A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Verſ. 1. THeſe are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moſes, &c.]
Either this hath reference to all that went before in this book, to wit, that the law which he had repeated and explained amongſt them was the covenant which the Iſraelites were to enter into, that is, that which they were now by covenat to bind themſelves to do; or elſe they may have reference to that which follows after, to wit, in the ſequele of the chapter, The words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moſes to make with the children of Iſrael, that is, the words he was to uſe to the people when he was now to prepare them for the ſolemn renewing of their covenant with God, the work which they were immediately to enter upon. Hitherto Moſes had repeated the Laws of God, and now …hey were to renew the covenant which God had made with their fathers in Horeb, at the firſt giving of the Law; and this is that for which in this chapter he now bends himſelf to prepare the people.
Verſ. 5. Your clothes are not waxed old upon you, and thy ſhoe is not waxed old upon thy foot.]
See the note chap. 8. 4.
Verſ. 6. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have you drunk wine, or ſtrong drink.]
The more miraculouſly God had preſerved them, the more evident was Gods care over them, and the more reaſon they had to be circumſpectly carefull of yielding obedience to all his commandments; and therefore it is that Moſes puts them in mind how the Lord had ſuſtained them without bread, or wine, and ſtrong drink, feeding them with manna from heaven in ſtead of bread; and doubtleſſe ordinarily they had no other bread, though at ſometimes they might; of which ſee the note, Deut. 2. 6.
Verſ. 12. That thou ſhouldſt enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, &c.]
That is, into the covenant confirmed with an oath.
Verſ. 15. But with him that ſtandeth here with us this day, before the Lord thy God, and alſo with him that is not here with us this day, &c.]
That is▪ no leſſe with him that is not here with us, that is, your poſteritie that is not yet born, t…en with him that ſtandeth here with us this day.
Verſ. 16. For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the nations, &c.]
This hath reference to that which went before, verſ. 12. 13. where he told them that they were now met together that they might enter into covenant with the Lord their God: and the reaſon why this is added may be twofold: firſt, to ſhew how requiſite it was that they ſhould renew their cov…nant with God, becauſe having dwelt in the land of Egypt (at leaſt many of them in their younger years) and having gone through many idolatrous nations in their paſſage towards Canaan, and ſeen their ſeverall idolatries and abominations, there was ſome cauſe of fear leſt perhaps ſome of them were tainted by this means, and therefore it was fit, to prevent this, that they ſhould all ſolemnly renew their covenant with God, and hereto agrees that which follows▪ verſ. 18. Leſt there ſhould be among you man or woman or familie whoſe heart turneth this day …rom the Lord our God to go and ſerve the gods of theſe nations: or ſecondly, to perſwade them to be willing to enter into this …ovenant, to wit, both from the experience they had of the groſſe abominations of theſe idolatrous people, and the Lords ſeveritie in puniſhing them, and likewiſe from the conſideration of Gods fatherly providence in carrying them ſafe through ſo many dangers.
Ve…ſ. 18. Le…t there ſhould be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.]
The ga…l and wormwood here meant, or the poyſonfull herb and wormwood, as it is in the margin▪ is idolatrie, of which Moſes ſpake in the foregoing words, or more generally all ſinnes of rebellion againſt God, and they are ſo c…lled, either b…cauſe they are diſpleaſing and diſtaſtfull to God, even as gall and wormwood are to us, or becauſe they will prove to the ſinner and ſuch as ſhall by him be infected bitterneſſe in the end, yea as deadly …oyſon to his and their ſouls: and thus the Scripture ſpeaks of ſinne in other places, as Amos 5. 6, 7. Seek the Lord—ye who turn …udgement to wormwood; and Heb. 12. 15. Leſt an… root of bitterneſſe ſpringing up, trouble you, and thereby many be deſi…ed. And as ſor the root that beareth gall and wormwood, thereby is meant either the evil apoſ…atizing heart forementioned, lest there ſhould be among you man or woman, &c. whoſe heart turneth away from the Lord our God▪ &c. of which alſo the Ap…ſtle ſpeaks after the ſ…me manner, Heb. 3. 12. Take heed▪ brethren, lest …here be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing …rom the living God: and this is called the root, that beareth this gall and wormwood, becauſe it is hidden from men as the root is hidden under the earth, and yet is the very ſpring from whence idol…trie an… all other ſinnes do grow, ſo that when men give over their evil wayes▪ and yet purge not ſinne o…t of the heart, it is but as the cropping of weeds in a ga…den, when the roots are left behind; or …lſe rather, the root here intended is …ome cloſe idolaters that might be amongſt them, who concealing themſelves from the publick view, as the root is hidden under the ground, would ſecretly by their example and perſwaſions in…ect and poyſon many, and cauſe their wicked practices to grow and ſpread amongſt the people, till at length they brake forth openly to the ruine of all. And indeed the whole ſeries of the words, both before and after, ſeem plainly to be ſpoken of ſome dangerous perſons that might be amongſt them, the miſchief whe…eof he deſires to prevent, by cauſing them all to enter into a ſolemn covenant with God, Leſt, ſaith Moſes, there ſhould be amongst you man or woman, or familie or tribe, whoſe heart turneth away this day ſrom the Lord our Go… to go and ſerve the gods of theſe na…ions; leſt there ſhould be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood. (and then mark what follows) And it come to paſſe when he heareth the words of this curſe, &c. All the way he ſpeaks of ſome falſe-ſpirited men that might be amongſt them.
Verſ. 19. I ſhall …ve peace though I walk in the imaginations of min… hear…, to adde drunkenneſſe to thirst.]
