mm^/:^^'^^ / ^^ OF THE Theological Seminary, PRINCETON, N.J. Cu^,....JU.^AlA..i..Dws ion Sftetf,^ S (d3~ .0. Section ; . ilAaA -, No^ THE HEBREW PEOPLE: OK, THE ^tBtorj) anb Religion of tl)e SsraelitCB, FROM THE ORIGIN OF THE NATION TO THE TIME OF CHRIST: DEDUCED FROM THE WRITINGS OF MOSES, AND OTHER INSPIRED AUTHORS ; AXD ILLUSTRATED BY COPIOUS EEFERENCES TO THE ANCIEXT RECORDS, TRADITIONS, AND MYTHOLOGY OF THE HEATHEN WORLD. BY GEORGE SMITH, F.S.A., MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE, OF THE IRISH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY, ETC. NctD-^ork: PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT, 200 MULBERRY-STREET. JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER. 1850 PREFACE. The second part of the " Sacred Annals," which is now pre- sented to the public, comprises the History and Religion of the Hebrew People, from the Origin of the Nation to the Time of Christ. In the preparation of this portion of the work, the Au- thor has steadily kept in view the purpose which he announced in the Preface to the preceding volume ; namely, to " present a complete view of the history and religion" of this nation in a decidedly religious manner. In the prosecution of this attempt he has encountered great, and, in some respects, unexpected, dif- ficulty. To arrange and condense into a limited compass the civil and religious history of a great people during seventeen cen- turies, would, under any circumstances, be a work sufficiently onerous ; but this has been greatly increased by numerous col- lateral subjects, of the most embarrassing character, with which the history of the Jews is involved. The most important ques- tions in theology, the most recondite inquiries in ancient histor}^ the most perplexing cases of Biblical criticism, the most difficult problems in early geography, — all obtruded themselves upon the attention of the writer ; and required to be investigated, adjusted, reconciled, and wrought up into a homogeneous narrative. Be- yond all the embarrassments from these sources, has been that occasioned by the irreligious and unscriptural tendency of the productions of certain authors, whose great talents, extensive learn- ing, and high character, have invested their opinions with some degree of authority, and might have served the cause of truth, instead of imperiling its best interests. The Author has, however, devoted his best energies to the work ; and, although impeded by many other engagements, has spared neither expense nor labor to present to the reader, in a combined form, an ample epitome of Jewish history, and a complete exhibi- tion of Hebrew religion, intended in all its parts to illustrate the great purpose of God in the redemption of man. In the commencement of the Epistle to the Hebrews we are taught, that " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners 4 PREFACE. spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." We, therefore, who enjoy the benefit of this full revelation of Divine love and mercy through Christ Jesus, are furnished with " a light that shineth" into the dark places of preceding dispensations ; and are thus enabled to invest our views of past generations with the spirit of evangelical godliness. This having been the object of the Author, it is almost super- fluous to say, that he has taken the Holy Scripture as his guide. It has been his constant aim to admit, maintain, and illustrate the truth of the sacred oracles. While he has carefully sought out other sources of information, and diligently consulted every availa- ble authority, he has, in respect of these, endeavored to avoid equally a servile submission to human judgment, and a captious rejection of the legitimate influence of intellect and learning. The serious discouragements under which the Author has labor- ed, have been, in some measure, counteracted by the favor with which the first volume has been received : and by the earnest manner in which many individuals, whose judgment is entitled to respect, have requested him to complete his scheme. From the United States, also, where the "Patriarchal Age" has been re- published and favorably noticed, the Author has had communica- tions urging him to prosecute his purpose to completion. With respect to the plan of this volume, one remark only is necessary. When entering upon the work, it was perceived that, unless some means were adopted to guard against it, the numerous and necessary critical disquisitions arising out of the subject, would prevent the possibility of maintaining anything like unity in the narrative. To meet this difficulty, it was decided to trans- mute a large portion of this digressive matter into Notes at the end of each chapter.* The concluding volume of the series, for which considerable preparation has already been made, will, it is hoped, be completed at no distant period. It is intended to embrace the History and Religion of the Gentile Nations, from the Death of Isaac to the Christian Era. Teevu, Camboene, September 15th, 1849, ''[In the American edition these valuable "Notes" are inserted in the Appendix, so as not to break the continxuty of the narrative. — Asi. Editok.] CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. The Origin of Nations usually obsciu-e — ^That of the Hebrews an Exception — Owe their national Existence to divine Election. I. Personal and Family Histoet of the He- BEEW Patriarchs as bearing upon this Election. Scripture Promises exhibiting this di\ine Purpose — This Purpose asserted — Abraham — ^Isaac — Jacob and Esau — Their Rela- tion to the Promise — Esau sells his Birthright — Jacob obtains the Blessing — He journeys to Padan-aram — The Vision at Bethel — His Sojourn with Laban — He returns — Is pursued — ^Wrestles with an Angel — Its religious Effect — Meets Esau happily — Jacob dwells hi Canaan — Partiality to Joseph, who is sold into Egypt by his Brethren — His conduct there — Made Governor of Egypt — Brings his Father and Family into that Country — Intense Literest which the Hebrews felt in the divine Promises — Their Confidence and Hope — Are persecuted by the Egyptians. U. The Miracles which preceded and effected THE Exodus. The peculiar State of the Israelites, and their future Destiny, required the Power and Wisdom of God to be displayed in their Deliverance — Birth and Preserva- tion of Moses — His noble Choice and mighty Faith — His Interposition, Flight, and So- journ in Midian — Is sent by God to demand the Release of the Israelites — The Miracle of the Serpent — The Water turned into Blood — The Plague of Frogs — Of Lice — Of Flies — Of Murrain — Of Boils — Of Hail — Of Locusts — Of Darkness — The Passover appointed, and the First-born of Egypt slain — The Israelites leave Egypt — Their March — Are pur- sued by Pharaoh — ^Their Danger — A Passage opened for them through the Sea — Their Enemies destroyed — The Hebrews, in Safety and Freedom, return Thanksgiving to God Page 13 CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS IN THE WIXDERNESS. Peculiarities of Hebrew Nationality at the Exodus — State of the People — Their rational Expression of Joy — Their Joiurneying — Marah — Elim — Wilderness of Sin — The Quails and Manna — Miraculous Supply of Water — Amalekites — The Hebrews arrive at Sinai — Glorious Revelation of God — He delivers his Law to the People — Moses called up into the Mount — The golden Calf^The People punished and pardoned — Moses again called into the Mount — The Levitical ecclesiastical Economy promulged — The Tabernacle and its Furniture prepared — Its sacred Service begun and divinely accepted — Sin and Punishment of Nadab and Abihu — The People numbered and organized — Their Order of March — The People murmur for Flesh — Quails sent — And seventy Prophets appointed — Rebellion and Punishment of Miriam — The Israelites aiTive at Kadesh-Barnea — The Purpose of God in their Wandering — Spies sent out — The Object and Results of their Mission — The existing Generation doomed to perish in the Wilderness — They wander thirty-eight Years — The Return of the Israelites to Kadesh — The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram — Their miraculous Pvmishment — The Sin and Doom of Moses and Aaron — The Edomites refuse Israel a Passage through their Country — Death of Aaron — Plague of fiery Serpents — Conquest of two Kings of the Amorites — Balaam — Sin and Punishment of Baal-peor — Second Census — Joshua appointed the Leader — Conquest of the Midianites — ^The Death of Moses — Order of Encampment 53 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER n. THE KELIGION OF THE HEBREWS IN THE "WILDERNESS. The Object of the Chapter — Religion of Jacob and his Sons when they entered Egypt— Of the Israelites at the Time of the Exodus— Their Idolatry in Egypt partial and secret — Character and Circumstances of Divine Worship at this Time — Priests — Place of Worship — Religious Revelations made to the Hebrews in the Wilderness — The Divine Author of these, the sacred Word — The Decalogue — Effects produced by its Revelation— The Tabernacle— Altar-Laver-The Holy, and the Most Holy Place, with their sacred Furniture — The Priesthood — The sacred Vestments— Urim and Thummim — Religious Festivals- Day of Atonement — ^Feast of Tabernacles— Of Tiumpets— New Moons — Sabbatical Year— The Sabbath— The Character of this Religious System — National and Theocratic — Object and Sanctions of the Theocracy — Future Rewards and Punishments known — The Theocracy national and general — The typical Character of the Mosaic Economy was to some extent understood by the ancient Hebrews Page 89 CHAPTER in. THE HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES UNDER JOSHUA AND THE JUDGES. Peculiar Circumstances of the Hebrews when Joshua was called to be theie Leader. — The Passage of the Jordan foretold — Spies sent to Jericho — The Crossing of Jordan miraculously effected — The Passover celebrated — The angel Jehovah appears to Joshua — Jericho taken and destroyed — Defeat of Israel at Ai — The Cause discovered — Sin alid Punishment of Achan — Confederation of the Canaauites — Guile of the Gibeon- ites, and their Doom — The combined Army of Canaan attack Gibeon — Joshua marches to its Relief— Obtains a great Victory — Miraculous Fall of Hail — The Sun and Moon stand still — The five Kings put to Death — A second Combmation of Canaanitish Kings — Joshua renews the War — Completely vanquishes the Enemy in a great Battle — The War continued until thirty-one Kingdoms were subdued — The Divine Interposition under which this Conquest was effected specially attested by Expulsion of some Tribes by Means of the Hornet — The Reubeuites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh retire to their Portion on the east side of Jordan — The altar Ed — The Portion of Caleb assigned — The Land divided — The pious Exhortations and Death of Joshua — ^Important Change IN Hebrew Polity consequent on the Death of Joshua — The Purpose of God in the Theocracy — ^Renewal of the War by Judah and Simeon — The partial Success of the He- brews the Result of imperfect Faith in God — The Remissness of Israel reproved by the Angel of tlie Lord — They continue disobedient, and fall into Idolatry — The Case of Micah and the Danites — The Outrage at Gibeah, and terrible Consequences to the Tribe of Benjamin. First Servitude under Chushan-rishathaim — Israel delivered by Othniel — The Character'of the Authority exercised by the Judges. Second Servitude under the Moabites — Ehud and Shamgar Judges. Third Servitude under the Canaanites — Debo- rah and Barak deliver Israel — The Song of Deborah. Fourth Servitude under the Midianites — Story of Ruth — Heroism of Gideon — .ibimelech. Tola, and Jair successively follow each other as Judges. Fifth Servitude under the Ammonites — Jephthah, Ib- zan, Elon, Abdon, Judges. Sixth Servitude of Israel imder the Philistines — Samson, Eli, and Samuel, Judges — The Unfaitlifulness of Israel renders a pure Theocracy im- practicable— Chronological Arrangement of the Events of this Period 125 CHAPTER IV. THE HISTORY OP THE HEBREW PEOPLE FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MON- ARCHY TO THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM. Samuel recognized as a Prophet — His Administration and Efforts to instruct and im- prove the People — The miraculous Rout of the Philistines — Samuel in his old Age as- sisted by his Sons — Their Sin — The Elders ask a King — The Causes of this Applica- CONTENTS. 7 tion — The Request is granted, and Saul anointed — Jabesh-Gilead delivered — Saul con- firmed in the Kingdom — War with the Philistines — Saul's Impatience and Transgres- sion— He is threatened — Heroism and Success of Jonathan — The King again acts un- wisely— Saul commanded to destroy the Amalekites — He is victorious, but again trans- gresses, and is assm-ed that he shall be deprived of the Kingdom — David privately anointed — Saul's mental Malady — He is relieved by David's Music — David made the King's Armor-bearer — War with the Philistines renewed — Goliath's Defiance — David kills the Giant — Said, jealous of David's Fame, persecutes him — The Friendship of David and Jonathan — David flies to the PhUistiues — The increasing Distress of Saul — His Death — The Return and Accession of DA-\aD — David anointed King of Judah in Hebron — Death of Ishbosheth — David anointed King over all Israel — Jerusalem taken and made the Capital — Great Success of David in all his military Enterprises — The Kingdom delivered from aU internal Enemies — And the neighboring States subdued — David's Sin in the Case of Bathsheba and Uriah — His Punishment denounced — The Wickedness of Amnon — He is slain — Absalom banished — But afterward pardoned — His Conspiracy — David flies — Absalom obtains the Capital — His Conduct — He is slain — The Return of the King — Rebellion of Sheba — The Kingdom saved by Joab — The People numbered — The consequent Pestilence — The last Days of David — His Death — The State OF THE HeBEEW KINGDOM AT THE ClOSE OF DaVID's ReIGN — ACCESSION OF SoLOMON — Piety and Wisdom — He begins to build the Temple — The Greatness of the Work — Its Enormous expense — The Fabric completed and dedicated — Solomon's commercial Policy — Palmyra — Baalbec — Extensive inland Trade — Maritime Commerce — Oi)hir — The Queen of Sheba's Visit — Solomon's Riches — His unbounded Liixm-y and State — His numerous AVives and Concubines — His Apostasy — The awful Extent of his Idolatries — Jeroboam informed by a Prophet that he shall reign over ten Tribes — The Death of Solomon — And Accession of Rehoboam — His Folly — The Division of the Kingdom — Brief Review of the Reign of Solomon — National Consequences of his Sin . . , .Page Idfl CHAPTER V. TUB RELIGION OF THE HEBREWS FROM THEIR ENTRANCE INTO CANAAN TO THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM. The religious System communicated to the Hebrews in the Wilderness, di- \inely attested, and the People trained to its Observance — Specially enforced by Divine Interposition when the Israelites entered Canaan — The Fidelity of the Hebrews during the Government of Joshua, and the Elders who were contemporary with him — Religious Corruption introduced by Micah — The EvU extended by the Danites — and continued by Gideon — at length issues in open and avowed Idolatry — The Nature of this Evil, and its fearful Consequences — The Conduct of Jephthah — Low State of Religion in Israel at the time of Eli — Samuel, his Piety, and prophetic Inspiration — Labors to reform the People, and restore the Worship of Jehovah — Religious Worship during this Pe- riod— The Tabernacle set up in Shiloh — The Ark, taken by the Philistines, when re- stored, not returned to the Tabernacle, but deposited in a Tabernacle buUt for the purpose by David on Mount Zion — The Worship established there a remarkable Innova- tion in the ceremonial Law — Its several Parts, and spiritual Character — The Temple BUILT, its Dedication, Manifestation of Divine Glory, and Descent of Fire on the Al- tar— Efiects of these Events on the public Mind — Did the AVorship in David's Taber- nacle continue after the Temple was dedicated? — And was this extended and conti- nued?— Personal Religion — Samuel — David, his early Piety, Conduct in Persecution and Danger — Falls into Sin, Ms Penitence and Pardon — Reality of his spiritual Restora- tion— His Piety specially honored by the Inspiration of the Psalms — Solomon, his youthful Godliness, Views of the Messiah, Wisdom and Zeal — The Book of Ecclesias- tes — Falls into Sin, establishes Idolatry — No Evidence of his Repentance — Doctrinal Opinions — Natm-e and Extent of the Efficacy of Sacrifice — Expiatory, vicarious, and propitiatory — Views of God — Immortality of the Soul — Separate Existence and Influ- ence of Satan 227 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. THE HISTORY AND RELIGION OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. C!ONSEQUENCES OF THE DIVISION OF THE HEBREWS INTO TWO INDEPElfDENT RofGDOMS — Jeroboam, the first King of Israel, selects Shechem for his Capital — ^Establishes the Wor- ship of golden Calves at Bethel and Dan — The Consequences of this Conduct — Jeroboam rebuked by a Prophet — Miraculously punished and restored — The Death of the King's Son, and the total Ruin of the royal House, predicted by Ahijah — War with Judah — Israel defeated — Nadab reigns — Is slain, and succeeded by Baasha, who prosecutes the War with Judah successfully — Israel invaded by the Syrians — Jehu the Prophet pre- dicts the ruin of the House of Baasha — ^Elah succeeds his Father, and is slain — A civil War between two rival Factions, headed by Omri and Tibni — The Death of Tibni — Omri reigns — Ahab succeeds his Father — Marries Jezebel — Introduces Phenician Idol- atry— And persecutes the Worshipers of Jehovah — Jericho rebuilt, and Joshua's Male- diction verified — The Prophet Elijah — The Three Tears of Drought and Famine — Euinous Condition of the Kingdom — ^Elijah meets Ahab — The Miracle of Carmel — The Prophets of Baal slain — Eain given — Elijah threatened with Death — Escapes — Is sent to anoint Hazael King of Syria, Jehu King of Israel, and Elisha to be Prophet — Israel invaded by Benhadad — Delivered according to the Word of a Prophet — The Invasion repeated the next Year — And agaui repulsed — The Death of Naboth — Prophecy of Eli- jah— ^Fearful Doom of the House of Ahab — Jehoshaphat unites with Ahab to war against Ramoth — Prophecy of Micaiah — ^Death of Ahab — Ahaziah reigns — Fails in his Attempt to restore the maritime Commerce with Ophir — Jehoram reigns — Elijah trans- lated, and succeeded by Elisha, who works Miracles — Makes known the Counsels of Benhadad — And defeats the Designs of the Syrians — Samaria besieged — Suffers from a terrible Famine — Is divinely delivered — Hazael succeeds to the Throne of Syria — Jehu anointed King — Kills Jehoram, Jezebel, and all the Children of Ahab — Destroys the Prophets of Baal, and prohibits that Idolatry — Jehoahaz succeeds to the Throne — Israel suffers from the Syrians under Hazael — Joash reigns — Prospers in his War with Syria- Triumphs over Judah — Jeroboam H. reigns, and greatly increases the Power of Israel — Hosea and Amos prophesy — Zechariah reigns — ^Is killed by Shallvmi, who is destroyed by Manahem — In his Reign Assyria invades Israel — Pekahiah reigns — Is slain by Pe- kah, who succeeds, and forms an AUiance with Syria — ^Vanquishes Judah — Hoshea reigns — ^Is dethroned, and the Kingdom destroyed by the Assyrians Page 270 CHAPTER VH. THE HISTORY AND RELIGION OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH. Rehoboam, preparing to subdue the revolted Tribes, is forbidden by a prophet — ^Relative Position of the Kingdoms — Judah degenerates into Idolatry — ^Invaded, and Jerusalem plundered, by Shishak — Abijam succeeds to the Throne — He invades Israel — Asa made King — Prohibits Idolatry — Repels the Ethiopian Invasion — Is harassed by the King of Israel — Obtains Deliverance by a League with Syria — This Conduct condemned — The Prophet persecuted — Jehoshaphat reigns — He prohibits Idolatry — And issues a Com- mission for the Instruction of the People — Marries his Son to the Daughter of Ahab — Judah invaded by Moab and Ammon — Jehoshaphat seeks Refuge in Jehovah — Is glo- riously delivered — He attempts the Revival of the Trade with Ophir, but fails — Jehoram succeeds his Father — He massacres all his Brethren — He restores the Groves and High Places — Introduces the Sidonian Idolatry, and enforces its Observance — Inva- sion of the Kingdom by a combined Army of Philistines and Arabians — Who carry off the royal Family, and spoil the Palace of the King — Jehoram dies miserably, and is succeeded by Ahaziah — He begins to reign wickedly, and is slain by Jehu — Athaliah usurps the Government — ^Destroys aU the Seed Royal except one Child — And reigns six Years — Athaliah slain — And Joash placed on the Throne when seven Years old — He repairs the Temple— And reigns wisely until the Death of Jehoiada— He then falls into Idolatry— Being reproved by Zechariah for Ms Impiety, he commands the Prophet to CONTENTS. 9 be put to Death — Jerusalem spoiled by Hazael of SjTia — Joash is murdered in Ms Bed, and succeeded by Amaziab — He begins to reign well — Invades Edom — Is victorious — Worships the Deities of Seir — Is rebuked by a Prophet — Whom he threatens — He pro- vokes a War with Israel — Is defeated, and taken Prisoner — Uzziah succeeds to the Throne — He reigns well — Humbles the Philistines, Ammonites, and Arabians — Strength- ens the Army — Invents important military Engines — He invades the Peiest's Office, and, attempting to oflFer Incense, is smitten with Leprosy — The Nature and Influence of the prophetic OiBce — Jotham reigns piously — IVIicah prophesies — Ahaz reigns wickedly — Judah defeated by Israel with great Loss — Isaiah divinely commissioned to Ahaz — The King trusts in Assyria, and is disappointed — Hezekiah reigns — He reforms Abuses — Destroys Idolatry — And restores the Worship of Jehovah — Ceases to pay Tribute to the King of Assyria — Is threatened by him — Hezekiah's Sickness and Piccovery — The De- struction of the AssjTian Army — Nahum prophesies — Conduct of the King to the Baby- lonish Ambassadors condemned — He is threatened — Manasseh succeeds to the Throne — He restores Idolatry — And persecutes imto Death the Worshipers of Jehovah — Sub- dued by the King of Assyria, and carried away Captive — He humbles himself, repents, is restored to his Kingdom, and reigns piously — He dies, and is succeeded by Amon — Judah invaded by Assyria — Delivered by Judith — Josiah reigns well — A Book of the Law fomid in the Temple — Josiah opposes the King of Egypt — Is slain — Jeremiah raised up to prophesy — Jehoahaz reigns wickedly — Is deposed by the King of Egypt, who places Jehoiakim on the Throne — He also reigns wickedly, and is succeeded by Jehoia- chin, who is deposed by Nebuchadnezzar, who appoints Zedekiah King — He also does EvU — ^He is finally deposed, and Jerusalem destroyed, — Chronological Table. .Page 301 CHAPTER Vin. THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS DURINa THE CAPTIVITT. Peculiar Condition of the Hebrews at this Period— The several Deportations of Hebrews to the East — Gedaliah appointed Governor — He is slain, and the Remnant of Hebrews emigrate to Egypt — The Prophecies and Death of Jeremiah — Nebuchadnezzar's first Dream, declared and interpreted by Daniel — The Prophet is promoted to be Chief of the Wise Men — The Hebrews in their Captivity were treated with Tolerance and Liberality — The golden Image — The Deliverance of the three Hebrews — Nebuchadnez- zar's Dream of the Tree — The Di-eam explained — And fulfilled — The Insanity of the King — His Death — Evil-Merodach succeeds to the Throne of Babylon — He delivers Je- hoiachin from Prison, and honors him — Belshazzar succeeds to the Throne — His Feast — The Handwriting on the Wall — Explained by Daniel — Belshazzar's Death — A Re- markable FulfiUment of Prophecy — Accession of Darius to the Throne of Babylon — Daniel his Minister — The Edict forbidding Prayer to God — Daniel in the Den of Lions — Is delivered — His deep Interest in the Religion of his People — Receives special Reve- lations from Heaven — Preparation of the People for Restoration — The Accession of Cy- rus— His Decree — First Caravan of Hebrews return to Judea — The Altar of Burnt-off'er- ing restored— Foundation of the Temple laid— Opposition of the Samaritans — The Pro- gress of the Building forbidden — Darius Hystaspes reigns — The Building resumed — The Temple finished — Ezra sent to Jerusalem — His Labors and Reforms — Nehemiah appointed Governor of Jerusalem — The Walls of the City built— Several religious and social Reforms effected — Nehemiah goes to Babylon — And returns to Jerusalem — He again removes Disorder, and effects a social and religious Reformation — The History of Esther — Her Influence upon the Welfare of the Jews — Chronological Table 348 CHAPTER IX. THE RELIGION OF THE HEBREWS DURING THE CAPTIVITT. The Fall of the Hebrew Nation a Divine Infliction on Account of general Trans- gression— Idolatry introduced by Jehoram — ^Fostered by succeeding Kings — And, not- withstanding the Efibrts of some pious Princes, becomes paramount in Influence — ^The 10 CONTENTS. Extent of this Apostasy shown by Jeremiah — And more fully detailed by Ezekiel — Those who continued to worsliip Jehovah generally formal and insincere — The Preva- lence of Vice and Violence — The Presence of Jehovah withdrawn from the Temple — Lingers over the City — And finally departs from the Mount of Olives — The idolatrous and wicked Hebrews destroyed in the national Ruin — The Pious preserved, and carried into Captivity — Effects of this national Ruin upon the religious Opinions and Hopes of the Hebrews — It did not destroy their Confidence in God's covenant Mercy — Advan- tageous Position of the Hebrews at this Time for acquiring just Views of their covenant Relation to Jehovah, and of the Scheme of Redemption — Messianic Prophecies of Isaiah — Hosea — Joel — And Micah — These Prophecies were designed to support the Hebrews in their Affliction — Check the pride of their Enemies — And uphold the Honor of Jehovah — The Prophecies of Jeremiah — And Ezekiel — Nebuchadnezzar's profane Assumption and Intolerance— The Prophecies of Daniel— The Hebrews acquire a clear Knowledge of the Doctrine of Satan Page 378 CHAPTER X. THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE ESTABLISH- MENT OF INDEPENDENCE. JuDEA, after the Restoration of the Hebrews, a Province of the Persian Empire, and sub- ject to Syria — After Nehemiah, the High Priest is invested with the civil Government — Joiada High Priest — Succeeded by his Son Jonathan — Whose Brother, endeavoring to supplant him, is killed in the Temple — Bagoses profanes the Sanctuary, and levies a Tax upon Sacrifices — Jaddua High Priest — Refuses to supply Food to the Army of Alex- ander— ^Vho threatens Jerusalem — The City wonderfully saved from his Anger — And favored by him — On the Partition of the Macedonian Monarchy, Judea assigned to Lao- medon — Taken from him by Ptolemy — From whom it is wTested by Antigonus — Judea restored to Ptolemy, and attached to Egypt — Simon the Just, High Priest — Succeeded by Eleazar — Antigonus of Soccho President of the great Synagogue — ^Manasses, Son of Jaddua, High Priest — Onias, the Son of Simon the Just, succeeds to the High Priest- hood— His Covetousness perUs the State — Which is saved by the Address of his Nephew Joseph — Simon H. High Priest — The profane Attempt of Philopater — Defeated — His Per- secution of the Jews — Judea conquered by Antiochus, and again united to the Kingdom of Syria — Onias HI. High Priest — Factious Conduct of Simon, Governor of the Temple — Jason, by Ti-eachery, obtains the Deposition of his Brother, and is appointed High Priest — He introduces Grecian Manners, and corrupts the People — Is supplanted by Menelaus — Onias HI. murdered — Jerusalem stormed by Antiochus, and the Temple spoiled — The Jewish Religion proscribed — And a bloody Persecution begun — Mattathias and his Sons resist this Tyranny — Mattathias, dying, is succeeded by Judas — Who, after long and desperate Efforts, obtains Possession of Jerusalem — Pm'ifies the Temjile, and restores holy Worship — Alcimus High Priest — Judas slain — His Brother John cut off — Jonathan Maccabeus conducts the War — He is seduced by Treachery, and made captive — Simon Maccabeus succeeds as Captain-General — He obtains the Independence of his Country — Chronological Table 405 CHAPTER XL THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THEIR INDEPEN- DENCE TO THE TIME OF CHRIST. The Condition of the Hebrews on their attaining Independence — Simon, Prince and High Priest, exercises the Attributes of Sovereignty, and coins Money — Simon, with his two Sons, barbarously murdered by his Son-in-law — John Hyrcanus succeeds as Prince and High Priest — His Rupture with the Pharisees— Unites politically with the Sadducees — Ai-istobulus follows his Father in the Sovereignty and High Priesthood — Death of his Brother Antigonus— Alexander Janneus reigns — Prosecutes several Wars — Insun-ection of the Pharisees— Civil War— The King triumphs— His Widow succeeds CONTENTS. 11 to Power — Is reconciled to the Pharisees — Hyrcanus reigns — Deposed by his Brother Aristobulus — Antipater supports Hyrcanus — Pompey takes Jerusalem by Assault, and restores Hyrcanus — Antipater governs in his Name — Judea divided into Districts with an Aristocratical Form of Government — Antipater relieves Julius Ciesar in Egypt. — An- tipater poisoned — Hyrcanus deposed, and Antigonus seated on the Throne by the Par- thians — Herod appointed King of Judea by the Senate of Rome — Antigonus deposed and put to Death — Herod reigns — His Cruelty and Power Page 435 CHAPTER Xn. THE RELIGION OF THE HEBREWS FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE TIME OF CHRIST. State of Religion after the Restoration — Ezra and Nehemiah — Messianic Prophe- cies of Haggai — Of Zechariah — And of Malachi — The Doctrines held respecting the DiTiNE Nature, and the promised Redeesiee — The Jews believed in a Plurality in the Divine Existence — Which is limited to three — But they did not regard the promised Messiah as one of these — ^But expected him as a Prophet and Prince who would act un- der the Guidance of a visible Revelation of the glorious Word, as Moses did — The Or- dinances OF Religion, Instruction, and Worship — The Services of the Temple — And of the Synagogue, including reading the Scriptures, Preaching, Prayer, and religious conversational Intercourse — Efficiency of these Means — The Peculiarities, Charac- ter, AND Influence of the several religious Sects which obtained at this Tijie — The Pharisees — Their Origin — Distinguished by great apparent Sanctity of Life — Doc- trines and Power — ^Their Influence opposed to the Purposes of Grace — The Sadducees — Their Origin — Doctrines — Learning and Wealth — The Essenes — Their Doctrines — Insti- tutions— Worship — And Character — The Views entertained on personal Religion — Repentance — Pardon — Faith — The Efi'ect of these Doctrines practically destroyed by the Adoption of Tradition — A Reliance on Rites — And the Piejection of spiritual Re- ligion 460 CHAPTER Xm. THE GENIUS OF THE DISPENSATION. The Mosaic Economy a new Dispensation, which exhibits, I. A u^^QUE Development of Divine Government — The Election of a Family to distinguished civU and religious Pri- vileges— The continued Application of Divine Interposition, adapted to their varying Cir- cumstances— And the providential Arrangements of the World made with Reference to their Interest and Destiny. H. A remedial Agency, which aiforded an Authentication of revealed Truth — Removed dangerous Error — Perpetuated the Divine Will in written Oracles — Gave typical Illustrations of the Messiah's Eangdom — And dispensed the Light and Influence of Prophecy. HI. A Means of effectuating the promised Redemp- tion— It supplied all the essential Elements of Knowledge necessary to identify the Mes- siah at his Coming, and to exhibit the true Character of his Mission — And maintained and illustrated the Doctrine of Atonement — Yet it did not produce the intended Results to the Hebrews — But was, nevertheless, in their Excision, made an efficient Means of accomplishing the great Work of Redemption 493 NOTES. Circumcision, p. 509. — Jacob's Pottage, p. 509. — Esau's Sale of his Birthright, p. 510. — Isaac's Blessing, p. 510. — ^Laban's Teraphim, p. 510. — Jacob's Wrestling, p. 511. — Bon- dage of the Israelites in Egj^t, p. 511. — Real Wonders were wrought by the Magicians, p. 511. — These Wonders wrought by Demon Agency, p. 512. — Human Sacrifices of the Egyptians, p. 514. — The Borrowing of the Israelites from the Egyptians, p. 514. — Number of the Hebrews on leaving Egypt, p. 514. — Chronology of this Period, p. 515. — ^Route of 12 CONTENTS. the Israelites from Egypt, and miraculous Passage of the Red Sea, p. 515. — The Song of Moses, p. 51G. — The Healing of the Waters, p. 516. — The Laws given at Marah, p. 517. — Quails, p. 517. — The Manna a Miracle, p. 518. — The smitten Rock, p. 519. — Amalek, p. 519.— Jethro's Visit to Moses, p. 520.— The Meekness of Moses, p. 521.— The Situation of Kadesh, p. 521. — Absurdity of rationalistic Interpretation, p. 521. — ^Miriam, p. 522. — The Sin of Moses, p. 522.— The brazen Serpent, p. 522.— The Plains of Moab, p. 522.— Nimibering of the People, p. 523. — The patriarchal Priesthood, p. 523. — The Place of Patri- archal Worship, p. 525. — Cause of the Similarity between the Religious Institutions of the Hebrews and those of Heathen Nations, p. 52G. — The proper Division of the Decalogue, p. 527.— The Mosaic Tabernacle, p. 528.— The Cherubim, p. 529.— The Shekinah, p. 531. — The Levitical Priesthood, p. 533. — The Urim and Thummim, p. 533-. — Harmony of the Mosaic Laws, p. 535. The Grounds on which the Hebrews claimed a Right to Pales- tine, p. 5'iO. — The Gibeonites, p. 541. — The Miraculous Hail-stones, p. 541. — The Mira- cle of Joshua, p. 542. — Two Tribes of Amorites expelled by the Hornets, p. 545. — Relative Chronology of the War with Benjamin, p. 545. — ^Extent of the Authority of the Judges, p. 54G. — The House of Heber, p. 546. — The Sin and Punishment of Beth-shemesh, p. 546. — Samuel and the Philistines, p. 547. — The judicial Circuit of Samuel, p. 548. — The Schools of the Prophets, p. 548. — The Cause of Hebrew Monarchy, p. 549. — The Threat of Nahash, p. 550. — Public and private anointing of Kings, p. 551. — Difficulties in the Scriptural Narrative of David's Entrance on his public Career, p. 551. — The Apparition of Samuel, p. 552. — The Treason of Absalom, -p. 554. — The Slaughter of the Gibeonites, and its Punishment, p. 554. — The Sin of numbering the People, p. 555. — Solomon's Mar- riage with Pharaoh's Daughter, p. 556. — Ships of Tarshish, p. 556. — The Situation of Ophir and its Trade, p. 558. — The Geography of Sheba, p. 559. — The Effect of Solomon's commercial Policy upon the conduct of Egypt toward Israel, p. 560. — Reason why the spiritual Religion of the Patriarchs was not more fully recorded by Moses, p. 560. — Pecu- liar Attestation to the Tiiith of the Hebrew Faith, p. 561 — Israel taught and trained by God, p. 562. — The Computation of Sabbatical Years, p. 563. — The Ephod of Gideon, p. 563. — Teraphim, p. 563. — Jephthah's Daughter, p. 565. — The Sons of the Prophets, p. 566. — Typical Importance of David's Tabernacle, p. 567. — Origin of Synagogues, p. 569. — Hyssop, p. 570. — The Conduct of Rehoboam, p. 570. — The Divine Purpose in the Division of the Kingdom, p. 570. — Peculiar Religious Character of this History, p. 571. — The Sin of Jeroboam, p. 571. — The Statutes of Omri, p. 572. — The Malediction of Joshua, and its Accomplishment on Hiel, p. 572. — The Case of Hazael, p. 573. — Geographical Extent of the Kingdom of Judah, p. 574. — High Places, p. 574. — The Burning for Asa, p. 576. — The Letter of Elijah, p. 577.— The Sacrifice of Children to Moloch, p. 577.— The Promise of Immanuel, p. 578. — The Connection of the Sacred History with that of Assyria, p. 578. — The Language employed by the Hebrews in speaking of Deity, p. 579. — The mi- raculous Destruction of the Assyrian Army, p. 579. — Sacred Groves, p. 580. — The Chro- nology of the Deliverance of Jerusalem by Judith, p. 580. — The Route of Pharaoh-Necho to Carchemish, p. 581. — The Chronology of Daniel, p. 581. — Chronological Arrangement of Nebuchadnezzar's Dreams, p. 582. — The Death of Belshazzar, p. 582. — The Vision of Ezekiel, p. 583. — When were the discourses of the Prophets written and collected ? p. 583.— Prophetic Vision, p. 586.— The Rationale of the Golden Image, p. 586.— The pre- dicted Invasion of Persia by Greece, p. 590. — Daniel's Notation of Prophetic Times, p. 590. — The Knowledge which the Hebrews obtained of the Personality and Influence of Satan, p. 590. — The Testimony of Josephus, p. 591. — The Rising Power of Rome, p. 591. — The Prevalence of the Greek Language, p. 592. — The Origin of the Sanhedrim, p. 592. — The Hebrew Community in Egyjit, p. 593. — The Samaritans, p. 595. — Violent Party Contest ■)f Jews and Samaritans in Egypt, p. 596.— The Coins of Sunon Maccabeus, p. 596. — The Religious Literature of the Jews, p. 597. — The unfounded Claims of the Mishnaic Tradi- tions, p. 601.— The Karaites, p. 604.— Were the Essenes Christians ? p. 605.— The DivL e Intention in Prophecy defeated by Tradition, p. 606. INTRODUCTION. The Origin of Nations usually obscure — ^That of the Hebrews an Exception — Owe their national Existence to divine Election. I. Persojial and Family Histoey of the He- EEEW Patkiaechs as bearing upon this Election. Scripture Promises exhibiting this divine Purpose — This Purpose asserted — Abraham — Isaac — Jacob and Esau — Their Rela- tion to the Promise — Esau sells his Birthright — Jacob obtains the Blessing — He journeys to Padan-aram — The Vision at Bethel — His Sojourn with Laban — He returns — Is piusued — ^Wrestles with an Angel — Its religious Eifect — Meets Esau happily — Jacob dwells in Canaan — Partiality to Joseph, who is sold into Egypt by his Brethren — His conduct there — Made Governor of Egypt — Brings his Father and Family into that Country — Intense Interest which the Hebrews felt in the divine Promises — Their Confidence and Hope — Are persecuted by the Egyptians. H. The Miracles avhich preceded and effected the Exodus. The peculiar State of the Israelites, and their future Destiny, required the Power and Wisdom of God to be displayed in their Deliverance — Birth and Preserva- tion of Moses — His noble Choice and mighty Faith — His Interposition, Flight, and So- journ in Midian — Is sent by God to demand the Release of the Israelites — The Miracle of the Serpent — The Water turned into Blood — The Plague of Frogs — Of Lice — Of Flies — Of Murrain — Of Boils — Of Hail — Of Locusts — Of Darkness — Tlie Passover appointed, and the Firstrborn of Egypt slain — The Israelites leave Egypt — Their March — Are piu-- sued by Pharaoh — Their Danger — A Passage opened for them through the Sea — Their Enemies destroyed — The Hebrews, in Safety and Freedom, return Thanksgiving to God. The origin of nations is usually mucli obscured by fiction and fable, if not enveloped in darkness. The annals of almost every people describe them, at a certain period of their history, as emerging from a cloudy obscurity into which the eye of the historian cannot penetrate, so as to trace with distinctness and precision then- previous career. To this gene- ral rule the Hebrew nation forms a very remarkable exception. The origin of this people is not only clearly exhibited by authentic history, but, like their whole course, stands prominently before us as a part of divinely revealed truth. Nor does the information thus afforded serve merely to show the source whence this wonderful race of men arose, or the fostering circumstances which multiplied a family into a nation : it clearly displays the great purpose of God, of which his continual interposition throughout their national history was the development. The history and religion, the character and destiny, of the Hebrew people cannot, therefore, be profit- ably discussed, without a careful investigation mto the circumstances of theh ancestors, from the vocation of Abram to the period of the Exodus. It is the object of this introductory chapter to trace these circumstances 14 INTRODUCTION. as tliey arose out of the election of the house of Israel, and the obedient faith of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, under the continued interposition of Jehovah for the accomphshment of his own declared purpose, until the Hebrews are presented to the world as a separate and independent people. In the prosecution of this purpose, two important subjects are pre- sented to our attention: The family history of the Hebrew patriarchs, as exhibitmg- and illustrating the divine election of the house of Israel to be a great and favored nation ; and the continued series of miraculous interpositions which preceded and which effected the Exodus. A care- ful consideration of these subjects will form a suitable and essential pre- liminary to an investigation into the history and rehgion of the Hebrew people. I. The personal and family liistory of the Hebrew patriarchs, as exhib- iting and illustrating the divine election of the house of Israel. "When Moses informs us that the family of Terah had emigrated from Ur of the Chaldees, and taken up their residence in Haran, he assigns no reason or cause for this movement. But the information withheld in the Old Testament is supplied in the New. In the memorable speech of Stephen, the inspired deacon says, " The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said imto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran." Acts vii, 2-4. Here the important information is given, that the first move- ment of Abraham from his native place was in obedience to a direct communication from God. But we have no intimation that any promise was given at this time. Jehovah appears to have announced his will, which the patriarch implicitly obeyed. The first intunation given in Holy Scripture of the special appointment of the Hebrew people to be a great and favored nation, is contained in %^ the divine communication made to Abram, when he was called to leave Haran. A particular locality was then indicated, and a specific promise given : " Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee : and I will make of thee a great nation." Gen. xii, 1, 2. After the patriarch had obeyed, and journeyed into the land of Canaan, he was told that this was the country which his descendants should occupy ; for " the Lord appeared imto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." Gen. xii, 7. This promise was confirmed and expanded after Lot left the company of his uncle. Then " the Lord said unto Abraham, Lift up now thine eyes, _^ and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and ^ eastward, and westward : for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the INTRODUCTION. 15 dust of the earth : so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it ; for I will give it imto thee." Gen. xiii, 14-17. Further revelations afterwards defined the extent of country which had been so fully promised, and the period when the family of Abram should take possession of it. On that memorable occasion when God entered into covenant with this patriarch, He said unto him, " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four himdred years; and also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace ; thou shalt be bmied in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again : for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. ... In that same day the Lord made a cove- nant with Abram, saying. Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates : the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Periz- zites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." Gen. xv, 13-21. Thus was Abram assured, in explicit terms, of the extent of the country which his seed should inhabit, the precise time when they should take possession of it, and the various tribes or nations which should be cast out before them. After the birth of Ishmael, when the Lord appointed the rite of cir- cumcision (see Appendix, note 1) as a sign of the special covenant which he had made with Abram, and when his name was altered by divine command, further intimations were given of the number of the patriarch's posterity, and especially of that branch unto whom the covenant was to descend. On that occasion, God said imto Abram, " I wUl make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face : and God talked with him, saying. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram ; but thy name shall be Abraham ; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will estabhsh my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God." Gen. x\ii, 2-8. And at the same time, after having appointed the rite of circumcision, the Almighty proceeded to promise, in the clearest and most explicit manner, that Abraham should 16 INTRODUCTION. haye another son, who should be the heir of this special covenant. " God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her : yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations ; kings of people shall be of her. And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee ! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed ; and thou shalt call his name Isaac : and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee : Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly ; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee." Gen. xvii, 15-21. Language can scarcely be more comprehensive or precise than this. Every kind of misconception is guarded against, every doubt removed ; and the promises which had been so amply and particularly given to Abraham are here, Avith equal certainty, limited to Isaac, and were subsequently communicated directly unto him. After the death of his father, Isaac went to Gerar ; " and the Lord appeared unto him, and said. Go not down into Egypt ; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee ; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father ; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries : and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. xxvi, 2-4. These covenant-promises were afterward given to Jacob and his descendants. Before his birth, Rebekah was divinely informed, that from the twins in her womb two nations should descend ; that the one people should be stronger than the other ; and that the elder should serve the yoimger. The language appears to intimate, although in rather obscure terms, that the younger of these children should inherit the promise. But this fact is clearly stated in the revelations made to Jacob at Bethel, when on his journey to Padan-aram. On that occasion Jehovah said unto him, " I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth ; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south : and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land ; for I will not leave thee, xmtil I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." Gen. xxviii, 13-15. The same promise was repeated after the INTRODUCTION. 17 return of Jacob to Canaan. Then " God said unto liim, I am God Almighty : be fruitful and multiply ; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kmgs shall come out of thy loins. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land." Gen. xxxv, 11, 12. At the hazard of being thought tedious, the above collection of promises and predictions has been placed before the reader, as exhibiting at one view the plan and purpose of God. These are not fragments culled from the history of the men, or of the nation. They are decla- rations of the divine will, avowals of the predetermined purposes of God to make Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and, after them, the Jewish nation and polity, auxiliary to the advent of Messiah, and preliminary to the establishment of his universal kingdom of grace. These portions of Scripture do not, therefore, exhibit any of the ordinary divine interpo- sitions in the affairs, fortunes, and destinies of nations ; they do this in a certain sense, but the object of which they speak is infinitely greater : it is the introduction of a new element into God's government of the world, — the selection of a family destined to be the human progenitors of the Messiah, and the appointment of a nation which, constantly guided by a special providence, and made the depositary of revealed truth, should prepare the way for the development of the great scheme of redemption. It is important to insist on this view before any reference is made to the character and conduct of the patriarchs ; because nothing is more frequent than to find skeptics and infidels of every grade confounding the design of God with the policy of man, and stultifying the divine plan, because some of the persons who have been brought within its range have acted imworthily. This is unreasonable and unjust. The texts which have been quoted show, in outline, the divine intention: this was wise and merciful, the result of infinite wisdom and boundless love, the plan best adapted to magnify the mercy of God, and to effect the salvation of man. Here to pause and defend the justice or the propriety of this course cannot be necessary. The Almighty Governor saw at his feet a rebel- lious and ruined world. He selected one faithful man, gave unto him special promises, and raised from his seed a nation, which he called into special covenant with himself, made them the recipients of revealed truth, and appointed the Messiah to be bom, and his universal kingdom to be first set up, among this people. This course was taken as the best adapted for the maintenance of his truth, and the manifestation of bis grace. In a manner the most demonstrative, it has in all ages been attested as the work and wisdom of God. If, with this fact written imperishably on all the records of ancient history, engraven in everlasting 2 18 INTRODUCTION. characters on the rocks of Palestine, showTi forth by a multitude of nuracles and fulfilled predictions, and still living in the remnant of the Jewish race, — if, in the face of such endence, men can be found pre- pared to deny the justice or suitability of a plan, which God has thus inwrought into his government of the world dming thousands of years, then it may be fairly concluded that argument on such minds will be unavailing ; they must be left to their own views. It is the peculiar character of this proceeding, that, in outline at least, the end is seen from the beginning. While yet only Abraham and ■Sarah, an old and childless couple, are before us, we are informed not merely that they shall have a son, but that their descendants shall become a great nation ; we are told of the particular countries which they shall inhabit, and the period when they shall take possession of them. These facts are announced in close connection with the covenant relation which was to subsist between this people and Jehovah, and accompanied by intimations of the blessings which should flow through them to all mankind. In tracing the development of this divine purpose in the family his- tory of Isaac, Jacob, and of his sons, until their children became a nimaerous tribe, it will only be necessary to observe, in respect of Isaac, that he was so specially named as heir to the promises made to his father, that, on the death of the distinguished patriarch, he at once stands before us in this character. We have already adverted to the pecuUar circumstances which pre- ceded the birth of Esau and Jacob. The former possessed the birth- right ; while to the latter pertained, according to the decree of the divine oracle, the pre-eminence over his elder brother. Meanwhile, the boys grew and approached manhood, when Esau became celebrated as a hunter, while Jacob was a plain man, remaining chiefly at home. It might be observed here, that whatever difiiculty may appear in the relative position of these young men, it was beyond their control, and to be cleared up only by providential interposition : thus they ought to have regarded it. For, throughout the whole plan, God had predeter- mined which of them was to succeed to the covenant-promise ; even before they had " done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand," Rom. ix, 11 ; and their descendants, throughout all their history, have a standing proof that they did not earn their elevated privileges and power by their piety or prowess, but received all as the free gift of God. A short time, however, sufficed to transfer the birthright from Esau to Jacob. The Mosaic narrative states that " Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field," and that on one occasion, having returned from his hunting, weary, hungry, and faint, he found his brother with some 2* INTRODUCTION. igt delicious pottage, of iivhicli lie earnestly desired to partake ; (see Appendix, note 2 ;) and on preferring his request, Jacob demanded his birthright in return ; a condition which Esau, either in thoughtless haste, or in contempt of his privilege, accepted ; for the inspired writer closes his account of this transaction with this significant remark, " Thus Esau despised his birthright." Gen. xxv, 27-34. (See Appendix, note 3.) The conduct of Jacob in this instance must not be confounded with the divine purpose to invest his family with power, pri\dlege, and dignity, beyond that of his brother. All this would have been eflfected, if Jacob had acted with the utmost kindness and hberality towards Esau ; effected, too, in a manner honorable to all the instruments employed, and worthy of the goodness and wisdom which dictated the arrangement. But when Jacob — informed as he doubtless had been, by his fond mother, of the declaration of the oracle — labored, with indecent haste and ungenerous temper, to take advantage of his brother's weakness, and thus to wrest from him a privilege which he too lightly esteemed ; although Divine Providence did not interfere to prevent the accomphsh- ment of the purpose by these means, it allowed the natural results to follow ; and Jacob for many years bitterly felt the consequences of his misconduct. But this act was followed by a still more culpable proceeding on the part of Jacob. The sacred historian informs us, that " when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him. My son : and he said \mio him. Behold, here am I. And he said. Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death : now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison ; and make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat ; that my sovd may bless thee before I die." Gen. xxvii, 1-4. Rebekah, who had overheard this conversation, was greatly displeased with Esau because he had married into the Canaanitish family of Heth ; and being extremely partial to Jacob, instantly set herself to devise means to obtain for him the blessing which Isaac was intending for Esau. Whatever might have been the purpose and intention of the aged patriarch in the communication of this blessing, it was clearly regarded as a matter of vital interest by every member of the family. (See Appendix, note 4.) Under this impression Rebekah hears, and deter- mines to circumvent her husband on behalf of her favorite son. She persuades Jacob to personate his brother ; she herself prepares " savory meat," and assists m rendering his disguise perfect ; and he succeeds in obtaining the blessing. 20 INTRODUCTION. This imposition upon tlie aged and afflicted father had been but just completed, when Esau returned to claim the promised benediction ; and found, to his great astonishment and grief, that his brother had pre- viously received the " blessing," and that Isaac, although feeling he had been deceived, also felt, that the predictive promise which he had given was from heaven, and that he could not revoke it ; but, on the contrary, whilst laboring to bless Esau, was constrained to confirm the benediction previously given to Jacob. It is almost impossible to read the whole account, as given by the sacred writer, without a strong desire to know by what means it was intended to bring about the purposes of Heaven in this case. The deceit of Rebekah, and the profane falsehood of Jacob, were alike unnecessar_y to accomplish the divine intention. How, then, would it have been efiected ? This is not known. Human frailty and sin are here seen unitedly intruding into the counsel and work of God ; and, instead of beholding the way and will of Heaven in all its inherent purity, we have to contemplate another scene, which, although overshadovfed with evU, is full of interest, — the wisdom of God overruling and controlling the weakness, and even the wickedness, of man, for the accomplishment of his own great and gracious designs. Esau having threatened the life of Jacob, on account of his conduct in this instance, Rebekah advises him to retire for a time ; and therefore suggests to Isaac the great impropriety of allowing Jacob to marry into any Canaanitish family. Isaac enters fully into her opinion, and charges Jacob not to take a wife of the daughters of the land, but to go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel his mother's brother, and to take a wife from thence. In the position which Jacob now occupied, as heir to the promises, this arrangement was necessary. If his family was destmed to expel all these nations, and inherit the land, it was only proper that he should form no immediate relationship with them. It is highly probable that Isaac regarded the importance of the case in this aspect ; for, immediately after charging Jacob to go to Padan-aram, he said unto him, " And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people ; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee ; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham." Gen. xxviii, 3, 4. Thus did Isaac identify the journey of Jacob, and his marriage into the Abrahamic family, with his participation in the fulfillment of the promise made to the father of the faithful. The humble and solitaiy manner in which this journey was performed, has very naturally excited surprise. We see here the heir of a princely house sent out to perform, on foot and unattended, a journey of four INTRODUCTION. 2t. hundred miles tlirougli a country partly uninhabited, and partly occupied or roamed over by nomadic tribes, who, to a great extent, were rude and lawless. When it is considered that Isaac inherited the great property and influence of Abraham, this fact appears remarkable. But it is illustrative of the manners of the age. At this early period there appear to have existed none of those aristocratic distinctions which, in after ages, rendered labor derogatory to rank. The whole testimony of sacred and profane history is as uniform as it is clear and explicit on this point. When the angels in human form came to Abraham, he " hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man ; and he hastened to dress it." Genesis xviii, 6, v. Similar conduct is uniformly exhibited by the heroes of Homer, and, indeed, in all the records of early ages. This, to a great extent, accounts for the singular manner in which Jacob performed his journey. It is probable that this young man, as he pursued his lonely way, was the subject of very peculiar and conflicting emotions. He had acqmred all that was externally necessary for the fulfillment of the pre- diction dehvered before his birth ; but it was by means which rested heavily on his conscience ; the more so, as they rendered necessary his exile from his father's house. In this state of mind he traveled about forty miles from Beersheba, and rested for the night at Bethel. This place is about eight miles north of Jerusalem, and was at this time called Luz. Here Jacob, having placed a stone for his pillow, lay down to sleep ; and while he slept he had a dream, in which he saw a ladder set up on the earth, which reached to heaven, and upon which, in his sight, the angels of God ascended and descended ; while Jehovah stood above it, and, in the language already quoted, assured him of his par- ticular interest in the Abrahamic covenant, and that all its promised blessings should be fulfilled in and through him. This vision holds a most important rank amongst the means by which the divine purposes with respect to the Abrahamic family were developed and brought into practical operation. It is not necessary to refer to the evangelical allusions which ingenious men have endeavored to discover in this significant representation. Whatever spiritual meaning it might have been intended to suggest in after-ages, there can be no doubt that it was in a wonderful manner adapted to afi'ord solace to Jacob's feelings, under the peculiar circumstances in which he found himself. That his lonely and isolated condition impressed upon his mind all the occurrences which had recently agitated his family, and led to this jom*- ney, may easily be imagined. Now for the first time separated from a 22 INTRODUCTION. kind father and a tender mother, cast upon the wide world, and lying down alone in the open air, as the darkness of night gathered about him, he would naturally be perplexed with doubt as to his future course ; — would feel anxious to know whether the position in which he nominally stood, attained as it had been on his part by such unworthy means, would be recognized and confirmed by the God of his fathers ; and whether his present journey would be crowned with a successful issue, or followed by disastrous results. In this state of mind Jacob slept, and was favored with the vision already described. In endeavoring to apprehend the effect which this representation would have upon the mind of Jacob, it should be remembered that he had been from his childhood familiar with the doctrines of providence, and of the ministry of angels : the history of his father's house was rich in the application of these, and the family conversation must have often turned on heavenly interposition and angelic visitation. Jacob would therefore at once perceive, in the visionary scene before him, a fresh proof that, lonely as he was upon earth, he was not forgotten on high. The ladder would at once indicate the intimate con- nection which subsisted between earth and heaven. The heavenly ones who were going up and down, would bring vividly before his mind the angelic agency employed to carry out the purposes of God among men. How, in the presence of this teaching picture, did he regard his recent conduct? The truth thus clearly indicated frowned condemnation on his want of faith, and on the undue hastiness and duplicity which Avere consequent. He saw how foolishly and sinfully he had obtruded him- self upon the purpose of God, and thus had periled, instead of pro- moting, his real interest. But, besides this representation, Jacob heard the Lord himself address him from heaven, saying, " I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed ; . . . and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xxviii, 13, 14. This communication met his case : he had been reproved, he is now com- forted and encouraged. The representation showed the folly and wick- edness of his conduct ; he is now assured, that, notwithstanding all this, the divine purpose remains unaltered, and he is therefore recognized by God himself as the heir to the great promises which had been made to Abraham. But while this is done, he is very plainly told that he does not owe this position to the exercise of his own crooked policy : no ; it is the gift of God : " To thee will I give it." It would not be right to dismiss this part of the narrative without a passing reference to its religious effect upon the mind of Jacob. On rising in the morning, and reviewing the objects presented to his mind during the visions of the night, he exclaimed, " Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful INTKODUCTION. 