THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IDEA OF HOLINESS AND ITS TRANSFER TO JEHOVAH AS
AN ATTRIBUTE.
As yet the Israelites were little acquainted with any attribute of the
I AM--Jehovah--except his infinite power and goodness; and his
goodness was known to them only as manifested in kindness and mercy
towards themselves, as a peculiar people, distinguished from other
nations, as the special objects of the Divine favour. They had a
disposition to worship Jehovah, and to regard the rights of each other
according to his commandments; but they knew as yet little of his
moral attributes. Of the attribute of holiness--purity from sin, and
opposition of nature to all moral and physical defilement--they knew
comparatively nothing. After the law had been given, they knew that
God required worship and obedience for himself and just conduct
towards others, but they did not know that his nature was hostile to
all moral defilement of heart and life. And to this knowledge, as we
have seen in the introduction, they could not of themselves attain.
At the period of the deliverance from Egypt, every nation by which
they were surrounded worshipped unholy beings. Now, how were the Jews
to be extricated from this difficulty, and made to understand and feel
the influence of the holy character of God? The Egyptian idolatry in
which they had mingled was beastly and lustful; and one of their first
acts of disobedience after their deliverance showed that their minds
were still dark, and their propensities corrupt. The golden calf which
they desired should be erected for them, was not designed as an act of
apostasy from Jehovah, who had delivered them from Egyptian servitude.
When the image was made, it was proclaimed to be that God which
brought them up out of the land of Egypt: and when the proclamation of
a feast, or idolatrous debauch, was issued by Aaron, it was
denominated a feast, not to Isis or Osiris, but a feast to Jehovah;
and as such they held it.[13] But they offered to the holy Jehovah the
unholy worship of the idols of Egypt. Thus they manifested their
ignorance of the holiness of his nature, as well as the corruption of
their own hearts.
[13] Ex. xxxii. 4, 5.
It was necessary, therefore, in order to promote right exercises of
heart in religious worship, that the Israelites should be made
acquainted with the holiness of God. The precise question, then, for
solution is, How could the idea of God's holiness be conveyed to the
minds of the Israelites? If it should be found that there is but one
way in which it could be originated, according to the nature of mind,
then it would follow, necessarily, that God would pursue that way, or
he would have to alter the human constitution, in order to communicate
a knowledge of his attribute of holiness. But, as it is matter of
fact that the constitution of the mind has not been altered, it
follows that that method would be pursued which is in accordance with
the nature of mind, to convey the necessary knowledge. Now all
practical knowledge is conveyed to the understanding through the
medium of the senses. Whatever may be said about innate ideas by
speculative philosophers, still all agree that all acquired knowledge
must reach the mind through the medium of one of the five senses, or
upon the occasion of their exercise. Through the senses the knowledge
of external objects is conveyed to the mind, and these simple ideas
serve as a material for reflection, comparison, and abstraction.
The etymology of the Hebrew language, as written by Moses, and spoken
by the Israelites, furnishes an interesting illustration of the origin
of the few abstract terms with which their minds were familiar. The
abstract ideas of the Hebrew tongue may even now, in most instances,
be traced to the object or circumstance whence they originated. Thus
the idea of power, among the Hebrews, was derived from the horn of an
animal; and the same word, in Hebrew, which signifies horn, likewise
signifies power, and may be translated in either way to suit the
sense. The idea was originally conveyed through the eye, by noticing
that the strength of the animal was exerted through its horn. The
force thus exerted, especially when the animal was enraged, was the
greatest which fell under their observation; and sometimes, in its
effects, it was disastrous and overwhelming. Hence, the horn soon
became a figure to denote power, and when the idea was once originated
and defined in their minds, they could apply it to any object which
produced a strong effect either upon the bodies or the minds of men.