This is the voice of the ſ…cure ſinner, that deſpiſeth the curſe, and preſump…ouſly aſſures himſelf of peace and imp…nitie, though he doth that which he hears accurſed in Gods law; I ſhall have peace, ſaith he, though I w…lk in the imaginations of mine heart, that is▪ though I do what I liſt my ſelf, or wh…t ſeems good in mine own eyes, to adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt. Now men thus imboldning themſelves with hope of impuniti… may be ſaid to adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt in two reſpects: Firſt, becauſe whereas naturally they thirſt aſter ſin…e, but yet are reſtrained by the light and checks of conſcience, this makes them adde ſinne to ſinne in abundance, to drink iniquitie like water, Job 34. 7. to work all uncleanneſſe with greedineſſe, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Eph. 4. 19. it makes them let loo…e themſelves even to take their fill and glut of ſinne, till they become at length, like drunken men, vo…d of all ſenſe and reaſon and remorſe of conſcience, not having any thing left in them to keep them in from the proſecuting of any villanie whatſoever: and ſecondly, becauſe the longer and further men proceed to ſatiate themſelves with ſinne, the greedier they will ſtill be upon it, this giving of themſelves to take their …ill of ſinne being as ſure to make their deſires after ſinne more eager then they were before, as drunkenneſſe is to encreaſe thirſt.
Verſ. 20. The Lord will not ſpare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoke against that man.]
That is, it will break forth with great furie and terrour againſt him. Moſes alludes in this Metaphor, of the ſmoking of Gods anger and jealouſie againſt ſuch men, either to the breath which will break from the noſtrils of ſome men, eſpecially when they are in a great chafe and furie; whence is alſo that expreſſion of Davids concerning the Lords high diſpleaſure and indignation, there went up a ſmoke out of his noſtrils, Pſal. 18. 8. or elſe to the terrour and violence of ſmoke, which will ariſe and break forth from any combuſtible matter when it is firſt ſet on fire, even hiding and covering the light of the heavens with its bl…k clouds.
Verſ. 23. And that the whole land thereof is brimſtone, and ſalt, and burning, &c.]
That is, dried up, barren and good for nothing. Brimſtone and ſalt, whereever they abound, will ſo dry up the moiſture of any grounds that they will be extremely parched and barren; and hence is this expreſſion here uſed, not unlike that alſo, Jer. 17. 6. For he ſhall be like the heath in the deſert, and ſhall not ſee when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wild…rneſſe, in a ſalt land, and not inhabited.
Verſ. 26. For they went and ſerved other gods, and worſhipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them.]
The laſt clauſe of this verſe may be diverſly tranſlated: If we reade it as it is in the margin of our Bibles, Who had not given to them any portion, then it contains an exprobration of the ingratitude and folly of the Iſ…aelites in forſaking the Lord, who had given them the land of Canaan, and many o…er wayes done ſo much for them, to go and worſhip other gods, who had done, and indeed could do, nothing for them. But if we reade it, a… it is in our text, And whom he had not given unto them, then it contains the reaſon why they did ſo highly provoke God by their idolatry, to wit, bec…uſe the Lord had not appointed them any ſuch way of worſhip: for we muſt know that the Iſraelites in all their idol-worſhip did ſtill pretend the worſhipping of the true God under thoſe id…l-gods▪ and therefore againſt that pretence this is oppoſed, that he had not given unto them any ſuch gods, nor preſcribed them any ſuch way of worſhipping him.
Verſ. 28. And caſt them into another land, as it is this day, &c.]
Theſe are …till the words of the natious that ſhould thus in time to come talk of Gods judgements upon the Iſraelites after they were carried away as captives into a ſtrange countrey.
Verſ. 29. The ſecret things belong unto the Lord our God, but thoſe things which are revealed, &c.]
The meaning of theſe words is plain and eaſie; but yet why they are inſerted here, and what was Moſes drift herein, is not eaſily diſcerned. Some ſay that this is not unfitly ſubjoyned to the foregoing exhortation for obſerving carefully the laws of God, becauſe it diſcovers, and ſo gives us a hint to take heed of an ordinary root of diſobedience, to wit, when men are ambitious to know and buſily ſearch after Gods ſecret counſels, which they have nothing to do with, and by that means are taken off from minding thoſe revealed duties which do ſo nearly concern them. But I rather conceive that this clauſe is here inſerted, either by way of explaining what he had formerly delivered, to wit, that he ſaid not that they ſhould certainly be thus deſtroyed, as is before mentioned; No, whether your poſterity (ſaith he) will by their rebellion thus provoke God, and ſo bring this heavy indignation upon the land, that is onelyonly known to God, …nd ſecret things belong …nto the Lord, we muſt not meddle with them: but that which he had ſaid was onelyonly this, that if they did thus provoke the Lord, then all this ruine ſhould certainly befall them, this God had revealed, and that which God had revealed it became them and their children ſeriouſly to lay to heart: or elſe by way of preventing an objection; for if againſt all this that he had threatned they ſhould object, that God was infinitely mercifull, and would not therefore deſtroy his people; to this he an…wers, Secret things belong unto the Lord, how farre he will ſhew mercy either in forbearing you, or giving you grace to repent, that depends onelyonly upon his ſecret counſel, and we cannot ſearch into it; thoſe things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, and that which is revealed is, that if we rebell againſt him, he will poure out all theſe judgements upon the land, except by repentance and turning to him we prevent this ruine: which is that therefore we muſt look to▪ that ſo by avoiding the ſinne we may prevent the judgement. And this moſt probably is the full drift of this clauſe. And ſo Mo…es …akes way likewiſe to thoſe promiſes of mercy to the penitent, which follow immediately in the next chapter.