23 is this place ! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Gen. xxviii, 16, 17. It appears that the revelations of the night had affected his mind very deeply with a conviction of the divine presence and power. Under this influence all his plans, purposes, and strength seem to have sunk into nothing, and he Avas left fully con- scious of being entirely dependent upon Di\ine Providence. His mind being thus dra-vvn off from earthly confidence, he endeavors to find refuge and hope in the blessing of God. He therefore " vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace ; then shall the Lord be my God." Gen. xxviii, 20, 21. Thus Jacob cultivated a smcere confidence in God. Were these his first efforts of the kind ? Before leavmg the scene of this remarkable visitation, he " took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poiired oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el." Gen. xxviii, 18, 19. This was in accordance with the manners of the age. Moses repeatedly ex- pressed his grateful remembrance in a similar manner ; and such pillars, or perpendicular stones, consecrated to some religious purpose or object, were common in those ages, probably among all nations. From Bethel Jacob traveled forward, and arrived safely at Haran, where he was kindly received and lodged by Laban, his mother's bro- ther. If it were necessary to exhibit at length the personal history of this patriarch, his stay at Haran would fm-nish materials for lengthened inquiry and observation ; but as it is our object to dwell only on those parts of his personal history which stood connected with the develop- ment of the di\Tne will in regard to his posterity, it will be sufficient to state that Jacob successively married Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban, for whom he served their father fourteen years. Afterward various arrangements were made for the remuneration of his service, in all of which Laban seems to have displayed great covetousness, and Jacob consummate knowledge and craft. The latter, favored by Provi- dence, was uniformly successful in this protracted contest, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter ; and although he came to Haran without any substance, the sacred historian informs us that " the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and camels, and asses." Gen. xxx, 43. This prosperity of Jacob was not at all agreeable to the family of Laban. His sons complained that their father's property had been ab- stracted ; and " Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before." Gen, xxxi, 2, In these painful and embarrassing circumstances, the elected patriarch was not left to the guidance of his own wisdom : " The Lord said imto Jacob, Return unto M INTRODUCTION. the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred ; and I will be with thee." Verse 3. Instructed by this communication, he saw the necessity for extreme caution in proceeding to act upon it. He therefore sent and called Rachel and Leah unto him in the field, and there justified his conduct, and informed them of the divine command which he had received. His wives fully entered into his views, and expressed them- selves strongly respecting the covetous conduct of their father, saying, " Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house ? Are we not counted of him strangers ? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money ;" adding, for the encouragement of their husband, " Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do." Verses 14-16. Jacob, rejoicing that his way was thus far opened, resolved immediately to obey the divine command. He therefore " rose up, and set his sons and his Avives upon camels," (verse 17,) and with all his cattle and other property commenced his journey from Padan-aram towards the home of his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan. Influenced by prudential motives, Jacob had taken advantage of the absence of Laban, who was at a distance superintending his sheep-shear- ing, to collect his family and his property, and begin his journey. When the father-in-law returned, and was made acquainted with the circum- stances, he was greatly enraged ; and having quickly collected his ser- vants, piu-sued with eager haste Jacob and his family. From the temper in which this pursxiit was begun, and the manner in which Laban con- ducted himself throughout the affair, there can be Uttle doubt that he intended to inflict some serious injury on the patriarch, or to make some aggression upon his property. This was prevented by a special inter- position of Providence, the Lord appearing for this purpose unto Laban, in a vision by night. One cause of the anger of Laban, which rendered a colUsion between the parties imminent, arose out of the conduct of Rachel, who, without the knowledge of her husband, had secreted and taken with her the terapldm (" gods ") of her father. (See Appendix, note 6.) When Laban charged Jacob with this theft, he indignantly denied it ; and as, after searching, they could not be found, Laban re- turned to his home, and Jacob continued his journey. Although this danger had been so happily averted, a much greater one arose in apprehension before him. He did not shrink from an inter- view with Laban, because a strong consciousness of rectitude sustained him. But how could he meet his brother ? In approaching his father's house, the sins of his youth pressed heavily upon his heart. He recol- lected his conduct towards Esau, and felt that he had merited his dis- pleasure. These apprehensions were aggravated by reports which had reached him : for he had been told that Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. He naturally expected that the object of this INTRODUCTION. 25 movement was to carry into effect the threat which had been thrown out when he so clandestinely obtained his father's blessing. All this deeply afflicted Jacob, and led him to make earnest prayer to God for protection and deliverance. His prayer was heard, and Jehovah graciously met his case by special revelations ; first at Mahanaim, about sixteen miles from Mount Gilead, concerning which it is recorded, " The angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said. This is God's host." Gen. xxxii, 1, 2. No more information is given as to the appearance that was presented to Jacob, nor is its object explained : it cannot, how- ever, be doubted that its intention was to strengthen his faith in God, and to confirm the promises which had been made to him at Bethel. Distressed and embarrassed on accoimt of the approach of Esau, Jacob removed, only four miles further, to Penuel. Here he arranged bis sub- stance and his family, and placed them in separate companies, so that he might, if possible, appease his brother, and at the same time afford those who were dearest to him the best opportunity of escaping, in case of danger ; but, although Jacob had done all for the protection of his family that the greatest prudence and the most consummate ability could effect, he was still troubled, and therefore rose very early, long before day. Having tried the ford Jabbok, and found it passable, he sent over the several companies in order, himself remaining behind. While here, an event occurred as remarkable in its character, and, from the brevity and obscurity of the narration, as diflicult to understand, as any which we find recorded in the sacred Scriptures. It is said that "Jacob was left alone ; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hol- low of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said. Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said imto him. What is thy name ? And he said, Jacob. And he said. Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel : for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said. Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name ? And he blessed him there." Gen. xxxii, 24-29. Whatever may be the full meaning of this remarkable account, it can- not be doubted that the significant alteration of Jacob's name, and the blessing which he obtained, dissipated all his apprehension in respect of Esau. (See Appendix, note 6.) But, although that danger might have been the primary cause of this struggle, it appears certain that the results went far beyond its removal. And as at Bethel we see the incipient exercise of Jacob's faith, so here its matured power is shown ; and the patriarch ever afterward stands before us, saved from all that was indi- 26 INTRODUCTION. cated by the term " Jacob," and uniformly e\'incing, by the practice of elevated piety, that he had obtained .princely power with God. Strons: in this blessinji^, Jacob went forward and met his brother Instead of anger and destruction, the meeting was characterized by the greatest conciliation and affection. Ha\dng exchanged the most cordial greeting, Esau returned to Mount Seir, and Jacob went on to Sichem, each feeling for the other a respectful and tender love. Jacob, having returned to Canaan, appears there as the heir to the promises which had been made unto Abraham and Isaac. This was now admitted ; for Esau had taken up his residence at Mount Seir, while Jacob with his family continued " in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles," looking for the fulfillment of the pro- mise. Heb. xi, 9. At this time he was favored with another special revelation from God. While he dwelt at Bethel, a place rich in associa- tions as the scene of his first intercourse with heaven, God appeared to him again, and confirmed the change of his name from Jacob to Israel, and assured him that his promise should be fulfilled in the multiplication of his seed, and in their having that land for a possession. Thus far the prospect presented to the patriarch and his family was most cheering. But they must have been well aware, that, however great the destiny to which they were appointed, the prophetic commu- nication made to Abraham had, by interposing a dark night of subjection and sorrow, thrown the predicted blessing far into the distance, God had said unto Abraham, " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them ; and they shall afflict them four hundred years ; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge : and afterward shall they come out with great sub- stance. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again : for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." Gen. xv, 13, 14, 16. This prediction was now to be fulfilled ; and perhaps no part of Holy Scripture contains a more remarkable display of divine interposition in human affairs. The first link in the great chain of causes which contributed to accom- plish this divine purpose, was an amiable frailty of Jacob, — his great fondness for his young son Joseph, and the unwise parade of this feeling before the whole family. " Israel loved Joseph more than all his chil- dren, because he was the son of his old age : and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and coidd not speak peaceably unto him." Gen. xxxvii, 3, 4. But the antipathy which the brethren of Joseph had formed against him, was greatly increased by his relating some dreams which seemed to point him out as destined to occupy a pre-eminent position, even over INTRODUCTION. 27 his father's house. It so happened, that while the other sons of Jacob were feeding their flocks at a distance, and ruminating on their father's partiahty, and the ominous character of their brother's dreams, Joseph, who had been sent by Jacob to inquire after their welfare, drew near unto them. His presence at this moment roused their angry passions to the utmost, and they at once plotted his destruction. While, how- ever, they were divided in opinion respecting his murder, the opportune arrival of a caravan of Ishmaelites, journeying from Gilead to Egypt, induced them to alter their purpose ; so they sold him to those itinerant merchants for twenty pieces of silver, and by them he was carried into Egypt, and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. The whole history of Joseph is told by Moses with such inimitable grace and beauty, that it is sufficient here briefly to say, that Joseph conducted himself so wisely in the house of Potiphar, as to be intrusted with the entire management of all his aff"airs ; until, being falsely accused by his mistress, he was thro^vn into prison. Here also he conducted himself with so much judgment and discretion, that the keeper of the prison intrusted the prisoners to his care. While he was thus occupied, two officers of Pharaoh's household, who had ofl"ended their lord, and were confined in the prison, had very remarkable dreams, which greatly affected them. Joseph, sympathizing with their affliction, elicited the tenor of their \isions, and at once explained their import ; in one case predicting an early restoration to honor, and in the other a miserable and painful death. In three days these interpretations were justified, — the chief butler was restored to his place, and the chief baker was hanged. Although Joseph had earnestly requested the intercession of his prison-companion, when he should be restored to honor and influence, the chief butler in his prosperity did not remember Joseph, but forgat him, and he remained two years longer in the prison-house. At the end of this time, Pharaoh himself had two dreams, Avhich gave him great uneasiness. The wise men and magicians of Egypt having failed in their efforts to give an interpretation, the chief butler informed Pharaoh of the Hebrew youth who had so correctly interpreted his own dream, and so accurately predicted his restoration. This led to the introduction of Joseph into the presence of Pharaoh, to whom he not only gave a clear and ample explanation of the import of his visions, which involved the destiny of the whole Egyptian nation ; but also tendered him some wise advice as to the best means of securing the greatest amount of good from the promised years of plenty, and of averting the evil of the threat- ened period of want. These circumstances led to the promotion of Joseph to be governor of the whole land of Egypt, all its resources and interests being fully subjected to his direction and control. The vigorous administration 28 INTRODUCTION. of this young Hebrew produced many changes which might, in con- nection with other subjects, deserve investigation ; but among these it will be necessary here to refer only to the location of the family of Israel in the land of Egypt. The famine having driven the sons of Jacob into this country to buy com, they were recognized by their brother ; who idtimately sent for the aged patriarch and his children, with all their cattle, and located them under the immediate auspices of Pharaoh, in a district of Egypt most favorable to the support of their numerous flocks. Here they rapidly increased in numbers and in wealth \mtil the death of Joseph, and for many years after that event. It is important to observe that, during this time, the Israelites, although multiplied to a considerable tribe, never united with the Egyptian people, so as to form an integral part of the population. They not only maintained their distinct and isolated character, but continued to cherish with undiminished intensity their hope in the promises which God had made unto then- fathers. Just before Jacob died, he not only charged his sons that they should not bury him in Egypt, but should carry up his body and deposit it in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah had been buried ; but, in delivering to them his prophetic benediction, he clearly recognized their possession of the land which God had promised to give to his seed, and spoke of the relative localities which the several tribes should afterward occupy. In this remarkable prophetic effusion the dying patriarch predictively refers to the future condition of the descendants of his twelve sons. Reuben is deprived of his birthright on account of his crime. Simeon and Levi are denounced for their cruelty in the case of Sichem. In reference to the latter of these tribes, although the malediction was hterally fulfilled, it was by divine mercy changed into a blessing. The predictions respecting the other tribes are full and explicit. Judah is celebrated for power, and invested with regal dignity. The portion of Zebulun is unambiguously declared to be on the coast of the sea : it is added, " His border shall be unto Zidon ;" which, even at this early time, was an ancient and powerful city : the district thus indicated would therefore be well known, as lying Avithin the country which God had promised to give unto the seed of Abraham. The tenor of the predictions respecting the other tribes was of a similar character. Dan was celebrated for judgment. Of Gad it is said, that his portion should be infested with robbers, but that he should ultimately destroy them ; while Joseph and Benjamin are declared to be highly exalted with blessing, and richly endowed with power and bravery. Nor did the deep interest which the Israelites felt in the land of Canaan, pass away with the death of their father. Joseph, who, from INTRODUCTION. 29 his having been greatly exalted in Egypt, was the only one peculiarly exposed to influences calculated to produce this result, is known to have been perfectly free from it. When he was dymg, he solemnly reiterated his faith in the divine declaration ; and, as it might not have been prudent in his brethren to caiTy his body at once to Machpelah, as they had conveyed that of Jacob, he charged them not to bury him, xmtil the promise of God was fulfilled ; for he said, " I die : and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." Gen. 1, 24. The confidence that God would fulfill his promise, and give this people possession of Canaan, did not therefore arise in their minds under the fierce and cruel persecution to which they were afterward subjected ; on the contrary, it was, throughout their entire history, the sum of all their earthly prospects, the prominent element of their rehgious faith ; in the strength of which they kept the bones of Joseph till the expiration of the time predicted, when Moses took them with him out of Egypt : •'for Joseph had straitly sworn the children of Israel," Exod. xiii, 19. The inspired penman proceeds to state, that " there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." Exod. i, 8. There had pro- bably been a change of dynasty, or " of men and measures," so that the eminent serAdces of the Hebrew statesman were no longer regarded. Under these circumstances, the rapidly increasing numbers and growing wealth of the Israehtes excited jealousy : this would be strengthened by the studied isolation which they maintained, and the peculiar feeling and hope which they were known to cherish of a separate national existence. Hence the Egyptian council of state said, " Come on, let us deal wisely with them ; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." Verse 10. From the concluding words of this passage it is certain that the expectation and desire of the Israelites to leave Egypt was no secret : and the pri- mary motive to coercion appears to have been their retention in abject bondage. To enforce this, they were first subjected to harsh treatment, which gradually increased in severity, until it ripened into the most grievous cruelty and murderous persecution. Here, then, we have one instance (many of which are found in ancient history) in which men, while struggling to defeat the predictions of Jehovah, unconsciovisly by their conduct work out theu- fulfillment. The Egyptians had heard that the God of the Hebrews had promised them a separate coimtry, and an independent national existence, and they mightily exerted themselves to frustrate these predictions ; but they did not know, or did not recollect, that God had also said imto Abraham, " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is 30 INTRODUCTION. not theirs, and shall serve them ; and they shall afflict them." Genesis XV, 13. Through this affliction the Hebrew people were now called to pass. The nature of their labors is particularly described by the sacred historian. He says, " And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor : and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field : all then- service, wherein they made them serve, was Avith rigor." Exodus i, 13, 14. Those who are acquainted vsdth the subject, are aware that the ancient history of Egypt is to be read in the numerous and elaborate monu- mental remains of that country; and it is a curious and remarkable circumstance, that the Scriptural account of this bondage derives the strongest confirmation from this source. On this subject a learned author observes : "As an unanswerable proof of this Ave refer to * ^ the tomb of Rek-share, the chief architect of the temples and palaces of Thebes, under Pharaoh Moeris. Never, perhaps, has so striking a pictorial comment as this upon the sacred text been before recovered. The physiognomy of the Jews it is impossible to mistake ; and the splashes of clay with Avhich their bodies are covered, the air of close and intense labor that is conveyed by the grouping on the left side of the picture, and, above all, the Egyptian task-master seated with his heavy baton, whose remorseless blows would doubtless visit the least relaxation of the slaves he was driving from their wearisome and toil- some task of making bricks, and spreading them to dry in the burning sun of Egypt, give a vivid impression of the exactitude of the Scripture phrase, * All their service, Avherein they made them serve, was with rigor.' The inscription at the top of the picture, to the right, reads, ' Captives brought by his majesty, [Moeris,] to build the temple of the great God.' This means either that Moeris was the king ' that arose, that knew not Joseph, and that reduced the children of Israel to servi- tude ;' or, more probably, that the family or gang of Israelites which are here represented, had been marched up from Goshen, and attached especially to the building of the temples at Thebes." — Antiquities of JEgypt, p. 220. (See Appendix, note 7.) The sacred historian, however, states, that this oppression did not answer its intended end. For although it was as extensive as it was severe, the Hebrews being compelled to build "for Pharaoh treasure- cities, Pithom and Raamses," yet, "the more they afflicted them, the more they multiphed and grew," Exod. i, 11, 12; xmtil, disappointed and enraged, and apprehensive that the people whom he had so griev- ously oppressed would ultimately acquire numerical strength sufficient to break his yoke, the king of Egypt had recourse to one of the vilest " A eketch accompanies tUs in the work from whicli the extract is taken. INTRODUCTION. 31 acts of tyranny ever recorded in history, — he commanded that all male children bom of Hebrew mothers should be immediately destroyed. The severity of this diabolical enactment, as is usual in such cases, tended to limit its operation ; and many of the devoted infants, if not most of them, escaped. The first part of the object? of this Introduction is thus completed. The entire series of promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have been collected and considered. From these it has been ascertained, that the house of Israel was divinely appointed to become a wealthy, power- ful, and independent nation ; that this nation should obtain possession of Canaan as its permanent inheritance ; and that the destiny of the world, in some important sense, hung upon the accomplishment of this purpose, inasmuch as in this seed all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. The development of this great plan has been traced through the per- sonal and family history of the patriarchs. In doing this, an uninter- rupted course of Divine interpositions has been seen, guiding, controlling, subduing; all influences to the Divine will, until individuals and famihes are lost in the numerous population of a great people. It is further observable, that, at the close of this section of the inquiry, this people is found in a state of degradation and bondage which would appear to blast all the hopes that had been raised, and to frustrate the entire plan which had been predictively set forth, had it not been that this precise state of servitude and affliction had been clearly predicted as a part of the Divine piu-pose, as a portion of the way through which the Lord was to lead his elected people. II. The continued series of miraculous interpositions which preceded and which effected the exodus, will now be considered. The rise of the Jewish people, their national greatness, and their cove- nant relation to Jehovah, were all, in the Divine purpose and economy, inseparably associated with the grand scheme of human redemption, and with the means by which it Avas to be enunciated to the world. If these views are correct, then it will follow, that the suffering condition of the Israelites in Egypt was calculated to call forth the mightiest dis- plays of Divine wisdom and power. For not only did the emancipation of the elected people require such interposition, but it was also demanded by their religious condition, and that of the world, both with respect to that time and the future. The human family had at this period become fearfully infected with idolatry : Egypt in particular was remarkable for this sin. Here polytheism had been reduced to a system, and had be- come the established religion of a numerous and cultivated population. The pernicious influence of Egypt had, in this respect, extended far be- yond her territorial limits : this nation was the teacher of distant coun- 32 INTRODUCTION. tries in that species of iniquity. In these circumstances it became obviously necessary that the people selected to be the Church of God should be delivered from bondage, and established in an independent position, in a manner which should most strikingly attest the futility and folly of idolatry, as well as the certain existence and the infinite perfec- tions of the eternal Jehovah. Nor was this interposition less required with respect to the future. Many remarkable displays of divine wisdom and power had been made to the patriarchs, and much sterling religious truth had been revealed prior to this date ; and all this stood in remote connection with the deve- lopment of the great plan of human redemption. Now, however, the foundation-stone of the temple of grace was to be laid : from this time, the Hebrew Church was intended to be the seat of the divine worship ; as a great and visible institution, it was called to show forth the power and goodness of God, until Messiah, coming through it, should mani- fest the fullness of redeeming grace, and enlighten the whole world with his glory. It seemed, consequently, necessary that all the means used for the deliverance of Israel, and the organization of the nation, should be marked by signal manifestations of the wisdom and power of God. Those, therefore, who regard the miracles wrought in Egypt as limited in their object to the deliverance of the Israelites, take a very defective view of the subject. Not only was this intended, but the miracles were also designed to make a glorious revelation of God to the afflicted Israelites, sufficient to call forth and confirm their faith ; to confoimd and put to shame the human power, earthly wisdom, and impure idolatry of Egypt, and of every other heathen nation ; and to begin a course of miraculous interpositions and gracious influences which should idti- mately be crowned with the glorious dispensation of the Holy Spirit. It pleased God to raise up a suitable instrumentality for the accom- plishment of this great design. A series of providential operations was accordingly begun, by which this pm'pose was completely effected. Amram, a grandson of Levi, had married a relation ; and of this couple a son and a daughter were born before the edict for the murder of all male children. After this law came into operation, another male child was born ; and this infant displaying unusual attractions, the parents exerted themselves to the utmost to preserve his life, and succeeded for three months. But either on account of some suspicion being enter- tained, or a more rigid search being made, a further concealment was impossible : so his mother, as a last resource, prepared a small vessel, rendered it water-proof by means of pitch, and, having placed the babe in it, laid the ark among: the flasks on the brink of the Nile. It was found by the daughter of Pharaoh, who had the child carefully nursed, and brought up as her own. By these means the young Hebrew was INTRODUCTION. 3$ favored with an education best adapted to call forth his noble qualities of mind and body. All antiquity attests that in both these respects he possessed very remarkable endowments. Numerous tales are told by the rabbins, and by other ancient writers, of the great learning and splendid achievements of Moses in early life ; and, among them, how, at the command of Pharaoh, he repelled an in- vasion of Egypt by the king of Ethiopia, and, having defeated his army, pursued him into his own country, and finished the campaign by taking the Ethiopian capital. Importance cannot be attached to these romantic relations. There can, however, be no doubt that the young Hebrew distinguished him- self both by learning and by prowess. The explicit declaration of Ste- phen, delivered under the plenary inspu-ation of the Holy Ghost, does not leave this point dubitable. Speaking of Moses, long before his mis- sion to his brethren, and while he was yet in the house of Pharaoh, he says of him, " Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." Acts vii, 22. It may be ne- cessary to notice the unport of this statement. To be '•' learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" at this time was to possess an acquaint- ance with the most important amount of knowledge. It was to obtain a small portion of this that Plato, Eudoxus, and other Greek sages, made long and dangerous journeys and voyages. Moses was therefore one of the most learned men of his day. But, more than this, " he was mighty in words and in deeds." He was " mighty in words." Much elaborate and superficial criticism has been employed to reconcile this with the statement of Moses himself, — that he was " not eloquent," but " slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." The truth seems to be, that Moses was not a very elegant or very rapid speaker ; a defect which might have been exaggerated in his own account by his great modesty, and his extreme reluctance to accept the vocation assigned him. He may yet have been, and certainly was, eminent for clear, sound, power- ful speech. The language of the inspired deacon is therefore fully jus- tified. Of his deeds in early life no authentic details can be given ; but here, also, the statement of Stephen in all its parts is undoubtedly coiTect. But, whatever intellectual power, learned acquirements, or personal prowess united to constitute and elevate the character of Moses, they did not form the finest feature of his greatness : this is to be found in his faith. It was this which led him to renounce all the honor and aggrandizement which had been placed within his reach, and to prefer affliction in company with the people of God. This noble decision does not appear to have received that attention which its importance merits. Moses, notwithstanding his adoption into the family of Pharaoh, was well ac- 3 34 INTRODUCTION. quainted with his Hebrew origin, and equally so with the religious faith and predicted destiny of the house of his fathers. It is scarcely possible to conceive of a position more calculated to test an enlightened and in- genuous mind than that in which he at this time stood. Elevated to prominent dignity in the Egyptian court, not only honor, but pleasure and wealth, spread their fascinating attractions before him. And his mind clearly apprehended all their variety and extent. But, on the other hand, he felt his natural connection with the Hebrews in all their persecution and affliction, and identified his condition and destiny with theirs. Under the influence of a strong faith, which realized the full accomphshment of the Divine promise, not only in the temporal eleva- tion of the Israelites, but also in the ultimate and more glorious redemp- tion of the world by Christ, he nobly chose to be a Hebrew, rather than an Egyptian ; to be a sufferer and a servant, rather than to be a son of Pharaoh's daughter. It is a singular and interesting fact, that we are fully informed of the aspect in which these things were presented to his mind so as to induce this decision. He regarded Egypt as opposed to God, its fascinations cis the pleasures of sin, its wealth as lying under the divine malediction ; while the affliction of the Hebrews was recognized by him as the suffer- ings of the people of God, and their shame as the reproach which rested upon the great and gracious purposes of Heaven. Looking, therefore, to the recompense of reward, he, with all the lofty-mindedness of a man of God, boldly renounced the adoption of which he had been the sub- ject, and claimed his interest in the affliction and destiny of the sons of Abraham. There is reason to beheve that, even at this early period, Moses, hav- ing made this sacrifice, had received an impression that he should be the insti-ument of delivering his brethren from their cniel bondage. Under this influence, to use the nervous language of Stephen, " It came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel." Acts vii, 23. He was therefore prepared, to some extent, to interest himself in their deli- verance, and soon had an opportunity of manifesting his zeal. Having looked on their burdens, marked well, and with painful emotion, the se- verity of their toil and privation, he saw " an Egyptian smiting a He- brew, one of his brethren," (probably a Levite,) and, thinking himself \mobserved, he espoused the cause of the injured, and slew the oppres- sor. Having thus begun his active mterference, he went out the follow- ing day, and, finding two Hebrews striving together, endeavored to reconcile them. But he who did his neighbor wrong, repelled his inter- position, and charged him with the murder of the Egyptian on the preceding day. Moses toped that the unpression made on his own mind had been 3* INTRODUCTION. 3S' accompanied witli similar conviction on the mind of liis Hebrew bre- thren. But their conduct convinced him of his error ; and, presuming that this report would soon reach the ears of Pharaoh, he fled from Egypt, and dwelt in the land of Midian. In this apprehension the son of Amram was not mistaken : the fact was told Pharaoh, and he " sought to slay Moses." How mysterious to the reason of man are the ways of God ! Moses, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, had renounced his princely dignity, and dared the danger and reproach of sympathizing with Hebrew afliiction, and even of defending his oppressed brethren. In doing this, he had calculated on his immediate recognition by them as the deliverer of Israel ; but, instead of such reception, his conduct is impeached, and he who might have been an Egyptian prince, but who had piously chosen the fate of a Hebrew, is doomed to wander an out- cast and an exile in a strange land. Moses remained in the land of Midian forty years ; and so long did the Israehtes in Egypt continue in their suffering. At the expiration of this period, a miraculous communication was made to him at the foot of Horeb, when he was specially appointed by God to return to Egypt as the instrument of his people's redemption. He is now reluctant and cautious ; he has experienced the incredulity of those to whom he is sent, and labors to excuse himself. Forty years before, when less pre- pared, Moses would have readily undertaken the task ; now, Avhen chastened and disciplined for the work, he shrinks from the enterprise. At length Moses obeyed the divine command, and journeyed toward Egypt ; and, as had been predicted, he met his brother Aaron in the way. Ha\ing made known to him the revelations which he had re- ceived from the Lord, they went together, and, assembling all the elders of the children of Israel, " Aaron spake ail the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed : and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their afflic- tion, then they bowed then- heads and worshiped." Exod. iv, 30, 31. By this gracious interposition, Jehovah recognized the Israelites as his own pecuhar people, under the covenant which he had naade with their fathers. In this character, as their King, (and not as the God of the whole earth, interposing on behalf of a pai-t of his people that werq op- pressed,) he sent Moses as his ambassador to Pharaoh. The message deUvered to the Egyptian monarch on this occasion was simply this : "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilder- ness," Exod. V, 1 ; a demand which the Egyptian king rejected with haughty contempt. It is worthy of remark, that, on this occasion, Moses Avrought no mi- racle, and uttered no threatening. He made an urgent, but at the same 36 INTRODUCTION. time an humble and respectful, application to the sovereign of Egypt in the name of Jehovah, and was refused. Pharaoh did not satisfy him- self with rejecting the request of Moses ; but, regarding this application as a proof that the national spirit of the Hebrews had not been suffi- ciently broken by then- toils, he greatly increased their burdens, and sent them again to their labor. This aggravated affliction induced the people to mui'mur against Moses and Aaron ; and their reproaches led Moses to seek refuge in earnest prayer to God. In answer to this sup- plication, the Almighty, in a fuller and more expUcit manner, declared his determination to dehver the Israehtes "by a strong hand," and to confirm the covenant that he had made with Abraham, by being their God, and taking them for his people. When, however, Moses reported this gracious assvirance to the children of Israel, they hearkened not to liis words, being overwhelmed with anguish of spirit on accoimt of their excessive labors and sufferings. Discouraged by this conduct, Moses again appeared before God, and was by him again sent unto Pharaoh to make another formal demand for the liberation of Israel. On this occa- sion the " Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying. When Pha- raoh shall speak imto you, saying, Show a miracle for you : then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent." Exod. vii, 8, 9. This is one of the most unportant passages in the writings of Moses. The Scriptures hitherto give us no intimation of any miracles having been wrought by human agency ; and it is remarkable that the first allusion to such superhuman acts, as evidence of the truth of a commu- nication delivered in the name of God, is supposed to be made by an idolatrous king. This fact appears to be conclusive as to two pomts of great importance. First, it shows that, in the theology of Egypt, a mi- racle was considered a suitable and sufficient proof of the truth of any message or demand put forth in the name of God. It cannot be sup- posed that Pharaoh invented this test for the first time on this occasion. It must, therefore, have been a recognized element in the rehgion of Egypt, that if any man claimed to speak in the name of God, he should be prepared to sustain that character by performing works beyond the power of mere humanity to effijct. Secondly, it seems equally certain that this doctrine never could have existed if no real or pretended mu-a- cles had been displayed for such purpose. The prompt and pointed demand which Pharaoh is supposed to make, not only shows that he held proof hy miracles as an abstract doctrine, but that it was a test usually apphed in such cases ; and Moses and Aaron are consequently forewarned that he is sure to make this demand, and instructed how to act in such an emergency. (See Appendix, note 8.) Thus du-ected, the Hebrew brothers again appeared before the kmg. INTRODUCTION. 3^. and, on his making the expected demand, Aaron cast down his rod be- fore Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. "What was the immediate result of this miracle ? Did Pharaoh and his ser- vants feel so surprised and terrified at this marvelous transformation, as at once to admit the power of Jehovah, and the divine mission of his servants ? The narrative exhibits nothing of the kind. The king of Egypt and his council appear quite prepared for the event : the wise men, the magicians, and the sorcerers are called in, and they imitate the miracle ; for they also " cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents : but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Exod. vii, 12. This issue clearly indicated the natm-e of the struggle which had com- menced. It is well known, from the hieroglyphics, that the serpent was the most expressive symbol of divinity, and under this form the gods of Egypt were often represented and worshiped. God himself clearly states, that, in this work, he was engaged in opposing and de- feating the powers of the gods of Egypt : " Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment," Exod. xii, 12 ; and the enlightened men who saw and heard of these miracles formed the same opinion. When Moses related to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done unto Pha- raoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, Jethro said, " Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods : for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them." Exod. xviii, 11. This interposition on behalf of the Israelites was, therefore, not only a display of the might of God as their King, for the purpose of controlling the will and breaking the power of the proud sovereign who held them in slavish subjection ; it was no less a manifestation of Jehovah, as the God of the Hebrews, confronting and defeating all the excited power of the gods of Egypt, and putting them to shame. It appears absolutely necessary to take this broad view of the subject, in order to obtain any consistent interpretation of the narrative. Re- garded in this aspect, the transformation of the rod, and the action of the serpent, instead of appearing as immeaning wonders, stand before us as great miracles, remarkable for their appropriateness and significancy. Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh, and in the name of Jehovah demand the liberation of the Hebrews. Pharaoh requires them to prove that they have been thus sent from God, by working some miracle in attestation of their mission. This request was responded lo; Aaron casts his rod upon the ground, and it becomes a serpent. At the sight of this superhuman act, Pharaoh evinces no amazement, his council be- tray no marks of surprise ; the magicians, sorcerers, and wise men were called in, and " they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents : but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Exod. vii, 11, 12. The plain 38 INTRODUCTION. sense of the narrative clearly is, that what Moses had done the magi- cians also did. In this first essay, therefore, the servants of Jehovah, appeared rather to disadvantage ; for what Moses and Aaron did in one instance, every one of the magicians effected severally ; what they did of set purpose, with design, and having had ample time for preparation, the magicians equaled, when called in suddenly and without notice or time for preparation. (See Appendix, note 9.) In one. respect, only, the advantage appeared to lie witli Moses and Aaron : their rod swallowed up those of the magicians. In order to apprehend the force and effect of this, it is necessary to call to mind " that the serpent was the most expressive symbol of divinity with the Egyptians."* This result of the miracle, tlierefore, plainly indicated the superior power of the God of the Hebrews. But, notwithstanding this, as the magicians had imitated the Hebrew prophets in the production of these creatures, Pharaoh was unsubdued, and refused to let the people go. The first effort having proved ineffectual, Moses was again sent to Pharaoh in the morning as he went out to the water ; and, repeating, by divine authority, the demand for the release of the Israelites, was com- missioned to announce that, in case of refusal, he would smite the waters of the river, and turn them into blood. This was done. The monarch Avas inflexible ; and all the waters of the river and of the pools were turned into blood, so that all the fish died, and the streams became putrid ; and the people were compelled to dig wells, because they could not drink of the water of the river. In this instance also did Jehovah execute judg- ment against the gods of Egypt. The Nile "svas not only regarded as the great source of the fertility of the land, and the noblest ornament of the country ; it was approached with sacred veneration, and worshiped as a god, as were also several of its finny inhabitants. Here, then, was anotheir display of the miraculous power of God, apparently fully adapted to put to shame the idolatrous system of Egyptian worship. But in this case, as in the former, the magicians also " did so with their enchantments ;" so Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to the words of ^Moses and Aaron. This plague lasted seven days. Again Moses Avas sent unto Pharaoh, and commanded to inflict another plague, of which, like the former, the Nile was the scene of action. The rod of Aaron having been stretched over the river and pools of water, a multitude of frogs were brought up over tlie land in such numbers, that the receptacles of provisions, the most retired rooms, even the bed- chambers, were polluted and infested Avith these creatures. Is it possi- ble to conceive of a more pointed or painful rebuke of the reptile worship, * Deane on the Serpent, p. 129. The worship of the serpent was, in the early history of Egypt, "an important and conspicuous part of her idohitry. The serpent entered into the Egyptian religion under all his characters, — .\?f emblem of divixitt, a chaem, .\.Jf OKACLE, and a god." Idem, page 119. INTRODUCTION. W for which Egypt had so early in its history become infamous ? In this case, again, the magicians imitated the working of divine power: they also brought up frogs upon the land. It is remarkable that in each case they aimed at copying the works of Moses ; they never appear to have endeavored to avert or remove the painful inflictions with which the country was visited. In the present instance, however, for the first time, Pharaoh submitted to solicit a removal of the plague ; but, when relieved, he persisted in his refusal to liberate the oppressed people. The third plague covered man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt with lice. This infliction fell on the priesthood with a violence, of which at present a very faint estimate can be formed. " To conceive the severity of this miracle, as a judgment on their idolatry, we must recollect their utter abhorrence of all kinds of vermin, and their extreme attention to external purity, above every other people perhaps that have hitherto existed on the face of the earth. On this head they were more particularly soHcitous, when about to enter into the temples of their gods ; for Herodotus informs us that their priests wore linen garments only that they might be daily washed, and, every third day, shaved every part of their bodies, to prevent lice or any species of impurity from adhering to those who were engaged in the service of the gods. This plague, there- fore, whilst it lasted, rendered it impossible for them to perform any part of their idolatrous worship, without giving such off"ense to their deities as they imagined could never be forgiven. Hence we find, that, on the production of the lice, the priests and magicians perceived immediately from what hand the miracle had come ; for it was probably as much from this circumstance, as from its exceeding their own art to imitate, that they exclaimed, ' This is the finger of God.' " — Stackhouse's History of the Bible, vol. i, p. 473. Here, however, the power of the magicians terminated : they exerted themselves with their enchantments to bring forth lice ; "hut they could not." Hitherto they had exercised a more than human power ; but this now fails them, and they from henceforth admit that Moses and Aaron alone act under the influence of the power of God. There is much uncertainty as to the instrument selected to inflict the fourth plague. Our translation calls them " flies." The original word is i^3>ri, which comes from the term a^s arab, " to be mingled," It has therefore been conjectured that, on this occasion, not one, but many kinds of harassing and destructive insects were employed to accomplish the divine purpose. Bochart, following the Septuagint, explains the original by Kvvofivia, " dog-fly," which is supposed to have been spe- cially hateful to the Egyptians, because of their profound reverence for the god Anubis. But this opinion has been greatly shaken by Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, who has shown that Anubis had not the head of a W INTRODUCTION. dog, but of a jackal. Still, as the dog was a sacred animal with the an- cient Egyptians, Bochart's opinion has some weight. But, whatever may- be the exact truth with respect to these points, it appears probable that this plague was intended as a curse on all the animal-worship of Egypt. This was so extensive, that a poisonous fly resting on all animals without distinction must have exhibited the weakness of these imaginary gods, and the folly of their worship, in the most affecting manner. — Wilkinson's Ancient Egypt, vol. v, p. 260. It is further probable that the instrument of this afflictive visitation was itself a deity. Baalzebub, which signifies "the lord" or "god of flies," was the tutelary deity of Ekron in PhiUstia, a place near to Egypt, where he appears to have been worshiped as a defense against these noxious insects, as the Eleans adored Jupiter, whom they invoked against pesti- lential swarms of flies ; and hence this supreme god of the heathens had the epithets of 'ATTOfivcog and Mvi(j)67]g, because he was supposed to expel flies and defend his worshipers against them. (See Dr. Adam Clarke, in loc.) And there is reason for believing that something very analogous to this obtained in Egypt. The genius of the lower country was worshiped under the resemblance of a winged asp. In this form it is sculptured on one of the tombs of the kings at Thebes. — Wilkinson's Ancient Egypt, vol. V, pp. 45, 81. Thus it is probable that, while this plague was spread- ing universal suffering and distress, and inducing the most terrible dis- order upon the whole range of animal- worship, it was inflicted under a form which was extensively regarded with idolatrous veneration. How terrible were these visitations on a nation so proud of its power, wisdom, and religion as were the ancient Egyptians ! Under the operation of this plague, the first intimation is given of the land of Goshen, and the property of the Israelites, being exempted from the common calamity. As cattle constituted the principal possessions of the Hebrews, this was a most important distinction. It pointed out the object of the scourge, and greatly increased the weight of the plague, when all the cattle, and even the animal gods, of Egypt were sent writh- ing in torture, while, close by, the flocks and herds of Israel fed umno- lested, and basked in enjoyment. On this occasion Pharaoh began to feel the weight of the chastisement to which he had exposed himself and his people. He called Moses and Aaron, and gave them leave to sacrifice to their God, but not to leave the country. This elicited a reply from Moses which showed very clearly the prominence ascribed throughout the whole of this contest to animal- worship. He said, " It is not meet so to do ; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God : Lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us ?" Exod. viii, 26. This appears to refer to the fact that the INTRODUCTION. 41 Egyptians at that time -worshiped those animals which the Hebrews would have to sacrifice. It is indeed to be noticed, that an objection has been taken to this interpretation, on the ground that the Egyptians themselves practiced animal sacrifice. To this, however, it is quite a sufficient answer, that while some animals were held universally sacred, others were only worshiped in certain localities ; so that an animal sacred in one district was sometimes slain in another. Moses certainly understood the case ; and his answer appears to have been admitted as pertinent and proper. The fifth plague appears still further illustrative of the great fact, that in these inflictions God had special and vindictive regard to the abomina- ble system of animal- worship. On this occasion a very grievous murrain destroyed the cattle of the Egyptians. When it is remembered that the death of one of their sacred animals was regarded as a great pubhc ca- lamity, what must have been the effect of this wide-spread ruin? an effect greatly aggravated by the knowledge that, while in all Egypt the objects of their idolatry were perishing before their eyes, in Goshen the property of the Israelites remained in health and safety. These succes- sive visitations were not only severe pimishments, but must have tended to ahenate the minds of the Egyptians from their impure faith. There is reason to believe that this people were peculiarly accessible to such an influence. Plutarch tells us, that whenever any great drought, or pesti- lential disease, or other extraordinary calamity, happened amongst them, it was customary for the Egyptian priests to select some of the sacred animals, and, having conducted them with all silence to a dark place, to terrify them with threats, and afterward, if the disorder continued, to de- vote them to death. What events ever happened in Egyptian history so hkely to call forth this strange procedure as the plagues with which they were at this time visited ? The next infliction is worthy of very serious attention, both with re- spect to the instrumentality by Avhich it was accomphshed, and its re- markable effect. This plague consisted of violent inflammatory boils which broke out upon man and beast. Hitherto the judgments of God had been principally directed against the objects of idolatrous worship : this affected the most cultivated and powerful supporters of this idolatry. After the plague of frogs, the magicians had tried in vain to imitate the miracles of Moses. Yet they watched every step of his wonder-working career with great interest and anxiety. Now, however, they are made the subjects of divine visitation ; they also feel the inflammatory^, cancer- ous boils, and are unable longer to stand before Moses and Aaron. They are heard of no more ; they either perished under this plague, or were afflicted so severely, that they dared no longer to obtrude themselves into the presence of the servants of God. 42 INTRODUCTKM. But the means by wliicli this plague was effected were equally re- markable. In obedience to the explicit command of God in this case, Moses and Aaron " took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh ; and Moses sprmkled it up toward heaven ; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast," Exod. ix, 10. It may be safely assumed as an unquestionable fact, that means so specially ap- pointed were not selected arbitrarily, or without substantial reason : they all had a significant meaning, and this in particular. In Egypt Typho was regarded as the personification of the evil princi- ple. In very ancient times human sacrifices were offered to propitiate this malign deity. The certainty of this, and the manner in which these sacrificial services were conducted, are given by several ancient authors. Diodorus and Athenaeus state the fact. And Plutarch, on the authority of Manetho, says, " that formerly in the city of Idithya, they Avere wont to burn even men ahve, giving them the name of Typhos, and, winnow- ing their ashes through a sieve, to scatter and disperse them in the air." De Iside et Osiride. If such a practice ever existed in Egypt, there can- not be a doubt that this was the time when it was likely to have been acted upon. Moses had now for a considerable period pursued his mi- raculous career : the magicians who at first attempted to equal his works were driven from the field ; the throne and the priesthood, in their united power and influence, had been resisted and humbled ; the entire popula- tion throughout the length and breadth of the land had been sevei-ely afflict- ed ; and no human sagacity could divine where or when this terrific scourge would terminate. If, therefore, there was ever a time when the utmost effort was likely to be exerted to propitiate the evil principle, it was under the infliction of this plague ; and if this was done according to the custom of the country, then the whole case is explained. Pharaoh and his priests would attend this horrid immolation, the destined victims would be offered in sacrifice to Typho, and the revolting rite of winnow- ing ashes in the air be completed. Then, while the king, and his com*- tiers, and the priests, lingered around the spot, hoping that success would crown this desperate and barbarous measure, Moses appears, and, taking of these very ashes, and sprinkling them in the air before the king, makes them the means of inflicting a plague more terrible than any that had preceded it. Does not this clearly exhibit God's controversy with the idolatry of Egypt ? and, moreover, give a pointed signification and consistency to the account, which is otherwise unintelligible, if not ab- surd ? (See Appendix, note 10.) The seventh plague was a terrible storm of thunder, lightning, rain, and hail. This, apart from the direct proof which it afforded of the majesty and power of Jehovah, and of the certainty that Moses was com- missioned by him, was a still further infliction on Egyptian idolatry. It INTRODUCTION. . 43 protracted God's judgments on the worship of animals, and at the same time commenced a similar attack on the vegetable kingdom. For it must be remembered, that the idolatry of this ancient people was so groveling as to make even trees and plants objects of idolatrous regard. The persea, peach, pomegranate, vine, acanthus, sycamore, fig, and tamarisk, among the trees, as well as garUc, onions, leeks, papyrus, and ivy, among plants and vegetables, were held holy and sacred, and sometimes even worshiped as divine. This plague, therefore, not only continued the in- fliction on Egyptian idolatry, but extended it into a new section of this impure system. This miracle was not only distinguished, like the pre- ceding, by excepting the land of Goshen from its operation ; it also showed the effect which the successive miracles had produced on the pubhc mind of Egypt. Although Pharaoh was so hardened as to manifest no peni- tence or fear, many among his people had acquired a dread of the power of Jehovah. Prior to the infliction of this plague, I^Ioses cautioned the king to bring his servants and his cattle home, lest, being found in the field, they should be destroyed. Although he might have contemned the advice, it had its effect ; for " he that feared the word of the Lord amonof the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses : and he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his ser- vants and his cattle in the field." Exod. ix, 20, 21. Thus have we proof that these judgments did lead many of the wealthy Egyptians practically to renoimce their confidence in vain idols, and to fear the word of the Lord. The eighth plague consisted of immense swarms of locusts, which devoured all the vegetation that had escaped the hail. It has been sup- posed, by some writers, that it was the special province of the god Serapis to protect the country from these destructive creatures. If so, this mhacle must have demonstrated his impotence. But, however this may be, the plague of locusts Avas a consummation of the preceding ; and the Egyptian priesthood and people, who had before been devoted to their idolatrous system, must have seen with amazement and awe, if not with conviction, all that they esteemed sacred and diAnne on earth, crushed, broken, and destroyed, by a series of penal visitations, which Moses professed to inflict by the power of the God of the Hebrews. But a yet more striking display of divine power was destined to attest the weakness and folly of the gorgeous system of Egyptian polytheism. The sun was worshiped throughout Egypt. The sacred emblems of his influence and supremacy were constantly in use ; " the importance at- tached to this deity may be readily inferred from the fact of every Pha- raoh haA-ing the title 'son of the sun' preceding his phonetic nomen." — Wilkinsons Ancient Egypt, vol. iv, p. 287. It was from this allusive relationship to the sun that tb« Scriptural terra " Pharaoh," or phrak. 