Rissah

“And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.

This seventeenth encampment begins to deviate from Canaan towards Egypt, in a direct line with Succoth, their first station, without having the Red Sea between them, and is only about three leagues from Libnah. But because the fiery and cloudy pillar put itself in motion, the Israelites were also obliged to do so, although they perhaps saw little reason for it. It being determined that they should return to the shores of the Red Sea, it would probably have been more agreeable to them to make long marches, than such short stations; but reason was obliged to be silent in the matter. I know as little whether they travelled by night or day, as I do how long they were obliged to remain in a place. In every case it was the desert, let them stay where they would. They made it, however, as convenient as they were able, in which they were aided by Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses, who travelled with them at his urgent request, because, being acquainted with the desert, he could direct them where they might best encamp. Hence Moses said to him, “Thou shalt be as an eye to us.” Hobab signifies, bearing love in the bosom; this is applicable to our heavenly Shepherd, who thereby alleviates many a painful step. Hence Moses says, in Deut. xxxiii. 3, “How he loved the people! All his saints are in his hand.” It is, however, remarkable that Moses should be so urgent for his brother-in-law to accompany them, for the reason above-mentioned; since they were led by the pillar of cloud and of fire. But the Lord never leaves his people entirely without alleviation in their sufferings, although he himself had none.

We know nothing more of this encampment, but its name, which signifies “sprinkling,” It stands in beautiful connection with the previous station as the cause to the effect; for the fruit of spiritual sprinkling is the being made white.

The worship of the tabernacle and temple included in it many sprinklings. They were performed with the blood of the beasts offered for sacrifice, as also with oil, and with water. The sprinkling took place towards the temple and the mercy seat in the most holy place. Particularly remarkable is the blood of the paschal lamb, in which the children of Israel dipped a bunch of hyssop and sprinkled the door-posts and lintel of their dwellings, that the destroying angel might pass over. To this David refers in Psalm li. where he gives it a spiritual meaning, and prays, saying, “Purge me with hyssop;” it was also used in the cleansing of leprous persons. This paschal lamb is one of the greatest typical representations of our redemption by

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Christ. Hence Paul says, “Christ our passover was slain for us.”

It is also remarkable, that the blood which was shed on Horeb for the confirmation of the covenant, was also sprinkled upon the people, as a sign and pledge of their part in the blessings and benefits of that covenant. Nor less remarkable is the sprinkling of blood by the high priest, on the great day of atonement, by which the purification of Israel’s sins was typically effected. These solemn sprinklings are all eminent typical representations of the redemption, justification, and sanctification of the church, by the blood and spirit of Christ.

Besides these, there was also a daily sprinkling in the daily morning and evening sacrifice for sin, as well as, in particular cases, the sprinkling with the ashes of a red cow, which afforded Levitical purification. All these together are figures of the glorious effects of the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel makes an allusion to the spiritual signification of this ceremony, when, in ch. xxxvi. 25, he says, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.- — Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes, do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you.”

In the Ne<v Testament, there is also a sprinkling with the water of baptism, by which the inward purification of the soul, through the remission of sins and regeneration, is typified and sealed. The term “sprinkk ling” occurs not unfrequently in the New Testament. Thus, in Heb. x. 22, it is said, “let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” In ch. xii. 24, the Apostle numbers it amongst New Testament privileges, that we “are come to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.” And in 1 Peter i. 2, the Apostle uses the expression, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Sacrifice is not complete without sprinkling, and the latter is nothing else than the appropriation and real impartation of the power and effect of the sacrifice offered up, on the soul. The offering has reference to God, the sprinkling to man, who is by this means connected with the offering. The sprinkling places him in the real possession of the purchased benefits and blessings. Even the Jews find in the sprinkling a great mystery, and maintain that it is the chief thing in a sacrifice; and that not without reason; for by it is typified, not only that Christ himself, sprinkled with his own blood — when, by the shedding of it, and by his perfect obedience, he had sanctified himself for his people — should stand accepted before his Father continually; but also that its efficacy should be imparted by the preaching of the gospel to every believer amongst all the nations of the earth.

Even as the sprinkling took place by the finger of the priest, so Christ, by his divine power, offered his blood to the Father, and, by the finger of his Spirit, appropriates that, which he has purchased for them, to those that in every age believe in his name. The sprinkling was performed crosswise, and signified how Christ crucified should be preached, and as such, should be presented to all nations as the sole object of their faith. It was frequently done by a sprinkler, made of a piece of cedar and a bunch of hyssop, which was tide to the cedar with twice-dyed scarlet wool. The cedar-tree is the loftiest and most elegant of all trees — an emblem of the glory of Christ our head, by means of which he pours forth his heavenly blessings into us, his members. Cedar has a pleasant smell, and these blessings render us acceptable to God; it is oleaginous, and this indicates the true unction; it is valuable, and what is more so, or of equal worth to the gifts of Christ; it is not subject to decay, and the blessings of his redemption are imperishable. Hyssop is the lowliest amongst plants, and of an agreeable smell; emblematic of the atoning lowliness of Christ, especially of humility, in which he called himself a worm, and which likewise pleases him so much, that he gives grace to the humble. The twice- dyed scarlet wool is indicative of his suretyship, the fruit which results from the union of his lowliness and dignity. All these three things are represented in the words of the gospel, and laid as the basis of all consolation for the sinner.

