The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 211

HOMILIES .BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 30-36.-The doom of the presumptuous illustrated by that of the Sabbath- brealcer. Disobedience to the commands of God is ranged under two classes. First, that which has just been considered, disobedience through ignorance; secondly, disobedience from presumption, a bold, conscious, rer.kleHs defiance of God and following out of the promptings of self. God indicafos that such conduct must be met in a corresponding way. "That soul sha.11 be cut off from among his people, . . . . utterly cut off." Notice that while God supposed the case of the whole people sinning ignorantly, he does not make a similar supposition with regard to presumptuous sin. Unanimity in an open and deliberate defiance of God 11eems to be impossible. It is only too possible, however, that single men should be guilty in this matter, and an illustration of presumptuous sin, from actual life, immediately follows. The people were to be left without excuse for saying that they were in any doubt as to this dangerous sin. Where death was the punish- ment, the offence could not be too clearly indicated. Let us consider then the doom of the presnmptuous sinner, as illustrated by that of the Subbath-brenker. I. THE COMMANDMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE SABBATH HAD BEEN PUT IN PECULIAR PROMINENCE. It stands among those ten solemn announcements of God's will, with respect to which we may say that 1111 other commandments existed for them. Surely to sin against any of these was to sin presumptuously. It is reckoned the business of all men to know 1111 the laws under which they live-ignorance is not allowed for .a plea,-but with respect to the ten commandments, special means had been taken to impress them on the minds and memories of the people. Even before the fourth -commandment had been formally announced, the double provision of manna on the sixth day had helped to give a peculiar significance to the seventh. So it may be ,ea.id, if we are disobedient in respect of those requirements mentioned repeatedly and held 0ut prominently by Christ and his apostles, we are sinning presumptuously.  192 'l'HE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [ctr. xv. 82--86.