T crs. 26-28.-The Divine mind influenced by reasons. Moses, in uttering this song, is "borne along" (2 Pet. i. 21) by a power working through him and yet not of him, to make a most remarkable assertion in the Name of Jehovah; viz. that Israel's Deliverer was moved by fear of the wrath of the enemy not to destroy them altogether I How is this to be understood? Some might perhaps pass it over as a piece of obsolete anthropomorphism. So will not we. To us, many a sentence in the graudold volume, which at first sight seeIDed uncouth and almost repellent in its archaism, has on further study yielded up treasures of delight with which we would not willingly part. Perhaps it may be so here. Note--The Yerb "I said," in vcr. 26, is rendered by Keil, "I should say." This shows the sense more clearly, "I should say, I will blow them away, I will blot out the remembrance of them a.rnong men; if I did not fear wrath upon the enemy [i.e. "displeasure on the part of God at the arrogant boasting of the enemy, which 11as opposed to the glory of God" (Vitringa, quoted by Keil, in loc.)] that their enemies rr,igld mistal.:e it, that they might say, Our hand was high, and Jehovah has 11ot done all ti,is. Fo1·," etc. If we analyze these words, we shall find that they ar.i separable into six main thoughts, expressed or implied. 1. That Israel was a people void of understanding. 2. That they consequently tried the patience of God, as falling very far below his ideal and their duty and honour. 3. That it would have been no great losE to the world if they should therefore be blotted out of being, and should actually dro1- out of the remembrance of the nations. 4. That if this extreme punbhment should be meted out, then the adversary would glory over them and against them,_ and say that Israel's God either could not ·or would uot guard the people whom he chose: that their enemies were miahtier than their Redeemer. 5. '!'hat such a result would '{'eil the glory of Jehovah, ;nd make men uncertaiu whether God had a special 1,eople in the world or no. 6. That consequenlly,/or his own sakP, God would punish, but in measure; he would scourae, but not destroy. Hence there stands forth this great and glorious truth, God will 10° govern and discipline his people as to revea_l Ms o~n glory in t!tem and by tl,cm. This is the thought we now propose to develop lil a series of cc,11,ideratiuns arranged according; to the structure of the text. I. GoD HAS A-S lsnAEL Now. (Eph. ii.; Hcb. xii. 18-28.) The redemption from Egypt, the march through the wilderness, the formation of o. commonwealth, the iLLheritance of Canaan, are all at once symbolic and typical of a greater deliverance, a nobler commonwealth, a spiritual pilgrimage, a heavenly home. CII, XXIII, 1-52.] Tf:IE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY, 500
II; During the march of the Church of Goel through the wilderness of this world, Goo 8 PEOPLE 0l"fF.N l"AJ,L VlmY FAR BELOW THE IDEAL SET BEFORE THEM. They try the palicnco of Goel, and cxcito tho woncler, the laughter, and the ridicule of man. Think of what has been done in the name of religion! Think of the sharp contro- versies, tho angry worcls, ancl the prolonged strife of Christendom! Think of the number of inconsistent professors, who cause our enemies to laugh amon~ them- selves I etc. 111. So GRIEVOUS HAVE BEEN THE BT-AINS AND BLOTS THUS BROUGHT ON THE CHRISTIAN NAME, THA'r MEN HA VE BEEN TEl\lPTED EVEN TO THINK THAT Goo's CHURCH WAS AN INCUBUS :rn THE WORLD; yea, that it might, with advantage to mankincl, have ceased to exist. For certain it is that the great God could, even if his Churoh should become extinct, create a purer and nobler people in their stea.ll, who would honour him and bless the world ! IV. MANY OF THE ADVERSARIES ARE WIS!IING FOR AND SEEKrnG TO BRJ)<G .ABOUT THE CHURCH's EXTINCTION. They would destroy the fellowship by sapring the life thereof. 'l'hey would sap the life by undermining the faith. And never more eagerly than now-they are at work to educate men into the belief that G0tl never had a. people, that the people never had a God, and that all the faith they have been cherish- ing for ages has been based on a delusion and a lie! V. lF SUCH A RESULT WERE TO ACCRUE, IJOW WOULD THE E~"El!IY GLOTIY ! They would Sf\Y, "Our band is high, and the Lord hath not done all this." If oniy the Church should be driven from her moorings, if her anchor of hope should become unusable, and she should be <lifted out to a wild, pathless, shoreless sea,-what glo:·ying there would be in the enemy's camp! "Ha, ha! so we would h,ive it!" "How would the powers of darkness boast if but one praying soul were lost! " VI. SucH A POSSIBILITY IS GUARDED AGArnST IN THE DIVINE COUXSELS. It is just such a provision that is indicated in the text. God will not let the "adv rsaries 0
behave themselves strangely" in this way. They will never have the chance! The Church is built on a rock, from which it can never be dislodged. The day will never come when it will cease to exist. And ever will God remember the word 011 which he has caused us to hope! VII. GOD GUARDS AGAINST ANY BUCH POSSIBILITY, BY DOING WHAT IlE DOES FOR nrs OWN BAKE. The revelation of his own honour and glory in the eyes of men is too precious in his eye for him to let things so move on that all trace thereof is lost to his own people (cf. Isa. xliii. 45; Ezek. xxxvi. 21, 22, 32; Ps. cvi. 7, S; Ezek. xx. 9, 14, 22). See too what argument Daniel uses in prayer (Dan. ix. 19). David also (Ps. xxv. 11). For the sake of his own honour, God will purify his Church from all corruption by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning; and while thus jealous for his people's purity, he will as jealously watch over them, so that "upon all the glory there shall be a defence" (Isa. iv. 2-6; cf. 1 Cor. xi. 32; 1 Pet. iv. 17). IN CONCLUSION. 1. Let the righteous rejoice, yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. God's supreme aim is that his glory shall be revealed. The bringing of it forth to clear light is the aim and tendency of events, without let or pause. 2. Let a.ll men clearly distinguish between the two providential precesses which are ever, ever in process of fulfilment. One, the purification of the Church. The other, the condemnation and confusion of the world. 3. Let the wicked tremble. Or if they are too beuumbed to tremble, let them at least cease to make merry over the corruptions of the Church. They may laugh now. They will not laugh always. 'l'he severing processes of God's judgment are going on now, and they will issue in "everlasting contempt" to the ungodly, and in the redemption of Israel from all his iniquities I