Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 34
Overview:
The
Tables of the
Law renewed.
(1-4) The name of the
Lord
proclaimed, The entreaty of
Moses.
(5-9) God's
Covenant.
(10-17)
The
Festivals.
(18-27) The
Vail of
Moses.
(28-35)
1-4 When
God made
Man in his own image, the moral
Law was
written in his
Heart,
By the finger of
God, without outward
means. But since the
Covenant then made with
Man was broken, the
Lord has used the ministry of men, both in
Writing the
Law in
the Scriptures, and in
Writing it in the
Heart. When
God was
reconciled to the Israelites, he ordered the
Tables to be
renewed, and wrote his
Law in them. Even under the
Gospel of
peace
By Christ, the moral
Law continues to bind believers.
Though
Christ has redeemed us from the
Curse of the
Law, yet not
from the commands of it. The first and the best evidence of the
Pardon of
Sin, and peace with
God, is the
Writing the
Law in the
Heart.
5-9 The
Lord descended
By some open token of his presence and
manifestation of his
Glory in a
Cloud, and thence proclaimed his
NAME; that is, the perfections and character which are denoted
By the name
Jehovah. The
Lord God is merciful; ready to forgive
the sinner, and to relieve the needy. Gracious; kind, and ready
to bestow undeserved benefits. Long-suffering; slow to
Anger,
giving time for
Repentance, only punishing when it is needful.
He is abundant in
Goodness and
Truth; even sinners receive the
riches of his bounty abundantly, though they abuse them. All he
reveals is infallible
Truth, all he promises is in faithfulness.
Keeping
Mercy for
Thousands; he continually shows
Mercy to
sinners, and has treasures, which cannot be exhausted, to the
End of time. Forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and
Sin; his
Mercy and
Goodness reach to the full and free forgiveness of
Sin. And will
By No means clear the guilty; the
Holiness and
Justice of God are part of his
Goodness and
Love towards all his
creatures. In
Christ's sufferings, the Divine
Holiness and
Justice are fully shown, and the evil of
Sin is made known.
God's forgiving
Mercy is always attended
By his converting,
sanctifying
Grace. None are pardoned but those who repent and
forsake the allowed practice of every
Sin; nor shall any escape,
who abuse, neglect, or despise this great
Salvation.
Moses bowed
down, and worshipped reverently. Every
Perfection in the name of
God, the believer may plead with Him for the forgiveness of his
sins, the making holy of his
Heart, and the enlargement of the
Redeemer's kingdom.
10-17 The Israelites are commanded to destroy every monument of
Idolatry, however curious or costly; to refuse all
Alliance,
friendship, or
Marriage with idolaters, and all idolatrous
feasts; and they were reminded not to repeat the crime
of making molten images. Jealously is called the rage of a
Man,
Pr 6:34; but in
God it is holy and just displeasure. Those
cannot
Worship God aright, who do not
Worship him only.
18-27 Once a
Week they must
Rest, even in ploughing time, and
in
Harvest. All worldly business must give way to that holy
Rest; even
Harvest work will prosper the better, for the
religious observance of the
Sabbath Day in
Harvest time. We must
show that we prefer our
Communion with
God, and our duty to him,
before the business or the joy of
Harvest. Thrice a
Year they
must appear before the
Lord God, the
God of
Israel.
Canaan was a
desirable land, and the neighbouring nations were greedy; yet
God says, They shall not desire it. Let us check all sinful
desires against
God and his
Glory, in our hearts, and then trust
him to check all sinful desires in the hearts of others against
us. The way of duty is the way of safety. Those who venture for
him never lose
By him. Three feasts are here mentioned: 1. The
Passover, in remembrance of the deliverance out of
Egypt. 2. The
Feast of
Weeks, or the
Feast of
Pentecost; added to it is the
Law of the
First-fruits. 3. The
Feast of in-gathering, or the
Feast of
Tabernacles.
Moses is to write these words, that the
people might know them better. We can never be enough thankful
to
God for the written
Word.
God would make a
Covenant with
Israel, in
Moses as a
Mediator. Thus the
Covenant of
Grace is
made with believers through
Christ.
28-35 Near and spiritual
Communion with
God improves the graces
of a renewed and holy character. Serious
Godliness puts a lustre
upon a
Man's countenance, such as commands esteem and
Affection.
The
Vail which
Moses Put On, marked the obscurity of that
Dispensation, compared with the
Gospel Dispensation of the New
Testament. It was also an emblem of the natural
Vail On the
hearts of men respecting spiritual things. Also the
Vail that
was and is upon the nation of
Israel, which can only be taken
away
By the
Spirit of the
Lord showing to them
Christ, as the
End of the
Law for
Righteousness to every one that believeth.
Fear and unbelief would
Put the
Vail before us, they would
hinder our free approach to the
Mercy-seat above. We should
spread our wants, temporal and spiritual, fully before our
heavenly
Father; we should tell him our hindrances, struggles,
trails, and temptations; we should acknowledge our offences.