The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 195

Ver. li-xi. 1.-God no respcctf!I" of persons. Having reminded the people of their duty towards God, the aged iawgiver next shows the people what their God is to them, and draws from thence a new argument for obedience and love towards him. In doing this, howeYer, while there is much which we treat of in other Homilies, there is one special sentence, peculiar to this pnssage, which is yet made so much use of in the teachings of other parts of the \Vord of God, that we feel called on to note it as the centre point of this paragraph, to show what the truth is which is indicated therein, and the bearing of that truth on the various phases of life and duty. We have in the \\·ord of Gvd no fewer than ten or twelve quotations or uses of this text, each one setting it in some special aspect as a point of doctrine, or drawing there from some special inference on a matter ,,f duty. These several allusions, direct or indirect, will suggest the plan of this Homily. The verse thus frequently referred to is the seventeenth. "For tl.ie Lord your God . . . regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward." I. \\'HAT DO SUCH WORDS MEAN, AS A STATEMENT OF TRUTH? We might not have seen much in them, if the Holy Ghost had not inspired the sacred writers to quote them so frequently in new and varied lights. Being thus quoted, however, we· ought to show by reference to the several quotations, the varied phases of their meaning. 1. God knows no distinctions in his moral government of the nations. 'l'his is suggested by the words in this passage. Moses says, in effect, to Israel, "You have been chosen, out of all the nations, to receive a special revelation, and to be made the bearers of a special mission to the world; but do not think that because of that you are at liberty to trifle "·ith the rules of the Divine Law: God will not tolerate sin in you any more than he will in other nations. Think not that he frowns on iniquity on Canaan and regards it more mildly with you. 'He regardeth not persons.' And ouly as you are lop! to him, and faithful in doing the right, will he smile upon you." 2. God malces no disti,,ction in tl,e b11,sis on which men are accepted in his sight. The Apostle Peter throws quite an unexpected (and we fear to a large extent aa unperceived) light on these words in Acts x. 34. lie is preaching to Cornelius; he is opening the kingdom of heaven to the Gentile. 'l'o induce him to do this, he needed the vision of the great sheet let down from heaven. 'l'hat gave him a new revelation. God's grace was laraer than he had thotiaht for. He had never seen till then the deep meaning of the wu~ds in his ulJ bgislator's code. II2 saw tlem then, and they shone with glory- " 0[ a trnth . . . Lut i11 every nation." As if be had said, "I used to think that because our nation was favoured with more light, therefore it stood on another basis for acceptance and safety. And now I find that the great plan of Grd's grace so ccver11 the a-Jobe, 0 that in every nation, he who fears God and follows the lighL is accepted with hirn ! " Men are saved, not according to the measure of light they have received, tut according to the use they have made of the light which God has given them. 3. God is exercising over eviry man a presentjudgment a~cording to perfect impartiulity. The truth just now referred to made so deep an impression upon the Apostle Peter, that he 1efas to it again in 1 !'et. i. 17, 1.nd would have the thought of the absolute iw t,artiality of God act as a perpetual influence on believers, generating and maints.iuing a holy fear. There iB no favouritism with God. He regards not UMi ptinwn, but the deed; "judging according to every man's work." 4. God revealed  'l'lIE BOOK O~' DElJTEHO~CJm'. 13,)