The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 41 – Section 43
SECT. XLI.
GOd having given theſe Statutes, and Judgments, and Laws to the people of Iſrael by the hand of Moſes, and again particularly forbidden Idolatry, and commanded the keeping of his Sabbaths, together with his whole inſtituted Worſhip, to incourage his people to Obedience, He makes firſt many excellent Promiſes to them if they will obſerve his Precepts; as particularly, (1.) To give them Rain in due ſeaſon, and abundance of increaſe, ſo that they ſhall have ſuch plentiful Harveſts, that before they ſhall have threſhed out their Corn, the Vintage ſhall come; and they ſhall have ſuch great and rich Vintages, that before they have done gathering in their fruits their Seed-time ſhall come. (2ly,) He promiſes them peace and a ſecure Habitation, and to remove ravenous wild Beaſts, and Sword away from them. (3ly,) If any Enemies did aſſault them, to give them Victories over them, yea ſignal Victories, inſomuch that five of them ſhall chaſe an hundred, and an hundred put ten thouſand to flight; that is, a few Iſraelites ſhall chaſe many of their Enemies. (4ly,) To bleſs them with fruitfulneſs, He intending by real Performance to make good his Covenant to them, and to give them ſuch great plenty that they ſhall be forced to empty their Barns of old Corn, that they may have room to lay up their new. (5ly, To ſet his Tabernacle in the midſt of them, [Ezek. 37.26. 2 Cor. 6.16.] that is, cauſe his Word and Worſhip to abide among them, and by his gracious Preſence to dwell and walk in the midſt of them, and to be their God, and they ſhall be his people, having delivered them from the Egyptian Yoke, under which they were bowed down; ſo that now they ſhould walk uprightly, being freed from their Yoke and Bondage. Secondly, He threatens dreadful, and terrible, and manifold Judgments to them in caſe they were Diſobedient, and to multiply their Plagues as they multiplied their Sins: particularly, (1.) He threatens to inflict Corporal Diſeaſes on them, yea terrible Diſeaſes, ſuch as the Conſumption and burning-Ague, that ſhall weaken and darken their very ſight, and cauſe in them great ſorrow of heart, (2ly,) Depredation by Enemies, and falling before their Enemies, and falling into the hands of their Enemies, ſo that they that hate them ſhall Reign over them. (3ly,) Terrour and cauſeleſs aſtoniſhment, ſo that they ſhall flee when none purſueth. (4ly,) Weakning, and breaking the pride of their Power. (5ly,) Making the Heaven as Iron, and the Earth as braſs, and rendring their labours in their Husbandry fruitleſs. (6ly,) Ravenous Beaſts to devour their Children and Cattel. (7ly,) The Sword that ſhall avenge their breach of Covenant with Him. (8ly,) Sending Peſtilence into their beſieged Cities, ſo that they ſhall be as ſticks bound up in a Faggot to be burnt together. (9ly,) Captivity. (10ly,) Breaking their ſtaff of Bread; that is, depriving them of their Bread, which is the Staff of Life, and bringing ſuch ſcarcity upon them, that one Oven ſhall bake the bread of ten Families, and the Baker ſhall deliver them their bread by weight, (ſee Ezek. 4.16.) (11ly,) Such a dreadful Famine, that they ſhould eat the fleſh of their own Children. (12ly,) To caſt down their high places whereon they ſacrificed to Idols, and to deſtroy their Idols, and to caſt their Carkaſſes upon their broken Idols, and his Soul ſhould abhor them. (13ly,) Deſolation of their Cities and Country, and of all places of publick Worſhip, refuſing and rejecting their Offerings and Oblations. (14ly,) Exile and diſperſion among the Heathen, ſo that their Land ſhall be deſolate, and their Cities waſt, and their Enemies that ſhall take poſſeſſion of ſome parts of it ſhall be aſtoniſhed at the deſolation thereof. And further the Lord threatens, That He would ſcatter them among the Nations, and the Sword ſhould there alſo purſue them, and then the Land ſhall enjoy her Sabbaths, and reſting from Tillage from which it ſhould have reſted on the Sabbatical years, and years of Jubilee, but could not be permitted becauſe of their Covetouſneſs. (15ly,) Faintneſs of heart, ſo that the ſound of a ſhaken leaf ſhall chaſe them, yea they ſhall flee as from the Sword, when none purſueth, and thorow weakneſs or haſt fall one upon another. (16ly,) Death in Captivity. They ſhall periſh, and pine away in their Iniquities, and the Iniquities of their Fathers (whom they imitated in their Tranſgreſſions) in the Land of their Enemies. Thirdly, Notwithſtanding all theſe Comminations, He promiſes if they ſhall repent, and their carnal, impure, and uncircumciſed Hearts be humbled, and ſhall confeſs their own Iniquities, and the Iniquities of their Fathers, and accept of the puniſhment of their Sins, as juſtly deſerved on their part, and juſtly inflicted by God; then He will remember his Covenant made with their Fathers, and be gracious unto them, and will remember the Land He gave them for an Inheritance; and though it ſhall be left of them for a time, and ſhall enjoy its reſt, yet he will cauſe it to be inhabited and tilled by them again; and when they are in the Land of their Enemies He will not utterly caſt them away, nor wholly abhor them, but for their good will remember the Covenant He made with their Anceſtors. Levit. Ch. 26. whole Chapter.
