PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy
William Lindsay Alexander [1808-1884] · 519,671 words · 561 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 181
holier R man is, the more will he suppress the one, the more will he develop the other I 2. He hreaks the tables (ver. 18). This is a symbolic act, reminding the people that by their apostacy they had violated their covenant vows. 3. He grinds the calf to l'"wder, etc. (,·er. 21). Another symbolic act, meaning, "Thi…
1,289 wordsSECTION 182The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 182
HOMILIES BY-VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 4-7.-Seif-righteousness. Strange capacity of human nature for self-delusion! It was an extraordinary error to fall into, when the Jew began to fancy that by his own power and might he had conquered Palestine (eh. viii. 17). Yet more extraordinary was the delusion that be bad been bro…
801 wordsSECTION 183The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 183
'Vcrs. 8-22.-The sin at Horeb. Moses dwells on this sin, alike as memorable in itself, and as illustrating the proposition that the people had again and again forfeited their covenant standing by their acts of disobedience. I. THE ENORMITY OF THIS SIN. 1. It was a sin committed immediately after solemn covenant with G…
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preceding generation, but th_e covena~t being national, and l~ying _obligations on all, involved thorn as well as their parents m the consequences of d1soberhence. If they stood still in covenant relation, it was of God's mercy which bad restored them. For a time that covenant was actually broken. Nor, if that argument…
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op7,o.<ilio11. The unseen power is always greater than the seen. God's anows fiud I-heir war through the be~t-jointcd harness. 'l'ho simple breath of Omnipotence withers all opposition. \V-hatever we omit to take to the battle-field, let us not omit to take Goel, 2. Orcull forces often lead the t1an. In advance, even o…
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3. There was tl18 sin of disbelief. The God of truth had promiser], but they had treated his word as n lie. 'fhey had enjoyed ocular demonstration of his faithfolness, yet they trusted their own fears and fancies rather than their God. 4. There 11)(t< the sin of overt ?'ebellion: They professed to regard God as their L…
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he pnrsnt'd. this mission was energy sustained rrom heaven. Further, the willingneas on the part. of God, to allow any suit on behalf of rebels, was an act of pure mercy'. Jt i~ no Jess absurd than profane to speak of man, the mediator, I\S showing more henc,olence than God. The whole arrangement is one of purest ki…
1,005 wordsSECTION 188The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 188
Vers. 1-6.-71,e policy of reproTiation. Moses here indicates very clearly what lay nt the foundation of the invasion. It is to be carried on successfully as a judgmen t upon Oanaanitish sin. It is no merit in the victors, but the demerit of the vanquished, which determines the Divine dealings. In one word, it is a p…
687 wordsSECTION 189The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 189
Vers. 7-29.-Jfumiliating memories. Following up the iden of their wnyw1Hdness, Moses proceeds to recall inst.ances of it. 'l'he remembrance 0£ sin is salutary, if it induces humili:ition; but detrimental, if it induces a repetition of tho sin. When :rnrnred of its forgivPness, we should forget it, so far as the remembr…
601 wordsSECTION 190The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 190
CHAPTER X. interceded, God commanded him to prepare two new tables of stone, and to construct an RENEWED EXHORTATIONS TO OBEDIENCE. ark in which to keep them (cf. Exod. xxxiv. Vers. 1-11.--Mosu' i11UTceasion and it., 1, etc.). Directions bad been given for the ruulu. construction of the 11rk before the npostacy Ver…
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Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all or qnnlitirs. Whioh regardeth not persons; thy eoul. Lorn prompts to sndcc. Wlwre- is not p1trti1tl, as n jn,lgc who hns respect to erer Jnyp fills the hc>Rrt, it. seeks expression tho condition nntl circumslnnces of pnrtics in nets of scrviee to its objc>ct; nnd where ra…
1,006 wordsSECTION 192The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 192
