12. 18. This lasted seven days, and on the seventh day was a holy convocation, on which "no servile work" might be done, a day to be spent in assembling themselves together for religious festivity; on which however they might do many things which on the sabbath were unlawful. Counting fifty days from the beginning of the first day of unleavened bread they kept the feast of Pentecost, which means the fiftieth day; called also the "feast of weeks," Exod. 34. 22, because of the seven full weeks intervening; and "the feast of harvest," Exod. 23. 16, and "the day of the first fruits," Numb. 28. 26, because then the corn harvest was complete, and they offered first fruits of every kind of corn. On this feast, which lasted one day only, they might do "no servile work;" but were to keep it as a day of "holy convocation." And they are at the same time reminded, see ch. 19. 9, that in reaping their harvest they were to leave the corners of their fields, and the gleanings, "unto the poor, and to the stranger." This rule was in exact harmony with one great object of those feasts, namely, a thankful enjoyment of the good things which God bestowed, to be shared by rich and poor together, when assembled at the tabernacle of the Lord. May May we never forget, in our spiritual rejoicings, to provide for the spiritual necessities of those, who are still poor in grace, and strangers to the Gospel of our Lord!

The feast of trumpets, the day of atonement, the feast of tabernacles.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

28 And ye shall do no work in that same day for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto and shall offer an offeryou; ye ing made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.

39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a

30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 31 Ye shall do no manner of work it shall be a statute for sabbath. : ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

:

40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD

32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your God seven days.

your sabbath.

33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

34 Speak unto the children

41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations:

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ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of the LORD.

44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts

LECTURE 225.

Holy seasons appointed in the Christian church.

We have seen that the beginning of the year amongst the Israelites, as far as concerned their holy days, was regulated by the first ripening of their earliest ears of corn. Counting six months from this beginning, and reckoning the months by new moons, they kept the feast of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month. Thus this feast, which is here mentioned for the first time, took place in the midst of autumn, and fell in with what used to be the commencement of the year, before the alteration ordained by God. See Exod. 13. 4. And so indeed it was still reckoned, for all other purposes, except the computation of the religious festivals; like as amongst ourselves the church begins its year at advent, dating from a religious solemnity, whilst the business of the world is computed by a different reckoning, and dated from a different beginning. Let us endeavour, as time passes, to connect it in our minds, rather with the ordinances of grace, than with the arrangements of gain. And in computing the years of our pilgrimage, let us rather overlook even the seasons of nature, than the solemnities of religion.

On the tenth day of this same seventh month was the great day of atonement; see ch. 16. 29; a day of fasting rather than a feast, a day on which the Israelites must do no work, but only afflict their souls for sin. And on the fifteenth day was "the feast of tabernacles;" when they dwelt for seven days in booths, made of boughs of goodly trees; hallowing the first of the seven as a sabbath. This was in memory of their having dwelt in tents, when God brought them out of the land of Egypt. And on the eighth day, when they had left their booths, they had another holy convocation, the last great feast day in the year, when they appear to have commemorated with thankfulness the complete ingathering of all their fruits. Let not us neglect our holy seasons, lest we forget the great benefits commemorated therein. Let us neither fail to afflict our souls for sin, on days set apart for fasting, nor to rejoice in the Lord with thanksgiving, on those which are appointed for Christian festivity.

God grant that we may both fast and feast as He would have us; at our fasts mortifying the flesh, and at our feasts rejoicing in the Spirit!

O. T. VOL. I. PART 11.

G g

The lamps, and the shewbread.
1 And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying,

2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.

4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.

7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.

10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in

the camp;

The stranger stoned for blasphemy.

11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan :)

12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. 17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for

beast.

19 And ifa man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;

20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country:

for I am the LORD your God. 23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had

cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. LECTURE 226.

The righteous rejoicing in the vengeance of God.

In the New Testament we find the church compared to a candlestick. And each single Christian may consider himself as one of the many lamps which fill its several branches. Our Saviour is the Priest who orders the lamps "before the Lord continually." And the pure olive oil may be regarded as an emblem of that holiness in his people, which comes of the Holy Ghost working on their hearts. Let us remember that if but one single lamp is dim, it impairs the lustre of the whole. Let us endeavour to make our light so shine before men, that they may glorify our Father which is in heaven. See Matt. 5. 16. But if all ought to join to yield one heavenly light, we are also taught by the apostle, that "we being many are one bread." 1 Cor. 10. 17. Let us think of this truth, whilst we read of the twelve loaves of shewbread, in number equal to the tribes of Israel; let us consider how we are all made of the same flesh, redeemed by the same blood; and this, in order that we may be formed into one body, fit to be presented to the Father by the Son.

In the midst of the delivery of these statutes occurred the case of blasphemy here recorded. The son of an Egyptian, by an Israelitish woman, being at strife with an Israelite, "blasphemed the name;" that holy name, which no one might take in vain with impunity. Upon this he was put in ward, that the will of God might be ascertained; it being doubtful whether he, being a stranger, would be liable to the same sentence as an Israelite. On this point it was revealed, that there was to be one manner of law for the stranger and for the people of the covenant. And the like was to be the principle in other cases, here enumerated, wherein it would be needful for the good of the community, that foreigners should be amenable to the law of the land. "And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses." They which had heard the blasphemy, laid their hands upon the head of the blasphemer, in attestation of his guilt. For it was not fitting that they should repeat his words. And all the congregation stoned him till he died. For it was not beneath the dignity of such as were rulers in Israel, to bear themselves the part of executioners, where the law, and the sentence of execution, both came from the throne of the most high God. And this they might do consistently with humanity and love; where it was done conformably to the divine decree. For if it is for God's honour that we feel, and by his manifest commandment that we act, then the righteous may "rejoice when he seeth the vengeance," yea and also "wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly." Ps. 58. 9.

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