HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 23-32.-National backsliding. The history of the Jews is an unanswerable argument in favour of the truth of prophecy and the reality of Divine revelation. 'l'he singularity of that history is such as can only be fully accounted for on the idea of a super• natural Providence interesting itself in their fortunes; but the strangest fact is in that, their own sacred books, this wonderful history is predicted with minute precision, The Book of Deuteronomy furnishes a series of these predictions, the extraordinary character of which is not removed by any date to which the book may be assigned, We may read this passage first 88 a prophecy, the.n as a warning, on. 1v. 26-49.) THE IlOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 77
J. A rnoPHECY, It docs not, as several later pMsages <lo, put the backsliding of the Jews hypothetically, but states the fact plainly that they will backslide-takes it for granted (ver. 26). There is a prediction: 1. Of national apostacy. The whole history of Israel, brginning with the time of the judges (Judg. ii. 19), is a commentary on this statement. 2. Of national rejection (vers. 26-29). How remarkably has this testimony been fulfilled in the rooting out of both Judah and Israel from their owt;L land ; in their scattering throughout the nations, in every region and country under heaven; in their preservation amidst all vicissitude8 as a distinct people; in the con- formity to alien worships, customs, and beliefs, to which they have so often been compelled; in the miseries and indignities which they have endured: Surely we are entitled to ask from the unbeliever that he should give us, when rejecting revelation, some satisfactory explanation of these coincidences. 3. Of national repentance ( vers. ZD-32; cf. eh. xxx.). rhough yet unfulfilled, there can be little doubt in the minds of any who study past fulfilments, that this prophecy of the repentance of Israel will in God's good time receive it8 accomplishment also (Zech. xii. 10; Rom. xi. 26). II. A WARNING. We learn the truths: 1. That backsliJing is possible from a. stale of high attainment. 2. That backsliding is commonly of gradual development (ver. 25). 3. '!'hat backsliding may assume very aggravated forms. 4. That backsliding exposes to severe punishment from God. But, finally, and for our encouragement: 5. That backsliding, if repented of, will be graciously forgiven.-J. 0.
Vers. 32-41.-The wondeifulness of Israel's history. I. THE wom>ERFULl:-.'"ESS OJ!' REVELATION AT ALL. (Ver. 33.) It may be argued with great propriety that man needs a revelation; that if there is a. God, it is probable he will give one; that the absence of all special revelation would be a greater wonder than the fact of a revelation bein_g !(iven. Yet, when the mind dwells on it, the sense of wonder grows at the thought of the Eternal thus stooping to hold. converse with finite, sinful, dying men on earth. \Vhatever enhances our conceptions of God's greatness, intensifies in the same measure our wonder at the condescension, grace, and love.implied in special revelation (Ps. viii.). II. TnE WONDERFULNESS OF GoD'S REVELATION OF HIMSELF L.'1 ISRAEL'S HISTORY. (Vers. 34-39.) God revealed himself to Israel; but, inasmuch as the calling, deliverance, and whole history of the nation was full of the supernatural, he was revealed also in Israel-in its history. The miraculous elemeut in the history of Israel is urged as a reason for rejecting it. Ilut remark: 1. It claims to stand out as something absolutely unique in time. '!'his is no case of the vulgar supernatural, begotten of a chilJish, miracle-loving age. Moses is as conscious of the marvel, of the exceptional character of the occurrences he narrates, as any of his critics; probably more so. He rises to the grandeur of the subject he speaks of, and puts it on the express ground that nothing like it was ever known, or rumoured, in history. 2. An adequate reason existed/or these wonders. The interposition of God, as narrated in these verses, the whole revelation, with its terrors, its signs and wonders, its fire, its lawgiving,-is abundantly worthy of the Ilcing who is said to have revealed himself, and of the ends for which that discovery of himself was made. On the other hand, it rises high above what n:an would natu- rally have imagined God to do, had he set himself to invent a story of the kind. 3. The wonders are well attested. Moses appealed to a generation, the older part of which had witnessed them. Critics dispute the Mosaic authorship of the address; but apart from this, it is to be said that the whole after-history of the nation rests Oil their reality. There is, however, an inherent sublimity, fitness, vividness, sense of reality in tho narratives, and in this appeal to eye-witnesses, which speaks of itself for the truthful- ness of the history. When narratives of the same kind, presenting the same marvellous characteristics, can be produced from other literatures, and laid alollgside of these, we will be able to believe in their legendary or invented character. 4. These wonders established a unique claim on Israel/or obedience and fidelity (vers. 39, 40). III. 'l'HE WONDERFULNESS OF GoD's REVELATION OF HllllSELF IN ISRAEL IS SURPASSED BY HIS REVELATION OF HIMSELF IN CHRIST. 'l'hcse wonders in Israel were but the earlier acts_ in a great drama, of which the later belong to the dispensation of the ~ospel. While Moses appeals to the limited character of the former revelation as enhancmg its ~o~der (ver. 34), it is the greater marvel of the revelation in Christ, that it is iiniucnal m its scope, and brings in a redemption which all can share. We tlii.uk htre of the 78 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY, [ou. IV, 26-49,
in<'arnnt.ion, the mimcles of Christ, the rcsmTcction, the outpouring of the Spirit, tho miraculous spread of the gospel, subsequent reformations And revivals, conversions the rnpernatural power cxhibite<l in the renewal and sanctification of souls, the succosse~ 0f missions, etc. (cf. Heb. ii. 1-5). The appeals of Moses, and his exhortations to wonder and obey, come down to ourselves, accordingly, with enormously enhanced force. -J.O.
Yer. 07.-Beloved for the fathei·s' sake. We learn, taking this verso with th& context- I. Trr AT THE PIETY OF ANCESTORS IS REMEMDERED DY Goo IN ms DEALINGS Wl'L'H THEIR DESCENDA~"TS. He remembers: 1. Their piety. 2. The love he bore them, 3. His pr0miscs. 4. Their prayers. 11. THAT THE PIETY OF ANCESTORS IS A FREQUENT OROUNO..OF LONG-SUFFERING AND FORDEARANCE. It was so with Israel (eh. ix. 5); Solomon (1 Kings xii. 12), etc. Ill. YET THAT THE PIETY OF ANCESTORS WILL NOT OF ITSELF SECURE SALVATION. The Jews were not to he exempted from chastisement for personal transgressions. If "they abide still in unbelief" (Hom. xi. 23), they cannot be saved. There cannot be sal.ation without personal faith and obcdience.-J. 0.