“Nothing asserted in God’s word is contrary to the true light of nature, though it infinitely transcends it. It is no way absurd to represent spiritual things, and even God himself, by proper emblems, as the sense is easily understood to be figurative; and those figures, drawn from common things, tend to make us ever conversant with spiritual objects.” Morrison’s Dictionary.
M‘Ewen remarks, “As the sun paints the clouds with a variety of glowing colours, which in their own natures are but dark and lowering vapours, exhaled from the earth—so when the sun of righteousness arises, even the carnal ordinances and commandments of the law, dark and earthly as they seem, are gilded by his beams, and wear a shining appearance.”
Mr. Brown says, “Christ Jesus being the subject and end of scripture revelation, we ought every where to search if we can find him.”
Bishop Porteus says, “When divine and spiritual things are presented by objects well-known and familiar to us, such as present themselves perpetually to our observation in the common occurrences of life, they are much more easily comprehended, especially by rude and uncultivated minds, (that is to say, by the great bulk of mankind) than if they were proposed in their original form.”
But we have infallible authority for our guide, the Law having a shadow of good things to come. And is there any impropriety in viewing the knives spoken of in the text, as containing matters of real importance to the Church of God—and that by the daily use of these instruments upon our tables, our minds may at times be deeply affected with those instruments of death we carry about with us?—We shall just notice the text in its connexion, which will gradually open the design of the Holy Ghost, in condescending to notice these knives; and surely if it was worth the Spirit’s notice, they must deserve our highest attention, let who will ridicule it.
The faithfulness of God was about to appear to his ancient people the Jews, in their return from the Babylonish Captivity—the 70 years determined were accomplished, and the Lord stirred up the spirit of the lovely Prince Cyrus, of whom Isaiah prophesied long before. This Prince made a proclamation throughout all his dominions, that the Israelites might depart to their own country, build an house to the God of Israel, and again inhabit their land. The King likewise encouraged them with wishing God to be with them; and then he kindly restored to them all the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar had impiously placed in the house of his god, the temple of Belus, at Babylon; these were commanded to be brought forth, and returned to the Jews, by the hand of the Treasurer, and committed to one of the trusty princes of Judah, Zerubbabel, called Sheshbazzar; it appears he had two names, one signifies he rejoiced in tribulation, the other, that he was a stranger in Babylon. The historian then relates what were put into his hands—Thirty chargers of gold and a thousand chargers of silver. These were vessels in which they gathered the blood of the sacrifices—and nine and twenty knives; probably their handles were gold and silver, as they were reckoned among the valuables, and were large knives which the priests used in slaying and cutting up the sacrifices. The chargers, which held the blood of the slain, most probably were typical of the word of truth, the writings of the Prophets and Apostles—likewise of Gospel Sermons, which are full of Christ our Passover, who was sacrificed—and which must be served by every faithful gospel minister to the Lord’s family. Those chargers which held the blood also, as well as the meat, were typical of the Ordinances of the Gospel, especially of the Lord’s Supper, wherein Christ Jesus is eminently set forth crucified. They may represent our faith, which receives the atonement and death of the Redeemer. In the Tabernacle there were but twelve, but in the Temple there were thirty golden and one thousand silver ones.—The knives are then mentioned among them; and as every utensil and instrument was figurative, those knives must have a figurative sense likewise. What will open this subject more clearly is a passage in Ezekiel xlth Chap. The Prophet had seen an amazing City and Temple, which doubtless referred to the Gospel Dispensation. The Prophet likewise saw the utensils and the knives which are spoken of in the text; and as the vision was intirely spiritual, we must look for the Gospel sense of the whole vision, and the knives among them.
Ezek. xl, 42, 43. And the four tables were of hewn stone, for the burnt offering, whereon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering. This explains the twenty-nine knives.—These tables were, doubtless, an emblem of the stony hearts of the Jews; for if, (as Bunyan remarks on this Subject) their hearts were not as hard as adamant, they could not have crucified the Lord of Life. Hewn stones—they did this under smooth pretences, like many in our day, under the mask, and through the out-cry of holiness and the Law—for which of these good works do ye stone me?—On these were laid the body of the sacrifice, while the Priests cut them up. Did not these represent the characters who would embrue their hands in the blood of Jesus?—and was it not charged home to their consciences on the day of Pentecost?—Ye have killed the Prince of Life! This naturally leads to reflect on the instruments made use of—Twenty-nine knives.
We shall First notice the grand Sacrifice—Secondly the Instruments of his Death.—First: Every idea of Sacrifice must at once include in it, that there is an infinite evil in sin, which no finite mind can fully comprehend—none but the mind of the dear Saviour could possibly take in all the evil there is in sin. This evil required a sacrifice to expiate it, or atone for it; and the reason why mankind are careless of the atonement, think light of it, or attempt to atone for their own crimes, by duties, tears, prayers, or works, is because they never saw sin in the light God sees it, and has consequently testified his hatred of it in many awful judgments, in a broken Law, in the flames of hell—but, above all, in the tremendous sufferings and death of Christ. Hence the Apostle says, God spared not his own Son.
We see, Secondly, The infinite love of the adorable Trinity—the amazing wisdom, and the astonishing pity and compassion of the covenant Three, in providing for our miseries, in a way surpassing all human thought, even by the Assumption of our Nature, appearing in flesh, as a sinner, and putting away sin by the sacrifice of himself—and it is the work of precious faith, upon every discovery of our vileness, misery, and guilt, to eye the adorable Mediator, as the gift of the Father’s love, to heal our every woe.
And was the ransom paid?—it was, and paid for you!
This, only this, subdues the fear of death, and takes away
Her sting.—This is the grand Sacrifice.