,the ,expositor's ,bible ,edited by ,w4 ,robertson ,nicoll1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,illustration ,,the ,,expositors' ,,bible ,edited by ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,new and ,cheaper ,edition4 ,printed from original plates ,complete in every detail4 ,uniform with this volume ,price #ej cents per volume4 7,if by mail add #aj cents postage7 ,,old ,,testament ,,volumes ,,genesis4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,marcus ,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,,exodus4 ,by ,very ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,chadwick1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,armagh4 ,,leviticus4 ,by ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,,numbers4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,,deuteronomy4 ,by4 ,rev4 ,prof4 ,andrew ,harper1 ,b4,d4 ,,joshua4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,blaikie1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,judges ,,and ,,ruth4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,,first ,,samuel4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,blaikie1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,second ,,samuel4 ,by same author4 ,,first ,,kings4 ,by ,f4 ,w4 ,farrar1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,,second ,,kings4 ,by same author4 ,,first ,,and ,,second ,,chronicles4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,bennett4 ,,ezra1 ,,nehemiah1 and ,,esther4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,adeney4 ,,job4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,,psalms4 ,in #c vols4 ,vol4 ,i41 ,chapters ,i4-,,xxxviii42 ,vol4 ,,ii41 ,chapters ,,xxxix4-,,lxxxix42 ,vol4 ,,iii41 ,chapters ,,xc4-,,cl4 ,by ,rev4 ,alexander ,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,,proverbs4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,f4 ,horton1 ,d4,d4 ,,ecclesiastes4 ,by ,rev4 ,samuel ,cox1 ,d4,d4 ,,song ,,of ,,solomon and ,,lamentations4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,adeney4 ,,isaiah4 ,in #b vols4 ,vol4 ,i41 ,chapters ,i4-,,xxxix42 ,vol4 ,,ii41 ,chapters ,,xl-,,lxvi4 ,by ,prof4 ,george ,adam ,smith1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,jeremiah4 ,chapters ,i4-,,xx4 ,with a ,sketch of his ,life and ,times4 ,by ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,ball4 ,,jeremiah4 ,chapters ,,xxi4-,,lii4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,bennett4 ,,ezekiel4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,john ,skinner4 ,,daniel4 ,by ,f4 ,w4 ,farrar1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,canterbury4 ,,the ,,twelve 7minor7 ,,prophets4 ,in #b vols4 ,by ,rev4 ,george ,adam ,smith1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,,new ,,testament ,,volumes ,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,monro ,gibson1 ,d4,d4 ,,st4 ,,mark4 ,by ,very ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,chadwick1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ,armagh4 ,,st4 ,,luke4 ,by ,rev4 ,henry ,burton4 ,,gospel ,,of ,,st4 ,,john4 ,in #b vols4 ,vol4 ,i41 ,chapters ,i4-,,xi42 ,vol4 ,,ii41 ,chapters ,,xii4-,,xxi4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,marcus ,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,,the ,,acts ,,of ,,the ,,apostles4 ,in #b vols4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,g4 ,t4 ,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,,romans4 ,by ,rev4 ,handley ,c4 ,g4 ,moule1 ,d4,d4 ,,first ,,corinthians4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,marcus ,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,corinthians4 ,by ,rev4 ,james ,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,,galatians4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,findlay1 ,d4,d4 ,,ephesians4 ,by same author4 ,,philippians4 ,by ,rev4 ,principal ,robert ,rainy1 ,d4,d4 ,,colossians and ,,philemon4 ,by ,rev4 ,alexander ,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,,thessalonians4 ,by ,rev4 ,james ,denney1 ,d4,d4 ,,pastoral ,,epistles4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,,hebrews4 ,by ,rev4 ,principal ,t4 ,c4 ,edwards1 ,d4,d4 ,,st4 ,,james and ,,st4 ,,jude4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,,st4 ,,peter4 ,by ,rev4 ,prof4 ,j4 ,rawson ,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,john4 ,by ,rt4 ,rev4 ,w4 ,alexander1 ,lord ,bishop of ,derry4 ,,revelation4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,milligan1 ,d4,d4 ,,index ,,volume ,,to ,,entire ,,series4 ,new ,york3 ,,hodder ,,stoughton1 ,publishers ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,numbers ,,by ,,the ,rev4 ,robert ,a4 ,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,,author ,,of ,,gospels ,,of ,,yesterday1 ,,judges ,,and ,,ruth1 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,job1 ,,in ,,the ,,apostolic ,,age1 ,,etc4 ,,hodder ,,stoughton ,,new ,,york ,,george ,h4 ,,doran ,,company ,,contents ,i ,,page ,,introductory #a ,,ii ,,the ,,census ,,and ,,the ,,camp #ah #a4 ,the ,mustering3 ch4 i4 #a-df #b4 ,the ,tribe of ,levi3 ch4 i4 #dg-ed #c4 ,the ,camp3 ch4 ii ,,iii ,,priests ,,and ,,levites #bi #a4 ,the ,priesthood3 ch4 iii4 #a-aj #b4 ,the ,first-born3 ch4 iii4 #aa-ac1 #dj-ea #c4 ,levitical ,service3 chs4 iii4 #ad-ci1 iv ,,iv ,,defilement ,,and ,,purgation #df #a4 ,exclusion from the ,camp3 ch4 v4 #a-d #b4 ,atonement for ,trespass3 ch4 v4 #e-aj #c4 ,the ,water of ,jealousy3 ch4 v4 #aa-ca ,v ,,naziritism3 ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,aaron #ei ,ch4 vi4 ,,vi ,,sanctuary ,,and ,,passover #gc #a4 ,the ,offerings of the ,princes3 ch4 vii #b4 ,the ,candelabrum3 ch4 viii4 #a-d #c4 ,the ,passover3 ch4 ix4 #a-ad ,,vii ,,the ,,cloud ,,and ,,the ,,march #hi #a4 ,the ,guiding ,cloud3 ch4 ix4 #ae-bc #b4 ,the ,silver ,trumpets3 ch4 x4 #a-aj #c4 ,the ,order of ,march3 ch4 x4 #aa-bh ,,viii ,,hobab ,,the ,,kenite #ajd ,ch4 x4 #bi-cf ,,ix ,,the ,,strain ,,of ,,the ,,desert ,,journey #aai ,ch4 xi ,x ,,the ,,jealousy ,,of ,,miriam ,,and ,,aaron #acf ,ch4 xii ,,xi ,,the ,,spies ,,and ,,their ,,report #aea ,chs4 xiii41 xiv4 #a-aj ,,xii ,,the ,,doom ,,of ,,the ,,unbelieving #afg ,ch4 xiv ,,xiii ,,offerings3 ,,sabbath-,,keeping3 ,,dress #agi ,ch4 xv ,,xiv ,,korah1 ,,dathan1 ,,and ,,abiram #aie ,chs4 xvi1 xvii ,,xv ,,tithes ,,and ,,cleansings #bab ,chs4 xviii41 xix #a4 ,duties and ,support of the ,ministry #b4 ,water of ,purification #c4 ,defilement by the ,dead ,,xvi ,,sorrow ,,and ,,failure ,,at ,,kadesh #bbb ,ch4 xx ,,xvii ,,the ,,last ,,march ,,and ,,the ,,first ,,campaign #bdc ,ch4 xxi ,,xviii ,,balaam ,,invoked #bfj ,ch4 xxii4 #a-ai ,,xix ,,balaam ,,on ,,the ,,way #bgf ,ch4 xxii4 #bj-ch ,,xx ,,balaam',s ,,parables #bij ,chs4 xxii4 #ci-xxiv4 #i ,,xxi ,,the ,,matter ,,of ,,baal-,,peor #cji ,chs4 xxiv4 #aj-xxv4 #ah ,,xxii ,a ,,new ,,generation #cbc ,chs4 xxvi41 xxvii ,,xxiii ,,offerings ,,and ,,vows #cdc #a4 ,the ,sacred ,year3 chs4 xxviii41 xxix #b4 ,the ,law of ,vows3 ch4 xxx ,,xxiv ,,war ,,and ,,settlement #cfe #a4 ,the ,war with ,midian3 ch4 xxxi #b4 ,settlement3 ch4 xxxii ,,xxv ,,the ,,way ,,and ,,the ,,lot #chb ,chs4 xxxiii41 xxxiv ,,xxvi ,,the ,,cities ,,of ,,refuge #cif ,chs4 xxxv41 xxxvi ,,index #dji ,i ,,introductory ,to summon from the past and reproduce with any detail the story of ,israel's life in the desert is now impossible4 ,the outlines alone remain1 severe1 careless of almost everything that does not bear on religion4 ,neither from ,exodus nor from ,numbers can we gather those touches that would enable us to reconstruct the incidents of a single day as it passed in the camp or on the march4 ,the tribes move from one wilderness to another4 ,the hardship of the time of wandering appears unrelieved1 for throughout the history the doings of ,god1 not the achievements or sufferings of the people1 are the great theme4 ,the patriotism of the ,book of ,numbers is of a kind that reminds us continually of the prophecies4 ,resentment against the distrustful and rebellious1 like that which ,amos1 ,hosea1 and ,jeremiah express1 is felt in almost every portion of the narrative4 ,at the same time the difference between ,numbers and the books of the prophets is wide and striking4 ,here the style is simple1 often stern1 with little emotion1 scarcely any rhetoric4 ,the legislative purpose reacts on the historical1 and makes the spirit of the book severe4 ,seldom does the writer allow himself respite from the grave task of presenting ,israel's duties and delinquencies1 and exalting the majesty of ,god4 ,we are made continually to feel the burden with which the affairs of the people are charged2 and yet the book is no poem3 to excite sympathy or lead up to a great climax does not come within the design4 ,nevertheless1 so far as a book of incident and statute can resemble poetry1 there is a parallel between ,numbers and a form of literature produced under other skies1 other conditions--the ,greek drama4 ,the same is true of ,exodus and ,deuteronomy2 but ,numbers will be found especially to bear out the comparison4 ,the likeness may be traced in the presentation of a main idea1 the relation of various groups of persons carrying out or opposing that main idea1 and the ,puritanism of form and situation4 ,the ,book of ,numbers may be called eternal literature more fitly than the ,iliad and neid have been called eternal poems2 and the keen ethical strain and high religious thought make the movement tragical throughout4 ,moses the leader is seen with his helpers and opponents1 ,aaron and ,miriam1 ,joshua and ,hobab1 ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 ,balak and ,balaam4 ,he is brought into extremity2 he despairs and appeals passionately to ,heaven2 in an hour of pride he falls into sin which brings doom upon him4 ,the people1 murmuring1 craving1 suffering1 are always a vague multitude4 ,the tent1 the cloud1 the incense1 the wars1 the strain of the wilderness journey1 the hope of the land beyond--all have a dim solemnity4 ,the occupying thought is of ,jehovah's purpose and the revelation of ,his character4 ,moses is the prophet of this ,divine mystery1 stands for it almost alone1 urges it upon ,israel1 is the means of impressing it by judgments and victories1 by priestly law and ceremony1 by the very example of his own failure in sudden trial4 ,with a graver and bolder purpose than any embodied in the dramatic masterpieces of ,greece1 the story of ,numbers finds its place not in literature only1 but in the development of universal religion1 and breathes that ,divine inspiration which belongs to the ,hebrew and to him alone among those who speak of ,god and man4 ,the ,divine discipline of human life is an element of the theme1 but in contrast to the ,greek dramas the books of the exodus are not individualistic4 ,moses is great1 but he is so as the teacher of religion1 the servant of ,jehovah1 the lawgiver of ,israel4 ,jehovah1 ,his religion1 ,his law1 are above ,moses4 ,the personality of the leader stands clear2 yet he is not the hero of the ,book of ,numbers4 ,the purpose of the history leaves him1 when he has done his work1 to die on ,mount ,abarim1 and presses on1 that ,jehovah may be seen as a man of war1 that ,israel may be brought to its inheritance and begin its new career4 ,the voice of men in the ,greek tragedy is1 as ,mr4 ,ruskin says1 ,we trusted in the gods2 we thought that wisdom and courage would save us4 ,our wisdom and courage deceive us to our death4 ,when ,moses despairs1 that is not his cry4 ,there is no ,fate stronger than ,god2 and ,he looks far into the future in the discipline ,he appoints to men1 to ,his people ,israel4 ,the remote1 the unfulfilled1 gleams along the desert4 ,there is a light from the pillar of fire even when the pestilence is abroad1 and the graves of the lustful are dug1 and the camp is dissolved in tears because ,aaron is dead1 because ,moses has climbed the last mountain and shall never again be seen4 ,in respect of content1 one point shows likeness between the ,greek drama and our book--the vague conception of death4 ,it is not an extinction of life1 but the human being goes on into an existence of which there is no definite idea4 ,what remains has no reckoning1 no object4 ,the recoil of the ,hebrew is not indeed piteous1 and fraught with horror1 like that of the ,greek1 although death is the last punishment of men who transgress4 ,for ,aaron and ,moses1 and all who have served their generation1 it is a high and venerated ,power that claims them when the hour of departure comes4 ,the ,god they have obeyed in life calls them1 and they are gathered to their people4 ,no note of despair is heard like that in the ,iphigenia in ,aulis1-- ,he raves who prays ,to die4 ',tis better to live on in woe ,than to die nobly4 ,dying as well as living men are with ,god2 and this ,god is the ,lord of all4 ,immense is the difference between the ,greek who trusts or dreads many powers above1 beneath1 and the ,hebrew realising himself1 however dimly1 as the servant of ,jehovah the holy1 the eternal4 ,this great idea1 seized by ,moses1 introduced by him into the faith of his people1 remained it may be indefinite1 yet always present to the thought of ,israel with many implications till the time of full revelation came with ,christ1 and ,he said3 ,now that the dead are raised1 even ,moses showed1 in the bush1 when he called the ,lord the ,god of ,abraham1 and the ,god of ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob4 ,for ,he is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living4 ,the wide interval between a people whose religion contained this thought1 in whose history it is interwoven1 and a people whose religion was polytheistic and natural is seen in the whole strain of their literature and life4 ,even ,plato the luminous finds it impossible to overpass the shadows of pagan interpretations4 ,in regard to the facts of a future life1 a man1 said ,phdo1 must either learn or find out their nature2 or1 if he cannot do this1 take at any rate the best and least assailable of human words1 and1 borne on this as on a raft1 perform in peril the voyage of life1 unless he should be able to accomplish the journey with less risk and danger on a surer vessel--some word ,divine4 ,now ,israel had a ,divine word2 and life was not perilous4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the problem which appears again and again in ,moses' relation with the people is that of the theocratic idea as against the grasping at immediate success4 ,at various points1 from the start in ,egypt onwards1 the opportunity of assuming a regal position comes to ,moses4 ,he is virtually dictator1 and he might be king4 ,but a rare singleness of mind keeps him true to ,jehovah's lordship1 which he endeavours to stamp on the conscience of the people and the course of their development4 ,he has often to do so at the greatest risk to himself4 ,he holds back the people in what seems the hour of advance1 and it is the will of ,jehovah by which they are detained4 ,the ,unseen ,king is their ,helper and equally their ,rhadamanthine ,judge2 and on ,moses falls the burden of forcing that fact upon their minds4 ,israel could never1 according to ,moses' idea1 become a great people in the sense in which the nations of the world were great4 ,amongst them greatness was sought in despite of morality1 in defiance of all that ,jehovah commanded4 ,israel might never be great in wealth1 territory1 influence1 but she was to be true4 ,she existed for ,jehovah1 while the gods of other nations existed for them1 had no part to play without them4 ,jehovah was not to be overborne either by the will or the needs of ,his people4 ,he was the self-existent ,lord4 ,the ,name did not represent a supernatural assistance which could be secured on terms1 or by any authorised person4 ,moses himself1 though he entreated ,jehovah1 did not change ,him4 ,his own desire was sometimes thwarted2 and he had often to give the oracle with sorrow and disappointment4 ,moses is not the priest of the people3 the priesthood comes in as a ministering body1 necessary for religious ends and ideas1 but never governing1 never even interpreting4 ,it is singular from this point of view that the so-called ,priests' ,code should be attributed confidently to a caste ambitious of ruling or practically enthroned4 ,wellhausen ridicules the fine distinction between hierocracy and theocracy4 ,he affirms that government of ,god is the same thing as rule of priest2 and he may affirm this because he thinks so4 ,the ,book of ,numbers1 as it stands1 might have been written to prove that they are not equivalent2 and ,wellhausen himself shows that they are not by more than one of his conclusions4 ,the theocracy1 he says1 is in its nature intimately allied to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 which is1 in fact1 its child2 and on the whole he prefers to speak of the ,jewish ,church rather than the theocracy4 ,but if any modern religious body is to be named as a child of the ,hebrew theocracy1 it must not be one in which the priest intervenes continually between faith and ,god4 ,wellhausen says again that the sacred constitution of ,judaism was an artificial product as contrasted with the broadly human indigenous element1 the real idea of man's relation to ,god2 and when a priesthood1 as in later ,judaism1 becomes the governing body1 ,god is1 so far1 dethroned4 ,now ,moses did not give to ,aaron greater power than he himself possessed1 and his own power is constantly represented as exercised in submission to ,jehovah4 ,a theocracy might be established without a priesthood2 in fact1 the mediation of the prophet approaches the ideal far more than that of the priest4 ,but in the beginnings of ,israel the priesthood was required1 received a subordinate place of its own1 to which it was throughout rigidly confined4 ,as for priestly government1 that1 we may say1 has no support anywhere in the ,pentateuch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,book of ,numbers1 called also ,in the wilderness1 opens with the second month of the second year after the exodus1 and goes on to the arrival of the tribes in the plains of ,moab by the ,jordan4 ,as a whole it may be said to carry out the historical and religious ideas of ,exodus and ,leviticus3 and both the history and the legislation flow into three main channels4 ,they go to establish the separateness of ,israel as a people1 the separateness of the tribe of ,levi and the priesthood1 and the separateness and authority of ,jehovah4 ,the first of these objects is served by the accounts of the census1 of the redemption of the first-born1 the laws of national atonement and distinctive dress1 and generally the ,divine discipline of ,israel recorded in the course of the book4 ,the second line of purpose may be traced in the careful enumeration of the ,levites2 the minute allocation of duties connected with the tabernacle to the ,gershonites1 the ,kohathites1 and the ,merarites2 the special consecration of the ,aaronic priesthood2 the elaboration of ceremonials requiring priestly service2 and various striking incidents1 such as the judgment of ,korah and his company1 and the budding of ,aaron's almond twig4 ,lastly1 the institution of some cleansing rites1 the sin offering of chap4 xix4 for example1 the details of punishment that fell upon offenders against the law1 the precautions enjoined with regard to the ark and the sanctuary1 together with the multiplication of sacrifices1 went to emphasise the sanctity of worship and the holiness of the unseen ,king4 ,the book is sacerdotal2 it is marked even more by a physical and moral ,puritanism1 exceedingly stringent at many points4 ,the whole system of religious observance and priestly ministration set forth in the ,mosaic books may seem difficult to account for1 not indeed as a national development1 but as a moral and religious gain4 ,we are ready to ask how ,god could in any sense have been the author of a code of laws imposing so many intricate ceremonies1 which required a whole tribe of ,levites and priests to perform them4 ,where was the spiritual use that justified the system1 as necessary1 as wise1 as ,divine8 ,inquiries like these will arise in the minds of believing men1 and sufficient answer must be sought for4 ,in the following way the religious worth and therefore the inspiration of the ceremonial law may be found4 ,the primitive notion that ,jehovah was the exclusive property of ,israel1 the pledged patron of the nation1 tended to impair the sense of ,his moral purity4 ,an ignorant people inclined to many forms of immorality could not have a right conception of the ,divine holiness2 and the more it was accepted as a commonplace of faith that ,jehovah knew them alone of all the families of the earth1 the more was right belief towards ,him imperilled4 ,a psalmist who in the name of ,god reproves the wicked indicates the danger3 ,thou thoughtest that ,i was altogether such an one as thyself4 ,now the priesthood1 the sacrifices1 all provisions for maintaining the sanctity of the ark and the altar1 and all rules of ceremonial cleansing1 were means of preventing that fatal error4 ,the ,israelites began without the solemn temples and impressive mysteries that made the religion of ,egypt venerable4 ,in the desert and in ,canaan1 till the time of ,solomon1 the rude arrangements of semi-civilised life kept religion at an everyday level4 ,the domestic makeshifts and confusion of the early period1 the frequent alarms and changes which for centuries the nation had to endure1 must have made culture of any kind1 even religious culture1 almost impossible to the mass of the people4 ,the law in its very complexity and stringency provided a needful safeguard and means of education4 ,moses had been acquainted with a great sacerdotal system4 ,not only would it appear to him natural to originate something of a like kind1 but he would see no other means of creating in rude times the idea of the ,divine holiness4 ,for himself he found inspiration and prophetic power in laying the foundation of the system2 and once initiated1 its development necessarily followed4 ,with the progress of civilisation the law had to keep pace1 meeting the new circumstances and needs of each succeeding period4 ,certainly the genius of the ,pentateuch1 and in particular of the ,book of ,numbers1 is not liberating4 ,the tone is that of theocratic rigour4 ,but the reason is quite clear2 the development of the law was determined by the necessities and dangers of ,israel in the exodus1 in the wilderness1 and in idolatrous1 seductive ,canaan4 ,opening with an account of the census1 the ,book of ,numbers evidently stood1 from the first1 quite distinct from the previous books as a composition or compilation4 ,the mustering of the tribes gave an opportunity of passing from one group of documents to another1 from one stage of the history to another4 ,but the memoranda brought together in ,numbers are of various character4 ,administrative1 legislative1 and historical sources are laid under contribution4 ,the records have been arranged as far as possible in chronological order2 and there are traces1 as for instance in the second account of the striking of the rock by ,moses1 of a careful gathering up of materials not previously used1 at least in the precise form they now have4 ,the compilers collected and transcribed with the most reverent care1 and did not venture in any case to reject4 ,the historical notices are for some reason anything but consecutive1 and the greater part of the time covered by the book is virtually passed over4 ,on the other hand some passages repeat details in a way that has no parallel in the rest of the ,mosaic books4 ,the effect generally is that of a compilation made under difficulties by a scribe or scribes who were scrupulous to preserve everything relating to the great lawgiver and the dealings of ,god with ,israel4 ,recent criticism is positive in its assertion that the book contains several strata of narrative2 and there are certain passages1 the accounts of ,korah's revolt and of ,dathan and ,abiram1 for instance1 where without such a clew the history must seem not a little confused4 ,in a sense this is disconcerting4 ,the ordinary reader finds it difficult to understand why an inspired book should appear at any point incomplete or incoherent4 ,the hostile critic again is ready to deny the credibility of the whole4 ,but the honesty of the writing is proved by the very characteristics that make some statements hard to interpret and some of the records difficult to receive4 ,the theory that a journal of the wanderings was kept by ,moses or under his direction is quite untenable4 ,dismissing that1 we fall back on the belief that contemporary records of some incidents1 and traditions early committed to writing formed the basis of the book4 ,the documents were undoubtedly ancient at the time of their final recension1 whensoever and by whomsoever it was made4 ,by far the greater part of ,numbers refers to the second year after the exodus from ,egypt1 and to what took place in the fortieth year1 after the departure from ,kadesh4 ,regarding the intermediate time we are told little but that the camp was shifted from one place to another in the wilderness4 ,why the missing details have not survived in any form cannot now be made out4 ,it is no sufficient explanation to say that those events alone are preserved which struck the popular imagination4 ,on the other hand1 to ascribe what we have to unscrupulous or pious fabrication is at once unpardonable and absurd4 ,some may be inclined to think that the book consists entirely of accidental scraps of tradition1 and that inspiration would have come better to its end if the religious feelings of the people had received more attention1 and we had been shown the gradual use of ,israel out of ignorance and semi-barbarism4 ,yet even for the modern historical sense the book has its own claim1 by no means slight1 to high estimation and close study4 ,these are venerable records1 reaching back to the time they profess to describe1 and presenting1 though with some traditional haze1 the important incidents of the desert journey4 ,turning from the history to the legislation1 we have to inquire whether the laws regarding priests and ,levites1 sacrifices and cleansings1 bear uniformly the colour of the wilderness4 ,the origins are certainly of the ,mosaic time1 and some of the statutes elaborated here must be founded on customs and beliefs older even than the exodus4 ,yet in form many enactments are apparently later than the time of ,moses2 and it does not seem well to maintain that laws requiring what was next to impossible in the wilderness were1 during the journey1 given and enforced as they now stand by a wise legislator4 ,did ,moses require1 for instance1 that five shekels1 of the shekel of the sanctuary1 should be paid for the ransom of the first-born son of a household1 at a time when many families must have had no silver and no means of obtaining it8 ,does not this statute1 like another which is spoken of as deferred till the settlement in ,canaan1 imply a fixed order and medium of exchange8 ,for the sake of a theory which is intended to honour ,moses as the only legislator of ,israel1 is it well to maintain that he imposed conditions which could not be carried out1 and that he actually prepared the way for neglect of his own code8 ,it is beyond our range to discuss the date of the compilation of ,numbers as compared with the other ,pentateuchal books1 or the age of the ,jehovistic documents as compared with the ,priests' ,code4 ,this1 however1 is of less moment1 since it is now becoming clear that attempts to settle these dates can only darken the main question--the antiquity of the original records and enactments4 ,the assertion that ,exodus1 ,leviticus1 and ,numbers belong to an age later than ,ezekiel is of course meant to apply to the present form of the books4 ,but even in this sense it is misleading4 ,those who make it themselves assume that many things in the law and the history are of far older date1 based indeed on what at the time of ,ezekiel must have been immemorial usage4 ,the main legislation of the ,pentateuch must have existed in the time of ,josiah1 and even then possessed the authority of ancient observance4 ,the priesthood1 the ark1 sacrifice and feast1 the shewbread1 the ephod1 can be traced back beyond the time of ,david to that of ,samuel and ,eli1 quite apart from the testimony of the ,books of ,moses4 ,moreover1 it is impossible to believe that the formula ,the ,lord said unto ,moses was invented at a late date as the authority for statutes4 ,it was the invariable accompaniment of the ancient rule1 the mark of an origin already recognised4 ,the various legislative provisions we shall have to consider had their sanction under the great ordinance of the law and the inspired prophetism which directed its use and maintained its adaptation to the circumstances of the people4 ,the religious and moral code as a whole1 designed to secure profound reverence towards ,god and the purity of national faith1 continued the legislation of ,moses1 and at every point was the task of men who guarded as sacred the ideas of the founder and were themselves taught of ,god4 ,the entire law was acknowledged by ,christ in this sense as possessing the authority of the great lawgiver's own commission4 ,it has been said that the inspired condition would seem to be one which produces a generous indifference to pedantic accuracy in matters of fact1 and a supreme absorbing concern about the moral and religious significance of facts4 ,if the former part of this statement were true1 the historical books of the ,bible1 and1 we may say1 in particular the ,book of ,numbers1 would deserve no attention as history4 ,but nothing is more striking in a survey of our book than the clear unhesitating way in which incidents are set forth1 even where moral and religious ends could not be much served by the detail that is freely used4 ,the account of the muster-roll is a case in point4 ,there we find what may be called pedantic accuracy4 ,the enumeration of each tribe is given separately1 and the formula is repeated1 by their families1 by their fathers' houses1 according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward1 all that were able to go forth to war4 ,again1 the whole of the seventh chapter1 the longest in the book1 is taken up with an account of the offerings of the tribes1 made at the dedication of the altar4 ,these oblations are presented day after day by the heads of the twelve tribes in order1 and each tribe brings precisely the same gifts--one silver charger1 the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels1 one silver bowl of seventy shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary1 both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal offering2 one golden spoon of ten shekels full of incense2 one young bullock1 one ram1 one he-lamb of the first year for a burnt offering2 one male of the goats for a sin offering2 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings1 two oxen1 five rams1 five he-goats1 five he-lambs of the first year4 ,now the difficulty at once occurs that in the wilderness1 according to ,exod4 xvi41 there was no bread1 no flour1 that manna was the food of the people4 ,in ,numb4 xi4 #f the complaint of the children of ,israel is recorded3 ,now our soul is dried away2 there is nothing at all3 we have nought save this manna to look to4 ,in ,josh4 v4 #aj ff4 it is stated that1 after the passage of the ,jordan1 they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of ,jericho4 ,and they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover1 unleavened cakes and parched corn in the self-same day4 ,and the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land4 ,to the compilers of the ,book of ,numbers the statement that tribe after tribe brought offerings of fine flour mingled with oil1 which could only have been obtained from ,egypt or from some ,arabian valley at a distance1 must have been as hard to receive as it is to us4 ,nevertheless1 the assertion is repeated no less than twelve times4 ,what then8 ,do we impugn the sincerity of the historians8 ,are we to suppose them careless of the fact8 ,do we not rather perceive that in the face of what seemed insuperable difficulties they held to what they had before them as authentic records8 ,no writer could be inspired and at the same time indifferent to accuracy4 ,if there is one thing more than another on which we may rely1 it is that the authors of these books of ,scripture have done their very utmost by careful inquiry and recension to make their account of what took place in the wilderness full and precise4 ,absolute sincerity and scrupulous carefulness are essential conditions for dealing successfully with moral and religious themes2 and we have all evidence that the compilers had these qualities4 ,but in order to reach historical fact they had to use the same kind of means as we employ2 and this qualifying statement1 with all that it involves1 applies to the whole contents of the book we are to consider4 ,our dependence with regard to the events recorded is on the truthfulness but not the omniscience of the men1 whoever they were1 who from traditions1 records1 scrolls of law1 and venerable memoranda compiled this ,scripture as we have it4 ,they wrought under the sense of sacred duty1 and found through that the inspiration which gives perennial value to their work4 ,with this in view we shall take up the various matters of history and legislation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,recurring now1 for a little1 to the spirit of the ,book of ,numbers1 we find in the ethical passages its highest note and power as an inspired writing4 ,the standard of judgment is not by any means that of ,christianity4 ,it belongs to an age when moral ideas had often to be enforced with indifference to human life2 when1 conversely1 the plagues and disasters that befell men were always connected with moral offences4 ,it belongs to an age when the malediction of one who claimed supernatural insight was generally believed to carry power with it1 and the blessing of ,god meant earthly prosperity4 ,and the notable fact is that1 side by side with these beliefs1 righteousness of an exalted kind is strenuously taught4 ,for example1 the reverence for ,moses and ,aaron1 