Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc09/v09950

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 6KB | 98 lines

09958
 * Jethro brings to Moses his wife and two sons. (1-6) Moses
 entertains Jethro. (7-12) Jethro's counsel to Moses. (13-27)

 #1-6 Jethro came to rejoice with Moses in the happiness of
 Israel, and to bring his wife and children to him. Moses must
 have his family with him, that while he ruled the church of God,
 he might set a good example in family government, #1Ti 3:5|.

09964
 #7-12 Conversation concerning God's wondrous works is good, and
 edifies. Jethro not only rejoiced in the honour done to his
 son-in-law, but in all the goodness done to Israel. Bystanders
 were more affected with the favours God had showed to Israel,
 than many were who received them. Jethro gave the glory to
 Israel's God. Whatever we have the joy of, God must have the
 praise. They joined in a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Mutual
 friendship is sanctified by joint worship. It is very good for
 relations and friends to join in the spiritual sacrifice of
 prayer and praise, as those that meet in Christ. This was a
 temperate feast; they did eat bread, manna. Jethro must see and
 taste that bread from heaven, and though a gentile, is welcome:
 the gentiles are welcomed to Christ the Bread of life.

09970
 #13-27 Here is the great zeal and the toil of Moses as a
 magistrate. Having been employed to redeem Israel out of the
 house of bondage, he is a further type of Christ, that he is
 employed as a lawgiver and a judge among them. If the people
 were as quarrelsome one with another as they were with God, no
 doubt Moses had many causes brought before him. This business
 Moses was called to; it appears that he did it with great care
 and kindness. The meanest Israelite was welcome to bring his
 cause before him. Moses kept to his business from morning to
 night. Jethro thought it was too much for him to undertake
 alone; also it would make the administration of justice tiresome
 to the people. There may be over-doing even in well-doing.
 Wisdom is profitable to direct, that we may neither content
 ourselves with less than our duty, nor task ourselves beyond our
 strength. Jethro advised Moses to a better plan. Great men
 should not only study to be useful themselves, but contrive to
 make others useful. Care must be taken in the choice of the
 persons admitted into such a trust. They should be men of good
 sense, that understood business, and that would not be daunted
 by frowns or clamours, but abhorred the thought of a bribe. Men
 of piety and religion; such as fear God, who dare not to do a
 base thing, though they could do it secretly and securely. The
 fear of God will best fortify a man against temptations to
 injustice. Moses did not despise this advice. Those are not
 wise, who think themselves too wise to be counselled.
09985
 * The people come to Sinai, God's message to them, and their
 answer. (1-8) The people directed to prepare to hear the law.
 (9-15) The presence of God on Sinai. (16-25)

 #1-8 Moses was called up the mountain, and was employed as the
 messenger of this covenant. The Maker and first Mover of the
 covenant, is God himself. This blessed charter was granted out
 of God's own free grace. The covenant here mentioned was the
 national covenant, by which the Israelites were a people under
 the government of Jehovah. It was a type of the new covenant
 made with true believers in Christ Jesus; but, like other types,
 it was only a shadow of good things to come. As a nation they
 broke this covenant; therefore the Lord declared that he would
 make a new covenant with Israel, writing his law, not upon
 tables of stone, but in their hearts, #Jer 31:33; Heb 8:7-10|.
 The covenant spoken of in these places as ready to vanish away,
 is the national covenant with Israel, which they forfeited by
 their sins. Unless we carefully attend to this, we shall fall
 into mistakes while reading the Old Testament. We must not
 suppose that the nation of the Jews were under the covenant of
 works, which knows nothing of repentance, faith in a Mediator,
 forgiveness of sins, or grace; nor yet that the whole nation of
 Israel bore the character, and possessed the privileges of true
 believers, as being actually sharers in the covenant of grace.
 They were all under a dispensation of mercy; they had outward
 privileges and advantages for salvation; but, like professing
 Christians, most rested therein, and went no further. Israel
 consented to the conditions. They answered as one man, All that
 the Lord hath spoken we will do. Oh that there had been such a
 heart in them! Moses, as a mediator, returned the words of the
 people to God. Thus Christ, the Mediator, as a Prophet, reveals
 God's will to us, his precepts and promises; and then, as a
 Priest, offers up to God our spiritual sacrifices, not only of
 prayer and praise, but of devout affections, and pious
 resolutions, the work of his own Spirit in us.

09993
 #9-15 The solemn manner in which the law was delivered, was to
 impress the people with a right sense of the Divine majesty.
 Also to convince them of their own guilt, and to show that they
 could not stand in judgment before God by their own obedience.
 In the law, the sinner discovers what he ought to be, what he
 is, and what he wants. There he learns the nature, necessity,
 and glory of redemption, and of being made holy. Having been
 taught to flee to Christ, and to love him, the law is the rule
 of his obedience and faith.