The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 454

n11tion is plunged e.re the exact fulfilment of the Word of God, yet that same Word declares this to ha e. tre.nsi tion, and not a final state of things. " Go(l hath not ca8t away his people," Concerning them there is e. twofold promise : ( 1) of their conversion to God ; (2) of their restoration to their land. Both are certain. Both will be fulfilled. The first, in their conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ. The second, in whatever sense the Holy Ghost used the words, but what that sense is is not so clear. There had been e. promise made to Abraham (Gal. iii. 8). The Law did not annul that (Gal. iii. 17, 18). Now, if wo turn to the promise to Abraham, we find (Gen. xii. 1-8) there are three parts in it: (1) that Abraham should have a seed; (2) that his seed should bless the world; (3) that they should inherit the land. Now, when Paul expounds this Abrahamic promise, he shows : (1) that all who are Christ'.s are Abraham's seed (Gal. iii. 26); (2) that the promise made to Abraham was" the gospel" (Gal. iii. 8),-it was made to him," foreseeing that God would justify the nations through lai th." But $ince the pro- mise swells out to the full gospel, since the expression "Ahraham's seed" includes all who are Christ's,-may not, yea, must not, the land-promise also swell out into some- thing proportionately larger and grander? Such is the question. Further. The same apostle not indistinctly teaches that, within the lines of his own exposition, there io mercy in store for Israel. ·what are these lines of exposition? 1. That Jew and Greek are one in Christ Jesus. 2. 'rhat the Jewish rites and ceremonies are for ever abolished. 3. That the commonwealth of Israel now is made up of men of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Jn the application of these principles, the following steps of thought, taken in order, will enable us to summarize Scripture teaching thereon:- I. There is a condition laid down in eh. xxx. 2. II. The Lord Jesus has come, laden with blessings for Jew and Gentile (Rom. xi. 26). III. As the Gentile obtained mercy through Jewish preaching, so the Jew is to obtain mercy through the instrumentality of the Gentile (Rom. xi. 30, 31). IV. The Lord Jesus Christ declares (Luke xxi. 24) that Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. V. 'l'he apostle declares (Rom. xi. 25) that blindness in pan is happened to Israel, till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. VI. A· time is foreseen when Israel shall "turn to the Lord" (2 Cor. iii. 15, 16). They will yet see Jesus as their Messiah, VII. 'l'he prophets also speak of their conversion to God (Ezek. :xxxvi. 21-32). VIII. 'l'hen, too, will such predictions as Ezek. xxxvi. 24, 28, 34, 35, etc., be ful- filled, but whether in the literal or in the larger sense indicated above, we leave for the providence of God to show. IX. The same Book which predicts all this tells us also of the means and agencies by which !t shall be brought about. There will be providential movements (Ezek. xxi. 27). But the supreme agency will be the power of the Holy Ghost (Ezek. xxxvi. 26-27; xxxvii. 1-14;; Zech. xiii. 10. For the means to be used by us, ser Ezek. xxxvi. 37). . X. The reason or ground of all will be the sovereign good-pleasure of God -(Ezek. xxxvi. 32; cf. Isa. xliii. 25), XI. When Israel is thus restored, it will be like "life from the dead" (Rom. xi. lG). When the long-lost nation is thus regathered, when it returns with weeping e.nd supplication to the Saviour, and, saved by him, sings the songs of Zion, then will it become by its evangelistic zeal what it now is by its sacred literatnre-a priesthood fof the world[ XII. Concerning all this, the fulfilment of past prophecy is a prophecy of future fulfilment I IN CON0LUBI0N. 1. Let us ever hold the Hebrew race in high honour. " Salvation is of the Jews." 2, Let us bear them on our hearts in prayer. 3. Let us watch the movements of God's providence. 4. Let us heed the cautionary wordB in Rom. x.i. 18-21. Ver. 6 (comp, with Jer. x.xx. 31-84, and Heb. viii. 6).-The old and new covenants, It may not be uninstructive at this stsge of homiletic teaching upon this book, to place on record the points of comparison and of contrast between the old and DBVTll:ll0N0KT. 2K 466 'l'HE DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY, [cu. xxx. 1-20,