Of Laying on of Hands

 

Of Laying on of Hands

 

Leviticus 1:4

 

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

 

In Hebrews 6:2 reference is made to the doctrine of laying on of hands. The doctrine of laying on of hands as it applies to the burnt offering sets before us a different aspect from the doctrine of laying on of hands in the sin offering. In both cases atonement was made for the one who offered the sacrifice. And in both cases atonement is made by the blood of the sacrifice. For “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The various offerings are shadows of the same substance, that substance is Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption. The different offerings are shadows showing forth the different aspects of that one completed work of redemption. In the burnt offering, the perfect devotion of the Son of God to the Father’s will is the primary aspect held up to our view. “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect” (Hebrews 10:1).

 

In the meat offering Christ Jesus is set forth as the bread of life and is feasted upon unto the full satisfaction of the Father and the church. All the incense of the meat offering was burned on the brazen alter and ascended up to God in the smoke of the alter, while the priests, who prefigure the church of God, that is the family of God, fed on the rest of the offering after the memorial had been removed.   Their feast and fellowship is in Jesus Christ. The doctrine of Christ, that is the gospel,  is a feast of fat things, as it is written: “And in this mountain (the church of God: writer) shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined” (Isaiah 25:6). “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

 

The laying on of hands in the sin offering was to signify the transfer of sin from the offender to the sacrifice. As said the prophet Isaiah; “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). The Apostle Paul wrote: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Since the sin, and sins of the family of God have been laid on the Lamb of God, sin whether original or actual is not imputed to the sinner himself. Since Christ has redeemed the elect from the curse of the law, it necessarily follows, that the law has no curse remaining for the children of God.

 

The different offerings of the Old Testament are shadows of different aspects of the one offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. The different offerings and the manner in which they prefigure Christ with the infinite satisfaction that His one offering brought to the members of the Godhead cannot be appreciated by any created intelligence. The following verses may furnish some obscure insight into the delight the Father and the Holy Spirit took in the Son and His finished work of salvation for the family of God. “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad” (Psalm 45:6-8). “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little one” (Zechariah 13:7). No one offering could propose to faith the infinite perfections of the Person and finished work of our Great High Priest the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father and the Holy Ghost alone are capable of a true estimation of the value and merit of the one offering of the Son of God. With reference to the Father, the Son said: “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him” (Proverbs 8:22-31)

 

The laying on of hands in the burnt offering is connected with the idea of oneness or union with the sacrifice. In the burnt offering the offerer is identified with the offering as they stand in union, the one in union with the other. The picture is of Christ Jesus and His church, standing in covenant union from everlasting, according to the eternal decree of election, wherein the persons of the elect were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). These persons were set apart: (1.) by the choice of God the Father unto salvation, as it is written: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (II Thessalonians 2:13): (2.) and unto redemption by the Son of God: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24): (3.) and they are set apart unto the effectual call of the Holy Spirit: “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9). These persons are: “sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” effectually by the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:1).

 

According to the burnt offering aspect of the cross death of Jesus Christ, as viewed in the doctrine of laying on of hands, the atonement and our acceptance, is founded on the baptism of believers into union in death with the Lamb of God, as it is written: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, all believers of all ages are crucified with Christ, as it is written : “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Believers are (1.) baptized into His death: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:3), (2.) risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, and (3.) forever justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the works of the law, as it is written: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13;39).

 

With reference to the sin offering, the offender was again to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering. This action was to identify the offender with the sin offering, but in this offering the action involved the imputation of the sin of the offender to the offering. The identification of the offender with the offering, was typical of the union that exists between the Lord Jesus and His people. They (the children of God) were given of the Father in eternity past to Christ who is the surety of the New Testament. As surety it is and always has been the function of Him who stood in that office to put the sin of His people away, so that sin might not be charged to the those who were given Him of the Father. The justness of this action is based on the covenant union that has existed between Christ and the elect from all eternity.

 

In the everlasting covenant of Grace, Christ Jesus and the elect are esteemed, reckoned, considered, or legally accounted to be one. Our Lord Jesus said “I am the vine ye are the branches” (John 15:5). “And He is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). Christ Jesus the Head and His body the church in covenant union stand together as one in the Father’s view.  And in that view as joined together in one they make “one new man” as it is written: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one (both Jew and Gentile: writer), and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). The Jewish members of the body, and the Gentile members of the body, though they are one in Christ, joined together in Christ make up the body and nothing more. The “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15), is composed of Christ the Head of the body and the church His members joined together in spiritual union, as it is written: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (I Corinthians 6:17). So that the imputation of the righteousness of the Head to the body is just in the judicial government of God, and it is also just that the Christ should bare the sin of His members, their sin, and sins being by imputation alone made His: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21).

