171 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 'Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the sons of Israel; and thou hast said unto them, This 'is' the thing which Jehovah hath commanded, saying, 3 Any man of the house of Israel who slaughtereth ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who slaughtereth at the outside of the camp, 4 and unto the opening of the tent of meeting hath not brought it in to bring near an offering to Jehovah before the tabernacle of Jehovah, blood is reckoned to that man—blood he hath shed—and that man hath been cut off from the midst of his people; 5 so that the sons of Israel do bring in their sacrifices which they are sacrificing on the face of the field, yea, they have brought them in to Jehovah, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, unto the priest, and they have sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings to Jehovah with them. 6 'And the priest hath sprinkled the blood upon the altar of Jehovah, at the opening of the tent of meeting, and hath made perfume with the fat for sweet fragrance to Jehovah; 7 and they sacrifice not any more their sacrifices to goats after which they are going a-whoring; a statute age-during is this to them, to their generations. 8 'And unto them thou sayest: Any man of the house of Israel, or of the sojourners, who sojourneth in your midst, who causeth burnt-offering or sacrifice to ascend, 9 and unto the opening of the tent of meeting doth not bring it in to make it to Jehovah—that man hath been cut off from his people.
10 'And any man of the house of Israel, or of the sojourners, who is sojourning in your midst, who eateth any blood, I have even set My face against the person who is eating the blood, and have cut him off from the midst of his people; 11 for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar, to make atonement for your souls; for it 'is' the blood which maketh atonement for the soul. 12 'Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel, No person among you doth eat blood, and the sojourner who is sojourning in your midst doth not eat blood; 13 and any man of the sons of Israel, or of the sojourners, who is sojourning in your midst, who hunteth venison, beast or fowl, which is eaten—hath even poured out its blood, and hath covered it with dust; 14 for 'it is' the life of all flesh, its blood is for its life; and I say to the sons of Israel, Blood of any flesh ye do not eat, for the life of all flesh is its blood; any one eating it is cut off. 15 'And any person who eateth a carcase or torn thing, among natives or among sojourners—hath both washed his garments, and hath bathed with water, and hath been unclean until the evening—then he hath been clean; 16 and if he wash not, and his flesh bathe not—then he hath borne his iniquity.'
181 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, I 'am' Jehovah your God; 3 according to the work of the land of Egypt in which ye have dwelt ye do not, and according to the work of the land of Canaan whither I am bringing you in, ye do not, and in their statutes ye walk not. 4 'My judgments ye do, and My statutes ye keep, to walk in them; I 'am' Jehovah your God; 5 and ye have kept My statutes and My judgments which man doth and liveth in them; I 'am' Jehovah.
6 'None of you unto any relation of his flesh doth draw near to uncover nakedness; I 'am' Jehovah. 7 'The nakedness of thy father and the nakedness of thy mother thou dost not uncover, she 'is' thy mother; thou dost not uncover her nakedness. 8 'The nakedness of the wife of thy father thou dost not uncover; it 'is' the nakedness of thy father. 9 'The nakedness of thy sister, daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, born at home or born without; thou dost not uncover their nakedness. 10 'The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter: thou dost not uncover their nakedness; for theirs 'is' thy nakedness. 11 'The nakedness of a daughter of thy father's wife, begotten of thy father, she 'is' thy sister; thou dost not uncover her nakedness. 12 'The nakedness of a sister of thy father thou dost not uncover; she 'is' a relation of thy father. 13 'The nakedness of thy mother's sister thou dost not uncover; for she 'is' thy mother's relation. 14 'The nakedness of thy father's brother thou dost not uncover; unto his wife thou dost not draw near; she 'is' thine aunt. 15 'The nakedness of thy daughter-in-law thou dost not uncover; she 'is' thy son's wife; thou dost not uncover her nakedness. 16 'The nakedness of thy brother's wife thou dost not uncover; it 'is' thy brother's nakedness. 17 'The nakedness of a woman and her daughter thou dost not uncover; her son's daughter, and her daughter's daughter thou dost not take to uncover her nakedness; they 'are' her relations; it 'is' wickedness. 18 'And a woman unto another thou dost not take, to be an adversary, to uncover her nakedness beside her, in her life.
19 'And unto a woman in the separation of her uncleanness thou dost not draw near to uncover her nakedness. 20 'And unto the wife of thy fellow thou dost not give thy seed of copulation, for uncleanness with her. 21 'And of thy seed thou dost not give to pass over to the Molech; nor dost thou pollute the name of thy God; I 'am' Jehovah. 22 'And with a male thou dost not lie as one lieth with a woman; abomination it 'is'. 23 'And with any beast thou dost not give thy copulation, for uncleanness with it; and a woman doth not stand before a beast to lie down with it; confusion it 'is'. 24 'Ye are not defiled with all these, for with all these have the nations been defiled which I am sending away from before you; 25 and the land is defiled, and I charge its iniquity upon it, and the land vomiteth out its inhabitants: 26 and ye—ye have kept My statutes and My judgments, and do not 'any' of all these abominations, the native and the sojourner who is sojourning in your midst, 27 (for all these abominations have the men of the land done who 'are' before you, and the land is defiled), 28 and the land doth not vomit you out in your defiling it, as it hath vomited out the nation which 'is' before you; 29 for any one who doth 'any' of all these abominations—even the persons who are doing 'so', have been cut off from the midst of their people; 30 and ye have kept My charge, so as not to do 'any' of the abominable statutes which have been done before you, and ye do not defile yourselves with them; I 'am' Jehovah your God.'
