Hebrews 9 — Verse 10

Only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation.

It is acknowledged that there is no small difficulty in the connexion of these words, or their relation to what does immediately precede; and therefore Expositors have multiplied conjectures about it, in whose examination we are not concerned. I shall therefore no farther consider any of them, but as they relate to what I judge to be their true coherence.

Two things are plain and evident to this purpose.

1. That the design of the Apostle in the words themselves, is to manifest and declare the weakness of the services of the Tabernacle, and their insufficiency for attaining the end proposed in them. This end in general was the perfecting of the church-state in religious worship; and in particular to make the worshipers perfect as to their consciences before God. And he gives such a description of them, as of it self will sufficiently evince their weakness and insufficiency. For what is it possible that things of that kind and nature, which is here described, can contribute to these ends?

2. That the things instanced in, do comprise a great part of the Levitical institutions, and his assertion concerning them may by a parity of reason be extended to them all. For to render his description of them comprehensive, the Apostle (1) expresseth them in a particular enumeration of the heads whereunto they might be reduced, meats and drinks, and divers washings. And then (2) to shew that he intends all things of an alike nature with them, he adds the general nature of them all, they were carnal ordinances.

1. A great part of their Levitical religious observances, may be reduced to these heads of meats and drinks, and various washings. Laws and institutions were multiplied about these things; what they might eat, and what they might not; what was clean, and what was unclean to that end; what they might drink, and what vessels defiled all liquors; what were to be their eatings and drinkings, and when upon their peace-offering, and at their solemn feasts; their great variety of washings, of the Priests, of the People, of their garments, and their flesh, stated and occasional, do take up a great part of the entire system of their ordinances. And as laws were multiplied concerning these things, so many of them were enforced with very severe penalties. Hence they were difficultly to be learned, and always impossible to be observed. The Mishna and Talmud, that is, the whole religion of the present Jews consists almost wholly in scrupulous enquiries, and endless determinations, or rather conjectures about these things, and their circumstances.

2. All the laws concerning these things were carnal, carnal ordinances; such as for the matter, manner of performance, and end of them, were carnal. This being their nature, it evidently follows, that they were instituted only for a time, and were so far from being able themselves to perfect the state of the Church, as that they were not consistent with that perfect state of spiritual things which God would introduce, and had promised so to do.

The scope and design of the Apostle being thus fixed, the coherence and interpretation of the words will not be so difficult, as at first view they may appear.

[〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], Only in meats and drinks, &c. Our Translators observing the sense elliptical, have supplied it with, Which stood; Which stood only in meats and drinks; And that supplement may give a double sense. (1) It may respect the substance of the things spoken of: Which, relates to gifts and sacrifices. And so the sense intended is, that they consisted in meats and drinks, and divers washings. And this was the natural substance of them. They consisted in such things as might be eat and drunk, being duly prepared, as flesh, flower, salt, oil and wine. Hence were they called meat and drink-offerings. And they had washings also that belonged to them, as the washing of the inwards (Exodus 29:17), and of the burnt-offerings peculiarly (Ezekiel 40:38), of the hands and feet of the Priests (Exodus 30:18), and of the leper (Leviticus 14:9). Howbeit it cannot be said, that the gifts and sacrifices, as they were such, did consist in these things, though in them, things of this nature were offered to God. Therefore the supplement of, Which stood, cannot be admitted in that sense. (2) It may respect the consummation of these gifts and sacrifices, or the celebration of the whole service that belonged to them, and all their necessary circumstances or consequents: which stood in these things; that is, which were accompanied with them, and not perfected without them.

The argument in the words, is to prove the insufficiency of the gifts and sacrifices of the Law, to the end mentioned of perfecting conscience before God. And this is evidenced by the consideration of their necessary adjuncts, or what belonged to them, and were inseparable from them. It is not said, that these gifts and sacrifices were only meats and drinks, and so things of no value. For neither does the Apostle treat of the old institutions with such contempt, nor would the truth of his assertion been evident to the Hebrews: but he argues to a discovery of their use and end, from the things that did always accompany them, and were inseparable from them. For those by whom they were offered, were obliged by the same Divine Institution at the same time, to sundry meats and drinks, and divers washings; which proves both the gifts and sacrifices to have been of the same kind, and to have had respect to carnal things as they had. For if those gifts and sacrifices had an immediate effect on the consciences of men to their purification before God, by any virtue inherent in them, from where is it that the observances which by the same Law accompanied them, were only about meats and drinks, and divers washings? And this sense is not to be refused.

But whereas there is an ellipsis in the connexion of the words, it may be otherwise supplied. For having mentioned the gifts and sacrifices of the Law, the Apostle makes an addition to them, of the remaining institutions and ceremonies of it, whose very nature and use declared their insufficiency to the end enquired after. And other laws, only concerning meats and drinks, and divers washings; which in general he calls carnal rites. Hereby is the argument in hand carried on and completed.

