| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Exodus Chapter
Eight
Exodus 8
Chapter Contents
The plague of frogs. (1-15) The plague of lice. (16-19)
The plague of flies. (20-32)
Commentary on Exodus 8:1-15
(Read Exodus 8:1-15)
Pharaoh is plagued with frogs; their vast numbers made
them sore plagues to the Egyptians. God could have plagued Egypt with lions, or
bears, or wolves, or with birds of prey, but he chose to do it by these
despicable creatures. God, when he pleases, can arm the smallest parts of the
creation against us. He thereby humbled Pharaoh. They should neither eat, nor
drink, nor sleep in quiet; but wherever they were, they should be troubled by
the frogs. God's curse upon a man will pursue him wherever he goes, and lie
heavy upon him whatever he does. Pharaoh gave way under this plague. He
promises that he will let the people go. Those who bid defiance to God and
prayer, first or last, will be made to see their need of both. But when Pharaoh
saw there was respite, he hardened his heart. Till the heart is renewed by the
grace of God, the thoughts made by affliction do not abide; the convictions
wear off, and the promises that were given are forgotten. Till the state of the
air is changed, what thaws in the sun will freeze again in the shade.
Commentary on Exodus 8:16-19
(Read Exodus 8:16-19)
These lice were produced out of the dust of the earth;
out of any part of the creation God can fetch a scourge, with which to correct
those who rebel against him. Even the dust of the earth obeys him. These lice
were very troublesome, as well as disgraceful to the Egyptians, whose priests
were obliged to take much pains that no vermin ever should be found about them.
All the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, had reference to their national
crimes, or were rendered particularly severe by their customs. The magicians
attempted to imitate it, but they could not. It forced them to confess, This is
the finger of God! The check and restraint put upon us, must needs be from a
Divine power. Sooner or later God will force even his enemies to acknowledge
his own power. Pharaoh, notwithstanding this, was more and more obstinate.
Commentary on Exodus 8:20-32
(Read Exodus 8:20-32)
Pharaoh was early at his false devotions to the river;
and shall we be for more sleep and more slumber, when any service to the Lord
is to be done? The Egyptians and the Hebrews were to be marked in the plague of
flies. The Lord knows them that are his, and will make it appear, perhaps in
this world, certainly in the other, that he has set them apart for himself.
Pharaoh unwillingly entered into a treaty with Moses and Aaron. He is content
they should sacrifice to their God, provided they would do it in the land of
Egypt. But it would be an abomination to God, should they offer the Egyptian
sacrifices; and it would be an abomination to the Egyptians, should they offer
to God the objects of the worship of the Egyptians, namely, their calves or
oxen. Those who would offer acceptable sacrifice to God, must separate themselves
from the wicked and profane. They must also retire from the world. Israel
cannot keep the feast of the Lord, either among the brick-kilns or among the
flesh-pots of Egypt. And they must sacrifice as God shall command, not
otherwise. Though they were in slavery to Pharaoh, yet they must obey God's
commands. Pharaoh consents for them to go into the wilderness, provided they do
not go so far but that he might fetch them back again. Thus, some sinners, in a
pang of conviction, part with their sins, yet are loth they should go very far
away; for when the fright is over, they will turn to them again. Moses promised
the removal of this plague. But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more. Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: if we think to cheat God by a sham repentance
and a false surrender of ourselves to him, we shall put a fatal cheat upon our
own souls. Pharaoh returned to his hardness. Reigning lusts break through the
strongest bonds, and make men presume and go from their word. Many seem in
earnest, but there is some reserve, some beloved, secret sin. They are
unwilling to look upon themselves as in danger of everlasting misery. They will
refrain from other sins; they do much, give much, and even punish themselves
much. They will leave it off sometimes, and, as it were, let their sin depart a
little way; but will not make up their minds to part with all and follow
Christ, bearing the cross. Rather than that, they venture all. They are
sorrowful, but depart from Christ, determined to keep the world at present, and
they hope for some future season, when salvation may be had without such costly
sacrifices; but, at length, the poor sinner is driven away in his wickedness,
and left without hope to lament his folly.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Exodus》
Exodus 8
Verse 2
[2] And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite
all thy borders with frogs:
All thy borders — All the land that is within thy
borders.
Verse 3
[3] And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which
shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy
bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine
ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
The River — Nile. Under which are comprehended
all other rivers and waters.
Verse 9
[9] And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I
intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the
frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
Glory over me — That is, I yield to thee.
Verse 10
[10] And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to
thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
And he said, To-morrow — Why not immediately?
Probably he hoped that this night they would go away of themselves, and then he
should get clear of the plague, without being obliged either to God or Moses.
However, Moses joins issue with him upon it.
Be it according to thy word — It shall be done just
when thou wouldst have it done, that thou mayst know, that whatever the
magicians pretend to, there is none like unto the Lord our God - None has such
a command as he has over all creatures, nor is any so ready to forgive those
that humble themselves before him. The great design both of judgments and
mercies, is to convince us that there is none like the Lord our God; none so
wise, so mighty, so good; no enemy so formidable, no friend so desirable, so
valuable.
Verse 15
[15] But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened
his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened
his heart — Observe he did it himself, not God, any otherwise than
by not hindering.
Verse 17
[17] And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with
his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in
beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
The frogs were produced out of the waters, but the lice
out of the dust of the earth; for out of any part of the creation God can fetch
a scourge wherewith to correct those that rebel against him.
Verse 18
[18] And the magicians did so with their enchantments to
bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon
beast.
And the magicians did so — That is, endeavoured
to do so.
Verse 19
[19] Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger
of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as
the LORD had said.
This is the finger of God — The power of God. The
devil's agents, when God permitted them, could do great things; but when he
laid an embargo upon them, they could do nothing. The magicians inability in
this instance shewed whence they had their ability in the former instances, and
that they had no power against Moses but what was given them from above.
But Pharaoh's heart was hardened — By himself and the
devil.
Verse 20
[20] And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the
morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say
unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Rise up early — Those that would bring great
things to pass for God and their generation must rise early, and redeem time in
the morning. Pharaoh was early up at his superstitious devotions to the river;
and shall we be for more sleep, and more slumber, when any service is to be
done which would pass well in our account in the great day?
