The Expositor's Bible: The Book of NumbersWatson, Robert A. (Robert Alexander)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Numbers
Watson, Robert A. (Robert Alexander)
Bible. Numbers -- Commentaries
of brotherhood, there lie opportunity and need for men's personal
effort. Would this imply sacrifice of what are called rights, of
perhaps no small amount of substance? That is precisely the saving
of a rich man's life. To that Christ pointed the rich young ruler who
came to Him seeking salvation--from that the inquirer turned away.
And how does the sin of those who neglect such high duties find them
out? Perhaps in the loss of the possessions they have selfishly
guarded, and their reduction to the level of those whom they kept at
arm's-length and treated as inferiors or as enemies. Perhaps in the
harshness of temper and bitterness of spirit the proud, friendless rich
man may find growing upon him in old age, the horrible feeling that
he has not one brother where he should have had thousands, no one to
care--except selfishly--whether he lives or dies. To come to that, so
far as a man is concerned with his fellow-men, is to be indeed lost.
But these retributions may be artfully escaped. What then? Is not
One to be reckoned with who is the Guardian of the human family and
gives men power and wealth only as His stewards, to be used in His
service? The future life does not obliterate society, but it destroys
the class separations, the factitious distinctions, that exist now.
It brings a man face to face with the fact that he is but a man, like
others, responsible to God. Is not the result indicated by our Lord
when He says to exclusive Pharisaical men, "They shall come from the
east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the
kingdom--ye yourselves cast forth without"? Brotherhood here, not in
name, but in deed and truth, means brotherhood above. Denial of it here
means unfitness for the society of heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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