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35. Simon I called the Just, made high-priest in 3702 or 3703, and died in 3711.

36. Eleazar, made in 3712. Under this pontiff, the translation of the taken Septuagint is said to have been

Chron. vi. 3- Phus, Ant. Jud from the Jewish Chro-made, about the year 3727: he died

1. Aaron, the brother of 1. Aaron. Moses, created high

2552.

lib. x. c. 8. lib.
xx. c. 10.

nicle, entitled
Olam.

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priest, A. M. 2514, died

2. Eleazar, created in 2. Eleazar. 2552, and died about

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11. Abiathar, Ahimelech, 11. Zadok I.

or Abimelech, under

David, from 2944 to

2989.

Seder

8. Ahimaaz, under
Rehoboam.

9. Azariah, under
Abiah.

10. Jehoachash, un❘
der Jehoshaphat.

11. Zadok.

11. Jehoiarib, under
Jehoram.

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in 3744.

37. Manasseh, made in 3745, died in 3771.

38. Onias II. made in 3771, died in 3785

39. Simon II. male in 3785, and died in 3805.

40. Onias III. made in 3805, deposed 3829, died in 3834.

41. Jesus, or Jason, made in 3830, deposed in 3831.

42. Onias IV. otherwise called Menelaus, inade in 3832, died in 3842. 43. Lysimachus, vicegerent of Menelaus, killed in 3834.

44. Alcimus, or Jacimus, or Joachim, made in 3842, died in 3844.

45. Onias V. He did not exercise his pontificate at Jerusalem, but retired into Egypt, where he built the temple Onion in 3854.

46. Judas Maccabæus, restored the altar and the sacrifices in 3840, died in 3813.

47. Jonathan, the Asinonean, brother to Judas Maccabæus, created

high priest in 3913, and died in 3860.

48. Simon Maccabæus made in 3860, died in 3869.

49. John Hyrcanus, made 'n 3869, died in 3898.

50. Aristobulus, king and pontif of the Jews, died 3899.

51. Alexander Jannæus, also king and pontiff during 27 years, from 3899 to 3926.

52. Hyrcanus was high-priest for the space of 32 years in the whole, from 3926 to 3958.

53. Aristobulus, brother to Hyrea nus, usurped the high-priesthood, and held it three years and three months, from 3935 to 3940.

54. Antigonus, his son, also usurp ed the priesthood in prejudice to the rights of Hyrcanus, and possessed it for three years and seven inonths, from 3964 to 3967, when he was taken by Sosius.

55. Ananeel of Babylon, made high priest by Herod in 3968 till 3970.

56. Aristobulus, the last of the Asmonæans: he did not enjoy the pontificate a whole year. He died in 3970. Ananeel was made highpriest a second time in 3971. 57. Jesus, the son of Phabis, deposed in 3981.

70. Simon, surnamed Cantharus, and son of Simon Boethus, was made high-priest in 41.

71. Matthias, son of Ananus, made high-priest in 42.

Succession of High-priests after the Captivity.
58. Simon, son of Botheus, made
un-high-priest in 3981, deposed in 3999.
59. Matthias, son of Theophilus,
made high-priest in 3999. Ellem was
substituted in his place for a day,
because of an accident that happen-
ed to Matthias, which hindered him
from performing his office that day.
60. Joazar, son of Simon, son of
Boethus, made high-priest in 4000,
the year of the birth of Jesus Christ,
four years before the commence-
15. Zedekiah, under ment of the vulgar era.
Amaziah.

14. Phadaiah,

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61. Eleazar, brother to Joazar,
made high-priest in 4004, of Christ
4, of the vulgar era 1.

62. Jesus, son of Siah, made high-
16. Joel, under Uz priest in the year of the vulgar era
ziah.
6. Joazar was made a second time
in 7, and deposed in 13.

63. Ananus, son of Seth, for 11

17. Amariah, perhaps 17. Ahitub II. 17. Phideus. 17. Jotham, under years, from 4016 to 4027, of the vulAzariah, under Uzziah,

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at the time of the siege
of Bethulia, in 3348.
He continued to live
under Josiah to 3380,
and longer. He is also
called Hilkiah. (Ba-
ruch i. 7.)

25. Azariah, perhaps Ne-
riah, the father of Sera-
iah and of Baruch.
26. Seraiah, the last high-
priest before the
cap-
tivity; put to death in
3414.

27. Jozadak, during the
captivity of Babylon,
from 3414 to 3469.
28. Joshua, or Jesus, the
son of Jozadak: he re-
turned from Babylon
in 3468.

25. Hilkiah.

26. Seraiah.

27. Jozadak.

28. Jesus, or
Joshua.

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72. Elioneus, Inade in 44, and continued till 45. Simon, son of Cantharus, was a second time made highpriest, A. D. 45, and deposed the same year.

73. Joseph, son of Caneus, was made high-priest in A. D. 45, till 57.

74. Ananias, the son of Nebodeus was made high-priest in the year of the vulgar era 47, and enjoyed the priesthood till 63.