 

In the burnt offering aspect of the cross death of Jesus Christ, the laying on of the hands of the offerer, was intended to signify the shared acceptance of the offering and the offerer. As was the offering so was the offerer. The acceptance of the offerer depended on the acceptableness of the offering. Since the offerer and the offering were identified together as one, the offerer was accepted in the acceptance of the offering. As it is written: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). As Christ is, so are we in this world, before the God of heaven and earth. This is our confidence that gives us boldness in the day of judgment. “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (I john 5:20). “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:22-23). Believers are in the Son of God, (I John 5:20) The Son of God is the advocate of the children of God (I John 2:2) and the Son of God is the judge (John 5:22-23). The Judge and the Advocate are one Person, the Son of God, in whom all the children of God are members, and the Judge is also “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6), “to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed” (Romans 4:16). Death, hell, the grave, and every enemy of the children of God are conquered foes, they were defeated in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

 

AJ Ison

See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Meat Offering

 

The Meat Offering

 

Leviticus 2:1

 

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

 

The words of our Lord Jesus Christ should immediately identify the one who is typified in the meat offering: when He said “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). The fine flour represents the Man, Christ Jesus. In Him there were no unequal grains, no unevenness of any sort, no clumps nor clogs, there were no impurities: it was the pure essence of the perfect sinless Man “who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:5). The fine flour typified “that holy thing” that was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35). Our Lord Jesus was “made of a woman” as it is written: “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4). God the Holy Ghost took of the substance of woman and in her womb was conceived (Isaiah 7:14) “her seed” as it is written: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

 

Our Lord Jesus took His perfect sinless Humanity from the woman, and in that Humanity He is the “Second Man” (I Corinthians 15:47) who has the humanity of the “first man Adam” without the taint of sin (I Corinthians 15:45). It is that perfect sinless Humanity which was taken into union with the Son of God (John 1:14; Hebrews 10:5). The Second Man is the Covenant Head of the new creation, “created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10; II Corinthians 5:17). And in that perfect sinless humanity our Lord Jesus is the near kinsman Redeemer, who has the right of redemption (Leviticus 25:25), by which He redeemed the lives of His many brethren who were sold under sin in the first man Adam (Romans 8:29; 7:14; Hebrews 2: 11,12,17 ).  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only perfect man who ever walked on “the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). Adam was created upright, as it is written: “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” (Ecclesiastes 7:29)

 

Adam suffered mutation, he fell in sin with all his race in him and all that race is held accountable for sin by which they were defiled in Adam. They were accounted guilty of sin in Adam according to the judicial government of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ the Second Man is one with the Father (John 10:30) and like Him “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17) our Lord Jesus is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). For “it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven” (I Corinthians 15: 45-47). The first man is the head of the natural race of men, the Second Man is the head of the spiritual race of men which is the church of God. The first man brought death on his race by sin, the Second Man, “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Timothy 1:10). These two men with their respective races must be kept separate, if the word of truth is to be rightly divided. The following explanation may shed light on this topic.

 

Great confusion, and horrible error in extreme proportions has been introduced into the professing church by ignorance or neglect of the fact that the first man Adam, was covenant head over his race, and that the Second Man, Jesus Christ is the covenant head over His race, the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). These two races are entirely different, although the second is taken from among the first, that is, the church is taken “from among men” as it is written: “These are they which were not defiled with women; (they did not participate in idolatrous worship: writer) for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4).  And they are redeemed out of every kindred and tongue, as it is written: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

 

