LEVITICUS 18 TO 20
LEVITICUS 18 TO 20
These chapters correspond with what is spoken of in the New Testament as the putting off the old man with his deeds, and putting on the new man. A former order of things is contemplated. “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their customs”. “All these abominations have the men of the land done, who were before you, and the land hath been made unclean” (chapters 18: 3, 27; 20: 23). All connected with that former order is to be absolutely refused. It is positively evil and abominable, and divine authority is brought to bear upon it. Moses is the speaker; Aaron does not appear.
All the features of the old man appear in these chapters — corruption in the gratification of lust, cruelty in giving their seed unto Molech, and falsehood. The old man is morally after the devil. It “corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4: 22). We must distinguish between the [p. 221] old man and the natural man. There are things in the natural man which are of God — natural affection, kindness, and often a great measure of truth and uprightness in dealing with his fellows. These things serve to show that in natural — that is, unconverted — men and women there are features which are of God. Paul speaks of some who “practise by nature the things of the law” (Romans 2: 14). The rich young man who came to the Lord was a natural man, but there were features in him which the Lord could value, and which drew out the Lord’s love. It is right to recognize even in unconverted people what is good and of God. It is to be respected, for it is a trace left of God’s handiwork. Just as in a ruined building you may see bits that show the handiwork of the builder.
But the old man is marked by corruption, cruelty, and falsehood. It sets forth what man is as corrupted by Satan, and corrupting himself; there is not a single feature in the old man that is of God. The heart of man as fallen is the source of every corrupt and cruel thing (Mark 7: 21). There may be a certain veneer on the outside, particularly where Christian light is, but within is “all uncleanness” (Matthew 23: 27). The old man is not an individual any more than the new man is. These terms “the old man” and “the new man” are used to designate two totally different orders of moral being. The whole mass of fallen humanity carries the features of “the old man”, though those features come out more distinctly in some than others. The saints — “the holy and faithful brethren in Christ” — have “put off the old man with his deeds”, and have put on the new. The new man “according to God is created in truthful righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 24), and is “renewed into full knowledge according to the image of him that has created him” (Colossians 3: 10). That image is seen in Christ. So that the new man is according to God as set forth in Christ. “I am Jehovah your God” necessitates moral correspondence between God and His people. And it is striking that believers are not told to put off the old man and to put on the new. It is supposed that every one who has learned the Christ has done it.
The new man is a divine creation. What the old man is can be seen on all sides. It is written large on the history of the world, and in the pages of every newspaper! But, thank God! there is a new man — a divine creation more wonderful than the material universe — a man created “in truthful righteousness and holiness”, and according to God as imaged in Christ. A man who is not only “created” but “renewed”, so that his moral features are preserved in distinctiveness and freshness. The features of the new man do not deteriorate or decay. They are not one hair’s-breadth nearer to the features of the old man than they were at the outset of christianity.
The new man does not go on with “the doings of the land of Egypt” or “the doings of the land of Canaan”. It seems to me that the Egyptian element is prominent in Colossians — “philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2: 8). But I think the Canaanitish element would appear in Ephesians. “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye should no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in understanding,
[p. 223] estranged from the life of God by reason of the ignorance which is in them, by reason of the hardness of their hearts, who having cast off all feeling, have given themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedy unsatisfied lust” (Ephesians 4: 17 - 19).
It may be added that the new man comes into evidence on earth. “The new man” could have no meaning in heaven, for there has never been an “old man” there. In the place where diabolical corruption appears in the old man the new man comes out as a divine creation. And indeed many of the features of the new man will not be called for in heaven. For example, bowels of compassion, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another! These are for earth, not heaven.
It is through the affections that God brings us to put off the old man and to put on the new. He brings Christ into the view of our souls as the Anointed Man of His pleasure. Colossians speaks of receiving the Christ; Ephesians speaks of learning the Christ. The brethren in Christ “have heard him and been instructed in him according as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4: 21). This shows that believers come under the direct and personal influence of Christ; and all who have really experienced this have put off the old man and have put on the new.
Chapter 19 stands by itself as the only chapter in this book whose contents are addressed to “all the assembly of the children of Israel”. It is the people looked at as forming a moral whole — one might say, in figure, “one new man” — observing in unity all God’s statutes and ordinances. God has His new man down here where the Jew and Gentile were. He has wrought [p. 224] in creative power to bring that new man into being, and it takes “all the assembly” to give expression to him. This chapter is a comprehensive summary of what is to mark those who reverence God’s sanctuary. There is something more in it than individual obedience, for each one is to be concerned that his neighbour also is kept right. One is to be as anxious for one’s neighbour to be free from any evil as one is about oneself (verses 17, 18). We belong to a holy assembly, for it is God’s assembly and He is holy, and each one is responsible to maintain the holy character of His assembly.