75. Ismael was ordained highpriest, A. D. 63.

76. Joseph, surnamed Cabei, in 63. 77. Ananus, the son of Ananus, in 63.

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Of those who discharged the functions of high-priest durand ing the decline of the Jewish polity, there are two particularly mentioned in the New Testament, namely, ANNAS (John xviii. 13. Acts iv. 6.), and CAIAPHAS. (Matt. xxvi. 3. 57. John xviii. 13. 24. 28.) The former is by Josephus called Ananus, of which name Annas is an abridgment: the latter he calls Joseph, intimating also that he was known by the name of Caiaphas.1 Annas enjoyed the singular felicity (which indeed had never happened to any other of the Jewish high-priests), not only of having himself held the supreme zadak, after the pontifical office for many years, but also of seeing it filled by several successors out of his own family, five of them being his sons, and others his sons-in-law. Hence, although he was deprived of the high-priesthood by the Romans, he afterward continued to take the chief sway, in the adminis tration of the Jewish affairs; and is represented in the sacred history, together with Caiaphas, as being chief priest and exercising supreme authority.

25. Jesus, son of Jo

captivity.

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IV. Next to the Levites, priests, and high-priests, the OFFICERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE may be mentioned here, as being in some degree sacred persons; since to them was confided the superintendence of those places which were set apart for prayer and instruction. Their functions and powers have been fully stated in p. 104. supra.

Luke iii. 2. Acts iv. 6. In like manner Josephus (de Bell. Jud- lib. ii. c. 12. § 6.) places Jonathan, who had been high-priest (Antiq. Jud. lib xviii. c. 4. §3.), and who still continued to possess great authority, before Ananias, who at that time discharged the functions of sovereign pontiff. (Ant. Jud. lib. xx. c. 5. § 2.) See also Lardner's Credibility, book i. c. 7. § 1. and book ii. c. 4. (Works, vol. i. pp. 143. 383-399.)

V. The NAZARITES (as the Hebrew word Nazir implies) | 19.) that, because the Rechabites had obeyed the precepts of were persons separated from the use of certain things, and Jonadab their father, therefore Jonadab should not want a man sequestered or consecrated to Jehovah. They are commonly to stand before him for ever.2 The Rechabites flourished as a regarded as sacred persons; a notice of their institute will community about one hundred and eighty years, and were supbe found infra, in chapter v. sect. i. § iii. 2. posed to have been dispersed after the captivity; but modern travellers have discovered their descendants in a tribe of Bedouin Arabs, who dwell alone in the vicinity of Mecca, and are called Beni Khaibr, or the sons of Khaibr (that is, of Heber). They continue to obey the injunctions of their ancestor Rechab. "To this moment they drink no wine, and have neither vineyard, nor field, nor seed; but dwell like Arabs in tents, and are wandering nomades. They believe and observe the law of Moses by tradition, for they are not in possession of the written law."

VI. The RECHABITES are by many writers considered as class of holy persons, who, like the Nazarites, separated themselves from the rest of the Jews, in order that they might lead a more pious life. But this is evidently a mistake; for they were not Israelites or Jews, but Kenítes or Midianites, who used to live in tents, and traversed the country in quest of pasture for their cattle, as the Nabathæan Arabs anciently did, and as the modern Arabians, and Crim-Tatars (or Tartars) still do. Their manner of living was not the result of a religious institute, but a mere civil ordinance, grounded upon a national custom. They derived their name from Jonadab the son of Rechab, a man of eminent zeal for the pure worship of God against idolatry, who assisted king Jehu in destroying the house of Ahab and the worshippers of Baal. (2 Kings x. 15, 16. 23.) It was he who gave the rule of life to his children and their posterity, which is recorded by the prophet Jeremiah (xxxvi. 5-7.); and which consisted of these three articles: 1. That they should drink no rine; 2. That they should neither possess nor occupy any houses, fields, or vineyards; and, 3. That they should dwell in tents. In these regulations he appears to have had no retigious, but merely a prudential view, as is intimated in the reason assigned for them, viz. that they might live many days in the land where they were strangers. And such, in fact, would be the natural consequence of their temperate and quiet mode of living. On the first invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, with intent to besiege Jerusalem, these Rechabites, apprehending themselves in more danger in the open country, came to Jerusalem for safety; by these people God intended to convince the Jews of their disobedience to him; and, therefore, he ordered his prophet Jeremiah to bring them to an apartment of the temple, and there offer them wine to drink, which when they refused, on account of its being contrary to their institute, which they never had violated, the prophet, after due commendation of their obedience, addressed the Jews, and reproached them, who were God's peculiar people, for being less observant of his laws than these poor Rechabites had been of the injunctions of their ancestor. (Jer. xxxv.) Wherefore Jehovah declares (ver. 18,

