,,the ,,bible ,,period ,,by ,,period ,a ,manual for the ,study of the ,bible by ,periods by ,,josiah ,,blake ,,tidwell ,,introductory ,,note3 ,josiah ,blake ,tidwell states ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself 7,lev4 #ai3ah74 ,it is the final word in all right relations to others4 ,this statement in ,the ,bible ,period by ,period1 regarding the ,laws of ,moses1 and echoed in the words of ,jesus is the guiding principle by which ,tidwell seems to have lived4 ,j4 ,b4 ,tidwell was born in ,alabama in #ahgj to a modest family of farmers4 ,he was educated at ,alabama's ,howard ,college 7now ,samford ,university71 earned a ,master's ,degree from ,baylor ,university in #aijc1 and did post-graduate studies through a correspondence program of the ,university of ,chicago4 ,he also received several honorary degrees4 ,tidwell served as the ,chairman of the ,bible ,department at ,baylor ,university from #aiaj until the time of his passing in #aidf4 ,among his writings are ,the ,bible1 ,book by ,book 7#aiad71 ,the ,bible1 ,period by ,period 7#aiaf71 ,genesis3 ,a ,study of the ,plan of ,redemption 7#aibd71 and ,john and ,his ,five ,books 7#aicg74 ,this book1 ,the ,bible ,period by ,period 7#aiaf7 is a companion to ,tidwell's ,the ,bible ,book by ,book 7#aiad74 ,both are college level introductory courses in ,christian studies4 ,they are each organized in outline form with questions at the end of each chapter to guide the student in acquiring a comprehensive mastery of the material4 ,in preparing ,the ,bible ,period by ,period in e-book format1 the outline styles were edited for sake of e-text consistency and proofreading4 ,certain geographical place names were edited for consistent spelling4 ,the rest of the text remains faithful to the original4 ,for any errors in transcription1 ,i sincerely apologize as the words of the author could hardly be improved upon4 ,fredric ,lozo ,mathis1 ,texas ,april #bjje 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,bible ,,period ,,by ,,period ,a ,manual for the ,study of the ,bible by ,periods by ,,josiah ,,blake ,,tidwell ,professor of ,biblical ,literature ,baylor ,university ,press ,waco1 ,texas #aiaf ,author's ,preface4 ,the author believes that the ,bible is the word of ,god and that it is the inspired revelation of ,god's will to men and of the plan which he has provided for their redemption4 ,he believes that it contains instructions which alone furnish the basis of wise and worthy conduct both for individuals and for nations4 ,he1 therefore1 believes that all men should avail themselves of every possible opportunity to acquaint themselves with its teachings and that all ,christians should be faithful and even aggressive in their efforts to teach its truths4 ,moreover1 several years of teaching the ,bible to a multitude of students has convinced the writer that what is needed most is a study of the ,bible itself rather than things about it4 ,having this in mind this little volume presents only a small amount of introductory discussion4 ,it offers instead a large number of topics for study and discussion4 ,by following the suggestions for study which they offer the student may gain a working knowledge of the contents of ,biblical history4 ,it is suggested that these outlines will furnish a basis of work for college and academy ,bible classes4 ,it is also hoped that it may be adopted for study in many ,sunday ,school classes4 ,if it shall be studied in the ,sunday ,schools according to instructions which the author will furnish1 it will be granted college entrance credit in ,baylor ,university4 ,women's societies will find it well suited to their ,bible study work4 ,the aim has been to make a companion book to the author's ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,the twenty one periods selected are only one of the many ways in which ,bible history may be divided and lays no claim to superiority4 ,if this volume shall prove as helpful as the sale of its companion book would indicate that it has been1 the work incident to its preparation will be amply repaid4 ,j4 ,b4 ,tidwell4 ,waco1 ,texas4 #aiaf4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,chapter ,i4 ,from the ,creation to the ,fall4 ,problems solved4 ,creation of man4 ,man's hope and occupation4 ,the temptation4 ,the fall and punishment4 ,the hope offered4 ,teachings of the story4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,from the ,fall to the ,flood4 ,cain and ,abel4 ,cain and ,seth1 two races4 ,the great wickedness4 ,noah ,god's chosen man4 ,the ,ark4 ,the flood4 ,the sacrifice and rainbow covenant4 ,confirmation of tradition and geology4 ,teachings of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,from the ,flood to ,abraham4 ,noah's shame and prophecy4 ,the ,tower of ,babel4 ,the location of this tower4 ,specific purpose of the tower4 ,traditions of such a tower4 ,the civilization of the ancient world4 ,two great empires of antiquity4 ,language and literature4 ,motive of their civilization4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,from ,abraham to ,egypt4 ,events of the period4 ,purpose of the narrative4 ,conditions of the times4 ,confirmations of ,biblical records4 ,experiences of ,abraham4 ,the character of ,abraham4 ,the character and career of ,isaac4 ,stories about ,jacob4 ,stories about ,joseph4 ,death of ,jacob and ,joseph4 ,social and religious conditions of the times4 ,the book of ,job4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,v4 ,from ,egypt to ,sinai4 ,israel in ,egypt4 ,moses the deliverer4 ,the great deliverance4 ,crossing the ,red ,sea4 ,journey to ,sinai4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,from ,sinai to ,kadesh4 ,mount ,sinai4 ,the ,sinaitic covenant4 ,purpose of the ,mosaic ,law4 ,several parts of the law4 ,journey to ,kadesh-,barnea4 ,twelve spies4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,from ,kadesh to the ,death of ,moses4 ,the pathos of the forty years4 ,events of the forty years' wandering4 ,final scenes at ,kadesh4 ,from ,kadesh to ,jordan4 ,prophecies of ,balaam4 ,last acts of ,moses4 ,last scene on ,moab4 ,significance of the work of ,moses4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,joshua's ,conquest4 ,the facts of history recorded4 ,the story in three parts4 ,the land of ,canaan4 ,crossing ,jordan and fall of ,jericho4 ,the complete conquest of ,canaan4 ,cruelty to the ,canaanites4 ,character and work of ,joshua4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,judges4 ,characteristics of tie times4 ,the ,judges4 ,ruth the ,moabite4 ,other nations4 ,outline of the narrative4 ,ethical and religious standards4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,x4 ,the ,reign of ,saul4 ,demand for a king4 ,the principle of the kingdom4 ,saul1 the first king4 ,saul's great achievements4 ,saul's decline4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,the ,reign of ,david4 ,his reign over ,judah4 ,reign over all ,israel4 ,his great sin and its bitter consequences4 ,david's inspiring career4 ,his last days4 ,psalms4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,solomon's ,reign4 ,riddle of ,solomon's character4 ,his policies4 ,solomon's building enterprises4 ,solomon's writings4 ,nations surrounding ,israel4 ,evidences of national decay4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,the ,divided ,kingdom4 ,the division of the kingdom4 ,comparison of the two kingdoms4 ,kings of the ,northern kingdom4 ,kings of ,judah4 ,important events in the history of ,israel4 ,principal events in the history of ,judah4 ,relation between the two kingdoms4 ,messages of the prophets of this period4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the ,kingdom of ,judah4 ,the kings of the period4 ,principal events of the period4 ,prophets of the period and their messages4 ,teachings of the period4 ,false prophets4 ,great religious revivals of this period4 ,wealth and luxury4 ,contemporary nations4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,the ,captivity of ,judah4 ,the ten tribes lost4 ,judah led into captivity4 ,the period of the captivity4 ,the fugitives in ,egypt4 ,exiles in ,babylon4 ,the prophets of the exile4 ,benefits of the captivity4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,the ,restoration4 ,scripture analysis4 ,predictions of the return4 ,rise of the ,persian ,power4 ,the ,decree of ,cyrus4 ,three ,expeditions to ,jerusalem4 ,prophecy of ,haggai and ,zechariah4 ,prophecy of ,malachi4 ,story of ,esther4 ,synagogues and ,synagogue worship4 ,significance of the period4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,from ,malachi to the ,birth of ,christ4 ,the close of ,old ,testament ,history4 ,persian period4 ,under the rule of ,greek kings4 ,period of independence4 ,the ,roman period4 ,entire period4 ,end of the ,period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,from the birth to the ,ascension of ,jesus4 ,the story of the period4 ,the childhood and youth of ,jesus4 ,the beginnings of ,christ's ,ministry4 ,early ,judean ministry4 ,galilean ,ministry4 ,perean ,ministry4 ,final ,ministry in ,jerusalem4 ,the forty days4 ,teaching of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,from the ,ascension to the ,church at ,antioch4 ,the ,book of ,acts4 ,principal events of the period4 ,organization and control of the early church4 ,persecutions of the church4 ,growth and influence4 ,extension of the ,gospel to the ,gentiles4 ,teachings of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,from ,antioch to the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,the changed situation4 ,the divine call4 ,time and extent of ,paul's journeys4 ,first missionary journey4 ,second missionary journey4 ,third missionary journey4 ,at ,jerusalem4 ,at ,caesarea4 ,paul at ,rome4 ,epistles of this period4 ,lessons of the period4 ,topics for discussion4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,from the ,destruction of the ,temple to the ,death of the ,apostle ,john44,the period of history4 ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,from ,a4 ,d4 #gj to ,a4,d4 #ajj4 ,literature of the period4 ,death of ,john and end of scripture history4 ,period lessons4 ,topics for discussion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,introduction 7,pastor ,geo4 ,w4 ,truett47 ,in offering to the public this little book ,the ,bible ,period ,by ,period1 ,dr4 ,tidwell is making another contribution to the cause of ,bible study4 ,he has already published ,some ,introductory ,bible ,studies1 ,an ,outline for the ,study of the ,life of ,christ1 and ,the ,bible ,book ,by ,book4 ,all of these have been well received4 ,the last named formed a part of a definite plan for the study of the sacred ,scripture which is carried forward in this volume4 ,the fact that the first edition of ,the ,bible ,book ,by ,book has practically all been sold before the end of the second year since its publication1 is sufficient proof of its popularity and of its value to ,bible students4 ,it has been adopted for study in a number of colleges and academies and is in use as a text book in a number of women's societies and ,sunday ,school classes4 ,the author1 as teacher of ,bible in ,baylor ,university1 has tried out the studies he offers and has had a splendid opportunity to select what has proven valuable4 ,he teaches a larger number of young preachers than any similar instructor in the whole of the ,southland1 and also many ,sunday ,school ,teachers and other ,christian workers4 ,he can1 therefore1 offer the best4 ,dr4 ,tidwell accepts1 without question1 the inspiration and authoritativeness of the ,bible as the ,word of ,god4 ,he believes in directing the student in the study of the ,bible itself rather than having him study about it4 ,his hooks are1 therefore1 more in the nature of outlines or guides than of discussions4 ,he gives the pupil a clue to the study and says only enough to create a zest for truth such as will lead to a thorough investigation of the subject in hand4 ,in this volume1 as its title would indicate1 the whole ,bible has been divided into periods and main facts and characteristics of each is studied4 ,there are twenty-one periods forming the basis for as many chapters4 ,the plan is to discuss in the beginning of each chapter the most striking events of the period1 ,giving such outlines of the contents and principal events of the period as will make the whole period stand out so that the student may comprehend it at a glance4 ,this is very brief but most comprehensive4 ,in the next place the lessons and teachings of the period are suggested4 ,the author sets forth in tabular form the great teaching found in the ,scripture events1 both in their value to the ,hebrews and in their permanent value to all people and for all times4 ,in the case of the poetical and prophetic books1 suggestions for their study are given in the chapter on the period in which each book and the facts it records occurred4 ,at the close of each chapter there is given a large number of topics for study and discussion4 ,for the most part these topics require the searching of the ,scripture itself and1 if properly followed1 will give the student a splendid knowledge of the contents of the ,scripture of the period4 ,this book when completed in our ,sunday ,schools will1 if done under the direction of the author1 be given credit in ,baylor ,university as college entrance4 ,our ,sunday ,school workers would do well to organize classes of young men and women in the study of this book4 ,in this way they would not only help these young people in ,bible study but would tie them all to our great school at ,baylor and make it possible for them to get credit for it when they attend provided they need it to get into the college4 ,there ought to be hundreds of such classes in ,texas4 ,every ,sunday ,school teacher and woman worker would do himself or herself a valuable service by securing and studying a copy of this new book4 ,and it is also to be hoped that many of our women's societies will adopt it for their ,bible study4 ,let our pastors buy this book for themselves and bring it to the attention of their people4 ,for the people of today1 as of old1 are perishing from a lack of ,bible knowledge4 ,the one unceasing effort that should be constantly and whole heartedly put forth by every ,christian leader in every realm is to get the people to read and to know the ,holy ,scripture4 ,dr4 ,tidwell's book will greatly help in such effort4 ,first ,baptist ,church1 ,dallas1 ,texas4 99 99 99 99 99 ,chapter ,i4 ,from ,the ,creation to ,the ,fall4 ,gen4 ,chs4 #a-c ,problems ,solved4 ,this simple narrative solves some of the great problems about which philosophers have speculated and before which scientists have stood baffled4 ,every child of the human race has asked1 ,what is the origin of the material world1 what is the origin of life1 and what is the origin of sin8 ,in general the philosophers held 7and most of what science says concerning these matters is not science but speculative philosophy7 that matter was eternal and simply asked how it came to its present state4 ,one group1 the materialists1 held that an active principle inherent in the matter working through long ages1 brought about the present state of things4 ,another group1 the pantheists1 held that every thing emanated from a common divine substance1 working everywhere in nature4 ,but this brief story lets at rest all this inquiry4 ,it informs us that matter was not eternal nor did it come into existence by chance1 but it was created out of nothing by our eternal ,god4 ,the story incidentally sets forth the majesty and glory of ,god and man's dependence upon and his obligation to ,god4 ,it also explains the origin of sin and of all man's ills and death4 ,creation of ,man4 ,the ,story of the preparation of a residence for man is told in five brief paragraphs4 ,for concision1 picturesqueness and concreteness1 this narrative is not excelled in all literature4 ,it shows how ,god acting as a creating ,spirit through six successive periods of light and darkness prepared the world and put man in it4 ,in the matter of the creation of man the presence and activity of ,jehovah is especially emphasized4 ,he shaped the body out of the dust of the earth and breathed into the nostrils of that human form that which made him become a living soul4 ,it was the breath of ,god that gave life to man and hence he will return again to dust when that breath is withdrawn4 ,concerning the creation of woman it is better to admit that her creation was supernatural just as was man's4 ,her creation was to provide for man a helpful companionship so that his development and happiness might be complete4 ,her creation out of a part of man's body and to meet an inborn need provides the eternal grounds of marriage and the basis upon which they are in marriage to become one flesh and by reason of which man must love his wife as his own flesh4 ,man is created in the image of ,god and like the ,creator has intelligence and will and is given authority to rule over the earth4 ,man's ,home and ,occupation4 ,no sooner was man created than was planted in the far distant east a garden that should be to him a home and provide therein for his physical and spiritual needs4 ,where that garden was located is not known with certainty4 ,occupation was1 however1 provided so that he might exercise and develop each part of his nature4 ,he exercised his mind in naming the animals and in some way the tree of good and evil was destined to be for his blessing4 ,his soul had fellowship with ,eve his helpmate and ,god his creator4 ,this garden also had in it a life-giving tree that gave them the possibility of enjoying an endless life should they remain near it and continue to eat its fruit4 ,the ,temptation4 ,the study proceeds on the basis that there was already a race of fallen beings in the universe4 ,satan was the chief of these and had the mysterious power of tempting others to follow him4 ,he assumed the form of a serpent-a creature least likely to be suspected and thereby deceived ,eve the weaker4 ,the temptation had several elements3 7#a7 ,the talking serpent was to her in the nature of a miracle2 7#b7 ,eve had not heard the command of ,god herself 7it was given before her creation7 but had learned it from ,adam4 ,the devil therefore raised a doubt as to whether ,god really forbade it2 7#c7 ,the question implies a doubt concerning the goodness and wisdom of ,god2 7#d7 ,it appeals to the lust of flesh1 to the pride of the eye and to the pride of life4 ,it was beautiful1 good for food1 and to make her wise even like ,god2 7#e7 ,in this appeal to curiosity there is an implied dare2 7#f7 ,she was told that she had a mistaken idea of the penalty-that she should not surely die4 ,in all this it will be noted that the temptation was to fall upward4 ,all the motives-the satisfaction of natural appetite1 the desire for knowledge and power and the love for beauty were in themselves worthy4 ,the temptation was to better herself4 ,such it is always4 ,adam was not directly approached1 but he willfully disobeyed without being beguiled as was the woman4 ,the chief blame1 therefore1 fell upon him4 ,the ,fall and ,punishment4 ,the fearful consequences of their sin are felt at once4 ,they are changed so that they are conscious of guilt and endeavor to hide themselves from ,jehovah4 ,thus they acknowledge their unfitness for fellowship with ,him4 ,their soul having lost communion with ,god1 they become corrupt4 ,this is spiritual death4 ,they were banished from the garden and forced to struggle for food4 ,their bodies became subject to pain and death by separation from the animating spirit4 ,they could not longer eat of the life-giving tree of the garden4 ,the earth was cursed so that instead of ministering to man's pleasure and support1 it would produce much to his hurt4 ,the woman in her unredeemed state was to be in subordination to her husband4 ,the sad story of downtrodden women in heathen lands of all times since then1 and even today wherever ,christ is not known1 tells something of the awful results of her sin4 ,the ,hope ,offered4 ,the gloom of this sad story of their punishment was relieved by an element of hope4 ,the man and his wife are not beyond the pale of ,god's love4 ,there is given a promise 7#c3ae7 which assures the coming of one1 who would contend with the tempter and would finally crush his head and repair the damage of the ,fall4 ,all of the rest of the ,bible unfolds the plan and work of ,god in fulfilling this promise4 ,there is beginning with ,cain and ,abel and running through the entire scripture a record of the conflict caused by the enmity between the seed of woman and that of her seducer4 ,this conflict is to end when ,christ the seed of the woman shall return to reign and shall cast his adversary into the bottomless pit4 ,along with this promise he also provided for them garments of the skins of animals such as were suited to their new and hostile environment and in which most writers find a suggestion of the covering of righteousness that comes to guilty sinners through the death of ,jesus4 ,then too there was erected at the east of the garden an alter of worship not unlike that provided in connection with the ,tabernacle later and where ,god dwelt in mercy and could be approached4 ,here was opened up a way by which they might after being forgiven again have a right to the tree of life and live forever4 ,some ,teachings of this ,story4 ,back of this story are many truths worthy of most careful study4 ,they constitute the basal facts of all history and religion4 ,the following are put down as among the most vital3 7#a7 ,back of all nature is a personal ,creator and ,ruler who has the tenderest solicitude and care for man1 as the highest product of his creation4 7#b7 ,there was an orderly progress in creation from the more simple and less important to the most complex and most important4 7#c7 ,all things were made for man and his comfort4 7#d7 ,marriage is a sacred obligation growing out of the very character of man and woman who were made for each other and each can1 therefore1 meet the deepest needs of the other4 7#e7 ,sin does not originate in ,god but in man's yielding to his baser instead of his nobler and diviner motives4 7#f7 ,sin as a cause brings its own punishment1 the worst of which is the separation of the individual from harmonious relations with ,god1 which is spiritual death4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the condition of the material universe when ,god began to prepare it for man's abode4 7#b7 ,the six creative days or periods and what was created in each4 7#c7 ,the special emphasis upon the presence and activity of ,god in the creation of man and woman4 7#d7 ,the divine interest in and preparation for the happiness of man4 7#e7 ,the home prepared for them4 7#f7 ,the lessons about marriage1 its purpose1 basis1 etc4 7#g7 ,the law and place of testing in the formation of character4 7#h7 ,the ills of life that are the results of some one's sin4 7#i7 ,the nature and results of the curse upon the man1 upon the woman1 upon the tempter4 7#aj7 ,god's care for man after the ,fall and the provisions for his recovery4 7#aa7 ,the revelation of ,god made by these three chapters4 7#ab7 ,the image of ,god in man4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,from the ,fall to the ,flood4 ,gen4 ,chs4 #d-h4 ,cain and ,abel4 ,these two1 who are apparently the oldest children of the first pair1 were no doubt born soon after the expulsion from the garden4 ,one tilled the soil and the other was a shepherd4 ,they each appear to have been attentive to worship4 ,their offerings1 however1 were very different and no doubt revealed a difference of spirit4 ,the superiority of ,abel's offering was in the faith in which it was made 7,heb4 #aa3d71 meaning perhaps that he relied upon the promise of ,god and that he apprehended the truth that without shedding of blood there is no remission4 7,heb4 #ab3bd74 ,because ,god granted to ,abel a token of acceptance of his offering and failed to grant a like token to ,cain1 the latter became jealous and finally slew his brother4 ,thus early did ,adam and ,eve begin to reap the effects of sin4 ,the record1 in kindness to them1 makes no mention of the great sorrow that must have come to them as they saw their second son murdered by their first-born4 ,these two sons represent two types running through all the ,bible and indeed through all history-the unchecked power of evil and the triumph of faith4 ,they represent two types of religion1 one of faith and the other of works4 ,then as in all succeeding ages the true worshipers were persecuted by false worshipers4 ,god showed his mercy to ,cain whom he sent away from the place of worship at the east of the garden by putting upon him the divine mark so that no one should destroy him4 ,he also allowed him to prosper and it was through his descendants that civilization began to show itself4 ,cain and ,seth-,two ,races4 ,another son was born to ,adam named ,seth4 ,probably others have been born since the death of ,abel but none of a like spirit to ,abel and hence none worthy to become the head of a spiritual branch of mankind4 ,cain's descendants applied themselves to the arts and to manufactures1 to the building of cities and the making those things that furnish earthly comfort1 while the descendants of ,seth1 were selected to be the instruments of religious uplift and to have communion with ,jehovah4 ,through inter-marriage with the descendants of ,cain1 however1 the generation of ,seth was corrupted4 ,this led to a period of great wickedness and the destruction of the people by the flood4 ,the great age of those who lived in this period may have been a provision of nature for the promotion of a rapid increase of the race and for the advancement of knowledge4 ,the revelation of ,god to them could thereby be the better preserved4 ,then1 too1 the body of man was not originally subject to death and when it became so because of his sin1 the process of decay may have been less rapid4 ,and1 besides1 the effect of hereditary disease had not begun to effect and weaken the race4 ,the ,great ,wickedness4 ,as indicated above1 this ,wickedness seemed to arise from the intermarriage of the descendants of ,seth and those of ,cain4 ,the descendants of ,seth were called the song of ,god1 because they were the religious seed4 ,when they looked upon the beautiful daughters of ,cain 7called the daughters of man because they represented the irreligious portion of the race71 they married them and thereby brought the whole race into such corruption that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually 7,gen4 #f3e74 ,god therefore declared ,my ,spirit shall not always strive with man and set the limit when he should quit thus striving with him at one-hundred and twenty years 7,gen4 #f3c74 ,after that ,god proposed to destroy the whole wicked race from off the face of the earth 7,gen4 #f3g74 ,noah ,god's ,chosen ,man4 ,the narrative tells us 7,gen4 #f3h7 that ,noah found favor in the eyes of ,jehovah4 ,this was no doubt because his character and acts were acceptable to ,him4 ,he was the tenth and last in the ,sethic line4 ,he was the son of ,lamech 7,gen4 #e3bh71 a godly man1 who had felt the weight of burden because of the curse which ,god had pronounced upon the ground because of ,adam's sin4 ,he was called ,noah by his father1 because he said the child would be a source of comfort concerning their toil growing out of that curse 7,gen4 #e3ci74 ,he was a just and perfect man and walked with ,god 7,gen4 #f3i2 #g3a74 ,compare also ,i ,peter #c3bj and ,heb4 #aa3g4 ,he is also called a preacher of righteousness 7,,ii ,peter #b3e7 and it is probable that1 during the one-hundred and twenty years that were likely employed in building the ark1 he preached to his generation and tried to lead them to repentance4 ,he was1 however1 unable to influence any save his own family4 ,the saving of his own family was1 however1 a splendid monument of his life4 ,the ,ark4 ,noah built the ark according to the pattern given him by ,jehovah4 ,it was a sort of box-like boat #ebe ft4 long #hg-a_/b ft4 wide and #db-a_/b ft4 deep1 if we count a cubit at twenty-one inches4 ,it was three stories high1 and the building of it was a huge undertaking4 ,we need not1 however1 think of it as an undertaking beyond the resources of the times4 ,all those early people seem to have been fond of colossal works4 ,the building of this ,ark was not only an object lesson to the ungodly people of the time but a satisfactory proof of the faith of the builder4 ,the ,flood4 ,at the command of ,jehovah ,noah and his household entered the ,ark carrying two of every species of unclean1 and seven of every clean kind of animal and creeping things4 ,they were shut in by the hand of ,god4 ,the scripture passes silently over all horrors that filled the earth as man and beast were destroyed4 ,we may imagine them trying by strength to get out of reach of the rising waters1 but no mental culture or mechanical skill or physical culture1 neither tears and entreaties could deliver man from the destruction which ,god had determined because of sin4 ,it was seven months before the ,ark rested on ,ararat and more than five more before the ransomed company departed from it4 ,the ,sacrifice and ,rainbow ,covenant4 ,upon leaving the ,ark ,noah expressed his thanksgiving and devotion to ,god by erecting an altar to ,jehovah and offering thereon a sacrifice consisting of victims of every species of clean bird and beast4 ,the fragrance of this sacrifice1 such as the world had never seen before1 was pleasant to ,jehovah and he visited ,noah with a promise that he would not again send such a flood upon the earth4 ,the rainbow was given as a pledge of the promise made him4 ,it was to be the constant seal of mercy on ,god's part1 and it is not necessary to worry over the question as to whether there had never been a rainbow before or whether it was simply appropriated as a sign4 ,in this new covenant the earth was put under ,noah1 as it was under ,adam at first4 ,he was1 however1 allowed to eat flesh1 only mans blood was not to be shed and the seasons were to continue in regularity4 ,thus the race started anew as a saved group1 rescued through the faith of ,noah4 ,confirmation of ,tradition and ,geology4 ,perhaps no other event of scripture history has found so large a place in ancient traditions and legends as has the flood4 ,it is found in each of the three great races-the ,semites2 the ,aryan2 and the ,tutarian4 ,it is found alike among savage and civilized races1 and as might be expected is most accurate in the countries that were nearest to where the ,ark rested4 ,among the most important of these early traditions are those of ,babylon4 ,greece1 ,china1 and ,america4 ,in a general way these traditions may be said to agree with the ,biblical story in the following particulars3 7#a7 ,that a flood destroyed an evil world2 7#b7 ,that one righteous family was saved in a boat and that animals were saved with them2 7#c7 ,that the boat landed on a mountain2 7#d7 ,that a bird was sent out of the boat2 7#e7 ,that the saved family built an altar and worshiped ,god with sacrifice4 ,all these stories tend to corroborate the ,biblical story and to show that the whole race must have spring from this common home from which they have been scattered abroad4 ,geology has also done much to confirm the flood story4 ,geologists are well acquainted with facts in world history that bring the flood entirely within the range of natural phenomena4 ,the ,scripture 7,gen4 #g3aa7 speaks of the fountains of the deep being broken1 language that could refer to the inrushing of the sea upon a depression of the earth which later rose again4 ,such elevations and depressions have occurred many times4 ,an example is the elevation of the coast of ,chile by an earthquake in #ahbb4 ,such an explanation by no means destroys the miracle of it1 since the coming just when ,noah had completed the ark and entered it and just when ,god said it would come1 provided the element of miracle4 ,a wide-spread flood is also required by the discovery of evidence in the earth of the destruction of animal life4 ,some ,teachings of ,this ,period4 ,the teachings of this period may be divided into three groups3 ,those concerning ,cain and ,abel2 those concerning ,cain and ,seth4 or the two races2 those concerning the flood4 ,those concerning ,cain and ,abel are3 7#a7 ,the mere fact of having worshiped is not a guarantee of acceptance with ,god4 7#b7 ,both the spirit and the form of worship must please ,jehovah4 7#c7 ,god tries to point out the right way to men and only punishes when man fails to give heed4 7#d7 ,man is free and though ,god may turn to show him a better way1 he will not restrain him by force even from the worst crimes4 7#e7 ,to try to shun the responsibility of being our brother's keeper is to show the spirit of ,cain4 ,the story of ,cain and ,seth1 or the two races show3 7#a7 ,that our acts reveal our thoughts4 7#b7 ,that the indulgence of our lusts and appetites disgraces the noblest people4 7#c7 ,that outward culture without true religion will not save a people4 7#d7 ,the noble and good will finally