Verse 21
[21] Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will
send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and
into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of
flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
Flies — Or insects of various kinds; not only flies, but gnats,
wasps, hornets; and those probably more pernicious than the common ones were.
Verse 22
[22] And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in
which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou
mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
Know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth — In every part of it.
Swarms of flies, which seem to us to fly at random, shall be manifestly under
the conduct of an intelligent mind. Hither they shall go, saith Moses, and
thither they shall come, and the performance is punctual according to this
appointment; and both compared amount to a demonstration, that he that said it,
and he that did it, was the same, even a being of infinite power and wisdom.
Verse 23
[23] And I will put a division between my people and thy
people: to morrow shall this sign be.
A division — A wall of partition.
Verse 24
[24] And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of
flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all
the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.
There came a grievous swarm of flies — The prince of the
power of the air has gloried in being Beel-zebub, the god of flies; but here it
is proved that even in that he is a pretender, and an usurper; for even with
swarms of flies God fights against his kingdom and prevails.
Verse 26
[26] And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall
sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we
sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not
stone us?
The abomination of the Egyptians — That which they
abominate to see killed, because they worshipped them as gods.
Verse 27
[27] We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and
sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.
As he shall command us — For he has not yet
told us what sacrifices to offer.
Verse 28
[28] And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may
sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far
away: intreat for me.
Ye shall not go very far away — Not so far but that
he might fetch them back again. It is likely he suspected that if once they
left Egypt, they would never come back; and therefore when he is forced to consent
that they shall go, yet he is not willing they should go out of his reach. See
how ready God is to accept sinners submissions. Pharaoh only says, Intreat for
me - Moses promises immediately, I will intreat the Lord for thee; and that he
might see what the design of the plague was, not to bring him to ruin, but to
repentance.
Verse 32
[32] And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also,
neither would he let the people go.
But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also — Still it is his own
act and deed, not God's.
──
John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Exodus》
08 Chapter 8
Verses 1-14
The frogs came up.
The procession of frogs
I. The creatures
that were to come. The frogs of Egypt distinguished for five things. Their ash
colour dotted with green spots; changed their colour when alarmed; small;
crawled like toads; made a singular, some say an “abominable” noise, both under
the water and on the land.
II. The places to
which the creatures did come.
III. The power which
caused the creatures to come. As the changing of the Nile showed that all the
elements of nature were under the control of God, so the coming of the frogs to
the land of Egypt proved that the animal parts of creation were under His
control.
IV. The purposes
for which the creatures came.
1. On account of pride (Exodus 8:2). God still abhors pride, and
ever will. Can chastise the proud in a similar way. Can send disease to the
pretty face; take away the idols, money, dress, friends; weakness to either
body or mind; death to the unbroken circle. “Walk humbly with thy God.”
2. On account of superstition. Because the rising of the sun made
wild beasts retire, the Egyptians looked on them as emblems of the sun’s power.
Because the croaking of frogs helped travellers in a desert to discover waters,
the Egyptians held them in some reverence. Regarded the frog also as sacred to
the Nymphs and Muses. Called attendants upon the deities of streams and
fountains. To correct this wrong and extravagant notion about frogs, the Lord
sent them over all the land. We should be careful about the objects we love and
hate, esteem and disesteem, revere and abhor.
V. The king’s
request to have the creatures removed granted. (A. McAuslane, D. D.)
Lessons
1. Where the first judgment moveth not, the second may make sinners
yield.
2. Vengeance makes wicked men call for God’s messengers who have
despised them.
3. God’s judgments may work scornful oppressors to intreat the
despised ministers of God.
4. Jehovah’s judgments may and will make proudest potentates to
acknowledge Him.
5. In the confession of the wicked God only can take away their judgments.
6. Wicked oppressors themselves do acknowledge that mercy from
Jehovah cometh by the prayer of His.
7. Under sense of judgment persecutors may promise liberty of persons
and consciences to the Church.
8. Such forced promises are seldom made good by such oppressors (Exodus 8:8). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
The plague of frogs; or, the socially great smitten with the
supremely contemptible
I. That the
socially great sometimes provoke the judgments of God.
1. That the socially great provoke the judgments of God by rejecting
His claims.
2. By slighting His servants.
3. By rejecting His credentials of truth and duty.
II. That the
socially great have no means whereby to resist the judgments of God.
1. This judgment was afflictive, loathsome, extensive, irresistible.
2. This judgment yields not to social position, wealth, authority,
force.
III. That the
socially great often involve others less guilty in the retribution they invite.
IV. That the
socially great are always surrounded by those who are willing to strengthen
them in opposition to the Divine claims. Lessons:
1. That the socially great ought to be in sympathy with the
requirements of God.
2. That the socially great ought to know better than provoke the
wrath of the Great King.
