An exposition of the lawes of Moses: Viz. Morall. Ceremoniall. Iudiciall. The second volume. Containing an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof. Wherein also are opened divers ancient rites & customes of the Iewes, and also of the Gentiles, as they haue relation to the Iewish. Together with an explication of sundry difficult texts of Scripture, which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the Commandements, as also upon the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes. Which texts are set downe in the tables before each particular booke. All which are cleered out of the originall languages, the Hebrew and Greeke, and out of the distinctions of the schoolemen and cases of the casuists. / By Iohn Weemse, of Lathocker in Scotland, preacher of Gods Word.

EXERCITAT. V. Where they worshipped when the Arke and Ta∣bernacle were separated. A ceremoniall appendix of Command. 2.

1 King. 3.4. And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place, a thousand burnt offerings did Salomon offer upon that Altar.

MOyses Tabernacle was removed from Shilh, Psal. 78.60. He refused the Tabernacle of Shiloh; and it seemeth to have beene transported at that time, when the Arke was taken out of it, and the Philistims had overcome the Israelites, 1 Sam. 4.11. It was removed from Shilo, Iere. 17.12. But goe yee now into my place which was in Shilo; where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it, and Psal. 78.67. Moreover he refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the Tribe of Iudah: the Mount Sion which he lo∣ved, that is, hee rejected Shiloh which stood in the Tribe of Ephraim, and the Tabernacle of Ioseph, because Ephraim was Iosephs sonne.

The Tabernacle was transported from Shiloh to Nob, a Citie of the Priests unto which David did flie; from thence it was transported to Gibeon, a Citie in the Tribe of Benjamin, where it remained untill Salomon brought it to Ierusalē, 2 Chro. 1.3. And Salomon & al the Congregation with him went unto the high place which was in Gibeon; for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God, which Moyses the servant of God had made in the Wildernesse.

From thence Salomon brought the Tabernacle of the Congregation into the Temple of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.5.6.7. And the Priests brought the Arke of the covenant of the Lord unto his owne place; but the Tabernacle, as the Hebrewes say, was layd up without any more use.

[Quest.] When the Arke and the Tabernacle were separated, whether might they worship in any other place then be∣fore the Arke or the Tabernacle?

[Answ.] These who had an extraordinarie warrant, as Sa∣lomon, David, and such, sacrificed in other places; as Samuel sacrificed at Rama, and David built an Altar in the threshing floore of Arauna the Iebusite, and sacrifi∣ced there; and the Hebrewes say, Aram privatam non esse licitam nisi Prophetis.

In extraordinary sacrifices yee shall see sometimes the place onely changed, as in Samuel and Davids sacri∣ficing; sometimes the Lord changed the place, the sacrifice, and the Priests; he changed the sacrifice when Gideon had prepared a Kid for a feast to the Angell, the Kid was onely to bee offered in a sacrifice for the sinne of the Prince, Leviticus. 4.2. yet hee offered the Kid here; then no sacrifice was boiled before it was offered; but this was boiled first, and then offered; then he offered the bread for the meat offering, and the broth for the drinke offering: and the Priest was changed, the Angell was the Priest, and Gi∣deon was the Levite; and last the place was changed. The Lord who is the lawgiver, and giveth lawes to men, and not to himselfe, he may change time, place, and person as he pleaseth.

[Quest.] What are we to thinke of Salomons sacrificing in Gibe∣on, 1 King. 3.3. And Salomon loved the Lord walking in his statutes, as David his father, onely hee sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

[Answ.] Salomon sacrificed upon the brasen Altar which was

in Gibeon, as his father did, 1 Chr. 1.30. this is not set downe as a blemish to Salomon, as if he had done any thing otherwise then his father; for he loved the Lord, and walked in his statutes as his father David: and rak here is not particula exceptiva vel exclusiva, but onely restrictiva; that is, he sacrified in no other places, but onely in the place where hee saw his father sacri∣fice.

[Quest.] What are we to thinke of the peoples sacrificing in the high places before the Temple was built, 1 King. 3. onely the people sacrificed in the high places; because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord in those dayes.

[Answ.] Some answer that there were three sorts of those who sacrificed in those dayes, first, those who sacrificed to the true God in a place appointed by him; second∣ly, some sacrificing to the true God, but in a place not appointed or allowed; and thirdly, some sacrificing to Idols in a place not appointed by him: and they make the people sacrificing in high places because the Tem∣ple was not built yet, to be worshippers of the second sort; but if we shall looke in what sense the high places are taken usually in the Scriptures, we shall finde that they signifie a place where they worshipped false gods.

[Quest.] What Altars are these, Psal. 84.3. which David speak∣eth of when he saith, yea the Sparrow hath found a house, and the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young ones, even thine Altar; Seeing no uncleane thing was permitted to enter within the Temple; and the Hebrewes write, that there was cole gnorebb a scar-crow set up upon the Temple to fright the foules, that they might not come neare it.

[Answ.] By the Altars here, are meant the Altars which were built in the high places to the Lord by the Prophets,

before the Temple was built; for as yet Salomons Tem∣ple was not builded: or it may be sayd that David spake this by the spirit of prophesie, of the Altars in the time of the captivitie, when the Swallowes built their nests in the ruins of the Altars.

[Quest.] What Altars doth Elias meane of, when hee saith, they have destroyed thine Altars, seeing now there were no Altars in the high places, which were the Lords Al∣tars?

[Answ.] They have destroyed thy Altars, that is, all the meanes of thy worship; or if we take the Altars literally, it may be understood of those Altars built by the Pro∣phets extraordinarily after the Temple was built, as Elias built an Altar in mount Carmel.

The Iewes adde farther, that all the times that they sacrificed upon these Altars, they sacrificed a female and not a male, 1 Sam. 7.9. vajagnalehu, & obtulit ipsum; but the critickes of the Iewes, the Masoreth readeth it va∣jagnaleah, that is, they offered a female upon these Al∣tars, and not a male.

Offering of sacrifice upon the high places was found fault with after the Temple was built; Iehosaphat is blamed for this, that he tooke not away the highplaces, 1 King. 22.43. and likewise Asa, 1 King. 15.14. because he tooke not away the high places; but the Lord com∣mended Ezekiah much for taking away the high places, yet Rabsache blamed him for taking away these high places and Altars, Esay 36.7.

[Conclusion.] The Conclusion of this is, the Lord by degrees with∣drew his typicall presence from the Iewes, first, he se∣parated the Arke and the Tabernacle, secondly, the Arke from the Temple, thirdly, hee destroyed the Temple, that they might looke onely to him who was both the Arke, the Tabernacle, and the Temple.

Notes

• The Tabernacle remo∣ved from Shilo after the Arke was taken out of it.
• The Tabernacle caried to Nob.
• Salomon brought the Tabernacle to Ieru∣salem.
• Who might sacrifice in other places then at the Arke or Taberna∣cle.
• Sometimes the sacri∣fice, Priest and place are changed.
• Gideons sacrifice.
• Salomon sinned not in offering in Gibeon.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est particula re∣strictiva, non exclusiva vel exceptiva.
• Three sorts of those who sacrificed before the Temple was builded.
• The high places in the Scriptures usually are taken in an evill sense.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 inhibens corvum
• What Altars are meant that David speaketh of.
• By Altars is meant the meanes of Gods wor∣ship.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• It was a fault to offer in the high places after the Temple was buil∣ded.