ngain renewed. But we must at least indicate the points of detail ere we can gather up tho eublimo teachings of the whole. I. Tm: RESULTB OF THE INTERCESSION OF MosEs. 1. Generally. "The Lord re- pented," etc. (l~xod. xxxii.14). 'l'he passage in Numb. xxiii. 19 is by no means contrary to this. It means thflt there is …
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regarding snfTering as the grie,ance rather than sin! as ir it were not tho ein which ie tlw r0, 11,Je"s bane, and the suffering consequent on it which is really thei1 gnard, thnt i hey may learn to dreRd the sin wl,ich brings such sorrow with it. And if the Great Lord_, oYer Rnd Rbove the merciful threatcnings whic…
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way c,f providence; if after nil the teachings, prayers, and intercessions as means of !(rnce; if after all the striving of God's Spirit with men, there is a steady, stont, obstinate resistance to all,-then, such is the view of the holy ones on earth and in henven, such the view of our Great Intercessor, of the evil of…
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Ver. li-xi. 1.-God no respcctf!I" of persons. Having reminded the people of their duty towards God, the aged iawgiver next shows the people what their God is to them, and draws from thence a new argument for obedience and love towards him. In doing this, howeYer, while there is much which we treat of in other Homili…
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thi8 attribute of lii8 in !he Lord Je8U8 (Jlirist. For this side-light on the trutb 1 we ure indebted to a scribe, an uninspired man, who, possibly indeed in flattery but wo rather think oth~rwise, intimates that this attribute of impartial e1111ity: which his lawgiver a_ttributed to th~. Divine Being, was manifest con…
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HOMILIES BY VA.RIOUS AUTHORS. Ters. 1-12.-Tokens of mercy. Various pledge5 of his.forgiveness were given by uod to the people. I. THE RENEWAL OF THE TABLES. (Vers. 1-5.) 1. Reconciliation to God is only possible through return to obedience. God cannot but require that we accept his com- mands, and make them the ru…
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eubstituto. 4. The requirement of lcindness-" for thy good." 5. A reasonable requirement. 'l'his love nnd obedience were due from Israel fnr God's mercic~ to them. As in tho goHpel, gmce precedes, obedience follows. Saved by grace, we MO to make such return n~. is possible by_ lo:ing ~ncl fenring ..God, and diligently …
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is the condition of the possibility of this renunciation. ,ve nchieve it, not in c.llr own ~trength, but through the impartation of a new principle of life. Paul mnkes it a result. of faith in the risen Christ (Col. ii. 12). 'l'he circumcised heart marks the acn)ptl'd and restored recipient of the grace of God-a child …
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dwell in Gml's mincl nro incomprehensible until they are put into hnman monld. This introduction of a humnn element implies limitation, but does not imply error. The prophet becomes the chnnnel through which Divine communications flow; but the prophet needs great subjective preparation to receive the message. He mus…
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III. THERE IS PR0GRF.SS TOO IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF Goo's PLANS. At another ~tage of their pilgrimage, God chose the tribe of Levi to minister unto him in sacre(l things. Heretofore, the first born in each family was claimed by God as his specio.l minister; now a particular tr,be is selected on the ground of its zealous …
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Moses never foils to remind Israel that the God of heaven was their God. With con- descending grncr, that oxcites our perpetual surprise, God ha,l chosen them to be rl'cipients or special blessing. He bad found" delight in their fathers;" a11d for tho fathers' sakes had loved the children. We, too, who believe in Ch…
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And \1crc ,,e l1ave to notice- I. MA~ Is ASKED To rno,·mE THE TADLES. Goa loves tl1e co-operation or his people as far ns possible. "Fellow-workers with God" is our highest honour. Jnst as when Christ ~·ns raising Lazarus he allowed men to roll away the stone (John xi. 3!!-41), sn when lie would write the Decalogue…
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Vers. 10-22.-New obedience. Moses, having detailed the success of his interces- sion in Horeb, and that the threatened doom was averted and the pilgrimage proceeded with, goes on in this passage to analyze the obedience to be rendered. It is all summed up in fearing the Lord, walking in his ways, loving him, serving h…
