The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 137

sickly soul, palls upon it after a while, and the old longings reassert themselves, How many tire of "~?8'8le' food" who took to it eagerly enough o.t first I (of. 1 Tun. v. 11-13, 15; Rev. u. 4). II. THAT THE MANNA WAS IN FORM AS II CORIANDER SEED," WHICH WE KNOW; IN COLOUR AS" BDELLIUM," WHICH WE DO NOT XN0W. Even BO there is about the true bread of heaven a mixture of the known and the unknown, of that which can be expressed, and of that which paseee human understanding. The coriander seed ie of common use, but the bdellium is of paradise (Gen. ii. 12). And eo may we all know the beauty of Christ in part, but in part we shall never linow until we eee him as he ie (cf. Rev. ii. 17, 11 hidden manna;" iii. 12, 11 my new name;" xix. 12). Ill THAT THE PEOPLE HABITUALLY PREPARED THE HANNA FOR EATING IN VARIOUS WAYS, as experience and their own preference guided them. Even eo the manna of souls, although it does not need, yet it does not reject, the use of human means and art in order to present it acceptably to the spiritual needs of men. God hae nowhere said that all men, of whatsoever habit of mind, must receive the word and sacrament of Christ in the simplest and barest form, or not at all ; it ie only needful that Christ, however received, be the sole and eubetantial euetenance of the soul ( John vi. 50, 58; 1 Cor. iii. 11 ; Gal. i. 9 ; Philip. i. 18), Consider, again, toi,tl,, respect, to Moses and the &e'IJenty- I. THAT THE SIN OP THE PEOPLE LED TO A DIFFERENT SIN IN MOSES. He would never have murmured at hardehipe, or have lusted; but he lost hie temper, and epake nnadvisedly with his lips. Even eo sin constantly leads to ein, even where it has no direct influence, and other people's faults are often not lees dangerous temptations to us because we abhor them. Thus a frivolous wife may make a soured husband ; an unprincipled father a hard and stem child ; a worldly clergyman a sarcastic and incredulous congregation (cf. Matt. x:xiv. 12; Luke xviii. 11; Rom. ii. 22 b.). II. THAT THE TEMPTATION UNDER WHICH MOSES FELL WAS A PECULIARLY INSIDIOUS ONE. His passionate anger with the people and disgust with his position as their leader might seem only a noble indignation against wrong. Even so many are tempted to feel nothing but scorn at "baptized heathenism," and impatience with the moral failures of the age, without due consideration either of the wise and loving purposes of God or of their own duties (Ps. xxxvii. 8 ; Jonah iv. 9; Eph. iv. 26, 27; James i. 19, 20). Ill. THAT IN HIS BORROW AND RESENTMENT BY REASON OF THE WICKED HE WAS GUILTY OF GRAVE INJUSTICE AND INSOLENCE AGAINST GOD. Even BO we, if we are carried away by indignation against un-Christlike Christians, are in danger of sinning against God, who has borne with them, and bears with them still, and who has made us responsible not for their perfection, but only for our own, and has not given to any a greater burden than he is able to bear (Luke ix. 55, 56; 2 Cor, ii. 11 ; 2 Tim. ii 21, 25, 26; 2 Pet. iii. 15). JV. THAT MOSES ALSO ERRED BY FORMING FAR TOO HIGH AN ESTIMATE OF HIS ·oWN OFFICIAL IMPORTANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY, as though he had been the real father of his people, whereas "one wae their Father, which was in heaven." Even so it is very easy and natural for us, if we are in earnest, to exaggerate the importance of our work, and to mistake the nature of our responsibility in the Church. It is only God who by his one Spirit does all good work in the Church, and he will take care that it is done to his own mind; we are but instruments, wlio have no responsibility, eave that of being "meet for the Master's use" (1 Cor. iii. 5; iv. 2; xii. 4-6). V. THAT GOD WAS EXCEEDING MERCIFUL TO THE BIN OB' MOSES, because it was of human infirmity, and because it was the petulant outbreak of a mind and heart over- charged with grief and failure. Even so did our Lord bear with his apostles, and will bear with all the errors and outbreaks of an honest heart (Ps. ciii. 13, 14; Luke :x.xii. 31-34, 61; John :u:. 27). VI. THAT GOD ALLOWED THE ONE COMPLAINT OB' MOSES WHICH WAS REASONABLE, AND FOUNDED THE PROPHETIO ORDER TO ASSIST IN THE RELIGIOUS DIREOTI0N 011' THE PEOPLE. Even so out of complaints and difficulties have arisen many permanent gifts of the Spirit to the Church, for in this as in other ways man's extremity is God's opportunit1, Thus out of the wqnniuing of the Orecians arose the diacon11te (Acts OS, XI, 4.-86.J THE BOOtt OP NUMBEM. 117