dominate other men4 ,the story of the flood teaches3 7#a7 ,that ,jehovah can not make men righteous against their will4 7#b7 ,that men by wickedness grieve ,god and thwart his purposes4 7#c7 ,that man has1 therefore1 power to cause his own destruction4 7#d7 ,that ,god does not save because of numbers or civilization1 but because of character and obedience to his laws4 7#e7 ,that ,god is pleased with the worship of those who obey him4 ,for ,study and ,discussion1 7#a7 ,the consequences of sin as seen in this period with special reference to the new truths added to those of the former period4 7#b7 ,new truths about ,god4 7#c7 ,the beginning of the arts of civilization4 7#d7 ,the unity of the race4 7,s7 ,the names and ages of the six oldest men and whether any one of them could have known personally both ,adam and ,noah4 7#f7 ,the size1 architecture and the task of building the ,ark4 7#g7 ,the flood as a whole4 7#h7 ,the inhabitants of the ,ark4 7#i7 ,the departure from the ,ark1 and the new covenant4 7#aj7 ,the flood as a divine judgment especially in the light of the judgment put upon ,adam and ,cain4 7#aa7 ,noah as the first man mentioned who saved others and the way in which he represents ,jesus4 7#ab7 ,evidences of man's freedom as seen in this and the former chapters4 7#ac7 ,worship as seen in the two periods studied4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,from the ,flood to ,abraham ,gen4 ,chs4 #i-aa4 ,noah's ,shame and ,prophecy4 ,just what the vocation of ,noah bad been before his call to prepare for the flood we do not know4 ,but after the flood1 perhaps compelled by necessity1 he became an husbandman4 ,he had probably settled on the slopes or in the valleys of ,ararat where he planted a vineyard4 ,on one occasion at least he fell under the intoxicating influence of the fermented wine4 ,this man upon whom ,god had conferred such great favor and who alone preserved the race alive lay naked and helpless in his tent4 ,in this shameful condition he was discovered by his sons whose conduct led him in a spirit of prophecy to assign to his three sons the rewards and punishments which their deeds merited4 ,the punishment and rewards fell upon the descendants of his sons4 ,the descendants of ,ham1 because of his joy rather than sorrow over the sin and humiliation of his father1 should always be a servile race4 ,out of these descendants of ,ham arose the ,canaanites1 the ,babylonians and the ,egyptians who developed the three great civilizations of antiquity4 ,their ascendancy1 however1 soon passed4 ,the ,canaanites were subdued by the ,israelites2 the ,cushites of ,chaldea were absorbed by ,semitic conquerors and ,carthage of the ,phoenicians fell before her foes4 ,the sons of ,cush1 in the scripture commonly meaning the ,ethiopian and now known as the black-skinned ,african1 are the very synonym for weakness1 degradation and servitude4 ,the descendants of ,japheth and ,shem like those of ,ham can be traced only in part4 ,the ,japhethites probably settled around the ,mediterranean and in the northwest beyond the ,black ,sea4 ,from them the great races of ,europe1 including the ,greeks1 the ,romans1 and the more modern nations1 must have sprung4 ,the ,shemites were located1 generally speaking1 between the territories occupied by the sons of ,ham and ,japheth4 ,aram1 one of the sons of ,japheth1 settled in ,syria near ,damascus in northern part of ,mesopotamia and through his son1 ,uz1 gave the name of ,uz to the territory1 thus showing how that branch of the ,hebrews came from western ,mesopotamia1 a fact now confirmed by modern discovery4 ,all the other sons of ,shem and their descendants are dropped from the record of ,chapter eleven1 except that of ,arphaxad from whom descended ,abram4 ,the prophecy of ,noah was not only fulfilled in the case of ,ham and his punishment but in the blessing of the ,others4 ,shem was for a long time signally blessed as is witnessed by the ,asiatic supremacy and especially in the ,jews who conquered the ,canaanites 7descendants of ,ham7 and in whose tents ,god dwelt4 ,during that period of the ascendancy of the ,shemites not much was known of the descendants of ,japheth4 ,but now for more than two thousand years his have been the dominant race of the earth4 ,year by year1 the ,japhethites have spread over the globe1 until whole continents are now peopled by him4 ,he now rests his foot upon every soil either as a trader1 colonist or national power4 ,the ,tower of ,babel4 ,the place of this tower is in the land of ,shinat1 which is the name given by the early ,hebrews to the land of ,babylonia 7,gen4 #aj3aj2 #ad3ai2 ,is4 #aa3a2 ,dan4 #a3b2 ,zech4 #e3aa74 ,this plain of ,shinar had become the center of the earth's population4 ,they threw up with infinite toil great mounds1 which still stand as monuments of human achievement4 ,many such mounds and ruins1 any of which would have seemed lofty in contrast with the level plain of ,babylon1 may be seen by the traveler4 ,the exact location of this tower cannot be determined with certainty1 but it has been thought by some that a great mound on the east of the ,euphrates1 which probably represents the remains of the great temple of ,marduk with its huge pyramid-like foundation1 was the site of this tower4 ,on the west of the ,euphrates1 however1 is a vast mound called ,birs ,nimrood1 which used to be regarded as the ruins of the ,tower of ,babel4 ,the fact that it early gave the impression of incompleteness favors this claim4 ,nebuchadnezzar says on a tablet that another king began it but left it unfinished4 ,it fell into disrepair and was completed by ,nebuchadnezzar and was used as one of the great temples4 ,it was built of brick and was oblong in form4 ,it measured seven hundred yards around and rose to a height of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet high4 ,it consisted o8 seven stages or stories colored to represent the tints which the ,sabeans thought appropriate to the seven planets4 ,beginning from the bottom they were black1 orange1 bright red1 golden1 pale yellow1 dark blue and silver1 representing respectively the colors of ,saturn1 ,jupiter1 ,mars1 the ,sun1 ,venus4 ,mercury1 and the ,moon4 ,these marks may indicate the prevalence of idolatry and have led some to think the tower of ,babel was intended to do honor to the gods of ,babylonia4 ,the specific purpose of this tower is difficult to determine4 ,josephus says the object was to save the people in case of another flood4 ,the scripture record 7#aa3d7 indicates that they were moved by an unholy pride and selfish desire to make for themselves a great name4 ,it also was intended to become a sort of rallying-point which would keep the people together and prevent the destruction of their glory which they thought would result from their separation4 ,in #aa3f ,god says nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do4 ,in this there is an implication that they are at cross purposes with ,god4 ,it was an act that defied ,god and showed the need of punishment4 ,it is not unlikely that idolatry had begun to prevail and that the tower was built in honor of those false ,gods whom men were disposed to trust4 ,the incompleteness of the tower is attributed to divine intervention4 ,hitherto all the descendants of ,noah had spoken the same language1 but now by a direct divine interposition they are caused to speak several1 and then separated so they can no longer cooperate with each other in carrying out their plans which had so displeased ,god4 ,the different languages then are regarded as a punishment of the race which had rebelled against ,god4 ,traditions of such a tower may be found in many forms and in many countries4 ,in ,babylonia there was a tradition that not long after the flood men were tall and strong and became so puffed up that they defied the gods and tried to erect a tower called ,babylon by means of which they could scale heaven4 ,but when it reached the sky the gods sent a mighty wind and turned over the tower4 ,they said that hitherto all men had used the same language1 but that at this time there was sent on them a confusion of many tongues1 from which confusion the tower was named ,babel4 ,in ,greece1 there was a legend in which we trace the story of the tower of ,babel4 ,according to this legend a race of giants tried to reach ,mount ,olympus1 which was supposed to be the residence of the gods1 by piling ,mount ,ossa upon ,pelion4 ,but the gods interfered with their plan and scattered the impious conspirators4 ,this effort of the ,titans to mount up to heaven corresponds so well to the motive of the builders of the tower as to indicate that there was a common origin for both stories4 ,there is also a ,greek tradition that ,helen had three sons3 ,aeolus1 ,dorus1 and ,ion1 who were the ancestors of the three great branches of the ,hellenic race4 ,this again corresponds to the prophetic table of nations which were to descend from ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth1 the three sons of ,noah4 ,the ,civilization of the ,ancient ,world4 ,just when and where civilization began we have no means of telling4 ,the ,bible speaks of a very high state of civilization at a very early time 7,gen4 #d3bj-bb74 ,in ages long before ,abraham and ,moses the world had made great advancement in culture1 commerce1 law and religion4 ,from the monuments and engraven vases that have been found in such unearthed cities as ,nippur1 we now know that ,abraham and ,moses did not live in a crude and undeveloped age1 but1 as the ,bible would imply1 in an age of great progress4 ,we even learn that long before their time there was a most complete and complex civilization4 ,two ,great ,empires of ,antiquity4 ,it is impossible to tell which of two great nations1 the ,chaldeans and the ,egyptians1 first attained to a high state of civilization4 ,they appear to have started very early in the race1 the ,chaldeans in the plains on the banks of the ,euphrates and the ,egyptians in the plains on the banks of the ,nile4 ,they seem to have made about equal progress in all the arts of civilization4 ,nimrod1 a descendent of ,ham1 is declared to be the founder of the ,chaldean ,empire4 ,his exploits as a hunter seem to have aided him to the throne4 ,he began to reign at ,babel and had a number of cities in the plain of ,shinar4 ,later he went out in the district of ,assyria and built ,ninevah and a number of other cities4 ,from the ,assyrian and ,chaldean ascriptions1 we have learned much of the ,accadians1 whose influence carried forward that early civilization4 ,we thereby confirm the ,biblical claim that it was under ,nimrod the ,cushite1 and not through the ,semitic race1 that the ,chaldean kingdom began4 ,of the beginning of the ,egyptian empire1 the other great center of civilization1 we have no certain knowledge4 ,so far as the records of the scriptures or of the earliest records to which the monuments bear witness1 ,egypt comes before us full grown4 ,the further back we go the more perfect and developed do we find the organization of the country4 ,the activity and industry of the ,egyptians1 their power of erecting great buildings and of executing other laborious tasks at this early period is a marvel to all ages4 ,it has been shown by ,prof4 ,petrie that some of the blocks in at least one of the great pyramids were cut by tubular drills fitted with diamond points or something similar4 ,this to us is a very modern invention4 ,at least thirty dynasties of kings 7according to ,manetho7 ruled ,egypt in succession4 ,at least twelve of these must have reigned in ,egypt before ,jacob and his sons settled within their borders4 ,many of the great monuments and some of the largest of the pyramids were already to be seen before ,abraham visited that country4 ,there had been constant progress in all kinds of learning and art1 and a highly advanced society and government had been attained when the ,bible history first came in contact with it4 ,commerce was carried on extensively on both land and sea4 ,long before the time of ,moses a stream of caravans were on the road between ,egypt and ,babylon1 passing through ,canaan4 ,treaties were made between different states whereby these caravans were protected and given safe passage through the countries traversed4 ,three thousand years before ,christ the ,phoenicians sent out ships from ,tyre that had intercourse with the cities of the ,mediterranean and later with ,england and sailed around ,africa and traded on the ,red ,sea and the ,persian ,gulf4 ,egypt sent sea expeditions to ,south ,africa in the sixteenth century before ,christ4 ,all of this suggests how much more of geography these ancients knew than we are accustomed to think4 ,language and ,literature4 ,it is impossible to say what was the original language4 ,but that men once spoke the same language and that the varieties of human tongues arose from some remarkable cause is in some degree confirmed by the research of modern scholarship4 ,the ,bible alone states clearly what that cause was4 ,all existing languages belong to three great families3 the ,aryan1 the ,semitic1 and the ,turanian4 ,these correspond roughly to three sons of ,noah3 ,shem1 ,ham and ,japheth4 ,in the time of ,abraham and long before1 and on to the time of ,moses there was great literary culture4 ,letters passed between kingdoms and cities4 ,there were schools and colleges1 great dictionaries and many books on many subjects4 ,the ,babylonian language was almost universally employed1 so that the scribes could read without difficulty a letter sent anywhere in ,egypt1 ,babylon1 ,canaan1 or ,arabia4 ,this unity makes the translation of inscriptions on the monuments comparatively easy4 ,we know nothing of the origin of writing4 ,as far back as we go into their history we find1 already developed1 a most complex system of writing and large libraries both in the royal cities and in small towns4 ,the ,motive of ,their ,civilization4 ,this is not difficult to find4 ,the old ,babylonian kings were called ,priest ,kings1 and built their empires1 temples1 and cities1 and exhibited such wonderful activities from a religious motive4 ,the great mounds on the plain of ,shinar1 and the pyramids of ,egypt are the eternal monuments of the religious devotion of these ancient people4 ,their religion was1 however1 filled with all sorts of idolatrous abuses and ,god called ,abraham to be the leader of a purer religious life and to be the father of a people from whom would come the ,great ,revealer of all religious truth4 ,the ,lessons of this ,period4 ,the stories of this period have for us several valuable lessons1 among which the following are most vital4 7,i7 ,all races had a common origin and are1 therefore1 vitally related4 7#b7 ,by tracing the origin of the different races1 we are shown ,israel's place in the family of nations4 7#c7 ,since all nations are but branches of the same great family1 all men are brothers4 7#d7 ,the ,hebrews are deeply interested in all of their neighbors1 and their unique history can only be understood1 in their true relation1 as a part of the ancient ,semitic world4 7#e7 ,god exercises a common rule over all nations4 7#f7 ,civilization at this early age had reached a great advancement4 7#g7 ,men had reached a stage of great wickedness and because of their defiance of ,god were punished both by the confusion of tongues and by being scattered far and wide4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the genealogies of ,noah's sons4 7#b7 ,the different places where his descendants settled1 the cities they built and the names of those connected with each4 ,study the geography4 7#c7 ,through which of ,noah's sons the ,messiah came and through which of his sons4 7#d7 ,lessons from the shame of ,noah and the spirit of his sons4 7#e7 ,the nature and fulfillment of his prophecies concerning his sons4 7#f7 ,the universality of the race and the origin of the nations4 7#g7 ,the teachings of the tower of ,babel4 7#h7 ,the origin of different languages and the relation of languages to the creation of separate nations4 7#i7 ,the traditions of other peoples and their relation and correspondence to the stories of this section4 7#aj7 ,the evidence of ancient monuments that corroborate or throw light upon the meaning of this section of the scripture4 7#aa7 ,the civilization of that early time compared with that of our time4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,from ,abraham to ,egypt4 ,gen4 ,chs4 #ab-ej ,the ,events of the ,period4 ,the events of this period may be put down somewhat as follows3 7#a7 ,abraham's call and settlement in ,canaan1 chs4 #ab-ac4 7#b7 ,the rescue of ,lot from the plundering kings of the ,north1 ch4 #ad4 7#c7 ,god makes a covenant with ,abraham1 ch4 #ae4 7#d7 ,the birth and disposal of ,ishmael1 ch4 #af4 7#e7 ,the ,promise of ,isaac1 ch4 #ag4 7#h7 ,the destruction of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 chs4 #ah-ai4 7#g7 ,abraham lives at ,gerar4 ,isaac is born and sacrificed1 chs4 #bj-bb4 7#h7 ,sarah's death1 ch4 #bc4 7#i7 ,isaac is married1 ch4 #bd4 7#aj7 ,abraham and ,ishmael die and ,isaac's two sons1 ch4 #be4 7#aa7 ,isaac dwells in ,gerar and ,jacob steals his brother's birthright1 chs4 #bf-bg4 7#ab7 ,jacob's experiences as a fugitive and his roll and settlement in ,canaan1 chs4 #bh-cf4 ,joseph's career and the settlement of the nation in ,egypt1 chs4 #cg-ej4 ,the ,purpose of ,narrative4 ,in this section we have given us1 in brief form1 the career of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob and their families and how we received the promises through them4 ,ages have passed since ,noah and the people had grown wicked and turned from ,jehovah to other gods4 ,god had promised not to destroy the world with another flood1 but he must employ other and new means4 ,he1 therefore1 selects a man and in him a nation that should be his representative on earth4 ,with this man and nation ,god would deposit his truth and in it the hopes of the race until the time when ,christ the redeemer should come4 ,we pass1 therefore1 from the consideration of the beginnings of the history of the race and from the general history to the story of one man1 ,abraham and the chosen family and nation4 ,all the rest of the ,old ,testament is an account of the victories and defeats of this nation4 ,the ,conditions of the ,times4 ,at the time of ,abraham three countries are of special interest1 ,chaldea1 ,egypt and ,canaan4 ,outwardly there was a splendid civilization as is shown by the monuments4 ,there were great cities with splendid palaces1 temples and libraries4 ,there were workers in fabrics1 metals1 stones1 implements and ornaments4 ,time was divided as now and sun-dials showed the time of day4 ,great systems of canals existed and the country was in a high state of cultivation4 ,the pyramids were already old and a great stone wall had long ago been built across the isthmus of ,suez to prevent the immigrants and enemies of the north from coming down upon them4 ,in ,tyre and ,sidon there were great glass works and dying factories4 ,there were also vast harbors crowded with sea going ships4 ,luxurious living was to be found everywhere4 ,inwardly1 however1 there was a corrupt moral condition1 which was hastening the nations to decay and to a ruin such as amazes all the world to this day4 ,ur of the ,chaldees1 the birth place and home of ,abraham1 was the seat of the great temple of the moon-god1 and this sanctuary became so famous that the moon-god was known throughout all northern ,syria as the ,baal or ,lord of ,haran4 ,the bad state of the times is suggested by ,sodom and ,gomorrah and their fate4 ,for these cities were perhaps only typical of the entire civilization of the time4 ,in such a time and out of such a civilization ,god called ,abraham1 who should found a new nation that would serve him and form the basis of a new civilization4 ,he also selected ,canaan as the home of this new people4 ,it was the geographical center of all the ancient world and a revelation of ,god made there would soon be know among all nations4 ,the ,confirmations of the ,biblical ,record4 ,each new excavation made in the ruins of the ancient1 long-buried1 cities throws new light upon the scriptures and always confirms its statements4 ,there are on the tablets of clay found in the old libraries statements concerning the social1 commercial1 religious and political conditions of the time of ,abraham and before and all of them agree with the statements of ,genesis4 ,there has been found a record of the years of famine and the ,pharaohs of the time have been determined4 ,the kings who captured ,lot are now known4 ,the ,bible has suffered nothing at all from the knowledge gained from the ancient records4 ,the ,experiences of ,abraham4 ,the call of ,abraham as recorded ,in this section is probably from ,ur of the ,chaldees to ,haran where his father died 7#aa3ca-cb74 ,his call is the most important event in the history of ,god's kingdom since the fall of man4 ,it was indeed a new starting point for that kingdom4 ,the call was accompanied by a promise or covenant in which ,god bound himself not to withdraw from ,abraham 7#ae3ag-ba74 ,the call and work1 together with the promises1 may be put down somewhat as follows3 #a4 ,it was a call to separation from his home and native land4 ,he was a large shepherd-farmer with large flocks and herds and a number of slaves4 ,the family was perhaps of high rank in his country and there was a warm family affection in his family4 ,many others had gone from his country to the regions of the ,mediterranean but always for gain or selfish betterment1 ,abraham went in obedience to the divine call4 ,there was no selfishness in his move4 ,he went for conscience' sake1 somewhat as the ,pilgrims1 forsaking all the ties of nature that bound them to ,england1 sailed to ,america in the ,mayflower4 #b4 ,it was a call to service4 ,the people of his time were falling into idolatry4 ,even ,terah1 his father1 was an idolater and reputed to have been a maker of idol images4 ,he was to serve the one true ,god and to stand for principle where everyone was against him4 ,he was to enter into covenant relations with ,god and stand alone with him where all social and national customs were hostile4 #c4 ,it was a call to found a nation4 ,the promise was to make of him a great nation that should have as its main purpose the service of the one ,god4 ,god foresaw the ruin that was to come to all the nations of ,abraham's time and prepared him and in him a new and spiritual nation which would produce a new and godly civilization4 ,he died when ,jacob was but a lad and did not see the fulfillment of the promise of the nation that should outlast ,egypt or ,babylon4 #d4 ,it was a call to be the father of a son4 ,in #ag3af ,god promised him a son1 ,isaac1 in whom his seed should be called 7#ba3ab74 ,out of him was to come a blessing to all nations4 ,this promise was fulfilled in ,christ1 through whom all the nations of the earth have been blessed4 ,just as in ,isaac ,abraham became the head of a great earthly seed that should be as the sand of the sea1 so in ,jesus he should be the head of a great spiritual seed that should be as the stars of the heaven for numbers4 ,god often repeats his covenant and promises with ,abraham1 ,gen4 #ab3a-g2 #ac3ad-ag2 #ae3a-ba2 #ag3a-h2 #ah3ah2 #bb3af-ah4 ,he often renews it in the generations to come as to ,isaac1 ,gen4 #bf3a-e1 and to ,jacob1 ,gen4 #bh3aj-ae4 ,the ,character of ,abraham4 ,how great is the name of ,abraham today6 ,he is revered by ,jews1 ,mohammedans and ,christians 7ch4 #ab3b74 ,in all history there is not a nobler character4 ,the story of his life shows him to have been shrewd in business1 of good temper1 of warm domestic affections and possessed of much calm wisdom4 ,he was generous in his dealings with others1 looking well after their interests4 ,he often made sacrifices for the well-being of others4 ,the most significant thing about him1 however1 was his attitude toward ,god4 ,his chief desire was to obey ,god4 ,wherever he went he erected an altar to ,god and in everything he manifested reverence1 confidence1 love and submission toward ,god4 ,this is the chief element of his greatness4 ,the ,character and ,career of ,isaac4 ,the life of ,isaac has but little in it that is of special interest4 ,he probably spent most of his life in a quiet home near1 or in ,hebron4 ,this has been taken to suggest that he was of a quiet and retiring disposition4 ,he was not a man of energy and force of character such as ,abraham1 his father1 but he had all his father's reverence for ,god4 ,his faith in ,god was rewarded with a renewal of the promises which ,abraham had received4 ,among the incidents of his life that should be noted are the following3 7#a7 ,his experience on ,mount ,moriah1 when his father in obedience to ,god prepared to sacrifice him in worship4 ,such sacrifice was common in ,babylonia1 ,phoenicia and ,canaan4 ,the submission to his father's will and evident obedience to the divine will indicated would seem to point to his faith in ,god4 ,while he does not mention the matter himself and it is not referred to again in this section1 the experience must have had much influence on his whole career4 7#b7 ,the second notable event of his life was his marriage4 ,in this story there is preserved the ancient customs of his father's provision for the marriage of the son4 ,the story also shows the overruling influence of deity in his marriage4 ,the whole experience was calculated to show his sincere relation to ,god who was leading4 7#c7 ,the birth of his twin sons ,esau and ,jacob4 ,they were so different in type that their descendants for centuries showed a like difference and even became antagonistic4 ,jacob was ambitious and persevering4 ,esau was frank and generous but shallow and unappreciative of the best things4 ,the birthright carried with it two advantages3 7#a7 ,the headship of the family4 7#b7 ,a double portion of the inheritance 7,dt4 #ba3ae-ag74 ,jacob set great value upon it1 while ,esau preferred a good dinner4 ,isaac's latter days were made dark because of the relation of these sons4 ,stories ,concerning ,jacob4 ,these are calculated to show that ,jacob was clever and far-sighted and was willing to employ any mean1 honorable or dishonorable1 to gratify his ambition4 ,they also show his suffering for his unfair acts and his final change to a new man4 ,his deception of his father resulted in his becoming a fugitive from home and never again seeing his mother who aided him in his treachery4 ,he was treated by ,laban just as he himself had treated his brother4 ,for twenty years he was deprived of the quiet and friendly life of his old home4 ,while away he had some religious experiences that made him a new man4 ,his vision at ,bethel taught him that ,jehovah his ,god was also caring for him though in a strange land4 ,he may have thought that ,jehovah dwelt only among the people of his nation and that on leaving home he was also going beyond the protection of ,god4 ,as a result he erected here a sanctuary that became sacred to all the ,hebrews4 ,his struggle at the brook ,jabbok made ,jacob a new man4 ,he had all along depended on his own wits4 ,now he is ready to return to his brother and show sorrow for his conduct4 ,the incident is parallel to the struggle which a repentant man must wage against his lower nature4 ,when the struggle is over he is a new man1 a prince of god4 ,religion had become real to him and his whole future career is built on a new plan4 ,he is still inventive and ambitious and persevering but is ,god's man doing ,god's will4 ,in connection with ,jacob we have also the lessons concerning ,esau4 ,he was a man intent upon immediate physical enjoyment2 an idle drifter without spiritual ideals4 ,from his character and that of the ,edomites1 his descendants1 there is taught the lesson that such an unambitious man or nation will always become degenerate and prove a failure4 ,god himself cannot make a man out of an idle drifter4 ,the ,stories ,about ,joseph4 ,the moral value of these stories is very great4 ,they are told in a charm that is felt by all4 ,the literary power and unity is remarkable4 ,there is seen in them ideals of integrity and truthfulness4 ,he is cheerful and uncomplaining and no adversity could destroy his ambitions4 ,the study of this section will well reward a frequent review of it4 ,all the materials may be grouped around the following principal great periods or incidents of his life4 7#a7 ,his childhood1 where we find him petted and spoiled but ambitious and trustworthy and hated by his brethren4 7#b7 ,his sale to the ,egyptians and separation from his house and kindred1 this including his slavery and the faithfulness he showed in such a position4 7#c7 ,his position as overseer and his loyalty together with his temptation and unjust imprisonment4 7#d7 ,his exaltation to the governorship of ,egypt with his provisions for the famine and change of the whole system of land tenure1 which put it all under royal control4 ,it would also include his kindness to his father's family in providing for their preservation4 ,the stories have in them several elements that need to be noticed4 7#a7 ,there are many sudden and striking contrasts4 ,such are his changes from a petted and spoiled boy in the home to a slave in ,egypt2 from an overseer of his master's house to a prisoner in the dungeon2 for that dungeon to the governor of the powerful empire of the age4 7#b7 ,his success is never based on or promoted by a miracle but is assured because he is of value to others4 ,he wins no promotions by means of armor or conquests of power but by faithfulness to those whom he served4 ,his is a conquest made by business sagacity4 ,he is a hero of usefulness4 7#c7 ,the use of his position to advance the interests of others is altogether out of line with the views of western students of society4 ,we would hardly think it right for one to so earnestly promote the interests of a heathen sovereign as ,joseph did in the case of his slave master and of ,pharaoh4 7#d7 ,the pathos and depth of feeling is not surpassed in all literature4 ,this is especially true in the story of his relations with his brethren when they visit ,egypt4 ,pent up emotion tugs at one's heart as one reads of the anxiety of the brothers1 the fear of the fear of the father1 and the burning affection of ,joseph4 ,the spirit of forgiveness and love for his humble kinsmen fill one with admiration4 ,the death of ,jacob and ,joseph4 ,jacob was greatly prospered and died at a ripe old age4 ,he asked to be buried in ,canaan and ,joseph after having him embalmed went1 accompanied by his kindred and friends1 to ,canaan and buried him according to his request4 ,before his death1 he pronounced upon his sons a blessing that promised great increase in numbers and in political power4 ,after the death of ,jacob1 ,joseph continued to show kindness to his brethren4 ,before his death1 at the age of one hundred and ten years1 he prophesied that ,god would come and lead them out of ,egypt and took an oath of them that they would carry up his bones to the land of ,canaan into which they would be delivered4 ,in ,jacob's blessing on his sons and in ,joseph's prophecy of their removal by ,god and his promises1 they saw the providence of ,god in all the future of the race and expected its triumph4 ,these stories typical4 ,the stories of this section are commonly thought to be typical of ,new ,testament truth4 ,while it is probably not best to make too much of this typical idea1 it is safe to say that much of it is illustrative of such ,new ,testament teachings4 ,the career of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,joseph each at some point or points suggests the life and work of ,jesus4 ,abraham is called or appointed of ,god to be the head of a spiritual nation1 he has revealed to him the will of ,god1 he intercedes for a wicked ,sodom and saved lot1 all of which suggests the attitude and work of ,jesus4 ,isaac is an only son1 is offered in sacrifice1 has secured for him a bride in a most unusual manner4 ,this again in many ways illustrates the attitude and work of the ,savior4 ,but ,joseph is perhaps more highly figurative of the ,redeemer4 ,his being hated and cast out by his brethren is like the rejection of ,jesus2 the way his wicked brethren came to him in their extremity and received forgiveness and sustenance suggest how a sinner finds mercy and life in ,jesus2 his prosperity and honor gained among others and the final coming of his brethren to him is suggestive in many of the details of the way the ,jews rejected ,jesus and of how1 after ,jesus has gained great power among ,gentile nations1 the ,jews will finally repent of their national sin and accept the crucified ,savior as the ,jews' ,messiah2 the whole story of the humiliation1 sufferings and exaltation of ,joseph correspond to like events in the career of ,jesus4 ,social and ,religious ,conditions of the ,times4 ,there is little to suggest anything savage or barbarous4 ,the spirit and language of courtesy is everywhere present4 ,there is great hospitality and the marriage relation was respected by such heathen rulers as ,pharaoh and ,abimelech4 ,when property was bought and sold the contracts