usually so characteristic of the ,book of ,numbers1 is seen falling into the background when the ,divine judgment of their fault is recorded2 and the earnestness shown is nothing less than sublime4 ,in the course of the legislation ,aaron is invested with extraordinary official dignity2 and ,moses appears at his best in the matter of ,eldad and ,medad when he says1 ,enviest thou for my sake8 ,would ,god that all the ,lord's people were prophets1 and that the ,lord would put ,his ,spirit upon them4 ,yet ,numbers records the sentence pronounced upon the brothers3 ,because ye believed ,me not1 to sanctify ,me in the eyes of the children of ,israel1 therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which ,i have given them4 ,and more severe is the form of the condemnation recorded in chap4 xxvii4 #ad3 ,because ye rebelled against ,my word in the wilderness of ,zin1 in the strife of the congregation1 to sanctify ,me at the waters before their eyes4 ,the moral strain of the book is keen in the punishment inflicted on a ,sabbath-breaker1 in the destination to death of the whole congregation for murmuring against ,god--a judgment which1 at the entreaty of ,moses1 was not revoked1 but only deferred--and again in the condemnation to death of every soul that sins presumptuously4 ,on the other hand1 the provision of refuge cities for the unwitting man-slayer shows the ,divine righteousness at one with mercy4 ,it must be confessed the book has another note4 ,in order that ,israel might reach and conquer ,canaan there had to be war2 and the warlike spirit is frankly breathed4 ,there is no thought of converting enemies like the ,midianites into friends2 every man of them must be put to the sword4 ,the census enumerates the men fit for war4 ,the primitive militarism is consecrated by ,israel's necessity and destiny4 ,when the desert march is over1 ,reuben1 ,gad1 and the half-tribe of ,manasseh must not turn peacefully to their sheep and cattle on the east side of ,jordan2 they must send their men of war across the river to maintain the unity of the nation by running the hazard of battle with the rest4 ,experience of this inevitable discipline brought moral gain4 ,religion could use even war to lift the people into the possibility of higher life4 ,,ii ,,the ,,census ,,and ,,the ,,camp #a4 ,,the ,,mustering ,,numbers i4 #a-df ,from the place of high spiritual knowledge1 where through the revelation of ,god in covenant and law ,israel has been constituted ,his nation and ,his ,church1 the tribes must now march with due order and dignity4 ,the sense of a ,divine calling and of responsibility to the ,highest will react on the whole arrangements made for the ordinary tasks and activities of men4 ,social aims may unite those who have them in common1 and the emergencies of a nation will lay constraint on patriotic souls4 ,but nothing so binds men together as a common vocation to do ,god's will and maintain ,his faith4 ,these ideas are to be traced in the whole account of the mustering of the warriors and the organisation of the camp4 ,we review it feeling that the dominating thought of a ,divine call to spiritual duty and progress is far from having control of modern ,christendom4 ,under the ,new ,covenant there is a distribution of grace to every one1 an endowment of each according to his faith with priestly and even kingly powers4 ,no chief men swear fealty to ,christ on behalf of the tribes that gather to ,his standard2 but each believer devotes himself to the service and receives his own commission4 ,yet1 while the first thought is that of personal honour and liberty1 there should follow at once the desire1 the determination1 to find one's fit place in the camp1 in the march1 in the war4 ,the unity is imperative1 for there is one body and one spirit1 even as we are called in one hope of our calling4 ,the commission each receives is not to be a free-lance in the ,divine warfare1 but to take his right place in the ranks2 and that place he must find4 ,the enumeration1 as recorded in chap4 i41 was not to be of all ,israelites1 but of men from twenty years old and upward1 all that were able to go forth to war4 ,from ,sinai to ,canaan was no long journey1 and fighting might soon be required4 ,the muster was by way of preparation for conflicts in the wilderness and for the final struggle4 ,it is significant that ,aaron is shown associated with ,moses in gathering the results4 ,we see not only a preparation for war1 but also for the poll tax or tithe to be levied in support of the priests and ,levites4 ,a sequel to the enumeration is to be found in chap4 xviii4 #ba3 ,and unto the children of ,levi1 behold1 ,i have given all the tithe in ,israel for an inheritance1 in return for their service which they serve1 even the service of the tent of meeting4 ,the ,levites again were to give1 out of what they received1 a tenth part for the maintenance of the priests4 ,the enactment when carried into effect would make the support of those who ministered in holy things a term of the national constitution4 ,now taking the census as intended to impress the personal duties of service in war and contribution for religious ends1 we find in it a valuable lesson for all who acknowledge the ,divine authority4 ,not remotely may the command be interpreted thus4 ,take the sum of them1 that they may realise that ,god takes the sum of them and expects of every man service commensurate with his powers4 ,the claim of ,jehovah went side by side with the claim on behalf of the nation1 for ,he was ,head of the nation4 ,but ,god is equally the ,head of all who have their life from ,him2 and this numbering of the ,hebrews points to a census which is accurately registered and never falls short of the sum of a people by a single unit4 ,whoever can fight the battle of righteousness1 serve the truth by witness-bearing1 aid in relieving one weak1 or help religion by personal example and willing gift--every possible servant of ,god1 who is also by the very possession of life and privilege a debtor of ,god1 is numbered in the daily census of ,his providence4 ,the measure of the ability of each is known4 ,to whomsoever much is given1 of him shall much be required4 ,the ,divine regard of our lives and estimate of our powers1 and the accompanying claim made upon us1 are indeed far from being understood2 even members of the ,church are strangely ignorant of their duty4 ,but is it thought that because no ,sinai shrouded in awful smoke towers above us1 and now we are encamped at the foot of ,calvary1 where one great offering was made for our redemption1 therefore we are free in any sense from the service ,israel was expected to render8 ,do any hold themselves relieved from the tithe because they are ,christ's freemen1 and shirk the warfare because they already enjoy the privileges of the victors8 ,these are the ignorant1 whose complacent excuses show that they do not understand the law of ,divine religion4 ,true1 the position of the ,church among us is not of the kind which the ,mosaic law gave to the priesthood in ,israel4 ,tithes are gathered1 not from those only who are numbered within the ,church and acknowledge obligation1 but also from those outside1 and always by another authority than that of ,divine commandment4 ,in this way the whole matter of the support of religion is confused in these lands both for members of the national ,churches and for those beyond their borders4 ,successfully as the old ,hebrew scheme may once have wrought1 it is now hopelessly out of line with the development of society4 ,the census does not in any way determine what a national ,church can claim4 ,aaron does not stand beside ,moses to watch the enrolment of the tribes1 families1 and households as they come to be numbered4 ,yet1 by the highest law of all1 which neither ,church nor ,state can alter1 the demand for service is enforced4 ,there is a warlike duty from which none are exempt1 from which there is no discharge4 ,although the ideal of an organised humanity appears as yet far off in our schemes of government and social melioration1 providentially it is being carried into effect4 ,laws are at work that need no human administration4 ,by the ,divine ordinance generous effort for the common good and the ends of religion is made imperative4 ,obedience brings its reward3 ,the liberal deviseth liberal things1 and by liberal things shall he stand4 ,neglect is also punished3 the sure result of selfishness is an impoverished life4 ,the census is described as having been thoroughly organised4 ,keil and ,delitzsch think that the registering may have taken place according to the classification adopted at ,jethro's suggestion for the administration of justice--viz41 in thousands1 hundreds1 fifties1 and tens4 ,they also defend the total of six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty1 which is precisely the same as that reached apparently nine months before4 ,it is an obvious explanation of what appears a perplexing agreement1 that the enumeration may have occupied nine months4 ,but the number is certainly large1 much larger than the muster-rolls of the ,book of ,judges would lead us to expect1 if we reckon back from them4 ,nor can any explanation be given that is satisfactory in all respects4 ,we may shrink from interfering with these numerical statements carefully set down thousands of years ago4 ,yet we feel that the haze of remoteness hangs over this roll of the tribes and all after-reckonings based upon it4 ,of the twelve princes named in chap4 i4 #e-ae1 as overseers of the census1 ,nahshon1 son of ,amminadab1 of the tribe of ,judah1 has peculiar distinction4 ,his name is found in the genealogy of ,david given in the ,book of ,ruth 7chap4 iv4 #bj74 ,it also appears in the book of the generation of ,jesus ,christ 7,matt4 i47 and the roll of ,joseph's ancestry recorded by ,st4 ,luke4 ,one after another in that honourable line which gave the ,hebrews their ,psalmist and the world its ,saviour is but a name to us4 ,yet the life represented by the name ,nahshon1 spent mainly in the wilderness1 had its part in far-off results2 and so had many a life1 not even named--the hard lives of brave fathers and burdened mothers in ,israel1 who1 on the weary march through the desert1 had their sorrow and pain1 their scanty joy and hope4 ,far away is the endurance of those ,hebrew men and women1 yet it is related to our own religion1 our salvation4 ,the discipline of the wilderness made men of courage1 women great in faith4 ,beneath their feet the ,arabian sand burned1 above them the sun flamed2 they heard alarms of war1 and followed the pillar of smoke for their appointed time1 looking1 even when they knew they looked in vain1 for the land beyond of which ,jehovah had spoken4 ,unaware of their nation's destiny1 they toiled and suffered to serve a great ,divine plan which in the course of the ages came to ripeness4 ,and the thought brings help to ourselves4 ,we too have our desert journey1 our duty and hardship1 with an outlook not merely personal4 ,it is our privilege1 if we will take it so1 to aid the ,divine plan for the humanity that is to be1 the great brotherhood in which ,christ shall see of the travail of ,his soul and be satisfied4 ,like a prince of ,judah1 or a humble nameless mother in ,israel1 each may find abiding dignity of life in doing well some allotted part in the great enterprise4 ,the age of service fixed for the men of the tribes may yield suggestions for our time4 ,it is not of warlike service we have to think1 but of that which depends on spiritual influence and intellectual power4 ,and we may ask whether the limits on one side and the other have any parallel for us4 ,young men and women1 having reached the age of bodily and mental vigour1 are to hold themselves enrolled in the ranks of the army of ,god4 ,there is a time of learning and preparation1 when knowledge is to be acquired1 when the principles of life are to be grasped1 and the soul is to find its inspiration through personal faith4 ,then there should come that self-consecration by which response is made to the claim of ,god4 ,neither should that be premature1 nor should it be deferred4 ,when an aimless1 irresolute adolescence is followed by years of drifting and experimenting without clear religious purpose1 the best opportunity of life is thrown away4 ,and this far too frequently occurs among those on whom parental influence and the finest ,christian teaching have been expended4 ,the time arrives when such young men and women should begin to serve the ,church and the world2 but they are still unprepared because they have not considered the great questions of duty1 and seen that they have a part to play on the field of endeavour4 ,it is true1 no time can be fixed4 ,the public service of ,christ has been begun by some in very early youth2 and the results have justified their adventure4 ,from the humble tasks they first undertook they have gone on steadily to places of high responsibility1 never once looking back1 learning while they taught1 gaining faith while they imparted it to others4 ,each for himself or herself1 in this matter of supreme importance1 must seek the guidance and realise the vocation of ,god4 ,but delay is often indulged1 and the twentieth1 even the thirtieth year1 passes without a single effort in the holy service4 ,one could wish for a ,divine conscription1 a command laid on every one in youth to be ready at a certain day and hour to take the sword of the ,spirit4 ,on the other side also many need to reconsider4 ,no time was fixed for the end of the services to which the ,israelites were summoned4 ,as long as a man could carry arms he was to hold himself ready for the field4 ,not the increasing cares of his family1 not the disinclination which comes with years1 was to weigh against the ordinance of ,jehovah4 ,but service now1 however cheerfully it may be rendered in early manhood and womanhood1 is often renounced altogether when knowledge and power are coming to ripeness with the experience of life4 ,doubtless there are many excuses to be made for heads of households who are leaving their young folk to represent them in religion1 and pretty much in everything outside the mere maintaining of existence or the enjoyment of it4 ,the demands of public service all round are sometimes quite out of proportion to the available time and strength4 ,yet the ,christian duty never lapses2 and it is a great evil when the balance is wanting between old and young1 tried and untried4 #b4 ,,the ,,tribe ,,of ,,levi ,,numbers i4 #dg-ed ,the tribe of ,levi is not numbered with the rest4 ,no warlike service1 no half-shekel for the sanctuary1 is to be exacted from the ,levite4 ,his contribution to the general good is to be of another kind4 ,pitching their tents about the tabernacle1 the men of this tribe are to guard the sanctuary from careless or rude intrusion1 and minister unto it1 taking charge of its parts and furniture1 dismantling it when it is to be removed1 setting it up again when another stage of the march is over4 ,in this order it is implied that1 although according to the ideal of the ,mosaic law ,israel was to be a holy nation1 yet the reality fell very far short of it4 ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto all the congregation of the children of ,israel1 and say unto them1 ,ye shall be holy3 for ,i the ,lord your ,god am holy 7,lev4 xix4 #a1 #b74 ,again and again this command of consecration is given4 ,but neither in the wilderness1 nor throughout the pre-exilic history1 nor after the ,babylonian affliction had purged the nation of idolatry1 was ,israel so holy that access to the sanctuary could be allowed to the men of the tribes4 ,rather1 as time went by1 did the need for special consecration of those about the temple become more evident4 ,although by statute the tribe of ,levi was well provided for1 it cannot be said that the life of the ,levite was at any time enviable from a worldly point of view2 at the best it was a kind of honourable poverty4 ,something else than mere priest-craft upheld the system which separated the whole tribe2 something else made the ,levites content with their position4 ,there was a real and imperative sense of need to guard the sanctities of religion1 a jealousy for the honour of ,god1 which1 originating with ,moses and the priesthood1 was felt throughout the whole nation4 ,as we have seen1 the scheme of ,israel's religion required this array of servants of the sanctuary4 ,under ,christianity the ideal of the life of faith and the manner of worship are entirely different4 ,a way into the holy place of the ,divine presence is now open to every believer1 and each may have boldness to enter it4 ,but even under ,christianity there is a general failure from holiness1 from the spiritual worship of ,god4 ,and as among the ,hebrews1 so among ,christians1 the need for a body of guardians of sacred truth and pure religion has been widely acknowledged4 ,throughout the ,church generally down to the ,reformation1 and still in countries like ,russia and ,spain1 we may even say in ,england1 the condition of things is like that in ,israel4 ,a people conscious of ignorance and secularity1 feeling nevertheless the need of religion1 willingly supports the priests1 sometimes a great army1 who conduct the worship of ,god4 ,there is nothing to wonder at here1 in a sense2 much1 indeed1 for which to be thankful4 ,yet the system is not the ,new ,testament one2 and those who endeavour to realise the ideal are not to be branded and scorned as schismatics4 ,they should be honoured for their noble effort to reach and use the holy consecration of the ,christian4 #c4 ,,the ,,camp ,,numbers ii ,the second chapter is devoted to the arrangement of the camp and the position of the various tribes on the march4 ,the front is eastward1 and ,judah has the post of honour in the van2 at its head ,nahshon son of ,amminadab4 ,issachar and ,zebulun1 closely associated with ,judah in the genealogy as descended from ,leah1 are the others in front of the tabernacle4 ,the right wing1 to the south of the tabernacle1 is composed of ,reuben1 ,simeon1 and ,gad1 again connected by the hereditary tie1 ,gad by descent from the handmaid of ,leah4 ,the seniority of ,reuben is apparently acknowledged by the position of the tribe at the head of the right wing1 which would sustain the first attack of the desert clans2 for dignity and onerous duty go together4 ,the rear is formed by ,ephraim1 ,manasseh1 and ,benjamin1 connected with one another by descent from ,rachel4 ,northward1 on the left of the advance1 ,dan1 ,asher1 and ,naphtali have their position4 ,standards of divisions and ensigns of families are not forgotten in the description of the camp2 and ,jewish tradition has ventured to state what some of these were4 ,judah is said to have been a lion 7compare the lion that is of the tribe of ,judah1 ,rev4 v4 #e72 ,reuben1 the image of a human head2 ,ephraim1 an ox2 and ,dan an eagle4 ,if this tradition is accepted1 it will connect the four main ensigns of ,israel with the vision of ,ezekiel in which the same four figures were united in each of the four living creatures that issued from the fiery cloud4 ,the picture of the great organised camp and orderly march of ,israel is interesting2 but it presents a contrast to the disorganised1 disorderly condition of human society in every land and every age4 ,while it may be said that there are nations leagued in creed1 allied by descent1 which form the van2 that others1 similarly connected more or less1 constitute the right and left wings of the advancing host2 and the rest1 straggling far behind1 bring up the rear--this is but a very imaginative representation of the fact4 ,no people advances as with one mind and one heart2 no group of nations can be said to have a single standard4 ,time and destiny urge on the host1 and all is to be won by steady resolute endeavour4 ,yet some are encamped1 while others are moving about restlessly or engaged in petty conflicts that have nothing to do with moral gain4 ,there should be unity2 but one division is embroiled with another1 tribe crosses swords with tribe4 ,the truth is that as ,israel came far short of real spiritual organisation and due disposition of its forces to serve a common end1 so it is still with the human race4 ,nor do the schemes that are occasionally tried to some extent promise a remedy for our disorder4 ,for the symbol of our most holy faith is not set in the midst by most of those who aim at social organisation1 nor do they dream of seeking a better country1 that is1 a heavenly4 ,the description of the camp of ,israel has something to teach us still4 ,without the ,divine law there is no progress1 without a ,divine rallying-point there is no unity4 ,faith must control1 the standard of ,christianity must show the way2 otherwise the nations will only wander aimlessly1 and fight and die in the desert4 ,,iii ,,priests ,,and ,,levites #a4 ,,the ,,priesthood ,,numbers iii4 #a-aj ,in the opening verse of this chapter1 which relates to the designation of the priesthood1 ,moses is named1 for once1 after his brother4 ,according to the genealogy of ,exod4 vi41 ,aaron was the elder2 and this may have led to the selection of his as the priestly house--which again would give him priority in a passage relating to the hierarchy4 ,if ,moses had chosen1 his undoubted claims would have secured the priestly office for his family4 ,but he did not desire this2 and indeed the duties of administrative head of the people were sufficiently heavy4 ,aaron was apparently fitted for the sacerdotal office1 and without peculiar qualifications for any other4 ,he seems to have had no originating power1 but to have been ready to fall in with and direct the routine of ceremonial worship4 ,and we may assume that ,moses knew the surviving sons of ,aaron to be of the stamp of their father1 likely to inaugurate a race of steady1 devoted servants of the altar4 ,yet all ,aaron's sons had not been of this quiet disposition4 ,nadab and ,abihu1 the two eldest1 had sinned presumptuously1 and brought on themselves the doom of death4 ,no fewer than five times is their fall referred to in the books of ,leviticus and ,numbers4 ,whatever that strange fire was which they put in their censers and used before the ,lord1 the judgment that befell them was signal and impressive4 ,and here reference is made to the fact that they died without issue1 as if to mark the barrenness of the sacrilegious4 ,did it not appear that inherent disqualification for the priesthood1 the moral blindness or self-will which was shown in their presumptuous act1 had been foreseen by ,god1 who wrote them childless in ,his book8 ,this race must not be continued4 ,israel must not begin with priests who desecrate the altar4 ,whether the death of those two sons of ,aaron came by an unexpected stroke1 or was a doom inflicted after judgment in which their father had to acquiesce1 the terrible event left a most effectual warning4 ,the order appointed for the incense offering1 and all other sacred duties1 would thenceforth be rigidly observed4 ,and the incident--revived continually for the priests when they studied the ,law--must have had especial significance through their knowledge of the use and meaning of fire in idolatrous worship4 ,the temptation was often felt1 against which the fate of ,nadab and ,abihu set every priest on his guard1 to mingle the supposed virtue of other religious symbols with the sanctities of ,jehovah4 ,who can doubt that priests of ,israel1 secretly tempted by the rites of sun-worship1 might have gone the length of carrying the fire of ,baal into ,jehovah's temple1 if the memory of this doom had not held back the hand8 ,here also the degradation of the burnt offering by taking flame from a common fire was by implication forbidden4 ,the source of that which is the symbol of ,divine purity must be sacredly pure4 ,those who minister in holy things have still a corresponding danger1 and may find here a needed warning4 ,the fervour shown in sacred worship and work must have an origin that is purely religious4 ,he who pleads earnestly with ,god on behalf of men1 or rises to impassioned appeal in beseeching men to repent1 appearing as an ambassador of ,christ urged by the love of souls1 has to do not with symbols1 but with truths1 ideas1 ,divine mysteries infinitely more sacred than the incense and fire of ,old ,testament worship4 ,for the ,hebrew priest outward and formal consecration sufficed4 ,for the minister of the ,new ,testament1 the purity must be of the heart and soul4 ,yet it is possible for the heat of alien zeal1 of mere self-love or official ambition1 to be carried into duties the most solemn that fall to the lot of man2 and if it is not in the ,spirit of ,god a preacher speaks or offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving1 if some other inspiration makes him eloquent and gives his voice its tremulous notes1 sin like that of ,nadab and ,abihu is committed1 or rather a sin greater than theirs4 ,with profound sorrow it must be confessed that the strange fire from idolatrous altars too often desecrates the service of ,god4 ,excitement is sought by those who minister in order that the temperament may be raised to the degree necessary for free and ardent speech2 and it is not always of a purely religious kind4 ,those who hear may for a time be deceived by the pretence of unction1 by dramatic tones1 by alien fire4 ,but the difference is felt when it cannot be defined2 and on the spiritual life of the ministrant the effect is simply fatal4 ,the surviving sons of ,aaron1 ,eleazar and ,ithamar1 were anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office4 ,the form of designation is indicated by the expression1 whose hand he filled to exercise priesthood4 ,this has been explained as referring to a portion of the ceremony described in ,lev4 viii4 #bf f4 ,and out of the basket of unleavened bread1 that was before the ,lord1 he took one unleavened cake1 and one cake of oiled bread1 and one wafer1 and placed them on the fat1 and upon the right thigh3 and he put the whole upon the hands of ,aaron1 and upon the hands of his sons1 and waved them for a wave offering before the ,lord4 ,the explanation is scarcely satisfactory4 ,in the long ceremony of consecration this incident was not the only one to which the expression filling the hand was applied2 and something simpler must be found as the source of an idiomatic phrase4 ,to fill the hand would naturally mean to pay or hire1 and we seem to be pointed to the time when for the patriarchal priesthood there was substituted one that was official1 supported by the community4 ,in ,exod4 xxviii4 #da and in ,lev4 viii4 #cc1 the expression in question is used in a general sense incompatible with its reference to any particular portion of the ceremony of consecration4 ,it is also used in ,judges xvii41 where to all appearance the consecration of ,micah's ,levite implied little else than the first payment on account of a stipulated hire4 ,the phrase1 then1 appears to be a mark of history1 and carries the mind back to the simple origin of the priestly office4 ,eleazar and ,ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of ,aaron their father4 ,so far as the narrative of the ,pentateuch gives information1 there were originally1 and during the whole of the wilderness journey1 no other priests than ,aaron and his sons4 ,nadab and ,abihu having died1 there remained but the two besides their father4 ,phinehas the son of ,eleazar appears in the history1 but is not called a priest1 nor has he any priestly functions4 ,what he does is indeed quite apart from the holy office4 ,and this early restriction of the number is not only in favour of the ,pentateuchal history1 but partly explains the fact that in ,deuteronomy the priests and ,levites are apparently identified4 ,taking at their very heaviest the duties specially laid on the priests1 much must have fallen to the share of their assistants1 who had their own consecration as ministers of the sanctuary4 ,it is certain that members of the ,levitical families were in course of time admitted to the full status of priests4 ,the direction is given in ver4 #aj1 ,thou shalt appoint ,aaron and his sons1 and they shall keep their priesthood2 and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death4 ,this is rigorously exclusive1 and seems to contrast with the statements of ,deuteronomy1 ,at that time the ,lord separated the tribe of ,levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the ,lord1 to stand before the ,lord to minister unto ,him and to bless in ,his name unto this day 7x4 #h72 and again1 ,the priests the ,levites1 even all the tribe of ,levi1 shall have no portion nor inheritance with ,israel2 they shall eat the offerings of the ,lord made by fire1 and ,his inheritance 7xviii4 #a72 and once more1 ,moses wrote the law and delivered it unto the priests1 the sons of ,levi1 which bore the ark of the covenant of the ,lord1 and unto all the elders of ,israel 7xxxi4 #i74 ,throughout ,deuteronomy the priests are never called sons of ,aaron1 nor is ,aaron called a priest4 ,whether the cause of this apparent discrepancy is that ,deuteronomy regarded the arrangements for the priestly service in a different light1 or that the distinction of priests from ,levites fell into abeyance and was afterwards revived1 the variation cannot be ignored4 ,in the book of ,joshua the children of ,aaron the priest appear on a few occasions1 and certain of the duties of high priest are ascribed to ,eleazar4 ,yet even in ,joshua the importance attached to the ,aaronic house is far less than in ,exodus1 ,leviticus1 and ,numbers2 and the expression the priests the ,levites occurs twice4 ,if we regard the origin of the ,aaronic priesthood as belonging to the ,mosaic period1 then the wars and disturbances of the settlement in ,canaan must have entirely disorganised the system originally instituted4 ,in the days of the judges there seems to have been no orderly observance of those laws which gave the priesthood importance4 ,scattered ,levites had to do as they best could what was possible in the way of sacrifice and purification4 ,and this confusion may have begun in the plain of ,moab4 ,the death of ,aaron1 the personal insignificance of his sons1 and still more the death of ,moses himself1 would place the administration of religious as well as secular affairs on an entirely different footing4 ,memoranda preserved in ,leviticus and ,numbers may therefore be more ancient than those of ,deuteronomy2 and ,deuteronomy1 describing the state of things before the passage of ,jordan1 may in regard to the priesthood reflect the conditions of a new development1 the course of which did not blend with the original design till after the captivity4 ,the tribe of ,levi is1 according to ver4 #f ff41 appointed to minister to ,aaron1 and to keep his charge and that of the congregation before the tent of meeting1 to do the service of the tabernacle4 ,for all the necessary work connected with the sanctuary the ,levites are wholly given unto ,aaron on behalf of the children of ,israel4 ,it was of course in accordance with the patriarchal idea that each clan should have a hereditary chief4 ,here1 however1 an arbitrary rule breaks in4 ,for ,aaron was not by primogeniture head of the tribe of ,levi4 ,he belonged to a younger family of the tribe4 ,the arrangements made by ,moses as the representative of ,god superseded the succession by birthright4 ,and this is by no means the only case in which a law usually adhered to was broken through4 ,according to the history the high-priesthood did not invariably follow the line of ,eleazar4 ,at a certain point a descendant of ,ithamar was for some reason raised to the dignity4 ,samuel1 too1 became virtually a priest1 and rose higher than any high-priest before the captivity1 although he was not even of the tribe of ,levi4 ,the law of spiritual endowment in his case set the other aside4 ,and is it not often so8 ,the course of providence brings forward the man who can guide affairs4 ,while his work lasts he is practically supreme4 ,it is useless to question or rebel4 ,neither in religion nor in government can the appeal to ,divine right or to constitutional order alter the fact4 ,korah need not revolt against ,moses2 nor may ,aaron imagine that he can push himself into the front4 ,and ,aaron1 as head of the tribe of ,levi1 and of the religious administration1 is safe in his own position so long only as his office is well served4 ,it is to responsibility he is called1 rather than to honour4 ,let him do his duty1 otherwise he will surely become merely a name or a figure4 #b4 ,,the ,,first-,,born ,,numbers iii4 #aa-ac1 #dj-ea ,these two passages supplement each other and may be taken together4 ,jehovah claims the first-born in ,israel4 ,he hallowed them unto ,himself on the day when ,he smote all the first-born in the land of ,egypt4 ,they are now numbered from a month old and upward4 ,but instead of their being appointed personally to holy service1 the ,levites are substituted for them4 ,the whole account supplies a scheme of the origin of the sacerdotal tribe4 ,it has been questioned whether the number of the first-born1 which is #bb1bgc1 can in any way be made to agree with the total number of the male ,israelites1 previously stated at #fjc1eej4 ,wellhausen is specially contemptuous of a tradition or calculation which1 he says1 would give an average of forty children to each woman4 ,but the difficulty partly yields if it is kept in view that the ,levites were separated for the service of the sanctuary4 ,naturally it would be the heir-apparent alone of each family group whose liability to this kind of duty fell to be considered4 ,the head of a household was1 according to the ancient reckoning1 its priest4 ,in ,abraham's family no one counted as a first-born but ,isaac4 ,now that a generation of ,israelites is growing up sanctified by the covenant1 it appears fit that the presumptive priest should either be devoted to sacerdotal duty1 or relieved of it by a ,levite as his substitute4 ,suppose each family had five tents1 and suppose further that the children born before the exodus are not reckoned1 the number will not be found at all disproportionate4 ,the absolute number remains a difficulty4 ,dr4 ,robertson ,smith argues from his own premises about the sanctity of the first-born4 ,he repudiates the notion that