In the laſt place, Moſes receives Laws and Directions concerning perſons *Some hold that the end and intention of theſe perſonal Vows was only that they ſhould pay the price of their Redemption to the Prieſts, which was to be imployed either for their maintenance, Numb. 18.14. or for the reparations of the Sanctuary, 2 Kings 4.5. Jackson.and things devoted by Vow unto God, and how theſe Vows might be redeemed, in caſe the perſon that made them had no mind to ſtand to them. (1.) A perſon (n)For theſe Vows of perſons they were uſually made in ſome time of affliction or diſtreſs, as when married perſons had no Child, they did ſometimes Vow, That if the Lord would pleaſe to give them a Child, they would give that Child unto the Lord, which was Hannahs Vow, 1 Sam. 1.11. And theſe perſons vowed, being not of the Tribe of Levi, were vowed to ſuch Service of the Tabernacle as they were capable of, as for drawing of water, or hewing of wood, which the Gibeonites afterwards did, Joſh. 9.27. Or if they were women, they were devoted to ſpinning Cloth to make the Prieſts Garments, and to provide thoſe things that were neceſſary for the repair of the Tabernacle, and other ſuch like ſervices, which accordingly they did perform, or elſe paid the price of their Redemption here preſcribed.vowed was to be the Lords, or elſe to be redeemed according to the eſtimation of the Prieſt, who was to ſet the value. This eſtimation was to vary according to the difference of Sex and Age. (1.) The Redemption of a Male from 20 years to 60 was to be 50 Shekels of Silver, according to the Shekels of the Sanctuary: of a female of the ſame age but 30. (2.) Of a Male from five years old to 20, 20 Shekels; of a Female 10 Shekels. (3.) Of a Male from a month old to five years old five Shekels, of a Female three Shekels. (4.) Of a Male from 60 years old and upwards, fifteen Shekels of a Female ten Shekels. But in caſe any perſon be grown poor (who poſſibly was of ability when he vowed) ſo that he be not able to pay the …rate ſet according to this Law, then it was left to the diſcretion of the Preiſt to ſet a reaſonable rate upon him, according to his ability, Chap. 27. from 1. to 9.
(2.) Concerning Beaſts devoted to God: 1. Clean Beaſts devoted were to be given as they were to God, and not changed for others; which if any man attempted to do, both the Beaſt that was changed, and that which was put in its place ſhall both be conſecrated to God. 2. Ʋnclean Beaſts devoted might be redeemed at ſuch a price as the Prieſt ſhould value them at, the perſon redeeming them adding a fifth part to the price and eſtimation; the Lord laying this penalty that men might learn to be ſtable-minded in ſuch voluntary Vows, Levit. 27. from verſ. 9. to 14.
3. Concerning houſes *This was done as deſigning to obtain from God ſafe, healthful, and proſperous Habitations in them.devoted, which might be redeemed, paying the value of them ſet by the Prieſt, and adding a fifth part more to the price ſet upon them; but if they did not redeem them before the year of Jubilee, the Prieſts were to have the perpetual poſſeſſion of them, verſ. 14, 15, 21.
