The passage thus presented to our view, seems scarcely to need a comment; but such sad work hath been made of this text, and such strange conclusions been drawn from it that it may be proper to subjoin a few remarks.
That God had threatened to "destroy that people and blot out their name from under heaven"—that Moses had prayed for them—and that "the Lord had repented of the evil which he thought to do unto them" we have seen above. And here Moses is ordered to resume his march, and carry up the tribes to the promised land, and the reason is assigned— "whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book, therefore, now go lead the people to the place of which I have spoken unto thee."
When we thus view the subject can a doubt remain respecting the sense of this text? (But keeping in view the reason here assigned for the renewed order given to Moses to conduct the tribes to Canaan, namely, God's determination to blot of his book—whosoever had sinned against him, in this affair) let us try it in the different senses which have been put upon it.
I. We will suppose blotting out of God's book, to mean destroying soul and body in hell. The divine determination to shew no mercy to Israel, is then the reason assigned for the order here given to Moses. The prayer and answer stand thus—Now if thou wilt, forgive this people—Answer—I will not hear thy prayer for them—no mercy shall be shewn them, but utter, eternal destruction be their portion— THEREFORE now go lead them to the promised land!
II. Suppose blotting out of God's book to mean annihilation, and his answer to the prayer stands thus—I will destroy this people, and blot them from among my works—THEREFORE go lead them to the place of which I have spoken unto thee!
III. Suppose with Mr. Henry, and Doct. Hunter, that it is to be understood of destruction in the wilderness, and the answer stands thus—My wrath shall wax hot against Israel and consume them—they shall all die in the wilderness, THEREFORE, now go lead them to Canaan!
The whole people, save Moses and Joshua, seem to have participated in the revolt. We have no account of another exception; and whosoever had sinned, God would blot out of his book. Surely had either of these been the meaning of blotting out of God's book, it would not have been given as the reason for Moses' resuming his march and carrying up the tribes to the land of promise. Common sense revolts at the idea.
But if we understand blotting out of God's book in the sense we have put upon it, we see at once the propriety of the order given to Moses, founded on this act of grace. God's having "repented of the evil which he thought to do unto them." If this is the meaning of the words, the answer to Moses' prayer amounts to this—"I have heard and hearkened to your prayer, and pardoned the sin of this people, proceed therefore in your march, and lead them to the place of which I have spoken unto thee." The therefore go now, doth not surprize us. We see the order rise out of the divine purpose; but on any of the other constructions of the text, thwarts and contradicts it; or cannot surely be assigned as the reason of it. SEVERAL other considerations illustrate the subject, and confirm our construction of it.
When Moses returned to intercede for Israel, he certainly asked of God to pardon their sin. Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold—Yet now, if than wilt forgive their sin —That he was heard and obtained his request appears not only from the history contained in our context, but from Moses' rehearsal of it just before his death. He recounted the dealings of God with Israel, when taking his leave of them on the plains of Moab—In that valedictory discourse he reminded them of their sin on this occasion—of God's anger against them—his threatening to destroy them, and how he pleaded with God in their behalf, and the success which attended his intercessions for them—"I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth with you, to destroy you, but the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also." [27]
Sentence of death in the wilderness was afterwards denounced against those sinners, and executed upon them, but not to punish this sin; but the rebellion which was occasioned by the report made by the spies who were sent to search out the land. On that occasion Moses prayed fervently for his people, and not wholly without effect—God had threatened to "smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them," but receded from his threatening through the prevalence of that intercessor in their behalf—"the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word;" but at the same time, denounced an irrevokable sentence of death in the wilderness against those rebels. Then Moses was not ordered to "lead the people to the place of which God had spoken," but commanded to go back into the wilderness which they had parted—"turn you, and get ye into the wilderness by the way of the red sea." [28]