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Deuteronomy Chapter
Two
Deuteronomy 2
Chapter Contents
The Edomites to be spared. (1-7) The Moabites and
Ammonites to be spared. (8-23) The Amorites to be destroyed. (24-37)
Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:1-7
(Read Deuteronomy 2:1-7)
Only a short account of the long stay of Israel in the
wilderness is given. God not only chastised them for their murmuring and
unbelief, but prepared them for Canaan; by humbling them for sin, teaching them
to mortify their lusts, to follow God, and to comfort themselves in him. Though
Israel may be long kept waiting for deliverance and enlargement, it will come
at last. Before God brought Israel to destroy their enemies in Canaan, he
taught them to forgive their enemies in Edom. They must not, under pretence of
God's covenant and conduct, think to seize all they could lay hands on.
Dominion is not founded in grace. God's Israel shall be well placed, but must
not expect to be placed alone in the midst of the earth. Religion must never be
made a cloak for injustice. Scorn to be beholden to Edomites, when thou hast an
all-sufficient God to depend upon. Use what thou hast, use it cheerfully. Thou
hast experienced the care of the Divine providence, never use any crooked
methods for thy supply. All this is equally to be applied to the experience of
the believer.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:8-23
(Read Deuteronomy 2:8-23)
We have the origin of the Moabites, Edomites, and
Ammonites. Moses also gives an instance older than any of these; the Caphtorims
drove the Avims out of their country. These revolutions show what uncertain
things wordly possessions are. It was so of old, and ever will be so. Families
decline, and from them estates are transferred to families that increase; so
little continuance is there in these things. This is recorded to encourage the
children of Israel. If the providence of God has done this for Moabites and
Ammonites, much more would his promise do it for Israel, his peculiar people.
Cautions are given not to meddle with Moabites and Ammonites. Even wicked men
must not be wronged. God gives and preserves outward blessings to wicked men;
these are not the best things, he has better in store for his own children.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:24-37
(Read Deuteronomy 2:24-37)
God tried his people, by forbidding them to meddle with
the rich countries of Moab and Ammon. He gives them possession of the country
of the Amorites. If we keep from what God forbids, we shall not lose by our
obedience. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; and he gives it to
whom he pleases; but when there is no express direction, none can plead his
grant for such proceedings. Though God assured the Israelites that the land should
be their own, yet they must contend with the enemy. What God gives we must
endeavour to get. What a new world did Israel now come into! Much more joyful
will the change be, which holy souls will experience, when they remove out of
the wilderness of this world to the better country, that is, the heavenly, to
the city that has foundations. Let us, by reflecting upon God's dealings with
his people Israel, be led to meditate upon our years spent in vanity, through
our transgressions. But happy are those whom Jesus has delivered from the wrath
to come. To whom he hath given the earnest of his Spirit in their hearts. Their
inheritance cannot be affected by revolutions of kingdoms, or changes in
earthly possessions.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy》
Deuteronomy 2
Verse 1
[1] Then
we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea,
as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
Mount Seir —
The mountainous country of Seir or Edom.
Many days —
Even for thirty eight years.
Verse 3
[3] Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
Northward —
Towards the land of the Amorites and Canaanites.
Verse 6
[6] Ye
shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water
of them for money, that ye may drink.
Buy meat —
For thongh the manna did yet rain upon them, they were not forbidden to buy
other meats when they had opportunity, but only were forbidden greedily to
hunger after them when they could not obtain them.
Buy water —
For water in those parts was scarce, and therefore private persons did
severally dig pits for their particular use.
Verse 7
[7] For
the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy
walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath
been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
The Lord hath blessed thee — By God's blessing thou art able to buy thy conveniences, and therefore
thy theft and rapine will be inexcusable, because without any pretence of
necessity.
He knoweth —
Heb. He hath known, that is, observed, or regarded with care and kindness,
which that word often notes. Which experience of God's singular goodness to
thee, should make thee rely on him still, and not use any unjust practice to
procure what thou wantest or desirest.
