The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 453

No robber should trouble them. (3) From the hostility of animal,, Where population is reduced by wars and famines, beasts or prey prowl. (4) How the faithfulness of God has been verified in the history of his people I 3, Victory. (1) God puts the dread of them into their enemies. They fly before them, Witness the flight of the 8yrians in the <lays of Elisha (2 Kings vii.). (2) He puts courl'ge into their hearts. ~'itness the exploits ?r ~id~on, of Sams?n,. of Jonat~an and his armour-bearer (1 Sam. xiv. 6, 12). 4. Multiplwatwn. (1) This 1s a bless1na of the covenant. It is a real 8trength to a nation. It is a real strength to a Church~ (2) Dut outside the covenant mere numbers m~T pron a fo:mida~le evil. 6. Divine favour. (1) "I will have respect unto you. Contrast with this Heb. x. 38. (2) The token of the favonr of God is his presence. (a) His tabernacle was amongst them in the wilderness. What miracles of mercy were shown to them then I (b) How glorious were the days of Solomon when the Shcchinah entered the temt1le I (c) His tabernacle was set among his people in the presence of Jesus (John i. 14). Dut they did not know the blessed- ness of their day. (d) How blessed is the mystical incarnation of Christ in the believer! (John vi. 56; 2 Cor. vi. 16-18; vii. 1). (e) The glory of the tabernacle will culminate in the new heavens and earth (see Rev. xxi. 3). All this blessedness was pledged in the emancipation from the bondage of Egyp\ (ver. 13). More fully in the redemption of the gospel typified thereby.-J. A, M. Vers. 14-39.-Prophetic maledi.ctioos. The promises of God are prophecies of good • so are his threatening prophecies of evil. Prophecy, therefore, gives no countenance t; fatalism, since it is made to depend upon conditions. God may, therefore, repent him of e,ils threatened, viz. when sinners repent of the sin that provoked him. Bo lon<7 as the Hebrews were faithful to their God, they found him faithful in mercy; when they rebelled, they found him no less faithful in judgment. What a commentary upon the verses before us is the history of the Israelites! Let us review- L TBE JUDGJdENTS DENOUNCED AGAINST THEH IN TBEm LAND. For their rebellion: 1. They were to be visited with plagues. (1) The plague of terror. This is the natural plague of a guilty conscience. 'l'he apprehension of formidable judgments. (2) Of consumption. This term expresses all chronic diseases. (3) Of burning ague. This describes those diseases which are more acute. (4) All these plagues are to "consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart." 2. They were to suffer from invasion. (1) The sword of the enemy was to consume them. How fearfully they suffered under the judges, under the kings, and afterwards I (2) The exactions of the tyrant were to distress them. When the invaders mastered them, how grievously were they oppressed I 3. They were to encounter tM anger of their God. (1) The plague and the sword of the enemy could not otherwise have visited them. (2) But in the source itself there is the most formidable terror. "I will set my face against you." 4. Their obstinacy was to bring upon them aggravated evil,s. (1) The land was to become unfruitful. For the heaven was to be like iron, which might reflect the glare of heat, but could distil no rain or dew. (2) Wild beasts were t-0 come among them. When the people become diminished by war and pestilence and famine, wild animals multiply and become for- midable (see Numb. xxi. 6; 2 Kings xvii. 25; ii. 24; Ezek. v. 17). (3) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Rather let us seek his mercy. ll THOSE DENOUNCED AGAINST THEH IN TBE LA:t."DB OF TBEIB CAPTIVITY. 1. They were to be scattered amongst the heathen (ver. 33). (1) Thus ten of the tribes were carried away by the Assyrian.s. (2) The two remaining tribes were afterwards removed by the Babylonians. (3) Some of these returned under Ezra and Nehemiah, and were ultimately carried away by the Romana. 2, The sword was to follow them there. (1) The sword of war. (2) The sword of persecution. So they suffered from pagans, from papists, from Mohammedans. 3. They were to suffer astO'Tlishment (vers. 86-39). (1) Faintness of heart, suspicion of danger where it existed not, susceptibility to panic. (2) Pining in terror. (3) Perishing through the rapacity of their enemies. 4. Their sufferings were to be protracted. (I) The land was to enjoy her sabbaths, Houbigan~ observes how literally this was fulfilled in the seventy years of the Babylonish Captivity. "From Saul to the Dabylonish Captivity are numbered about four hundred and ninety years, during which period there were seventy sabbaths of years; for seven, multiplied by seventy, make four hundred and ninetf. Now, the Babylonish Captivity lasted  OJI, llVI, 1-46.] THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 419