VII. The PROPHETS were eminently distinguished among the persons accounted holy by the Jews: they were raised up by God in an extraordinary manner for the performance of the most sacred functions. Originally they were called Seers: they discovered things yet future, declared the will of God, and announced their divine messages, both to kings and people, with a confidence and freedom that could only be produced by the conviction that they were indeed authorized messengers of Jehovah. The gift of prophecy was not always annexed to the priesthood: there were prophets of all the tribes, and sometimes even among the Gentiles. The office of a prophet was not confined to the prediction of future events; it was their province to instruct the people, and they interpreted the law of God: hence the words prophet and prophecy are, in many passages of the Scriptures, synonymous with interpreter or teacher, and interpretation or teaching. It is unanimously agreed both by Jews and Christians that Malachi was the last of the prophets under the Old Testament dispensation: and it is a remarkable fact, that so long as there were prophets among the Jews, they were not divided by sects or heresies, although they often fell into idolatry. This circumstance may thus be accounted for:-As the prophets received their communications of the divine will immediately from God himself, there was no alternative for the Jews: either the people must obey the prophets, and receive their interpretations of the law, or no longer acknowledge that God who inspired them. When, however, the law of God came to be explained by weak and fallible men, who seldom agreed in their opinions, sects and parties were the unavoidable result of such conflicting sentiments

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General Classification of Sacrifices and Offerings ;—I. BLOODY OFFERINGS, and the divine Origin of Sacrifices ;-1. Differ ent Kinds of Victims ;-2. Selection of Victims ;-3. Manner of presenting them ;-4. Immolation of the Sacrifice;—5. The Place and Time appointed for sacrificing;—6. Different Kinds of Fire-sacrifices ;—i. Burnt-offerings;-ii. Peace-offerings;-iii. Sin-offerings ;-iv. Trespass-offerings;-II. National, regular, weekly, monthly, and annual Sacrifices.—III. UNBLOODY OFFERINGS.-IV. DRINK-OFFERINGS.-V. Other Oblations made by the Jews:-1. ORDINARY OBLATIONS;—(1.) The Shew-bread.-(2.) Incense.—2. VOLUNTARY OBLATIONS.-Corban.-3. PRESCRIBED OBLATIONS;—(1.) First-fruits; -(2.) Tithes.-VI. Fitness and Utility of the Jewish Sacrifices.

A SACRIFICE is an offering made to God upon his altar by the hand of a lawful minister. Sacrifice differs from oblation in this respect, viz. in a sacrifice there must be a real change 1 See Mrs. Holderness's Notes relating to the Manners and Customs of

the Crim-Tatars. London, 1821. 12mo.

2 Lamy's Apparatus Biblicus, vol. i. p. 223. Michaelis's Commentaries on the Law of Moses, vol. i. pp. 227, 228 Mede's Works, p. 127. Calmet, Commentaire Littérale, tome vi. p. xvii. The reader will find an instructive discourse on the history of the Rechabites, in Dr. Townson's Works, vol. ii. pp. 215-225.

of the East, pp. 95, 96.

Iv. sect. i. infra.

or destruction of the thing offered: whereas, an oblation is only a simple offering or gift.

The sacrifices and oblations of the Jews demand particular "Such a notice in this sketch of their ecclesiastical state. ritual as they were enjoined to observe, the multiplicity of victims they were appointed statedly to offer, together with the splendour of that external worship in which they were daily engaged,-all tended to replenish and adorn their language with numerous allusions, and striking metaphors derived from the pomp of their religion. Hence it is that the writings of the Jews, more than of any other people, abound with phrases and terms borrowed from the temple worship and service. The psalms and prophetical writings may in particular be adduced in illustration of this remark. Purge me with hyssop, says David, and I shall be clean. Thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness. (Psa! Archæol. Biblica, §§ 360-372. Tappan's Jewish Antiq. pp. 106-118. Brun ings, Antiq. Hebr. pp. 172-192. Carpzovii Antiq. llebr. Gentis pp. Calmet's Dictionary, voce Sacrifice.

Wolf's Missionary Journal and Memoir, p. 257.; Carne's Recollections For a more particular account of the sacred prophets, see part i. chap. General authorities from which this chapter is compiled:-Schulzii Archæol. Heb. pp. 250-250. Lamy, Apparatus Biblicus, vol. i. pp. 187203. Relandi Antiq. Sacr. Hebræorum, part iii. cap. 1-5. pp. 290-368. Ikenii Antiq. Heb. part i. cap. 13, 14. pp. 152-191. Beausobre and L'En fant's Introd. to the New Test. (Bishop Watson's Tracts, vol. iii. pp. 196 199.) Jennings's Jewish Antiquities, book i. chap. v. Michaelis's Commen. taries, vol. iii. pp. 91-97. 109-115. 246-254. Dr. Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. book ii. pp. 270-272. Jahn, Archæol. Biblica, $$ 373-390. Dr. Owen on the Epistle to the Hebrews, vol. i. Exercit. xxiv. pp. 306–318. Dr. Light-699-725. bot's Works, vol. i. pp. 926-941. folio edition, $$ 373-385 Ackermann,

li. 7. 19.) Let my prayer come before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psal. cxli. 2.) Therefore will I offer the sacrifice of joy. (Psal. cxvi. 17.) The sin of Judah, says Jeremiah, is graven upon the horns of your altars. (Jer. xvii. 1.) Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously; so will we render thee the calves of our lips. (Hos. xiv. 2.)" Nor are similar examples wanting in the New Testament, whose inspired authors, being educated in the Jewish religion, retain the same phraseology, which has enriched their writings with numerous beautiful and expressive allusions to the national sacrifices and ceremonies."

