A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd God ſpake all theſe words, ſaying, &c,]
Namely after Moſes was gone down to the people, and had the ſecond time, as God commanded, given them ſtraight charge not to paſſe the bounds that were ſet them, leſt they provoked the Lord to break forth upon them to ſlay them.
Verſ. 18. And all the people ſaw the thundrings, &c.]
This word is generally uſed for ſeeing, hearing, or perceiving: Thus that which is ſaid, Gen. 42. 1. When Jacob ſaw that there was corn in Egypt, &c. is expreſſed Act. 7. 12. But when Jacob heard that there was corn, &c.
Verſ. 20. Fear not: for God is come to prove you.]
God is not ſaid to prove men, by any thing he doth, becauſe thereby he comes to find out that concerning thoſe men which he knew not before; but becauſe thereby he doth that which thoſe do that prove men, that is, he diſcovers that either to the men themſelves whom he proves, or to others, which was not manifeſt before: And ſo Moſes here tells the Iſraelites that the Lord had ſpoken to them with ſo much terrour to prove them, that is, to diſcover how weak they were and unable to endure Gods glorious majeſtie, and much leſſe his wrath and indignation; and alſo to make it manifeſt whether the apprehenſion of this majeſty of God would make them fear to offend him or no.
Verſ. 21. And the people ſtood afarre off▪ and Moſes drew near unto the thick darkneſſe where God was.]
That is, the people ſtood aloof from the mount, as Moſes had enjoyned▪ but Moſes went up into the mount, to wit, together with Aaron▪ for ſo God had before commanded, chap. 19. 24. Thou ſhalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee. Yea and after this, becauſe the people were ſo terrified at the manner of the giving of the Law, when the Elders had deſired of Moſes that he would recieve from God his ſtatutes and judgements, that they then afterwards might recieve them from him, the Lord conſented hereto, and ſo the people were ſent away to their tents, and Moſes went up to the top of the mount, Deut. 5. 30, 31. Go (ſaith the Lord to Moſes) ſay to them, Get you into your tents again, but a… for thee, ſtand thou here by me, &c.
Verſ. 22. Say unto the children of Iſrael, Ye have ſeen that I have talked with you from heaven.]
This is premiſed as a reaſon of the following precept; becauſe ye onelyonly heard me ſpeak out of heaven, ye ſaw no image, therefore ye ſhall make no image: Now it is ſaid here that God ſpake unto them from heaven, though he ſpake to them from the midſt of the fire on the top of Mount Sinai, either becauſe it was the voyce of God, who dwelleth in the heavens; or becauſe the aire is alſo uſually called the heaven, as Gen. 1. 20. and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Verſ. 24. An altar of earth ſhalt thou make unto me, &c.]
This is meant of ſuch altars as they ſhould be appointed to rear as they were upon the way, untill they came to the place which the Lord ſhould chooſe to ſettle his worſhip there; and happely of altars reared afterwards upon extraordinary occaſions: And theſe they muſt make either of earth or of rough ſtone, as ver. 25. both that the worthleſſeneſſe of the matter and form might ſhew that God would not have them places of his worſhip for perpetuity; and likewiſe that they might be types of Chriſts humane nature (for Chriſt is our altar, Hebr. 13. 10. We have an al…ar, whereof they have no right to eat, which ſerve the tabernacle) and of the mean and contemptible condition wherein Chriſt lived upon the earth, of which the Prophet ſpeaks Iſa. 53. 2. He hath no form nor comlineſſe; and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him. See the note alſo upon Exod. 27. 1.
In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bleſſe thee.]
Together with that foregoing precept for the ſervice of God, he addes a promiſe of his preſence, his gracious acceptance of their ſacrifices and ſervice, as alſo his bleſſing that ſhould attend them thereupon; onelyonly this is limited to the places that he ſhould chooſe to put his name there, as he ſpeaks elſewhere: Deut. 12. 5. But unto the place which the Lord your God ſhall chooſe out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation ſhall ye ſeek, &c. And the reaſon of adding this here ſeems to be, 1. to reſtrain them from rearing altars wherever themſelves pleaſed, they muſt do it onelyonly in places which he ſhould chooſe to record his name there; and 2. to reſtrain them from having any ſuperſtitio…s conceits in time to come of theſe places where altars had been raiſed for the worſhip of God: for, ſaith the Lord, into whatever places you come, if I there appoint you to build an altar, I will accept of your ſervice, and will bleſſe you in one place as well as in another. And for this very cauſe it was (as I before obſerved) that the Lord commanded ſuch ſlightneſſe in making their altars, to prevent ſuperſtition, that the people might ſee they were not intended for ſucceeding times.
Verſ. 25. Thou ſhalt not build it of hewen stone.]
See the notes upon the foregoing verſes.
If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou haſt polluted it.]
Namely by tranſgreſſing the commandment of God. Thus that which in mans judgement, and art, ſhould poliſh it, Gods Law maketh to be a pollution: ſo is it with humane wiſdome in preaching the Goſpel, 1. Cor. 2. 4. And my preaching was not with enticeing words of mans wiſdome, but in demonſtration of the ſpirit, and of power.
Verſ. 26. Neither ſhalt thou go up by ſteps unto mine altar, &c.]
This was alſo ſo given in charge concerning altars to be raiſed upon extraordinary occaſions, and which were not to continue for conſtant uſe: for it is evident by the height of Solomons altar, which was ten cubits high, 2. Chron. 4. 1. that the Prieſts went up offer ſacrifices thereon, though doubtleſſe they were not ſuch ſteps as are in ladders, whereon whileſt they went up there might be danger of diſcovering their nakedneſſe to thoſe that were beneath them; and though the altar which Moſes made for the Tabernacle was but three cubits high, yet it is ſaid that the ſacrificers did aſcend up to it, and deſcend down from it, Lev. 9. 22. Aaron came down from offering of the ſinne-offering, and therefore there was ſome kind of aſcending to this altar alſo. Either therefore it is meant of altars ſuddenly to be raiſed of earth or unpoliſhed ſtones upon extraordinary occaſions, or elſe the ſteps forbidden are not all kind of ſtairs, but ſuch as are on ladders, whereon there might be danger of diſcovering the Prieſts nakedneſſe, which God would have prevented, 1. for comelineſſe, and honeſty ſake; and 2. leſt any uncomely thing in the Prieſts ſhould impair the honour of thoſe ſacred rites.