{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_26384/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_26384","id":"gutenberg_26384","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26384","summary":null,"tags":["Bible. Numbers VI-VII -- Commentaries","Category: Religion/Spirituality"],"text":"Produced by Free Elf, Verity White and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSeparation and Service\n\nOR\n\nTHOUGHTS ON\n\nNUMBERS VI, VII.\n\nBY\nJ. HUDSON TAYLOR.\n\n\nLondon\nMORGAN & SCOTT, 12, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, E.C.\nCHINA INLAND MISSION, NEWINGTON GREEN, N.\n\n\n\n\nPRINTED BY\nWOODFALL AND KINDER, LONG ACRE\nLONDON\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n  Separation and Service.\n\n                                                    PAGE\n  Introductory                                         7\n\n\n  PART I.\n\n  SEPARATION TO GOD: Numbers vi, 1-21.\n\n  Institution of the Order of Nazarites               11\n  Implicit Obedience                                  13\n  Entire Consecration                                 16\n  Holiness to the LORD                                19\n  Unwitting Defilement                                22\n  The Heinousness of Sin                              23\n  Cleansing only through Sacrifice                    25\n  Acceptance only in CHRIST                           27\n  The Presentation of the Nazarites                   33\n  The Law of the Offerings                            35\n  The Burnt-Offering                                  39\n  The Sin and Peace-Offerings                         41\n\n\n  PART II.\n\n  THE BLESSING OF GOD: Numbers vi, 22-27.\n\n  Why Found Here?                                     44\n  The Real Meaning of Blessing                        49\n  The Three-fold Benediction                          52\n  The Blessing of the FATHER                          53\n  The Second Person of the Trinity                    60\n  The Blessing of the SON and BRIDEGROOM              63\n  The LORD, the SPIRIT                                70\n  The Blessing of the HOLY SPIRIT                     73\n  Sealing with the Name of GOD                        80\n\n\n  PART III.\n\n  PRINCELY SERVICE: Numbers vii.\n\n  The Constraint of Love                              89\n  GOD'S Delight in Love-gifts                         90\n  Free-will Offerings                                 93\n  Gladsome Acceptance                                 96\n  According to his Service                           101\n  The Dedicatory Offerings                           107\n  The Display of the Gifts                           109\n  The Person of the Offerer                          113\n  The Importance of the Altar                        117\n\n\n\n\nSeparation and Service.\n\nNumbers vi, vii.\n\n\nINTRODUCTORY.\n\nFor many years these chapters had no special interest to me; but I have\nnever ceased to be thankful that I was early led to read the Word of GOD\nin regular course: it was through this habit that these chapters first\nbecame specially precious to me. I was travelling on a missionary tour\nin the province of CHEH-KIANG, and had to pass the night in a very\nwicked town. All the inns were dreadful places; and the people seemed to\nhave their consciences seared, and their hearts sealed against the\nTruth. My own heart was oppressed, and could find no relief; and I awoke\nthe next morning much cast down, and feeling spiritually hungry and\nthirsty indeed.\n\nOn opening my Bible at the seventh chapter of Numbers, I felt as though\nI could not then read that long chapter of repetitions; that I _must_\nturn to some chapter that would feed my soul. And yet I was not happy in\nleaving my regular portion; so after a little conflict I resolved to\nread it, praying to GOD to bless me, even through Numb. vii. I fear\nthere was not much faith in the prayer; but oh! how abundantly it was\nanswered, and what a feast GOD gave me! He revealed to me His own great\nheart of love, and gave me the key to understand this and the previous\nchapter as never before. May GOD make our meditations upon them as\nhelpful to others as they were then and have ever since continued to be\nto myself.\n\nMuch is revealed in these chapters in germ which is more fully brought\nout in the New Testament. Under the Old Covenant many blessings were\nenjoyed in measure and for a season, which in this dispensation are ours\nin their fulness and permanence. For instance, the atoning sacrifices of\nthe seventh month had to be repeated every year; but CHRIST, in offering\nHimself once for all, perfected for ever them that are sanctified. The\nPsalmist needed to pray, \"Take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT from me;\" but CHRIST\nhas given us the COMFORTER to abide with us for ever. In like manner the\nIsraelite might vow the vow of a Nazarite and separate himself unto GOD\nfor a season; but it is the privilege of the Christian believer to know\nhimself as always separated to GOD. Many other lessons, which are\nhidden from careless and superficial readers, are suggested by these\nchapters, which the HOLY SPIRIT will reveal to prayerful students of His\nmost precious and most perfect Book.\n\nThe portions we have selected consist of first a short chapter, and then\na very long one, which at first sight appears to have no special\nconnection with it. But on more careful reflection we shall see that the\norder of the subjects referred to shows that there is really a natural\nand close connection between them. We shall find that Separation to GOD\nis followed by Blessing from GOD; and that those who receive large\nblessing from Him, in turn render to Him acceptable Service: service in\nwhich GOD takes delight, and which He places in everlasting\nremembrance.\n\n\n\n\nPART I.\n\nSeparation to GOD.\n\nNUMB. VI. 1-21.\n\n\nTHE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES.\n\nThe first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the\ninstitution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at\nthe outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect\ngift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to\nHis people; thereby showing His desire that \"whosoever will\" of His\npeople may be brought into closest relationship to Himself.\n\nIt was very gracious of GOD to _permit_ His people to become Nazarites.\nIsrael might have been \"a kingdom of priests;\" but through their own sin\nthey had nationally forfeited this privilege, and a special family had\nbeen set apart to the priesthood. GOD, however, still opened the way for\nindividuals who wished to draw near to Him to do so, and for any period\nwhich their own hearts might dictate.\n\nBut it is important to notice that though the vow might only be one of\ntemporary consecration, yet it involved while it lasted an\n\n  ABSOLUTE ACCEPTANCE\n\nof the will of GOD, even in regard to matters which might appear trivial\nand unimportant. So, in the present day, GOD is willing to give to His\npeople fulness of blessing, but it must be on His own lines. Though we\nare not our own, it is, alas! possible to live as though we were;\ndevotion to GOD is still a voluntary thing; hence the differences of\nattainment among Christians. While salvation is a free gift, the\n\"winning CHRIST\" can only be through unreserved consecration and\nunquestioning obedience. Nor is this a hardship, but the highest\nprivilege.\n\nLet us now look into the law of the Nazarite.\n\n\nIMPLICIT OBEDIENCE: verses 3, 4.\n\n    _\"He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall\n    drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall\n    he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All\n    the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the\n    vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.\"_\n\nThe first thing that we note is, that as the obedience of Adam was\ntested in the Garden by the prohibition of one tree--a tree pleasant to\nlook upon, and good for food--so was the obedience of the Nazarite\ntested. He was not forbidden to eat poison berries, nor was he merely\nrequired to abstain from the wine and strong drink which might easily\nbecome a snare; fresh grapes and dried raisins were equally prohibited.\nIt was not that the thing was harmful in itself, but that the doing the\nwill of GOD, in a matter of seeming indifference, was essential to his\nacceptance.\n\nNot less true is this of the Christian Nazarite. Whether he eat or\ndrink, or whatsoever he do, the will of GOD and not self-indulgence must\nbe his one aim. Christians often get into perplexity about worldly\nallurements by asking, Where is the sin of this, or the danger of that?\nThere _may_ be danger that the questioner cannot see: Satan's baits\noften skilfully conceal a sharp hook; but supposing that the thing be\nharmless, it does not follow that it would be pleasing to GOD, or\nspiritually helpful.\n\nThe fruit of the vine is a type of earth-born pleasures; those who would\nenjoy Nazarite nearness to GOD must count His love \"better than wine.\"\nTo win CHRIST, the Apostle Paul gladly suffered the loss of all things,\nand counted them as dross and dung for the excellency of the knowledge\nof CHRIST JESUS his LORD. The things he gave up were not bad things, but\ngood--things that in themselves were gain to him; and CHRIST Himself for\nour redemption emptied Himself, and came to seek not His own, but the\nwill of Him that sent Him.\n\nThe highest service demands the greatest sacrifice, but it secures the\nfullest blessing and the greatest fruitfulness. CHRIST _could not remain\nin His FATHER'S bosom and redeem the world; missionaries cannot win the\nheathen and enjoy their home surroundings; nor can they be adequately\nsustained without the loving sacrifices of many friends and donors. You,\ndear reader, know the MASTER'S choice; what is YOURS? is it to do His\nwill even if it mean to leave all for Him, to give all to Him?_\n\n\nENTIRE CONSECRATION: verse 5.\n\n_\"All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come\nupon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth\nhimself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of\nthe hair of his head grow.\"_\n\nWe have already seen that GOD tested the obedience of the Nazarite in\nthe matter of food: pleasing GOD was rather to be chosen than the most\ntempting cluster of grapes. But in the foregoing words we find that his\nobedience is further tested, and this in a way which to many might prove\na more severe trial. GOD claims the right of determining the personal\nappearance of His servant, and directs that separated ones should be\nmanifestly such. To many minds there is the greatest shrinking from\nappearing peculiar; but GOD would often have His people unmistakably\npeculiar. We sometimes hear the argument, \"all the world\" thinks this,\nor does that, given as a reason for our doing likewise; but that is an\nargument that should have no weight with the Christian, who is commanded\n_not_ to be conformed to the world. While we are not to seek to be\npeculiar for its own sake, we are not to hesitate to be so when duty to\nGOD renders it necessary, or when the privilege of self-denial for the\nbenefit of others calls for it.\n\nFurther, this command again reminded the Nazarite that he was not his\nown, but was utterly the LORD'S; that GOD claimed the very hair of his\nhead. He was not at liberty to cut or trim it as he saw fit, nor to wear\nit as long or as short as might be agreeable to himself. So absolute was\nGOD'S claim upon him, that not merely while his vow lasted was that hair\nto be recognised as GOD'S possession, but when his vow was fulfilled the\nwhole of it was to be shaved off, and was to be burnt upon the altar.