at one time the ,hebrews actually sacrificed all their first-born sons2 yet he affirms that there must have been some point of attachment in ancient custom for the belief that the ,deity asked for such a sacrifice4#a ,i apprehend1 he proceeds1 that all the prerogatives of the first-born among ,semitic peoples are originally prerogatives of sanctity2 the sacred blood of the kin flows purest and strongest in him 7,gen4 xlix4 #c74 ,neither in the case of children nor in that of cattle did the congenital holiness of the first-born originally imply that they must be sacrificed or given to the ,deity on the altar1 but only that if sacrifice was to be made1 they were the best and fittest because the holiest victims4 ,the passage in ,numbers may be confidently declared to be far from any such conception4 ,the special fitness for sacrifice of the first-born of an animal is assumed3 the fitness of the heir of a family1 again1 is plainly not to become a sacrifice1 but to offer sacrifice4 ,the first-born of the ,egyptians died4 ,but it is the life1 the holy activity of ,his own people1 not their death1 ,god desires4 ,and this holy activity1 rising to its highest function in the first-born1 is according to our passage laid on the ,levites to a certain extent4 ,not entirely indeed4 ,the whole congregation is still consecrated and must be holy4 ,all are bound by the covenant4 ,the head of each family group will still have to officiate as a priest in celebrating the passover4 ,certain duties1 however1 are transferred for the better protection of the sanctities of worship4 ,the first-born are found to exceed the number of the ,levites by two hundred and seventy-three2 and for their redemption ,moses takes five shekels apiece by the poll2 after the shekel of the sanctuary4 ,the money thus collected is given unto ,aaron and his sons4 ,the method of redemption here presented1 purely arbitrary in respect of the sum appointed for the ransom of each life1 is fitly contrasted by the ,apostle ,peter with that of the ,christian dispensation4 ,he adopts the word redeem1 taking it over from the old economy1 but says1 ,ye were redeemed not with corruptible things1 with silver or gold1 from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers4 ,and the difference is not only that the ,christian is redeemed with the precious blood of ,christ1 but this also1 that1 while the first-born ,israelite was relieved of certain parts of the holy service which might have been claimed of him by ,jehovah1 it is for sacred service1 to be a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices1 ,christians are redeemed4 ,in the one case exemption1 in the other case consecration is the end4 ,the difference is indeed great1 and shows how much the two covenants are in contrast with each other4 ,it is not to enable us to escape any of the duties or obligations of life ,christ has given ,himself for us4 ,it is to make us fit for those duties1 to bring us fully under those obligations1 to purify us that we may serve ,god with our bodies and spirits which are ,his4 ,a passage in ,exodus 7xiii4 #aa f47 must not be overlooked in connection with that presently under consideration4 ,the enactment there is to the effect that when ,israel is brought into the land of the ,canaanites every first-born of beasts shall be set apart unto the ,lord1 the firstling of an ass shall be redeemed with a lamb or killed1 and all first-born children shall be redeemed4 ,here the singular point is that the law is deferred1 and does not come into operation till the settlement in ,canaan4 ,either this was set aside for the provisions made in ,numbers1 or these are to be interpreted by it4 ,the difficulties of the former view are greatly increased by the mention of the shekel of the sanctuary1 which seems to imply a settled medium of exchange1 hardly possible in the wilderness4 ,in ,numb4 viii4 #ah1 #ai1 the subject of redemption is again touched1 and the additions are significant4 ,now the service of the ,levites in the tent of meeting is by way of atonement for the children of ,israel1 that there be no plague among the children of ,israel when the children of ,israel come nigh unto the sanctuary4 ,atonement is not with blood in this case1 but by the service of the living substitute4 ,while the general scope of the ,mosaic law requires the shedding of blood in order that the claim of ,god may be met1 this exception must not be forgotten4 ,and in a sense it is the chief instance of atonement1 far transcending in expressiveness those in which animals were slaughtered for propitiation4 ,the whole congregation1 threatened with plagues and disasters in approaching ,god1 has protection through the holy service of the ,levitical tribe4 ,here is substitution of a kind which makes a striking point in the symbolism of the ,old ,testament in its relation to the ,new4 ,the principle may be seen in patriarchal history4 ,the ten in ,sodom1 if ten righteous men could have been found1 would have saved it1 would have been its atonement in a sense1 not by their death on its behalf but by their life4 ,and ,moses himself1 standing alone between ,god and ,israel1 prevails by his pleading and saves the nation from its doom4 ,so our ,lord says of ,his disciples1 ,ye are the salt of the earth4 ,their holy devotion preserves the mass from moral corruption and spiritual death4 ,again1 for the elect's sake1 the days of tribulation shall be shortened 7,matt4 xxiv4 #bb74 ,the ceremonies appointed for the cleansing and consecration of the ,levites1 described in viii4 #e-bf1 may be noticed here4 ,they differed considerably from those enjoined for the consecration of priests4 ,neither were the ,levites anointed with sacred oil1 for instance1 nor were they sprinkled with the blood of sacrifices2 nor1 again1 do they seem to have worn any special dress1 even in the tabernacle court4 ,there was1 however1 an impressive ritual which would produce in their minds a consciousness of separation and devotion to ,god4 ,the water of expiation1 literally of sin1 was first to be sprinkled upon them1 a baptism not signifying anything like regeneration1 but having reference to possible defilements of the flesh4 ,a razor was then to be made to pass over the whole body1 and the clothes were to be washed1 also to remove actual as well as legal impurity4 ,this cleansing completed1 the sacrifices followed4 ,one bullock for a burnt offering1 with its accompanying meal offering1 and one for a sin offering were provided4 ,the people being assembled towards the door of the tent of meeting1 the ,levites were placed in front of them to be presented to ,jehovah4 ,the princes probably laid their hands on the ,levites1 so declaring them the representatives of all for their special office4 ,then ,aaron had to offer the sacrifices for the ,levites1 and the ,levites themselves as living sacrifices to ,jehovah4 ,the ,levites laid their hands on the bullocks1 making them their substitutes for the symbolic purpose4 ,aaron and his sons slew the animals and offered them in the appointed way1 burning the one bullock upon the altar1 around which its blood had been sprinkled1 of the other burning only certain portions called the fat4 ,then the ceremony of waving was performed1 or what was possible in the circumstances1 each ,levite being passed through the hands of ,aaron or one of his sons4 ,so set apart1 they were1 according to viii4 #bd1 required to wait upon the work of the tent of meeting1 each from his twenty-fifth to his fiftieth year4 ,the service had been previously ordered to begin at the thirtieth year 7iv4 #c74 ,afterwards the time of ministry was still further extended 7#a ,chron4 xxiii4 #bd-bg74 ,such is the account of the symbolic cleansing and the representative ministry of the ,levites2 and we see both a parallel and a contrast to what is demanded now for the ,christian life of obedience and devotion to ,god4 ,purification there must be from all defilement of flesh and spirit4 ,with the change which takes place when by repentance and faith in ,christ we enter into the free service of ,god there must be a definite and earnest purging of the whole nature4 ,as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity1 even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification 7,rom4 vi4 #ai74 ,mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth2 fornication1 uncleanness1 passion1 evil desire1 and covetousness1 the which is idolatry1 444 put ye also away all these3 anger1 wrath1 malice1 railing1 shameful speaking out of your mouth3 lie not one to another2 seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings1 and have put on the new man 7,col4 iii4 #e1 #h1 #i74 ,thus the purity of heart and soul so imperfectly represented by the cleansings of the ,levites is set forth as the indispensable preparation of the ,christian4 ,and the contrast lies in this1 that the purification required by the ,new ,testament law is for all1 and is the same for each4 ,whether one is to serve in the ministry of the ,gospel or sweep a room as for ,god's cause1 the same profound purity is needful4 ,all in the ,kingdom of ,god are to be holy1 for ,he is holy4 #c4 ,,levitical ,,service ,,numbers iii4 #ad-ci2 iv ,the sacred service of the ,levites is described in detail4 ,there are three divisions1 the ,gershonites1 the ,kohathites1 the ,merarites4 ,the ,gershonites1 from a month old and upward1 number #g1ejj2 the ,kohathites1 #h1fjj2 the ,merarites1 #f1bjj4 ,eleazar1 son of ,aaron1 is prince of the princes of the ,levites4 ,the office of the ,kohathites is of peculiar sanctity1 next to that of ,aaron and his sons4 ,they are not cut off or specially separated from among the ,levites 7iv4 #ah72 but they have duties that require great care1 and they must not venture to approach the most holy things till preparation has been made by the priests4 ,the manner of that preparation is fully described4 ,when order has been given for the setting forward of the camp1 ,aaron and his sons cover the ark of the covenant first with the veil of the screen1 then with a covering of sealskin1 and lastly with a cloth of blue2 they also insert in the rings the long staves with which the ark is to be carried4 ,next the table of shewbread is covered with a blue cloth2 the dishes1 spoons1 bowls1 and cups are placed on the top1 over them a scarlet cloth1 and above that a sealskin covering2 the staves of the table are also placed in readiness4 ,the candlestick and its lamps and other appurtenances are wrapped up in like manner and put on a frame4 ,then the golden altar by itself1 and the vessels used in the service of the sanctuary by themselves are covered with blue cloth and sealskin and made ready for carriage4 ,finally1 the great altar is cleansed of ashes1 covered up with purple cloth and sealskin1 and its staves set in their rings4 ,when all this is done the sons of ,kohath may advance to bear the holy things1 never touching them lest they die4 ,the question arises1 why so great care is considered necessary that none but the priests should handle the furniture of the sanctuary4 ,we have learned to think that a real religion should avoid secrecy1 that everything connected with it should be done in the open light of day4 ,why1 then1 is the shrine of ,jehovah guarded with such elaborate precaution8 ,and the answer is that the idea of mystery appears here as absolutely needful1 in order to maintain the solemn feelings of the people and their sense of the holiness of ,god4 ,not only because the ,israelites were rude and earthly1 but also because the whole system was symbolic1 the holy things were kept from common sight4 ,in this respect the worship described in these books of ,moses resembled that of other nations of antiquity4 ,the ,egyptian temple had its innermost shrine where the arks of the gods were placed2 and into that most holy place with its silver soil the priests alone went4 ,but even ,egyptian worship1 with all its mystery1 did not always conceal the arks and statues of the gods4 ,when those gods were believed to be favourable1 the arks were carried in procession1 the images so far unveiled that they could be seen by the people4 ,it was entirely different in the case of the sacred symbols and instruments of ,hebrew worship1 according to the ideal of the law4 ,and the elaborate precautions are to be regarded as indicating the highest tide-mark of symbolised sanctity4 ,jehovah was not like ,egyptian or ,assyrian or ,phnician gods4 ,these might be represented by statues which the people could see4 ,but everything used in ,his worship must be kept apart4 ,the worship must be of faith2 and the ark which was the great symbol must remain always invisible4 ,the effect of this on the popular mind was complex1 varying with the changing circumstances of the nation2 and to trace it would be an interesting piece of study4 ,it may be remembered that in the time of most ardent ,judaism the want of the ark made no difference to the veneration in which the temple was held and the intense devotion of the people to their religion4 ,the ark was used as a talisman in ,eli's time2 in the temple erected after the captivity there was no ark2 its place in the holy of holies was occupied by a stone4 ,the ,gershonites had as their charge the screens and curtains of the tabernacle1 or most holy place1 and the tent of meeting or holy place1 also the curtains of the court of the tabernacle4 ,the boards1 bars1 pillars1 and sockets of the tabernacle and of the court were to be entrusted to the ,merarites4 ,in the whole careful ordering of the duties to be discharged by these ,levites we see a figure of the service to be rendered to ,god and men in one aspect of it4 ,organisation1 attention to details1 and subordination of those who carry out schemes to the appointed officials1 and of all1 both inferior and superior1 to law--these ideas are here fully represented4 ,assuming the incapacity of many for spontaneous effort1 the principle that ,god is not a ,god of confusion but of order in the churches of the saints may be held to point to subordination of a similar kind even under ,christianity4 ,but the idea carried to its full limit1 implies an inequality between men which the free spirit of ,christianity will not admit4 ,it is an honour for men to be connected with any spiritual enterprise1 even as bearers of burdens4 ,those who take such a place may be spiritual men1 thoughtful men1 as intelligent and earnest as their official superiors4 ,but the ,levites1 according to the law1 were to be bearers of burdens1 menials of the sanctuary from generation to generation4 ,here the parallel absolutely fails4 ,no ,christian1 however cordially he may fill such a place for a time1 is bound to it in perpetuity4 ,his way is open to the highest duties and honours of a redeemed son of ,god4 ,in a sense ,judaism even did not prevent the spiritual advancement of any ,levite1 or any man4 ,the priesthood was practically closed1 but the office of the prophet1 really higher than that of the priest1 was not4 ,from the routine work of the priesthood men like ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel were called by the ,spirit of ,god to speak in the name of the ,highest4 ,the word of the ,lord was put into their mouths4 ,elijah1 who was apparently of the tribe of ,manasseh1 ,amos and ,daniel1 who belonged to ,judah1 became prophets4 ,the open door for the men of the tribes was into this calling4 ,neither in ,israel nor in ,christendom is priesthood the highest religious function4 ,the great servants of ,god might well refuse it or throw aside its shackles4 ,,footnote3 #a ,religion of the ,semites1 p4 #dde4 ,,iv ,,defilement ,,and ,,purgation ,,numbers v ,the separation of ,israel as a people belonging to ,jehovah proceeded on ideas of holiness which excluded from privilege many of the ,hebrews themselves4 ,the law did not ordain that in cases of defilement there might be immediate purification by washing or sacrifice4 ,so far as ceremonial uncleanness was concerned1 we may think this might have been provided for1 and moral offences alone might have involved the offender in continued defilement4 ,but just as idolatry1 blasphemy1 and murder caused pollution which could not be removed by sacrifice1 but only by the capital punishment of the guilty1 so certain bodily conditions and defects1 and certain diseases1 chiefly leprosy and those akin to it1 were held to cause a defilement which could not be purged by any ceremony4 ,a high standard of bodily health and purity was required for the priesthood2 a lower standard was to be applied to the people4 ,and the system declaring the uncleanness of many animals1 and of the person under various conditions1 touched at countless points the life of society4 ,an ,israelite who was unclean for one or other of a hundred reasons could not approach the sanctuary4 ,he had his portion in ,god after a sense2 yet for a time1 it might be for life1 the peculiar blessings of holy fellowship were denied him4 ,he could celebrate no feast4 ,he had no share in the great atonement4 ,the precautions and terms to be observed were of such a nature that if the law had been at any time stringently enforced a very large percentage of the people would have been denied access to the altar4 ,it may appear a strange thing that the precept1 ,ye shall be holy2 for ,i am holy1 was affixed not only to moral duties but with almost the same force to ceremonial duties4 ,we can understand this1 however1 when we trace the result of the priestly ordinances4 ,they created religious care and feeling2 and the end was gained not so much by directing attention1 as we now do1 to faults of conduct1 defects of will1 sins of injustice1 impurity1 intemperance1 and the like1 but by keeping up a scrupulous attention to matters not1 properly speaking1 either moral or immoral1 not ethical as we say1 which were yet declared to be of moment in religion4 ,the moral law did its part4 ,but to make the enforcement of moral statutes1 many of which bore on desire and will1 the only means of urging the fear of ,god1 would have resulted practically in a very bare and desultory cultus4 ,among a comparatively rude people like the ,israelites it would have been absurd to institute a religion consisting of morality touched by emotion4 ,for the mass of people still it is equally hopeless4 ,there must be ordinances of prayer1 praise1 sacrament1 and the duties which reach ,godward through the ,church4 ,the value of the whole ceremonial system of the ,mosaic law is clear from this point of view2 and we need not wonder in the least at the nature of many provisions which1 without grasp of the principle1 we might reckon irksome and useless4 ,the origin of some of the statutes is apparently hygienic2 others again reach back to customs and beliefs of a very primitive world4 ,but they are made part of the sacred law in order to enforce the conviction that the judgment of ,god enters into the whole of life1 follows men wherever they go1 decides as to their state with relation to ,him hour by hour1 almost moment by moment4 ,the ceremonial law was a constant and strenuous lesson in regard to the omnipresence of ,god1 and the oversight of human affairs by ,him4 ,it created a conscience of ,god's existence1 ,his control1 ,his superintendence of each life4 ,and for a certain stage of the education of ,israel this could be achieved in no other way4 ,the moral and spiritual progress of a people1 depending on the recognition of the authority of ,one who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity1 depends also1 of necessity1 on the sense of ,his oversight of human life at every point4 #a4 ,,exclusion ,,from ,,the ,,camp ,,numbers v4 #a-d ,the rigidness of the law which excluded lepers from the camp and afterwards from the cities had its necessity in the presumed nature of their disease4 ,leprosy was regarded as contagious1 and practically incurable by any medical appliances1 requiring to be kept in check by strenuous measures4 ,care for the general health meant hardship to the lepers2 but this could not be avoided4 ,from friends and home they were sent forth to live together as best they might1 and spend what remained of life in almost hopeless separation4 ,the authority of ,moses is attached to the statute of exclusion1 and there can be no doubt of its great antiquity4 ,in ,leviticus there are detailed enactments regarding the disease1 some of which contemplate its decay and provide for the restoration to privilege of those who had been cured4 ,the ceremonies were complicated1 and among them were sacrifices to be offered by way of atonement4 ,the leper was alienated from ,god1 severed from the congregation as one guilty in the eye of the law 7,lev4 xiv4 #ab72 and there can be no wonder that with this among other facts before him the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews speaks of the law as having a mere shadow of the good things to come4 ,and yet1 in view of the malignant nature of the disease and the peril it caused to the general health1 we must admit the wisdom of segregating those afflicted with leprosy4 ,that ,israel might be a robust people capable of its destiny1 a rule like this was needful4 ,it anticipated our modern laws made in harmony with advanced medical science1 which require segregation or isolation in cases of virulent disease4 ,it has been affirmed that leprosy was from the first regarded as symbolic of moral disease1 and that the legislation was from this point of view4 ,there is1 however1 no evidence to support the theory4 ,indeed the conception of moral evil would have been confused rather than helped by any such idea4 ,for although evil habits taint the mind and vice ruins it as leprosy taints and destroys the body2 although the infectious nature of sin is fitly indicated by the insidious spread of this disease--one point in which there is no resemblance would make the symbol dangerously misleading4 ,a few here and there were attacked by leprosy1 and these with their blotched disfigured bodies were easily distinguished from the healthy4 ,but this was in contrast with the secret moral malady by which all were tainted4 ,the teaching that leprosy is a type of sin would make1 not for morality1 but for hypocrisy4 ,the symptoms of a bad nature1 like the signs of leprosy1 would be looked for and found by every man in his neighbour1 not in his own heart4 ,the hypocrite would be encouraged in his self-satisfaction because he escaped the judgment of his fellow men4 ,but the disease of sin is endemic1 universal4 ,the whole congregation was by reason of that excluded from the sanctuary of ,god4 ,according to the idea which underlies the priest law1 leprosy did not typify sin2 it meant sin4 ,in no single place1 indeed1 is this directly affirmed4 ,yet the belief connecting bodily afflictions and calamities with transgressions implied it1 and the fact that guilt offerings had to be made for the leper when he was cleansed4 ,again1 in the cases of ,miriam1 of ,gehazi1 and of ,uzziah1 the punishment of sin was leprosy4 ,under the conditions of climate which often prevailed1 the germs of this disease might rapidly be developed by excitement1 especially by the excitement of immoral rashness4 ,here we may find the connection which the law assumes between leprosy and guilt1 and the origin of the statute which made the intervention of the priests necessary4 ,in their poor dwellings beyond camp and city wall the lepers lay under a double reproach4 ,they were not only tainted in body but appeared as sinners above others1 men on whom some divine judgment had fallen1 as the very name of their disease implied4 ,and not till ,one came who did not fear to lay ,his hand on the leprous flesh1 whose touch brought healing and life1 was the pressure of the moral condemnation taken away4 ,of many cases of leprosy ,he would have said1 as of the blindness ,he cured3 ,neither did this man sin1 nor his parents4 ,now is the law to be charged with creating a class of social pariahs8 ,is there any reason for saying that in some way the legislation should have expressed pity rather than the rigour which appears in the passage before us and other enactments regarding leprosy8 ,it would be easy to bring arguments which would seem to prove the law defective here4 ,but in matters of this kind civilization and ,christian culture could not be forestalled4 ,what was possible1 what in the conditions that existed could be carried into effect1 this only was commanded4 ,these old enactments sprang out of the best wisdom and religion of the age4 ,but they do not represent the whole of the ,divine will1 the ,divine mercy1 even as they were contemporaneously revealed4 ,add to the statutes regarding leprosy the other1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself1 and those that enjoined kindness to the poor and provision for their needs1 and the true tenor of the legislation will be understood4 ,according to these laws there were to be no pariahs in ,israel4 ,it was a sad necessity if any were excluded from the congregation of ,god's people4 ,the laws of brotherhood would insure for the wretched colony outside the camp every possible consideration4 ,denied access to ,god in festival and sacrifice1 the lepers appealed to the humane feelings of the people4 ,with their pathetic cry1 ,unclean1 unclean6 their loose hair and rent clothes1 they confessed a miserable state that touched every heart4 ,as time went on1 the law of segregation was interpreted liberally4 ,even in the synagogues a place was set apart for the lepers4 ,the kindly disposition promoted by the ,mosaic institutions was shown thus1 and in many other ways4 ,the lepers banished outside the camp remind us of those who have for no wrong-doing of their own to endure social reproach4 ,were sometimes good men and women among the ,hebrews1 men with kind hearts1 good mothers and daughters1 attacked by this disease and compelled to betake themselves to the squalid tents of the lepers8 ,that decree of rigorous precaution is outdone by the strange fact that under the providence of ,god1 in ,his world1 the best have often had to undergo opprobrium and cruelty2 that ,jesus ,himself was crucified as a malefactor1 bore the curse of him that hangeth upon a tree4 ,we see great suffering which is not due to moral delinquency2 and we see the sting of it taken quite away4 ,the stern ordinances of nature have light thrown upon them from a higher world4 ,himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses4 ,for our sakes ,he was the object of brutal mockery1 the sufferer1 the sacrifice4 ,besides the lepers and those who had an issue1 every one who was unclean by reason of touching a dead body was to be excluded from the camp4 ,this provision appears to rest on the idea that death was no debt of nature1 but unnatural1 the result of the curse of ,god4 ,associated1 however1 in the statute before us with leprosy1 defilement from the dead may have been decreed to prevent the spread of disease4 ,many maladies too well known to us have an infectious character2 and those who were present at a death would be most exposed to their influence4 ,pathological explanations do not by any means account for all the kinds and causes of defilement2 but exclusion from the camp is the special point here2 and the cases may be classed together as having a common origin4 ,the notion that some demon or fallen spirit was at work both in producing leprosy and in causing death1 was involved in the customs of some barbarous tribes and entered into the beliefs of the ,egyptians and ,assyrians4 ,this explanation1 however1 is too remote and alien from ,judaism to be applied to these statutes regarding uncleanness1 at least in the form they have in the ,mosaic books4 ,the few hints surviving in them1 as where a bird was to be allowed to fly away when the leper was pronounced clean1 cannot be permitted to fix a charge of superstition on the whole code4 ,a singular point in the statute regarding uncleanness by the dead is that the word 7nephesh7 stands apparently for the dead body4 ,of this some other explanation is needed than the free transference of meanings in ,hebrew4 ,here and elsewhere in the ,book of ,numbers 7vi4 #aa2 ix4 #f1 #g1 #aj2 xix4 #ac71 as well as in various passages in ,leviticus1 defilement is attributed to the nephesh4 ,commonly the word means soul or animal life-principle4 ,when connected with death it corresponds to our word ghost1 as in ,job xi4 #bj2 ,jer4 xv4 #i4 ,now the law was that not only those who touched a dead body1 but all present in a house when death took place in it1 were unclean4 ,the question occurs whether the nephesh1 or soul escaping at death1 was believed to defile4 ,as if in doubt here a rabbi said1 ,the body and the soul may plead successfully not guilty by charging their sinful life each upon the other4 ,the body may say3 ',since that guilty soul parted with me1 ,i have been lying in the grave as harmless as a stone4' ,the soul may plead3 ',since that depraved body separated from me1 ,i flutter about in the air like an innocent bird4' ,is it not possible that the nephesh meant the effluvium of the dead body1 the active element which1 springing from corruption1 diffused uncleanness through the whole house of death8 ,it seems quite in harmony with other uses of the word1 and with the idea of defilement1 to interpret was unclean by the nephesh1 sinned by the nephesh1 as technical expressions carrying this meaning4 ,the passage ,numb4 xix4 #ac is peculiarly instructive-- --,every one coming in contact with the dead1 with the nephesh of a man who has died4 ,to translate1 with the corpse of a man who has died1 would fix on the language the fault of tautology4 ,in ,psalm xvii4 #i nephesh has the meaning of deadly1 that is to say breathing death2 and the idea here points to the meaning suggested4 ,the reason given for the banishment of the unclean is the presence of ,god in the congregation--,that they defile not their camp1 in the midst whereof ,i dwell4 ,all that are unhealthy1 and those who have been in contact with death1 which is the result of irremediable disease or accident1 must be withdrawn from the precincts that belong to the ,holy ,god4 ,human maladies are in contrast with the ,divine health1 death is in contrast to the ,divine life4 ,here the whole scope of the legislation regarding defilement has its highest range of suggestion4 ,it was a part of moral education to realise that ,god was separate from all distortion1 wasting1 and decay4 ,in glad and deathless power ,he reigned in the midst of ,israel4 ,from the living ,god man received life which had to be kept pure and disciplined4 ,among the ,egyptians it was held to be sacrilege when the operator1 in the process preparatory to embalming1 opened a human body4 ,he who made the incision was driven out of the room by his assistants with abuse and violence4 ,quite different is the idea of the ,mosaic law which makes the holiness belong entirely to ,god1 and requires of men the preservation of the clean life ,he has given4 ,every statute suggests that there is a tendency in the creature to fall away from purity and become unfit for fellowship with the ,most ,holy4 #b4 ,,atonement ,,for ,,trespass ,,numbers v4 #e-aj ,the enactment of this passage refers to the sin of theft or any other breach of the eighth commandment which involved trespass not only against man1 but also against ,god--,when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit to do a trespass against the ,lord1 and that soul be guilty2 then shall they confess their sin which they have done4 ,the statute supplements one given in ,lev4 vi4 #a-d1 omitting some details1 but adding the provision that if the person defrauded has died1 restitution shall be made to the gol1 and if there is no surviving relation1 to the priest4 ,the cases specified in ,leviticus are those of false dealing in regard to a deposit or a bargain1 robbery1 oppression1--probably in the way of withholding hire from a labourer1--finding what was lost and denying it2 but in each instance false swearing is added to the offence and constitutes it a trespass against the ,lord4 ,restitution to man must be made by returning the amount and one-fifth in addition2 to ,god by bringing a ram without blemish1 with which the priest makes atonement4 ,in this statute the punishment does not seem severe4 ,but the penalty is imposed after confession when the offence has been for some time undetected4 ,the ordinary law required for the theft of an ox1 if the animal had not been slaughtered1 double restitution2 and if it had been slaughtered or sold1 fivefold restitution4 ,in the case of a sheep slaughtered or sold the restitution was to be fourfold4 ,confession of the theft1 according to the present statute1 diminishes the penalty4 ,noticeable particularly is the provision for atonement1 which is nowhere else admitted in connection with a serious breach of the moral law4 ,any offence against the first four commandments was to be punished with death2 so also were murder1 adultery1 and certain other crimes4 ,it might have been expected that false swearing by any one in regard to theft or valuables intrusted to him would add to his guilt4 ,here1 however1 by means of the ram of atonement even that offence is apparently expiated4 ,possibly the confession is held to mitigate the crime4 ,still the nature of the statute is surprising and exceptional4 #c4 ,,the ,,water ,,of ,,jealousy ,,numbers v4 #aa-ca ,the long and remarkable statute regarding the water of jealousy seems to have been interposed to prevent1 by means of an ordeal1 that cruel practice of peremptory divorce which had been in vogue at some period among the ,hebrews4 ,the position given to woman by the old customs must have been exceedingly low4 ,under polygamy a wife was in constant danger of suspicions and accusations she had no means of removing4 ,the whole scope of this enactment and the means used for deciding between the husband and a suspected wife point to the frequency and general groundlessness of charges made by men in the hardness of their hearts1 or by other women in the hardness of theirs4 ,the ordeal to which the wife was to be subjected was twofold4 ,one point was the imprecation of the ,divine curse upon herself if she had been guilty4 ,this oath was administered in terms and with ceremonies fitted to produce the most profound impression4 ,she is set before the ,lord--probably in the court