Part 7 (1/2)
But let us attend to the prayer. _Oh! this people have sinned a great sin; yet now, if thou will, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I prey thee, out of thy book_.
We know the occasion. Israel had fallen into idolatry while Moses was on the mount--had made an idol, and bowed in adoration before it. G.o.d told Moses what they had done--threatened to destroy them--excused Moses from praying for them, which had before been his duty, and promised to reward his faithfulness among so perverse a people, if he would now ”hold his peace, and let G.o.d alone to destroy them.”
But Moses preferred the good of Israel to the aggrandis.e.m.e.nt of his own family, earnestly commended them to the divine mercy, and obtained the forgiveness of their sin--”The Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto them.” But he gave at that time no intimation of his merciful purpose toward them.
When Moses came down and found the congregation holding a feast to their idol, he was filled with grief and indignation; and took measures immediately to punish their sin and bring them to repentance.
He first destroyed their idol and then about three thousands of the idolaters, by the sword of Levi, who at his call, ranged themselves on the Lord's side. The next day, fearing that G.o.d would exterminate the nation, agreeably to his threatening, Moses gathered the tribes, set their sin before them, and told them that he would return to the divine presence and plead for them, though he knew not that G.o.d would hear him. ”Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto the Lord; _peradventure_ I shall make an atonement for your sin. _And Moses returned unto the Lord and said, Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them G.o.ds of gold. Yet, now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written_.”
Moses meaning, while praying for Israel, is obvious; but the pet.i.tion offered up for himself is not equally so--_blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book_.
Four different constructions have been put on the is prayer--Some consider Moses as imprecating d.a.m.nation on himself, for the good of his people--Some as praying for annihilation, that they might find mercy--Some as asking G.o.d that he might die with them, if they should die in the wilderness--Others, that his name might be blotted out of the page of history, and his memory perish, should Israel be destroyed and not reach the promised land.
”Blot me” (saith Mr. Cruden) ”out of thy book of life--out of the catalogue, or number of those that shall be saved--wherein Moses does not express what he thought might be done, but rather wisheth, if it were possible, that G.o.d would accept of him as a sacrifice in their stead, and by his destruction and annihilation, prevent so great a mischief to them.” *
* Vid. Concordance, under BLOT.
Docr. S. Clark expresseth his sense of the pa.s.sage to nearly the same effect.
Did Moses then ask to be made an expiatory sacrifice for the sin of Israel! Or did he solemnly ask of G.o.d what he knew to be so unreasonable that it could not be granted!
There is no hint in the account given of this affair, that Moses entertained a thought of being accepted in Israel's stead. He did not ask to suffer _that they might escape_--he prayed _to be blotted out of G.o.d's book_, if his people could not be forgiven--_If thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written_.
Mr. Pool considers Moses as praying to be annihilated that Israel might be pardoned! ”Blot me out of the book of life--out of the catalogue, or number of those that shall be saved. I suppose Moses doth not wish his eternal d.a.m.nation, because that state would imply both wickedness in himself and dishonor to G.o.d; but his annihilation, or utter lose of this life, and that to come, and all the happiness of both of them. Nor doth Moses simply desire this, but only comparatively expresseth his singular zeal for G.o.d's glory, and charity to his people; suggesting that the very thoughts of the destruction of G.o.d's people, and the reproach and blasphemy which would be cast upon G.o.d by means thereof, were so intolerable to him, that he rather wished, if it were possible, that G.o.d would accept him as a sacrifice in their stead, and by his utter destruction prevent so great a mischief.” *
* Vid. Pool in loc.u.m.
Could the learned and judicious Mr. Pool seriously believe that inspired Moses prayed for annihilation! Or consider him as entertaining a suspicion that a soul could cease to exist! Or could he conceive him as deliberately asking of G.o.d to make him an expiatory sacrifice! Or harboring a thought that the sin of his people might be atoned by his being blotted out from among G.o.d's works!--Strange!
Mr. Henry considers Moses as praying to die with Israel, if they must die in the wilderness.--”If they must be cut off, let me be cut off with them--let not the land of promise be mine by survivors.h.i.+p. G.o.d had told Moses, that if he would not interpose, he would make him a great nation--No said Moses, I am so far from desiring to see my name and family, built on the ruins of Israel, that I choose rather to die with them.” *
* Vid. Henry in loc.
If such is the spirit of this prayer, Moses does not appear resigned to the divine order, but rather peevish and fretful at the disappointment of his hope, which he had till then entertained. He had expected to lead Israel to the land of promise; if not indulged, seems not to have cared what became of himself or his family; and is thought here to address his maker, offering distinguis.h.i.+ng favors to him, as Daniel did Belthazzar--”thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another--I desire none of them for myself or mine--If Israel die in the wilderness, let me die with them”--From angry Jonah such a reply to the kind offers of a gracious G.o.d might not surprize us; but it was not to have been expected from the meekest of mankind. DOCT. HUNTER, in his biographical lectures, explodes this idea of Moses' asking to be d.a.m.ned for the salvation of Israel, and shews the absurdity of that construction of the text, but understands him as praying to die himself, before sentence should be executed on his people, if they were not pardoned. And in the declaration, _whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book_, he discovers an intimation, that that offending people should die short of the promised land! A discovery without a clew. This sin of Israel was pardoned. Sentence of death in the wilderness was occasioned by a subsequent act of rebellion, as will be shewn in the sequel.*
* Vid. Hunter's Lect. Vol. iv. Lect. iv
Mr. Fismin considers Moses as here praying to be blotted out of the page of history, if Israel were not pardoned; so that no record of his name, or the part which he had acted in the station a.s.signed him, should he handed down to posterity. An exposition differing from the plain language of sacred history--_Blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written_. The page of history is written by man.
Such are the constructions which have been put on this scripture. The considerations which have been suggested, oblige us to reject them all, as founded in mistake. Our sense of the pa.s.sage, and the reasons, which in our apprehension, support it, will be the subject of another discourse.
SERMON VIII.
Moses' Prayer to be blotted out of G.o.d's Book.
Exodus x.x.xii. 31, 32.
”And Moses returned unto the Lord and said. Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them G.o.ds of gold. Yet now, if thou--wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray they, out of thy book which than hast written.”