\nLike the burnt-offering, it was to be recognised as for GOD'S use alone,\nwhether or not any utilitarian purpose were accomplished by the\nsacrifice.\n\nSo now, in the present dispensation, we are told \"the very hairs of\nyour head are all numbered\"--so minute is GOD'S care for His people, so\nwatchful is He over all that affects them. It is beautiful to see the\nfond love of a young mother as she passes her fingers through the silken\nlocks of her darling child--her treasure and her delight; _but she never\ncounts those hairs_. He only, who is the source of mother-love, does\nthat! And shall not _we_, who are not our own, but bought with a price,\n_gladly_ render to Him _all_ we are and have--every member of our body,\nevery fibre of our being, every faculty of our mind, all our will-power,\nand all our love?\n\n\nHOLINESS TO THE LORD: verses 6-8.\n\n    _\"All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall\n    come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his\n    father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister,\n    when they die; because the consecration of his GOD is upon his\n    head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.\"_\n\nHere we have a most solemn and important prohibition--to refrain from\nall uncleanness caused by contact with death. Death is the wages of sin:\nthe consecrated one was alike to keep aloof from sin and from its\nconsequences.\n\nNo requirement of GOD'S Word is more clear than the command to honour\nand obey our earthly parents; but even for his father or mother a\nNazarite might not _defile_ himself: \"he that loveth father or mother\nmore than ME, is not worthy of ME.\"\n\nBut let no young Christian think lightly of the requirements of parents,\nwhen these do _not_ conflict with GOD'S written Word. Young Christians\nare sometimes distressed because their desire to preach the Gospel to\nthe heathen has been opposed by parents: such should be encouraged to\n_thank_ GOD for the obstacle; and to seek by prayer its removal. When\nthey have learnt to move man through GOD at home, they will be the\nbetter prepared to do the same thing in the mission-field. Where there\nis fitness for the work, the way will probably be made plain after a\ntime of patient waiting.\n\nThese verses teach us that mere contact with death is defiling: how vain\nthen is the imagination of the unconverted that by dead works--the best\nefforts of those who are themselves dead in trespasses and sins--they\ncan render themselves acceptable to GOD! The good works of the unsaved\nmay indeed benefit their fellow-creatures; but until life in CHRIST has\nbeen received, they cannot please GOD.\n\n\nUNWITTING DEFILEMENT: verses 9-12.\n\n    _\"If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head\n    of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his\n    cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. And on the eighth\n    day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the\n    priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the\n    priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a\n    burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned\n    by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. And he shall\n    consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall\n    bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass-offering: but the\n    days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was\n    defiled.\"_\n\nA most important truth is here taught--that even unwitting contact with\ndeath might bring sin upon the Nazarite. Sometimes we are tempted to\nexcuse ourselves, and to forget the absolute sinfulness of sin, apart\naltogether from the question of premeditation, or even of consciousness,\n_at the time_, on our part. The one who became defiled, _was defiled_,\nwhether intentionally or not; GOD'S requirement was absolute, and where\nnot fulfilled the vow was broken; the sin-offering had to be offered,\nand the service recommenced.\n\n\nTHE HEINOUSNESS OF SIN.\n\nThe teaching here, and that of offerings for sins of ignorance, is much\nneeded in this day, when there is a dangerous tendency in some quarters\nto regard sin as misfortune, and not as guilt. The awful _character_ of\nsin is shown to mankind by its _consequences_. Man's heart is so\ndarkened by the Fall, and by personal sinfulness, that otherwise he\nwould regard sin as a very small matter. But when we think of all the\npain that men and women have endured since the Creation, of all the\nmiseries of which this world has been witness, of all the sufferings of\nthe animal creation, and of the eternal as well as temporal consequences\nof sin, we must see that that which has brought such a harvest of misery\ninto the world is far more awful than sin-blinded men have thought it to\nbe.\n\nThe highest evidence, however, of the terrible character of sin is to be\nfound at the Cross; that it needed such a sacrifice--the sacrifice of\nthe SON of GOD--to bring in atonement and everlasting salvation, is\nsurely the most convincing proof of its heinous character.\n\nDeath was brought into the world by sin; and, like all the other\nconsequences of sin, it is loathsome and defiling. Man seeks to adorn\ndeath; the pageantry of the funeral, the attractiveness of the cemetery,\nall show this. The Egyptian sought in vain to make the mortal body\nincorruptible by embalming it. But we have to bury our dead out of our\nsight, and the believer is taught to look forward to the resurrection.\n\n\nCLEANSING ONLY THROUGH SACRIFICE.\n\nLet us not lose sight of the fact that the accidental death of any one\nnear the Nazarite--that the thoughtless putting forth of the hand\neven--might violate his vow of consecration as truly, if not as\nguiltily, as an act of deliberate transgression; in either case all the\nprevious time was lost, and the period of consecration had to be\nrecommenced after his cleansing. And that cleansing could only be\nbrought about through sacrifice; the sin-offering must _die_; the\nburnt-offering must _die_; without shedding of blood there could be no\nremission. So serious was the effect of transgression--and yet, thank\nGOD, it was not irremediable.\n\nThe bearing of this on the life of consecration to GOD in the present\nday is important. Nearness to GOD calls for tenderness of conscience,\nthoughtfulness in service, and implicit obedience. If we become\nconscious of the slightest failure, even through inadvertence, let us\nnot excuse it, but at once humble ourselves before GOD, and confess it,\nseeking forgiveness and cleansing on the ground of the accepted\nsacrifice of CHRIST. GOD'S Word is, \"If we confess our sins, He is\nfaithful and just to forgive us our sins, and _to cleanse us_ from all\nunrighteousness.\" This cleansing must be accepted by faith, and a walk\n\"in the light\" be at once resumed. And shall we not reverently ask and\ntrust the HOLY SPIRIT to guard and keep us from inadvertence, and to\nbring to our remembrance those things which we may be in danger of\nforgetting?\n\n\nACCEPTANCE ONLY IN CHRIST: verses 13-15.\n\n    _\"And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his\n    separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the\n    tabernacle of the congregation; And he shall offer his offering\n    unto the LORD, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for\n    a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without\n    blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for\n    peace-offerings, and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine\n    flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed\n    with oil, and their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings.\"_\n\nHaving seen the character of the vow of the Nazarite, and of the\nordinances to be observed should the vow be violated, the case of a\nNazarite who has duly fulfilled his vow is next dealt with. He has\ncarried out all GOD'S requirements, and his conscience is void of\noffence: before GOD and man he is blameless. May he not now congratulate\nhimself, and claim some measure of merit, seeing he has rendered to GOD\nan acceptable service, and among men has borne a consistent testimony?\nThe offerings to be made on the conclusion of his vow give an impressive\nanswer to this question, and bring out the important difference between\nbeing _blameless_ and being _sinless_. Having fulfilled the ordinances\nhe was blameless; but the necessity alike for sin-offering, for\nburnt-offering, and for peace offering, remind us of the sin of our holy\nthings; and that not our worst, but our best, is only acceptable to GOD\nthrough the atonement of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.\n\nWhile, however, the best services of the believer can neither give full\nsatisfaction to his own enlightened conscience, nor be acceptable to GOD\nsave through JESUS CHRIST, it is very blessed to know how fully all his\nneeds are met in CHRIST, and how truly he is accepted in Him, and\nenabled to give very real joy to GOD our FATHER, which issues in the\nbestowal of His richest blessings. Very imperfect--sometimes worse than\nuseless, is the attempt of a little child to please and serve its\nparent; but where the parent sees an effort to do his will, and to give\nhim pleasure, is not the service gladly accepted, and the parent's\nheart greatly rejoiced? Thus it is our privilege to be Nazarites, only\nand always Nazarites, and through CHRIST JESUS to give joy and\nsatisfaction by our imperfect service to our heavenly FATHER. The\nfollowing anonymous lines, taken from a leaflet,[A] beautifully\nillustrate this thought:--\n\n  I was sitting alone in the twilight,\n    With spirit troubled and vexed,\n  With thoughts that were morbid and gloomy,\n    And faith that was sadly perplexed.\n\n  Some homely work I was doing\n    For the child of my love and care;\n  Some stitches half-wearily setting\n    In the endless need of repair.\n\n  But my thoughts were about \"the building,\"\n    The work some day to be tried;\n  And that only the gold and the silver,\n    And the precious stones should abide;\n\n  And, remembering my own poor efforts,\n    The wretched work I had done,\n  And, even when trying most truly,\n    The meagre success I had won;\n\n  \"It is nothing but wood, hay, and stubble,\"\n    I said; \"it will all be burned--\n  This useless fruit of the talents\n    One day to be returned;\n\n  \"And I have so longed to serve Him,\n    And sometimes I _know_ I have tried;\n  But I'm sure, when He sees such a building,\n    He will never let it abide.\"\n\n  Just then, as I turned the garment\n    That no rent should be left behind,\n  My eye caught an odd little bungle\n    Of mending and patchwork combined.\n\n  My heart grew suddenly tender,\n    And something blinded my eyes,\n  With one of those sweet intuitions\n    That sometimes makes us so wise.\n\n  Dear child, she wanted to help me;\n    I knew 'twas the best she could do;\n  But oh, what a botch she had made it--\n    The grey mis-matching the blue!\n\n  And yet--can you understand it?\n    With a tender smile and a tear,\n  And a half-compassionate yearning,\n    I felt her grown more dear.\n\n  Then a sweet voice broke the silence,\n    And the dear Lord said to me--\n  \"Art thou tenderer for the little child\n    Than I am tender for thee.\"\n\n  Then straightway I knew His meaning,\n    So full of compassion and love;\n  And my faith came back to its Refuge,\n    Like the glad returning dove.