Matthew Henry Commentary Deuteronomy 26

Matthew Henry Commentary

Deuteronomy 26

1662–1714
Presbyterian
Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry Commentary

Deuteronomy 26

1662–1714
Presbyterian
Verses 1-11

"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein, that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto Jehovah thy God, that I am come unto the land which Jehovah sware unto our fathers to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of Jehovah thy God. And thou shalt answer and say before Jehovah thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression; and Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders; and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Jehovah, hast given me. And thou shalt set it down before Jehovah thy God, and worship before Jehovah thy God: and thou shalt rejoice in all the good which Jehovah thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the sojourner that is in the midst of thee." — Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (ASV)

When God has fulfilled His promises to us, He expects we should acknowledge it to the honor of His faithfulness. And our creature comforts are doubly sweet when we see them flowing from the fountain of the promise. The person who offered his first-fruits must remember and acknowledge the humble origin of that nation, of which he was a member.

A Syrian ready to perish was my father. Jacob is here called a Syrian. Their nation in its infancy sojourned in Egypt as strangers; they served there as slaves. They were a poor, despised, oppressed people in Egypt; and though they had become rich and great, they had no reason to be proud, secure, or forgetful of God.

He must thankfully acknowledge God's great goodness to Israel. The comfort we have in our own enjoyments should lead us to be thankful for our share in public peace and plenty; and with present mercies, we should bless the Lord for the former mercies we remember, and for the further mercies we expect and hope for. He must offer his basket of first-fruits.

Whatever good thing God gives us, it is His will that we make the most comforting use we can of it, tracing the streams to the Fountain of all consolation.

Verses 12-15

"When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled. And thou shalt say before Jehovah thy God, I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed any of thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead: I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the ground which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey." — Deuteronomy 26:12-15 (ASV)

How can the earth yield its increase, or, if it does, what comfort can we take in it, unless with it our God gives us his blessing? All this represented the covenant relation between a reconciled God and every true believer, and the privileges and duties belonging to it. We must be watchful, and show that, according to the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, the Lord is our God, and we are his people, waiting in his appointed way for the performance of his gracious promises.

Verses 16-19

"This day Jehovah thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched Jehovah this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and hearken unto his voice: and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations that he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken." — Deuteronomy 26:16-19 (ASV)

Moses here enforces the precepts. They are God's laws, and therefore you shall do them, for they were given to you for that purpose. Do them, and do not dispute them; do them, and do not draw back; do them, not carelessly and hypocritically, but with your heart and soul, your whole heart and your whole soul.

We break our oath and the most sacred engagement if, when we have taken the Lord to be our God, we do not conscientiously obey His commands. We are elected to obedience (1 Peter 1:2); chosen that we should be holy (Ephesians 1:4); purified a peculiar people, that we might not only do good works, but be zealous in them (Titus 2:14). Holiness is true honour, and the only way to everlasting honour.

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