In
this chapter, I. The rights and revenues of the church are settled, and
rules given concerning the Levites' ministration and maintenance, ver. 1-8.
II. The caution against the idolatrous abominable customs of the heathen is
repeated, ver. 9-14. III. A promise is given them of the spirit of prophecy
to continue among them, and to centre at last in Christ the great prophet,
ver. 15-18. IV. Wrath threatened against those that despise prophecy (ver.
19) or counterfeit it (ver. 20), and a rule given for the trial of it, ver.
21, 22.
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Maintenance
of the Levites.
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B.
C. 1451.
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1 The priests the
Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor
inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD
made by fire, and his inheritance. 2 Therefore shall they have
no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD
is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 3 And
this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a
sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the
priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 4 The
firstfruits also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the
first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5 For the
LORD
thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the
name of the LORD,
him and his sons for ever. 6 And if a Levite come from any of
thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the
desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD
shall choose; 7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD
his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before
the LORD.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale
of his patrimony.
Magistracy and ministry are two divine institutions of admirable use for the
support and advancement of the kingdom of God among men. Laws
concerning the former we had in the close of the foregoing chapter,
directions are in this given concerning the latter. Land-marks are here set
between the estates of the priests and those of the people.
I. Care is taken that the priests entangle not themselves with the affairs
of this life, nor enrich themselves with the wealth of this world; they have
better things to mind. They shall have no part nor inheritance with
Israel, that is, no share either in the spoils taken in war or in the
land that was to be divided by lot, v. 1. Their warfare and husbandry
are both spiritual, and enough to fill their hands both with work and profit
and to content them. The Lord is their inheritance, v. 2.
Note, Those that have God for their inheritance, according to the new
covenant, should not be greedy of great things in the world, neither gripe
what they have nor grasp at more, but look upon all present things with the
indifference which becomes those that believe God to be all-sufficient.
II. Care is likewise taken that they want not any of the comforts and
conveniences of this life. Though God, who is a Spirit, is their
inheritance, it does not therefore follow that they must live upon the air;
no,
1. The people must provide for them. They must have their due from the
people, v. 3. Their maintenance must not depend upon the
generosity of the people, but they must be by law entitled to it. He that is
taught in the word ought in justice to communicate to him that teaches him;
and he that has the benefit of solemn religious assemblies ought to
contribute to the comfortable support of those that preside in such
assemblies. (1.) The priests who in their courses served at the altar had
their share of the sacrifices, namely, the peace-offerings, that were
brought while they were in waiting: besides the breast and shoulder, which
were appointed them before (Lev. vii. 32-34), the cheeks and maw are here
ordered to be given them; so far was the law from diminishing what was
already granted that it gave them an augmentation (2.) The first-fruits
which arose within such a precinct were brought in, as it should seem, to
the priests that resided among them, for their maintenance in the country;
the first of their corn and wine for food, and the first of their fleece for
clothing (v. 4); for the priests who were employed to teach others
ought themselves to learn, having food and raiment, to be therewith content.
The first-fruits were devoted to God, and he constituted the priests his
receivers; and if God reckons what is, in general, given to the poor, lent
to him, to be repaid with interest, much more what is, in particular, given
to the poor, lent to him, to be repaid with interest, much more what is, in
particular, given to poor ministers. There is a good reason given for this
constant charge upon their estates (v. 5), because the Levites were chosen
of God, and his choice must be owned and countenanced, and those
honoured by us whom he honours; and because they stood to minister,
and ought to be recompensed for their attendance and labour, especially
since it was in the name of the Lord, by his warrant, in his service,
and for his praise, and this charge entailed upon their seed for ever; those
who were thus engaged and thus employed ought to have all due encouragement
given them, as some of the most needful useful members of their
commonwealth.
2. The priests must not themselves stand in one another's light. If a priest
that by the law was obliged to serve at the altar only in his turn, and was
paid for that, should, out of his great affection to the sanctuary, devote
himself to a constant attendance there, and quit the ease and pleasure of
the city in which he had his lot for the satisfaction of serving the altar,
the priests whose turn it was to attend must admit him both to join in the
work and to share in the wages, and not grudge him either the honour of the
one or the profit of the other, though it might seem to break in upon them, v.