\n\n  For I thought when the Master Builder\n    Comes down His temple to view,\n  To see what rents must be mended,\n    And what must be builded anew;\n\n  Perhaps, as He looks o'er the building,\n    He will bring my work to the light,\n  And, seeing the marring and bungling,\n    And how far it all is from right,\n\n  He will feel as I felt for my darling,\n    And will say as I said for her--\n  \"Dear child, she wanted to help me,\n    And love for me was the spur;\n\n  \"And, for the real love that was in it,\n    The work shall seem perfect as mine;\n  And because it was willing service,\n    I will crown it with plaudit divine.\"\n\n  And there, in the deepening twilight,\n    I seemed to be clasping a Hand,\n  And to feel a great love constraining me,\n    Stronger than any command.\n\n  Then I knew, by the thrill of sweetness,\n    'Twas the hand of the Blessed One,\n  Which would tenderly guide and hold me,\n    Till all the labour is done.\n\n  So my thoughts are never more gloomy,\n    My faith no longer is dim:\n  But my heart is strong and restful,\n    And mine eyes are unto HIM.\n\n[A: Published under the title, \"The Voice in the Twilight,\" by Holness,\n14, Paternoster Row, 6d. per hundred, post free.]\n\n\nTHE PRESENTATION OF THE NAZARITE.\n\nLet us now look into the law of the Nazarite when the days of his\nseparation were fulfilled. The first thing that strikes our notice is,\n\"He shall be brought,\" not, he shall come. Why is this? and why is it\nthat the law is so explicit as to every detail of ritual and service,\nscarcely leaving any room for voluntary action?--we say _scarcely_,\nbecause in the twenty-first verse there is one little clause, \"Beside\nthat that his hand shall get,\" which does leave room for additional\ntokens of gratitude and love.\n\nThe answer seems to be, that the voluntary part of Nazarite service lay\nfirst and chiefly in the surrender to become a Nazarite. In that\nposition he was not his own, as we have pointed out, and the MASTER whom\nhe served naturally and consistently directed the service.\n\nAgain, does not, \"He shall be brought\" imply that, Nazarite as he was,\nhe still needed priestly ministration to present himself, and his\nfinished service, before the LORD? And our HIGH PRIEST, who is now able\nto keep us from falling to the end of our surrendered service, waits to\npresent us with exceeding joy, \"faultless before the presence of His\nglory\"--\"holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.\"\n\n\nTHE LAW OF THE OFFERINGS.\n\nWhen we come to the offerings enumerated in v. 14, we notice that they\nare mentioned in the almost invariable _order of enumeration_--first the\nburnt-offering, then the sin-offering, and lastly the peace offering;\nbut when in v. 16 we come to the offering up of the sacrifices, we\nnotice that _as always_ the sin-offering is the _first to be offered_.\n\nIt is somewhat remarkable that the actual order of offering, and the\norder of enumeration should not correspond; and it is likewise\nnoteworthy that the sacrifice which was always offered first, when\noffered at all, was _comparatively_ insignificant in point of value, and\nmuch less frequently called for in the services of the Levitical ritual.\nFor instance, in Numbers xxviii, xxix, the daily offering was a\nburnt-offering of a he-lamb morning and evening, with the corresponding\naccompaniments of fine flour mingled with oil, and a drink-offering of\nwine. On the Sabbath Day an additional burnt-offering of two lambs with\ntheir meat-offering and drink-offering was required. At the time of the\nnew moon, the additional offering was of two bullocks, one ram, and\nseven lambs, with their meat and drink-offerings, for a burnt-offering,\nwhile one he-goat sufficed for a sin-offering. The same offerings were\noffered at the Feasts of Passover and Pentecost. On several other\noccasions the offerings were nearly of the same proportions; while\nduring the Feast of Tabernacles the offerings commenced with thirteen\nbullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs for a burnt-offering to one\nhe-goat for a sin-offering.\n\nThe same disproportion of number and value may be noticed on many\noccasions between the sin-offering and the peace offering. A striking\nexample of this was the sacrifice of peace-offerings made by Solomon on\nthe dedication of the temple to the number of 22,000 oxen, and 120,000\nsheep.\n\nWe cannot but see that teaching of the most important character is to be\ngathered from these facts; and is it not clear that while the need of\nforgiveness and cleansing is never to be lost sight of, it is _not_\nintended that a sense of the presence and defilement of sin should be\nthe prominent feature of the service of GOD? On the great Day of\nAtonement Israel's sin was confessed _and put away_; and thenceforward\nthe daily and the Sabbath worship was that of whole burnt-offering. At\nthe special festivals a he-goat was sacrificed for sin; but, as we have\nseen, the burnt-offerings, which speak of acceptance by, and devotion\nto, GOD were the principal features. It is the purpose of GOD that in\nthe present dispensation His people should have and enjoy _full\nassurance_ of salvation through the offering of JESUS CHRIST once for\nall; and more than this, should know that He who \"died for their\noffences, and was raised again for their justification,\" henceforth\n\"liveth unto GOD;\" _in order_ that His people may likewise \"reckon\nthemselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto GOD, in JESUS\nCHRIST our LORD.\" In JESUS CHRIST there is no condemnation. In JESUS\nCHRIST, the law of the SPIRIT of life hath set me \"free from the law of\nsin and of death.\" By the will of GOD \"we are sanctified, through the\noffering of the body of JESUS CHRIST once for all;\" and by \"that one\noffering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.\"\n\n\nTHE BURNT-OFFERING.\n\nTo return to the order of enumeration: the burnt-offering is always\nmentioned first, because it is the highest in character, and gave most\npleasure to GOD. It was wholly the LORD'S; no part of it was eaten by\nthe priest who offered it, nor by the offerer who presented it, it was\nall and only for GOD'S satisfaction. When Noah offered his\nburnt-offering, the LORD smelled a sweet savour, and blessed him and\nhis posterity. When Abraham in purpose offered up his son Isaac, GOD\nsaid, \"By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast\ndone this thing, ... that in blessing I will bless thee, and in\nmultiplying I will multiply thy seed; ... and thy seed shall possess the\ngate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth\nbe blessed.\"\n\nThe burnt-offering tells us of the perfect and accepted righteousness of\nCHRIST, in virtue of which the imperfect believer and his imperfect\nservice are accepted by GOD. But it also reminds the believer of his\nprivilege to _surrender himself_ as a living sacrifice, holy and\nacceptable unto GOD, which is to be the reasonable (intelligent) service\n(that is, ritual or worship) of each day and hour.\n\n\nTHE SIN-OFFERING AND THE PEACE-OFFERING.\n\nThe sin-offering, as its name indicates, recognized the offerer as\nguilty and defiled, but obtaining forgiveness and cleansing through the\ndeath of the victim in his stead. We see CHRIST as our sin-offering in\nIsa. liii. 4-10. But guilt removed still leaves the believer needing the\nimputed righteousness of CHRIST, and acceptance before GOD, which are\nthe aspects of CHRIST'S death foreshadowed, as we have seen by the\nburnt-offering.\n\nLastly, the peace-offering--part of which was consumed on the altar,\nwhile part was the portion of the priest, and the remainder furnished a\nfeast to the offerer and his friends--shows us GODS and man feasting\ntogether on the perfect work of CHRIST. He that sanctifieth and those\nwho are sanctified, find their full satisfaction in Him, and in Him\nalone. He has made peace by the blood of His cross. He has given us His\nown peace. We are called to let His peace _rule_ in our hearts. And if\nwe will but bring our burdens and cares to Him, we are promised that the\npeace of GOD shall guard and garrison our hearts and thoughts in CHRIST\nJESUS!\n\n\n\n\nPART II.\n\nThe Blessing of GOD.\n\nNUMB. VI. 22-27.\n\n\nWe have already seen the grace of GOD making provision that His people,\nwho had lost the privilege of priestly service, might draw near to Him\nby Nazarite separation and consecration. And not as the offence was the\nfree gift: those who had forfeited the privilege of priestly service\nwere the males only, but women and even children might be Nazarites;\nwhosoever desired was free to come, and thus draw near to GOD.\n\nWe now come to the concluding verses of Numb. vi, and see in them one of\nthe fullest forms of benediction to be found in the whole Word of GOD.\nThe thought naturally arises,\n\n\nWHY IS IT FOUND HERE?\n\nAnd the reply is twofold. There is the Divine side. Flowing from GOD'S\nheart of love first came the _privilege_ of Nazarite consecration; and\nthen, by the _act_ of consecration, His loving heart is so gladdened\nthat it further overflows in these rich benedictions.\n\nLooking, on the other hand, at the human side, we may learn that the\nsoul which is fully consecrated _always_ receives the blessing of GOD.\nWhere that blessing is not enjoyed, there is always something unreal or\ndefective in the consecration. It may be that we have separated\nourselves to carry out _our own will, or thought, or plan of service_,\ninstead of surrendering ourselves and _our_ will, to learn and to do\n_His_ will. But it is real consecration _to GOD_ that puts us into the\nposition in which He can pour out His richest blessings upon us.\n\nThe prodigal was a son of the father all the time; but when he preferred\n_his_ will to the will of his father, _his_ way to the way of his\nfather, _his_ management of his share in the property to his father's\nmanagement, it issued but in ruin and misery--in hunger and nakedness\nand shame. The fact that he was a son was of no avail to him in the \"far\ncountry,\" in the place of self-will and self-management. But as soon as\nhe arose, and with true repentance and submission came back to the\nfather's house, willing to serve, and to do his father's will, he found\nhimself restored to his father's heart, and to all the privileges of\nsonship: the fatted calf was killed, the best robe was put upon him,\nonce more he had shoes on his feet and a ring on his hand, and joy and\ngladness filled the home.\n\nHow many Christians there are who, in their self-will and attempted\nself-management, find themselves day by day full of sorrow, or full of\ncare. Trying to keep themselves they are not kept; trying to be happy\nthey are often unhappy; trying to succeed they fail; and they can but\nconfess that their life is very different from that ideal life described\nin Ps. lxxxix. 15-18:\n\n  \"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound:\n  They shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance.\n  In Thy Name shall they rejoice all the day:\n  And in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted.\n  For Thou art the glory of their strength;\n  And in Thy favour our horn shall be exalted.\n  For the LORD is our defence;\n  And the HOLY ONE of Israel is our KING.\"\n\nInstead of this many practically know very little of peace \"which\npasseth all understanding,\" of joy that is literally \"unspeakable\";\nadjectives far more moderate would be found strong enough to express all\n_they_ know of oft-troubled peace and intermittent satisfaction and\nhappiness. Many there are who fail to see that there can be but one\nlord, and that those who do not make GOD _Lord of all_ do not make Him\n_Lord at all_. The slightest reservation in our consecration shows that\nwe hold ourselves _as our own_, and consequently at liberty to give Him\nas much or as little as we think fit. If we recognize Him as LORD and\nMASTER, we have nothing to withhold, and nothing of our own, for we, and\nall we have, are already His. But then, in return, all He has, and all\nHe is, become ours. Oh! blessed PORTION! Who would not wish henceforth\nto have no private property in himself--in his members--in his\npossessions--in his family--in his affections; but, in fullest\nconsecration, to acknowledge and recognize GOD'S right and to be no\nlonger a robber of GOD?