PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy
William Lindsay Alexander [1808-1884] · 519,671 words · 561 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 241
towards him, and reject evf!ry temptation to transfer our allegiance. We shall thus find ourselves going forward Rteadily in the exercise of spiritual purity and power.- H. M.E. Vere. 1-18.-God's executiomrs upon idolaters. No respecter of persons is God. The sin of all sins is idolatry, and such overt rebels against …
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thin_g must be tolerated. If the luminous agent employed to shed light makes alliance with the ,,Jernent of darkness, its mission is terminated: it is good for nothing. lience in order that the Hebrews might keep alive the lamp of heavenly truth, they must burn pure oil. 'l'he eYil growth must be nipped in the bud. The…
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EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XIV. in Leviticus Is wholly omitted in Deute- IJEATITEN OosTOMS OF MounNING TO BE ronomy. 4. Winged insects are forbidden without exception in Deuteronomy; in AVOIDED, No ABOMINABLE THING TO BE Leviticus, the locust and certain other in- EATEN, MEATS 0LEAN AND UNOLEAN, sects of the same kind ar…
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, crs. 1, 2.-The people of God when death is in the home. If God chose out a people for himself, with the view of planting in the world a new and nobler faith, it is no wonder if he would have the people superadd to that a new at!d higher life. But if the life is to be higher in any sense which could be acceptable to J…
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far from having about it the hopelessness which marked the heathen world. 5. For, stretching far away in the future, there was the hope of a resurrection at the last day. 'l'his was involved in God's words to MoseR, "I am the God of Abraham," etc. Many, perhaps tho mass, of the people might not see that. But our Lord a…
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Yers. 3-20.-The people of God at their own table. However far these minute regulations may seem at first from being appropriate themes for homiletic teaching, a closer study or them may show that they contain an amount of instruction which we could ill afford to lose. There are two principles, not unfrequently noted…
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JI. The Christian, being a redeemed man, by the fact of that redemption is clnimecl for Christ alone. "Ye are bought 1vith a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." "We are the Lord'H." Our body Houl, and spirit are entirely his. The claim of Jesus Christ over us is that he shaii go…
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land. The enactment, however, is eo framed as to bo an appeal to the religion and devol ion of the people; it is not a mere ch·il statute, enjoining that, if such devotoment is not rnnde, it is to be recoverable under pains and pcnaltieR. If n man failed in his duty in these respects, there was no compulsory enforcemen…
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Vera. 1-3.-Self-respect in mourning. Mourning customs have significance, as testifying to the ideas of God, of human worth, and of immortality, held by those who practise them. Those here forbidden were degrading in their own nature, and em- bodied the false idea that God is pleased with the self-inflicted miseries of …
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cerlnin crea(ur<>s to be unfit for food. The Law of Moses drew the line prnctically w!1cre men's ungnided instincts have always drawn it. A le~son of ,·espect foi· natural order. Jn di<>t.. as in higher matters, we do well to follow Nature's guidance, avoiding violations ~r her la'l'"s, nnd refraining from obliterating…
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Vera. 22-29.-The second tithe. We adopt the usual view, that the law!!'iver is here regulating the disposal of what, in later times, was called" the second tith[" The hypothesis that the book was written at a late date, when the gift of tithes to the Levites, prescribed in Numb. xviii., had fallen into· disuse, is unsu…
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Vers. 1, 2.-Sorrow is to be in holy hopifrilness. After guarding them so carefully from all idolatry, Moses next charges the Israelites not to imitate the heathen nations by mutilating themselves or making themselves bald for the dead. The reason assigned is their consecration unto the Lord, There must have been, th…
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• Lord, we can trust thee for onr holy dead. They, undemeo.th the shadow of thy tomb, Ho.ve entered into peo.ce ; with bended heo.d We tho.nk thee for their rest, o.nd for our lightened gloom." R. M. E. Vera. 3-11.-.A holy people will eat sanctified things. The regulation of the diet of the children of Israel was …
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estate. It is his, if he will. He may divest himself of it; ho may creep into a corner and abdicate his kin!!:dom, as most men do, but he is entitled to the world by his con- stitution. In proportion to the energy of liis thought and will, he takes up tho world unt-0 himself." What a richness of thought is thus afforde…
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is also true the.t e. niggardly soul will fall out of fellowship. In fact, fellowship with God will seem so precious as to bo worth infinitely more than all our possessions, and any proportion of these required by God for the maintenance of fellowship will se"m a small price. Our conviction will be that of the psalmist…