Verse 8
[8] And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt
in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we
turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
We turned —
From our direct road which lay through Edom.
Verse 9
[9] And
the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in
battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have
given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
Ar — The chief city of the
Moabites, here put for the whole country which depended upon it.
The children of Lot — So
called to signify that this preservation, was not for their sakes, for they
were a wicked people, but for Lot's sake whose memory God yet honours.
Verse 10
[10] The
Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the
Anakims;
The Emims —
Men terrible for stature and strength, as their very name imparts, whose
expulsion by the Moabites is here noted as a great encouragement to the
Israelites, for whose sake he would much more drive out the wicked and accursed
Canaanites.
Verse 12
[12] The
Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them,
when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as
Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.
Which the Lord gave —
The past tense is here put for the future, will give after the manner of the
prophets.
Verse 23
[23] And
the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came
forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
The Caphtorim — A
people a-kin to the Philistines, Genesis 10:14, and confederate with them in this
enterprize, and so dwelling together, and by degrees uniting together by
marriages, they became one people.
Caphtor —
Which is by the learned thought to be Cappadocia: whither these people might
make an expedition out of Egypt, either because of the report of the great
riches of part of that country which drew others thither from places equally
remote, or for some other reason now unknown.
Verse 25
[25] This
day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations
that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall
tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.
Under heaven —
The following words rest rain the sentence to those nations that heard of them.
Verse 28
[28] Thou
shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that
I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;
On my feet —
Or, with my company who are on foot: which is added significantly, because if
their army had consisted as much of horsemen as many other armies did, their
passage through his land might have been more mischievous and dangerous.
Verse 29
[29] (As
the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar,
did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our
God giveth us.
As the children of Esau did — They did permit them to pass quietly by the borders, though not through
the heart of their land, and in their passage the people sold them meat and
drink, being it seems more kind to them than their king would have had them;
and therefore they here ascribe this favour not to the king, though they are
now treating with a king, but to the people, the children of Esau.
Verse 30
[30] But
Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God
hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him
into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
Hardened his spirit —
That is, suffered it to be hardened.
Verse 34
[34] And
we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the
women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
Utterly destroyed — By
God's command, these being a part of those people who were devoted by the Lord
of life and death, to utter destruction for their abominable wickedness.
Verse 37
[37] Only
unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of
the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the
LORD our God forbad us.
Of Jabbok —
That is, beyond Jabbok: for that was the border of the Ammomites.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Deuteronomy》
02 Chapter 2
Verses 1-7
Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
A sermon for the new year
Such were the words which the Lord spoke to Moses, after the
children of Israel had been compassing Mount Seir “many days.” There are a
great many “mountains” which a great many people “compass” in the present day.
Some of them mountains indeed--mountains of doubt and difficulty and sin; some
of them molehills, which the very pilgrims in their blindness verily believe to
be mountains; some of them little hills of pride and obstinacy, the paths round
which have become all beaten down because the pilgrim feet have so long trod
them. “Turn you northward” is the command required. Anything is better than the
old going round and round and coming to the same place again. “Northward” may
mean hard fighting, but it will mean great victory.
I. Monotony the
ordinary Christian experience.
1. See it as regards the Christian life. How many Christians have
much the same experience year after year. We talk about “growth in grace,” and
trust we are making some “progress,” but if many of us were to examine
ourselves should we not find that our experience differed “little from that of
our early Christian life? Thousands of people are lapsing into a monotonous
experience. “There is no standing still in the Christian life,” we hear it
said. That may be true, but it is also true that there is a great deal of
moving round and round. Compassing the mountain is the experience of not a few.
2. See it as regards Christian work. The ideal of Christian work is
the same in all ages. It is the conversion of the world. But the method of its
accomplishment varies with times and peoples and circumstances. And the Church
or worker is wise which adapts the method to the requirements of the hour. But
how we like to keep to the old work and do it in the old way! And how apt we
are also to keep to the very same kind of work. There is work, I grant, which
can best be done by the man who has done it for many years, but there is other
work which would be done all the better if the worker were changed sometimes.