“Without shedding of blood there is no remission.” The shedding of blood under the Old Testament dispensation has ceased, and necessarily must cease, after the invaluable blood of Jesus Christ’ was shed, as he himself says, “for the remission of sins.” It possesses supreme worth and efficacy. Supreme worth, for it is the blood of a man, which is of such value,, that it can be compensated only by blood; for according to divine command, ‘’ Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” It is the blood of an innocent man, like whom none is so innocent; of a holy man, with whom none can compare, and which, on this account, also deserves to be denominated the precious blood, as Peter calls it. Nor is this all It is the blood of a Saviour — the blood of Christ, the Supreme Prophet, sole High Priest, and most exalted King — of one who was anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure — the blood of one, whom all the angels adore, and whom all men must honour, even as they honour the Father; in one word, it is blood of the Son of God the blood of God, as Paul calls it, (Acts xx. 28,) by which he has ransomed his church. Therefore who can reckon the value of such blood? What is all the gold and silver compared to it. And what shall we say, when we reflect, that we are redeemed with such a price from all our sins and the power of Satan! Well may it be said, we are dearly bought!

Glorious is the power and efficacy of this blood. “We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephes. i. 7.) “We are justified by his blood.” •’ God hath set him forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood.” “It cleanses us from all sin,” and his people overcome the old serpent “through the blood of the Lamb.” “By his own blood he hath entered once for all into the holy place, and is become the author of eternal salvation.” “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God!” And when Christ himself, on presenting the cup, in the holy sacrament, places the New Testament or covenant in his blood, he teaches us, that all the blessinos of the covenant of 2:rac’e are contained in his blood, or spring from it. But what is his blood else than his meritorious sufferings collectively?

This blood has a two-fold operation; first, on heaven and heavenly things. By it they have become acceptable to us. If a land, as the prophet says, casts out its inhabitants because of their transgressions; how much more heaven and heavenly things must reject us, who are such abominable sinners from our very birth, and amongst us such dreadful ones! They would oppose themselves to all fellowship with us, and the heavenly dove avoid such disgusting haunts. But now are they reconciled through the blood of the Son of God, and access to them is opened out to us.

This blood, secondly, manifests its transmuting power on the elect themselves, for it is a living blood, our life is in it;” We have now, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.’* (Heb. X. 19, 20.)

With this blood we must be sprinkled, as the Scripture expresses it, and as typified in the rites of the Old Testament worship — that is, its consoling, cleansing, and vivifying power must manifest itself in our hearts and consciences by the Holy Spirit. It is, therefore, not enough that we possess a mere knowledge of the nature andpassive obedience of Christ, or are able to speak of it in a scriptural manner, or agree to that which others say of it; it is not enough that we appropriate his merits to ourselves by our own power and reason, and by a self-made faith and hope for salvation on account of it; it is not enough that we immediately receive the word with joy, believe for a time, and yet the word have no root in us; nor is it enough that we do, suffer, and renounce many things. We must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ and the water of the Holy Spirit for our purification — our understanding sprinkled, that it may obtain quite a different view of itself, of the truth, of God, Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation, to that which it previously possessed, however learned that might be — a view by which the individual may become a worthless sinner, but Christ the chief, yea, sole object of his desire and his confidence — our hearts sprinkled, that they may be filled with new feelings of sorrow for sin, even a godly sorrow, with love to God in Christ, and with a disposition to renounce every thing in order to win Christ — our consciences sprinkled, that they may be cleansed from dead works, from accusation and condemnation on account of sin, and filled with a cheerful confidence towards God — our wills sprinkled, that they may be united with the divine will, and easily bend themselves, like pliant wax, into every form — owx affections sprinkled, so that hatred and love, desire and disgust may be directed to their proper objects — our whole being sprinkled, so that every destroying angel, every evil must pass over us, like the blood -besprinkled tents of Israel, without daring to approach us; so that sin, Satan, and death must set us at

q3 liberty, as belonging to another master, however much they may still assail us — sprinkled, once and forever, till the sprinkling, in its seven-fold repetition, attains its celestial completion. It gives the individual an inestimable privilege, real nobility, and eternal salvation. It is true, it has its degrees; it commences here, and continues until all that is in part is done away, and that which is perfect comes.

Such is the blessing which, figuratively speaking, is found at Rissah, where a pleasing dew descends, an allusion to which is also contained in that word. Encamping at Rissah, therefore, implies a being sprinkled with, and a being acted upon by the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ. Jesus touches the leper, and he is made clean; a diseased female touches the hem of his garment, and is made whole. He lays his hands on the blind man, and the latter receives his sight; he puts his finger into the deaf man’s ear, and hearing returns; he touches the tongue of the dumb, who immediately regains his utterance.

Such is the being encamped at Rissah. The soul now powerfully experiences what is implied in the blood and spirit of Christ, and what is meant by drinking his blood — how all evil flees before it, and all salvation gathers round it. The man no longer regrets having encamped amongst the thorny juniperbushes of Rithmah, nor at having endured the sharp ablutions at Libnah, since both of them contributed to lead him to Rissah.

But let us be extremely desirous and earnest that the sprinkling, with the. blood and spirit of Jesus Christ may be fully consummated and perfected upon us, that we may more and more fully experience the operation of both, so far as this can be the case here below. It is true, it will only manifest itself in all the riches of its glory in the world to come, in those who have participated in its primary influences here below, and who long for the adoption, and wait for the redemption of the body.

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