6-8. Note, A hearty pious zeal to serve God and his church, though it may a
little encroach upon a settled order, and there may be somewhat in it that
looks irregular, yet ought to be gratified and not discouraged. He that
appears to have a hearty affection to the sanctuary, and loves dearly to be
employed in the service of it, in God's name let him minister; he
shall be as welcome to God as the Levites whose course it was to minister,
and should be so to them. The settling of the courses was intended rather to
secure those to the work that were not willing to do so much than to exclude
any that were willing to do more. And he that thus serves as a volunteer
shall have as good pay as the pressed men, besides that which comes of
the sale of his patrimony. The church of Rome obliges those who leave
their estates to go into a monastery to bring the produce of their estates
with them into the common stock of the monastery, for gain is their
godliness; but here it is ordered that the pious devotee should reserve to
himself the produce of his patrimony, for religion and the ministry were
never appointed of God, however they have been abused by men, to serve a
secular interest.
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Idolatrous
Customs of the Canaanites.
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B.
C. 1451.
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9 When thou art come
into the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of
those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that
useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a
witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or
a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are
an abomination unto the LORD:
and because of these abominations the LORD
thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be
perfect with the LORD
thy God. 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess,
hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD
thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
One would not think there had been so much need as it seems there was to arm
the people of Israel against the infection of the idolatrous customs of the
Canaanites. Was it possible that a people so blessed with divine
institutions should ever admit the brutish and barbarous inventions of men
and devils? Were they in any danger of making those their tutors and
directors in religion whom God had made their captives and tributaries? It
seems they were in danger, and therefore, after many similar cautions, they
are here charged not to do after the abominations of those nations, v.
9.
I. Some particulars are specified; as, 1. The consecrating of their children
to Moloch, an idol that represented the sun, by making them to pass
through the fire, and sometimes consuming them as sacrifices in the
fire, v. 10. See the law against this before, Lev. xviii. 21. 2.
Using arts of divination, to get the unnecessary knowledge of things to
come, enchantments, witchcrafts, charms, &c., by which the power
and knowledge peculiar to God were attributed to the devil, to the great
reproach both of God's counsels and of his providence, v. 10, 11. One
would wonder that such arts and works of darkness, so senseless and absurd,
so impious and profane, could be found in a country where divine revelation
shone so clearly; yet we find remains of them even where Christ's holy
religion is known and professed; such are the powers and policies of the rulers
of the darkness of this world. But let those give heed to
fortune-tellers, or go to wizards for the discovery of things secret, that
use spells for the cure of diseases, are in any league or acquaintance with
familiar spirits, or form a confederacy with those that are--let them know
that they can have no fellowship with God while thus they have fellowship
with devils. It is amazing to think that there should by any pretenders of
this kind in such a land and day of light as we live in.
II. Some reasons are given against their conformity to the customs of the
Gentiles. 1. Because it would make them abominable to God. The things
themselves being hateful to him, those that do them are an abomination; and
miserable is that creature that has become odious to its Creator, v.
12. See the malignity and mischievousness of sin; that must needs be an evil
thing indeed which provokes the God of mercy to detest the work of his own
hands. 2. Because these abominable practices had been the ruin of the
Canaanites, of which ruin they were not only the witnesses but the
instruments. It would be the most inexcusable folly, as well as the most
unpardonable impiety, for them to practise themselves those very things for
which they had been employed so severely to chastise others. Did the land
spue out the abominations of the Canaanites, and shall Israel lick up the
vomit? 3. Because they were better taught, v. 13, 14. It is an
argument like that of the apostle against Christians walking as the Gentiles
walked (Eph. iv. 17, 18, 20): You have not so learned Christ.
"It is true these nations, whom God gave up to their own hearts'
lusts, and suffered to walk in their own ways (Acts xiv. 16), did thus
corrupt themselves; but thou art not thus abandoned by the grace of God: the
Lord thy God had not suffered thee to do so; thou art instructed in
divine things, and hast fair warning given thee of the evil of those
practices; and therefore, whatever others do, it is expected that thou
shouldest be perfect with the Lord thy God," that is, "that
thou shouldest give divine honours to him, to him only, and to no other, and
not mix any of the superstitious customs of the heathen with his
institutions." One of the Chaldee paraphrasts here takes notice of
God's furnishing them with the oracle of urim and thummim, as a preservative
from all unlawful arts of divination. Those were fools indeed who would go
to consult the father of lies when they had such a ready way of consulting
the God of truth.
