The Use of Animal Food Regulated
“WHUTHEa THEEKFOEK TE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER TE DO, DO AH lO THE GLORY OF GOD.” 1 Cor. X. 31.
Vers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth -it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut oflf from among his people: to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, oven that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace-offerings unto the Lord.”
Here the people are addressed, as well as Aaron and his sons; for it was needful to show them that in requisitions that affected their private affairs, the scrutiny was made by the all-seeing God. It was important that the people should see plainly that this inspection of private
* “We may call this portion of the book the second section of the Levitu eal code. The public services of the worshipper are over. Here begin some rules affecting their private morality and their secret devotions.
matters was the Lord’s ordinance, not instituted by the priests nor by Moses. They would naturally be more jealous in regard to those institutions that touched upon their domestic habits.
There was little Jlesh used as common food in these eastern countries; it was used chiefly on feast days.* Hence the restrictions here were not burdensome. And when they reached Canaan, if they needed more animal food, and were further off from the tabernacle, these restrictions ceased, as Deut. xii. 13-15 declares, and as the constant use of “camp” in this place might lead us to suppose. The grand object of the law was to prevent idolatry. Heathen nations (see Ps. xvi. 4) used to take the blood of animals and pour it into a hole or trench in the earth, for food to their gods ;t and there the dead were consulted. Now, a law like this ensured that the blood should not be so used. The ox, sheep, and ^oat (ver. 3) are selected as specimens; but no doubt any species of animal food was subjected to the same restrictions. They came with the animal to the door of the tabernacle; saw Grod revealing himself there; left the blood as an offering to him; and then returned home to their tent to feast. How solemn and how sweet to a true Israelite! He brings his food to the Lord, sees his majesty, acknowledges himself worthy to die, but redeemed by atoning blood; and thus goes to his table and eats his meat with gladness and singleness of heart! All their meat became a “peace-offering,” ver. 5.
It has been noticed by some that Reuben, Gad, and half Manosseh were the only tribes that had herds (Num. xzxii.); the other tribes pos- •eaeed very few, and may even have borrowed from these when they needed sacrifices.
f As ire see in Homer’s celebrated NcMto.
If
Are we not here taught the duty of coming to the Lord at every season of food? owning him as preserver? feeling that blood has redeemed our life? and so going forward with hearts ever impressed and awed? We should eat our daily bread in his presence.* We should remember the time when the grant of animal food was made, viz., after the deluge; and thus we would feel our common food to be a memorial of wrath passed and new mercy begun.
In ver. 5,” the sacrifices in the open field,’’^ mean all things slain; which they had hitherto killed anywhere, at home or publicly. These are now to be presented as peace-offerings; that is, they are to be presented to the Lord through the priest, and then given back to him, like as was done in the case of peace-offerings.
Ver. 6. “And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord.”
The fat and ihQ’ blood are taken; see chap. iii. 17. When this is done, the blessing rests on them; “sweet savor” breathes from them.
Ver. 7. “And they shall no more oflfer tneir sacrificea unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations.”
The word here rendered “devils” o’^’)5i?, is equivalent to “goat-g-ods.” It is originally used of “goats;” shaggy goats, whose appearance gave origin to the heathen idea
* Cudworth on the Passover suggests that the coming up to the three annual feasts effected the same end when Israel reached Canaan; for, then, they came up and eat before God, and carried home the solemn impreaiiions then made for the rest of the year.
of satyrs* No doubt the Lord called heathen g-ods by this name, to cast contempt upon them; and also the devils, or fallen angels, who suggested and fostered the idolatry of the heathen, were denominated by this term. Besides; goats were worshipped in Egypt. Various passages show that the Jews had gone aside to such idolatry during their sojourn in Egypt; and that they manifested a tendency to this same apostasy still.t
The Lord who says of disciples, “Inasmuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me,” says in like manner, “If ye sacrifice to one of these idolatrous gods, ye sacrifice to the devils who have suggested them.” The Lord saw, at the same time, how the devils allured Israel to make this idolatrous use of the blood, in order to bring atonement into disregard; or, in order to get them to suppose that devils needed to be, and could be, thus appeased and bribed to leave them unhurt.
Yen. 8, 9. “And thou shalt say onto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that ofiereth a burnt-oS’ering or sacrifice, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.”
This law is different from the foregoing. It refers to animals offered in sacrifice. All sacrifice must be offered “at the door of the tabernacle,” that is, in the presence of Jehovah, and to him alone. Some might have tried to evade the law already given by pretending that they killed their animals for sacrifice, and so were free to pour out the blood at the spot where they offered sacrifice;
* Robertson in hb Clavis Pent adds “monker/t” to the class of hairy deities.
f See Deut xxzii 16, Pa. cvi. 87, Amos v. 25, Ezok. xz. 7.
therefore, the Lord commands all sacrifices to be offered at one spot viz., his own presence. And, lest strangers should mislead them, the law is laid on strangers too. The Lord is full and sincere in all he enjoins; he never intends reserve or mystery in his demands. His name is glorious. We can trust his heart; for he tells us plainly all he means. And surely not less true are his promises of life — his life-giving offers.