Michaelis classes the offerings prescribed to the Israelites under three general heads-namely, bloody offerings, or sacrifices strictly so called; unbloody offerings, or those taken only from the vegetable kingdom; and drink-offerings, or libations, which were a kind of accompaniment to the two preceding. We shall follow this classification, as enabling us to present to our readers the most compendious account of the Jewish sacrifices.

I. BLOODY OFFERINGS were sacrifices properly and strictly so called; by which we may understand the infliction of death on a living creature, generally by the effusion of its blood in a way of religious worship, and the presenting of this act to God as a supplication for the pardon of sin, and as a supposed mean of compensation for the insult and injury offered by sin to his majesty and government. Sacrifices have in all ages, and by almost every nation, been regarded as necessary to appease the divine anger, and to render the Deity propitious: but whether this universal notion derived Its origin from divine revelation, or was suggested by conscious guilt and a dread of the divine displeasure, is a question that cannot be easily decided. It is, however, not improbable that it originated in the former, and prevailed under the influence of the latter. The Scripture account of sacrifices leads us to conclude, that they were instituted by divine appointment, immediately after the entrance of sin by the fall of Adam and Eve, to be a type or significant emblem of the great atonement or all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ.3 Accordingly we find Abel, Noah, Abraham, Job, and others, offering sacrifices in the faith of the Messiah that was to be revealed; and the divine acceptance of their sacrifices is particularly recorded. This hypothesis, and this only, satisfactorily accounts for the early prevalence of religious sacrifices, not only among the worshippers of the true God, but also among Pagan idolaters.

5

lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet. i. 19.) Fur
ther, it was a custom among nations contiguous to Judæa, and
particularly among the Egyptians, to set a seal upon a victim
that was deemed proper for sacrifice. With this custom the
Jews could not be unacquainted; and it is possible that simi-
lar precautions were in use among themselves, especially as
they were so strictly enjoined to have the sacrifices without
spot and without blemish. To such a usage Jesus Christ is
supposed to have alluded, when speaking of the sacrifice of
himself, he says-Him hath God the Father SEALED. (John
vi. 27. 51.) "Infinite justice found Jesus Christ to be with-
out spot or blemish, and therefore sealed, pointed out and ac-
cepted him as a proper sacrifice and atonement for the sin of
the whole world. Collate Heb. vii. 26-28. Eph. v. 27.
2 Pet. iii. 14., and especially Heb. ix. 13, 14. For, if the
blood of BULLS and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprink
ling the unclean, sanctifieth, how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself WITH-
OUT SPOT to God, purge your consciences from dead works ?"6
3. The victim thus chosen, being found immaculate, was
led up to the altar by the person offering the sacrifice; who
laid his hand upon its head, on which he leaned with all his
strength; and, while the sacrifice was offering, said some
particular prayers; and if several persons united in offering
the same victim, they put their hands upon it in succession.
(Lev. iv. 13-15.) By this imposition of hands the person
presenting the victim acknowledged the sacrifice to be his
own: that he loaded it with his iniquities; that he offered it
as an atonement for his sins; that he was worthy of death
because he had sinned, having forfeited his life by violating
the law of God; and that he entreated God to accept the life
of the innocent animal in the place of his own.
In this re-
spect the victims of the Old Testament were types of Jesus
Christ, the lamb of God that TAKETH AWAY the sin of the
world (John i. 29.), and on whom Jehovah in the fulness
of time laid the iniquity of us all. (Isa. liii. 6. with 1 Pet.
ii. 24.)

Further, in certain cases it was required that the victim should be one, on which never came yoke (Num. xix. 2. Deut. xxi. 3. 1 Sam. vi. 7.); because any animal which had been used for a common purpose was deemed improper to be offered in sacrifice to God.10

4. The animal thus conducted to the altar was next immolated, by cutting the throat and windpipe entirely through at one stroke; the blood being caught in a vessel, and sprink led round about upon the altar. By this sprinkling the atonement was made, for the blood was the life of the beast, and it was always supposed that life went to redeem life. (Lev. i. 5-7.) The blood remaining after these aspersions was poured out at the foot of the altar, either all at once, or at different times, according to the nature of the sacrifice offered.

