Leviticus 14:4 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

As the mercy of redemption by the blood and righteousness of the LORD JESUS, extends to all the necessities of our souls, so is it worth our closest observation, that in the old church, in the wilderness state where these blessings were preached, and set forth under type and figure; all those great leading doctrines were under one form, or other, most strikingly represented. As for example, our deliverance from the wrath to come by the blood and righteousness of the LORD JESUS, was shadowed forth under the figure of the Jewish passover. Paul explained this where he said, CHRIST our passover was sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5:7. But a deliverance from evil, even from the wrath to come is not enough to constitute happiness. For a man may be delivered from positive evil, and yet enjoy no positive good. And this is precisely the case with our nature, until the sin of that nature is done away by a sovereign atonement. And hence under the figure of atonement, as set forth in the fourth chapter of Leviticus at large (see the commentary upon it) the expiation of the sins of our nature, by the sacrifice of the LORD JESUS, is most strikingly explained. But even here again, this would not complete the sinner's mercy, if the divine goodness had stopped here. For a man may be mercifully delivered from the wrath to come, and the sins of his nature atoned for by the blood and sacrifice of JESUS; but still he himself remain incapable of enjoying true happiness, unless qualified by divine grace, and made meet by the renewal of his mind from the leprosy of sin he had lain under. Hence, therefore, in the sweet scripture now brought before us, we are taught by GOD the HOLY GHOST, under the emblem of these two birds, how the blood of JESUS, when applied to the guilty soul, cleanseth; and how the water of regeneration maketh the renewed soul meet to be a partaker of an inheritance with the saints in light. JESUS came not by water only, but by water and blood. 1 John 5:6. As everything here represented in the ceremony of the church of old, is highly significant and instructive; I earnestly beg the reader to be very particular in his attention to it. Even the lesser circumstances of the cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop, no doubt had their signification.