were formal and were held sacred even though the owner was long absent as in the case of ,abraham who bought the cave of ,machpelah4 ,rebekah had bracelets1 ear-rings1 jewels of silver and of gold1 and fine raiment as elements of adornment4 ,there were slaves but they were kindly treated and made almost as part of the family4 ,wealthy people as ,jacob employed their sons in the ordinary occupations such as caring for the sheep4 ,in ,egypt and ,chaldea the arts were highly developed and there was much learning4 ,the worship of the patriarchs was very simple4 ,they erected simple altars and offered on them burnt offerings4 ,the erection of such altars and making such open profession of their worship were always among their first acts when they settled in a new place4 ,there are some evidences that they observed the ,sabbath of rest4 ,abraham gave a tithe to ,melchizedek and ,jacob promised ,god to do the same if he would bless him4 ,god communed with them and gave them knowledge of his will and especially promised them great future blessing1 through a deliverer that would come through the line of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,judah4 ,the ,book of ,job4 ,there has been a general belief that the incidents recorded in the book of ,job belong to this period or even to an earlier time4 ,there is no mention of the bondage in ,egypt nor of any of the early ,hebrew patriarchs4 ,the ,sabeans and ,chaldeans were ,job's neighbor6 and he lived in the east where the first settlements of mankind were made4 ,the social religious and family life as portrayed in this book correspond to those of this period4 ,there was art and invention2 there was understanding of astronomy and mining2 there was a fine family affection and evidences of social kindness and benevolence2 there was high development of commerce and government2 there was both the true and false or idolatrous worship4 ,this book should be read following the outline given in the author's ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,it would be difficult to point out all the splendid lessons brought forward by these narratives but the following are among the more important ones4 7#a7 ,god guides to a noble destiny all those who will be guided by him4 7#b7 ,god reveals himself to all those who seek a revelation1 no matter in what place or land1 if only they are in the path of duty1 7#c7 ,unselfish service always brings a blessed reward4 7#d7 ,god's blessing and guidance are not confined to ,israel but are extended to other nations also4 7#e7 ,a noble ambition1 courage1 unselfishness and childlike faith in ,god's leadership make men valuable to others in every age and walk of life4 7#f7 ,a man or nation without spiritual ideal and bent on physical enjoyment will soon become degenerate as did ,esau4 7#g7 ,even a fugitive1 fleeing from his own crimes1 is followed by the divine love and in his saddest moments and amidst his most discouraging surrounding circumstances is given glorious revelations4 7#h7 ,in the divine providence our misfortunes of life often develop our nobler impulses of heart4 7#i7 ,unjust adversity cannot destroy a man of faith and integrity of character1 if only he manifest a cheerful and helpful spirit4 7#aj7 ,god overrules evil for good1 so that all things can bring good to them that love ,god4 7#aa7 ,loyalty to unfortunate kindred in the time of success is a sure sign of nobility of character4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the several appearances of ,god to ,abraham3 7a7 ,the purpose of each2 7b7 its influence in the life of ,abraham4 7#b7 ,the promises made to ,abraham and renewed to ,isaac and ,jacob noting the progressive nature of the revelation seen in these promises4 7#c7 ,select four prominent persons besides ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and ,joseph1 sketched in the section1 and study them4 7#d7 ,the other nations introduced in the narrative4 7#e7 ,the moral condition of the times4 7#f7 ,the worship of ,god seen in the section4 7#g7 ,the points of weakness and strength in each of the patriarchs mentioned4 7#h7 ,the disappointments and family troubles of ,jacob as seen in the light of his early deceptions4 7#i7 ,other illustrations that a man will reap whatever he sows4 7#aj7 ,the strong family ties1 seen especially in the matter of marriage4 7#aa7 ,the fundamental value of faith in life4 7#ab7 ,god's judgment and blessings of heathen people on behalf of his own chosen people4 7#ac7 ,the different immigrations of ,abraham and others4 7#ad7 ,the places of historical importance mentioned4 7#ae7 ,the promises or types and symbols of ,christ and the ,new ,testament times4 ,chapter ,v4 ,from ,egypt to ,sinai4 ,ex4 ,chs4 #a-ai ,israel in ,egypt4 ,the length of time the ,hebrews remained ,in ,egypt is a perplexing question4 ,exodus #f3af-bj makes ,moses the fourth generation from ,levi 7,see ,gen4 #ae3af2 ,num4 #bf3eg-ei74 ,this would make it about #aej years4 ,gen4 #ae3ac predicts #djj years4 ,ex4 #ab3dj says they were there #dcj years and ,paul 7,gal4 #c3ag7 says #dcj years from ,abraham to ,sinai4 ,these apparently conflicting dates may be explained because of different methods of counting generations1 probably based on long lives of men of that period or they may have had a different point to mark the beginning and end of the sojourn4 ,if the ,pharaoh of ,joseph was one of the ,hyksos or ,shepherd kings1 as has been the common view1 and if the ,pharaoh that knew not ,joseph was1 as is the general belief1 ,rameses ,,ii1 the period of #dcj years would about correspond to the historical data4 ,their oppression grew out of the fear of the king lest they should assist some of the invaders that constantly harassed ,egypt on the ,north4 ,they may have assisted the shepherd kings under whom ,joseph has risen and who had just been expelled4 ,to cripple and crush them there was given them hard and exhaustive tasks of brick making under cruel task-masters4 ,there still remains evidence of this cruelty in the many ,egyptian buildings built of brick1 made of mud mixed with straw and dried in the sun4 ,when it was found that they still increased in number in spite of the suffering4 ,pharoah tried1 at first privately then publicly1 to destroy all the male children4 ,this order does not seem to have been long in force but was a terrible blow to a people like the ,hebrews whose passion for children1 and especially for male children1 has always been proverbial4 ,it is difficult to gather from this narrative the varied influence of this sojourn upon the ,hebrews themselves4 ,they doubtless gained much of value from the study of the methods of warfare and military equipment of the ,egyptians4 ,they learned much of the art of agriculture and from the social and political systems of this enlightened people4 ,no doubt many of their choicest men received educational training that fitted them for future leadership4 ,their suffering seems on the one hand to have somewhat deadened them1 destroying ambition4 ,on the other1 it bound them together by a common bond and prepared the way for the work of ,moses1 the deliverer1 and for the real birth of the nations4 ,moses the ,deliverer4 ,chapters #b and #d tell the wonderful story of the birth of ,moses1 of his loyalty to his people1 of his sojourn in ,midian and of his final call to the task of the deliverance of ,israel4 ,his wonderful life-a life to which all the centuries are indebted-is naturally divided into three parts4 7#a7 ,his early life of forty years at the court of ,pharaoh4 ,by faith his parents trusted him to the care of ,providence and he was brought to the house of ,pharoah and was taught in all the learning of the ,egyptians1 who conducted great universities and were highly cultured in the arts and sciences 7,acts #g3bb74 ,finally feeling it to be his duty to renounce his worldly glory and identify himself with his ,hebrew brethren1 he made the choice by faith 7,heb4 #aa3bd-bg74 ,he no doubt felt then the call to be their deliverer but did not find his countrymen ready to accept him as such 7,acts #g3be-bh74 ,whereupon he fled to the wilderness of ,midian4 7#b7 ,forty years in the desert where he gained an intimate knowledge of all the wilderness through which for forty years he was to lead the ,hebrews in their wanderings4 ,here he had opportunity to learn patience and meditate and gain the ability to wait on ,god4 ,here ,god finally appeared to him and gave him definite and ample instructions for his task of delivering out of bondage this crushed and ignorant slave race and for making of them a nation of the purest spiritual and moral ideals the world has ever known4 7#c7 ,forty years as leader and lawgiver for ,israel while they tabernacled in the wilderness4 ,perhaps three reasons led ,moses to undertake the task of leaving ,midian and championing the cause of ,israel4 7#a7 ,he had a vision of ,god the holy one of all power who would be with him4 7#b7 ,the conviction that the time was ripe1 because of the death of the king of ,egypt and the years of weak government that followed4 7#c7 ,by over-ruling all objections ,god gave him an overwhelming sense of his responsibility in the matter4 ,he saw it as his personal duty4 ,the call of ,moses consists of two elements4 7#a7 ,the human element which consisted of a knowledge of the needs of the ,hebrew people4 ,to him1 as to all great leaders and benefactors of the race1 the cry of the oppressed or needy constituted the first element of a call to enlist in their service4 7#b7 ,the divine element4 ,god heard the cry of his people and remembered his covenant with ,abraham and appeared to ,moses in a burning bush and sent him to deliver them from under the tyranny of ,pharaoh4 ,like ,isaiah 7,is4 ,ch4#f7 he not only saw the need of his people but also the holy ,god calling him to supply the need4 ,moses task was three fold3 7#a7 ,religious3 ,he was to show in ,egypt weakness of the idolatrous worship and to establish in the wilderness the true worship of one and only ,god who is ruler of all4 7#b7 ,political3 ,he was to overcome the power of the mighty ,pharaoh and deliver a people of #fjj1jjj men besides the children with their herds and flocks out of his territory4 ,then1 too1 he was to give them laws and so connect them together that as a nation they would survive the hostile nations around them and the civil strife and dissensions within4 7#c7 ,social3 ,he was also called upon to provide rules by which1 to keep clean not only the individual1 but his family1 and to teach them right relations to each other4 ,in carrying out this program1 it devolved upon him to provide an elaborate code of civil1 sanitary1 ceremonial1 moral and religious laws4 ,the ,great ,deliverance4 ,the deliverance may be properly considered in three sections4 7#a7 ,the preparation4 7#b7 ,the contest with ,pharoah and the ten plagues4 7#c7 ,the crossing of the ,red ,sea4 ,the preparation consists 7#a7 in getting the people acquainted with what ,god intended to do and thereby secure their full consent to enter into the plan4 ,then1 too1 it was necessary to have a very thorough organization so that the expedition could proceed in an orderly way4 7#b7 ,there were various preliminary appeals to ,pharaoh with the consequent added burdens laid upon the ,hebrews4 ,the contest with ,pharaoh consisted of certain preliminary demands followed by ten national calamities intended to force the king to let the people go4 ,the struggle was all based upon the request of ,moses that all ,israel be allowed to go three days' journey into the wilderness to serve their ,god4 ,this gave the conflict a religious aspect and showed that the struggle was not merely one between ,moses and ,pharaoh1 but between the ,god of ,israel and the gods of ,egypt4 ,all the plagues1 therefore1 had a distinct religious significance3 7#a7 ,to show them the power of ,jehovah 7,ex4 #g3ag72 7#b7 to execute judgment against the gods of ,egypt 7,ex4 #ab3ab74 ,every plague was calculated to frustrate ,egyptian worship or humiliate some ,egyptian god4 ,for example1 the lice covered everything and were miserably polluting4 ,all ,egyptian worship was compelled to cease1 since none of the priests could perform their religious service so long as any such insect had touched them since they went through a process of purification4 ,in smiting the cattle with murrain1 the sacred bull of ,memphis was humiliated whether stricken himself or because of his inability to protect the rest of the cattle4 ,these plagues grew more severe with each new one4 ,and much effort has been made to show that one would have led to another4 ,much has been said also1 to show that the plagues1 at least most of them1 were events that were common in ,egypt and that they were remarkable only for their severity4 ,such attempts to explain away the miraculous element are based upon the wrong view of a miracle4 ,the very occurrence in response to the word of ,moses and at such time as to each time meet a particular condition1 or to make a certain desired impression1 would put them out of the pale of the pale of the ordinary and into the list of the extraordinary or miraculous4 ,at all events the sacred writer1 the ,hebrews in ,egypt at the time1 and the ,egyptians all believed the strong hand of ,jehovah was laid bare on behalf of his people4 ,so it must seem to all who now believe that ,god rules in his universe4 ,in connection with and just preceding the tenth plague1 there was institutioned the ,passover to celebrate their deliverance from ,egypt and especially the passing of the ,hebrew homes by the angel who went abroad in ,egypt to slay the first born4 ,it was this plaque that finally showed ,pharaoh and his people the folly of resisting ,jehovah and assured ,israel of his power4 ,the paschal lamb1 whose blood sprinkled upon the door posts and lintels of the dwelling saved the ,hebrew1 is a beautiful type of ,christ and his saving blood4 ,this feast became one of great joy1 annually celebrated1 during all future ,hebrew history4 ,the ,crossing of the ,red ,sea4 ,for three days and nights ,god led them by a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night4 ,at the end of the third day they had reached the shore of the ,red ,sea and were shut in by mountains on each side4 ,they were greatly frightened to find that ,pharaoh with a host of chariot-warriors was in close pursuit of them4 ,but ,god caused the cloud that had been leading them to remove to their rear and to throw a shadow upon their enemies while giving power to the east wind 7,ex4 #ad3ba7 that caused the waters of the sea to divide so they could cross on dry ground4 ,when ,pharaoh and his hosts attempted to follow then4 ,god caused the waters to return and overwhelm them4 ,as in former miracles1 ,moses was ,god's instrument in performing this miracle4 ,when they were safe across and saw the overthrow of their enemies their feelings of joy expressed themselves in a great song of victory in which they ascribe praise to ,god and recount the incidents of his work of deliverance4 ,the ,journey to ,sinai4 ,it is not possible to locate all the stations at which they stopped on their journey from the ,red ,sea to the time of their encampment at the foot of ,horeb or ,sinai4 ,the list is given in ,numbers1 ,chapter thirty-three4 ,for our purpose it is sufficient to notice only a few places and incidents of the journey4 7#a7 ,they encamped at ,marah1 being the first watering place they had found4 ,the water1 however1 was bitter and could not be used until ,god had enabled ,moses by a miracle to sweeten it4 ,this was the first example of divine support for them4 7#b7 ,at ,elim they found water and shade and here ,god gave them the manna from heaven and the quail at eventide4 ,thus again ,jehovah demonstrated his purpose to provide for their needs while wandering through the wilderness4 ,this food was supplied to them continuously until they reached ,canaan forty years later4 7#c7 ,under the leadership of the cloud1 which during all the forty years of wilderness wandering1 was their guide1 they next encamped at ,rephidim where there was no water at all4 ,here ,moses by the command of ,god smote a rock and caused them to drink of a fountain thus opened for them4 ,this rock is a suggestive type of ,christ4 ,it was here also that they encountered and defeated the ,amalekites1 a tribe of ,edomites1 who still kept up the enmity of ,esau their father against ,jacob4 ,here also ,jethro1 ,moses' father-in-law came to them bringing ,moses wife and sons4 ,upon ,jethro's advice the people were thoroughly organized4 ,from ,rephidim they came to ,mount ,sinai where they encamped for a whole year4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,the lessons of this period might be divided into two classes4 7#a7 ,those of special value to the ,hebrews themselves and lessons needed just then4 7#b7 ,those valuable for all time and all people4 ,among those of the first class1 the following are worthy of record3 7#a7 ,the authority of ,moses was confirmed and the people were made ready for his teachings and leadership4 7#b7 ,they were established in the popular belief in the goodness and power of ,jehovah their ,god4 ,of the second and more general lessons1 the following are highly important3 7#a7 ,there is no chance in ,god's universe1 but even the apparently unimportant events serve his purposes4 7#b7 ,no human power whether of king or peasant or of nation can prevent the accomplishment of ,god's purposes4 7#c7 ,those who resist his power are overthrown as were the ,egyptians1 and those who act according to the divine will are elevated just as were the ,israelites4 7#d7 ,it is dangerous to oppose or harm ,god's people4 ,he will avenge them4 7#e7 ,ample provisions are assured to those who will submit to divine leadership4 ,for ,study and discussion4 7#a7 ,the number of ,hebrews that entered ,egypt with ,jacob1 and the number that made the ,exodus with ,moses4 7#b7 ,the ,biblical story of their suffering while there1 including the added burdens when ,moses requested that they be allowed to go out to ,egypt4 7#c7 ,the birth1 preservation and education of ,moses4 7#d7 ,moses' forty years of wilderness training1 its advantages and dangers4 7#e7 ,the divine and human elements in ,moses' call to be the deliverer4 7#f7 ,the plagues1 7a7 the description of each1 7b7 the appropriateness and religious significance of each1 7c7 those imitated by ,egyptian magicians1 7d7 those in which the ,egyptians suffered and ,israel did not4 7#g7 ,the stubbornness of ,pharaoh and his attempted compromises4 7#h7 ,the miracles of this period other than the plagues4 7#i7 ,god's provision and care for his people4 7#aj7 ,the murmurings of ,israel4 7#aa7 ,the religious conditions of the times4 7#ab7 ,the geography of the country4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,from ,sinai to ,kadesh4 ,ex4 #bj-,num4 #ad ,mount ,sinai4 ,there are differences of opinion concerning the location of this mountain4 ,it is sometimes called ,horeb 7,ex4 #c3a2 #ag3f4 etc474 ,all the ,old ,testament references to it clearly indicate that it was in the vicinity of ,edom and connect it with ,mt4 ,seir 7,deut4 #cc3c2 ,judg4 #e3d-e74 ,several points have been put forward as the probable site1 but there can not now be any certainty as to the exact location4 ,all the evidence both of the scripture and of the discoveries of archaeologists seem to point to one of the southwestern spurs of ,mt4 ,seir as the sacred mountain4 ,the differences of opinion as to location do not affect the historical reality of the mountain nor the certainty that at its base there took place the most important event in the history of the ,hebrew people4 ,the ,sinaitic ,covenant4 ,at the foot of ,sinai and in the midst of grandly impressive manifestations of ,jehovah1 ,israel entered into solemn covenant relations with ,him4 ,it was a covenant of blood and was the most sacred and inviolable ceremony known to the ancient peoples4 ,half of the blood was sprinkled on the alter and half upon the people1 thus signifying that all had consented to the terms of the covenant4 ,in this covenant ,israel is obligated to loyalty1 service and worship1 while ,jehovah is to continue to protect and deliver them4 ,this covenant is commonly called ,the ,law of ,moses4 ,all the rest of the ,old ,testament is a development of this fundamental law and shows the application of it in the experience of ,israel4 ,the ,purpose of the ,mosaic ,law4 ,it should be observed that the rewards and punishments of this law were mainly confined to this life4 ,instead of leading them to believe that outward obedience to it would bring personal salvation and1 therefore1 instead of superseding the plan of salvation through a redeemer1 that had been announced to ,adam and ,eve1 and confirmed in the covenant with ,abraham1 it pointed to the ,savior4 ,the sacrifices foreshadowed the substitution of the ,lamb of ,god as a means of their deliverance for sin and its punishment4 ,there are probably two purposes in promulgating this law4 7#a7 ,to preserve the ,israelites as a separate and peculiar people4 ,to the weld the scattered fugitives from ,egypt into a nation1 distinct from other nations1 required laws that would make them different in customs1 religion and government4 7#b7 ,a second purpose was to provide additional spiritual light1 that they might know the way of salvation more perfectly4 ,the ,several ,parts of the ,law4 ,on the whole the law contains three parts4 7#a7 ,the ,law of ,duty4 ,this is given in the form of ten commandments 7,ex4 ch4 #bj7 and relates to individual obligations1 7a7 ,the first four define one's obligations to ,god4 7b7 ,the fifth defines our relation to parents1 7c7 ,the last five define our relation to the other members of society4 ,these ten words define religion in terms of life and deed as well as worship4 ,they reach the very highest standard and1 in the last command1 trace crime back to the motive even to the thought in the mind of man4 ,they point out duties arising out of the unchangeable distinctions of right and wrong4 7#b7 ,the law of ,mercy4 ,this law is found in the instructions concerning the priesthood and the sacrifices4 ,through these were seen2 7a7 the need of an atonement for the sinner's guilt2 7b7 the need of inward cleansing on the part of all2 7c7 the redemption of the forfeited life of the sinner by another life being substituted in its stead and only by that means2 7d7 the fact that ,god would punish wrong-doing and reward righteousness4 ,this is also called ,the ,law of ,holiness or ,the ,ceremonial ,law and was intended to show ,israel man's sinfulness and how a sinful people could approach a holy ,god and themselves become holy4 ,it1 therefore1 deals with such matters as personal chastity1 unlawful marriages and general social purity and the religious behavior by which they were to be absolved from all impurity and symbolically to be made pure again4 7#c7 ,the ,law of ,justice4 ,this is composed of miscellaneous civil1 criminal1 humane and sanitary laws1 calculated to insure right treatment of one another and thus promote the highest happiness of all3 7a7 ,there was to be kindness and justice to each other including slaves1 and also to domestic animals2 ,this is beautifully shown in the provisions for the treatment of the poor1 the aged and the afflicted2 7b7 ,the rights of property were to be sacredly regarded and all violations of such rights severely punished as in the case of fraud or theft2 7c7 ,laws of sanitation and health guarded the imprudent against the contraction of disease and protected the wicked or careless against its spread and thereby saved ,israel from epidemics of malignant disease4 ,thus the right of the innocent and helpless were insured2 7d7 ,the sanctity of the home and of personal virtue was held inviolable and every transgressor1 such as the man who should commit adultery with another man's wife1 was put to death2 7e7 ,life was to be sacred4 ,no man being able to give it was to take it from another and so the murderer was to pay the penalty by giving his life4 ,these laws were so amplified as to meet every demand of the domestic1 social1 civic and industrial relations of the nation4 ,there could hardly be designed a happier life than the proper observance of all these laws would have brought to ,israel4 ,this legislation reached its noblest expression in the law of the neighbor3 ,thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself 7,lev4 #ai3ah74 ,it is the final word in all right relation to others4 ,the ,journey to ,kadesh-,barnea4 ,after camping before ,sinai a little more than a year1 during which tune they received the law and were gradually organized into a nation1 the cloud by which they were always led from the time of their departure to their entrance to ,canaan1 arose from the tabernacle and set forward4 ,it led them by a way that we cannot now trace but which ,moses says was eleven days' journey from the sacred mountain4 7,dt4 #a3b74 ,a few notable events of this journey are recorded4 7#a7 ,the fire of ,jehovah that burned in the camp because of their murmuring4 7#b7 ,the appointing of seventy elders to share with ,moses the burden of the people4 7#c7 ,the sending of the quails and the destruction of those that lusted4 7#d7 ,miriam1 the sister of ,moses1 was smitten with leprosy because with ,aaron she rebelled against ,moses and spoke disrespectfully of him4 ,the ,twelve ,spies4 ,from ,kadesh ,moses sent out twelve men who should investigate the condition of ,canaan4 ,these men agreed that it was an attractive and well favored land4 ,they brought back evidences of its fruitfulness4 ,only two of them1 believed they could conquer it4 ,the ,people yielded to the opinions of the majority and refused to attempt to enter ,canaan and even worse they openly resolved to return to ,egypt4 ,for this disbelief and open rebellion they were sentenced to wander forty years in the wilderness and all of them who were above twenty years old except ,joshua and ,caleb were not only doomed not to be allowed to enter this promised land but were to die in the wilderness4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,the more important truths taught by the records of this period may be divided into three groups4 7#a7 ,those about man and his nature3 7a7 ,he is sinful1 his whole nature is out of proper attitude toward ,god and is a fountain of evil2 7b7 ,he is1 therefore1 in need of redemption and cannot have the benefit of worship to ,god without it2 7c7 ,he owes obedience to ,god4 7#b7 ,there are lessons about ,god3 7a7 ,he is shown to be a ,holy ,god4 who hates and punishes sin2 7b7 ,he is represented as a ,god of mercy and forgiveness2 7c7 ,he is seen as one of power and might1 able to carry forward his plans and to change the whole destiny of a people4 7#c7 ,there is a many sided view of redemption3 7a7 ,it is based on blood2 ,the victim must shed its blood before redemption can come2 7b7 ,it is by ,institution as is attested by all the sacrifices2 7c7 ,it is by imputation or the putting of one's sins upon the victim2 7d7 ,it is by death and that of an innocent creature4 ,in all of this there is a revelation of ,christ who puts away sin and brings the sinner into favor with ,god4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the awe-inspiring ways by which ,jehovah made known his presence on ,sinai4 7#b7 ,the several things ,israel covenanted to do4 7#c7 ,the worship of the golden calf and the breaking of the tables of stone4 7#d7 ,the three great divisions of the law4 7#e7 ,the law of mercy or of ,holiness1 what it teaches1 and its purpose4 7#f7 ,catalogue the different laws of justice according to the outline suggested above or make a new outline and catalogue them4 7#g7 ,the present day conditions that could be met and changed for good by an application of these laws4 7#h7 ,the tabernacle and its material4 7#i7 ,the different kinds of offering1 learn what was offered and how and by whom4 7#aj7 ,the different scared occasions1 feasts1 holidays1 etc4 7#aa7 ,the different occasions of rebellion on the part of the people and what resulted4 7#ab7 ,the spirit of ,moses as seen in his talks to the people and in his prayers to ,god4 7#ac7 ,the rebellion of ,miriam and ,aaron against ,moses4 7#ad7 ,the results of wrong influences or reports as seen in the case of the spies4 7#ae7 ,the rewards of righteousness as seen in the entire period4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,from ,kadesh to the ,death of ,moses4 ,num4 #ad-;,dt4 #cd4 ,the ,pathos of the ,forty ,years4 ,the stories of this period have running through them an element of pathos arising especially from two sources4 7#a7 ,perhaps the experiences of ,moses are most sorrowful4 ,that he should now1 after faithfully bringing this people to the very border of the land which they sought1 be compelled to spend forty monotonous years in this bare and uninteresting desert must have been a disappointment very heavy to bear4 ,during these wanderings he buried ,miriam1 his sister1 and ,aaron1 his brother and helper4 ,he was often complained of by the people he was trying to help1 and because of it was led to sin in such a way as to cause ,god to refuse him the privilege of entering ,canaan4 ,it was necessary for him to appoint his successor and himself be buried in these lands4 ,he was compelled to renumber the people to find that all but two of those who were above twenty when they left ,egypt had perished4 7#b7 ,surely the experience of the people of ,israel during these years is sufficient to arouse a feeling of pity4 ,forty years of suffering and unhappiness and the loss of all opportunity to enter ,canaan by those who fell in the wilderness beclouds the whole story4 ,the ,events of the ,forty ,years' ,wandering4 ,it is now impossible to trace exactly any except the latter portion of their journeyings4 ,it is clear that they went from place to place1 not of course marching continuously each day1 but changing their location as often at least as the requirements of pasturage demanded4 ,of the early portion of these years we know but little4 ,they seemed to have remained a long while at ,kadesh 7,dt4 #a3de7 and indeed may have made it a sort of headquarters4 ,the story of the rebellion of ,konah with the consequent punishment1 and the budding of ,aarons rod by which the appointment of the family of ,aaron to the priesthood was attested are the important incidents of this period4 ,final ,scenes at ,kadesh4 ,after about thirty-eight years had elapsed 7,dt4 #b3ad71 and the period of wandering was nearly at an end1 ,israel is again found at ,kadesh 7,num4 #bj3aa7 on the borders of ,edom where the spies had been sent out and they made their calamitous blunder4 ,here at this time happened three important events2 7#a7 ,miriam died and was buried1 7#b7 ,moses smote the rock and brought forth water1 but because he smote it instead of speaking to it ,jehovah was angry with him and told him he should not enter the land of promise4 7#c7 ,moses asked permission of the ,king of ,edom to pass peaceably through his land and was refused4 ,they were1 therefore1 compelled to take a long journey around ,edom to reach there own land4 ,from ,kadesh to the ,jordan4 ,when they were refused passage through the land of the ,edomites1 their kinsmen1 7,num4 #bj3ad-ba71 the ,hebrews made a long journey around4 ,on this journey occurred three important events4 7#a7 ,the death of ,aaron in ,mount ,hor 7,num4 #bj3bb-bi74 7#b7 ,the defeat of the ,king of ,south ,canaan and the laying waste of his country to ,hormah where they had been routed nearly forty years ago4 7#c7 ,the sending of the fiery serpents and the brazen serpent as a remedy4 ,they also passed the country of ,moab and came finally to the river ,arnan 7,num4 #ba3ac71 which is the boundary between ,moab and the ,amorites4 ,here they came into conflict with ,sihon the ,king of the ,amorites1 whom they defeated1 and possessed his land4 7,num4 #ba3bc-bd74 ,the overcoming of this strong and ancient people brought ,israel into contact with ,og1 king of ,bashan1 who was himself a giant and whose country was far more formidable than that of the ,amorites4 ,by defeating him and possessing his cities ,israel was enabled to pass on and come to the plains of ,moab beyond ,jordan at ,jericho4 ,in ,psalms #ace and #acf1 written hundreds of years later1 the victory over ,sihon and ,og and the overthrow of ,pharaoh are dwelt on together in such a way as to show that their conquest was regarded as an achievement worthy to rank along side of that of their deliverance from the power of ,egypt4 ,the ,prophecies of ,balaam4 7,num4 ,chaps4 #bb-bd74 ,the ,moabites were greatly distressed about the settlement of the victorious ,hebrews in the region just north of them and feared lest they should suffer the same fate as ,shihon and ,og4 ,balak1 the ,king of ,moab1 had beard of ,balaam1 a famous soothsayer or wise prophet of ,chaldea1 whose curses and blessings were reported to carry with them extraordinary effects4 ,he sought at any cost to have him cripple ,israel by placing a curse upon them4 ,but instead of cursing ,israel and blessing the ,moabites1 he revealed how wonderfully ,israel was blessed ,of ,god and how a scepter would rise out of ,israel and smite and destroy ,moab4 ,this strange man ,balaam seems to have had the gift of prophecy without its grace4 ,he had the knowledge of future events but sought to use it for his own advantage instead of for the glory of ,god4 ,he was a covetous1 money-loving prophet and sought the rewards offered by ,balak4 ,he tried repeatedly to find some way by which he could speak good for ,moab and thereby earn the much desired fee4 ,on the other hand he was afraid to speak against ,israel lest the curse should recoil on him4 ,no other word seems to describe his course except to say that he was compelled by ,jehovah to speak to ,israel's advantage and to predict her future greatness4 ,his language fittingly describes the material splendor and the splendid victories and reign of ,david4 ,the spirit of ,israel described is that of the united kingdom standing at the zenith of its power4 ,in a beautiful way also he pointed to the ,messiah who should put all enemies under his feet4 ,he may have secured his reward1 however1 in another way4 ,he seems to have led ,balak to entice ,israel1 through pretensions of friendship1 to partake in the idolatrous and impure festivals of the ,moabites 7,num4 #be3a-e2 #ca3ae-af2 ,rev4 #b3ad74 ,these and other acts of their own brought down upon ,israel the curse of heaven and made them the subject of such calamites as ,balaam could not himself pronounce against them4 ,by suggesting this course to ,balak1 he may have obtained the coveted pay without directly disobeying ,god4 ,this whole story would seem to imply that the ,hebrew historians did not believe that divine relations were limited to seers and prophets of their own race4 ,the ,last ,acts of ,moses4 ,events are now transpiring in rapid succession and the story hastens to the close of the career of ,moses1 the great leader prophet1 priest and judge of ,israel4 ,several matters are worthy of study3 7#a7 ,the sending of an expedition to destroy the ,midianites4 7#b7 ,the final numbering of the people preparatory to their entrance into ,canaan4 7#c7 ,the appointing of ,joshua as his successor4 7#d7 ,the settlement of the two and a half tribes on the east side of ,jordan4 7#e7 ,the appointment of the cities of refuge4 7#h7 ,the delivery of a farewell address1 or of farewell addresses4 ,the ,last ,scene on ,moab4 ,there were far too many of the ,israelites to hear his voice and he probably gathered together the princes and elders who listened to him from day to day1 each of whom went home and repeated to his own people what he had heard from their inspired leader4 ,in these addresses ,moses recounted their wanderings and ,jehovah's goodness to them4 ,he reminded them of all that ,god had commanded them in his law and gave such new instructions and interpretations as would be needed in the new conditions that they would meet on coming into the ,promised ,land4 ,he painted in frightful colors the fearful doom that would befall the disobedient and eloquently described the blessing of loyalty to ,god4 ,after being called of ,god to depart into the mountains and die1 he pronounced in one of the most beautiful passages in all the scripture1 his farewell blessing upon each of the tribes4 ,and how solemn must have been the occasion4 ,they are listening for the last time to his voice4 ,with what veneration they must have gazed on him4 ,he it was that ,jochebed with loving hands had laid in the bulrushes when #abj years ago ,pharaoh had persecuted them4 ,he was the man that had so nobly chosen to suffer affliction with the people of ,god instead of the attractions of ,egypt4 ,his eyes under the shadow of ,horeb had looked on the burning bush4 ,his hand had stretched out over ,egypt and overwhelmed it with the plagues4 ,his was the face that had reflected the divine glory of the mount after forty days of fellowship with ,jehovah1 during which he received the substance of the law4 ,that was the faithful and tried man that had often been wrongly accused1 that had meekly borne so many trials1 that had guided the people so faithfully1 and advised them so wisely1 and had refused honors himself because he loved them so well4 ,how they must have hung on those last words6 ,and the echo of his last words had hardly died away until his spirit had been called away and unseen hands had laid his dust in an unknown tomb4 ,the ,significance of the ,work of ,moses4 ,humanly speaking1 he explains the great difference between the ,hebrews and the people kindred to them4 ,he accounts for their development from a company of disheartened slaves1 and from the careless habits of wandering tribes into a conquering nation1 made irresistible by its belief in the guidance of ,jehovah4 ,humanly speaking1 he was the creator of ,israel4 7#a7 ,he was a leader and as such heartened and disciplined them4 7#b7 ,he was a prophet and as such taught them ideals of social justice1 purity and honor4 7#c7 ,he was a lawgiver and as such furnished them with civil1 sanitary1 social and religious laws that channeled them into a sober1 healthy1 moral1 and right-minded people4 7#d7 ,he was the founder of a religion and as such led them into a real loyalty to ,jehovah as their ,god and gave them such a conception of the divine character and requirements as to stimulate in them a growth in goodness4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,the student will readily collect for himself lessons that have been brought to his attention4 ,the following1 however1 should not fail of consideration3 7#a7 ,god's law is inflexible4 ,it is of universal operation and can not be evaded or revoked4 ,even the best men must suffer if they violate it as was the case of ,moses4 7#b7 ,to rebel against ,god's appointed leaders and to speak disrespectfully of them will subject one to the outpouring of divine wrath4 7#c7 ,god never forgets his covenants as seen ,in the case of his refusal to give to ,israel the land of ,edom and of ,ammon4 7#d7 ,that ,god decides the fate of armies in battle and is therefore the ,god of nations as well as individuals4 7#e7 ,early hardships often fit us for a more glorious destiny later4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the rebellion of ,korah4 7#b7 ,the story of ,balak and ,balaam and the present day truth which it suggests or the problems of today to which it is applicable4 7#c7 ,the story of the budding of ,aaron's rod4 7#d7 ,the sin of ,moses because of which he was not allowed to enter ,canaan4 ,find every reference to it4 7#e7 ,the different victories of ,israel recorded in the period4 7#f7 ,the fiery serpents and serpent of brass4 7#g7 ,the cities of refuge1 their names1 location1 purpose and the lessons for today to be drawn from their use4 7#h7 ,the principal events of ,israel's past history mentioned in ,dt4 chs4 #a-d1 and find where in previous books each is recorded4 7#i7 ,from ,dt4 chs4 #bg-bh list the curses and blessings1 showing the sin and its penalty and the blessing and that for which it is promised4 7#aj7 ,the farewell blessing of ,moses on the tribes 7,dt4 ch4 #cc74 ,list the promises to each4 7#aa7 ,the death of ,moses 7,dt4 chs4 #cb and #cd74 7#ab7 ,the incidents of the period that have in them a miraculous element4 7#ac7 ,other prominent leaders besides ,moses1 ,aaron and ,joshua4 7#ad7 ,the nations mentioned with whom the ,hebrews had contact4 7#ae7 ,the geography of the places and nations noticed in this period4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,joshua's ,conquest4 ,joshua4 ,the ,facts of ,history ,recorded4 ,the history recorded in this period follows closely upon and completes the story of the deliverance begun in the ,exodus4 ,but for the sin of ,israel in believing the evil spies and turning back into the wilderness1 none of the events of the last twenty-one chapters of ,numbers and none of those found in ,deuteronomy would have occurred and ,joshua would have followed ,exodus and have completed the story of ,israel's deliverance out of ,egypt into ,canaan4 ,as it is1 this history follows close upon that of ,deuteronomy4 ,joshua1 who had been duly chosen and set apart for the work1 took command of the hosts as soon as ,moses died4 ,he was trained in the school of ,moses and exhibited the same devotion to ,jehovah and the same dependence upon ,his guidance4 ,the ,story ,naturally ,falls ,into ,three ,parts4 7#a7 ,the conquest of ,canaan1 7,chs4 #a-ab74 ,in this section we have the story of the crossing of the ,jordan1 fall of ,jericho and the conquest of the land both south and north4 7#b7 ,the division of the territory of ,canaan 7,chs4 #ac-bb74 ,in this section we have the assignment of the territory of ,canaan1 the cities of ,refuge1 the cities of ,levites and the return of the two and half tribes to the east of the ,jordan4 7#c7 ,joshua's last counsel and death 7,chs4 #bc-bd71 in which we have his exhortations to fidelity and farewell address and death4 ,while the war itself probably did not continue but seven years1 the entire period was not less than twenty-five and may have been as much as fifty-one years4 ,the period marks a new era in ,biblical history4 ,instead of the experiences of ,nomadic or semi-,nomadic tribes1 a people with a fixed abode and with a growing body of customs and institutions is described4 ,the ,land of ,canaan4 ,it is well to consider at least three things concerning this little1 yet wonderful country4 7#a7 ,its geography4 ,it is about four hundred miles long and from seventy-five to one hundred miles wide and is made up of plains1 valleys1 plateaus1 gorges and mountains fashioned together in wonderful variety4 ,there are many small bodies of land capable of supporting a group of people and yet so secluded as to allow them to develop their own individuality and become independent4 ,every traveler between ,egypt and ,babylonia must pass through ,palestine which thereby became the bridge for the civilization and commerce of tie world4 ,here the ,hebrew could easily keep in touch with the world events of his day4 ,later it became the gateway of travel from east to west4 ,the territory naturally falls into three divisions3 7a7 ,judah or ,judea which is in the southern portion and about seventy-five miles long1 7b7 ,ephraim or ,samaria occupying the center of the country1 7c7 ,galilee occupying the northern portion4 ,along the entire coast line there is a continuous coast plain4 ,there are many mountains1 the most important being ,hermon1 ,carmel and ,gerizim4 7#b7 ,its inhabitants and the nations surrounding it4 ,that the population was very dense is indicated by the mention of about three hundred cities and towns a large number of which have been identified4 ,while there were many war-like people crowded into ,palestine1 seven1 the ,hittites1 the ,girgashites1 the ,perizzites1 the ,hivites1 the ,jebusites1 the ,amorites and the ,canaanites1 were the most important4 ,the ,canaanites1 who had been there about six centuries1 and the ,amorites1 who had lived there about ten centuries1 were the two peoples that furnished greatest resistance to ,israel's occupancy of the country4 ,they were virtually one people4 ,around ,palestine were many kingdoms1 some large and strong1 some small and weak4 ,among the more important were the ,philistines1 west of ,judah1 the ,phoenician kingdoms on the north1 ,arameans or ,syrians on the northeast1 and on the east and southeast1 the ,ammonites1 ,moabites and ,edomites1 the last three being kinsmen of the ,hebrews4 7#c7 ,conditions favorable to its conquest4 ,several circumstances conspired to make it a suitable time for the ,hebrews to enter ,canaan3 7a7 ,egypt had crushed the ,hittites and devastated their land2 7b7 ,northern hordes from and through ,syria had broken the power of ,egypt and the ,hittites and had also crushed the ,canaanites2 7c7 ,assyria had increased her borders to the coasts of ,phoenicia and was feared by all other peoples2 7d7 ,babylonia was not strong enough to displace ,assyria as an ,asiatic power but strong enough to dispute her supremacy2 7e7 ,for two hundred years1 therefore1 their weakness together with that of ,egypt and the ,hittites gave the ,hebrews ample time to develop and grow strong4 ,the ,crossing of the ,jordan and the ,fall of ,jericho4 ,to the ,hebrews these two incidents have always been of first importance4 ,as the two great events through which they gained entrance to their permanent home1 they have been given a place in ,hebrew literature almost equal to that of their deliverance from ,egyptian bondage4 ,the divine share in these great accomplishments was fully recognized4 ,he it was who caused the waters of ,jordan to separate and ,he it was who threw down the walls of ,jericho4 ,not only did ,jericho occupy a strategic position1 being somewhat apart from other ,canaanite cities1 but the marvelous manner of its fall both encouraged the ,hebrews to expect complete victory and also caused the ,canaanites to fear them and expect defeat4 ,the ,complete ,conquest of ,canaan4 ,the conquest was a sort of whirlwind campaign that crushed the active and dangerous opposition of the ,canaanites1 the complete occupancy being accomplished by a piecemeal process of subduing one after another of the little cities and independent tribes4 ,the campaign was well planned4 ,the ,jordan was crossed1 ,jericho was taken and then by pushing forward for the heart of the land1 ,ai was overcome and in a short time ,joshua was in the center of the land1 ready to strike either way4 ,with his central camp established at ,gilgal 7#e3aj2 #i3f7 and the forces of ,canaan divided1 ,joshua could advance by two lines of invasion4 ,whether he made simultaneous campaigns in different directions is not certain1 but he seems first to have turned his attention to the southern territory and then to have completed his conquest by an invasion of the northern districts4 ,after bending before this storm the ,canaanites still held possession of the land and the piecemeal process of subjugation began4 ,it was not all accomplished by the sword but aided by the peaceful measures of inter-marriage and treaties with friendly neighbors4 ,israel contended against a far superior civilization but finally won because the religious as well as the civil and social life was involved4 ,the ,cruelty to the ,canannites4 ,stress has commonly been laid on the cruelty to the ,canaanites and upon their being driven out of their land when it should have been put upon their character where the ,scripture puts it4 ,this is a waste of false sympathy4 ,the ,scripture always speaks of the driving out of the ,canaanites as a punishment for their sins 7,dt1 #i3d-e2 ,lev4 #ah3bd-be74 ,some of the abominations which they practiced are described in ,lev4 #ah3ba-cj and ,dt4 #ab3cj-cb4 ,these abominations were practiced in the name of religion and were so shocking that one shudders to read the description4 ,everything evil was worshiped4 ,the chief god was ,baal1 the sun1 who was worshiped at different places under different names1 but everywhere his worship was fierce and cruel4 ,his consort ,ashtaroth1 the ,babylonian goddess ,istar1 the goddess of love1 worshiped as the morning star1 ,venus1 fostered in her worship abominations that are almost inconceivable in our times4 ,it was a worship of impurity and could not be cured by ordinary means4 ,god had borne with it for hundreds of years4 ,their destruction was therefore justifiable just as was that of the old world and the ,jews were simply ,god's instruments just as were the waters of the flood or the fire and brimstone in the case of ,sodom and ,gomorrah4 ,god was planning to begin1 a new nation1 to start a new civilization and by using this method of punishment for the ,canaanites he impressed the ,hebrews in a most striking way with the consequences of forsaking worship of the true ,god4 ,it was a new thing in the world to have all idolatrous symbols destroyed and to worship an unseen ,god and yet ,joshua constantly represented to them that all the evils they had inflicted upon the ,canaanites1 and greater evils1 would be sent upon them if they should become idolaters4 ,little1 therefore1 need be said of the cruelty of the ,hebrews nor of the suffering of the ,canaanites4 ,the ,hebrews were the instrument of ,god and the ,canaanites were reaping what they had sown4 ,the ,significance of the ,war ,against the ,canannites4 ,of all the wars recorded in human history this was one of the greatest1 if not the greatest of all4 ,none was ever fought for a more noble purpose and none has accomplished greater ends4 ,the fate of the world was in the balance4 ,old civilizations on account of their wickedness1 were to soon fall and this series of conflicts was to decide whether a new civilization with a pure and holy purpose to serve ,god could arise in their midst4 ,it was1 therefore1 a war 7#a7 ,for purification4 ,the individual1 the temple and the home must all be pure4 7#b7 ,for civil liberty4 ,israel was now1 under ,god1 to govern herself and thereby to give the world a pattern of government as ,god's free nation4 7#c7 ,for religious liberty4 ,idolatry1 vice and superstition were everywhere and the people must be free to worship the one true ,god and ,creator of all4 7#d7 ,for the whole world4 ,israel was to be a blessing to all nations4 ,out of her and out of this land was to come ,christ1 her son1 who should save the nations4 ,the war was1 therefore1 for us as well as for them4 ,the ,character and ,work of ,joshua4 ,the name ,joshua in the ,old ,testament is equivalent to ,jesus in the ,new 7,heb4 #d3h74 ,his character and work were well adapted to his age and he therefore made a deep impression upon this formative period of ,israel's history4 ,he was fully prepared for the work of the conquest by his association with ,moses and by such events as the defeat of ,amalek which he accomplished by divine help 7,ex4 #ag3aj-af74 ,with all he had been called of ,god and set apart for the work of subjugating the ,canaanites4 ,as a soldier and commander1 he ranks among the first of the world4 ,he is resourceful1 brave1 straightforward1 fertile in strategy1 and quick to strike 7#a3aj-aa2 #b3a etc474 ,in the councils of peace he was wise and generous4 ,he displayed statesmanship of the highest order in mapping out the boundaries of the tribes and thus preparing the land for a permanent occupancy of the ,hebrews4 ,in the matter of religion he was actuated by a spirit of implicit obedience to ,god's authority4 ,he combined in his nature both courage and gentleness and exhibited in his dealings the disposition of both the lion and the lamb4 ,his dying charge is full of earnestness and devotion4 ,as a type of ,christ he led the people to the rest of ,canaan1 though not to the rest of the gospel which remaineth to the people of ,god4 ,a void still remained and they still had to look forward4 ,he led them to victory over their enemies and became their advocate when they sinned and met defeat4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,among many lessons suggested by this book the following should be considered and the student asked to suggest others4 7#a7 ,god is at war with sin3 7a7 ,he thrusts out the ,canaanites because of their sins2 7b7 ,he allows the defeat of ,israel at ,ai because sin was among them2 7c7 ,he allows ,achan put to death because of it4 ,he is1 therefore1 against all sin1 personal1 social and civic or national4 7#b7 ,religious victory and entrance upon spiritual rest is accomplished through a leader or commander and through a divine power1 not through a law giver and by the works of the law4 ,it was not ,moses1 the lawgiver1 through whom they entered and not by their own strength4 7#c7 ,god keeps his covenants in spite of all the weakness of man4 7#d7 ,god decides the issues of battles and of wars with a view to the final on-going of his kingdom4 ,only ,god and not the relative strength or preparedness of the contending armies can forecast the final issues of war4 7#e7 ,the fact that ,god is for one does not preclude the use of strategy and discretionary methods4 7#f7 ,the failure or sin of one man may defeat a whole cause and that in spite of the faithful efforts of many others4 7#g7 ,what is a just severity to some is often a great mercy to others4 ,the destruction of the ,canaanites was a severe penalty for their sins1 but it was an unspeakable blessing to all the future ages because by it a true faith and a pure worship was preserved4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,each of the lessons suggested above4 ,find a basis either in incident or teaching for each4 7#b7 ,the geography of the country with the principal cities mentioned4 7#c7 ,the several tribes of people mentioned in the narrative4 7#d7 ,the providential conditions favorable to the conquest just at that time4 7#e7 ,the cruelties of the ,israelites to their enemies4 ,select examples and discuss each4 7#f7 ,the significance of the war4 7#g7 ,the character and work of ,joshua4 ,point out incidents or acts that show elements of greatness and weakness in his character2 also estimate the value of his work4 7#h7 ,the cooperation of the two and a half tribes in these wars4 7#i7 ,the several battles described4 ,list them and decide what contributed to the success or failure of ,israel in each case4 7#aj7 ,the story of the fall of ,jericho4 7#aa7 ,the sin of ,achan1 its results1 its discovery and punishment4 7#ab7 ,the story of the ,gibeonites1 their stratagem1 its embarrassment to ,joshua and consequent slavery to them4 7#ac7 ,the portion of land allotted to each tribe and how it was secured4 7#ad7 ,the miraculous element running through the narrative4 ,list and discuss each incident that tends to show or makes claim of such miraculous element4 7#ae7 ,the place of prayer and worship in the hook4 ,give incidents4 7#af7 ,the element that is figurative or illustrative of truth revealed in ,new ,testament times4 ,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,judges4 ,judges #a2 #a ,sam4 #g4 ,the ,characteristics of the ,times4 ,this is a period of transition for ,israel ,nothing was quite certain1 and every man did that which was right in his own eyes 7#ag3f74 ,in consequence of this there was lack of organization1 cooperation or leadership4 ,while we do not have all the history covered by the period and while we do not easily understand or explain its events1 it is clear that things did not run smoothly4 ,in ,judges #b3af-ai the author gives a vivid picture of the conditions and characteristics of the time4 ,the problems of the times may be outlined as follows3 7#a7 ,political problems4 ,these arose1 7a7 because of the isolated conditions of the tribes1 7b7 because of their tribal government which lacked the bond of unity of former times1 7c7 because of the strength and opposition of the ,canaanites4 7#b7 ,social problems4 ,these grew out of3 7a7 the adoption of ,canaanite customs and manner of life1 7b7 the intermarriage of the ,jews with the new people4 7#c7 ,religious ,problems4 ,the source of these problems arose from two directions1 7a7 ,baal worship ministered to their lusts and was therefore a snare to them1 7b7 the religion of ,israel required purity and was1 therefore1 counted a burden4 ,the problems of the times of peace were greater than those in the times of war4 ,the ,judges4 ,now that there was no central stable government and no hereditary rulers the people accepted from time to time as their rulers certain military leaders whom ,god raised up and who1 by their prowess1 delivered them from the yoke of foreign oppression4 ,it was1 therefore1 a period of personal efforts some of which are preserved for us in this portion of scripture4 ,fifteen ,judges are named counting ,eli and ,samuel1 who are by some not so named1 but we know very little of any except six of the military judges and ,eli and ,samuel4 ,these six are brought into prominence because of as many invasions by other nations as follows4 7#a7 ,the ,mesopotamians came down from the northeast and oppressed ,israel until ,othniel1 ,caleb's nephew1 was raised up to deliver them4 7#b7 ,the invasion of the ,moabites and the deliverance through ,ehud4 7#c7 ,the oppression of the ,canaanites1 who came down from the north1 was thrown off through the leadership of ,deborah assisted by ,barak4 7#d7 ,the ,midianites came in from the east and greatly oppressed ,israel until ,gideon defeated and destroyed these bold oppressors4 7#e7 ,the invasion of the ,ammonites and ,israel's deliverance through ,jephthah4 7#f7 ,the ,philistines were the next successful enemies of ,israel and were enabled to do great harm to ,israel until ,samson arose and overthrew their power4 ,eli and ,samuel differed widely from the other judges and on that account are sometimes not counted among them4 ,eli was a good but weak man4 ,his weakness in the control of his children ruined them and brought him to sorrow and also caused a severe defeat for ,israel4 ,samuel was the last of the judges and was also a priest and prophet4 ,he is one of the outstanding ,old ,testament characters4 ,abraham founded the ,hebrew race2 ,joseph saved them from famine2 ,moses gave them a home and ,samuel organized them into a great kingdom which led to their glory4 ,his birth was in answer to prayer and as judge or deliverer he won his most signal victory1 that against the ,philistines1 by means of prayer4 ,he founded schools for the instruction of young prophets at ,gilgal4 ,bethel1 ,mizpeh and ,ramah4 ,in this he perhaps rendered his most valuable and most lasting service4 ,these schools gave a great impetus to prophecy4 ,after this time prophecy and prophets had a vital and permanent place in the life of the nation4 ,even kings had to consult them for instructions from ,god4 ,ruth the ,moabite4 ,in contrast with the many stories of idolatry and sin of the times and especially in contrast with the story of the idolatry of ,micah and the crime of ,gibeah found in the last chapters of ,judges1 we have the beautiful little story of ,ruth1 the ,moabite4 ,others had turned away from ,jehovah the true ,god to false gods1 but she turned from the false gods and received the true ,god4 ,other ,nations4 ,of the condition of the other nations of this period we are left largely to the monuments1 but much has been discovered that throws light on the general world conditions4 ,the following might be noted here4 7#a7 ,egypt4 ,after the ,exodus of ,israel ,egypt seems to have enjoyed several centuries of great prosperity during which the country was adorned with wonderful buildings1 her religion prospered1 her people were famous for their learning and1 through colonization projects1 she carried her civilization to many other climes4 7#b7 ,assyria was now a growing empire and destined to become1 ere long1 one of the most powerful of all4 7#c7 ,babylonia was now weak and generally at a disadvantage in contests with other nations4 7#d7 ,the ,elamites also became a people of considerable influence and at least on different occasions invaded ,babylonia4 7#e7 ,mesopotamia1 before being absorbed by ,assyria was a powerful nation and ravaged ,syria and ,palestine4 7#f7 ,phoenicia was a country of great commercial progress with ,tyre and ,sidon as centers of great influence4 7#g7 ,greece4 ,the most interesting of all the countries that began to show their strength during that period is ,greece4 ,the inhabitants were wonderful in physical energy1 in war and conquest1 in discovery and in capacity for education4 ,they were fond of pleasure and had great capacity for the tasks of society1 government1 and religion4 ,they contrived a religious system that was conspicuous for the absence of the great priestly class of the eastern systems of religion4 ,however1 it left the morally corrupt nature of man untouched and1 therefore1 did not contribute anything to the cause of pure religion4 ,outline of ,the ,narrative4 ,the ,scripture narrative falls into the following well-defined divisions3 7#a7 ,an introduction or the condition in ,palestine at the beginning of the period1 ,jud4 #a3a-c3f4 7#b7 ,the ,judges and their work1 ,jud4 #c3a3a-c3f4 7#b7 ,the ,judges and their work1 7,jud4 #c3g-af end74 7#c7 ,micah's idolatry1 ,jud4 ,chs4 #ag-ah4 7#d7 ,the crime of ,gibeah1 ,jud4 ,chs4 #ai-ba4 7#e7 ,the story of ,ruth1 ,ruth4 7#f7 ,the career of ,samuel including the judgeship of ,eli1 #a ,sam4 ,chs4 #a-g4 ,ethical and ,religious ,standards4 ,since this is a transitional period we may expect great difference of moral and religions standards4 ,some things are stressed far beyond their importance while other matters of more consequence are overlooked4 ,the following examples will indicate to what extremes they went in some matters4 7#a7 ,some things bad3 7a7 ,murdering a heathen enemy was counted a virtue2 7b7 ,it was not a crime to steal from a member of another ,hebrew tribe2 7c7 ,might was right2 7d7 ,they would keep any foolish vow to ,god even though it cost the life of one's child as in the case of ,jephthah4 7#b7 ,some things good3 7a7 ,the marriage relation was held sacred2 7b7 ,a covenant was held binding and sacred as in the case of the ,gibeonites2 7c7 ,they counted inhospitality a crime4 7#c7 ,some strange inconsistencies3 7a7 ,micah would steal his mother's silver1 then rear a family altar to ,jehovah2 7b7 ,samson would keep his ,nazarite vow1 preserve his hair intact and abstain from wine and unclean food but give himself over to lying and to his passions1 and selfish inclinations and fail to observe the simple laws of justice1 mercy and service4 ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,as to national decay3 7a7 ,it is caused by religious apostasy2 7b7 ,it evidences itself in religious blindness1 political folly and social immorality2 7c7 ,its curse results in political and social disorder1 chaos and ultimate ruin4 7#b7 ,as to punishment for sin3 7a7 ,he surely sends punishment on the offender whether an individual or a nation2 7b7 ,his punishment is a matter of mercy and is intended to prepare the way for deliverance4 7#c7 ,as to deliverance3 7a7 ,it never comes until repentance is manifested2 7b7 ,it is always through a deliverer whom we can not find but whom ,god must raise up for us4 7#d7 ,from the book of ,ruth it is shown that circumstances neither make nor mar believers4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the names of the ,judges in order with the length of time each served or the period of rest after the work of each4 7#b7 ,the enemy each judge had to combat4 7#c7 ,what each judge accomplished against the enemy and what weapon he used-an oxgoad or what8 7#d7 ,the elements of strength and weakness in the character of the principal men of the period4 7#e7 ,the ,new ,testament truths illustrated in the life and work of ,gideon and ,samson4 7#f7 ,the lessons of practical life illustrated by the stories of ,jephthah and ,deborah4 7#g7 ,the facts of the story of ,micah and ,gibeah4 7#h7 ,the career of ,samuel as found so far4 7#i7 ,the value of a trusting soul as seen in ,ruth4 7#aj7 ,the main element in their religion4 7#aa7 ,the condition of ,israel at the beginning and at the end of this period4 7#ab7 ,the subject of good and successful parents with bad and unsuccessful children4 ,the importance they attached to the ,ark of the ,covenant4 ,chapter ,x4 ,the ,reign of ,saul4 ,i ,sam4 #h-ca2 ,i ,chron4 #aj ,the ,demand for a ,king4 ,the last period saw one tribe after another come to the front and assert itself through some leading man as an emergency arose1 but now the tribes are to be united into a monarchy and this1 too1 at their own request made in the form of a desire for a king4 ,several things no doubt influenced them to make this request4 7#a7 ,from the days of ,joshua there had been no strong national bond4 ,they were only held together by the law of ,moses and the annual assemblages at ,shiloh4 ,but the wise reign of ,samuel had given an enlarged national consciousness and led to a desire for a stable government with the largest possible national unity4 7#b7 ,the failure of the sons of ,samuel1 who had been entrusted with some power and who would naturally succeed him1 led them to feel that provision for the welfare of the nation must be made before the death of ,samuel or ruin would come4 7#c7 ,the attitude of the nations around ,israel suggested the need of a strong government headed by a leader of authority4 ,the ,philistines and ,ammonites had already made incursions into their land and threatened at any time to further oppress them4 ,the new organization1 therefore1 seemed necessary as a national protection4 7#d7 ,the faith of ,jehovah was threatened4 ,the victories of the ,philistines would be interpreted to mean that ,jehovah was powerless or else did not care for his people4 ,this would lead them to turn to other gods4 ,then too they were greatly tempted by the religion of the ,canaanite to turn from ,jehovah4 ,it was1 therefore1 a religious crisis that made it essential that the ,hebrews unite and in the name of ,jehovah over throw the ,philistines and establish a nation that would rightly represent to all nations ,jehovah as the ,god of their race4 7#e7 ,the nations around them such as ,egypt and ,assyria with their seats of royalty had excited their pride and they were moved