By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise
For temporal and spiritual mercies; particularly for
sanctification, or expiation of sin, by the blood of Christ; and
for heaven, the continuing city, that is to come: this sacrifice
is not a proper, nor a propitiatory one, but spiritual and
evangelical; it is enjoined by God, is well pleasing to him, and
glorifies him; and is our reasonable service, that believe in
Christ; for being made priests by him to God, and having faith in
him, such are capable of offering it aright; to do which, they
are under the greatest obligations: and it is to be offered up by
Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever; and who
has suffered without the gate, that he might sanctify the people
by his blood; it is to be done in imitation of him, and by his
assistance; and for him, and blessings in him; and on him, as the
altar, which sanctifies the gift; and through him, as the high
priest and Mediator; for, as there is no coming to God but by
Christ, and all our mercies come to us through him, and our
thanksgivings are only acceptable to God on his account, it must
be right to offer them up by him: and that,
to God continually:
as the Creator and Preserver of us, in our beings; as the Father
of mercies; as the Father of Christ; and as our covenant God and
Father in him; since he is always bestowing mercies on us, of one
kind or another; and, therefore, should be continually praised,
even in times of adversity, affliction, and temptation; in the
midst of reproach and persecution; even when unsettled in mind,
body, and estate; since there is a continuing city to come; nor
can a believer be in any state of life but he has something to be
thankful for:
that is, the fruit of our lips;
the sacrifice of praise is so called, in allusion to the offering
of the firstfruits under the law; and to distinguish it from
legal sacrifices; and to show in what way and manner we are to
praise God, namely, with our lips: in ( Hosea 14:2 ) which is
thought to be referred to here, it is, "the calves of our lips";
sacrifices of praise being instead of calves: and the apostle
interprets it in great agreement with the Jewish writers; the
Chaldee paraphrase explains it by (antwpo ylm) , "the words of their lips": and so
Jarchi, (wnytpv yrbd) ,
"the words of our lips"; and Kimchi, (wnytpv ywdyw) , "the confession of our lips": and
it may be observed, that there is a great nearness in
(Myrp) , "calves", and
(yrp) , "fruit"; though
perhaps rather the phrase is borrowed from ( Isaiah 57:19
) where it is expressly had; the Septuagint indeed have it in (
Hosea 14:2 ) &
the apostle adds, for further explanation,
giving thanks to his name;
to the name of God; to the glory of his name; to the honour of
his divine perfections; for mercies of every kind: the word
signifies "a speaking together"; and may design not only the
conjunction of the heart and tongue together in praise, but a
social giving thanks to God by the saints, as a body together:
the phrase (yusia ainesewv)
, "the sacrifice of praise", is used by the Septuagint in (
2
Chronicles 29:31 ) ( 33:16 )
. The apostle having shown that legal sacrifices were all
superseded and abolished by the sacrifice of Christ, which is the
design of this epistle, points out what sacrifice believers
should offer up to God, under the Gospel dispensation; and the
Jews themselves say, that
``in future time (i.e. in the days of the Messiah) all sacrifices shall cease, but (hdwt Nbrq) , "the sacrifice of praise" shall not cease F2.''