(4.) Concerning Fields (o)This was uſually done in expectation of having their Fields yield the greater increaſe.or Lands devoted, (1.) Such as were part of the Votaries Inheritance, the Prieſt was to ſet an eſtimation or price upon according to the quantity of ſeed that would ſow the Land ſo devoted, and that price he that would redeem the Land was to pay to the Prieſt, and a fifth part over and above, and he was to pay according to the rate of fifty Shekels for ſo much Land as required an Omer of Barley to ſow it, if it was devoted immediately after the year of Jubilee was paſt, that is, reckoning from Jubilee to Jubilee a Shekel for a year. If it required two Omers to ſow it, then they were to pay an 100 Shekels, and ſo proportionably according to the quantity of ſeed that would ſow it. But if he devoted it ſometime after the Jubilee, then the Prieſt ſhall rate it according to the years that remain unto the Jubilee; and if the former Owner would not redeem it when the Prieſt had ſet a price upon it (ſo that the Field was by the Prieſts order ſold to another) then the Owner afterwards could not redeem it, but it was to be for ever alienated from him. And though he that bought it of the Prieſt might enjoy it to the year of Jubilee, yet then it was not to return to the firſt Owner, but to the Prieſts (by whoſe order it was ſold) yet ſo as the Prieſts were at the Jubilee to ſell it again to ſome of the ſame Tribe; and firſt of all to the neareſt Kinſman of him that vowed it, if he would buy it, becauſe the Land of Canaan was to be divided among the other Tribes, and not among the Levites, who were to have no part or Inheritance alloted to them therein, [ſee Numb. 18.20.] and the portions of the Tribes were not to be confounded, Levit. 27. from verſ. 16. to 22.
(2.) Such Lands as were purchaſed by the Votary, might be devoted by Him till the year of Jubilee, and no longer; for then they were to return to him of whom they were bought. And if the Devoter would redeem it for that term, the Prieſt was to ſet the value according to the remainder of years to the Jubilee, (p)Talis ager redimendus erat pro rata annorum reſtantium uſ que ad Jubilaeum.and in ſuch a caſe he was not to add a fifth part, as in the redemption of his Inheritance, Levit. 27. from verſ. 22. to 26.
(5.) The Firſt-born of clean Beaſts were not to be devoted to God being His before, [Exod. 13.2.] but if any devoted any unclean (q)Though an unclean Beaſt might not be offered in Sacrifice to the Lord, yet the price of it might be of uſe for the repair of the Sanctuary and maintenance of the Prieſts.Beaſt it might be redeemed according to the Prieſts eſtimation, adding a fifth part over and above to the price ſet. If it were not redeemed, it was to be ſold, verſ. 26, 27.
(6.) Any perſon or thing abſolutely devoted(r)V. 28. Omne quod Domino conſecratur] i. e. Omnia quae Deo voventur eo genere voti quod Cherem hic appellatur, & Graecè dicitur foreign vendi, aut redimi non potuerunt. Nam haec eſt peculiaris hujus voti natura ut quod per illud vovetur abſolute, perfecte, & irrovocabiliter Deo conſecretur. Freidlib. A Devotement was more than a ſingle Vow, whereof there might be redemption, but a thing abſolutely devoted could not be redeemed. Concerning Men, ſome were devoted by God, as the Inhabitants of Jerico, the Amalekites, Deut. 25.19. Some by man in ſpecial Vows, as the Canaanites, Numb. 21.2, 3. and ſome were adjudged to death for ſin, Exod. 22.20. and to the latter the Hebrews do apply this Law. Ainſworth. to God was neither to be ſold nor redeemed. Neither any from among men ſo devoted were to be redeemed; that is, if any perſons abhorred of God, as Enemies to Himſelf and his People, were devoted to deſtruction, as the Canaanities, [Numb. 21.2.] the Inhabitants of Jerico, [Joſhua 6.17.] the Amalekites, [1 Sam. 15.3.] then they might not be redeemed, but were unavoidably to be put to death, verſ. 28, 29.
(7.) The Tythe of the Land, both of the Seed and of the Fruit, was holy to the Lord, and might not be redeemed, except a fifth part were added to the value thereof. Which was probably ſo ordered to make ſure that the Levites ſhould loſe nothing by the cunning of the Owners that deſired to buy or redeem their Tythe. And as to the tythe of Cattel, he that was to pay it was not to give what he would himſelf, but that which in numbring the Cattel (as they came forth) happened to be the tenth, and was marked with the red Rod of the Tything-man, that Beaſt he was not to change, whither it were good or bad. If he offered to change it, both it and the change thereof were to be holy to the Lord, and not to be redeemed. Which penalty was inflicted (as it ſeems) to prevent fraud in the Owners. Theſe are the Statutes, and Judgments, and Laws which the Lord made between Him and the Children of Iſrael in Mount Sinai, verſ. 30. to the end, and gave them unto them by the hand of Moſes.