1. In all bloody sacrifices it was essential that the animals slaughtered should be clean; but it does not appear that all clean animals were to be offered indiscriminately. Fishes were not brought to the altar; and hence the Israelites are nowhere prohibited from eating their blood, but only that of birds and quadrupeds. (Lev. vii. 26.) It would seem that all clean birds might be offered (Lev. xiv. 4-7.), though the white bulls for their sacrifices, will materially explain the custom above The following account of the manner in which the Egyptians provided dove was the most common offering of this class. Of quad- alluded to "They sacrifice white bulls to Apis, and for that reason make rupeds, oxen, sheep, and goats were the only kinds which the following trial. If they find one black hair upon him, they consider were destined for the altar. No wild beasts were admissi-him as unclean. In order that they may know this with certainty, the priest appointed for this purpose views every part of the animal both ble: and hence comes the expression in the law of Moses standing and lying on the ground: after this, he draws out his tongue, to (Deut. xii. 15, 22. xv. 22.), It shall be eaten like the roe or the see if he be clean by certain signs; and in the last place he inspects the hart; by which he means to intimate that, in killing a beast, hairs of his tail, that he may be sure they are, as by nature they should be. If, after this search, the animal is found unblemished, he signifies it by all religious intention and all idea of sacrifice was to be tying a label to his horns; then, having applied wax, he seals it with his avoided.4 ring, and they lead him away, for it is death to sacrifice one of these ani2. In the selection of the victims, the utmost care was mals, unless he has been marked with such a seal." Herodotus, lib. ii. c. 38. vol. i. p. 113. edit. Oxon. taken to choose such only as were free from every blemish. Unless it were pure and immaculate, it was to be rejected, as a sacrifice unacceptable to Jehovah. (Lev. xxii. 22.) In a beautiful allusion to this circumstance, St. Paul beseeches Christians, by the mercies of God, to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is their reasonable service. (Rom. xii. 1.) Hence also Jesus Christ is styled a

1 Harwood's Introd. to the New Test. vol. ii. pp. 216, 217.

To this notion of sacrifice our Saviour alluded in John xvi. 2. where he ells his disciples that such would be the enmity with which they should be pursued, that he who should kill them would be deemed to have slain a sacrifice highly acceptable to the Almighty-"He that killeth you shall think he doeth God service." In reference also to this notion of sacrifice, the apostle by a very beautiful and expressive figure represents Christ as loving us, and giving himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God of sweet-smelling savour. (Eph. v. 2.) Harwood's Introd. to the New Test. vol. ii. p. 218.

The divine origin of sacrifices is fully proved by Archbishop Magee, in his Discourses on the Atonement, vol. i. pp. 44-60. and vol. ii. pp. 2246. 184-189., and by Mr. Jeram in his Treatise on the Doctrine of the Atonement, pp. 90-292. Mr. Davison has argued on the contrary side in his Inquiry into the Origin of Sacrifice. (London, 1825. 8vo.) Mr. Faber has ably vindicated the divine origin of Sacrifices in a treatise published at London in 1827. 8vo.

Michaelis's Commentaries, vol. iii. p. 95

Dr. A. Clarke, on John vi. 27.

This ceremony, it is proper to remark, was omitted in respect to the turtle doves, and young pigeons, which were allowed to be offered in cer tain cases.

The nature and mystical import of laying hands on the head of the

victim are largely considered by Archbishop Magee in his Discourses on the Atonement, vol. i. pp. 336-377.

On the vicarious import of the Mosaic sacrifices, see Archbishop Magee's Discourses on the Atonement, vol. i. pp. 352-366.

10 The heathens, who appear to have borrowed much from the Hebrews,
were very scrupulous in this particular. Neither the Greeks, nor the Ro-
mans (who had the same religion, and, consequently, the same sacrifices
with the Greeks), nor indeed the Egyptians, would offer an animal in sacri-
fice that had been employed in agriculture. Just such a sacrifice as that
prescribed here does Diomede vow to offer to Pallas. Iliad, x. 291-294.
in the very same words Nestor promises a similar sacrifice to Pallas.
Odyss, iii. 382.
Thus also VIRGIL. Georg. iv. 550.

Quatuor eximios præstanti corpore tauros,
Ducit, et intacta totidem cervice juvencas.
From his herd he culls,
For slaughter, four the fairest of his bulls;
Four heifers from his female stock he took,
All fair, and all unknowing of the yoke.

DRYDEN.

It is very probable that the Gentiles learnt their first sacrificial rites from the Patriarchs; and on this account we need not wonder to find so many coincidences in the sacrificial system of the patriarchs and Jews, and o all the neighbouring nations. (Dr. A. Clarke, on Num. xix. 2.)

Around the altar there was a kind of trench into which the ii. The PEACE-OFFERINGS (Lev. iii. 1.) were also freeblood fell; whence it was conveyed by subterraneous chan-will-offerings, in token of peace and reconciliation between nels into the brook Cedron. This altar, being very high, is God and man; they were either eucharistical, that is, offered considered by Lamy as a type of the cross to which our as thanksgivings for blessings received, or votive, that is, Saviour was fixed, and which he washed with his precious offered with prayers for the impetration of mercies. These blood. The victim being thus immolated, the skin was offerings consisted either of animals, or of bread or dough; stripped from the neck; its breast was opened; its bowels if the former, part of them was burnt upon the altar, espe were taken out, and the back bone was cleft. It was then cially all the fat, as an offering to the Lord; and the remainder divided into quarters; so that, both externally and internally, was to be eaten by the priest and the party offering. To it was fully exposed to view. To this custom of laying open this sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving St. Paul alludes in the victim, St. Paul has a very beautiful and emphatic allu- Heb. xiii. 15, 16. In this kind of sacrifices the victims sion in one of the most animated descriptions ever written, might be either male or female, provided they were without of the mighty effects produced by the preached Gospel. blemish. The parts of both, which were appropriated to the (Heb. iv. 12, 13.) The word of God is quick and powerful, priests and Levites, were called heave or wave offerings; be sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing cause they were heaved or lifted up towards heaven, and waved asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and to and fro, before they were eaten, in acknowledgment of is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither the goodness and kindness of God, and also in token of their is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; for all being consecrated to him. (Lev. iii. 1-6. Exod. xxix. 26, things are naked and OPENED to the eyes of him to whom we 27. Num. xviii. 24-28.) must give an account. Previously to laying the sacrifice on the altar, it was salted for the fire (Lev. ii. 13. Ezek. xliii. 24. Mark ix. 46.); the law prohibiting any thing to be offered there which was not salted: and according to the nature of the sacrifice, either the whole or part of the victim was consumed upon the altar, where the priests kept a fire perpetually burning.'