The question is, are we putting the same enthusiasm into our work which we put
into it at the commencement? But there is danger lest “compassing the mountain”
should become monotonous. Even the most holy occupation needs varying at times,
as every preacher will testify. A change often benefits both worker and work.
Then monotony is near akin to sluggishness. Somehow or other that “mountain of
work takes longer and longer to “compass.” I long that God’s voice should speak
to them as it did to Moses, “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough.” See
it as regards Christian thought. The great verities of our holy religion do not
change. Truth is eternal as God Himself. But how apt we are to live and move
round a little “mountain “ of thought of our own. We made it ourselves years
ago, and were very pleased with it then. We do not stop to think whether it
suits us now. Surely we should always be having grander, newer thoughts, nobler
impulses from the Most High. He has ever greater truths to teach, ever fresh
secrets to tall. There are ever fresh treasures of learning to be ransacked.
Ideas of Christian life and thought are ever maturing. “Turn you northward” is
the needed cry.
II. Progress the
proper rule of life. Says Godet, “Man was made in the image of God. He is not
therefore condemned, like the lower animals, to move incessantly in the same
circle. His progressivity has no limit but that of the absolute good to which
he aspires.” The emblem of human life is a spiral, not a circle! Just so! Man
must continually “move on.” If he goes round he must at the same time go up. It
will be easy to show that this is God’s purpose concerning us.
1. Monotony is contrary to the constitution and course of nature.
These point to progress. New forms of life, of thought, of government are being
continually evolved. Nothing continues the same but God and His eternal truth.
2. Monotony is contrary to God’s dealings with the human race. God
has not dealt with us in a circle. He has ever led His people forward.
3. Monotony is contrary to the spirit of the age, The age is one of
progress. New inventions are showered upon us week by week.
4. Monotony is contrary to the teaching of God’s Word. There are
three things among many others which I may point out are contrary to monotony,
but analogous to progress.
A thing has not always to be because it has been. (W. E.
Sellers.)
A new departure
The story with which this order is connected in the annals
is found in Numbers 21:12-35.
I. The new
departure in Israel’s wandering. Only a few particulars will be necessary in
order to show us the pertinency to an anniversary service which the ancient
narrative will bring.
1. Past experience was in the word “compassed.”
2. Future experience was in the word “northward.” For they all knew
that in that direction lay Canaan. The time was complete, the retribution was
fulfilled, a young generation had arrived upon the stage of action. So another
forward movement was ordered, this time in the line of progress towards the
Jordan and the covenanted land of promise. Evidently a great historical crisis
is reached at last. The deadlock of rebellious will is broken. Humanity shows a
quickening of life once more. This is what in modern times is called “a new
departure”; and this is what renders the incident suggestive as a religious
symbol for our present employment.
II. The new
departure in our work today. The last week in December is what merchants call
“inventory time.” Thoughtful religious people use it often for taking account
of spiritual stock. Let the past be left behind; our hopes are all in the
future; we have compassed that mountain with its twelve peaks long enough; it
is time to “turn northwards.”
III. The new departure
in each believer’s history. So vivid appears this illustration that it might
easily be made to serve for a permanent exhortation to the churches. Three
grand principles in ordinary spiritual life are exhibited in the image
employed.
1. All true Christians have mountains to compass. Sometimes our
duties are mountains, sometimes our trials. Some have more mountains than
others have. Some have harder ones than others have. Some make mountains out of
what would be only molehills to those who are braver than they are. But this
will be the lesson: God gives all His children mountains to compass.
2. All true Christians must compass their mountains. There can be no
rebellious refusal of the task God sets for us. There is no room for any
ingenious evasion of His commands. There can never be permitted any sudden
leaping over or flying across the difficult ridge of duty. There can be no
changing mountains with each other in the hope of getting easier ones.
3. God’s sovereignty decides when the mountain is compassed long
enough. There is a period set for continuance and for cessation. Long
enough--for the mountain’s sake. Real work has to be done slowly and patiently.