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on II, WBS mBde o.vo.ilnble for useful pur- plBce for & people e.lso wholly dependent on poses. In Egypt there is little or no ro.in, him, who owed to bis grace all thot they and the people are dependent on the o.nnnal were 0.nd h0.cl. overllowing of the Nile for the proper irrigo.- Ver. 13.-Being thus wholly depenrle…
1,085 wordsSECTION 206The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 206
of it. This fa more exRctly defined as re- former wns barren and rugged, the latter Ptrielc>d to the lRnd the boundaries or which fertile and smooth; but thia ia not borne nr<' ginm-from the Arabinn desert on the out by the nctunl appearnnce of the two s0uth to LebA.non on the north, and from hills, both being equnl…
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anew, from a consideraUon of the deep meaning of the events which their own eyes have aeon, to learn to be faithful and obedient. We by no means un<lerstand Moses a~ intending to say that the children are not before him to hear his words, but rather that the argument he is now using is specially for the sires rather th…
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2. Though the facts, comprised in the birth, cross-be&ring, resurrection, and ascension of onr Lord ,l ems Christ, did not occur in our times, yet the evidence thereof has come down tu us in unbroken line, and with unimpaired force. 3. The meaning of these facts is <'Hll be! ter known now t.him it was at the moment of …
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taught by natural religion, and recognized in the whole of Scripture. 2. The sending of the rain from heaven is an act of, and to us a proof of, the Divine benevolence (Matt. v. 45). 3. There was manifest kindness to Israel, in leading them to a land so spon- taneously and richly fruitful as Palestine. In Egypt, whe…
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f n,rr, tlv: infl== c,J it.a c,wn rigMwwmeu. L :!\.E.Tl'JH.L POWER 18 '(;JHVEEl>ALLY COVETED. Nor, provided sundry conditions im, foi.£;,f.i. whid:, will be prti;eDtly named, ill tbill wrong. No nation ought to consent St- ~ a d1w i.u.-:,i,g :r.iatiUIIL J 11,1t a.a nally &11 a man may well wish to be something clt.…
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however, observe that, while in its entirety it deals with the blessing 11nd curse, yet the first three verses deal with them as resting on the people, the remaining verses regard th<:m ns pronounced b.11 the pC'ople. The theme indicated by the latter half is tr<:ated on nt eh. XXYii. W'e therefore confine our remar…
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And it would be well could it be impressed on every conscience that, evel} if there were 110 ccrtniuty of any visitation or punishment from God _in token or his displeasure, yet that displeasure itself is so awful a curse, that to be conscious of it is the germ of hell; while quite apart from aught that he may send to …
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c0n-,crtcd, or 11imed 11t conyerting, the l1ordes who left Egypt into B nBtion of brave frw, God-fe11ring, self-respecting, obedient men and women. This cd11c11tlon blondcd d(•li,erance with judgment on their enemies; loving-kindness In the bestowal of mercios with severe chastisements in cases of rebellion; attention …
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Vers. 26-29.-The great alternative. I. GoD SUMMONS us TO DECISIO~. 1. His revelations lay the ground for it. "Light is come into the world" (John iii. 19). 2. 'l'hey demand it. Men would trifle, but God says, "Now" (2 Cor. vi. 2). Men would put off, but God urges to decision (Josh. xxiv. 15). 3. They shut men up to it.…
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, ers. 1-7.-Ocular demonstrations of God's nearness increase human responsibility. :Men disposed to scepticism often ask for clearer proof of the existence of God. But they deceive themselves. If they used well such evidence as they have, they would find it ample. Vve should not overlook the fact that the Hebrews, unde…
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Vers. 10-17.-Valuable possessions reserved for the righteous. The land of Palestine has always been a coveted prize by the surrounding nations. Compared with the terri- tory south and east, it pos~esses qualities of excellence and beauty. But its fertility depends upon the rain supply, and rain supply was suspended on …
