Section 901
I. We shall endeavour to shew, that this sheaf of the first was a type of Christ, as to the matter of it, both respect to quality and quantity
With respect to quality, it was a sheaf of barley; as to its quantity, it was a single sheaf; or, however, such a quantity as only one omer of barley was taken from it, and waved before the Lord by the priest.
It was of barley. The Jews had a two-fold harvest, one of barley, the other of wheat. That of barley, which was at. this time, was the first; which was at the time of the feast of the passover. We read that Ruth and Naomi came out of the land of Moab to Bethlehem, in the beginning of barley harvest. (Ruth 1:22) From that unto the wheat harvest were fifty days, or about seven weeks; which is what in the New Testament is called Pentecost. It was the feast of Weeks, of wheat harvest, and of in-gathering of the fruits of the earth. (Exodus 34:22) Now it was at the former, and not at the latter of these, that this sheaf of the first-fruits was taken. Therefore it must be of barley, and not of wheat; as the time most clearly shews: it being at the time of the passover, or of the Israelites coming out of the land of Egypt. A little before that, when the plague of hail was upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, we are told, that barley was in the ear. (Exodus 9:31) Now at this time it was ripe; but it must not be reaped, till a sheaf of the first-fruits was waved before the Lord.
Now this being of barley, which is a mean sort of grain, may denote, the mean estate of our Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation. The barley cake which tumbled into the host of Midian, and overturned the tent in it, as in the dream of the Midianitish soldier, was an emblem of Gideon, a mean and unpromising instrument of the destruction ~f the Midianitish army. So here the sheaf of barley may be an emblem of our Lord Jesus Christ, in his state of humiliation; who, when he was found in fashion as a man, appeared in the form of a servant, He grew up as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; there being no form nor comeliness in him, no outward form and splendour which might make him desirable to carnal men. He was reckoned a worm, and no man: such was his great humility, wonderful condescension, and amazing grace. It is well known, it is notorious: Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor; that ye, through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
But this sort of grain, though mean, was used for food; in early times, in later ones, and even with us, in some countries; it was so in Judea. We read that one of the miracles of our Lord was, the feeding of five thousand, with five barley loaves and two small fishes: (John 6:9) so Christ, in his mean estate of humiliation, is suitable and proper food for faith. He is held forth in the everlasting gospel, as food for the faith of his people, under the character of Christ crucified: We preach Christ crucified (says the apostle), to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness. Yea (he further adds), I determine not to know any thing among you; to set before you none other, as the proper object of your faith to feed upon, and receive comfort and nourishment from, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. It was upon him he himself lived: I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God; who loved me, and gave himself for me—So much for the quality of this sheaf of the first-fruits; it was of barley.
Next its quantity. It was but one; one sheaf that was waved; one omer, which was the tenth part of an ephah. (Exodus 16:36) It was as much as a man could eat in one day. Christ, in many respects, is but one. One with his divine Father in nature and essence. I and my Father are one. (John 10:30) He means particularly in power. He is speaking of his power in keeping his sheep committed to him, so that none shall perish, or any pluck them out of his hands: and he adds, and my Father, who gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands. And then, for the further confirmation of their security, being in his and his Father's hands, he adds, I and my Father are one: possessed of the same divine power. He, the Father, and the blessed Spirit, are one God. There is but one God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4) Now the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, are this one Jehovah.
Christ is one in his person, though he has two natures, human and divine. This is the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The Word was God, as to his divine nature; was made flesh, as to his human nature: and these two, though different and distinct, yet they are united in one person, the one person of the Son of God. The human nature is not a person of itself; it had its subsistence in the person of the Son of God: and there is much of the wisdom and grace of God in this matter. Had the human nature of Christ been a person subsisting of itself, all the actions done thereby, and the sufferings underwent therein, would have been found of no use to any, unless it was to that person; but this being taken into union with the divine person of the Son of God, all those actions and sufferings received an infinite efficacy and virtue, to answer the purposes of grace in our salvation. Christ is but one in his office as Mediator: the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; who has interposed between God and man, and made up the breach between them: who is our peace, and by whom the way is opened for us to God. Through him we (both Jews and Gentiles) have access: he is the new and living way to the Father, and he is the only way. There is but one way: no man can come to the Father, but by him. It is in his name, and by making mention of his righteousness, and of his only, that we can draw nigh unto God, with any degree of freedom; or to any good purpose. He is the one and only Saviour and Redeemer; his arm, and that alone, without the help of any other, has brought salvation. He is the only one to whom we must apply for salvation; to whom we are directed, from whom we are encouraged to hope for it, and that by himself. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22) There is no other Saviour besides him; nor is there any other from whom salvation can be expected: and therefore to him must be given all the glory. He is the one Lord, as the apostle says, One Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5) One Lord, to whom we are to yield obedience; even to all his commands and ordinances. Though there are many that are called Lords; (there were among the Heathens) yet to us, as Christians, there is but one Lord Jesus Christ, and we by him. Though other Lords, as sin and Satan, and the world, in unregeneracy, had dominion over us; yet now, through grace, it is our resolution, that by him, and him alone, will we make mention of his name; (Isaiah 26:13) that is, we will only serve him. He is the only head of the church, whom the Father has given to he head over all things unto it: a head of eminence to rule over, and guide, and protect it. A head of influence; as the natural head is to the body, from which it receives its nourishment, and increases. And he is the only husband of the church: thy maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name. (Isaiah 54:5) And though good men may, through the prevalence of temptation and corruption, go after other lovers, yet they are recovered again; and their resolution, in the strength of divine grace, is, to go and return to their first husband; for then it was better with them than now. (Hosea 2:7) Thus, in many respects, Christ is but one, as this sheaf was.
But then, though this sheaf was but one, it had many stalks, many cars of corn, and many grains in it. And so Christ, though he is but one in various respects, as we have seen; yet in him there is a complication. There is a complication of blessings of grace. Jehovah has presented him, from all eternity, in the council and covenant of grace and peace, with all the blessings of grace and goodness for his people; he has put them all into his hands, and blessed them with all spiritual blessings in him, and he is of God (as saith the apostle) made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:20) So that they have all blessings of grace in him, and from him; and are enabled to say, in the strength of faith, at times, as Jacob did, "I have enough, I have all things." For, saith the apostle, all things are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21, 23)
Moreover, he has not only a complication of all blessings in him; but as this sheaf of the first-fruits represented the whole harvest, and was a pledge and earnest of it, so Christ, the sheaf of the first-fruits, represents all his people. They are all gathered together under one head in him; and when he was crucified, they were with him; when he was buried, they were with him; when he rose again from the dead, they rose again with him; and are now sat down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And besides, as the sheaf of the first-fruits, had a connection with all the rest, so he with all the people of God. It was for their sakes he suffered, died, and rose from the dead. He suffered, to gather together the children of God, that were scattered abroad. He was delivered into the hands of justice and death, for their transgressions; and he arose again for the justification of them all—So much for the first thing: that the sheaf of the first-fruits was typical of Christ, as to the matter of it, both as to quality and quantity.