of the sanctuary4 ,her hair is loose4 ,she has the offering of jealousy in her hand--the tenth part of an ephah of barley-meal4 ,the priest holds a basin of the water of jealousy4 ,the terms of the curse with its frightful consequences are not only repeated in her hearing1 but written on a scroll which is dropped into the water4 ,the second thing is her drinking of the water of jealousy1 holy water mingled with dust from the floor of the sanctuary1 and with the terms of the curse4 ,the nature of the ordeal was such that few guilty persons would have braved it4 ,the only thing which appears wanting is a provision for the punishment of the man whose wife had passed the terrible test4 ,since the punishment of this crime was death1 and he made the accusation without cause1 his own judgment should have followed4 ,here1 however1 deference had to be paid to the notions of the time1 as our ,lord clearly indicates4 ,the absolute right1 the just equality between husband and wife1 could not be established4 ,nor indeed1 with all our progress1 is it yet secured4 ,the ordeal of the water of jealousy must have saved many an innocent life from wreck4 ,in one sense it was part of a system designed to maintain a high standard of morality1 and in that system it had a place which at the time could not be filled in any other way4 ,the main stress lies on the oath of purgation2 and to the present day in certain ecclesiastical courts this is in use for the purpose of bringing to an end processes not otherwise capable of solution4 ,it must be noted that our marriage laws1 lax as they are thought to be1 do not give to a husband anything like the power or allow divorce with anything like the facility admitted by the ,mosaic law as some of the ,rabbis interpreted it4 ,and this ordeal was of such a nature that if those in use throughout ,europe only a century ago or thereby1 in the trial of witches for instance1 be compared with it1 we can at once see its superiority4 ,those barbarous tests1 not used by the vulgar alone1 but by religious men and ,church authorities1 made escape from false accusation next to impossible4 ,here there is absolutely nothing required which could in any sense injure or imperil an innocent woman4 ,she might take her oath1 see it written1 and drink the water without the least fear or hesitation4 ,the beneficence of the law is strongly marked along with its wisdom4 ,it was a wonderful provision for the time4 ,v ,,naziritism3 ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,aaron ,,numbers vi #a4 ,the custom of ,naziritism1 which tended to form a semi-religious caste1 is obscure in its origin4 ,the cases of ,samson and ,samuel imply that before birth some were bound in terms of this vow by their parents4 ,in the passage before us nothing whatever is said as to the reasons which the law recognised for the practice of ,naziritism4 ,we may believe1 however1 that it was from the first1 like many votive customs1 distinctly religious4 ,one who had been delivered from some danger or restored to health might adopt this method of showing his thankfulness to ,god4 ,it is impossible to connect ,naziritism with any sacerdotal duty4 ,a man under the vow had no function1 no privilege1 that in the least approached that of the priest4 ,nor can we trace any parallel between the ,nazirite rule and that of the fakirs of ,india or the dervishes of ,egypt and ,arabia1 whose poverty is their mark of consecration4 ,there is1 however1 some resemblance to the vow of the ,arab pilgrim1 who1 on his way to the holy place1 must not cut or dress his hair1 and must abstain from bloodshed4 ,the prophet ,amos 7ii4 #aa7 claims that ,god had raised up young men to be ,nazirites1 and he places their influence almost on a level with that of the prophets as a means of blessing to the people4 ,we may believe1 therefore1 that they helped both morality and religion2 and the conditions of their vow seem to have given them fine bodily health and personal appearance4 ,when the ,nazirite vow was undertaken for a term1 say thirty1 sixty1 or a hundred days1 the law assumed its religious character1 prescribed the conditions to be observed1 the means of removing accidental defilement1 and the ceremonies to be performed when the period of separation closed4 ,any man might devote himself without appealing to the priest or going through any religious rite2 and in general his own conscience was depended on to make him rigidly attentive to his vow4 ,there was to be no monastic association of ,nazirites1 no formal watch kept over their conduct4 ,they mingled with others in ordinary life1 and went about their business as at other times4 ,but the unshorn hair distinguished them2 they felt that the eye of ,god as well as the eyes of men were upon them1 and walked warily under the sense of their pledge4 ,the discharge which had to be given by the priest was a further check2 it would have been withheld if any charge of laxity had been made against the ,nazirite4 ,the ceremonies of release were of a kind fitted to attract general attention4 ,the modern pledge of abstinence bears in various points resemblance to the ,nazirite vow4 ,we can easily believe that indulgence in strong drink was one of the principal sins against which ,naziritism testified4 ,and as in ancient ,israel that body of abstainers from the fruit of the vine1 honourably known as a caste1 acknowledged by the ,divine law1 formed a constant check on intemperance1 so the existence of a large class among ourselves1 bound to abstinence1 aids most effectually in restraining the drinking customs of the present age4 ,when we add to the approval of ,naziritism which is before us here the fact that priests in the discharge of their ministry were required to forego the use of wine1 the sanction of ,hebrew legislation on its moral side may certainly be claimed for the total abstinence pledge4 ,no doubt the circumstances differ greatly4 ,wine was the common beverage in ,palestine4 ,it was in general so slightly intoxicating that the use of it brought little temptation4 ,but our distilled liquors and fermented drinks are so strongly alcoholic1 so dangerous to health and morals1 that the argument for abstinence is now immensely greater than it was among the ,hebrews4 ,not only as an example of self-restraint1 but as a safeguard against constant peril1 the pledge of abstinence deservedly enjoys the sanction of the ,churches of ,christ4 ,on the other hand1 the pledge of the total abstainer1 like the vow of the ,nazirite1 carries with it a certain moral danger4 ,one who1 having come voluntarily under such a pledge1 allows himself to break it1 suffers a serious loss of spiritual power4 ,the abstainer1 like the ,nazirite1 is his own witness1 his own judge4 ,but if his pledge has been sacredly undertaken1 solemnly made1 any breach of it is an offence to conscience1 a denial of obligation to ,god which must react on the will and life4 ,it was not by using strong drink that ,samson broke his vow of ,naziritism1 but in a far less serious manner--by allowing his hair to be cut off4 ,still his case is an instructive parable4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord passed from him2 he became weak as other men1 the prey of his enemies4 ,the man who has come under the bond of total abstinence1 especially in a religious way1 and breaks it1 becomes weaker than others4 ,to confess his fault and resume his resolution may not lift him up again4 ,the will is less capable1 the sense of sacredness less imperative and potent4 ,it is hard to say why the peculiar defilement caused by touching a dead body or being present at a death is that alone on which special attention is fixed in the ,nazirite law 7vi4 #i ff474 ,one would have expected the other offence of using wine to be dealt with rather than mere accidents1 so to speak4 ,we can see that the law as it stands is one of many that must have preceded the prophetic period4 ,if ,amos1 for example1 had influenced the nature of the legislation regarding ,naziritism1 it would have been in the direction of making drunkenness rather than ceremonial uncleanness a special point in the statutes4 ,from beginning to end of his prophecy he makes no distinct reference to ceremonial defilement4 ,but injustice1 intemperance1 disaffection to ,jehovah1 are constantly and vehemently denounced4 ,hosea1 again1 does refer to unclean food1 the necessity of eating which would be part of ,israel's punishment in exile4 ,but he too1 unless in this casual reference1 is a moralist--cares nothing1 so far as his language goes1 for the contact with dead bodies or any other ceremonial defilement4 ,judging a ,nazirite1 he would certainly have regarded sobriety and purity of life as the tests of consecration--drunkenness and neglect of ,god as the sins that deserved punishment4 ,hosea's condemnation of ,israel is3 ,they have left off to take heed to ,jehovah4 ,whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding4 ,in ,ezekiel1 whose schemes of worship and of priestly work are declared to have been the origin of the ,priests' ,code1 the same tendency is to be found4 ,he has a passage regarding unclean foods1 which assumes the existence of statutes on the subject4 ,but as a legislator he is not concerned with ceremonial transgressions1 the defilement caused by dead bodies1 and the like4 ,take into account the whole of his prophecy1 and it will be seen that the new heart and the right spirit are for ,ezekiel the main things1 and the worship of the temple he describes is to be that of a people not ceremonially consecrated1 but spiritually pure1 and so in moral unity with ,god4 ,he adopts the old forms of worship along with the priesthood1 but his desire is to give the ritual an ethical basis and aim4 ,the statute which applies to the discharge of the ,nazirite from his rule 7vi4 #ac-ba7 is exceedingly detailed1 and contains provisions which on the whole seem fitted to deter rather than encourage the vow4 ,the ,nazirite could not escape from obligation as he had entered upon it1 without priestly intervention and mediation4 ,he had to offer an oblation1--one he-lamb of the first year for a burnt offering2 one ewe-lamb of the first year for a sin offering2 and for peace offerings a ram1 with a basket of unleavened bread1 cakes of fine flour mingled with oil1 unleavened wafers anointed with oil2 and meal offerings and drink offerings4 ,these had to be presented by the priest in the prescribed manner4 ,in addition to the possible cost of repeated cleansings which might be needful during the period of separation1 the expense of those offerings must have been to many in a humble station almost prohibitory4 ,we cannot help concluding that under this law1 at whatever time it prevailed1 ,naziritism became the privilege of the more wealthy4 ,those who took the vow under the appointed conditions must have formed a kind of puritan aristocracy4 ,the final ceremonies included burning of the hair1 which was carefully removed at the door of the tent of meeting4 ,it was to be consumed in the fire under the peace offering1 the idea being that the obligation of the vow and perhaps its sanctity had been identified with the flowing locks4 ,the last rite of all was similar to that used in the consecration of priests4 ,the sodden shoulder of the ram1 an unleavened cake1 and an unleavened wafer were to be placed on the hands of the ,nazirite1 and waved for a wave offering before the ,lord--thereafter1 with other parts of the sacrifice1 falling to the priest4 ,after that the man might drink wine1 perhaps in a formal way at the close of the ceremonies4 ,to explain this elaborate ritual of discharge it has been affirmed that the idea of the vow culminated in the sacrificial festival which terminated the consecration1 and in this attained to its fullest manifestation4 ,if this were so1 ritualism was indeed predominant4 ,to make such the underlying thought is to declare that the abstinence of the ,nazirite from strong drink and dainties1 to which a moralist would attach most importance1 was in the eye of the law nothing compared to the symbolic feasting with ,god and the sacerdotal functions of the final ceremony4 ,far more readily would we assume that the ritual of the discharge was superfluously added to the ancient law at a time when the hierarchy was in the zenith of its power4 ,but1 as we have already seen1 the final rites were of a kind fitted to direct public attention to the vow1 and may have had their use chiefly in preventing any careless profession of ,naziritism1 tending to bring it into contempt4 ,one other question still demands consideration3 ,what was meant by the sin offering which had to be presented by the ,nazirite when he had unintentionally incurred uncleanness1 and the sin offering which had to be offered at the time of his discharge--what1 in short1 was the idea of sin to which this oblation corresponded8 ,the case of the ,nazirite is peculiarly instructive1 for the point to be considered is seen here entirely free from complications4 ,the ,nazirite does not undertake the obligation of his vow as an acknowledgment of wrong he has done1 nor does he place himself under any moral disadvantage by assuming it4 ,there is no reason why in becoming a ,nazirite or ceasing to be a ,nazirite he should appear as a transgressor2 rather is he honouring ,god by what he does4 ,suppose he has been present at a death which has unexpectedly taken place--that involves no moral fault by which a man's conscience should be burdened4 ,deliberately to touch a dead body might1 under the law1 have brought the sense of wrongdoing2 but to be casually in a defiled house could not4 ,yet an atonement was necessary 7vi4 #aa74 ,it is expressly said that a sin offering and a burnt offering must be presented to make atonement for him1 for that he sinned by reason of the dead4 ,and again1 when he has kept the terms of his vow to the last1 honouring ,jehovah by his devotion1 commending morality by his abstinence1 maintaining more rigidly than other ,israelites the idea of consecration to ,jehovah1 he cannot be released from his obligation till a sin offering is made for him4 ,there is no moral offence to be expiated4 ,rather1 to judge in an ordinary human way1 he has carried obedience farther than his fellow-,israelites4 ,the whole circumstances show that the sin offering has no reference to moral pollution4 ,the idea is not that of removing a shadow from the conscience1 but taking away a taint of the flesh1 or1 in certain cases1 of the mind which has become aware of some occult injury4 ,a clear division was made between the moral and the immoral2 and it was assumed that all ,israelites were keeping the moral commandments of the law4 ,then moral persons were divided into those who were clean and those who were unclean2 and the ceremonial law alone determined the conditions of undefiled and acceptable life4 ,if the law declared that a sin offering was necessary1 it meant not that there had been immorality1 but that some specified or unspecified taint lay upon a man4 ,no doubt there were principles according to which the law was framed4 ,but they might not be apparent2 and no man could claim to have them explained4 ,now with regard to ,naziritism1 the idea was that of a vivid and pure form of life to which a man might attain if he would discipline himself4 ,and it seems to have been understood that in returning from this to the common life of the race an apology1 so to speak1 had to be made to ,jehovah and to religion4 ,the higher range of life during the term of separation was peculiarly sensitive to invasions of earthly circumstance1 and especially of the defilement caused by death2 and for anything of this sort there was needed more than apology1 more than trespass-offering4 ,the ,nazirite going back to ordinary life was regarded in more senses than one as a sinner4 ,the conditions of his vow had been difficult to keep1 and1 presumably1 had been broken4 ,he was all the more under the suspicion of defilement that he had undertaken special obligations of purity4 ,a peculiar form of mysticism is involved here1 an effort of humanity to reach transcendental holiness4 ,and the law seemed to give up each experiment with a sigh4 ,in the story of ,samson we have only the popular pictorial elements of ,naziritism4 ,the statutes convey hints of deeper thought and feeling4 ,generally speaking the whole system of purification enjoined by the ceremonial law1 the constant succession of cleansings and sacrifices1 must have appeared to be arbitrary4 ,but it would be a mistake to suppose that there was no esoteric meaning1 no purpose beyond that of keeping up the sense of religious duty and the need of mediation4 ,some intangible defilement seems to have been associated with everything mundane1 everything human4 ,the aim was to represent sanctity of a transcendent kind1 the nature of which no words could express1 for which the shedding of blood alone supplied a sufficiently impressive symbol4 #b4 ,the blessing which the priests were commissioned to pronounce on the people 7vi4 #bd-bf7 was in the following terms3-- ,jehovah bless thee1 and keep thee3 ,jehovah make ,his face to shine upon thee1 and be gracious unto thee3 ,jehovah lift up ,his countenance upon thee1 and give thee peace4 ,by means of this threefold benediction the name of ,jehovah was to be put upon the children of ,israel--that is to say1 their consecration to ,him as ,his accepted flock and their enjoyment of ,his covenant grace were to be signified4 ,in a sense the invocation of this blessing was the highest function of the priest3 he became the channel of spiritual endowment in which the whole nation shared4 ,it is a striking fact that the distinctive ideas conveyed in the three portions of the blessing--,preservation1 ,enlightenment1 ,peace--bear a relation1 by no means fanciful1 to the work of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,first are invoked the providential care and favour of ,god1 as ,ruler of the universe1 ,arbiter among the nations1 ,source of creaturely life1 ,upholder of human existence4 ,israel as a whole1 and each individual ,israelite as a member of the sacred community1 should in terms of the covenant enjoy the guardianship of the ,almighty4 ,the idea is expanded in ,psalm cxxi43-- ,jehovah is thy keeper3 ,jehovah is thy shade upon thy right hand4 ,the sun shall not smite thee by day1 ,nor the moon by night4 ,jehovah shall keep thee from all evil2 ,he shall keep thy soul4 ,jehovah shall keep thy going out and thy coming in1 ,from this time forth and for evermore4 ,and in almost every ,psalm the theme of ,divine preservation is touched on either in thanksgiving1 prayer1 or exultant hope4 ,for ,god will save ,zion1 and build the cities of ,judah2 ,and they shall abide there1 and have it in possession4 ,the seed also of ,his servants shall inherit it2 ,and they that love ,his name shall dwell therein4 ,often sorely pressed by the nations around1 their land made the battle-field of empires1 the ,hebrews could comfort themselves with the assurance that ,jehovah of ,hosts was with them1 that the ,god of ,jacob was their refuge4 ,and each son of ,abraham had his own portion in the blessing4 ,i will say of ,jehovah1 ,he is my refuge and my fortress1 ,my ,god in whom ,i trust4 ,the keynote of joyful confidence in the unseen ,king was struck in the benediction which1 pronounced by ,aaron and by the high-priests after him1 associated ,israel's safety with obedience to all the laws and forms of religion4 ,the second member of the blessing indicates under the figure of the shining of ,jehovah's face the revelation of enlightening truth4 ,here are implied the unfolding of ,god's character1 the kindly disclosure of ,his will in promise and prophecy1 the opening to the minds of men of those high and abiding laws that govern their destiny4 ,there is a forth-shining of the ,divine countenance which troubles and dismays the human heart3 ,the face of the ,lord is against them that do evil4 ,but here is denoted that gracious radiance which came to its fulness in ,christ4 ,and of this ,divine shining ,jacob ,boehme writes3 ,as the sun in the visible world ruleth over evil and good1 and with its light and power and all whatsoever itself is1 is present everywhere1 and penetrates every being1 and yet in its image-like symbolic form doth not withdraw again to itself with its efflux1 but wholly giveth itself into every being1 and yet ever remaineth whole1 and nothing of its being goeth away therewith3 thus also it is to be understood concerning ,christ's power and office which ruleth in the inward spiritual world visibly1 and in the outward world invisibly1 and throughly penetrateth the faithful man's soul1 spirit1 and heart4444 ,and as the sun worketh through and through an herb so that the herb becometh solar 7or filled with the virtue of the sun1 and as it were so converted by the sun that it becometh wholly of the nature of the sun73 so ,christ ruleth in the resigned will in soul and body over all evil inclinations1 over ,satan's introduced lust1 and generateth the man to be a new heavenly creature and wholly floweth into him4#b ,for the ,hebrew people that shining of the face of ,god became spiritual and potent for salvation less through the law1 the priesthood1 and the ritual1 than through psalm and prophecy4 ,of the revelation of the law ,paul says1 ,the ministration of death written and engraven on stones came with glory1 so that the children of ,israel could not look steadfastly upon the face of ,moses1 for the glory of his face4 ,with such holy and awful brightness did ,god appear in the law1 that ,moses had to cover his face from which the splendour was reflected4 ,but the psalmist1 pressing towards the light with fine spiritual boldness and humility1 could say1 ,when ,thou saidst1 ,seek ye ,my face2 my heart said unto ,thee1 ,thy face1 ,lord1 will ,i seek 7,psalm xxvii4 #h72 and again1 ,turn us again1 ,o ,god of hosts1 and cause ,thy face to shine2 and we shall be saved 7,psalm lxxx4 #g74 ,and in an oracle of ,isaiah 7liv4 #h71 ,jehovah says1 ,in overflowing wrath ,i hid ,my face from thee for a moment2 but with everlasting kindness shall ,i have mercy on thee4 ,in the third clause of the benediction the peace of ,god1 that calm of mind1 conscience1 and life which accompanies salvation1 is invoked4 ,from the trouble and sorrow and tumult of existence1 from the fear of hostile power1 from evil influences seen and unseen1 the ,divine hand will give salvation4 ,it seems indeed to be the meaning that the gracious regard of ,god is enough4 ,are ,his people in affliction and anxiety8 ,jehovah's look will deliver them4 ,they will feel calmly safe as if a shield were interposed between them and the keen arrows of jealousy and hatred4 ,in covert of ,thy presence shalt ,thou hide them from the plottings of man3 ,thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues4 ,their tranquillity is described by ,isaiah3 ,in righteousness shalt thou be established3 thou shalt be far from oppression1 for thou shalt not fear2 and from terror1 for it shall not come near thee 444 no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper2 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn4 ,this is the heritage of the servants of the ,lord1 and their righteousness which is of ,me1 saith the ,lord4 ,the peace of the human soul is not1 however1 entirely provided for by the assurance of ,divine protection from hostile force4 ,a man is not in perfect tranquillity because he belongs to a nation or a church defended by omnipotence4 ,his own troubles and fears are the main causes of unrest4 ,and the ,spirit of ,god1 who cleanses and renews the soul1 is the true ,peace-giver4 ,to win true peace a man needs to feel himself directed1 pardoned1 and sustained by a supreme power1 to feel himself in the right road1 at the point where ,god would have him to be--in order with ,god and the universe4 ,in his heart the note of harmony must be struck deep and true1 in profound reconciliation and unity with ,god4 ,with this in view the oracles of ,ezekiel connect renewal and peace4 ,i will put ,my ,spirit in you1 and ye shall live 444 ,i will make a covenant of peace with them2 it shall be an everlasting covenant with them 444 and ,i will set ,my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore4 ,the protection of ,god the ,father1 the grace and truth of the ,son1 the comfort and peace of the ,spirit--were these1 then1 implied in ,israel's religion and included in this blessing of ,aaron8 ,germinally1 at least1 they were4 ,the strain of unity running through the ,old and ,new ,testaments is heard here and in the innumerable passages that may be grouped along with the threefold benediction4 ,the work of ,christ1 as ,revealer and ,saviour1 did not begin when ,he appeared in the flesh4 ,as the ,divine ,word ,he spoke by every prophet and through the priest to the silent congregations age after age4 ,nor did the dispensation of the ,spirit arise on the world like a new light on that day of ,pentecost when the disciples of ,christ were gathered in their upper chamber and the tongues of fire were seen4 ,there were those even in the old ,hebrew days on whom the ,spirit was poured from on high1 with whom judgment dwelt in the wilderness1 and righteousness in the fruitful field3 and the work of righteousness was peace1 and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever4 ,he who is our peace came in the appointed time to fill with eternal meaning the old benedictions1 and set our assurance on the immovable rock of ,his own sacrifice and power4 ,,footnote3 #b ,concerning the ,holy ,baptism1 chap4 i4 ,,vi ,,sanctuary ,,and ,,passover #a4 ,,the ,,offerings ,,of ,,the ,,princes ,,numbers vii ,the opening verses of the chapter seem to imply that immediately after the erection of the tabernacle the gifts of the princes were brought by way of thank offering4 ,the note of time1 on the day that ,moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle1 appears very precise4 ,it has been made a difficulty that1 according to the narrative of ,exodus1 a considerable time had elapsed since the work was finished4 ,but this account of the oblations of the princes1 like a good many other ancient records incorporated in the present book1 has a place given it from the desire to include everything that seemed to belong to the time of the wilderness4 ,all incidents could not be arranged in consecutive order1 because1 let us suppose1 the ,book of ,exodus to which this and others properly belonged was already complete4 ,numbers is the more fragmentary book4 ,the expression1 on the day1 must apparently be taken in a general sense as in ,gen4 ii4 #d3 ,these are the generations of the heavens and of the earth in the day that the ,lord ,god made earth and heaven4 ,in ,numb4 ix4 #ae the same note of time1 on the day that the tabernacle was reared up1 marks the beginning of another reminiscence or tradition4 ,the setting up of the tabernacle and consecration of the altar gave occasion presumably for this manifestation of generosity4 ,but the offerings described could not be provided immediately2 they must have taken time to prepare4 ,golden spoons of ten shekels' weight were not to be found ready-made in the camp2 nor were the oil and fine flour to be had at a day's notice4 ,of course the gifts might have been prepared in anticipation4 ,the account of the bringing of the offerings by the princes on twelve successive days1 one ,sabbath at least included1 gives the impression of a festival display4 ,the narrator dwells with some pride on the exhibition of religious zeal and liberality1 a fine example set to the people by men in high position4 ,the gifts had not been asked by ,moses2 they were purely voluntary4 ,considering the value of precious metals at the time1 and the poverty of the ,israelites1 they were handsome1 though not extravagant4 ,it is estimated that the gold and silver of each prince would equal in value about seven hundred and thirty of our shillings1 and so the whole amount contributed1 without regarding the changed value of the metals1 would be equivalent to some four hundred and thirty-eight pounds sterling4 ,in addition there were the fine flour and oil1 and the bullocks1 rams1 lambs1 and kids for sacrifice4 ,it is an obvious remark here that spontaneous liberality has in the very form of the narrative the very highest commendation4 ,nothing could be more fitted to create in the minds of the people respect for the sanctuary and the worship associated with it than this hearty dedication of their wealth by the heads of the tribes4 ,as the people saw the slow processions moving day by day from the different parts of the camp1 and joined in raising their hallelujahs of joy and praise1 a spirit of generous devotion would be kindled in many hearts4 ,it appears a singular agreement that each prince of a tribe gave precisely the same as his neighbour4 ,but by this arrangement one was not put to shame by the greater liberality of another4 ,often1 as we know1 there is in giving1 quite as much of human rivalry as of holy generosity4 ,one must not be outdone by his neighbour1 would rather surpass his neighbour4 ,here all appears to be done in the brotherly spirit4 ,does the author of ,numbers present an ideal for us to keep in view in our dedication of riches to the service of the ,gospel8 ,it was in full accord with the symbolic nature of ,hebrew religion that believers should enrich the tabernacle and give its services an air of splendour4 ,almost the only way for the ,israelites to honour ,god in harmony with their separation from others as ,his people1 was that of making glorious the house in which ,he set ,his name1 the whole arrangements for sacrifice and festival and priestly ministration4 ,in the temple of ,solomon that idea culminated which on this occasion fixed the value and use of the princes' gifts4 ,but under ,christianity the service of ,god is the service of mankind4 ,when the thought and labour of the disciples of ,christ are devoted to the needs of men there is a tribute to the glory of ,god4 ,it has been said--it is true--that a better and more honourable offering is made to our ,master in ministry to the poor1 in extending the knowledge of ,his name1 in the practice of the virtues by which that name is hallowed1 than in material gifts to ,his temple4 ,assuredly it is so3 woe to all who think that any other kind or manner of offering may in any way take the place of these4#c ,the decoration of the house used for worship1 its stateliness and charm1 are secondary to the upbuilding of that temple of which believing men and women are the eternal stones1 for basement1 pillar1 and wall4 ,in the development of ,judaism the temple with its costly sacrifices and ministries swallowed up the means and enthusiasm of the people4 ,israel recognised no duty to the outside world4 ,even its prophets1 because they were not identified with the temple worship1 were in the main neglected and left to penury4 ,it is a mistaken use of the teaching of the ,old ,testament to take across its love of splendour in sanctuary and worship1 while the spread of ,christian truth abroad and among the poor is scantily provided for4 ,but the liberality of the leaders of the tribes1 and of all who in the times of the old covenant gave freely to the support of religion1 stands before us to-day as a noble example4 ,in greater gratitude for a purer faith1 a larger hope1 we should be more generous4 ,devoting ourselves first as living sacrifices1 holy and acceptable to ,god1 we should count it an honour to give in proportion to our ability4 ,one after another1 every prince1 every father of a family1 every servant of the ,lord1 to the poorest widow1 should bring a becoming gift4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the chapter closes with a verse apparently quite detached from the narrative as well as from what follows1 which1 however1 has a singular importance as embodying the law of the oracle4 ,and when ,moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with ,him1 then he heard the ,voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the testimony1 from between the two cherubim3 and he spake unto ,him4 ,at first this may seem exceedingly anthropomorphic4 ,it is a human voice that is heard by ,moses speaking in response to his inquiries4 ,one is there1 in the darkness behind the veil1 who converses with the prophet as friend communicates with friend4 ,yet1 on reflection1 it will be felt that the statement is marked by a grave idealism and has an air of mystery befitting the circumstances4 ,there is no form or visible manifestation1 no angel or being in human likeness1 representing ,god4 ,it is only a ,voice that is heard4 ,and that ,voice1 as proceeding from above the mercy-seat which covered the law1 is a revelation of what is in harmony with the righteousness and truth1 as well as the compassion1 of the ,unseen ,god4 ,the separateness of ,jehovah is very strikingly suggested4 ,here only1 in this tent of meeting1 apart from the common life of humanity1 can the one prophet-mediator receive the sacred oracles4 ,and the veil still separates even ,moses from the mystic ,voice4 ,yet ,god is so akin to men that ,he can use their words1 make ,his message intelligible through ,moses to those who are not holy enough to hear for themselves1 but are capable of responding in obedient faith4 ,whatever is elsewhere said in regard to the ,divine communications that were given through ,moses must be interpreted by this general statement4 ,the revelations to ,israel came in the silence and mystery of this place of audience1 when the leader of the people had withdrawn from the bustle and strain of his common tasks4 ,he must be in the exalted mood this highest of all offices requires4 ,with patient1 earnest soul he must wait for the ,word of ,god4 ,there is nothing sudden1 no violent flash of light on the ecstatic mind4 ,all is calm and grave4 #b4 ,,the ,,candelabrum ,,numbers viii4 #a-d ,the seven-branched candlestick with its lamps stood in the outer chamber of the tabernacle into which the priests had frequently to go4 ,when the curtain at the entrance of the tent was drawn aside during the day there was abundance of light in the ,holy ,place1 and then the lamps were not required4 ,it may indeed appear from ,exod4 xxvii4 #bj1 that one lamp of the seven fixed on the candelabrum