“Therefore as by the offence of one (one covenant head, that is Adam, the first man: writer) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; (all men that were of Adam’s race were condemned in Adam: Writer) even so by the righteousness of one (The Second Man Jesus Christ: writer) the free gift came upon all men (all men who are of the chosen generation [I Peter 2:9] created in Jesus Christ, The Last Adam: writer) unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). Additions to this verse of scripture or any verse of scripture are not acceptable. However some have added the following words: “whereby the grace of God became equally accessible to all men”. This totally distorts the scripture in that  it wrests the word of God (II Peter 3:18). Additions to the scriptures by the ingenuity of men are destructive of the truth. They deny the truth that the purpose and grace of God was given through the election of grace before the world began (II Timothy 1:9). It passes by (as if nonexistent) the scripture which declares that those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world are predestinated to the adoption of children (Ephesians 1:4-5). This also vitiates the truth that: “by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). From Romans 5:17 it is clear that it is only those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness that shall reign in life by Jesus Christ. And who are these? They are they who are predestined of God to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29), who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) these were beloved of the Father from all eternity (John 17:23-24), they were redeemed by the Son of God at Calvary, and all and every one of them will be effectually called by God the Holy Ghost to eternal life in Jesus Christ. All the devils in hell, and all the men of this world cannot hinder the purpose and grace of God, from bringing His many sons to glory by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:10). They shall all be made willing in the day of his power (Psalm 110:3) for it is God that works in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), And that good work that He begins in His chosen people He will also finish (Philippians 1:6).

 

And he shall pour oil upon it: Oil represents the Holy Ghost. The oil was either mingled with the fine flour, or the oil was used to anoint the offering. Our Lord Jesus was anointed “the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24) by the Holy Ghost, as it is written: “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22). All that our Lord Jesus did upon earth was by the Holy Ghost. “That holy and heavenly vessel in which God the Son was pleased to appear in this world was formed, filled, anointed, and led by the Holy Ghost” (C.H.Mackintosh). Although our Lord Jesus possessed in His own Person divine power, yet he did all His works, wrought all His miracles, and finally offered himself without spot to God, by the eternal Spirit. And He said “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28).

 

Our Lord Jesus was the sinless perfect Man in thought, word, and deed form His birth in the stable at Bethlehem to His death at Calvary. And although He is “God manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16), yet as Man and Mediator He would do nothing without the authority of the word of God, nor by the power of the Spirit. For in His offices He did not come to earth to fulfill His own will as though He were an independent though, perfect man, but He came to do the will of the Father who sent Him (John 6:38). And therefore He said “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). In the day of judgment every man who has built with the wood, hay, and stubble, of popular opinion, and dogma of the traditions of men will certainly suffer loss. But if we wait to be endued with power from on high our labor will not have been in vain. (I Corinthians 3:12; Luke 24:49; I Corinthians 15:58).

 

And put frankincense thereon. The priest of the sons of Aaron would come and take his handful of the fine flour, and of the oil, and all the frankincense, and burn the memorial on the Alter of burnt offering. All the frankincense ascended up to God, it was not for the offerer, nor the priest. Everything in the life and death of Jesus Christ was first and foremost for the glory of God. The ministry of our Lord Jesus brought to light the glory of the holiness and truth of God, in that, where and upon whomsoever sin is found, God must and will punish sin to the uttermost. Although it was God’s own Son, “who bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Peter 2:24). Even though the Lord Himself had laid on Him the iniquity of all the church of God of all ages (Isaiah 53:6). Even though the Son of God offered himself by the eternal Spirit, in full obedience to the will of the Father: “Yet it pleased the lord to bruise him” it is written: “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10).  The Father had charged His Son with the sin which had been, and is being committed by the church, not sin committed by the Son, but sin imputed to the Son by the Father. As it is written: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). The Son must answer the charge for He is the Good Shepherd of the sheep. Christ Jesus satisfied the glory and honor of the law, justice, truth and holiness of God being put to death, the death of the cross, in the room and stead of the sheep. Sin has met its punishment in the body of Jesus Christ, therefore the God of peace, has called the Good Shepherd up to glory to rule over His redeemed creation.

 

But not only is the law and justice of God glorified in the cross death of our Lord Jesus, but the love of God is manifested. God gave His only begotten Son because of His love for the world of His elect (John 3:16; Romans 8:32; Isaiah 53:8, 11; Matthew 1:21). God the Father turned His back on His well-beloved Son, in the hour of His most severe torment. Satan and the hosts of hell, with the men of this world had done all they could to torture the only pure man and holy Man on the face of the earth. But that was not the worst  of the misery which the Son of God He had to endure, for He endured all this in silence as it is written: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). But when the Father turned His back, when the light of His countenance no longer shown down on the Son, then His holy heart burst with sorrow and agony of soul, then He must cry out: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring” (Psalm 22:1). Thus the unutterable agony, the infinite misery of the Son of God, was brought forth by the love of the Son for the glory of God, and for the welfare of His beloved church and people. Thus all the frankincense must be for God. It must rise in the smoke of the Alter as a sweet savor of the accomplishments, both God-ward, and toward the people of His love. It must rise as a sweet savor of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ in His death. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the authentic gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.