3. That social position will not avert the retributions of God. (J.
S. Exell, M. A.)
Superstitions respecting frogs
There is no doubt that frogs were in Egypt the objects of some
kind of superstitious regard. It is difficult to say whether they were most
reverenced or feared, but, either as good agents or evil, they were numbered
among the sacred animals of the Egyptians. The magicians used them in their
divinations, and pretended to foretell future events by the changes and
swellings which these creatures undergo. Frogs were supposed to be generated
from the mud of the river. A frog sitting upon the sacred lotus was symbolical
of the return of the Nile to its bed after the inundations. The name Chrur,
which seems to have been derived from the sound of its croaking, was also used,
with only a slight variation, Hhrur, to denote the Nile descending. Seated upon
a date-stone, with a young palm-leaf rising from its back, it was a type of man
in embryo. The importance attached to the frog in some parts of Egypt is
further apparent from its having been embalmed and honoured with burial in the
tombs of Thebes; and from its frequent appearance upon the monuments and
inscriptions. Among the former is the god Pthah, having the head of a frog, and
representing the creative power of the deity; there is also a frog headed
goddess named Heka, who was worshipped in the district of Sah, as the wife of
Chnum, the god of the cataracts, and to whose favour the annual overflow of the
Nile, with all the benefits which followed, was ascribed. Plutarch says the
frog was an emblem of the sun, and that the brazen palm tree at Delphi, sacred
to Apollo or Osiris, had a great number of frogs engraved upon its base. In
hieroglyphics the frog is an emblem of fecundity, an idea which arose naturally
from its connection with the river. As the wealth and prosperity of Egypt
depended upon the annual overflowing of the Nile, it is not surprising that the
people of that land, who seem in every possible instance to have worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, should have ascribed peculiar honour
to the frogs, which abounded most in the time of the inundations; they may have
regarded them as in some sense the authors of their benefits, or rather as
beneficent agents sent forth by their sacred river to assist and direct its
fertilizing process. But it is probable that the sacred character of these
animals was attributable, in some parts of Egypt at least, to the fears
entertained for them by the Egyptians, as spirits of evil. There are even now
in Africa tribes of ignorant heathen, worshippers of devils, who bow down
before the most hideous images they can invent or fashion, and call upon them
with abject supplications, in order to propitiate their fetish, and to turn
aside the evils he might bring upon them. St. John, in the book of Revelation,
represents the frog as an evil spirit; and his emblems were generally derived
from symbolical ideas which prevailed of old (Revelation 16:13). Such probably were the
frogs which the magicians of Egypt brought forth in opposition to Moses,
spirits of devils. Satan, who had greater license and a wider range in those
dark times and places than he has now, sent out his demons in this form, at the
call of his false prophets, to confirm the Egyptians in their rebellion against
God; and “the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs
upon the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:7). Whether the Egyptians looked
upon these reptiles as benefactors, or dreaded them as ministers of evil, the
wonderful plague with which they were now afflicted was a judgment against them
for their miserable superstition, and a sign which they could scarcely fail to
understand. Fond as they were of a multitude of deities, here were more than
they could wish for or endure. David says: “He sent frogs among them, which
destroyed them” (Psalms 78:45): it was not a mere
inconvenience, therefore, but a real punishment; yet we may suppose the
Egyptians would not venture to kill or even to resist their sacred tormentors.
So terrible and wide-spread was the evil, that we find traces of it in the
oldest historians, whose accounts, being derived only from tradition, are
inaccurate as to place and people, but founded, we may suppose, upon the
realities which are here recorded. Diodorus tells us of “a people called
Autariats, who were forced by frogs bred in the clouds, which poured down upon
them instead of rain, to forsake their country” (1. iii. c. 30); Pliny tells a
similar story of the inhabitants of a district in Gaul. The fact that the frogs
of Egypt were sent upon the people by God’s command would naturally lead to the
idea of their descent from the clouds; while the exodus, both of Israelites and
Egyptians, which followed soon afterwards, might give occasion to the story that
the people were driven out of their country by the plague. (T. S.
Millington.)
To-morrow.
To-morrow (for close of year)
We have arrived at another milestone on the journey of life. How
many more we have to pass before we reach our journey’s end we cannot say; for,
unlike the milestones by the roadside, which not only tell the traveller how
far he has travelled but how much farther off his destination is; our passing
years are milestones which only point backwards. In the face of this terrible
uncertainty, then, how foolish it is to echo the word of Pharaoh and say,
“To-morrow.”
1. In postponing the day of salvation, we are postponing our own
happiness. Think of the madness of Pharaoh, enduring another night of the frogs
when he could obtain instant release from them. And yet he was no more mad than
the sinner is who postpones his salvation from day to day. His sins are more
numerous and nauseous than the frogs of Egypt. They swarm everywhere; they
leave their slime upon everything; they spawn in the dark corners of his heart;
he is plagued with them, and can get no peace.
2. In this procrastination we are flying in the face of God’s
clearest warnings. Ten times over God’s warnings were repeated to Pharaoh
before the final destruction came; but even this is not the limit of His
longsuffering to usward. His warnings are often uttered a hundred times over to
us before the final crash. Yet many pay no heed to them. They are startled for
a while, and give a passing thought to their souls, only to sweep away such thoughts
in worldliness again, and cry “To-morrow! I will think of this to-morrow.” A
traveller from India thus relates some of the experiences of his
voyage:--“Flocks of greedy albatrosses and cape-pigeons crowded around the
ship’s stern. A hook was baited with fat, and upwards of a dozen albatrosses
rushed at it instantly; and as one after another was being hauled on deck, the
remainder, regardless alike of the struggles of the captured anti the
vociferations of the crew, kept swimming about the stern. Not even the birds
which were indifferently hooked, and made their escape, desisted from seizing
the bait a second time.” Poor, foolish birds, to disregard the death-struggles
of so many of their companions and their own experience of the sharpness of the
hook! Poor, foolish men, to disregard more terrible warnings still, to
procrastinate in spite of the sudden destruction of so many of their companions
in the ways of sin and the sharp trials that God has sent to urge them to
escape the like destruction:
3. In putting off the great question of salvation till to-morrow, we
forget that tomorrow will in all probability see us harder-hearted than to-day.
Pharaoh was softened while he was plague-stricken. He seemed even near becoming
a worshipper of the true God, for he said to Moses, “Intreat the Lord for me.”
But when the warning was past, and the morrow came, he relapsed into his old
hardhearted enmity towards God; all the harder for his temporary softening.
Transient impressions are terribly dangerous. If you take the red-hot metal and
plunge it into cold water, you make it harder than it was before. So it was
with the heart of Pharaoh; so it is with our hearts too. (G. A. Sowter, M.
A.)
The folly of delaying till tomorrow
“To-morrow!” has been the cry for years. Serious intentions enough
have been formed; but serious intentions, formed only to be forgotten, are but
paving a religious way to hell. A sea captain tells how he fell in with the Central
America on the very evening when she went down. He relates how that, having
hailed her, Captain Hernden replied, “I am sinking!” “Had you not better send
your passengers on board of us?” said the captain. “Will you stand by me till
morning?” was Captain Hernden’s reply. “I’ll try,” said the captain; “but had
you not better send your passengers on board at once?” “Stand by me till
morning!” was the only answer. The captain did his utmost to stand by the
ill-fated ship, but ‘mid the darkness of the night and the force of the tempest
he saw the Central America no more, and subsequently received
information apprised him that within an hour of that time she went down in the
wild Atlantic. What a pity that poor Captain Hernden would put off till
the next day that which might have been done that night. But though he
doubtless had, to him, some sufficient reason for the course he pursued, that
cannot be said of those who neglect the great salvation.