5. Before the building of the temple, sacrifices were offered at the door of the tabernacle; but after its erection it was not lawful to offer them elsewhere. (Deut. xii. 14.) This prohibition took from the Jews the liberty of sacrificing in any other place. The victims might indeed be slain in any part of the priest's court, but not without its precincts; and there they were also obliged to sacrifice the paschal lamb. All the victims were to be offered by daylight, and the blood was always to be sprinkled on the same day that they were slain; as it became polluted as soon as the sun was set. If, however, the sprinkling had been made in the daytime, the members and entrails of the victim might be consumed during the night. Subsequently to the time of Moses, indeed, altars were multiplied, but they fell under suspicion, although some of them, perhaps, were sacred to the worship of the true God. Nevertheless, on extraordinary occasions, some prophets, whose characters were above all suspicion, did offer sacrifices in other places than that prescribed by the Mosaic laws; as Samuel (1 Sam. xiii. 8-14. xvi. 1-5.), and Elijah. (1 Kings xviii. 21-40.)

6. The sacrifices of the altar were, in general, called by the Hebrews Korbanim, that is, offerings or oblations to God, from the Hebrew word karab, to approach or bring nigh. This term consequently denotes something brought nigh, in order to be dedicated, or offered to God, to whom the person offering thus had access in the way appointed by the law; and, therefore, at the close of the enumeration of all offerings by fire it is added (Lev. vii. 37, 38.), This is the law which the Lord commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer or bring nigh their KORBANIM, that is, offerings or sacrifices of all sorts.

The peace-offerings are in Hebrew termed (SHеLαMIM), from (SHALAM), to complete or make whole: because, by these offerings that which was deficient was considered as being now made up; and that which was broken, viz. the covenant of God, by his creature's transgression, was supposed to be made whole: so that, after such an offering, the sincere and conscientious mind was authorized to consider itself as reconciled to God, and that it might lay confident hold on this covenant of peace. To this St. Paul alludes in that fine passage contained in Eph. ii. 14—19.

The appointed seasons and occasions of the peace-offering were, 1. At the consecration of a priest. (Exod. xxix. 1-37.) 2. At the expiration of the Nazarite vow. (Num. vi. 13-21.) 3. At the solemn dedication of the tabernacle and temple; and, 4. At the purification of a leper.

iii. SIN-OFFERINGS, in Hebrew termed non (CHаTαAH), (from the word on (CHATA) to miss the mark), were offered for sins committed through ignorance, or wilfully against knowledge; and which God always punished unless they were expiated. These offerings in general consisted of a sin-offering to God, and a burnt-offering, accompanied with restitution of damage (Lev. v. 2—19. vi. 1—7.), conformably to which our Lord requires previous reconciliation with an injured brother, including restitution, before the burntoffering or gift would be acceptable to God. (Matt. v. 23, 24.) St. Paul (Eph. v. 2.) terms Christ's giving himself for us an offering (. e. a peace-offering), and a sacrifice or sin-offering to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Compare Lev. iv. 31.) In warm climates nothing is more refreshing than fragrant odours: and as, in the highly figurative language of the ancient Hebrews, smelling is used to denote the perception of a moral quality in another, God is said to smell a sweet savour from sacrifice, to signify that he perceived with pleasure the good disposition which the offerer expressed by such an act of worship. When, therefore, the apostle tells us that Christ gave himself for us, an offering and a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God, he teaches us that Christ's sacrifice for us was highly acceptable to God, not only as a signal instance of obedience to his Father's will, but also on account of its happy influ

The

sacrifices offered for the purification of lepers, as well as of women after child-birth (Lev. xii. Luke ii. 24.), were reckoned among the sin-offerings, inasmuch as leprosy and the pains of child-bearing were considered as punishments for some particular sin; though both were accompanied by eucharistic sacrifices for the recovery of the persons offering them. Maimonides adds, that if the person who offered this sacrifice did not repent, and make public confession of his sins, he was not cleansed or purified by it.5

