The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 2

assembled multitude-and having uttered a general exhortation to obedience (oh. v. 1-83), ho proceeds to admonish the people to love Jehovah the one God, to be obedient to hie Law, to teach it diligently to their children, and to avoid all intercourse with the idolatrous nations of Canaan, on the pos- session of which they wore about to enter. This admonition is enforced by threatening of juclgrnente on idolaters; victory over the Canaanites is promised; the gradual but utter extinction of these idolatrous peoples is foretold; and a command is given to destroy all objects of idolatrous worship to be found in the land (oh. vi. 1-vii. 26). A cursory review of God's dealings with Israel in guiding them through the wilderness is then taken, as furnishing ground for enforcing obedience to the Law; the danger of self-confidence and forgetfulness of God is pointed out; cautions are given against self-righteousness and spiritual pride; and, to enforce these, the people are reminded of their sins and rebelliousness in the wilderness, of Moses' intercession for them, and of God's grace and goodness, especially as shown in his restoring the two tables after they had been broken, and writing on them anew the law of the ten commandments (eh. viii. 1-x. 5). At this point a short notice of the journeyings of the Israelites in the region of Mount Hor is introduced, with notices of the death of Aaron, of the continuance of the priesthood in his family, and of the separation of the tribe of Levi to the service of the sanctuary (eh. x. 6-11). The address is then resumed, and the people are exhorted to fear, obey, and love the Lo~d; and this is enforced by reference to God's claims upon them, the blessings that would ensue if they yielded to these claims, and, on the other hand, the curse that disobedience would bring upon thorn. In con- nection •with this the command is given that, when they should be come into the promised land, the blessing should be put upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon Mount Ebal, the situation of which is indicated ( eh. x. 12-xi. 32). After this Moses enters on e. more minute detail of the laws which tho people were to observe when settled in Canaan. Directions are given as to the destruction of all monuments of idolatry, and they are enjoined to preserve the worship of Jehovah and to present the appointed offerings to him in the place which he should choose, where also the sacrificial meal was to be eaten (eh. xii. 1-28). All intercourse with idolaters and all curious inquiries concerning their rites are to be avoided; all who would seduce to idolatry are to be put to death, even though they pretended to be prophets and to speak under Divine sanction; even the nearest relations who act this part are not to be spared; and all idolatrous cities are to be destroyed ( eh. xii. 29-xiii. 18). The people are cautioned against joining in or imitating the mourning customs of the heathen, and against eating the flesh of unolean animals or of animals that had died of them- selves; they are direoted as to the laying aside of tithes for sacrificial meals and for the poor; they are enjoined to observe the seventh year of release for poor debtors and of emanoipation for the bondman; they are commanded iv INTRODUOTION TO