An idea of power likewise originated from the human hand, because
through it man exerted his strength. The same word in Hebrew still
expresses both the object and the idea derived from it--'Life and
death are in the power of the tongue,' reads literally--'Life and
death are in the _hand_ of the tongue.' Sunshine, in Hebrew, is
synonymous with happiness, the idea being originated by experiencing
the pleasant feelings produced by the effects of a sunny day; and when
thus originated, it was applied to the same and similar feelings
produced by other causes. The abstract idea of judgment or justice is
derived from a word which signifies to _cut_ or _divide_; it being
originated by the circumstance that when the primitive hunters had
killed a stag, or other prey, one divided the flesh with a knife,
among those who assisted in the pursuit, distributing a just portion
to each. Thus, the act of cutting and dividing their prey, which was
the first circumstance that called into exercise and placed before
their senses the principle of justice, was the circumstance from which
they derived this most important abstract idea.
Other instances might be mentioned. These are sufficient to show the
manner in which the abstract ideas of the Hebrews were originated. And
so, every new idea which found a place in their understanding had to
be originated, primarily, by an impression made by external objects
upon the senses.
Further, all ideas which admit of the signification of more or most
perfect, can be originated only by a comparison of one object with
another. More lovely, or more pure, can only be predicated of one
thing by comparison with another which it excels in one of these
respects. By a series of comparisons, each one exceeding the last in
beauty or purity, an idea of the highest degree of perfection may be
produced. Thus one flower may be called lovely, another more lovely,
and the rose the most lovely; and the idea of the _superior_ beauty of
the rose would be originated by the comparison or contrast between it
and other flowers of less beauty. It is not said that the rose would
not appear lovely without comparison, but the idea of its _superior_
loveliness is originated by comparison, and it could be derived in no
other way.
With these principles in mind, we return to the inquiry, _How could
the idea of God's holiness, or moral purity, be conveyed to the minds
of the Jews?_
First, mark the principles--(1.) There was not an object in the
material world which would convey to the mind the idea of God's
holiness.--(2). The idea, therefore, would have to be originated, and
thrown into their mind, through the senses, by a process instituted
for that express purpose.--(3.) The plan to originate the idea, in
order to meet the constitution of the mind, must consist of a series
of comparisons.
Now mark the correspondency between these principles, founded upon the
laws of the mind, and that system devised to instruct the Israelites
in the knowledge of God.
In the outset, the animals common to Palestine were divided, by
command of Jehovah, into clean and unclean; in this way a distinction
was made, and the one class in comparison with the other was deemed to
be of a purer and better kind. From the class thus distinguished, as
more pure than the other, one was selected to offer as a sacrifice. It
was not only to be chosen from the clean beasts, but, as an
individual, it was to be without spot or blemish. Thus it was, in
their eyes, purer than the other class, and purer than other
individuals of its own class. This sacrifice the people were not
deemed worthy, in their own persons, to offer unto Jehovah; but it was
to be offered by a class of men who were distinguished from their
brethren, purified, and set apart for the service of the priest's
office. Thus the idea of purity originated from two sources; the
purified priest and the pure animal _purified_, were united in the
offering of the sacrifice. But before the sacrifice could be offered
it was washed with clean water--and the priest had, in some cases, to
wash himself, and officiate without his sandals. Thus, when one
process of comparison after another had attached the idea of
superlative purity to the sacrifice--in offering it to Jehovah in
order that the contrast between the purity of God and the highest
degrees of earthly purity might be seen, neither priest, people, nor
sacrifice was deemed sufficiently pure to come into his presence; but
the offering was made in the court without the holy of holies. In
this manner, by a process of comparison, the character of God, in
point of purity, was placed indefinitely above themselves and their
sacrifices.[14]
[14] It is not argued that no other end was designed and
accomplished by the arbitrary separation of animals into classes
of clean and unclean. By this means the Jews were undoubtedly
excluded from partaking in the feasts of the heathen around, who
ate those animals which were forbidden to them. An excellent
writer observes that it is characteristic of the wisdom of God to
accomplish many ends by a single act of providence.
And not only in the sacrifices, but throughout the whole Levitical
economy, the idea of purity pervaded all its ceremonies and observances.
The camp was purified--the people were purified--everything was purified
and re-purified; and each process of the ordinances was designed to
reflect purity upon the others; until finally that idea of purity formed
in the mind and rendered intense by the convergence of so many rays,
was, by comparison, referred to the idea of God; and the idea of God in
their minds being that of an infinitely powerful and good Spirit, hence
purity, as a characteristic or attribute of such a nature, would
necessarily assume a moral aspect, because it appertained to a moral
being--it would become _moral purity_, or _holiness_. Thus they learned,
in the sentiment of Scripture, that God was of too _pure_ eyes to look
upon iniquity.