1,189 wordsSECTION 217The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 217
becomo bis foes. He iclontifies himself with our cause; or, what is the same thin er, w8 identify ourselvos with his. " JII. DIVINE ASSISTAN0E MAKES us ALirCONQUERING. "Noman shall be able to stand before us." Good men will be drawn to us in sacred frienrlship; bar\ men will be held fnst in the mysterious spell df awe…
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d00s rn,t sny, "Obey, 1md I will save you for your obedience," but "Talrn ealvntlon as n fr,·c gift, aud then obey me as a matter of grntilnde." "If ye love i11e, keep my c"mmandrnents." He secures the love by sovereign rnercy, and receives obedience as his return upon his investment. Obedience is God's dividend upo…
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the mountain ridge betwe~n the Nile valley an~ the valley of the Euphrates, there is constant rlepondence experienced upon the bounties of hMven. This suggests-- I. TIIAT CANAAN WAS A SPLENDID LAND IN wmcFI TO TRAIN UP A BPIRITCJAL PEOPLE. It was not na~urnlly so fer:tile as eith~r the valley_of the Nile or the val_le…
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(Act8 ni. H), that it is likely to bloom out in a fitting public profession. It Is "with the heart man believeth unto righteousnes~," and then" with the mouth confession is mnde unto salvation" (Rom. x. 10). As the ark received the tables of the Law, so the heart 0f man is to be the depository oft-he Divine commandment…
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"The time, the place, the way, Are open to mine eye; I sent them-not to gather spoil- To labour patiently." 1 R.M.E. Vere. 26-32.-.Li/e's tolemn alternative. Moses here sums up his exhortation with the alternative of a blessing or a curse. Obedience secures the blessing; disobedience the curse, He also directs the…
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EXPOSITION. way of obedience. These they were to ANNOUNCEMENT OF PARTICULAR observe all the days of their life upon the LAWS. lo.nd that was to be given them; the land was the Lord's, and there, ns long ns they CHAPTER XII.-CHAPTER XXVI. possessed it, the Law of the Lord was to be paramount. Mosca, having in his…
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1 Kings viii. 29), a.ad which is consequently offerings, 9.8 e.a. the peace offering, "" in to be rego.rded e.s his ho.bitation or dwelling- the case of the firstling offering the whol9 plo.ce. Hence the temple e.t ,Jerusalem was flesh shall be the priest's; anrJ thus taken, in Io.ter times known o.s the place of the t…
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nn lnng-,,r be so; 11 certain order and fixed were animals that could not be offered in lncnlity sl,nuld be determined for their sacrifice, the distinction between clean o.nd worshir nn<l scn-ice; when they had passed unclean, on the pnrt of the caters, did not 0Y0r ,forrhn the Lord would gfre them rest come into co…
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Vers. 1-32.-Regulations for Divine worship: specific rules embodying permanent principles. With this twelfth chapter an entirely new set of instructions begins. Up to this point the exhortations have been for the most part moral: now they are positive. Hitherto the precepts have been, speaking generally, concerning dut…
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extension of pri_nciple No. 2; but it requires in our day to be noticed separately; sinco many will admit, generally, that worship must be according to Scripture, who nevor- tbeless also maintain that the Church may direct as to forms of worship. Ilut we cannot forget two facts: one, that at the close of the New Tes…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-5.-Destruction of monuments of idolatry. Israel's entrance into Canaan was the entrance of true knowledge, of pure forms of religion, of cleansed morals. The worship of Jehovah was the very antithesis of that of which these altars, pillars, and graven images, were the polluted m…
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the la"W did not exist, or that it was not known, but the excuse Is advanced for irregu- larities t.hat. " there was no house built unto the Name of the Lord until those days" (er. 1 Kings viii. 29; ix. 9; 2 Chron, vi. 6, 6). 2. While the law lays down the general rule, it is not denied that circumstances might arise, …