was to be kept burning by day as well as by night4 ,doubt1 however1 is thrown on this by the command1 repeated in ,lev4 xxiv4 #a-d1 that ,aaron shall order it from evening to morning2 and ,rabbi ,kimchi's statement that the western lamp was always found burning cannot be accepted as conclusive4 ,in the wilderness1 at all events1 no lamp could be kept always alight2 and from #a ,sam4 iii4 #c we learn that the ,divine voice was heard by the child-prophet when ,eli was laid down in his place1 and the lamp of ,god was not yet gone out in the temple where the ark of ,god was4 ,the candelabrum therefore seems to have been designed not specially as a symbol1 but for use4 ,and here direction is given1 ,when thou lightest the lamps1 the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick4 ,all were to be so placed upon the supports that they might shine across the ,holy ,place1 and illuminate the altar of incense and the table of shewbread4 ,the text goes on to state that the candlestick was all of beaten work of gold2 unto the base thereof and unto the flowers thereof1 it was beaten work1 and the pattern was that which ,jehovah had showed ,moses4 ,the material1 the workmanship1 and the form1 not particularly important in themselves1 are anew referred to because of the special sacredness belonging to all the furniture of the tabernacle4 ,the attempt to fasten typical meanings to the seven lights of the candelabrum1 to the ornaments and position1 and especially to project those meanings into the ,christian ,church1 has little warrant even from the ,book of ,revelation1 where ,christ speaks as ,he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks4 ,there can be no doubt1 however1 that symbolic references may be found1 illustrating in various ways the subjects of revelation and the ,christian life4 ,the tent of meeting may represent to us that chamber or temple of reverent inquiry where the voice of the ,eternal is heard1 and ,his glory and holiness are realised by the seeker after ,god4 ,it is a chamber silent1 solemn1 and dark1 curtained in such gloom1 indeed1 that some have maintained there is no revelation to be had1 no glimpse of ,divine life or love4 ,but as the morning sunshine flowed into the ,holy ,place when the hangings were drawn aside1 so from the natural world light may enter the chamber in which fellowship with ,god is sought4 ,the invisible things of ,him since the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being perceived through the things that are made1 even ,his everlasting power and divinity4 ,the world is not ,god1 its forces are not in the true sense elemental--do not belong to the being of the ,supreme4 ,but it bears witness to the infinite mind1 the omnipotent will it cannot fitly represent4 ,in the silence of the tent of meeting1 when the light of nature shines through the door that opens to the sunrise1 we realise that the inner mystery must be in profound accord with the outer revelation--that ,he who makes the light of the natural world must be in ,himself the light of the spiritual world2 that ,he who maintains order in the great movements and cycles of the material universe1 maintains a like order in the changes and evolutions of the immaterial creation4 ,yet the light of the natural world shining thus into the sacred chamber1 while it aids the seeker after ,god in no small degree1 fails at a certain point4 ,it is too hard and glaring for the hour of most intimate communion4 ,by night1 as it were1 when the world is veiled and silent1 when the soul is shut alone in earnest desire and thought1 then it is that the highest possibilities of intercourse with the unseen life are realised4 ,and then1 as the seven-branched candlestick with its lamps illuminated the ,holy ,place1 a radiance which belongs to the sanctuary of life must supply the soul's need4 ,on the curtained walls1 on the altar1 on the veil whose heavy folds guard the most holy mysteries1 this light must shine4 ,nature does not reveal the life of the ,ever-,living1 the love of the ,all-,loving1 the will of the ,all-,holy4 ,in the conscious life and love of the soul1 created anew after the plan and likeness of ,god in ,christ1--here is the light4 ,the unseen ,god is the ,father of our spirits4 ,the lamps of purified reason1 ,christ-born faith and love1 holy aspiration1 are those which dispel the darkness on our side the veil4 ,the ,word and the ,spirit give the oil by which those lamps are fed4 ,must we say that with the ,father1 ,christ also1 who once lived on earth1 is in the inner chamber which our gaze cannot penetrate8 ,even so4 ,a thick curtain is interposed between the earthly and the heavenly4 ,yet while by the light which shines in his own soul the seeker after ,god regards the outer chamber--its altar1 its shewbread1 its walls1 and canopy--his thought passes beyond the veil4 ,the altar is fashioned according to a pattern and used according to a law which ,god has given4 ,it points to prayer1 thanksgiving1 devotion1 that have their place in human life because facts exist out of which they arise--the beneficence1 the care1 the claims of ,god4 ,the table of shewbread represents the spiritual provision made for the soul which cannot live but by every word that cometh out of the mouth of ,god4 ,the continuity of the outer chamber with the inner suggests the close union there is between the living soul and the living ,god--and the veil itself1 though it separates1 is no jealous and impenetrable wall of division4 ,every sound on this side can be heard within2 and the ,voice from the mercy seat1 declaring the will of the ,father through the enthroned ,word1 easily reaches the waiting worshipper to guide1 comfort1 and instruct4 ,by the light of the lamps kindled in our spiritual nature the things of ,god are seen2 and the lamps themselves are witnesses to ,god4 ,they burn and shine by laws ,he has ordained1 in virtue of powers that are not fortuitous nor of the earth4 ,the illumination they give on this side the veil proves clearly that within it the ,parent ,light1 glorious1 never-fading1 shines--transcendent reason1 pure and almighty will1 unchanging love--the life which animates the universe4 ,again1 the symbolism of the candlestick has an application suggested by ,rev4 i4 #bj4 ,now1 the outer chamber of the tabernacle in which the lamps shine represents the whole world of human life4 ,the temple is vast2 it is the temple of the universe4 ,still the veil exists2 it separates the life of men on earth from the life in heaven1 with ,god4 ,isaiah in his oracles of redemption spoke of a coming revolution which should open the world to ,divine light4 ,he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering that is cast over all people1 and the veil that is spread over all nations4 ,and the light itself1 still as proceeding from a ,hebrew centre1 is described in the second book of the ,isaian prophecies3 ,for ,zion's sake will ,i not hold my peace1 and for ,jerusalem's sake ,i will not rest1 until her righteousness go forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burneth4 ,and the nations shall see thy righteousness and all kings thy glory4 ,but the prediction was not fulfilled until the ,hebrew merged in the human and ,he came who1 as the ,son of ,man1 is the true light which lighteth every man coming into the world4 ,dark was the outer chamber of the great temple when the ,light of life first shone1 and the darkness comprehended it not4 ,when the ,church was organised1 and the apostles of our ,lord1 bearing the gospel of ,divine grace1 went through the lands1 they addressed a world still under the veil of which ,isaiah spoke4 ,but the spiritual enlightenment of mankind proceeded2 the lamps of the candlestick1 set in their places1 showed the new altar1 the new table of heavenly bread1 a feast spread for all nations1 and made the ignorant and earthly aware that they stood within a temple consecrated by the offering of ,christ4 ,st4 ,john saw in ,asia1 amid the gross darkness of its seven great cities1 seven lamp-stands with their lights1 some increasing1 some waning in brightness4 ,the sacred flame was carried from country to country1 and in every centre of population a lamp was kindled4 ,there was no seven-branched candelabrum merely1 but one of a hundred1 of a thousand arms4 ,and all drew their oil from the one sacred source1 cast more or less bravely the same ,divine illumination on the dark eye of earth4 ,true1 the world had its philosophy and poetry1 using1 often with no little power1 the themes of natural religion4 ,in the outer chamber of the temple the light of nature gleamed on the altar1 on the shewbread1 on the veil4 ,but interpretation failed1 faith in the unseen was mixed with dreams1 no real knowledge was gained of what the folds of the curtain hid--the mercy-seat1 the holy law that called for pure worship and love of one ,living and ,true ,god4 ,and then the darkness that fell when the ,saviour hung on the cross1 the darkness of universal sin and condemnation1 was made so deeply felt that in the shadow of it the true light might be seen1 and the lamp of every church might glow1 a beacon of ,divine mercy shining across the troubled life of man4 ,and the world has responded1 will respond1 with greater comprehension and joy1 as the ,gospel is proclaimed with finer spirit1 embodied with greater zeal in lives of faith and love4 ,christ in the truth1 ,christ in the sacraments1 ,christ in the words and deeds of those who compose ,his ,church--this is the light4 ,the candlestick of every life1 of every body of believers1 should be as of beaten gold1 no base metal mixed with that which is precious4 ,he who fashions his character as a ,christian is to have the ,divine idea before him and re-think it2 those who build the ,church are to seek its purity1 strength1 and grace4 ,but still the light must come from ,god1 not from man1 the light that burned on the altar of the ,divine sacrifice and shines from the glorious personality of the risen ,lord4 #c4 ,,the ,,passover ,,numbers ix4 #a-add ,the day fixed by statute for the feast which commemorated the deliverance from ,egypt was the fourteenth of the first month--the year beginning with the month of the exodus4 ,chap4 ix4 opens by reiterating this statute1 already recorded in ,exod4 xii4 and ,lev4 xxiii41 and proceeds to narrate the observance of the ,passover in the second year4 ,a supplementary provision follows which met the case of those excluded from the feast through ceremonial uncleanness4 ,in one passage it is assumed that the statutes and ordinances of the celebration are already known4 ,the feast proper1 ordered to be kept between the two evenings of the fourteenth day1 is1 however1 alone spoken of2 there is no mention of the week of unleavened bread 7,exod4 xii4 #ae2 ,lev4 xxiii4 #f71 nor of the holy convocations with which that week was to open and close4 ,it is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that the ,passover in the wilderness was a simple family festival at which every head of a household officiated in a priestly capacity4 ,the supplementary ,passover of this chapter was1 according to the rabbis1 distinguished from the great feast by the rites lasting only one day instead of seven1 and by other variations4 ,there is1 however1 no trace of such a difference between the one observance and the other4 ,what was done by the congregation on the fourteenth of ,abib was apparently to be done at the ,little ,passover of the following month4 ,on every male ,israelite old enough to understand the meaning of the ,passover1 the observance of it was imperative4 ,lest the supplementary feast should be made an excuse for failure to keep the fourteenth day of the first month1 it is enacted 7ix4 #ac7 that he who wilfully neglects shall be cut off from his people4 ,for strangers who sojourn among the ,israelites provision is made that if they wish to keep the feast they may do so under the regulations applied to the ,hebrews2 these1 of course1 including the indispensable rite of circumcision1 which had to precede any observance of a feast in honour of ,god4 ,noticeable are the terms with which this statute concludes3 ,ye shall have one statute1 both for the stranger and for him that is born in the land4 ,the settlement in ,canaan is assumed4 ,regarding the ,passover in the wilderness1 difficulties have been raised on the ground that a sufficient number of lambs1 males of the first year1 could scarcely have been provided1 and that the sacrificing of the lambs by ,aaron and his two sons within the prescribed time would have been impossible4 ,the second point of difficulty disappears if this ,passover was1 as we have seen reason to believe1 a family festival like that observed on the occasion of the exodus4 ,again1 the number of yearling male lambs required would depend on the number who partook of the feast4 ,calculations made on the basis that one lamb sufficed for about fifteen1 and that men alone ate the ,passover1 leave the matter in apparent doubt4 ,some fifty thousand lambs would still be needed4 ,keeping by the enumeration of the ,israelites given in the muster-roll of ,numbers1 some writers explain that the desert tribes might supply large numbers of lambs1 and that kids also were available4 ,the difficulty1 however1 remains1 and it is one of those which point to the conclusion that the numbers given have somehow been increased in the transcription of the ancient records century after century4 ,the case of certain men who could not partake of the ,passover in the first month1 because they were unclean through the dead1 was brought before ,moses and ,aaron4 ,the men felt it to be a great loss of privilege1 especially as the march was about to begin1 and they might not have another opportunity of observing the feast4 ,who indeed could tell whether in the first conflict it might not be his lot to fall by the sword8 ,we are unclean by the nephesh of a man1 they said3 wherefore are we kept back1 that we may not offer the oblation of the ,lord in its appointed season among the children of ,israel8 ,the result of the appeal was the new law providing that two disabilities1 and two only1 should be acknowledged4 ,the supplementary ,passover of the second month was appointed for those unclean by the dead1 and those on a journey who found themselves too far off to reach in time the precincts of the sanctuary4 ,those unclean would be in a month presumably free from defilement2 those on a journey would probably have returned4 ,the concession is a note of the gracious reasonableness that in many ways distinguished the ,hebrew religion2 and the ,passover observances of ,jews at the present day are based on the conviction that what is practicable is accepted by ,god1 though statute and form cannot be kept4 ,the question presents itself1 why keeping of the ,passover should be necessary to covenant union with ,jehovah4 ,and the reply bears on ,christian duty with regard to the analogous sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 for it rests on the historical sanction and continuity of faith4 ,if ,god was to be trusted as a ,saviour by the ,hebrew1 certain facts in the nation's history had to be known1 believed1 and kept in clear remembrance2 otherwise no reality could be found in the covenant4 ,and under the new covenant the same holds good4 ,the historical fact of ,christ's crucifixion must be kept in view1 and constantly revived by the ,lord's ,supper4 ,in either case redemption is the main idea presented by the commemorative ordinance4 ,the ,hebrew festival is not to be held on the anniversary of the giving of the law2 it recalls the great deliverance connected with the death of the first-born in ,egypt4 ,so the ,christian festival points to the deliverance of humanity through the death of ,christ4 ,remarkable is the congruity between the view of the law presented by ,paul and the fact that the great commemorative feast of ,hebraism is attached1 not to the legislation of ,sinai1 but to the rescue from ,egyptian bondage4 ,the law kept the ,hebrew nation in ward 7,gal4 iii4 #bc72 it was added because of transgressions1 till the seed should come to whom the promise had been made 7,gal4 iii4 #ai72 it came in beside1 that the trespass might abound 7,rom4 v4 #bj74 ,the ,hebrews were not required to commemorate that ordinance which laid on them a heavy burden and was found1 as time went on1 to be unto death 7,rom4 vii4 #aj74 ,and1 in like manner1 the feast of ,christianity does not recall the nativity of our ,lord1 nor that agony in the garden which showed ,him in the depths of human sorrow1 but that triumphant act of ,his soul which carried ,him1 and humanity with ,him1 through the shadow of death into the free life of spiritual energy and peace4 ,the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper is the commemoration of a victory by which we are enfranchised4 ,partaking of it in faith1 we realise our rescue from the ,egypt of slavery and fear1 our unity with ,christ and with one another as an elect race1 a royal priesthood1 a holy nation1 a people for ,god's own possession4 ,the wilderness journey lies before us still2 but in liberty we press on as the ransomed of the ,lord4 ,mr4 ,morley has said1 not without reason1 that the modern argument in favour of the supernatural origin of the ,christian religion1 drawn from its suitableness to our needs and its ,divine response to our aspirations1 is insufficient to prove it the absolute religion4 ,the argument1 he says1 can never carry us beyond the relativity of religious truth4#e ,christians may not assume that their aspirations are the absolute measure of those of humanity in every stage4 ,to dispense with faith in the historical facts of the life of ,christ1 ,his claims1 and the significance of ,his cross1 to leave these in the haze of the past as doubtful1 incapable of satisfactory proof1 and to rest all on the subjective experience which any one may reckon sufficient1 is to obliterate the covenant and destroy the unity of the ,church4 ,hence1 as the ,hebrews had their ,passover1 and the observance of it gave them coherence as a people and as a religious body1 so we have the ,supper4 ,no local centre1 indeed1 is appointed at which alone our symbolic feast can be observed4 ,wherever a few renew their covenant with ,god in proclaiming the ,lord's death till ,he come1 there the souls of the faithful are nourished and inspired through fellowship with ,him who brought spiritual life and liberty to our world4 ,,footnotes3 #c ,ruskin1 ,seven ,lamps of ,architecture4 #d ,for chap4 viii4 #e-bf see p4 #ci4 #e ,voltaire1 by ,john ,morley1 ed4 #ahia1 pp4 #bed1 #bee4 ,,vii ,,the ,,cloud ,,and ,,the ,,march #a4 ,,the ,,guiding ,,cloud ,,numbers ix4 #ae-bc ,the pillar of cloud1 the ensign of ,jehovah's royalty among the ,hebrews1 and for us one of the most ancient symbols of ,his grace1 is first mentioned in the account of the departure from ,egypt4 ,jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud1 to lead them the way2 and by night in a pillar of fire1 to give them light4 ,at the passage of the ,red ,sea this murky cloud removed and came between the host of ,israel and their pursuers4 ,in the morning watch ,jehovah looked unto the host of the ,egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud1 and troubled the host of the ,egyptians4 ,on that occasion it followed or represented the angel of ,god4 ,there is nowhere any attempt to give a complete account of the symbol4 ,we read of its glory filling the inner shrine and even the holy place4 ,at other times it only hovers above the western end of the tabernacle1 marking the situation of the ark4 ,now and again it moves from that position1 and covers the door of the tent of meeting into which ,moses has entered4 ,the targums use the term ,shechinah to indicate what it was conceived to be--a luminous cloud1 the visible manifestation of the ,divine presence2 and ,philo speaks of the fiery appearance of the ,deity shining forth from a cloud4 ,but these are glosses on the original descriptions and cannot be altogether harmonised4 ,in one passage only 7,isa4 iv4 #e7 do we find a reference which appears to throw any light on the real nature of the symbol4 ,evidently recalling it1 the prophet says1 ,jehovah will create over the whole habitation of ,mount ,zion1 and over her assemblies1 a cloud and smoke by day1 and the shining of a flaming fire by night4 ,to him the cloud is one of smoke rising from a fire which at night sends up tongues of flame2 and the reflection of the bright fire on the overhanging cloud resembles a canopy of glory4 ,ewald's view is that the smoke of the altar which went up in a thick column1 visible at a great distance by day1 ruddy with flame by night1 was the origin of the conception4 ,there are various objections to this theory1 which the author of it himself finds difficult to reconcile with many of the statements4 ,at the same time the pillar of cloud does not need to be thought of as in any respect a more ,divine symbol than others which were associated with the tabernacle4 ,certainly the ark of the covenant which ,bezaleel made according to the instructions of ,moses was1 far beyond anything else1 the sacred centre around which the whole of the worship gathered1 the mysterious emblem of ,jehovah's character1 the guarantee of ,his presence with ,israel4 ,it was from the space above the mercy-seat1 as we have seen1 that the ,voice proceeded1 not from the pillar of cloud4 ,the sanctity of the ark was so great that it was never exposed to the view of the people1 nor even of the ,levites who were set apart to carry it4 ,the cloud1 on the other hand1 was seen by all1 and had its principal function in showing where the ark was in the camp or on the march4 ,now assuming1 in harmony with the reference in ,isaiah1 that the cloud was one of smoke1 some may be disposed to think that1 like the ark of the covenant1 the holiest symbol of all1 this was produced by human intervention1 yet in a way not incompatible with its sacredness1 its mystery1 and value as a sign of ,jehovah's presence4 ,where ,moses was as leader1 lawgiver1 prophet1 mediator1 there ,god was for this people3 what ,moses did in the spirit of ,divine zeal and wisdom was done for ,israel by ,god4 ,through his inspiration the ritual and its elaborate symbolism had their origin4 ,and is it not possible that after the manner of the emblem of ,jehovah which appeared in the desert of ,horeb the fire and cloud were now realised8 ,while some may adopt this explanation1 others again will steadily believe that the appearance and movements of the cloud were quite apart from human device or agency4 ,scarcely any difficulty greater than that connected with the pillar of cloud presents itself to thoughtful modern readers of the ,pentateuch4 ,the traditional view1 apparently involved in the narrative1 is that in this cloud and in this alone ,jehovah revealed ,himself in the interval between ,his appearance to ,jacob and1 long afterwards1 to ,joshua in angelic form4 ,many will maintain that unless the cloud was of supernatural origin the whole relation of the ,israelites to their ,divine ,king must fall into shadow4 ,was not this one of the miracles which made ,hebrew history different in kind from that of every other nation8 ,is it not one of the revelations of the ,unseen ,god on which we must build if we are to have sure faith in the ,old ,testament economy1 and indeed in ,christianity itself1 as of superhuman revelation8 ,if we are not to interpret literally what is said in ,exodus--,the ,lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud1 to lead them the way2 and by night in a pillar of fire1 to give them light--shall we not practically abandon the whole ,divine element in the history of ,israel's deliverance and education8 ,thus the difficulty stands4 ,yet1 it may be argued1 since we have now the revelation of ,god in the human life of ,christ and the gospel of salvation through the ministry of men1 what need is there to doubt that1 for the guidance of a people from place to place in the wilderness1 the wisdom1 foresight1 and faithfulness of an inspired man were the appointed means8 ,it is admitted that in many things ,moses acted for ,jehovah1 that his mind received in idea1 and his intellectual skill expressed in verbal form1 the laws and statutes which were to maintain ,israel's relation to ,god as a covenant people4 ,we follow our ,lord ,himself in saying that ,moses gave ,israel the law4 ,but the legislation of the ,decalogue was far more of the nature of a disclosure of ,god1 and had far higher aims and issues than could be involved in the guidance through the desert4 ,the law was for the spiritual nature of the ,hebrews4 ,it brought them into relation with ,god as just1 pure1 true1 the sole source of moral life and progress4 ,as the nucleus of the covenant it was symbolic in a sense that fire could never be4 ,it may be asked1 then1 ,what need is there to doubt that ,moses had his part in this symbol which has so long appeared1 more than the other1 important as a nexus between heaven and earth8 ,to interpret the words whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent1 as meaning that it was self-moved1 would imply that ,moses1 though he is called the leader1 did not lead but was led like the rest4 ,and this would reduce his office to a point to which no prophet's work is reduced throughout the entire ,old ,testament4 ,was he unable to direct the march from ,moseroth to ,bene-jaakan8 ,an inspired man1 on whom1 according to the will of ,god1 lay the whole responsibility for ,israel's national development1 was he unable to determine when the pastures in one region were exhausted and others had to be sought8 ,then indeed the mediation of his genius would be so minimised that our whole idea of him must be changed4 ,especially would we have to set aside that prediction applied to ,christ3 ,a prophet shall the ,lord raise up unto you1 from your brethren1 like unto me4 ,and further1 it may be said1 the pillar of cloud and fire retains the whole of its value as a symbol when the intervention of ,moses is admitted2 and this may be proved by the analogy of other emblems4 ,almost parallel to the cloud1 for instance1 is the serpent of brass1 which became a sign of ,jehovah's healing power1 and conveyed new life to those who looked towards it in faith4 ,the fact that this rude image of a serpent was made by human hands did not in the least impair its value as an instrument of deliverance1 and the efficacy of that particular symbol was selected by ,christ as an illustration of ,his own redeeming energy which was to be gained through the cross3 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up4 ,for certain occasions and needs of a people one symbol avails2 in other circumstances there must be other signs4 ,the smoke-cloud was not enough when the serpents terrified the host4 ,elijah in this same desert saw a flashing fire2 but ,jehovah was not in the fire4 ,natural symbols1 however impressive1 do not avail by themselves2 and when ,god by ,his prophet says1 ,this cloud1 this fire1 symbolise ,my presence1 and the people believe1 is it not sufficient8 ,the ,divine ,friend is assuredly there4 ,the symbol is not ,god2 it represents a fact1 impresses a fact which altogether apart from the symbol would still hold good4 ,in the course of the passage 7ix4 #ag-bc7 the manner of the guidance given by means of the cloud is carefully detailed4 ,sometimes the tribes remained encamped for many days1 sometimes only from evening to morning4 ,whether it were two days1 or a month1 or a year1 that the cloud tarried on the tabernacle1 abiding thereon1 the children of ,israel remained encamped1 and journeyed not3 but when it was taken up1 they journeyed4 ,here is emphasised the authority which lay in the commandment of the ,lord by the hand of ,moses 7ver4 #bc74 ,for ,israel1 as for every nation that is not lost in the desert of the centuries1 and every society that is not on the way to confusion1 there must be wise guidance and cordial submission thereto4 ,we are not1 however1 saved now1 as the ,israelites were1 by a great movement of society1 or even of the ,church4 ,individually we must see the signal of the ,divine will1 and march where it points the way4 ,and in a sense there are no rests of many days4 ,each morning the cloud moves forward2 each morning we must strike our tents4 ,our march is in the way of thought1 of moral and spiritual progress2 and if we live in any real sense1 we shall press on along that way4 ,the indication of duty1 the guidance in thought which we are to follow1 impose a ,divine obligation none the less that they are communicated through the instrumentality of men4 ,for every group of travellers1 associated in worship1 duty1 and aim1 there is some spiritual authority pointing the direction to be followed4 ,as individuals we have our separate calling1 our responsibility to ,christ1 with which nothing is to interfere4 ,but the unity of ,christians in the faith and work of the kingdom of ,god must be kept2 and for this one like ,moses is needed1 or at least a consensus of judgment1 a clear expression of the corporate wisdom4 ,the standard must be carried forward1 and where it moves on to quiet pasturage or grim conflict the faithful are to advance4 ,ye armies of the living ,god1 ,his sacramental host1 ,where hallowed footsteps never trod ,take your appointed post4 ,follow the cross2 the ark of peace ,accompany your path4 ,thus1 we may say1 the general direction runs2 and in the changing circumstances of the ,church submission is given by its members to those who hold command at once from the ,lord ,himself and from ,his people4 ,but in the details of duty each must follow the guidance of a cloud that marks his own path to his own eye4 #b4 ,,the ,,silver ,,trumpets ,,numbers x4 #a-aj ,an air of antique simplicity is felt in the legislation regarding the two trumpets of silver1 yet we are not in any way hindered from connecting the statute with the idea of claiming human art for ,divine service4 ,instrumental music was of course rudimentary in the wilderness2 but1 such as it was1 ,jehovah was to control the use of it through the priests2 and the developed idea is found in the account of the dedication of the temple of ,solomon1 as recorded in #b ,chron4 v41 where we are told that besides the ,levites1 who had cymbals1 psalteries1 and harps1 a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets took part in the music4 ,there is no need to question the early use of these instruments2 nevertheless1 the legislation in our passage assumes the settlement in ,canaan1 and times when defensive war became necessary and the observance of the sacred feasts fell into a fixed order4 ,the statute is instructive as to the meaning of the formula ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses1 and not less as to the gradual accretion of particulars around an ancient nucleus4 ,we cannot set aside the sincere record1 though it may seem to make ,jehovah speak on matters of small importance4 ,but interpretation must spring from a right understanding of the purpose suggested to the mind of ,moses4 ,uses found for the trumpets in the course of years are simply extensions of the germinal idea of reserving for sacred use those instruments and the art they represented4 ,it was well that whatever fear or exhilaration the sounding of them caused should be controlled by those who were responsible to ,god for the moral inspiration of the people4 ,according to the statute1 the two trumpets1 which were of very simple make1 and capable of only a few notes1 had their use first in calling assemblies4 ,a long peal blown on one trumpet summoned the princes who were the heads of the thousands of ,israel3 a long peal on both trumpets called the whole congregation to the tent of meeting4 ,there were occasions when these assemblies were required not for deliberation1 but to hear in detail the instructions and orders of the leader4 ,at other times the convocations were for prayer or thanksgiving2 or1 again1 the people had to hear solemn reproofs and sentences of punishment4 ,we may imagine that with varying sound1 joyful or mournful1 the trumpets were made to convey some indication of the purpose for which the assembly was called4 ,a sacred obligation lay on the ,israelites to obey the summons1 whether for joy or sorrow4 ,they heard in the trumpet-blast the very voice of ,god4 ,and upon us1 bound to ,his service by a more solemn and gracious covenant1 rests an obligation even more commanding4 ,the unity of the tribes of ,israel1 and their fellowship in the obedience and worship of ,jehovah1 could never be of half so much importance as the unity of ,christians in declaring their faith and fulfilling their vocation4 ,to come together at the call of recurring opportunity1 that we may confess ,christ and hear ,his word anew1 is essential to our spiritual life4 ,those who hear the call should know its urgency and promptly respond1 lest in the midst of the holiest light there come to be a shadow of deep darkness1 the midnight gloom of paganism and death4 ,again1 in the wilderness1 the trumpets gave the signal for striking the camp and setting out on a new stage of the journey4 ,blown sharply by way of alarm1 the peals conveyed now to one1 now to another part of the host the order to advance4 ,the movement of the pillar of cloud1 we may assume1 could not be seen everywhere1 and this was another means of direction1 not only of a general kind1 but with some detail4 ,taking vv4 #e1 #f1 along with the passage beginning at ver4 #ad1 we have an ideal picture of the order of movement4 ,one peal1 sharply rung out from the trumpets1 would signify that the eastern camp1 embracing the tribes of ,judah1 ,issachar1 and ,zebulun1 should advance4 ,then the tabernacle was to be taken down1 and the ,levites of the families of ,gershon and ,merari were to set forward with the various parts of the tent and its enclosure4 ,next two alarms gave the signal to the southern camp1 that of ,reuben1 ,simeon1 and ,gad4 ,the ,levites of the family of ,kohath followed1 bearing the ark1 the altar of incense1 the great altar1 the table of shewbread1 and other furniture of the sanctuary4 ,the third and fourth camps1 of which ,ephraim and ,benjamin were the heads1 brought up the rear4 ,in these movements the trumpets would be of much use4 ,but it is quite clear