YN. 20.-lron fnrnaoe--fu1'111tcc for smelt- smclv is thnt he wo11ld do the snmc wl1on ing irnn: "figure of burning torment in he nirnounced lo ]\[osce tho dccrco thnt ho Egypt" (lforxheimcr). This ref'erence to should not cond11rt lernel into lho promised the smelting of iron shows that, though the Jnnd. " It is perfectly obvio11s, from eh. iii. Implements of the ancient Egyptians were 23, eqq., that nil tho.detnils nre not given in mostly of coppL't-, iron must also lmve been the historice.l o.cconut of the event referred in extcnsi\·e me among them. Other refer- to" (Keil). enrea to the n•e of iron a.re to be found in Ver. 23.-A graven image, or the likenesa the Pcntateuch; see Gen. iv. 22; Lev. xxvi. of any thing, etc.-literally, a graven (scnlp- 19; J'.liurnb. xxxv. 16; eh. iii. 11; ,·iii. 9; turecl) image n..f a form of all that Jel,ovah xix. 5 ; xxvii. 5 (Gognet, ' Origine des thy God hath commanded thee ; s.c. not to Lois,' i. 172: Wilkinson, • Ancient Egypt,' make (cf. eh. 16-18 and ii. 37). i. 169; ii. 15'i,. To be nnto him a people, Ver. 2-l.-A oonsuming tire. When God etc. (cf. Exod. xix. 4-6; eh. '\'ii. 6). spoke to Israel at Sinui, his glory appeared Yers. 21-24.-1\'Ioses, nfteragain referring "like de-,.onring ( consuming) fire on the top to his b,•ing not permitted to enter Canann, of the mount" (Exod. xxiv. 17); a.nd in allusion to this Moses here calls God "a con- takes occllsion a.new to warn the people suming fire." He is so to all his enemies, against forgetting the co-,.enant of Jehovah and to nil who disobey him; by severe nnd making nny image of God, seeing he inllictions he will punish, and, if they per- is n jealous God, and n consuming fire. sist in their hostility and rebellion, will Yer. 21.-The Lord was angry with me ... ultimately destroy them (comp. eh. ix. 3; and sware, etc. Neither in Numb. xx. 12, Isa. x. 16-18; Amos v. 6; Zeph. i. 18; nor in Numb. x:sxii. 12-14, is there any Heh. xii. 29). A jea.lons God; LXX., 0ebs mention of God's having sworn that Moses (1111.wTf,s· God has a burning zeal for his should not enter Cana.an with the people; own glory; he guards it with jenlous care; but it is absurd to suppose, as some have and he will not spare those who do him done, that tl,e writer here has confounded dishonour, especially those who are guilty this with whr..t h recorded in Numb. xii•. of idolatry, whereby they '' change the truth 21, 28,-that is inconceivable; and it cer- of God into o. lie'' (Rom. i. 25; cf. Exod. xx. tainly does 1,ot follow, bece.nse no mention 5; eh. vi. 14, 15; xx.xii. 16, etc.; Ps. lxxviii. is made in Numbers of God's having sworn, 58, etc.; Nah. i. 2). He is jealous also over that he did not swear on this occasion; if his people, because he loves them, e.nd will he confirmed with an oath his decree that not endure any rival in their o.tfection and the generation that rebelled at Kaclesh dernlion. should not enter CanD.an, the probability
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-{.-Life and prosperity dependent on obedience to God. In this pnragraph Moses indicates, by the word "therefore," the purpose he h·as had in the review in "·hich he had been indulging. It was not ror the mere rehearsal's sake that the varied incidents in Israel's career were thus recalled to memory, but to stimulate the people anew to obedience, by reminding them how strong wns the reason for it, and bow great would be the blessedness of it. It was then, as it is now, "godliness is profitable for all things;" and though that would be a low standard of virtue attained by a man who sened God merely for what be could get by it, yet, on the other hand, if no good came of it, the reason for it would certainly be seriously affected in the influence it had on a man. There is a mean and selfish form of utilitarianism. But if, when a man contends for utility as the foundation of virtue, be means by utility" a tendency to pro- mote the highest good, on the largest scale, for the longest period," there is nothing selfish or mean about the theory then, whether we accept it as sound philosophy or no. And it is certnin that our Lord Jesus Christ meant considerations of profit to weigh with men (see Matt. xvi. 25, 26). Observe- !. Gov's BTATUTl!S A?\'D JUDGMENTB ARE THE DEST MORAL AND SPIRITUAL FURNITURF: WITH WHICH A PEOPLE CAN BE ENRICHED. The word "statutes,; includes "the moral commanclmcnts and statutory covenant Jaws." "Judgments" am precepts enjoining what is due from men to man or to God. Sometimes we get the word "comrnand- ~en~s/' including both the former; at other times we have the word "testimonies," rn winch duty is looked at as that concerning which God bears testimony to man ell, IV, 1-24.] 'fllF, DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 61