Vers. 12-20.-Distribution of territory. I. CONQUERED TERRITORY IS NOT TO BE LEFT UNOCCUPIBD. This is a sound principle. Has a vice been conquered ?-replace it by a contrary virtue. Has a soul beeu converted ?-set it to Christian work. Has a new district or a portion of heathenism been won for Christ ?-plant it with Chris- tian agencies, industries, and institutions. Replace bad books by good ones; sinful amusement.a by such as are healthful ; pernicious customs by pure forms of social life. Unoccupied territory will soon fall back into the hands of the enemy. II. CONQUERED TERRITORY-IS TO DE WISELY DISTRIBUTED. 'l'be distribution of the conquered districts suggests to us bow, in the occupation of the fields of service which God gives her, the Church should study order, peace, an<l the attainment of the higher ends of possession, by wise arrangements. There should be no clashing or confusion of spheres in the kingdom of Christ. We have illustrations of the violation of this rule in the occupation of limited districts by a great number of rival Churches, often working in antagonism to each other; in the appointment of individuals to posts fur which they al'e unsuited; in the confusion arising from workers not knowing their own departments of service, or not keeping to it when known. Whereas here: 1. Each had his portion carefully defined. 2. Respect was had to the talents and callings of those who were to occupy. "A place for cattle,"" much cattle" (Numb. xxxii. 1; cf. ver. 19). 3. Individuals had their own conquests secured to them (ver. H). A man's spil'itual conquests are always secured to himself-his conquests over himself; and they al'e his greatest possessions. True also of conquests for Christ in conversions (1 'l'hcss. ii. 19). Should be a. principle recognized in the work of the Church. llI. CONQUERED TERRITORY IS HELD ON CONDITION _OF ASSISTANCE TO OTHERS. (Vers. 18-21.) 1. Each branch of the Church is to assist the others. 2. It holds its privileges on this condition. 3. The rest of all is needful to the perfect rc~t of any (Heb. xi. 40).-J. O.
Vers. 21, 22.-Encouragement. ,ve notice: 1. Past mercies are a. pkJge of future ones. "'l'hine eyes have seen," etc. 2. 'l'he past victories of the Church mirror her futu1:o conquests. "So shall the Lord do," etc. 3. The conditions of success in spiritual couthct are (1) fearlessness, (2) dependence on Divine aid. "Fear not," etc,-J. O.
Vers. 23-29.-God's refusal of man's wishes. We ha'l'e in this singularly pathetio (lnssage of tho private bistory of Moses- TIIE MOK OF bl.:U'l'EHONOMY. [rn. UI. 1-'.:.9.
I. AK A FFE,TIXG F.XTREATY. "I prny theo, let me go over, nnd sec the good lnnd," <'ir. (1·prs.~4, 2,,). In this speaks: 1. The man. How hnrd to llesh nnd blood to bo r11t off _inst tbC'n ! To see the goodly J:111d (ver. 2i), but not to enter it. Yet not ~n uncommon cxpC'ricnce. Few things aro moro painful than to bo removed when Jnst on the nrgc of some great success; when the hopes of a lifetime seem just nbout to h,, realized; wh(•n some great cau~e with which we nre identified is on the ovo of final Yictor_i-. 2. The patriot. . There neYer heat in human brcnst n moro patriotic henrt than thnt of Moses, nnd It wa~ supremely hard to step nside nnd commit the leadership into other hands, when all his wishes for his nation were so nearly ful- filled. It ,rns Israel's t1iumph, not his own, he ,vished to celebrate. 3. 'fhc saint. For Moses' deepest longing in the matter after all was to see God glorified-to witness his grcrrtncss and his mighty hand (ver. 24). No man had ever seen ns much of God's greatness and glory ns he had, but what he had seen only whet.ted his desire to sec more. It is nhrnys thus with saintly natures. The thirst for the manifestation of God increases with the gratification of it (Ps. lxiii.1-6; cf. Exod. xxxiii. 18-20). "Father, glorify thy name" (John xii. 28). II. A DEc1srvE REFUSAL. 1. The caitse of it. "Wroth with me for your sakes" (vcr. 2li). How painful to foci that misconduct of ours has involved any (l) in sin, (2) in penalty, (3) in disappointment I 2. '!'he severity of it. It seems a O'feat punish- ment for a not very grent offence. Yet how often do we find that one fal;e step," one pause in self-control," entails on the individual irretrievable loss! God could not nllow the sin of one who stood in so close and personal relation to him to pass without putting on it the stamp of his severe displeasure. 3. The irreversibility of it. He who had succeeded so often in saving Israel by his powerful intercession, fails in his intercession fur himself. "Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter" (ver. 26). Moses, the mediator and representative of the Law, must, when he 6ins, 1rndcrgo its severity. In a case so typical, a reversal of the sentence would have shaken faith in all God's threatenings. He interceded for others, but there was no second Moses to intercede for him. '1.'hosc who live nearest to God, and are most honoured by him, must expect to be treated with exceptional strictness for their faults; as a father is more particular about the morals of his own son than about those of servants and aliens. Ill. A PARTIAL COMPENSATION. It was given him: 1. To see the goodly land (ver. 27). E\·en this he must have felt to be a great boon, and how his eyes, supernaturally strengthened, must have drunk ill the precious vision! How many toilers have to leave the world in this frame of mind-getting glimpses of a future they do not live to inherit! 2. To know tl,at Ids successor was ready (ver. 28). There are few sights more sug£:estive of magnanimity than Moses meekly surrendering his own dearest wishes, and helping to prepare Joshua for the work :Which he coveted so n:mc~ to do himself. It may be felt by us that there was kinuness as well as severity Ill the arran"emeut wliicb "ave Israel a new leader. "'l'Le conquest of Canaan-a most colos;nl work-dema;ded fresh, youthful powers" (Oosterzee). The work of Moses was indeed done on earth, and he had to pass away to make room for instruments better fitted to do the work of the new age. CoxcLus10:-. In this refusal see (1) God's severity, (2) God's kindness. For in addition to the point just mentioned, we can see how, from his temporal Joss, Moses reaped a great spiritual gain-the perfecting of his will in its choice of God as its exclusive portion, and in entire acquiescence in Divine arrangements. '1.'his great renunciation ,-ras the l.2st sacrifice asked of him, and he rose to the heroic height of making it.-J. 0.