Vers. 10, 11, 12. “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls :* for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.”
A former law is re-instituted or enforced afresh. (See chap. iii. 17, and vii. 26.) While they must guard against pouring out the blood to idols, they must equally guard against using it for themselves, in the haste of hunger, doing as Saul’s soldiers are related to have done. (1 Sam. xiv. 32.)
The grand reason for this jealousy over the use of the
* Sylces on Sacrifices has collected some interesting quotations to show the general prevalence of the idea of substitution. The Egyptians said over the victim, “di Kcipanv ravrrju TO KaKov rpaTTeadai.” Herod. ii. 39. In Ovid Fast. vi. 161, we read, “Cor pro corde precor, pro fibris sumitefibras; Hanc animam vobis pro meliore damns.” Caesar says of the Gauls, “Pro vita hominis nisi vita hominis reddatur non posse deormn immortalium numen placari arbitrantur.” (B. G. vi. 15.) Magee quotes from Plautus Epid.
“Men’ piaculum oportet, fieri propter stultitiam tuam, Ut meum tergum stultitiae tuse subdas succedaneum.”
And Porphyry uses “i,“«x’”’ <i’“‘’ ^X’’^”
326 THE USE or animal food regulated.
blood is, “The blood is the Ufe?’’ When poured out, it shows atonement; for it expresses the life takn; “Thou shalt die.” To you, sinner, what should be more tremendous than the sign of your own life taken? And to your God, 0 sinner, nothing is more solemnly glorious than the blood of his own Son. Earth and heaven stand still when blood is poured out.
When the spear reached the heart of Jesus, the blood was poured out from the very seat of life. The heart and the pericardium were both pierced, and, therefore, the blood that then gushed forth with the liquid fluid of the pericardium was blood from the warm seat of vitality. See John xix. 84. And as such was the type, so the reality. Jesus did then pour forth his whole soul; affeo* tions, feelings, faculties, and every power of his soul, all were laid down in suffering obedience to his Father. The heat of wrath melted all; and all thus melted flowed forth in that wondrous stream. The law took out its penalty from the very source of life.
But why life taken? Why “death” required? Because the essence of sin is an attack on God’s holy throne and his very existence. It is, therefore, repelled by God crushing the sinner’s life. And Jesus bore even this for man! “Ye have slain the Prince of Life /”
Yet more, however. How astounding must our Lord’s words have been to the Jews:” Except ye .... drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have no life in you.’’’’ (John vi. 53.) He abrogates the law, for he fulfils the typ*5! you must live by blood now! You are to drink the poured out life of the Sot of Man.
Vera. 13, 14.” And wlmtsoever man there be of the children of Israel,
or of the strangers that Bojourn among you, which hunteth, and
catchetJi any beaat or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it -with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of fleh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: “whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”
Another opportunity is taken of solemnly charging Israel to remember the blood of atonement. The hunter in his full career must keep atonement in his eye; and, when he has his prey in his hand, must reverently stand still and pour out its blood to Jehovah, to cover it from the gaze of men and the ravenous appetite of creatures of prey. God would have the sinner’s soul send up its adoring thanks to him for atonement amid their forests, and in their wilds. Redemption should be sung of by every man in every situation; and none should be found in a situation wherein he cannot sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
Israel’s huntsmen were to be men of faith. They were not to hunt for the gratifying of wild fiery passions; but for food and necessity. The chastening solemnity of “pouring” out the blood was a check on the huntsman. None who would not stay, in their vehement, eager, keen pursuit, to realize redemption must engage in this employment. It is not for the gay, wild spirits of youth; or, if fiery youth engage therein, it must lead them to the most solemn views of sin and righteousness. Yea, it shall be even a way of life to them. Let them go — let them ride furiously over rock and chasm — let them shoot the arrow — but, lo! the field becomes an avenue to lead them to the presence of the Holy Grod. They must stand still at the blood I “He taketh them in their craftiness.” After his most ardent chase, in the recess of the forest, the’ huntsman of Israel meets with Grod!
Vera. 16, 16. “And every fouI that eateth that which died of itself or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of yotir own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean. But if he wash them not, nor bathe his h, then he shall bear his iniquity.’*
The reason of this law is, that the blood is left in the body, if the animal- die of itself or be torn to death. So also, if strangled; see Acts xv. 20, the blood coagulating in the veins and arteries. He that violates this law, even ignorantly, is guilty. He must forthwith wash in water and be unclean till evening. And the reflection awakened — the jealousy begotten — the view of atonement given — by his being that day set apart, will leave its indelible impressions on the man of Israel, that he may ever after walk with his eye solemnly resting on atoning blood.