There are four things in the words. (1) An account of the legal institutions under several heads. (2) Their nature in general, with that of others of the same kind; they were carnal ordinances, or fleshly rites. (3) The way of the relation of the People to them, they were imposed on them. (4) The time for which they were imposed, or the measure of their duration; which was, until the time of Reformation.

1. For the nature of them, they consisted in meats and drinks. Take the words in their full extent, and they may be comprehensive of four sorts of institutions. (1) Of all those which concerned meats, or things to be eaten or not eaten, as being clean or unclean; an account whereof is given, Leviticus 11 throughout. With reference thereunto does the Apostle reflect on the Levitical institutions, in those words, Touch not, Taste not, Handle not, which all are to perish with their using (Colossians 2:21, 22), are all carnal things. (2) The portion of the priests out of the sacrifices, especially what they were to eat in the holy place; as the portion of the sin-offering (Exodus 29:31, 32, 33; Leviticus 10:12, 13, 17), and what they were to eat of the peace-offerings in any clean place (ver. 14, 15). And the prohibition of drinking wine or strong drink in the holy place (ver. 8, 9) may be here respected in drinks about which these institutions were. And these were such, as without which, the service of the sacrifices could not be acceptably performed (ver. 17, 18). And therefore are they intended in this place in an especial manner, if it be the design of the Apostle to prove the insufficiency of the sacrifices from the nature of their inseparable adjuncts, which were carnal and perishing things. (3) The eating of the remainder of the peace-offering, whether of a vow, or of thanksgiving, the law whereof is given as a holy ordinance (Leviticus 7:14, 15, 16, 17). (4) The laws concerning the feasts of the whole people, with their eating and drinking before the Lord (Leviticus 23). All these divine ordinances were [in non-Latin alphabet], concerning meats and drinks, that were necessary to be observed, with their offering of gifts and sacrifices, declaring of what nature they were. And the observation of them all was at the same time imposed on them.

2. They consisted in, or were concerning divers washings. [in non-Latin alphabet] is any kind of washing, whether by dipping or sprinkling; putting the thing to be washed into the water, or applying the water to the thing itself to be washed. Of these washings there were various sorts or kinds under the Law. For the priests were washed (Exodus 29:4), and the Levites (Numbers 8:12), and the people after they had contracted any impurity (Leviticus 15:8, 16). But the Apostle seems to have particular respect to the washings of the priests, and of the offerings, in the court of the Tabernacle before the Altar; for these were such, as without which the gifts and sacrifices could not be rightly offered to God.

3. It is added in the description of these things, [in non-Latin alphabet], institutis carnalibus, ritibus, ceremoniis, justitiis justificationibus carnis. Carnal ordinances say we. The signification of [in non-Latin alphabet] in this place has been spoken to before. Rites of worship arbitrarily imposed, whose Ius or Right depended on the will or pleasure of God. And they are said to be of the flesh, for the reason given (ver. 13): they sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, and no more.

The words may be an expression of the nature in general of the Law, about meats, drinks, and washings, they were carnal ordinances. But the distinctive copulative [in non-Latin alphabet], and, will not admit of that sense. It seems therefore to contain an addition of all those other legal ordinances which any way belonged to the purifications of the Law.

The force of the reasonings in these words is evident. For the design of the Apostle is to prove, that in the perfect church-state which God would bring in under the New Covenant, the worshipers were to enjoy peace of conscience, with joy and boldness in the presence of God, from a perfect atonement and purification of sin. How this is effected by the one sacrifice of Christ, he afterwards declares. But the ordinances of the Law, and the Levitical sacrifices were weak and imperfect as to this end. For in them, and by them, men were conversant wholly in carnal things, in meats, drinks, washings, and such like carnal observances, which could reach no farther than the sanctification of the flesh, as he evidenceth in the application of all these things to his present argument (ver. 13). And the faith of believers is rather weakened than confirmed, by all things of the like nature, that divert their minds from an immediate respect to, and total dependance on the one sacrifice of Christ.

3. Concerning all these things it is affirmed, that they were imposed on the people, [in non-Latin alphabet]. There is a difficulty in the syntax of this word, which all interpreters take notice of. If it refers to the substantives immediately foregoing [in non-Latin alphabet], &c. it agrees not with them in case; if to [in non-Latin alphabet] in the other verse, it agrees not with it in gender. And the Apostle had before adjoined to it a participle of the feminine gender, [in non-Latin alphabet]. Some think that the letter Iota is added to the first word, or taken from the latter, so that originally they were both of the same gender. But whereas the Apostle had put together [in non-Latin alphabet], the one of the neuter, the other of the feminine gender, he might apply his adjectives either to one or both, without offence to grammar. Yet I rather judge that in this word he had respect to all the things whereof he had discoursed from the very beginning of the chapter. Concerning them all he declares that they were thus imposed, and so the use of the word in the neuter gender is proper.

