The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 278

that his investiture should take place in their eight (cf. eh. xxvii. 22). Ordination to a public office ought to take place in public. Thie particular mountain was chosen because from it Aaron's eye might descry the southern out.skirt.a of the land of promise, Moses and Aaron were forbidden to enter it; but to each there wae vouchsafed a distant prospect of it before he died. REFLEOTION. In this life good and evil are inextricably conjoined. Within the same town, in the same street, in the same congregation, in the eamll family, there are to be found believers and \mbelievere, just and unjust, children of God and chil- dren of the wicked one. But hereafter there will come a great severance-lament- able separations, joyous reunions. The haters of God will be taken from among the just, and be dismissed to their own place. The lovers of God will be gathered to their own people, and sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom. Thie being so, it behoves me to ask myself the question, Who are my people? What is the people whose likeness I bear, whose company is to me congenial, whoso tastes I share ?-B. Ver. 12. -The areat sin of disobedience even under palliating circumJJtance,;. There are various ways in which we may show that sin is " exceeding sinful : " e. g. the character of God ; the precepts of hie ceremonial and moral law ; the words and work of the Lord Jesus Chnst. Not the least impressive proof of God's estimate of sin is God's chastisement of hie sinning children. Confining ourselves to the conduct of Moses, we note- I. THE NATURE OF MosEs' BIN, It is described in ver. 12, but is not easy to analyse. 1, Its root appears to have been a temporary failure of faith, indicated by the words "must we," or, "shall we bring you water," &c. In spite of the promise (ver. 8), he expresses uncert&.inty as to whether such rebels will be gratified. Unbe- lief is infectious, and needs a robust faith to resist it. Like a powerful electric current, only a strong non-conductor can arrest its course. Apply to Christians fearing they must fail in their labours because of unbelief in others (cf. Matt. xvii. 17, 20). Thie distrust led to further faults, such as-2. Haste of temper. Words, acts, and manner indicated this. May it not have been that because of his distrust, at the first blow, the water did not flow forth? Or was it that both blows were given in great haste? 11 He that believeth shall not make haste." 3. Disregard of instructions in striking when merely told to speak (cf. Deut. iv. 2; xii. 32; Prov. llXX. 5, 6). 4. The appearance, at least, of assuming too much honour to himself and Aaron, and thus failing to "sanctify" God before the people (Ps. cvi. 33). Distrustful or disobedient thoughts, when shut up, like rebels, within the citadel of the henrt, do mischief enough and give a world of trouble; but if they sally forth in the form of words they may cause public injury and lead to consequences some of which may be irreparable. Combining the resolution of Ps. xxxix. 1 with the prayer of Ps. cxli. 3, we may be safe. Yet in considering Moses' sin we may see- 11. THE PALLIATIONS OF IT, 1. Great provocations from the rebels, who, after o.11 the lessons of the past, inherited and perpetuated their fathers' sins ( cf. Exod. xvi. 3; xvii. 3; Numb. xi. 6). 2. His first public offence, He was "very meek" (eh. xii. 3), and he needed to be. Now for the first time his meekness failed bim. 3. His sin was very brief-a temporary failure of faith, co.using a pns8ing gust of anger, yet soon over; he was not "greatly moved " (Ps. !xii. 2). 4. It led to no public evil consequences npprecinble by the congregation. But though we may see in our own sins or the sins of others many circumstances tlrnt seem to palliate the offence, we must not expect to escape chastisement if wo reflect on- 111. MosEs' PUNISHMENT. Moses hnd one cherished desire of his life, that, having led the people through the wilderness, he might conduct them into the promise,! land. Illustrate this from the scene graphically suggested to our imagination in Deut. iii. 23-27. True, the punishment was only for this life, and, like many other of God's fatherly chastisements, was overruled for his child's good in sparing him from future conflicts (cf. 1 Cor. ii. 32). But still it was a punishment, reminding us of the great sin of disobedience even under palliating circumstances. And the penalty may be more serious. Illustrate from the case of the disobedient prophet deceived at Bethel (1 Kings xiii.); or from some oase we may have known of a lifo  TBE 'BOOK OF 'NUMBERS. [Olt. 'XX. 1--29,