The Jewish fire-sacrifices were of three kinds; viz. i. The BURNT-OFFERINGS, or Holocausts, were free-will-ence in establishing the moral government of God. offerings wholly devoted to God, according to the primitive patriarchal usage. The man himself was to bring them before the Lord, and they were offered in the manner described in the preceding page. The victim to be offered was, according to the person's ability, a bullock without blemish, or a male of the sheep or goats, or a turtle-dove or pigeon. (Lev. i. 3. 10. 14.) If, however, he was too poor to bring either of these, he was to offer a mincha or meat-offering, of which an account is given in a subsequent page. The Jews esteemed the burnt-offering the most excellent of all their sacrifices, not only on account of its superior antiquity, but also because it was entirely consecrated to God. In allusion to this, St. Paul exhorts Christians to present their bodies, or their whole selves, a living sacrifice to God. (Rom. xii. 1.) The burnt-offerings are in Hebrew termed by (OLаH), which signifies to ascend; because this offering, as being wholly consumed, ascended, as it were, to God in smoke or vapour. It was a very expressive type of the sacrifice of Christ, as nothing less than his complete and full sacrifice could make atonement for the sins of the world.

1 Harwood's Introd. to New Test. vol. ii. p. 220. Carpzov has assigned many devout and some fanciful reasons why salt was used in the Jewish sacrifices. Antiq. Heb. Gent. pp. 719-723.

2 Dr. Owen on the Epistle to the Hebrews, vol. i. Exercitat. xxiv D. 207. See p 119. infra.

iv. The TRESPASS-OFFERINGS were made, where the party offering had just reason to doubt whether he had violated the law of God or not. (Lev. v. 17, 18.) They do not appear to have differed materially from sin-offerings. In both these kinds of sacrifices, the person who offered them placed his hands on the victim's head (if a sin-offering), and confessed his sin over it, and his trespass over the trespass-offering; saying, "I have sinned, I have done iniquity, I have trespassed, and have done thus and thus, and do return by repentance before thee, and with this I make atonement. The animal was then considered as vicariously bearing the

Macknight on Eph. v. 2.

De Ratione Sacrificii, c. iii. n. 13.

Michaelis is of opinion that sin-cfferings were made for sins of com mission. and trespass-offerings for sins of omission. Commentaries, vol iii. D. 93.

IT. All the sacrifices were occasional, and had reference to individuals: but there were others which were national and regular, DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, and annual.

sins of the person who brought it. In Isa. liii. 10. Jesus | xxx. 34-36. It was offered twice every day, morning and Christ is said to make his soul an offering for sin, DN evening, by the officiating priest, upon an altar of gold, where (ASHAM), the very word used in the law of Moses to denote a no bloody sacrifice was to come, during which solemn rite trespass-offering. the people prayed without in silence. (Luke i. 10.) But on the great day of expiation the high-priest himself took fire from the great altar in a golden censer; and, on descending thence, he received incense from one of the priests, which he The Perpetual or Daily Sacrifice was a burnt-offering, offered on the golden altar. During such offering the people Consisting of two lambs, which were offered every day, prayed silently without; and to this most solemn silence morning and evening, at the third and ninth hours. (Exod. St. John alludes in Rev. viii. 1., where he says that there xxix. 38-40. Lev. vi. 9-18. Num. xxviii. 1-8.) They was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. To this were burnt as holocausts, but by a small fire, that they might oblation of incense the Psalmist refers (cxli. 2.) in his devocontinue burning the longer. With each of these victims tions, and explains his meaning by his application of it: Let was offered a bread-offering and a drink-offering of strong my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense." As the wine. The morning sacrifice, according to the Jews, made smoke and odour of this offering was wafted into the holy atonement for the sins committed in the night, and the even-place, close by the veil of which stood the altar of incense, ing sacrifice expiated those committed during the day. This sacrifice was a daily expression of national as well as individual repentance, prayer, and thanksgiving.

2. The Weekly Sacrifice on every Sabbath-day was equal to the daily sacrifice, and was offered in addition to it. (Num. xxviii. 9, 10.)

3. The Monthly Sacrifice, on every new moon, or at the beginning of each month, consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, together with a kid for a sin-offering, and a suitable bread and drink offering. (Num. xxviii. 11-14.)

4. The Yearly Sacrifices were those offered on the great annual festivals, viz. (1.) The paschal lamb at the passover, which was celebrated at the commencement of the Jewish sacred year; (2.) On the day of pentecost, or day of firstfruits; (3.) On the new moon, or first day of the seventh month, which was the beginning of their civil year, or in-gathering of the fruits and vintage; and all these stated burnt-offerings were to be accompanied with a sin-offering of a goat, to show their insufficiency to "make the comers thereunto perfect" (Num. xxviii. Heb. x. 1.); (4.) Lastly, on the day of expiation, or great day of atonement. As a particular account is given of the solemn festivals in the following section, we proceed briefly to notice the second general class of sacrifice, viz.

so do the prayers of the faithful ascend upwards and find admission to the highest heaven." (Acts x. 4.)

2. The VOLUNTARY or FREE OBLATIONS Were either the fruits of promises or of vows; but the former were not considered so strictly obligatory as the latter, of which there were two kinds.