Many judge that there is an objection anticipated in these words. For upon the description of the nature and use of the Tabernacle with all its furniture and services, he declares that they could not all of them, nor any of them, perfect the worshipers that attended to them. Hereon it might be well enquired, To what purpose then were they appointed? To what end did they serve? Hereunto he replies, That they were never designed to perpetual use, but only imposed on the people to the time of reformation.

But whether there be a respect to any such objection or no, he plainly declares their use and duration according to the mind of God, which were such as their nature did require. And hereby also he confirms his argument, of their insufficiency to the great end of perfecting, sanctifying, or consecrating the state of the Church. And hereof there are two evidences in these words.

They were things imposed; that is, on the people under the Law. They were laid on them as a burden. The word is properly, incumbentia, lying on them, that is, as a burden. There was a weight in all these legal rites and ceremonies, which is called a yoke, and too heavy for the people to bear (Acts 15:10). And if the imposition of them be principally intended, as we render the word, imposed, it respects the bondage they were brought into by them. Men may have a weight lying on them, and yet not be brought into bondage thereby. But these things were so imposed on them, as that they might feel their weight, and groan under the burden of it. Of this bondage the Apostle treats at large in the Epistle to the Galatians. And it was impossible that those things should perfect a church-state, which in themselves were such a burden, and effective of such a bondage.

As to the duration assigned to them, they were thus imposed [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], for a determined limited season. They were never designed to continue for ever. And this is the great controversy which we have at this day with the Jews. The principal foundation of their present unbelief is, that the Law of Moses is eternal, and that the observation of its rites and institutions is to be continued to the end of the world. The contrary hereunto the Apostle had evidently proved in the foregoing chapters. Whereas therefore he had undeniably demonstrated that they were not to be of perpetual use in the Church, nor could ever effect that state of perfection which God designed to it, he now declares that there was a certain determinate season fixed in the purpose and counsel of God, for their cessation and removal. And this he describes in the last word.

This was the season, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]. Correction, say some; Direction, others; we, of Reformation; restraining the word to the things spoken of, and retaining its usual signification most improperly. For Reformation is the amendment and reduction of any thing in the Church, to its primitive institution, by abolishing and taking away the abuses that have crept into it, or corrupt additions that have been made to it: but nothing of that nature is here intended. Many such seasons there were under the Old Testament, wherein the things belonging to the worship of God were so reformed. But now not the reduction of the Tabernacle and its services to its first institution is intended, but its utter removal and taking away out of the service of God in the Church. But if respect be had to the whole state of the Church in general, and what God designed to it, taking the word Reformation in an universal sense, for the introduction of a new animating form and life, with new means and ways of their expression and exercise in new ordinances of worship, the word may be of use in this place.

Those who render it, of Correction, are no less out of the way. For Correction might be applied to the abuses that had crept into the worship of God; so it was by our Savior with respect to Pharisaical traditions. But the Apostle treats here of the worship itself as it was first instituted by God, without respect to any such abuses. This was not the object of any just correction.

The time intended is sufficiently known and agreed upon. It is the great time or season of the coming of the Messiah, as the King, Priest and Prophet of the Church, to order and alter all things, so as it might attain its perfect state. This was the season that was to put an end to all legal observances, wherein they were to expire. To the bringing in of this season, God had ordered and disposed all things from the foundation of the world. See Luke 1:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74. And it is called [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], because therein God finally disposed and directed all things in the Church to his own glory, and the eternal salvation thereof: see Ephesians 1:10. And we may observe from the whole verse,

That there is nothing in its own nature so mean and abject, but the will and authority of God can render it of sacred use, and sacred efficacy, where he is pleased to ordain and appoint it. Such were the meats and drinks, and divers washings under the Law, which however contemptible in themselves, had a religious use from the appointment of God. For others to attempt the like, as they do with their salt and oil, and the like in the Papacy, is foolishly to imitate his sovereignty, and proudly to usurp his authority.

The fixing of times and seasons, for the state of things in the Church, is solely in the hand of God, and at his sovereign disposal. He alone appointed this time of Reformation; the Church could neither hasten it, nor was to refuse it. Therefore quiet waiting alone is our duty, as to the accomplishment of all promises concerning the state of the Church in this world.

It is a great part of the blessed liberty which the Lord Christ brought into the Church, namely, its freedom and liberty from legal impositions, and every thing of the like nature in the worship of God.

The time of the coming of Christ, was the time of the general final Reformation of the worship of God, wherein all things were unchangeably directed to their proper use.