The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 447

causes thnt could be traced, they are none the less the effect of God's wrath upon his I peace, 11 And I will m11ke with them a oovcna.nt of nnd will cause the evil be11Sts to cease apostate people. out of the laud.... And thoy shall no more be n prey to the heathen, neither sh11ll the Confession of sin, recognition of God's beast oftho land devour them; but they shall providence in all that had happened to them, dwell safely, and none shall make them humility, and acquiescence in their punish- afraid.'' The promise, Your threshing llhall ment, would restore them to their forfeited reaoh unto the vintage, and the vintage &hall covenant relation (vers. 40-45). Then God reaoh unto the Bowing time, is similar to that in the prophet Amos, "Behold, the days would" not abhor them to destroy them uttmly," come, saith the Lord, that the plowman but would "remember the counant of their shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of fathers." Thus it wns that God brought them grapes him that soweth seed" (ix. 13). back after the Dabylonish Captivity; and thua Ver. 8.-And five of you shall ohue B.ll it is that, npon their repentance, he replaces in hundred. Cf. Josh. :u:iil. 10," One man of you shall chase a.thousand." For examples, a state of salvation Churches and individuals see Judg. iii. 31; xv. 15; l Sam. xiv. 6-16; that have fallen away from him. In this 2 Sam. xxili. 8. way pnnishmenta become a blessing, and Ver. 10.-Ye shall eat old store, and bring men are able to "accept of them," or rejoice forth the old because of the new. The in them, as the word might be rendered. provisions of the past year would be so abundant that they would have to be re- Ver. 1.-Ye shall make you no idola nor moved to make pince for the new stores. graven image, neither rear you up a stand- Ver. 11.-And I wjll set my ta.berna.ole ing image, neither shall ye set up any image among you. This w:is fulfilled, spiritually, of stone in your land, to bow down unto it. as shown to St. John in his vision of the The word idols (elilim) means the" nothings" new Jerusalem: "I heard a great voice out which the heathen substitnted for the Lord of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God. The graven image (here meaning a God is with men, and he will dwell with carved wooden image), the standing image them, and they shall be his people, and (meaning a sacred pillar), and the image of God himself shall be with them, and be stone (that is, a sculptured stone idol), ere their God " (Rev. xxi. 3). And my aoul the three forms of images nnder which shall not abhor you. The result of God's adoration we.a pa.id, whether to the true God abhorrence being his rejection of those or to a false deily. The expression, to bow whom he abhors (see eh. :u:. 23). do1D11 unto (or towards) it, forbids worship- Ver. 12.-And I will walk among you, ping before a.n image as well as worshipping and will be your Ood, and ye shall be my e.n image. people. These words are quoted by St. Paul Ver. 2.-Ye aha.ll keep my aabba.ths, as a ground of the holiness required of and reverence my aa.notu.a.ry : I am the Lord. God's people (2 Cor. vi. 16). These words a.re repeated textually from Ver. 13.-And I have broken the bands of eh. xix. 30. your yoke. This expression, used also in Ver. 3.-lfye walk in my statutes. The the parallel passage of Ezekiel above re- free will of man is recognized eque.Ily with ferred to (xxxiv. 27), and Jer. xxvii. 2 God's controlling power. • receives e.n illustration from the e.ncien• Vera. 4--6.-These verses appear to have method of harnessing oxen, still kept up been in the mind, not of Joel only, as already in the East and South. The band means pointed out, but of Ezekiel (:u:xiv. 20 the straight piece of wood laid ncroes the -31). In Leviticus we find, Then I will necks of the oxen, by which their heads give you re.in in due aeuon; in Ezekiel, are fastened together to keep them level " And I will ea.use the shower to come down with each other, and by which they are in hie season ; there shall be showers of bleS!!- attached to the pole of the waggon. The ing." In Leviticua, And the land ahall yield single collard worn by horses in more her increase, and the tree■ of the field shall northern countries have not the sllllle yield their frnit; in Ezekiel, "And the tree oppressive effect. of the field shall ;vield her fruit, and the Vers.14-17.-Punishmeut in its first de- earth her increase.' In Leviticus, Ye she.II gree. Terror, oonaumption,-that is, wasting dwell in your land ae.fely; in Ezekiel, "They -and the burning ague, that ahall oonsume shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and 6lcep the eye1 1 and oauae aorrow of heart :-a pro- in the woods." In Leviticus, And I will verbial expression for great distress (see give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, l Sam. ii. 83)-and ye shall aow your aeed and none sha.11 make you a.fro.id : and I will in vain, for your enemiea sha.11 eat it (see rid evil bee.at■ out of the land, neither 1ha.ll Jer. v. 17, and Micah vi. 15, "Thou she.I, the sword iro through :rour land; in Ezekiel, sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt OB. XXVI. 1-46.] THE DOOK OF LEVITICUS. 413