Why the skin, flesh, and other parts of the bullock was carried out of the host
1. The legal reason was because it was a sacrifice for sin, and therefore unmeet to be burnt as other sacrifices upon the altar.
2. The historical reason, because the Lord suffered without the gate of the city.
3. The moral reason, to show that the skin with the flesh was carried forth so the priest should be far off, not only from sin, but the occasion thereof.
4. The mystical reason, that Christ doth cast out-of-doors, and remove far away from us our sins.
5. Now further, the sin-offering for the priest, and for the whole congregation were burnt without, to show the horror and greatness of their sin; and though it were unclean, being a sacrifice for sin, yet because some part thereof, namely the fat, was burnt upon the altar, the remaining part waswith reverence to be burned, and in a clean place, and therefore without the camp, because it was separated from the common pollutions which might happen within the camp.
6. The Hebrews further observe that the high priest’s sin-offering was commanded to be burnt openly without the camp, to the end that no man might be ashamed to confess his sin. (A. Willet, D. D.)
To bear patiently the momentary afflictions of this life
Whereas Lev_4:12, the bullock was to be carried out of the host, the apostle applieth it to Christ suffering without the gate, making this further use of it--“Let us go forth therefore out of the camp, bearing His reproach, for we have no continuing city” (Heb_13:13). We should in our meditation and desire go out of the world as out of the camp, and be content to bear reproach for Christ’s sake, seeing we shall have no long continuance here, but look for an everlasting habitation in heaven; by this reason taken from the shortness of our afflictions the apostle exhorteth thus (2Co_4:17). The imitation of the saints, shortness of time, fragility of the body do persuade to perseverance, nature hath well provided that grief if it be great cannot be long, for a short danger thou shalt receive an everlasting reward. (A. Willet, D. D.)
