The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 430

Vers. 1-14-.-The pwrpose of tempMol blessing. After the "Amens" from Mount Ebal had been faithfully given, the Levites turned to Gerizim with the detail of blessings, and received from the Bssembled thousands the grand" Amen." We have in these verses before us the purpose of the blessing. The children of Israel had beeu brought out of Egypt by a Divine deliverance, they were about to settle in Canaan as the people of the Lord. They were a spectacle, therefore, to the rest of the world of bow a people fared at the hands of the Lord in obedience or in disobedience. We must regard Israel as a visible experiment, so to speak, for the instruction of the rest of mankind. Now, the rest of mankind at this early stage could only appreciate such a reward as tempMal blessing. Spiritual blessing would have been no demonstration to them, and have made no impression upon them. Hence it was temporal blessing which God in the main gave them. Of course, we do not at all accept the special pleading of Warburton, in his 'Divine Legation of Moses,' in favour of temporal rewards and punishments being all that the Law of Moses contemplates. '!'here are significant references to a future life in the Mosaic books, but for the reason now stated, God was mainly work- ing in'' the temporal sphere. Let us notice some of the particulars in which an obedient people were to experience blessing. I. CITY LIFE was to be blessed. It has been said that" God made the country, but man the town." And doubtless the concentration of population \Il cities is fraught with peculiar temptation and danger. Yet God's Law is sufficiently" broad" to secure right order and government in cities as well as in country districts. If men would only carry out the law of love, if they would live by the golden rule, then cities would soon put on Bn air of holiness, and wickedness within them would bide its bead. It is through the conscience and heart God's Law works, and city life can alone be elevated and regenerated thereby. If we bad pious mayors, aldermen, and councillors, pious high sheriffs and officials, then corruption, rapacity, and self-seeking would disappear through a general and conscientious desire for the public good. II. AGRICULTURE was to be prosperous. Palestine was intended to be occupied by R pastoral people, and peasant proprietors were to fill the land. It was to flow with milk and honey if man co-operated with God, and did his share honestly. The con- ditions of the country, as already remarked (cf. Homily on eh. ::ti. 10-17), fostered faith in God, and success was the outcome of constant dependence upon him. A dependent people wrought diligently and received the blessings of nature as the gifts of a faithful God. There was to be increase of cattle, of kine, of sheep, of the fruit of the field, and of all that is implied by "basket and store." In the basket, as Van Lennep somewhere observes, grapes, olives, and the like are collected, and so the blessing on the basket means general agricultural prosperity. Now, there can be no doubt that piety is a,n excellent handmaid to agriculture. All the cant now talked in the name of science about God's practical exclusion from the "reign of law," is insufficient to overturn the plaiu truth that those who try to keep his commandments and live in his fellowship are more likely than others to fulfil the conditions of agricultural prosperity. Ill. PoPULA'l'ION will increase. The fruit of their body was also to be blessed. We can understand how important numbers are to national power. When the population advances in the sunshine of advancing prosperity, the elements of national greatness Bre secured. 'l'he Malthusian scare introduced into political economy \\>as an e::i:• nggerated lesson upon prudence. Population progresses with sufficient check upon it in the ordinary struggles of life, without requiring such prophets of evil as the Malthu• sians have been. The prudence fostered, being of a worldly character, has degenerated, it is feared, in many cases, into licentiousness as legitimate, when marriage, e:.cept i.e. most favourable oiroumstBnces, is deemed imprudent.  THE DOOK OF DEU'l'lmONOMY• [en. uvm. 1-68.