\n\n    _\"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto\n    his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel\n    ... And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel; and I\n    will bless them.\"_\n\nHere we have the blessing that GOD _delights_ to give to those who have\ndedicated themselves and their all to Him. Before considering it in\ndetail, let us notice, first, how spontaneous and unsought is this\nblessing from GOD--the LORD _commanded_ Aaron and his sons to bless\nIsrael, to put His Name upon them; and declared His own unalterable\npurpose, \"I _will_ bless them.\" And then, let us ask ourselves the\nquestion, what is\n\n\nTHE REAL MEANING OF BLESSING?\n\nWe frequently use the word so vaguely as to lose much of its\npreciousness, and to overlook the primary meaning in some of its\nsecondary significations. For instance, we use it frequently as a\nsynonym of praise, and in speaking of blessing GOD, we think of praising\nHim. But blessing does not merely mean praise, for GOD blesses us.\nAgain, sometimes we use it for some gracious gift, as when we speak of\nthe blessing of peace or of plenty. But blessing does not only signify\ngift, for when we bless GOD we do not give to Him peace or plenty.\nBlessing is _the moving of the heart towards an object of affection and\ncomplacency_. The out-going of the heart is naturally _accompanied_ by\ngift or ascription, as the case may be. When our hearts bless the LORD,\nwe sing a song of praise to Him for the great love wherewith He hath\nloved us; but the blessing is not the song--it is the feeling that\nprompts it. When the LORD blesses His people with peace and plenty, it\nis His open Heart that moves His loving Hand.\n\nAgain, blessing is always accompanied with joy; it _is_ a joy, and it\n_gives_ joy, both to the giver and the receiver. A little child playing\nwith his toys may be both happy and satisfied. But it hears the mother's\nfootsteps, it sees the mother open the door, and instantly the toys are\ndropped and forgotten; the little arms are stretched out, and the\nlittle feet are running to meet the welcome mother. Nor is this all; the\ngreat, motherly arms are as quickly stretched forth towards the child,\nand with longer steps the mother hastens to meet the little one, and\nclasps it to her bosom, the loving little arms entwining themselves\naround her neck.\n\nBut whose heart is the more glad? The little one's heart is _full_; and\nthe mother's heart is also _full_; but her capacity is greater, and so\nher joy is deeper. And is not this true of our HEAVENLY FATHER? When His\nheart blesses ours, and ours blesses HIM, _we_ are full of joy; but His\nheart is infinitely greater than ours, and His joy in His people as far\nexceeds all their joy in Him, as the infinite exceeds the finite.\n\nLet us always remember in connection with blessing that the deep\nheart-feeling is the primary thought. \"Bless the LORD, O my _soul_; and\nall that is _within me_, bless His holy Name.\" The praise of the lip may\nbe insincere; the blessing of the heart cannot be.\n\n\nTHE THREE-FOLD BENEDICTION: verses 24-26.\n\n    _\"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:_\n\n    _\"The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto\n    thee:_\n\n    _\"The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee\n    peace.\"_\n\nWe have dwelt upon the meaning of blessing--the moving of the heart\ntowards an object of affection and complacency, and noticed that this is\nnaturally accompanied by gift or ascription, as the case may be. When\nlove overflows, loving words, loving embraces, or loving gifts\ninstinctively follow.\n\nIn the light of the fuller revelation of the New Testament we can\nscarcely fail to see in this three-fold benediction the overflow in\nblessing of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the SPIRIT; and we may read\nit as follows:--\n\n    \"JEHOVAH, THE FATHER, BLESS THEE, AND KEEP THEE:\n\n    \"JEHOVAH, THE SON, THE BRIDEGROOM, MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE,\n    AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE:\n\n    \"JEHOVAH, THE SPIRIT, LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE, AND GIVE\n    THEE PEACE.\"\n\nSo read, we see in these words fuller beauty and appropriateness. Let us\nnow notice the first clause in particular.\n\n\nTHE BLESSING OF THE FATHER.\n\nConsidered as a father's blessing could anything be more appropriate\nthan \"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee\"? Is not this just what every\nloving father seeks to do--to bless and keep his children? He does not\nfind it an unwelcome task, but his greatest delight. Offer to relieve\nhim of the responsibility and to adopt his child, and see what his reply\nwill be! Nor may we confine ourselves to paternal love in thinking of\nthis subject; but rather take it as parental love, embracing also the\nlove of the mother, for \"Thus saith the LORD, ... As one whom his mother\ncomforteth, so will I comfort you.\" We all know how the mother-love\ndelights to lavish itself on the objects of its care. With a patience\nthat never tires, and an endurance almost inexhaustible, and a care all\nbut unlimited, how often has the mother sacrificed her very life for the\nwelfare of her babe. But strong as is a mother's love, it _may_ fail;\nGOD'S love _never_. \"Can a woman forget her suckling child that she\nshould not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget,\nyet will I not forget thee.\"\n\nIt was one of the objects of our SAVIOUR'S mission to reveal to us that,\nin CHRIST JESUS, GOD is also our FATHER. How He delighted in bringing\nout this precious truth the Sermon on the Mount bears witness: \"Glorify\nyour Father.\" \"Love ... bless ... do good, that ye may be the children\nof your FATHER.\" Be \"perfect, even as your FATHER.\" \"Thy FATHER ...\nseeth.\" \"Your FATHER knoweth,\" etc., etc. And well may our hearts rest\nin the thought which so satisfied His heart, that GOD is indeed our\nFATHER.\n\nAnd what a glorious FATHER He is! the source of all true fatherhood and\nmotherhood. We have often walked in the fields in the early morning, and\nhave noticed how the rising sun has turned each dewdrop into a\nglittering gem; one ray of its own bright light makes a little sun of\neach of the million drops that hang from the pendent leaflets and\nsparkle everywhere. But it is helpful to remember that the glorious orb\nitself contains infinitely more light than all the dewdrops ever did or\never will reflect. And so of our heavenly FATHER: Himself the great\nSource of all that is noble and true, of all that ever has been loving\nand trust-worthy--each beautiful trait of each beautiful character is\nbut the dim reflection of some ray of His own great perfection. And the\nsum-total of all human goodness, and tenderness, and love is but as the\ndewdrops to the sun. How blessed then to confide in the infinite and\nchangeless love of such a FATHER--our FATHER in heaven!\n\nHow safe too! \"There is none like unto the GOD of Jeshurun, who rideth\nupon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky. The\neternal GOD is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.\"\nOfttimes where the love of earthly parents has not failed, yet have they\nbeen powerless to bless and to keep. The cruel tyrant has tortured the\nparent in torturing the child; while there has been no power to deliver.\nAnd in the presence of human want or suffering how impotent has the\nstrongest human love oft proved to be! Not so the love of our heavenly\nFATHER: His resources and His power are as inexhaustible as His love;\nand they are blest and kept indeed whom He deigns to bless and keep.\n\nMay we not add \"they only\"? The foolish prodigal imagines that he can\nsecure greater happiness for himself when no longer curbed by his\nfather's presence and will; such always come to want, and, alas! do not\nalways return quickly to the home where reconciliation and blessing\nalone are to be found. He is poorly kept who tries to keep himself; and\nthough the pleasures of sin may for a season gratify, they can never\nsatisfy![B]\n\n\"JEHOVAH, the FATHER, bless _thee_, and keep _thee_.\" It is an\nindividual blessing: and it includes every form of blessing, temporal as\nwell as spiritual--\"My GOD shall supply all your need\"; and this\n\"according to His riches in glory in CHRIST JESUS,\" not according to our\nconsciousness of need. He is _able_ to bless, able to make all grace\nabound--to so wonderfully abound towards us, that we always having all\nsufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: He is able to\nkeep--to keep us from falling, to keep us from all evil. And not only is\nHe able, but He has already \"blessed us with all spiritual blessings in\nheavenly things in CHRIST,\" and He wants us, His children, to know and\nto enjoy the love that is the source of all blessing: the love that can\nnever by finite words express its fulness: the love that eternal ages\nwill never exhaust!\n\n  \"Best of blessings He'll provide us,\n  Nought but good shall ere betide us;\n  Safe to glory He will guide us,\n          Oh, how He loves!\"\n\n[B: When we speak of GOD as a FATHER we must not forget that He is only\nsuch in its full meaning to those who have become His children by faith\nin CHRIST JESUS; and that the sad and solemn words of the loving Saviour\nto the unconverted were, \"Ye are of _your_ father, the devil.\" The\nprodigal was a backslider: when furthest from home he could yet think\nand speak of the privileges of his father's house.]\n\n\nTHE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY.\n\nThe second clause of the blessing is the blessing of the SON, which is\nnot less full and appropriate. Through eternal ages the SON of GOD, He\nbecame, in the fulness of time, the SON of Man. The Brightness of His\nFATHER'S glory, the SUN of Righteousness, He came to manifest, as well\nas to speak of, the FATHER'S love. He became the LIGHT of the world, as\nwell as the LAMB of GOD; but in each aspect doing the will, as well as\nthe work of GOD, He thus revealed the wondrous love and grace of the\nFATHER, and His own perfect Sonship. The FATHER'S will included CHRIST'S\nglad reception of all who come to Him, His meeting all their\nneed--saving, sanctifying, satisfying, keeping, raising up at the last\nday--His giving Himself for, and giving Himself to, all those given to\nHim of the FATHER.\n\nHe is indeed a wonderful Saviour! What light the incarnate WORD of GOD\n(Who is Light) has thrown on the written Word of GOD! The law in its\nlegal requirements He has fulfilled, bringing in everlasting\nrighteousness, which is imputed to all those who are indeed in Him. He\nhas also fulfilled the Law in its manifold typical aspects--Himself the\nTemple, the Priest, and the Sacrifice; Himself the Altar, the Offerer,\nand the Victim; Himself the Lamp, and the Priestly Trimmer of the lamps\n(as He is also the whole Vine, and yet the Life of each individual\nbranch of the Vine). Time would fail us to enumerate the various objects\nand acts of typical service which were all fulfilled in Him. He too is\nthe BRIDEGROOM, from whose wounded side the Bride is being formed; and\nHe is waiting for His Bride, who will soon be caught up to meet Him in\nthe air. The true SOLOMON is He whose glory we shall share, and not only\nso, but whose presence will be the ever-satisfying portion of His chosen\nBride.