with a desire to be like their heathen neighbors-a desire which involved disrespect for their divine king and want of faith in him4 ,the ,principle of the ,kingdom4 ,the folly of the people did not lie in their asking for a king to rule over them1 but in the spirit of forgetfulness of ,god with which they made the request4 ,indeed ,moses had provided for a kingdom and given the law upon which the king was to rule 7,dt #ag3ad-bj74 ,he was to be unlike other kings4 ,he was not to rule according to his own will or that of the people but according to the will of ,jehovah4 ,he was to be subject to ,god as was the humblest ,israelite1 and1 under his immediate direction1 was to rule for the good of the people4 ,this was a new principle that showed it self in all the future history of ,israel4 ,saul attempted to be like others-to assert his own will-and disobeyed ,god and was deposed while ,david identified himself with ,god and his purposes and was successful4 ,one represent the ideal of the people1 the other that of the ,scripture4 ,saul the ,first ,king4 ,he began his career under the most auspicious circumstances4 ,his tribe and its location as well as his fine physical appearance gave him great advantage4 ,he was enthusiastic and brave1 and yet in the early days he charms us with his modesty4 ,after he was anointed by ,samuel and had been made to see the great career opening to him he returned to his regular toil until the people were called together at ,mizpah and proclaimed him king4 ,samuel supported him with his influence and the people gave him allegiance4 ,he was for a while subservient to the will of ,god and greatly prospered4 ,but later he became self-willed and failed to see that the nation was ,god's and not his4 ,he developed a spirit of disobedience1 perverseness and evil conduct that mark him as insane4 ,saul's ,great ,achievements4 ,the oppression of ,israel's enemies which in part at least made necessary their king had to be dealt with at once4 ,in his contest with them ,saul had a very successful military career4 ,he was successful in the following campaigns3 7,i7 ,against the ,ammonites 7,i ,sam4 #aa7 in which he delivered from ruin the inhabitants of ,jabesh-,gilead on the east ,of ,jordan and won the love of all the ,hebrew people4 7#b7 ,against the ,philistines 7,i ,sam4 #ac-ad7 in which ,jonathan was the hero4 ,before the battle he disobeyed the will of ,god by performing the duties of a priest and was told he should lose his kingdom on account of it4 ,at the close of the campaign he lost his temper and proposed to kill ,jonathan1 his son1 the hero of the day because he had unwittingly disobeyed a foolish command4 7#c7 ,against ,moab1 ,ammon1 ,edom and ,zobah 7,i ,sam4 #ad3dg7 of which there are no particulars given4 7#d7 ,against the ,amalekites 7,i ,sam4 #ae7 in which1 though he defeated ,amalek1 he disobeyed ,god in not wholly destroying all ,amalek and his possessions and thereby lost for the time being ,samuel's help and finally his kingdom4 ,it was after this battle that ,david was anointed to become king in ,saul's stead4 ,saul's ,decline4 ,from ,chapter #af on the story tells of the rapid decline of ,saul and of the rise of ,david to the kingdom4 7#a7 ,there is given the story of the madness of ,saul and the introduction of ,david to the court as the king's musician4 7#b7 ,the campaign against the ,philistines in which ,david kills ,goliath1 the giant that was defying ,israel1 and won great honor from the king4 7#c7 ,his effort to destroy ,david4 ,during many years he1 with bitter jealousy and an insane hatred1 tried to destroy ,david who was as constantly delivered by a divine providence4 ,whether on account of sickness or other reason1 he seems to have had fits of insanity during this period4 7#d7 ,his last battle and death4 ,the ,philistines arrayed themselves against ,saul4 ,with a sense of defeat he tried to get in touch with ,samuel1 but finally met a death in harmony with his life and thus ended one of the most melancholy careers of all history4 ,all because of his disobedience to ,god 7,i ,chron4 #aj3a4a-ad74 ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,god adapts his methods to the needs and conditions of the people from tribal government to kingdom4 7#b7 ,a man out of harmony with ,god will certainly fail-,saul4 7#c7 ,a man in harmony with ,god's plan will succeed no matter how much opposed by others-,david4 7#d7 ,god never forgets to punish those who oppress his people-,amalekites4 7#e7 ,the success of ,god's work does not depend upon our attitude toward his will1 but our condition when it has succeeded does4 7#f7 ,a righteous man can succeed without doing wrong to do it4 7#g7 ,god's anointed will suffer if they sin4 7#h7 ,kindness to enemies-,david to ,saul4 7#i7 ,the strength of true friendship-,jonathan and ,david4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the condition that led to the establishment of the kingdom4 7#c7 ,four statements ,samuel made to ,saul and four ways by which he tried to impress him with the responsibility to which he was called ,i ,sam4 #i3ai-aj-h4 7#c7 ,the prophet bands or school of prophets4 7#d7 ,the story of ,jonathan's exploits against ,michmash by ,saul and his escape1 ,i ,sam4 #ad4 7#e7 ,the story of ,david's choice and anointing1 ,i ,sam4 #af3a-ac4 7#f7 ,the killing of ,goliath and defeat of the ,philistines4 ,i ,sam4 ,ch4 #ag4 7#g7 ,story of ,jonathan and ,david1 ,i ,sam4 #ah3a-d2 #ai3a-g2 #bj3a-d1 #ab-ag1 #da-db2 #bc3af-ah4 7#h7 ,david's wanderings1 #ba3aj-bb-e4 7#i7 ,compare ,saul and ,david at the time of the anointing of each as to their chances of success4 7#aj7 ,david's sojourn in ,philistia with the experience of embarrassment and advantage1 ,i ,sam4 ,chs4 #bg-bh4 7#aa7 ,saul's last battle and death1 7a7 the appeal to ,samuel through the witch1 ,i ,sam4 ,ch4 #bh1 7b7 the battle1 his and his son's death1 ,i ,sam4 ,ch4#ca4 ,chapter ,,xi4 ,the ,reign of ,david4 #b ,sam42 #a ,chron4 ,chs4 #aa-bi2 #a ,k #a3a-b3aa4 ,his ,reign over ,judah4 ,the reign of ,david is divided into two parts4 ,the first part was over ,judah1 with the capitol at ,hebron1 and lasted seven and one-half years4 ,during this period ,ishbosheth1 son of ,saul1 reigned over ,israel in the ,north4 ,it is probable that both of these kings were regarded as vassals of the ,philistines and paid tribute4 ,on account of rival leaders1 there was constant warfare between these two rival kings4 ,the kingdom of ,judah1 however1 gradually gained the ascendancy4 ,this is beautifully described in the ,scripture ,david waxed stronger and stronger1 but the house of ,saul waxed weaker and weaker 7#b ,sam4 #c3a74 ,seeing this1 ,abner undertook negotiations looking to the onion of the two kingdoms1 but was treacherously killed by ,joab4 ,the act of ,abner in coming to ,david was in reality one of secession4 ,it was soon followed by the murder of ,ishbosheth and the utter failure of ,saul's kingdom4 ,his ,reign ,over ,all ,israel4 ,saul's kingdom having fallen1 ,israel assembled in great numbers at ,hebron and asked ,david to become king over all the nation4 ,upon his ascendancy to the throne of the united nations the ,philistines sent an army into the ,hebrew country4 ,the brief record of these wars shows that they were very bitter and that at one time ,david was forced to take refuge in the ,cave of ,adullam and carry on a sort of guerrilla warfare4 ,but finally in the valley of ,rephaim he was enabled to strike such a crushing blow to the ,philistines as to compel a lasting peace and leave him free to develop his kingdom4 ,this reign of ,david1 lasting thirty-three years after he became king of all1 was the ideal reign of all the history of the ,hebrews4 ,the element of success and chief acts of his reign may be summed up somewhat as follows3 7#a7 ,his capture of ,jerusalem 7formerly called ,jesub17 a ,canaanitish stronghold that had resisted all attacks from the days of ,joshua1 and making it his capitol4 ,this choice showed great wisdom4 7#b7 ,his foreign relations4 ,david's foreign policy was one of conquest4 ,he not only defended ,israel but subdued other nations4 ,besides the subduing of the ,philistines and capture of ,jebus1 already mentioned1 he conquered the ,moabites4 the ,syrians1 the ,edomites and the ,ammonites4 ,he also made an alliance with ,hiram1 the king of the ,phoenicians1 who became his lifelong friend4 7#c7 ,his home relations and policies4 ,his policy at home may be said to be one of centralization4 ,one of his first acts was to bring up the ark and place it on ,mount ,zion and to center all worship there4 ,this would tend to unite the people and to make more powerful his authority over all the people4 ,in line with this plan he conceived the idea of building the temple and during the years he gathered materials and stored riches with which to build it4 ,he acted with a wise consideration for the rights of his subjects and in every way sought to promote their happiness4 ,as a ruler1 he differed very widely from the kings of other countries4 ,he possessed none of their selfish aims4 ,he did not oppress his subjects with heavy taxes1 nor spoil them of their possessions1 nor seize them for soldiers against their will4 ,he recognized that the king was for the people and not the people for the king4 ,his ,great ,sin and ,its ,bitter ,consequences4 ,david's high ideals and noble chivalry could not withstand the enervating influence of his growing harem4 ,the degrading influence of polygamy with its luxury1 pleasure seeking and jealousies was soon to undermine his character4 ,his sins and weak indulgencies were destined to work family and national disaster4 ,these sins reached a climax in his trespass with ,bathsheba1 the wife of ,uriah4 ,in this crime he fell from his exalted position to the level of an unprincipled eastern monarch4 ,it stands out as one of the darkest crimes of all history and shows what terrible remnants of sin there are in the hearts even of converted men4 ,primitive society followed the course of nature in condemning adultery as worthy of more severe punishment than murder itself4 ,and no crime today involves more sudden and terrible consequences in the individual2 no crime is capable of exerting as malign an influence upon the innocent family and later descendants of the culprit2 no crime leaves in its wake as many physical and moral ills4 ,the ,bitter consequences of this sin soon became apparent4 ,nathan brought to him a worthy rebuke and he showed himself different from other kings of his time by the bitter repentance with which he bewails his iniquity in the fifty-first ,psalm4 ,god forgave his sin but its evil consequences in his family and nation could not be removed4 ,the nature of his chastisement is suggested in the following incidents3 7#a7 ,the death of his child born to ,bath-sheba4 7#b7 ,ammon1 his oldest son1 one of the pitiable products of his oriental harem1 shamefully treated his sister1 ,tamar1 in the gratification of his brutal lusts4 7#c7 ,absalom treacherously murdered ,ammon as a matter of revenge for the outrage upon his sister1 ,tamar4 7#d7 ,the rebellion of ,absalom1 his son1 which almost cost ,david the throne and led to the destruction of ,absalom4 7#e7 ,the rebellion of ,shebna and following events1 which almost destroyed the empire4 7#f7 ,many incidents in the family and kingdom of ,solomon1 his son4 ,while ,david must always be judged by the social standards of his age it must be remembered that his own generation did not hesitate to condemn his act and we must not excuse in the least this awful sin4 ,the message it has for us is supremely applicable to our present age in which social evil threatens to undermine our boasted ,christian civilization4 ,the ,inspiring ,career of ,david4 ,the life of ,david is so varied and beautiful that one finds difficulty in outlining any study of him in the space allowed here4 ,there are several ways of studying his career4 ,sometimes it may be profitable to consider him from two viewpoints1 7#a7 ,his character1 7#b7 ,his life after he became king4 ,for our purpose1 however1 it would be better to look at him somewhat as follows3 7#a7 ,as a shepherd lad1 where he laid the foundations of his great career4 7#b7 ,as a servant at the court of ,saul1 where he became the object of a bitter jealousy and suffered great indignities4 7#c7 ,as a refugee from ,saul1 during which time he exhibited his unwillingness to do wrong even against one who was doing him great injustice4 7#d7 ,as a friend1 especially shown in his relation to ,jonathan4 ,by it he was influenced throughout his whole career and was caused after becoming king to extend kindness to the house of ,saul1 his enemy4 #b ,sam4 ch4 #i4 7#e7 ,as a musician4 ,his accomplishments in this field are witnessed both by his ability in the use of the harp and in the great body of psalms which he left us4 7#f7 ,as a loyal subject4 ,in no other place1 perhaps1 did he show more fine qualities than in this4 ,to him ,saul was ,god's anointed1 and1 though wronged by ,saul and though himself already anointed to be king in ,saul's stead1 he remained perfectly loyal to ,saul as king4 7#g7 ,as a ruler4 ,he knew how to govern both his own people and those whom he had subdued4 ,he also succeeded in forming friendly alliances with other kings and changed the enfeebled and divided tribes into a mighty empire4 7#h7 ,as a military leader4 ,through his skill he organized a most successful army 7#a ,chron4 #bg3a-e2 #b ,sam4 #bc3h-i71 and defeated at least five surrounding nations and so impressed the great world powers beyond that they did not oppose the growth of his kingdom4 7#i7 ,as a servant of ,god4 ,though making his mistakes1 he was a man after ,god's own heart4 ,he made ,jerusalem the great center of religion and organized the priests and ,levites so that their work could be done effectively and with order4 ,the key-note of his life seems to have been expressed to ,goliath 7,i ,sam4 #ag3de74 7#aj7 ,as a type of ,christ4 ,of all the human types of ,jesus in the ,old ,testament ,david is probably the most eminent4 ,this fact makes the study of his life and experiences of great interest and profit to the ,christian4 ,his ,last ,days4 ,the last days of ,david are made sad because of his own weakness4 ,the memory of his guilt and disgrace had led him to withdraw more and more from the public life and1 therefore1 to neglect the duties of judge and ruler4 ,his court became the scene of plotting concerning his successor1 whose name he had apparently not announced4 ,it was only by the valuable help of ,nathan that he succeeded in having his wish in the matter4 ,the dying words of ,david have in them much that is prophetic of the ,messiah and points out to ,solomon1 his beloved son1 who was to reign in his stead1 the way of all success and blessing4 ,it1 however1 contains what has been designated as the greatest blot on ,david's character-,his charge to ,solomon to put to death ,shimei and ,joab4 ,such vindictiveness does not seem to comport with his spirit manifested in the sparing of ,saul in the days of his jealous hatred and in his kindness to the house of ,saul 7#b ,sam4 ,ch4 #i74 ,nor does it comport with this patience formerly shown to ,shimei 7#b ,sam4 #af3e-ac74 ,we can not explain these charges of hatred upon any other grounds than that of an old man in his dotage4 ,he is no longer his manful self4 ,psalms4 ,while the time covered by the collection of the ,psalms is more than a thousand years1 reaching from the time of ,moses to the period of the exile1 it is probably best to study them in this period4 ,the majority of them are ascribed to ,david and the whole collection early became known as the ,psalms of ,david4 ,reference should be made to ,the ,bible ,book ,by ,book for an introduction to their study4 ,the ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,divine appointment to a great task does not guarantee one against falling into evil4 7#b7 ,luxury and the indulgence of the appetites tend to degradation4 7#c7 ,the personal forgiveness of sin does not remove its evil consequences4 7#d7 ,our sins are often as harmful to others and even more so than to ourselves4 7#e7 ,righteousness exalteth a nation4 7#f7 ,god controls the issues of wars4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the location of the several nations conquered by ,david and how the victories were won1 especially the capture of ,jebus4 7#b7 ,david's plan to build the ,temple and ,god's message to him ,,ii ,sam4 ,ch4 #aa4 ,point out the different elements in it4 7#c7 ,absolom's conspiracy and final defeat1 ,,ii ,sam4 ,chs4 #ae and #ah4 7#d7 ,the death of the child of ,uriah's wife1 ,,ii ,sam4 ,ch4 #ab4 7#e7 ,the different times ,david showed kindness to his enemies1 ,,ii ,sam4 #i1 #aj1 #af1 and #ai4 ,learn the details of each case4 7#f7 ,the organization of his kingdom1 ,,ii ,sam4 #h3l#f-ah1 #ae3cg1 #af3af1 #bj3bc-bf2 ,i ,chron4 #bg3cc4 7#g7 ,tie rebellion of ,sheba1 ,,ii ,sam4 #bj3a-bb4 7#h7 ,the story of ,adonijah1 ,i ,k4 ,ch4 #a4 7#i7 ,list ,david's last commands to ,solomon1 ,i ,k4 #b3a-i4 7#aj7 ,nathan's parable to ,david1 ,,ii ,sam4 #ab3a-i1 #ac-ae4 7#aa7 ,the greatest fault of ,absalom1 of ,joab4 7#ab7 ,joab1 the avenger1 ,,ii ,sam4 #b3ag-cb1 #c3bb-cj1 #ah3i-ae1 #bj3d-aj4 ,chapter ,,xii4 ,solomon's ,reign4 ,i ,k4 ,chs4 #a-ab2 ,,ii ,chron4 ,chs4#a-i4 ,the ,riddle of ,solomon's ,character4 ,few ,biblical characters manifested such contradictory elements of character4 ,early in life he manifested an earnest1 conscientious and religious spirit4 ,he was prayerful and sought above all else wisdom and that for the good reason that he might be able to rule well4 ,he built the temple and thereby magnified the worship of ,jehovah4 ,his prayer at the dedication of this temple were not only humble and fervent but were expressive of the very highest loyalty to ,jehovah as the one supreme ,god and to all the high purposes of the divine will in ,israel4 ,but in spite of all this he put upon the people such heavy burdens of taxation as to crush them4 ,he trampled under foot the democratic ideals of the nation and adopted the policy of oriental despots which tended to make free-born citizens mere slaves of the king4 ,he lived a life of the basest sort of self-indulgence4 ,he depended upon foreign alliances rather than upon ,jehovah to save his nation4 ,he married many strange wives and through them was led to establish in ,israel the worship of strange ,gods4 ,i ,k4 #aa3a-h4 ,on the whole his reign was such as to undo what had been accomplished by ,david and proved disastrous4 ,although counted the wisest he proved to be in many ways the most foolish king that ever ruled over ,israel4 ,his ,policies4 ,as a ruler it is easy to think of his policies under three heads1 7#a7 ,his home policy4 ,this was one of absolution4 ,he became a despot and robbed the people of their freedom and put them under a yoke of oppression by imposing upon them heavy burdens of tax that he might carry out his unholy plans for selfish indulgence4 7#b7 ,his foreign policy4 ,this was a policy of diplomacy4 ,by means of intermarriage1 by the establishment of commercial relations and by the adoption of the customs and religions of other nations he bound them in friendly alliance4 7#c7 ,his religious policy4 ,this was a policy of concentration4 ,he built die temple and1 through the splendor of its worship1 tried to concentrate all worship upon ,mount ,moriah4 ,this desire may also have contributed to his erection of altars to foreign deities4 ,solomon's ,building ,enterprise4 ,the greatest of all his building accomplishments was the temple4 ,it is almost impossible to conceive of its magnificence4 ,according to the most modern computation the precious materials1 such as gold with which it was embellished1 amounted to something like six hundred million dollars4 ,next in importance was his palace1 which in size and time of construction surpassed that of the temple4 ,this palace consisted of several halls1 the chief of which were3 ,the ,forest of ,lebanon1 the ,hall of ,pillars1 and the ,hall of ,judgment4 ,near the palace was the residence of the king himself and his ,egyptian ,queen-a house that would compare well with the royal palaces of her native land4 ,indeed all ,moriah and the ground about its base were covered with immense structures4 ,besides the temple1 palace and other great buildings at the capitol1 ,solomon undertook various other great building enterprises4 ,he built many great cities not only in the territory of ancient ,palestine but in his now extended empire4 ,the most famous of these were ,tadmor or ,palmyra and ,baalath1 or ,baalbic4 ,the former built at an oasis of the ,syrian desert seems to have been a sort of trade emporium for the traders of ,syria and the ,euphrates to exchange wares with the merchants of ,egypt4 ,the latter was near ,lebanon and was chiefly notable for its temple of the sun which was one of the finest edifices of ,syria4 ,it would be difficult to put too high a value upon the influence wrought by these vast building enterprises4 ,it can hardly be doubted that the building of the temple was the most important single event of the period of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,from this time on ,israel ceased to look back to ,sinai and regard ,jerusalem as the dwelling place of ,jehovah4 ,its priesthood and services became the support of all the coming kings4 ,the prophets proclaimed their immortal messages from its sacred precincts and through it was nurtured the pure religion of ,jehovah4 ,solomon's ,writings4 ,during this period as in the previous one literary culture made a great advance4 ,solomon1 like ,david his father1 possessed extraordinary literary gifts and as a writer had large influence4 ,three books of the ,scripture are ascribed to him4 7#a7 ,the ,book of ,proverbs4 ,there is no reason to believe1 however1 that he wrote all of them4 ,it is a collection of proverbs or rather several collections4 ,some were written by ,solomon1 collected by him from the wise sayings of others and still others were added collections of later times4 7#b7 ,ecclesiastes4 ,the purpose of this book seems to be to show the result of successful worldliness and self-gratification compared with a life of godliness4 ,it is intended to show that the realization of all one's aim and hopes and aspirations in the matters of wealth1 pleasure and honor will not bring satisfaction to the heart4 7#c7 ,the ,song of ,solomon4 ,to the ,jews of that time this book set forth the whole of the history of ,israel2 to the ,christian it sets forth the fullness of love that unites the believer and his ,savior as bride and bridegroom2 to all the world it is a call to cast out those unworthy ideals and monstrous practices that threaten to undermine society and the home4 ,nations ,surrounding ,israel4 ,the life of any people is always influenced by the nations around them4 ,during this period ,israel had intercourse with many other nations4 7#a7 ,phoenicia4 ,this commercial people1 through ,hiram of ,tyre1 one of its kings1 supplied the cedar wood and the skilled laborers who made possible the building of the temple4 7#b7 ,egypt4 ,solomon married a daughter of ,pharoah and carried on with ,egypt an extensive commerce and for his wife's sake no doubt introduced the worship of ,egyptian gods4 7#c7 ,assyria4 ,this country as well as ,egypt had lost much of her former power and was not in a position to antagonize ,solomon4 7#d7 ,among the other nations with which ,solomon had dealings may be mentioned ,sheba1 thought to be in the most southern part of ,arabia1 ,ophir and ,tarshish1 and from the nature of articles purchased and the three years required for the voyage he is thought to have sent trading vessels to ,india4 ,evidences of ,national ,decay4 ,from the brief history of this period given us by the biblical writers it is evident that the nation began to disintegrate before the death of ,solomon4 ,among the more apparent signs of decay were several revolts3 7#a7 that of ,hadad the ,edomite1 who threw off the ,hebrew part of ,edom independently3 7#b7 that of ,adad1 the ,midianite1 who defiled the authority of ,solomon2 7#c7 that of ,rezon1 the ,aramean1 who revolted and became master of ,damascus around which grew up an important kingdom2 7#d7 that of ,jeroboam1 an ,ephraimite1 who was an officer of ,solomon at ,jerusalem and while unsuccessful showed the existence of a deep-seated discontent in ,jerusalem itself4 ,it is significant that the prophet ,ahijah of ,shiloh encouraged ,jeroboam by telling him that1 on account of the idolatry fostered by ,solomon1 ten tribes would be removed from ,solomon's son and committed to him4 ,this indicates that the prophets saw that disunion alone would preserve the liberties and pure religion of ,israel4 ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,all national methods bring disaster if ,god is left out of account4 7#b7 ,material progress is absolutely of no value without a spiritual life4 7#c7 ,national prosperity always endangers the nation4 7#d7 ,the wisest and best of men may go wrong1 if they subject themselves to evil influences4 7#e7 ,temples or houses of worship are of value in giving dignity to faith and in preserving the spirit of worship4 7#f7 ,if the common people feel that they are unjustly treated nothing will prevent the disintegration of the nation4 7#g7 ,religion that does not issue in proper ethics will suffer at the hands of true ethics4 7#h7 ,the security of society depends upon simple justice4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the several incidents attending ,solomon's accession to the throne1 ,i ,k4 ,chs4 #a-b4 7#b7 ,david's last charge to ,solomon1 ,i ,k4 ,ch4 #c2 #d3bi3cd4 7#d7 sic ,solomon's temple3 7a7 ,its size and plan2 7b7 ,its equipment2 7c7 ,its dedication4 7#e7 ,solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple1 ,i ,k4 ,ch4 #h3 ,,ii ,chron4 ,ch4 #f4 ,look for a revelation of his character1 religious spirit and conception of ,god4 7#f7 ,solomon's sins1 ,i ,k4 ,ch4 #aa4 7#g7 ,solomon's treatment of his foes ,i ,k1 #b3ai-df4 7#h74 ,what ,solomon did to stimulate trade1 ,i ,k4 #i3bf-aj3ac2 #aj3bb-bi4 7#i7 ,statements in ,ecclesiastes that point to ,solomon as author or to experiences he had4 7#aj7 ,statements in ,song of ,solomon that throw light upon the times or seem to refer to ,solomon and his experiences4 ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,the ,divided ,kingdom4 #a ,king1 #ab-b ,k4 #ag4 #b ,chron4 #aj-ch4 ,the ,division of the ,kingdom4 ,several things must be set down as contributory causes of the division of the nation4 7#a7 ,there was an old jealousy between the tribes of the north and south reaching as far back as the time of the ,judges4 ,the very difference in the northern and southern territories and their products tended to keep alive a rivalry between the tribes occupying them4 7#b7 ,during the time of ,solomon the people had turned away from ,jehovah and engaged in the idolatrous worship of other gods1 especially those of the ,zidonians1 ,moabites and ,ahijah1 the prophet1 had foretold the division 7#a ,k4 #aa3bi-ci74 ,this weakening of the people's faithfulness to ,god gave place for the manifestations of their former jealousy4 7#c7 ,solomon had put upon the people heavy burdens of taxation and of forced labor1 which were fast taking away the people's liberties and reducing them to serfdom4 ,this policy inflamed the jealousy of the northern tribes into a bitter discontent4 ,they would rebel rather than submit to the loss of their liberty which to them meant also disloyalty to ,god4 7#d7 ,the ambition of ,jeroboam1 of the tribe of ,ephraim1 a valiant officer of ,solomon1 no doubt led him to stir up the ten tribes to revolt4 ,ahijah1 the prophet1 had made known to him that1 upon the death of ,solomon1 he should become the head of these tribes4 7#e7 ,the final and immediate cause was the foolish course of ,rehoboam4 ,he went to ,shechem to be accepted as king by the northern tribes4 ,they demanded that he should relieve them of the heavy burdens laid on them by ,solomon4 ,the older and more experienced men counseled him to grant their request1 but he heeded the advice of the young men1 who were ignorant of conditions1 and answered them with a threat of even severer burdens4 ,incensed by this foolish threat1 the ten tribes revolted and enthroned ,jeroboam as their king and the division of the empire was accomplished4 ,this was the turning point of the nation4 ,it was the undoing of all that had been accomplished by the three kings that had proceeded4 ,comparison of the ,two ,kingdoms4 ,each kingdom had its advantages and its disadvantages4 7#a7 ,the northern kingdom1 from the material point of view1 was far superior to the southern4 ,it had a larger and more fertile country4 ,it had three times as many people and a much better military equipment4 ,ramah1 ,bether and ,gilgal with their sites of their schools of the prophets were all in their borders4 ,their country was also the scene of greatest prophetic activity and their cause was just4 ,but the kings were inferior and wicked4 ,not a single one of the nineteen kings were godly4 ,they established idolatrous and abominable worship as a religion of the king4 ,this idolatry counterbalanced all the material advantages4 7#b7 ,the ,southern ,kingdom was far superior from a spiritual point of view4 ,it possessed the religious capital of the nation with the temple as a center of ,jehovah worship4 ,true it had only one third as many people1 one half as much territory and that less fertile1 and an inferior military equipment1 but its superior spiritual power and its superior line of kings made it last #ace years longer than the northern kingdom4 ,the ,kings of the ,northern ,kingdom4 #a4 ,jeroboam1 #a ,k4 #ab3bj-ad3bj4 ,reigned #bb years and died4 #b4 ,nadab1 #a ,k4 #ae3be-bg4 ,reigned #b years and was slain4 #c4 ,baasha1 #a ,k4 #ae2bg-af3f4 ,reigned #bd years and died4 #d4 ,elah1 #a ,k4 #af2f-aj4 ,reigned #b years and was slain4 #e4 ,zimri1 #a ,k4 #ah3aa-bj4 ,reigned #g days and suicided4 #f4 ,omri1 #a ,k4 #af3ca-bh4 ,reigned #ab years and died4 #g4 ,ahab1 #a ,k4 #af3bi-bb3dj4 ,reigned #bb years and was slain in battle4 #h4 ,ahaziah1 #a ,k4 #bb3ea-b ,k4 #a3ah4 ,reigned #b years and died from an accident4 #i4 ,jehoram1 #b ,k4 #c3a-i3bd4 ,reigned #ab years and was slain4 #aj4 ,jehu1 #b ,k4 #i3a-aj3cf4 ,reigned #bh years and died4 #aa4 ,jehoahaz1 #b ,k4 #ac3a-i4 ,reigned #ag years and died4 #ab4 ,jehoash1 #b ,k4 #ac3aj-ad3af4 ,reigned #af years and died4 #ac4 ,jeroboam ,,ii1 #b ,k4 #ad3bc-bi4 ,reigned #da years and died4 #ad4 ,zechariah1 #b ,k4 #ae3h-aj4 ,reigned #f months and was slain4 #ae4 ,shallum1 #b ,k4 #ae3ac-ad4 ,reigned #a month and was slain4 #af4 ,menahem1 #b ,k4 #ae3ad-bb4 ,reigned #aj years and died4 #ag4 ,pekahian1 #b ,k4 #ae3bc-bf4 ,reigned #b years and was slain4 #ah4 ,pekah1 #b ,k4 #ae3bg-af3i4 ,reigned #bj years and was slain4 #ai4 ,hoshea1 #b ,k4 #ag3a-f4 ,reigned #i years and put in prison4 ,the ,kings of ,judah4 #a4 ,rehoboam1 #a ,k4 #ab3ba-bd2 #ad3ba-ca2 #b ,chron4 #aa3a-ab3af4 ,reigned #ag years and died4 #b4 ,abijah1 #a ,k4 #ae3a-h2 #b ,chron4 #ac3a-bb4 ,reigned #c years and died4 #c4 ,asa1 #a ,k4 #ae3i-bd2 #b ,chron4 #ad3a-af3ad4 ,reigned #da years and died4 #d4 ,jehoshaphat1 #a ,k4 #ac3bd2 #bc3da-ej2 #b ,k4 #c3a-bg2 #b ,chron4 #ag3a-ba3a ,reigned #be years and died4 #e4 ,jeboram1 #b ,k4 #h3af-bd2 #b ,chron4 #ba3a-bj4 ,reigned #h4 years and died4 #f4 ,ahaziah1 #b ,k4 #h3be-bi2 #i3bg-bi2 #b ,chron4 #bb3a-i4 ,reigned #a year and was killed by order of ,jehu4 #g4 ,athaliah1 #b ,k4 #aa3a-ba3b2 #b ,chron1 #bb2aj-bc3f4 ,reigned #f years and was slain when ,joash became king4 #h4 ,joash1 #b ,k4 #aa3c-ab3ba2 #b ,chron4 #bd3a-bg4 ,reigned #dj years and was slain4 #i4 ,amaziah1 #b ,k4 #ad3a-bj2 #b ,chron4 #be3a-bh4 ,reigned #bi years and was slain4 #aj4 ,uzziah or ,azariah1 #b ,k4 #ad3ba-be2 #b ,chron4 #bh3a-bc4 ,reigned #eb years and died4 #aa4 ,jotham1 #b ,k4 #ae3cb-cf2 #b ,chron4 #bg3a-i4 ,reigned ,,ib years and died4 #ab4 ,ahaz1 #b ,k4 #af3a-cj3 #b ,chron4 #bh3a-bg4 ,reigned ,,is years and died4 ,important ,events in the ,history of ,israel4 ,the following are perhaps the most important events in the history of tie northern kingdom during this period4 7#a7 ,the establishment of idol worship at ,dan and ,bethel4 7#b7 ,the removal of the ,capital1 by ,omri1 from ,tirzah to the hill site of ,samaria4 7#c7 ,the wicked reign of ,ahab1 who introduced ,baal worship into ,israel4 7#d7 ,the reformations of ,jehu1 who swept ,baal worship from the land and overthrew the hated dynasty of ,omri4 7#e7 ,the successful reign of ,jeroboam ,,ii1 who brought the nation back to a state of prosperity that resembled the time of ,david and ,solomon4 7#f7 ,the activity of the prophets during the entire period4 ,this activity is seen in the important place given 7#a ,k4 #ag-b ,k4 #ac7 to the work of ,elijah and ,elisha2 in the prophecy of ,jonah1 ,amos and ,hosea1 who prophesied in the time of the reign of ,jereboam ,,ii1 and in part in the reign of ,micah who preached during the reign of ,hoshea4 7#g7 ,the conquest of ,israel by the ,assyrians which came as the result of forty years of constant decline following