Some tasks there are which cannot be at all hurried.
IV. The new
departure in Church life. Our admonitions grow rapidly now, for the field of
application for the figure is wider.
1. To some who now hear this call it will be the language of rebuke.
“Ye have compassed this mountain long enough.” It is of no use to stay here any
longer; the chance is lost. It is like Jesus saying to His disciples in
slumber, “Sleep on now.” Duty is sometimes neglected until the man is withdrawn
from the charge.
2. To some who now hear it this call will be the language of comfort.
“Ye have compassed this mountain long enough.” Oh, how fine a thing it is to
look back upon a hard work carried well and patiently through into grand
success! Leave the old toil now; let the bent form straighten up; let the tired
shoulder rest.
3. To some it will be the language of command. “Ye have compassed
this mountain long enough; turn you northward.” Yes; turn northward straight to
another mountain, and another; for there is no discharge in that war! Is it
your birthday? Then one mountain is well compassed; take a new one. Is it the
anniversary of your first communion? One good mountain compassed; now again!
And the soul is all alive with fresh exhilaration from the hill climbing.
4. For to some this call is the language of encouragement. “Ye have
compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward.” And northward lies
the land of covenant promise; every mountain now passed brings us nearer to the
end of them. It grows a little gladder in the sunshine and clearer in the
atmosphere; it seems like attaining the last hill and catching the gales from
beyond the river. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
The Divine recall to duty
I. If we do not
follow God’s plan, if we neglect our duty, we are losing time. The Israelites
lost thirty years by disregarding the call of duty, and we too are always
losing time when we obey not God’s commands.
II. By commanding
the Israelites to leave the mountain and turn northward, God was teaching His
people that there is no better defence to a life of obedience than life itself.
It is evident that the children of Israel stayed by the mountain partly for
purpose of self-defence.
III. By commanding
the people to leave the mountains and turn northward, God was teaching them
that their work was not done until they had conquered their enemies.
IV. God said, “turn
you northward,” for that was the way to Canaan. (J. L. Williams, B. A.)
A short account of the long story of Israel in the wilderness
We compassed Mount Seir many days (verse 1). Nearly thirty-eight
years they wandered in the deserts of Seir; probably in some of their rests
they stayed several years, and never stirred: God by this not only chastised
them for their murmuring and unbelief, but--
1. Prepared them for Canaan, by humbling them for sin, teaching them
to mortify their lusts, to follow God, and to comfort themselves in Him. It is
a work of time to make souls meet for heaven, and it must be done by a long
train of exercises.
2. He prepared the Canaanites for destruction; all this time the
measure of their iniquity was in the filling; and though it might have been
improved by them as a space to repent, it was abused by them to the hardening
of their hearts.
3. Orders given them to turn towards Canaan. Though God contend long,
He will not contend forever; though Israel may be long kept waiting for
deliverance and enlargement, it will come at last.
4. A charge given them not to annoy the Edomites.
(a) They must not improve the advantage they had against them by the
fright they would be put into upon Israel s approach. They shall be afraid of
you, knowing your strength and numbers, and the power of God engaged for you;
but do not you think that their fears making them an easy prey, you may
therefore prey upon them; no, take heed to yourselves. There is need of great
caution, and a strict government of our own spirits, to keep ourselves from
injuring those we have an advantage against. Or, this caution is given to the
princes; they must not only not meddle with the Edomites themselves, but not
permit any of their soldiers to meddle with them.
(b) They must not revenge upon the Edomites the affront they gave them
in refusing them passage through their country (Numbers 23:21). Thus before God brought
Israel to destroy their enemies in Canaan He taught them to forgive their
enemies in Edom.
(c) They must not expect to have any part of their land given them for
a possession; Mount Seir was already settled upon the Edomites, and they must
not, under pretence of God’s covenant and conduct, think to seize for themselves
all they could lay hands on. Dominion is not founded in grace.