\n\n  The Bride eyes not her garment, but her loved Bridegroom's face;\n  I shall not gaze on glory, but on my KING of grace;\n  Not on the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand:\n  The LAMB is all the glory of Immanuel's land.\n\nMay the HOLY SPIRIT give us more and more to realize the practical\nbearing of all that is thus revealed of the glory of the Person, and the\nfulness of the work of our SAVIOUR and KING!\n\n\nTHE BLESSING OF THE SON AND BRIDEGROOM.\n\n    JEHOVAH, THE SON, MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS\n    UNTO THEE.\n\nThe first clause of the three-fold blessing told of the going out of the\nheart of the invisible FATHER; now, when we come to the blessing of the\nSON, we read, \"The LORD _make his face shine_ upon thee,\" or, in other\nwords, make visibly _manifest_ His favour towards thee. The SON of GOD\nis the KINSMAN who has the right to redeem, the FRIEND who sticketh\ncloser than a brother, the ONE who has come, not only to be the LIGHT of\nthe world, but in an especial sense to be the LIGHT of His own redeemed\nones.\n\nThere was no need in Israel of a kinsman-redeemer in times of\nprosperity; but when bereavement and poverty afforded opportunity to\nthe creditors to seize the possession, then a kind and wealthy\nkinsman-redeemer was a blessing indeed. We are reminded of the beautiful\nhistory of Ruth: how sweetly the gracious words of Boaz fell on the ear\nof the young stranger, and what blessing that kinsman brought into her\nheart and life! The FRIEND that sticketh closer than a brother is\nprecious at all times, but never so valued as in times of adversity; and\nthe very expression, \"THE LIGHT of the world,\" tells us of the darkness\nthat sin has brought in--a darkness, alas! not only around, but also\nwithin. The shining of the face of JEHOVAH, the SON, dispels the\ndarkness and the gloom, manifests the presence of the FRIEND in need,\nand shows us the REDEEMER, who not only delivers, but becomes the\nBRIDEGROOM of the soul.\n\n\"Make His _face_ shine upon thee.\" The face is perhaps the most\nwonderful part of the wonderful human body. Of all the faces that GOD\nhas made no two are exactly alike, even when quiescent; and though we do\noccasionally meet with those that bear a very close resemblance,\nintimate friends, who know the play of the countenance, never mistake.\nAnd why is this? Because GOD has so ordered it, that the face shall\n_reveal_ the character and feelings of the individual. And it is the\npurpose of GOD that the heart of CHRIST shall be revealed to His people.\nThat heart might have been full of love, and we might never have known\nit; but it is the will of GOD that \"the light of the knowledge of the\nglory of GOD\" should be _revealed_ to us \"in the face of JESUS CHRIST.\"\n\nHow well we know in actual life what the light of the countenance means!\nHow the mother's smile brings light and gladness into the heart of the\nchild! How the welcoming look of a friend is at once understood! In\nDaniel ix. 16, 17, the prophet prays, \"O Lord ... I beseech Thee, let\nThine anger and Thy fury be turned away from Thy city, Jerusalem; ...\nand cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate.\" Where\nthere is the shining of the face we know there is more than forgiveness;\nthere is favour and complacence. In the thrice-offered prayer of Psalm\nlxxx, \"Cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved,\" the salvation of\nIsrael is counted upon as the result; and in Psalm lxvii, we find that\nthe shining of GOD'S face upon His people is further to issue in His\nway being \"known upon earth, His saving health among all nations.\"\n\nIt is, however, when we consider Him in the relationship of BRIDEGROOM\nand KING that the tenderness and preciousness of this blessing are most\nfully seen. A truly royal BRIDEGROOM: \"in His favour is life,\" and to\nHim we can approach at all times, without any fear that He will hide His\ncountenance, or that He will not hold out to us the golden sceptre.\nQueen Esther might tremble for the result of her boldness, but our KING\never welcomes the approach of His Bride.\n\nWhen her heart cries out, \"Let him kiss me with the kisses of His\nmouth,\" He is ever ready to bring her into His chambers; indeed it is\noften the BRIDEGROOM who has to allure the Bride,[C] rather than the\nBride who has to seek the favour of the BRIDEGROOM. It is only when she\nhas treated him with neglect or disobedience that she finds herself in\ndarkness. And what is not His favour to a loyal and true-hearted Bride!\nTo a subject, the favour of the KING is \"as dew upon the grass,\" but to\na bride is it not everything? \"JEHOVAH, the BRIDEGROOM, make His face\nshine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee!\"\n\nWhat a wonderful view of the light of His countenance the favoured\ndisciples must have had, who were witnesses of His transfiguration: we\nare told that His face did shine as the sun. To the proto-martyr Stephen\nthe heavens were opened, and the face of the LORD shone upon him: and\nwhen he saw Him he became so like Him, that his dying utterances\ncorresponded with those of his LORD on the Cross. When Saul, likewise,\nsaw the glory of his risen SAVIOUR, on the way to Damascus, the vision\nat midday was of a light above the brightness of the sun shining round\nabout him; and the effect of that heavenly vision changed the whole\ncurrent of his life, making him a follower of the CHRIST, who pleased\nnot Himself, and making the spirit manifested in his first cry, \"LORD,\nwhat wilt _Thou_ have me to do?\" the spirit of his life ever after. And\nso when the LORD makes the light of His countenance to shine upon any of\nHis people, in the measure in which with unveiled face they discern the\nbeauty of the LORD, there is a moral and progressive change into His\nlikeness, the work of the LORD, the SPIRIT.\n\n[C: \"Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.\"--Cant. ii. 10; \"Come\nwith Me from Lebanon, My spouse.\"--Cant. iv. 8.]\n\n\nTHE LORD, THE SPIRIT.\n\nWe have considered the bountiful overflow of the FATHER'S love; and our\nhearts have burned within us as we dwelt upon and felt the glow of the\nlove of the SON. Now, as we think of the blessing of the LORD, the\nSPIRIT, may He reveal Himself to us through these holy Words, which were\nwritten by His inspiration and which can never be fully understood and\nenjoyed save by His own illumination. The Bible is a supernatural book,\na divine revelation: the HOLY SPIRIT is the supernatural, the divine\nGUIDE to its meaning. From the \"wise and prudent\" its teachings are\nhidden;--hence the questionings of some of the learned only confirm its\ntruth; but to \"babes\"--to all those, whether learned or unlearned, in\nwhom the HOLY GHOST has wrought the child-like spirit, it is an opened\nbook: they love it, and feast upon it, and grow thereby.\n\nIt is very important to have clear thoughts about the third person of\nthe Trinity. Many Christians fail in this respect, and lose much in\nconsequence. He has as distinct personality as has the SON of GOD; and\nwe must not think or speak of Him vaguely, as though He were an\ninfluence merely and not a person. Our SAVIOUR teaches us that _we_\nshould _know_ Him, \"for He abideth with you, and shall be in you.\" But\nare there not many of the LORD'S people to whom He is not yet \"a living,\nbright Reality\"?\n\nSo important are the presence and the work of the HOLY GHOST, that our\nLORD assured His disciples that it was expedient for them that _He_\nshould go away, in order that the COMFORTER should come. And we see the\nmighty change that was wrought in the disciples when the outpouring of\nthe SPIRIT actually took place at Pentecost. The timid became\ncourageous; the scattered and persecuted disciples went everywhere\npreaching the Word; the HOLY SPIRIT wrought conviction of sin, and\nrevealed the risen SAVIOUR as the object of faith; and many were added\nto the LORD. The same SPIRIT is still present with us; may we too be\nfilled, and largely used as channels of blessing.\n\n\nTHE BLESSING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n    \"JEHOVAH, THE SPIRIT, LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE, AND GIVE\n    THEE PEACE.\"\n\nThe blessing of the SPIRIT is essential to the completeness of the\nbenediction. We are struck, however, with the similarity of this\nblessing to that which precedes it; nor is the similarity surprising.\nFor, as the SON came to reveal the FATHER, so the SPIRIT has come to\nreveal the SON. CHRIST was a true COMFORTER; but His personal work on\nearth being finished, He ascended on high to minister for His people as\ntheir HIGH PRIEST in the presence of GOD. The HOLY SPIRIT is the other\nCOMFORTER, sent by the FATHER in CHRIST'S name, that He might abide with\nthe Church for ever. CHRIST is the indwelling SAVIOUR: the HOLY SPIRIT\nthe indwelling COMFORTER. On whomsoever CHRIST makes His face to shine,\nthe HOLY SPIRIT will surely lift up\n\n\nHIS COUNTENANCE.\n\n\"Lift up His _countenance_ upon thee.\" We have already dwelt on the\nsignificance of the face or countenance (the same original word) as\nrevealing the emotions of the heart. We see from these words that it is\nthe purpose of GOD that the presence and the love of the SPIRIT should\nbe made known to those in whom He dwells. When He lifts up His\ncountenance upon us, we walk in conscious security and freedom; but if\nthe SPIRIT be grieved, the light of His countenance is hidden from us,\nand we walk in darkness. And, oh, how dangerous is this walking in\ndarkness, how surely we shall wander from the way, and fall into some of\nthe snares of the devil! There is only one safe course, to confess the\nsin that has grieved Him, and take no rest till communion is restored:\nthis may always be done most easily by _immediate_ confession and\nturning to Him, who is our Advocate with the FATHER, and whose shed\nblood cleanses from all sin. When sin is put away the SPIRIT again lifts\nup His countenance upon us, and peace fills the heart.\n\n\nTHE PEACE OF THE SPIRIT.\n\nThe LORD JESUS, when on earth, said, \"Peace I leave with you, My peace I\ngive unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your\nheart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.\" But here it is the SPIRIT\nwho is spoken of as bestowing peace: why is this? Because the SPIRIT of\nGOD makes real things real to _us_, and enables us practically to enjoy\nthe blessings procured for us by the death and resurrection and priestly\nministry of the LORD JESUS. Many a believer to whom CHRIST has left\npeace, knows little of it; but those who are filled with the SPIRIT are\nfilled with peace. They have peace with GOD; they have also heart-peace\nin the midst of conflict and turmoil; and the peace of GOD, which\npasseth all understanding, guards their hearts and thoughts. The fruit\nof the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace.\n\nAre _we_ practically enjoying this blessing, and experiencing this peace\nwhich passes all understanding? Are we _finding_ that when He makes\nquietness, none can make trouble? And if not, what is the hindrance? Is\nthere any known sin unconfessed, or not put away? Has wrong been done,\nand restitution to the extent of our ability not been made? Is there any\nmatter in which GOD has a controversy with us? Or are we indulging\nourselves in anything about which we have doubt? Are we withholding\nanything from GOD which is His due--ourselves, our property, our\nchildren; or, it may be, our testimony? Or, if none of these things are\nhindering us, are we failing to _accept_, by faith, the filling of the\nSPIRIT; perhaps only asking, but not receiving also? Is it that we are\nneglecting the prayerful study of GOD'S Word, and thus grieving the\nSPIRIT by whom it was inspired? Paul asked GOD to give the Ephesian\nChristians the SPIRIT of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of\nCHRIST, that they might know the hope of His calling and the exceeding\ngreatness of His power toward them _that believe_. We do well to note\nthe words \"that believe,\" for unbelief lies at the root of every form of\nhindrance.