Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 2.djvu/99

Rh both those which are cut off, and those which remain, not only that you may spoil and plunder them, and live at discretion in them for a time, but to be a sure and lasting inheritance for your tribes. You have it not only under your feet, but in your hands."

2. He assures them of God's readiness to carry on, and complete, this glorious work in due time. It is true, some of the Canaanites did yet remain, and in some places were strong and daring, but that should be no disappointment to their expectations; when Israel was so multiplied as to be able to replenish this land, God would expel the Canaanites to the last man, provided Israel would pursue their advantages, and carry on the war against them with vigour, v. 5, "The Lord your God will drive them from out of your sight, so that there shall not be a Canaanite to be seen in the land; and even that part of the country which is yet in their hands, ye shall possess." If it were objected, that, the men of war of the several tribes being dispersed to their respective countries, and the army disbanded, it would be difficult to get them together when there was occasion to renew the war upon the remainder of the Canaanites; in answer to that, he tells them what little need they had to be in care about the numbers of their forces, v. 10, One man of you shall chase a thousand, as Jonathan did, 1 Sam. 14. 13. "Each tribe may venture for itself, and for the recovery of its own lot, without fearing disadvantage by the disproportion of numbers; for the Lord your God, whose all power is, both to inspirit and to dispirit, and who has all creatures at his beck, he it is, that fighteth for you; and how many do you reckon him for?"

3. He hereupon most earnestly charges them to adhere to their duty, to go on and persevere in the good ways of the Lord wherein they were so well set out. He exhorts them,

(1.) To be very courageous, v. 6. "God fighteth for you against your enemies, do you therefore behave yourselves valiantly for him. Keep and do with a firm resolution all that is written in the book of the law." He presses upon them no more than what they were already bound to. "Keep with care, do with diligence, and eye what is written with sincerity."

(2.) To be very cautious. "Take heed of missing it, either on the right hand, or on the left, for there are errors and extremes on both hands. Take heed of running either into a profane neglect of any of God's institutions, or into a superstitious addition of any of your own inventions." They must especially take heed of all approaches toward idolatry, the sin to which they were first inclined, and would be most tempted, v. 7. [1.] They must not acquaint themselves with idolaters, nor come among them to visit them, or be present at any of their feasts or entertainments, for they could not contract any intimacy, or keep up any conversation with them, without danger of infection. [2.] They must not show the least respect to any idol, nor make mention of the name of their Gods, but endeavour to bury the remembrance of them in perpetual oblivion, that the worship of them may never be revived; let the very name of them be forgotten. "Look upon idols as filthy detestable things, not to be named without the utmost loathing and detestation." The Jews would not suffer their children to name swine's flesh, because it was forbidden, lest the naming of it should occasion their desiring of it; but if they had occasion to speak of it, they must call it, that strange thing. It is pity, that among christians the names of the heathen gods are so commonly used, and made so familiar as they are, especially in plays and poems: Let these names which have been set up in rivalship with God, be for ever loathed and lost. [3.] They must not countenance others in showing respect to them. They must not only not swear by them themselves, but they must not cause others to swear by them, which supposes that they must not make any covenants with idolaters, because they, in the confirming of their covenants, would swear by their idols; never let Israelites admit such an oath. [4.] They must take heed of these occasions of idolatry, lest by degrees they should arrive at the highest step of it, which was serving false gods, and bowing down to them, against the letter of the second commandment.

(3.) To be very constant, v. 8. Cleave unto the Lord your God, that is, "delight in him, depend upon him, devote yourselves to his glory, and continue to do so to the end, as you have done unto this day, ever since you came to Canaan;" for, being willing to make the best of them, he looks not so far back as the iniquity of Peor. There might be many things amiss among them, but they had not forsaken the Lord their God, and it is in order to insinuate his exhortation to perseverance with the more pleasing power, that he praises them. "Go on and prosper, for the Lord is with you while you are with him." Those that command, should commend; the way to make people better, is, to make the best of them. "You have cleaved to the Lord unto this day, therefore go on to do so, else you lose the praise and recompense of what you have wrought. Your righteousness will not be mentioned unto you, if you turn from it."

11. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the your God. 12. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13. Know for a certainty that the your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land, which the  your God hath given you. 14. And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. 15. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the your God promised you; so shall the  bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the  your God hath given you. 16. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the  be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

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