44 INTRODUCTION. the usual appellation of the kings of Egypt, was derived. The moon ■was also worshiped vinder the name of Thoth. This object also held a very high rank, and was often dignified with the title " twice great." These sublime objects of their idolatrous worship seemed to be too distant from our earth, too great and too glorious, to be affected by any power which Moses could wield. Nor is it imlikely that, amid the wreck of their terrestrial divinities, the Egyptians might still look to those lumi- naries, regard them as gods, and trust in them for help and deliverance. But Jehovah had arisen out of his place, not only to deliver his peo- ple, but to vindicate his own insulted majesty : as a jealous God, he as- serted his supremacy, and put to shame all the glory of Egyptian idola- try. In the accomplishment of this purpose, no object was so high, no creature so great, as to withstand his will. Moses was commanded to stretch out " his hand toward heaven ; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days." Exod. x, 22. How paralyzed, how prostrate, must the Egyptian nation have felt at this time ! So deep was the darkness, that during the whole of this time "they saw not one another." Verse 23. So overwhelming Avere the amazement and sorrow, that during this period no man " rose from his place." Uncer- tain whether they should ever again see the light, they lay prostrate in a darkness which was felt. Here the triumph of the God of Israel was complete, the perfect vanity of Egyptian idolatry demonstrated. Egypt, with all her learning and prowess, supported by a gorgeous and almost boundless range of idolatrous religion, is exhibited as convicted, punished, without any power to escape, any hope of alleviation. Amid all this terrible infliction on the Egyptians, the Hebrews " had light in their dwellings." The interpretation which has thus been given to the Scripture narra- tive of these remarkable events, is not only fully sustained by the most authentic accounts of ancient Egypt, but exactly accords with the de- clared purpose of God, which was not only the deliverance of Israel, but the religious correction and enlightenment of Egypt. This was distinctly announced : " And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." Exod. vii, 5. Egypt, rich in all other knowledge, celebrated throughout the world for her wisdom, was ignorant of God. Her sages had, in a manner the most marked and prominent, " changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator." Rom. i, 25. This idolatry embraced the heavenly bodies, animals, the river, fishes, reptiles, trees, and plants ; all this error, superstition, and iniquity were wrought up into a most elaborate and complicated system, and were sus- tained by a well-organized, powerful, and numerous priesthood. The INTRODUCTION. 45 idolatry of Egypt was therefore a perfect exhibition of what the com- bined ingenuity and energy of man and Satan could devise, as a substi- tute for the worship of God ; and, being the national religion of Egypt, it was placed before the world in the most prominent form. While all this impetus was given to false views of God and of divine Avorship, the only people, perhaps, who retained a distinct knowledge and recognition of Jehovah were, in this same land, subjected to the most abject bond- age, the most degrading slavery. In these peculiar circumstances the Lord undertook the cause of injured Israel. For the deliverance of his covenant people on the one hand, and the manifestation of his own power and glory on the other, he commissioned Moses and Aaron to effect this senes of stupendous miracles. These produced their intended effect. The Egyptian people had be- come weary of this terrible contest ; and Pharaoh himself, notwithstand- ing the hardness of his heart, relaxed his hold, and extended his terms, although still unwillingf to accede to all the demands of Moses. These miracles contributed to promote the deliverance of the Hebrews in an- other way : The want of faith in God, on the part of the Israehtes, was a greater obstacle to their deliverance than was the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, or the power of the Egyptian army. The several miraculous plagues, marked as they were by a strongly defined distinction between the persons and property of Egypt and of Israel, did much to convince the latter of the goodness, faithfulness, and power of Jehovah, and to induce them to trust fully in his covenant mercy. The preparation, therefore, for the deliverance of the Hebrew people having been, by these means, completed, God proceeded to accomphsh his purpose. Tliis was effected by a miracle which, like all the preceding ones, was calculated to inflict punishment on Egypt, and to afford reli- gious confidence and knowledge to Israel. On this memorable occasion the Lord commanded that every family throughout all the HebreAV tribes should slay a lamb ; (or, if that, in any case, could not be procured, a kid ;) this creature was to be a male of one year, without blemish. The animal was to be kept until the fourteenth of the month Nisan, when it was to be slain in the evening of that day, and the blood sprinkled on the door-posts and lintels of the door of the respective houses. The flesh of the lamb Avas then to be roasted, and eaten in the night, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The manner of eating this meal was to be as remarkable and peculiar as the provision. All the people were to eat it, fully equipped for journeying, each having his shoes on his feet, his loins girt, and his staff in his hand ; and it was to be eaten in haste. All these commands had been given, all the necessary preparation made, and the expectation of all the Israelites raised to the utmost. They had sflso, according to the divine command, asked of the Egyptians gifts, gold. 46 INTRODUCTION. jewels, and raiment ; and so terror-stricken were the inhabitants of the land, that none refused, and the Israelites obtained an ample and peace- ful booty, as a just recompense for their long and severe service. (See Appendix, note 11.) All this had been done. A mighty empire had been the subject of direct divine visitation until it had become ashamed of its A'ain gods, and, earnestly desiring the departure of the Hebrews, trembled in apprehension of further calamity. Thus both parties stood on the memorable fourteenth day of the month Nisan. That day passed away, and, as the darkness of night enshrouded the world, the door-posts of every Hebrew dAvelling were sprinkled with blood, and every Hebrew family Avas standing around the roasted passover, eating in haste the ap- pointed repast. At this hour the angel of the Lord passes through the land of Egypt, and smites with instant death the first-born of every family and, of all beasts. On this, as on other occasions, the Israelites escaped. ISTow, the sprinkled blood was their defense. Contemplating the fearful extent and frightful nature of this calamity, the mind is prepared for the statement of the inspired writer : " And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians ; and there was a great cry in Egypt ; for there was not a house where there was not one dead." Exod. xii, 30. Two circumstances contributed to make this cry unparal- leled : no country in the Avorld was ever visited with such a terrible calamity ; no people ever carried their lamentation for the dead to such an extent as the ancient Egyptians. Smarting under this plague, the people felt as if all their lives were in eminent jeopardy, and they said, " We be all dead men." Verse 33. As no sovereign could resist the demand of a people so universally goaded to distraction by divine infliction, so the king now freely and fully allows the unconditional departure of the IsraeUtes, — even lu-ges their immediate journeying, and solicits a blessing on himself. The peo- ple of Egypt were also urgent for their departure, regarding themselves in imminent peril until they were gone. Thus " the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them ; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle." Verses 37, 38. Such an emigration as this the world never saw, but on this occasion. On the lowest computation, the entire multitude must have been above two millions, and in all probabihty the number exceeded three millions. (See Appendix, note 12.) Is the magnitude of this movement usually apprehended ? Do we think of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, as of the emigration of a number of families, twice as numerous as the entire population of the principality of Wales ; or considerably more than the whole population of the British metropolis, (in 1841,) INTRODUCTION. 0 with all their property, goods, utensils, and cattle ? The collecting toge- ther of so immense a multitude, the arranging of the order of their march, the provision of the requisite food even for a few days, must, under the chcumstances, have been utterly impossible, unless a very special and overruling Providence had graciously interfered to obviate the difficulties of the case. To the most superficial observer, it must be evident, that no man, or number of men, having nothing but human re- sources, could have ventured to undertake this journey. Scarcely any wonder wrought by divine power in Egypt appears greater than this emigration of a nation, when fairly and fully considered. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses ; (the same as Goshen, Gen. xlvii, 11;) but whether this term here refers to the district, or to the store-city of the same name, which the Hebrews built for Pharaoh in or near this province, cannot be clearly ascertained. From this place they formed a body as regular as circumstances would permit, and traveled to Succoth. One important fact respecting this journey is specially no- ticed by the inspired writer. The day on which the Israelites left Egypt exactly completed four hundred and thirty years from the time when Abraham entered Canaan, thus completing with the utmost exact- itude the appointed period of time. (See Appendix, note 13.) From the manner in which this fact is mentioned, it appears sufficiently evi- dent that the suffermg descendants of Abraham had very special regard to the promise which Jehovah had given to their great progenitor. Probably, possessing detailed information which has not come down to us, they had long looked forward to this day ; and, lo ! it is, by the im- mediate interposition of God, made the precise period of theb deliver- ance. At Succoth the Israelites not only rested, but baked unleavened cakes of the dough which had been prepared before they left Goshen ; and hence they pursued their march to Etham, which was situated on the edge of the wilderness. It appears, therefore, that hitherto the route taken was in an easterly direction, from the east bank of the Nile to- ward the Isthmus of Suez. In this journey, however, it must be spe- cially noted, that they were not left to human sagacity or dhection : " The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way ; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light ; to go by day and night." Exod. xiii, 21. This cloud afforded all the host of Is- rael a visible proof of the presence, guidance, and protection of their divine King. He was their Leader. It probably appeared to rest on the whole multitude of Israel, and thence stretched sufficiently in ad- vance to duect their way, and at night covered their rear with the ap- pearance of flaming fire. Hence the Psalmist says, " He spread a cloud for their covermg," Psalm cv, 39 ; and the apostle, They "were bap- 48 INTRODUCTION. tized in the cloud." 1 Cor. x, 2. In this manner, thus divinely over- shadowed and defended, the multitude of Israel left Etham ; but here not only did the cloud indicate an alteration of the course, but, as if to explain and enforce this, " the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak irnto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahi- roth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon : before it shall ye encamp by the sea." Exod. xiv, 1, 2. In their march hitherto they appear to have taken the direct route to the wilderness, in perfect consistency with the original request which Moses preferred to Pharaoh : they were therefore now arrived at that neck of land which runs be- tween the indentations of the Mediterranean Sea on the one hand, and the Red Sea on the other. In taking their way over this isthmus they appear to have kept as near the head of the Red Sea as possible. This course enabled them to march directly for Canaan, or, having passed the head of the Red Sea, to turn to the south, and take their way on the eastern bank of the Gidf, through the wilderness of Sinai. This appears to have been the expectation of Moses and of the people. But, instead of carrying out this apparent purpose, they are commanded to turn : they did so ; and thus, instead of rounding the head of the Red Sea near Suez, they reach its banks about thirty miles farther south, where they were placed in a position of great apparent danger, being quite hemmed in by the moimtains, the desert, and the sea. It is no objection to this account, but, on the contrary, its highest recommendation, to say that no human leader would have adopted this course. Certainly not. But it was taken for this very purpose, — that a yet more signal display of Jehovah's power might be made'in the pimishment of Egypt, and the deliverance of Israel. Although the Hebrews had departed, the heart of Pharaoh went after them. The loss of two millions of slaves would be severely felt ; and this loss was greatly aggravated by recollections of the suflFerings and humiliation of Egypt under the successive plagues. The Israelites were consequently watched, in the first stages of their journey, with mali- cious scrutiny and detennined ill-will. When, therefore, it was reported to Pharaoh that by the direction of their course from Etham the Israel- ites were entangled in the wilderness, he immediately headed his army, and speedily placed all the power of Egypt in the rear of the Hebrew host. The Israelites now saw their danger, and in an agony of grief cried unto the Lord, and severely reproached Moses with having brought them " to die in the wilderness." The fault of the Israelites on this occasion was a want of faith in God. (See Appendix, note 14.) Their case was such as justly to excite all this apprehension, if the Lord had not been their leader and protector. But he carried out his pur- pose. The cloud covered the rear of the Hebrews, so that the Egyp- INTRODUCTION. |9 tians could not come near them all the night, while Moses was com- manded to stretch out his rod over the sea. Nothing can exceed the moral sublimity of this scene : the furious rage and cruel determination of the Egyptians ; the helpless condition and deep distress of the whole Hebrew people ; the calm dignity of Moses, who, acting as the instru- ment of Jehovah, wields the power of the Almighty. He soothes the excited multitude with words of peace, and promises of salvation. A strong east wind blows, the waters of the sea are divided, a pathway is made through the deep, and the host of Israel is led over the bed of the sea as on dry ground, the waters standing as a wall on the right hand and on the left. Intoxicated with envy, rage, and thirst for spoil, the army of Pharaoh pursues in the same manner ; but when all the people of Israel had reached the other side, and they and all their substance Avere safe, then Moses again, by divme command, stretched forth his rod over the sea, and it returned to its natural state, overwhelming all the pride of Egypt, and destroying every man of the army in the mighty deep. The immediate effect of this astonishing event was, the safety of the Israelites. If they had pursued any other course, as it would have been possible at any time for the king of Egypt to have pursued them, so a dread of his doing so might for years have haunted the minds of the Hebrew people, and terrified them in the course of their wandering career. This signal interposition destroyed this apprehension : with the death of the Egyptian army perished every probability of fm-ther injury from that nation. Another consequence of this miraculous salvation would be, the pos- session of great spoil, especially in Aveapons and armor. The flower of Pharaoh's army, the chivalry of Egypt, as they lay on the shores of the Red Sea, would furnish the Israelites with a very valuable and easily acquired booty, and one, too, of which, in respect of their future destiny, they stood in great need. A further result of this display of divine power, is to be traced in the future progress of the elect nation. It did much in this respect, by impressing the Israelites with a conviction of the goodness and power of their Lord Jehovah. If any event could have effectually rebuked their unbelief, and raised in every heart a strong and steady faith in God, surely this miraculous dehverance would have done it. Nor do all their future waywardness and murmuring prove that it had not a very salutary and powerful effect. It also did much to facilitate the future progress of the Hebrews, by magnifying the mighty power of Jehovah in the estimation of all surrounding nations. When our rationalistic divines discover a way in which this event might have happened under the operation of merely natural causes, and refer to some uncommon 4 50 INTRODUCTION. recession of the tide, or other happy accident, as means by wliich, without a miracle, the escape of Israel and the ruin of Egypt might have taken place, they would do -well to consider, if it were so, how, without a still greater miracle, all the surrounding nations at this time, and for generations afterwards, were so strongly impressed with the marvelous character of this event. So deep and wide-spread was the conviction that this was a miracle of the highest order, a glorious display of infinite power, a clearer revelation of the might of God than the world had ever before seen, that, forty years afterward, kings trembled on their thrones at the recollection of the cii-cimistance ; and, what is yet more remarkable, a poor private woman in a small town on the banks of the Jordan could say, forty years after the exodus, " I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we HAVE HEARD HOW THE LoRD DRIED UP THE WATER OF THE ReD SeA FOR Tou, when ye came out of Egypt. And as soon as we had heard these tilings, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you : for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." Joshua ii, 9-11, The entire history of the world refutes the assumption, that a fortunate acci- dent could have produced such an extensive and enduring impression of wonder and of awe as this. Nor could anything have contributed more effectually to promote the future success of the Hebrew cause, than their deep and settled conviction that they were the elect people of Almighty God, and specially aided by his infinite power. All these results were contemplated at the time, of which the follow- ing magnificent verses afford ample proof : — "I will sing imto the Loed, for lie liatli triumphed gloriously: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, And is become my salvation : He is my God, and him will I extol ; My father's God, and him wUl I exalt * Mighty in battle is the Lord ; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea : His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them : They sank down to the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, 0 Lord, is become glorious in power : Thy right hand, 0 Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown those who rose up against thee : Thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together : The floods stood upright as a heap, And the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. ; The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, 4* INTRODUCTION, §1 I will divide the spoil ; my desire shall he satisfied upon them ; I will draw my sword ; my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them : They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the mighty ones ? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, To be praised with reverence, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou, in thy mercy, hast led forth the people whom thou hast redeemed ! Thou hast guided them in thy strength imto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid ; Sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina, Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed ; The mighty men of Moab, trembling, shall take hold upon them ; All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them ; By the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone ; Till thy people pass over, 0 Lord, Till the people pass over, whom thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, In the place, 0 Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; In the sanctuary, 0 Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever." Thus sang Moses and the emancipated Hebrews, wlien they breathed the sweet air of heaven as freemen, on the banks of the Red Sea, and saw their proud and cruel oppressors lying dead on the shore ; while Muiam and her female associates joined in the chorus :— " Sing ye to the Lord ; for he hath triumphed gloriously : The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." The glorious issue of this contest is worthy of very serious attention, not only as a fulfillment of divine promise, but also as a wonderful accomplishment of Scripture prophecy. When Abraham was an old and childless man, the Lord had said unto him, " Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them ; and they shall afflict them four hundred years ; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge : and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Gen. xv, 13, 14. How strange and contradictory to the usual course of events does all this appear ! Yet how strictly and literally was all fulfilled ! Abraham and his sons were strangers in a land that was not theirs : this fact is indubitably attested by the purchase of a single field in which to bury their dead. For generations such was their condition. But, beyond this, the seed of Abraham were to serve a strange nation. It has been seen how fully this was fulfilled. They did, indeed, serve with rigor, and were made to drink deep of the cup of affliction. But God had said, " That nation I will judge ;" and what judgments of God sm-passed those wrought in the field of Zoan and at the Red Sea ? What a glorious commentary 52 INTRODUCTION. on this prophecy is the history of the exodvis ! Jehovah did indeed pour his judgments upon Egypt, and Israel left that land with " great substance." What a strange anomaly is this whole case ! An afflicted and enslaved people leaving the land of their oppression, in defiance of their oppressors, yet Avithout war or violence, and enriching themselves, and spoiling their tyrant masters by the act ! All this the prediction seemed to require, and all this the history amply details. As if to set forth this remarkable fact with the greatest prominence, full infonnation is given respecting the wealth of the Israelites immediately after the exodus ; and this, after two centuries of vassalage, accompanied by an unexampled increase of population, both of which might be expected to diminish individual property. The object of this introductory chapter has been thus completed. It has been shown, that Jehovah called Abraham and his seed into special covenant with himself ; that to this patriarch he gave explicit promises that his descendants should be a great and favored nation. The deve- lopment of this purpose has passed tmder our review ; and, on closing the investigation, the most signal impression arising from the whole is a deep sense of the magnitude of the interpositions of God in the affairs of man. The checkered career of Abraham, — the quiet life of Isaac, — the various and complicated circumstances in the history of Jacob, — the still more varied and painful vicissitudes of his descendants, important and interesting in themselves, — are rendered a thousand-fold more so, by their uniform relation to the great purpose of God, and their certain (although sometimes imperceptible) co-operation in the evolution of his grand design. Nor are these purposes always effected by the ordinary operation of his providence : they give a glorious exhibition of Jehovah. The perfect goodness, eternal truth, infinite love, boundless compassion, unsearchable wisdom, and almighty power of God are not portrayed, but seen in action ; not described, but heard speaking in the ordinary actions of men, and directing the ways of private life and family circum- stance, or assuming more than angel power, — controlling elements, working prodigies, and displaying the full power of the divine arm. By these wondrous means, the Hebrew people rose up into being. The manifestations of infinite prescience and infinite power fostered tho embryo creation of the Hebrew commonwealth. From the vocation of Abraham, to the morning when the emancipated Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea a free people, the purposes of God were in conti- nual operation, to raise up the seed of Abraham, in numbers and know- ledge, faith and freedom, worthy of the high position to which they had been predestinated. They stand before us, therefore, as a people pre- pared of the Lord, and a people whose history and religion were destined ( to exercise a commanding influence on the whole world of mankind. HISTORY AND RELIGION ''ssyf/^'ft-i^- THE THE HEBREW PEOPLE, CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS. PECutiAEiTiES of Hebrew Nationality at the Exodus — State of the People — Their rational Expression of Joy — Their Journeying — Marah — Elim — Wilderness of Sin — The Quails and Manna — Miraculous Supply of Water — Amalekites — The Hebrews arrive at Sinai — Glorious Revelation of God — He delivers his Law to the People — Moses called up into the Mount — The golden Calf — The People punished and pardoned — Moses again called into the Mount — The Levitical ecclesiastical Economy promulged — The Tabernacle and its Furniture prepared — Its sacred Service began and divinely accepted — Sin and Punishment of Nadab and Abihu — The People numbered and organized — Their Order of March — The People murmur for Flesh — Quails sent — And seventy Prophets appointed — Rebellion and Punishment of Sliriam — The Israelites arrive at Kadesh-Bai'uea — The Purpose of God in their Wandering — Spies sent out — The Object and Results of their Mission — The existing Generation doomed to perish in the Wilderness — They wander thirty-eight Years — The Return of the Israelites to Kadesh — The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram — Their miraculous Pimishment — The Sin and Doom of Moses and Aaron — The Edomites refuse Israel a Passage through their Country — Death of Aaron — Plague of fiery Serpents — Conquest of two Kings of the Amorites — Balaam — Sin and Pimishment of Baal-peor — Second Census — Joshua appointed the Leader — Conquest of the Midianites — The Death of Moses — Order of Encampment. Notes. Song of Moses — ^The Healing of the Waters — Laws given at Marah — Quails — The Manna a Miracle — The smitten Rock — Amalek — Jethro's Visit to Moses — The Meekness of Moses — Situ- ation of Kadesh — Absurdity of rationalistic Interpretation — Sliriam — The Sin of Moses — The brazen Serpent — The Plains of Moab — Nimibering of the People. Rescued from the house of bondage, and delivered from their Egyptian enemies, the Hebrews appear before us, not only as a separate and distinct people, but as an independent nation. With a population of two or three millions, and a body of six himdred thousand men capable of bearing arms ; possessing considerable wealth in flocks and herds, and also in jewels and gold ; they must be regarded as invested with all the attributes of a political com- munity, independent of every earthly power, and prepared to assert and maintain their nationality. In these circumstances the Israelites are distinguished by two grand peculiarities. Although they possessed numbers, power, and 54 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. ^ wealth, superior to many of the independent nations of that day, they had no country. Standing on the barren soil of the deserts of Sinai, from whose rocks and sands no sustenance could possibly be elicited, they had yet to obtain a territorial location. A country had, indeed, been promised them by God, and had, for ages pre- viously, been regarded by their forefathers as the divinely appointed inheritance of their posterity ; and this people had now left Egypt under the high hope of obtaining it ; but all this was to be achieved. In another respect they were unlike every other people, — they had no earthly head, no recognized governor. Moses acted as their chief magistrate; but he did not assume this office as having any natural title or claim to it, or as being appointed thereto by the suffrages of the people ; but as one who exercised authority in the name, and by the special appointment, of Jehovah. Nor did Moses act as one to whom God had delegated the government of this peo- ple, but rather as the servant and representative of God, who retained this government in his own hand. The Hebrew commonwealth was, therefore, from the beginning a theocracy. As they passed from the tyrannical yoke of the Egyptians, they were at once regarded as the specially elected people of Jehovah. He led them ; he was their protection ; he gave them not only their religious economy, but also their civil and political laws. Yet, although the Hebrew people at this time had no human go- vernor, nor any national constitution, and had just emerged from a slavish vassalage, it must not be supposed that they marched as an unconnected, disorderly crovrd, or manifested their joy at this great deliverance in unmeaning ebullitions of ecstasy, licentious mirth, or wild and lawless action. They appear to have possessed a simple and perfect bond of union in their family arrangements and con- nection. The people were divided into tribes, the tribes into families, and these were further subdivided ; so that, according to regular family descent, the multitudes of the Hebrew people were arranged in an orderly and systematic manner. This mode of arrangement not only produced order, but created, what was essential to its maintenance, gradations of rank. The hereditary heads of the tribes, according to the well-known usage of patriarchal life, exer- cised authority as princes ; the chiefs of the several families were next in subordinate rank; and so on, for the further subdivisions. Thus throughout this immense host a universally ramified paternal authority was everywhere exercised, producing a unity and order which to a great extent supplied the place both of formal civil polity, and regular military organization. This mode of family arrange- ment existed among the Hebrews whilst in Egypt, and those he- THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. 5S reditary chiefs were the "elders" -whom God commissioned Moses to address. Exod. iii, 16. The manner in which this people rejoiced at their deliverance, while it illustrates the orderly state of the multitude, also exhibits their intellectual and moral cultivation. They had escaped from evils as weighty in aggravated affliction, as humiliating and debasing in their ejBFects, as had ever pressed upon any people. This state of abject woe had continued so long, that most of the people delivered at the exodus must have been born into it, as their inheritance. "Yet how did these men manifest their joy, after having suddenly obtained a great accession of wealth, seen their tyrant foes destroyed, and felt themselves restored to perfect freedom ? Much as is implied in the statement, it may be safely answered, that they did so in a man- ner worthy of the great occasion. Moses composed a thanksgiving- ode, which the thousands of Israel, both men and women, united in singing, as they exulted in their new-born freedom on the shores of the Red Sea. In this noble piece of poetry, full of sublime thought, breathing deeply pious and grateful feeling, and replete Avith en- larged views of the consequences wliich would result from this glo- rious deliverance, we have an expression of the mind of the Hebrew public on this great occasion. (See Appendix, note 15.) As the ode was adapted for alternate recitation, not only did the men of Israel shout forth their joy in its sacred strains, but the women also, led on by iNIiriam, and accompanying their voices with instrumental music, swelled the chorus of thanksgiving, and re-echoed to the skies, " Sing to Jeliovali; for he is very greatly exalted : The horse and his rider he hath cast into the sea." Where in all history do we find a gi-eat national deliverance so ap- propriately acknowledged ? Let this public action be tested by the highest standard, in regard to elevated religious devotion, sterling intellectual dignity, elegant and cultivated taste ; and then let those who speak of these Hebrews as a horde of semi-savages tell us what great public act in the best ages of Greece or Rome will bear a com- parison with this grateful conduct of the redeemed Israelites. At first sight, all the dignity and intellectual grandeur of this proceed- ing may be attributed to the superior learning and mental cultiva- tion of Moses, who, having been bred up in the Egyptian court, may not be regarded as a fair sample of Hebrew cultivation. Yet it must be remembered, that this poetry was not written for the purpose of parading the mental cultivation of the Israelites before the world, but on a great and solemn emergency, to guide the grate- ful effusion of their individual mind in suitable channels of expression 56 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. to Heaven. It was, therefore, not only necessary that the terms of this splendid epic should be worthy of the grand occasion which gave it birth, but equally so, that they should be exactly adapted to the state of thought, feeling, and intellectual calibre of the people for Avhose use it was written. And if this were so, it will follow that the Hebrews of that day ought to be regarded, not only as a civilized, but also to a considerable extent as an enlightened and cultivated, people. Having thus returned thanksgiving to God for their deliverance, and collected the spoil of their enemies, the Israelites pursued their way thi'ough the Avilderness. From the shores of the Red Sea they journeyed three successive days. Dm-ing this march the people suffered greatly for want of water ; and their sufferings were aggra- vated when they arrived at Marah, and found the waters so bitter that they could not drink it. This led them to murmur against Moses, and to demand of him a supply of this necessary element ; saying, " What shall we drink ?" Exod. xv, 24. The impropriety and wickedness of this conduct is more evident than the amount of suffering which occasioned it ; and both should be fairly considered. It may not, indeed, be impossible for us to form a just idea of the magnitude of this affliction. But when it is considered that this immense host, consisting of men, women, and children, with nu- merous herds of cattle, had to travel mostly on foot over a sandy desert, under a burning sun ; it will be seen that not only their pro- perty, but their lives, depended upon a plentiful supply of water. After three days' privation, and consequent extreme suffering, when they reached a station where this natural beverage was found in abundance, and promised an instant alleviation of all their pain, — to find this so intolerably bitter that it was utterly useless, was enough to try the temper and excite the feeling of any people. It is not just to regard the Israelites in this case in comparison with those troops of military men who, in their warlike pursuits, have endm*ed the greatest suffering Avith fortitude and resignation. The Israelites were not prepared for this endurance by discipline : and, more than this, they had not to bear it alone ; their aged and helpless parents, their weary wives and famishing children, were alike partakers of the pain. The intensity of the suffering can, therefore, be scarcely exaggerated. But their eiTor and their sin lay in this, — that, as they had so recently received such miraculous displays of the power of God in their deliverance and protection, and as they all knew that they had been guided in all their Avay, and led to their present posi- tion under the sacred cloud, they should have asked God in humility and faith for a supply of their urgent and absolute wants. Their THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 57 unbelieving forgetfulness of God, and their rebellious murmuring against Moses, were unworthy of men Avho had seen such gracious and divine marvelous interpositions in their behalf; and in their circumstances they became open and aggravated sins. Moses did what they should have done. He " cried unto the Lord," and was heard; for the Lord directed him to a tree, which being cast into the waters, they were made sweet. (See Appendix, note 16.) Thus were their wants supplied, and they had another proof that their help was in God. Here also the Lord made special revelations for their future guidance, and enjoined strict and con- stant obedience as essential to their safety. (See Appendix, note 17.) From Marah the directing cloud led them to Elim. Here seventy palm-trees, and twelve wells of water, afforded them great comfort and refreshment. After leaving Elim, the next encampment of im- portance was in the wilderness of Sin. They arrived at this station just one month after they had left Egypt. And it appears that by this time then* stock of provisions was exhausted; for at this station the people suffered great privation, and not only complained of their lot, but united in one general expression of dissatisfaction and dis- trust. We are told that " the whole congregation" joined in it, and said to Moses and Aaron, " Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, and when we did eat bread to the full ! for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Exod. xvi, 3. Here we have another lamentable manifestation of their want of faith in God. The intensity of their necessity and conse- quent suffering was certainly very great. And probably their pre- sent wants were rendered doubly distressing on account of their future prospects. The cloud was directing them toward a vast expanse of barren wilderness ; by what means, then, were provisions to be obtained for millions of people ? The thing seemed to be utterly impracticable ; to all human appearance, impossible. The people saw this ; and hence the strong expressions of discontent, and the gloomy language of despair, which pervade their complaint. The Israelites have been severely, and in some respects unjustly, censured for their conduct on this occasion. In Egypt, it is highly probable that they had abundance of provision. Now they are des- titute : their complaint is not a groundless or exaggerated one ; so completely were their means of sustenance exhausted, that a miracle had immediately to be wrought, to afford them a supply. In such a host great inconvenience, if not absolute want, would have been felt before they were brought to this state of entire destitution. In those circumstances it does not appear to indicate any degraded or 68 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. debased state of mind, that they should have preferred to die in Egypt, where their wives and their children had a sufficiency of bread. The case was one of a deeply trying and painful natui'e : it ought to have elicited confidence in God : this was its object and end ; but their carnal minds and unbelieving hearts sank under the affliction, and they rebelled against the merciful purposes of God. It has indeed been alleged, that they could not have been in a state of absolute want, " as they had brought abundance of flocks and herds with them out of Egypt." But this objection is of no weight, unless it can be shown that these flocks were not the private pro- perty of the several chiefs ; for if they were, then the great mass of the people might still be destitute. Besides, it must be evident that, if all the cattle had been slain and given up to the public, they alone would not have furnished wholesome provisions, nor have long averted the evil. On this, as on the former occasion, the Lord provided for the wants of his people. But the interposition here is on a grander scale, and of a more permanent character. Moses was promptly informed of the means which would be used. The Lord said unto him, " I will rain bread from heaven for you." As the leader of the Hebrews saw in the murmiu'ings of the people a practical disbelief that God had brought them out of Egypt, and had made himself their Kiiig and their Protector, he introduced this great display of divine power and benevolence on their behalf, in a manner most calculated to impress their minds with its supernatural and gracious character, and thus, if possible, to remove their remaining infidelity. Moses directed Aaron to inform the people that God had heard their mur- murings, and to require them to " come near before the Lord. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, be- hold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the chil- dren of Israel : speak unto them, saying. At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God." Exod. xvi, 9-12. These promises were fulfilled. In the evening a multitude of quails alighted around the camp, and afforded them a plentiful supply of flesh. (See Ap- pendix, note 18.) This was evidently intended as a temporary provision for their immediate wants, as the quails were only found on this particular occasion. On the next morning the ground was covered with manna, which was intended as a substitute for bread, and as such to be continued, and afford them the means of subsist- ence during the whole of their sojourn in the wilderness. As might THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 59 have been expected, a fact so full of interest as this permanent miraculous supply of food, has induced a most careful scrutiny into every particular contained in the inspired narrative of the event. This remarkable substance fell with the dew every morning ; and when the moisture was exhaled by the heat of the sun, the manna appeared alone, covering the ground around the encampment ; it was white, like hoar-frost, or the " color of bdellium," (Num. xi, 7,) in form round, and about the size of coriander- seed. What the nature of this substance was, we are not informed ; but when the Israelites saw it, and inquired what it was, they were told by Moses, " This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." Exod. xvi, 15, And they wer6 commanded to gather a sufficient quantity for every family at the rate of an omer for each individual. Any quantity of this provision which was kept till the following day, became putrid and useless. So the manna appeared every morning, and thus the thousands of Israel were supplied with food. The miraculous nature of this provision was clearly attested by the extraordinary fact, that while at other times any manna kept until the next day became useless, they were commanded on the sixth day to gather a provision for two days, as none fell on the Sabbath ; and this remained over the whole two days perfectly good. Respecting the taste of this food, we are told that when first gathered it had the flavor of honey, or cakes made of flour and honey ; but that after it became hard, and was ground or pulverized, the taste of it became like that of fresh oil. A pot full of manna was commanded to be laid up before the Lord, to remain a memorial, throughout all ages, of this won- derful interposition. (See Appendix, note 19,) It is important to recognize the effect which this daily repeated miracle was calculated to produce on the public mind of the Hebrew people. In itself, it must have been regarded by the most thought- less as a direct proof of divine goodness and power ; whilst those who were disposed to view it in connection with the gracious pro- mises which had been made to their fathers, and the marvelous works which they had previously seen, could scarcely fail to draw from the whole a deep conviction of the faithfulness and compassion of God, and the consequent certainty of their final deliverance and exaltation. On the whole, the supply of manna was adapted to suggest much serious reflection, and strong confidence in God. From the wilderness of Sin, the Hebrews journeyed to Rephidim, where the people were again distressed for want of water, and again vented their anger in severe reproaches against Moses. Their con- duct is here more surprising and culpable than on any previous occasion. They had seen the gracious interposition of God in a 60 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, similar exigency ; they were even now receiving their daily bread in a miraculous manner from heaven ; and yet, so unreasonable was their spirit, that they said unto Moses, " Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst ?" while their violence of manner was so great, that Moses " cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this peo- ple ? they be almost ready to stone me." Exod. xvii, 3, 4. How much more rational, not to say religious, would humble supplication to God for a supply of their wants have been ! Yet he deigned to save them. " The Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel ; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel." Verses 5, 6. It is worthy of remark here, that the miracle was not wrought at Rephidim, which does not appear from the account to have been very near ; for, if it had, in their parched condition, the Israelites would have gladly accompanied their leader on this mis- sion. The account refers to the selection of the elders, and their going to Horeb, as if it had been some considerable distance. All this appears to be well-established fact. Dr. Wilson and Dr. Ro- binson agree as to Rephidim being about a day's journey from Sinai, and so situated that a stream of water flowing from Horeb would run directly to the Hebrew encampment. How impressive must the whole scene have been ! the shekinah of God leading the way, Moses and the elders following; the time occupied in the jour- ney, and the consequent excitement and anxiety of the people ; the smitten rock, and the torrents of water flowing over the intermediate space, and rushing at God's command to meet the wants and re- fresh the spirits of his famished people! (See Appendix, note 20.) What sight could affect the mind and impress the heart, if this would not ? There was another reason for making the rock at Horeb the scene of this miracle. The Israelites were to encamp near it at their next removal, and to remain in the neighborhood for a long time. If, therefore, the water had been elicited from a rock at Rephidim, another miracle would have been required to procure a supply for the camp at Sinai ; but as the scene of this wonder was placed at the head of the valley at Horeb, it provided a supply for the people during their whole sojourn in its vicinity. While encamped at Rephidim, the Israelites had, for the first time, to defend themselves against a warlike aggression made on them by the Amalekites. (See Appendix, note 21.) According to the state- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 61 ment given in Deuteronomy xxv, 17, 18, tliis attack was charac- terized by consummate craftiness and cruelty. " Remember," says Moses, " what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt ; how he met thee by the way, and smote the hind- most of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God." The exact time when this incursion took place cannot now be ascertained. From the pas- sage just quoted, it appears probable that it occurred on the arrival of the Israelites at Rephidim, while the main body was engaged in encamping, and when all were weary and distressed for want of wa- ter. Then, falling on the rear of the Hebrews, they smote those who, being feeble, remained behind. Exposed to this danger, Moses se- lected Joshua, a young man, whose piety, wisdom, and courage had already distinguished him, and commanded him to select a body of men, and go out, and fight with Amalek. It appears that in the first aggression these invaders had inflicted serious injury on the Hebrews, and retired : Moses therefore makes this arrangement to punish the cruel and unprovoked assault, and to prevent a repetition of it. In accordance with the general design of God in the government of his people, it was necessary that the Amalekites should be defeated, while it was equally necessary that the victory should not be regard- ed as the result of Hebrew prowess. The safety of the Israelites re- quired the first condition; and the entire dependence upon God, which the Israelites were in all respects taught to feel, rendered the second essential. To meet this case, therefore, Moses, with Aaron and Hur, went up to the top of the hill, while Joshua and his com- pany went out to fight with Amalek. And there, in the sight of all the people, the man of God held up his rod toward heaven, and with outstretched hands implored help from the God of Israel. While he remained in this attitude, Joshua prevailed ; but his strength fail- ing, and his hands dropping down, Amalek rallied, and obtained the advantage. Seeing this, Aaron and Hur placed Moses in a position where they could hold up his hands, which they did until the going down of the sun. So " Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." Exod. xvii, 13. After this victory, the Lord pronounced the doom of this people, and said unto Moses, " Write this for a memorial in a book,* and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua : for I will utterly put out the re- membrance of Amalek from under heaven," (verse 14 :) a denun- ciation which was afterward repeated by Balaam. Immediately after the recital of tliis war, the IMosaic narrative * Yet commentators persist in saying, that the inscription of the law upon the two tables by God was the first writing. See Patriarchal Age. Preliminary Dissertation. 62 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. informs us, that Jethro, the priest or prince of Midian, having " heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt," came into the wil- derness to Moses ; bringing with him Zipporah his daughter, the wife of Moses, and her two sons ; who, although they had accompanied Moses toward Egypt, when he was called of the Lord to go there, had all retm-ned to the house of Jethro. Exod. xviii. (See Appendix, note 22.) From Rephidim, the directing cloud led the Israelites to Sinai. They arrived there, and encamped before the mountain on the first day of the third month, or forty-five days from the time of their de- parture from Egypt. This place was destined to be the scene of the most glorious displays of the Divine Majesty which the world had ever witnessed. If the Egyptian passover may be regarded as the birth- day of the Hebrew nation, when God claimed Israel for his own son, this may, with equal propriety, be observed as the time when the rising youth was called into special intercourse with his Father, and put under a course of instruction and discipline to pre- pare him for his high destiny. Here Jehovah called his elect peo- ple into covenant relation to himself, and gave them some new reh- gious laws, which were incorporated into, and made the basis of, a complete scheme of civil, political, and ecclesiastical polity. As the next chapter will investigate the religion of this period, it will only be necessary at present to notice the particulars which are connected with the history of the Israehtes dming these transactions. The Lord having called Moses, he went up into the mountain, and was there commanded to speak thus unto the children of Israel : " Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people : for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." So Moses came down and " called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said. All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses retui'ned the words of the people unto the Lord." Exod. xix. 4-8. The people, having thus accepted the terms of the covenant, and pledged themselves to be obedient to the divine government, were commanded on the third day j;o purify themselves, and wash their clothes, preparatory to their witnessing the glorious appearance of Jehovah on Sinai. On the third day after this command had been given, the fifth day of the month, and the fiftieth from their leaving THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 63 Egypt, Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God. The annals of the world can scarcely present us with a scene more awfully sublime than this. Bounds had been set around the Mount, lest the people, daring to approach too near to the Divine Presence, should perish. Jehovah descended upon Sinai, and the mountain trembled to its base, thick darkness and flaming fire gathered around it, and the trumpet of God sounded, the earth quaked, and the whole congregation stood terror-stricken before the Lord ; while Jehovah in a loud voice, speaking out of the midst of the fire, gave unto the people that germ of all his legislation, the Decalogue. So magnifi- cent in grandeur, and at the same time so terrible, were the sight and the sound, that even Moses exceedingly feared and trembled; and the people entreated that God himself might speak to them no more, but that his will might be made known through his servant : a prayer which the Lord was pleased to hear and grant. It is not possible for us fully to reahze the solemn majesty of this scene ; the great and glorious Jehovah announcing his will to his own selected people, without any intervening medium, surrounded by such fearful evi- dences of liis greatness and power, that the loftiest intellect and the most exalted piety trembled in his presence, and entreated that some means of access to the Deity, more suitable to the frailty of humanity, might in future be vouchsafed. After this transaction the Lord delivered unto Moses an important portion of judicial law, principally relating to civil duties. Exodus xxi-xxiii. On the natm'C and tendency of these requirements it is not necessary to remark, further than that the revelation of this poli- ty fully confirms what has been said respecting the theocratic form of the Hebrew government. As God was their King, he prescribed their laws ; not merely such as related to religion, but those also which re- spected their civil and political economy. This being done, the Lord called Moses to come up unto him in the Mount, and commanded Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, to worship at a distance. On this occasion Moses returned and " told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments : and all the people answered with one voice, and said. All the words which the Lord hath said will we do." Exod. xxiv, 3. And Moses lorote all the words of the Lord, that they might be preserved in all their integrity. Afterward Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the seventy el- ders, were again called up into the Mount ; and unto them was grant- ed an illustrious vision of the majesty and glory of God. It is ex- tremely difficult to give any exact and consistent interpretation of all the terms used in this description, Exod. xxiv. 9-11 ; yet one 64 THE HEBEEW PEOPLE. thing is certain, — there was no visible representation of Deity ; they " saw no manner of similitude." Deut. iv, 15. This glorious revela- tion having terminated, Moses was called to go farther up into the Mount, to the presence of the Divine Glory. He therefore com- manded Aaron and the elders to return, and take the oversight of the people ; and, with Joshua, he ascended farther up into the moun- tain. In the brevity of this part of the narrative some obscurity ex- ists ; but the most probable interpretation appears to be, that Moses took Joshua with him until he reached that part of the Momit which was covered with the cloud, and that they tarried there six days to- gether ; after which, Jehovah called Moses to come up unto the seat of his glory ; Moses, leaving Joshua at this place, obeyed the call, and went up alone unto the Divine Presence, where he remained forty days. During this time, the Lord communicated to Moses the sub- stance of that ecclesiastical economy which was intended to be the distinguishing feature of the Jewish nation. While Moses was thus engaged, the Israelites, (who from below saw the Mount enveloped in flame,) six weeks having elapsed since he had left them, began to despair of his return. They therefore as- sembled themselves together, and came to Aaron, and urged him to make them " a god"* to go before them. He, so far as the narrative informs us, complied without remonstrance or hesitation ; and having obtained their ornaments of gold, of this metal he made a molten calf, and built an altar, and proclaimed the following day as a feast unto Jehovah. On this occasion the people arose early, oflFered bui-nt- offerings and peace-offerings; and having "sat down to eat and drink," they " rose up to play." Exod. xxxii, 6. There is perhaps no historical incident in the whole annals of the Hebrew nation which presents greater difficulties than this. As, how- ever, the investigation of this subject belongs to the next chapter, it will be sufficient here to call attention to the astonishing fact, that while the awful voice of God, which had enjoined them not to make to themselves any graven image, and at the sound of which every heart had quailed, was still tinghng in their ears, this flagrant act of trans- gression was perpetrated. The melancholy intelligence of this great declension was commu- nicated by God to Moses ; and he was sent down to them with the two tables of stone containing the law, the workmanship of God, in his hand. Having come down to the side of the Mount, where Joshua waited for him, he descended with him toward the congregation. As they went, they heard the sound of a tumult : this Joshua supposed to be the sound of war; but Moses, divinely informed of what had « So Geddes, Booth, and Rosenmiiller render it. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 65 taken place, corrected his error. Yet, although he had been so fore- warned, and notwithstanding the great meekness of his temper, no sooner did Moses come near enough to see the golden calf, and the people dancing and singing before it, than, angry at this flagrant vio- lation of divine law, he cast the tables from his hands, and brake them in pieces beneath the Mount. He then took the golden calf and bm-nt it in the fire, and gi-ound it to powder, and mixed it with water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. After the destruction of the idol, he summoned those who were on the Lord's side to attend him. All the Levites having obeyed the call, he sent them through- out the camp to slay those who had been most guilty in this trans- action ; and about three thousand men were then destroyed. Throughout the whole of this case, Moses acted in a manner the most noble that can be conceived. When Jehovah threatened to de- stroy the Israelites for their sin, and to make of him a great nation, the pious and patriotic man showed that his devotedness to God, and his love for his people, influenced him far above all personal or fami- ly considerations. He preferred the Divine honor and glory to any personal aggrandizement ; and was so deeply concerned for his offending brethren, that he never ceased to intercede on their behalf, until Jehovah graciously promised to continue unto them his presence as heretofore. The Lord having pardoned the sin of his people, Moses was again called up into the Mount with two new tables, on which he wrote the ten commandments from the dictation of God. On this occasion he received various other laws, and was favored with a further and more glorious manifestation of Jehovah ; which had such an effect upon his countenance, that when he came down his face shone so brightly that Aaron and the elders feared to come near him, and he put on a veil while he conversed with them. On this second occa- sion also, Moses was in the Mount with God forty days. Immediately after his descent from Sinai the second time, Moses proceeded to carry into effect the divine commands respecting the ecclesiastical apparatus and polity, concerning all which he had been fully informed in the Mount. Although all the erections included in this scheme were temporary, and adapted to be taken down and carried from place to place, and then again to be raised as the camp was removed from one place to another; yet, when the numerous utensils and requisites are considered, — the preparation of the taber- nacle and its court, the ark, and other provision for the most holy place, the laver, altar, and other necessaries for sacrifice, ablution, and the various requirements of the ceremonial law ; the vestments, and other ornaments for the priests, — it will be acknowledged that 5 66 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. the work was one of groat extent and magnitude, especially when avo remember that the people had just emerged from the most debasing slavery, and were locating temporarily in a desert. With respect to the necessary provision for the work, the sanctua- ry of God and its furniture were not to be made of common or mean materials. These emblems and figures of " things in the heavens'* were to be composed of gold and silver : brass in abundance was re- quired, as well as various precious stones, valuable wood, costly 3\T,rns, skins, and numerous other articles. Yet the people possessed all that was necessary, and, when appealed to by JNloses, gave willingly until everything required for this great work was placed at the dis- posal of their chief. It may be desirable to form some idea of the value of these con- tributions. The particulars are generally stated, Exod. xxv, 3-7 ; and afterward more fully detailed, chap, xxxv; and the amount is also given as a Avhole, chap, xxxviii. 