Bible Commentaries

CANAAN UNLIKE EGYPT

‘But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of bills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven,’ etc.

Deuteronomy 11:11-12

I. The Jew was to understand from his first entry into the land of Canaan that his prosperity depended utterly on God.—The laws of weather, by which the rain comes up off the sea, were unknown to him. They are all but unknown to us now. But they were known to God. Not a drop could fall without His providence and will; therefore they were utterly in His power.

The warning of this text came true. More than once we read of drought, long, severe, and ruinous. In one famous case, there was no rain for three years, and Ahab had to go out to search through the land for a scrap of pasture. These droughts came at times when the Jews had fallen into idolatry and profligacy.

II. It is the intense faith in the living God which can come only by the inspiration of the Spirit of God which proves the Old Testament to be truly inspired.—In later times the Jews had these words of Moses written on their foreheads, but not on their hearts. They had lost all faith in God; He had spoken to their fathers, but they could not believe that He was speaking to them, not even when He spoke by His only-begotten Son, the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. Wrapped up in their narrow, shallow book-divinity, they said, ‘This people who knoweth not the law is accursed.’ Nothing new could be true. It must be put down, persecuted down, lest the Romans should come and take away their place and nation. But they did not succeed. The Romans came after all and took away their place and nation, and so they failed, as all will fail, who will not believe in God. The truth which they think they have stifled will rise again, for Christ, who is the Truth, will raise it again, and it shall conquer, and leaven the hearts of men till all be leavened.

—Canon Kingsley.

Illustration

(1) ‘No passage could be chosen that would more fitly illustrate God’s method of governing His ancient people Israel. It is blessing dependent on behaviour always. And that is God’s method of governing us still. He gives us commandments. If we obey them it is well with us, if we disobey them we suffer. Let us not think that God has altered, or that He has altered His laws. As He was to the Israelites who entered Canaan, so is He to the people who are settled securely in these Islands of the West.’

(2) ‘A description is given of the fair land which God had prepared for His people; and of the blessings that would accrue to obedience (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9, etc.). We need to remember that a like obedience is demanded of us, and is the condition of fruitfulness and blessedness. Our Lord Jesus lays great emphasis on obedience (John 14:15; John 14:21; John 14:23; John 15:10). We do not obey to be saved; but being saved, we obey. What a contrast between the life of effort and that of trust is suggested by the description of the difference between the laborious irrigation of Egypt, and the blessed rains which God would send from heaven!’

(3) ‘“I’ve reached the land of corn and wine,

And all its wealth is freely mine.

Here shines undimmed the blissful day,

For all my night has passed away.”’

OBSERVE TO DO

Observe to do all the statutes.’

Deuteronomy 11:32

The twin-secret of success is here disclosed—Live for God; and, in order to that, Live in His Word.

I. Absolute surrender to all the will of God.—Their part was to ‘diligently keep all the commandments,’ etc. (v. 23). Weakness was no hindrance whatever. So long as they kept right with God, it simply did not enter into the problem, for He was then responsible to give them the victory. Simple obedience pledged His omnipotence, and so made success a certainty. Why cannot we see this always? Why are we not wholly set on keeping step with God, instead of being, as we so often are, absorbed with questions of our strength or weakness? When we are fully obedient, no such question remains: We have GOD.

II. Life in the Word of God.—Absolute surrender can never be maintained apart from the diligent use of Scripture. ‘Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart, and in your soul.’ Can a man work well if he eat little, or nothing? How can a soul unfed, or ill-fed, do God’s work steadily or well? Meditation on the Word is the fundamental means of grace; it leads to every other. Therefore, as you love your life, guard well your morning watch. When the glory pales from off the Book—beware.

Illustration

(1) ‘With this chapter closes the introduction to the enumeration of statutes and judgments, which follows in the next chapters. One further plea for obedience backed by many arguments.

A recapitulation of the wondrous past (2–7). Do we often enough stir our hearts by recalling what God has done?

Again the people are exhorted to con the holy words of God (18–25). They were to be their incessant meditation; and it was on this condition being fulfilled that God undertook to drive out their foes. Then (23): we must be saturated with the word of God, if we would live an over-coming life.

One final appeal is made (26–32); as the blessing and the curse are set clearly before the people. This choice was to be repeated to them in the Land of Promise. Further particulars were given afterwards (Deuteronomy 27:11; comp. Joshua 8:33). We are constantly passing beneath these mountains. Be it ours to know the Gerizim of Matthew 5:1-12. Blessing and blessedness come from the outstretched hands of the ascending Lord (Luke 24:51).’

(2) ‘One day we shall be released and have liberty and clearer vision and greater joy. Now you, who are over fifty years old, close your eyes a moment and think of the people who used to be round about you forty years ago. Dead! dead! dead! Where are they? Are they not on the other side Jordan?’