Levit. 27. from v. 30. to the end.
SECT. XLII.
WE are now come to the Book of Numbers. It contains an Hiſtory of thirty eight Years and nine Months, viz. from the beginning of the ſecond Month of the ſecond Year after Iſraels coming out of Egypt, to the beginning of the 11th Month of the 40th Year after their marching out. This may be evinc'd by comparing, Numb. 1.1. with Deut. 1.3.
The Book was ſo called(s)The Book of Numbers. becauſe at the beginning of it, the numbring of the Tribes and Families of Iſrael is injoyned, and their ſeveral Journies from Egypt to Canaan are numbred. It contains a Narration, 1. Of Iſraels preparation for their March from Mount Sinai thorow the Wilderneſs to the Land of Canaan. 2ly, Their Journey it ſelf, with the ſeveral ſtations of it. And in order to prepare them for their Journey, on the firſt day of the ſecond month (t)Anſwering to part of our April and part of our May.of the ſecond year, after their departure out of Egypt, God commanded Moſes and Aaron, and the Heads of the Tribes, which were twelve, to take the number of all the males of the Children of Iſrael that were fit for War (except the Levites) viz. from 20 years old to 60, muſtering them according to their Hoſts or Tribes, and according to their Kindreds and Families: which was accordingly performed, and the numbers of each Tribe are expreſſed in particular, and of all in general, which amounted to 603550, being juſt the ſame number (u)Compare, Exod. 30.11.12. and Exod. 38.26.which was taken ſeven months before when they were ſeſſed for a Contribution to the building of the Tabernacle. But the Levites God commanded ſhould not be numbred or reckoned in this account, being not appointed for War, but for the Service of the Tabernacle, (x)'Tis called V. 50. The Tabernacle of the Teſtimony, in regard that therein was kept the Teſtimony of Gods Will, viz. the Law written in two Tables, and lying in the Ark of the Covenant, Heb. 9.4. and Exod. 25.21. 'tis cal'd the Teſtimony.viz. ſome of them to ſet it up, and take it down, and others of them to remove and carry it from place to place, as occaſion required. And none that were not of the Tribe of Levi might meddle with it, or help to take it down or ſet it up, upon pain of death.
Numb. 1. whole Chapter.
SECT. XLIII.
GOd now preſcribes the Order of the Tribes encamp…g about the Tabernacle with their Standards, and how the Levites ſhould Encamp neareſt to it, and the Order to be obſerv'd by them all in their Marches; and to cut off all matter of contention, the Lord Himſelf appoints to every Tribe their ſeveral place.
The Order preſcribed for their Encamping was according to this Scheme.
The Tabernacle.
Moſes, Aaron, and the Prieſts.
Warriors in all 186400. Eaſt-ward
Judah, 74600.
Iſſachar, 54400.
Zabulon, 57400.
Levites of Cohath.
Warriors in all 151450. South-ward.
Reuben, 46500.
Simeon, 59300.
Gad, 45650.
Levites of Gerſhon.
Warriors in all 108100. Weſt-ward
Ephraim, 44500.
Manaſſes, 32200.
Benjamin, 35400.
Levites of Merari.
Warriors in all 157600. North-ward
Dan, 62700.
Aſher, 41500.
Naphthali, 53400.
Thus we ſee in what excellent Order the twelve Tribes were diſpoſed in their Encamping about the Tabernacle. The Prieſts and Levites were to pitch their Tents round about it. But the Tribes at ſome diſtance from it, poſſibly at the diſtance of two thouſand Cubits, which is an Engliſh mile; for ſuch a ſpace we find was between the Ark and the people when they paſſed over Jordan, Joſh. 3.4. The Lord commanded that three Tribes ſhould quarter together under one Standard, which the Chief of the Three carried, and ſo the whole Hoſt conſiſted of four great Brigades or Battations. The Tribe of Judah (out of which the Meſſias was to ſpring) has the Preheminence, and is to March foremoſt as Captain of the reſt, and ſo Judah hath the dignity of the Firſt-born, which was taken from Reuben, neither can Reuben withſtand it, becauſe God hath ſo ordered it. And thus we may conceive what a glorious ſight it was to behold the Tribes thus orderly diſpoſed in their ſeveral places, and therefore it is no wonder that Balaam was ſtricken with admiration to behold it, Numb. 24.5, 6. and that He cried out, How goodly are thy Tents, O Jacob, and thy Tabernacles, O Iſrael, &c.
Numb. 2. whole Chapter.