The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 531

Yers. 18, Hl.-T,·ade and commerce subservient to evangelization. There is room for considerable divergence of view with regard to some of the minutim of this passacre on which the reader will consult the Exposition, and may also r&fer with great advanta"a~ to Keil, Jameson, and ·wordsworth, on the blessing of Issachar and Zebulun. The following points, however, stand out with a fair degree of clearness :-1. Zebulun and lssacha.r Lad the territory which corresponds to the Galilee of our Lord's time. 2. They had a fine piece of sea-board, which would enable them to open up traffic with other nations. 3. 'l'hcy had also a considerable space inland, reaching to the lake of Genncsarct. 4. With this double advantage, there would be scope for the development of forcigu and home trade. 5. They, having the inestimable blessings of the knowledge of God, of a pure faith, and of a holy worship, would be in a far better position religiously than any of the nations with whom they would carry on intercourse for the purposes of trade. 6. They would be made rich by the treasures of wealth brought to them from afar. "They shall suck of the abundance of the seas," etc. 7. They would make their traffic with other peoples a reason for and an opportunity of inviting them to join them in the sacrifices of righteousness (see Gesenius, s-ub vetb. n;iJ). .As other nations enriched them in temporal things, they would enrich other peoples in spiritual things (see a fine suggestive note by Bishop ,vordsworth, in Zoe.). This was fulfilled" when the apostles e.nd evangelists of Galilee went forth to evangelize all nations in the ships of the Christian Church." The apostles, "men of Galilee," called all nations to the mountain of the Lord's honse on the day of Pentecost. A greater fulfilment awaits this passage (see Isa. lx. 5, 6, 16; lxvL 11, 12). Hence the Holy Ghost, by the law- "iver, gives us here a great theme for homiletic teaching-The development of ~ommerce subservient to evangelization. L The Church of God is here prospectively regarded as upon a" mountain" (ver. 19; sec this figure carried out in Isa. ii. 2 ; Micah iv. 1). • II. From this mountain an invitation to the nations is to be sent forth; ver. 19, "TLev shall call,'' etc. (cf. Isa. ii. 3; Micah iv. 2; Zeeb. viii. 20-23; Isa. Iv. 5). III_- There will be such national intercommunication as shall help to forward these world-wide invitations (Isa. lx. 3, 4; Dan. xii. 4; cf. Acts ii. 5-11). IV. The time will come when the Church of God shall be enriched by the glad inflowing ofa people's wealth; vcr. 19, "For they shall suck," etc. (cf. Isa. I.if. 9, et seq.; Micah iv. 13). V. The nations at large shall then "offer sacrifices of righteousness" (ver. 19; cf. Mai. i. 11 ; Rom. xv. 16; Heb. xiii. 15, 16; 1 Pet. ii. 5). Lcarn-1. With what interest may believers contemplate the commercial progress of the age, and the increased facility of communication between people and people I Mau is seekincr to briner about all this, to serve himself. God overrules all for the higher pwpo;es of his" race, and governs the world in the interests of the Church. 2. How great a shame is it wl1e1J men from Christian lan<ls, in carrying on traffic wiU1 011, XXXIII. l-2!J.] 'l'IIP, BOOK OJi' DEUTERONOMY. 517