Day 70- Leviticus 14; Hebrews 4-5

It is interesting that Henry points out that at the time of this telling, the people were tent dwellers and so this was a futuristic warning.  How they could know that they would have plaster, timber and the like to build houses and they would move toward no longer being tent dwellers is not explained,

Note, The leprosy of sin, if it be obstinate under the methods of cure, will at last be the ruin of families and churches. If Babylon will not be healed, she shall be forsaken and abandoned, and (according to the law respecting the leprous house), they shall not take of her a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, Jer. 51:9, Jer. 51:26 . The remainders of sin and corruption in our mortal bodies are like this leprosy in the house; after all our pains in scraping and plastering, we shall never be quite clear of it, till the earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved and taken down; when we are dead we shall be free from sin, and not till then,

Hebrews 4 is summarized,


"The apostle, having in the foregoing chapter set forth the sin and punishment of the ancient Jews, proceeds in this, I. To declare that our privileges by Christ under the gospel exceed the privileges of the Jewish church under Moses, as a reason why we should make a right improvement of them (v. 1-4). II. He assigns the cause why the ancient Hebrews did not profit by their religious privileges (v. 2). Then, II. Confirms the privileges of those who believe, and the misery of those who continue in unbelief (v. 3-10). IV. Concludes with proper and powerful arguments and motives to faith and obedience."

And chapter 5,

"In this chapter the apostle continues his discourse upon the priesthood of Christ, a sweet subject, which he would not too soon dismiss. And here, I. He explains the nature of the priestly office in general (v. 1-3). II. The proper and regular call there must be to this office (v. 4-6). III. The requisite qualifications for the work (v. 7-9). IV. The peculiar order of the priesthood of Christ; it was not after the order of Aaron, but of Melchisedec (v. 6, v. 7, v. 10). V. He reproves the Hebrews, that they had not made those improvements in knowledge which might have made them capable of looking into the more abstruse and mysterious parts of scripture (v. 11-14)."

So, I have been asking and wondering, where did all this "glorification" of priests come from?  Henry and this chapter here explains the position of the priest and makes it a little bit more clear for me,

We have here an account of the nature of the priestly office in general, though with an accommodation to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are told,I. Of what kind of beings the high priest must be. He must be taken from among men; he must be a man, one of ourselves, bone of our bones, flesh of our flesh, and spirit of our spirits, a partaker of our nature, and a standard-bearer among ten thousand. This implies, 1. That man had sinned. 2. That God would not admit sinful man to come to him immediately and alone, without a high priest, who must be taken from among men. 3. That God was pleased to take one from among men, by whom they might approach God in hope, and he might receive them with honour. 4. That every one shall now be welcome to God that comes to him by this his priest.II. For whom every high priest is ordained: For men in things pertaining to God, for the glory of God and the good of men, that he might come between God and man. So Christ did; and therefore let us never attempt to go to God but through Christ, nor expect any favour from God but through Christ.III. For what purpose every high priest was ordained: That he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin. 1. That he might offer gifts or free-will offerings, brought to the high priest, so offered for the glory of God, and as an acknowledgment that our all is of him and from him; we have nothing but what he is pleased to give us, and of his own we offer to him an oblation of acknowledgment. This intimates, (1.) That all we bring to God must be free and not forced; it must be a gift; it must be given and not taken away again. (2.) That all we bring to God must go through the high priest’s hands, as the great agent between God and man.2. That he might offer sacrifices for sin; that is, the offerings that were appointed to make atonement, that sin might be pardoned and sinners accepted. Thus Christ is constituted a high priest for both these ends. Our good deeds must be presented by Christ, to render ourselves and them acceptable; and our evil deeds must be expiated by the sacrifice of himself, that they may not condemn and destroy us. And now, as we value acceptance with God and pardon, we must apply ourselves by faith to this our great high priest.IV. How this high priest must be qualified, v. 2.1. He must be one that can have compassion on two sorts of persons:—(1.) On the ignorant, or those that are guilty of sins of ignorance. He must be one who can find in his heart to pity them, and intercede with God for them, one that is willing to instruct those that are dull of understanding. (2.) On those that are out of the way,

Have a great day!  One more week down!