‏ Leviticus 26

* Promises upon keeping the precepts. (1-13) Threatenings

against disobedience. (14-39) God promises to remember those

that repent. (40-46)

1-13 This chapter contains a general enforcement of all the

laws given by Moses; by promises of reward in case of obedience,

on the one hand; and threatenings of punishment for

disobedience, on the other. While Israel maintained a national

regard to God's worship, sabbaths, and sanctuary, and did not

turn aside to idolatry, the Lord engaged to continue to them

temporal mercies and religious advantages. These great and

precious promises, though they relate chiefly to the life which

now is, were typical of the spiritual blessings made sure by the

covenant of grace to all believers, through Christ. 1. Plenty

and abundance of the fruits of the earth. Every good and perfect

gift must be expected from above, from the Father of lights. 2.

Peace under the Divine protection. Those dwell in safety, that

dwell in God. 3. Victory and success in their wars. It is all

one with the Lord to save by many or by few. 4. The increase of

their people. The gospel church shall be fruitful. 5. The favour

of God, which is the fountain of all Good. 6. Tokens of his

presence in and by his ordinances. The way to have God's

ordinances fixed among us, is to cleave closely to them. 7. The

grace of the covenant. All covenant blessings are summed up in

the covenant relation, I will be your God, and ye shall be my

people; and they are all grounded upon their redemption. Having

purchased them, God would own them, and never cast them off till

they cast him off. 14-39 After God has set the blessing before them which would

make them a happy people if they would be obedient, he here sets

the curse before them, the evils which would make them

miserable, if they were disobedient. Two things would bring

ruin. 1. A contempt of God's commandments. They that reject the

precept, will come at last to renounce the covenant. 2. A

contempt of his corrections. If they will not learn obedience by

the things they suffer, God himself would be against them; and

this is the root and cause of all their misery. And also, The

whole creation would be at war with them. All God's sore

judgments would be sent against them. The threatenings here are

very particular, they were prophecies, and He that foresaw all

their rebellions, knew they would prove so. TEMPORAL judgments

are threatened. Those who will not be parted from their sins by

the commands of God, shall be parted from them by judgments.

Those wedded to their lusts, will have enough of them. SPIRITUAL

judgments are threatened, which should seize the mind. They

should find no acceptance with God. A guilty conscience would be

their continual terror. It is righteous with God to leave those

to despair of pardon, who presume to sin; and it is owing to

free grace, if we are not left to pine away in the iniquity we

were born in, and have lived in. 40-46 Among the Israelites, persons were not always prosperous

or afflicted according to their obedience or disobedience. But

national prosperity was the effect of national obedience, and

national judgments were brought on by national wickedness.

Israel was under a peculiar covenant. National wickedness will

end in the ruin of any people, especially where the word of God

and the light of the gospel are enjoyed. Sooner or later, sin

will be the ruin, as well as the reproach, of every people. Oh

that, being humbled for our sins, we might avert the rising

storm before it bursts upon us! God grant that we may, in this

our day, consider the things which belong to our eternal peace.