The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 365

reached its climax, there it received such sudden retribution as to stamp it as an abominable thing which God bates. Zimri and hie paramour are branded with eternal infamy, while Pbinebas is rewarded by "the covenant of an everlasting priesthood." We lenm thus that there ia more than one way of making an atone- ment to God. In both cases it is by the manifestation of the righteousness of God (Rom. iii. 21, 25), but in different ways. 1. By his holy wrath flaming forth against sin, whether immediately (e. g. Josh. vii. 11, 12) or through the zeal of a man of God. The weeping of the people was not an atom,ment, for it did not manifest the righteousness of God as the act of Phinehas did. 2. By his righteous grace allowing another to interpose on behalf of sinners, to do or to suffer whatever God sees needful for a monifestation of hie righteousness in the covering over of sin. Thus Moses (Exod. :uxii. 30-33) and Paul (Rom. ix. 3) were willing to have made atonement, if possible. Thus the sinless Son of God did atone (Rom. iii. 21-26), and sin is covered not by the destruction of the sinner, but by the righteous pardon of penitents trusting the atonement of Christ.-P. Vere. 1-5.-Moab finds a more ifective weapon. In spite of all his efforts and confident expectations, Balak fails in bringing down Jehovah's curse on Israel But what cannot be accomplished in the way Balak proposes now gives fair promise of being speedily accomplished in another way. While Israel abode in Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. I. IsBAEL1 FULLY AWARE 01!' SOME DANGERS, JS EQUALLY REGARDLESS 01!' MUCH GBEATEB ONES. Israel having been refused passage through Edom, and having also had to fight its way through the strong opposing forces of Sihon and Og, came at last into the plains of Moab, doubtless expecting a similar conflict with Balak. While he was looking for Israel to attack him, Israel would be wondering why he left it unmolested. And while Balak is waiting for the expected curse, Moab puts on o. peaceful, harmless appearance. What was more natural than that Israel should enter into neighbourly intercourse? The nearness of the two peoples gave every facility for this. There must also have been a great charm in seeing fresh faces and hearing unaccustomed voices. As day followed day without any signs of hostility, Israelite and Moabite would mingle more freely together. If Balak had followed. the example of Si/um and Og, it would have been far better for Israel. The worst enemies are those whe, on their first approach, put on the smiling face and give the salutation of pence. We know what to do with the open enemy, who bears his hostility in his countenance ; but what shall we do with him who comes insidiously, to degrade, corrupt, nnd utterly pervert the life within; and this by a very slow process, of which the victim at the beginning must not be conscious at all, and indeed as little conscious as possible until it is too late for escape? Puritanism, so much condemned, laughed at, and satirised, is really the only safety of God's people. Go with the courage which he inspires into any den of lions, into any physical peril whatsoever, remembering what Jesus has said: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Luke xvii. 33) ; but refrain with equal courage from everything that is mere pleasure, mere comfort of the flesh, for in doing so you may keep clear from some temptations in a world which is crowded with them. Remember that to go in the way of one temptation is to go in tlie way of more than one, perhaps of many. Israel got conversing with the d11ughters of Moab, and this led to whoredom, which assuredly was bad enough; but worse remained, for whoredom led on to idolatry and idolatry to the manifested wrath of God. The devil was delighted when he ea~ the sons of Israel, God's own chosen and beloved race, of whom such glorious things had been spoken in prophecy, in abominable intercourse witl.J the daughters of Moab; still more delighted when he saw the bowings to Moab's gods; and his delight was crowned when 24,000 died in the plague. One cannot enter a grocer's shop now-a-days without noticing how many things are hermetically sealed, in order to be kept free from taint. The very smallest crevice would bo fatal. We cunnot indeed be hermetically sealed-that would be to go out of the world, and Christ's prayer is, not that we should be taken from the world, but kept from the wicked one. But surely we shall not be slow in seconding Christ's prayer and effort with our prayer and effort. We must  THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [CH. XXV. 1-]8.