Three thousand put to death in 25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto theirshame among their enemies:) 26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side, let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. one day. Moses intercedeth. 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 28 And the children of Levi did 34 Therefore now go, lead the according to the word of Moses: people unto the place of which and there fell of the people that I have spoken unto thee: behold, day about three thousand men. mine Angel shall go before thee: 29 For Moses had said, Conse- nevertheless in the day when I vicrate yourselves to day to the sit I will visit their sin upon them. LORD, even every man upon 35 And the LORD plagued the his son, and upon his brother; people, because they made the that he may bestow upon you a calf, which Aaron made. LECTURE 167. That the wicked shall not go unpunished. This is one out of very many passages in Scripture, which compel us to think of God very differently from what we are apt to think; mistaking his mercy, as we so commonly do, for indifferency to sin. This is a place which plainly speaks to us in the words of the apostle, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity, but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." Rom. 11. 22. In the severe conduct of Moses, here related, we have undoubtedly a revelation of the mind of the Lord. And we see here, in the words of God Himself, that it is consistent with his mercifulness, nay that it is needful for the manifesting of his righteousness, that the wicked shall not go unpunished. Let us then "stand in awe, and sin not." Ps. 4. 4. Let us not dare to break the statutes which God has given unto us; lest instead of enjoying the good things which He has promised, we provoke the judgments which He has yet in store. That the severity of Moses was authorized by God, we know from this plain declaration, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel." The sons of Levi were to slay all whom they met with abroad, without sparing any one out of private affection. For it is to be supposed that those who had disapproved of the image worship, and those who had begun to repent of it, would be now retired within their tents. "And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses." These were they who "gathered themselves together unto him," when Moses demanded "Who is on the Lord's side?" And to them he had given this encouragement from God, "Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." This was a fearful consecration for the sons of Levi, a striking token that their ministry was in the service of a God" to whom vengeance belongeth." Ps. 94. 1. And must it not lead us to expect, that we also, who through faith, and the consecration of the Spirit, are made priests unto God, shall be able hereafter to join joyfully in the triumph of our Lord; even although He should then number amongst his enemies those who are now most dear unto ourselves? Oh, how ought this thought to awaken for the present our zeal in their behalf! How ought it to add energy, and warmth, and perseverance, to the prayers we offer unto God, that it may please Him to have mercy upon all men! Let us observe how Moses on the morrow interceded for the people, how he returned to the Lord, and besought Him to forgive their sin. "And if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book." Let not my name be exalted, as Thou hast offered, at their expense. See ver. 10. Nay of the two rather cut me off, and spare them. Thus he seems to have thought, that peradventure he might make an atonement for their sin. What a lively figure is here offered to our view, of Him, who alone could really atone for sin; of Him, who when we were enemies, made our peace with God! But though his atonement is all sufficient, will it really exempt all men from suffering for sin? Or shall we not still be judged out of the books that are written, and according to the things that we have done? Though we are all now reconciled, are there not some that again become enemies? And though we are all so far brought into the land of promise, as to be within the reach of every blessing of the Gospel, do we not see that there are many who care for none of these things? And when we read in the New Testament of some, whose names shall not be blotted out of the book of life, is not this written as if there were still many who must thus perish for ever? See Rev. 3. 5. Oh terrible vengeance of a most just God! Oh fearful end of most unthankful men! Lord, let us repent in time! Lord, give to all our brethren, grace unto salvation! Write all their names in the book of the living! And those whom Thou hast written, blot not out any more, we beseech Thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord! The tabernacle of the congregation is removed out of the camp. 1 And the LORD said unto 7 And Moses took the taberMoses, Depart, and go up hence, nacle, and pitched it without the thou and the people which thou camp, afar off from the camp, hast brought up out of the land and called it the Tabernacle of of Egypt, unto the land which I the congregation. And it came sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, to pass, that every one which and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy sought the LORD went out unto seed will I give it : the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. 4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. LECTURE 168. The dealings of God are represented with reference to our notions. It was some token of forgiveness on the part of God, to bid Moses go up with the people, and take possession of the promised land. But here were still many symptoms of his having been highly offended by the transgression of the Israelites. First, He seems to disown them for his people, when He says to Moses, "thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt." Again, it is in consideration of his promise to their fathers, and not out of any favour to themselves, that God now offers to send an angel before them. Again, it is an angel that He will send; He will not go up in the midst of them Himself. And yet in all this severity there is mercy mingled. For the reason of his proposing not to go up in the midst of this au "stiffnecked people" is this, lest He should consume them in the way. How often may this be the reason, when we little think of it, for God's refusing to ourselves the light of his countenance! He knows that the more He gives us the help and comfort of his grace, we have so much the more to answer for. And He is aware, that we may not yet be safely trusted with so much of the full assurance of hope, and so much of peace and joy in believing, as we earnestly desire to possess. But how could God help to be in the midst of the Israelites, since He is present every where? Can He be more present in one place than in another? Can there be any place in which He is not in the midst of us? Certainly every word that He has said is true. And therefore, in the sense here intended, God may be truly said to be more present in one place than in another. That is to say, He does in such a place make his presence more manifest. Such is the manner in which He speaks of Himself; in language accommodated as far as possible to our short sight and feeble understandings. And thus it is out of condescension to our notions, that He here tells the children of Israel, by Moses, to put off their ornaments, that He might know what to do unto them; as if He could not otherwise execute his wrath. These ornaments were probably memorials of their deliverance, and of the law and covenant given unto them, which they were wearing as frontlets between their eyes, and as borders to their garments. See ch. 13. 9, 16. If this were so, how significant is the respect here paid to them by God! How well suited must it have been to teach the Israelites, in what reverence they ought to hold their covenant themselves! And now with what anxiety must they have watched, whilst Moses removed the tent which had been used hitherto, as the place of assembling themselves whensoever they sought the Lord! How must their hearts have beat with hope and fear, as they stood at their tent doors, "and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle"! Was their encampment so defiled with their image worship, that Moses would no more return unto it, that God would no more therein accept their sacrifices, nor listen to their prayer and praise? Nay, would He acknowledge their tabernacle when without the camp? Would He meet Moses, and all them that sought Him, there? Oh what a relief in such doubts as these to see the cloudy pillar descend! Oh what honour to their leader, and kinsman, Moses, for the Lord to talk with him "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"! They that had put off their ornaments, in faith and obedience, and probably not without tears of repentance, were now spared in that they feared. They stripped themselves, to be ready for punishment. And they beheld the signs of reconciliation. There is no safety without doing what God commands, through faith in what God declares, and with lively sorrow and true repentance for having heretofore dishonoured his holy name. O. T. VOL. I. PART I. Z Moses pleadeth with 12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in, thy sight and consider that this nation is thy people. : 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. God, to see his glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by : 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. LECTURE 169. Encouragement to boldness in prayer. The example of Moses, in this passage, furnishes encouragement to earnestness and confidence in prayer. Though he had already obtained a mitigation of the sentence against the Israelites, yet he could not be satisfied without an assurance of the same degree of divine protection, as he had originally been led to expect. And therefore he pleads the mercy which he had already met with, in order to prevail with God to obtain more. "Thou hast said, I know thee by name." This seems no small token of honour, to be known by name to God; for one so great and good as God is to take this notice of one so vile as man. But further God had said, "thou hast also found grace in my sight." God not only knows but loves us. And upon the strength of his affection we might proceed to pray, like Moses, for further favour: I have found some grace already, let me now find more. Let this nation for which I pray be again taken into favour with Thee. "And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” the fruit of perseverance in prayer. God has granted that which Moses asked. If we ask like Moses, we shall like him succeed. See |