Verse 15
When Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart.
The hardening nature and awful consequences of sin
I. I observe, that
when God issues out His terrible threatenings against sinners, He is wont to
suspend or stay the full execution of His sentence, and give them many an
interval for repentance. A criminal shut up in the condemned cell, is said to
be respited when, by a royal grant, his punishment is put off from the day
appointed. This practice in the administration of human laws, may serve the
purpose of illustrating the dispensations of Providence, or the dealings of God
with men. The stubborn rebel is often admonished ere he meets the stern arrest
of justice; and the guilty soul is often respited before the sentence is
carried into execution. It seems to me, that this procedure of the great Judge
in the mysterious ways of Providence is a bright display of mercy, blended even
with the tokens of His displeasure. Each interval between successive warnings
and judgments is a space given for repentance. But the final term of
forbearance is not far distant; and with some of you it may be now the very
last reprieve.
II. I observe, that
it proves a state of most dreadful depravity, when men take occasion, from the
very compassions and mercies of god, to harden themselves in sin. The goodness of
God is designed to lead you to repentance; but if you either do not know, or
will not consider this, then the most lovely and attractive of all the Divine
perfections is shamefully abused and contemned by you. But can you hope to
escape? Is it possible to evade the eye of Omniscience, or resist the hand of
Omnipotence? Where can you find an asylum for your souls, when the only Refuge
which God has prepared, is scorned and set at nought?
III. I observe, that
God perfectly knows all the deeds of wicked men before they are done, and all
their designs before they are conceived.
IV. Do you now ask,
what are the signs by which it may be known, that any man is given up to hardness
of heart?
1. It is a dark sign that the heart is desperately hardened, when men
sin on knowingly and deliberately. A crime is deeply aggravated, which is
committed with the full consent of the will, in defiance of the clearest
dictates of the understanding and the conscience.
2. It is a dark sign that the heart is desperately hardened, when men
hate and shun those who faithfully warn and reprove them, and affectionately
labour to reclaim them.
3. It is a dark sign that the heart is desperately hardened, when the
very intervals and opportunities which mercy gives for repentance, are perverted
to the purpose of adding sin to sin. Are there not some of you, who have been
brought under the scourge of God’s afflicting hand? Remember, it is written,
“He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall be suddenly destroyed,
and that without remedy.” (John Thornton.)
Constrained repentance
The constrained and pretended penitence of Pharaoh, with the
compassion and prayer of Moses, teach us valuable lessons. The penitence of
Pharaoh shows us that we ought not to put off our repentance until the hour of
sickness, trial, and death; for the seeming conversions which take place at
such times may be hypocritical and short-lived, like that of Pharaoh. Is this
sincere? The sick man thinks that it is; but if he recover will he not be the
same as before? Will he not forget, as Pharaoh did, his promises, humiliation,
confessions of sin, and seeming conversion? From the example of Moses we may
also obtain important instruction. He had, truly, very many reasons for not
putting much faith in the word of the king. Pharaoh had already shown much
pride, obstinacy, and deceit; nevertheless, Moses did not repulse him; he knew
that God can convert a soul even at the last hour. Pharaoh made promises, and
“charity hopeth all things.” It is God alone who can judge the heart. We ought,
therefore, always to be ready to console, and help with our prayers, even
persons who have been most hostile, opposed, and contemptuous to us. There was
a worthy pastor of the Canton de Vaud in Switzerland, who, during a time of
persecution, had to suffer much because he preached the gospel faithfully. He
was even obliged to leave his parish, and to go and settle in another. Some
time afterwards, one of the men who had behaved most wickedly to him was
converted to the Lord. He immediately determined to go to his former pastor to
tell him this good news. “How surprised he will be,” thought he as he walked
along. He arrived at the village; he rung the bell at the minister’s house; the
pastor himself opened the door. “I am come to tell you that I am converted; I,
who have done you so much harm.” “I am not astonished at it,” answered the
pastor, “for I have prayed for you all these seven years.” (Prof. Gaussen.)
Sin interrupted, not forsaken
Though the course of sin may be repelled for a season by the
dispensation of the law, yet the spring and fountain of it is not dried up
thereby. Though it withdraws and hides itself for season, it is but to shift
out of a storm, and then to return again. As a traveller in his way meeting
with a violent storm of thunder and rain, immediately turns out of his way to
some house or tree for his shelter, but yet this causes him not to give over
his journey, as soon as the storm is over he returns to his way and progress
again; so it is with men in bondage unto sin. They are in a course of pursuing
their lusts; the law meets with them in a storm of thunder and lightning from
heaven, terrifies and hinders them in their way. This turns them for a season
out of their course; they will run to prayer or amendment of life, for some
shelter from the storm of wrath which is feared coming upon their consciences.
But is their course stopped? are their principles altered? Not at all; so soon
as the storm is over, so that they begin to wear out that sense and the terror
that was upon them, they return to their former course in the service of sin
again. This was the state with Pharaoh once and again. In such seasons sin is
not conquered, but diverted. When it seems to fall under the power of the law,
indeed it is only turned into new channel; it is not dried up. If you go and
set a dam against the streams of a river, so that you suffer no water to pass
in the old course and channel, but it breaks out another way, and turns all its
streams in a new course, you will not say you have dried up that river, though
some that come and look into the old channel may think, perhaps, that the
waters are utterly gone. So is it in this case. The streams of sin, it may be,
run in open sensuality and profaneness, in drunkenness and viciousness; the preaching
of the law sets a dam against these causes; conscience is terrified, and the
man dares not walk in the ways wherein he has been formerly engaged. His
companions in sin, not finding him in his old ways, begin to laugh at him, as
one that is converted and growing precise; professors themselves begin to be
persuaded that the work of God is upon his heart, because they see his old
streams dried up; but if there has been only a work of the law upon him, there
in a dam put to his course, but the spring of sin is not dried up, only the
streams of it are turned another way. It may be the man is fallen upon other
more secret or more spiritual sins; or if he be beat from them also, the whole
strength of lust and sin will take up its residence in self-righteousness, and
pour out thereby as filthy streams as in any other way whatever. So that,
notwithstanding the whole work of the law upon the souls of men, indwelling sin
will keep alive in them still. (J. Owen, D. D.)