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The
Great Prophet; False Prophets.
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B.
C. 1451.
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15 The LORD
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 According
to all that thou desiredst of the LORD
thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again
the voice of the LORD
my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the LORD
said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have
spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their
brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall
speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he
shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But
the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have
not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods,
even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart,
How shall we know the word which the LORD
hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD,
if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which
the LORD
hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou
shalt not be afraid of him.
Here is, I. The promise of the great prophet, with a command to receive him,
and hearken to him. Now,
1. Some think it is the promise of a succession of prophets, that should for
many ages be kept up in Israel. Besides the priests and Levites, their
ordinary ministers, whose office it was to teach Jacob God's law, they
should have prophets, extraordinary ministers, to reprove them for their
faults, remind them of their duty, and foretel things to come, judgments for
warning and deliverances for their comfort. Having these prophets, (1.) They
need not use divinations, nor consult with familiar spirits, for they might
enquire of God's prophets even concerning their private affairs, as Saul did
when he was in quest of his father's asses, 1 Sam. ix. 6. (2.) They could
not miss the way of their duty through ignorance or mistake, nor differ in
their opinions about it, having prophets among them, whom, in every
difficult doubtful case, they might advise with and appeal to. These
prophets were like unto Moses in some respects, though far inferior to him,
Deut. xxxiv. 10.
2. Whether a succession of prophets be included in this promise or not, we
are sure that it is primarily intended as a promise of Christ, and it is the
clearest promise of him that is in all the law of Moses. It is expressly
applied to our Lord Jesus as the Messiah promised (Acts iii. 22; vii. 37),
and the people had an eye to this promise when they said concerning him, This
is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world (John vi.
14); and it was his Spirit that spoke in all the other prophets, 1 Pet. i.
11. Observe,
(1.) What it is that is here promised concerning Christ. What God promised
Moses at Mount Sinai (which he relates, v. 18), he promised the
people (v. 15) in God's name. [1.] That there should come a prophet,
great above all the prophets, by whom God would make known himself and his
will to the children of men more fully and clearly than ever he had done
before. He is the light of the world, as prophecy was of the Jewish
church, John viii. 12. He is the Word, by whom God speaks to us, John i. 1;
Heb. i. 2. [2.] That God would raise him up from the midst of them.
In his birth he should be one of that nation, should live among them and be
sent to them. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem,
and thence his doctrine should go forth to all the world: thus God, having
raised up his Son Christ Jesus, sent him to bless us. [3.] That he should be
like unto Moses, only as much above him as the other prophets came short of
him. Moses was such a prophet as was a law-giver to Israel and their
deliverer out of Egypt, and so was Christ: he not only teaches, but rules
and saves. Moses was the founder of a new dispensation by signs and wonders
and mighty deeds, and so was Christ, by which he proved himself a teacher
come from God. Was Moses faithful? So was Christ; Moses as a servant, but
Christ as a Son. [4.] That God would put his words in his mouth, v.
18. What messages God had to send to the children of men he would send them
by him, and give him full instructions what to say and do as a prophet.
Hence our Saviour says, My doctrine is not mine originally, but
his that sent me, John vii. 16. So that this great promise is performed;
this Prophet has come, even Jesus; it is he that should come, and we are to
look for no other.
(2.) The agreeableness of this designed dispensation to the people's avowed
choice and desire at Mount Sinai, v. 16, 17. There God had spoken to
them in thunder and lightning, out of the midst of the fire and thick
darkness. Every word made their ears tingle and their hearts tremble, so
that the whole congregation was ready to die with fear. In this fright, they
begged hard that God would not speak to them in this manner any more (they
could not bear it, it would overwhelm and distract them), but that he would
speak to them by men like themselves, by Moses now, and afterwards by other
prophets like unto him. "Well," says God, "it shall be so;
they shall be spoken to by men, whose terrors shall not make them afraid;"
and, to crown the favour beyond what they were able to ask or think, in the
fulness of time the Word itself was made flesh, and they saw his glory as of
the only-begotten of the Father, not, as at Mount Sinai, full of
majesty and terror, but full of grace and truth, John i. 14. Thus, in
answer to the request of those who were struck with amazement by the law,
God promised the incarnation of his Son, though we may suppose it far from
the thoughts of those that made that request.
