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LECTURE 269.

That it is at our peril, if we refuse to listen to our Saviour.

In comparing the Old Testament with the New, we must be often struck with observing, that whilst the miracles wrought by Moses, and the prophets, were chiefly of a terrific and destructive kind, those of Christ and his apostles were such as to replenish, and heal, and make alive. And yet we know from the New Testament, as well as from the Old, that "our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12. 29. See Deut. 4. 24. And this account of his fearful dealings aforetime ought to fill us with a lively apprehension, lest we now incur the like displeasure. Persisting in known sin is one of the things to be here noted as provoking these awful judgments. Moses appointed the morrow for the appeal to God. They might have repented in the night; but would not. In the morning "they took every man his censer." Two hundred and fifty leagued together at the beginning. Two hundred and fifty perished at the end. Leaguing together in sin is another thing to be here noted as highly offensive to the Lord. It proves confidence put in man rather than in God. It looks like a presumption, that by numbers and strength we could make head against his laws, and defy his judgments. But though "Korah gathered all the congregation against" Moses and Aaron, God could have consumed all as readily as a few; and would have done so, had not Moses interceded. The wicked, however many, are not too many for Him to punish. And if their number hardens them in iniquity, it at the same time renders their punishment more sure.

At the intercession of Moses, God allows time, for all that would, to withdraw from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. At the intercession of our Saviour, God spared for awhile this wicked world; that such as will may repent, and be saved. Moses then plainly states what is about to happen to Dathan and Abiram, and their families, who had come out, and were standing at their tent doors. We have been told no less plainly what is about to happen to this earth on which we dwell, and that God will make a new thing, and raise the dead to life, and call both quick and dead to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. When Moses had done speaking, straightway his words were fulfilled. The earth opened and swallowed up one party of the rebels, whilst the others were consumed by "fire from the Lord." The voice of Jesus still warns, exhorts, encourages, and invites. Let us look to it that we refuse not Him that speaketh. "For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." Heb. 12. 25. Never may we be averse to hear, when God is pleased to speak! And if He have not only sent his prophet, but even spoken by his Son, never may we dare to disobey!

The hallowed censers. The plague begins and is stayed.

36 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation:

and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

LECTURE 270.

How God honours his own ordinances.

If the history of the Israelites in the wilderness be in most respects a record of iniquity, it yields at the same time abundant instruction, as to the power and purpose of God, to overrule evil

for good. "The censers of these sinners against their own souls," the brasen vessels in which they had burnt their incense became "a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord." Having been once devoted to a sacred use, though by men who had no right to the sacred office, having been once hallowed to the service of God, they must not be used for common purposes, but must become a part of the furniture of the tabernacle. There in the form of "broad plates for a covering of the altar," they are to be a standing evidence of the miracle wrought by God, against Korah and his company, and of the wrath awaiting all who shall presume to take upon themselves the sacred office of the priesthood.

And now, as if the more to honour his own ordinance, and those whom He had appointed to that office, God accepts, in the most signal manner, the atonement offered by Aaron for the perishing multitude. The plague had begun. It was sweeping all before it. It had already carried off fourteen thousand and seven hundred, before Aaron had time to take his censer, "and put fire therein from off the altar, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them." But upon his doing this, as directed by Moses, the work of death ceased. Thus "he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." Thus God made it manifest for ever, that the efficacy of all sacred offices depends wholly upon his own divine appointment. Thus He taught us, that the intercession of our High Priest Christ, and the prayers of his saints, presented by Himself, avail to check the ravages of sin, and to arrest the march of death eternal.

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But what folly, what perverse infatuation is this, that so soon after the judgments inflicted on the rebel "princes of the assembly," ver. 2, on the morrow," the whole people should dare to murmur, should dare to say to Moses and Aaron, "ye have killed the people of the Lord!" Did they think that those princes had been slain by subtilty, or exposed by malice to natural calamities, such as lightning and an earthquake, which Moses and Aaron had been able to foresee? Let them learn then in their own persons that it was the hand of God. Let them feel and see, how true is that, which He alone can say, "I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." Deut. 32. 39. And let us, profiting by the example of their sufferings, flee from sins like theirs, that we may avoid the plagues yet more terrible, which will overtake the faithless and the godless, when God shall yet once more "shake not the earth only, but also heaven." Heb. 12. 26.

Aaron's rod beareth buds, blossoms, and fruit.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of thema rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. 3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against

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before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

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11 And Moses did so as the LORD commanded him, so did

he.

12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

LECTURE 271.

They that are called of God are enabled to bear fruit. This miracle appears to have been designed to prevent all further doubt or dispute, as to the sole right of Aaron, and his sons, and the tribe of Levi, to minister in holy things. Nor do we read of any question afterwards arising, or any transgression of this ordinance taking place, until Jeroboam the son of Nebat, when he set up the two golden calves," made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi." 1 Kings 12. 31. And this is mentioned as the very thing which "became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth." 1 Kings 13. 34. So great was the wickedness of transgressing this ordinance of God! So signally had He visited in his

wrath those who first transgressed against it in the wilderness! And so graciously had He provided against transgression for the future, by the miracle of Aaron's rod; which was to be kept in the tabernacle" before the testimony," in front of the ark wherein the tables of testimony were laid; there to be a perpetual "token against the rebels," and to put an end to "their murmurings" altogether! The rods used on this occasion appear to have been staffs of dry and seasoned wood, such as the princes of the tribes might be supposed to carry in their hands, when they went forth amongst the people. There was a rod for each tribe, with the name of each prince written on it, and Aaron's name written on the rod of Levi. They were all laid up together" before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness." The Lord had before proclaimed to Moses, and by him to the children of Israel, that the rod of the man whom He designed to honour should blossom. "And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." Buds were promised. But here are blossoms also, and fruit. Fruit, blossoms, and buds, were alike easy to Him, who made all things in the world out of nothing. He had but to will, and it was done. The children of Israel, overpowered with conviction, and with the terrors of an awakened conscience, cried out in affright, "Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish." And the murmurs in which they had persisted, under the most severe visitations of power to destroy, were effectually made to cease, by this gracious manifestation of power to create.

The priesthood of Aaron was a type of the priesthood of Christ. And we may see in Aaron's rod a figure of the world that was once withering in sin, now made to bud, and blossom, and bear fruit, through the new creation of our Lord. The separating of the whole tribe of Levi, for the service of the sanctuary, is like the ordinance of Christian ministers, who are set apart to be helpers of their brethren, in things pertaining to God. Aaron's rod may teach them, that one proof of God's calling is for them to bear fruit of their ministry; and it should incline them to pray heartily to Him, that they may bear much fruit continually. And to the rest it should be a token, that they murmur not at those whom God has set apart for this sacred office, that they presume not to take this office on themselves. But in one sense all Christians are, or ought to be God's ministers, even "a royal priesthood." 1 Pet. 2. 9. And viewing ourselves and our Christian calling in this light, Aaron's rod may teach us all, that however dry and sapless we may hitherto have been, the power of divine grace can make us to yield abundantly the buds and blossoms and fruits of righteousness, to the glory and praise of God.

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