Numbers 26:2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house… I. HERE IS THE COMMONPLACE. II. HERE IS THE INTERESTING IN THE COMMONPLACE. If we look into this chapter carefully we shall discover certain words which are suggestive of deep and tender interests. "Sons" is a word of frequent occurrence so also is the word "children"; we also read of "daughters" (ver. 33), and of a "daughter" (ver. 46). A profound human interest attaches to words like these. They imply other words of an interest equally deep and sacred; e.g., "father," "mother." The humblest, dullest, most commonplace life has its relations. The least regarded person in all the thousands of Israel was "Homebody's bairn." We also read of "death" (ver. 19); most of the names which are here recorded belonged to men who, were gathered to their fathers; from the time of the twelve sons of Jacob here mentioned to the time of this census in the plains of Moab, many thousands of Israelites had died, of all ranks and of all ages. Reflection upon these facts awakens a mournful interest in the mind. III. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMONPLACE. Impatience of the ordinary and the prosaic is an evidence of an unsound judgment and an unhealthy moral life. 1. Most of life's duties are commonplace. Yet how important it is that these duties he faithfully fulfilled! 2. The greater number of persons are commonplace. 3. The greater part of life is commonplace. Be it ours to give the charm of poetry to prosaic duties, by doing them heartily; and to ennoble our commonplace lives by living them faithfully and holily. (W. Jones.) Parallel Verses KJV: Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel. |
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