The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 178

Vers.1-3.-(See Homily on eh. iv. 23, 24.) Vers. 4, 5.-(See Homilies on eh. iii. 11; vii. 1-11.) Vers. 6-12.-.A six-weel~a• religion; or, emotional religiousness not vital godliness. The homiletic trea.tment of the incidents referred to in eh. ix. 1-x. 5, will require a careful comparison of these chapters with the fuller account in Exod. xxxii.-xxxiv. 'l'he special object, however, which Moses bas here in view, is to show how entirely God's mercy to Israel was a. self-moved one, and that it was not due to any virtne on the part of the people. So far from that, they had been wayward from the first. Even in Horeb (for such is rather the force of the particle rendered "also" in ver. 8), "Even in Horeb, ye provoked the Lord to wrath." Here is suggested our first. stndy of this sad incident in Israel's history. Its occurrence was on this wise- Abont fifty days after leaving Egypt, they were gathered beneath Mount Sinai, to receive the Law from the Great Supreme. They reverently watched when Moses went np; they saw the bounds put, beyond which they must not pass; they trembled at the majesty which was before and above them, and awaited the words which should be spoken. 'l'he words of the vow went up from their lips, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." Having received the Law, Moses went down and rehearsed it to them. A second time they responded, "All that," etc. This was not enough. The Law \\'as to be written, and read over to them, that their vow might be neither blind nor rash. And a third time the same response was returned. Whereupon the covenant was ratified with blood, which was sprinkled on the book and all the people, &"Lying, "This is the blood of the covenant," etc. (see Exod. xxiv. 3-8). It seemed as if a fair start had been made. Egypt had been conquered, the people had thankfully accepted the new state of things on which they had entered, and nothing wa.s wanting hut the carrying out of that allegiance they had so repeatedly vowed. Moses, however, bas yet to be a while in solitude with God, to receive further instructions; hence, having made arrangements _for the conduct of affairs in his absence, he again ascends the mount, and is there for forty days. Unable to understand the reasons for so long a delay, the pe,oplc think that Moses has disappointed them, or that he is lost on the mountain, or bas perished in the flame I 'l'he thought, once conceived, gathers strength, and the very people who a few weeks before had seemed so impressible for good, are now as inflammable for evil I 'l'hey rush upon Aaron, saying, "Up,'' etc. They wish for something to strike the senses, The pure conception ot' an unseen God they were not cultured enough to retain. Aaron was far too easily wrought upon by them. If ;t be thought that he expected the people's love of finery to be stronger than thei_· idolatrous propensity, and that they would withdraw their demand when he made bis for their car-rings, etc., we save Aaron's principle, but at the expense of his judgment. Ai:yway, the calf is made. It is not the calf, however, that they worship, for th('y prcclaim a feast to Jehoval,; it is the second commandment they are breaking, not tbe first. Alas! alas I their triple vow, ratified with blood, they break, and in less than six weeks they are openly and riotously setting at nought the very Law they had sworn to obey! How can such a fearfully rapid retrogression be accounted for? _If we ~cgard it r.s a mere piece of history, with which we have no concern, we shall IlllS~ the rntent of the writer (for ~ee 1 Cor. x. 1-12). Here are men who at one moment bid se ~air, yet so shortly after upsetting all! The theme thus opened up to th~ preach<'r 1s surely this-" Emotional religiousness not vital godliness." No one with much knowledge of human nature, and certainly few pastors of any lengtheuc,l r~pcriencc, can have failed to observe cases far _too nearly resembling that before u,, c-! ~ me1 el 168 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [t!B, I:X. l-'20