that the real difficulty was not to set the divisions in motion each at a fit time4 ,the camps were not composed only of men under military discipline4 ,the women and children1 the old and feeble1 had to be cared for4 ,the flocks and herds also had to be kept in hand4 ,we cannot suppose that there was any orderly procession2 rather was each camp a straggling multitude1 with its own delays and interruptions4 ,and so it is in the case of every social and religious movement4 ,clear enough may be the command to advance1 the trumpet of ,providence1 the clarion of the ,gospel4 ,but men and women are undisciplined in obedience and faith4 ,they have many burdens of a personal kind to bear1 many private differences and quarrels4 ,how very seldom can the great ,leader find prompt response to ,his will1 though the terms of it are distinctly conveyed and the demand is urgent6 ,god makes a plan for us1 opens our way1 shows us our need1 proclaims the fit hours2 but our unbelief and fear and incapacity impede the march4 ,nevertheless1 through the grace of ,his providence1 as ,israel slowly made its way across the desert and reached ,canaan at last1 the ,church moves1 and will continue to move1 towards the holy future1 the millennial age4 ,turning now to the uses of the silver trumpets after the settlement in ,canaan1 there is first that connected with war4 ,the people are presumed to be living peaceably in their country2 but some neighbouring power has attacked them4 ,the sounding of the trumpets then is to be of the nature of a prayer to the ,divine ,protector of the nation4 ,the cry of the dependent tribes will be gathered up1 as it were1 into the shrill blast which carries the alarm to the throne of the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,to the army and to the nation assurance is given that the old promise of ,jehovah's favour remains in force1 and that the promise1 claimed by the priests according to the covenant1 will be fulfilled4 ,and this will make the trumpet-blast exhilarating1 a presage of victory4 ,the claim and hope of the nation rise heavenward4 ,the men of war stand together in faith1 and put to flight the armies of the aliens4 ,for the battles we have to fight1 the conflicts of faith with unbelief1 and righteousness with aggressive iniquity1 an inspiration is needed like that conveyed to ,israel in the peal of the silver trumpets4 ,have we any means of assurance resembling that which was to animate the ,hebrews when the enemy came upon them8 ,even the need is often unrecognised4 ,many take for granted that religion is safe1 that the truth requires no valour of theirs in maintaining it1 and the ,gospel of ,christ no spirited defence4 ,the trumpet is not heard because the duty to which all ,christians are called as helpers of the ,gospel is never considered4 ,messages are accepted as oracles of ,god only when they tell the trustful of safety and confirm them in easy enjoyment of spiritual privilege and hope4 ,one kind of trumpet peal alone is liked--that which sounds an alarm to the unconverted1 and bids them prepare for the coming of the ,judge4 ,but there are for all ,christians frequent calls to a service in which they need the courage of faith and every hope the covenant can give4 ,at the present time no greater mistake is possible than to sit in comfort under the shadow of ancient forms and creeds4 ,we cannot realise the value of the promise given to genuine faith unless we abandon the crumbling walls and meet our assailants in the open ground1 where we can see them face to face1 and know the spirit with which they fight1 the ensigns of their war4 ,there is no brave thinking now in those old shelters1 no room to use the armour of light4 ,christianity is one of the free forces of human life4 ,its true inspiration is found only when those who stand by it are bent on securing and extending the liberties of men4 ,the trumpets that lift to heaven the prayers of the faithful and fill the soldiers of the ,cross with the hope of victory can never be in the hands of those who claim exclusive spiritual authority1 nor will they ever again sound the old ,hebrew note4 ,they inspire those who are generous1 who feel that the more they give the more they are blessed1 who would impart to others their own life that ,god's love to the world may be known4 ,they call us not to defend our own privileges1 but to keep the way of salvation open to all1 to prevent the ,pharisee and the unbeliever from closing against men the door of heavenly grace4 ,once more2 in the days of gladness and solemn feasting the trumpets were to be blown over the burnt offerings and peace offerings4 ,the joy of the ,passover1 the hope of the new-moon festival1 especially in the beginning of the seventh month1 were to be sent up to heaven with the sound of these instruments1 not as if ,jehovah had forgotten ,his people and ,his covenant1 but for the assurance and comfort of the worshippers4 ,he was a ,friend before whom they could rejoice1 a ,king whose forgiveness was abundant1 who showed mercy unto the thousands who loved ,him and kept ,his commandments4 ,the music1 loud1 and clear1 and bold1 was to carry to all who heard it the conviction that ,god had been sought in the way of ,his holy law1 and would cause blessing to descend upon ,israel4 ,we claim with gentler sounds1 those of lowly prayer and pleading1 the help of the ,most ,high4 ,even in the secret chamber when the door is shut we can address our ,father1 knowing that our claim will be answered for the sake of ,christ4 ,yet there are times when the loud and clear hallelujahs1 borne heavenward by human voices and pealing organ1 seem alone to express our exultation4 ,then the instruments and methods of modern art may be said to bind the old ,hebrew times1 the ancient faith of the wilderness and of ,zion1 to our own4 ,we carry out ideas that lie at the heart of the race2 we realise that human skill1 human discovery1 find their highest use and delight when they make beautiful and inspiring the service of ,god4 #c4 ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,march ,,numbers x4 #aa-bh ,the difficulties connected with the order of march prescribed in this passage have been often and fully rehearsed4 ,according to the enumeration given in chap4 ii41 the van of the host formed by the division of ,judah1 men1 women1 and children1 must have reached some six hundred thousand at least4 ,the second division1 headed by ,reuben1 would number five hundred thousand4 ,the ,levites1 with their wives and children1 according to the same computation would be altogether about seventy thousand4 ,then came the two remaining camps1 about nine hundred thousand souls4 ,at the first signal six hundred thousand would have to get into marching order and move off across the desert4 ,there could be no absolute separation of the fighting men from their families and flocks1 and even if there were no narrow passes to confine the vast multitude1 it would occupy miles of road4 ,we must not put a day's journey at more than ten miles4 ,the foremost groups would therefore have reached the camping ground1 let us say1 when the last ranks of the second division were only beginning to move2 and the rear would still be on its way when night had long fallen upon the desert4 ,whatever obstacles were removed for the ,israelites1 the actual distance to be traversed could not be made less2 and the journey is always represented as a stern and serious discipline4 ,when we take into account the innumerable hindrances which so vast a company would certainly have to contend with1 it seems impossible that the order of march as detailed in this passage could have been followed for two days together4 ,suppose we receive the explanation that the numbers have been accidentally increased in the transcription of records4 ,this would relieve the narrative1 not only here but at many points1 of a burden it can hardly carry4 ,and we remember that according to the ,book of ,nehemiah less than fifty thousand ,jews1 returning from ,babylon at the close of the captivity1 reconstructed the nation1 so that it soon showed considerable spirit and energy4 ,if the numbers as they stand in the ,pentateuch were reduced1 divided by ten1 as some propose1 the desert journey would appear less of a mere marvel4 ,it would remain one of the most striking and important migrations known to history2 it would lose none of its religious significance4 ,no religious idea is affected by the numbers who receive it2 nor do the great purposes of ,god depend on multitudes for their fulfilment4 ,we can view with composure the criticism which touches the record on its numerical side1 because we know the prophetic work of ,moses and the providential education of ,israel to be incontrovertible facts4 ,it has been suggested that the order of march as described did not continue to be kept throughout the whole of the wilderness journey2 that in point of fact it may have been followed only so far as ,kadesh4 ,whether this was so or not it must be taken into account that for the greater part of the forty years there was absolutely no travelling2 the tribes were settled in the wilderness of ,paran4 ,the proofs are incidental but conclusive4 ,from a central point1 where the cloud rested 7,numb4 x4 #ab71 the people spread themselves1 we may suppose1 in various directions1 seeking grass for their cattle1 and living for the most part like the other inhabitants of the district4 ,even if there were but three years of travelling in all1 before and after the sojourn in the neighbourhood of ,kadesh1 there would be ample time for the movement from one place to another mentioned in the records4 ,,viii ,,hobab ,,the ,,kenite ,,numbers x4 #bi-cf ,the ,kenites1 an ,arab tribe belonging to the region of ,midian1 and sometimes called ,midianites1 sometimes ,amalekites1 were already in close and friendly relation with ,israel4 ,moses1 when he went first to ,midian1 had married a daughter of their chief ,jethro1 and1 as we learn from ,exod4 xviii41 this patriarch1 with his daughter ,zipporah and the two sons she had borne to ,moses1 came to the camp of ,israel at the mount of ,god4 ,the meeting was an occasion of great rejoicing2 and ,jethro1 as priest of his tribe1 having congratulated the ,hebrews on the deliverance ,jehovah had wrought for them1 took a burnt offering and sacrifices for ,god1 and was joined by ,moses1 ,aaron1 and all the elders of ,israel in the sacrificial feast4 ,a union was thus established between ,kenites and ,israelites of the most solemn and binding kind4 ,the peoples were sworn to continual friendship4 ,while ,jethro remained in the camp his counsel was given in regard to the manner of administering justice4 ,in accordance with it rulers of thousands1 hundreds1 fifties1 and tens were chosen1 able men1 such as feared ,god1 men of truth1 hating covetousness2 and to them matters of minor importance were referred for judgment1 the hard causes only being brought before ,moses4 ,the sagacity of one long experienced in the details of government came in to supplement the intellectual power and the inspiration of the ,hebrew leader4 ,it does not appear that any attempt was made to attach ,jethro and the whole of his tribe to the fortunes of ,israel4 ,the small company of the ,kenites could travel far more swiftly than a great host1 and1 if they desired1 could easily overtake the march4 ,moses1 we are told1 let his father-in-law depart1 and he went to his own place4 ,but now that the long stay of the ,israelites at ,sinai is over and they are about to advance to ,canaan1 the visit of a portion of the ,kenite tribe is made the occasion of an appeal to their leader to cast in his lot with the people of ,god4 ,there is some confusion in regard to the relationship of ,hobab with ,jethro or ,raguel4 ,whether ,hobab was a son or grandson of the chief cannot be made out4 ,the word translated father-in-law 7,numb4 x4 #bi71 means a relation by marriage4 ,whatever was the tie between ,hobab and ,moses1 it was at all events so close1 and the ,kenite had so much sympathy with ,israel1 that it was natural to make the appeal to him3 ,come thou with us1 and we will do thee good4 ,himself assured of the result of the enterprise1 anticipating with enthusiasm the high destiny of the tribes of ,israel1 ,moses endeavours to persuade these children of the desert to take the way to ,canaan4 ,there was a fascination in the movement of that people who1 rescued from bondage by their ,heavenly ,friend1 were on their journey to the land of ,his promise4 ,this fascination ,hobab and his followers appear to have felt2 and ,moses counted upon it4 ,the ,kenites1 used to the wandering life1 accustomed to strike their tents any day as occasion required1 no doubt recoiled from the thought of settling even in a fertile country1 still more from dwelling in any walled town4 ,but the south of ,canaan was practically a wilderness1 and there1 keeping to a great extent their ancestral habits1 they might have had the liberty they loved1 yet kept in touch with their friends of ,israel4 ,some aversion from the ,hebrews1 who still bore certain marks of slavery1 would have to be overcome4 ,yet1 with the bond already established1 there needed only some understanding of the law of ,jehovah1 and some hope in ,his promise to bring the company of ,hobab to decision4 ,and ,moses had right in saying1 ,come with us1 and we will do thee good2 for ,jehovah hath spoken good concerning ,israel4 ,the outlook to a future was something which the ,kenites as a people had not1 never could have in their desultory life4 ,unprogressive1 out of the way of the great movements of humanity1 gaining nothing as generations went by1 but simply reproducing the habits and treasuring the beliefs of their fathers1 the ,arab tribe might maintain itself1 might occasionally strike for righteousness in some conflict1 but otherwise had no prospect1 could have no enthusiasm4 ,they would live their hard life1 they would enjoy freedom1 they would die--such would be their history4 ,compared with that poor outlook1 how good it would be to share the noble task of establishing on the soil of ,canaan a nation devoted to truth and righteousness1 in league with the living ,god1 destined to extend ,his kingdom and make ,his faith the means of blessing to all4 ,it was the great opportunity of these nomads4 ,as yet1 indeed1 there was no courage of religion1 no brightness of enthusiasm among the ,israelites4 ,but there was the ark of the covenant1 there were the sacrifices1 the law2 and ,jehovah ,himself1 always present with ,his people1 was revealing ,his will and ,his glory by oracle1 by discipline and deliverance4 ,now these ,kenites may be taken as representing a class1 in the present day to a certain extent attracted1 even fascinated1 by the ,church1 who standing irresolute are appealed to in terms like those addressed by ,moses to ,hobab4 ,they feel a certain charm1 for in the wide organisation and vast activity of the ,christian ,church1 quite apart from the creed on which it is based1 there are signs of vigour and purpose which contrast favourably with endeavours directed to mere material gain4 ,in idea and in much of its effort the ,church is splendidly humane1 and it provides interests1 enjoyments1 both of an intellectual and artistic kind1 in which all can share4 ,not so much its universality nor its mission of converting the world1 nor its spiritual worship1 but rather the social advantages and the culture it offers draw towards it those minds and lives4 ,and to them it extends1 too often without avail1 the invitation to join its march4 ,is it asked why many1 partly fascinated1 remain proof against its appeals8 why an increasing number prefer1 like ,hobab1 the liberty of the desert1 their own unattached1 desultory1 hopeless way of life8 ,the answer must partly be that1 as it is1 the ,church does not fully commend itself by its temper1 its enthusiasm1 its sincerity and ,christianity4 ,it attracts but is unable to command1 because with all its culture of art it does not appear beautiful1 with all its claims of spirituality it is not unworldly2 because1 professing to exist for the redemption of society1 its methods and standards are too often human rather than ,divine4 ,it is not that the outsider shrinks from the religiousness of the ,church as overdone2 rather does he detect a lack of that very quality4 ,he could believe in the ,divine calling and join the enterprise of the ,church if he saw it journeying steadily towards a better country1 that is a heavenly4 ,its earnestness would then command him2 faith would compel faith4 ,but social status and temporal aims are not subordinated by the members of the ,church1 nor even by its leaders4 ,and whatever is done in the way of providing attractions for the pleasure-loving1 and schemes of a social kind1 these1 so far from gaining the undecided1 rather make them less disposed to believe4 ,more exciting enjoyments can be found elsewhere4 ,the ,church offering pleasures and social reconstruction is attempting to catch those outside by what1 from their point of view1 must appear to be chaff4 ,it is a question which every body of ,christians has need to ask itself--,can we honestly say to those without1 ,come with us1 and we will do you good8 ,in order that there may be certainty on this point1 should not every member of the ,church be able to testify that the faith he has gives joy and peace1 that his fellowship with ,god is making life pure and strong and free8 ,should there not be a clear movement of the whole body1 year by year1 towards finer spirituality1 broader and more generous love8 ,the gates of membership are in some cases opened to such only as make very clear and ample profession4 ,it does not1 however1 appear that those already within have always the ,christian spirit corresponding to that high profession4 ,and yet as ,moses could invite ,hobab and his company without misgiving because ,jehovah was the ,friend and ,guide of ,israel and had spoken good concerning her1 so because ,christ is the ,head of the ,church1 and ,captain of her salvation1 those outside may well be urged to join her fellowship4 ,if all depended on the earnestness of our faith and the steadfastness of our virtue we should not dare to invite others to join the march4 ,but it is with ,christ we ask them to unite4 ,imperfect in many ways1 the ,church is ,his1 exists to show ,his death1 to proclaim ,his ,gospel and extend ,his power4 ,in the whole range of human knowledge and experience there is but one life that is free1 pure1 hopeful1 energetic in every noble sense1 and at the same time calm4 ,in the whole range of human existence there is but one region in which the mind and the soul find satisfaction and enlargement1 in which men of all sorts and conditions find true harmony4 ,that life and that region of existence are revealed by ,christ2 into them ,he only is the ,way4 ,the ,church1 maintaining this1 demonstrating this1 is to invite all who stand aloof4 ,they who join ,christ and follow ,him will come to a good land1 a heavenly heritage4 ,the first invitation given to ,hobab was set aside4 ,nay1 he said1 ,i will not go2 but ,i will depart to my own land and to my kindred4 ,the old ties of country and people were strong for him4 ,the true ,arab loves his country passionately4 ,the desert is his home1 the mountains are his friends4 ,his hard life is a life of liberty4 ,he is strongly attached to his tribe1 which has its own traditions1 its own glories4 ,there have been feuds1 the memory of which must be cherished4 ,there are heirlooms that give dignity to those who possess them4 ,the people of the clan are brothers and sisters4 ,very little of the commercial mingles with the life of the desert2 so perhaps family feeling has the more power4 ,these influences ,hobab felt1 and this besides deterred him1 that if he joined the ,israelites he would be under the command of ,moses4 ,hobab was prospective head of his tribe1 already in partial authority at least4 ,to obey the word of command instead of giving it was a thing he could not brook4 ,no doubt the leader of ,israel had proved himself brave1 resolute1 wise4 ,he was a man of ardent soul and fitted for royal power4 ,but ,hobab preferred the chieftainship of his own small clan to service under ,moses2 and1 brought to the point of deciding1 he would not agree4 ,freedom1 habit1 the hopes that have become part of life--these in like manner interpose between many and a call which is known to be from ,god4 ,there is restraint within the circle of faith2 old ideas1 traditional conceptions of life1 and many personal ambitions have to be relinquished by those who enter it4 ,accustomed to that ,midian where every man does according to the bent of his own will1 where life is hard but uncontrolled1 where all they have learned to care for and desire may be found1 many are unwilling to choose the way of religion1 subjection to the law of ,christ1 the life of spiritual conflict and trial1 however much may be gained at once and in the eternal future4 ,yet the liberty of their ,midian is illusory4 ,it is simply freedom to spend strength in vain1 to roam from place to place where all alike are barren1 to climb mountains lightning-riven1 swept by interminable storms4 ,and the true liberty is with ,christ1 who opens the prospect of the soul1 and redeems the life from evil1 vanity1 and fear4 ,the heavenward march appears to involve privation and conflict1 which men do not care to face4 ,but is the worldly life free from enemies1 hardships1 disappointments8 ,the choice is1 for many1 between a bare life over which death triumphs1 and a life moving on over obstacles1 through tribulations1 to victory and glory4 ,the attractions of land and people1 set against those of ,christian hope1 have no claim4 ,every one1 says the ,lord1 that hath left houses1 or brethren1 or sisters1 or father1 or mother1 or children1 or lands1 for ,my sake1 shall receive a hundredfold1 and shall inherit eternal life4 ,passing on1 the narrative informs us that ,moses used another plea3 ,leave us not1 ,i pray thee2 forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness1 and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes4 ,hobab did not respond to the promise of advantage to himself2 he might be moved by the hope of being useful4 ,knowing that he had to deal with a man who was proud1 and in his way magnanimous1 ,moses wisely used this appeal4 ,and he used it frankly1 without pretence4 ,hobab might do real and valuable service to the tribes on their march to ,canaan4 ,accustomed to the desert1 over which he had often travelled1 acquainted with the best methods of disposing a camp in any given position1 with the quick eye and habit of observation which the ,arab life gives1 ,hobab would be the very adjutant to whom ,moses might commit many details4 ,if he joins the tribes on this footing it will be without pretence4 ,he professes no greater faith either in ,israel's destiny or in ,jehovah's sole ,godhead than he really feels4 ,wishing ,israel well1 interested in the great experiment1 yet not bound up in it1 he may give his counsel and service heartily so far as they avail4 ,we are here introduced to another phase of the relation between the ,church and those who do not altogether accept its creed1 or acknowledge its mission to be supernatural1 ,divine4 ,confessing unwillingness to receive the ,christian system as a whole1 perhaps openly expressing doubts of the miraculous1 for example1 many in our day have still so much sympathy with the ethics and culture of ,christianity that they would willingly associate themselves with the ,church1 and render it all the service in their power4 ,their tastes have led them to subjects of study and modes of self-development not in the proper sense religious4 ,some are scientific1 some have literary talent1 some artistic1 some financial4 ,the question may be1 whether the ,church should invite these to join her ranks in any capacity1 whether room may be made for them1 tasks assigned to them4 ,on the one hand1 would it be dangerous to ,christian faith8 on the other hand1 would it involve them in self-deception8 ,let it be assumed that they are men of honour and integrity1 men who aim at a high moral standard and have some belief in the spiritual dignity man may attain4 ,on this footing may their help be sought and cordially accepted by the ,church8 ,we cannot say that the example of ,moses should be taken as a rule for ,christians4 ,it was one thing to invite the co-operation with ,israel for a certain specified purpose of an ,arab chief who differed somewhat in respect of faith2 it would be quite another thing to invite one whose faith1 if he has any1 is only a vague theism1 to give his support to ,christianity4 ,yet the cases are so far parallel that the one illustrates the other4 ,and one point appears to be this1 that the ,church may show itself at least as sympathetic as ,israel4 ,is there but a single note of unison between a soul and ,christianity8 ,let that be recognised1 struck again and again till it is clearly heard4 ,our ,lord rewarded the faith of a ,syrophnician woman1 of a ,roman centurion4 ,his religion cannot be injured by generosity4 ,attachment to ,himself personally1 disposition to hear ,his words and accept ,his morality1 should be hailed as the possible dawn of faith1 not frowned upon as a splendid sin4 ,every one who helps sound knowledge helps the ,church4 ,the enthusiast for true liberty has a point of contact with ,him whose truth gives freedom4 ,the ,church is a spiritual city with gates that stand wide open day and night towards every region and condition of human life1 towards the north and south1 the east and west4 ,if the wealthy are disposed to help1 let them bring their treasures2 if the learned devote themselves reverently and patiently to her literature1 let their toil be acknowledged4 ,science has a tribute that should be highly valued1 for it is gathered from the works of ,god2 and art of every kind--of the poet1 the musician1 the sculptor1 the painter--may assist the cause of ,divine religion4 ,the powers men have are given by ,him who claims all as ,his own4 ,the vision of ,isaiah in which he saw ,tarshish and the isles1 ,sheba and ,seba offering gifts to the temple of ,god1 did not assume that the tribute was in all cases that of covenant love4 ,and the ,church of ,christ has broader human sympathy and better right to the service of the world than ,isaiah knew4 ,for the ,church's good1 and for the good of those who may be willing in any way to aid her work and development1 all gifts should be gladly received1 and those who stand hesitating should be invited to serve4 ,but the analogy of the invitation to ,hobab involves another point which must always be kept in view4 ,it is this1 that the ,church is not to slacken her march not divert her march in any degree because men not fully in sympathy with her join the company and contribute their service4 ,the ,kenite may cast in his lot with the ,israelites and aid them with his experience4 ,but ,moses will not cease to lead the tribes towards ,canaan1 will not delay their progress a single day for ,hobab's sake4 ,nor will he less earnestly claim sole ,godhead for ,jehovah1 and insist that every sacrifice shall be made to ,him and every life kept holy in ,his way1 for ,his service4 ,perhaps the ,kenite faith differed little in its elements from that which the ,israelites inherited4 ,it may have been monotheistic2 and we know that part of the worship was by way of sacrifice not unlike that appointed by the ,mosaic law4 ,but it had neither the wide ethical basis nor the spiritual aim and intensity which ,moses had been the means of imparting to ,israel's religion4 ,and from the ideas revealed to him and embodied in the moral and ceremonial law he could not for the sake of ,hobab resile in the least4 ,there should be no adjustment of creed or ritual to meet the views of the new ally4 ,onward to ,canaan1 onward also along the lines of religious duty and development1 the tribes would hold their way as before4 ,in modern alliances with the ,church a danger is involved1 sufficiently apparent to all who regard the state of religion4 ,history is full of instances in which1 to one company of helpers and another1 too much has been conceded2 and the march of spiritual ,christianity is still greatly impeded by the same thing4 ,money contributed1 by whomsoever1 is held to give the donors a right to take their place in councils of the ,church1 or at least to sway decision now in one direction1 now in another4 ,prestige is offered with the tacit understanding that it shall be repaid with deference4 ,the artist uses his skill1 but not in subordination to the ideas of spiritual religion4 ,he assumes the right to give them his own colour1 and may even1 while professing to serve ,christianity1 sensualise its teaching4 ,scholarship offers help1 but is not content to submit to ,christ4 ,having been allowed to join itself with the ,church1 it proceeds1 not infrequently1 to play the traitor's part1 assailing the faith it was invoked to serve4 ,those who care more for pleasure than for religion may within a certain range find gratification in ,christian worship2 they are apt to claim more and still more of the element that meets their taste4 ,and those who are bent on social reconstruction would often1 without any thought of doing wrong1 divert the ,church entirely from its spiritual mission4 ,when all these influences are taken into account1 it will be seen that ,christianity has to go its way amid perils4 ,it must not be unsympathetic4 ,but those to whom its camp is opened1 instead of helping the advance1 may neutralise the whole enterprise4 ,every ,church has great need at present to consider whether that clear spiritual aim which ought to be the constant guide is not forgotten1 at least occasionally1 for the sake of this or that alliance supposed to be advantageous4 ,it is difficult to find the mean1 difficult to say who serve the ,church1 who hinder its success4 ,more difficult still is it to distinguish those who are heartily with ,christianity from those who are only so in appearance1 having some nostrum of their own to promote4 ,hobab may decide to go with ,israel2 but the invitation he accepts1 perhaps with an air of superiority1 of one conferring a favour1 is really extended to him for his good1 for the saving of his life4 ,let there be no blowing of the silver trumpets to announce that a prince of the ,kenites henceforth journeys with ,israel2 they were not made for that6 ,let there be no flaunting of a gay ensign over his tent4 ,we shall find that a day comes when the men who stand by true religion have--perhaps through ,kenite influence--the whole congregation to face4 ,so it is in ,churches4 ,on the other hand1 ,pharisaism is a great danger1 equally tending to destroy the value of religion2 and ,providence ever mingles the elements that enter into the counsels of ,christianity1 challenging the highest wisdom1 courage1 and charity of the faithful4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the closing verses of chap4 x4 7#cc-f71 belonging1 like the passage just considered1 to the prophetic narrative1 affirm that the ark was borne from ,sinai three days' journey before the host to find a halting-place4 ,the reconciliation between this statement and the order which places the ark in the centre of the march1 may be that the ideal plan was at the outset not observed1 for some sufficient reason4 ,the absolute sincerity of the compilers of the ,book of ,numbers is shown in their placing almost side by side the two statements without any attempt to harmonise4 ,both were found in the ancient documents1 and both were set down in good faith4 ,the scribes into whose hands the old records came did not assume the rle of critics4 ,at the beginning of every march ,moses is reported to have used the chant3 ,rise up1 ,o ,jehovah1 and let ,thine enemies be scattered2 and let them that hate ,thee flee before ,thee4 ,when the ark rested he said3 ,return1 ,o ,jehovah1 unto the ten thousands of the thousands of ,israel4 ,the former is the opening strain of ,psalm lxviii41 and its magnificent strophes move towards the idea of that rest which ,israel finds in the protection of her ,god4 ,part of the ode returns upon the desert journey1 adding some features and incidents omitted in the narrations of the ,pentateuch--such as the plentiful rain which refreshed the weary tribes1 the publishing by women of some ,divine oracle4 ,but on the whole the psalm agrees with the history1 making ,sinai the scene of the great revelation of ,god1 and indicating the guidance ,he gave through the wilderness by means of the cloudy pillar4 ,the chants of ,moses would be echoed by the people1 and would help to maintain the sense of constant relation between the tribes and their unseen ,defender4 ,through the wilderness ,israel went1 not knowing from what quarter the sudden raid of a desert people might be made4 ,swiftly1 silently1 as if springing out of the very sand1 the ,arab raiders might bear down upon the travellers4 ,they were assured of the guardianship of ,him whose eye never slumbered1 when they kept ,his way and held themselves at ,his command4 ,here the resemblance to our case in the journey of life is clear2 and we are reminded of our need of defence and the only terms on which we may expect it4 ,we may look for protection against those who are the enemies of ,god4 ,but we have no warrant for assuming that on whatever errand we are bound we have but to invoke the ,divine arm in order to be secure4 ,the dreams of those who think their personal claim on ,god may always be urged have no countenance in the prayer1 ,rise up1 ,o ,jehovah1 and let ,thine enemies be scattered4 ,and as ,israel settling to rest after some weary march could enjoy the sense of ,jehovah's presence only if the duties of the day had been patiently done1 and the thought of ,god's will had made peace in every tribe1 and ,his promise had given courage and hope--so for us1 each day will close with the ,divine benediction when we have fought a good fight and kept the faith4 ,fidelity there must be2 or1 if it has failed1 the deep repentance that subdues wandering desire and rebellious will1 bringing the whole of life anew into the way of lowly service4 ,,ix ,,the ,,strain ,,of ,,the ,,desert ,,journey ,,numbers xi ,the narrative