68. GOD'S COMMAND FOR SACRIFICES

If Leviticus be read accurately it will be seen that God did not "COMMAND" the offering of sacrifices. The very essence of all offerings was that the act should be voluntary, "of his own voluntary will." This being the case, God did then lay down the conditions on which they should be brought and offered. Hence the book of Leviticus begins by saying, "IF any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring," etc. (Compare Lev. i. 2, 3, 10, 11; ii. 4, 5, 7, 14; iii. 1, 6, 7, 12; iv. 32, etc.).

It was essential that all sacrifices should be of the offerer's "own voluntary will" (Lev. i. 3). What Jehovah commanded "in the day that He brought them out of Egypt" was to "diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD;" and "Do that which is right" in His sight; and "Give ear to His commandments; keep all His statutes." This was the command "in the day that He brought them out of Egypt" (see Exod. xv. 20).

This inaccurate reading not only creates the difficulty; but misses the very scope of Jer. vii. 22, 23.

6. Hearing and not hearing the voice.—In Acts ix. 7 we read, "The men that were with him (Saul) stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man."

In Acts xxii. 9 "they heard not the voice of him that spake to me."

In this case it is the Greek that has to be read accurately. The verb ἀκούω (akouō), to hear, is the same in both passages, but it governs two cases of the noun which follows it.

It takes the Genitive case of the sound which is heard; and it takes the Accusative case of the words or matter which is heard.

In Acts ix. 7 "the voice" that was heard is in the Genitive case (Φωνῆς, phōnēs).

In Acts xxii. 9 "the voice" that was not heard (i.e., the matter) is in the Accusative case: so that while the men with Saul heard the sound of the voice, they did not hear the words that were spoken. (Compare Luke xi. 28.)

7. Standing and falling to the earth.—But there is another difficulty in these passages besides the hearing and not hearing.

Y 2

There is the difficulty between Acts ix. 7, "the men that journeyed with him stood speechless," and Acts xxvi. 14, "and when we were all fallen to the earth."

This difficulty is removed the moment we read the passage accurately and notice that the word Ἰσπαναι (histamai) has another meaning besides standing erect on one's legs. It means to remain motionless in whatever position one may be.

It is rendered abode in John viii. 44; continue in Acts xxvi. 22 (R.V. stand); stanch in Luke viii. 41. Hence it is used of standing fast (1 Cor. vii. 37. Col. iv. 12. 2 Tim. ii. 19).

More to the point is the Septuagint of 1 Sam. xxviii. 20, where it is said of Saul that he "made haste, and fell motionless upon the earth." No one would think of rendering this, he "fell standing."

So that the two passages taken together mean that "the men that journeyed with him" fell to the ground and remained speechless; or were motionless as well as speechless.

8. Spoken and written.—In Matt. ii. 23 we read: "He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene."

This being inaccurately read, search is made in the prophets for any such prophecy.

But none can be found.

The Hebrew word נָצַר (nēlzer), a branch, is then taken, and an attempt is made to identify it with "Nazarene." But even if this could be established (which it cannot be) it would not solve the difficulty which has been created; for the word nēlzer is used of Christ, only in Isaiah; and it says prophets.

If we read the verse accurately we notice that it says "spoken," and not written.

Some prophecies were written and not spoken. Some were spoken and not written; others were both spoken and written.

1 Homer, in reference to one thus fallen, says: "he fell from his car... and then, for a long time remained he motionless"; (not standing on his legs after he had fallen!). Itiad. v. 585.