not humour these people they will certainly act according to their desire, whether I consent or not." Some leaders and so-called skilful managers and tacticians would have humoured Reuben and Gad at such a crisis as this, But it was not for Moses to humour anybody, or trifle with men who were trifling with God, And he had his immediate reward. "They came near unto him" (ver. 16). You can see them almost cringing before Moses, fawning upon him in their eagerness to get their re- quests. His eye has pierced into their mean hearts, and they know it. They have not one word of defence to offer, not one protest against being so hardly dealt with. Learn then from the example of Moses here, and of Paul on more than one occasion, how to speak out when silence, or, what is worse, delicate picking nnd choosing of words, involves unfaithfulness to God. We must never be conrse, vindictive, abusive, or spiteful ; but if we have a genuine concern for the good of men and the glory of God, he will put as it were his own word into our lips, so controlling lan- guage, tone, and features that it will be what his wo1d always is, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. II. BUT THOUGH THEY DO NOT RESENT THE REBUKE OF MosES, THEY BOLD TO THEIR ORIGINAL PURPOSE. So confident are they that they call this much-coveted land their inheritance. They cannot but feel the probing force of what Moses has said, but they are also quick to notice what he has omitted to say. If they had put their thoughts into speech they would hnve run somewhat like this: " He has been a shepherd himself, a practical man in flocks and herds, and of course he knows nicely that these lands for which we ask are just the place for our cattle. We shall hold to our choice, though it may involve a little more trouble and delay than we could have wished." Even when men are made to 8mart under a just, unanswerable rebuke they keep to their darling projects. They do not believe in their hearts, even though Christ says it, that one cannot serve God and mammon. Reuben and Gad mean to try the experiment of living east of Jordan, and yet keeping their place in the unity and the privileges of Israel. Ill. THEY PROPOSE A RASH AND DIFFICULT COMPROMISE. The more we consider whnt they undertook to do, the more also we see their short-sighted policy. Mark t!teir overweening self-confidence. They cannot risk the chance-which was indeed no chance at all, but a Divine certainty-of finding suitable pastures in Canaan, b11t they are quite willing to risk their families and floeks in fenced cities of the land they had chosen. Yet on their own admission fenced cities were no adequate security. The fighting men among them were going across Jordan to help in con- quering a land where, as had been reported to their fathers, the cities were walled and very great (eh. xiii, 28). There appears in their resolution a curious mixture of reasonable faith and rash self-confidence. They have learned enough to assure them that Canaan will be conquered, and they are quite ready to believe tlrnt in some un- accountable way their own dearest possessions will also be safe. Yet they did not really know how long they were to be absent. It seems to hnve been several years before they were allowed to return, and when they did return it was not with the unmingled self-congratulations which might have been expected. He who would learn how disastrous their choice turned out in the end must carefully consider Josh. xxii. Most assuredly, whatever Reuben and Gad gained in pastures they more than lost in their permanent isolation from their hrethren.-Y.
Ver. 23.-The eJ/e3 of the sinner opened at last. " Be sure your sin will find you out." I. THESE WORDS IMPLY THE POSSIBILITY OF SIN DEING COMMITI'ED. The particular danger in this instance was of breaking a promise. These words of Moses certainly imply a humiliating estimate of the persons addressed, but it must be admitted that the estimate was justified by past experience. Moses cannot quickly accept the promise, for ho knows well how hastily and recklessly it is made. There was no occasion to cast any doubt on the sincerity 0£ their words, or to attribute to them a deliberate purpose of deception. But there was everything in impending circum- stances to lead them into a broken promise. 'l'he promise itself was hastily made. It was made not for its own sake, but under a kind of compulsion, in order to get h!Jld of a much-coveted possession. The fulfilment of it w11.s besot, as Moses well TlIE BOOK OF NUMBEM. COH, XXXII. 1-42.