Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Numbers
Book: Numbers
Chapter: 33
Overview:
Encampments of the Israelites.
(1-49) The
Canaanites to be
destroyed.
(50-56)
1-49 This is a brief review of the travels of the children of
Israel through the
Wilderness. It is a memorable history. In
their travels towards
Canaan they were continually
On the
remove. Such is our state in this world; we have here
No
continuing
City, and all our removes in this world are but from
one part a
Desert to another. They were led to and fro, forward
and backward, yet were all the while under the direction of the
Pillar of
Cloud and
Fire.
God led them about, yet led them the
right way. The way
God takes in bringing his people to himself
is always the best way, though it does not always seem to us the
nearest way. Former events are mentioned. Thus we ought to keep
in mind the providences of
God concerning us and families, us
and our land, and the many instances of that Divine care which
has led us, and fed us, and kept us all our days hitherto. Few
periods of our lives can be thought upon, without reminding us
of the
Lord's
Goodness, and our own ingratitude and
disobedience: his kindness leaves us without excuse for our
sins. We could not wish to travel over again the stages we have
passed, unless we could
Hope,
By the
Grace of
God, to shun the
sins we then committed, and to embrace such opportunities of
doing good as we have let slip. Soon will our wanderings
End,
and our eternal state be fixed
Beyond recall; how important then
is the present moment! Happy are those whom the
Lord now guides
with his counsel, and will at length receive to his
Glory. To
this happiness the
Gospel calls us. Behold now is the accepted
time, now is the
Day of
Salvation. Let sinners seize the
opportunity, and flee for
Refuge to the
Hope set before them.
Let us redeem our time, to
Glorify God and serve our
Generation;
and he will carry us safely through all, to his eternal kingdom.
50-56 Now that they were to pass over
Jordan, they were
entering again into
Temptation to follow idols; and they are
threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the
idolaters, their
Sin would certainly be their
Punishment. They
would foster vipers in their own bosoms. The remnant of the
Canaanites, if they made any peace with them, though but for a
time, would be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides.
We must expect trouble and affliction from whatever
Sin we
indulge; that which we are willing should tempt us, will vex us.
It was intended that the
Canaanites should be
Put out of the
land; but if the Israelites learned their wicked ways, they also
would be
Put out. Let us hear this and fear. If we do not drive
out
Sin,
Sin will drive us out. If we are not the
Death of our
lusts, our lusts will be the
Death of our souls.