the death of ,jeroboam ,,ii4 ,after this ,israel disappears from history4 ,she had sinned away her opportunity4 ,principal ,events ,in the ,history of ,judah4 ,the following are the principal events of the history of ,judah from the division of the kingdom until the captivity of ,israel4 7#a7 ,the foolish answer of ,rehoboam to the ten tribes which led to their revolt and the continual enmity of the northern and southern kingdoms that followed4 7#b7 ,the invasion of ,judah by ,shishak of ,egypt1 who greatly weakened the nation4 7#c7 ,the reign of ,jehoshaphat whose judicial1 military and educational or religious reforms introduce a new and good day in ,judah and whose unhappy alliance with ,ahab1 led his son1 who followed him as king to introduce idolatry into ,judah1 with all the evil of the reign of ,jehoram1 ,ahaziah and ,athaliah4 7#d7 ,the prosperous reign of ,uzziah1 who was contemporary with ,jeroboam ,,ii of ,israel4 7#e7 ,the ,apostasy under ,ahaz1 who encouraged ,baal worship and practiced great cruelty even on the members of his own family4 ,the prophet ,isaiah 7chs4 #g-i7 appeals to ,ahaz and to the people to return to ,jehovah4 ,the ,relation between the ,two ,kingdoms4 ,the bearing of the two kingdoms toward each other during this period was constantly changing4 7#a7 ,there was almost constant war for about sixty years4 ,during this time the kings of ,judah cherished the hope that they would regain their control over the ten tribes4 7#b7 ,there was a period of close alliance4 ,this alliance was sealed by an intermarriage between the families of ,ahab1 king of ,israel and ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah4 ,the purpose seems to have been that they might better resist the encroaching power of ,assyria4 7#c7 ,there was a fresh manifestation of hatred4 ,jehu is enthroned in ,israel and destroys the house of ,ahab4 ,this shatters the alliance between the two nations and causes a breach that is never healed4 ,the northern kingdom becomes more and more idolatrous1 suffers at the hands of the ,syrians and is finally carried captive by the ,assyrians in #gbb ,b4 ,c4 ,the ,messages of the ,prophets of this ,period4 ,it is not within the purpose of this study to raise any of the questions of criticism concerning these books4 ,nor is there time to summarize the contents or teachings of nay or all of them4 ,the prophets of this period are ,jonah1 ,amos and ,hosea1 and the prophecy of each should be read following the outline given in the author's ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,jehovah rules not only in ,israel but over all peoples4 7#b7 ,each nation is responsible to ,god according to its opportunity and enlightenment4 7#c7 ,god judges people according to their acts1 not according to religious creeds or ceremonies4 7#d7 ,though a merciful ,god1 ,jehovah will and must finally punish willful and continuous evil doers4 7#e7 ,sin is infidelity to ,god and brings pain to his heart4 7#f7 ,all punishment is administered to the end that the sinful may repent and be forgiven4 7#g7 ,jehovah loves men and demands that they love him in return4 7#h7 ,repentance is the only way of escape from doom4 7#i7 ,god seeks to save men and nations from the sins that are to destroy them4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the events leading to the division of the kingdom4 7#b7 ,the story of each king in each nation1 7a7 ,how he came to the throne1 7b7 ,the chief acts of his reign1 7c7 ,the character of the king himself1 7d7 ,the length of his reign1 7e7 ,his enemies and his friends1 7f7 ,how his reign ended4 7#c7 ,the story of ,ahab4 7#d7 ,the story of ,elijah4 7#e7 ,the story of ,elisha4 7#f7 ,the miracles of the period4 7#g7 ,the different enemies with which the tribes were surrounded and the trouble they had with each4 7#h7 ,jonah and his service4 7#i7 ,the evidence of wealth and luxury of the time4 7#aj7 ,the sins of cruelty and injustice in society and government4 ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the ,kingdom of ,judah4 ,,ii ,k4 #ah-be2 ,,ii ,chron4 #bh-cf4 ,note3 ,this period covers the time from the fail of ,israel to the fall of ,judah4 ,it begins in the sixth year of the reign of ,hezekiah1 whose name is given as the first king of the period since most of his reign was in this instead of the former period4 ,the ,kings of this ,period4 #ac4 ,hezekiah1 #b ,k4 #ah3a-bj-ba2 #b ,chron4 #bi3a-cb3cc4 ,reigned #bi years and died4 #ad4 ,manasseh1 #b ,k4 #ba3a-ah2 #b ,chron4 #cc3a-bj4 ,reigned #ee year and died4 #ae4 ,amon1 #b ,k4 #ba3ai-bf2 #b ,chron4 #cc3bj-be4 ,reigned #b years and was slain by a conspiracy of his servants4 #af4 ,josiah1 #b ,k4 #bb3a-bc2 #b ,chron4 #cd3a-cc3bg4 ,reigned #ca years and was killed in battle4 #ag4 ,jehoahaz4 #b ,k4 #bc3cj-cd2 #b ,chron4 #cf3a-d4 ,reigned #c months and was dethroned and carried into ,egypt where he died4 #ah4 ,jehoiakim1 #b ,k4 #bc3cd-bd3f2 #b ,chron4 #cf3d-h4 ,reigned #aa years and died4 #ai4 ,jehoiachin4 #b ,k4 #bd3f-af2 #b ,chron4 #cf3i-aj4 ,reigned #c months and was carried captive to ,egypt4 #bj4 ,zedekiah4 #b ,k4 #bd3ag-be2 #b ,chron4 #cf3aa-ba4 ,reigned #aa years and carried captive into ,egypt4 ,the ,principal ,events of the ,period4 ,among the more important events of this period the following should be noticed4 7#a7 ,the reforms of ,hezekiah who attempted to restore the whole ,mosaic order4 7#b7 ,the invasion of ,judah by ,sennacherib1 king of ,assyria who at first humiliated ,hezekiah1 but later1 was destroyed by divine intervention and ,jerusalem saved4 7#c7 ,the wicked reign of ,manasseh1 who sought to destroy all true worship and established idolatrous worship in its stead4 7#d7 ,his captivity in ,babylon and release and attempted reform4 7#e7 ,the good reign of ,josiah1 who destroyed the altars of idolatry1 repaired the temple and caused the book of the law to be read-all of which resulted in a very thorough-going revival of true worship4 7#f7 ,the conflicts with their enemies which finally resulted in the downfall of ,jerusalem and the captivity of the people4 ,this captivity was completely accomplished through three invasions of the hosts of ,nebuchadnezzar1 7a7 ,in the reign of ,jehoiakim at which time he carried away captive ,daniel and his friends2 7b7 ,in the reign of ,jehoiachin or ,jeconiah1 when he carried to ,babylon the treasures of ,jerusalem and the skilled workmen as well as the officers of the court2 7c7 ,in the reign of ,zedekiah1 when the city and temple and walls and principal houses were destroyed and large numbers carried into captivity4 ,the ,prophets of the ,period and ,their ,messages4 ,of all the periods this is signalized by the greatest prophetic activity4 ,there was constant need both on the part of the king and on the part of the people for the warnings and rebukes of the people4 ,some prophets delivered part of their message in one period and the rest in another4 ,no doubt ,isaiah and ,micah did part of their service during the former period and ,jeremiah performed a part of his in the next4 ,but they are all put down here because this is the period of their greatest activity4 ,the other prophets of the period are ,joel1 ,nahum1 ,zephaniah1 ,habakkuk and ,obadiah4 ,the messages of these prophets should be carefully read following outlines given in ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,the ,teachings of the ,prophets4 ,it is difficult to put down in brief form the various teachings announced and implied in the writings of the prophets4 ,their sermons covered a wide range of subjects1 religious1 political1 commercial and social4 ,they touch upon matters that are national and also those that are personal4 ,the following may be regarded as among their most important teachings4 7#a7 ,that ,jehovah is a moral being-holy1 just1 wise and good4 7#b7 ,that ,jehovah was the ,god not only of ,judah and of ,israel but off all nations4 7#c7 ,that no man1 no set of men and no nation can thwart the plans of ,god4 7#d7 ,that ,god's judgments were certain to overtake the sinful4 7#e7 ,that religion was not separate from life1 but the very central factor of it-that religion and ethics are so blended that to act justly1 to love mercy and to walk humbly before his ,god is shown to be man's whole duty4 7#f7 ,that religion is a personal spiritual relation between ,god and man4 ,this is especially the contribution of ,jeremiah and lays the foundation for all true faith and is a basal principle of our ,christianity4 ,the ,false ,prophets1 ,through all the history of ,israel false prophets were a source of great trouble4 ,among those of earlier times may be noted3 7#a7 ,an old prophet of ,bethel1 #a ,k4 #ac3aa4 7#b7 #djj prophets with a lying spirit1 #a ,k4 #bb3f-h4 #bb-bc4 7#c7 #dej prophets of ,baal1 #a ,k4 #ah3ai1 #bb1 #dj4 7#d7 #djj prophets of ,asherah4 #a ,k4 #ah3ai4 ,a study of these will show that some are idolatrous prophets and others are perverted worshipers of ,jehovah1 who did not really prophesy at all4 ,some were no doubt deliberate deceivers of the people while others were perhaps self-deceived4 ,during the years immediately preceding the ,babylonian captivity false prophets played a prominent role and their pernicious influence upon ,judah's history can hardly be overestimated4 ,they lured the people to their ruin and undermined the influence of the true prophets4 ,isaiah talks about the prophet that teaches lies 7,is4 #i3ae74 ,jeremiah talks of prophets of lies1 who prophesy1 not having been sent of ,jehovah 7,jer4 #ad3ac-ae2 #bc3ba-bb74 ,micah tells of the prophets who make the people err 7,mi4 #c3e74 ,jeremiah was openly opposed by ,hananiah 7,jer4 ,ch4 #bh74 ,these prophets destroyed confidence in the message of true prophets and brought about a time when the voice of these messengers of ,god ceased to be heard in ,israel4 ,the ,great ,religious ,revivals of this ,period4 ,the whole history of the kingdom of ,judah is marked by periods of religious decline and revival4 ,the most striking of these are indicated by the following outline4 7#a7 ,a decline under the reign of ,rehoboam4 7#b7 ,a revival begun under ,asa and made complete under the reign of ,jehoshaphat2 7#c7 ,a decline begun in the reign of ,jehoram and continued until the reign of ,ahaz where the lowest spiritual state was reached4 7#d7 ,a new revival under ,hezekiah1 who introduced sweeping social and religious changes4 7#e7 ,a decline under ,manasseh who reared images to ,baal1 defiled the temple and overthrew the good work of his father ,hezekiah4 7#f7 ,a revival under ,josiah1 grandson of ,manasseh1 whose piety began to manifest itself at the age of sixteen4 ,he began his reforms at the age of twenty and spent six years in hewing down the altars and images of idolatry4 ,the temple was repaired1 the law found and enjoined upon the people and the ,passover celebrated4 7#g7 ,a final decline that carried ,judah on downward until her glory was destroyed and she was led away into ,babylon as captive4 ,the study of these successive efforts at returning to the true worship of ,jehovah and their quick collapse indicate that the kindlings of spiritual life which they seem to manifest were not real spiritual revivals4 ,many people did no doubt turn in truth to ,god4 but the rapidity with which each effort was followed by a return to deeper depths of immorality1 such as those indicated by ,amos #e3l#f1 #g3ag1 #h3f2 ,is4 #a3bc1 #aj3a2 and ,hos4 #i3ae give evidence of the abounding wickedness of the period4 ,the ,wealth and ,luxury4 ,there is much in the discourses to indicate that wealth abounded and that kings and other influential men lived in luxury4 ,the upper classes indulged in all the follies of the idle rich and showed the usual heartlessness toward the poor4 ,the following list of scriptures will indicate some of the things which they possessed and which they did3 ,amos #e3aa1 #c3ae1 #f3d2 ,jer4 #bb3ad2 ,is4 #e3ll-#ab1 #c3ah-bc1 #ba3g4 ,to this list the student by comparison and reference can add many others4 ,contemporary ,nations4 ,no study of this period would be complete without a knowledge of the other nations that influenced this time4 ,egypt1 ,assyria1 ,babylon1 ,media1 ,phoenicia1 ,carthage1 ,greece and ,rome all influenced ,judah4 ,from the ,bible narratives and from secular history the student should become acquainted with the leading events in the history of this period of each of these nations4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,it is most difficult to put down the permanent lessons or teachings of this period4 ,to the teachings of the prophets given above the following are well worth preserving as lessons for our day as well as theirs4 7#a7 ,all reformation must begin at the house of ,god and in connection with his worship-witness the reform work of ,asa1 ,jehoshaphat1 ,joash1 ,hezekiah and ,josiah4 7#b7 ,religion must set the standards for the conduct of national affairs4 7#c7 ,sin is infidelity to love1 or spiritual adultery4 ,it not only breaks law but cruelly wounds love4 7#d7 ,sin blinds men to their best interests1 turns them against their best friends and issues in their ruin4 7#e7 ,the political sentiment or the politician that neglects or attacks ,god1 or the national recognition of him is perilous to the nation4 7#f7 ,the loss of the sense or vision of ,god leads to degraded ideals1 deadened consciences and defeated purposes4 7#g7 ,true love3 7a7 is not blind to the sins of the one loved2 7b7 does not try to cover up the faults but tries to turn one from them2 7c7 does not desert one when calamity comes because of persistence in sin4 ,see the attitude of ,jeremiah to ,judah before and after the captivity4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,study each of the teachings of the prophets given above3 7a7 ,try to find scripture basis for it2 7b7 ,discuss it as a universal principle4 7#b7 ,study each of the scriptures referred to in the discussion above on false prophets3 7a7 ,from references collect other passages on the subject2 7b7 ,make a list of their prophecies and tell how to determine whether a prophet is false4 7#c7 ,from the scriptures given above on wealth and luxury and from others to be pointed out3 7a7 ,list the evidences of wealth2 7b7 ,compare the conditions then and now4 7#d7 ,following the instructions for study in the paragraph above on contemporaneous nations prepare a list of facts concerning each1 especially of matters that affected ,judah4 7#e7 ,name the kings of this period4 ,tell 7a7 how each came into office1 7b7 how long he reigned1 7c7 how his career ended1 7d7 what prophet preached to each and the nature of the prophecy4 7#f7 ,hezekiah's sickness1 #b ,king #bj3a-aa2 #b ,chron4 #cb2bd-bf2 7#g7 ,his song of thanksgiving1 ,is4 #ch3aj-bj4 ,carefully analyze it4 7#h7 ,sennacherib's invasion1 #b ,k4 #ah3ad-ai end2 ,is4 #ad3bd-bg2 #cf3a-cg3aj2 #b ,chron4 #cb3a-bc4 7a7 ,the object of the expedition2 7b7 ,the conference with ,hezekiah2 7c7 ,the outcome4 7#i7 ,josiah's reformations4 7#aj7 ,the three invasions of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,chapter ,,xv4 ,the ,captivity of ,judah4 ,eze41 ,dan41 ,lam4 ,the ,ten ,tribes ,lost4 ,after the fall of ,samaria we hear but little of the ten tribes4 ,they were carried off into the regions of ,ninevah by the ,assyrians4 ,all effort to locate them has failed and no doubt will fail4 ,sargon1 in an inscription found at ,ninevah1 said that he carried away into captivity #bg1bij4 ,these were perhaps leaders of ,israel whom he thought might lead a revolt4 ,he sent others back to take their place and the ,israelites seemed to have mingled with the races about them and to have lost their identity4 ,no doubt some of them as individuals were faithful to the worship of ,jehovah and may have found their way back to ,palestine under the leadership of ,ezra and ,nehemiah4 ,but it was different with ,judah who all the time kept true to her ideals and looked for the return that had been prophesied4 ,this hope was realized through the work of ,ezra and ,nehemiah following the decree of ,cyrus4 ,judah ,led into ,captivity4 ,the captivity of ,judah was accomplished by three distinct invasions of the ,babylonians and covered a period of twenty years4 7#a7 ,the first invasion and captivity4 ,this was in #fjg ,b4,c41 at which time ,daniel and his friends along with others were carried into captivity1 #b ,k4 #bd3a1 ,jer4 #be3a1 ,dan4 #a3a-g4 7#b7 ,the second invasion and captivity4 ,this was #eig ,b4,c41 at which time king ,jehoiakim and #aj4jjj of the people were carried into captivity4 ,among these were ,ezekiel and one of the ancestors of ,mordicai1 the cousin of ,esther1 #b ,k4 #bd3aj-af2 ,eze4 #a3a-b2 ,est4 #b3e-f4 7#c7 ,the third invasion and captivity4 ,in #ehg ,b4,c4 ,jerusalem was conquered and its walls and palaces as well as the temple were destroyed and the inhabitants carried away into exile1 #b ,k4 #bd3ah2 #bd3a-bg2 #b ,chron4 #cf3aa-ba2 ,jer4 #eb3a-aa4 ,this is the end of the southern kingdom4 ,the ,period of the ,captivity4 ,jeremiah predicts that the captivity will last seventy years 7,jer4 #be3ab2 #bi3aj2 see #b ,chron4 #cf3ba2 ,dan4 #i3b3 ,zech4 #g3f74 ,there are two ways of adjusting the dates to fulfill this prediction1 7#a7 ,from the first invasion and the carrying into captivity of ,daniel and others1 #fjg ,b4 ,c4 to #ecg ,b4 ,c41 when the first company returned under ,zerubbabel4 7#b7 ,from the final fall of ,jerusalem4 #ehg ,b4 ,c4 to the completion of the renewed temple and its dedication1 #eag ,b4 ,c4 ,either satisfies the scripture4 ,in history it is customary to speak of this exile as covering only the fifty years from #ehg ,b4 ,c4 when ,jerusalem was destroyed and the last company carried away to #ecg ,b4 ,c4 when the first company returned under ,zerubbabel4 ,the ,fugitives in ,egypt4 ,when ,jerusalem fell the king of ,babylon allowed many of the poorer people to remain in ,palestine and ,jedediah1 a grandson of ,josiah1 was appointed to rule over them4 #b ,k4 #be3bb4 ,his career was a very useful one1 but through jealousy he was soon murdered1 #b ,k4 #be3be4 ,this led the people to fear lest ,nebuchadnezzar would avenge his death1 whereupon they fled into ,egypt #b ,k4 #be3bf4 ,jeremiah attempted to keep them from going to ,egypt 7,jer4 #db3i-bb47 but1 when he failed1 he went along with them and shared their destiny1 ,jer4 #dc3f-g4 ,they settled at ,tahpanhee 7,jer4 #dd3a71 a frontier town where many foreigners lived under the protection of ,egypt4 ,they seem to have built a temple there and did much to retain their racial ideals4 ,jeremiah seems to have continued his faithful prophecies and the people seem to have continued as faithfully to reject his counsel4 ,we do not know how he ended his career but ,jewish tradition says he was put to death by his own people4 ,the ,exiles in ,babylon4 ,the state of the exiles in ,babylon may not be fully known but from the contemporary writers very much may be known4 7#a7 ,their home4 ,they were settled in a rich and fertile plain1 intersected by many canals4 ,it was on the river1 or canal1 ,chebar 7,ez4 #a3a4c2 #c3ae1 etc47 which ran southeast from ,babylon to ,nippur4 ,it was a land of traffic and merchants and fruitful fields 7,ez4 #ag3d-e74 ,they were rather colonists than slaves and enjoyed great freedom and prosperity4 7#b7 ,their occupation4 ,by reason of their intellectual and moral superiority the ,jews1 as they are called from this time forward1 would secure rapid advancement4 ,some of them such as ,daniel obtained high position4 ,others became skilled workmen4 ,following the advice of ,jeremiah 7,jer4 #bi3e71 many of them no doubt gave themselves to agriculture and gardening4 ,probably most of them yielded to the opportunities of the land of traffic and merchants mentioned above and engaged in commercial instead of agricultural pursuits4 7#c7 ,their government4 ,for a long time they were allowed to control their own affairs as their own laws provided4 ,the elders of the families acted as judges and directed affairs in general4 ,for a while they probably held the power of life and death over their own people1 but the capital cases were punished later by authority of ,babylon 7,jer4 #bi3bb47 7#d7 ,their religion4 ,here also the information is meager and must be gathered from statements and inferences found in several books4 ,several things are certain3 7a7 ,for the most part they preserved their genealogies1 thus making possible the identity of the ,messiah as well as their proper place in worship when they were restored2 7b7 ,they gave up all idolatry and were never again led into its evil practices as they had been wont to do before4 ,indeed1 there are1 even to the present day1 no idolatrous ,jews2 7c7 ,they gave up the elaborate ceremonials and the public and private sacrifices and the great festivals4 ,in their stead prayer and fasting and ,sabbath observances constituted the main part of their religious life4 ,the observance of the ,sabbath became a ceremony and was robbed of its simple divine purpose2 7d7 ,they assembled the people together on the ,sabbath for the purpose of prayer and the reading of the scripture4 ,this custom probably formed the basis for synagogue worship so influential later2 7e7 ,all this private devotion and prayer such as was seen in the thrice-a-day worship of ,daniel was opening the way for a purer and more spiritual religion2 7f7 ,the ,canon was greatly enlarged and new spiritual teachings were announced or new light thrown on old teachings4 ,the prophesies of ,daniel and ,ezekiel with many psalms were added4 ,the book of ,lamentations and chapters #dj-dd of ,jeremiah were also the products of this date but refer especially to the conditions of those in ,egypt4 ,the ,prophets of the ,exile4 ,this period is calculated to bring great discouragement to the ,jews4 ,they so far failed of their expectations that there is danger that they will give up their proper regard for ,jehovah4 ,they have great need that some one tell them the significance of their suffering and point out for them some word of hope for the future4 ,this service was rendered by the prophets4 ,there was great activity on the part of false prophets 7,jer4 #ci3d-h1 #ba-bc2 ,ez4 #ac3a-g1 #ad3h-aj71 but they were blessed by the following true prophets3 7#a7 ,ezekiel4 ,these prophecies began by recounting the incidents of the prophet's call and the incidents between the first and the second captivities2 they then denounce those nations that had part in the destruction of ,jerusalem and those that had been bitter and oppressive in their dealings with ,israel and ,judah2 they close with messages of comfort and cheer for the exiled people2 7#b7 ,daniel4 7#c7 ,lamentations4 ,besides a portion of the book of ,jeremiah and probably of ,isaiah which1 as suggested above1 belongs to this period1 the book of ,lamentations1 written while in exile in ,egypt1 should be placed here4 ,all three of these books should be read by following the outline given in ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,the ,benefits of the ,captivity1 ,dr4 ,burroughs gives as benefits that the ,jews derived from the captivity the following four things3 7#a7 the destruction of idolatry2 7#b7 the rise of the synagogue2 7#c7 a deepened respect for the law of ,moses2 7#d7 a longing for the ,messiah4 ,to these might be added or emphasized as being included in them3 7#a7 a vital sense of repentance was created2 7#b7 the change from the national1 festal and ceremonial worship to a spiritual and individual religion2 7#c7 a belief that ,israel had been chosen and trained in order that through her ,jehovah might bless the whole world4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,the experiences of ,judah as recorded in this period bring us several important truths4 7#a7 ,that sin will tear down both men and nations4 7#b7 ,men are responsible and suffer for their own sins but not for the sins of others1 ,ez4 #ah3b-c2 #cc3aj-aa4 7#c7 ,god controls all circumstances toward the ultimate accomplishment of his purposes4 7#d7 ,he makes free use of all world rulers as his tools to execute his will 7#e7 ,god sets up and destroys nations4 7#f7 ,god cares for his people and overrules all for their good4 ,see ,dan41 etc4 7#g7 ,one can live right in spite of one's surroundings 7see ,daniel7 and such living will lead men to know ,god4 7#h7 ,evil grows more and more determined while good grows more and more distinct and hence the question ,is the world growing better8 7#i7 ,god rejoices in the opportunity to forgive his erring people and in restoring them again into his partnership4 ,for ,study and ,discussion1 7#a7 ,when1 to whom and by whom the exile was predicted3 7a7 #b ,k4 #bj3ag-ah2 7b7 #b ,k4 #ba3aj-af2 7c7 #b ,k4 #bb3af-ag1 ,dt4 #bh3be1 #eb-fh2 7d7 ,jer4 #be3i-aa2 7e7 ,jer4 #cd3b-c2 7f7 ,mic4 #c3ab2 7g7 ,zeph4 #a3b-f4 7#b7 ,the different classes of exiles3 7a7 ,those in favor with the court1 ,dan4 #a3ai-ba1 #b3de-di2 7b7 ,common laborers-lower classes1 ,jer4 ch4 #bi1 ,eze4 ch4 #ac2 7c7 ,pretentious prophets1 ,eze4 ch4 #ac1 ,jer4 ch4 #bi4 7#c7 ,the social condition of the exiles1 #b ,k4 #be3bg2 ,dan4 #a3ai-ba2 ,is4 #fj3a2 ,jer4 #bi3d-g1 ,esth41 and passages in ,eze4 7#d7 ,the details of each of the three invasions and the captivities as outlined above4 ,see scriptures4 7#e7 ,the exiles in ,egypt3 7a7 ,who they were1 7b7 ,how they fared4 7#f7 ,the activity and influence of false prophets of this age4 7#g7 ,the story of ,nebuchadnezzar's dreams and their interpretation3 7a7 the image dream1 7b7 the tree dream4 7#h7 ,the stories of 7a7 ,the fiery furnace2 7b7 of the lion's den4 7#i7 ,the feast of ,belshazzar4 7#aj7 ,the visions of ,daniel #g3a-ad1 #h3a-ab1 #aj3d-f4 7#aa7 ,the four beasts of ,daniel and their significance4 7#ab7 ,the oracles against foreign nations1 ,eze4 chs4 #be-cb4 7#ac7 ,the benefits mentioned above4 7#ad7 ,the lessons mentioned above4 ,find scripture basis for them4 ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,the ,restoration4 ,ezra1 ,neh41 ,esth41 ,hag41 ,zech4 ,scripture ,analysis4 ,the books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah furnish the outline of the period and its achievements4 ,the two books were formerly counted one book and a continuous outline of the two is best suited to the proper emphasis of the various events of the period4 ,the following outline will appear simple and yet sufficient for our purpose4 7#a7 ,the rebuilding of the temple 7,ezra1 chs4 #a-f74 7#b7 ,the reforms of ,ezra 7,ezra1 chs4 #g-aj74 7#c7 ,the rebuilding of the walls 7,neh4 chs4 #a-g74 7#d7 ,the covenant to keep the law 7,neh4 chs4 #h-aj74 7#e7 ,the inhabitants of ,jerusalem 7,neh4 #aa3a-ab3bf74 7#f7 ,the dedication of the wall and the reform of ,nehemiah 7,neh4 #ab3bg-ac-;end74 ,predictions of the ,return4 ,the return from captivity had been prophesied long before the fall of ,jerusalem4 ,several prophets had foretold the captivity and in connection with it had told of the destruction of ,babylon and ,judah's restoration4 ,even the length of their stay in exile was announced4 ,while they were in exile they were constantly encouraged by the promised return foretold to them by ,ezekiel1 ,jeremiah and others4 7#a7 ,restoration at the end of seventy years is predicted4 7,jer4 #be3ab2 #bi3aj2 ,dan4 #i3b74 7#b7 ,other ,scriptures that foretell the overthrow of ,babylon or the return to ,jerusalem or both may be found in ,is4 chs4 #ac1 #ad1 #ba1 #dd-dg2 ,jer4 #bh3d-aa2 chs4 #ej-eb2 ,ez4 ch4 #bg1 etc4 ,the ,rise of ,persian ,power4 ,this was a period of world change4 ,great empires in rapid succession fell under the power of new and rising kingdoms4 7#a7 ,the ,assyrian ,empire1 which superseded the ,chaldean ,empire about #aejj ,b4 ,c41 and now loomed so large in the eyes of the world1 fell1 when the combined forces of the ,medes and ,babylonians captured ,ninevah her capital 7,b4 ,c4 #fjg7 and was numbered among the dead nations4 7#b7 ,the ,babylonian ,empire rose to supremacy and was the dominating power when ,judah went into captivity4 ,she was the most splendid kingdom the world had ever seen4 7#c7 ,the ,persian power conquered ,media and the greater part of ,assyria and the ,medo-,persian ,empire under ,cyrus conquered ,babylon and held almost universal sway at the time of the restoration4 ,the ,decree of ,cyrus4 ,it is now about #aej years since ,isaiah in his prophesies called ,cyrus by name and predicted that he should restore ,god's captive people to their own land and now in fulfillment of that prophecy ,god stirred up the spirit of ,cyrus and caused him to issue a proclamation for the return of the ,jews and the rebuilding of the temple4 ,he gave orders that his people should give the ,jews silver1 gold and beasts4 ,he also restored to them the vessels of the house of the ,lord 7,ezra4 #a3a-c7 and instructed the governors along the way to assist him4 ,three ,expeditions to ,jerusalem4 ,the return from ,babylon covered a long period of time and consisted of three separate detachments under as many different leaders4 ,there were important intervening events and contributory causes4 7#a7 ,the first colony to return was under ,zerubhabel 7#ecf ,b4 ,c47 and consisted of about fifty thousand4 ,ezra chs4 #a-f4 ,we have given us the records of activities of this colony for a period of about twenty-one years1 during which time the temple was rebuilt and dedicated4 ,much opposition was encountered in the matter of rebuilding the temple and the work was finally stopped4 ,it is here that ,haggai and ,zechariah delivered their stirring prophesies which together with the influence of ,jerubbabel and ,jeshua1 the priest1 stimulated the people to renew their building operations and complete the temple 7,b4 ,c4 #eae74 ,in the course of history1 ,haggai and ,zechariah would come in between the fourth and fifth chapters of ,ezra4 7#b7 ,the second colony returned to ,jerusalem under the leadership of ,ezra 7,ezra chs4 #g-aj7 and consisted of about #ahjj males with their families4 ,there is here a lapse of about fifty-seven years from the completion and dedication of the temple to the time of ,ezra's going to ,jerusalem-the last thirty years of the reign of ,darius1 the twenty years of the reign of ,xerxes and seven years of the reign of ,artaxerses4 ,ezra obtained permission from ,artaxerxes to return and also letters of instruction to the rulers to give him assistance4 ,he was a scribe of the law of ,moses and his mission was primarily a religious one4 ,he was a descendant from the house of ,aaron and as such he assumed the office of priest when he reached ,jerusalem4 ,upon his arrival he found that the first colony had fallen into gross immoralities and into unsound religious practices4 ,he rebuke ,he rebuke all these sins and brought about a great reform4 ,it is not certain that he remained in ,jerusalem4 ,his leave from the king may have been only temporary and he may have gone back to ,babylon and returned again to ,jerusalem in the time of ,nehemiah4 7#c7 ,the third colony was led to ,jerusalem by ,nehemiah 7the book of ,nehemiah74 ,the number returning is not given4 ,nehemiah was the cupbearer to the ,persian king and upon hearing of the distress of his people at ,jerusalem secured permission from him to go to ,jerusalem as the governor4 ,in spite of very determined opposition he was enabled to repair the wall of the city and dedicate it with great ceremony 7,neh4 chs4 #f and #ab74 ,nehemiah is counted as one of the greatest reformers4 ,he corrected many abuses such as those of usury and restored the national life of the ,jews based upon the written law4 ,together with ,ezra he restored the priests to their positions and renewed the temple worship4 ,he went back to the ,persian court where he remained several years and then returned to ,jerusalem and continued his reforms4 ,this ends the ,old ,testament history4 ,the ,prophecy of ,hagai and ,zechariah4 ,the task of these prophets was the same and was by no means an easy one4 ,the work of rebuilding the temple1 which had been begun when ,jerubbabel and his colony came to ,jerusalem1 had been stopped by the opposition which they met4 ,along with this laxity of effort to build the temple the ,jews were busy building houses for themselves 7#a3d7 and had become very negligent of all duty4 ,they had begun to despair of seeing their people and the beloved city and temple restored to the glory pictured by the prophets and were rapidly becoming reconciled to the situation4 ,these two prophets succeeded in arousing interest and confidence in the people and through their appeals secured the finishing of the temple4 ,the ,prophecy of ,malachi4 ,this prophecy condemns the same sins as those mentioned in the last chapters of ,ezra and ,nehemiah4 ,he denounced their impure marriages1 their lack of personal godliness1 their failure to pay tithes and their skepticism4 ,the special occasion for the discourses was the discontent which arose because their expectation of the glorious ,messianic ,kingdom had not been realized4 ,they had also had unfavorable harvests4 ,it is thought by many that the time of the prophecy is between the first and second visit of ,nehemiah to ,jerusalem4 ,the purpose seems to be3 7#a7 to rebuke them for departing from the law2 7#b7 to call them back to ,jehovah2 7#c7 