Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Numbers
Book: Numbers
Chapter: 15
Overview:
The
Law of the meat-
Offering and the
Drink-
Offering, The
Stranger under the same
Law.
(1-21) The
Sacrifice for the
Sin of
ignorance.
(22-29) The
Punishment of presumption, The
Sabbath-breaker stoned.
(30-36) The
Law for fringes
On garment.
(37-41)
1-21 Full instructions are given about the meat-offerings and
Drink-offerings. The beginning of this
Law is very encouraging,
When ye come into the land of your
Habitation which I give unto
you. This was a
Plain intimation that
God would secure the
promised land to their seed. It was requisite, since the
sacrifices of acknowledgment were intended as the
Food of
God's
table, that there should be a constant supply of
Bread,
Oil, and
Wine, whatever the
Flesh-meat was. And the intent of this
Law is
to direct the proportions of the meat-
Offering and
Drink-
Offering. Natives and strangers are placed
On a level in
this as in other like matters. It was a happy forewarning of the
Calling of the
Gentiles, and of their admission into the
Church.
If the
Law made
So little difference between
Jew and Gentile,
much less would the
Gospel, which broke down the partition-
Wall,
and reconciled both to
God.
22-29 Though ignorance will in a degree excuse, it will not
justify those who might have known their
Lord's will, yet did it
not.
David prayed to be cleansed from his secret faults, those
sins which he himself was not aware of. Sins committed
ignorantly, shall be forgiven through
Christ the great
Sacrifice, who, when he offered up himself once for all upon the
Cross, seemed to explain one part of the intention of his
Offering, in that
Prayer,
Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do. It looked favourably upon the
Gentiles, that
this
Law of atoning for sins of ignorance, is expressly made to
extend to those who were strangers to
Israel.
30-36 Those are to be reckoned presumptuous sinners, who
Sin
designedly against
God's will and
Glory. Sins thus committed are
exceedingly sinful. He that thus breaks the commandment
reproaches the
Lord. He also despises the
Word of the
Lord.
Presumptuous sinners despise it, thinking themselves too great,
too good, and too
Wise, to be ruled
By it. A particular instance
of presumption in the
Sin of
Sabbath-breaking is related. The
Offence was gathering sticks
On the
Sabbath Day, to make a
Fire,
whereas the people were to
Bake and
Seethe what they had
occasion for, the
Day before, Ex 16:23. This was done as an
affront both to the
Law and to the Lawgiver.
God is jealous for
the honour of his sabbaths, and will not
Hold him guiltless who
profanes them, whatever men may do.
God intended this
Punishment
for a warning to all, to make
Conscience of keeping holy the
Sabbath. And we may be assured that
No command was ever given
for the
Punishment of
Sin, which, at the
Judgment Day, shall not
prove to have come from perfect
Love and
Justice. The right of
God to a
Day of devotion to himself, will be disputed and denied
only
By such as listen to the pride and unbelief of their
hearts, rather than to the teaching of the
Spirit of
Truth and
Life. Wherein consists the difference between him who was
detected gathering sticks in the
Wilderness On the
Day of
God,
and the
Man who turns his back upon the blessings of
Sabbath
appointments, and the promises of
Sabbath mercies, to use his
time, his cares, and his soul, in heaping up riches; and waste
his hours, his property, and his strength in sinful pleasure?
Wealth may come
By the unhallowed effort, but it will not come
alone; it will have its awful reward. Sinful pursuits lead to
ruin.
37-41 The people are ordered
By the
Lord to make fringes
On the
borders of their garments. The Jews were distinguished from
their neighbours in their
Dress, as
Well as in their diet, and
thus taught not to be conformed to the way of the
Heathen in
other things. They proclaimed themselves Jews wherever they
were, as not ashamed of
God and his
Law. The fringes were not
appointed for trimming and adorning their clothes, but to stir
up their minds
By way of remembrance, 2Pe 3:1. If they were
tempted to
Sin, the fringe would warn them not to break
God's
Commandments. We should use every means of refreshing our
memories with the truths and precepts of
God's
Word, to
strengthen and quicken our obedience, and
Arm our minds against
Temptation. Be holy unto your
God; cleansed from
Sin, and
sincerely devoted to his service; and that great reason for all
the
Commandments is again and again repeated, "I am the
Lord
your
God."