27 then the soldiers of the governor having taken Jesus to the Praetorium, did gather to him all the band; 28 and having unclothed him, they put around him a crimson cloak, 29 and having plaited him a crown out of thorns they put 'it' on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and having kneeled before him, they were mocking him, saying, 'Hail, the king of the Jews.' 30 And having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head; 31 and when they had mocked him, they took off from him the cloak, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify 'him'.
32 And coming forth, they found a man, a Cyrenian, by name Simon: him they impressed that he might bear his cross;
33 and having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull, 34 they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall, and having tasted, he would not drink. 35 And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, 'They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;' 36 and sitting down, they were watching him there, 37 and they put up over his head, his accusation written, 'This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.' 38 Then crucified with him are two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left, 39 and those passing by were speaking evil of him, wagging their heads, 40 and saying, 'Thou that art throwing down the sanctuary, and in three days building 'it', save thyself; if Son thou art of God, come down from the cross.' 41 And in like manner also the chief priests mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 'Others he saved; himself he is not able to save! If he be King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him; 43 he hath trusted on God, let Him now deliver him, if He wish him, because he said—Son of God I am;' 44 with the same also the robbers, who were crucified with him, were reproaching him. 45 And from the sixth hour darkness came over all the land unto the ninth hour, 46 and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?' 47 And certain of those standing there having heard, said—'Elijah he doth call;' 48 and immediately, one of them having run, and having taken a spunge, having filled 'it' with vinegar, and having put 'it' on a reed, was giving him to drink, 49 but the rest said, 'Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come—about to save him.'
50 And Jesus having again cried with a great voice, yielded the spirit;
(Read Matthew 27:26-30)
Crucifixion was a death used only among the Romans; it was very terrible and miserable. A cross was laid on the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, it was then lifted up and fixed upright, so that the weight of the body hung on the nails, till the sufferer died in agony. Christ thus answered the type of the brazen serpent raised on a pole. Christ underwent all the misery and shame here related, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and glory.
(Read Matthew 27:31-34)
Christ was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, as a Sacrifice to the altar. Even the mercies of the wicked are really cruel. Taking the cross from him, they compelled one Simon to bear it. Make us ready, O Lord, to bear the cross thou hast appointed us, and daily to take it up with cheerfulness, following thee. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? And when we behold what manner of death he died, let us in that behold with what manner of love he loved us. As if death, so painful a death, were not enough, they added to its bitterness and terror in several ways.
(Read Matthew 27:35-44)
It was usual to put shame upon malefactors, by a writing to notify the crime for which they suffered. So they set up one over Christ's head. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation was to his honour. There were crucified with him at the same time, two robbers. He was, at his death, numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints. The taunts and jeers he received are here recorded. The enemies of Christ labour to make others believe that of religion and of the people of God, which they themselves know to be false. The chief priests and scribes, and the elders, upbraid Jesus with being the King of Israel. Many people could like the King of Israel well enough, if he would but come down from the cross; if they could but have his kingdom without the tribulation through which they must enter into it. But if no cross, then no Christ, no crown. Those that would reign with him, must be willing to suffer with him. Thus our Lord Jesus, having undertaken to satisfy the justice of God, did it, by submitting to the punishment of the worst of men. And in every minute particular recorded about the sufferings of Christ, we find some prediction in the Prophets or the Psalms fulfilled.
(Read Matthew 27:45-50)
During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, man's redemption and salvation. Jesus uttered a complaint from Psalm 22:1. Hereby he teaches of what use the word of God is to direct us in prayer, and recommends the use of Scripture expressions in prayer. The believer may have tasted some drops of bitterness, but he can only form a very feeble idea of the greatness of Christ's sufferings. Yet, hence he learns something of the Saviour's love to sinners; hence he gets deeper conviction of the vileness and evil of sin, and of what he owes to Christ, who delivers him from the wrath to come. His enemies wickedly ridiculed his complaint. Many of the reproaches cast upon the word of God and the people of God, arise, as here, from gross mistakes. Christ, just before he expired, spake in his full strength, to show that his life was not forced from him, but was freely delivered into his Father's hands. He had strength to bid defiance to the powers of death: and to show that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself, being the Priest as well as the Sacrifice, he cried with a loud voice. Then he yielded up the ghost. The Son of God upon the cross, did die by the violence of the pain he was put to. His soul was separated from his body, and so his body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that Christ did die, for it was needful that he should die. He had undertaken to make himself an offering for sin, and he did it when he willingly gave up his life.