Much that is written here is almost transcribed into Colossians and Ephesians. “Ye shall reverence every man his mother, and his father”. “Ye shall not steal”. “Ye shall not lie one to another”. “Thou shalt not avenge thyself, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people”. Compare Ephesians 6:2; Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 4:28; Ephesians 4:31,32.
If “all the assembly” is to be holy because God is holy, every mother and father in that assembly would be marked by holiness, and the influence which they brought to bear in their households would be a divine and godly influence. The children not provoked to anger, but brought up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. It is very suitable that we should “reverence” those who have cared for us in childhood and youth, and preserved us from the corrupting influences of the world, and who have sought our good in relation to God. The older we get the more we “reverence” those who in the place of parents have protected us, and brought divine influences and control to bear upon us. Indeed it is to be noted that it is “every man” — not every child — who is to reverence [p. 225] his mother and father. As long as the parents live they are to be reverenced. Many a wayward boy and girl has longed to be free from parental care and control, but the grace of God would bring salvation to such, and teach them to value the immense privilege of a christian household. On the other hand it is an abiding exercise for believing parents to maintain that, before their children, which is truly deserving of reverence.
I have no doubt there is a parental influence in the assembly which God would have us to reverence. There is maternal cherishing and fatherly admonition (1 Thessalonians 2: 7, 11).
“My sabbaths shall ye keep” refers to the other positive injunction of the law. God’s people are to own His sabbaths. Jehovah rested on the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. He said, as it were, I have hallowed my sabbaths, now you are to hallow them. It tested the people’s state of heart as to whether they valued communion with their God. Do you love to think of how perfectly God has secured rest for Himself in Christ?
The “sacrifice of peace-offering” refers to the fellowship of saints being such as can be accepted. It must not be eaten beyond the second day. Spiritual joys have to be sustained by renewed direct communion with God. We have spoken of the principle of renewing in connection with the new man, and the necessity for renewing is emphasized in the peace offering. It is not sufficient to be conscious that one has not done anything wrong. There must be a renewal with God and with His people of that which is the source and spring of spiritual joy. Many live on the remembrance of joys they have had, but that [p. 226] is not an acceptable ground of communion in the present. We often, perhaps, speak together of things when the heart has no longer a present and deep sense of what they mean as in nearness to God about them. At such a time renewing is needed. We should be exercised that the character of our communion is such that God can be complacent in it at the moment. Every saint who has the Spirit has known spiritual joy in Christ. Many know it was real, and live on the memory of it. People who tell us that things were better, and in more power, years ago are confessing that what they cherish as a remembrance is greater to them than what they are in the enjoyment of now! It is time they brought another peace-offering, and got all renewed with God and with the brethren! One feels the need for renewing very much. It is easy to sing beautiful hymns, and to utter beautiful words, without the affections moving vitally with what we sing or say. We need renewal of spiritual joy and energy. We may know a thing to be true without having the present joy of it with God or with our brethren. How thankful we ought to be that there is such a thing as renewing!
Then in the harvest and the vintage, when the rich fruits of divine goodness are being gathered, “the poor and the stranger” are to be thought of (verses 9, 10). God would never have us to forget that there are “poor” amongst His people — those who are not in possession of fields or vineyards. If we have spiritual substance let us consider them, and try to make some of it available for them. There are tens of thousands of God’s Israel who are “poor”. We cannot make them come and glean, but we ought to think of them, and have them in our hearts. We can [p. 227] see, at any rate, that gleanings are there for them if they have any desire. Such consideration is “after God”; if He sees it in our hearts He sees the features of the new man.
Then the “stranger” — one entirely outside God’s people — is to be thought of also. Boaz carried this out to the stranger Ruth. How thankful should we be to see more Ruths in the fields of Boaz! There are rich gleanings there, and the gleaners can have not only the gleanings, but Boaz himself — the mighty Man in whom all divine wealth is found! The “poor” would thus become rich indeed!
The following statutes (verses 11 - 18) bring out in various ways the character that God would impress upon His people by bringing Himself before them as known in grace. Then mixtures are to be avoided (verse 19). Satan often works on this line — putting together two things which should be kept apart, and really spoiling both. We are warned not to be carried away by “various and strange doctrines”. I think all such are marked by mixture — part law, part grace, part human philosophy! How often there are two sorts of seeds in what professes to be gospel preaching! And in result people appear in garments “woven of two materials”! A bit of Christ and a good deal of self!
Ten times in these three chapters God says, “I am Jehovah your God”. Twelve times He says, “I am Jehovah”. He would impress upon His people that their conduct and spirit is to take character from Him. The new man is “according to God ... created in truthful righteousness and holiness”. He says, “Ye shall be holy unto me; for I Jehovah am holy, and have separated you from the peoples to be mine” (chapter 20: 26). God would have His people to be entirely diverse from all other peoples. Moses prayed to Jehovah to go with His people, “so shall we be distinguished, I and thy people, from every people that is on the face of the earth” (Exodus 33: 16). If God goes with His people it must be to discipline them, and bring them into accord with Himself, so that they may be for His pleasure.