21, &c. From these different accounts it appears, that half a shekel of silver Avas levied on every man above twenty years of age ; besides which, every one who Mas so inclined made voluntar}^ offerings. INIoses assembled the congrega- tion, (xxxv, 4,) and mentioned what classes of articles would be need- ed for the work of the tabernacle ; and those persons who possessed any of the articles needed, offered liberally, so that more than enough was soon obtained, and jNIoses forbade anything further to be brought, xxxvi, 6-7. The articles required varying considerably in character and value, there was room for almost every person to testify his zeal by some offering or other. The wealth}^ could bring precious stones and gold, while the poorer class might fm-nish the skins, and the hair of goats. The women, it appears, (xxxv, 26,) exerted themselves in spinning the goats' hair for the tent coverings, as women do to this day in the encampments of the Bedouin Arabs. "The statement in chap, xxxviii, 2-4-31, is very valuable, as enabling us to form some idea of the expense of this costly fiibric. It is there said that the gold weighed 29 talents and 730 shekels ; the silver, raised by a poll-tax of half a shekel, was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels ; and the brass, (more probably copper,) 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. This enables us to fonn the following calculation, estimating the talent of 3,000 shekels at 152lbs. troy weight : — Gold, fit .£-t per ounce i:i7.'),4G0 0 0 Silver, .at 5*. per ounce 37,721 17 G Brass, (or copper,) at Is. 3d. per lb. avoirdupois 1.^8 G 0 Total £213,320 3 6 "Now we have to consider that this is the value of only the raw material of the metals employed in the structure of the tabernacle j 5* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. G7 and when we add the value of the wood, the curtains, the dress of the hi;5h priest, with its breast-plate of precious stones, the dresses of the common priests, and the Avorkmanship of the whole, it must be considered a moderate estimate, if we regard the total expense of this fabric as not less than X'250,000." — Kittd's Illustrated Com- mentarij. In Western Asia at present the precious metals have a much higher actual value than in Europe. This might not have been the casein ancient times, when we are told that gold and silver abounded in Arabia and Egypt. Yet, however this may be, the contribution of so much valuable metal, in addition to other costly benefactions, proves that the people possessed very considerable substance. But the construction of the tabernacle, and of its various and ( costly furniture, not only shows the wealth of the Israelites ; it also , proves that they possessed a thorough knowledge of the useful and ' elegant arts. Making every allowance for the special inspiration of Bezalecl and Aholiab, who were thus qualified for devising curi- ous works, and for working in gold, silver, and brass, and for cutting and setting precious stones and carving in wood ; it must be evident to the most superficial reader, that the ordinary operations of work- ing in wood and metals, of spinning, weaving, and dyeing, must have been familiar to the people at large. All the handicraft arts must have been practiced ; and the community who in the wilder- ness could execute such works, must have been qualified to take a respectable position amongst the civilized nations of the earth. The commandments of Jehovah respecting the tabernacle and its furniture, and the appointment and consecration of the priests, having been obeyed, and the sacred things having been consecrated by blood, " Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the con- gregation, and came out, and blessed the people : and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt- offering and the fat : which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." Lev. i.x, 23, 24. Thus was obedience to the revealed will of God acknowledged and honored. But, immediately after this, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, proceeding to offer incense before the Lord in a manner unauthorized by the statutes delivered to Moses, were struck dead by fire from Jehovah. Thus early did God guard his divinely revealed economy from any human alteration or vain intrusion. The stay of the Israelites at Sinai terminated the first year of their sojourn in the wilderness ; and on the first montli of the second year, the passover was reappointed and observed. On the first day 68 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. of the second month, Moses was commanded to take the number of the people. This led to a careful investigation into the pedigrees of the several families, and formed a solid basis for the construction of future genealogical tables. The result of this census showed, that, after one year's journeying in the wilderness, the Israelites numbered 603,550 men above twenty years of age, fit to go forth to war : a number, it should be observed, which entirely excludes the sons of Levi. This census led to a more strict arrangement of the several families, and a more orderly dis- position of the whole body ; as the position of every tribe, and the name of the prince who was to rule over each, were divinely revealed to Moses, and recorded. On this occasion, also, the recommendation of Jethro appears to have been carried into effect ; and Moses appointed captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens. These Avere to hear complaints, arbitrate in disputes, and refer those which were too important or difiicult for them to decide to the grade next above them, and, if necessary, to Moses himself Thus was the host of Israel fully organized, and a regular gradation of officers established, which insured strict order, and, considering the character of their laws, morality also. All these arrangements having been effected, and the civil and ecclesiastical polity which God had appointed having been com- pleted, as far as this could be done in the desert, the cloud of the Divine Presence arose from off the tabernacle, and led the way to the wilderness of Paran. This being the appointed signal for jour- neying, the tents were immediately struck, and the host of Israel left Sinai. The following was the order in which the tribes marched : — In the first place went the standard of the tribe of Judah under Nahshon, accompanied by the tribe of Issachar under Nethaneel, and the tribe of Zebulun under Eliab. Then followed the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, bearing the tabernacle. Next to these marched the tribe of Reuben with their standard under Elizur, with the tribe of Simeon under Shelumiel, and the tribe of Gad under Eliasaph. Following these came the Kohathites, bearing the sanctuary ; the order being for the Gershonites and Merarites to erect the taber- nacles at the next encampment by the time these arrived. After these went the children of Ephraim with their standard under Elishama, accompanied by the host of Manasseh under Gama- liel, and that of Benjamin under Abidan. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 09 The rear was made up of the tribe of Dan with its standard under Ahiezer, attended by Asher under Pagiel, and Naphtali under Ahira. " Thus were the joumeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies," Num. x, 28 ; and thus regularly and orderly did this nation pass on their Avay through the desert. It is supposed that it was when commencing this journey from Sinai that Moses so earnestly entreated Hobab, the son of his father-in-law, to accompany the people of Israel in their march. He at first declined, and Moses urged him still further. Whether he persisted in his refusal, or afterwards consented, we are not here informed ; but the subsequent history shows that he accompanied the tribes of Israel. (See Shuckford, vol. ii, p. 136, note.') When, by the rising of the cloud from the tabernacle, it was known that the camp was to remove, as soon as the whole people were ready, and the ark was carried forward, Moses stood and cried aloud, " Rise up. Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered ; and let them that hate thee flee before thee." And when the cloud stayed, to mark out an encampment, he said, " Return, 0 Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel." Num. x, 35, 36. On the cloud's resting in the wilderness of Paran, the people com- plained. We are not told what was the cause of these complaints ; but they provoked the Lord to anger, so that he sent a fire among them, which destroyed many, and which was only stayed by the earnest prayer of Moses. Therefore was the name of this encamp- ment called Taberah. Soon afterward, the people, incited by the clamors of the mixed multitude that went up with them out of Egypt, murmured against God and against Moses, saying, they loathed the manna, and were quite dried up for want of better food ; that they remembered with strong desire the flesh, fish, and vegetables of Egypt; and could not endure the restrictions under which they were noAV placed. And they wept aloud, saying, " Who shall give us flesh to eat ?" Num- bers xi, 4. This conduct was highly displeasing to God, and it affected Moses in an unusual manner ; so that he cried unto the Lord in the lan- guage of the most bitter grief: "Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers ? Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people ? for they weep unto me, say- ing. Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus / 70 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness." Num. xi, 12-15. Moses was not afraid of the wrath of the king of Egypt ; but the tears of his people entirely subdued him, and he chose death rather than life. The Lord then commanded him to " gather seventy men of the elders of Israel unto the tabernacle of the congregation." And further, the Lord said, " Say thou unto the people. Sanctify your- selves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days nor twenty days ; but even a whole month." Verses 16-20. This announcement appears to have taken Moses by surprise ; for he said in reply, " The people among whom I am, are six hun- dred thousand footmen ; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to sufiice them ? And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short ?" Verses 21-23. The whole of this case shows how fully the government of this people, and all the necessary provision for them, were under the im- mediate direction of God. With all the wisdom and experience of Moses, he could not conceive the possibility of such a course being adopted. But all this was done. The seventy elders were selected, and commanded to repair to the tabernacle of the congregation ; when the Spirit of the Lord descended upon those who were pre- sent, and they prophesied. It is also worthy of observation, that the same gift was communicated to two of these, Eldad and Medad, who, although named, did not appear at the door of the tabernacle. Joshua, seeing this, and regarding it as a slight put upon Moses, in- asmuch as they had not complied with his direction, cried, " My lord Moses, forbid them." But this interference only served to elicit from this man of God the noble reply, " Enviest thou for my sake ? Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them !" Verses 28, 29. This case deserves more serious attention than it has usually re- ceived. Prior to this, every necessary arrangement had been made for the government and direction of this immense host : organiza- tion, civil polity, even ecclesiastical order, could do no more. Yet Moses felt the overwhelming burden of the Avhole people, and was sinking; under the weight of their care. And how did Jehovah meet the case ? By a religious provision. He gave unto seventy men the spirit of prophecy, and thus endued them with divine power to uphold his honor, and communicate his will to the masses of the people : and, what is worthy of observation, this was done in a man- ner which proved that a breach of order, though not commended, I THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 71 did not obstruct the course of this spiritual gift, nor lead Moses to condemn the exercise of it under those circumstances. The predicted supply of flesh was also given ; for the Lord sent forth a wind, which brought up an immense number of quails from the sea ; and the people stood up all that day, and the night, and the following day, and secured an ample provision. But though the Lord condescended thus to comply with their request, he at the same time manifested his anger against their carnal lusting ; for while they were eating in the most eager, and perhaps ravenous, manner, the Lord smote the people with a very great plague, and many of them died; and he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah, or " the graves of lust," because there they bm-ied the people that lusted. This plague having ceased, the people journeyed from thence to Hazeroth. This appears to have been in the direct route to Canaan. At this station, also, the Hebrew leader had to sustain a very se- vere trial and opposition. Here " Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married." Num. xii, 1. This, however, appears to have been only the ostensi- ble cause of the quarrel ; for we are told that, instead of confining their complaint to this point, they said, " Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses ? hath he not also spoken by us ?" verse 2 : language which shows that Aaron and his sister had given way to jealous feeling respecting the position and influence of their bro- ther. Nothing could be more likely to defeat the purposes of Pro- vidence than this unnatural opposition to the divinely appointed leader of Israel. It is therefore said, in the most expressive language, that " the Lord heard it." He did not leave his servant to defend himself: he heard it, and came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and sud- denly summoned Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to stand before him. The Lord then said, that he had never revealed his will to either of them, or to any others, in so extraordinary a manner as he had to Moses, and that therefore they ought to have been afraid to speak against and contradict him. And in order most effectually to jus- tify Moses to the whole congi-egation, Miriam was struck with leprosy, and ordered to be put out of the camp for seven days. After which, in answer to the prayer of her brother, she was restored. This circumstance was not only a great personal aflliction to Mo- ses, (see Appendix, note 23 ;) it was also regarded as a public ca- lamity, and the journeying of the people was consequently suspended until Miriam was again received into the camp. Afterward the host of Israel went to Rithmah or Kadesh-Barnea. This station was 72 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. in the Desert of Paran, some distance to the south of Beersheba, and, consequently, on the borders of Palestine. (See Appendix, note 24.) When the congregation had reached this encampment, the Lord commanded Moses to select a person of distinction from each of the tribes, and to send these twelve men to search out the land of Canaan, and to bring him a report of its strength or weakness, riches or poverty; whether it was pastoral, or filled with cities and towns ; and of the character and numbers of its inhabitants. These men, having been appointed to this duty, proceeded on their jour- ney. We are not informed of the exact time when this took place ; but as we are told that it was in " the time of the first ripe grapes, (Num. xiii, 20,) it is sufficiently evident that the spies were sent out in the latter part of July, in the second year of the sojourn in the wilderness, and, consequently, between sixteen and seventeen months after the exodus. This season appears to have been the time appointed by God, for the accomplishment of their journey, and for the purposes of their religious instruction and discipline. When the Lord brought them out of Egypt, he could have led them from Suez over the Isthmus, and tlu'ough the Desert to Gaza in a few days. But this was not the divine pm-pose. (See Appendix, note 25.) The principal object of Jehovah, in this journey of the Hebrews, was not to get them by the shortest route over the inter- mediate space, and to place them in possession of Palestine in the shortest period of time. The same power which provided them water and manna, and which gave them Jericho, would have effected all this very speedily. But the divine purpose embraced objects far beyond these temporal circumstances, and was opposed by ob- stacles infinitely greater than the difficulties of the passage through the wilderness, or the martial power of the Canaanites. The Israel- ites had been elected as the peculiar people of God ; they had to be prepared for this vocation. It was necessary, therefore, that they should receive an entire religious economy by special revelation from heaven ; and their sojourn in the wilderness aflforded ample op- portunity for this. It was also essential that the Israelites should be made practically acquainted with the duties which the theocratic government imder which they were placed imposed upon them. They had to learn obedience to God, to acquire a strong and steady trust in him ; and that not only in what is usually regarded as a re- ligious sense, such as receiving the doctrines of revealed truth, and submitting to their influence ; they were called to obey God, and trust in him, as their King and earthly Governor. The wants to which they were subjected in the wilderness, and the means by which they had been suppHed ; the dangers of their way, and the THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 73 manner in wliich tliey had been averted, were adapted to this end, and should have disciplined the Hebrew mind into an intelligent and entire submission to the will of God. It appears, also, that, in the estimation of Jehovah, these oppor- tunities, influences, and interpositions ought to have been suflicient for this pm'pose. He who fully knew their mental and moral con- dition on leaving Egypt, and who exactly comprehended their des- tiny and their duty, saw that the means which had been employed should have prepared them for entering into the promised posses- sion, and for rising to the dignity of their glorious vocation. And it Avill be perceived that the mode adopted in selecting and sending the tAvelve chieftains, to go and see the country, was exactly adapted to test the Hebrew people in respect of this important point, — to bring out distinctly and decisively the fact, whether they had so subjected themselves to the divine will, as to have obtained that preparation of mind which the gracious dealings of God were calcu- lated and intended to produce. According to the instructions which they had received, the twelve men who were sent to spy out the land journeyed through the coun- try for forty days ; and when they returned they said, " We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey ; and this is the fruit of it." (Presenting a cluster of grapes which they had cut down at Eshcol, and carried between two of them on a staff.) " Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great." Num. xiii, 27, 28. Thus did the spies discourage the people ; for they said that the men of the land were giants ; " and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Verse 33. So strong and general was the impression which this report pro- duced, that, notwithstanding the efforts of Caleb and Joshua, who earnestly declared that, if they marched at once on the country, they would certainly be able to take possession of it, the whole congre- gation rebelled against God, proposed to elect a captain to take them back to Egypt, and even threatened to stone Caleb and Jo- shua, because they dissented from the report of their companions. So fierce was this rebellion, that it was only stayed by the appear- ance of the glory of the Lord in the tabernacle of the congregation. On this occasion, again, Jehovah threatened to disinherit and de- stroy the whole people, and to make of Moses a greater nation. But Moses repeated his supplication for Israel, basing his prayer on a deep regard for the Divine honor : he was heard, and his prayer granted ; the people were pardoned ; but this irrevocable sentence was pronounced on them, — that of all the men who were twenty / 74 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. years old and upwards on their leaving Egypt, none should enter into Canaan except Caleb and Joshua ; that, as they wished they had been slain in the wilderness, so their carcasses should fall in the wilderness; that their children, of whom they had spoken, as being made a prey, should go up and possess the good land which God had promised to their fathers ; and that, for the accomplish- ment of this pm-pose, their wanderings in the wilderness should be protracted to forty years. As a proof of the anger of God, and an earnest of his inflexible purpose, those ten men of the spies who had contributed to produce this discontent, and to foster this rebel- lion, were immediately destroyed by a plague from the Lord, and Joshua and Caleb alone survived of the twelve. In this conduct of the spies and the people, there is ample proof of the unfaithfulness, the practical infidelity, of Israel. Notwith- standing the miracles which they had witnessed, and even in the presence of the fact that they, their wives, and their children were miraculously fed with manna from heaven every day, they could not trust God for the accomplishment of his word. If the pious rea- sonings and earnest exhortations of Joshua and Caleb are excepted, we do not find in the statement of the other spies, or in the lament- ation of the people, any believing reference to God. " We be not able to go up against the people ; for they are stronger than we," (Num. xiii, 31,) is the infidel opinion which is the ground of all their fear and rebellion. They did not take God and his covenant mercy into the account, and therefore proved that they did not really re- gard themselves as his, so as to trust fully in his manifested good- ness, wisdom, and power. This unfaithfulness sealed the fate of a generation of Hebrews, induced a painful wandering of thirty- eight years longer in the wil- derness, and thus threw into the distance the fulfillment of God's covenant promise. A further illustration of the dark and skeptical character of the Hebrew mind at this time, is found in their conduct immediately after the Lord had declared that these men should not enter into the Land of Promise, but wander in the wilderness the remainder of their lives. They immediately resolved, in defiance of this pur- pose, to invade the Canaanites : a proof that a faithless distrust of God, and an extravagant self-confidence, proceed from the same cause. Although Moses earnestly dissuaded them from their purpose, and remained in the camp, a multitude of them set out on this expedi- tion. But, as might have been expected, they were met by an armed body of Canaanites and Amalekites, who " smote them, and discom- fited them, even unto Hormah." Num. xiv, 45. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 75 Soon after this defeat, and perhaps, in part at least, the result of the disappointment and morbid feeling which these circumstances occasioned, another and very formidable rebellion was raised against the authority of God, and the administration of his servant Moses. The leaders of this movement were Korah, of the tribe of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, of the tribe of Reuben. " They rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, see- ing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them : wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the con- gregation of the Lord?" Num. xvi, 2, 3. Upon hearing this, Moses fell on his face ; and having obtained, in answer to prayer, direction from God, he addressed Korah and all his company, saying, " Even to-morrow the Lord will shoAV who are his, and who is holy. This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to-morrow : and it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy : ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi." Verses 5-7. After some further expostulation Avith them, Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram ; but they refused, and in most violent terms charged Moses with having brought the people out of a land of plenty, to kill them in the wilderness; alleging that he had violated all the promises which he had made, of bringing them into a better land; that his object was to put out their eyes ; and that he treated them as though they were utterly ignorant, and fit only to be the creatures of his will. Taking this conspiracy as a whole, it was undoubtedly the most formidable of all those by which the administration of Moses had been opposed ; and being raised just after the people had been doomed to wander nearly forty years longer in the wilderness, and when, in consequence, gloomy discontent sat brooding on the public mind, it was likely to exercise a most pernicious influence, and to be produc- tive of results the most injurious. All these circumstances rendered it necessary that it should be suddenly and signally defeated by Divine Power. And so it was : for, on the morrow, when the two hundred and fifty men appeared at the door of the tabernacle with censers and incense, and Dathan, Abiram, and their company stood in their tents, Moses, having made supplication for the congregation, and having obtained directions from God, commanded all the people to sepai'ate themselves from the company of Dathan and Abiram. " And Moses said. Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works ; for I have not done them of my own mind. / 76 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord." Verses 28-30. This was a bold and noble assertion of divine approval, and placed his claims before the whole congregation subject to an immediate and infallible test. Jehovah affirmed the divine vocation of his ser- vant ; for Avhen Moses had just finished his address, and while Da- than and Abiram stood with all their company in the doors of their tents, in defiance of his authority, the earth suddenly opened, and they and their tents, and all that they had, went down into the pit ; and the earth closed over them, and they were blotted out from the number of mankind, and known no more upon earth. Meanwhile a fire came forth from the Lord, and slew the two hundred and fifty men that bore censers. Thus did both sections of this rebellious conspiracy meet a punishment instant, miraculous, and overwhelming. Yet, notwithstanding this display of Divine Power, " on the mor- row all the congregation gathered themselves together, and again murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying. Ye have killed the people of the Lord." This provoked the anger of the Lord, and Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before him ; and the glory of the Lord was seen in the door of the tabernacle. And Moses called Aaron, and commanded him to take his censer, and put fire therein from the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congre- gation, and make an atonement for the people ; for he perceived that wrath Avas gone forth from the Lord, and that the plague was begun. Aaron did so, and ran into the midst of the people, and stood be- tween the living and the dead, and the plague Avas stayed ; and there died of the people on this occasion, besides those who perished on the preceding day, fourteen thousand and seven hundred persons. These terrible judgments appear to have had their desired effect. The rebelHous spirit of the people Avas subdued, and they saAV that they had no alternative but to submit to the authority of the Lord, and the direction of his servant. But to settle forcAxr the question of the divine appointment of the Aaronic priesthood, the Lord com- manded the people, through Moses, to select a prince from every tribe of Israel, and to require every one of them to Avrite his name upon his rod, and these rods Avere laid up before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness ; Moses assuring all the people, at the same time, that the Lord had said, " The man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom." On the morrow, Moses went into the tabernacle THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 77 and took the rods, and brought them forth. Every one kncTV his rod from his name being written on it, and, lo, Aaron's rod had blos- somed, and brought forth almonds. The divine choice being thus made manifest, Aaron's rod was again retiirned to the tabernacle of witness, as a testimony of this fact to future gainsayers. From that day we hear no more of the Israelites for nearly thirty- eight years. During all this time they were led up and down in the wilderness, sometimes approaching the Red Sea, at others coming nearer to Canaan, until we again find them at this same station, Kadesh-Barnea. No sooner had they arrived here than we are in- formed of the death of Miriam, who Avas buried at this place. (See Appendix, note 26.) Here also the people were distressed for want of water, and complained to Moses in very violent language. Moses and Aaron went to the door of the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them ; and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, " Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes ; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock : so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink." Num. xx, 8. It is necessary to pay very particular attention to the terms of this passage, inasmuch as it was in conse- quence of some crime or disobedience, committed in this instance, that Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter into the promised land. Having received this command, " Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you water out of this rock ? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice : and the water came out abundantly, and the congTega- tion drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congrega- tion into the land which I have given them." Num. xx, 9-12. The concluding words of the last sentence are certainly deeply affecting. That Moses and Aaron, who had done so much, and suf- fered so greatly, for the accomplishment of this object ; that Moses, who, in the most generous and self-denying spirit, had renounced all personal aggrandizement for the purpose of carrying into effect the Divine Will concerning this people; that he, and Aaron, the first high priest, should not be permitted to enter Canaan, but be judi- cially cut off in the wilderness, is a fact which strikingly exhibits the perfect holiness and inflexible justice of God. Whatever was the precise natui-e of the transgression committed 78 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. by Moses and Aaron, at this place, and for -whicli they were thus doomed, it in no wise affected their oflBcial position or authority. Moses still retained the direction of public affairs, and was favored with the same intimate intercourse with Jehovah, and Aaron still officiated as high priest in the sacred services of the sanctuary. (See Appendix, note 27.) While the Israelites were encamped at Kadesh, Moses sent mes- sengers to the king of Edom, requesting him to grant them a peace- able passage through his territory, promising to do no injury, but to pay for Avhatever they required; and ui-ging the request on the ground of their family relationship, and the severe sufferings they had endured, which are spoken of as Avell known to the Edomites. But the king of Edom refused, and marched a strong body of men to the frontier, to resist the attempt in case it should be made. This refusal was a bitter disappointment to Israel. It appears that at this time it was known to be the purpose of their heavenly Guide, not to bring them into Canaan from the south, where they would immediately have to encounter all the diffi- culty of the hill-country of Hebron, and the martial power of the Philistines ; but to give them an entrance into the coimtry from the east, which would afford them great advantage in their first aggres- sive operations. In all probability it was this prohibition to enter Canaan from the south, which deterred the Israelites from punishing Arad, king of a Canaanitish nation, when about this time he came out and fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners ; contenting them- selves -with vowing to destroy this people utterly at a future period. As the comitry of Edom consisted chiefly of a long naiTow ridge of hills, extending from the mountains of Moab at the south-east corner of Palestine, to the very borders of Ezion-Gaber on the east- ern head of the Red Sea, it stood directly in the way of the Israel- ites. If, in compliance with their request, they had been allowed to march through the Wady El-Ghuweir, a narrow defile, which, run- ning east and west, quite divides the mountain chain between Boz- rah and Mount Hor,* or by any other passage, a few hours would have transported them from the wilderness west of Idumea to the borders of the Great Desert which lay to the east of it, where they would be very near the place from whence they were to begin to take possession of the land. The cruel refusal of Edom, therefore, compelled them to travel along the eastern border of Idumea to Ezion-Gaber, and then, turning round the end of the mountain ridge, to return on the east side to the land of Moab. This Avas * See Robinson's Bibl. Res., vol. ii, iJ. 551 ; and Wilson's Map of Sinai and Arabia. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 79 their only course, and it was taken ; they had therefore " to compass the land of Edom." While pursuing this journey, they halted at jSIount Hor, where Aaron died. This event took place by the immediate appointment of God. Moses, Aaron, and Eleazer his son, were even commanded to go up into the Mount. There Moses, by divine command, strip- ped off Aaron's sacerdotal garments, and put them on Eleazer. And Aaron died there on the Mount, being one hundred and twenty-thi'ee years old ; and the congregation mourned for him thirty days. From Mount Hor the host of Israel went to Zalmonah. Numbers xxxiii, 41. It was here, probably,* that " the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way," (Num. xxi, 4,) and they spake against God and against Moses. The immediate cause of this sin might have been their present apparently unnecessary toil. As God had prohibited their making any aggi'ession upon Edom, and had not interfered by his own power to enable them to cross this narrow ter- ritory ; so it might have been imagined, that when they reached the borders of Canaan, he might also be unable or unwilHng to put them in possession of the country. These imbelieving thoughts, excited by the difficulties of the way, provoked them to rebellion. It is worthy of remark, that, although the sin of Israel was of the same kind in their several rebellions, yet the mode of punishment is con- stantly varied, to show that these inflictions came immediately from God, and did not arise out of the natural difficulties of their way. On this occasion " the Lord sent fiery sei-pents among the people, and they bit the people ; and much people of Israel died." Numbers xxi, 6. This chastisement brought them to a sense of theu- sin ; and, when thus humbled, INIoses prayed for them, and was divinely direct- ed to make a serpent of brass, and set it on a pole, that every bitten Hebrew, looking upon this brazen serpent, might be healed. Thus were the people delivered from this plague. (See Appendix, note 28.) From Zalmonah they journeyed, making a temporary halt at seve- ral unimportant stations, until they had completely rounded the ter- ritory of Edom, and reached the eastern frontier of the land of Moab. Being forbidden to molest the descendants of Lot, they continued theu' course until they had reached the border of Moab to the north, which is thus described by the sacred writer : " From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites : for xVrnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites." Numbers xxi, 13. This statement clearly defines the position of the Israelites at that moment. They had passed Edom and Moab by traveHng * Townsend's Arrangement. 80 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. northward through the desert on their eastern frontier until they had crossed the Amon, a small river that ran from the east toward the west, falling into the Dead Sea, and separating the land of Moab from that of the Amorites. This encampment was therefore at the north-east comer of the country occupied by the Amorites, on the east bank of the Jordan. From this place Moses sent a message to the king of the Amo- rites, requesting a peaceable passage thi'ough his territory, and en- gaging to do no harm to persons or property. This request was re- fused, as it had been by the king of Edom ; and Sihon king of the Amorites gathered all his people together, and came out to resist Israel. On this occasion it was impossible to avoid a conflict ; for this was one of the nations which the promise of God had mentioned by name, as destined to be cast out before the Israelites, and their land given to them for a possession. Besides this, the district lay so directly between the Israelites and Canaan, that it might be regarded as the key to the whole country. Here, therefore, ^Nloses had, for the first time, to lead his people into martial contest for the posses- sion of a part of the land which the Lord had promised to give to the house of Jacob. The result proved the faithfulness of Jehovah : the Amorites with their king were completely defeated and utterly destroyed. Having taken possession of Heshbon, the city of Sihon, and its villages, Moses marched against another king of the same nation, Og, who reigned in Bashan. He was a man of giant statui'e, and came with his army, and fought with Israel; but he, also, and his sons, and his people, fell before Israel : so the Hebrews took pos- session of all the lands of the Amorites on the east side of Jordan. (See Appendix, note 29.) After the Israelites had obtained these victories, and were en- camped by the river Jordan, and Moses was employed in making ar- rangements for the regulation and secm-ity of the recent conquest, the Hebrews were subjected to a series of observations, which, in their object and results, form a most remarkable portion of the his- tory. The Moabites. although Israel had left them unmolested, had seen with deep interest how suddenly and completely the Amorites had been destroyed, and were gi-eatly alarmed lest they should be the next \'ictims of their fearful power. Under the influence of this apprehension, Balak, king of Moab, hoping thereby to obtain an in- crease of strength or confidence, sent messengers to Balaam, a ver}^ celebrated Gentile prophet or di\dner of Mesopotamia, requesting that he would come and exercise his divination against Israel, and pronounce a malediction upon them. After having twice refused. Balaam at length accompanied Balak' s messengers to Moab ; where. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 81 notwithstanding the object of his mission was the very reverse, he, at various places, and in language of unequaled sublimity, delivered a series of prophecies exhibiting the power, glory, and prosperity which Israel should attain under the fostering care of Jehovah.* But although the predictions of Balaam were all decidedly favor- able to Israel, he appears to have given advice to the king, which, when carried into effect, had nearly been fatal to the house of Jacob. It seems, from all that Holy Scripture has said on tliis subject, that Balaam, hanng assured Balak of the certain success which should attend the progress of the Israelites, advised him to promote matri- monial connections between the women of Moab and the men of Is- rael. Whether the design or foresight of the prophet extended be- yond this measm-e, as a means of warding off any warlike invasion of Moab, we cannot say ; but the results far outstepped all that was merely prudential and politic in this proposal. The women of Moab freely met the men of Israel ; a scandalous and guilty intercourse soon prevailed to a great extent; and this, we are told, led to the Israelites sacrificing to Baal-peor, and joining in the impure rites of his worship. It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the complete organization which existed among the people at this time, such practices should have been allowed to prevail to a great extent, without any effort to check their progress. It would seem as if the rulers of Israel had been carried away by this delusion ; and hence, when Jehovah inter- posed, he commanded Moses to " take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord." Num. xxv, 4. While the necessary investigation was being made, and Moses was saying unto the judges of Israel, " Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor," and the serious part of the congregation were weep- ing before the tabernacle on account of this sin, a prince of Israel. Zimri, of the tribe of Simeon, was seen leading a princess of Midian into his tent. Fired with zeal for the cause of the God of Israel, Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, seized a javelin, followed them into the tent, and slew them there. This act of righteous zeal stay- ed the plague which had gone out from the wrath of the Lord, and which had already destroyed twenty-four thousand men. Immediately after this event, the Lord commanded Moses to take the number of the people, according to the same rule which had been followed on preceding occasions ; namely, by taking account of all males from twenty years old and upwards, — all that were able to go forth to war. From this inquiry it appeared, that the total of the " The case of Balaam will be fully considered in " The History and Religion of the Gen- tile Nations." 6 82 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. able-bodied adult males was 601,730, being 1,820 less than they num- bered thirty-eight years before. (See Appendix, note 30.) Such was the result of the repeated rebellions and iniquities of this peo- ple. But for the loss by the plague in the sin of Baal-peor, instead of this decrease there would have been an increase of more than twenty-two thousand men. The numbers given in these different accounts afford important information upon one point of great con- sequence. Considering the previous rapid multiplication of the He- brew people, it might have been supposed, had not this information been given, that the Israelites, when they left Egypt, were not suffi- ciently numerous and powerful to subdue Canaan, and that it re- quired the added increase of another generation to enable them to effect its subjugation. The result of these two numberings dissipates the delusion, and shows that when the land was actually subdued, Israel was numerically less than when at Sinai. Sin never imparted strength to Israel. It is also worthy of observation, that the number of .families given in this census is fifty-seven; to Avhich if we add Jacob and his sons, we have seventy, the exact number that went down into Egypt. Soon after this census, the Lord commanded Moses to ascend Mount Abarim, and from thence view the land which he had pro- mised to give for an inheritance unto Israel, assuring him at the same time that, after he had been thus far gratified, he should be gathered unto his people, as Aaron his brother had been gathered ; because they had both sinned against God in the wilderness of Zin. Few scenes in history are more interesting than this ; and seldom do we see human natm-e presented to our view invested with more real grace and dignity. Although to Moses especially it must have been an object of paramount interest and importance to see his peo- ple take possession of the land of promise ; yet, when this man of God heard the fiat which destroyed all these hopes, and consigned him to an obscure grave in the wilderness, no murmur escaped his lips : he did not deprecate his doom, or supplicate a reversal of his sentence. Nor does this silence arise from a confounded mind, or a paralyzed intellect bending beneath the weight of his fate and his years. His spirit is still active, his judgment retains its strength, his soul is as ardent as ever ; but, even here, all these are called into lively exercise, not for himself, but for his people. On hearing the mandate of Heaven, Moses gave utterance to the following earnest and important prayer : " Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in ; that the congregation of the 6* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 83 Lord be not as slieep which have no shepherd." Num. xxvii, 16, 17. Here is the same loftiness of spirit, rising high above every selfish consideration, the same zeal for the honor of God, the same devoted concern for the welfare of his people, which had heretofore marked his entire public character. We may wade through many folios of history and biography, narrating the mighty deeds of warriors, statesmen, and professed patriots, before we find another case equal to it in interest. The supplication of Moses was heard; and Joshua, who had already distinguished himself on several occasions, was appointed to be the future leader of the Israelitish host. Moses was commanded to carry this appointment into effect in the most formal manner. Joshua was set before the high-priest in the presence of the Avhole congregation ; Avhen Moses laid his hands on him, and delivered a charge to him suited to the importance of the occasion ; and Joshua w^as then declared to have access unto God by the ministry of the priest through Urim and Thummim. Thus was Joshua publicly recognized as the successor of Moses in the government of Israel. Soon after this appointment, Moses was commanded to attack and destroy the Midianites. For this service twelve thousand men were selected, one thousand from each tribe. Phinehas, the son of the high priest, with the " holy instruments and trumpets," attended the expedition. The name of the military commander is not men- tioned,— most probably it was Joshua ; but the case is represented as if the whole business was conducted under the immediate direc- tion and authority of God. The result of this expedition was the entire destruction of the Midianites, none of the people being preserved alive, but female children and virgins. The booty was immense, and was divided into two equal parts, those who went to the war taking one, and the rest of the congregation the other. The whole was subjected to a tax in favor of the sanctuary and the Levites, the soldiers being re- quired to present a five-hundredth part of their portion, and the people a fiftieth of theirs. Besides this, the miscellaneous booty was so great, that the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, when they mustered the army on their return from the expedition, and found that they had not lost one man, presented a further offering to the Lord, of jewels of gold, chains, bracelets, ear- rings, &c., amounting in all to 16,750 shekels, or about £37,869 sterling. One circumstance is distinctly noticed by the sacred historian in connection with this case, which must not be overlooked. Balaam the prophet was slain in this war. Being with the Midianites, he 84 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. perished in the destruction : a fearful proof that divine gifts and good desires do not always lead to a happy end. By these warhke operations the Israelites had obtained possession of a very important district on the east bank of the Jordan. This induced the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad to apply to Moses for leave to settle in this country ; which, on condition that their fighting men should still continue with the main body of the army until all the tribes had obtained possession of the country, was granted. These tribes, together with the half-tribe of Manasseh, therefore, built towns for their residence, and made folds for their cattle. These were the last public operations over which Moses presided. From this period the man of God appears to have de- voted himself exclusively to the spiritual duties of his office, by im- pressing on the hearts of the Israelites a deep sense of their obliga- tion to keep the comm^andments of God, and by persuading them that this was not only their duty, but that all their personal happi- ness, and all their national honor and prosperity, depended on their fidelity to the covenant of Jehovah. Perhaps no man was ever placed in a position so exciting, impor- tant, and responsible, as that in which Moses stood at this juncture ; and we have nothing in the whole history of the world more noble and effective than his language and deportment on this occasion. ' He had renounced all the riches, honors, and pleasures of Egypt, and associated himself with a poor, oppressed, and despised people. As their leader, he had brought them out of Egypt, and for forty years had directed their various movements in the wilderness. The object and end of all this was the possession of Canaan ; and they had now arrived at the border of this country, had subdued several hostile tribes, and taken possession of a part of the country. The reward of forty years' incessant toil Avas now within his reach ; the object for which he had made every sacrifice, and endm-ed unnum- bered trials, was placed fully before his eyes. Yet he is doomed to die with his greatest earthly wishes ungratified. In these circum- stances, as we have observed, no murmur escapes him ; nay, he not only bows to the Divine will, but enters heartily into it, loses sight of himself, and concentrates all his undiminished energy to the good of his charge. When it is admitted that he acted and spoke under the plenary influence of the Holy Spirit, we need not wonder that the highest wisdom and the richest purity marked all his steps. But it may be useful to glance at a few points in this remarkable history. In the first place, Moses entreated the Lord to appoint a leader to succeed him. This was done ; and the appointment not only led Joshua THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 85 to prepare for the duties of Ms high station ; but the public manner in wliich it was made gave to the advices, commands, and exhorta- tions of Moses, all the pathos and power which attach to the Avords of a dying friend. Of this Moses fully availed himself He supplied every omission in past instruction, repeated the most important laws, enjoined obe- dience with all the authority of a divinely appointed lawgiver, rea- soned and exhorted Avith all the earnestness of an affectionate parent, and, soaring into the highest regions of prophecy and poetry, paint- ed glorious visions of the blessedness of obedience, and showed with equal vividness and power the fearful consequences of transgression. Attention is directed to the following brief sketch of these ad- dresses and events : — 1. Moses delivered his charge to the people. Deut. xxxi, 1-7. 2. He then gave an encouraging and consolatory address to Joshua. Verses 7, 8. 3. He completed the writing of the law, and delivered it to the priests. Verses 9-13. 4. Moses and Joshua are summoned to meet the Lord in the sanctuary, where the Lord gave a charge to Joshua, and taught Moses a song. Verses 14-21. 5. Moses de- livered a further charge to Joshua, and gave the law to the Levites. Verses 23-30. 6. Moses wrote his song, and rehearsed it in the ears of the people. Verses 22, 30 ; xxxii, 1-43. 7. Moses delivered a farewell address to the people. Deut. xxxii, 44-47. 8. Moses re- ceived the command to go up into the Mount to die. Verses 48-52. 9. Moses finally delivered his blessing to the people ; referring to each tribe in detail; giving prophetic intimations of their future characters, circumstances, and destiny ; closing with a brilliant de- scription of the glorious condition of Israel, on accomit of its cove- nant relation to the everlasting God. Deut. xxxiii. 10. Moses ascended the mountain of Nebo, even the top of Pisgah, and died, according to the word of the Lord. Deut. xxxiv, 1-5. All " the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days," Deut. xxxiv, 8 ; and we can well imagine that this lamentation was deep and universal. Never had sovereign, general, or leader displayed so much disinterested public spirit, or devoted himself so fully to the interests of his people, as had Moses. Well might they mourn the loss of a man like him. We cannot here avoid referring to the very obvious bearing of this event on the religious opinions and views of the Israelites. When learned writers teach, that this people had no knowledge of a future life ; that they were utterly ignorant of any higher or clearer views of religion, than arose out of the ceremonial law ; we incline to ask them, If those opinions are correct, what must the Israelites have thought of the fate of 86 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. Moses and Aaron ? Here are two men eminently owned of God as his servants, — men -who labored long and faithfully in his service. They are, nevei-theless, cut off at the end of their toilsome career, and deprived of the prize for Avhich they had labored. It is true, they had sinned ; but this single transgression, which it is very dif- ficult to define, could scarcely, on the principles already referred to, have been made the ground for such severe punishment. If an inadvertency of thought, or an unadvised word, were to cut off all hope, and cause the severest penalty, who would escape ? If, as is fully believed, the Israelites knew the certainty of a future life, and the reality of spiritual religion, then the case of these eminent men was admonitory in the extreme. Then the people Avould see that although their leaders were deprived of earthly joy because of their transgressions, they had passed to a heavenly reward. In fact, the whole tenor of the account proves this to have been the case, and shows that public opinion at the time must have been in accordance with these views. Could it have been the purpose of Heaven that the last pathetic addresses of Moses, his song, and his blessing, should be regarded by the Israelites as the effusions of a man just about to perish under the divine malediction? All history, and all antiquity, reject the supposition, and prove that the doctrine of eter- nal rewards and punishments was known and believed. In closing our account of this unparalleled journey, it may be necessary to make a few remarks on the manner of the encampment formed by Moses. When we remind the reader that this body con- tained a population of both sexes and all ages, to the number of two millions or more, it will be obvious that the arrangements by which they were guided in the several places of their stay, during a sojourn of forty years, and a journey of many hundreds of miles, must have required great wisdom and skill in their device and in their execu- tion. Yet it is a singular and important fact, that, disposed as the people were to murmur at every privation, and to reproach their leader on account of every inconvenience which they were called to endure, we never hear them complain of any suffering occasioned by want of accommodation or deficient arrangements in their encamp- ments. There are many curious questions arising out of these aiTange- ments, to which it may not now be possible to give satisfactory answers ; but we have sufficient information to enable us to form a general view of the case. In the centre of the camp stood the court of the tabernacle. This was about fifty-eight yards long and twenty- nine yards wide. In this area stood the tabernacle, as the royal residence of the God of Israel. Here he dwelt among his people, • THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 87 and over this royal tent rested the cloud of the Divine Presence. The entrance to it "was at the east end. Here likewise, immediately before this entrance, were the tents of Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons, the priests. On the other three sides of the tabernacle the several families of the Levites had their position : on the south side, the Kohathites, numbering, according to the last census, 2,750 men ; on the west, the sons of Gershon, 2,630; and on the north, the family of Merari, 3,200. This part of the camp must have occupied a very considerable space, especially as, on account of its sanctity, it would be regarded as the ground on which the congregation as- sembled for worship. Josephus states that, except for this purpose, none of the people were allowed to come nearer than two thousand cubits to the tabernacle. This would require a space of a thousand yards on each side of the sacred tent, or, in the whole, a square of more than a mile. On each side of this space the twelve tribes were placed in four separate and distinct bodies : Judah, 74,600, in the centre on the east side of the tabernacle ; Zebulun, 57,400, on his right wing ; and Issachar, 54,400, on his left. So that this division comprised an army of 186,400 men, capable of war, with all their wives, children, and property : their front was toward the east, with their cattle and substance in the rear, or toward the inner part of the whole encamp- ment. On the south side, Reuben, 46,500, occupied the centre, with Gad, 45,650, on the right, and Simeon, 59,300, on the left; making together a force of 151,450 men. The north side was occu- pied by Dan in the centre, 62,700, with Naphtali, 52,400, on the right, and Asher, 41,500, on the left ; making together a body of 157,600 men. On the west, Ephraim, 40,500, in the centre, Ben- jamin, 35,400, on the right, and Manasseh, 32,200, on the left; making together a force of 108,100 on this side. Thus the whole camp lay in the form of a square, every side oc- cupied by men of war, covering their families and property, and surrounding the priests, Levites, and the sanctuary of God. In this arrangement we see that, as far as possible, the peculiar rQlationship of the heads of the tribes was maintained. All the descendants of Rachel occupied one division of the encampment. Three sons of Leah form the van. Two other sons of Leah, with one of Zilpah her maid, form the south division ; and the remainder of the tribes, the north one. It must be further observed, in the subdivision of the tribes, that their family relationships were strictly adhered to, so that every one pitched by the standard of his lather's house. This arrangement not only prevented bickerings and disputes, by placing every family in contact with near relations ; but it also ^ THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. maintained, throughout the entire multitude, an unbroken bond of brotherhood. Josephus unquestionably gave the opinions which prevailed among the Jews of his day, when he said, " When they set up the tabernacle, they received it into the midst of the camp, three of the tribes pitching their tents on each side of it ; and roads "were cut through the midst of these tents. It was like a well- appointed market ; and everything was there ready for sale in due order ; and all sorts of artificers were in the shops ; and it resembled nothing so much as a city, that sometimes was movable and some- times fixed." — Antiquities, vol. iii, sect. 12, p. 5. In addition to the bonds of consanguinity and affinity, and natural authority of parents and chiefs, the whole body was divided, accord- ing to decimal notation, into sections, and officers appointed over tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. Thus order was maintained, and regularity and subordination established. When all these circumstances are taken into account, no plan can be conceived more calculated to secure the general good than that "which was adopted, nor any more likely to make an impression on all the nations with whom they came into contact. Hence, when this multitudinous host, so carefully marshaled, so harmoniously blended together, with the sanctuary of Jehovah in the centre, and overshadowed with the cloud of his presence, was viewed by Balak and Balaam, we need not wonder at the terror-stricken aspect of the king of Moab, nor that the prophet should exclaim, " How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy tabernacles, 0 Israel !" Num. xxiv, 5. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 89 CHAPTER II. THE KELIGION OF THE HEBREWS IN THE WILDERNESS. The Object of the Chapter — Religion of Jacob and his Sons when they entered Egypt — Of the Israelites at the Time of the Exodus — Their Idolatry in Egypt partial and secret — Character and Circumstances of Divine Woeship at this Time — Priests — Place of Worship — Religious Revelations made to the Hebrews in the Wilderness — The Divine Author of these, the sacred Word — The Decalogue — Eftects produced by its Revelation — The Tabernacle — Altar — Laver — The Holy, and the Most Holy Place, with their sacred Fiurniture — The Priesthood — The sacred Vestments — Urim and Thummim — Religious Festivals — Day of Atonement — Feast of Tabernacles — Of Trumpets — New Moons — Sabbatical Year — The Sabbath — The Character of this Religious System — National and Theocratic — Object and Sanctions of the Theocracy — Future Rewards and Punishments known — The Theocracy national and general — The typical Character of the Mosaic Economy was to some extent understood by the ancient Hebrews. A DIGEST of the religion of the Hebrews during their sojourn in the wilderness must include information on the following subjects : — The religion which Jacob and his sons took with them into Egypt ; the change to which this religious system was subjected during the rapid multiplication of the people, throughout the two centuries of their residence in that country ; the divine revelations of a strictly reli- gious character which were made to them tlu'ough Moses in the wil- derness ; and the religious economy which this people, in consequence, possessed at the close of their journeying. The first of these subjects will here occupy only a brief space, as it has been fully discussed in " The History and Religion of the Patriarchal Age," to which the reader is referred. It will therefore be necessary only to repeat the substance of those conclusions which resulted from a lengthened discussion of the subject in that work. In this inquiry, it was satisfactorily ascertained that man, in the earliest ages, was made acquainted with the being and perfections of God, and his government of the world ; the fall and depravity of man, and the consequent evil of sin ; the promise of a Redeemer, and the appointment of animal sacrifice, as typical of the eiEcacious atonement of His death ; the reality and perpetuity of a future state, including a knowledge of rewards and punishments ; the existence and authority of divine laws for the regulation of human conduct ; and the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit, for the purpose of giving effect, individually and generally, to the merciful purposes of God. If these conclusions are just, it will be admitted that the religion of the early ages was founded on revealed truth ; and that, wherever 90 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. that truth was obeyed, it produced a living, influential principle, which imparted to the individual a conscious witness of righteous- ness, an internal testimony that he pleased God. It is thus described by the inspired authority of the New Testament. Heb. xi, 4, 5. The religion of the early patriarchs, therefore, whatever obscurity might have rested on some of its doctrinal elements, did not consist of an ignorant adoption of peculiar rites and laws, nor of a heartless acquiescence in certain dogmas. It was an efficient manifestation of the truth and grace of God. Yet, in some respects, great pecu- liarity attached to this initial dispensation. As far as we are in- formed, the people of those days possessed no authoritative written records of truth. The revelations with which they were favored were handed doAvn, and preserved by viva voce testimony, from father to son. The manner of transmission was therefore that of oral tradition, the father of the family being the priest and teacher. It may be further observed, that those individuals who experienced the efficacy of this religion, had a distinct knowledge of Divine Pro- vidence, and a clear perception of the duty and the effects of prayer. Such was the religion of Jacob when he went down into Egypt ; such, there is reason to believe, was the religion of Joseph, and of the other sons of Israel, as far as knowledge and opinion could ex- tend. How far the hearts of the latter were imbued with this faith, and their lives made subject to its truth, we have very slender means of determining. The family of Jacob, consisting of seventy men, when located in Egypt, rapidly multiplied, and expanded into a nation. It becomes, therefore, important to ascertain to what extent the religion of the Israehtes was affected during their sojourn. This inquiry is of more than ordinary consequence, inasmuch as it has been the common practice to refer any anomaly or difficulty found in the religious practices or institutions of the Hebrews, to the influence of Egyp- tian idolatry, and the consequent adoption of the rites and manners of that country. It cannot be denied that, at first sight, there appears to be great plausibility in the presumption, that a family thus situated, and mul- tiplying generation after generation, in the midst of an idolatrous and dominant nation, must have had their religious doctrines and practices, to some considerable extent, affected by those of the niling powers, and of the surrounding population. But a careful review of the real circumstances of the case will show, that, if this influence operated at all, it was to a very limited extent. In the first place, it is important to observe, that when the family of Jacob came into Egypt, they were described by Joseph, and they THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 91 described themselves, as persons so different in their manners and occupation from the Egyptians, that, for this reason, a separate and distinct district was allotted for their location. This measure, while it clearly recognized the peculiar views and habits of the Hebrews, removed them, as far as possible, from the range of Egyptian influence. It must further be noted, that the pure patriarchal faith was fre- quently inculcated on the Israelites during this period ; the addresses and predictions delivered in the last days of Jacob were full of this kind of instruction, and the dying charge of Joseph was alike adapted to imprint the great elements of patriarchal faith upon the minds of the Hebrew people. But perhaps nothing tended so effectually to preserve the Israel- ites from Egyptian idolatry, as the jealousy, pei-secution, and con- summate cruelty with Avhich they were treated in that country. The ostensible cause of this oppression (Exod. i, 9, 1 0) may be taken as a proof, that the descendants of Jacob had preserved all their pecu- liarities, and that the line of demarkation between them and the Egyptians continued as strong as ever. If the policy of Pharaoh had been directed to the same purpose as that which was afterward, under much less favorable circumstances, formed and pursued by the Moabites and Midianites, on all merely human principles of cal- culation we might have justly despaired for the religious integrity of God's elect people. If, instead of murderous coercion, they had aimed at amalgamation, and with this object had promoted friendly intercourse and matrimonial connections, the process of union might have been slow ; but, unless prevented by the immediate interposi- tion of God, it would have been certain. But when, instead of this conciliatory course, severe persecution and barbarous inflictions were continued for nearly half a century, the strongest barrier was raised against religious incorporation. There was little probability that the oppressed captive would copy the faith, or adopt the reli- gious institutions, of his cruel tyrant. All history and experience are opposed to such a result. These considerations appear to lead to the opinion, that the Is- raelites in Egypt, to a remarkable degree, preserved their manners and religion from being affected by those of the Egyptians. But before this conclusion is adopted, it will be necessary to inquire whe- ther the sacred writers have cast any important light upon this sub- ject. Joshua certainly alludes to it. When exhorting the people to obedience, he said, "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth : and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt ; and serve yo 93 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. the Lord." Joshua xxiv, 14. This text clearly states that the Israel- ites were to some extent guilty of idolatry whilst in Egypt; but it does not say whether the gods spoken of, as worshiped in that coun- try, were the same gods which the Hebrew fathers served on the other side of the Euphrates, or the gods of Egypt. Another refer- ence to this subject, couched in more precise terms, is found in Eze- kiel. This prophet, expostulating with the elders of Israel, on account of the unfaithfulness of the people in every age of their his- tory, observes, that, when the Lord brought them up out of the land of Egypt, he said unto them, " Cast ye away every man the abomi- nations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt : I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me : they did not every man cast away the abomi- nations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt." Ezek. XX, 7, 8. This language clearly proves, notwithstanding the apparent improbability of the thing, that the Israelites did to some extent pollute themselves with the idols of Egypt. But while this fact is fully admitted, it must be observed that the text aifords im- portant information respecting the nature of this evil, and the extent to which it prevailed. By placing in the same category the circum- stances of the sojourn in Egypt, respecting which we have scarcely any information, and those which occurred in the wilderness, of which there remains an ample history, the prophet has enabled us to form a correct judgment on this subject. He says that when, after the exodus, they were commanded to cast away the idols of Egypt, they did not obey. Now it is well known, that, during the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness, idolatry was 'not only re- garded as a sin against God, but every practice of the evil and in- centive to it were punishable with death. Deut. xvii, 2-5. Yet this text assures us, that, notwithstanding this rigid prohibition, idolatry was practiced ; and this fearful charge is fully confirmed by Moses himself, who declares that his people had provoked the Lord " to jealousy with strange gods," and these not the old deities of the Chaldeans, but " new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not." Deut. xxxii, 16, 17. But what was the real character of these idolatrous practices ? It is certain that in the wilderness they did not obtain as corruptions of the national faith, nor did they deteriorate the institutions of the law by introducing new objects of worship, or new elements into the ritual. This idolatry must have existed as the private and covert sin of individuals, who acted in defiance of the religion of their fathers, and committed these abomi- nations in secret, lest they should be punished for their iniquity. Is it not reasonable to suppose that the sin of idolatry which was THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 93 committed in Egypt was of the same character ? The practice is uniformly spoken of as that of individuals. This conclusion is strongly supported by the fact, that the distinguishing rite of their religion, circumcision, had been universally observed. Joshua v, 5. If these opinions are Avell founded, it will follow that the descend- ants of Jacob left Egypt, believing all the great doctrines of the pa- triarchal faith, and, as a people, devoted to the service of the true God ; although there would be many among them irreligious and disobedient in their private character ; and some who carried this sinful disposition to such an extent as privately to indulge in idola- trous practices. These conclusions are confirmed by the nature of the contest which issued in the exodus of the Israelites. This is always spoken of as a war of religions ; and such was the character of the whole process of their deliverance. The first demand of Moses for the liberation of his people Avas based upon the peculiar character of Hebrew worship : how could this have been, if it had to any consi- derable extent been assimilated to that of Egypt ? On the contrary, the religious rites of the Hebrews are spoken of as so intolerable in the estimation of the Egyptians, that they could not be performed in their presence. Exod. viii, 26. Nor can the Scriptural narrative of the exodus be read without producing a conviction, that the Is- raelites in the depth of their trouble looked to God for support and deliverance. The language of Moses implies the sincerity, earnest- ness, and prevalence of their prayer : " The children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God." Exod. ii, 23. These words appear as intended to de- scribe the most earnest application for help. And to whom did they cry but to Him who heard, and came down to deliver them 'i In the depth of their suffering, there can be little doubt that the children of Israel carefully studied the covenant promises, which had been made unto their fathers ; and from these gathering reason to beheve that the appointed time of their deliverance was near, they cried unto God in earnest and persevering prayer. But this application for divine aid, recognized, as it appears to have been, by God as a national act, leads to other important inquiries respecting the religion of the Hebrews in Egypt. Had they any set place for uniting in worship ? Did any class or order of persons exist among them in the character of priests or ministers of reli- gion? With respect to the first question, attention is instantly called to the altar of sacrifice. This, in those days, was the sacred place, the centre of worship. It appears to have been the invariable practice 94 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, -wherever they located for any length of time, to raise an altar unto the Lord : and, considering the pecu- liar circumstances which led the father of the twelve tribes to so- journ in the land of the Pharaohs, it would be singularly strange if, on reaching Goshen, he had not raised an altar, and offered sacrifice unto God. If this was done, it may be supposed, that, notwith- standing the wonderful multiplication of the people, that altar erected by their great ancestor still remained as a sacred place. But, from the words of Moses, it appears that sacrifice had been greatly in des- uetude, if not entirely discontinued. The latter seems most proba- ble, from the urgent importunity of Moses to take the people into the wilderness for this purpose. It is, however, too much to infer, from this suspension of public sacrifice, that the Israelites at this time had no particular place which they regarded as, in a peculiar manner, sacred unto God. During the intercourse between Moses and Pharaoh, the former ap- pears to have had access " unto the Lord" at any time when the exigency of the case required divine direction or power. The man- ner in which it is spoken of seems to prove that tliis intercourse did not merely arise out of the spiritual aspirations of Moses, but was, in some sense, connected with a certain place, a given locality, where he went to meet with God. Hence we read that " Moses returned unto the Lord ;" Exod. v, 22 ; and, " Moses said before the Lord." Exod. vi, 30. While in the wilderness, before the tabernacle was built, or the Levitical economy revealed, Moses said unto the chil- dren of Israel, " Come near before the Lord." Exod. xvi, 9. Again : " Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your genera- tions. So Aaron laid it up before the testimony, to be kept." Verses 33, 34. Do not these portions of Scripture plainly intimate the existence of a peculiar place, where the presence of God was supposed to reside, and where special access unto him was regarded as attainable? But this fact is further illustrated by the intimations which are given of the existence of a priesthood, prior to the giving of the law. One explicit text places this point beyond all doubt. When Moses went up into the Mount to meet God, before the Aaronic priesthood had been instituted, and when the Israelites retained precisely the same ecclesiastical order as before the exodus, Jehovah said unto Moses, "And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them." Exodus xix, 22. Here, then, the priesthood is spoken of as an existing in- stitution. (See Appendix, note 3L) But, not only so : another pas- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 95 sage in the same chapter shows that the nature and privileges of this office Avere sufficiently known and understood, to make it the basis of a promise which was given to the whole people : " Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests," verse 6; language which would have been utterly unintelligible, if the Israelites had not fully understood the free access unto God which priests were supposed to enjoy, and the acceptance with which their offerings were received. These investigations appear to conduct us to the conclusion, that, during the rapid multiplication of the Hebrews in Egypt, the insti- tutions of the patriarchal religion were expanded to meet the case of the multitude, and its spirit and purpose were developed, so as to provide one sacred place of access unto God, and appointed ministers, who there conducted sacred rites, and for themselves and for the peo- ple " came near irnto the Lord." In what manner this place was prepared and these services performed in Egypt, we are not told ; but it seems probable that a building was set apart for this special purpose. It is an established fact, that temples were built in Egypt, not only before the exodus, but even prior to the time of Joseph ; it appears, therefore, reasonable to suppose, that the Israelites, with their strong inclination to maintain the patriarchal faith in all its fully developed maturity, would provide a seat for their sacred em- blems, a place where, in a manner agreeable to the privileges of the primitive dispensation, they might have access unto God. This in- duction is almost invested with certainty by the sacred text, in which the Lord, speaking by Nathan to David, says, " I have not dwelt in any house, from the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to tliis day, but have walked in a tent and in a taber- nacle." 2 Sam. vii, 6. May not these words be taken to imply, that a house which was regarded as the residence of God, existed among the Israelites in Egypt; and that, as, after the wanderings of the desert, and the unsettled government of the judges, the king of Judah proposed to build a house for the Lord, accounting it more suitable to his majesty than a tent, so Moses, finding among the Is- raelites a building consecrated to this sacred use, and perceiving the importance of providing a substitute for it during the long journey which the Hebrews had before them, removed the sacred emblems, and the seat of the Divine Presence, into a tent which he had pre- pared for the purpose ? But if this is thought to be doubtful, it must be admitted that when the Israelites went forth thence into the wil- derness, before they an-ived at Sinai, or had received any revelations of the Levitical economy, there Avas a tent or tabernacle specially appropriated to the ministerial work of Moses, and where undoubted- ly he had intercourse with God. Prior to the transgression of the 96 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. people in the case of the golden calf, this tabernacle stood in the camp, probably in the midst of it : but on that occasion Moses removed it out of the camp, (to the distance of two thousand cubits, according to the Talmud,) "and called it the tabernacle of the congregation." The narrative of the events which immediately followed this move- ment, clearly proves that it had been regarded as specially identified with the presence and ser-sdce of God, and probably was consecrated to his worship. For when, on account of this great sin, the taber- nacle was removed, it was evidently regarded as the withdrawal of the Lord from the people ; and it is said, " It came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp." Kxod. xxxiii. 7. By this spontaneous movement, the people declared their adherence to the service of JehovaK and he honored theu' faith. For when Mo- ses went out to the tabernacle, after its removal, and those who had been partakers in the sin " stood every man at his tent-door," and looking after Moses, wondered what would take place, " the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses." Yerses 8, 9. It was in this tabernacle, doubtless, that the place or thing, called the '"testimony," which was regarded as the seat of the Divine Presence, was situated. However difficult it may be to give any distinct idea of this locali- ty, of the elements of which it was composed, or of the manner of their aiTangement, it can scarcly admit of a doubt that here were de- posited "sisible emblems of patriarchal worship, which bore some re- semblance or analogy to the ark and cherubim afterward prepared for the tabernacle of Moses. (See Appendix, note 32.) This opinion harmonizes with what has been already advanced re- specting the privileges and character of the patriarchal dispensation, (see Patriarchal Age, pp. 149-174, 247 :) and if these views be cor- rect, we find, in the religious condition of the Hebrews at the exodus, the utmost development of patriarchism. With a retention of all the doctrines of that dispensation, they had among them religious ministers, and an appointed place, which was regarded as the special seat of the Di^•ine Presence. Having disposed of these preliminary inquiries, we proceed to in- vestigate the divine revelations Tvhich were made to the Israelites in the wilderness. Here the first particular claiming attention is the manifestation of God which it exliibits, in revealing a Di\'ine Person as its author and administrator. It is necessary in this case, also. to refer to the preceding dispensation. It has been shown {Patri- archal Age, p. 499) that the Divine Person who made revelations duripg the patriarchal age, frequently spoke and acted in a manner THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 97 which indicated a plurality of persons in the Divine Nature ; and it was further shoAvn, that this visible and acting Jehovah was the pro- mised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ of the Is ew Testament. It is equally interesting and important to observe a precisely simi- lar mode of communication in the announcement of this new econo- my. When Moses saw the angel Jehovah in the burning bush at Sinai, this Divine Person declared himself " the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob :" a declaration which, of itself, is quite sufficient to point him out as the visible Jehovah of the patriarchs. And when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, this same Divine Person was their guide ; for " the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way ; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them hght."' Exod. xiii, 21. This Angel of Jehovah is spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, as associated with another being, which is called the " Holy Spirit" of Jehovah : " In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them : in his love and in his pity he redeemed them ; and he bare them, and can-ied them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit : therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." Isa. Ixiii, 9, 10. From these statements the true and proper Divinity of this Angel of Jehovah cannot be doubted. But as he appeared to the patriarchs, so he did unto Mosos ; for he " spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Exod. xxxiii, 11 ; Deut. xxxiv, 10. This language, be it observed, is spoken of Jehovah. And yet at other times, even in the same chapter, the Lord said unto Moses, " Thou canst not see my face : for there shall no man see me, and live." Verse 20. How is this apparently contradictory language to be reconciled ? Here is Jehovah seen face to face, and Jehovah that cannot be seen ! Again : the Lord repeatedly says, that he wLU not go up with the people, but that he will send an Angel, Exod. xxiii, 20-23; xxxiii, 1-3 ; and yet Ave are told that "the Lord alotie did lead them, and there was no strange God with them." Deut. xxxii, 12. For this Angel was also Jehovah. Here, then, as in patri- archal times, there is a visible Jehovah who is the Word of God, and who is generally the medium of divine communication with ]\Ioses ; while at other times the narrative contains explicit references to the Father and the Holy Spirit. It is, therefore, certain that the Di- vine Person which appeared unto Moses was the same that visited Abraham and the other pati'iarchs : and thus the same Jehovah who revealed truth, administered judgment, and earned out the purposes of grace, thi'oughout the patriarchal dispensation, was the Author of the Jewish economy, and, by his own immediate interposition, 7 98 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, built up the Levitical church with materials selected from the pre- ceding dispensation. In proceeding to furnish a digest of the revelations given from Sinai, it may be remarked that, besides those particulars which have been already noticed, many others will be observed to bear a striking analogy to similar elements of patriarchal religion, and, in some instances, to prominent features in the religious institutions of heathen nations. (See Appendix, note 33.) To some of these a passing reference will be made ; but a full consideration of the latter class of coincidences will be reserved for a future place.* The first divine revelation from Sinai, and that which alone was delivered immediately by God to all the people, comprised those great elements of moral law, commonly called the Decalogue. Tliis has, by common consent, been regarded as the basis of the Jewish religion. And it is worthy of particular observation, that it un- doubtedly re-enacts some laws which were in full force under the patriarchal dispensation. It is certain that murder was not only prohibited, but punishable with death, under that economy : it is equally clear that idolatry was forbidden. Job xxxi, 2; so was adultery, and the penalty was death. Gen. xxvi, 9-11. It has been already shown (^Patriarchal Age, pp. 255-257) that the same might be said of several other of these commandments ; so that in this case there is a certain incorporation of the elements of primi- tive faith and law into the very foundation of the Mosaic economy. Hence Dr. Hales does not hesitate to say, " There is great reason to believe that the substance, at least, of the Decalogue given on Mount Sinai, was of primitive institution." — Mantes Bible, Job xxiii, 11, 12. As might have been expected from the important character of these laws, their language and arrangement have been closely scru- tinized. The principal question, however, which has been raised, respects the division and arrangement of these commandments. It is undisputed that, after having been orally delivered, they were written, and written upon two tables of stone. How, then, were they divided ? and how many stood on each table ? On these ques- tions very conflicting opinions have been held ; but that which was adopted by the English Church at the Reformation, by which four laws are placed on the first, and six upon the second table, is un- doubtedly supported by the highest authority, and is entitled to universal acceptance. (See Appendix, note 34.) As no nation ever had a purer moral code for the regulation of * The third volume of Sacred Annals, treating of the History and Eeligion of the Gen- tile Nations. 7* THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. 99 private life, and as tlie basis of their public institutions ; so no peo- ple ever received the elements of their laws in a manner so impres- siye, or accompanied with such solemn sanctions. In respect of elevated theology and moral purity, a comparison of the Decalogue with any laws of human device is out of the question. And as to the manner of communication, and the authority with which they were propounded, how puerile and contemptible do the pretensions of Numa, the trick of Solon, the fables of Minos and Lycurgus, ap- pear, when placed in juxtaposition with the thunders of Sinai, the flaming mount, and God speaking to millions of people out of the midst of the fire ! It is not easy, perhaps it is impossible, at the present time, to form any tolerable estimate of the effect which the miraculous enun- ciation of this law by God himself produced upon the congregation of Israel. That the loftiest intellect Avas filled with awe, and the stoutest heart quailed under these sublime manifestations of Deity, is certain ; nor can we form a conception of any circumstances more likely to bring divine authority, with all its just influence, to bear on the human conscience, than those which took place on that occasion. The revelation of the ceremonial law succeeded the communica- tion of the moral code, as a part of the same system, and under the same sanction. The tabernacle with its furniture here first claims attention. This sacred tent was intended to be the centre of Avor- ship, the seat of the Divine Presence. In the directions given for the construction of this sanctuary, there are two things to be parti- cularly noted. It was to be made " after the pattern of the taber- nacle," Exod. XXV, 9 ; words which appear to convey a distinct inti- mation that a pre-existent tabernacle was to afford a general outline of this new building, and of its furniture. But the Mosaic taberna- cle was not to be a mere reproduction, or servile imitation, of the sacred tent previously in use : it was to be a copy, but elaborated and more splendid ; and, at the same time, more perfect in its typi- cal character as a " shadow of heavenly things." Heb. viii, 5. Therefore Moses is further charged not only with a detailed de- scription of every part of the new tabernacle, and of every article of its furniture, but a visible representation of the whole was exhibited to him by the Lord on Sinai, and the solemn injunction was repeat- edly given : " Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount." Exod. xxv, 40 ; xxvi, 30 ; Num. viii, 4. (See Appendix, note 35.) Notwithstanding the careful particularity with which Moses ap- pears to have described the tabernacle, it is doubtful whether we possess suflQicient information to give us a clear apprehension of the 100 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. construction of this interesting and important edifice. Enough has, however, been revealed to enable us to form a general idea of it. The first part to be described is the court of the tabernacle. This was merely an inclosed, uncovered space, about one hundi'ed and seventy-five feet long, and eighty-seven and a half feet wide. It was formed by fine linen curtains, suspended on pillars, of which there were twenty on each side, ten on the west end, and six on the east, where was the entrance. All these pillars stood in sockets of brass, which were laid on the ground. In addition to the support which the pillars derived from the sockets, their tops were fastened with cords, both on the inside and outside, to pins driven into the ground. This place was therefore simply an inclosure, and con- tained the brazen altar, the laver, and the tabernacle. The first of these was emphatically the Jewish altar. To this every animal sacrifice was brought, and offered according to the manner prescribed in the law. Besides these regular sacrifices, by a special law, (Lev. xvii, 3, 4,) every animal slain for food was killed at the door of the tabernacle, and a part of it presented as an offering to the Lord. Although animal food might have been used very sparingly by the Israelites in the wilderness, yet, when the vast number of the people is considered, it will be evident that the operation of tliis law would bring a great number of victims daily to the altar. But, in addition to all these occasional offerings, the morning and evening sacrifice were offered upon it every day. The laver stood inside the brazen altar, between it and the taber- nacle. It was designed to contain water, which appears to have been used for the double purpose of cleansing the sacrifices and washing the priests. Moses did not write any precise description of the form or size of this laver, but simply states that it was made of the me- tallic mirrors which were given by the Israelitish women for this purpose. Their conduct on this occasion was as consistent as de- voted : they first presented their ornaments to the service of the sanctuary, and then, having little occasion for miiTors, gave them to make this laver.* But the tabernacle was the most important part of this sacred place. Every portion of it was made according to special directions given by God, and was full of significance. It was a building of wood framed together, hung inside with embroidered curtains, and covered on the outside with the skins of animals. The whole edi- fice was thirty cubits long, ten cubits wide, and ten cubits high ; or ** Our authorized translation of this text (Exod. xxxviii, 8) is most unfortunate, "look- ing-glasses" being inserted instead of "mirrors." A laver of brass made of looking- glasses ! THE HEBREW PEOPLE, 101 about fifty-two and a half feet long, seventeen and a half feet -wide, and seventeen and a half feet high. It was divided by a transverse partition, or veil, into two unequal parts : the outer and larger room, called "the holy place," was thirty-five feet long; and the inner room, named " the most holy place," or " the holy of holies," was seventeen and a half feet square. As this building was adapted to frequent removal, its foundation was similar in design to that of the pillars of the court, only the sockets here were made of silver, and composed of the metal con- tributed by the Israelites as ransom-money. Each socket weighed one hundred and fourteen pounds of pure silver ; and of these there were one hundred. Into these sockets perpendicular pieces of wood were fastened, each of them being a cubit and a half in breadth : they were made of acacia- wood, and Avere covered with gold. These, as they stood in their sockets, were joined closely together at the edges, and fastened by rings at the top, and thus formed the sub- stantial frame-work of the building. Over the whole of this, exter- nally, was drawn the covering of beautiful needle- work, richly em- broidered : this served as the ceiling of the holy places, and fell down outside the wooden frame-work. Over this were laid, in succession, coverings of goats' hair, a covering made of rams' skins, and another of badgers' skins ; and thus the whole sanctuary was secured. The veil which divided the two sanctuaries, and the curtain which covered the entrance, and was lifted up to aiFord ingress and egress, (for there was no door,) were all precisely of the same kind with the first co- vering,— a beautiful embroidery. The inner part of the sanctuary was also hung with embroidered curtains precisely similar. It is not necessary to enlarge on some difiiculties which are found in the Mosaic details : the preceding description will be sufficient to convey a general idea of the tabernacle. This sacred structure was intended to serve important religious purposes. For this end, the requisite provision was made. In the outer sanctuary was placed the golden altar of incense ; on this altar fragrant perfume, specially prepared for the purpose, was burned every morning and evening. Inside the altar, on the right hand, stood the golden table of show-bread ; on the left, the golden candle- stick or lamp. The first of these is very particularly described. Exod. XXV, 23-30. For this table were prepared golden dishes, bowls, spoons, and covers, and also crowns of gold. The provision for this table was also carefully specified. Lev. xxiv, 5-9. Twelve cakes, corresponding to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, made of fine flour, were to be kept constantly on this table. These, which were renewed from time to time, Were strewed with frankin- 102 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, cense. The golden candlestick was made of pure gold, and weighed one talent, or about one hundred and fourteen pounds. The narra- tive contains no statement of its size; and the description of its form has been so variously interpreted, that no certainty can be at- tained. It appears most probable, from Exod. xxv, 31, that a large and highly ornamented stem rose from a broad and solid base : this stem is supposed to have been carried up to the full height, bearing the centre light, having three branches, bearing lights on each side ; thus making, in the whole, seven lights. Calmet has conjectured that these branches were so constructed, that they might be made to revolve around the central stem. The lights were oil lamps, kept continually burning over against the table of show-bread. It will have been observed that there was no window or aperture to admit external light in the sides or covering of the tabernacle ; the lamps were therefore not only necessary as a part of the religious symbols of this sacred place, of which these articles constituted the furniture, but were also intended to give light to the building. Within the veil, the principal objects were the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat. The description of these is full and precise, with one remarkable exception, — it does not contain any account of the form of the cherubim ; a fact which seems to intimate that these figures were well known to Moses and to the people. (See Appen- dix, note 36.) The ark was an oblong chest, made of wood, and overlaid with gold. Its length was about four feet five inches ; its height, about two feet eight inches ; and its breadth the same as its height. The upper part of the lid of this ark was the mercy- seat, which was made of solid gold. The two cherubim stood above the ark, and were of the same substance with the gold of the mercy- seat, one on each end ; their faces were turned toward each other, and their wings expanded, overshadowing the mercy-seat. Above these cherubim was the shekinah, which stood over and between them ; and thus they, by their intervening wings, overshadowed the mercy- seat. The wide range of Jewish theology does not present to our inquiry a subject fraught with deeper interest than the true character and religious import of these sacred things, — the shekinah, the cherubim, and the ark. The first does not appear to present any serious diffi- culty, since it is explicitly spoken of as the Divine Presence. (See Appendix, note 37.) It was evidently intended to make a visible display of the presence and glory of Jehovah : it was no created angel, or representation of angels, but the glory of the eternal God. This is, in effect, declared by the term, and is abundantly proved by the language of Holy Scripture respecting it : " The Lord spake THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 103 unto Moses, saying, Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." Exod. xxv, 1, 8. When the work was finished, and the tabernacle was set up, we are told, " Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle." Exod. xl, 34, 35. Upon this an eminent author observes, " This was a proper appearance of Jehovah, or of the Shekinah ; for it was an appear- ance when all things, according to God's directions, were prepared for his reception into the tabernacle, when he entered and took pos- session of it as his habitation, the seat of his shekinah, and gracious presence among the children of Israel. By the description of Moses, it should seem that the cloud of glory was both within and without the tabernacle. For the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The glory of Jehovah, which entered into the tabernacle, is a proof that the person then appearing was the God of Israel, the proper object of that whole religious service and worship which was directed to be offered at the tabernacle ; that he was the God of Israel, who dwelt on the mercy- seat, over the ark of covenant or testimony ; he was the person whom the Israelites owned as their God and King; the only object of their religious worship." — Low?nan on the Shekinah, pp. 134-137. And to this may be added the important consideration, that this visible and glo- rious Jehovah, who was manifested in the shekinah, was the Second Person in the Trinity, the promised Saviour. This visible residence of God in his appointed tabernacle, among liis people, answered many important purposes. It gave them, through his appointed ministers, a way of immediate access unto God. " There," said the Lord unto Moses, " I will meet with thee, and I will commune Avith thee from above the mercy- seat, from between the two cherubims." Exod. xxv, 22. Here Jehovah, God of hosts, gave audience to his redeemed people, afforded them con- solation in trouble, and pointed out to them the Avay of deliverance when they were in danger. This visible manifestation of the Divine Presence in the Hebrew sanctuary, was further adapted to uphold the knowledge and worship of the true God in the world, and to rebuke the proud and vain pretensions of idolatry. At that time most of the nations had fearfully corrupted the doctrines and prac- tices of the patriarchal faith. Their speculations on the Divine Nature had issued either in their regarding the Supreme as an elevated abstraction, too far removed from mundane affairs to exer- cise any active interposition amongst men ; or else as a mere local 104 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. divinity, personified by an idol, respecting whose nature, potency, and real character, various opinions, more or less gross and foolish, prevailed. The visible presence of God with Israel was intended to expose this error, and save them from this fatal delusion. Did Gentile nations boast of the presence of gods among them, although these were made by men's hands out of lifeless matter, or Avere but brute beasts raised by an absurd caprice to this unnatural elevation ? Israel exulted in the real presence of Him who is indeed the God of the whole earth. Did others make great efforts to erect systems of religion which derived all their power from human policy, pride, and wealth ? Israel was taught of God. He took all the old ele- ments of pre- existent religion, and, remodeling the whole according to his own will, and investing them all with new and divine autho- rity, he gave a system of religion to his people which, however wonderful in other respects, was chiefly so on this account, — that it was communicated and administered by himself. In another important respect did this Divine Presence, in con- nection with the ark, the mercy-seat, and the cherubim, subserve the purposes of grace : it exhibited in this relation a remarkable outline of the great scheme of redemption. If it be objected to this opinion, that the typical character of these holy things would not be under- stood by the Jews of this period ; and that, therefore, however illustrative of religious doctrines they may now be to us, they were not then so to them ; it may be observed, that it does not follow, because the Hebrew in the wilderness could not apprehend all the typical allusion and doctrinal significancy which were couched imder these emblems, that therefore they could knoAV nothing of their religious import. On the contrary, it appears certain that this holy sanc- tuary and its sacred services were intended and designed, not only to afford the means of worship according to the ritual of the law, but also to impress on the mind of the people the evil of sin, its terrible consequences in alienating man from God, the necessity and efiicacy of vicarious sacrifice, pardon through atonement, and the blessed re- sults of access unto God. Heb. ix, 9. These great subjects were notfor- mally propounded in theory, but were exhibited with so much distinct- ness, that men would apprehend the force and intelligibility of the mode of instruction, in proportion as they were obedient to the truth. But the tabernacle, with all its glory and beauty, the throne and the temple of Jehovah, created and exhibited the necessity for the institution of a suitable priesthood. The size of this tent not only precluded the possibility of any tolerable number of the people meeting there for worship ; the division and arrangements of this sanctuary, and, indeed, the whole scope of the economy, showed that, THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 105 as a system, it was not designed to offer to the people individually immediate and formal access to the Divine Presence. On the con- trary, by the ritual institutions of this economy, the Holy Ghost distinctly signified " that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing." Heb. ix, 8. And, therefore, the law " was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," (Gal. iii, 19,) who, as the representative of the peo- ple, was on their behalf to approach God ; and, as the representative of God, was commissioned to declare his will, and announce hia grace to the people. It has been already shown that priestly acts had been performed from the time of the fall, and that, prior to the exodus, certain per- sons had been selected to sustain this ofiice. The priesthood may, therefore, in some sense, be regarded as a patriarchal institution, which, with other elements of the primitive religion, had been incor- porated into the Levitical economy. But it must not be inferred from this, that the ofiice was the same. In other instances, the por- tions of primitive rehgion transferred to the Jewish were raised, enlarged, and invested with higher dignity and authority than be- fore. This was the case, also, in reference to the priesthood. (See. Appendix, note 38.) The first intimation of the appointment of the house of Aaron to the sacerdotal ofiice, is found in a simple statement of the fact.. Exod. xxviii, 1 . This is followed by copious directions for the pre- paration of priestly vestments. These directions were given whea Moses •rt'as on the Mount with God the first >time. The tabernacle having been erected, and every necessary preparation made, this, purpose was carried into effect. Exod. xxix ; Lev. viii, ix. Aaron and his four sons are first named as set apart for this office : " Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar,. Aaron's sons." Exod. xxviii, 1. The manner in which these per- sons were set apart for this high office is minutely detailed. The ceremony is performed with suitable solemnity. The whole congre- gation is assembled at the door of the tabernacle, the holy anointing oil is produced, a bullock and two rams prepared for sacrifice, and Aaron and his sons are washed with pure water. He is then first arrayed in the garments prepared for the high priest, and afterward they are habited in the attire of ordinary priests. All are then anointed with oil, touched with the sacrificial blood, and commanded to remain within the tabernacle seven days. After the expiration of this term, on the eighth day other sacrifices are commanded to 106 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. be offered ; on "which occasion a fire issued forth from the shekinah, and consumed the offering. This kindled a fire which was ever after kept alive on the altar. Eor the high priest there was prepared, besides the garments com- mon to the other priests, a dress especially designated as " for glory and for beauty." Exod. xxviii, 2. This was a robe of deep blue color, made out of one piece of material, by cutting a hole for the head to pass through, one half falling down before, and the other behind, and joined together at the sides, leaving room for the arms. Around the bottom of this robe was a deep rich fringe, ornamented with pomegranates and small bells. There was also a fringe around the neck. Besides this robe, the high priest wore an ephod and girdle. The ephod was also a very gorgeous vestment. It was made " of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work." Yerse 6. The girdle was formed of the same kind of materials, and made in a similar manner. The Avhole was very richly embroidered. On each shoulder was placed a large precious stone set in gold, each having engraved on it, after the manner of a signet, the names of six tribes of Israel. A striking similarity is observable between the fabric of the ephod, and of the vail and curtains of the tabernacle. The high priest wore on his head a golden crown or mitre. The head-dress appears to have been made of linen, ornamented with blue lace, to which was fastened a gold plate, emphatically termed the crown ; on this were engraven the words, mnii'iuip, " Holiness to the Lord." Attached to the ephod was the breast-plate : it was made of the same materials, but covered with gold, in which twelve several precious stones were set, in three perpendicular rows, four in each row ; and on each of these was engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel. It is scarcely possible to conceive of a more splendid and gor- geous dress than this. As a proof of the existence of superior art, an evidence of civilization, it bears decided testimony as to the ele- vation of the Israelites. But as a sacerdotal vestment, its glowing colors, costly materials, exquisite workmanship, all united to pro- duce an effect at once glorious and impressive. Besides tliis rich attire, there is another element, which held an important rank in the investiture of the high priest. It was com- posed of " the Urim and Thummim," and was to be put into, or upon, the breastplate. Although this addition was of the utmost consequence, it is now involved in the deepest and most perplexing obscurity. Writers of the greatest learning have devoted the high- est talent, combined with the most patient and untiring industry, to the investigation of this subject ; yet the result has only been to THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 107 place before us a variety of conflicting opinions, from which, how- ever difficult it may be to decide between the opposing theories of great men, the following points appear to be sufficiently established. (See Appendix, note 39.) 1. Whatever was designated by the terms "Urim and Thum- mim," existed, and was known, prior to the revelations of Sinai. These names might have been new, or in some measure altered ; but the thing itself was known before the time of Moses. This is clear, from the manner in which it is first mentioned, as well as from the evidence of its previous use. The terms first occm* in the command given to Moses: "Thou shalt put in the breast-plate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the Lord : and Aaron shall bear the judg- ment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord conti- nually." Exod. xxviii, 30. From this manner of expression it is plain that Moses is not now giving directions for making some new thing, or for applying to a hitherto unknown purpose something which previously existed. He speaks as if the thing itself, and its object or use, were well known, and simply enjoins a steady atten- tion to it. The object or use of Urim and Thummim was to afford a means of obtaining counsel or direction immediately from God. Hence, when Joshua was appointed to succeed Moses, and was pro- mised, for his encouragement, the fullest measure of divine aid and direction, the most important part of the promise was given in these words : " He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord." Num. xxvii, 21. And when Saul had sinned, the most fearful con- sequences of his rejection were, that when he " inquired of the Lard, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor hy Urim, nor by prophets." 1 Sam. xxviii, 6. But then it is very certain that the patriarchal religion afforded its worshipers a means of ask- ing direct counsel of Heaven, which procured clear and explicit ver- bal communications of the divine will. The case of Rebekah is a remarkable instance of this kind. In her distress, " she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her," &c. Gen. XXV, 22, 23. The seat of this oracle may be unknown, the mode of application disputed, and the manner in which the answer was given uncertain ; yet, notwithstanding all this, the fact remains a standing proof that the patriarchal faith, on extraordinary occasions, afforded individuals special access unto God. It is also worthy of observa- tion, that the ancient idolatry of Egypt appears to countenance the opinion that the Hebrew Urim bore some resemblance to a patri- archal institution. 1.08; THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 2. It further appears certain that the Urim and Thummim held no subordinate rank in the religious and national privileges of the Israelites. Hence, when Moses pronounced his memora- ble blessing upon the several tribes, speaking of Levi, he said, " Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy Holy One." Deut. xxxiii, 8. This was indeed the chief glory of the nation, that the shekinah was their holy oracle, and offered them through the Urim a means of asking counsel of God. 3. Again : the answers obtained by this means were clear and full, and delivered in an audible voice. In none of the cases re- corded in the Scripture do we find any of the ambiguity, or double meaning, which characterized most of the oracular responses of the heathen. It was probably on account of this perfect explicitness of the answers, that the terms under consideration, implying " light and perfection," were given to this mode of obtaining divine counsel. It will, however, in all probability, considering the conflicting opinions which have been advocated on this point, be regarded as rash to fol- low Prideaux in an unhesitating assertion, that these answers were given in an audible voice. But the reasons for his conclusion are irresistible. The whole scope of the subject justifies this opinion. It is undoubted, that God in this manner communicated his will to Moses. He "spake" unto him. He " talked " with him. Hence generally, in the scriptural record of the prayers of Moses, the an- swer is announced by the teiTus, " The Lord said." And when, in the important affair of the Gibeonites, the people neglected to in- quire of the Lord, they are blamed for not having asked counsel " at the mouth of the Lord." Joshua ix, 14. For the same reason the place where the ark and the mercy-seat stood is repeatedly called "the oracle." Psalm xxviii, 2, &c. The manner in which these oracular answers were obtained has been supposed to be this : The high-priest, in his robes, and with his breast-plate, entered the holy place, and, standing without the veil, his face turned toward the mercy-seat, propounded the inquiry, which was answered by an au- dible voice from the mercy-seat in the holy of holies. But the question may still be pressed, " Wherein did this great privilege or virtue consist? What were the Urim and Thummim?" These questions have never yet obtained a full and satisfactory an- swer. Lewis has given a judgment which appears to come nearer to a solution of the difficulty than any other that has come under our notice. He says, "It seems safest to hold, that the words, ' Urim and Thummim,' signify only a divine virtue and power given to tlie breast-plate of the high-priest in its consecration, by which an oracular answer was obtained from God, when he was consulted THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 109 by the high priest with it on, in the manner He directed : and this was called Urim and Thummim, to express the clearness and per- fection which these oracular answers carried with them." Hebrew Republic, vol. i, p. 127. If a conjecture in addition to, or as an emendation of, this opinion be admissible, we should say, a careful review of the whole subject has convinced us that, in patriarchal times, there were certain consecrated things by means of which pious worshipers could obtain oracular answers in their application to God ; and that tho instance before us exhibits the divine appoint- ment of the breast-plate of the high-priest to be invested with this virtue, and to afford the Hebrews, through the instrumentality of their ecclesiastical head, this high privilege. It will noAV be necessary to direct attention to the principal reli- gious services of this economy. We refer, first, to those connected with the great Day of Atonement or expiation. On every other occasion, the sons of Aaron appear to have been associated with him in the duties and honors of the high priesthood. But here a strict limitation is distinctly marked: the command is, "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he Cometh out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel." Lev. xvi, 17. This important service Avas always held on the tenth day of the seventh month, {Tisliri,) and was called i^&S tsii " day of pardon," (Lev. xxiii, 27,) and in the Talmud, ^ina n"':5Fi " great fasting," it being the only fast for an entire day which Moses enjoined. On this occasion the high priest, having washed himself, put on his linen robes, and placing his sacerdotal mitre on his head, first offered a bullock and a lamb for his own sins and those of the priests. He then received from the princes of the people two goats for a sin- offering ; one of which was selected by lot to be sacrificed to God, the other was permitted to escape into the wilderness. Having finished these sacrifices, the high priest filled a censer with burning coals from the altar, and, putting two handfuls of incense into a vase, took them into the most holy place, where he poured the in- cense on the fire, and, leaving the censer, perfuming the sanctuary and enveloping the propitiatory and the cherubim in its smoke, he returned, took the blood of the bullock and the goat, and went again into the most holy place. With his finger he first sprinkled the blood of the bullock, and afterwards that of the goat, upon the lid of the ark of the covenant, and seven times he also sprinkled it upon the floor before the ark. After his return into the outer sanctuary, he put the blood on the horns of the golden altar, and sprinkled it 110 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. seven times over the surface of the altar. This was done as an ex- piation for the uncleanness and the sins of the children of Israel. Lev. xvi, 11-19. The high priest then, going out into the court of the tabernacle, placed both hands, with great solemnity, on the head of the scape-goat ; a symbolic representation that the animal was loaded with the sins of the people. It was then delivered to the man who led it away into the wilderness, and let it go free, to sig- nify the liberation of the Israelites from the punishment due to their sins ; while the goat that was slain, and the bullock which had been sacrificed, were burned whole beyond the limits of the camp, to sig- nify the guilt of the people, and the punishment which they merited. At length the high priest, putting off his white vestments, and assuming the robes of beauty and glory, sacrificed a holocaust for himself and the people, and offered another sin-offering. Lev. xvi, 23-25 ; Num. xxix, 7-11. He then went forth to the people, read some sentences out of the law, and afterward, with outstretched arms, pronounced the threefold blessing : — " May Jehovah bless thee and preserve thee! May Jehovah cause his faces to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! May Jehovah lift up his faces upon thee, and may he put prosperity unto thee !"* It is important to observe the religious truth wliich these services indicated, and the religious effect which they were calculated to pro- duce on the minds of the people. The services of this day developed, beyond all reasonable doubt, that great principle of the scheme of redemption, the pardon of sin through vicarious sacrifice. It is no valid objection to this doctrine, that the atonement was not made by the death of the animal, but by the sprinkling of the blood aftei'ward by the priest. — Apology of Ben Mordecai, p. 797. For it was clearly as necessary that the sacrifice should be presented to God, as that the life of the victim should be taken. And " for what purpose can we suppose the blood to have been carried into the most sacred part of the divine resi- dence, and that on the day of atonement, except to obtain the favor of Him in whose presence it was sprinkled?" — Outram De Sacri- Jiciis, d. i, c. xix, sect. 3. In fact, the manner in which this atone- ment was made shows how fully the wisdom of God is here dis- played. It was necessary that vicarious suffering should be exhib- ited ; the animal is therefore slain. It was equally necessary that this forfeited life should be presented to God ; the blood is therefore carried into the sanctuary. And, as if to rebut the objection refer- red to, on a question of fact, the blood must be sprinkled ; which •" Dr. Adam Clarke's translation. See also Calmet's Dictionary, art. Expiation; Jahn's Archaeologia, art. 356 ; and Jennings's Antiquities, p. 510. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. Ill could not be done unless still reeking with the life of the creature. If the animal was quite dead, and the blood coagulated, it was unfit for sacrificial purposes : it must be " the blood of sprinkling." Lest this important point should be overlooked, the people were told, " The life of the flesh is in the blood : and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls : for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Lev. xvii, 11. Besides the practical inculcation of this momentous truth, the services of this day were calculated to produce a deep religious im- pression on the minds of the people. While dressed in his linen garments, and making an atonement for sin, by taking the blood of sacrifice into the most holy place, the high priest represented the people, and in this character performed these offices. Having fin- ished them, he laid aside his sacrificial garments, and, putting on his robes of beauty and glory, changed his representative character, and appeared as the minister of God, and, as such, pronounced a three- fold blessing upon the people. When on this occasion he went into the holy place, the serious and considerate part of the people felt that the great question was, whether God would accept the atone- ment, or punish their sin in the person of their representative. That this was the view taken of the subject by the early Jews, is proved by their statement, that " he had never seen sorrow that had not seen Israel during the absence of the high priest, and he had never seen joy that had not seen Israel when the high priest came forth to bless :" language which clearly shows how deeply they felt the ques- tion at issue, — whether God would indeed receive the atonement and send them a blessing. Five days after the day of expiation, the feast of tabernacles be- gan, and continued eight days ; the first and last of which were regarded as the most important. This feast was instituted mainly for the purpose of preserving a perpetual memorial of the journey of the Israelites through the Arabian Wilderness. But it was also regarded as a festival of thanks for the vintage and the gathering in of the fruits, and was therefore sometimes called " the feast of in- gathering." Lev. xxiii, 34-44. Its observance was commanded in these words : — " Ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days ; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land ; that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt." This festival was therefore commemorative of the Divine Goodness in protecting and providing for the Israel- 112 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. ites "while journeying in the desert, as well as expressive of gratitude for the rich supply of the fruits of the earth from year to year. It ■was thus calculated to awaken and cultivate pious and grateful feel- ings in the Jewish people throughout their successive generations. Every adult male Israelite was required to appear before the Lord, and take part in these services. This feast was a season of universal joy, and was shared by the people at large. The Pentecost was another feast of the first class, at which every adult male Jcav was required to present himself before the Lord. It was a festival of thanks for the harvest, and commemorative of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. It was therefore held fifty days after the passover. Lev. xxiii, 15, 16. The Hebrews called it " the feast of weeks," because it was held seven weeks after the passover ; but when the Greek language became prevalent, it was termed " Pen- tecost," the word meaning the " fiftieth day." On this occasion the first-fruits of the wheat-harvest were offered. Deut. xvi, 9-11. These first-fruits consisted of two loaves of unleavened bread, each made of about three pints of meal. Lev. xxiii, 16, 17. Besides these, there were to be offered with the bread " seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams : they shall bo for a burnt-offering unto the Lord. Then shall ye sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave- offering before the Lord, with the two lambs." Lev. xxiii, 18-20. The Passover, the institution of which has been already given, was also one of the great Jewish festivals, at which every adult male was required to be present before the Lord. Tliis had its origin in the wonderful deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, and espe- cially in their exemption from the destruction of the first-born which visited all the other families of that land. It was specially remark- able for the absence of all kinds of leavened or fermented food; and, to enforce this, no leaven was to remain in any house of the Israelites during the whole eight days of the feast. Eut the distin- guishing feature of the passover was the sacrifice of the paschal lamb ; the blood of which, being sprinkled on the door-posts, and lintels of the doors, preserved the people at its institution from the ravages of the destroying angel ; afterward, at every annual celebra- tion, it was sprinkled at the foot of the altar. Christians can scarcely ' consider the nature and institution of this feast without regarding the paschal lamb as eminently typical of Christ and his atonement. It is, however, another and a very interesting inquiry, whether the ancient Jews had any such ideas. On this point the following opin- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 113 ions of a learned writer deserve attention : — " That the ancient Jews understood this institution to prefigure the sufferings of Christ, is evident, not only from the New Testament, but from the Mishna, where, among the five things said to be contained in the great Mal- lei, (a hymn composed of several psalms, and sung after the paschal supper.) one is the sufferings of Messiah, for which they refer to Psalm cxvi." — Kittd's Cyclop. Bib. Lit. This feast commenced on the fourteenth day of the month Abib, and was so rigidly enforced, that it has been supposed (on the authority of Numbers ix, 13) that every person willfully neglecting its observance was condemned to death. On the day after the Sabbath, on the feast of passover, a sheaf of the first-fruits of the barley-harvest was to be brought to the priest to be waved before the Lord, accompanied by a burnt- of- fering. Till this sheaf was presented, neither bread nor parched com, nor full ripe ears of the harvest, could be eaten. Besides these, there were other religious institutions divinely ap- pointed to the Hebrews, which may be briefly noticed. The feast of trumpets was held on the first day of the seventh month of the sacred year, and was, in fact, an ushering in of the civil year with the sound of trumpets. Num. xxix; Lev. xxiii, 2, 3. This day was kept sacred ; all servile business was forbidden, and a solemn sacrifice offered in the name of the whole nation. The ap- pointed oblations on this occasion were a calf, two rams, and seven lambs of the same year, with offerings of flour and wine. The new moons. — A peculiar reverence was entertained for the beginning of each month, and JMoses prescribed special sacrifices for the occasion. Num. xxviii, 11, 12. But we have no evidence that it was intended, or commanded to be held, as a holy day. The sabbatical year ^ndi the jubilee deserve notice, although their institution was more of a civil than of a religious character ; but as these could only be fully acted upon after the occupation of the pro- mised land, further reference to their object may be suitably deferred. Before closing this sketch of these institutions, it will be necessary to mention the Sabbath itself An opinion has been already express- ed, that this was from the beginning held sacred by a primitive and patriarchal law. But, however this may be, its enactment, or re-en- actment, as a special and very important part of the Jewish economy, is certain ; and may be regarded under two aspects. It enjoined entire cessation from all labor. This is not only seen in the com- mand itself; but the Scriptures afford very many and striking illus- trations of the tnie meaning and extent of these prohibitions. Kind- ling a fire for domestic purposes was prohibited, Exod. xxxv, 3; so was preparing food. Exod. xvi, 23. A case in which a man was 8 114 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, found gathering sticks on the Sabbath-day was submitted immediate- ly to the Divine judgment, and the Lord doomed the offender to death by stoning. Num. xv, 35. Buying and selling were also forbidden. Neh. X, 31. ^ But the Sabbath was intended not only to afford rest from labor and secular enjoyments : it was also to be a day devoted to holy re- ligious exercises. This is clearly stated in the law as the great ob- ject, and rest as a means to this end. It was to be kept holy. Hence it is said that the Sabbath was appointed " for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever." Exod. xxxi, 16, 17. It is therefore enforced as immediately associated with religious exercises. Lev. xix, 30 ; Ezek. xlv, 17 ; Isa. i, 13 ; Ixvi, 23. All these passages very clearly show that the Sabbath was designed for special religious purposes ; and while it stood out prominently as a sign of the covenant, it offered to men the means of realizing a per- sonal interest in all its blessings. The most important of the Mosaic institutions have now passed mider consideration. Many other regulations respecting sacrifices, ablutions, rites, and other observances, were given, which it has not been thought necessary to detail. Other commands have also been omitted, because, being partly religious and partly secular in their object, we shall refer to them generally in our future exposition of the history and religion of this people. (See Appendix, note 40.) It is, however, desirable that a clear apprehension of the true cha- racter of the religious system revealed to Moses should be obtained ; and then, regarding this as superadded to or built upon the substra- tum of patriarchal theology, to form a just and general opinion of the religion of the Hebrew people at the close of their wanderings in the desert. First, then, this religious economy, unlike that which preceded and that which followed it, was national and theocratic. It was pre- pared for and adapted to the Jewish people. It is true that it allow- ed individuals from other tribes or nations to become proselytes to this faith. But even then they were regarded as, at least religiously, merged into the Israelitish family, and thus to have become heirs of the promises made unto the seed of Abraham. This is evident from the terms in which the divine promises and predictions were conveyed, and also from the manner in which they were actually ful- filled. The promise first limited the blessings of this covenant in general terms to the seed of Abraham. Afterward there is a further limitation to Isaac, and, subsequently, the privileges to be confen'ed are strictly confined to the descendants of Jacob. All this clearly showed the intended nationality of the system. The manner in which 8* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 115 these promises were carried into effect still more clearly proves the point. When God at Sinai began the revelation of the law, he avowed his purpose, that " if they would obey his voice indeed, and keep his covenant, then they should be a peculiar treasure to him above all people." Exod. xix, 5. This made an open and well-known separa- tion of the Israelites necessary. And hence Moses, when alluding to the public evidence that he and his people had found grace in the sight of God, asks, " Is it not in that thou goest with us ? So shall we be sepm-ated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth." Exod. xxxiii, 16. The entire economy of this religion was adapted to create and sustain this national separation. The located residence of Deity in the sanctuary, the appointed place of sacrifice ; the injunction that at least thrice in the year all adult males should in this place appear before the Lord ; the limitation of the priesthood to the family of Aaron, and of the service of the house of God to the tribe of Levi, with various other parts of the system ; all clearly contributed to this end. But the most important element in this consideration is the fact, that this national religious separation was effected by the establish- ment of a theocracy. The opinions entertained by the later Jews on this point may be gathered from Josephus. He says, " Among the several nations of the world, some have chosen monarchical govern- ment, others democratical, or the government of the people ; but our legislator established a form of government different from all others, which is a theocracy, if I may be allowed so to call it, which assigns the Avhole power to God, with the management of all natural affairs ; inspiring us with the maxim that God sees everything, and is the cause of all good that happens to us." — Contra Apionem, lib. ii, sect. 16. It will be observed here, that Josephus, like many modern writers, attributes the selection of this peculiar kind of government to the policy of Moses, rather than to the appointment of Jehovah ; over- looking the important distinction that Moses did not first choose God as the governor of the people, but that God elected them to be his. The formal establishment of this covenant is thus detailed by di- vine command : " Tell the children of Israel ; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people : for all the earth is mine : and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before 116 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord." Exod. xix, 3-8. In accordajice with this covenant, the religion of Israel was inseparably blended with their civil go- vernment ; and God was henceforth not only the object of their adoration and worship, but also their supreme temporal Governor or King. The fact of this theocracy being admitted, it becomes necessary to ascertain its object, manner of administration, and the nature and extent of the sanctions by which it was sustained. The object of this arrangement was principally to maintain in the world a clear and permanent testimony to the doctrine of the unity of the Divine Nature. At this time polytheism had to some extent affected the religious system of every other people ; nor were the Israelites quite free from the taint of idolatry. The religious state of mankind, therefore, demanded that some extraordinary means should be adopted to preserve the true doctrine of the Divine Nature uncorrupted in the world. The measure which Infinite Wisdom devised for this purpose, and also to contribute towards the final accomplishment of his gracious designs in respect to the redemption of man, was the separation of one family from the rest of mankind, and the placing of them under his own immediate go- vernment. Not only were these means suitable, but, as Warburton contends, " a separation so necessary to maintain the doctrine of the unity could not have been supported without penal laws against idolatry ; and at the same time such penal laws can never be equi- tably instituted but under a theocracy. The consequence is, that a theocracy was necessary." — Divine Legation, book v, sect. 2. Without staying to inquire whether or not the learned bishop has in these terms put the case too strongly, it may be observed, that the means were admirably adapted to answer the end. Among ido- latrous nations there has always been a sort of spurious liberality, or latitudinarianism of principle and practice. The most devoted worshipers of one deity would, without hesitation, join in the ado- ration of another. When polytheism became prevalent, this con- duct was general. To prevent the corruption of the truth in the case of the Israelites by these means, it became necessary to esta- blish penal laws of great severity against idolatry : and it certainly does not seem easy to conceive how such laws could have been justly framed or executed by any merely human authority. When, however, God became the Sovereign of the nation, every act of idolatry was not only a sin against bim, but even high treason THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 117 against the head of the state, and as such was justly punished with death. This theocratic form of government was administered princi- pally through the priesthood. The high priest was, by vir- tue of his office, the first minister of the great King. Hence Jeho- vah himself characterized this political constitution as a " kingdom of priests ;" and Josephus glories in this, as the great distinguishing feature of the commonwealth. " Where," he asks, " shall we find a better or more righteous constitution than ours, which makes us es- teem God to 'be the Governor of the universe, and permits the priests in general to be the administrators of the principal affairs ; while, on the other hand, it confides a superintendence over them to the wisdom of the high priest, their superior ? Where shall any- thing more perfect be discovered ? or from what people shall we borrow statutes more beneficial to those who are governed? Our legislator did not advance the priests to the dignity they hold on account of their riches, or any exterior advantage attached to their lot, but solely on account of their learning, which enables them to persuade others to prudent conduct and righteousness of life. These functionaries had committed to them by Moses the execution of the laws, ritual and municipal ; for, as they were the constant witnesses of men's actions, they were made the judges in all doubtful cases, and the punishers of those who had incurred the penalty of trans- gression."— Josephus Contra Apion., lib. ii, cap. 21. But by what sanctions was this united civil and religious economy sustained? What were the promises and threatenings which it placed before the people as the reward of obedience, or the punish- ment of transgression ? The attentive reader will find that they were exclusively of a temporal character, and referred to prosperous or penal visitations in the present life. This fact, which is undoubted, has occasioned much discussion and difference of opinion. The first question which arises out of the subject is this : What induced Moses so entirely to omit all re- ference io future rewards and punishments in the promulgation of the law ? It has been supposed by some, that this is a clear proof that Moses was entirely ignorant of the immortality of the soul, and consequently of its future condition, and therefore could not use this important influence. A very different opinion has been put forth by Bishop Warburton, who maintains that Moses was fully ac- quainted with the doctrine of a future state, but that he studiously and of set purpose not only avoided all reference to it in the law, but narrated several events in very guarded language, and with unusual brevity, in order to conceal it ; and that this was done in order to 118 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. make a universal providence, or present reward and punishment, the uniform sanction of the law. A third and rather middle course has been taken by Bishop Rus- sel, who says, " We can be at no loss to discover a better reason why Moses did not introduce into his system of laws the sanctions of future rewards and punishments, than that he was desirous to conceal from his people the important doctrine of the immortality of the soul. It will appear that he did not, as has been represented, throw a studied obscurity over every fact which was likely to sug- gest to the Hebrews the idea of a future existence ; but rather that he himself did not enjoy such distinct views of the condition of the human soul after death, as were fitted to be made the foundation of a system of moral retribution in a divine economy."- — Cojinection, vol. i, p. 316. Before proceeding to remark on these conflicting sentiments, an objection may be taken, which, with more or less force, affects them all. They attribute too much to Moses, and too little to God. They display too much of human craft and policy, and far too little of divine wisdom adapting itself to the fallen condition of mankind. To the servant and the house, they give the honor due only to Him who built it. On the first of these opinions very few Avords will sufiice. The uniform testimony of the patriarchal age proves, that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul was well known. That Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were ignorant of this doctrine, is not only incredible, on a general view of their religious condition, but is expressly contradicted by Holy Scripture, which assures us that " they sought an heavenly country." Heb. xi, 16. And that Moses, who not only inherited this theology, but who was also learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, — a nation known at this period to believe in this doctrine ; — that he should have been quite igno- rant of the immortality of the soul, is impossible. It appears equally unreasonable to attribute to the Hebrew legis- lator a studied design to conceal this knowledge, and to keep the Israelites in entire ignorance of it. N either the general teaching of Moses, nor the argument of the learned bishop, will Avarrant this conclusion. But to this point we must refer hereafter. Nor, with all our respect for the talents and reasonings of the learned bishop of Glasgow, can we bring ourselves to believe that Moses had such an imperfect knowledge of this subject, as to pre- vent him from making it a ground of sanction in his code of laws. This point seems to be so clearly settled by the teaching of Holy Scripture, as scarcely to admit of dispute. Let the reader turn to THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 119 Hebrews xi, 24-26, and read, " By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter ; choos- ing rather to suffer afihction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt : for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.''^ Now, if we concede to Warburton that it is doubtful whether the faith of Moses had any immediate reference to Christ, as the words will bear another meaning, we may still ask, What consistent interpretation can be put upon the asser- tion that he " had respect unto the recompense of the reward," if he knew little or nothing of a future state 't Let it be observed, the apostle is not speaking in the abstract of the destiny of Moses, but of the motives and influences under which he acted. He renounced the pleasures ofaEgyptian honor and sin ; he entered upon a course of duty the most arduous and embarrassing, and from which he felt a strong aversion. And why did he enter upon this course ? Inspi- ration answers the question, Because " he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." When or where was this recompense to be obtained ? Certainly not on earth. If this, then, be the mean- ing of the Avords, we must believe that Moses, like the other patri- archs, sought a " heavenly country," and looked for the city of God: and surely, if his knowledge of the future could have produced a motive so influential on his own conduct, it might have been placed before others in the hope that it would produce similar results. What, then, is the truth of the case ? How are these difficulties to be solved? The folloAving considerations will do much toward placing the subject in a proper light. It has been abundantly proved, that in the patriarchal age the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, and of a future judgment, were known and believed. The only fragment which we possess of antediluvian teaching, (Jude 14, 15,) is decisive on this point. The omission of Moses to ground his law upon this basis, although it could not support, did not destroy, this tenet. It lived in popular opinion. Warburton himself admits the belief of the Israelites in a future existence, although he denies their acquaintance with re- ward or punishment in a future life. And Dr. Russel very properly says, " Moses did not conceal from the congregation of Israel the sublime doctrine of eternal life : he merely abstained from explaining to them the laws under which the human race shall enjoy existence after their earthly nature shall have exhausted its powers, and their corruptible shall have put on incorruption." — Connection, vol. ii^ p. 540. The omission to ground the law on the sanctions of a future life. 120 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. ■was not, then, the result of the wisdom or policy of Moses, but of special Divine appointment ; and was done to insure the separation of the Israelites from every other nation, to establish and enforce penal laws against idolatry, and to teach and exhibit God's provi- dential government in all things pertaining to the present life. This economy was not one which shed darkness over the future destiny of man, but which, in an eminent manner, cast a glorious light over his temporal condition, and brought him, in all his immediate wants, nearer to God. But it is necessary that we endeavor to ascertain the extent to which this providential government was carried. Was it national, or did it apply to individuals ? We refer, of course, to providence in its extraordinary manifestation under the theocracy. Warburton carries this providential government to its utmost limits ; and declares that, as the Israelites were ignorant of the doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishment, they " must REALLY have enjoyed that equal providence under which Holy Scrip- ture represents them to have lived; and then, no transgressor escaping punishment, nor any observer of the law missing his reward, human affairs might be kept in good order without the doctrine of a future state." — Divine Legation, book v, sect. ii. This is the most vulnerable part of the bishop's argument; or rather, upon his own principles, the whole argument is here reduced to a question of fact. He contends that either a knowledge of future retribution, or the exercise of an immediate providence, is abso- lutely necessary to the well-being of society. And, believing that the Israelites were ignorant of the doctrine, he contends that they were placed under a providential government so extensive and exact, that no transgressor escaped punishment, nor any observer of the law missed reward. But was this the case ? We are told by this very author, that the theocracy was in its greatest vigor during the time of the Judges ; and may therefore inquire whether a provi- dential government, so extensive and minute, was administered to Israel at this period. The reader will refer to the following cases. The family of Achan were stoned, and burned with fire. Joshua vii. Now, in reference to his sons and daughters, what was their sin ? No information is given of any evil which they did, nor does the nature of the case justify any charge against them ; yet they suffered with their guilty parent. The daughter of Jephthah, whatever may have been the precise character of her fate, affords another very striking proof that at this period transgression was not always visited with present punish- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 121 ment, or obedience crowned with blessing. Here the victim suffered on account of her praiseworthy filial conduct. Reference might also be made to the wives and children of Korah and his company, and other similar instances in the wilderness. But, although we adduce this proof, that among the Israelites the temporal condition of individuals did not always depend upon the conduct of the person, it does not seem just to place the decision of the question on this ground. The Scripture account of these times does not contain a complete series of biographical sketches, but a narrative of public events : to seek, therefore, in the circumstances of individuals for a key to the genius of this religious economy, appears imjust and unreasonable. This is more especially the case, inasmuch as the manner in which the national theocracy was communicated and enforced seems incompatible with the uniform administration of temporal punishment or reward, according to the transgression or obedience of individuals. Let the threatenings of punishment, and promises of reward, with which the law was enforced, (Lev. xxvi, 3-33,) be carefully read, and it will be seen that they are, to a great €xtent, national and extraordinary. These promises and threatenings are national. If the people were obedient, rain was to be given in its season, the harvest and the vintage should be abundant, peace was to reign throughout the land, their enemies were to be powerless to injure, and the people were to enjoy the protection, blessing, and presence of God. These bless- ings are set forth, not as limited to individuals, but to the public. Such, also, were the threatenings of punishment. If they sinned, pestilence was to be sent among them, their enemies would invade and subdue them, the earth was to be sterile as brass, the heavens would give no rain, wild beasts would spread terror through the land, famine in all its horrid forms was denounced, and they were to be vanquished in war, until, being placed fully in the hands of their enemies, the land was filled with desolation. Could these blessings have been given as a reward for general obedience, without, in some measure, imparting good to individual sinners ? or these evils afflict the land because of prevailing transgression, without, to some extent, afflicting individuals who were pious ? Or, to put the case more strongly, if one part of the people were obedient, and the other dis- obedient, how could these blessings and curses be simultaneously dispensed ? It is seen at once that they are incompatible. How, then, is this difficulty to be explained ? By the circumstance that these were extraordinary sanctions. The law contained provisions for the punishment of open sinners, apostates, and idolaters ; and appointed the manner of dealing with 122 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. those who committed sin intentionally, but not in a spirit of apos- tasy and rebellion. If, then, these several enactments Avere enforced, iniquity could not generally prevail ; if they were not, then the dere- liction of duty, and sympathy with sin, which this conduct implied, made the transgression national in its character, and thus exposed Israel to the extraordinary intervention which the execution of these tln-eatenings so clearly implies. When this took place, as the inflic- tions were general, the innocent to some extent certainly suffered with the guilty. This is clearly shown in a case which, although it can scarcely be regarded as a national punishment, evidently arose out of the great wickedness of one of the tribes of Israel. When the Benjamites were defeated, and almost exterminated, in the war which arose out of the ill-treatment of a Levite's wife, is it to be supposed that, among all the women and young people of tliis tribe, none Avere found as irreproachable as those of the other families of Israel ? It is clearly impossible to reconcile such events with that exact and individual application of the theocratic government which should inflict prompt punishment on every offendei', and give to every obe- dient person present prosperity; and hence Bishop Russel has, with great propriety, come to the conclusion that " the theocracy must be understood to have been confined to the national interests of the Jews ; to have secured happiness and peace to them, so long as they continued steadfast in their religious faith; while it brought upon their heads the visitation of Divine wrath, the avenging sword, the famine, or the pestilence, so often as they gave themselves up to the superstitions of the heathen, and thereby violated the covenant which their fathers had sworn." — Connection, vol. iii, p. 516. But if this be the case, what becomes of the argument ? If the Scripture account of the period when the theocracy was exercised with the greatest vigor proves that offenders were not punished, and that individual obedience was not always rewarded with exemption from temporal afiiiction, and crowned with prosperity, then, accord- ing to the bishop's argument, a knowledge of future rewards and punishments would be necessary ; and this knowledge the Israelites undoubtedly possessed. The inspired author of Psalm Ixxiii complains that his confidence in God had been severely shaken, that " his feet were almost gone, his steps had well-nigh slipped." And what was the cause of this ? He informs us : "I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Their eyes stand out with fatness : they have no bands in their death." He thence infers, "I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my tands in innocencj. For all the day long have I been plagued, and THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 123 chastened every morning." Nor does he obtain spiritual comfort imtil he repairs to the sanctuary of God : " Then understood I their end" Here light and consolation are poured upon his mind, and he exclaims : " Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth : but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for- ever." Admitting this Psalm to have been composed at some time between the establishment of the Hebrew monarchy and the captiv- ity,* it clearly shows an acquaintance with the doctrine of a future state, and refers to it for a solution of those apparent anomalies which are presented in the dispensations of Providence. In every view of this subject, it is impossible to estimate aright the religious knowledge and faith of the Israelites without regarding the foundation of patriarchal theology upon which it was built. We might as reasonably attempt to form a correct notion of the religion of the apostles without any reference to Judaism, as to obtain any clear view of that of the Israelites without taking into account the faith of the patriarchs. From the whole, it appears that the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, and of future retribution, were prevalent and popular among the Israelites at the time of the exodus ; that to these Moses, by divine command, superadded that special providential government which the theocracy required ; and that therefore the Mosaic econo- my, without removing from their minds the notion of God's spiritual and eternal government, by these means brought before them more fully his present interposition in temporal affairs. It will now be necessary to inquire into the typical and prepara- tory character of this economy. Many learned writers have altogether denied that the Mosaic in- stitutions Avere regarded by the early Israelites as typical of the Messiah's kingdom. And it is very obvious that, in the glorious simlight of the gospel, a significancy, similarity, and point may be discovered in the persons, rites, sacrifices, and ceremonies of the Mosaic ritual, when regarded in reference to the person, work, and kingdom of the Messiah, which might be utterly unknown to the early Israelites. But, notwithstanding this, we cannot adopt the opinion to which reference has been made. It appears to have been an established principle in the economy of grace, that the end should, at least to some extent, be known from the beginning. Whatsoever obscurity might have rested upon primitive revelations, it is certain that the ° This opinion is supported by Dr, Wells, Travell, Green, and Townsend. 124 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. person and work of the Redeemer were announced to our first pa- rents. It has been shown that they must at least have had some distinct idea of a promised Saviour, of his suffering and triumph, and also of the benefit and blessing which should thereby result to mankind. — Patriarchal Age, pp. 154-156. The corrupted traditions of the heathen world imite with the records of patriarchal faith to prove this point. This is still further established by the appointment and continued practice of sacrifice. As the origin of this rite never has been, and never can be, accounted for, except on the supposition that it was divinely instituted; so its continued practice, and especially the savino- exercise of faith in connection with it, will never be satisfac- torily explained but by admitting that these persons had some know- ledge of that great atonement which was typified by these recurring animal oblations. The fact that this typical character of the Mosaic economy was perceived by the Hebrews who lived under its operation, appears to be fully established by the authority of the l^ew Testament. For St. Paul, when referring to the tabernacle and its service, says that this " was a figure for the time then present," Heb. ix, 9 ; and, consequently, it must be admitted that, however indistinct and im- perfect the idea which the " figure " gave of the good things which were then future, it was known that they not only served sacred pur- poses in connection with the Levitieal law, but were likewise intended to convey some intelligible information respecting that great crown- ing scheme of grace, which was uniformly expected in the last days to complete the merciful purposes of God. That scheme of religion, therefore, which God gave to the Hebrews in the wilderness was not only an elaborate ecclesiastical system complete in all its parts, and incorporated into the national economy and political administration of the people : it was otherwise remark- able in these several respects. It was based upon the theology of the preceding age, and, uniting all the pure elements and divinely appointed rites of the primitive dispensation, it perpetuated in the Levitieal economy all the religious truth which had up to this time been given to the world. It shed a flood of light upon God's provi- dential government of mankind, and, by uniting every part of He- brew conduct and manners, every element of public and private life, with religion, and making national prosperity and adversity contin- gent upon obedience or transgression, it brought God eminently nigh unto them, and exhibited his law as pervading the wide range of their personal and public purp()ses, pursuits, and destinies. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 125 CHAPTER III. THE HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF JOSHUA AND THE JUDGES. Pecitliar Circumstances of the Hebrews when Joshua was called to be their Leader. — The Passage of the Jordan foretold — Spies sent to Jericho — The Crossing of Jordan miraculously effected — The Passover celebrated — The angel Jehovah appears to Joshua — Jericho taken and destroyed — Defeat of Israel at Ai — The Cause discovered — Sin and Punishment of Achan — Confederation of the Canaanites— Guile of the Gibeon- ites, and their Doom — The combined Army of Canaan attack Gibeon — Joshua marches to its Relief— Obtains a great Victory — Miraculous Fall of Hail — The Sun and Moon stand still — The five Kings put to Death — A second Combination of Canaanitish Kings — Joshua renews the War — Completely vanquishes the Enemy in a great Battle — The War continued until thirty-one Kingdoms were subdued — The Divine Interposition under which this Conquest was effected specially attested by Expulsion of some Tribes by Means of the Hornet — The Reubenites, Gadit«s, and half-tribe of Manasseh retire to their Portion on the east side of Jordan — The altar Ed — The Portion of Caleb assigned — The Land divided — The pious Exhortations and Death of Joshua — Important Change IN Hebrew Polity consequent on the Death of Joshua — The Purpose of God in the Theocracy — Renewal of the War by Judah and Simeon — The partial Success of the He- brews the Result of imperfect Faith in God — The Remissness of Israel reproved by the Angel of the Lord — They continue disobedient, and fall into Idolatry — The Case of Micah and the Danites — The Outrage at Gibeah, and terrible Consequences to the Tribe of Benjamin. First Servitude under Chushan-rishathaim — Israel delivered by Othniel — The Character of the Authority exercised by the Judges. Second Servitude under the Moabites — ^Ehud and Shamgar Judges. Third Servitude under the Canaanites — Debo- rah and Barak deliver Israel — The Song of Deborah. Fourth Servitude under the Midianites — Story of Ruth — Heroism of Gideon — Abimelech, Tola, and Jair successively follow each other as Judges. Fifth Servitude under the Ammonites — Jephthah, lb- zan, Elon, Abdon, Judges. Sesth Servitude of Israel under the Philistines — Samson, Eli, and Samuel, Judges — The Unfaithfulness of Israel renders a pure Theocracy im- practicable— Chronological Arrangement of the Events of this Period. Joshua succeeded to the government of the Hebrews at a time which will ever be regarded as a great crisis in their history. They had completed their wanderings in the desert, they had subdued some clans on the eastern side of the Jordan ; but the principal portion of the territory which had been promised as their inheritance was still retained by populous and martial tribes, who were aware of their approach and of its object, and who were prepared to offer a despe- rate resistance. Before the great work of conquering these nations and of obtain- ing possession of the promised land was attempted, Moses, who merited the high title of " the father of his people " more than any man that ever lived, was taken away; and the entire direction of affairs, and the conduct of the war, devolved upon Joshua. This circumstance appeared unpropitious ; but it may not be difficult to ascertain the cause. In the entire dealings of God with his people 126 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. up to this period, He had clearly exhibited His great power as their protector, and His wisdom as their guide. And now, lest the world should attribute to the prowess or skill of Moses a successful inva- sion of Canaan, he is removed ; and his successor, under immediate Divine direction, is called to the work, that the excellency of the power might appear to be of God, and not of man. Hence the Lord assm-es him, " As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Joshua i, 5. In connection with this gracious promise, God gave Joshua a renewed assurance that the Israelites should possess the land which he had promised them in its utmost extent ; and as a pledge of the speedy accomplishment of this promise, told him that in three days they should pass over Jor- dan. This appears to have been the first occasion on wliich any notice was given of a removal of the camp, that having been on all previous occasions regulated by the cloudy pillar. But this was a movement of particular importance, and to be attended by a miracle of the most extraordinary kind ; and therefore the fact, that the time for passing over the Jordan was publicly announced three days be- fore it was to take place, greatly enhanced the effect of this miracle, and proved that it could not have consisted in an advantage which Joshua took of an accidental circumstance. Having received this command, Joshua sent two men to discover the condition of the city of Jericho, a walled town of great strength, distant about seven miles from the Jordan, and which, from its posi- tion, would naturally be the first object of their attack. The two spies safely reached Jericho, and obtained lodgings in the house of Rahab. This woman, although she knew the design of these men, carefully concealed them ; for so active and vigilant were the autho- rities of the city on account of the proximity of the Israelitish camp, that they discovered the ingress of the two Hebrews, and sent to Rahab to inquire respecting them. She, however, gave her secreted guests every information concerning the fears of the people, and suc- ceeded in sending them safely away; exacting an oath from them that, in the ruin of the city, herself and all in her house should be preserved. The exposition given in the epistle to the Hebrews alone enables us to understand the strange conduct of this female, which would not otherwise have been easily explained. But the author of that sacred book tells us that she acted thus under the influence of faith : by which we understand that, from the reports which she had heard of God's dealings with the Israelites, she was led to believe in him, and to hazard her life in saving his servants ; by which she identified herself with his cause, and consequently secured her life, and the Divine blessing. THE HEBREAV PEOPLE. 127 The spies having returned to Joshua, and the time for passing the Jordan having arrived, the tents were struck, and the whole army put in motion. But on this occasion a new order of march was en- joined. In all their previous jom'neyings, the tribes of Judah, Issa- char, and Zebulun marched in the van, followed by Reuben, Simeon, and Gad ; after these came the ark and other furniture of the taber- nacle, borne by the priests; the other tribes following as a rear- guard. But now the priests bearing the ark were commanded to march in advance of the whole body, and the people were forbidden to approach nearer than one thousand yards to them. In this man- ner they proceeded until the priests reached the Jordan, which at this season overflowed its banks ; when, no sooner had the feet of the priests touched the brim of the waters, than the waters above were stayed and rose in heaps, while those below ran on in their course towards the Dead Sea, leaving the bed of the whole river at this place quite dry. The priests then marched into the midst of the river, where they remained until all the host of Israel had passed over. This being completed, God commanded Joshua to select a man from each of the twelve tribes, to go into the midst of the river where the priests stood, and to take from thence each of them a fitone. These stones were conveyed to Gilgal, and piled there as a prominent and durable monument of this miraculous event. After the stones had been brought out of the river, the priests also bear- ing the ark came out ; and as soon as their feet were again placed on the dry ground, the waters, which had been thus restrained by Divine Power, rolled on in their usual course, and the Jordan over- flowed its banks as heretofore. We have in this event one of the most striking miracles recorded in the Scriptures. Here are two elements which were not found even in the dividing of the Red Sea. A natural a^rent, a strong east CD O ' O wind, was then employed : here no material agency whatever appears, but, on the contrary, the exertion of a force repugnant to the esta- blished laws of nature : the waters of a rapid and deep, if not a broad, river are at once suspended in their course, and piled up in a heap by the immediate exercise of the power of God. On that oc- casion the miracle was suddenly and unexpectedly wrought; here the time was fixed three days previously. In this case also the pro- digy was effected at mid- day, not only in the sight of all Israel, but also in that of the agents and spies of the Canaanitish nations, who watched with intense interest every movement of their Hebrew in- vaders, as is evident from the entire tenor of the history, and were panic-struck at the sight of such a splendid display of Divine Power. This must not be regarded as a mere inference : it is taught us in 128 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. the express terms of holy writ. Joshua v, 1. It was while the sur- rounding heathen lay under the influence of this panic, that God commanded Joshua to circumcise all the males who had not been subjected to this rite, which, it appears, had been greatly neglected during the journeyings of the wilderness. The passage of the Jordan was effected on the tenth day of the first month, wanting only five days of forty years from the time when they left Egypt. Being all circumcised, the people were prepared to celebrate the passover this year, which service also had been inter- mitted from the day when it was performed the second time at Sinai, Although from the period of their location in the neighborhood of Canaan there can be no doubt that the Israelites were partially fed with corn and other ordinary fruits of the earth, yet the manna con- tinued to fall around the camp until the keeping of this passover. But on the day after its celebration, it entirely ceased, and the peo- ple obtained their supplies of food from ordinary sources. Joshua was now favored with an extraordinary revelation from God. Jericho was completely shut up ; none went out, or came into the city ; and while he was inspecting the walls, and considering the best means of reducing it, a man suddenly appeared as standing over against him with a drawn sword in his hand. The aspect and deport- ment of this stranger at once arrested the attention of the Hebrew chief, who, inspired with divine courage, went to him, and asked, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, JSay; but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come." Joshua imme- diately recognized in the speaker the Divine Person who had so often spoken unto Moses ; and he " fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saitli my Lord unto his servant? And the Captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot ; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." Joshua v, 13-15. This Divine Person then proceed- ed to assure his servant of success in his great work : " See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor." Joshua vi, 2. He then went on to dictate the man- ner in which the city should be taken, which was not to be in the or- dinary course of warlike attack, but by the immediate intervention of Divine Power. The plan was thus detailed: "Ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. x\nd seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns ; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the peo- THE HEBREW PEOPLE, 129 pie shall shout with a great shout ; and the waU of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him." Verses 3-5. These commands were obeyed, and the promise was fulfilled. Af- ter marching round the city in the manner prescribed, on the seventh day they did so seven times ; and then, while the priests sounded their trumpets, and the people raised a great shout, the walls fell down flat, and the men of war went up and spoiled the city, and de- stroyed all the inhabitants, except Rahab and her immediate relations. So complete was this destruction, that all the animals were slain, and nothing was saved but gold, silver, brass, and iron, which were puri- fied by being passed through the fire, and then placed in the sanctua- ry of the Lord. Thus did God interpose in behalf of his people, and the fame of this wondrous proceeding struck terror into all the sur- rounding country. (See Appendix, note 41.) Ai, a city near Bethel, was the next object to which Joshua direct- ed his attention. Having sent a party to obtain information, they re- turned, and recommended their chief to send a force of tliree thousand men against it, as amply sufficient to subdue the town. That num- ber of men was accordingly dispatched on this service. But they had no sooner reached the gate of the town, than the inhabitants sal- lied out and completely routed them, pursuing them to a considerable distance, and cutting off thirty-six men. This repulse spread the ut- most consternation and dismay through the Israelitish camp. Even Joshua cast himself on the ground before the Lord with his clothes rent, and dust upon his head. The elders of Israel followed his exam- ple. The prayer of Joshua on this occasion is beautiful and appro- priate ; and the reverential regard which he evinced for the glory of the name of God is especially remarkable. His supplication receives an immediate and gracious answer, but one of very fearful import. He was told by the Lord that Israel had sinned ; that they had bro- ken his covenant, and taken of the accursed thing; and that he would not be with them again, until the sin was detected and punished. Joshua accordingly rose up early in the morning, and commenced an investigation by lot, with a view to the discovery of the offender. This course was successful. After extending the investigation to the several tribes, families, households, and individuals, Achan, of the family of Zabdi, of the tribe of Judah, was pointed out as the trans- gressor. When exhorted to do so by Joshua, he confessed his sin, and admitted that he had coveted a Babylonish garment, and some silver and gold, which he saw among the spoils that he had taken from Jericho, and concealed them in his tent. He was immediately stoned to death, and, with aU his property, burned with fire. From 9 130 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. the text of the narrative it would appear that his sons and daughters shared his fate; but this some commentators doubt. After this vindication of the Divine law, Ai was easily taken and de- stroyed. The Canaanites, alarmed at the fate of Jericho and Ai, and fear- ing lest each city might in turn be thus subdued, determined at once to form a confederation for the common safety, and, if possible, to overwhelm the invaders in one great united effort. While this com- bination was being carried into effect, there was one people who thought they might adopt a more politic course than to be a party to this league. The people of Gibeon, a tribe of the Hivites, selected a few of their number as ambassadors ; and, attiring them in clothes greatly worn, with some fragments of stale and moldy provision in their sacks, in this style they presented themselves before Joshua and the elders of Israel at Gilgal, and declared that they had come from a very far country, where the fame of God's interposition on behalf of the Israelites had reached them, and that they had been sent forth to solicit for a league of amity to be formed between Israel and their nation. In this case even Joshua erred. Deceived by appearances, he with the elders of Israel did not stay to ask counsel of God, but concluded a solemn league, and confirmed it with an oath. In the brief space of three days the delusion was dispelled, and the Israelites learned the true character of those with whom they had made this covenant, and found that they resided in the vicinity of their camp, even at Gibeon. Joshua evidently felt the difficulty of the position into which he had placed himself by the too hasty con- firmation of the covenant. He saw that though on the one hand it would expose Israel to great obloquy, yet it would bfe unjust to vio- late the covenant, and to destroy those whom they had sworn to save. But he nevertheless perceived that as the league was obtained by falsehood and guile, the Gibeonites were not entitled to benefits so surreptitiously acquired. He therefore, after expostulating with them, determined to preserve their lives, but to reduce them to a state of servitude ; making them hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation and the house of the Lord : a doom to which they patiently submitted. (See Appendix, note 42.) Meanwhile the confederation of the Canaanitish kings being com- plete, and having heard of the league of amity which had been made between Israel and Gibeon, they determined to wage war against that city, that they might punish those who had joined their enemies, and prevent others from a similar defection. The five associated kings therefore marched with all their forces to Gibeon, and the im- mense host "made war against it." In this emergency the men of 9* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 131 Gibeon sent to Joshua, imploring his aid, as the only hope they had of escaping the fury of their numerous enemies. Joshua instantly responded to the call, and, with all his army, marched to the relief of Gibeon. This movement was made with the greatest rapidity. After marching all night, the Israelites at- tacked the confederate kings suddenly, and defeated them in a very sanguinary battle. This conflict may be regarded as one of the most important events in the conquest of Canaan, and was accord- ingly distinguished by eminently Divine interposition. The first indication of this, was a Divine communication especially made to Joshua, by which he was assured of success. " Fear them not : for I have delivered them into thine hand ; there shall not a man of them stand before thee." Joshua x, 8. The event justified the prediction : the Canaanites, panicstruck by this sudden and unexpected attack, fled before the Hebrews. In this rout, the Lord fought for Israel ; for he "cast down great stones from heaven" upon their enemies, so that a larger number died from this cause than from the sword. (See Appendix, note 43.) As the greatest difficulty which the Israelites had to contend with in this war arose from the strong fortifications of the walled towns of Canaan, Joshua regarded this conflict as a great crisis in his en- terprise, and saw the immense importance of totally destroying this confederate host, before any part of it could gain the shelter of their impregnable walls. The geographical position of the field of battle, in respect to the cities of the allied kings, enhanced this opportunity, and, consequently, mightily increased the desire of the Hebrew leader to effect an entire destruction of his foes. Jerusalem, Jar- muth, Eglon, and Hebron, stood on that range of high hills which extends from north to south, through Canaan ; Jerusalem being farthest north, and the others in order lying to the southward of it. Lachish lay to the south-west of Jerusalem ; while Gibeon was a few miles north of that city. As Joshua marched from Gilgal, his course would lie nearly west. Leaving Jerusalem a few miles on the left, he attacked the besieging army in the rear, and, cutting off their retreat to their own cities, drove them in a westerly direction down the vale of Ajalon, toward Makkedah. In this conflict and pursuit the day drew to a close, and the sun was approaching the horizon, when Joshua, seeing that darkness would afford safety to his enemies, and being led by a strong Divine impulse, said " to the Lord, in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon ; and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies." Joshua x, 12, 13. The word spoken was attended by the 132 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. power of God ; nature obeyed the authoritative mandate ; and the day was extended at least for several hours ; and thus the object of Joshua was fully accomplished. (See Appendix, note 44.) During the progress of this conflict, and whilst the Israelites were pursuing their enemies, it was told Joshua, that the five kings had taken refuge in a cave at Makkedah. He immediately commanded that huge stones should be rolled on the entrance of the cave, and a watch set over it ; but that the pursuit should be continued. Thus did Joshua destroy this great army, e^xcept a few who had escaped to " fenced cities." He then returned to Makkedah, took the kings from the cave, and put them to death. The same day the city of Makkedah was taken, and the inhabitants utterly destroyed. After this decisive victory, Joshua prosecuted the war by suc- cessively attacking the several cities of the south of Canaan, — Lib- nah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir ; so that from Gibeon to Kadesh-barnea there was no enemy that could stand before the successful Israelites. There can be no doubt that the Hebrew war- riors at this time displayed great personal prowess, — their martial strength and courage were of a high order ; yet the reduction of so large a territory, including so many fenced cities, defended by supe- rior numbers, with the advantages of arms, equipment, and expe- rience, and especially in a country peculiarly adapted to defensive war, clearly shows the interposition of Jehovah in behalf of his people. The subjugation of Canaan was not a mere conquest effected by the talents of the general, and the valor of the army: it was the Lord who cast out the enemy from before his people, for the accom- plishment of his own purposes. Joshua, whose testimony on this point must be regarded as unexceptionable, ascribes his success to its proper cause : " Because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel." Joshua x, 42. After this successful campaign, Joshua and all Israel returned to Gilgal, where the women and children, with the cattle and property, remained in the fortified camp. It does not, however, appear that any long cessation from the toils and hazards of war was allowed them ; for we are informed that another, and even more formidable, combination of Canaanitish nations was soon after formed against Israel. The kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Hivites, united their forces, and " went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea- shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many." Joshua xi, 4. Josephus, who is frequently more ready to give numbers than to assign the authority upon which they rest, has told us, that this army consisted " of three hundred thousand footmen, ten thou- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 133 sand horsemen, and twenty thousand chariots." — Book v, chap, i, sect. 18. Whether this account be correct or not, it is certain that this force was greatly beyond what the IsraeHtes in their own strength could hope to resist. The Lord, therefore, again inter- posed, and encouraged his servants, and said unto Joshua, " Be not afraid because of them : for to-morrow about this time will I deliver them all up slain before Israel." Verse 6. This promise was ful- filled. Joshua, gathering courage from the assurance of Divine support, did not wait for his enemies to attack his position. By a bold and spirited movement, he came upon them suddenly, carried their encampment in a manner as spirited as the attack was unex- pected, and obtained a complete victory. The power of the enemy being thus broken, he followed up his success, by vigorously assault- ing the several petty kingdoms in succession. This was a work which required patient perseverance ; but the energy of the general, and the determination of the Israelites, overcame every obstacle, and the land Avhich God had promised to Abraham as the inheritance of his seed, is conquered and placed at their disposal. A detail of the operations of this war is not given by the inspired penman ; nor is this omission one of those which a religious mind will feel very anxious to see supplied from other sources. When a narration of the important events of several years is condensed into two or three short chapters, the fact itself is a significant intimation that, how- ever necessary these operations might have been to the accomplish- ment of the Divine purpose respecting his people Israel, they are not to be drawn into examples for the future conduct of mankind in ordinary cases. The result of this war was, that thirty-one kingdoms were sub- dued ; and the whole country, from the mountains of Lebanon to Kadesh-barnea, lay open to occupation by the Israelites. Havmg thus successfully terminated the war, Joshua proceeded to carry into effect the commandment which Moses had recorded in Deut. xxvii, 4-26. He marched the people northward to Mount Gerizim, and, having built an altar imto the Lord, according to the letter of the law, he offered up thereon burnt- oflFerings and peace- offerings. The people were then divided, and he placed one-half on Mount Gerizim, and the other on Mount Ebal ; " and afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law." Joshua viii, 34. In connection with this ceremony, and as a part of the legal require- ment, he set up stones, and plastered them with plaster, and wrote on them " all the words of this law very plainly." Deut. xxvii, 8. Most extravagant and ridiculous interpretations have been put, 134 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. by the rabbins, on this circumstance. Some have supposed that the entire Pentateuch was inscribed on these stones ; others have mo- derated their estimate so far as to hmit it to the Book of Deutero- nomy ; but the Jewish writers have insisted upon it, that the whole five books of Moses were written here in seventy different languages. Apart from all this extravagance, we may safely conclude, that the writing was really a brief recital of the blessings and curses which God had announced as the reward of obedience, or the punishment of transgression. The solemn ceremonial of reciting the law, in con- nection with these awful sanctions, in the audience of the whole peo- ple, was not only calculated to strengthen the faith, and confirm the hopes, of the Israelites ; it was equally adapted to terrify the re- maining