IX. EXHORTATION TO REMEMBER THE SINS OF THE EXODUS. (1) HEAR, O ISRAEL. — A fresh portion of the exhortation begins here. The cause of Israel’s conquest of Canaan is not to be sought in their own merit, but in the choice of Jehovah. THOU ART TO PASS. — Literally, _thou art passing: i.e.,_ just abo... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM THOU KNOWEST. — The pronoun is emphatic. The twelve spies, two of whom were still living, had seen them (Numbers 13:33), and their fame was doubtless notorious. It seems to have been a common saying, possibly among the Anakim themselves, “Who will stand up to the children of Anak?” No one could... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTAND THEREFORE. — Literally, the connection seems to be this: “The children of Anakim thou knowest — _thou knowest also_ (the same word) to-day, that it is Jehovah thy God Himself that passeth over before thee, a consuming fire. He will destroy them, and He will make them to bow down before th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT FOR THE WICKEDNESS. — “Say not in thine heart, ‘in my righteousness,’ _when it is_ in consequence of their wickedness that Jehovah is dispossessing them from before thee.”... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS... DOST THOU GO. — The pronoun is emphatic. There is no reason why _thou_ of all others shouldest be thus honoured.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTAND THEREFORE. — Literally, _and thou knowest._ Three times the formula occurs in these verses. “The children of Anak thou knowest; and thou knowest the Lord thy God; and (thirdly) thou knowest thyself too.” A STIFFNECKED PEOPLE. — The metaphor seems to be taken from a camel or other beast o... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER, AND FORGET NOT. — More abruptly in the original, “Remember — do not forget — how thou hast stirred the indignation of Jehovah.” REBELLIOUS. — Not simply rebels, as Moses called them (in Numbers 20:10) at Meribah, but _provoking rebels — _rebels who rouse the opposition of Him against whom... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO. — _Even in Horeb._ In the very sight of the mountain of the Law, the Law was flagrantly violated.... [ Continue Reading ]
I NEITHER DID EAT BREAD NOR DRINK WATER. — This fact is not related in Exodus concerning the _first_ forty days which Moses spent in Mount Sinai _“_with his minister Joshua.” It might be supposed or implied, but it is not recorded.... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO TABLES OF STONE. — Of these tables it is said in Exodus 32:16, “the _tables_ were the _work_ of God, and _the writing was the writing_ of God, graven upon the tables.”... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, GET THEE DOWN. — The words recorded here and in Deuteronomy 9:13, are given at length in Exodus 32:7, &c. Moses’ intercession at _that time_ is recorded also.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO I TURNED... — This verse nearly repeats Exodus 32:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAD TURNED ASIDE QUICKLY. — The words of Jehovah in Deuteronomy 9:16, repeated here, and also recorded in Exodus 32:8. There is nothing so sad in human experience as the rapidity with which good resolutions and impressions fade from the natural heart of man.... [ Continue Reading ]
I... BRAKE THEM BEFORE YOUR EYES. — This shows that the act was deliberate on Moses’ part. He did not simply drop the tables in his passion before they reached the camp; he deliberately broke the material covenant in the face of the people, who had broken the covenant itself. When we remember the ef... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I FELL DOWN BEFORE THE LORD, AS AT THE FIRST, FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. — Moses had already interceded for them in Sinai before he came down on the fortieth day (Exodus 32:11). He now spent forty days and nights in the work of intercession. We are not to understand that the first forty were s... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WAS AFRAID. — In Hebrews 12:21, the words “I exceedingly fear” are (in the Greek) identical with these.... [ Continue Reading ]
I PRAYED FOR AARON ALSO. — Jewish commentators ascribe the loss of Aaron’s two sons (Leviticus 10:1) partly to God’s anger at this time.... [ Continue Reading ]
I TOOK YOUR SIN... AND I CAST THE DUST THEREOF INTO THE BROOK. — The stream from the rock in Horeb not only gave Israel drink, but bore away their “sin” upon its waters. “And that Rock was Christ.” This identification of the sin with the material object is in harmony with the Law in Leviticus, where... [ Continue Reading ]
AT TABERAH. — The first place mentioned after they left Sinai. AT MASSAH. — The last scene described before they reached it. Sinai is made the centre of provocation. AT KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH. — The first _encampment_ named after Sinai. It is not certain that they halted at Taberah. (See Numbers 11)... [ Continue Reading ]
YE REBELLED AGAINST THE COMMANDMENT. — Literally, _the mouth of Jehovah._ YE BELIEVED HIM NOT — when He encouraged you to go up. NOR HEARKENED TO HIS VOICE — when He forbad you. (See on Deuteronomy 1:32; Deuteronomy 1:43.)... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE BEEN REBELLIOUS AGAINST THE LORD FROM THE DAY THAT I KNEW YOU. — This is one side of the truth. The other may be found in the words of Balaam, which Jehovah Himself put into his mouth: “He hath not _beheld_ iniquity in Jacob, nor _seen_ perverseness in Israel” (Numbers 23:21). (See also Deut... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS I FELL DOWN... — Literally, _And I fell down before Jehovah forty days and forty nights, as 1 had fallen down_ (originally on the fortieth day) _when the Lord said He would destroy you: i.e.,_ when He told Moses of the calf.... [ Continue Reading ]
I PRAYED THEREFORE... AND SAID. — The words that follow are very similar to those which are recorded in Exodus 32:11. Moses appears to be alluding to his _first intercession_ here, before he descended from Sinai for the first time.... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THY SERVANTS, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB. — This is found exactly in Exodus 32:13. Very few of the words used by Moses in the _second forty days_ are found in Exodus. (See Exodus 34:9.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THY PEOPLE... WHICH THOU BROUGHTEST OUT. — So Exodus 32:11. It is noticeable that God said to Moses, “_Thy_ people which _thou_ broughtest out... have corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32:7). Moses said, “Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against _thy people which thou hast brought forth?_”... [ Continue Reading ]