John Calvin on Leviticus 24:5-9

We now come to the third part of the external service of God, which will bring us to the end of our exposition of the Second Commandment. We have, then, now to treat of the sacred oblations, the first place amongst which I have thought it best to give to the loaves, which had their peculiar table opposite the candlestick on the north side, as we saw in the construction of the Tabernacle; for although the mention of them will recur elsewhere, yet, since they were offered separately, and placed before the Ark of the Covenant, as it were in God’s sight, they must not be treated of apart from the sacrifices. I have already explained that this was no ordinary symbol of God’s favor, when He descended familiarly to them, as if He were their messmate. They were called “the bread of faces,” לחם-פנים “panes facierum.” In Exodus 25:30, as in several other places, the shew-bread of A. V. is a translation of these words. — W because they were placed before the eyes of God; and thus He made known His special favor, as if coming to banquet with them. Nor can it be doubted but that He commanded them to be twelve in number, with reference to the twelve tribes, as if He would admit to His table the food offered by each of them. The “two tenths” make the fifth part of the epah. And it is plaia indeed that this rite was thus accurately prescribed by God, lest diversity in so serious a matter might gradually give birth to many corruptions. In the word “tenths,” He seems to allude to the tax which He had imposed on the people, that thus the holiness of the loaves might be enhanced. But why He required two “tenths” rather than one I know not, nor do I think it any use more curiously to inquire. I refer to the frankincense the words, “that it may be on the bread for a memorial:” as if it were said that the bread, seasoned by the smell of the incense, would renew the memory of the children of Israel, so that they should be of sweet savor before God. Others translate it “a monument” instead of “for a memorial,” but with the same meaning. But although some think that the bread itself is called a memorial, it is more applicable to the frankincense; for it is afterwards added, that the incense should be at the same time a burnt sacrifice, viz., because in it the bread was, as it were, offered in burnt sacrifice.

Sacrifices

Exodus 29

Exodus 29:38-46

38. Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

38. Hoc est quod facies super altare, agnos anniculos jugiter in singulos dies.

39. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:

39. Agnum unum facies mane, et agnum unum inter duas vesperas.

40. And with the one lamb a tenth-deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.

40. Et decimam partem similae mistae oleo contuso, quartam partem hin et libamen, quartam partem hin vini in agnam unum.

41. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

41. Agnum alterum facies inter duas vesperas sicut minha matutino, et sicut libamini ejus facies ei in odorem quietis, oblationem ignitam Jehovae.

42. This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.

42. Holocaustum juge in generationes vestras, ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis coram Jehova, quo conveniam vobiscum nt tecum loquar.

43. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

43. Et conveniam illie cum filiis Israel, et locus sanctificabitur in gloria mea.

44. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.

44. Sanctificabo tabernaculum conventionis et altare, Aharonem quoque et filios ejus, et sacrificia, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi.

45. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

45. Habitaboqne in medio filiorum Israel, et ero ipsis in Deum.

46. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

46. Et scient quod sum Jehova Dens eorum, qui eduxi eos e terra AEgypti: ut habitarem in medio eorum. Ego Jehova Deus eorum

The custom of sacrificing has always been in use among all nations, and its origin is doubtless to be traced to the ancient Fathers; but after the whole world had fallen away into superstition, first of all, the rites themselves became degenerate, when every one invented something new for himself, and made an absurd mimicry of whatever remained having any similarity, since they no longer retained their proper end and use. All heathendom was ignorant of the reason why it was needful that God should be appeased by blood; and therefore they shed the blood of their victims unreasonably, inasmuch as they did not know themselves to be guilty before God, so as humbly to seek for pardon; and much less did they apply their minds to embrace the atonement, which was not only predestinated in God’s secret counsels, but likewise promised to men. Hence we infer that all the religious services of the Gentiles were rejected of God, (reprobatos,) since they were not based upon His word. Only let this be deemed sure, that, by the very custom of sacrifice, adulterated as it was, they were convicted of their own unworthiness, so that they should have acknowledged that God can only be propitiated towards the human race through the medium of a reconciliation. Foolish, then, was the philosophy of Pythagoras, which held that God’s name was contaminated by sacrifices; for thus does the Poet introduce him, inveighing against the eating of flesh, (εἰς τὴν σαρκοφαγίαν)

"Nor will the sin itself their hearts content: The very gods must share that guilty deed, And He, they think, who reigns omnipotent, Joys to behold the patient victim bleed. Spotless it stands, of perfect form confess’d,

(Its beauty nerves the hand which else might spare,) Before the shrine, with gold and fillets dress’d, And all unconscious, hears its murderer’s prayer. It sees the fruits itself has toiled to rear Placed on its horned brow; and as the blow Descends, perchance the blood-stained knives appear, Mirror’d before it in the streamlet’s flow.” Ovid Metam. 15:127. The version here attempted is at least literal. That in Garth’s Translation, though sanctioned by a great name, is but a poor paraphrase. The Fr. omits the whole quotation. The original stands thus, —

"Nec satis est quod tale nefas committitur: ipsos Inscripsêre deos sceleri, numenque supernum Ctede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci. Victima labe carens, et prtestantissima form’a, (Nam placuisse nocet) vittis prsesignis et auro Sistitur ante aras, auditque ignara precantem; Imponique sum videt inter cornua fronti Quas colttit fruges: percussaque sanguine cultros Inficit in liquid& prmvisos forsitan unda."

He “Ce fantastique, etc.” — Fr. was pained that an innocent animal should be slain for man’s sin; but he might have considered, what it was gross ignorance not to feel, that men are but too impudently audacious and foolhardy if they come into God’s presence to ask His pardon, seeing that He is justly offended with them all. There is, therefore, nothing absurd in submitting to the eyes of sinners that judgment of death which they deserve, in order that, descending into themselves, they may begin seriously to abominate the sin in which they fondly indulged themselves. But this was the chief cause of the error of Pythagoras, that he knew not that God could not be reconciled without an expiation. Since, however, this is a thing which is beyond the reach of the human mind, let us, who have ever truly sought after God, learn, under the guidance and teaching of Scripture, that He has appointed the propitiation to be by blood; so that, before the delivery of the Law, religion was always sanctioned by sacrifices. Nor can it be doubted but that by the sacred inspiration of the Spirit, the holy fathers were directed to the Mediator, by whose death God was hereafter to be appeased; and surely if Christ be put out of sight, all the sacrifices that may be offered differ in no respect from mere profane butchery. But afterwards a clearer revelation was added in the Law; and since many modes of sacrificing were heaped together by the Gentiles, God left out no part of them at all which might afford a profitable exercise for believers, whether their piety was to be testified, or thanksgivings to be made, or zeal to be added to their prayers, or purification to be sought, or sins to be atoned for. Yet the twofold division of them is complete and clear when we say that some of them were expiatory, and others testimonies of gratitude. Thus, under the first head I include the rites of consecration, by which God would have the priests initiated, since purification was their main object. Moreover, since it is plain that God can listen to no prayers without the intercession of Christ, the constant morning and evening sacrifice was instituted to consecrate the prayers of the Church; and, even when they only celebrated the bounties of God, blood was shed, that they might know that not even their gratitude was acceptable to Him, except through the sacrifice of the Mediator; in a word, that nothing pure can proceed from men unless purged by blood.