inhabitants of the land, as they would see in it a confirma- tion of all the rumors which they had heard, that God had brought up his people out of Egypt, to give them possession of this land. It must not be supposed that, in these wars, all the Canaanitish nations were destroyed ; nor does it appear that Joshua attempted the subjugation of all the tribes. There were some " cities which stood still in their strength," whose walls appeared impregnable to the means which Joshua had at his command, and whose rulers, taught prudence by the fearful fate of others, had abstained from attacking the Israelites. We have a specific account of these places : the land of the PhiHstines ; all Geshuri, a city and district not far from Hermon ; another district on the sea- coast, occupied by the Canaanites, near Sihon ; the land of the Giblites, which was near Tyre ; all the eastern side of Lebanon, with the neighboring hill- country, in the extreme north of the land ; besides the country of the Sidonians. Joshua xiii, 1-6. The whole of this invasion, and the success with which the Israel- ites were crowned, stand out to our view as a marvelous display of a special Providence. God had promised to give the seed of Jacob this land, and to cast out its inhabitants before them ; and, although centuries had intervened, and very many changes had taken place, both in respect of the Canaanitish nations and the Israelites ; yet the prophetic Avord of Jehovah is fulfilled, and, despite the timid appre- hensions of Israel, and the daring courage and physical strength of their foes, the Avhole land is commanded to be divided by lot among the heirs of Abraham. There is, however, one part of this divine interposition which is worthy of more attention than it has usually received. God not only exercised his omnipotent influence in saving and strengthening his people, and in paralyzing the power of their foes ; he also drove out nations before them, principally by agents of his own appoint- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. J^J ment. The language of Joshua on this subject, in his final address to the people, is remarkable. The Lord, speaking by him, says, " And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from be- fore you, even the two kings of the Amorites ; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow." Chap, xxiv, 12. This, it will be per- ceived, is only the fulfillment of promises made long before unto Moses : " I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee." Exod. xxiii, 28, 29. (See Appendix, note 45.) Joshua, having closed the campaign, and complied with the com- mand of Moses, by reciting the law with its sanctions from Ebal and Gerizim, called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh ; and, having commended them for the honorable manner in which they had redeemed their pledge to assist their brethren ia the war, gave them leave to return to their families, and occupy their possession on the east side of Jordan. " So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away ; and they went unto their tents." Joshua xxii, 6. And they returned, taking with them " very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment," (verse 8,) as their share of the spoil which had been taken from the conquered kingdoms ; and these they were commanded to divide with those who had remained to protect their families and property. But when they had reached the east side of Jordan, before they separated to take possession of the portions of territory which had been severally assigned to them, they built an altar, " a great altar," there. When this circumstance was known by the main body of the Isra-. elites, they were greatly excited and distressed ; for it was imme- diately regarded as an indication that the trans-jordanic tribes would regard themselves as a separate people, and that the altar was built for the purposes of worship and sacrifice, independent of the taber- nacle of Moses. The whole congregation, therefore, gathered them- selves together in Shiloh, and prepared to make war on their brethren, to punish what appeared to them to be a gross act of political and reli- gious defection. They, however, wisely determined, in the first in- stance, to send Eleazer the high priest, with ten princes, one from each tribe. This deputation, having arrived at the assembly of the two tribes and a half, charged them, in the name of the whole congrega- tion of Israel, in very severe terms, with sin and rebellion ; assuring them that, in case they regarded their settlement to the east of Jor- 186 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. dan as unclean, because the sanctuary stood on the other side, they were invited to come over to the other side, where they should have possessions among their brethren ; concluding their energetic appeal by saying, "But rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God." Verse 19. The Reubenites and their companions replied to this sharp ad- dress, in language honorable to both their piety and their patriotism. They denied, in the most positive terms, that they entertained any idea of rebellion, or of instituting an altar of sacrifice on their side of the river. They protested that, on the contrary, they had built the altar to prevent this very evil. Their defense is throughout manly, energetic, and pious. They thus explain their intention : — " Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice ; but that it may be a witness be- tween us and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt- offerings, and with our sacrifices, andAvith our peace-offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord." Verses 26, 27. The priest and the princes were greatly pleased with this declara- tion, and regarded it as an indication of the divine presence and blessing. They then returned to the congregation at Shiloh ; and the Reubenites named the altar Ed, " witness or testimony." Joshua now proceeded, in obedience to the commandment which he had received, to allot the land amongst the several tribes and families who had not as yet obtained settlements. This brings be- fore us an episode in the history, which is not only interesting in itself, but important in 'respect to the main narrative, as it fixes the chronology of this division of the country. When Joshua was pro- ceeding to the execution of this task, the children of Judah came unto him, with Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who was of that tribe, and who addressed Joshua thus : " Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses, the man of God, concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land ; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt ; but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 137 since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness ; and now, lo, I am this day four- score and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me ; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, Avhereof the Lord spake in that day ; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced : if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said." Joshua xiv, 6-12. Joshua at once admitted the justice of this claim, " and Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance." Verse 13. The grant must, however, be under- stood to refer, not to the city, for that was afterwards appropriated to the Levites, but to the surrounding country. This allocation determined the lot of the tribe of Judah, which necessarily included the portion of Caleb. As we have intimated, this event also enables us to ascertain the duration of the war, and to fix the time when this division of the land took place. Caleb and Joshua, with the other spies, were sent by Moses to obtain information respecting the land of Canaan, after the erection of the tabernacle, in the second year after the exodus, Caleb being then forty years old. He was at this time eighty-five years old; so that this division took place in the forty- seventh year from the exodus. Now Joshua passed over Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, forty years after the departure from Egypt. Consequently Caleb was fully seventy-eight years of age when he entered into Canaan ; and hence it is seen that from six to seven years were occupied in the war of subjugation. According to the chronology adopted in this work, these events will stand thus : — B. C. Era of Abraham's removal into Canaan 2038 Thence to the exodus 430 years 1608 From the exode to the sending of the spies 2 — 1606 From the sending of the spies to the passage over Jordan 38 — 1568 From passing over Jordan to the end of the war 7 — 1561 The last two periods of thirty- eight and seven years make forty -five years, which carried Caleb from his fortieth to his eighty-fifth year. The tribe of Judah being thus first provided for, the other half tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim obtained their inheritance. The portion of these tribes lay in the northern parts of Canaan. There is some difficulty in placing the events of this period in chro- nological order. The arrangement of the chapters in our authorized 138 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. version of Joshua is not borne out by the scope of the narrative. And Josephus seems to represent the tabernacle to have been erect- ed before they began to divide the land : but this is plainly cor- rected by the sacred text ; for when the land to the west of Jordan began to be divided, there were nine tribes and a half to be provided for, while, at the erection of the tabernacle, we are distinctly told there were but seven tribes who had not yet obtained a possession. It appears, therefore, that the course of events was as follows : Joshua, after having subdued the country, proceeded to divide it. On entering upon this task, he was met by the appeal of Caleb, which led him at once to fix the location of the tribe and families of Judah. He then proceeded with the tribe of Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh. These, having obtained their allotments, wished to proceed to take possession of their respective portions. But Joshua thought it desirable, before the tribes separated, to set up the tabernacle. Shiloh was the place selected for this sacred tent. Here it was accordingly set up, and the ordinances of the Mosaic ritual duly observed. Joshua xviii, 1, 2. This being done, the Hebrew leader wished to allocate the remaining seven tribes ; but the difficulties which obstructed their brethren in taking posses- sion of their lots were so great, that Joshua had to rebuke their backwardness, and to ask, " How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you ?" Verse 3. This expostulation produced obedience. He sent men through all the country, who made an exact record of the whole ter- ritory, with all its cities and towns. It was then divided between the seven tribes by lot before the Lord in Shiloh. After all this had been done, the children of Israel assigned to Joshua " the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in Mount Ephraim : and he built the city, and dwelt therein." Joshua xix, 50. Joshua then appointed three cities of refuge on the west side of Jordan, as Mo- ses had appointed three on the east side. He also gave forty- eight cities, with their suburbs and surrounding lands, as provision and residence for the Levites. Having completed his great work, he assembled the principal men of the several tribes together, and briefly alluding to what the Lord had done for them, proceeded, in a manner and spirit very similar to that displayed in the last addresses of Moses, to incite them to a steady and persevering obedience to the divine will, assuring them that, if they Avere faithful to their covenant with Jehovah, he would certainly cast out all their enemies before them, and crown them with abundant blessing ; but that disobedience would certainly work their ruin. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 139 The ardent spirit of the aged chief Avas not yet satisfied : he again assembled the tribes of Israel : on this occasion they met at Shechem. Here he recounted to them more at length the deal- ings of Jehovah with them and their fathers, pointing out the great deliverances wliich had been wrought on their behalf He then most earnestly entreated them to purge themselves from every vestige of idolatry, and to decide whether they would serve the Lord or not, at the same time recording his determination to be faithful to Jehovah. The people responded to his appeal, and unitedly de- clared that they would serve the Lord. Resolved to give the great- est effect to this covenant, Joshua wrote down an account of the transaction, and preserved it with the book of the law. He then took a great stone, and set it up under an oak, as a perpetual wit- ness of the solemn pledge. This venerable servant of God, having thus fulfilled his vocation, allowed the people to depart every one to his inheritance; and shortly after died, aged one hundred and ten years, and was buried in the border of his inheritance at Mount Ephraim. Eleazar, the son of Aaron, also died about this time, and was buried in the por- tion of Phinehas his son, at Mount Ephraim. And the bones of Joseph, wliich the children of Israel had brought up out of Egjrpt, they buried in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Although it is intended to continue the narrative of public affairs in as unbroken a form as possible ; we yet cannot pass from the go- vernment of Joshua to that of the Judges without noticing the great- ness of the transition, and the nature of the change. Prior to the vocation of Moses, the descendants of Abraham, at least in the line of Jacob, were governed by the heads of the several tribes and fami- lies, on the simple principle of patriarchal life. When, however, Moses was appointed to lead the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness, although the existence of this primitive mode of govern- ment was distinctly recognized, (for he was sent to " the elders of Israel," (Exod. iii, IG,) and at Sinai these authorities are referred to as " the mlers of the congregation," Exod. xxxiv, 31,) yet the su- preme power, under God, was vested in the son of Amram. This was still more strikingly the case when his successor marched across the Jordan to conquer the kings and nations of Canaan. He was the general commanding in chief The entire government of the people, as well as the direction of the war, was vested in him. But it is a remarkable fact, that he appointed no successor. Nor did he, so far as we are informed, take any steps to consolidate the several tribes into one people, any further than this was done by their com- 140 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. mon lineage and religion. When, therefore, Joshua was removed by death, the Israelites are brought under our notice as twelve sepa- rate clans, each independent of the other, and being, in all the rami- fication of their tribes and families, under the government of their own hereditary chiefs. There appears to be no doubt that, as God raised up Moses and Joshua to do his will, and to show forth his power, in the deliverance and direction of the Israelites ; so it was his purpose, having brought them into the promised land, that they should be allowed to fall back into their primitive mode of government, that the character and effi- ciency of that theocratic rule, under which it was the divine purpose to place them, might be fully developed and publicly displayed. Nor can we conceive a more glorious exhibition of the theocracy, than that which would thus have been given to the world, if the fideli- ty and obedience of the Israelites had been such as to have carried it into full effect. If we had seen the various tribes and families of Israel living under the mild paternal rule of their hereditary chiefs, with no other political bond of union; yet standing out as a great and powerful nation, their principle of unity, and the source of their power arising out of their covenant relation to Jehovah, the purpose of God in their political character would have been fully exhibited. Nor can a doubt be entertained either that this Avas the Divine will, or that the obedience of the people would have secured the fullness of these covenant designs. When the religious training which this peo- ple had received in the wilderness, the access unto God which their solemn services afforded, the purity of doctrine and efiicient spiritual influences with which they were favored, as detailed in the preceding chapter; — when all these privileges are considered, in connection with oft-repeated miraculous interpositions in their behalf, need we be surprised at the extent of the requirement ? If Israel had been faithful, the blessings connected with their dispensation, and their covenant relation to God, would have been amply sufficient to raise them to the highest pitch of national prosperity and power. And this in their case would have been a glorious display of the govern- ment of God. The theocracy evidently implied two things : First, the constant interposition of God in all their national affairs, watch- ing over their interests, defending them from danger, guiding them in perplexity, and supplying all their Avants ; and. Secondly, the ab- sence of all that civil and political machinery by which the nations of this world usually endeavor to unite masses of people into one public confederacy. Without the first, the theocracy would have existed only in name ; without the second, there would be no public evidence of its existence. But in the circumstances of the Israelites, THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 141 this result would have justified the highest encomiums of Balaam, and have verified the glowing language to which the rapt spirit of the Jewish lawgiver gave utterance, when just before his death he sang, " There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms : and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee ; and shall say. Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone : the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine ; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, 0 Israel : who is like unto thee, 0 peo- ple saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency !" Deut. xxxiii, 26-29. This was the glorious destiny to which the childi-en of Jacob were called, on being planted in the land of Canaan. To this all the pro- mises and purposes of God concerning them tended. But this bright hope was blasted, and their strength paralyzed, by their faithlessness and idolatry. It is, however, important to remember these Divine purposes, as means of accounting for the circumstances in which the Israelites were left at the death of Joshua. Some authors of note have specu- lated on the reasons which induced the son of Nun not to appoint a successor, as Moses had done ; and others have spoken of this omis- sion as a defect. It appears, on the contrary, that Joshua himself was appointed especially to the extraordinary work of subduing the land ; and that, this being effected, any fm'ther appointment of a po- litical head would have been an impeachment of the theocracy. Hence, when the people ultimately clamored for a king, God said unto Samuel, " They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." 1 Sam. viii, 7. According, therefore, to the nature of the theocracy, and the design of God in its establishment, the people were left, at the death of Joshua, in pre- cisely the circumstances which, if they had been obedient, would have been most conducive to their happiness and prosperity, and also best adapted to display the Divine glory. The opening of the Book of Judges seems to show, that the first recorded pubHc proceedings which took place after the death of Joshua, were begun under the influence of the principles and convic- tions which the preceding remarks have pointed out, as suitable to the peculiar condition of the Israelites at that period. They had been commanded to complete the extermination of the Canaanites ; and, therefore, " the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them ? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up : behold, I have delivered the 142 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. land into his hand." Judges i, 1, 2. Thus far Israel appears to have acted with perfect propriety, and with the fullest recognition of Je- hovah, as their God and King : and He graciously replied to their inquiry, and accompanied tliis answer with a full assurance of their success in the contemplated enterprise. Yet, immediately afterwards, there is an indication of want of faith in the Divine word. Instead of promptly obeying the command of God, trusting in his promise, Judah invited Simeon to accompany him. This, however, did not mar the success of the expedition ; they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and slew Adoni-bezek, a cruel tyrant who reigned in the mountains. It is also said, that they " fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fii'C." Verse 8. But in the same chapter we are told, that " the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem." Verse 21. When, therefore, we know that the Jebusites retained possession of the stronghold of Zion until the time of David, it appears evident that the taking of Jerusalem, here spoken of, can mean no more than a successful attack on the city, and does not include the capture of the strongly fortified place belong- ing to it. Caleb also went up to his lot, and drove out the inhabitants thereof, and took possession of it. After this successful enterprise was com- pleted, Simeon, assisted by Judah, prosecuted the war in the district which had been assigned to him, and succeeded in taking Ascalon and Azotus from the Philistines. Yet, notwithstanding these suc- cesses, Judah could not expel the Canaanites from the low comitry, where their chariots gave them great advantage. Nor did Simeon succeed against all the cities of Philistia. Those who judge of these events by the common principles of human power and earthly policy, may regard " the chariots of iron," and the military prowess of the inhabitants of the land, as the causes of the only partial success of the Hebrews ; but those who fully apprehend the duty and covenant- privilege of that people, will more correctly consider this state of things as the judicial results of their unbelief It appears that this war was conducted with an imperfect faith, or the word of promise would have been fuUy verified. Various other military operations took place in the other tribes, respecting which very imperfect infor- mation is given ; all, however, appear to have issued in advantage to Israel. But the people shrank from the contest, and rather preferred di- viding the land with the Heathen, to the laborious task of expelling them. This was a fearful disobedience of the covenant to which they stood pledged, and which, after a while, brought upon them the re- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 143 proof and rebuke of Heaven : for, -while they lay in this guilty supine- ness, the Angel of the Lord, Avho had so often appeared to Moses and Joshua, came up from Gilgal to Bochim, where, in all probability, some unusual assembly of the people was being held, and thus ad- dressed them : " I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers ; and 1 said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land ; ye shall throw down their altars : but ye have not obeyed my voice : why have ye done this ? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you ; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you." Judges ii, 1-3. This address clearly proves the guilty remissness of the Israelites ; and the punishment which it threatens prepares us for the melancholy scenes which we are soon to contemplate. This apprehension is increased by the fact, that, although the people wept at the communication of the Angel, we hear of no fruits of repentance. They did not, as they ought to have done, arise, and inquire of the Lord what they should do, and how it should be done. But, on the contrary, after the death of " the elders that outHved Joshua," they " did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim : and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them." Verses 7, 11, 12. The consequences of this conduct were rapidly developed in the moral and social deterioration of the people. They had neglected their duty, broken the solemn covenant into which they had entered with Jehovah, were grossly unfaithful to their religious privileges : instead of feeling the liveliest interest in maintaining the Divine honor, they sunk into the filthy abominations of idolatry ; and thus, instead of displaying the greatness and glory of Jehovah, they practi- cally declared that Baal and Ashtarothwere to bepreferred before Him. The first instance of this conduct which is presented to us in de- tail, is found in the history of Micah and his priest. Judges xvii. Here we have the introduction of idolatry plainly stated. Referring the reader to the sacred text, attention is called to the fact, that in this case the image does not appear to have been intended to repre- sent any heathen deity. The silver had been dedicated to the Lord, (Jehovah,) to make a molten image. But then the man "had a house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest." Verse 5. Circumstances which are afterward detailed, show that Micah was enabled to pro- cure a Levite for his priest. As it will be necessary, in another 144 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, chapter, to investigate the religious character of these proceedings, we here only mention their occurrence. It happened, however, that soon after this time the Danites, who found themselves greatly strait- ened in their lot, partly by its limited extent, and partly on account of the martial power of the Philistines and Amorites, who previously held most of their portion, sent out a small company to discover whether any more commodious settlement could be obtained else- where. These persons, in the com'se of their journey, lodged at the house of Micah, where they recognized the Levite, and ascertained his occupation. From thence, passing on toward the north, they found the city of Laish situated in a fine country, occupied by per- sons who lived in quiet and security, and unconnected with any pow- erful people or nation. They then returned, reported their disco- very, when six hundred armed men were appointed to go and take possession of this new territory. In their journey, when crossing Mount Ephraim, the men who had gone to obtain information told their companions what they had seen in the house of Micah ; upon which they went thither, and, intimating to the young Levite how much more honorable it would be for him to be a priest to a tribe in Israel than to a private family, they persuaded him to take the ima- ges, the ephod, and all the sacred furnitm-e, and go with them, Micah followed, and remonstrated ; but in vain. Being threatened, he returned, stripped of his priest and his gods. This expedition was successful. The Danites surprised and destroyed Laish, and afterward rebuilt the city, calling it after the name of their father, Dan. Here this idolatrous worship was set up, and continued to shed its malign influence on the people for many generations. As far as it is possible to arrange the fragmentary narrative of the Book of Judges into chronological order, the next event which oc- curred in the pubUc history of the Israelites exhibits a deterioration of morals even greater than might have been expected to result in a short space of time from this fearful religious apostasy. A Levite residing in Mount Ephraim had taken a concubine from Bethlehem-Judah. The woman appears to have acted very impro- perly,— left her husband, and retired to her father's house, where she remained four months. After this lapse of time, the Levite, taking with him a servant and two asses, proceeded to Bethlehem, in order to fetch her back. He was kindly received by his wife's father, and remained with him several days ; after which, with his wife and ser- vant, he set out on his return home. They had come just opposite Jerusalem when the night set in, and the servants proposed that they should go in thither to lodge. The Levite, however, refused to go into the city of the Jebusites, and preferred going on farther, and THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 145 resting either at Ramah or Gibeah of Benjamin. The party arrived at the latter city ; and as no one offered them entertainment, they remained for a while in the street. At length, a man returning from the field, who also was of Mount Ephraim, now sojourning at Gibeah, invited them to his house. The party, however, had only time to obtain refreshment, and had not retired to rest, when the inhabitants of the place gathered riotously about the house, in a manner worthy only of Sodom ; nor would anything satisfy their violence, until the Levite, to avert the threatened evil, brought his concubine forth unto them. They took the woman and abused her in such a manner that in the morning she had just strength enough to return to the house where her husband lodged, when she died on the threshold. Here he found her, and, laying her dead body upon the ass, proceeded to his own house. We need not wonder that in a case so flagrant as this, the Levite should have been roused to the highest pitch of suffering and excite- ment ; but the mind is not prepared for the means to which he re- sorted in order to obtain revenge. This was such as might only be expected in the darkest age, and among the most barbarous people. He cut the body of the dead woman into twelve parts, and sent one of these, with the story of his woe, to each of the tribes. The re- sult was such as he had hoped. The whole congregation of Israel met at Mizpeh ; and, having heard the tale of the Levite, they sent messengers to Gibeah to demand that the perpetrators of this enor- mity might be given up to the punishment they deserved. The Benjamites refused to comply, and prepared to protect the criminals. This led to a most unnatural war. In the first two battles the men of Gibeah were victorious ; in the third, they were not only van- quished, but the tribe of Benjamin was nearly exterminated. Amid all the darkness and guilt of these transactions, we find Jehovah still watching over his people, and teaching them, by the loss of the first two battles, the duty of fully asking counsel of Him. The terrible chastisement thus inflicted upon Benjamin induced the other tribes to relent, and take measures for preventing the entire ruin of this Hebrew house. (See Appendix, note 46.) The instances of transgression by the Israelitish nation to which we have referred, are by no means solitary. The sacred writer in- forms us that their conduct was such that " the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoil- ers that spoiled them." Judges ii, 14. How unlike that which was designed by the merciful purpose of God ! What a fearful contrast to the glory which the theocracy was intended to throw over this divinely selected land ! 10 146 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. The first judicial infliction of political servitude which is recorded, arose out of the prevailing power of the king of Mesopotamia, Chu- shan-rishathaim, who ruled over Israel ; and they served him eight years. (See Appendix, note 47.) From this thraldom Israel was delivered by Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who judged Israel forty years. This circumstance sufficiently fixes the chronology of this event. The character of the authority which these extraordinary judges exercised, and its extent, are very doubtful. " The Hebrew judges," says Dupin, " were not ordinary magis- trates, but men raised up by God, on whom the Israelites bestowed the chief government, either because they had delivered them from the oppressions under which they groaned, or because of their pru- dence and approved probity. The judges ruled according to the laws of God ; commanded their armies ; made treaties with the neighbor- ing princes; declared war and peace, and administered justice. They were different from kings, 1. In that they were not established by election or succession, but raised up in an extraordinary manner. 2. In that they refused to take upon them the title and quality of a king. 3. In that they levied no taxes on the people for the mainte- nance of government. 4. In their manner of living, which was very far from the ostentation and pomp of the regal state. 5. In that they could make no new laws, but governed according to the statutes contained in the books of Moses. 6. In that the obedience paid to them was voluntary and unforced ; being, at most, no more than con- suls and supreme magistrates of free cities." — History of the Canon, book i, chap, iii, sect. 3. Calmet says, " The authority of the judges was not inferior to that of kings ; it extended to peace and war. They decided causes with absolute authority ; but they had no power to make new laws, nor to impose new bm-dens on the people. They were protectors of the laws, defenders of religion, and avengers of crimes, particularly of idolatry ; they were without pomp or splendor, without guards, train, or equipage, unless their own wealth might enable them to appear answerable to their dignity. The revenue of their employment con- sisted in presents ; they had no regular profits, and levied nothing from the people." — Dictionary, art. Judges. The opinions of these learned men may give as correct an idea of the character and extent of the authority exercised by the judges as can now be expected ; although we are of opinion that, when the reader has reviewed the whole subject, he will agree with us in thinking that this authority was exercised by some of the judges over a very limited territory, and not over all Israel ; while others 10* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 147 of tliem, although mighty in the deliverance of the tribes from op- pression, appear never to have exercised the vocation of rulers. There is, however, one feature of the case worthy of attention : these judges, or at least the principal ones, appear to have exercised a very salutary influence on the religious character of the people. Hence, after the death of Otlmiel, Ehud, and others, it is said, " And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord." Judges iii, 12 ; iv, 1. Thus it was after the death of the son of Kenaz ; and the conse- quence is a striking commentary on the various interpositions of God in human affairs. We have the startling declaration, " The Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel," and not only subdued the eastern Israelites, but crossed the Jordan, and took a city which had been built near the site of Jericho, and therefore called the city of Palm- Trees. Judges iii, 12, 13. Here he established his residence : and it will be seen that the situation was very favorable for maintaining his authority over the larger portion of Canaan, and thus exacting the greatest amount of tribute, and of preserving, at the same time, a close com- munication with the countries of Ammon and Amalek. This servi- tude lasted eighteen years, and appears to have been very severe, when the Israelites, humbled and taught wisdom by afihction, cried unto God. And the Lord heard, and raised up a dehverer in the person of Ehud, a Benjamite, who, taking advantage of an oppor- tunity offered in presenting the usual tribute, slew Eglon, and, gathering together a company, at once attacked the Moabites, and secured the fords of Jordan. By this means ten thousand Moabites were slain, and Israel was completely rescued from their domination. This victory gave rest to Israel eighty years. We are next informed of the exploits of Shamgar, who repelled the incursions of the Philistines, and slew of them six hundred men with an ox-goad. After the death of Ehud, Israel again relapsed into evil, and the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. It is certain that Joshua destroyed a king of this name, and burned his city, which was also called Hazor. But it appears that after the death of Joshua, this power had again risen up into great importance. Jabin, in all probability, was a name common to this Hue of kings ; and it is likely that a descendant of the former sovereign now reigned. He mightily oppressed Israel, and his re- sources were very great ; for Josephus says, that he had three hun- dred thousand footmen, ten thousand horse, and three thousand 148 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. chariots. We know lie had nine hundred chariots of iron, and that his military forces were under the command of an able and expe- rienced officer, Sisera, who was captain of his host. During the latter part of this servitude, Israel was judged by a prophetess, named Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, who sat under a palm-tree, between Ramah and Bethel : and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Several of our eminent writers on Biblical history seem very anxious to have it believed, that this wo- man, although distinguished for wisdom, was not favored with any special Divine revelation. It is remarkable, that learned men, and even divines, are reluctant to admit the immediate interposition of God in the affairs of this world. Did not this woman know by Divine teaching, that Barak had received a message from God, and the purport of it? Did not she prophesy the certain defeat of Sisera, and that he should fall by the hand of a woman ? And where shall we find the purity and power of inspiration, if it cannot be found in that sublime ode in which she celebrated the victory ? From the geographical situation of Hazor, it is evident that this scourge fell with the greatest severity on those tribes who lived in the northern parts of Canaan. The Lord having called Baralv to deliver Israel from this tyrant, he consented to go, provided Debo- rah would accompany him. Barak, having collected together ten thousand men of Zebulun and Naphtali, went up, with his troop and Deborah, and took up his position on Mount Tabor. This being reported to Sisera, he brought all his army to invest the Mount ; but Barak, encouraged by the prophetess, marched down, attacked, discomfited, and destroyed this immense host ; Sisera himself being slain by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, into whose tent he had fled for refuge and rest. Thus the Lord prospered Barak, until he had broken the power of the king of Canaan, and destroyed him. (See Appendix, note 48.) To the magnificent ode by which Deborah and Barak celebrated this victory, we have already referred. Bishop Lowth calls this a " specimen of the perfectly sublime ode ;" and it unquestionably furnishes a brilliant illustration of the cultivation and intellectual power which individual minds among the Hebrews possessed, even in the midst of external disorder and corruption. The conquest of the Canaanites, thus wrought out by Jehovah, through the instrumentality of Deborah and Barak, gave the land rest forty years. But exemption from temporal suffering led to its usual consequences : the people again " did evil in the sight of the Lord ;" and he gave them into the hand of the king of Midian. This people had been almost exterminated by the Israelites, by the special com- THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 149» mand of God, just before the death of Moses. The scattered frag- ments of the tribe had, however, again united and multiplied, and were now made the instruments of inflicting on their former con- querors a scourge as severe as any they had ever suffered. The Israelites, at least the great body of the nation residing in the eastern and northern parts of the land, were completely subdued, and driven into " the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds." Judges vi, 2. For the Midianites, having the Amalekites associated with them, came up in great numbers, and destroyed or carried off all the fruit of the land. So that if they ventured to cultivate any part of the soil, it was almost certain to be taken away by their cruel oppressors. This infliction lasted seven years, and, in consequence, all Israel was greatly impoverished, and the people cried unto the Lord. It was during the scarcity occasioned by this incursion, that Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, with their two sons, driven by the pressure of the times, went to sojourn in the land of Moab, as de- tailed in the Book of Ruth. As the tyi-anny of the Midianites was most grievous, so the means which the Lord devised to give his people deliverance were most remarkable. The reader will do well to refer to the Scripture nar- rative. The Lord at first sent a prophet mito the children of Israel, who, in the name of Jehovah, recalled to their memory their deliverance from Egypt by Almighty power ; the equally miraculous subjuga- tion of the land of Canaan, which was given unto them ; and the ex- plicit command which they had received to avoid being polluted with the idolatry of the land : a command which they had so fear- fully violated. This inspired messengerwas followed by a more august visita- tion. The Angel Jehovah appeared unto Gideon, the Abiezrite, as he was secretly threshing corn, for fear of the Midianites ; and an- nounced unto him the Divine purpose, that he should deliver Israel out of the hand of Midian. Gideon shrank from the mighty task, and besought the messenger to show him a sign. He then hasted to his house, where he prepared a kid, and some cakes, and brought them to the place where the mysterious stranger sat. The Angel then commanded him to place the flesh upon a rock close by, and the cakes upon it, and then to pour the broth over them. He did so ; and the Angel put forth his staff, and touched the provisions, when, lo, a fire arose out of the rock and consumed the kid and the cakes, while the Angel disappeared from his sight. At this marvel- ous appearance Gideon was greatly alarmed, but was immediately 150 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. reassured by a message of peace from Jehovah. Gideon therefore built an altar on the spot, and gave it a name significant of this gra- cious communication. Judges vi, 24. The ensuing night another special revelation was made to Gideon, by which he was commanded to throw down the altar of Baal, and to destroy his grove, and to sacrifice unto Jehovah. This he did at once; which so enraged the men of the city, that they gathered about his father's house, and demanded that he might be brought out and put to death. His father Joash, hoAvever, who appears to have been convinced of the divine mission of liis son, boldly met the demand, by challenging the deity of Baal, saying, " Will ye plead for Baal ? Will ye save him ? If he be a god, let him plead for himself Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal." Verses 31, 32. From the scope of the narrative, it appears probable that these extraordinary doings had attracted attention, and that the dominant powers were determined, by an overwhelming force, to crush any attempt which the Israelites might make to obtain deliverance. Fot, immediately after noticing the preceding events, the inspired writer proceeds to say, " Then all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, were gathered together, and went over, and pitcHed in the valley of Jezreel." Judges vi, 33. Much obscurity rests upon this part of the history, from the fact that Biblical critics have not been able to determine the geogi'aphy of Ophrah, where Gideon dwelt ; not even so far as to ascertain whether it lay on the east or the west side of Jordan, as one-half of the tribe of Manas- seh lay on either side of the river. But, from the fact that the con- federate forces assembled in the valley of Jezreel, which lay in the portion of Issachar, close to the lot of Manasseh, on the west side of Jordan, it may be safely presumed that Gideon resided in this neighborhood. The crisis having now arrived, " the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet ; and Abiezer was gathered after him." Judges vi, 34. He then sent messengers to the neighboring tribes ; and his call was so promptly responded to, that he soon found himself at the head of thirty-two thousand men, gathered toge- ther from Manasseh, Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulon. But, although he was thus earnest in calling others to enter upon this enterprise, his own heart still doubted ; he therefore entreated the Lord to show him a further token, in confirmation of his promise. Jehovah con- descended to his request ; and the miracle of the fleece of wool dissi- pated his doubts, and confirmed his faith. Verses 36-40. Gideon then conducted his army to the attack ; but after he had THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 151 taken up his position, the Lord told him that his force was too nu- merous ; that the people, in the event of success, would attribute it to their own valor. He therefore commanded Gideon to announce to the assembled host, that all who were fearful and afraid might re- turn. This Hcense at once reduced the army to ten thousand men, twenty-two thousand having returned to their homes. But even this limited number the Lord pronounced to be too great ; and the ten thousand were led down to the water- side, and Gideon was com- manded to select those only who adopted a very peculiar manner of drinking. This brought down to three hundred the number of men to be actually engaged in the attack. Gideon, having sent away all but these, and having his faith still further confirmed by a visit in the night to the Midianitish camp, divided his three hundred men into three companies, and gave each man in one hand a lighted lamp, which was placed within a pitcher, and a trumpet in the other. They were thus enabled, Avithout exciting observation, to approach close to each side of the camp ; Avhen, at a preconcerted signal, they all sounded their trumpets, and brake the pitchers, which exposed the full light of the lamps, and shouted, " The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" The light and noise roused the sleeping host, who, seeing themselves thus encompassed, fled in wild disorder and dismay ; and, as the night prevented them from distinguishing friends from foes, and " the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow," the slaughter was immense ; while Gideon, taking advantage of the disorder, commanded his friends to seize the fords of Jordan. Oreb and Zeeb, two princes of Midian, fell in this rout ; but Gideon, de- termined to destroy the power of his foes, halted not, but crossed the Jordan, and at length succeeded in surprising Zebah and Zal- munna, who, with fifteen thousand men, were in Karkor, destroyed their host, and took the kings alive. But afterward, finding that they had destroyed his brethren, he slew them. Returning from this victory, he severely chastised the men of Succoth and Penuel, who had refused refreshment to his troops, in their pursuit of the Midianitish host, and then returned to Ophrah. This great deliverance produced such an effect on the Israelites, that they gathered around Gideon, and requested him to take upon himself the supreme government of the country ; offering at the same time to make it hereditary in his family. His reply is re- markable : "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rale over • you; the Lord shall rule over you," Judges viii, 23: language which shows that, in his opinion, the theocracy was incompatible with a political head, or ruler, over the whole land. "Yet the man who was thus highly honored of God in delivering 152 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. his people from oppression, and who appears to have refused the sovereignty from rehgious motives, asked and received from the people, as his share of the booty, the golden ear-rings -which had been taken from the Midianites, and therewith made an ephod, which became a snare unto the people, and led them into idolatry. Nevertheless, the land had rest all the days of Gideon, even forty years. It was soon after this deliverance had been effected that Naomi, having lost her husband and her sons in the land of Moab, and hear- ing that the Lord had visited his people, in giving them bread, re- turned, with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, unto Bethlehem- Judah. The death of Gideon produced the first ambitious effort to grasp illegitimate political power which we meet with in the history of the Hebrew people. This judge, having had several wives, left seventy legitimate sons; and, besides these, another, named Abimelech, born unto him by a concubine, a woman of Shechem. This aspiring young man, affected probably by the offers of sovereignty which his father had refused, and, at the same time, dreading the stronger claims of his legitimate brethren, took advantage of his maternal connection with the men of Shechem, enlisted their sympathies in his behalf, and by their aid succeeded in destroying all the seventy sons of his father, except the youngest, who hid himself, and es- caped. The men of Shechem, who had lent themselves to promote this guilty object, consummated it by declaring Abimelech king. We owe to this circumstance the possession of perhaps the oldest apologue extant. Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, who had es- caped amid the massacre of his brethren, stood on Mount Gerizim, and, calling to the men of Shechem, addressed them in the words of the very ingenious fable to which we have referred, and which clearly shows that, even in those rude and disorderly times, some men were adepts in the art of elegant composition. The reign of Abimelech lasted three years, and its termination was as inglorious as its beginning was atrocious. The men of She- chem became weary of their new sovereign, resisted his authority, but were vanquished and destroyed. While, however, Abimelech was storming the tower of Thebez, the inhabitants of which had also rebelled, a woman cast a piece of a mill-stone on his head, and he died. This man is not to be reckoned as one of the judges : they were specially raised up by God, or called to their office by the voice of the people in a great emergency ; but Abimelech was a wicked and ambitious usm^per. Tola, of the tribe of Issachar, next judged Israel ; but we have no ac- count of his actions or times, except that he ruled twenty-three years. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 153 Jair, a Gileadite, succeeded him. Of this judge, also, we have no information, except that which refers to his family, and the ostenta- tion they displayed. Judges x, 4. He was the first person called to this high office from the tribes which dwelt to the east of Jordan. He judged Israel twenty-two years. After this period Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord; and he raised up against them two powerful enemies from opposite parts of the country, — the Ammonites on the east, and the PhiUs- tines on the west. As the religious defection of this time wag greater than on any preceding occasion, the idolatry of the people having become so general that they worshiped " Baahm, and Ashta- roth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the PhiHstines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him ;" so the num- ber and power of their oppressors were doubled. Judges x, 6-10. There is great obscurity in the sacred account of the duration of this servitude, which has given rise to very conflicting views of the chronology of the period : it is, however, certain, that the oppression was severe, and constrained the people again to cry mito the Lord. And the Lord, we are told, expostulated with them on account of their numerous idolatries, and directed them to seek for refuge unto the false gods which they had worshiped. " Go," said he, " and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen ; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." Judges x, 14. Of the medium of this communication, whether by a prophet or otherwise, we are not in- formed. Compelled by the ui'gent necessities of their condition, when the Israelites saw the army of Ammon encamped in Gilead, they united themselves together, and pitched in Mizpeh. But the tribes were without a leader : no man among them seemed possessed of the re- quisite talents, courage, and experience, for this onerous task : and yet, exposed as they were to a martial and disciplined power, such a leader was indispensable. In this emergency, theu* attention was tm-ned to Jephthah, who was known to be a mighty man of valor. He was of the family of Gilead ; but his mother being a Gentile woman, when he grew up his brethren would not allow him to share their father's inheritance with them, and di'ove him away. Upon this he appears to have gathered to himself a few lawless young men, and retired with them to the land of Tob, where he lived in a manner that had given his name great celebrity for deeds of daring and martial prowess. To him, therefore, the elders of Israel sent some of their number, inviting him to return, and take upon himself the conduct of the war. Jephthah, after rebuking the unfeeling man- 154 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. ner in -which he had been treated, inquired whether it was their set- tled purpose to reward him with the chief magistracy, provided he listened to their request, and was successful in the war. " If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?" To this they consented, and Jephthah went with the elders, and the people made him head and captain over them ; and from the tenor of the text, it appears that the covenant which had been previously made in Tob, Avas renewed again between him and the elders of the peo- ple, "before the Lord in Mizpeh." Judges xi, 9-11, After this preparation, either to gain time, or to make the cause of the war fully apparent, Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, and opened negotiations with him. These, however, pro- duced no good result, and the Hebrew chief commended the justice of his cause to the Lord. Judges xi, 11-28. Thus far the arrange- ment between the elders and Jephthah, and his conduct afterwards, as far as our information extends, were merely the result of human wisdom and political prudence. But now the Lord interposes on behalf of his people. We are told, " Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah ;"* he marched to the attack ; and his campaign was a succession of brilliant conquests. He smote the children of Ammon, who were subdued before him, even twenty cities. Verses 29-32. On his victorious return unto Gilead, the men of Ephraim ga- thered themselves together, and threatened to bum him and his house with fire, because he had not called them to the war, pouring upon his family epithets of great contempt. Jephthah then gathered his forces together, fought with this unreasonable band of Israelites,* and, having defeated them, and taken the fords of Jordan, to cut off their retreat, he detected all those of the tribe of Ephraim by their pronunciation of the word shibboleth, the first syllable of which they could not correctly enunciate; and thus there fell of the sons of Ephraim forty- two thousand men. This fact proves that the authority of all the judges did not extend to the whole of the tribes of Israel. It is not probable that the au- thority of Jephthah was ever acknowledged on the west side of the Jordan. He ruled six years. After the death of Jephthah, we read of three other judges ; but of these we know little more than their names : — Ibzan, of Bethlehem, who judged Israel seven years. Elon, of Zebulon, who ruled ten years. * The case of Jephthali's daughter, and her fate, •nill be discussed in the chapter on the religion of this period. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 155 Abdon, the son of Hillel, who judged Israel eight years. The painful announcement once more meets us, that " Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord ; and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years." Judges xiii, 1. The inspired writer then proceeds to state, that the Angel of the Lord appeared unto a woman of the tribe of Dan, the wife of Manoah, who as yet had been childless, and assured her that she should bear a son ; that he was destined to be a Nazarite unto God from his mo- ther's womb ; and that he should begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. The Angel at the same time cautioned the woman that she was not to drink wine, or strong drink, nor to eat any unclean thing. The woman having reported this strange occurrence to her hus- band, he entreated the Lord that he also might be favored with a similar visit, and have further information respecting the promised child. He was gratified. The Angel again appeared to the wo- man, and she ran and called her husband. In reply to the inquiries of Manoah, the Angel repeated the injunctions he had previously given to his wife, and then acted much in the same manner as the Angel did which appeared unto Gideon. He refused to eat ; but when, at his suggestion, Manoah had prepared " a kid with a meat- offering, and offered it upon a rock mito the Lord, the angel did wondrously ; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Ma- noah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground." Judges xiii, 19, 20. Manoah felt greatly alarmed; but his wife encom-aged him to rest on the truth of the promise they had received, and which was in due time verified; for "the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him." Yerse 24. No part of this difficult book is more perplexing than that which portrays the life and conduct of this most remarkable man. Bishop Russel has well said, that "his character presents more points which it is almost impossible to reconcile with the notion of a theo- cratic government, and of a divine commission, than any Hebrew ruler, either before or after him. In no other instance do we find it so difficult to trace an affinity between the action and the motive, between the private conduct and the official authority." — Connection, vol. i, p. 496. Nor is this our only difficulty ; the chronology of Samson's life and actions is very obscure, and has called forth many conflicting opinions. Having given the subject very close and care- 156 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. ful attention, we decidedly prefer the arrangement of the bishop of Glasgow, that " the servitudes were successive, and that none of the judges were contemporary, except Eli and Samson, during a part of their administrations." — Connection, vol. i, p. 506. These principles will lead to an arrangement of events best calculated to accord with a reasonable interpretation of the sacred record, Josephus, and other authorities. As our limits preclude the possibility of our discussing the various topics which a curious inquirer will find in the case of Samson, Ave shall confine ourselves to a rapid sketch of his prin- cipal actions, accompanied by such brief remarks as may appear necessary. The first circumstance recorded of the son of Manoah is his mar- riage. He went down to Timnath, and saw a woman, a daughter of a Philistine : and he at once requested his parents to procm*e her for his wife. They objected, not knowing that this attachment was " of the Lord." But Samson persisted in his object ; and in one of his visits, being assailed by a lion in the way, " the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand." Judges xiv, 6. After awhile, on another visit, passing that way, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and found that a swarm of bees had taken up their abode and deposited their honey in it, of which he took some in his hands, and went on eating. The marriage took place, and the Philistines brought thirty companions to be with him. At the feast, the bridegroom propounded a riddle to the company, stating, that, if they could solve it within the seven days of the feast, he would give them thirty sheets and thirty changes of raiment ; but that, if they failed, then he would expect from them such a present. It was thus given : " Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Verse 14. The Pliilistines in vain endeavored to unravel the meaning of this enigma ; upon which they addressed the wife, and, covertly charging her with conspiring to defraud them, threatened in case of her non- comphance to burn her with fire. Stung with this reproach, she became importunate with her husband; and having obtained the secret, told it to her friends. They at once gave Samson his answer, saying, " What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion ?" To which Samson rejoined, " Nothiftgis more deceitful than a woman ; for such was the person that discovered my interpretation to you." — Josephus, Ant., b. v, ch. viii, sec. 6. He then proceeded to Askelon, where he slew thirty Philistines, and, taking their rai- ment, gave it to the persons who had answered his enigma. Being THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 157 very angry on account of this circumstance, he went up to his father's house. Some time after this, he again went down to the house of his wife's father, and foimd that she had been given to the man who had acted as his friend at the marriage. This still more irritated the spirit of Samson; and he thenceforward thought himself justified in making any aggression upon the Philistines. He therefore caught three hundred foxes, and, tying them together, put a fire-brand be- tween every two tails, and sent them into the midst of the standing corn of the Philistines, and thus bm-nt up both the shocks and the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. When the oppressors of Israel ascertained who was the author of this calamity, they went to the house of his wife, and burnt her and her father's dwelling with fire ; whereupon the em'aged Nazarite attacked a body of the Philistines, and " smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter." Judges XV, 8. Afterwards, expecting to be pursued by his foes, he went down and took up his post on the top of the rock Etam. This was a strong place in the tribe of Judah, to the summit of which but one man could go at the same time. Samson, therefore, was here invincible. The Philistines, determined to avenge the outrages which they liad received, assembled themselves, and encamped at Lehi in Ju- dah. The Israelites, unable to meet them in war, expostulated with them ; but they insisted on having Samson given up to them ; upon which three thousand men of Judah went down to Etam, and com- plained that he had brought them into great and unnecessary trouble. " And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines." Verse 12. Samson heard this immoved, and was only solicitous to extort an oath from them, that they would not fall upon him themselves. " And they spake unto him, saying, No ; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee." Verse 13. He then submitted to their hands, and they bound him, and brought him up from the rock. But no sooner had he approached the Phi- listine camp, and heard them shouting at the prospect of possessing him as their prisoner, than the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, he burst the cords from his hands, and, finding no other wea- pon, laid hold on the jaw-bone of an ass, which he found in his way, and with it assailed the host of the Philistines, and slew a thousand men. In this, as in the other instances of the miraculous prowess of this judge, it is woi'thy of observation, that he acted alone. Here we find him assail and rout an army ; yet there is not the slightest evi- 158 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. dence that any of his countrymen seconded his efforts. Three thou- sand men could assemble to deliver him up to their enemies ; but, as far as our information extends, they dared not aid him in de- stroying the routed foes of their country. This fact is a curious commentary upon the prophetic declaration respecting. Samson: "He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." Judges xiii, 5. The public spirit of his countrymen appears at this time to have been so completely prostrated, that none were prepared to second him. His heroism, therefore, was only a beginning of their deliverance. After this conflict, Samson was sorely oppressed by thirst, and cried unto the Lord, who miraculously supplied him with water. The account of this supply has given rise to much verbal criticism, especially as in our authorized version it is said, " God clave an holloAV place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout." Judges XV, 19. We need not wonder that such a text has given rise to much speculation. Bochart contends that one of the large teeth had been shook out, and that the water was made to flow from the vacant socket. Usher urges that it was brought from some hollow in the earth ; and Josephus maintains that it was made to flow out of a rock. The real difficulty in this case arises from the fact that the term Lehi is used to signify the name of the place, as well as the bone. We tliink, therefore, the conclusion of the venerable primate the most reasonable: "In which place, called Lehi from that jaw-bone, God, at the prayer of Samson, opened a hole in the earth, and made it a fountain, called En-haccore, ' The fountain of him which called upon God.' " — Usher's Annals, p. 32, fol. 1644. Afterwards Samson went down to Gaza, which the Philistines had again recovered from Israel, to the house of a harlot. Some writers have endeavored to explain away what appears objectionable in the English reading of this incident, by urging that in the Hebrew the same term is applied both to the female keeper of an inn and to an unchaste woman. The account of Josephus accords with the most charitable construction of the passage; for he says, "After this fight Samson held the Philistines in contempt, and came to Gaza, and took his lodgings at a certain inn." — Ant., b. v, ch. viii, sec. 10. But. whatever might have been the character of the place where he lodged, his coming was soon noised abroad, and the inhabitants were deter- mined, if possible, to terminate his aggressions with his life. They therefore carefully closed the gate of the city, set a watchf and waited until the morning, that they might put their design into exe- cution. But Samson " arose at midnight, and took the doors of the THE HEBREW PEOPLE, 159 gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Hebron." Judges xvi, 3. The effect of this astonishing feat of strength upon his enemies may be conceived. But Samson only avoided one danger to fall into a greater. Our next information of him states, " that he loved a woman in the val- ley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." Verse 4. As this place lay about midway between Gath and Kirjath-jearim, it was just on the confines of Philistia and Israel. We cannot, therefore, ascertain from the place, whether this woman was an Israelite or a PhDistine, although from her conduct the latter is more probable. " The lords of the Philistines" were no sooner informed of this unhappy connec- tion, than they resolved to employ the deceitful woman as the in- strument of his destruction ; promising her a large sum of money, should she succeed in enabling them to take possession of his per- son. Josephus tells us that she began her evil work by flattering the pride of her victim, and by extolling his wonderful exploits ; ex- pressing, at the same time, the utmost curiosity to know wherein his astonishing prowess consisted, and by what means he had attained a degree of strength so much exceeding that of other men. The evasions to which he had recourse prove at once his weakness, and his apprehension of the snares with which he saw himself surround- ed. He first sacrificed truth, and then religion. In the commence- ment of his troubles he relinquished personal honor ; and he ended by abjuring his profession as a person dedicated to Heaven. He broke the vow of his Nazaritism ; and from that moment his great strength went from him. He allowed the razor to come upon his head, and he instantly became weak, and was like any other man. " And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, " I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass." Verses 20, 21. Having thus obtained possession of their hated enemy, and forever shrouded him in darkness, the Philistines doomed him to the vilest indignity : they shut him up in prison, where he was compelled to grind corn, the usual employment of slaves. The humiliation and suffering which the Hebrew hero was thus doomed to endure was not a sufficient gratification for the pride and exultation of the Phi- listines. The lords of this people, intoxicated with their success, appointed a great sacrifice in the house of Dagon, their god ; " for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us." Verse 24. 160 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. But, while engaged in the festivities of this service, it occurred to them that the presence of Samson would add to the interest of the scene. He was accordingly brought from the prison to minister to their mirth. Before this time, however, his hair had again grown ; and with it his extraordinary strength had in some measure returned. The building in which the immense concourse of Pliilistines were assem- bled, appears to have been uncovered in the centre ; so that the three thousand men and women who were standing on the roof, could see what was taking place in the area below, the superstructure being supported by pillars. Samson, conscious of his degradation, ear- nestly prayed to God for help, and entreated the lad who led him to direct his hands to the pillars, under the pretense of his wishing to lean upon them. Having thus got the two centre pillars of the building, the one in his right hand, and the other in his left, he prayed, and, exerting all his strength, wrested them from their posi- tion. Thus deprived of support, "the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life." Verse 30. Then his brethren and the house of his father came down, and carried up the body, and buried it in the burying- place of Manoah, between Zorah and Eshtaol. The destruction of life oc- casioned by Samson at his death, falling, as there appears every rea- son to believe it did, upon the flower of the Philistine nation, must for a while, at least, have paralyzed their national energy. Samson had judged Israel twenty years. We have already intimated our opinion, that Samson lived in the time of Eli : according to the chronological arrangement which is here adopted, they began their official career about the same time. Eli, who was the high priest, appears to have exercised a judicial oversight over the civil government of the people ; while the son of Manoah, during his erratic course, and especially at its close, inflicted severe chastisement on the oppressors of Israel. About two or three years before Samson entered upon his public course, another divine interposition took place, which in its results was not very unlike that which preceded his own birth. Elkanah, a Levite of Momit Ephraim, had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah : the latter had children ; but Hannah was barren. This was not only in itself a severe affliction to Hannah, but exposed her to the taunts and reproaches of Peninnah. In these circumstances the afflicted woman, on one of the annual visits of the family to the tabernacle at Shiloh, took occasion to make earnest and importunate prayer to God, that he would remove her reproach. Her earnestness of man- THE HEBREW TEOPLB. 161 ncr and peculiarity of appeai'ance attracted the notice of Eli, -who reproved her, supposing she Avas drunken ; but, having been unde- ceived, he joined in her prayer, that God would grant her request ; and Hannah vowed, that if her prayer was answered, she would faithfully dedicate the child to God. Her prayer was heard. The son was born ; and, the days of his infancy having passed away, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli, and solemnly devoted him to the divine service. Even in the very brief naiTation of these events, we cannot pass over the splendid effusion in which Hannah recorded her grateful sense of the divine mercy. It indicates not only deep piety, but refined taste, and great poetic ability ; and shows, that when Israel as a nation was in the most rude condition, and in a state bordering on social and political disorganization, there were, even then, and in humble life, minds of the first order, not only rich in native genius, but elevated and ornamented by great cultivation. We may have to notice this admirable hymn elsewhere, on account of its religious predictions : — we here call attention to prophecies which it contains of a temporal character. Hannah predicts her future fruit- fulness, 1 Sam. ii, 7; (she had five other children;) she foretels the judgments of God upon the enemies of Israel, verse 10 ; and even de- scribes the means by which they should be inflicted. Compare verse 10 with vii, 10. Eli, though he appears to have been a good man, was very defi- cient as a public magistrate. His sons, whose position Avas promi- nent and influential, from their relation to the high priest and su- preme judge, Avere nevertheless exceedingly wicked. Their sordid exactions infringed the law, reflected great dishonor upon God, and brought the priestly office into contempt ; while the vices of their pri- vate conduct were so flagrant, that they polluted the tabernacle and demoralized the people. Their father, Avho Avas aware of their evil doings, administered nothing but a very mild and utterly ineftectual reproof In those circumstances, God himself undertook the mat- ter, and sent a prophet to Eli, who placed before him the calling of the family of Aaron to the priesthood, its object, and responsibili- ties ; shoAved in vivid terms the extent of the prevailing corruption, and denounced the ruin of his family ; and especially the death of his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, on the same day. Yet this di- vine warning did not lead them to repentance. The message Avas, however, in mercy, repeated.* Samuel being at the time, according *It is surprising that Mr. Townsend, in liis excellent " Chronological Arrangement of the Scriptures," should have placed the second chapter of the First Book of Samuel after the third, and thus have made the revelation to Samuel prior to the message of the pro- phet, although the reverse is manifest from chap, iii, 12. 11 162 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. to Josephus, about twelve years of age, was lying in the sacred tent, when the Lord called him by his name ; and he, thinking it was Eli, as no other person was present, ran to the high priest to inquire what he wanted. This having been repeated, Eli, at length, supposing that the Lord had spoken to him, told him, if he heard the voice again, to reply, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." 1 Sam. iii, 9. He obeyed, and the Lord repeated to him the threatening which he had previously denounced against the house of Eli. In the morn- ing, the high priest inquired of Samuel the purport of the communi- cation, and, on hearing the doom of his family repeated, he resign- edly said, " It is the Lord : let him do what seemeth him good." Verse 18. From this time the Lord communicated his will to Samuel. " And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer- sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh : for the Lord re- vealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord." Verses 19-21. As the judicial administration of Samuel stands so intimately connected with the establishment of monarchy, we shall reserve our notice of its proceedings to the next chapter. Although the divine communications made to the young prophet seemed to indicate a promise of better days for Israel, subsequent events showed that the chosen people of the Lord had not yet sunk into the lowest depth of humiliation and distress. The Philistines, recovering from the panic, which was induced by the loss they sustained at the death of Samson, and finding, in all probability, that their authority had in some instances been ques- tioned, gathered themselves together against Israel. The descend- ants of Jacob still possessed spirit enough to meet their foes in the field. But the Philistines prevailed, and Israel fled before them. In order, if possible, to repair this disaster, they sent for the ark of God from Shiloh, which, accompanied by Hophni and Phinehas, was brought to the camp, and received by the people with acclamations of joy- Intelligence of this movement spread consternation and dismay among the Philistines. They remembered the mighty works which the Lord had done in Egypt and in the wilderness, and they trem- bled, lest their fate should be similar. Roused by this danger, they encouraged themselves to the most desperate efforts, again attacked the army of Israel, and again prevailed. Sin had sepa- rated the chosen people from the protecting power of God. Thirty 11* THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 163 thousand Israelites fell dead on the field, Hophni and Phinehas were slain, and the ark of God was carried into captivity by the heathen. Information of this terrible calamity was brought to Eli, as he sat by the way, blind, and waiting with great anxiety the issue of the contest. When he heard of the death of his sons, and of the cap- ture of the ark, " he fell from oif the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died." 1 Sam. iv, 18. As we shall show that the administration of Samuel was clearly prepara- tive to the establishment of monarchy, we regard this adversity as the condition to which Israel had been gradually sinking, notwith- standing many gracious interpositions of Divine Power, throughout the whole period of their residence in Canaan. This (if we may use such language) was the result of the grand experiment of the theocracy. God having delivered the descend- ants of Jacob out of Egyptian bondage, and manifested on their behalf in the wilderness the greatness of his power, brought their children, who had been trained up under the constant guidance of his presence, and fed by his daily miracles, into the land which he had promised them. Here he subdued every power before them, gave them the high places of the land, and opened up to them a ca- reer of the most glorious happiness and prosperity. But it was his purpose that, in this course, their piety should be the basis of their power. He avowed himself at once their God and their King, en- joined obedience, and promised unbounded success. But they were disobedient, and consequently lost the blessings of his covenant- mercy. Instead, therefore, of rising up under the plenary influence of divine power, and displaying to all the nations of the earth a holy, happy, and invincible people, who derived all their advan- tage and glory, not from human prowess and political institutions, but from the faithfulness and truth of Jehovah, we find them trampled upon, and tyrannized over, by the vilest tribes of man- kind. Joshua had fearful forebodings of this dire result, even in his day. "Ye cannot," said he, "serve the Lord: for he is a holy God." Joshua xxiv, 19. The man of God did not mean to assert the absolute impossibility of the thing, but their want of moral qualification for this service. Instead of rising into holi- ness, they sank into idolatry ; and hence, notwithstanding repeated miraculous interpositions, they are found at length in slavish sub- jection to a heathen power, — the ark of God's covenant in a heathen temple, and a necessity created for molding their political constitu- tion into another form, in order to save them as a people from total ruin. 164 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. It will now be necessary to give a chronological arrangement of the events reviewed in this chapter : — B.C. The Israelites passed the Jordan 1568 Termination of the war, first division of lands, and setting up of the tabernacle 7 years 1561 Second division of lands Death of Joshua and elders 18 — 1543 Anarchy. In which took place the war with the Benjamites, and the idolatry of Micah 2 — 1541 FiEST Servitude, under Cushan-rishathaim 8 — 1533 Othniel, judge 40 — 1493 Second Servitude, under the Moabites 18 — 1475 Ehud and Shamgar, judges 80 — 1395 Third SER\^TUDE, under the Canaanites 20 — 1375 Deborah and Barak, judges 40 — 1335 Fourth Servitude, under the Midianites 7 — 1328 Elimelech and Naomi sojourn in the land of Moab Gideon, judge 40 — • 1288 Naomi and Ruth return Abimelech 3 — 1285 Tola 22 — 1263 Jair 22 — 1241 Fifth Servitude, under the Ammonites 18 — 1223 Jephthah, judge 6 — 1217 Ibzan 7 — 1210 Samson bom Elon, judge 10 — 1200 Abdon 8 — 1192 Sixth Servitude, under the Philistines Samuel born two years before the expiration of the sixth ser- vitude Samson and Eli, judges the last twenty years of this time 40 — 1152 Eli, judge afterward 20 — 1132 Seventh Servitude, or anarchy 20 7 m. 1111 Samuel, judge When Saul was anointed king 12 — 1099 468 7 This arrangement accords exactly with the chronology of Jose- phus, who makes it five hundi-ed and ninety-two years from the ex- odus to the building of Solomon's temple, which is thus shown: — From the exodus to the passing over Jordan 40 years. From passing the Jordan to the accession of Saul, 468 years 7 months current 469 — Reign of Saul 40 — David 40 — Solomon before the temple was begun 3 — 592 years. The numbers, as they stand in the preceding table, not only accord with Josephus, but also with the entire current of Scripture, (except the corrupted text of 1 Kings vi, 1,) and agree with the computation THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 165 of Jackson down to the time when Samuel entered upon his judicial course. But for the subsequent dates, as they are given above, we are indebted to the profound researches of Bishop Russel, who sug- gested allowing the twelve years for Samuel's official life between the twenty-one years' anarchy and the accession of Saul, and thus relieved the subject from the embarrassment in which the learned labors of Jackson had left it. But as every reader of Biblical history is aware that, instead of five hundred and ninety-two years. Archbishop Usher assigns to this period only foui* hundred and eighty years, in accordance with the text to which we have referred, it is necessary to observe that the above account not only rests on the authority of Josephus, Clement of Alexandria, and other ancient writers, but is also sustained by the general scope of Holy Scriptui-e. St. Paul, for instance, states that from the division of the land to the administration of Samuel was four hundred and fifty years, with which statement our table exactly agrees, while it frees the narrative from the greatest difficulties to which it is otherwise exposed. " According to Usher, Petavius, Ca- pellus, and most other chronologers, who omit the seventh servitude, and the twelve years of Samuel's judicature prior to the nomination of Saul, the prophet became a judge at thirteen ; was a gray-headed man, and had sons fit to assist him in his office before he was twenty- three ; and, finally, died at an advanced age about the time he com- pleted his fiftieth year !" — Russel's Connexion, vol. i, p. 153. 166 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. CHAPTER IV. THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREW PEOPLE FROM THE ESTABLISH- MENT OF MONARCHY TO THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM. Samuel recognized as a Peophet — His Administration and Efforts to instruct and im- prove the People — The miraculous Rout of the Philistines — Samuel in his old Age as- sisted by his Sons — Their Sin — The Elders ask a Kixg — The Causes of this Applica- tion— The Request is granted, and Saul anointed — Jabesh-Gilead delivered — Saul con- lirmed in the Kingdom — War with the Philistines — Saul's Impatience and Transgres- sion— He is threatened — Heroism and Success of Jonathan — The King again acts un- wisely— Saul commanded to destroy the Amalekites — He is victorious, but again trans- gresses, and is assured that he shall he deprived of the Kingdom — David privately anointed — Saul's mental Malady — He is relieved by David's Music — David made the King's Armor-bearer — War -with the Philistines renewed — Goliath's Defiance — David kiUs the Giant — Saul, jealous of David's Fame, persecutes him — The Friendship of David and Jonathan — David flies to the Philistines — The increasing Distress of Saul — His Death — The Return and Accession oe David — David anointed King of Judah in Hebron — Death of Ishbosheth — David anointed King over all Israel — Jerusalem taken and made the Capital — Great Success of David in all his military Enterprises — The Kingdom delivered from all internal Enemies — And the neighboring States subdued — David's Sin in the Case of Bathsheba and Uriah — His Punishment denounced — The Wickedness of Amnon — He is slain — Absalom banished — But afterward pardoned — His Conspiracy — David flies — Absalom obtains the Capital — His Conduct — He is slain — The Return of the King — Rebellion of Sheba — The Kingdom saved by Joab — The People numbered — The consequent Pestilence — The last Days of David — His Death — The State OF THE Hebrew Kingdom at the Close of David's Reign — Accession of Solomon — Piety and Wisdom — He begins to build the Temple — The Greatness of the Work — ^Its Enormous expense — The Fabric completed and dedicated — Solomon's commercial Policy — Palmyra — Baalbec — Extensive inland Ti-ade — Maritime Commerce — Ophir — The Queen of Sheba's Visit — Solomon's Riches — His unbounded Luxury and State — His numerous Wives and Concubines — His Apostasy — The awful Extent of his Idolatries — Jeroboam informed by a Prophet that he shall reign over ten Tribes — The Death of Solomon — And Accession of Rehoboam — His Folly — The Division of the Kingdoji — Brief Review of the Reign of Solomon — National Consequences of his Sin. It lias been shown in the preceding pages, that, even before the death of Eli, Samuel was established as a prophet of God in Israel, and that he was recognized as such from Dan to Beersheba. It is also probable that at this time he took some active part in public af- fairs ; for the account of the battle of Eben-ezer is introduced Avith the remark, " And the word of Samuel came to all Israel." 1 Sam. iv, 1. After that calamitous conflict, the ark of God, which was taken by the Philistines, was carried to Ashdod, and placed in the temple of Dagon. Here, however, it was soon proved that the defeat and humihation of Israel had not been occasioned by any want of power, or lack of watchful care, on the part of Jehovah. Having punished the wickedness of his people, he now interposed to main- tain liis own honor, and to assert his Divine supremacy. The sacred THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 167 ark, when placed in the idol temple, Avas not unaccompanied by the presence and power of Him to whose service it had been consecrated. In the morning, when the Philistines came early to the sacred place, probably to celebrate the praises of their idol, and exult over the capture of the ark, lo, Dagon had fallen prostrate before the ark. Supposing this might have been accidental, they set the image again in his place ; but their hopes were vain : when they returned on the morrow, they found Dagon fallen again, with his head and hands cut off, only his stump being left. Nor was this the only infliction they were doomed to suffer. God smote the men of Ashdod with a sore disease ; and punished them so severely, as to lead them to resolve that the ark of the God of Israel should not remain with them. Thence, therefore, it was taken to Gath. Here, also, dire affliction fell upon the people, which, unable to bear, they hoped to avert by taking the ark to Ekron. But the inhabitants of this city, warned by what had taken place, refused to receive it, saying, " They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people." 1 Sam. v, 10. This deep and general conviction of the ir- resistible power of Jehovah induced a serious deliberation on the subject. All the lords of the Philistines met together, and ultimate- ly determined to send back the ark to the land of Israel. This was resolved upon ; for they said, " That it slay us not, and our people : for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city ; the hand of God was very heavy there." Verse 11. Li consequence of this determination, the ark was sent back to the Israelites, after it had been with the Philistines about seven months. The manner in which this was done is worthy of notice. Smarting under what they fully believed to be the judicial inflictions of the God of Israel, the Philistine lords decided on sending a trespass-of- fering with the ark, in humble acknowledgment of their sin and sub- jection, and in the hope that their plagues woidd be removed. But, while this was very carefully done, they at the same time felt an?dous to have fui'ther proof that a supernatural power attended this sacred ark ; and they therefore made their arrangements for its removal with great caution and ingenuity. Having made a new cart, and placed the ark with the trespass-offering upon it, they took two milch cows which had never previously been yoked, and, confining their calves at home, tied them to the cart, and left them to take their own way. The result afforded a complete answer to all their doubts. In defiance of all the instincts of their nature, these untrained ani- mals quietly took the direct way toward the borders of Israel, and, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left, they tarried not un- til they had crossed the frontier, and safely taken the ark to Beth- 168 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. shemesh. The Israelites, who were here engaged in reaping the Avheat-harvest, when they saw the ark, rejoiced greatly, and sacrificed the kine as a burnt- offering unto the Lord. Among the many extraordinary points in this narrative, it is to be noted that Beth-shemesh was a Levitical town; so that the ark was divinely directed, not only in the Hebrew territory, but to a par- ticular place, occupied by men Avho were devoted to the service of the sanctuary. This circumstance, whilst it partially accounts for the transgression which followed, rendered it inexcusable. The men of Beth-shemesh, probably anxious to know whether the sacred contents of the ark still remained, dared to look into the holy chest ; w^hich conduct was so offensive to God, that he cut off seventy men with sudden death. (See Appendix, note 49.) Terrified by this in- fliction, the men of Beth-shemesh sent to Kirjath-jearim, saying, " The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord ; come ye down, and fetch it up to you." 1 Sam. vi, 21. This request was complied with ; and the sacred chest was deposited in the house of Abinadab, in the hill, who set apart his son to keep it. During the whole of this period the Israelites appear to have re- mained in a state of inactivity, as respected their national independ- ence ; while the Philistines had been so humbled and terror-stricken by the judgment which had fallen upon them in connection with their possession of the ark, that they appear to have made no ag- gressive movement of importance for a considerable time. Throughout this season of fearful religious declension, and na- tional prostration and apathy, Samuel was raised up to take the direction of public affairs, and to restore unity and confidence to the Hebrew nation. As a prophet of God, his first efforts were directed to the religious instruction and reformation of the people; and, whilst thus occupied, he would have some acquaintance with secular affairs, from being called to adjust differences, and to arbitrate in cases of dispute. His devoted labors, in connection with the sub- jection and adversity to which the Israelites were exposed, induced a general desire for a better state of things : this feeling gradually acquired strength, until at length we are told, the people " lamented after the Lord." 1 Sam. vii, 2. Samuel took advantage of this dis- position of the public mind, and earnestly exhorted them, as a test and proof of their sincerity, to cleanse themselves from the pollu- tions of Baal and Ashtaroth, and to give themselves fully to the service of the Lord. He then commanded them to gather all Israel to him at Mizpeh. Here the people met and confessed their sin, and fasted, and submitted themselves unto Samuel, who then entered fully upon the duties of his ofiice as the acknowledged judge of Israel. THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 169 But this movement Avas too pviblic and important to escape the vigilance of the PliiHstine lords. Either regarding this assembly as convoked for the pm^pose of fostering national objects, and of devis- ing plans for the attainment of independence, which they were de- termined to crush ; or as affording an opportunity of still further humbling the Hebrews, these tyrant rulers collected their forces, and marched an army against the Israelites at Mizpeh. The sons of Jacob were neither armed nor organized for war ; their meeting had a design and character of a very different kind. When, therefore, they saw the approach of the Philistine host, they neither dared to meet them in battle, nor abandoned themselves to despair; they took the course always open to the house of Israel : they entreated Samuel to pray unto the Lord for them. The prophet complied, and proceeded to oflFer a burnt- offering, when the Philistines drew near in hostile array. But the prayer was heard : Jehovah inter- posed on behalf of his people, and thundered from heaven in a man- ner so terrible, that the Philistines, overwhelmed with terror and alarm, fled in confusion ; the Israelites, availing themselves of the advantage, pursued their enemies, and smote them, and recovered possession of several cities which the Philistines had previously taken from Israel and retained. So decisive and complete was this triumph of Israel over their haughty foes, that we are told, " The Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel : and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel." 1 Sam. vii, 13. (See Appendix, note 50.) The character of Samuel in his judicial capacity, and the course of his public life, while perfectly consistent with his education and profession as a prophet, were, nevertheless, in remarkable contrast to the conduct of those who had preceded him as judges of Israel. These had generally distinguished themselves by some act of indi- vidual heroism, or military prowess, by which the power of the ene- mies of Israel was broken, and Hebrew liberty and independence obtained. But in the case of Samuel nothing of this kind is found. He appears to have directed his attention principally to the moral and religious elevation of the people. His first care was to repress disorder, to punish crime, and enforce an obedience to the law. For this purpose " he Avent from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all these places," 1 Sam. vii, 16 ; returning to his own residence at Ramah, where he heard causes, and administered justice. (See Appendix, note 51.) Samuel also endeavored to give the people efficient instruction. This he did by providing for the education of their teachers. The 170 THE HEBKEW PEOPLE. schools of the prophets, either originated or revived by him, gi'eatly contributed to this important object. By this means the law of God became more generally known, and a decided improvement in the spirit and practice of the people was the result. (See Appendix, note 52.) But as Samuel increased in years, his official labors became too great for his failing strength ; and he availed liimself of the aid of his sons in their performance. But if they did not sin so fearfully as the sons of Eli, they did not follow in the steps of their upright and pious father ; they " turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment." 1 Sam. viii, 3. This delinquency was the primary cause of a total change in the government of the Hebrew people. As Samuel was old, this conduct of his sons led the elders of Israel to consider the dangers and exigencies of the state. In these peculiar circumstances they saw that, with the death of Samuel, they would be deprived of all the efficiency and in- tegrity of the government; and, having carefully considered the whole case, and matured their plan, they went to Samuel, and de- sired him to appoint a king over them. (See Appendix, note 53.) The aged prophet was much grieved at this request ; he saw that it was a reflection upon himself, and, to a great extent, a formal re- jection of the theocracy. But although displeased and grieved, Samuel acted as became his character and profession : he " prayed unto the Lord ;" and the Lord heard and answered. The prophet was commanded to accede to the request ; but he was at the same time instructed to inform the people, that this application Avas a proof of their unfaithfulness, and would lead to a great alteration in the manners and condition of society, as the state of the sovereign would necessarily subject them, and their sons, and their daughters, to servitude. Yet all this did not alter their pm-pose ; and they were dismissed to their homes, expecting the early appointment of a sovereign over the tribes of Israel. Nor were these expectations disappointed. The person first raised to this high office by the express direction of Jehovah was Saul, a young man of the tribe of Benjamin. In stature he was considerably higher than any other man in Israel. Neither his tribe nor family was of such consequence as to give him any claim to distinction : his appointment, therefore, by the special election of Heaven, was calculated to allay, rather than foster, those emulations and jealousies which might have been called forth had a prince of the powerful tribe of Judah or of Ephraim been first invested with supreme power. The manner in which this demand was made, and the motives THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 171 wMch led to it, will, if fairly considered, cast some light upon the social and political condition of the Israelites at this time. This great change in the government of the Hebrews was not effected by any violent revolution. It was not demanded by, or conceded to, any public clamor. It was called for by the legitimate leaders of the people : " All the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him. Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." 1 Sam. viii, 4, 5. Here is no tumult, no insubordination, no want of deference or respect to Samuel. If we look only to the terms of the application, it might be supposed that the elders fully estimated and approved the divinely purposed plan of a theocracy, but at the same time saw that the state of the people, both in a religious and social point of view, was utterly in- adequate to carry out in practice a political constitution which required constant faith in God, and unreserved devotedness to his service ; and which made this piety the bond of national confedera- tion, and the spirit of every great national purpose and action. But when we look beyond the manner in which the demand was made, and see how it was persisted in when it was declared to imply a rejection of God, then it appears that, respectful and decorous as was the conduct of these men, even they possessed neither the faith nor obedience requisite to a clear apprehension of the nature of the theocracy, or a practical conformity to its requirements. Thus, although the misconduct of Samuel's sons appears as the primary cause of this change in the government ; and this united request of the elders, as the means by which it was secm'ed ; when we carefully review the whole matter, and especially the judgment of the Lord on the subject of the demand, (1 Sam. viii, 7, 8,) and the pertinacious reply of the elders, (verses 19, 20,) it is evident that the real cause of this movement lay in the unfaithfulness of the Hebrew mind, and that a king was given them, although it was an infringement of the divine plan, because a monarchical government was, under all circumstances, the nearest approach to it which the existing state of religion among the Hebrews rendered practicable. Nor is it a matter of wonder that the population at large are not found foremost in making this request. It is scarcely possible, in any age or country, to find a people living in more perfect freedom than the Israelites, from the time of their entrance into Canaan to the establishment of monarchy. The only oppression to which they had been subjected was that of the princes of the neighboring tribes, who were permitted to tyrannize over them as a punishment for their sin. The social and political evils of this period were individual It2 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. licentiousness and the absence of national unity ; and these arose, not from any defect in the system of government, but from the faithless- ness of the people. The sacred narrative repeatedly informs us, that " every man did that -which was right in his own eyes." The wholesome restraints of law and government were wanting ; and why? Not because ample provision had not been made for this purpose, but because, God being their King, the principle of subjection and obedience was religion, and the people generally were irreligious. They were not faithful to God ; they did, therefore, not what he had commanded, but what they severally regarded as right or suitable ; and, consequently, great disorder and licentiousness prevailed. The same cause produced national disunion and consequent weakness. The system of polity established by Moses presented Jehovah as the centre and bond of union, which was intended to associate all the tribes of Israel into one brotherhood, one compact body politic. And while the spirit and genius of that economy were apprehended and obeyed, by a sincere and practical devotedness to the revealed will of Jehovah, this was done. But when Baal was worshiped by one section of the people, Ashtaroth by another, and a cold and for- mal recognition of Jehovah scarcely maintained ; then, as there was no political head acknowledged, and no bond of union between the tribes exercising effective influence, Israel existed only as separate and isolated families ; feeble from their disunion, and utterly une- qual to national purpose or action. Hence, although the elders saw that the establishment of monarchy Avould limit their power, and give them a master, they deliberately and unanimously chose this as . the only means of maintaining a national existence, and of prevent- ing the several sections of the Hebrew family from falling a prey to the heathen tribes by which they were surrounded. The appointment of the first sovereign was made in a manner which proved the election to be divine. It is not necessary to de- tail the circumstances which first brought Saul into the presence of Samuel. But the day before this meeting, the Lord told the pro- phet that he would send him " a man out of the land of Benjamin ;" adding, " Thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Is- rael." Samuel obeyed ; and on the following day, having hospitably received Saul, and entertained him with every mark of distinction, he at length took him apart, and anointed him with oil, saying, " The Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance." 1 Sam. X, 1. God was pleased to sustain this vocation, by adding to the natural endowments of Saul further qualifications for his new dignity, which were wrought in him by the special influence of the Holy Spirit. The fact of Samuel's anointing Saul before he had THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 173 received any command to make his appointment public, showed the strength of his faith, and proves that the entire transaction was mi- der the direction of God. If, as has been sometimes profanely alleged, Samuel appointed Saul to the sovereignty in the hope that he would be subservient to him, and set him aside when he found him intractable ; then the prophet would certainly in the first in- stance have taken measures for recommending him to the favorable notice of the people. But here the opposite course is adopted : the son of Kish is first privately anointed, and afterward elected by lot from all the tribes : a course which proves the faith and integrity of the prophet, and shows that Saul owed his elevation to divine selec- tion alone. This was the course adopted. Samuel assembled all Israel to meet him at Mizpeh; and, having briefly recounted the Lord's mercy in delivering them from Egypt, he reminded them that in demanding a king they had rejected the Lord, who had himself saved them out of all their adversities and tribulations. He then called them to present themselves before the Lord by their tribes ; when, on the application of the lot, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. And after- ward in a similar manner the family of Matri, and Saul the son of Kish, were selected. Samuel then presented the sovereign elect to the people, and they shouted, " May the king live !"* The prophet, having recorded these public transactions in a book, which he laid up before the Lord, dismissed the assembly, and sent the people to their homes. It does not appear that on this occasion any arrange- ment was made for supporting the regal dignity, or for defining the authority of the monarch : nor did these proceedings command uni- versal approval. Some sons of Belial sneeringly said, " How shall this man save us ? And they despised him, and brought him no presents." 1 Sam. x, 27. This conduct appears, however, to have been an exception to the prevailing feeling of the people, who gene- rally approved of this compliance with their wishes ; while others, " whose hearts Grod had touched," loved the sovereign, and followed him, and thus formed a kind of volunteer body-guard. Verse 26. The first event which called Saul to exercise the functions of his new and elevated dignity, was the invasion of Israel by the Ammon- ites, under their king Nahash. It seems that this invasion was pre- viously threatened, or had been some time in progress ; for it is referred to as one of the principal causes which led the elders at this time to demand a king. 1 Sam. xii, 12. This aggression, made *The authorized rendering of "God save the king," much as it has been quoted and used, is no translation of the original, and is, in fact, entirely unsanctioned by the He- brew text. 174 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. by a people occupying tlie eastei-n frontier of the land of Israel, "vvould necessarily, in the first instance, affect the trans -j or danic tribes. Of these territories Nahash selected Gilead; and as the in- habitants of this city found themselves unable to resist him, they offered to submit and serve him. But the cruel and haughty Am- monite refused to receive any submission, except the inhabitants would consent to be deprived of their right eyes ; an infliction which he would avowedly regard as " a reproach upon all Israel." 1 Sam. xi, 2. (See Appendix, note 54.) The men of Jabesh- Gilead pro- mised to submit even to these conditions, unless they were relieved in seven days. Meanwhile they sent messengers to all the coasts of Israel, imploring assistance. When tliis information reached Gi- beah, Saul (Avho had returned to his agricultural pursuits) was in the field attending to his flocks. On coming in, he found the people weeping at the distressing information which they had received. While he listened to the sad account, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon him, and he instantly sent an urgent message to all Israel to come with him to the war. Tliis demand was so promptly and generally obeyed, that he found himself at the head of a gTcat army in time to afford the requisite aid to the men of Jabesh- Gilead. Inexperienced in war as the new king was at this time, he showed, by the manner in which he directed the attack on the host of the Ammonites, that he lacked neither skill nor courage. He informed his distressed brethi'en that they should on the morrow have help ; and they sent a message to the king of the Ammonites, which thi-ew him off his guard ; while Saul, dividing his men into three companies, fell upon the enemy by sm-prise, and completely defeated and destroyed them. Elevated and flushed with this great victory, the friends of Saul demanded that the men who despised him on his accession should be put to death. But the king most discreetly refused, declaring that, as the Lord had saved Israel, no man's life should be taken away. And all Israel rejoiced very greatly. Samuel, who had accompanied this expedition, and who was not only an eye-witness of Saul's prudence and valor, but also saw that he had discretion enough to overlook the indignities which had been offered unto him when he was elected to the sovereignty, and that he, at the same time, possessed sufficient wisdom and moderation to pardon this conduct when flushed Avith victory, proposed that all Israel should repair to Gilgal, and confirm Saul in possession of the kingdom. This spot was regarded as sacred. It was the fii^st rest- ing-place of the ark after passing Jordan, and was the site on which Israel anew covenanted to serve Jehovah. Here, again, we are told, " they made Saul king." 1 Sam. xi, 15. Josephus says that Samuel THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 175 here anointed Saul a second time : nor does this appear at all im- probable, though the circumstance is not mentioned in the Hebrew text ; for the first anointing was a private transaction, and he was not anointed when elected by lot. It is remarkable that we find the same double anointing in the case of David. (See 1 Sam. xvi, 13 ; 2 Sam. V, 3. Appendix, note 55.) From this time, therefore, Saul may be regarded as the recog- nized sovereign of Israel. Soon after his public inauguration, Sa- muel called a solemn assembly of the people ; and when he appealed unto them, they fully exonerated him from all charge of blame in his public administration, and testified their conviction of the purity and integrity of his conduct. Having proved his Divine commission by a miraculous thunder, he earnestly exhorted them to follow the Lord with all their heart, and to serve Him ; assuring them that the prosperity of their country entirely depended upon their fidelity, and that apostasy would certainly involve them and their king in destruction. The address of Samuel on this occasion was evidently designed to remove from the public mind any idea, that the new political arrangement which had been made could save the kingdom, apart from the presence and blessing of Jehovah. After Saul had reigned two years, he collected a force of three thousand men, and attacked a garrison which the Philistines had established in Geber. The tyranny which this nation then exer- cised over those tribes of Israel which lay contiguous to their bor- ders, equally indicated their cruelty, severity, pride, and overbearing character. As a proof of this, lest the Hebrews should arm them- selves, the Philistines would not allow them to have any smith among them. Every man, therefore, was obliged to go down to the Philistines to have his iron agricultural instruments made or re- paired ; and the garrisons of which we read were probably established to enforce this political severity. The aggression of Saul roused the indignation of their enemies, and they gathered together an im- mense army, with which they invaded Israel. Saul also blew the trumpet, and his people assembled at Gilgal ; but the host of the Philistines was so overwhelming in numbers, and so superior in equipment, that the Hebrews shrank from the contest, and hid themselves in caves and pits, until the king was left with only six hundred followers. When this movement was planned, Samuel had promised to come to Saul in seven days. The seventh day had arrived, when Saul found himself in these circumstances, with an immense host opposed to him, and supported by only a handful of men. This was an occasion when his faith and obedience were put to a very severe trial; and they unhappily failed: for, instead of 176 THE HEBREW PEOPLE, trusting in Jehovah, who, he knew, could save by many or few, as it pleased him, and waiting the full time for the aid and counsel of the prophet of the Most High, he hastily rushed into engagements which were beyond his province. Excited by the pressure of im- pending danger, and impatient at the delay of Samuel, although the time mentioned by the prophet had not fully elapsed, he proceeded to offer sacrifices himself; but before he had completed these sacred rites, Samuel arrived, rebuked his foolish conduct, and told him that the Lord, who would have confirmed the kingdom to him if he had been obedient, had now determined that it should not continue in liis family. After the communication of these melancholy tidings, Samuel departed. The Hebrew text, as given in our authorized translation, makes the prophet go up to Gibeah ; but this is certainly incorrect, and some words which have been preserved in the Sep- tuagint give us the true sense of the narrative. Samuel returned to Ramah ; and Saul, accompanied with about six hundred men, re- mained at Gibeah, watching the motions of the enemy. The Philistines, Avith a great army, were encamped at Michmash ; and, holding the Hebrew band in supreme contempt, they sent out divisions of their army by three different ways, to spoil and lay waste the country. This Saul had the mortification of seeing, al- though he had no power to prevent it. But at this crisis the Lord wrought a great deliverance for Israel by means of Jonathan, Saul's son, in a manner Avhich clearly showed that the defense of Israel depended not on the multitude of her warriors. This young man, full of faith in God, proposed to his armor-bearer that they should go over and attack the garrison of the Philistines : he consenting, they did so in open day, their enemies in derision inviting them to advance. Having gained the summit of the rock, these two men threw themselves on the first body of foes they met, and the Lord marvelously helped them ; for while they slew, there went a trem- bling throughout the hosts, and the earth quaked, and the Philistines in their haste and confusion killed and trampled upon each other. This being observed by Saul, he led on his force to the attack ; all the people also joined in the pursuit, and Israel was saved that day with a gi'eat deliverance. The rout and ruin of the Philistine army were complete. Yet, in the midst of this great success, Saul again displayed hasti- ness and want of judgment. In his anxiety to complete the ruin of his enemies, he adjured all the people, pronouncing a curse upon any who stayed to taste food before the evening. The evil conse- quences of this rash proceeding were twofold. The people, being thus faint with exertion, rushed hastily on the animals which were .J THE HEBREW PEOPLE. 177 near, slew them, and sinned in eating the flesh with the blood ; while Jonathan, who had not heard his father's imprecation, but had eaten a little honey, was condemned to die for this involuntary disobedi- ence. He was, however, saved from his father's judgment by the united determination of the people, that the instrument of their de- liverance should not thus perish : " So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not." 1 Sam. xiv, 45. Saul followed up this success by recovering the possessions which the Philistines had wrested from Israel. He also fought against the various enemies that had alternately harassed the Israelites. JNIoab, Ammon, Edom, and other States, were successively chastised ; and wherever he tm'ned his arms he prospered. In the course of this successful career the king received, through Samuel, a special command from the Lord to carry into eflfect the Divine denunciation against the Amalekites. This injunction was given in the most expHcit terms. He was to destroy them without any exception or reserve : he was not even to take any spoil of liv- ing creatures ; oxen, sheep, camels, and asses were all to be slaugh- tered. Saul proceeded to the work assigned, and was completely successful; but having conquered, he again disobeyed the Divine command, in that he preserved Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and brought home the best of the cattle which had been found as spoil. On his return, Samuel went down to Gilgal to meet him, charged •with a message of judgment from God to the disobedient king. The Lord had revealed to the prophet a knowledge of what had taken place, and the doom which awaited the transgressor. On meeting Saul, and hearing from his own lips a statement of the case, Samuel, in a speech, brief, but full of power, pointed out his sin and his pu- nishment. Saul endeavored in vain to excuse himself: the prophet reiterated his destiny : " The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day." 1 Sam. xv, 28. Having commanded the im- mediate execution of Agag, Samuel returned to his house at Ra- mah ; and, although he deeply deplored the conduct and punishment of Saul, he saw him no more. The next event of importance in this history is the Divine ap- pointment of a successor to Saul, in the government of Israel, " The Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel ? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I Avill send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite : for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go ? If Saul hear it, he will kill me." 1 Sam. xvi, 1, 2. This objection was, however, overruled, and Samuel went. Haying ]2 178 THE HEBREW PEOPLE. arrived at the house of Jesse, and called for his sons, Eliab the eldest being presented to him, the prophet was much pleased with his noble form and fine countenance, and doubted not that he was the prince elect. The Lord, however, reminded him that he saw not as man seeth, — that this was not the person. All the other sons of Jesse, except the youngest, passed in succession before the pro- phet, with the same result : at length David, the youngest, having been sent for, " the Lord said. Arise, anoint him : for this is he." Verse 12. " So Samuel anointed him, in the midst of all his bre- thren." The sacred historian adds, " And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." Verse 13. When God called men to important ofiices in the government of his people, he endowed them with corresponding gifts by the influ- ence of the Holy Ghost. Not that this constrained their actions, or overruled their free agency : it was simply intended and designed to enable them to act more worthily of their vocation than they could do under the mere impulse of their natural powers. But while David was the subject of this blessed inspiration, a very melancholy reverse was gathering over Saul. " The Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him." Verse 14. It may not be possible for us now to apprehend to its full extent the condition of the imhappy monarch. These words seem to teach, that the special influences of the Holy Spirit, which were given to him when he was called to the tlurone, were now taken away ; and perhaps Satan, taking advantage of his distress, and operating upon his depressed and melancholy mind, reduced him to a state bordering upon insanity, a state in which he was at least subject to occasional fits of distrac- tion. In this afiliction he was advised to try the soothing effect of music. Li providing for this, David was recommended as a comely and valiant man, who was very skillful as a musician. The young man was brought into the royal presence, and his music was productive of the best effects : the king's mind was soothed and delivered. Saul was therefore greatly pleased with David, and sent to Jesse to request that his son might remain in the royal service. This being granted, he was promoted to be armor-bearer to the king. (See Ap- pendix, note 56.) At this point of the history, the Philistines collected their forces, and came up against Israel, and Saul marched out to meet them. The battle was, however, deferred by the daring challenge of a huge giant, who, advancing from the enemy's ranks, defied all the aimies of Israel, and demanded the bravest of the Hebrews to come and 12* THE HEBRE^Y PEOPLE. 179 fight with him, offering to stake the independence of the two nations upon the issue of the contest. David, who, as armor-bearer to the king, was present, seeing that even the boldest of Saul's soldiers shrank from this unequal con- flict, and feeling the honor of the God of Israel impugned by the daring defiance of Goliath, nobly offered himself to the combat. Saul dissuaded his favorite from what he considered a rash purpose, by pointing out the disparity of his power in comparison with that of the giant. David modestly, but firmly repeated his proposal, basing his confidence not on human power, but on faith in God ; as- suring the king that, although young and inexperienced in war, he had already proved the sufficiency of the Divine protection ; having slain a lion and a bear while keeping his father's sheep. Saul then furnished David with armor ; but this he declined ; and in his simple garb, armed only with his sling and a few smooth stones from the brook, the Hebrew youth went to meet the heathen giant. No page of history is more full of sublimity than that which records the events of this day. The issue is well known. The Phihstine champion having fallen, the army was routed with great slaughter ; the honor of Jehovah being rescued from reproach, and the independ- ence of Israel maintained. The first results of this noble conduct seemed likely to raise Da- vid to great honor, distinction, and happiness. Saul promoted him in the army, and intrusted him in very important cases : the people greatly honored him, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. In such circumstances, David may have appeared to be an object of envy. But, alas ! how fickle and fleeting are the honor of courts, and the smile of kings ! The prowess and popularity of David were too much for his master. Saul, in all probability, although ignorant of the fact that David had been privately anointed, was led strongly to suspect that he was destined to be his successor ; and, under these moody apprehensions, gave way, first to envy and ill-will, and at length to settled hatred and deliberate malice. There are few portions of the history of the Hebrews or of the world, more full of interest, or more rich in the development of hu- man nature, than those which record the narrative of this persecu- tion. As it is detailed fully and in chronological order by the sacred writer, we shall merely refer to the more prominent circumstances. The first incident which produced an unfavorable influence on the mind of Saul, was the song of the Hebrew women who came out to greet the warriors when they returned from the defeat of the Philis- tines : they went out to meet the king of Israel with music and danc- ing, and they sang, " Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ISO THE HEBREW PEOPLE. ten thousands," 1 Sam. xviii, 7. Harassed by the thought that a young man, his subject, should be preferred to himself, he fell the next day into his former melancholy. David, as willing as before to assuage his pain by the power of music, played before him ; but the malignant king twice attempted to destroy the man who had so greatly served him. David, however, escaped ; and afterward Saul, as if ashamed of his conduct, proposed that David should marry his daughter. This, after having been delayed, Avas at length carried into effect, in a manner which more fully showed the determination of the king to rid himself, if possible, of the man whom he regarded as his enemy. This disposition afterwards became more fully apparent. After many hair-breadth escapes, David was obliged to fly from his own house, by being let down from a window. He first took refuge with Samuel ; and, when Saul sent messengers to take him, they were brought under the influence of an overwhelming spiritual visitation ; so that they lost sight of their object, and began to prophesy. Other messengers being sent, they experienced a similar influence ; and so