AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N
S,
OF THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED
D E U T E R O N O M Y
THIS
book is a repetition of very much both of the history and of the laws
contained in the three foregoing books, which repetition Moses delivered to
Israel (both by word of mouth, that it might affect, and by writing, that it
might abide) a little before his death. There is no new history in it but that
of the death of Moses in the last chapter, nor any new revelation to Moses,
for aught that appears, and therefore the style here is not, as before, The
Lord spoke unto Moses, saying. But the former laws are repeated and
commented upon, explained and enlarged, and some particular precepts added to
them, with copious reasonings for the enforcing of them: in this Moses was
divinely inspired and assisted, so that this is as truly the word of the Lord
by Moses as that which was spoken to him with an audible voice out of the
tabernacle of the congregation, Lev. i. 1. The Greek interpreters call it Deuteronomy,
which signifies the second law, or a second edition of the law,
not with amendments, for there needed none, but with additions, for the
further direction of the people in divers cases not mentioned before. Now, I.
It was much for the honour of the divine law that it should be thus repeated;
how great were the things of that law which was thus inculcated, and how
inexcusable would those be by whom they were counted as a strange thing!
Hos. viii. 12. II. There might be a particular reason for the repeating of it
now; the men of that generation to which the law was first given were all
dead, and a new generation had sprung up, to whom God would have it repeated
by Moses himself, that, if possible, it might make a lasting impression upon
them. Now that they were just going to take possession of the
land
of
Canaan
, Moses must read the articles of agreement to
them, that they might know upon what terms and conditions they were to hold
and enjoy that land, and might understand that they were upon their good
behaviour in it. III. It would be of great use to the people to have those
parts of the law thus gathered up and put together which did more immediately
concern them and their practice; for the laws which concerned the priests and
Levites, and the execution of their offices, are not repeated: it was enough
for them that they were once delivered. But, in compassion to the infirmities
of the people, the laws of more common concern are delivered a second time. Precept
must be upon precept, and line upon line, Isa. xxviii. 10. The great and
needful truths of the gospel should be often pressed upon people by the
ministers of Christ. To write the same things (says Paul, Phil. iii. 1)
to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. What God has
spoken once we have need to hear twice, to hear many times, and it is well if,
after all, it be duly perceived and regarded. In three ways this book of
Deuteronomy was magnified and made honourable:-- 1. The king was to write a
copy of it with his own hand, and to read therein all the days of his life, ch.
xvii. xviii. xix. 2. It was to be written upon great stones plastered, at
their passing over
Jordan
, ch. xxvii. 2, 3. 3. It was to be read
publicly every seventh year, at the feast of tabernacles, by the priests, in
the audience of all
Israel
, ch. xxxi. 9, &c. The gospel is a
kind of Deuteronomy, a second law, a remedial law, a spiritual law, a law of
faith; by it we are under the law of Christ, and it is a law that makes the
comers thereunto perfect.
This book of Deuteronomy begins with a brief rehearsal of the most remarkable
events that had befallen the Israelites since they came from
Mount Sinai
. In the fourth chapter we have a most
pathetic exhortation to obedience. In the twelfth chapter, and so on to the
twenty-seventh, are repeated many particular laws, which are enforced (ch.
xxvii. and xxviii.) with promises and threatenings, blessings and curses,
formed into a covenant, ch. xxix. and xxx. Care is taken to perpetuate
the remembrance of these things among them (ch. xxxi.), particularly by
a song (ch. xxxii.), and so Moses concludes with a blessing, ch.
xxxiii. All this was delivered by Moses to
Israel
in the last month of his life. The whole book
contains the history but of two months; compare ch. i. 3 with Josh. iv.
19, the latter of which was the thirty days of Israel's mourning for Moses;
see how busy that great and good man was to do good when he knew that his time
was short, how quick his motion when he drew near his rest. Thus we have more
recorded of what our blessed Saviour said and did in the last week of his life
than in any other. The last words of eminent persons make or should make deep
impressions. Observe, for the honour of this book, that when our Saviour would
answer the devil's temptations with, It is written, he fetched all his
quotations out of this book, Matt. iv. 4, 7, 10.
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