The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 168

Ycrs. 7-10.-The duty of thanlifulness for the bounty of God in n~ture. The people of Israel were being led by the Lord their God to o. land beautiful, luxuriant, lru1tful. (For an account of the productions of Palestine, of the fertility of its soil, and of the treasures hidden in its hills, see works by Kitto, Stanley, Wilson, Thomson, and others; as well as Bible dictionari<'s and cycloprodias, under the several headincrs.) E,·idently, at the time Moses uttered the words before us, the people had not reached that land; though they were expecting shortly to do so, In view thereof, Moses bids them (,·er. 10) bless the Lord their God for the good land he had given them. Hence our subject: "the ciuty of recognizing the hand of God in the bounties of nature, and of thankfulness for the use of them." l. TIIERE IS A MARTilLLOUS ADAPTATION IN EXTERNAL NATURE TO THE CONSTITUTION AKD WAKTS OF MAN. (Each of the varied terms used in vers. 7-9 will afford vast scope for the expansion of this thought. Aud the wider the range of knowledge, the greater delight will such expansion afford to one who longs to make others sea the variety of the Divine goodness.) "That a vast and prolonged preparation must there have been to fit this world for the use of those who should hereafter dwell upon it! And then, when all is reacly, man, the crown of God's earthly creation, comes last upon the scene, with "all things put under his feet." II. ALL THE WEALTH OF EARTH IS A GIFT TO MAN. "The good land which he hat.h given thee" (vcr. 10). It is but reasonable that we look o.t the profusion of riches upon and within the earth as a "gift." "What have we that we have not received?" Where were we when "the foundations of the earth" were laid? Yet some would have us adopt a" religion of humanity," as if humanity were to be praised for the physical basis of its own existence! A Power not in man nor of man bath given us all. " III. THE GIFT COMETH FROM .A PERSONAL BEING. "The Lord thy God for the good land which he bath given thee." The Power from which nature's wealth cometh, is not a blincl non-intelligent force. For man's own intelligence has to be accounted for; and even if impersonal forces could have wrought out matter, it is axiomatically certain that impersonality could not produce personality. So far natural religion can go. But uur text takes us further. IV. K ATVnE's WEALTH COMETH FROM THE LORD OUR GoD. " Our God." He is not an "Unknown." \Ve ruay not set up an altar, 'A-y,,r/,rr,,.q, 0«;. We know him as a redeeming God, as One who delights to exercise loving-kindness, righteousness, and judgment in the earth. And si11ce God is revealed to us in Christ, we learn thereby that the long preparations of earth have been going on with a view of setting up on it the new creatiuns uf redeeming grace. This is "the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before tl,e wurld, unto our glory." Oh, the boundless meaning of the expression," The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"! Y. ALL THIS SHOULD CALL FORTH SPECIAL THANKFULNESS FROM OUB HEARTS AND LIPS. " Thou shalt bless," etc. We may go very far beyond the merely personal con- 11idera.tion which Moses suggests here. We know more clearly, therefore we 1hould en. vm. 1-20.] THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 157