to revive the national spirit4 ,the ,story of ,esther4 ,king ,ahasuerus of the book of ,esther is thought to be ,xerxes the ,great4 ,on this view the events narrated occurred some time before the second colony came to ,jerusalem and the story would fall between chapters #f and #g of the book of ,ezra4 ,the book throws much light on the condition of the ,jews in captivity and also upon the social and political conditions existing in the ,persian ,empire at this period4 ,while the name of ,god does not occur in the book1 his providential care over his people is everywhere manifested4 ,the deliverance of the ,jews from death by the intercessions of ,esther became the occasion of the establishment of the feast of ,purim which ever after commemorated it in ,jewish history4 ,these four books should be read following the outline given in ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,synagogues and ,synagogue ,worship4 ,the emphasis which ,ezra gave to the study of the ,book of the ,law no doubt did much to destroy idolatry and led to a new devotion to the word of ,god1 at least to the letter of the law4 ,this led to the institution or the re-establishment of the ,synagogue4 ,there had no doubt been from the early times local gatherings for worship1 but the ,synagogue worship does not seem to have been in use before the captivity1 ,after the captivity1 however1 they built many of them1 in every direction4 ,they were places of worship where they engaged in reading the law1 in exhortation and in prayer4 ,the reading and expounding of the law became a profession1 those following this calling being designated lawyers4 ,the ,significance of the ,period1 ,in all the annals of national life there is probably not a more significant sweep of history than that of the ,jews during the restoration which covers a little more than ninety years4 ,with the captivity their national life had ceased and now that they are back in their own land they do not seem to make any attempt to reestablish the nation4 ,stress is now put upon the true worship of ,god and it is beginning to dawn upon them that the glory of ,god will be manifested in some higher spiritual sense than had been expected4 ,they had seen the decay of the mightiest material kingdoms1 while spiritual ,israel lived on1 and were seeing how ,god and his cause and those whom he saves can not die4 ,the ,old ,testament1 therefore1 closes with the ,jews back at their old home1 with the temple restored1 with the sacred writings gathered together1 with the word of ,god being taught and with the voice of the living prophet still in the land4 ,after this followed a somewhat varied history of about #djj years through all of which the light of the hope of the coming ,messiah never died out4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,the discussions of the previous sections have brought out some of the significant teachings of this period1 but the following statement of lessons will probably serve to stimulate thought4 7#a7 ,god will use as his instruments others than his own people4 ,see ,cyrus and ,artaxerxes4 7#b7 ,god's work is both 7a7 constructive1 as when he builds up1 inspires1 edicts and qualifies workers1 and 7b7 destructive1 as when he overcomes opposition4 7#c7 ,a consecrated man is courageous and uncompromising1 but none the less cautious4 ,see ,nehemiah4 7#d7 ,there is a wise providence of ,god that includes all nations and displays perfect righteousness1 perfect knowledge and perfect power4 ,see the book of ,esther1 also the others4 7#e7 ,contentment may be false and harmful4 ,see ,hag4 and ,zech4 7#f7 ,the comparative strength of the friends and enemies of a proposition does not determine the results4 ,god must also be considered4 7#g7 ,it pays to serve ,god4 the ,moral ,governor of the world4 ,see ,mal4 7#h7 ,the safety of a people demands that the marriage relation shall be sacredly regarded4 7#i7 ,a rigid observance of the ,sabbath is vital to the growth and well-being of a nation4 7#aj7 ,mere forms of religion are displeasing to ,god unless accompanied by ethical lives4 7#aa7 ,rules that oppress the poor court the ,divine disfavor4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the lessons given in the last paragraph4 7#b7 ,the decree of ,cyrus4 7#c7 ,the adversaries of ,judah 7,ezr4 ch4 #d2 ,neh4 ch4 #d71 who they were and what they did4 7#d7 ,the reforms of ,ezra4 7#e7 ,the reforms of ,nehemiah4 ,compare them one by one with those of ,ezra4 7#f7 ,the traits of character of ,ezra and ,nehemiah4 7#g7 ,nehemiah's plan of work in rebuilding the temple4 7#h7 ,the traits of character displayed by ,vashti1 ,mordecai1 ,esther and ,haman4 7#i7 ,the ,spirit of the return4 ,compare with the story of ,ezra4 ,is4 ch4 #dj1 #dh3bj-ba2 ,dan4 #i3bj2 ,ps4 #acg4 ,point out 7a7 the religious impulse1 7b7 the national pride1 7c7 the local attractions4 7#aj7 ,the rebuilding of the temple and of the wall4 7#aa7 ,the different sins rebuked by ,malachi4 7#ab7 ,the kings of ,babylon since ,nebuchadnezzar1 7b7 sic ,the feast of ,belshazzar1 ,dan4 ch4 #e1 7c7 ,the conquering of ,babylon1 7d7 ,organization of the kingdom under ,darius1 ,dan4 ch4 #f1 and of ,ahasuerus1 ,esth4 ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,from ,malachi to ,the ,birth of ,christ4 ,no ,scripture4 ,the ,close of the ,old ,testament ,history4 ,we now come to the close of ,old ,testament history and prophecy4 ,ezra and ,nehemiah were at ,jerusalem1 one the governor and the other the priest of the people4 ,jerusalem and the temple had been restored and the worship of ,jehovah re-established4 ,this was about #dde ,b4 ,c4 and ,judea was still under ,persian rule4 ,from this date to the opening of ,new ,testament history1 a period of about four hundred years1 there are no inspired records4 ,neither prophet nor inspired historian is found among the ,jews and there is no further development of revealed religion4 ,it was1 however1 a period of vast importance and the history of the chosen people may be traced from secular sources4 ,for convenience the history of the period may be divided into four sections3 7#a7 ,the ,persian ,period4 7#b7 ,the ,greek ,period4 7#c7 ,the ,period of ,independence4 7#d7 ,the ,roman ,period4 ,the ,persian ,period4 ,the ,persians continued their rule over ,judea a little more than one hundred years after the close of ,old ,testament history4 ,but in #ccb ,b4 ,c4 ,alexander the ,great was enthroned over the monarchy1 then under ,darius1 and inaugurated the era of ,grecian supremacy4 ,during this period1 however1 little happened in ,palestine that was of much interest4 ,under the ,rule of the ,greek ,kings4 ,alexander the ,great seemed to have formed a good opinion of the ,jews and granted them many special favors4 ,he regarded them as good citizens and gave them privileges as first class citizens of ,alexandria and encouraged them to settle throughout his empire4 ,upon his death his kingdom was broken up into four kingdoms 7,macedonia1 ,thrace4 ,syria and ,egypt7 and ,judea was alternately under the rule of ,syria and ,egypt4 ,all ,palestine was permeated with the influence of the ,greek language and philosophy4 ,it was while ,judea was under the rule of ,ptolemy of ,egypt that the ,septuagint version of the ,old ,testament was made4 ,this made possible the reading of the ,hebrew ,scriptures in the ,greek language and was one of the greatest missionary works of all times4 ,the ,period of ,independence4 ,in #agj ,b4,c4 ,antiochus ,epiphiones began to oppress the ,jews in an attempt to force them into idolatry and about #afg ,b4,c4 ,judas ,maccabeus began to lead a revolt which two years later was successful in throwing off the foreign yoke and establishing the independence of the ,jews4 ,they were now governed by a succession of rulers from the ,maccabean family for a period of one hundred years4 ,these rulers performed the double function of both civil and ecclesiastical head of the people4 ,they were descendants of ,david and under their leadership ,edom1 ,samaria and ,galilee were added to their territory and much of the splendor and wealth of the golden days of the kingdom was restored4 ,the ,roman ,period4 ,this period may be said to have begun in ,b4,c4 #fc and to have extended to ,a4,d4 #gj4 ,in ,b4,c4 #fc ,pompey overran ,palestine1 destroyed ,jerusalem and brought the ,jews under ,roman rule4 ,by this conquest ,jewish independence was forever lost4 ,in ,b4,c4 #cg ,herod the ,great was appointed by the ,roman emperor to the position of ruler of ,palestine4 ,in ,b4,c4 #bj-ah he rebuilt the temple at ,jerusalem1 though it 7all the buildings and walls7 was not finished until many years after his death4 ,he also built the temple of ,samaria and continued to reign until ,christ came and much longer4 ,the ,entire ,period4 ,this entire period spans the time from the history of ,nehemiah and the prophecy of ,malachi to the coming of the ,messiah4 ,it opens with the ,persian empire supreme and closes with ,augustus ,caesar as the head of ,rome1 the mistress of the world4 ,when ,jesus came ,herod the ,great governed ,palestine and all the world was at peace4 ,the ,end of the ,period4 ,there are many points of view from which to study the conditions existing at the close of this period4 ,but for our purpose it will probably suffice to consider 7#a7 some signs of decadence or defects2 7#b7 some hopeful signs4 ,the facts touching these matters are to be gathered not only from secular history but from the life and work of ,jesus as they are seen at work either for or against the progress of his work4 7#a7 ,unpropitious conditions4 ,among the signs of decadence or errors that needed correction should be noted3 7a7 ,there was a defective view of ,god4 ,they regarded ,god as too far away2 7b7 ,they laid too much stress upon outward obedience and1 thereby1 left no place for motive in their service2 7c7 ,this led them to rest salvation upon a system of works and to multiply rules of obedience2 7d7 ,this led to too great demand for respect for the learned and of subordination to them2 7e7 ,the ,jews thought that they had a special place in the salvation of ,god and as children of ,abraham only felt the need of national deliverance4 7#b7 ,hopeful signs4 ,several conditions that bespeak good should be noted3 7a7 ,the ,jews did have the truest conception of religion to be found anywhere in the world2 7b7 ,their religion was a matter of deep concern to them and they showed an undying devotion to their religious institutions2 7c7 ,there was a keen sense of the worth of the individual2 7d7 ,there were many synagogues which led to a zeal to proselyte foreigners and opened the way for ,gentile evangelism2 7e7 ,there was a widespread expectation of the ,messiah whom the whole world could receive as its spiritual king2 7f7 ,the home life of the ,jews was strongly religious and children were held in high esteem4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the career of ,alexander the ,great4 7#b7 ,the reign of ,ptolemy ,soter and ,ptolemy ,philadelphus in ,egypt4 7#c7 ,the acts of ,antiochus ,epiphanes4 7#d7 ,the story of ,judas ,maccabeus4 7#e7 ,the story of the subjection of ,judea to ,rome4 7#f7 ,the persecution of the ,jews under the several rulers of the different countries to which they were subject during this period4 7#g7 ,the religious parties of the period1 especially the ,pharisees and ,sadducees4 ,literature4 ,the information necessary to understand these topics may be found in any one of the better ,bible dictionaries1 in ,josephus and more or less in text books on ,biblical history such as ,blakie4 ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,from the ,birth to ,the ,ascension of ,jesus4 ,the ,four ,gospels4 ,the ,story of this ,period4 ,it is common to designate this period as the ,life of ,christ1 meaning the time he spent on earth4 ,there is1 however1 no scripture life of ,jesus4 ,the gospels do not claim to present such a life4 ,they do1 however1 give us a vast amount of material and though different in purpose and consequently in content1 they do present the same general picture of ,jesus4 ,the matter of arranging the material in an orderly way presents much difficulty4 ,if a topographical outline is attempted it can only be approximately correct because at some points the gospels leave us in uncertainty or in ignorance4 ,if a chronological outline is attempted there is no less of uncertainty4 ,the following outline1 however1 may be accepted as a scheme of study for the period4 7#a7 ,the childhood and youth of ,jesus4 ,from the birth of ,jesus1 ,b4,c4 #d to the beginning of the ministry of ,john the ,baptist1 ,a4,d4 #bf4 7#b7 ,the beginning of ,christ's ministry4 ,from the beginning of ,john's ministry to ,christ's first public appearance in ,jerusalem1 ,a4,d4 #bg4 7#c7 ,the early ,judean ministry4 ,from his first public appearance in ,jerusalem to his return to ,galilee1 ,a4,d4 #bg4 7#d7 ,the ,galilean ministry4 ,from the return to ,galilee to the final departure for ,jerusalem1 ,a4,d41 #bi4 7#e7 ,the ,perean ,ministry4 ,from the departure from ,galilee to the final arrival in ,jerusalem1 ,a4,d4 #cj4 7#f7 ,from the final arrival in ,jerusalem to the resurrection1 ,april1 ,a4,d4 #cj4 7#g7 ,the forty days4 ,from the resurrection to the ascension4 ,may1 ,a4,d4 #cj4 ,the ,childhood and ,youth of ,jesus4 7#a7 ,the long preparation for his coming4 ,the prophets had most emphatically proclaimed his coming and all things had from the beginning been divinely directed so that preparation might be made for his advent4 ,his human ancestry had been selected and prepared4 ,when the time drew near for him to appear1 the coming of ,john the ,baptist his forerunner1 was announced to ,zacharias his father 7,lu4 #a3e-be74 ,this was quickly followed by the announcement of the birth of ,jesus to ,mary his mother 7,lu4 #a3bf-ch7 and soon thereafter to ,joseph1 the espoused husband of ,mary 7,matt4 #a3ah-be74 ,the beautiful story of his birth is told in the second chapter of ,luke4 7#b7 ,the infancy4 ,of ,jesus infancy we have several facts and incidents1 7a7 ,the appearance of the angels to the shepherds and the shepherds' visit to the babe1 ,lu4 #b3h-bj4 7b7 ,the circumcision at eight days old1 ,lu4 #b3ba4 7c7 ,the presentation in the temple where he was recognized by ,simeon1 ,lu4 #b3bb-cb4 7d7 ,the visit of the wise men 7,matt4 #b3a-ab7 and 7e7 ,the flight into ,egypt1 ,matt4 #b3ac-bc4 7#c7 ,his boyhood and youth4 ,this is commonly called the years of silence3 7a7 ,we have the record of his parents' settlement in the city of ,nazareth1 ,matt4 #b3bc2 7b7 ,we know that he had a normal growth1 ,lu4 #b3dj2 7c7 ,at twelve years old he was remarkably developed and from his reply to his mother we may infer that he was conscious of his mission1 ,lu4 #b3da-ej2 7d7 ,from ,luke #b3ej we may infer something of the spirit which possessed him during the rest of his private life2 7e7 ,we also know his occupation 7,mk4#f3c74 ,the ,beginning of ,christ's ,ministry4 ,here are several matters of importance4 7#a7 ,the ministry of ,john the ,baptist 7,matt #c3a-ab2 ,mk4 #a3b-h2 ,lu4 #c3a-ah2 ,john #a3f-cc7 who announced ,christ's coming and prepared a people for him4 ,this he did by preaching repentance and by baptising them as a profession of repentance and as a sign that they were forgiven4 7#b7 ,the ,baptism of ,jesus4 7,mt4 #c3ac-ag2 ,mk4 #a3i-aa2 ,lu4 #c3ba-bc2 ,john #a3bi-cd47 ,at this time he put off the life of seclusion and entered upon his public career4 ,he also received the ,father's attestation to his sonship and the special equipment of the ,holy ,spirit for his work by which also ,john knew him to be the ,messiah1 ,john #a3cc4 ,by this act he also set the stamp of approval on ,john's work and showed that he was not in competition with ,john4 7#c7 ,the temptation of ,jesus 7,mt4 #d3a-aa2 ,mk1 #a3ab-ac2 ,lu4 #d3a-ac74 ,we are given the place and length of time of this temptation1 also three of the temptations and how they were met4 ,in ,heb4 #b3ah and #e3ah we have some light on the purpose of this trial4 ,it is probable1 however1 that all the import of it cannot be fully understood4 7#d7 ,the work of ,jesus begun4 ,here it is necessary to study two things3 7a7 ,the winning of his first six disciples 7,john #a3ce-ea72 7b7 ,his first miracle 7,john #b3a-aa74 ,at this point it will also be of help to call to mind that the method of ,jesus was to preach1 teach and heal 7,mt4 #d3bc74 ,at the close of the marriage feast1 which usually lasted six or seven days1 ,jesus went down to ,capernaum 7,john #b3ab74 ,the ,early ,judean ,ministry4 ,the records of this period are very brief and may be studied under three heads1 7#a7 ,the incidents at ,jerusalem during the first ,passover of ,christ's public ministry4 ,the two principal incidents were the cleansing of the temple 7,john #b3ac-bb7 and the conversation with ,nicodemus1 ,jno4 #c3a-ca4 7#b7 ,the work out in ,judea1 where he won and baptized many disciples1 whereupon ,john was led to make testimony to ,jesus at ,aenon1 ,john #c3bb-cf4 7#c7 ,his successful work in ,samaria1 concerning which there is given the story of his message to the woman at the well and of his two days' stay at ,sychar4 ,the period is made notable by two of the greatest discourses of all his ministry3 7a7 that to ,nicodemus2 7b7 that to the woman at ,jacob's well4 ,the ,gallilean ,ministry4 ,this is by far the longest and most important period of ,christ's work4 ,it is not wholly confined to ,galilee4 ,for during this time he certainly attends the feast at ,jerusalem and also makes some excursions into the north country4 ,if the study of the last period was embarrassed because of the scarcity of material1 this one is all the more so because of the amount and variety of it4 ,the following outline will1 however1 simplify the study4 7#a7 ,the beginning of his work in ,galilee4 7,matt #d3ab-be2 #h3b-d1 #ad-ag2 #ad3c-e4 ,mk4 #a3ad-de2 #f3ag-ah2 ,lu4 #d3ad-c2 #af2 ,john #d3dc-ed74 ,in this section we have the account of 7a7 ,john's imprisonment and of ,christ's arrival in ,galilee2 7b7 of the healing of the nobleman's son1 and his settlement at ,capernaum2 7c7 of the call of four fishermen and many miracles wrought at ,capernaum2 7d7 of his first brief tour of ,galilee4 7#b7 ,the antagonism of the scribes and ,pharisees4 7,matt #i3a-ag1 #ab3a-ad2 ,mk4 #b3a-c3f2 ,lu4 #e3ag-f3aa2 ,john ch4 #e74 ,the more important matters of this record are3 7a7 ,the healing of the paralytic2 7b7 ,matthew's call and feast2 7c7 the healing of the man at the pool of ,bethsaida2 7d7 the story of the disciples in the grain fields and 7e7 the healing of the withered hand4 ,in all these there is indicated the rising hostility to ,jesus and his method1 especially as regards his claim of power to forgive sins and in his attitude toward the despised classes and toward the ,sabbath4 7#c7 ,the organization of his kingdom4 7,matt4 #ab3ae-ba1 #aj3b-d2 chs4 #e-g2 ,mk4 #c3g-ai2 ,lu4 #f3b-di47 ,the fame of ,jesus began to spread and it became necessary for him to create an organization to carry forward his work4 ,this was done by calling out his twelve apostles and outlining to them the principles of his kingdom4 ,this he did in the sermon on the mount4 7#d7 ,the second tour of ,galilee4 7,matt4 #h3e-ac2 #aa3b-cj2 ,lu4 #g3a-h3c47 ,the narration here gives the stories 7a7 of the ,centurion's servant and the widow's son of ,nain1 7b7 of ,john's last message and 7c7 of ,jesus anointed by the sinful woman4 7#e7 ,his teachings and miracles by the ,sea of ,galilee4 7,matt4 #ab3bb-ac3ec1 #h3bc-cd1 #i3ah-cd2 ,mk4 #c3ai-e3dc2 ,lu4 #h3d-ef47 ,in this section we have a large group of parables with their varied teachings and four very interesting miracles3 7a7 ,the stilling of the tempest2 7b7 ,the healing of the ,gadarene demoniacs2 7c7 ,the story of ,jainus' daughter2 7d7 ,two dumb and a blind man4 7#f7 ,the third tour of ,galilee4 7,matt4 #ac3cd-ae3bj1 #i3ce-aa3a2 ,mk4 #f3a-g3bc2 ,lu4 #i3a-ag2 ,john ch4 #f47 ,leaving ,capernaum ,jesus again came to his own city1 ,nazareth1 where the people acknowledged the marvel of his wisdom and of his power but again rejected him-this time because of their knowledge of his lowly birth and unpretentious youth4 ,upon this rejection1 ,jesus and his disciples made another circuit amongst the cities and towns of ,galilee4 ,this tour is made notable by several incidents3 7a7 ,we have the sending out of the twelve on a tour of preaching1 healing and raising the dead2 7b7 ,the story of the death of ,john the ,baptist1 who was the first ,new ,testament person to suffer martyrdom for his conviction2 7c7 ,two great miracles1 that of feeding the five thousand and of walking on the sea2 7d7 ,two great discourses of ,jesus1 that on ,the ,bread of ,life and on ,eating with unwashed hands4 7#g7 ,his first retirement into the north and return to the sea of ,galilee4 7,matt4 #ae3ba-af3ab2 ,mk4 #g3bd-h3bf74 ,jesus went up into the coast of ,tyre and ,sidon where he healed the daughter of the ,syrophoenician woman4 ,on the return trip he passed through ,decapolis where he healed a deaf and dumb man and performed many other miracles4 ,after his return we have the record of the feeding of the four thousand1 of his encountering the ,pharisees about his authority and the story of the blind man of ,bethsaida4 7#h7 ,the second retirement to the north and return to ,capernaum4 7,matt4 #af3ac-ah end2 ,mk4 #h3bg-i end2 ,lu4 #i3ah-ej74 ,jesus again journeys into the north and came into the parts of ,caesarea ,philippi where he drew from ,peter the great confession1 predicted his coming death1 was transfigured before the favored three and healed the lunatic boy4 ,on his return1 as he neared ,capernaum1 he again foretold his death and resurrection and after he arrived at ,capernaum1 we have recorded the story of the coin in the fish's mouth and his discourse on humility1 offenses and forgiveness4 7#i7 ,jesus at the ,feast of ,tabernacles4 7,john chs4 #g-h74 ,by this time the joyous season of the ,feast of ,tabernacles drew near and his brothers1 who though they did not believe in his deity1 seemed to have some pride in him and urged him to go up among the people and make a display of his power4 ,this he refused to do but went up secretly1 probably with the hope of escaping the antagonism that was now being manifested toward him4 ,there was1 however1 great excitement at ,jerusalem concerning him and he found it necessary to go into the temple and boldly proclaim the teachings of his kingdom4 ,these teachings may be studied under four heads3 7a7 ,the teaching of the first day and the division of the ,jews concerning him2 7b7 ,the story of the adulterous woman2 7c7 ,his teaching concerning himself as the ,light of the ,world4 ,he probably looked upon the great light over the treasury of the ,lord's house which burned each night in commemoration of the cloud of fire that always guided and lighted ,israel in the wilderness and was reminded of his own service for humanity and was prompted to this discourse2 7d7 ,his discourse on spiritual freedom and true children of ,abraham4 ,the ,perean ,ministry4 ,at the close of the ,feast of ,tabernacles ,jesus returned to ,galilee where he seems to have gathered around him a little company of loyal followers and made ready for his final departure to ,jerusalem where he was to meat the death already foretold4 ,the incidents of this period occurred during the journey4 ,the material easily falls into three parts marking distinct sections of time4 7#a7 ,from the departure from ,jerusalem to the close of the ,feast of ,dedication4 7,matt4 #ai3a-b1 #h3ah-bb2 ,mk4 #aj3a2 ,lu4 ch4 #aj2 ,john ch4s #i-aj74 ,this is one of the most interesting sections of all and records several incidents of far-reaching importance3 7a7 ,the story of the healing of the man born blind and the investigation of it by the ,sanhedrin2 7b7 ,the story of the sending out of the seventy and their return is told4 ,as the ,lord's work drew near its close1 he felt hat others should be sent out to do a like work to his own2 7c7 ,the story of the ,good ,samaritan and of his visit to ,martha and ,mary2 7d7 ,the allegory of the ,good ,shepherd2 7e7 ,the report of his visit to the ,feast of ,dedication4 7#b7 ,from the ,feast of ,dedication to the withdrawal to ,ephraim4 7,lu4 #aa3a-ag3aj2 ,john #aa3a-ed74 ,this section of the period is even more crowded with activity than was the former one4 ,it is very difficult1 therefore1 to refer here to anything like all that is recorded of the period4 ,among ,the subjects discussed the following are the most important3 7a7 ,the true nature of prayer and the follies and hypocrisies of the ,pharisees1 ,lu4 ch4 #aa2 7b7 ,the danger of hypocrisy1 of denying ,christ1 of covetousness and of the judgments of ,christ1 ,lu4 ch4 #ab2 7c7 ,the need and nature of repentance1 the proper use of the ,sabbath1 the number that shall be saved and the fate of ,jerusalem1 ,lu4 ch4 #ac2 7d7 ,the law of conduct in the matter of feasts and counting the cost of discipleship1 ,lu4 ch4 #ad2 7e7 ,three parables of grace and two parables of warning1 ,lu4 chs4 #ae-af2 7f7 ,forgiveness and faith1 ,lu4 #g3a-aj2 7g7 ,the raising of ,lazarus and withdrawal to ,ephraim1 ,john ch4 #aa4 7#c7 ,from the withdrawal to ,ephraim to the final arrival at ,jerusalem4 7,matt4 chs4 #ac-bj2 #bf3h-ac2 ,mk4 ch4 #aj2 #ad3c-i2 ,lu4 #ag3aa-ai3bh2 ,john #aa3ee-ab3aa74 ,this section is notable for the preponderance of teaching over the miracles reported4 ,there are two miracles1 that of healing ten lepers and the blind man of ,jericho4 ,the following show how large a place is given to teaching3 7a7 ,concerning the coming of the kingdom2 7b7 concerning prayer1 illustrated by the importunate widow and the ,pharisee and publican2 7c7 ,concerning divorce2 7d7 the blessing of little children2 7e7 the ambitions of ,james and ,john2 7g7 the visit to ,zachaeus2 7h7 the parable of the pounds and the anointing of ,jesus for burial4 ,the ,final ,ministry in ,jerusalem4 ,of all the periods of the life of ,christ this is the most significant4 ,the gospels put most stress upon it and particularly upon his trial and death4 ,the disciples soon learned to triumph in the cross1 the seeming defeat out of which ,jesus1 through his resurrection1 snatched victory4 ,everything recorded of this period has a ring of the tragical and seemed a preparation for the coming doom he was soon to meet4 ,the material readily divides itself into three sections or periods4 7#a7 ,from the final arrival in ,jerusalem to the last hours of private intercourse with his disciples4 7,matt4 #ba3aa-bf3af2 ,mk4 chs4 #aa-ac2 #ad3 #a1 #b1 #aj1 #aa2 ,lu4 #ai3bi-bb3f2 ,john #ab3ab end74 ,like every other section of his active ministry among the people this has in it some teachings and some miracles4 ,the greatest act of all was1 perhaps1 the triumphal entry of ,jesus into ,jerusalem as king of the ,jews4 ,in this act he openly accepted the position of ,messiah4 ,there is one important miracle1 that of cursing and withering the fig tree4 ,some consider that a miraculous power was also used in the cleansing of the temple4 ,the teachings may be grouped as follows3 7a7 ,the question about ,christ's authority and his reply by question and the three parables of warning2 7b7 ,three questions by the ,jews and ,christ's unanswerable question2 7c7 ,seven woes against the scribes and ,pharisees and the widow's mite2 7d7 ,the ,gentiles seeking and the ,jews rejecting ,jesus2 7e7 a discourse on the destruction of ,jerusalem and the end of the world2 7f7 the last prediction of his death and the conspiracy of ,judas and the chief priests4 7#b7 ,christ's last hours with his disciples4 7,matt4 #bf3ag-ce2 ,mk4 #ad3ab-ca2 ,lu4 #bb3g end2 ,john chs4 #ac-ag74 ,jesus has now withdrawn from the crowd and is alone with his disciples giving to them his final words of instruction and comfort4 ,the whole of the material of this section seems to be surrounded by an atmosphere of sacredness that almost forbids our looking in upon its little company4 ,this last evening that ,jesus and the little group of disciples were together1 is1 however1 so important that it is reported by the apostles4 ,all the incidents of the evening seem to center around the institution of the last or ,paschal ,supper4 ,but for the sake of study and as an aid to memory the events may be divided into three groups1 7,a7 ,the supper4 ,the order of events in connection with it seem to be3 7#a7 the strife of the disciples for the place of honor2 7#b7 the beginning of the ,passover meal2 7#c7 the washing of the disciples' feet2 7#d7 the pointing out of the betrayer2 7#e7 the departure of ,jesus from the table2 7#f7 the institution of the ,lord's upper4 7,b7 ,the final instructions to the disciples4 ,it is difficult to analyze these discourses4 ,there are running through them one thread of teaching and one of comfort4 ,in some sections one element seems to predominate and in other the other1 ,to illustrate2 chapters #ac and #ae of ,john seem to be more largely taken up with teaching1 while chapters #ad and #af have a larger element of words intended to comfort them4 ,the effort seems to be to convince them that it is better for them for him to go away1 that their spiritual fellowship with him would be more complete and their understanding and power more perfect because of the ,comforter whom he would send4 7,c7 ,the final or intercessory prayer for them4 ,with the close of this prayer1 in which he prayed for their preservation1 their preparation for service and their final union with him in his glory1 and which he prayed that they might have fullness of joy 7,john #ag3ac7 his ministry with them ended till after his death4 7#c7 ,christ's suffering for the sins of the world4 7,matt4 #bf3cf-bg end3 ,mk4 #ad3cb-ae end2 ,lu4 #bb3ci-bc end2 ,john chs4 #ah-ai74 ,from some good text on the ,life of ,christ or from the critical commentaries1 the pupils can find a discussion of this section4 ,the following outline will1 however1 be sufficient for our purpose here3 7,a7 ,the agony in the garden and the betrayal and arrest4 ,this picture of the suffering of soul experienced by the ,savior in which he also yielded himself to the will of the ,father stands out in blessed contrast against the weakness of his sleeping friends and the unspeakable criminality of the betrayer4 ,even in his arrest ,jesus once more finds opportunity to show himself merciful in healing the ear of ,malchus thereby1 counteracting the injury caused by the folly or rashness of one of his friends4 7,b7 ,the ,jewish trial4 ,the order of this trial seems to have been somewhat as follows3 7#a7 ,a preliminary trial before ,annus2 7#b7 ,a trial before day with only part of the ,sanhedrin present2 7#c7 ,a trial before the whole ,sanhedrin at daybreak4 ,knowing his rights ,jesus several times refused to act4 7#a7 ,he refused to bear testimony because no legal charge had been made against him4 7#b7 ,he refused to testify against himself which was within his right4 7#c7 ,he demanded that they bring witnesses because that was just according to law4 ,these last three points at which ,jesus claimed and acted upon his rights instead of upon their request shows the tendencies of the trial to be unfair and illegal4 ,if one understands the ,jewish law of trial it will be easy to see how glaringly out of harmony with the law this trial was4 ,there are at least ten illegalities in it4 7,c7 ,the ,roman trial4 ,this whole story abounds in evidences of the prejudice and moral degeneracy of the ,jewish leaders4 ,they hated ,roman rule past all words to tell and yet would pretend loyalty to ,caesar to carry out their wicked purpose4 ,by this means they put ,pilate in a position that to release ,jesus would make him appear to be untrue to ,caesar in releasing one announced to be ,caesar's enemy4 ,the trial may be studied in the light of the different ones before whom he was tried4 7#a7 ,the public and private examination before ,pilate4 7#b7 ,the examination before ,herod4 7#c7 ,the second examination before ,pilate4 ,this also was partly private and partly public4 ,again1 following he outline of ,john1 we may consider the events as they happened alternately outside and inside of the praetorium4 7,d7 ,the crucifixion4 ,it would be difficult to exaggerate the cruelty and torture of crucifixion4 ,it was the most cruel and shameful of all punishments4 ,the disciples1 however1 dwell most of all upon the shame of it4 ,such a death in the eyes of a ,jew was the sign of the curse of ,god4 ,several things are of importance and should be remembered4 7#a7 ,the throng that saw it4 ,a few were friends1 some were bitter enemies and many were curious on-lookers4 ,altogether there was a great crowd and ,jesus was derided and mocked in his death4 7#b7 ,the story of the two thieves who were crucified with ,jesus and especially the conversion of the one who repented4 7#c7 ,the seven sayings of ,jesus while he is on the cross reveal his spirit and planning while undergoing this human outrage4 ,they are worthy of careful study4 7#d7 ,the miraculous occurrences of the day4 ,there are three outstanding events that should be thought of as divine manifestations4 ,they are3 the darkness that covered the earth for three hours2 the rending of