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Y ers. 1, 2.-..4.gainst conformity with heathen customs. Israel had been called to honourable privilege; therefore it was fitting there should be seemly conduct. Iloyal children should be royal in all their acts. I. IsuAEL's SPECIAL PRIVILEGE. They enjoyed a position superior to all the nations of the earth. 1. They w…
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lnclin11tions are designed to be servant&, not masters. 2. It exercised them in practical self-denial, The noblest qualities of human character are acquired only by personal discipline. Some parts of our nature have to be repressed; some have to be stimulated. 'rhe fleshly propensities have always been unfriendly to th…
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II. A DEFIKITE PROPORTION DEMA?-."DED. It was competent for God to make such terms as be pleased with men. He might justly lrnve permitted for our own use a bare existence, and required us to devote to him the residue of our gains. Or he might very properly have exacted as his tribute one-half. Whatever bad been his wi…
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CHAPTER XV. stranger wl,o lived among them and ha,l cla.ims on their benevolence (7 ~). Of such Tlll!I YEAR OF RELEASE FOR TilE BENEFIT they might exact e. debt, without regard to OF DEBTORS AND THE EMANCIPATION OF the year of release. "ThJB rule breathes HEBREW SLAVES. THE 8ANCT1FICATION no hatred of foreigners, bu…
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nc,t n<'<'C'ss:irily n wicked mrm (rf. eh. xiii. Exod. xxii. 20; xxiii. 9; Lev. xix. 34). Aa 13). And it be ein unto thee; i.e. entail God had dealt by them, eo it behoved thorn gui11 upon thee, and BO expose thee to the to denl by othcre in like condition and Di,·inc displcnsure. need. Ver. 10.-Shall not be grieved; …
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tho c!Ted of the rotation of crops was unknown. 1 We by no means affirm that such was tho only reason for the appointment ; yet nothing hinders us from regarding it a~ a reason. In that year there was to be a general remission of debts. To all appear• anco, there would, however, be one social danger arising from so pec…
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III. THE rnomDITION OF OUR LORD AGAINST COVETOUSNESS IS VERT STERN AND !;TRONG. (See Luke xii. 13-21.) At every stage of that paragraph there is some new and slnrtling light in which the evil of covetousness is seen, 1. It cherishes a totally rnist.nken ,iew of life (Luke xii. 15). 2. It is perilous (Luke xii, 20). …
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Such genial enactments as the one in vers. 1-6 might prevent beggary, but would nQt do away with poverty. "'l'he poor shall never cease out of the land." This phrase is not to be regarded as indicating a Divine appointment that it should be so, but as a Divine declaration that H would be so. As Jong as men are what the…
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w0rcls '"hich nn npostlc was mercifully led to save from the peril of unrecorded snyinge "l t is m0re blessed to give than to receive." \Vhencnr and wherever there is presented t<> us n case of genuine need, there is an opportunity for honouring our Saviour which we must not suffer t-0 pnss by uni1-i:iprovcd. 5. 'l'…
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feasts 11t the groat national festivals. 8. If they acccptcu freedom at the end of the sixth year, they were not to be sent away empty, but were to be furnished by their master, liberally and gladly, with a sufficiency wherewith to "start on their own account." 9. The idea of freedom was ever kept before them. They mia…
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Ver. 21.-Sacri.fices to be without blemish. A reference to passages in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, will show the frequency with which the injunction here contained was insisted upon, and the importance attached to it. Sacrifices offered to God must be without blemish. The entire Mosaic system of sacrif…
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tho approprh1tencss of a human one, and the "sweet-smelling Ravour" of a perfectly puro ono. Besides which it had all the spontaneity of a voluntary offerina-, and all the generosity of a noble self-surrender for the sake of others; in rnakin::; which the Redeemer was satisfied. And this offering which infinite love ha…
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gospel idPas. It finds its higher counterpart in that cc acceptable year of the Lor«l" (Luke h·. l 9), which is the true " Lord's release." Christ came cc to preach the gospel to the poor," and "to preach dcli·.erance to the captives" (Luke iv.18). 'l'his" accepted time " is the period of God's forbearance with our sin…
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enrth a residuum of poverty is still to be looked for. (1) There are diversities of talent.,. '!'here will always bo those whose abilities only fit them for the humblest positions in society. And these mo.y be left friendless, or health may fail them, or they may livo to old nge, o.nd become dependent. (2) There are vi…
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11 person sl10nl<l 80metimes lend, "expecting nothing agnio." With foreigners, that is those no! of "the household of faith," it might be different; the debt need not in thi~ case he cancelled; the year of release was a Divine institution for the people of God. The Jc~n were intended, if obedient, to he creditors of…