has accompanied the march of ,israel but a short way from the mount of ,god to some spot marked for an encampment by the ark of the covenant1 and already complaining has to be told of1 and the swift judgment of those who complained4 ,the ,israelites have made a reservation in their covenant with ,god1 that though obedience and trust are solemnly promised1 yet leave shall be taken to murmur against ,his providence4 ,they will have ,god for their ,protector1 they will worship ,him2 but let ,him make their life smooth4 ,much has had to be borne which they did not anticipate2 and they grumble and speak evil4 ,generally men do not realise that their murmuring is against ,god4 ,they have no intention to accuse ,his providence4 ,it is of other men they complain1 who come in their way2 of accidents1 so called1 for which no one seems to be responsible2 of regulations1 well enough meant1 which at some point prove vexatious2 the obtuseness and carelessness of those who undertake but do not perform4 ,and there does seem to be a great difference between displeasure with human agents whose follies and failures provoke us1 and discontent with our own lot and its trials4 ,at the same time1 this has to be kept in view1 that while we carefully refrain from criticising ,providence1 there may be1 underlying our complaints1 a tacit opinion that the world is not well made nor well ordered4 ,to a certain extent the persons who irritate us are responsible for their mistakes2 but just among those who are prone to err our discipline has been appointed4 ,to gird at them is as much a revolt against the ,creator as to complain of the heat of summer or the winter cold4 ,with our knowledge of what the world is1 of what our fellow-creatures are1 should go the perception that ,god rules everywhere and stands against us when we resent what1 in ,his world1 we have to do or to suffer4 ,he is against those who fail in duty also4 ,yet it is not for us to be angry4 ,our due will not be withheld4 ,even when we suffer most it is still offered1 still given4 ,while we endeavour to remedy the evils we feel1 it must be without a thought that the order appointed by the ,great ,king fails us at any point4 ,the punishment of those who complained is spoken of as swift and terrible4 ,the fire of the ,lord burnt among them1 and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp4 ,this judgment falls under a principle assumed throughout the whole book1 that disaster must overtake transgressors1 and conversely that death by pestilence1 earthquake1 or lightning is invariably a result of sin4 ,for the ,israelites this was one of the convictions that maintained a sense of moral duty and of the danger of offending ,god4 ,again and again in the wilderness1 where thunderstorms were common and plagues spread rapidly1 the impression was strongly confirmed that the ,most ,high observed everything that was done against ,his will4 ,the journey to ,canaan brought in this way a new experience of ,god to those who had been accustomed to the equable conditions of climate and the comparative health enjoyed in ,egypt4 ,the moral education of the people advanced by the quickening of conscience in regard to all that befell ,israel4 ,from the disaster at ,taberah the narrative passes to another phase of complaint in which the whole camp was involved4 ,the dissatisfaction began amongst the mixed multitude--that somewhat lawless crowd of low-caste ,egyptians and people of the ,delta and the wilderness who attached themselves to the host4 ,among them first1 because they had absolutely no interest in ,israel's hope1 a disposition to quarrel with their circumstances would naturally arise4 ,but the spirit of dissatisfaction grew apace1 and the burden of the new complaint was3 ,we have nought but this manna to look to4 ,the part of the desert into which the travellers had now penetrated was even more sterile than ,midian4 ,hitherto the food had been varied somewhat by occasional fruits and the abundant milk of kine and goats4 ,but pasturage for the cattle was scanty in the wilderness of ,paran1 and there were no trees of any kind4 ,appetite found nothing that was refreshing4 ,their soul was dried away4 ,it was a common belief in our ,lord's time that the manna1 falling from heaven1 very food of the angels1 had been so satisfying1 so delicious1 that no people could have been more favoured than those who ate of it4 ,when ,christ spoke of the meat which endureth unto eternal life1 the thought of ,his hearers immediately turned to the manna as the special gift of ,god to their fathers1 and they conceived an expectation that ,jesus would give them that bread of heaven1 and so prove ,himself worthy of their faith4 ,but ,he replied1 ,moses gave you not that bread out of heaven1 but ,my ,father giveth you the true bread out of heaven4 ,i am the ,bread of ,life4 ,in the course of time the manna had been1 so to speak1 glorified4 ,it appeared to the later generations one of the most wonderful and impressive things recorded in the whole history of their nation1 this provision made for the wandering host4 ,there was the water from the rock1 and there was the manna4 ,what a benignant ,providence had watched over the tribes6 ,how bountiful ,god had been to the people in the old days6 ,they longed for a sign of the same kind4 ,to enjoy it would restore their faith and put them again in the high position which had been denied for ages4 ,but these notions are not borne out by the history as we have it in the passage under notice4 ,nothing is said about angels' food--that is a poetical expression which a psalmist used in his fervour4 ,here we read1 as to the coming of the manna1 that when the dew fell upon the camp at night the manna fell upon it1 or with it4 ,and so far from the people being satisfied1 they complained that instead of the fish and onions1 cucumbers and melons of ,egypt1 they had nothing but manna to eat4 ,the taste of it is described as like that of fresh oil4 ,in ,exodus it is said to have resembled wafers mixed with honey4 ,it was not the privilege of the ,israelites in the wilderness but their necessity to live on this somewhat cloying food4 ,in no sense can it be called ideal4 ,nevertheless1 complaining about it1 they were in serious fault1 betraying the foolish expectation that on the way to liberty they should have no privations4 ,and their discontent with the manna soon became alarming to ,moses4 ,a sort of hysteria spread through the camp4 ,not the women only1 but the men at the doors of their tents bewailed their hard lot4 ,there was a tempest of tears and cries4 ,god1 through ,his providence1 determining for men1 carrying out ,his own designs for their good1 does not allow them to keep in the region of the usual and of mere comfort4 ,something is brought into their life which stirs the soul4 ,in new hope they begin an enterprise the course and end of which they cannot foresee4 ,the conventional1 the pleasant1 the peace and abundance of ,egypt1 can be no longer enjoyed if the soul is to have its own4 ,by ,moses ,jehovah summoned the ,israelites from the land of plenty to fulfil a high mission2 and when they responded1 it was so far a proof that there was in them spirit enough for an uncommon destiny4 ,but for the accomplishment of it they had to be nerved and braced by trial4 ,their ordeal was that mortifying of the flesh and of sensuous desire which must be undergone if the hopes through which the mind becomes conscious of the will of ,god are to be fulfilled4 ,in our personal history ,god1 reaching us by ,his word1 enlightening us with regard to the true ends of our being1 calls us to begin a journey which has no earthly terminus and promises no earthly reward4 ,we may be quite sure that we have not yet responded to ,his call if there is nothing of the wilderness in our life1 no hardship1 no adventure1 no giving up of what is good in a temporal sense for what is good in a spiritual sense4 ,the very essence of the design of ,god concerning a man is that he leave the lower and seek the higher1 that he deny himself that which according to the popular view is his life1 in order to seek a remote and lofty goal4 ,there will be duty that calls for faith1 that needs hope and courage4 ,in doing it he will have recurring trials of his spirit1 necessities of self-discipline1 stern difficulties of choice and action4 ,every one of these he must face4 ,what is wrong with many lives is that they have no strain in them as of a desert journey towards a heavenly ,canaan1 the realisation of spiritual life4 ,adventure1 when it is undertaken1 is often for the sake of getting fish and melons and cucumbers by-and-by in greater abundance and of better kinds4 ,many live hardly just now1 not because they are on the way to spiritual freedom and the high destiny of life in ,god1 but because they believe themselves to be on the way to better social position1 to wealth or honour4 ,but take the life that has begun its high enterprise at the urgency of a ,divine vocation1 and that life will find hardness1 deprivations1 perils1 of its own4 ,it is not given to us to be absolutely certain in decision and endeavour4 ,out in the wilderness1 even when manna is provided1 and the pillar of cloud seems to show the way1 the people of ,god are in danger of doubting whether they have done wisely1 whether they have not taken too much upon themselves or laid too much upon the ,lord4 ,the ,israelites might have said1 ,we have obeyed ,god3 why1 then1 should the sun smite us with burning heat1 and the dust-storms sweep down upon our march1 and the night fall with so bitter a chill8 ,interminable toil1 in travelling1 in attending to cattle and domestic duties1 in pitching tents and striking them1 gathering fuel1 searching far and wide through the camp for food1 helping the children1 carrying the sick and aged1 toil that did not cease till far into the night and had to be resumed with early morning--such1 no doubt1 were the things that made life in the wilderness irksome4 ,and although many now have a lighter burden1 yet our social life1 adding new difficulties with every improvement1 our domestic affairs1 the continual struggle necessary in labour and business1 furnish not a few causes of irritation and of bitterness4 ,god does not remove annoyances out of the way even of ,his devoted servants4 ,we remember how ,paul was vexed and burdened while carrying the world's thought on into a new day4 ,we remember what a weight the infirmities and treacheries of men laid upon the heart of ,christ4 ,let us thank ,god if we feel sometimes across the wilderness a breeze from the hills of the heavenly ,canaan1 and now and then catch glimpses of them far away4 ,but the manna may seem flat and tasteless1 nevertheless2 the road may seem long2 the sun may scorch4 ,tempted to despond1 we need afresh to assure ourselves that ,god is faithful who has given us ,his promise4 ,and although we seem to be led not towards the heavenly frontier1 but often aside through close defiles into some region more barren and dismal than we have yet crossed1 doubt is not for us4 ,he knoweth the way that we take2 when ,he has tried us1 we shall come forth where ,he appoints4 ,from the people we turn to ,moses and the strain he had to bear as leader4 ,partly it was due to his sense of the wrath of ,god against ,israel4 ,to a certain extent he was responsible for those he led1 for nothing he had done was apart from his own will4 ,the enterprise was laid on him as a duty certainly2 yet he undertook it freely4 ,such as the ,israelites were1 with that mixed multitude among them1 a dangerous element enough1 ,moses had personally accepted the leadership of them4 ,and now the murmuring1 the lusting1 the childish weeping1 fall upon him4 ,he feels that he must stand between the people and ,jehovah4 ,the behaviour of the multitude vexes him to the soul2 yet he must take their part1 and avert1 if possible1 their condemnation4 ,the position is one in which a leader of men often finds himself4 ,things are done which affront him personally1 yet he cannot turn against the wayward and unbelieving1 for1 if he did1 the cause would be lost4 ,the ,divine judgment of the transgressors falls on him all the more because they themselves are unaware of it4 ,the burden such an one has to sustain points directly to the sin-bearing of ,christ4 ,wounded to the soul by the wrong-doing of men1 ,he had to interpose between them and the stroke of the law1 the judgment of ,god4 ,and may not ,moses be said to be a type of ,christ8 ,the parallel may well be drawn2 yet the imperfect mediation of ,moses fell far short of the perfect mediation of our ,lord4 ,the narrative here reflects that partial knowledge of the ,divine character which made the mediation of ,moses human and erring for all its greatness4 ,for one thing ,moses exaggerated his own responsibility4 ,he asked of ,god3 ,why hast ,thou evil entreated ,thy servant8 ,why dost ,thou lay the burden of all this people upon me8 ,am ,i their father8 ,am ,i to carry the whole multitude as a father carries his young child in his bosom8 ,these are ignorant words1 foolish words4 ,moses is responsible1 but not to that extent4 ,it is fit that he should be grieved when the ,israelites do wrong1 but not proper that he should charge ,god with laying on him the duty of keeping and carrying them like children4 ,he speaks unadvisedly with his lips4 ,responsibility of those who endeavour to lead others has its limits2 and the range of duty is bounded in two ways--on the one hand by the responsibility of men for themselves1 on the other hand by ,god's responsibility for them1 ,god's care of them4 ,moses should see that no law or ordinance makes him chargeable with the childish lamentations of those who know they should not complain1 who ought to be manly and endure with stout hearts4 ,if persons who can go on their own feet want to be carried1 no one is responsible for carrying them4 ,it is their own fault when they are left behind4 ,if those who can think and discover duty for themselves1 desire constantly to have it pointed out to them1 crave daily encouragement in doing their duty1 and complain because they are not sufficiently considered1 the leader1 like ,moses1 is not responsible4 ,every man must bear his own burden--that is1 must bear the burden of duty1 of thought1 of effort1 so far as his ability goes4 ,then1 on the other side1 the power of ,god is beneath all1 ,his care extends over all4 ,moses ought not for a moment to doubt ,jehovah's mindfulness of ,his people4 ,men who hold office in society or the ,church are never to think that their effort is commensurate with ,god's4 ,proud indeed he would be who said3 ,the care of all these souls lies on me3 if they are to be saved1 ,i must save them2 if they perish1 ,i shall be chargeable with their blood4 ,speaking ignorantly and in haste1 ,moses went almost that length2 but his error is not to be repeated4 ,the charge of the ,church and of the world is ,god's2 and ,he never fails to do for all and for each what is right4 ,the teacher of men1 the leader of affairs1 with full sympathy and indefatigable love1 is to do all he can1 yet never trench on the responsibility of men for their own life1 or assume to himself the part of ,providence4 ,moses made one mistake and went on to another4 ,he was on the whole a man of rare patience and meekness2 yet on this occasion he spoke to ,jehovah in terms of daring resentment4 ,his cry was to get rid of the whole enterprise3 ,if ,thou deal thus with me1 kill me1 ,i pray ,thee1 out of hand1 and let me not see my wretchedness4 ,he seemed to himself to have this work to do and no other1 apparently imagining that if he was not competent for this1 he could be of no use in the world4 ,but even if he had failed as a leader1 highest in office1 he might have been fit enough for a secondary place1 under ,joshua or some other whom ,god might inspire3 this he failed to see4 ,and although he was bound up in ,israel's well-being1 so that if the expedition did not prosper he had no wish to live1 and was so far sincerely patriotic1 yet what good end could his death serve8 ,the desire to die shows wounded pride4 ,better live on and turn shepherd again4 ,no man is to despise his life1 whatever it is1 however it may seem to come short of the high ambition he has cherished as a servant of ,god and men4 ,discovering that in one line of endeavour he cannot do all he would1 let him make trial of others1 not pray for death4 ,the narrative represents ,god as dealing graciously with his erring servant4 ,help was provided for him by the appointment of seventy elders1 who were to share the task of guiding and controlling the tribes4 ,these seventy were to have a portion of the leader's spirit--zeal and enthusiasm like his own4 ,their influence in the camp would prevent the faithlessness and dejection which threatened to wreck the ,hebrew enterprise4 ,further1 the murmuring of the people was to be effectually silenced4 ,flesh was to be given them till they loathed it4 ,they should learn that the satisfaction of ignorant desire meant punishment rather than pleasure4 ,the promise of flesh was speedily fulfilled by an extraordinary flight of quails1 brought up1 according to the seventy-eighth ,psalm1 by a wind which blew from the south and east--that is1 from the ,elanitic ,gulf4 ,these quails cannot sustain themselves long on the wing1 and after crossing the desert some thirty or forty miles they would scarcely be able to fly4 ,the enormous numbers of them which fluttered around the camp are not beyond ordinary possibility4 ,fowls of this kind migrate at certain seasons in such enormous multitudes that in the small island of ,capri1 near ,naples1 one hundred and sixty thousand have been netted in one season4 ,when exhausted1 they would easily be taken as they flew at a height of about two cubits above the ground4 ,the whole camp was engaged in capturing quails from one morning to the evening of the following day2 and the quantity was so great that he who gathered least had ten homers1 probably a heap estimated to be of that measure4 ,to keep them for further use the birds were prepared and spread on the ground to dry in the sun4 ,when the epidemic of weeping broke out through the camp1 the doubt occurred to ,moses whether there was any spiritual quality in the people1 any fitness for duty or destiny of a religious kind4 ,they seemed to be all unbelievers on whom the goodness of ,god and the sacred instruction had been wasted4 ,they were earthly and sensual4 ,how could they ever trust ,god enough to reach ,canaan8--or if they reached it1 how would their occupation of it be justified8 ,they would but form another heathen nation1 all the worse that they had once known the true ,god and had abandoned ,him4 ,but a different view of things was presented to ,moses when the chosen elders1 men of worth1 were gathered at the tent of meeting1 and on a sudden impulse of the ,spirit began to prophesy4 ,as these men in loud and ecstatic language proclaimed their faith1 ,moses found his confidence in ,jehovah's power and in the destiny of ,israel re-established4 ,his mind was relieved at once of the burden of responsibility and the dread of an extinction of the heavenly light he had been the means of kindling among the tribes4 ,if there were seventy men capable of receiving the ,spirit of ,god1 there might be hundreds1 even thousands4 ,a spring of new enthusiasm is opened1 and ,israel's future is again possible4 ,now there were two men1 ,eldad and ,medad1 who were of the seventy1 but had not come to the tent of meeting1 where the prophetic spirit fell upon the rest4 ,they had not heard the summons1 we may suppose4 ,unaware of what was taking place at the tabernacle1 yet realising the honour conferred upon them1 they were perhaps engaged in ordinary duties1 or1 having found some need for their interference1 they may have been rebuking murmurers and endeavouring to restore order among the unruly4 ,and suddenly they also1 under the same influence as the other sixty-eight1 began to prophesy4 ,the spirit of earnestness caught them4 ,with the same ecstasy they declared their faith and praised the ,god of ,israel4 ,there was in one sense a limitation of the spirit of prophecy1 whatever it was4 ,of all the host only the seventy received it4 ,other good men and true in ,israel that day might have seemed as capable of the heavenly endowment as those who prophesied4 ,it was1 however1 in harmony with a known principle that the men designated to special office alone received the gift4 ,the sense of a choice felt to be that of ,god does unquestionably exalt the mind and spirit of those chosen4 ,they realise that they stand higher and must do more for ,god and men than others1 that they are inspired to say what otherwise they could not dare to say4 ,the limitation of the ,spirit in this sense is not invariable1 is not strict4 ,at no time in the world's history has the call to office been indispensable to prophetic fervour and courage4 ,yet the sequence is sufficiently common to be called a law4 ,but while in a sense there is restriction of the spiritual influence1 in another sense there is no restraint4 ,the ,divine afflatus is not confined to those who have gathered at the tabernacle4 ,it is not place or occasion that makes the prophets2 it is the ,spirit1 the power from on high entering into life2 and out in the camp the two have their portion of the new energy and zeal4 ,spiritual influence1 then1 is not confined to any particular place4 ,neither was the neighbourhood of the tabernacle so holy that there alone the elders could receive their gift2 nor is any place of meeting1 any church1 capable of such consecration and singular identification with the service of ,god that there alone the power of the ,divine ,spirit can be manifested or received4 ,let there be a man chosen of ,god1 ready for the duties of a holy calling1 and on that man the ,spirit will come1 wherever he is1 in whatever he is engaged4 ,he may be employed in common work1 but in doing it he will be moved to earnest service and testimony4 ,he may be labouring1 under great difficulties1 to restore the justice that has been impaired by social errors and political chicanery--and his words will be prophetic2 he will be a witness for ,god to those who are without faith1 without holy fear4 ,while ,eldad and ,medad prophesied in the camp1 a young man who heard them ran officiously to inform ,moses4 ,to this young man as to others--for no doubt there were many who loved and revered the ,usual--the two elders were presumptuous fools4 ,the camp was1 as we say1 secular3 was it not8 ,people in the camp looked after ordinary affairs1 tended their cattle1 chaffered and bargained1 quarrelled about trifles1 murmured against ,moses and against ,god4 ,was it right to prophesy there1 carrying religious words and ideas into the midst of common life8 ,if ,eldad and ,medad could prophesy1 let them go to the tabernacle4 ,and besides1 what right had they to speak for ,jehovah1 in ,jehovah's name8 ,was not ,moses the prophet1 the only prophet8 ,israel was accustomed to think him so1 would keep to that opinion4 ,it would be confusing if at any one's tent door a prophet might begin to speak without warning4 ,so the young man thought it his duty to run and tell ,moses what was taking place4 ,and ,joshua1 when he heard1 was alarmed1 and desired ,moses to put an end to the irregular ministry4 ,my lord ,moses1 forbid them1 he said4 ,he was jealous not for himself and the other elders1 but for ,moses' sake4 ,so far the leader alone held communication with ,jehovah and spoke in ,his name2 and there was perhaps some reason for the alarm of ,joshua1 more than was apparent at the time4 ,to have one central authority was better and safer than to have many persons using the right to speak in any sense for ,god4 ,who could be sure that these new voices would agree with ,moses in every respect8 ,even if they did1 might there not be divisions in the camp1 new priesthoods as well as new oracles8 ,prophets might not be always wise1 always truly inspired4 ,and there might be false prophets by-and-by1 even if ,eldad and ,medad were not false4 ,in like manner it might be argued now that there is danger when one here and another there assume authority as revealers of the truth of things4 ,some1 full of their own wisdom1 take high ground as critics and teachers of religion4 ,others imagine that with the right to wear a certain dress there has come to them the full equipment of the prophet4 ,and others still1 remembering how ,elijah and ,john the ,baptist arrayed themselves in coarse cloth and leathern girdle1 assume that garb1 or what corresponds to it1 and claim to have the prophetic gift because they express the voice of the people4 ,so in our days there is a question whether ,eldad or ,medad1 prophesying in the camp1 ought to be trusted or even allowed to speak4 ,but who is to decide8 ,who is to take upon him to silence the voices8 ,the old way was rough and ready4 ,all who were in office in a certain ,church were commissioned to interpret ,divine mysteries2 the rest were ordered to be silent on pain of imprisonment4 ,those who did not teach as the ,church taught1 under her direction1 were made offenders against the public well-being4 ,that way1 however1 has been found wanting1 and liberty of prophesying is fully allowed4 ,with the freedom there have come difficulties and dangers enough4 ,yet to try the spirits whether they are of ,god is our discipline on the way to life4 ,the reply of ,moses to ,joshua's request anticipates1 in no small degree1 the doctrine of liberty4 ,art thou jealous for my sake8 ,would ,god that all the ,lord's people were prophets1 and that the ,lord would put ,his ,spirit upon them4 ,his answer is that of a broad and magnanimous toleration4 ,moses cannot indeed have believed that great religious truths were in the reach of every man1 and that any earnest soul might receive and communicate those truths4 ,but his conception of a people of ,god is like that in the prophecy of ,joel1 where he speaks of all flesh being endued with the ,spirit1 the old men and young men1 the sons and daughters1 alike made able to testify of what they have seen and heard4 ,the truly great man entertains no jealousy of others4 ,he delights to see in other eyes the flash of heavenly intelligence1 to find other souls made channels of ,divine revelation4 ,he would have no monopoly in knowledge and sacred prophecy4 ,moses had instituted an exclusive priesthood2 but here he sets the gate of the prophetical office wide open4 ,all whom ,god endows are declared free in ,israel to use that office4 ,we can only wonder that still any order of men should try in the name of the ,church to shut the mouths of those who approve themselves reverent students of the ,divine ,word4 ,at the same time let it not be forgotten that the power of prophesying is no chance gift1 no easy faculty4 ,he who is to speak on ,god's behalf must indeed know the mind of ,god4 ,how can one claim the right to instruct others who has never opened his mind to the ,divine voice1 who has not reverently compared ,scripture with ,providence and all the phases of revelation that are unfolded in conscience and human life8 ,men who draw a narrow circle and keep their thoughts within it can never become prophets4 ,the closing verses of the chapter tell of the plague that fell on the lustful1 and the burial of those who died of it1 in a place thence called ,kibroth-hattaavah4 ,the people had their desire1 and it brought judgment upon them4 ,here in ,israel's history a needful warning is written2 but how many read without understanding6 ,and so1 every day the same plague is claiming its victims1 and graves of lust are dug4 ,the preacher still finds in this portion of ,scripture a subject that never ceases to claim treatment1 let social conditions be what they may4 ,x ,,the ,,jealousy ,,of ,,miriam ,,and ,,aaron ,,numbers xii ,it may be confidently said that no representative writer of the post-exilic age would have invented or even cared to revive the episode of this chapter4 ,from the point of view of ,ezra and his fellow-reformers1 it would certainly appear a blot on the character of ,moses that he passed by the women of his own people and took a ,cushite or ,ethiopian wife4 ,the idea of the holy seed1 on which the zealous leaders of new ,judaism insisted after the return from ,babylon1 was exclusive4 ,it appeared an abomination for ,israelites to intermarry either with the original inhabitants of ,canaan1 or even with ,moabites1 ,ammonites1 and ,egyptians4 ,at an earlier date any disposition to seek alliance with ,egypt or hold intercourse with it was denounced as profane4 ,isaiah and ,jeremiah alike declare that ,israel1 whom ,jehovah led forth from ,egypt1 should never think of returning to drink of its waters or trust in its shadow4 ,as the necessity of separateness from other peoples became strongly felt1 revulsion from ,ethiopia would be greater than from ,egypt itself4 ,jeremiah's inquiry1 ,can the ,ethiopian change his skin8 made the dark colour of that race a symbol of moral taint4 ,to be sure1 the prophets did not all adopt this view4 ,amos1 especially1 in one of his striking passages1 claims for the ,ethiopians the same relation to ,god as ,israel had3 ,are ye not as the children of the ,ethiopians unto ,me1 ,o children of ,israel1 saith the ,lord8 ,no reproach to the ,israelites is intended2 they are only reminded that all nations have the same origin and are under the same ,divine providence4 ,and the ,psalms in their evangelical anticipations look once and again to that dark land in the remote south3 ,princes shall come out of ,egypt2 ,ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto ,god2 ,i will make mention of ,rahab and ,babylon to them that know ,me3 behold ,philistia1 and ,tyre1 with ,ethiopia2 this man was born there4 ,the zeal of the period immediately after the captivity carried separateness far beyond that of any earlier time1 surpassing the letter of the statute in ,exod4 xxxiv4 #aa and ,deut4 vii4 #b4 ,and we may safely assert that if the ,pentateuch did not come into existence till after the new ideas of exclusion were established1 and if it was written then for the purpose of exalting ,moses and his law1 the reference to his ,cushite wife would certainly have been suppressed4 ,all the more may this be maintained when we take into account the likelihood that it was not entirely without reason ,aaron and ,miriam felt some jealousy of the woman4 ,the story is usually taken to mean that there was no cause whatever for the feeling entertained2 and if ,miriam alone had been involved1 we might have regarded the matter as without significance4 ,but ,aaron had hitherto acted cordially with the brother to whom he owed his high position4 ,not a single disloyal word or deed had as yet separated him in the least1 personally1 from ,moses4 ,they wrought together in the promulgation of law1 they were together in transgression and judgment4 ,aaron had every reason for remaining faithful2 and if he was now moved to a feeling that the character and reputation of the lawgiver were imperilled1 it must have been because he saw reason4 ,he could approach ,moses quietly on this subject without any thought of challenging his authority as leader4 ,we see that while he accompanied ,miriam he kept in the background1 unwilling1 himself1 to appear as an accuser1 though persuaded that the unpleasant duty must be done4 ,so far as ,moses is concerned these thoughts1 which naturally arise1 go to support the genuineness of the history4 ,and in like manner the condemnation of ,aaron bears out the view that the episode is not of legendary growth4 ,if priestly influence had determined to any extent the form of the narrative1 the fault of ,aaron would have been suppressed4 ,he agrees with ,miriam in making a claim the rejection of which involves him and the priesthood in shame4 ,and yet1 again1 the theory that here we have prophetic narrative1 critical of the priesthood1 will not stand2 for ,miriam is a prophetess1 and language is used which seems to deny to all but ,moses a clear and intimate knowledge of the ,divine will4 ,miriam was the spokeswoman4 ,she it was1 as the ,hebrew implies1 who spake against ,moses because of the ,cushite woman whom he had married4 ,it would seem that hitherto in right of her prophetical gift she was to some extent an adviser of her brother1 or had otherwise a measure of influence4 ,it appeared to her not only a bad thing for ,moses himself but absolutely wrong that a woman of alien race1 who probably came out of ,egypt with the tribes1 one among the mixed multitude1 should have anything to say to him in private1 or should be in his confidence4 ,miriam maintained1 apparently1 that her brother had committed a serious mistake in marrying this wife1 and still more in denying to ,aaron and to herself that right of advising which they had hitherto used4 ,was not ,moses forgetting that ,miriam had her share in the zeal and inspiration which had made the guidance of the tribes so far successful8 ,if ,moses stands aloof1 consults only with his alien wife1 will he not forfeit position and authority and be deprived of help with which he has no right to dispense8 ,miriam's is an instance1 the first instance we may say1 of the woman's claim to take her place side by side with the man in the direction of affairs4 ,it would be absurd to say that the modern desire has its origin in a spirit of jealousy like that which ,miriam showed2 yet1 parallel to her demand1 ,hath the ,lord indeed spoken only by ,moses8 ,hath he not also spoken by us8 is the recent cry1 ,has man a monopoly either of wisdom or of the moral qualities8 ,are not women at least equally endowed with ethical insight and sagacity in counsel8 ,long excluded from affairs by custom and law1 women have become weary of using their influence in an unrecognised1 indirect way1 and many would now claim an absolute parity with men1 convinced that if in any respect they are weak as yet they will soon become capable4 ,the claim is to a certain extent based on the ,christian doctrine of equality between male and female1 but also on the acknowledged success of women who1 engaging in public duties side by side with men1 have proved their aptitude and won high distinction4 ,at the same time1 those who have had experience of the