The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-08-01

chapter OF Leviticus.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
And tie Lord called unto Noses. Tho call
OF God In the Mosaic rite. For three lessons
now We shall be listening TO these meaning
full voices. First. IL is in the burnt offerings
next I'm the sim Offering; finally. in one of
the fcasts. the feast OF tabernacles. In each
God makes his holy nature and his gracious
purpose known. The Old Testament is full
OF the limitations OF Gods love for "a lost
world. God spenks TO US through Moses and
the law BY putting all the utterances to-
| gether We make up our conception OF the
| divine character. IL is something like a
composite photograph in things OF sight. A
| boy had lost dear little sister whose face
was only in his memory. He asked so often
| for her picture that at last "a famous artist
| took the lad TO children's picture gallery.
There" said the boy. pointing TO one
portrait those were her eyes; that" point
| ing To another. was like her mouth" The
| painter put them all together and made n
| good portrait. So we gather up the scat
tered divulgences in the Scriptures. and on
| the hearts tablet there stands out clear and
| distinct the image OF the Father.
out Of the tabernacle Of the congregation.
How full OF God that ancient tabernacle was
| The mercy-Seat, the ark OF the covenant
with its law tablet. its pot of mama and its
budded rod. the incense altar, the shew-
! bread and the golden candlestick-all said
God is nigh, That ancient tabernacle sane
/ titled all the earth and taught us 10 find with
| reverent hearts God everywhere. Through
its rent veil shines earth and sky. ocean and
landscape. testifying OF God. The heart Of
man is his holy place. all nature the tent of
his tabernacle. Let all life take on sacred
ness. letevcry avocation be pricstly min
| istry. God is no where" wrote the iniidel
God is nowhere" his little daughter spell
ed IL. God enable us TO speak oftener as in
the tabernacle of his presence. The soldier
pacing his beat and thinking with overflow
ing heart of his new-found hope. half un-
consciously sang out when asked for the
password. The precious blood OF Christi"
| The word went like an arrow 10 the heart
| OF a cOmrado. We are In Gods tabernacle.
His redeeming work is going on all around
US. Let us listen for words out of the tab
ernacle OF the congregation. and speak
them. too.
A burnt sacrifice. There were five Offer
ings in ALL Levticus |. tells us OF the burnt
sacrifice. as coming from the herd OF cattle
! ". 81. the locks of sheep ". 10) or the
feathered fowls ". IA. The second chapter
tells of the meat Offering. which was 10 be
OF fine flour ". ~ or an Offering baked in
! the oven ". ~ or an oblation Of the first
| fruits ". ~. The third chapter introduces
the peace offering, the fourth the offer
ing and the fifth the trespass- Offering. The
peculiar mark of the burnt Offering was its
completeness. and that not simply as TO the
character OF the Offering. but as TO the thor
oughness of its consumption. Whatever
else IL vaguely or passingly minated its
pre-eminent declaration was dedication.
| Hence a better golden text for this lesson
would be Rom. II; L: Present your bodies
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God" The one chosen by the committee
| Isa 50: 81 would seem to US more applica-
bic TO the succeeding lesson. In Il word.
| with the sin and trespas5 offerings they
! came for e1piatiOn: with tn burnt Offering
for Dedication: with the meat Offering. for
Thanksgiving: and with the peace Offering.
! for suppticdtioR. Four affairs there are in
the Christian life. correspondingly. and the
| one which tells most OF ali is the altar Of
burnt-oifering or conservation.
Let HIM offer male. There was a pre-
scribed pattern. OF that we have vague
| hint in the contrasted sacrifices OF Cain and
Abel. In the burt-offering. with all Of its
! spontaneousness. there was mark Of divine
| authority and sovereignty. At this point
| the demand upon man was simple obed-
ence. With him there was no option Us to
the essential character OF the sacrifice 1t
was TO be living male. either of the herd
| or OF the flock or, la case OF poverty. OF the
| fowls. At any rate. there was To be living
sacrifice. under prescribed limitations, 10
| fulfill the import Of the Offering. Suppose
| one had come then and said. all that is
| needed Is the answer of good conscience.
| i will bring "a measure Of fine flour or "A clus-
ter OF the fruit of the vine. What would il
| have been? A meat-offering. at least. you
| say. No. IL was not offered rs II grateful
| meat Offering, but a submissive burnt
Offering. As such il would be human sub
| stitute. a travesty. a plain disobelie nee OF
! the clear and explicit requirements of God.
In ordinances of obedience let US above all
obey. ., yes, friend ut the altar. "A few drops
gracefully sprinkled on the infants face
| that is very pretty a. an act of conscientious
| but soberly, ought you to call IL baptism. in
| loyalty 10 Christ's expressed command?
Without blemtsh- This was the other re-
| quirement. First the sacrifice was to be
eract. after the pattern set In the mount.
Second it was to be complete. perfect after
| its kind. No partial Offering would suffice.
no lame or limpng kline. no dwarfed sheep.
Alas. that IL should ever be- so. We come to
| make n perfect sacrifice, the whole burnt
| Offering. body. soul. spirit, consecrated to
God. And we withhold just "a little. Some
| chosen folly. some darling sin. an idol OF the
| heart is reserved. A trifle il is. only u
! blemish-but that is enough. The smoke OF
/ our Offering returns Remember Ananias
and Sapphire. Without blemish. There are
| no such things as trifles in matters of love
and devotion. The least withholding of
| loyal homage or affection indicates the
presence OF another love, another master.
Take an everyday Illustration There il be-
fore US one Of Cheyne Br,Idys picture sto-
| ries. A man is sitting by n midnight lamp
| holding his watch in one hand and "a filled pipe
| in the other. He has promised not TO smoke
| for year. and watch and tobacco ready
he is counting the remaining minute of the
old year. Tomorrow he will smoke away
above the picture is pertinent, Have you
| asked your Masters leaye?"
Al the door Of the tabernacle. Two things
are employed in this. First of all: il was the
initial sacrifice after entrance at tho gate OF
the court. Before any other OF the sweet
SAVIOR offerings could be made. this vUlun-
| tary rite Of conservation was to be performed.
| All things were TO be done as subsequently,
noted. in order" 1t is an important prin-
ciple. II you feel that God for Christs sake
| buz fnrsriynn sinG frat 10 hfa nj
| tar aud come at once. In the second place
it was II public and open act. The self-ded-
ication was made where the VOW could be
| witnessed by others. Once or twice in ON
limited experience we have known or heard
o! persons asking entrance 10 the church 10y
private ceremony. Is |: ever either wise OF
orderly 10 grant IL?
Next Lesson. The Day of Atonement.
| Lev xvi, Ito.