Hypocritical profession
As a horse that is good at hand, but nought at length, so is the
hypocrite; free and fiery for a spurt, but he jades and tires in a journey. The
faith, repentance, reformation, obedience, joy, sorrow, zeal, and other graces
and affections of hypocrites, have their first motion and issue from false and
erroneous grounds, as shame, fear, hope, and such respects. And it thence comes
to pass that, where these respects cease to give them motion, the graces
themselves can no more stand than a house can stand when the foundation is taken
from under it. The boy that goes to his book no longer than the master holds
the rod over him; the master’s back once turned, away goes the book, and he to
play: so is it with the hypocrite. Take away the rod from Pharaoh; and he will
be old Pharaoh still. Now, then, here is a wide difference between the
hypocrite and the godly man: the one does all by fits and starts, by sudden
motions and flashes; whereas the other goes on fairly and soberly in a settled,
constant, regular course of humiliation and obedience. (Bp. Sanderson.)
False repentance
Many persons who appear to repent, are like sailors who throw
their goods overboard in a storm, and wish for them again as soon as it becomes
calm.
Mercy mistaken for weakness
How easy it is to mistake mercy for weakness! This was Pharaoh’s
mistake. The moment the Lord lifted His heavy hand from the Egyptian king,
Pharaoh began to forget his oath, and vow, and promise, and to harden his
heart,--saying, in effect, “He can do no more; the God of the Israelites has exhausted
Himself; now that He has removed His hand He has confessed His weakness rather
than demonstrated His pity.” We are committing the same mistake every day: whilst the plague is
in the house we are ready to do anything to get rid of it! we will say prayers
morning, noon and night, and send for the holy man who has been anointed as
God’s minister, and will read nothing but solid and most impressive books,
listen to no frivolous conversation, and touch nothing that could dissipate or
enfeeble the mind. How long will the plague be removed before the elasticity
will return to the man and the old self reassert its sovereignty? Not a day
need pass. We begin to feel that the worst is past: we say it is darkest before
it is dawn, “hope springs eternal in the human breast”; and so easily do we
fall back into the old swing between self-indulgence and nominal homage to God.
We think we have felt all the Lord can do, and we say, “His sword is no longer;
it cannot reach us now that we have removed away this little distance from its
range; now and here we may do what we please, and judgment cannot fall upon
us.” Thus we play old Pharaoh’s part day by day. He is a mirror in which we may
see ourselves. There is nothing mysterious in this part of the solemn reading.
However we may endeavour to escape from the line when it becomes supernatural
or romantic, we are brought swiftly and surely back to it when we see these
repetitions of obduracy and these renewed challenges of Divine anger and
judgment. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Transient repentance
Manton says, “Many a time a brabble falleth out between a man and
his lusts; but he delayeth, and all cometh to nothing. In a heat we bid a
naughty servant begone; but he lingereth and before the next morning all is
cool and quiet, and he is again in favour.” Ungodly men have their quarrels
with their favourite sins on various accounts, but these are like children’s
pets with one another, soon over because they come of passion, and not from
principle. An unholy person will fall out with sin because it has injured his
health or his credit, or has brought him into difficulty with his neighbours;
but when these temporary results are ended he falls in love again with the same
iniquity. Thus we have seen the drunkard loathing his cups when his eyes were
red and his head was aching; but ere the sun went down the quarrel was ended,
and he and Bacchus were rolling in the gutter together. (“Flowers from a
Puritan’s Garden.”)
False repentance
Pharaoh’s professions of repentance and promises of amendment were
like those of the child under the rod of chastisement, they were designed to
mitigate the infliction, and when the punishment was over they went for
nothing. Now, this is always the case when fear alone predominates over the
soul. Ah! how much of our penitence is like this of Pharaoh; how many are
saints on a sick-bed, but as wicked as ever when they recover! During an
epidemic of cholera in the village where I first laboured as a minister, the
churches were filled to overflowing by suppliants who had never before entered
them; but when it had passed, they relapsed into worse carelessness than ever:
and there may be some here to-night who, when they were dangerously ill, or
when they were laying a dear little one’s body in the grave, vowed to God that
they would yield themselves to Him; while now they are as far from His service
as ever. Let me beseech such hardened ones to beware. (W. M. Taylor, D. D.)
Tests of sincerity in repentance
Lorenzo de Medici lies dying in the city of Florence: in the terrors
of death he has sent for the one man who never had yielded to his threats or
caresses--the brave Savonarola. Lorenzo confesses that he has heavy on his soul
three crimes: the cruel sack of Volterra, the theft of the public dower of
young girls, by which many were driven to a wicked life, and the blood shed
after the conspiracy of Pazzi. He is greatly agitated, and Savon-arola, to keep
him quiet, keeps repeating, “God is merciful,” “God is good.” “But,” he added,
“there is need of three things.” “And what are they, father?” “First, you must
have a great and living faith in the mercy of God.” “This I have--the
greatest.” “Second, you must restore that which you have wrongfully taken, or
require your children to restore it for you.” Lorenzo looked surprised and
troubled; but he forces himself to compliance, and nods his head in sign of
assent. Then Savonarola rises to his feet, and stands over the dying prince.
“Last, you must give back their liberties to the people of Florence.” Lorenzo,
summoning up all his remaining strength, disdainfully turns his back, and,
without uttering another word, Savonarola departs without giving him
absolution.
Verses 16-19
That it may become lice.
The plague of lice
I. The plague
itself.
1. This punishment was sent without any previous warning.
2. This plague was inflicted by a very small insect.
3. This plague could not be imitated by the magicians. This rendered
Pharaoh’s refusal to humble himself all the more unpardonable.
II. Its teaching.
1. Its infliction produced no real good. How soon the human mind
becomes accustomed to novelties, even of the most extraordinary character. So
the fallen soul becomes naturalized to the paths of sin and the lessons of
God’s judgment.