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I. THAT GoD BE PREBENT WITH mB PEOl'LE. We meet in his Name. His presence ie promised (Matt, xviii. 20). Without that presence sought a.nd obtained, worship is in vain. II. THAT IT BE PURE AND B0RIPTURAL. Not "will-worship" (Col. ii. 23); not corrupted by the ingraning upon it of heathen superstitions. Christianity ha…
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Vers. I-3.-The invasion a religious one. The Israelites were instructed to exter- minate the Canaanites in consequence of their sins, as we have already seen ; but in this passage we have strict injunctions given to destroy the places of worship which the Canaanites had used, "upon the high mountains, and upon the hill…
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must do what i5 right in their own eyes, in a way tl1at would not be lawful in times of ~ett\e<l avocations and of peace. Moses is instrncted, therefore, to remind them of the freedom they necessarily practise in the unsettled condition, which must be relinquished when they settle down beyond the Jordan (vers. 8, 9). …
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Vars. 20-28.-The sanctity of blood. The central a.lta.r was for the reception of the blood. And while the Jews remained in pilgrimage, every time they killed an animal out of their flocks or herds for family use they carried the blood to the tabernacle, that it might be duly disposed of by the priest. In case of the ro…
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,-ers. 5-28.-C'haracteristic signs of Jehovah's worship. All the religious institutions of Mos_es were bulwarks against t~~ idolatry of the period, and were admirably suited to them tellectual and moral cond1t10n of the people. The worship of the true God was characterized by- I. .A SINGLE, Goo-SELECTED SHRINE. AB …
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Vers. 29-32.-The subtle ensnarements of idolatry. A spirit of vain curiosity is to be repressed at its beginning. So weak is human nature, and so subtle is the working of sin, that prying curiosity into evil customs works practical mischief. Human life, to be a success, must be a perpetual battle with moral evil We can…
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If the temptntion wns in privo.t., o.nd so rendered by "nno-orlly men." Most com- ]mown only to thyself. ~only it is treated° os a proper name. But Ver. 8.-l'ity, spa.re, ooncee.I. The o.ccu- In all plo.<·es the proper m,,anin"' of the mulntion of terms serves to make the injunc- word might be retained. The Hebrews ti…
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Chmch, the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira seemed severe. But the instan- t:rnc<>us cutting out of the canker of hypocrisy was, as it were, the surgical operation wl11ch only would save the Church. So here. There are three principles which wero 11t stake in such cases as those here supposed. 1. The supremacy of Je…
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INDIVIDUAL LIFE. "Ye ehall walk aner the Lord" embodies New Testament tenchin" RB wall RB Old. t On the basis of the chapter before us, the followin" ontline of th0t1<7h may well be filled up. 1. Absolute loyalty to Ghrist should be the° governinu princi°ple of life. 'l'be Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Christ of…
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raises t be question of the 'l'nlne of miracles as credentials of revelation. That they ha,e a nlue is not disputed, but not as mere signs aud wonders. 'l'his will be best sc>c>n by contrasting the sign or wonder gi"Ven by this prophet with the evidence of the earlier re,elat.ion. If we take the Scripture account or…
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Rlcnder thread of this one nation's fidelity, it is difficult to see bow it coulrl well have beeu less stern than it is. Its severity was perhaps its mercy. Note, too, that the criminal could be executed only after formal impeachment, fair trial, and conclusively established guilt (cf. ver. 14; eh. xvi i. 2-8; xix. 15-…
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Ver~. 1-18.-ldolatry to be treated as a capital ci·ime. This chapter reh\tee to the Israelites themselves. As the government was a theocracy, idolatry iu rmy form was freaso,; against the Divine King, and justly punishable with death. The previous chapter (1·ers. 29--32) affords timdy warning against sinful curi'.'lsit…
849 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.