Ver. 80.-The atonement of Phinehas. (See Numb. xxv: 11-13.) "Pbinehas, him- self perhaps a judge in authority, became the type of a righteous zeal, exercising sum- mary vengeance, informal and unbidden, against outrage on decency and on rever- ence for God" (Dr. Barry). "It is a picture of the one zealous man rising up from the midst of the inactive multitude, who sit still and make no effort." The incident occurred toward the close of the wanderings, when the Israelites were in the neighbour- hood of Moab. Unable to gain the right to curse Israel-as Balaam wished, and as it would have paid him well to do-Balaam persuaded King Balak to allow free inter- course between his people and them. "Let the Israelites fall into immorality and sin, and then their God will destroy them, and your end will be accomplished." The scheme succeeded. The vice and iniquity of Israel was full in God's sight, and the immediate execution of the Divine judgment was commanded. Some great public act of vindication was called for; such a manifest upholding of the Divine authority and holiness as would make a sin-cover, occupy the Divine attention, gain the Divine approval, and he a basis on which judgment might be stayed. Phinebas was the man to do it. A flagrant case of unlawful intercourse bad occurred, and when he saw the wicked couple be "rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his band, and be went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel." I. PHINEH.AS W.AB ZEALOUS FOR THE HONOUR OF JEHOVAH. II. Hrs PUBLI0 ACT OF VINDICATION :MADE A SIN-COVER. Ill. BECAUSE OF THA1.' SIN·COVER,JEHOVA.H'B JUDGll!ENT MIGHT BE STAYED, See, then, what we must look for in the great atonement, made for us by the Son of God, is some fitting vindication of the outraged honour of God our Father, and so restored relations. Reconciliation can only come with solemn honouring of God's authority and claim by some public act of loyalty. Scripture presents to us different things that made atonement. A man's prayer made atonement (case of Moses). An act of official duty made atonement (case of Aaron). An act of judgment made atone- ment (case of Phinebas). We are left to think what act of Christ's made atonement for us all.-R. T.
Vera. 43, 44.-771e Divine pity and patience. The exiles, when about to return to their own land, were brought to repentance by their sense of the goodness of God to them. In the spirit of penitence, the psalmist, a devout exile, reviews the natiou:\l history, and finds that over and over again bis people had to be penitent for their sins, and over and over again their God found them space and opportunity for repentance. Now, that exile read the national history aright, and be helps us in the endeavour to read our lives aright, and find in them ever-recurring proofs of the Divine pity aD<.l patience with the wilful and the wayward. I. So:Ml!l OF THE SOURCES WHENCE COME OUR SINS. 1. Fear. Illustrate by provo- cation at Red Sea (ver. 7). 2. Lust. Inordinate desire. Putting God to the test (ver. 14). Envy. 8. Story of Datban (ver. 17). 4. Unspirituality. lncideut of the calf (ver. 19). 6. Impatience. Despising the pleasant land, because it did not coruo 438 THE DOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. 0VI, 1-48,
to them at once (ver. 24). 6. Licence, Case of immorality at Beth-peor (ver, 28} 7, DistruBt. Waters of strife (ver. 32). 8. Imperfect obedience, a sign of solf-will. They did not destroy the Canaanites, which they were commanded to do (ver. 34). Il. 'l'HE 80RROWS WHICH OUR SINS HAVE CAUSED GOOD MEN. 'l'hese help us to realize bow bad those sins must be. See what sorrow Moses felt in connection with the sin of the golden calf. See what sorrow .Aaron felt in the matter of Dathan's rebellion. See what sorrow Phinelrns felt in the matter of Daal-peor. . III. THE PITIFUL PATIENCE WITH WHICH Goo IlAS EVER DEALT WITII OUR BINS. 1. Waiting until we came to a better mind. Let evil do its own work; it will be sure to punish and bumble. God often does so much for us by doing nothing, leaving us to suffer tile natural consequences of our sins. 2. Helping us by chastisements to come to a better mind. There may be occasions on which the infinite wisdom decides that it is better not to wait, because there may be active leaders in the evil, or strong self-will, which needs to be dealt.with at once. Judgment for some, as in Dathan's case, may be chastisement for all. The worst thing thnt could happen to us would be to be finally " let alone." If God is in our life-acting in our life-all is right, how- ever trying the circumstances of life may be.-R. T.