5. They must trade with them as neighbours: buy meat and water off
them, and pay for what they bought (verse 6). Religion must never be made a
cloak for injustice. The reason given (verse 7) is, because God hath blessed
thee, and hitherto thou hast lacked nothing; and therefore--
For He knoweth thy walking
through this great wilderness.
Comfort in the wilderness
I. A fact general.
He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness. Wilderness and a complete
barrenness are not synonymous in Scripture. There were palms of Elim, and wells
of Marah, and beautiful withdrawn places where the grass grew; and yet it was a
wilderness great and often terrible. After all, like such a wilderness is life.
It is not all a wilderness. There are pleasant places in it, and homes, and
loving hearts. This is the fact general--that the usual human life has a good
deal of wilderness in it. Life is a wilderness because--
1. Of its mystery.
2. Of its discipline.
3. Of its unreached ideals.
4. Of its transitoriness.
5. Of its enemies--Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Edomites,
Moabites, Amorites throng against it.
II. A fact
personal. He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness. The personal
fact is that you must thread your way through this strange, great wilderness of
a life. Nobody can tread the path for you. The decisions of it you must make.
The results of your decisions you must abide.
III. The girding
comfort for us. He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness.
1. He knoweth sympathisingly. It is such meaning God’s knowing always
carries in the Scripture.
2. He knoweth in detail. Thy walking; precious truth this of the
Divine omniscience of us.
3. He knoweth, taking account of thy weakness. How tender God was
toward these Israelites!
4. He knoweth, wisely providing. Think how all the various discipline
of the wilderness wandering issued in the change of the Israelites from a mob
to a nation.
IV. What then?
1. I can walk the way.
2. I shall not be lost.
3. I shall reach Canaan.
4. I have comfort for the journey. (W. Hoyt.)
These forty years the Lord
thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.--
Forty years
I. Look back upon
the past.
1. What strikes me in Moses’ review is this, the prominence which he
gives to God in it. Here let me note that our own retrospect of the past will,
if we are genuine Christians, have in it many bright lights of the conspicuous
presence of God, making the pathway here and there like holy ground.
2. A very leading point is the blessing which God gave. Our text says
He has blessed all the works of our hand. I suppose that alludes to all that
Israel had a right to do; the Lord multiplied their cattle, He increased their
substance, He guided them in their marches, He protected them in their
encampments. There were some things in which He did not bless them. They wanted
to go up into the promised land against His commandment, and the Amalekites
smote them; He did not bless them there. God does not bless the sins of His
people, for if He did it would bring on them the tremendous curse of being
happy in the ways of evil.
3. Again, in our retrospect of the past we should notice the
perfection of the Lord s sympathetic care; Observe the words, “He knoweth thy
walking through this great wilderness.” He has known our rough paths and our
smooth ways, the weary trudging and the joyous marching; He has known it all,
and not merely known it in the sense of omniscience, but known it in the sense
of sympathy.
4. We have had also what is better than this during our forty years,
the special presence of God. “These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with
thee.” He has not been ashamed to be with us, though we have been despised and
ridiculed. Whenever we have prayed we have had audience with Him; when we have
worked we have seen His mysterious hand working with us; when we have trembled
we have felt the tender arms sustaining us; when we have been in bodily pain He
has made our bed in our sickness. The best of all is God with us, and in this
sign we conquer.
5. Again, we have had much cause to bless the Lord for the abundance
of His supplies. “Thou hast lacked nothing.” Some things which we could have
wished for we have not received, and we are glad they were denied us. Children
would have too many sweets if they could, and then they would be surfeited or
be ill. Walking on in the path of Providence, trusting in the Lord, what have
we lacked?
II. But now we must
take the second head, which is--Forty years in the wilderness should teach us
much of service for the present. I do not say that it will do so, for we do not
all grow wiser as we grow older, but it ought to be so. Folly is bound up in
the heart of many a man, and it takes much of the rod to whip it out of him.
1. Experience is a noble teacher, but we are dull scholars; yet at
any rate we ought to have learned to continue trusting in God.