\n\nAs the SPIRIT reveals CHRIST, so does CHRIST bestow the SPIRIT; and by\nfaith in CHRIST and in His Word we appropriate the gift. We shall never\nforget the blessing we received through the words, in John iv. 14,\n\"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him\n\n  SHALL NEVER THIRST,\"\n\nnearly thirty years ago. As we realized that CHRIST literally meant what\nHe said--that \"shall\" meant shall, and \"never\" meant never, and \"thirst\"\nmeant thirst--our heart overflowed with joy as we accepted the gift.\nOh, the thirst with which we had sat down, but oh, the joy with which we\nsprang from our seat, praising the LORD that the thirsting days were all\npast, and past for ever! For, as our LORD continues, \"the water that I\nshall give him shall be _in him_ a well of water, springing\nup--overflowing--unto everlasting life.\" Perhaps, however, we should\ndraw attention to the words of CHRIST, \"whosoever drinketh\"; not\ndrank--once for all--but \"drinketh,\" that is habitually: as in chap.\nvii. 38, 39, where, after promising that out of him \"shall flow rivers\nof living water,\" it is significally added, \"this spake He of the\nSPIRIT, which they that believe\"--_i.e._, keep believing--should\nreceive.\n\nIs it not sad that so free a gift should be so little esteemed, so often\nneither enjoyed nor sought after? It is intended for _each one_ of\nus--\"lift up His countenance upon _thee_, and give _thee_ peace.\" Would\nthat each reader would accept the gift _now_, and evermore enjoy it, to\nthe glory of GOD.\n\n\nSEALING WITH THE NAME OF GOD: verse 27.\n\n    _\"And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel; and I will\n    bless them.\"_\n\nWith these words this wonderful chapter closes, and the great object of\nGOD in bestowing His blessing upon His people is revealed: \"They shall\nput _My Name_ upon the children of Israel,\" or, in other words, shall\ncause them not only to become the people of GOD, but also to become\nmanifestly such.\n\nIn olden time names were not meaningless, but were descriptive of\ncharacter or relationship. The various names of GOD are all full of\nsignificance, and each is always used designedly in the Bible: failing\nto recognize this, learned, but spiritually-ignorant men have imagined\nthe Old Testament writings to have been mere compilations from the works\nof different authors, and have failed to see the beautiful\nappropriateness of the various names of GOD as they are used in\ndifferent connections.\n\nIn the preceding benediction the thrice repeated Name of JEHOVAH has\nrevealed to us the triune GOD in His gracious relations with His\nredeemed people, and has also reminded us that in these relationships He\nis the unchanging One, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; for all\nthis is contained in the Name JEHOVAH. And thus the expression, \"They\nshall put _My Name_ upon the children of Israel,\" implies the purpose\nof GOD that in His people should be manifested, not only the _beauties_\nof His Divine character, but also the _unchanging relationship_ in which\nthey stand to Him. Israel of old was, and still is, GOD'S witness in the\nworld. In all their unfaithfulness, their very existence as a separate\npeople is a standing miracle, witnessing to the truth of prophecy. But\nhad they been faithful they would have been much more than this; for the\nbeauty of the LORD their GOD would have been upon them; and receiving\nHis blessing themselves, they would have become a blessing to the world.\nWe who are now the children of GOD--Christians upon whom the Name of\nCHRIST has been called--are intended to be witnesses for our MASTER, and\nto show forth the beauties of Him who has \"called us by His own glory\nand virtue.\" (2 Peter i. 3.--R.V.)\n\nThere is an interesting parallelism between the passage we are\nconsidering and the commission given by our LORD to His people to\ndisciple all nations, baptizing them into the _Name_ of the FATHER, the\nSON, and the HOLY GHOST. True Christians are _kept_ by the power of GOD\n(\"the LORD bless thee and _keep thee_\"), in the grace which is in CHRIST\nJESUS (\"the LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be _gracious unto\nthee_\"), and receive the illumination of the HOLY GHOST (\"the LORD _lift\nup His countenance upon thee_\"), in order that _they_ may shine as\nlights in the world, and become living epistles, known and read of all\nmen.\n\nIt is deeply interesting also to connect the sealing of this passage\nwith that of Rev. vii and xiv. In the former passage (Rev. vii. 1-3) we\nsee the powers to whom the plagues are committed restrained until the\nsealing of the servants of GOD is completed. The hundred and forty and\nfour thousand are all sealed--a mystical and symbolical number of the\nmystical and symbolical Israel, not of Israel according to the flesh.\nFor in this book of Revelation the LAMB does not mean an animal, but the\nLAMB of GOD. The beast does not mean a literal wild beast, but the\nspiritual wild beast who destroys the children of GOD. So the twelve\nthousand of the tribe of Judah refers to the praising ones of CHRIST'S\nfold; the sealed of Asher to the happy ones, who bless the LORD at all\ntimes; those of Naphtali, to those satisfied with favour, full with the\nblessing of the LORD; those of Reuben, to the once unstable as water,\nbut now fully saved ones; &c., &c.\n\nIn Rev. xiii we find the great tribulation in progress, and those still\nleft on the earth persecuted sorely, many of them to the death, by the\nbeast. But the hundred forty and four thousand of Rev. xiv are not among\nthem; they were caught up before the tribulation commenced, having been\naccounted worthy (Luke xxi. 34-36), to escape the things coming on the\nearth, and to stand before the SON of MAN. Such are not only virgins,\nundefiled by spiritual adultery with the world, but also wise ones,\nfilled with the SPIRIT: they are not only waiting for the coming of the\nBridegroom, but ready for that coming; whereas the unwise have to go and\nbuy oil, and so miss their opportunity. In Rev. xiv we see that GOD'S\nName is written on the foreheads of these wise virgins, and that in\ntheir mouths is a song which no one else can sing. They are a\nfirst-fruits Bride united to the first-fruit's Bridegroom, and were\nredeemed (not from among the Jews only, but from among men), unto GOD\nand the LAMB. Other believers, then in the tribulation, shall join them\nlater and form the harvest unto GOD (Rev. vii. 14-17), and will come\nwith the Bridegroom and Bride when our LORD is revealed from heaven in\nflaming fire to take vengeance on the ungodly (2 Thess. i, 6-10). The\nharvest is not only separated from the first-fruits in Rev. vii and xiv,\nbut also in Rev. xx. We may read verses 4-6 more clearly if we render\nthe second clause of verse 4, \"I saw also the souls of them, &c.,\"\ninstead of \"and I saw, &c.\" and the last clause, \"They also lived and\nreigned with CHRIST a thousand years.\" We thus see the enthroned\nBridegroom and Bride and the harvest, the Body of CHRIST, forming the\nfirst resurrection, and together reigning in glory.\n\n_\"And I will bless them.\"_ A word of encouragement to Aaron and his sons\nin pronouncing the blessing, as well as to the people who received it.\nThe blessing was preceded by GOD'S command (\"Speak unto Aaron ... On\nthis wise ye shall bless\"), and followed by the promise quoted above;\neven as our SAVIOUR in giving His last commission to disciple all\nnations, preceded it by, \"All power is given unto Me...: Go ye\ntherefore;\" and followed it by the assurance and promise, \"Lo, I am with\nyou alway.\" In the word of a King there is power; and when His servants\ncarry out His commands, our KING is present to authenticate them, and to\nensure the result.\n\n\n\n\nPART III.\n\nPrincely Service.\n\nNUMB. VII.\n\n\nWe learned from Numbers vi, GOD'S requirements of those who desire to\ntake the privileged position of separation to Himself. We found also in\nthe conclusion of the same chapter the overflow of GOD'S love in the\nrich and comprehensive blessing which so appropriately follows, and\nforms the connecting link between Nazarite separation and the princely\nservice set forth in Chap. vii,--one of the longest in the Bible, and\none full of repetition. We now propose to consider more fully why this\nservice of giving finds such lengthy record.\n\n\nSERVICE THE CONSTRAINT OF LOVE.\n\nIs it not that just as separation to GOD issues in blessing, so does\nblessing from GOD constrain to service, and especially to the highest\nform of service, that which is most GOD-like, that of _Giving_? GOD so\nloved the world that He _gave_; CHRIST so loved the Church that He\n_gave_; the HOLY SPIRIT so loves the Church that He _gives_; and\nredeemed ones, created anew in CHRIST JESUS unto good works, when led by\nthe SPIRIT, first _give_ themselves unto GOD, and then delight in such\nother free-will offerings as the LORD may enable them to present. This\nwe believe is the reason why the chapter is found here, and is the true\nconnection between its subject-matter and that of the preceding one.\n\nBut why is it so long, so repetitious, and so tedious? The Bible is a\nwonderful book; it not only gives the history of the past, and guidance\nfor the present, but in prophecy we have the history of ages yet to\ncome--the course of events until the grand climax when GOD shall be all\nin all. Why, in a book so marvellous in its comprehensiveness, is so\nmuch space given to this record?\n\n\nGOD'S DELIGHT IN LOVE-GIFTS.\n\nIs it not in order to reveal the heart of GOD? to show His delight in\nthe loving offerings of His servants? The record is _not_ tedious to\nHim; and it becomes marvellously interesting to us, when we get the key,\nand are brought into sympathy with the heart of Him who finds infinite\nsatisfaction in each gift, of each one of His children, which is the\noutcome of gratitude and love.\n\nIn the days of our LORD'S life on earth, when the shadow of the cross\nwas already upon Him, one only amongst all His followers--a woman,\nMary--had understood and really taken in His repeated declaration of the\nsufferings that awaited Him; and when she came to anoint Him beforehand\nfor the burial, and broke the precious alabaster box _she had reserved\nfor this very purpose_, the thief who kept the bag had only angry words\nof criticism and reproach. How sweet to her wounded spirit was her\nMASTER'S commendation, \"She hath done what she could!\" And He added,\n\"Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world,\nthis also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.\"\n\nOn an earlier occasion, likewise, as He sat over against the treasury,\nmany that were rich cast in large sums of silver and of gold, but He\nturned from them and their gifts to draw attention to a certain poor\nwidow who brought two mites and cast them in. She had gladdened the\nheart of Him who was the Creator of all wealth, and the real Owner of it\nall. She, said He, had given more than they all: for she _of her want_\nhad given _all_ that she had! And of her, as of Mary, it is true that in\nwhatsoever language the Word of GOD is translated, in whatsoever clime\nit is read, the MASTER'S commendation is made known.\n\nThere is a day coming, in which before assembled worlds He will make\nmanifest the loving gifts and the secret service of His redeemed ones.