2. Observe the resources of God. The least thing in His hand can
become an instrument of torment.
3. How foolish, then, and how mad, to resist the will of this Divine
Being! (Homilist.)
Lessons
1. The devil will try his utmost to counterwork God.
2. The devil is impotent upon the least check from God.
3. God’s power sets on His judgments when the power of Satan fails (Exodus 8:18).
4. The devil’s instruments are forced at last to say they are against
God, and He against them.
5. God’s finger or the least of His power makes the devil and his
instruments fail.
6. Innate unbelief loves to be kept up by liars, but will not yield
when they fail.
7. Treble hardening comes on the wicked by treble judgments.
8. God’s word faileth not which He hath spoken of the sin and
judgment of wicked persecutors (Exodus 8:19). ( G. Hughes, B. D.)
The plague of lice; or, an enforced recognition of a Supreme Power
in the dire retributions of human life
I. That men are
slow to recognize the Supreme Power in the retributions of life.
1. Because they have not right views of the character of God.
2. Because they have not a due consciousness of sin and its demerit.
II. That wicked men
are made by continuous retributions ultimately to recognize the Supreme Power
against them. “Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of
God.” God sometimes plagues men until they acknowledge Him. The events of life
are charged with retributions which cannot be hidden by the art of the
sorcerer.
III. That when
wicked men are made to acknowledge the Supreme Power in the retributions of
life they may nevertheless continue in open opposition to it. “And Pharaoh’s
heart was hardened.” Lessons:
1. That the retributions of life are designed to lead men to the
performance of moral duty.
2. That there are many deceptions calculated to blind men to the hand
of God in the events of life.
3. That wicked men are not able to contend with God, and are at times
brought to acknowledge His supremacy. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Dangerous dust
Dangerous dust in the air is circulated by the elevated railways
in New York. A member of the staff of The Scientific American hung a
magnet under the track of the elevated road, and when a few minutes later he
took it down it was coated with minute particulars of iron dust. This dust, he
said, is the cause of many severe cases of eye troubles. The swift passing
trains grind off showers of iron particles, which often fall or are blown into
the eyes of pedestrians. The microscope shows, that the particles are of
innumerable shapes, and they usually have jagged fringes, and many of them have
barbs like a fish hook. When lodged in the eye they cannot be attracted
therefrom with a magnet, but a gouge-shaped instrument the size of a sewing
needle had been devised for the purpose. This peculiarity of the dust resembles
that of moral evil It is in the air, and when once it finds a lodgment in the
human heart it cannot be withdrawn
without difficulty and suffering. This is the of finger God--“Like Phidias, who
in his image carved his own name, there is God engraven upon every creature.”
Not in characters of human writing is it written, but in the character of the
work. Phidias needed not to have written the word phidias in so many letters, for the
master’s hand had a cunning of its own which none could counterfeit. An
instructed person had only to look at a statue and say at once, “Phidias did
this, for no other hand could have chiselled such a countenance”; and believers
have only to look either at creation, providence, or the Divine Word, and they
will Cry instinctively, “This is the finger of God.” Yet, alas, man has great
powers of wilful blindness, and these are aided by the powers of darkness, so
that, being both blind and in the dark, man is unable to see his God, though
His presence is as clear as that of the sun in the heavens. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The limit of false religion
Human religions can go to a certain point in good works,
especially if they have borrowed their systems and copied their charities from
the teachings of Christ, which most of them have done. But beyond a certain
point they cannot go. It has been observed that the magicians could not bring
living things out of the dust of the ground, as Moses did. And a false religion
cannot bring life out of death, as the gospel does. Morality and certain good
works it can conjure up; but spiritual life it cannot produce. Atheism, in the
form of scientific materialism, may point to some notable and heroic disciple,
such as Professor Clifford, who died without fear, steadfast in his faith that
death was the end of him; but it cannot enable a man to die as Stephen and Paul
died. It is not unworthy of our passing thought that the scientific magicians
of our day, who are saying, “Who is the Lord?” have tried very hard to generate
a living thing out of the dust; but they have as utterly and signally failed as
the magicians did in the days of Moses. We may confidently keep a good courage
in these days, when the scientific and religious magicians are trying to
discredit the Word of God with their enchantments. Be sore that if the conflict
is pushed far enough they will come to signal grief. In the end God will give
glorious victory to those who stand by His truth, and who continue to cast their
rods down in the face of an unbelieving world. (G. F. Pentecost, D. D.)
Verses 20-24
Swarms of flies.
The plague of flies; or, an exceptional method of the Divine
administration in the affairs of this life
I. It is a general
rule of the Divine administration that the good and sad shall alike participate
in the painful dispensations of this probationary life.
1. Because both are guilty of sin.
2. Because both need correction and improvement.
3. Because life is a probation and a discipline.
II. It is an
exceptional method of the divine administration to exempt the good from the
trials and retributions of this life. “And I will put a division between My
people and thy people.”
1. Thus we see that there are times in this life when moral character gives
exemption from severe retribution. This is the honour God places upon true
moral goodness. In this way He occasionally shows His approval of it. Piety
shields the house. It will protect a nation from the plague of God.
2. Thus we see that there are times in this life when God manifests
to men His care for the good.
3. Thus we see that there are times in this life when God gives men a
prophecy of the social equity in the world to come. Then Egypt will be ever
separate from Goshen in character, as in retribution and reward. Heaven will
adjust the moral relations of the universe.
Lessons:
1. That continued sin must be visited by continued retribution.
2. That the providence of God is over the good to save them from
pain.
3. That the wicked must see the worth of goodness. (J. S. Exell,
M. A.)
God’s retributive resources
I once knew a good
woman who had three children, and the youngest was her pet. And
it died, and said she, “Now God has done all that He can do.” But a little
after another was burnt to death, and then she said, “I see God can do more
yet.” Soon after the other fell into a boiler of water, and was scalded to
death. Says she, “God can do more yet.” Afterwards her husband died, and then
she said, “Now God has done all things well.” If she had said this before, she
would have had her husband and two children alive; but God must bring His work
to pass. He afflicts us for our
good. (Matthew Wilks.)