2. Experience should also give us greater ease in confiding in the
Lord. Use is said to be second nature, but in your case grace has given you in
very deed a real second nature, and this by use should have grown stronger and
more prevalent.
3. Forty years of Divine faithfulness should teach us also a surer,
quicker, calmer, and more joyous expectation of immediate aid in all times of
strait and trial: we should learn not to be flurried and worried because the
herds are cut off from the stall, and the harvest is withered, for we know from
abundant proofs that “The Lord will provide.”
4. Forty years of blessing should teach each of us to believe in holy
activity. “The Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand.
Some people believe in God’s blessing the dreams and theories of their heads,
and their prayers are unattended by action. They believe in His blessing them
when they are scheming and putting fine plans on paper, or when they meet at a
conference to talk about how to do Christian work. I believe in God’s blessing
the actual work of our hand; He waters not the seed which we talk of sowing,
but that which we actually scatter.
5. Forty years’ experience ought to have taught us to avoid many of
the faults into which we fell in our early days. It is a great pity when
advancing age teaches men rather to avoid their virtues than their follie.
6. You will have observed that the text mentions twice “The Lord thy
God.” All through the chapter it is always that--“Jehovah thy God.” Here we
have mention of His covenant relationship, in which He is ever most dear to us.
Shall we not at this time renew our own personal covenant, and take our God to
be ours afresh? We read that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebecca.
Let us have a new wedding day ourselves, and give ourselves over again to the
Husband of our souls, even Jesus the well-beloved.
III. The future.
Having come so far on our journey as to have reached forty years, we are bound
to feel a powerful influence upon us as to the future. How? I will borrow our
remarks from the context.
1. Read in the second chapter, second verse, “And the Lord spake unto
me saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn ye northward.”
What way was northward, then? Why, toward Canaan. Forty years wandering up and
down in the wilderness is enough, now turn your faces towards Canaan and march
heavenward. It is time we all had our faces turned heavenward more completely.
The time past may suffice us to have wrought the will of the flesh, now let us
cry, “Heavenward, ho.” Pull up the anchor, spread the sails, and let us away to
the fair country whither Jesus has gone before us.
2. The next thing we should learn is indifference to this world’s
heritage. The next verse says, “Ye are to pass through the coast of your
brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of
you; take ye good heed unto yourselves, therefore: meddle not with them; for I
will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I
have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.” Esau sold his heritage, and
had his mess of pottage, let him have it; keep you the birthright, and never
think of putting your spoon into his mess. The world is for worldlings. What do
you want with it?
3. Let us learn from the past to cultivate independence of spirit.
“Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy
water of them for money, that ye may drink.” He is indeed a man of God who has
learned to walk uprightly, and no longer leans upon the creature, nor practises
policy to win his way.
4. Once again, after forty years in the wilderness God would have His
people learn generosity of spirit. The Edomites were very much afraid of the
Israelites, and would, no doubt, have bribed them to let them alone, but Moses
in effect says, “Do not take anything from them; you have no need to do so, for
you have never lacked anything, and God has been with you. They are afraid of
you; you might take what you please from them, but do not touch even the water
from their wells without payment.” Oh, that we had a generous spirit, that we
were not for oppressing others in any degree whatever, feeling that we have too
much already given us by God to be wanting to tax any man for our own gain.
5. The spirit of freedom from murmuring should be in us after forty
years of blessing. Jarchi tells us that this exhortation meant that they were
not to pretend to be poor. You know how many do so when it is likely to save
their pockets.
6. Lastly, we ought for the future to show more confidence in God if
we have had forty years of His love: we should have more confidence in working
for Him that He will bless us, more confidence as to our personal weakness that
He will strengthen us, more confidence as to the unknown future, that through
the great and terrible wilderness He will be with us, and that through the last
cold stream He will still be our companion; more confidence that we shall
behold the light of His countenance, and more confidence as to the supply of
all our needs, for as we have lacked nothing, so all things shall be freely
supplied till we cross the river and eat the old corn of the land. (C. H.
Spurgeon.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》