The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 466

mingled glory and shame of the nation'u career, and the lessons to be learnt from considering the men who had been conspicuous in that career (2 Chron. ::axv. 8). But these opportunities of instruction only came because God had sufficiently dis- tributed the instructors throughout the land. If a house is to be fully lighted up there must be a light in every room. Those who are already instructed must be where they can firmly lay bold of the ignorant, for the ignorant in the things of God need not only to be instructed, but first of all thoroughly wakened out of sleep. 3. This diff'U8UY11, also indicated the service which all Israel wcu to render to the lll01"ld. What Levi was to Israel, that Israel was to become to all mankind. Levi was diffused through the whole nation, and only kept its individuality as a tribe in proportion as it kept its fidelity to God. Other tribes were distinguished by their territory ; Levi by being specially engaged in the holy service of the tabernacle and the temple. Thus what a benefit has been produced-more real perhaps than exactly appreciated-by the dispersion of Israel among all nations to bear their own peculiar, solemn, and pathetic testimony to Israel's God, and to the historic verity of the Old Testament I Thus also does God make his own gracious and comprehensive arrange- ments to diffuse believers in his Son throughout the world, according to the spiritual needs of the world. In one sense they are rigorously separated from the world, even as Israel was by the hard and fast lines of the national borders; in another sense they are meant to be so diffused that wherever there is a dark place, there the light of the truth as it is in Jesus may brightly shine. The gospel is debtor to all nations and all ranks, to both sexes and to all ages. We find the true Israelite in every society where a man has any right to be at all: among the highest and the lowest; in Parliaments, in courts of justice, in commerce, in literature, in science, and in art. IL CilK- W~ ALSO TA.KEN IN THE SETTLEMENT 011' THE LEVITES THAT THE neiss.uii-DIFFUSION SHOULD NOT DE PUSHED TOO l!'AB. They were to be distributed through all Israel, but not according to the free choice of the individual Levite. Forty-eight cities, with sufficient accompanying land, were set apart for them, Thus, by fixing a limit of diffusion, God conferred a benefit both on them and on the whole people, Those who are engaged in a special work of such incalculable importance as the work of the Levites was, need to be where they can frequently counsel, com- fort, and encourage one another. It was not good for the Levites to be alone. To be isolated was in itself a sore temptation. And though the work of God is only truly done where there is individual consecration, energy, and initiative, yet he is not a wise Chriatian who sets lightly by the advantage he gains from frequent recourse to those like-minded with himself. A certain measure of coherence among the Levites was needed for a healthy and profitable state of the official life. You shall have a fire blazing brightly in the grate, and if you leave it so it will go on for a long time giving out its flame, heat, and light. But take the pieces of coal and range them separately on the hearth, and very quickly the glowing fragments will become a dull red and soon die out altogether. The limits which God fixes are wise and loving limits ; he ever keeps us from all the dangers of extremes. ~he Levi~es were neither to be too much separated from the people nor too much mmgled with them.-Y. Vere. 9-34.-Tlie cuiea of refuge. We in our modem English life have an experience of the stability of social order, of general submission to a national l~w, and of confidence in the strict administration of justice, which causes this provision for the cities of refuge to come on us in a very unexpected way. We are not unprepared to read the other announcements which come at the close of this Book- e. g. the strict injunction to expel the Canaanites, the allotment of the inhe!1tonce, and the Divine marking out of the boundaries of the land ; but this appointment of the cities of refuge is like a great light suddenly lighted up to reveal to us the peculiar social state of Israel. L We are brought face to face with A TIME WHEN THERE WAS NO GENERAL AND SECURE ADMINISTRATION 011' JUSTICE, God had to make provision here for 8 strong feeling which had evidently grown up through many centuries. Thie provision pointed back to those unsocial days when the only effectual avengers of murder were tLe ki.nl!men of the sllllll oerson. The punishment of the wurdere1 had come 0B, lll'.V, 1-34.] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 467