The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 175

spring from Judah or Joseph-the Rons of Jacob who fell 'heirs to the birthright for• fcited by the sin of Ren hen (1 Chron. v. 1, 2). The genoalogy stops, as havina attained its end, before it gets their length. (<l) He sprang from Levi-I\ tribe ~ri!tlnally united with Simeon under n curse (Gen. xlix. 7)-yet not from the oldest branch of it, but from Kohath, the second son (vers. 16~19). (4) Moses himself was not the eldest son of Amram, but stood by descent in a secondary relation to Aaron, who was afterwards to occupy so secondary a position in relation to him. What aro wo taught by these facts, if not the lesson so strongly emphltSised in Rom. i.,:., that mere natural adnmtages constitute no ground of pre-eminence in the kingdom of God· that the spiritual m·erywhere rules and controls the natural. Examples may be <b-awn from c,·ery part of Scripture history. Isaac, not Ishmael; Ja.cob, not Esau; Ephraim, not Manasseh ; Da,;d, not his elder brothers; etc. The Jehovah attributes of freedom and iso,ercignty, t-0 which this chapter introducos us, find not their least conspicuous illus- tration in this section of it. Jl. To TRACE, NOTWITHSTAXDING, IN THE EXERCISE OF THE DIVTh'E SOVEREIGNTY, YAmous SPIRITUAL LAWS. The so,ereignty of God is degraded whenever it is viewed as mere arbitrariness or caprice, as a liberty of indifference, or as anything else than the perfectly frec·and self-determined action of an all-wise, all-holy, all-good Will, working at every moment for the accomplishment of wise and good ends. Studied in this light, it will be recognised that it has not only (1) its inherent laws of operation, but (2) its self-imposed limitations. Partial glimpses of some of these laws are here afforded us. I. The 'natural, while subordinate to the spiritual, is taken as the basis of it. There is to be recognised a congruity between the instrument and the use to which it is to be put; between the man, in re~pect of his physical, mental, and moral endowments, and the work for which he is designed. Election works in the natural sphere prior to its being revealed in the spiritual. Moses, for example, was, on his natural side, the pro- duct of a long line of causes operating through successive generations for the production of just such a man as he was. He was a descendant of Levi, as truly as any other. Inherited organisation was a fact of quite as capital importance in his case as in the case of any of his contemporaries. It had as much to do with the kind and 'luality of his manhood. Compare also Paul, separated from his mother's womb (Gal. i. 15), and essentially the same man after his conversion as before it. The mould in which he was cast by nature was that which specially fitted him for the work he h.-i.d. to do as an apostle. 2. The pwrpose of God is wrought out not fatalistically, but in harmony with the laws of human freedom, and through =n's moral self-determinations. This principle also receives striking illustration in the names of this list. The deriva- tion of Moses from Levi, and not from Reuben or Simeon, has a connection with facts in the moral history of the respective tribes. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, the progenitors, were all three originally of so wicked a disposition as nrtually to undergo their father's curse. Reuben lost the birthriuht, a!!d Simeon and Levi were denied an inheritance with their brethren (Gen. xlix. ~ ) . The descendants of the two former followed closely in the footsteps of their ancest-0rs, and consequently never recovered themselves. It was different with the tribe of Levi, which by earnest piety and zeal seems to have risen to the rank of moral leadership even in Egypt, and was honoured to give birth to Moses and Aaron. And greater honour still was in reserve for it; for while in its letter- " I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel"-the curse was not repealed, an entirely new turn was given to it by the election of the tribe to the priesthood and service of the sanctuarv. The curse was changed into a blessing. Had Reuben and Simeon followed in Levi'~ footsteps, who can doubt but that mercy would have been shown to them also? 3. Election flows by preference in the lines of pious descent. Moses and Aaron were the children of pious parents. The names of Moses' father- Amram, "the kindred of the lofty one "-and of his mother-she "whose glory is Jehovah" (ver. 20), testify to the piety of his ancestry. The instruction he received from them in early life, and during the visits he paid to their home, would not be without an important influence upon his character, and he had the benefit of their un- ceasing prayers. Aaron had even greater home advantages, in being with his parents till character was fully formed. This also is an important fact in its bearing on God's election of them to special service. The faith and prayers of parents have an important influence on the salvation of their children. By far the larger number of pious men and CH, VII, 1-!J.J THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 169