Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Deuteronomy
Book: Deuteronomy
Chapter: 11
Overview:
The great work
God wrought for
Israel.
(1-7) Promises and
threatenings.
(8-17) Careful study of
God's
Word requisite.
(18-25) The blessings and the
Curse set forth.
(26-32)
1-7 Observe the connection of these two; Thou shalt
Love the
Lord, and keep his charge.
Love will work in obedience, and that
only is acceptable obedience which flows from a principle of
Love, 1Jo 5:3.
Moses recounts some of the great and terrible
Works of
God which their eyes had seen. What our eyes have seen,
especially in our early days, should affect us, and make us
better long afterwards.
8-17 Moses sets before them, for the future,
Life and
Death,
the blessing and the
Curse, according as they did or did not
keep
God's commandment.
Sin tends to shorten the days of all
men, and to shorten the days of a people's prosperity.
God will
Bless them with an abundance of all good things, if they would
Love him and serve him.
Godliness has the promise of the
Life
that now is; but the favour of
God shall
Put gladness into the
Heart, more than the increase of
Corn, and
Wine, and
Oil. Revolt
from
God to idols would certainly be their ruin. Take heed that
your hearts be not deceived. All who forsake
God to set their
Affection upon any
Creature, will find themselves wretchedly
deceived, to their own
Destruction; and this will make it worse,
that it was for want of taking heed.
18-25 Let all be directed
By the three rules here given. 1. Let
our hearts be filled with the
Word of God. There will not be
good practices in the
Life, unless there be good thoughts, good
affections, and good principles in the
Heart. 2. Let our eyes be
fixed upon the
Word of God, having constant regard to it as the
guide of our way, as the rule of our work, Ps 119:30. 3. Let
our
Tongues be employed about the
Word of God. Nor will any
thing do more to cause prosperity, and keeping up religion in a
nation, than the good education of children.
26-32 Moses sums up all the arguments for obedience in two
words, the blessing and the
Curse. He charged the people to
choose which they would have.
Moses then appointed a public and
solemn proclamation of the blessing and
Curse, to be made upon
the two mountains of
Gerizim and
Ebal. We have broken the
Law,
and are under its
Curse, without remedy from ourselves. In
Mercy, the
Gospel again sets before us a blessing and a
Curse. A
blessing, if we obey the
Call to
Repentance, to
Faith in
Christ,
and newness of
Heart and
Life through him; an awful
Curse, if we
neglect
So great
Salvation. Let us thankfully welcome these glad
tidings of great joy; and let us not harden our hearts, but hear
this voice of
God while it is called to-
Day, and while he
invites us to come to him upon a
Mercy-seat. Let us be diligent
to make our
Calling and election sure.