Notes on the Book of LeviticusMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Notes on the Book of Leviticus
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Bible. Leviticus -- Commentaries
of our book--"And _if he be poor and cannot get so
much_, then he shall take, etc.... And he shall offer the one of the
turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons, _such as he can get; even such
as he is able to get_.... This is the law of him in whom is the plague
of leprosy, _whose hand is not able to get_ that which pertaineth to
his cleansing." (Ver. 21, 30-32.)
Grace meets the needy one just where he is and as he is. The atoning
blood is brought within the reach of the very lowest, the very
poorest, the very feeblest. All who need it can have it. "If he be
poor"--what then? Let him be cast aside? Ah, no; Israel's God could
never so deal with the poor and needy. There is ample provision for
all such in the gracious expression, "Such as he can get; even such as
he is able to get." Most exquisite grace! "To the poor the gospel is
preached." None can say, The blood of Jesus was beyond me. Each can be
challenged with the inquiry, How near would you have it brought to
you? "I bring _near_ My righteousness." How "near"? So near, that it
is "to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the
ungodly." (Rom. iv. 5.) Again, "The Word is _nigh_ thee." How "nigh"?
So nigh, "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) So also that most touching
and beautiful invitation, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to
the waters, and _he that hath no money_." (Is. lv. 1.)
What matchless grace shines in the expressions, "To him that _worketh
not_," and, "He that hath _no money_"! They are as like God as they
are unlike man. Salvation is as free as the air we breathe. Did we
create the air? did we mingle its component parts? No; but we enjoy
it, and, by enjoying it, get power to live and act for Him who made
it. So is it in the matter of salvation. We get it without a fraction,
without an effort. We feed upon the wealth of another, we rest in the
work finished by another; and, moreover, it is by so feeding and
resting that we are enabled to work for Him on whose wealth we feed
and in whose work we rest. This is a grand gospel paradox, perfectly
inexplicable to legality, but beautifully plain to faith. Divine grace
delights in making provision for those who are "not able" to make
provision for themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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