(1.) The vow of consecration, when any thing was devoted either for sacrifice or for the service of the temple, as wine, wood, salt, &c.; and

(2.) The vow of engagement, when persons engaged to do something that was not in itself unlawful, as not to eat of some particular meat, nor to wear some particular habits, not to drink wine, nor to cut their hair, &c. When the Jews made a vow, they made use of one of these two forms: “I charge myself with a burnt-offering," or, "I charge myself with the price of this animal for a burnt-offering." Besides these they had other shorter forms; for instance, when they devoted all they had, they merely said, “All I have shall be corban," that is, "I make an oblation of it to God." Among other false doctrines taught by the Pharisees, who were the depositaries of the sacred treasury, was this, that as soon as a person had pronounced to his father or mother this form of consecration or offering, Be it corban (that is, devoted), whatever of mine shall profit thee (Mark vii. 11.), he thereby consecrated all he had to God, and must not thenceforth do any thing for his indigent parents if they solicited support from him. With great reason, therefore, does Jesus Christ reproach them with having destroyed, by their tradi tion, not only the commandment of the law which enjoins children to honour their fathers and mothers, but also another divine precept, which, under the severest penalty, forbad that kind of dishonour which consists in contumelious words. (Mark vii. 9, 10. 13.) They, however, proceeded even further than this unnatural gloss; for, though the son did not directly give, or mean to give, any thing to God at IV. DRINK-OFFERINGS were an accompaniment to both that time, yet if he afterwards should repent of his rashness, bloody and unbloody sacrifices: they were never used sepa- and wish to supply them with any thing, what he had forrately, and consisted of wine, which appears to have been merly said precluded the possibility of doing so; for his propartly poured upon the brow of the victim in order to conse-perty became eventually devoted to God, and, according to crate it, and partly allotted to the priests, who drank it with the Pharisaic doctrine, the sacred treasury had a claim upon their portions of both these kinds of offerings. The Psalmist it, in preference to the parents. The wos" be it corban," shows how the use of drink-offerings degenerated amongst idolaters, who in their superstitious rage made use of the blood of living creatures, perhaps of men, in their libations. Their DRINK-OFFERINGS OF BLOOD, says he, will I not offer. (Psal. xvi. 4.)

III. The UNBLOODY SACRIFICES or MEAT-OFFERINGS (Lev. ii.), which were taken solely from the vegetable, kingdom. They consisted of meal, bread, cakes, ears of corn, and parched grain, with oil and frankincense prepared according to the divine command. Regularly they could not be presented as sin-offerings, except in the single case of the person who had sinned being so poor, that the offering of two young pigeons or two turtle doves exceeded his means. They were to be free from leaven or honey: but to all of them it was necessary to add pure salt, that is, saltpetre.

V Besides the various kinds of sacrifices above described, here were some oblations made by the Jews, consisting of Incense, bread, and other things: which have been divided by Lamy into three sorts, viz. such as were ordinary or common; voluntary or free oblations; and such as were prescribed. 1. The ORDINARY OBLATIONS were,

(1.) The Shew-bread (Heb. bread of the face), which consisted of twelve loaves, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They were placed hot, every Sabbath-day, by the priests, upon the golden table in the sanctuary, before the Lord; when they removed the stale loaves which had been exposed for the whole of the preceding week. The priests alone were to eat the bread thus removed. David, however, through necessity broke through this restriction (1 Sam. xxi. 3, 4.), God preferring mercy to sacrifice, or, in the collision of duties, allowing a positive to give way to a natural law. (Matt. xii. 7.)

(2.) Incense, consisting of several fragrant spices, prepared according to the instructions given to Moses in Exod.

Dr. A. Clarke on Exod xxix. 10.

or devoted, consequently implied an imprecation against himself, if he should ever afterwards bestow any thing for the relief of his parents: as if he should say to them," May 1 incur all the infamy of sacrilege and perjury if ever ye get any thing from me;" than which it is not easy to conceive of any thing spoken by a son to his parents more contemptuous or more barbarous, and therefore justly denominated anya, " opprobrious language."

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3. The PRESCRIBED OBLATIONS were either first-fruits on tithes.

(1.) All the First-fruits, both of fruit and animals, were consecrated to God (Exod. xxii. 29. Num. xviii. 12, 13.

Sir Isaac Newton on the Apocalypse, p. 264. See also Woodhouse on

Rev. viii. 1. p. 199.

Jones on the Fig. Lang, of Script. Lect. iv. towards the close. "The prayer of faith," adds this learned and pious writer, "is acceptable to God, as the fragrance of incense is agreeable to the senses of inan; and, spirit of this service is to be kept up at those times throughout all generaas the incense was offered twice a day, in the morning and evening, the tions. The prophet Malachi (upon a forced and erroneous interpretation of whose words alone the church of Rome has founded and defended the use of incense in her worship) foretold that it should be observed throughout the world (Mal. i. 11.), and in the Revelation we hear of this incense as now actually carried up and presented in heaven. (Rev. v. 8.) Happy are they who fulfil this service; and at the rising and going down of the sun send up this offering to heaven, as all Christians are supposed to do, at least twice in every day." Ibid. (Works, vol. iii. p. 66.)

Dr. Campbell's Translation of the Four Gospels, vol. ii. pp. 379–382. third edition. Michaelis's Commentaries, vol iv. p. 300.

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