I. A DALLY OFFERING, or if not daily, be practically daily. God has spoken so far of free-will offerings, but here is one connected with such a frequent and necessary act as the eating of bread. There are occasions for free-will offerings when evident mercies and peculiar gains prompt to something special in the way of acknowledgment; but men are only too prone to forget the common and daily mercies which in reality are greatest of all. Where we abound in forgetting, God most abounds in reminding. The time of eating bread was an appointed opportunity for acknowledging his daily goodness. The manna was so evidently miraculous, that very little was needed to remind Israel how entirely it was produced without their intervention. It was not the sort of food they would have cultivated. They took it, not that they liked it, but it was the only thing to be got. But bread is a thing on which man spends much care. It goes through so many processes before it reaches his mouth that he easily exaggerates his share in the production of it. Sowing and reaping, grinding and baking, help to hide the good hand of God behind them. Hence the giving of the first from every piece of dough was a deliberate and frequent recognition of dependence on God for the bread in Canaan, as much as for the manna in the wilderness. II. A DOMESTIC OFFERING. Thus religion was brought into the house to sanctify a common homely duty. There was something to excite the curiosity of children. It was an opportunity of explaining to them, from whose loving-kindness came their daily bread; teaching them lessons of dependence and gratitude in the seed-time and the harvest, by the mill and the oven. Contrast with this the melancholy picture by Jeremiah of the children gathering the wood, the fathers kindling the fire, and the women kneading dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven (Deuteronomy 28:5; Nehemiah 10:37; Psalm 104:14, 15; Jeremiah 7:18; Ezekiel 44:30; Haggai 1:9). - Y.
The Lord is with us: fear them not. I. JOSHUA AND CALEB WERE DEEPLY GRIEVED BY REASON OF THE REBELLION OF THE NATION.II. JOSHUA AND CALEB NOBLY ENDEAVOURED TO ARREST THE REBELLION OF THE NATION. 1. They reassert the excellence of the land. 2. They declare the attainableness of the land. 3. They exhort the people not to violate the conditions of its attainment. (1) (2) III. JOSHUA AND CALEB WERE IN DANGER BY REASON OF THEIR EFFORT TO ARREST THE REBELLION OF THE NATION. "All the congregation bade stone them with stones." See here — 1. The tactics of an excited mob when defeated in argument. 2. The folly of an excited mob. This proposal to stone Joshua and Caleb was insane.(1) Stoning would not disprove the testimony, or take away the wisdom from the counsel of the two brave explorers.(2) Stoning would involve the nation in deeper guilt and disgrace. 3. The perils of faithfulness. IV. JOSHUA AND CALEB RESCUED FROM DANGER BY THE INTERPOSITION OF GOD. (W. Jones.) 1. We might conclude, indeed, that He could not delight in them, when we reflect —(1) On their nothingness and vanity. "Man at His best estate," &c.(2) On their guilt and rebellion. Not one but is a sinner.(3) On their pollution and want of conformity to His likeness.(4) And more especially when we reflect on His greatness, independence and purity. 2. But there are the most satisfactory evidences that He does delight in His people.(1) Observe the names by which He distinguishes them. His "jewels" — "inheritance" — "treasure" — "diadem" — "crown" and "portion." See the very term in the text. And Proverbs 11:20.(2) Observe the declarations He has made respecting them. "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of Mine eye."(3) Observe what He has done for them. Favoured — sustained — redeemed them — given His Son — Spirit — promises.(4) What He has provided for them. "The Lord God is a sun," &c. "My God shall supply," &c. "Eye hath not seen," &c.(5) Eternal life and unceasing glory. II. AN INFERENCE. "Then He will bring us into this land," &c. Observe here — 1. The land specified. It is "the land afar off." The good land. The heavenly Canaan. The region of immortality. 2. This land is God's gift. Not the result of merit. It is given in promise — given in Christ. 3. To this land God must bring His saints. Difficulties, enemies, and dangers intervene. He will guide to it. Keep — safely conduct, and at length put people into it, as He did Israel. "Fear not, little flock," &c. "Let not your hearts be troubled," &c. (Revelation 2:10, 26; Revelation 3:5, 12). (J. Burns, D. D.) 1. They drew a strong argument from the assurance that the Lord was with them, bat that the defence of the Canaanites had departed from them. They spoke of the country itself as worthy of the contest. 2. They reminded the people of the danger of disobedience, as appeared from their past history; and from the character of God. Sin was the only giant that they had reason to fear. Happy would it have been for the people, had they listened to these arguments. II. How RESOLUTE WAS THEIR SPIRIT! Personally, no doubt, it would have been much more pleasant to remain in the tent; but viewing this as an opportunity of doing good, and glorifying God, they encountered the shame of uttering sentiments which were reprobated; and the danger of advising measures which were disliked. Thus numbers in the present day say, "Religion is all very well in its place"; but they have no idea of glorifying God, and endeavouring to save souls, by acting with the decision that Caleb and Joshua did. We, too, may mourn over sin, but we must do something more; we must use all our influence to put it down, and to lead forward the Israel of God. III. How UNDIVIDED WAS THEIR AIM! Their one desire was to get the land; and therefore if popular opinion coincided with them, well; but if not, they would not be guided by it. They could do without riches, or honour, or life itself; but they could not do without Canaan. (George Breay, B. A.) People Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, MosesPlaces Egypt, Wilderness of ParanTopics Apart, Beginning, Cake, Coarse, Dough, Floor, Gift, Grain-floor, Ground, Heave, Heave-offering, Lift, Lifted, Lifting, Meal, Offer, Offering, Present, Rough, Threshing, Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor, WaveOutline 1. The law of the meat offering, and the drink offering14. The stranger is under the same law 17. The law of the first of the dough 22. The sacrifice for sins of ignorance 30. The punishment of presumption 32. He who violated the Sabbath is stoned 37. The law of tassels Dictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 15:20Library List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work. THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, … Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah We are Drawing Near the End, and to the Highest Conclusions of True Human Wisdom... Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience. The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter Among the People, and with the Pharisees Degrees of Sin The Worship of the Synagogue Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act. 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