\nThen we shall not weary as they are recounted and rewarded; and as we\nsee His joy in them all, we shall better understand the length of\nNumbers vii.\n\n\nFREE-WILL OFFERINGS: verses 1, 2.\n\n    _\"And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the\n    tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it ... and all the\n    vessels thereof, ... that the princes of Israel, heads of the house\n    of their fathers, ... offered.\"_\n\nWhen the LORD gave the plan of the tabernacle and of the vessels, He\nlikewise gave to the people willing hearts to offer, and skill to\nexecute. There was no need to press them; the workers and contributors\nwere those whose heart stirred them up, and whose spirit was made\nwilling. The people brought more than enough for the service of the\nwork, and Moses had to make proclamation throughout the camp to\nrestrain them from bringing more.\n\nIs there not a lesson to be learnt here? Let the work only be one of\nGOD'S planning, and executed according to His mind, and the hearts that\nare in sympathy with Him will gladly respond with suitable and abundant\nofferings. For is not the willingness to give as much a part of His\nworking as the skill to use that which is given? Then, in the givers and\nin their gifts, in the workers and in their work, the Divine heart finds\ninfinite complacency. \"For of Him,\" as the great Designer, \"and through\nHim,\" as the effectual Power for the carrying out of His purposes, \"and\nto Him,\" as the real Object of all service, \"are all things: to whom be\nthe glory for ever. Amen.\"\n\nBut divine service requires not only initiating, but also maintaining\nworthily of GOD. It was not sufficient that the tabernacle and the\nvessels of ministry were according to the divine pattern, both as to\nmaterial and workmanship, and that they were made by divinely qualified\nworkmen; but when all was completed and fully set up, both the\ntabernacle and the vessels needed anointing and sanctifying; and _when\nthat was done_ the offerings needed to carry on the service could not\nbut be freely poured in. In like manner in all life and work, individual\nor organised, only let GOD have His right place, and let there be _the\nanointing_ of the HOLY GHOST, received by faith, as well as consecration\nto Him, and everything will follow, as needful, for the carrying out of\nGOD'S plan in the life or work.\n\n\nGLADSOME ACCEPTANCE: verses 3-5.\n\n    _\"And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered\n    wagons, and twelve oxen; ... and the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,\n    Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the\n    tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shall give them unto the\n    Levites, to every man according to his service.\"_\n\nIt is interesting to note that the first offerings recorded were for the\npurpose of assisting in the moving of the tabernacle; it was not GOD'S\npurpose that it should be stationary. Nor is GOD'S work ever intended to\nbe stationary, but always advancing.\n\nThe offerings themselves were remarkable: rude bullock-wagons, probably\nrough both in material and workmanship, much like those we now are\nfamiliar with in the unchanging East; they must have presented a\nstriking contrast to the beauty of the skilfully prepared vessels of\nministry. We may well imagine the thought to have passed through the\nmind of Moses, Can such rude offerings be acceptable to the glorious\nGOD? But GOD Himself dispels all doubt, by saying, \"Take it of them.\"\n\nGOD is not hard to please, nor is true human love, for it is a dim\nreflection of His own. We do not estimate our love-gifts by their\nintrinsic value, but rather by the love they express. Well do we\nremember a little incident which occurred some twenty-four years ago,\nand which illustrates this truth.\n\nMy little daughter, then about five years old, came to me on the morning\nof my birthday with a curious little birthday gift in her hand,--\"Papa,\nI haven't bought you a birthday present,\" said she; \"I thought you would\nrather have something I made myself.\" How my heart went out to the\nlittle darling, and how glad I was that she should think that something\nshe could make would be more precious to me than any purchased gift! But\nwhat the curious little gift could be intended for I was quite at a loss\nto divine, and I engaged her in conversation, hoping she might let some\nclue slip that would help me to find out for what she meant it, for I\nfeared she would be disappointed if I did not recognize it. The little\npet had found a small piece of wood, and had bored a hole in it with her\nscissors, in which she had inserted a peg, and on the top had hung half\na cockle-shell--certainly an uncommon birthday present!\n\nAt last, unable to guess what it was supposed to be, I took my dear\nchild on my knee, and, kissing her, said, \"Papa is so pleased to have a\nbirthday present of your own making; what is it my darling has made for\nme?\" \"Why, don't you know, papa? I thought you would like best a ship to\ntake you to China!\"\n\nThe dear child was right; probably no gift I ever received gave more\npleasure, or was as carefully treasured, and as often thought of. When\nthat dear child had become old enough to engage in missionary work in\nChina herself, and was able to introduce me to the first two Chinese\nwomen whom she had brought to CHRIST, I remembered the little ship; and\nwhen the women were gone reminded her about it, and told her that the\njoy of finding her now used of GOD in the blessed work itself was a\ngreater joy than her gift had been. She was surprised that I should\nremember it; but it had never passed from my memory, and the\nrecollection of it is a pleasure still. It is not hard to please those\nwho love us.[D]\n\nGOD _wants our love_; \"My son, give Me thine heart.\" He wants our\n_sympathy_; He wants the gifts and offerings that are prompted by\n_love_. Shall He look to us in vain? Our David still thirsts, not for\nthe waters of the well of Bethlehem, but for the souls for which He\ndied. Shall He not have them? He specially needs willing, skilful young\nmen, ready to break through the enemy's camp to deliver the captives of\nthe mighty one. Who that can will go? Who that cannot go at present will\nhelp others to go?\n\n[D: While preparing these sheets for the press we learn from a telegram\nthat He whom my dear daughter had served in China since 1885, has called\nher (and her baby of sixteen months) from her husband, the Rev. J. J.\nCoulthard, and three surviving children, to the eternal home above.]\n\n\nACCORDING TO HIS SERVICE: verses 5-9.\n\n    _\"Thou shall give them unto the Levites, to every man according to\n    his service. And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them\n    unto the Levites. Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of\n    Gershon, according to their service, and four wagons and eight oxen\n    he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under\n    the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But unto the sons\n    of Kohath he gave none; because the service of the sanctuary\n    belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their\n    shoulders.\"_\n\nThe princes brought their offering to the LORD, and the LORD accepted\nit. Having accepted it Himself it was His to give to whom He would; and\nHe chose to give it to the Levites, for they in a special manner were\nHis, and devoted to His service.\n\nThe tribe of Levi was in one sense the poorest in Israel. In dividing\nthe land among the tribes, no territory was allotted to them. They will\nhave territory by-and-by, when the LORD comes (_see_ Ezek. xlviii.\n12-14), but never have they had any yet. Cities to dwell in, and\nsuburbs, were given them here and there, in all the tribes of Israel,\nbut of earthly portion that was all.\n\nAnd yet they were the richest tribe in Israel, for the LORD Himself was\ntheir inheritance. When one of the other tribes was taken into\ncaptivity, he had to leave his inheritance behind; but the godly Levite\nwas as rich in Babylon as in Palestine: death itself could not rob him\nof his portion. Happy indeed are they who share the Levite's lot! When\nthe LORD JESUS comes again, those, surely, who have stored most in\nheaven, and have least to leave behind on earth, will render their\naccount with the greatest joy.\n\n_\"To every man according to his service.\"_ The LORD did not say, divide\nit equally among the families of Levi. There were six wagons, and three\nfamilies of Levites; but four wagons were given to Merari, two to\nGershon, \"but unto the sons of Kohath he gave none.\" At first sight this\ndivision appears unfair; but it was and still is the LORD'S plan to give\n\"to every man according to his service.\" It fell to the lot of Merari to\ncarry the heaviest materials of the tabernacle; the boards, the bars,\nand the pillars with their heavy sockets of solid silver,[E] and all the\ninstruments; the pillars of the court, likewise, with their brazen\nsockets and pins, and their cords,--these formed Merari's weighty\nburden.\n\n[E: Weighing more than one cwt. each: the hundred sockets therefore\nalone weighing over five tons of pure silver.]\n\nThe duty of Gershon was to convey the curtains, hangings, coverings and\ncords of the tabernacle, and the hangings of the court; for this\nservice, two wagons were as sufficient help as the four were for Merari.\n\nBut what of Kohath? His burdens were not light: the ark, with its\ncovering the mercy-seat, and the cherubim of gold overshadowing it, the\ntable and the candlestick, the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary,\nand all their coverings, these were entrusted to his sons. Heavy they\nwere indeed, but no help had they, \"because the service of the sanctuary\nbelonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.\"\n\nSometimes the children of GOD are tempted to murmur when their service\nseems heavy and but little help is forthcoming: they may perhaps compare\ntheir lot with that of others for whom larger provision has been made.\nBut GOD makes no mistakes; according to their service He divides the\nhelp, and those who are called to the holiest service are those who can\nhave least assistance. Such are privileged to carry upon their own\nshoulders sacred burdens that may not be shared with less privileged\nones. There was ONE Who trod the winepress alone, and of the people\nthere was none with Him; and one who was very like to his MASTER tells\nus, \"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me....\nNotwithstanding the LORD stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me\nthe preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might\nhear.\" Those who would be near the MASTER in the glory must here drink\nthe cup of sorrow with Him and be baptized with His baptism.\n\nThe burden-bearing of the Levites was not to last for ever: once in the\nPromised Land that service ceased. Nor will our opportunity of\nburden-bearing be for long; the glorious appearing of our great GOD and\nSAVIOUR will soon summons the watchful and waiting ones to meet Him in\nthe air. A million a month in China are dying without GOD; now we may\nseek to win them; now we may suffer to win them. May none of us lose the\nopportunity of self-denial and service while it lasts!\n\n  \"'A little while'--He'll come again!\n    Let us the precious hours redeem;\n  Our greatest grief to give Him pain,\n    Our joy to serve and follow Him.\n  Watching and ready may we be,\n  As those who long their LORD to see.\n\n  'A little while'--'twill soon be past!\n    Why should we shun the shame and cross?\n  Oh! let us in His footsteps haste,\n    Counting for Him all else but loss.