Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 2.djvu/90

86 with their suburbs. 42. These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.

We have here a particular account of the cities which were given to the children of Levi, out of the several tribes, not only to be occupied and inhabited by them, as tenants to the several tribes in which they lay; no, their interest in them was not dependent and precarious, but to be owned and possessed by them as lords and proprietors, and as having the same title to them that the rest of the tribes had to their cities or lands, as appears by the law which preserved the houses in the Levites' cities from being alienated any longer than till the year of jubilee, Lev. 25. 32, 33. Yet it is probable, that the Levites having only the cities and suburbs, while the land about pertained to the tribes in which they lay, those of that tribe, for the convenience of occupying that land, might commonly rent houses of the Levites, as they could spare them in their cities, and so live among them as their tenants.

Several things may be observed in this account, beside what was observed in the law concerning it, Numb. 35.

1. That the Levites were dispersed into all the tribes, and not suffered to live all together in any one part of the country: this would find them all with work, and employ them all for the good of others; for ministers, of all people, must neither be idle, nor live to themselves, or to one another only. Christ left his twelve disciples together in a body, but left orders that they should in due time disperse themselves, that they might preach the gospel to every creature. The mixing of the Levites thus with the other tribes, would be an obligation upon them to walk circumspectly, and as became their sacred function, and to avoid every thing that might disgrace it; had they lived all together, they would have been tempted to wink at one another's faults, and to excuse one another when they did amiss; but by this means they were made to see the eyes of all Israel upon them, and therefore saw it their concern to walk so as that their ministry might in nothing be blamed, nor their high character suffer by their ill carriage.

2. That every tribe of Israel was adorned and enriched with its share of Levites' cities, in proportion to its compass, even those that lay most remote. They were all God's people, and therefore they all had Levites among them. (1.) To show kindness to, as God appointed them, Deut 12. 19.—14. 29. They were God's receivers, to whom the people might give their grateful acknowledgments of God's goodness, as the occasion and disposition were. (2.) To receive advice and instruction from; when they could not go up to the tabernacle to consult those who attended there, they might go to a Levites' city, and be taught the good knowledge of the Lord. Thus God set up a candle in every room of his house, to give light to all his family; as those that attended the altar, kept the charge of the Lord, to see that no divine appointment was neglected there; so they that were scattered in the country, had their charge too, which was to see that no idolatrous superstitious usages were introduced at a distance, and to watch for the souls of God's Israel. Thus did God graciously provide for the keeping up of religion among them, and that they might have the word nigh them; yet, blessed be God, we under the Gospel, have it yet nigher, not only Levites in every county, but Levites in every parish, whose office it is still to teach the people knowledge, and to go before them in the things of God.

3. That here were thirteen cities, and those some of the best, appointed for the priests, the sons of Aaron, v. 19. Aaron left but two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, yet his family was now so much increased, and it was foreseen that it would in process of time grow so numerous, as to replenish all these cities; though a considerable number must of necessity be resident wherever the ark and the altar were. We read in both Testaments of such numbers of priests, that we may suppose none of all the families of Israel that came out of Egypt, increased afterward so much as that of Aaron did; and the promise afterward to the house of Aaron, is, God shall increase you more and more, you and your children, Ps, 115. 12, 14. He will raise up a seed to serve him.

4. That some of the Levites' cities were afterward famous upon other accounts. Hebron was the city in which David began his reign, and in Mahanaim, another Levites' city, v. 38. he lay, and had his head-quarters when he fled from Absalom. The first Israelite that ever wore the title of king, namely, Abimelech, the son of Gideon, reigned in Schechem,Shechem, - as per 1806 London edition [sic] another Levites' city, v. 21.

5. That the number of them in all was more than of most of the tribes, except Judah, though the tribe of Levi was one of the least of the tribes, to show how liberal God is, and his people should be, to his ministers; yet the disproportion will not appear so great as at first it seems, if we consider that the Levites had cities, only with the suburbs to dwell in, but the rest of the tribes, beside their cities, (and those perhaps were many more than are named in the account of their lot,) had many unwalled towns and villages which they inhabited, beside country-houses.

Upon the whole, it appears that effectual care was taken, that, the Levites should live both comfortably and usefully; and those, whether ministers or others, for whom Providence has done well, must look upon themselves as obliged thereby to do good, and, according as their capacity and opportunity are, to serve their generation.

43. And the gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. 44. And the gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the  delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45. There failed not aught of any good thing which the had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

We have here the conclusion of this whole matter, the foregoing history summed up, and, to make it appear the more bright, compared with the promise, of which it was the full accomplishment, God's word and his works mutually illustrate each other. The performance makes the promise appear very true, and the promise makes the performance appear very kind.

1. God had promised to give the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession, and now at last he performed that promise, v. 43. they possessed it, and dwelt therein. Though they had often forfeited the benefit of that promise, and God had long delayed the performance of it, yet, at last, all difficulties were conquered, and Canaan was their own. And the promise of the heavenly Canaan is as sure to all God's spiritual Israel, for it is the promise of him that cannot lie.

2. God had promised to give them rest in that land, and now they had rest round about. Rest from the fatigues of their travel through the wilderness, which tedious march, perhaps, was long