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shall never ccaso out of the land," there will be the ca11 evermore for this open-handed- ness. Now this poor-law regulation is a most beautiful illustration of what God does for us; and something like it will yet supersede the hard-heartedness of our national systems. I. GENEROSITY BROULD NOT BE TOO CALCULATING IN IT…
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that he may have something with which to begin the world again. "Thou shalt furnish him lib~mlly out of thy flock, nm! out of thy floor, and out of thy wincpress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him." On the other hand, if the service wns so delightful to him that he would rath…
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Vers. 1-11.-A bulwark against C'Upidity. Material prosperity was the only form of blessing that had attractive charm for the Hebrews. Neither mind nor conscience was yet sufficiently developed to value higher good. • God had to raise them by slow and successive steps. Material prosperity had its dangerous side. It migh…
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oppressor. The slave-holder, if severely exacting, would earn an unenviable reputation rind every device would be resorted to by the emancipated to avoid that man's 8 ervice'. His lands might remain untilled, his flocks neglected, his vineyards unpruned because of his oppressive treatment of former slaves. Divine wis…
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EXPOSITION. reference to the eating of unleavened bread CHAPTEil XVI. for seven days "therewith," i.e. with the CELEBnATION OF TIIE PASSOVER FESTr'l'AL, Passover. The o.nimo.l for the Paschal supper was expressly prescribed to be e. yearling of THE FEAST OF PENTECOST AND OF TABER- the sheep or of the goo.ta (;,\?)…
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(f!?~) to be urnd by them, lca.von itself was Ver. 10.-This feast was to be kept with not to be in the honse (cf. 1 Cor. v. 7; see sacrificial gifts according to the measure of KiUo's 'Cyolop. of Ilibl. Lit.,' vol. iii. p. the free-will offerings of their hand, i.e. 42tl). voluntary offerings which they gave as the …
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poriod nppointcd judges to settle disputes distinctly trorisonable was itlolntry. In Rmong the peoplo, and had given instruc- proceeding, therefore, to give some praotioal tions to them for the disclmrge of their duty admonitions as to the things to be observed (Exod. niii.; Dent. i. 12-18). Whilst iu the administratio…
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condoecension of our God in permHting us to look at aught so sublime as the sacrifice of his dear Son, through the means of aught so bumble as the Paschal lamb. Yet it is Rn infinite mercy that, whatever might so help the conceptions of his children then, Rnd whatever mRy so aid them now, the Great Father does not disd…
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(.'1) It ~ms to be eaten in a standing posture, as if ready to depart at o. moment's w11rn- i1,;. Even so we, ns we gather round the sacramental board, are but on pilgrimage. We l,nlt awhile to refresh us by the way, but we have, soon as our celebration-day is over, 1 o renew our march in the desert, and to resume the …
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blessings nre given to sinful tnen only under a dispensation of mercy which comes through II bleeding sacrifice. Now all these forms have passed away. But the principles which underlay them arn of eternal oblignUon. We trust we can see, by means of these signs, the everlastin" truths signified by them. In each of t…
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what it is, as to the infusion of bitterness into it; it is only through the Divine redeem- ing energy of love which through and by our Lord Jesus Christ is being put forth, that the world still yields its treasures to the rebellious and ungrateful sons of men. Bo that with the praises for mercies so undeserved there s…
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2. Puriflcat_ory. It san~tified the people in vie':" o! their del?arture from Egypt; and soparat1on as a peculiar people to Jehovah-in view also of his peculiarly near approach to them in their deliverance. 3. Protective. As warding off the stroke of the destroying angel. Later Passovers, as the yearly presentation of …
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II. A ITAllYEST THAKKSGIVING. This was distinctly the idea of the Pentecostal fcstirnl. It was cbaract.etizcd: l. By a devout recognition of the Divine bounty in the frnit.s of the earth. 2. By a voluntary dedication to God of part of wh,tt be had given. There was the public ceremony of the two wave loaves. But the …
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Vers. 18-21.-Model/udges. I. JUDGES OCCUPY A HIGH AND RESPONSIBLE POSITI0X. 1. '£hey are necessary. They require to be set up "in all- thy gates . . . throughout thy tribes." 2. They represent God (eh. i. 17). 'fhey are called "gods" (Ps. lxxxii. 1). They are clothed with a portion of God's authority (Rom. xiii. 1). 3.…
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23). This was the spirit of the Mosaic commission, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may servo me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." But if the involuntary sacrifice of the Egyptian firstborn be pri…