(3.) A charge and command given to all people to hear and believe, hear and
obey, this great prophet here promised: Unto him you shall hearken (v.
15); and whoever will not hearken to him shall be surely and severely
reckoned with for his contempt (v. 19): I will require it of him.
God himself applied this to our Lord Jesus in the voice that came out of
the excellent glory, Matt. xvii. 5, Hear you him, that is, this
is he concerning whom it was said by Moses of old, Unto him you shall
hearken; and Moses and Elias then stood by and assented to it. The
sentence here passed on those that hearken not to this prophet is repeated
and ratified in the New Testament. He that believeth not the Son, the
wrath of God abideth on him, John iii. 36. And how shall we escape if
we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven? Heb. xii. 25. The
Chaldee paraphrase here reads it, My Word shall require it of him,
which can be no other than a divine person, Christ the eternal Word, to whom
the Father has committed all judgement, and by whom he will at the last day
judge the world. Whoever turns a deaf ear to Jesus Christ shall find that it
is at his peril; the same that is the prophet is to be his judge, John xii.
48.
II. Here is a caution against false prophets, 1. By way of threatening
against the pretenders themselves, v. 20. Whoever sets up for a
prophet, and produces either a commission from the true God, shall be deemed
and adjudged guilty of high treason against the crown and dignity of the
King of kings, and that traitor shall be put to death (v. 20),
namely, by the judgment of the great sanhedrim, which, in process of time,
sat at Jerusalem; and therefore our Saviour says that a prophet could not
perish but at Jerusalem, and lays the blood of the prophets at Jerusalem's
door (Luke xiii. 33, 34), whom therefore God himself would punish; yet there
false prophets were supported. 2. By way of direction to the people, that
they might not be imposed upon by pretenders, of which there were many, as
appears, Jer. xxiii. 25; Ezek. xiii. 6; 1 Kings xxii. 6. It is a very proper
question which they are supposed to ask, v. 21. Since it is so great
a duty to hearken to the true prophets, and yet there is so much danger of
being misled by false prophets, how shall we know the word which the Lord
has not spoken? By what marks may we discover a cheat? Note, It highly
concerns us to have a right touchstone wherewith to try the word we hear,
that we may know what that word is which the Lord has not spoken. Whatever
is directly repugnant to sense, to the light and law of nature, and to the
plain meaning of the written word, we may be sure is not that which the Lord
has spoken; nor that which gives countenance and encouragement to sin, or
has a manifest tendency to the destruction of piety or charity: far be it
from God that he should contradict himself. The rule here given in answer to
this enquiry was adapted chiefly to that state, v. 22. If there was
any cause to suspect the sincerity of a prophet, let them observe that if he
gave them any sign, or foretold something to come, and the event was not
according to his prediction, they might be sure he was not sent of God. This
does not refer so much to the foretelling of mercies and judgments (though
as to these, and the difference between the predictions of mercies and
judgments, there is a rule of discerning between truth and falsehood laid
down by the prophet, Jer. xxviii. 8, 9), but rather to the giving of signs
on purpose to confirm their mission. Though the sign did come to pass, yet
this would not serve to prove their mission if they called them to serve
other gods; this point had been already settled, Deut. xiii. 1-3. But, if
the sign did not come to pass, this would serve to disprove their mission.
"When Moses cast his rod upon the ground (it is bishop Patrick's
explanation of this), and said it would become a serpent, if it had not
accordingly been turned into a serpent, Moses had been a false prophet: if,
when Elijah called for fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, none had
come, he had been no better than the prophets of Baal." Samuel's
mission was proved by this, that God let none of his words fall to the
ground, 1 Sam. iii. 19, 20. And by the miracles Christ wrought,
especially by that great sign he gave of his resurrection the third day,
which came to pass as he foretold, it appeared that he was a teacher come
from God. Lastly, They are directed not to be afraid of a false
prophet; that is, not to be afraid of the judgments such a one might
denounce to amuse people and strike terror upon them; nor to be afraid of
executing the law upon him when, upon a strict and impartial scrutiny, it
appeared that he was a false prophet. This command not to fear a false
prophet implies that a true prophet, who proved his commission by clear and
undeniable proofs, was to be feared, and it was at their peril if they
offered him any violence or put any slight upon him.
