Introduction
Introduction
THIS chapter begins with an account of the giving of the law of the Decalogue, or ten commands, on mount Sinai, to the children of Israel. A very compendious system of morality this, and was peculiarly calculated for that people; as the preface to it shows, 1 am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the laud of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; Thou shalt have no other God, etc and was admirably adapted to their tempers, dispositions, and circumstances; and exceedingly well suited to correct their minds and manners; and to guide and direct them in matters of religion, and in their duty to God and man: not but that all of it, that is of a moral nature, is binding upon the Gentiles, and especially ought to he regarded by us Christians, who profess ourselves to be the followers of Jesus; since most of the precepts of it have been recited and urged by him, (19) and the whole by him reduced to these two heads, love to God, and love to our neighbour; saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment: and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (40) And the apostle Paul, a disciple of his, and one that had the mind of Christ, having mentioned the several laws of the second table, observes; that if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself—Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law: (10) and elsewhere he says, all the law is fulfilled in one word; (Galatians 5:14) even this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. And the rather this law should he attended to by us, since our blessed Redeemer and Saviour came not to destroy it, but to fulfill it, (Matthew 5:17) by his subjection to it, both to the precept and penalty of it; whereby, though he has delivered us from the curse and condemnation of it, yet he has not exempted us from obedience to it; so that we are not without law to God, though freed from obligation to punishment for the transgression of it, through the satisfaction of our surety; but are under the law to Christ, (1 Corinthians 9:21) as lie is head, king, and lawgiver in his church. And it is with pleasure we can behold the law fulfilled for us by his obedience, sufferings, and death, and held forth in his hand, as king of saints, as a rule of walk and conversation unto us: in which view of it, every believer may say of it, as the apostle did, I delight in the law of God, after the inward man. (Romans 7:22) The delivery of this law, indeed, was attended with very terrifying circumstances: such as a dark, thick, tempestuous cloud, fire, and smoke; thunders, lightnings, and earthquakes; which not only made the children of Israel to tremble, and to stand at a distance; but Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake. (Hebrews 12:21) These were emblems of the dreadful things uttered by the law, against the transgressors of it; and of the terrible consequences of their transgressions; and of the terrors raised by it in the consciences of awakened sinners; wherefore the apostle says, Tell me ye that desire to be under the law; (Galatians 4:21) that is, as a covenant of works, do ye not hear the law? the voice and language of it, its menaces and curses, what it saith to them who are under it, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19) It accuses of breaches and violations of it; it effectually supports its charges it convicts of guilt, and confounds the sinner; and says enough to the silencing of all objections; so that nothing can be said why judgment should not proceed, and the sentence be pronounced and executed. To them who are of the works of the law; who seek for justification, salvation, and eternal life, by obedience to it; it says, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them. (Galatians 3:10) In short, it is a cutting and killing letter, and the ministration of condemnation and death. Hence a Mediator was found necessary, and desired by the people of Israel, at the time the law was given; They said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die, ver. 19. This office Moses undertook, at their request, and drew near unto the thick darkness, where God was, ver. 21, and became a Mediator between God and them; and has the name of one given him. Hence the law is said to be ordained by angels, in the hand of a Mediator; (Galatians 3:19) that is, Moses, who was a type of Christ, the Mediator between God and man; by whom we have access to him, with boldness and confidence, through his being the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness, (Romans 10:4) by obeying the precept, and bearing the penalty of it.
Now, though this law, as to the manner of its delivery was so terrible; yet, as to the matter of it, it was holy, just, and good; a transcript of the divine nature, and a revelation of the will of God; and it was an high favour; and a peculiar privilege to be indulged with it: hence, says Moses, What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law that I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:8) And the psalmist David also takes notice of this as an instance of the distinguishing goodness of God to the people of Israel; he sheweth his word unto Jacob; his statutes and his judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments they have not known them; praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 147:19, 20) And the apostle Paul reckons, among many special privileges of the Jewish nation, that to them pertained the covenant, the giving of the law, and the service of God. (Romans 9:4) Wherefore, since Jehovah condescended to speak with them from heaven, and favoured them with a divine revelation; they were laid under obligation to serve and worship him, in the manner he should direct them, as well as in places where they should do it. You have seen, says he, ver, 22, 23. that I have talked with you from heaven: ye shall not make with me gods of silver: neither shall you make unto you gods of gold; and then directs them to make an altar, to offer on it sacrifice unto him, ver. 24. an altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen; which altar was a type of Christ, who is that altar we christians, or believers in Christ, have; have a right unto, to use it, and partake of it; whereof they have no right to eat, that serve the tabernacle, (Hebrews 8:10) or keep up the Jewish forms of worship, now abolished: that altar, that sanctifies every spiritual gift, presented on it by faith, and which renders every spiritual sacrifice of prayer or praise acceptable to God. (Matthew 23:19; Isaiah 56:7) Also the sacrifices offered up on the altar of earth, were typical of better; even of the sacrifice of Christ, which is of a sweet smelling savour to God; thereby sin being made an end of, and reconciliation and atonement made for it. Now, the Lord, to encourage the people of Israel to worship him in his own way, and where he would have them, promises his presence with them, and his blessing on them, in the words I have read to you; In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. As yet no particular places were appointed for worship; and, therefore, he says, where I record, or am about to record, or shall record. The tabernacle was not now erected, nor orders given for it, which afterwards were Let them make a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8) Nor as yet was the ark of the testimony made, over which was the mercy-seat; on which were the cherubim; between which Jehovah took up his residence; nor were any place or places, pointed at as yet, where the tabernacle, or the things in it, when made should he set up: and, though after this, the Lord did signify there was a place he should choose to put his name in, and cause it to dwell there; and where, and where only, they should come and offer their sacrifices, and keep their passover, and other feasts; yet he did not presently express this by name; eventually, and in the issue, it appeared to be the city of Jerusalem; though before that, the tabernacle and the ark in it, were at other places, as Gilgal, Shiloh, etc but this was a fixed and stable place for it: here Solomon, by divine direction, built a magnificent temple, where the worship of God was continued some hundreds of years: this was destroyed by the Chaldeans, which occasioned an intermission of service for some time; and then it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, which continued till the coming of Christ, and was a little time after demolished by the Romans; and ever since, the worship of God is not limited and restrained to any certain place; neither at Jerusalem, nor any other particular place, are men obliged to worship the Father; but they may worship him any where, so be it they worship him in spirit and in truth. (Galatians 4:21, 23, 24) Under the gospel-dispensation, men may lift up holy hands every where, without wrath or doubting; (1 Timothy 2:8) they may pray and preach, and administer the ordinances of Christ, wherever they can find a place proper and convenient; the only description of places, and the only direction to us, where we should meet and worship, is, where God records his name: And, in this light and view of things, I shall consider the above words, by observing,