That the idea of moral purity in the minds of the Israelites was thus
originated by the machinery of the Levitical dispensation, is
supported, not only by the philosophy of the thing, but by many
allusions in the Scriptures. Such allusions are frequent, both in the
writers of the old and of the new dispensations; evidencing that, in
their minds, the idea of moral purity was still symbolized by physical
purity. The rite of baptism is founded upon this symbolical analogy:
the external washing with water being significant of the purifying
influence of the Holy Spirit. St. John saw in vision the undefiled in
heart clothed with linen pure and white; evincing that, to the mind of
the Jew, such vestments as the high priest wore when he entered the
holy of holies, were still emblematical of moral purity. In the
Epistle to the Hebrews, which is an apostolic exposition of the
spiritual import of the Levitical institution, so far as that
institution particularly concerns believers under the New Testament
dispensation, we have the foregoing view of the design of ceremonial
purification expressly confirmed. 'It was, therefore, necessary,' says
Paul to the Hebrews, 'that the patterns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these (that is, with these purifying processes
addressed to the senses), but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these.' The plain instruction of which is, that
the parts and processes of the Levitical economy were patterns
addressed to the senses of unseen things in heaven, and that the
purifying of those patterns indicated the spiritual purity of the
spiritual things which they represented.
There is, finally, demonstrative evidence of the fact that the idea of
perfect moral purity, as connected with the idea of God, is now, and
always has been, the same which was originated and conveyed to the
minds of the Jews by the machinery of the Levitical dispensation. The
Hebrew word קדש _quadhosh_, was used to express the idea of purity as
originated by the tabernacle service. The literal definition is,
_pure_, _to be pure_, _to be purified for sacred uses_. The word thus
originated, and conveying this meaning, is employed in the Scriptures
to express the moral purity or holiness of God.[15] In the New
Testament this word is translated by the Greek term ἅγιος, _hagios_,
but the Hebrew idea is connected with the Greek word. In King James's
version this Greek word is rendered by the Saxon term _holy_--the
Saxon word losing its original import (_whole_, _wholly_), and taking
that of the Hebrew derived through the Greek. So that our idea of the
holiness of God is the same which was originated by the Levitical
ceremonies; and there is no other word, so far as I have been able to
examine, in any language which conveys this idea. Nor is there any
idea among any people that approximates closely to the Scripture idea
of holiness, unless the word received some shades of its signification
from the Bible.[16]
[15] קדשי שם 'my holy name.'--Lev. xx. 3.
[16] One of the principal difficulties which the missionary meets
with, according to letters in the missionary reports, is, that of
conveying to the mind of the heathen the idea of the holiness of
God. They find no such idea in their minds, and they can use no
words in their language by which to convey the full and true force
of the thought. The true idea, therefore, if communicated at all,
must be conveyed by a periphrasis, and by laboured illustration.
This obstacle will be one of the most difficult to surmount in all
languages; and it cannot be perfectly overcome, till the Christian
teacher becomes perfectly familiar with the language of those whom
he wishes to instruct.
Here, then, the idea of God's moral purity was conveyed by the Mosaic
economy in a manner in accordance with the constitution and the
condition of the Jewish mind. This same idea has descended from the
Hebrew, through the Greek, to our own language; and there is, so far
as known, no other word in the world which conveys to the mind the
true idea of God's moral purity, but that originated by the
institution which God prescribed to Moses upon the Mount.[17]
[17] Ex. xxv. 9.
The demonstration, then, is conclusive, both from philosophy and fact,
that the true and necessary idea of God's attribute of holiness was
originated by the 'patterns' of the Levitical economy, and that it
could have been communicated to mankind, at the first, in no other
way.[18]
[18] The foundation principle of that school of scepticism, at the
head of which are the atheistical materialists, is, that all
knowledge is derived through the medium of the senses, and that as
God is not an object of sense, men can have no knowledge of his
being or attributes. Now these deductions show that the truth of
revealed religion may be firmly established upon their own
proposition.