Numbers 7:80

7:10-89 The princes and great men were most forward in the service of God. Here is an example to those in authority, and of the highest rank; they ought to use their honour and power, their estate and interest, to promote religion and the service of God in the places where they live. Though it was a time of joy and rejoicing, yet still, in the midst of their sacrifices, we find a sin-offering. As, in our best services, we are conscious that there is sin, there should be repentance, even in our most joyful services. In all approaches to God we must by faith look to Christ as the Sin-offering. They brought their offerings each on a day. God's work should not be done confusedly, or in a hurry; take time, and we shall have done the sooner, or, at least, we shall have done the better. If services are to be done for twelve days together, we must not call it a task and a burden. All their offerings were the same; all the tribes of Israel had an equal share in the altar, and an equal interest in the sacrifices offered upon it. He who now spake to Moses, as the Shechinah or Divine Majesty, from between the Cherubim, was the Eternal Word, the second Person in the Trinity; for all God's communion with man is by his Son, by whom he made the world, and rules the church, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

48. On the seventh day—Surprise has been expressed by some that this work of presentation was continued on the Sabbath. But assuming that the seventh day referred to was a Sabbath (which is uncertain), the work was of a directly religious character, and perfectly in accordance with the design of the sacred day.

All the princes brought the same gifts. The order in which the twelve princes, whose names have already been given at Numbers 1:5-15 , made their presentation, corresponded to the order of the tribes in the camp (ch. 2), the tribe-prince of Judah taking the lead, and the prince of Naphtali coming last. In the statements as to the weight of the silver kearoth and the golden cappoth, the word shekel is invariably omitted, as in Genesis 20:16 , etc. - In Numbers 7:84-86 , the dedication gifts are summed up, and the total weight given, viz., twelve silver dishes and twelve silver bowls, weighing together 2400 shekels, and twelve golden spoons, weighing 120 shekels in all. On the sacred shekel, see at Exodus 30:13 ; and on the probable value of the shekel of gold, at Exodus 38:24-25 . The sacrificial animals are added together in the same way in Numbers 7:87 , Numbers 7:88 .

[Reformed Biblical] mbers 7:70 Numbers 7:71 Numbers 7:72 Numbers 7:73 Numbers 7:74 N umbers 7:75 Numbers 7:76 Numbers 7:77 Numbers 7:78 Numbers 7:79 Numbers 7:80 Numbers 7:81 Numbers 7:82 Numbers 7:83 Numbers 7:84 ## When it was anointed: this is again repeated, to show why it is called the dedication of the altar. because it was the first offering made by any particular persons or tribes. Numbers 7:85 Numbers 7:86 Numbers 7:87 ## The meat-offering was not mentioned before, because it was sufficiently understood from the law which required it, Num_15:3-5, but for greater assurance is her e expressed. Numbers 7:88 Which words are very conveniently added to explain in what sense he had so oft said that this was done

(4) The glory of the Lord went up from the cherub. —As in Ezekiel 10:2 , the singular, cherub, instead of the usual plural. Here it is thought to designate, not the four living creatures of the vision, but the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat, and to indicate that the manifestation of the Divine presence now left the Holy of Holies, and went to the threshold of the door of the house, preparatory to leaving it altogether. The expression is obscure, since the place of the manifestation of the Divine presence in the most holy place is usually described as “between the cherubim” ( Exodus 25:22 ; Numbers 7:89 ; Psalm 80:1 ; Psalm 99:1 , &c.). Of the main point, however, there can be no doubt—that the Divine presence is represented as in the act of leaving the Temple. “The house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory” as He departed, in striking contrast with the similar manifestations ( Exodus 40:34-35 ; 1Kings 8:10-11 ), when God accepted the tabernacle and the Temple as the peculiar place of His abode.

1 . Moses acts as his father-in-law’s shepherd. According to P ( Exodus 7:7 ) Moses was now 80 years of age, and some 40 years had elapsed since his flight from Egypt ( Exodus 2:11 ). But we must not attempt to fit the narratives of J and E to the chronological scheme of P (cf. on Exodus 2:23 ). Jethro ] The name of Moses’ father-in-law in E ( Exodus 4:18 , ch. 18). In J ( Numbers 10:29 ), as also in Jdg 4:11 (RVm.), he is called Hobab . See on Exodus 2:18 . behind (i.e. to the west of ) the wilderness ] where there was good pasture. We do not know exactly where the ‘wilderness’ mentioned was; but the change of place from the E. or S. of the Peninsula ( Exodus 2:15 ) at least brought Moses to ‘Horeb.’ ‘On the approach of summer all the Bedawin leave the lower country, where the herbage is dried up, and retire towards the higher parts, where the pasture preserves its freshness much longer’ (Burckhardt, Syria , p. 482, quoted by Kn.). the mountain of God ] i.e. a sacred mountain. So Exodus 4:27 ; Exodus 18:5 ; Exodus 24:13 (all E); 1 Kings 19:8 †. It is possibly so called proleptically, in virtue of the sanctity acquired by it from the subsequent law-giving (ch. 19); but more probably (Ewald, Hist. ii. 43, 45, 103; Di.; W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 2 p. 117 f.; Sayce, EHH. 188; DB. iv. 536b; Burney, Journ. of Theol. Studies , ix. (1908), p. 343 f.; and others), as being already an ancient sacred mountain.

Elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible the cherubim are depicted as being placed atop the ark of the covenant in effigy and worked into the embroidery of the tabernacle (see Exodus 25:18–20, 22; 26:1, 31; 36:8, 35; 37:7–9; Numbers 7:89) as well as into the decoration of Solomon’s temple (See 1 Kings 6:23, 25, 27–29, 32, 35; 7:29, 36; 8:6–7). Other biblical passages depict God as being enthroned above the cherubim, suggesting a close asso ciation with the divine presence (see 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; Psalms 80:1; 99:1; Ezekiel 10:1–10). 4:32 The placement of this second injunction to secrecy is curious. But perhaps the injunction appears here because of the temple imagery that pervades the account of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden—a fact that has been noticed and discussed by many scholars (see the bibliography for representative samples of this work). wast thou taken. For dust thou wast, and unto dust shalt thou return.’

Sometimes the grace, favour, and mercy of God is expressed by it, as Daniel 9:17; Psalms 13:2; Ezekiel 39:24; Psalms 31:20 , and Psalms 17:2; 2 Chronicles 29:12; Numbers 6:25-26; Psalms 4:7; 31:17; 67:1-3 , and Psalms 80:4,8,19 . It is said of men to seek the face of God, that is, His grace and favour by prayer, Ps ## 27:8; 2 Chronicles 7:14,17; Isaiah 18:3 , (&c.) God is said to have eyes , by which we are to understand his most exact knowledge, Psalms 11:4 , "His eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men"---in the word eyebrows, there is also a synecdoche., Job 34:21 , "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings;" that is, he clearly discerns and understands the ways of man, which intimates, 1. A present act, (they are). 2. A continued act, his eyes are never off the ways of man. 3. An intentive and serious act, this denotes not only a bare sight, but also that which is operative, as being done with most exact scrutiny and disquisition---God looks through and discerns men to the utmost, he beholds not only the external acts of men, but also the soul and spirit of them. ## [5] See Caryl on the place, Vol. 10. p. 656. Isaiah 1:16 , "Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes," that is, be ye pure inwardly as well as outwardly, for I see through you, &c.