Flies in Egypt
Egypt has always suffered more or less severely in hot weather
from the various sorts of flies which arise from the marshy lands. “The most numerous
and troublesome among the insects which infest these countries,” says Sonnini,
“are flies, which cruelly torment both men and animals. It is impossible to
form a just idea of their obstinate perseverance when they wish to fasten upon
any particular part of the body, as when they are driven away they return and
settle again in the same moment, and their pertinacity tires out the most
patient sufferer. They particularly delight in fastening upon the corners of
the eyes and the edges of the eyelids, to which tender parts they are attracted
by a slight humidity.” Mr. Lane says--“In spring, summer, and autumn, flies are so
abundant as to be extremely annoying during the daytime, and mosquitoes are
troublesome at night, unless a curtain be made use of to keep them away, and
often in the day.” Herodotus also makes mention of the flies of Egypt, and
describes the nets with which the inhabitants protected themselves against
them. In winter, however, these insects are rarely troublesome, and Pharaoh may
have thought that the threat of such a plague was but little likely to be
fulfilled. For the same reason the miraculous character of the visitation, when
it came, was the
more readily acknowledged. (T. S. Millington.)
Increased penalties
At sea, when the enemy’s ship is sighted in full flight, a gun
loaded with powder only is fired by the pursuer to bring the fugitive to. When
this fails, the cannon is charged with a ball, but is designedly fired so as
not to strike the vessel, in the hope of inducing it to furl the sails. But
when this attempt has failed, then the captain of the pursuer orders the gun to
be fired straight at the ship attempting to escape. It may be that many shots
have taken effect in her rigging and hull before she ceases her flight. Such,
too, is the forbearance of God. The first miracle of Moses was harmless--the
second came nearer home, in expectation of the stubborn despot’s compliance.
Various kinds of flies in this plague
The flies of this plague were evidently of a formidable kind, and
very grievous. The Psalmist says--“He sent flies among them, which devoured
them” (Psalms 78:45). There is a kind of beetle
common in Egypt which is very destructive, inflicting painful bites, and
consuming all sorts of materials. The mosquito also, which is a terrible
nuisance in all hot climates, and especially in the vicinity of rivers, answers
to this description; and the house-fly, which swarms in Egypt, carries
corruption, and not unfrequently infectious disease, wherever it alights. It is
probable, however, that the flies of this plague were of various kinds,
including the above and many others, for David says again “He spake the word,
and there came all manner of flies,” or “divers sorts of flies” (Psalms 105:31). The marginal reading
gives a similar description, “a mixture of noisome beasts.” There is no reason,
therefore, for supposing that the plague was limited to any one species; on the
contrary, as the flies were everywhere, upon the people and in their houses, on
the ground and in the air, and in all the land of Egypt, it appears almost
certain that they were of different habits, and therefore of different species.
There were flies that devoured, and flies that stung; flies that corrupted, and
flies that hovered whirring in the air; flies upon men, inflaming their eyelids
and blinding them, and flies upon the cattle; there were beetles that crawled
upon the ground, and perhaps also bees, and wasps, and hornets, pursuing the
people fiercely. It is doubtful whether some kind of flies were not among the
sacred insects of the Egyptians. Some of them have been preserved, perhaps
accidentally, in the mummy cloths, and some few, among which are the house-fly,
the wasp, and the butterfly, are represented in paintings on the monuments and
walls. To make the miracle more evident, these pests, while vexing the
Egyptians almost beyond endurance, giving them no rest either by night or day,
were not suffered
to approach the Israelites. “In the land of Goshen were no flies.” (T. S.
Millington.)
It is not meet so to do.
The impossibility of compromise in a religious life
I. That there can
be no compromise in Christian morality. “And Moses said, It is not meet to do
so.”
1. Because they do not like to give up their sins.
2. Because they will not summon resolution enough to break the force
of old and continued habit.
II. That there can
be no compromise in Christian worship. “We will go three days’ journey into the
wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He shall command us.” It is
not enough to worship God; we must worship Him in the manner He has made known.
Men should not place themselves in temptation by going to unhallowed
sanctuaries.
1. Christian worship must not he compromised by idolatry.
2. Christian worship must not be compromised by levity. Prayer must
be the dominant impulse of the soul.
III. That the
servants of God must reject all attempts at religious compromise.
1. Because religious compromise brings contempt upon the Christian
life.
2. Because religious compromise brings contempt upon Christian worship.
(J. S. Exell, M. A.)
It is not meet so to do
I. The
impossibility of maintaining a secret or hidden Christian life. The life of
Christ in the soul will come out in real manifestation and in public
recognition of God. In the first place, the very initial demand of Christ upon
His disciples is to confess Him before men, and to take up the cross and come
after Him daily. There is no such thing as a private and concealed faith
allowed or alluded to in the Scriptures. Christianity is no secret organization,
but a life that openly and boldly declares itself. Besides, the very fact that
Christianity is a life in the soul makes it impossible to keep it a secret. A
tree might just as well say, “Can I not be a real living tree without giving
forth buds and leaves in the springtime?” or a rose, “Can I not be a rose
without bursting into leaf, and in due time sending forth my flowers in their
sweetness to rejoice the eye and delight the smell of man?” A prominent fruit
merchant in one of our New England cities was converted at one of our meetings,
and he determined to keep the fact secret. He was ashamed to confess Christ
before his companions, among whom he had been a very profane and godless man.