the veil of the temple and the earthquake4 ,the people were deeply moved by these marvelous signs4 7#e7 ,the element of grace seen in it all4 ,this is seen in the punishment of the innocent ,jesus1 while the guilty ,barabbas went free2 the saving of the guilty but penitent thief and several of the sayings of the cross4 7,e7 ,the burial and tomb4 ,the burial was very hurried1 lest they should break a ,jewish law4 ,joseph of ,arimathea and ,nicodemus together took him from the cross and buried him and the officers made his grave as secure as possible and placed a guard over it4 ,all this they did because of his saying that he would rise again in three days4 ,the ,forty ,days4 7,matt4 ch4 #bh2 ,mk4 ch4 #af2 ,lu4 #bc3ef-bd end2 ,john chs4 #bj-ba2 ,acts #a3c-ab2 #a ,cor4 #ae3e-g47 ,it is hard to divide this period into sections in such a way as not to present many difficulties4 ,the several events may1 however1 be grouped under the following heads4 7#a7 ,the early morning4 7#b7 ,the walk to ,emmaus and appearance to ,peter4 7#c7 ,the appearance to the ten when ,thomas is absent4 7#d7 ,the appearance to the eleven1 ,thomas being present4 7#e7 ,the appearance to seven disciples by the sea of ,galilee4 7#f7 ,several other appearances mentioned by ,paul4 7#g7 ,the last appearance1 when the commission was given and he ascended4 ,the order of events as outlined cannot be assured with any certainty4 ,then1 too1 there are differences of detail as to the occurrences here outlined4 ,each of them1 therefore1 presents its own difficulties4 ,the most perplexing of all these problems is the arrangement of the events of the resurrection morning and especially the movements of the various women mentioned4 ,touching the whole resurrection problem all of the gospels agree upon several important matters3 7#a7 ,in giving no description of the resurrection itself2 7#b7 that the evidence of it began with the women's visit to the sepulcher in the early morning2 7#c7 that the first sign was the removal of the stone2 7#d7 that they saw angels before they saw the ,lord2 7#e7 that manifestations were granted to none but disciples2 7#f7 that the disciples were not expecting such manifestations2 7#g7 that at first they received these manifestations with hesitancy and doubt2 7#h7 that these appearances were made to all kinds of witnesses1 male and female1 individuals and companies2 7#i7 that they were so convinced of his resurrection and appearance to them that nothing could cause them to doubt it4 ,the resurrection was necessary to show that we had not a dead and suffering ,christ but a living and triumphant one4 ,the ascension is the necessary completion of the resurrection and is presupposed in all ,new ,testament teaching4 ,jesus is everywhere thought of as having all power and is expected to return again from the presence of the ,father with great glory4 ,teachings of the ,period4 ,the most of the emphasis is put on the final teachings in connection with his death and resurrection4 ,it may be well1 however1 to gather together a few truths touching his whole career4 7#a7 ,those concerning his humanity3 7a7 ,he grew and developed as any normal child2 7b7 ,his education and work was that of any normal person2 7c7 ,but the whole of his childhood was set in divine manifestations2 7d7 ,in life he showed all the effects of hunger1 sorrow1 etc41 found in any normal man4 7#b7 ,those concerning his super-human power4 ,he exercised power over3 7a7 ,physical nature2 7b7 sickness and physiological defects2 7c7 life and death2 7d7 demons and all spiritual powers2 7e7 over sin to forgive it4 7#c7 ,those found ,in his general teachings4 ,there are many of these but the following are important to remember3 7a7 ,the truthfulness of the ,old ,testament scriptures2 7b7 ,the holiness and goodness and love of ,god2 7c7 ,the sinfulness of man and his need of salvation2 7d7 ,the value of repentance and faith as a means of bringing men into the favor of ,god2 7e7 ,his own duty and oneness with the ,father2 7f7 ,the work and power of the ,holy ,spirit2 7g7 ,the purpose and work of his kingdom and church2 7h7 ,the power and nature of prayer2 7i7 ,the value of spiritual and the worthlessness of formal worship2 7j7 ,the true way to greatness through service4 7#d7 ,the teachings growing out of the crucifixion3 7a7 ,it proves that ,god will forgive2 7b7 ,it shows the great evil of sin2 7c7 ,it shows the need of cleansing before we can enter heaven2 7d7 ,it shows ,god's value of the soul2 7e7 ,it shows the value of salvation and the worth of eternal life2 7f7 ,it furnishes a motive to turn from sin that so offends ,god and endangers us2 7g7 ,it brings hope of forgiveness and cleansing4 7#e7 ,the teaching of the resurrection and ascension3 7a7 that ,jesus is in truth ,god's son2 7b7 that there is another life2 7c7 that we shall also be resurrected2 7d7 that we shall know in the next life our loved ones of this life2 7e7 that our lives here have an influence and meaning beyond the grave4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,master all the material as given in this chapter1 looking carefully into scripture references4 7#b7 ,study the geography of the country4 7#c7 ,list all the divine manifestations in connection with the birth and childhood of ,jesus4 7#d7 ,outline the entire career of ,john the ,baptist1 beginning with the vision to ,zachariah before his birth4 7#e7 ,study in outline the sermon on the mount4 7#f7 ,find examples showing ,christ's power exerted in each of the five directions suggested in #b of the teachings of the period given above4 7#g7 ,discuss any outstanding events in the life of ,jesus and his disciples that seem to members of the class to be epoch making in their influence4 7#h7 ,read and discuss ,jesus' farewell addresses to his disciples4 7#i7 ,study carefully the scriptures covering the trial and crucifixion of ,jesus4 7#aj7 ,study the scriptures covering the period and outline further the events and teachings4 ,chapter ,,xix4 ,from the ,ascension to ,the ,church at ,antioch4 ,acts ,chs4 #a-ab4 ,the ,book of ,acts4 ,the book of ,acts is the only purely historical book of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is as a continuation of the gospel of ,luke4 ,it follows the fortunes of the infant church and gives us all the light we have in regard to its further organization and development1 but it does not claim to be a complete history of the work of the early church4 ,as a history it is as remarkable for what it omits as for what it narrates4 ,the central theme is the triumph and progress of the gospel in spite of all the opposition and persecution which its advocates met4 ,the chief purpose seems to be to show the progress of ,christianity among the ,gentiles and only so much of the work among the ,jews is given as will authenticate the other4 ,the whole book falls into three sections3 7#a7 ,the church at work in ,jerusalem1 chs4 #a-g4 7#b7 ,the church at work in ,palestine1 chs1 #h-ab4 7#c7 ,the church at work among the ,gentiles1 chs4 #ac-bh4 ,the material of the period which we are now to study includes the first two points and should be read in connection with the following outline3 ,i4 ,the church at work in ,jerusalem1 chs4 #a-g4 #a4 ,preparation for witnessing1 #a3a-b3d4 ,under this there is given3 7#a7 ,christ's last instructions and ascension and 7#b7 ,the church in the upper room including the election of ,matthias and the coming of the ,holy ,spirit4 #b4 ,the first witnessing4 ,here are given #b3e-dg3 7#a7 ,the first witnessing1 7#b7 the first message1 7#c7 the first fruit of the witnessing4 #c4 ,the first persecution #c3a-d3ca4 ,here we have the first persecution and the occasion for it4 #d4 ,the ,blessed state of the church1 #d3cb-e end ,there is great love and unity and ,god indorses their work by the destruction of ,ananias and his wife and by the release of apostles from prison4 #e4 ,the first deacons1 #f3a-g4 #f4 ,the first martyr #f3h-g end4 ,,ii4 ,the church at work in ,palestine1 chs4 #h-ab4 #a4 ,witnesses scattered1 #h3a-d4 #b4 ,philip witnesses in ,samaria and ,judea1 #h3e-dj4 #c4 ,the ,lord wins new witnesses1 #i3a-aa3ah4 7#a7 ,saul4 7#b7 ,aeneas1 etc4 7#c7 ,dorcas1 ,mary1 etc4 7#d7 ,cornelius4 #d4 ,center of labor changed to ,antioch1 #aa3ai end4 #e4 ,the witnesses triumph over ,herod's persecution1 ch4 #ab4 ,the ,principle ,events of this ,period4 ,many things which on the surface seem to be of little importance1 contributed much toward shaping the destiny of the early church4 ,the following1 however1 should be remembered as the great outstanding events of the time4 7#a7 ,the ascension with the incidents connected with it4 7#b7 ,the ,baptism of the ,holy ,ghost with the consequent sermon of ,peter and its results4 7#c7 ,the first persecution of the ,apostles1 with ,peter's sermon and the measures taken by the ,sanhedrin to stop the movement4 7#d7 ,the punishment of ,ananias and his wife4 7#e7 ,the appointment of the first deacons4 7#f7 ,the martyrdom of ,steven4 7#g7 ,the work of ,philip in ,samaria and the conversion of the ,eunuch4 7#h7 ,the conversion of ,saul of ,tarshish4 7#i7 ,the conversion of ,cornelius with connected events4 7#aj7 ,the church's acknowledgement of the validity of this work among the ,gentiles1 ,acts #aa3ah4 7#aa7 ,the great work at ,antioch4 7#ab7 ,the martyrdom of ,james and the death of ,herod4 ,the ,organization and ,control of the ,early ,church4 ,jesus had set up his church and left it his final commission4 ,its organization was a matter of growth and was increased only as new conditions arose that made it necessary to the success and efficiency of their work4 ,they elected1 at the suggestion of ,peter1 ,matthias to take the place of ,judas as one of their witnesses4 ,when conditions arose that threatened the success of their work1 they elected deacons to assist the apostles in caring for the more temporal work of the church4 ,in it all it is clear that the church as a whole transacted the business4 ,the ,apostles no doubt had a very good influence but did not assume to dictate to the church what did not please the whole multitude 7,acts #f3e74 ,all responsibility was put upon the church as a democratic and self-governing body4 ,the ,persecutions of the ,church4 ,in the persecutions which ,jesus suffered the ,pharisees took the lead1 but the opposition met by the early disciples was led by the ,sadducees4 ,this was because of the doctrine of the resurrection1 preached by the apostles4 ,the persecutions deepened and widened very rapidly4 7#a7 ,they were given public hearing1 commanded not to teach in ,jesus' name and after threatening were let go4 7#b7 ,they were released without punishment only by the appeal of ,gamaliel1 a doctor of the law4 7#c7 ,on account of the universal aspect of ,christianity1 preached by ,steven1 the ,pharisees joined the ,sadducees in opposing the ,christians and their joint persecution led to the death of ,steven and the scattering of the disciples from ,jerusalem1 #f3h-h3c4 7#d7 ,the ,romans who for the most part had been indifferent to the movement also joined the ,sanhedrin in the attempt to suppress the brethren4 ,accordingly ,herod ,agrippa1 hoping to gain the good will of the ,jews1 seized the apostle ,james and put him to death and seeing that this made him popular seized ,peter and would have destroyed him but for divine intervention4 ,in spite of all this persecution these early ,christians made wonderful progress4 ,they were unmoved in their purpose to establish their faith4 ,they went everywhere preaching the gospel of the kingdom4 ,they openly declared that they would not refrain from preaching what they conceived to be their duty to ,god4 ,they boldly threw their doctrine into the teeth of their antagonists4 ,such courage was something new in the history of the ,jews4 ,they even rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for his name4 ,their ,growth and ,influence4 ,the courage already mentioned could not fail to bear fruit4 ,the second chapter tells of three thousand1 added to them in one day and then of others day by day4 ,in chapter five it is said a multitude of believers both men and women added to them4 ,chapter six says that the disciples multiplied in ,jerusalem exceedingly2 and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith4 ,the priests were for the moat part ,sadducees and the fact that many of these who had been active in arresting the disciples now came to accept their teaching is highly significant touching the matters of their success4 ,extension of the ,gospel to the ,gentiles4 ,one of the most interesting topics for study found in the records of this period is the way in which ,christians gradually extended into the borders of the ,gentiles4 ,many questions were raised that had to be solved-questions that had not been before raised among the followers of ,jesus4 7#a7 ,philip went into ,samaria and many of these half-bred ,jews believed4 ,here he was following the steps of ,jesus who had also met with success and introduced his teachings before going outside to those in no wise akin to the ,jews4 7#b7 ,peter and ,john were sent to ,samaria and not only approved the work of ,philip but bestowed upon these ,samaritans the ,holy ,spirit and themselves preached to many ,samaritan villages4 7#c7 ,peter made a tour of certain ,judean villages and came down to ,joppa where he lodged with a tanner and would1 according to ,jewish law1 have been unclean4 ,this tends to show that he was coming to see that the ceremonial distinctions of the ,levites were not so binding4 7#d7 ,peter preached to ,cornelius a ,gentile and he and his household received the ,holy ,ghost and baptism and spake with tongues4 7#e7 ,having heard ,peter's explanation of his course the church glorified ,god and acknowledged that ,god had granted repentance and life to the ,gentiles4 7#f7 ,paul the chosen vessel to bear the ,gospel to the ,gentiles was saved4 7#g7 ,the work spread to ,antioch of ,syria and ,barnabas was sent to investigate it and soon went to ,cilicia and brought ,paul to ,antioch and the two labored there a year1 then made a visit to ,jerusalem to carry gifts to the poor and returned to ,antioch bringing ,john ,mark4 ,this period closes with them still at ,antioch4 ,the ,teachings of this ,period4 7#a7 ,men can succeed in any right cause in spite of opposition4 7#b7 ,popularity is not required to give one success as a ,christian work4 7#c7 ,small numbers are not a sign of weakness and do not foretoken defeat4 7#d7 ,the gospel truth1 courageously preached1 can win its way into the hardest hearts4 7#c7 ,consciousness of duty1 divinely imposed is the most powerful stimulus to action4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the ,great ,commission1 ch4 #a4 7#b7 ,peter's sermon on the day of ,pentecost4 7#c7 ,stephen's address of defense4 7#d7 ,the liberality of these ,christians or their provision for the poor4 7#e7 ,the place of prayer in the work of these disciples4 7#f7 ,the references to the ,holy ,spirit and his work4 7#g7 ,the teachings of the period concerning ,jesus4 7#h7 ,concerning the resurrection4 7#i7 ,all the events1 persecutions1 teachings1 etc41 mentioned above4 ,chapter ,,xx4 ,from ,antioch to ,the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,acts #ac-bh and all the rest of the ,new ,testament except the epistles of ,john and ,revelation4 ,the ,changed ,situation4 ,we have now come to a turning point in the whole situation4 ,the center of work has shifted from ,jerusalem to ,antioch1 the capital of the ,greek province of ,syria1 the residence of the ,roman governor of the province4 ,we change from the study of the struggles of ,christianity in the ,jewish world to those it made among heathen people4 ,we no longer study many and various persons and their labors but center our study upon the life and labors of ,paul4 ,the ,divine ,call4 ,certain prophets of the church at ,antioch were engaged in solemn prayer and worship when the ,holy ,spirit instructed them to send ,paul and ,barnabas to do the work to which they were called4 ,here1 then1 the ,holy ,spirit takes charge of the movement4 ,he inaugurates1 directs and promotes this work4 ,when the call came it is probable that ,paul had but little idea of the magnitude of the work which he was to do4 ,he was not aware that his work and teaching would change the religion and philosophy of the whole world4 ,the ,time and ,extent of ,paul's ,journeys4 ,the most of his work was accomplished during three great missionary journeys4 ,the time occupied for these great journeys with the distance traveled has been estimated as follows3 the first journey #adjj miles and three years2 the second journey #cbjj miles and three years2 the third journey #cejj miles and four years2 or a total of #hajj miles representing ten years of labor4 ,to this must be added his journey to ,rome which required a whole winter and was about #bcjj miles and many side trips of which we have no record4 ,it is also commonly thought that he was released at the end of two years at ,rome and again entered upon mission work that probably lasted four years and carried him again into ,macedonia1 ,asia ,minor1 ,crete and ,spain4 ,the ,first ,missionary ,journey4 7,acts1 chs4 #ac-ad74 ,the company consisted of ,saul and ,barnabas and ,john ,mark4 ,they went by way of the isle of ,cyprus and at ,paphos the capital of the island the governor was converted and ,saul was afterward called ,paul4 ,they reached ,pamphylia and ,pisidia in ,asia4 ,john ,mark left them in ,pamphylia and returned home4 ,in the cities of ,pisidia ,paul was persecuted and opposed4 ,at ,antioch he made a complete break with the ,jews and at ,lystra they stoned him until they thought he was dead4 ,from ,derbe the missionaries retraced their steps except that they did not go through ,cyprus on the return to ,antioch4 ,their stay at ,antioch was marked by an important church council at ,jerusalem1 ,acts #ae3a-ce4 ,at this council it was decided that ,gentile ,christians were not bound by the requirement of the ,jewish law4 ,this decision was instrumental in determining that ,christianity was not simply a new branch of ,judaism but was a new religion4 ,second ,missionary ,journey4 7,acts4 #ae3cf-ah3bb74 ,paul proposed that he and ,barnabas visit the brethren in every city where he had already preached1 but he declined to yield to the wish of ,barnabas to take ,mark with them and in consequence separated from ,barnabas4 ,he took ,silas and went overland through ,syria and ,cilicia to the scene of his former labors4 ,at ,lystra he was joined by ,timothy4 ,he was restrained by the ,holy ,spirit from further work in ,asia and called into ,europe by the ,macedonian call while at ,troas4 ,while in ,europe he labored at several places1 the most conspicuous service being rendered at ,philippi1 ,thessalonica and ,corinth4 ,strong churches grew up at each of these places to which he later wrote letters4 ,he returned to ,antioch by way of ,ephesus where he spent a little time1 and ,caesarea1 from whence he probably visited ,jerusalem4 ,while on this ,journey during his long stay at ,corinth ,paul wrote ,first and ,second ,thessalonians and probably the book of ,galatians also4 ,if the time to be devoted to this course will allow1 these epistles should be read at this point4 ,the author's ,the ,bible ,book by ,book will furnish an outline guide for such reading4 ,third ,missionary ,journey4 7,acts4 #ah3cc-ba3ag74 ,how long ,paul remained at ,antioch at the close of the second journey is not known4 ,but when he had finished his visit he set out again to revisit some of the places formerly touched and to cultivate some new fields4 ,the outline and work of this journey may be put down as follows3 7#a7 ,he passes through ,galatia and ,phrygia strengthening the disciples4 7#b7 ,his work of nearly three years at ,ephesus4 7#c7 ,the trip through ,macedonia and ,greece4 7#d7 ,the return trip through ,macedonia to ,jerusalem4 ,luke seems to desire to narrate only what is new and most important4 ,he1 therefore1 goes fully into the work at ,ephesus4 7#a7 ,there was the incident of the work of ,apollos and the baptism of some of ,john's disciples4 7#b7 ,three months work among the ,jews4 7#c7 ,two years of teaching in the school of ,tyrannus4 7#d7 ,a season after he sent ,timotheus and ,etastus into ,macedonia4 ,the success of this work is seen especially in two incidents4 7#a7 ,the burning of the books of the ,jewish exorcists which were valued at over #ca1jjj4 7#b7 ,the checking of the sale of images of the idol1 ,diana1 which resulted in a great tumult4 ,after this tumult at ,ephesus ,paul departed into ,macedonia and seems to have visited the principal cities and finally arrived at ,corinth where a plot to kill him was formed4 ,upon discovering this plot he set out on his return trip to ,jerusalem1 going back through ,macedonia4 ,this trip is notable for several things4 7#a7 ,the seven days stay at ,troas which was significant because of an all night service and the accident to ,eutychus4 7#b7 ,the conference at ,miletus with the ,elders of ,ephesus in which he reviewed his work among them and indicated to them that they would see him no more4 7#c7 ,a week's stay at ,tyre where he was persuaded not to go to ,jerusalem4 7#d7 ,many days spent at ,caesarea during which ,agabus1 who had formerly told them of the coming drouth1 predicted that the ,jews of ,jerusalem would bind ,paul and deliver him to the ,gentiles4 7#e7 ,the arrival at ,jerusalem where he was kindly received by ,james and the elders4 ,this journey also was marked by the writing of some of ,paul's most notable epistles4 7#a7 ,the ,first ,letter to the ,corinthians4 ,he wrote this letter while at ,ephesus just before leaving for ,macedonia4 7#b7 ,the ,second ,letter to the ,corinthians4 ,after ,paul came into ,macedonia he met ,titus with tidings from the ,corinthians whereupon he wrote them this second letter1 probably from ,philippi4 7#c7 ,the ,letter to the ,romans4 ,from ,macedonia ,paul went into ,achaia where he stayed three months and while staying with ,gaius in ,corinth 7,rom4 #af3bc2 #a ,cor4 #a3ad7 he wrote this great epistle4 ,the occasion1 purpose1 outline and other information concerning these epistles may be found in ,the ,bible ,book by ,book4 ,at ,jerusalem4 ,although ,paul was received kindly by the brethren and although he took a certain precaution that he might not offend the many thousands of ,jews that were in ,jerusalem at the feast1 some ,asiatic ,jews saw him and raised a great tumult4 7#a7 ,they began to beat him and he would no doubt have been killed had he not been rescued by ,roman soldiers4 7#b7 ,as a prisoner he was being borne to the ,tower of ,antonia1 but on the stairway asked and obtained permission to speak to the angry ,jews4 7#c7 ,when they would no longer hear him he was removed to the castle and ordered scourged4 ,he saves himself from this by claiming his ,roman citizenship4 7#d7 ,he was brought before the ,jewish ,sanhedrin which he threw into confusion by expressing his belief in the resurrection and afterwards was put in prison4 7#e7 ,on account of the plot to kill him which was discovered by ,paul's nephew he was sent away under heavy guard to ,caesarea4 ,paul at1 ,caesarea4 ,when ,paul reached ,caesarea he was under ,roman jurisdiction4 ,he was allowed some privileges4 ,the most important incidents of this two years' imprisonment may be put down somewhat as follows4 7#a7 ,his trial before ,felix during which he was prosecuted by ,tertullus and he himself made a speech of defense4 7#b7 ,his second hearing before ,felix1 no doubt in private1 with his wife ,drusilla after which he held him in the hope that he would bribe ,felix4 7#c7 ,his trial before ,festus during which he claimed his right as a ,roman citizen and appealed to ,caesar4 7#d7 ,he had a hearing before ,festus and ,king ,agrippa ,,ii during which ,paul spoke4 ,paul's ,six ,last ,addresses4 ,in connection with the story of ,paul in ,jerusalem and ,caesarea we have preserved for us six of his last addresses4 ,in the light of his imprisonment and eminent danger they show his great faith and courage and are given here for study4 7#a7 ,his ,speech before the ,jewish ,mob1 ,acts #ba3a-bi4 7#b7 ,his speech before the ,jewish council4 ,acts #bb3 #cj-bc3aj4 7#c7 ,his speech before ,felix4 ,acts #bd3aj-bb4 7#d7 ,his speech before ,felix and his wife ,drusilla1 ,acts #bd3bd-bg4 7#e7 ,his speech before ,festus1 ,acts #be3g-aa4 7#f7 ,his speech before ,festus and ,king ,aggrippa ,,ii1 ,acts #bf3a-cb4 ,paul's ,journey to ,rome4 ,paul now takes up his long journey to ,rome4 ,the voyage consumes most of the winter and three ships are used to convey him4 7#a7 ,from ,caesarea to ,myra1 a city of ,lycia4 ,their ship touched at ,sidon where ,paul was allowed to visit his friends4 7#b7 ,from ,myra to the ,island of ,malta4 ,on this voyage they touched at ,fair ,havens1 tried to reach ,phenice and had fourteen days of storm4 7#c7 ,they were cast the island of ,malta1 where they spent three months4 7#d7 ,the journey completed to ,rome1 going by way of ,syracuse1 ,rhegium1 ,puteoli1 ,apii ,forum and ,three ,taverns4 ,paul at ,rome4 ,the ,roman ,christians came out to meet him at ,apii ,forum1 forty-three miles from ,rome4 ,several things should be noticed4 7#a7 ,paul after three days explained his situation to the ,jews and planned another day when he would further address them4 7#b7 ,next he turned to the ,gentiles and taught them4 7#c7 ,he hired 7rented7 a house and for two years had liberty of speech and taught whoever would come to him4 ,the story of ,acts closes here1 but it is commonly believed that ,paul was released and visited ,spain and ,asia and later was rearrested and brought to ,rome again where he was put to death4 ,the ,epistles of this ,period4 ,the epistles written during this period may be divided into two groups3 7#a7 ,those written by ,paul2 7#b7 ,those written by others4 ,those written by ,paul are the following3 7#a7 ,philippians1 ,ephesians1 ,colossians and ,philemon4 ,all of these were written from ,rome during ,paul's first imprisonment at ,rome and would come in the years #fb and #fc ,a4,d4 7#b7 ,first ,timothy and ,titus4 ,these were probably written in ,macedonia about ,a4,d4 #ff4 ,this is on the supposition that ,paul was released from the imprisonment at ,rome and made other preaching tours4 7#c7 ,second ,timothy4 ,this was written from the ,roman prison just before his death about ,a4,d4 #fg or #fh4 ,this would have been a second imprisonment and we know nothing of this except by tradition4 7#d7 ,hebrews4 ,there are many eminent scholars who think some other than ,paul wrote this book1 but it is put down here because it was so long and so unanimously considered his and because the point against his authorship does not seem fully established4 ,it was written some time before ,a4,d4 #gj1 as the temple and its worship were still in force4 ,there are four other letters of the period4 7#a7 ,the ,epistle of ,james4 ,this epistle was probably written about ,a4,d4 #ej but some think it was written as late as ,a4,d4 #fb and it is put in for consideration here because of the uncertainty4 7#b7 ,the ,first ,epistle of ,peter1 which was written about ,a4,d4 #ff4 7#c7 ,the ,second ,epistle of ,peter1 written about ,a4,d4 #fg and certainly before the fall of ,jerusalem4 7#d7 ,the ,epistle of ,jude1 written about ,a4,d4 #ff4 ,the ,bible ,book by ,book will furnish the student with a statement concerning the occasion1 purpose1 outline of contents and other introductory discussions4 ,lessons of the ,period4 7#a7 ,one man with proper consecration can be a blessing to all the world4 7#b7 ,the same teaching sometimes wins one and repels another4 7#c7 ,the fact that one is divinely led does not guarantee that one may not be wrongly treated by men4 7#d7 ,persecution can not destroy one's happiness if one is conscious of doing the will of ,god4 7#e7 ,strategic centers are the most fruitful fields of mission work4 7#f7 ,false religious beliefs are less tolerant than the true4 7#g7 ,god may save a whole company for the sake of one man4 7#h7 ,no matter what calamity comes to us we may in the midst of it be a source of blessing to others4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,the countries visited by ,paul4 ,draw maps and indicate his journeys4 7#b7 ,the history and importance of the principal cities visited by him 7make a list of them and consult the ,bible dictionaries74 7#c7 ,paul's companions in the work 7make a list of them and consult the ,bible dictionaries74 7#d7 ,the ,apostle ,paul himself3 7a7 ,his birth and childhood2 7b7 his education2 7c7 his conversion4 7#e7 ,the persecutions of ,paul4 7#f7 ,the miraculous or superhuman element seen in this section4 7#g7 ,the value of the ,roman citizenship to ,paul4 7#h7 ,paul's letters3 7a7 ,name them and tell where in these journeys each comes in2 7b7 learn something of the occasion1 purpose and outline of each4 7#i7 ,the other epistles of this period4 7#aj7 ,the time and extent of ,paul's journeys4 7#aa7 ,the church council at ,jerusalem4 7#ab7 ,the ,roman officers met in this narrative-what sort of men1 etc4 7#ac7 ,paul's speeches as given here4 ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,destruction of ,the ,temple to ,the ,death of ,the ,apostle ,john4 ,epistles of ,john and ,revelation4 ,the ,period of ,history4 ,this period begins with the fall of the city of ,jerusalem1 ,a4,d4 #gj1 and ends with the death of ,john1 the last of the apostles4 ,we have but little scripture touching the conditions of this period4 ,indeed1 all of it is inferential so far as the scripture is concerned4 ,we may1 however1 learn much from secular history and tradition4 ,the ,destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,jesus had predicted the fall of this beloved city4 ,many frightful massacres of ,jews had occurred in ,judea before the end of the last period1 but it was in ,a4,d4 #gj1 about two years after ,paul's death1 that ,titus destroyed ,jerusalem and the temple and ,judaism had its downfall4 ,after this the marks of separation between ,christianity and ,judaism became more and more distinct4 ,from that time the ,jewish religion has never gained ascendancy in any country4 ,from ,a4,d4 #gj to ,a4,d4 #ajj4 ,the general history of this period has in it little of interest4 ,at the end of the very creditable reign of emperor ,vespasian1 who was on the throne of ,rome when ,jerusalem fell1 ,titus1 called ,the delight of the human race1 reigned in his stead4 ,during his reign occurred that awful eruption of ,vesuvius that buried ,pompeii4 ,titus was succeeded by his brother ,domitian1 who was one of the greatest tyrants that ever ruled in any country4 ,it is generally supposed that ,john was banished to the ,isle of ,patmos during the reign of ,domitian4 ,after ,domitian reigned ,nerva and ,trojan1 the last of which showed great talent and brought back much of the early vigor to the empire4 ,the cyclopedias and histories of ,rome will give information about the period4 ,the ,literature of the ,period4 ,the history of the ,christians in this period is very obscure because of the scanty literature produced in it4 ,what literature we have of these years may be divided into two classes3 7#a7 ,scripture books4 ,these are the three epistles of ,john1 which were written at ,ephesus a while before his banishment1 probably about #hj or #he ,a4 ,d41 and the ,revelation1 which was composed while in exile on ,patmos about #ie or #if ,a4 ,d4 7#b7 ,some early ,christian writings not included in the canon of the ,new ,testament4 ,of this class of writings is the ,epistle of ,clement of ,rome to the ,corinthians1 written about #if-ih ,a4,d41 and the ,epistle of ,barnabas and the ,teaching of the ,twelve ,apostles1 probably written sometime before ,a4,d4 #ajj4 ,this then is a period of transition from the ,canonical to the ,patristic literature4 ,death of ,john and ,end of ,scripture ,history4 ,john was on the ,isle of ,patmos as an exile because of his testimony for ,jesus4 ,he seems to have lived until the end of the first century and is said to have met death in a cauldron of boiling oil4 ,the last of the apostles being now dead the canon of the scripture is closed and the power of miracles removed and ,christianity left to win its own way by means of the efforts and the prayers of the disciples and the grace which ,god ordinarily grants to them4 ,thus ends the scripture history-with a completed revelation and the ,christian churches set up as a witness for ,christ4 ,lessons of the ,period4 ,it is difficult to draw1 from a period of which we know so little1 any certain conclusions4 ,we are perhaps safe in making some observations4 7#a7 ,christianity must always make its way against opposition4 7#b7 ,the ,christian faith gives courage and joy in the most trying circumstances4 7#c7 ,christianity will finally triumph over its enemies4 ,for ,study and ,discussion4 7#a7 ,from the ,bible dictionaries1 cyclopedias1 etc41 study the reigns of the different ,roman emperors of this period4 7#b7 ,learn something of the nature and contents of the ,patristic literature mentioned in this discussion4 7#c7 ,the four ,new ,testament books of this period4