\n  Oh! how will recompense His smile\n  The sufferings of this 'little while.'\"\n\n\nTHE DEDICATORY OFFERINGS: verses 10, 11.\n\n    _\"And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day\n    that it was anointed.... And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall\n    offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of\n    the altar.\"_\n\nThe offerings recorded in the early verses of this chapter were given in\nconnection with the setting up of the Tabernacle, and had reference to\nits transportation. But the offerings now to be considered had reference\nto the altar, and the sacrifices to be offered thereon. Their number,\ntheir character, and their value are full of significance; and the\nspace accorded to their record by GOD shows the Divine estimation of the\naltar, and of those gifts which pertain to sacrifice to Him.\n\nThe altar points us to our incarnate SAVIOUR, the CHRIST of GOD, and\nreminds us that _without shedding of blood there is no remission of\nsin_. The altar sanctified the gift; the fire on the altar first came\ndown from heaven; all fire that did not come from the altar was strange\nfire, and could only bring death to the offerer when used in worship, as\nin the case of Nadab and Abihu.\n\nDo we not need to remember this in the present day, when false teachers\ndeny the atoning character of the death of CHRIST, and vainly imagine\nthat GOD can be served with the unhallowed fires of fleshly activity?\n\n\nTHE DISPLAY OF THE GIFTS.\n\nThe twelve princes, the representatives of the Israel of GOD, brought\ntheir offerings before the altar, and would have left them there: they\nwere all exactly alike, and the gifts might have been speedily accepted,\nand briefly recorded, if recorded at all. But the LORD said unto Moses,\nThey shall offer their offering, each prince on his day,--or, literally,\n_one prince a day_, a sentence which is expressed twice in the Original,\nshowing GOD'S regard for order and method in all things which concern\nHis service, and that He graciously receives and remembers the offerings\nof each of His faithful. Accordingly all the offerings of each of the\nprinces are here registered by the HOLY SPIRIT in GOD'S Book, as an\nencouragement to Christian liberality in all ages\" (_Wordsworth_).\n\nDoes it not seem as though the Divine delight in the offering of His\nservants was so great that He would have His people also to dwell upon\nthem for twelve consecutive days? And not only does He spread them over\ntwelve days, but He spreads them over seventy-seven long verses in this\nlong chapter; first in minute detail, according as much space to the\ngifts of the last offerer as to those of the first, and then totalling\nup the aggregate amount, as though He would say, \"Behold the love-gifts\nof my people! How many and how precious the offerings of each, and how\ngreat the value of the whole! Note, too, the persons of the offerers,\nand that all their gifts were for the dedication of the altar, and show\ntheir appreciation of the need for, and the blessed privilege of\nsacrifice!\"\n\nAs we mentioned in our introductory chapter, it was through this\naccount, read in a time of great spiritual need, that our mind was\nopened as never before to see GOD'S great heart of love. We seemed to be\nreminded of the delight often taken by bride and bridegroom in spreading\nout for inspection the love-gifts of their friends, that as many as\npossible may share their gratification in them. Several may have sent\nsimilar gifts; but each is set out to the best possible advantage, with\nthe name of the giver attached. And while the intrinsic value of each is\nnot lost sight of, it is the loving thought of which it is the\nexpression that is most prized.\n\nAgain, we were reminded of the way in which, in our frequent absence\nfrom home and children, wifely letters have cheered and interested us,\ndepicting with motherly tenderness the gifts the children had brought\nher on her birthday, or other occasion, with a fulness of detail that\nshowed alike the pleasure of the writer and her consciousness of the\nenjoyment with which the account would be read. Does not the full detail\nof this chapter reveal, in like manner, the love and tenderness of Him\nwhose Book it is, toward each offerer; and bring out what we may\nreverently call the mother-side of GOD'S character, Who has condescended\nto say, \"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you\"?\n\n\nTHE PERSON OF THE OFFERER. verses 12-17.\n\n    _\"And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son\n    of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:\" etc._\n\nAs we read of the offerings of the twelve princes, we note that,\nvaluable as they manifestly are, the offerer whose love prompted the\ngifts, is made more prominent in the inspired Record. The person of each\nofferer is brought before us, both as an individual, and in his\nrelationship to the tribe of which he is the representative, before any\nenumeration is made of his gifts; and when the enumeration has been\nfully given, we are again reminded of the offerer himself. Could the\nDivine love and satisfaction be more expressively brought out?\n\nWith this thought in view, let us read between the lines of the\nRecord:--\n\nAnd he that offered his offering--for a glad free-will offering it\nwas--on the first day was Nahshon, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, Nahshon\nthe prince of the tribe of Judah; and his offering was one charger--a\nsilver charger, and a weighty one; the weight thereof was a hundred and\nthirty shekels: one bowl, also of silver, of seventy shekels weight; not\nthe light shekels of commerce, but the weighty shekels of the Sanctuary.\nNor were these vessels empty: both of them were full--full of flour,\nfine flour, and mingled with oil, destined for a meat-offering.\n\nOne spoon was the next gift, yet more precious, a spoon of solid gold,\nof no less than ten shekels weight. It, too, was full--full of incense.\n\nNext were brought one young bullock, one ram, and one lamb of the first\nyear--all for a burnt-offering. Any one of these might have been\noffered; Nahshon, however, brought them all, and all to be wholly\nconsumed on the altar, for the enjoyment and satisfaction of GOD alone.\n\nBut Nahshon was a sinner, and the tribe he represented were sinful men;\na sin-offering therefore was not neglected; and in the order of\nenumeration this is next mentioned, though, as we have said before, it\nwas offered first--one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.\n\nAnd, lastly, a princely offering for a sacrifice of peace-offerings; two\noxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year--sacrifices\non which GOD feasted, as it were, together with His people, and in which\nthe sacrificing priest, the offerer and all his friends had their full\nshare.\n\nAnd this, all this, was the offering of Nahshon, Nahshon the son of\nAmminadab.\n\nTwelve times is all this detail repeated--a most emphatic evidence that\nGOD never wearies in noting the service of each one of His people. But\neven this is not all. In the 84th and following verses of this long\nchapter we read:--\n\n\"This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed,\nby the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver\nbowls, twelve spoons of gold. Each charger of silver weighing a hundred\nand thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed\ntwo thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the\nSanctuary. The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing\ntwelve shekels apiece, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; all the gold\nof the spoons was a hundred and twenty shekels.\n\n\"All the oxen for the burnt-offering were twelve bullocks, the rams\ntwelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offering;\nand the kids of the goats for sin-offering twelve. And all the oxen for\nthe sacrifice of the peace-offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the\nrams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty.\n\n\"This\"--_all this_--\"was the dedication of the altar, after that it was\nanointed.\"\n\n\nTHE IMPORTANCE OF THE ALTAR.\n\nIn this glad summing up of the great aggregate value of the offerings,\nwe not only get a further view of the Divine complacency in the\nlove-gifts of His people, and in the persons of the offerers, but the\nobject of the offerings is also brought into special prominence. As the\nlist of each prince's offerings was preceded and followed by reference\nto the _person_ of the offerer, so the list of totals is preceded and\nfollowed by the thought, This was the dedication of the altar in the day\nwhen it was anointed.\n\nThe importance of the brazen altar can scarcely be exaggerated. The\nTabernacle contained many precious things, each typifying most important\ntruths concerning our LORD and His ministry; the ark on which rested the\nShekinah, which enshrined the tables of the law, and was covered by the\nmercy-seat, the table of shew-bread, the candlestick of gold, and the\ngolden altar were all most precious; but, apart from the brazen altar,\n_there was no access to them for guilty man_; without shedding of\nblood there is no remission of sin. Hence the recognition by the princes\nof the importance of the altar; and hence the Divine emphasis placed\nupon those gifts--an emphasis wholly without parallel in the sacred\nRecords. To the godly Israelite the brazen altar typified that which was\nfulfilled at the Cross, and well may we exclaim: \"GOD forbid that I\nshould glory, save in the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST\" (Gal. vi. 14).\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nLooking back over the two chapters on which we have been dwelling we see\nin them a marvellous revelation of Divine love--even in Mosaic times.\nFirst, an unrestricted invitation to draw near to GOD; woman or man, of\nany tribe--whosoever will--may come and be wholly separated unto the\nLORD--but only in GOD'S way. We learn, too, that in such consecration\nthere is no merit on which man may rest, or in which he may boast; we\nare at best unprofitable servants, accepted only in the BELOVED,\ncomplete only in Him. Yet such consecration gives joy to GOD, and opens\nthe way to wonderful revelations of blessing; blessing which when\nenjoyed constrains to service, to gift, to recognition of the\npreciousness of the Altar, of the Cross--a service in which GOD Himself\nfinds delight, and on which He never wearies to dwell.\n\nMay GOD make our meditations very practical; and may we \"thus judge,\nthat if ONE died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for all,\nthat they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but\nunto Him which died for them and rose again,\"--or, as we may better\nread it, \"unto Him which died and rose again for them.\"\n\nAre we really thus living? GOD knows: eternity will show: what answer\ndoes conscience give now? What conclusions do our brothers, sisters,\nchildren, friends draw from our lives? Our true self-denial,\nself-emptying, and giving for CHRIST'S cause practically show _our_ real\nestimate of the value of the Cross of CHRIST, our real love for the\nCHRIST who was crucified for us.\n\n\nTHE END.\n\n\n    +------------------------------------------------+\n    |Transcriber's Note:                             |\n    |                                                |\n    |Mismatched and inconsistent punctuation has been|\n    |retained as it appears in the original book.    |\n    +------------------------------------------------+","title":"Separation and Service; or, Thoughts on Numbers VI, VII.","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":16090}