His special and besetting sin was an awful habit of the wildest profanity,
which used to burst out of his mouth at the least provocation to his quick and
passionate temper. Some of his employes told me that when he came to the
warehouse, where his fruit was sorted and stored after being received from the
ships, he would swear and curse at such a rate that they all dreaded his
coming. And especially was this so if a cargo of oranges or bananas turned out
badly. The next morning after he had decided to give himself to Christ he went
down to his receiving store. A large cargo of oranges had been received the day
before, and the men were engaged in opening and sorting them. They were
dreading his appearance, well knowing that the condition the fruit was in would
excite his wrath to the uttermost. Well, he came in, and without a word he
looked over the oranges. To the astonishment of his men, he said to them
pleasantly, “Well, boys, this is rather a bad lot, to be sure. Just sort them
over, and make the best of them. I suppose it can’t be helped.” Now, that man
did not exactly confess Christ in so many words, but the absence of certain
expressions from his conversation, and the presence of a new spirit, revealed
the fact that he had seen Jesus. At once the men came to the conclusion as to
what had happened. They were not wrong. One of them told me the occurrence the
next day. That night I related this incident. I did not know the man by sight,
and was not sure that he was present; but at the close of the meeting the
merchant sprang to his feet and confessed that he was the man; and he there and
then publicly confessed Jesus Christ as his Saviour. You see he could not hide
the fact from those round about him, nor could he keep from confessing it.
II. A man cannot be
a Christian and worship God in the land without offending the world. A gentleman
in Boston was converted at one of Mr. Moody’s meetings. He purposed keeping it
a secret. He belonged to a wealthy and aristocratic family and circle, among
whom it was fashionable to sneer at evangelical religion, and at that time
especially at Mr. Moody and the great work going on in that city. Shortly
afterwards this gentleman was guest at a large dinner-party. In course of the
dinner, the tabernacle meetings and Mr. Moody came up for discussion and
ridicule. From bad they went to worse, and began to sneer at Jesus and His
cross. By and by, when he could bear it no longer, he arose in his place,
trembling with embarrassment, yet courageous in purpose, and said, addressing
his host: “I do not wish to seem rude; but I cannot be true to myself or to my
God, and let this conversation go on any longer. I beg to say that Mr. Moody,
though I am personally unknown to him, is my friend; and in that same old
‘tabernacle’ which is the object of your ridicule, and in one of those meetings
which you hold in such contempt, he was the means of awakening me to a true
knowledge of my condition before God, and of leading me to Christ, whom I
believe to be the very Son of God--and through the merits of His blood I am
trusting for forgiveness and eternal life. I cannot let the conversation go on
without at least confessing so much. And not wishing to disturb the freedom of
your party, or restrain you by my presence, I beg leave of my kind host to
retire from this table.”
III. “We will go
three days’ journey into the wilderness.” Israel could not worship God in the
land, because God had commanded them to go out of the land. “Three days’
journey into the wilderness.” Where is that? Surely it must teach us that the
Christian’s place is in resurrection with the Lord. From the cross to the
resurrection was three days. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above” (Colossians 3:1). (G. F. Pentecost, D.
D.)
Not very far away-
Alas, how many who have named the name of Christ have never
gone very far away from the “former things.” In the world they are not known as
Christians, and are only known as Christians in the church by the fact that
their names are on the church roll or parish register as having been baptized
and confirmed. It must be apparent to any thoughtful person that any
half-and-half position with reference to Christ and His salvation is not only
an inconsistent, but a very unhappy, one.
I. “Not very far
away” is inconsistent with the first law of Christian life, which demands that
we shall break with this world. “For our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). “The whole world lieth
in the evil one” (1 John 5:19); and to abide in the
world is to take up quarters on Satan’s ground. Besides, the very object that
Moses had in going down to Egypt was to bring the people up out of that land into a good land
and large. How could they ever reach Canaan if they consented not to go “very
far away”? And how shall we be separated from this present evil world if we, as
confessors of Christ, insist on lingering about the borders of the old life?
II. “Not very far
away” is entirely incompatible with a happy Christian life. In the times of the
old border wars between the Scots and the English, the people living in the
border counties had a most wretched time of it. First the Scots would come pouring
down into the northern counties of England, and devastate and destroy there;
and then the English would invade the southern counties of Scotland, and
desolation and death would be their portion. So it is with the
border-Christians. The Word of God catches them in the world, and pricks and
cuts without healing; and if they are only a little way in the kingdom they are
thoroughly exposed to the temptations and buffetings of Satan. With the back to
the world and face to Christ, ever marching forward, is the only way of peace
and happiness.
III. “Not very far
away” is a dangerous place to be in. I once heard of a little girl who fell out
of bed during the night. The mother heard the child’s fall and cry, and ran to
her little one. After she had picked her up and somewhat pacified her, she
asked the little girl, “How did you come to fall out, my dear?” The child
replied, “Oh, I suppose I went to sleep too near to the edge of the bed where I
fell out,” and then, quickly correcting her statement, said, “No, I mean I went
to sleep too near to the place where I got in.” That was the real truth of it.
There are a great many persons who profess conversion; but they do not get very
far into the kingdom; and then they go to sleep, and when they fall out the
real reason is that they did not get far enough in. “Not far away” is a most
dangerous compromise to consent to.
IV. “Not very far
away” is a position from which God can choose no workers. I am very free to say
that God can make little or no use of a worldly half-and-half Christian. In the
first place, the world has no confidence in a Christian who is hand-and-glove
with it, while at the same time professing to have found something infinitely
better, and to have been saved from the world. In the second place, a half-and-half
Christian cannot do with “all his might” what God would give him to do.
Consecration and service go necessarily together; and no consecrated life can
be maintained on the edge of the world or on the edge of the Church. (G. F.
Pentecost, D. D.)
Exhortation to the newly awakened
The old life--so far as that old life is associated with
old companions and with practices which are evil--must be abandoned. It does
not mean that you arc to turn hermit or nun; but in spirit and practice you
belong to another commonwealth. But the Christian in the world is to be as
distinct from it as the Gulf Stream is from the ocean through which it flows.
Christian and Great-Heart passed through Vanity Fair, but they were not
citizens of that place. You are not to turn your back in pharisaical
self-righteousness upon your did friends; but henceforth you can only have to
do with them on the basis of your out-and-out loyalty to Christ. If you can go
with them and take Christ with you to their feasts and pleasures, then go; but
if the condition of your going is that you leave your Master behind you, then
of course you are not to go: you cannot. Be true to the Master, and your
worldly associates will spare you any pains on the point. They will adjust
themselves to you, or, rather, from you, until the moment comes when they want
a true friend, a guide and helper in some spiritual crisis, and they will come
to you, passing by those Christians (?) who are “serving God in the land.” (G.
F. Pentecost, D. D.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》