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3. There wore wonderful worl~s attending both the Pentecosts: the fearful thunder ings and lightnings at Sinai, and the rushing mighty wind ancl fire in the upper room at Jerusalem; the sound of the trumpet at Sinai, the sound of the gospel in many languages at Jerusalem. 4. There were important effects following both…
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YN~. _18-'!.0.-Impflrfinl _iu.dge~. We have here the election or judges or magis- trnt<'s laid d()wn as a duty. Jn the election they are to secure impnrtinl and incorruptible mPn. A bribe is not to be thought of by the judges-nor arc they to respect porsone, A no. hN<' let us notice- I. THAT ALL JUDGMENT AMONG MEN IS …
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2. The reler1se had been wilh ha.ite. This incident was deserving of commemorntl0n. So urgent waR Pharnoh'B desire that they should depart, that they had not time to bake their daily mtion of bread; hence the yearly commemoration was to be with "bread unlcavenctl." Bodily appetites must be forgotten when the golrlen…
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Yers. 18--22.-The administration of justice. True religion is related to true morality as the parent is rE:)ated to the child. God cares as much that right disposi- tions should prevail between man and man as between man and God. By an eternal decree, religion and morality have been cojoined, and no man can put them as…
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OHAPTER XVIL of idolatry, the wickedness ,cr,-r' l!ox.,,v. All idolatry was to be strictly suppressed- SAOBIFIOES TO BE OF ANIMALS UNBLEMISHED. those convicted of it to be put to- death by IDOLATERS TO BE SOUGHT OUT, CONVICTED, stoning. AND PUT TO DEATH. THE liIGHER JUDICIAL Ver. 3.-(Cf. eh. iv. 19.) Which I have n…
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ligh!I_,- Rddnced, RB none would ,·ontnre to shouM declnre. Sentenoe of judgment • witness ngainBt any one unless so deeply litemlly, ,cord of right, 1Je1·bwn juris, de: 00111·inc-ed of his guilt that they were clarRtion of whnt was lege.lly right. willing to Rssume I.he responsibility of in- Vere. 10-12. -This sent…
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through !L prophet direct the choice of the dicates that the law wo.s so ancient that it peoplo; ultimo.tely the mono.rchy became had come in their time t0 he regarded [18 hercdito.ry, o.nd it was understood tho.t the obsolete. The rule tho.t the king was to prince who succeeded to the throne did write him o. copy of t…
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w~rn reported with his_ tong~e should be the one to smite with his ~and I (ver, 7).' A m1ght_y stroke of pcihcy this,. to gua!d personal h~nour from a~sa1lment I It might ~omehmes make crime more difficult of proof, but 1t gave the Innocent a wondrous guard against unjust accusation. Many would be ready to backbite who…
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them by light from on high. 1 And when such decision was in accor<lanco with the Di vino will, the people were bound by it. To resist it was "a presumptuous sin• " and, withal, it was one of so deep a dye, that it was not safe for Israel that any m~n should continue among them, who spurned the highest decisions which c…
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Vers. 14-20.-Kings subject to the King of kings. In this paragraph we have directions to be attended to in case Israel should, in the course of time, desire a king. As things were, the Lord God was their King; and it would be a sinful discontent with the Divine arrangements if they wished any change in that respect in …
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III. CONSEQUENTLY, IT IS BY OBEDIENCE TO Goo's WRITTEN LAW THAT THllON1~8 AllF. MADE SECURE. This grand old Book is the charter of the people's liberties, because i~ demands that kings rule righteously. It is the monarch's best safe~uard, because it insists on B method of government which will ensure the loyalty of a g…
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Yers. 2, 3.-Sabceism. The crime here ordained to be punished by death was sabreism, or the worship of the heavenly bodies. Though this was in some respects the noblest, as it seems to have been the most ancient, form of idolatry-the purest in its ritual, the most elevating in its influence, the least associated with vi…
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Vers. 8-13.-The priest and the fudge. The priests, in association with a judge or judges (eh. xix. 17), constituted a supreme tribunal to which difficult causes were carried, and whose judgment was to be final. The priest had naturally a place in this supreme court:· 1. .As representing God in the theocracy. 2. As a…
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c0mmuni(y, which pr0p up abuses, etc., may be submitted to, but cannot be justified. ""here, on the contrary, the law of a lnnd is in essential harmony with the principles of righteousness, obedience to it becomes a duty of religion. Ho who sets it nt nought strives with God not less than with man, is "as they which…
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" Who reverenced bis conscience as his king ; Whose glory was, redressing human wrong; Who spake no slander, no, nor listened to it; Wno lm,ed one only, and who clave to her," etc. 3. He was not to multiply to himself silver and gold ; that is, he was not to affect the dazzlo of imperial splendour, but to be simple …
582 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.