There were more sacred solemnities in the seventh month than in any
other month of the year, not only because it had been the first month
till the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt (which, falling in the
month Abib, occasioned that to be thenceforth made the beginning of the
months in all ecclesiastical computations), but because still it
continued the first month in the civil reckonings of the jubilees and
years of release, and also because it was the time of vacation between
harvest and seedtime, when they had most leisure to attend the
sanctuary, which intimates that, though God will dispense with
sacrifices in consideration of works of necessity and mercy, yet the
more leisure we have from the pressing occasions of this life the more
time we should spend in the immediate service of God. 1. We have here
the appointment of the sacrifices that were to be offered on the first
day of the month, the day of blowing the trumpets, which was a
preparative for the two great solemnities of holy mourning on the day
of atonement and of holy joy in the feast of tabernacles. The intention
of divine institutions is well answered when one religious service
helps to fit us for another and all for heaven. The blowing of the
trumpets was appointed, Lev. xxiii. 24. Here the people are directed
what sacrifices to offer on that day, of which there was not then any
mention made. Note, Those who would know the mind of God in the
scripture must compare one part of the scripture with another, and put
those parts together that have reference to the same thing, for the
latter discoveries of divine light explain what was dark and supply
what was defective in the former, that the man of God may be perfect.
The sacrifices then to be offered are particularly ordered here (v.
2-6), and care taken that these should not supersede the daily oblation
and that of the new moon. It is hereby intimated that we must not seek
occasions to abate our zeal in God's service, nor be glad of an excuse
to omit a good duty, but rather rejoice in an opportunity of
accumulating and doing more than ordinary in religion. If we perform
family-worship, we must not think that this will excuse us from our
secret devotions; nor that on the days we go to church we need not
worship God alone and with our families; but we should always abound in
the work of the Lord. 2. On the day of atonement. Besides all the
services of that day, which we had the institution of, Lev. xvi., and
which, one would think, required trouble and charge enough, here are
burnt-offerings ordered to be offered, v. 8-10. For in our faith and
repentance, those two great gospel graces which were signified by that
day's performances, we must have an eye to the glory and honour of God,
which was purely intended in the burnt-offerings; there was likewise to
be a kid of the goats for a sin-offering, besides the great
sin-offering of atonement (v. 11), which intimates that there are so
many defects and faults, even in the exercises and expressions of our
repentance, that we have need of an interest in a sacrifice to expiate
the guilt even of that part of our holy things. Though we must not
repent that we have repented, yet we must repent that we have not
repented better. It likewise intimated the imperfection of the legal
sacrifices, and their insufficiency to take away sin, that on the very
day the sin-offering of atonement was offered, yet there must be
another sin-offering. But what the law could not do, in that it was
weak, that Christ has done.