world and the many phases of human life must always have a position which the inexperienced may not claim2 and women1 as compared with men1 must continue to be at a certain disadvantage for this reason4 ,it may be supposed that intuition can be placed against experience1 that the woman's quick insight may serve her better than the man's slowly acquired knowledge4 ,and most will allow this1 but only to a certain point4 ,the woman's intuition is a fact of her nature--to be trusted often and along many ways4 ,it is1 indeed1 her experience1 gained half unconsciously4 ,but the modern claim is assuming far more than this4 ,we are told that the moral sense of the race comes down through women4 ,they conserve the moral sense4 ,this is no ,christian claim1 or ,christian only in outdoing ,romanism and setting ,mary far above her ,son4 ,seriously put forward by women1 this will throw back their whole claim into the middle ages again4 ,that a finer moral sense often forms part of their intuition is admitted3 that as a sex they lead the race must be proved where1 as yet1 they do not prove it4 ,nevertheless1 the world is advancing by the advance of women4 ,there is no need any longer for that jealous intriguing which has often wrecked governments and homes4 ,christianity1 ruling the questions of sex1 means a very stable form of society1 a continuous and calm development1 the principle of charity and mutual service4 ,miriam claimed the position of a prophet or nabi for herself1 and endeavoured to make her gift and ,aaron's as revealers of truth appear equal to that of ,moses4 ,at the ,red ,sea she led the chorus ,sing ye to the ,lord1 for ,he hath triumphed gloriously4 ,the horse and his rider hath ,he thrown into the sea4 ,that1 so far as we know1 was her title to count herself a prophetess4 ,as for ,aaron1 we often find his name associated with his brother's in the formula1 ,the ,lord spake unto ,moses and ,aaron4 ,he had also been the nabi of ,moses when the two went to ,pharaoh with their demand on behalf of ,israel4 ,but the claim of equality with ,moses was vain4 ,poor ,miriam had her one flash of high enthusiasm1 and may have now and again risen to some courage and zeal in professing her faith4 ,but she does not seem to have had the ability to distinguish between her fitful glimpses of truth and ,moses' ,divine intelligence4 ,aaron1 again1 must have been half ashamed when he was placed beside his brother4 ,he had no genius1 none of the elevation of soul that betokens an inspired man4 ,he obeyed well1 served the sanctuary well2 he was a good priest1 but no prophet4 ,the little knowledge1 the small gifts1 appear great to those who have them1 so great as often to eclipse those of nobler men4 ,we magnify what we have1--our power of vision1 though we cannot see far2 our spiritual intelligence1 though we have learned the first principles only of ,divine faith4 ,in the religious controversies of to-day1 as in those of the past1 men whose claims are of the slightest have pushed to the front with the demand1 ,hath not the ,lord spoken by us8 ,but there is no ,moses to be challenged4 ,the age of the revealers is gone4 ,he who seems to be a great prophet may be taken for one because he stands on the past and invokes voluminous authority for all he says and does4 ,in truth1 our disputations are between the modern ,eliphaz1 ,bildad1 and ,job--all of them to-day men of limited view and meagre inspiration1 who repeat old hearsays with wearisome pertinacity1 or inveigh against the old interpretations with infinite assurance4 ,jehovah speaks from the storm2 but there is no heed paid to ,his voice4 ,by some the ,word is declared unintelligible2 others deny it to be ,his4 ,while ,moses kept silence1 ruling his spirit in the meekness of a man of ,god1 suddenly the command was given1 ,come out1 ye three1 unto the tent of meeting4 ,possibly the interview had been at ,moses' own tent in the near portion of the camp4 ,now judgment was to be solemnly given2 and the circumstances were made the more impressive by the removal of the cloud-pillar from above the tabernacle to the door of the tent1 where it seems to have intervened between ,moses on the one side and ,miriam and ,aaron on the other2 then the ,voice spoke1 requiring these two to approach1 and the oracle was heard4 ,the subject of it was the position of ,moses as the interpreter of ,jehovah's will4 ,he was distinguished from any other prophet of the time4 ,we are here at a point where more knowledge is needful to a full understanding of the revelation3 we can only conjecture4 ,not long is it since the seventy elders belonging to different tribes were endowed with the spirit of prophecy4 ,already there may have been some abuse of their new power2 for though ,god bestows ,his gifts on men1 they have practical liberty1 and may not always be wise or humble in exercising the gifts4 ,so the need of a distinction between ,moses and the others would be clear4 ,as to ,miriam and ,aaron1 their jealousy may have been not only of ,moses1 but also of the seventy4 ,miriam and ,aaron were prophets of older standing1 and would be disposed to claim that the ,lord spoke by them rather in the way ,he spoke by ,moses than after the manner of ,his communications through the seventy4 ,were members of the sacred family to be on a level henceforth with any persons who spoke ecstatically in praise of ,jehovah8 ,thus claim asserted itself over claim4 ,the seventy had to be informed as to the limits of their office1 prevented from taking a place higher than they had been assigned3 ,miriam and ,aaron also had to be instructed that their position differed entirely from their brother's1 that they must be content so far as prophecy was concerned to stand with the rest whose inspiration they may have despised4 ,with this view the general terms of the deliverance appear to correspond4 ,the ,voice from the tent of meeting was heard through the cloud2 and on the one hand the function of the prophet or nabi was defined1 on the other the high honour and prerogative of ,moses were announced4 ,the prophet1 said the ,voice1 shall have ,jehovah made known to him in vision1 or in dream1--in his waking hours1 when the mind is on the alert1 receiving impressions from nature and the events of life2 when memory is occupied with the past and hope with the future1 the vision shall be given4 ,or again1 in sleep1 when the mind is withdrawn from external objects and appears entirely passive1 a dream shall open glimpses of the great work of ,providence1 the purposes of judgment or of grace4 ,in these ways the prophet shall receive his knowledge2 and of necessity the revelation will be to some extent shadowed1 difficult to interpret4 ,now the name prophet1 nabi1 is continually applied throughout the ,old ,testament1 not only to the seventy and others who like them spoke in ecstatic language1 and those who afterwards used musical instruments to help the rapture with which the ,divine utterance came1 but also to men like ,amos and ,isaiah4 ,and it has been made a question whether the inspiration of these prophets is to come under the general law of the oracle we are considering4 ,the answer in one sense is clear4 ,so far as the word nabi designates all1 they are all of one order4 ,but it is equally certain1 as ,kuenen has pointed out1 that the later prophets were not always in a state of ecstasy when they gave their oracles1 nor simply reproducing thoughts of which they first became conscious in that state4 ,they had an exalting consciousness of the presence and enlightening ,spirit of ,jehovah bestowed on them1 or the burden of ,jehovah laid on them4 ,the visions were often flashes of thought2 at other times the prophet seemed to look on a new earth and heaven filled with moving symbols and powers4 ,but the whole development of national faith and knowledge affected their flashes of thought and visions1 lifting prophetic energy into a higher range4 ,now1 returning to the oracle1 we find that ,moses is not a prophet or nabi in this sense4 ,the words that relate to him carefully distinguish between his illumination and that of the nabi4 ,my servant ,moses is not so2 he is faithful in all ,mine house3 with him will ,i speak mouth to mouth1 even manifestly1 and not in dark speeches2 and the form of ,jehovah shall he behold4 ,every word here is chosen to exclude the idea of ecstasy1 the idea1 of vision or dream1 which leaves some shadow of uncertainty upon the mind1 and the idea of any intermediate influence between the human intelligence and the disclosure of ,god's will4 ,and when we try to interpret this in terms of our own mental operations1 and our consciousness of the way in which truth reaches our minds1 we recognise for one thing an impression made distinctly word by word of the message to be conveyed4 ,there is given to ,moses not only a general idea of the truth or principle to be embodied in his words1 but he receives the very terms4 ,they come to him in concrete form4 ,he has but to repeat or write what ,jehovah communicates4 ,along with this there is given to ,moses a power of apprehending the form or similitude of ,god4 ,his mind is made capable of singular precision in receiving and transmitting the oracle or statute4 ,there is complete calmness and what we may call self-possession when he is in the tent of meeting face to face with the ,eternal4 ,and yet he has this spiritual1 transcendent symbol of the ,divine ,majesty before him4 ,he is no poet1 but he enjoys some revelation higher and more exalting to mind and soul than poet ever had4 ,the paradox is not inconceivable4 ,there is a way to this converse with ,god mouth to mouth along which the patient1 earnest soul can partly travel4 ,without rhapsody1 with full effort of the mind that has gathered from every source and is ready for the ,divine synthesis of ideas1 the ,divine illumination1 the ,divine dictation1 if we may so speak1 the humble intelligence may arrive where1 for the guidance of the personal life at least1 the very words of ,god are to be heard4 ,beyond1 along the same way1 lies the chamber of audience which ,moses knew4 ,we think it an amazing thing to be sure of ,god and of ,his will to the very words4 ,our state is so often that of doubt1 or of self-absorption1 or of entanglement with the affairs of others1 that we are generally incapable of receiving the direct message4 ,yet of whom should we be sure if not of ,god8 ,of what words should we be more certain than those pure1 clear words that come from ,his mouth8 ,moses heard on great themes1 national and moral--he heard for the ages1 for the world3 there lay his unique dignity4 ,we may hear only for our own guidance in the next duty that is to be done4 ,but the ,spirit of ,god directs those who trust ,him4 ,it is ours to seek and to receive the very truth4 ,with regard to the similitude of ,jehovah which ,moses saw1 we notice that there is no suggestion of human form2 rather would this seem to be carefully avoided4 ,the statement does not take us back to the appearance of the angel ,jehovah to ,abraham1 nor does it point to any manifestation like that of which we read in the history of ,joshua or of ,gideon4 ,nothing is here said of an angel4 ,we are led to think of an exaltation of the spiritual perception of ,moses1 so that he knew the reality of the ,divine life1 and was made sure of an originative wisdom1 a transcendent source of ideas and moral energy4 ,he with whom ,moses holds communion is ,one whose might and holiness and glory are seen with the spiritual eye1 whose will is made known by a voice entering into the soul4 ,and the distinction intended between ,moses and all other prophets corresponds to a fact which the history of ,israel's religion brings to light4 ,the account of the way in which ,jehovah communicated with ,moses remains subject to the condition that the expressions used1 such as mouth to mouth1 are still only symbols of the truth4 ,they mean that in the very highest sense possible to man ,moses entered into the purposes of ,god regarding ,his people4 ,now ,isaiah certainly approached this intimate knowledge of the ,divine counsel when long afterwards he said in ,jehovah's name3 ,behold ,my ,servant1 whom ,i uphold2 ,mine ,elect1 in whom ,my soul delighteth2 ,i have put ,my ,spirit upon ,him3 ,he shall bring forth judgment unto the ,gentiles4 ,he shall not cry1 nor lift up1 nor cause ,his voice to be heard in the street4 ,yet between ,moses and ,isaiah there is a difference4 ,for ,moses is the means of giving to ,israel pure morality and true religion4 ,by the inspiration of ,god he brings into existence that which is not4 ,isaiah foresees2 ,moses1 in a sense1 creates4 ,and the one parallel with ,moses1 according to ,scripture1 is to be found in ,christ1 who is the creator of the new humanity4 ,when the oracle had spoken1 there was a movement of the cloud from the door of the tent of meeting1 and apparently from the tabernacle--a sign of the displeasure of ,god4 ,following the idea that the cloud was connected with the altar1 this withdrawal has been interpreted by ,lange as a rebuke to ,aaron4 ,he was inwardly crushed2 the fire on his altar went out2 the pillar of smoke no longer mounted up as a token of grace2 the cultus was for a moment at a standstill1 and it was as if an interdict of ,jehovah lay on the cultus of the sanctuary4 ,but the cloud-pillar is not1 as this interpretation would imply1 associated with ,aaron personally2 it is always the symbol of the ,divine will by the hand of ,moses4 ,we must suppose therefore that the movement of the cloud conveyed in some new and unexpected way a sense of the ,divine support which ,moses enjoyed4 ,he was justified in all he had done3 condemnation was brought home to his accusers4 ,and ,miriam1 who had offended most1 was punished with more than a rebuke4 ,suddenly she was found to be covered with leprosy4 ,aaron1 looking upon her1 saw that morbid pallor which was regarded as the invariable sign of the disease4 ,it was seen as a proof of her sin and of the anger of ,jehovah4 ,himself trembling as one who had barely escaped1 ,aaron could not but confess his share in the transgression4 ,addressing ,moses with the deepest reverence1 he said1 ,oh my lord1 lay not1 ,i pray thee1 sin upon us1 for that we have done foolishly1 and for that we have sinned4 ,the leprosy is the mark of sin4 ,let it not be stamped on her indelibly1 nor on me4 ,let not the disease run its course to the horrible end4 ,with no small presumption the two had ventured to challenge their brother's conduct and position4 ,they knew indeed1 yet from their intimacy with him did not rightly apprehend1 the divinity that hedged him4 ,now for the first time its terror is disclosed to themselves2 and they shrink before the man of ,god1 pleading with him as if he were omnipotent4 ,moses needs no second appeal to his compassion4 ,he is a truly inspired man1 and can forgive4 ,he has seen the great ,god merciful and gracious1 longsuffering1 slow to anger1 and he has caught something of the ,divine magnanimity4 ,this temper was not always shown throughout ,israel's history by those who had the position of prophets4 ,and we find that men who claim to be religious1 even to be interpreters of the ,divine will1 are not invariably above retaliation4 ,they are seen to hate those who criticise them1 who throw doubt upon their arguments4 ,a man's claim to fellowship with ,god1 his professed knowledge of the ,divine truth and religion1 may be tested by his conduct when he is under challenge4 ,if he cannot plead with ,god on behalf of those who have assailed him1 he has not the ,spirit2 he is as sounding brass1 or a clanging cymbal4 ,even in response to the prayer of ,moses1 ,miriam could not be cured at once4 ,she must go aside bearing her reproach4 ,shame for her offence1 apart from the taint of leprosy1 would make it fitting that she should withdraw seven days from camp and sanctuary4 ,a personal indignity1 not affecting her character in the least1 would have been felt to that extent4 ,her transgression is to be realised and brooded over for her spiritual good4 ,the law is one that needs to be kept in mind4 ,to escape detection and leave adverse judgment behind is all that some offenders against moral law seem to desire4 ,they dread the shame and nothing besides4 ,let that be avoided1 or1 after continuing for a time1 let the sense of it pass1 and they feel themselves free4 ,but true shame is towards ,god2 and from the mind sincerely penitent that does not quickly pass away4 ,those only who are ignorant of the nature of sin can soon overcome the consciousness of ,god's displeasure4 ,as for men1 no doubt they should forgive2 but their forgiveness is often too lightly granted1 too complacently assumed1 and we see the easy self-recovery of one who should be sitting in sackcloth and ashes4 ,god forgives with infinite depth of tenderness and grace of pardon4 ,but ,his very generosity will affect the truly contrite with poignant sorrow when ,his name has by their act been brought into dishonour4 ,the offence of ,miriam was only jealousy and presumption4 ,she may scarcely seem so great a sinner that an attack of leprosy should have been her punishment1 though it lasted for no more than seven days4 ,we make so much of bodily maladies1 so little of diseases of the soul1 that we would think it strange if any one for his pride should be struck with paralysis1 or for envy should be laid down with fever4 ,yet beside the spiritual disorder that of the body is of small moment4 ,why do we think so little of the moral taint1 the falsehood1 malice1 impurity1 and so much of the ills our flesh is heir to8 ,the bad heart is the great disease4 ,miriam's exclusion from the camp becomes a lesson to all the people4 ,they do not journey while she is separated as unclean4 ,there may have been other lepers in the outlying tents2 but her sin has been of such a kind that the public conscience is especially directed to it4 ,and the lesson had particular point with reference to those who had the prophetic gift4 ,modern society1 making much of sanitation and all kinds of improvements and precautions intended to prevent the spread of epidemics and mitigate their effects1 has also some thought of moral disease4 ,persons guilty of certain crimes are confined in prisons or cut off from the people4 ,but of the greater number of moral maladies no account is taken4 ,and there is no widespread gloom over the nation1 no arrest of affairs1 when some hideous case of social immorality or business depravity has come to light4 ,it is but a few who pray for those who have the evil heart1 and wait sympathetically for their cleansing4 ,ought not the reorganisation of society to be on a moral rather than an economic basis8 ,we should be nearer the general well-being if it were reckoned a disaster when any employer oppressed those under him1 or workmen were found indifferent to their brothers1 or a grave crime disclosed a low state of morality in some class or circle4 ,it is the defeat of armies and navies1 the overthrow of measures and governments1 that occupy our attention as a people1 and seem often to obscure every moral and religious thought4 ,or if injustice is the topic1 we find the point of it in this3 that one class is rich while another is poor2 that money1 not character1 is lost in shameful contention4 ,,xi ,,the ,,spies ,,and ,,their ,,report ,,numbers xiii42 xiv4 #a-aj ,two narratives at least appear to be united in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters4 ,from xiii4 #ag1 #bb1 #bc1 we learn that the spies were despatched by way of the south1 and that they went to ,hebron and a little beyond1 as far as the valley of ,eshcol4 ,but ver4 #ba states that they spied out the land from the wilderness of ,zin1 south of the ,dead ,sea1 to the entering in of ,hamath4 ,the latter statement implies that they traversed what were afterwards called ,juda1 ,samaria1 and ,galilee1 and penetrated as far as the valley of the ,leontes1 between the southern ranges of ,libanus and ,antilibanus4 ,the one account taken by itself would make the journey of the spies northward about a hundred miles2 the other1 three times as long4 ,a further difference is this3 ,according to one of the narratives ,caleb alone encourages the people 7xiii4 #cj2 xiv4 #bd74 ,but according to the other 7xiii4 #h1 #af2 xiv4 #f1 #g71 ,joshua1 as well as ,caleb1 is among the twelve1 and reports favourably as to the possibility of conquering and possessing ,canaan4 ,without deciding on the critical points involved1 we may find a way of harmonising the apparent differences4 ,it is quite possible1 for instance1 that while some of the twelve were instructed to keep in the south of ,canaan1 others were sent to the middle district and a third company to the north4 ,caleb might be among those who explored the south2 while ,joshua1 having gone to the far north1 might return somewhat later and join his testimony to that which ,caleb had given4 ,there is no inconsistency between the portions ascribed to the one narrative and those referred to the other2 and the account1 as we have it1 may give what was the gist of several co-ordinate documents4 ,as to any variance in the reports of the spies1 we can easily understand how those who looked for smiling valleys and fruitful fields would find them1 while others saw only the difficulties and dangers that would have to be faced4 ,the questions occur1 why and at whose instance the survey was undertaken4 ,from ,deuteronomy we learn that a demand for it arose among the people4 ,moses says 7i4 #bb73 ,ye came near unto me every one of you1 and said1 ,let us send men before us1 that they may search the land for us1 and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up1 and the cities unto which we shall come4 ,in ,numbers the expedition is undertaken at the order of ,jehovah conveyed through ,moses4 ,the opposition here is only on the surface4 ,the people might desire1 but decision did not lie with them4 ,it was quite natural when the tribes had at length approached the frontier of ,canaan that they should seek information as to the state of the country4 ,and the wish was one which could be sanctioned1 which had even been anticipated4 ,the land of ,canaan was already known to the children of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and the praise of it as a land flowing with milk and honey mingled with their traditions4 ,in one sense there was no need to send spies1 either to report on the fertility of the land or on the peoples dwelling in it4 ,yet ,divine ,providence1 on which men are to rely1 does not supersede their prudence and the duty that rests with them of considering the way they go4 ,the destiny of a life or of a nation is to be wrought out in faith2 still we are to use all available means in order to ensure success4 ,so personality grows through providence1 and ,god raises men for ,himself4 ,to the band of pioneers each tribe contributes a man1 and all the twelve are headmen1 whose intelligence and good faith may presumably be trusted4 ,they know the strength of ,israel2 they should also be able to count upon the great source of courage and power--the unseen ,friend of the nation4 ,remembering what ,egypt is1 they know also the ways of the desert2 and they have seen war4 ,if they possess enthusiasm and hope1 they will not be dismayed by the sight of a few walled towns or even of some ,anakim4 ,they will say1 ,the ,lord of hosts is with us1 the ,god of ,jacob is our refuge4 ,yet there is danger that old doubts and new fears may colour their report4 ,god appoints men to duty2 but their personal character and tendencies remain4 ,and the very best men ,israel can choose for a task like this will need all their faithfulness and more than all their faith to do it well4 ,the spies were to climb the heights visible in the north1 and look forth towards the ,great ,sea and away to ,moriah and ,carmel4 ,they were also to make their way cautiously into the land itself and examine it4 ,moses anticipates that all he has said in praise of ,canaan will be made good by the report1 and the people will be encouraged to enter at once on the final struggle4 ,when the desert was around them1 unfruitful1 seemingly interminable1 the ,israelites might have been disposed to fear that journeying from ,egypt they were leaving the fertility of the world farther and farther behind4 ,some may have thought that the ,divine promise had misled and deceived them1 and that ,canaan was a dream4 ,even although they had now overpassed that dreary region covered with coarse gravel1 black flints1 and drifting sand1 the great and terrible wilderness1 what hope was there that northward they should reach a land of olives1 vineyards1 and flowing streams8 ,the report of the spies would answer this question4 ,now in like manner the future state of existence may seem dim and unreal1 scarcely credible1 to many4 ,our life is like a series of marches hither and thither through the desert4 ,neither as individuals nor as communities do we seem to approach any state of blessedness and rest4 ,rather1 as years go by1 does the region become more inhospitable4 ,hopes once cherished are one after another disappointed4 ,the stern mountains that overhung the track by which our forefathers went still frown upon us4 ,it seems impossible to get beyond their shadow4 ,and in a kind of despair some may be ready to say3 ,there is no promised land4 ,this waste1 with its sere grass1 its burning sand1 its rugged hills1 makes the whole of life4 ,we shall die here in the wilderness like those who have been before us2 and when our graves are dug and our bodies laid in them1 our existence will have an end4 ,but it is a thoughtless habit to doubt that of which we have no full experience4 ,here we have but begun to learn the possibilities of life and find a clue to its ,divine mysteries4 ,and even as to the ,israelites in the wilderness there were not wanting signs that pointed to the fruitful and pleasant country beyond1 so for us1 even now1 there are previsions of the higher world4 ,some shrubs and straggling vines grew in sheltered hollows among the hills4 ,here and there a scanty crop of maize was reared1 and in the rainy season streams flowed down the wastes4 ,from what was known the ,israelites might reason hopefully to that which as yet was beyond their sight4 ,and are there not fore-signs for the soul1 springs opened to the seekers after ,god in the desert1 some verdure of righteousness1 some strength and peace in believing8 ,science and business and the cares of life absorb many and bewilder them4 ,immersed in the work of their world1 men are apt to forget that deeper draughts of life may be drunk than they obtain in the laboratory or the counting-house4 ,but he who knows what love and worship are1 who finds in all things the food of religious thought and devotion1 makes no such mistake4 ,to him a future in the spiritual world is far more within the range of hopeful anticipation than ,canaan was to one who remembered ,egypt and had bathed in the waters of the ,nile4 ,is the heavenly future real8 ,it is3 as thought and faith and love are real1 as the fellowship of souls and the joy of communion with ,god are realities4 ,those who are in doubt as to immortality may find the cause of that doubt in their own earthliness4 ,let them be less occupied with the material1 care more for the spiritual possessions1 truth1 righteousness1 religion1 and they will begin to feel an end of doubt4 ,heaven is no fable4 ,even now we have our foretaste of its refreshing waters and the fruits that are for the healing of the nations4 ,the spies were to climb the hills which commanded a view of the promised land4 ,and there are heights which must be scaled if we are to have previsions of the heavenly life4 ,men undertake to forecast the future of the human race who have never sought those heights4 ,they may have gone out from camp a few miles or even some days' journey1 but they have kept in the plain4 ,one is devoted to science1 and he sees as the land of promise a region in which science shall achieve triumphs hitherto only dreamt of1 when the ultimate atoms shall disclose their secrets and the subtle principle of life shall be no longer a mystery4 ,the social reformer sees his own schemes in operation1 some new adjustment of human relations1 some new economy or system of government1 the establishment of an order that shall make the affairs of the world run smoothly1 and banish want and care and possibly disease from the earth4 ,but these and similar previsions are not from the heights4 ,we have to climb quite above the earthly and temporal1 above economics and scientific theories4 ,where the way of faith rises1 where the love of men becomes perfect in the love of ,god1 not in theory but in the practical endeavour of earnest life1 there we ascend1 we advance4 ,we shall see the coming kingdom of ,god only if we are heartily with ,god in the ardour of the redeemed soul1 if we follow in the footsteps of ,christ to the summits of ,sacrifice4 ,the spies went forth from among tribes which had so far made a good journey under the ,divine guidance4 ,so well had the expedition sped that a few days' march would have brought the travellers into ,canaan4 ,but ,israel was not a hopeful people nor a united people4 ,the thoughts of many turned back2 all were not faithful to ,god nor loyal to ,moses4 ,and as the people were1 so were the spies4 ,some may have professed to be enthusiastic who had their doubts regarding ,canaan and the possibility of conquering it4 ,others may have even wished to find difficulties that would furnish an excuse for returning even to ,egypt4 ,most were ready to be disenchanted at least and to find cause for alarm4 ,in the south of ,canaan a pastoral district1 rocky and uninviting towards the shore of the ,dead ,sea1 was found to be sparsely occupied by wandering companies of ,amalekites1 ,bedawin of the time1 probably with a look of poverty and hardship that gave little promise for any who should attempt to settle where they roamed4 ,towards ,hebron the aspect of the country improved2 but the ancient city1 or at all events its stronghold1 was in the hands of a class of bandits whose names inspired terror throughout the district--,ahiman1 ,sheshai1 and ,talmai1 sons of ,anak4 ,the great stature of these men1 exaggerated by common report1 together with stories of their ferocity1 seem to have impressed the timid ,hebrews beyond measure4 ,and round ,hebron the ,amorites1 a hardy highland race1 were found in occupation4 ,the report agreed on was that the people were men of great stature2 that the land was one which ate up its inhabitants--that is to say1 yielded but a precarious existence4 ,just beyond ,hebron vineyards and olive-groves were found2 and from the valley of ,eshcol one fine cluster of grapes was brought1 hung upon a rod to preserve the fruit from injury1 an evidence of capabilities that might be developed4 ,still the report was an evil one on the whole4 ,those who went farther north had to tell of strong peoples--the ,jebusites and ,amorites of the central region1 the ,hittites of the north1 the ,canaanites of the seaboard1 where afterwards ,sisera had his headquarters4 ,the cities1 too1 were great and walled4 ,these spies had nothing to say of the fruitful plains of ,esdraelon and ,jezreel1 nothing to tell of the flowery meadows1 the murmuring of innumerable bees1 the terraced vineyards1 the herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats4 ,they had seen the strong1 resolute holders of the soil1 the fortresses1 the difficulties2 and of these they brought back an account which caused abundant alarm4 ,joshua and ,caleb alone had the confidence of faith1 and were assured that ,jehovah1 if ,he delighted in ,his people1 would give them ,canaan as an inheritance4 ,the report of the majority of the spies was one of exaggeration and a certain untruthfulness4 ,they must have spoken altogether without knowledge1 or else allowed themselves to magnify what they saw1 when they said of the children of ,anak1 ,we were in our own sight as grasshoppers1 and so we were in their sight4 ,possibly the ,hebrews were at this time somewhat ill-developed as a race1 bearing the mark of their slavery4 ,but we can hardly suppose that the ,amorites1 much less the ,hittites1 were of overpassing stature4 ,nor could many cities have been so large and strongly fortified as was represented1 though ,lachish1 ,hebron1 ,shalim1 and a few others were formidable4 ,on the other hand1 the picture had none of the attractiveness it should have borne4 ,these exaggerations and defects1 however1 are the common faults of misbelieving and therefore ignorant representation4 ,are any disposed to leave the wilderness of the world and possess the better country8 ,a hundred voices of the baser kind will be heard giving warning and presage4 ,nothing is said about its spiritual fruit1 its joy1 hope1 and peace4 ,but its hardships are detailed1 the renunciations1 the obligations1 the conflicts necessary before it can be possessed4 ,who would enter on the hopeless task of trying to cast out the strong man armed1 who sits entrenched--of holding at bay the thousand forces that oppose the ,christian life8 ,each position must be taken after a sore struggle and kept by constant watchfulness4 ,little know they who think of becoming religious how hard it is to be ,christians4 ,it is a life of gloom1 of constant penitence for failures that cannot be helped1 a life of continual trembling and terror4 ,so the reports go that profess to be those of experience and knowledge1 of men and women who understand life4 ,observe also that the account given by those who reconnoitred the land of promise sprang from an error which has its parallel now4 ,the spies went supposing that the ,israelites were to conquer ,canaan and dwell there purely for their own sake1 for their own happiness and comfort4 ,had not the wilderness journey been undertaken for that end8 ,it did not enter into the consideration either of the people as a whole or of their representatives that they were bound for ,canaan in order to fulfil the ,divine purpose of making ,israel a means of blessing to the world4 ,here1 indeed1 a spirituality of view was needful which the spies could not be expected to have4 ,breadth of foresight1 too1 would have been required which in the circumstances scarcely lay within human power4 ,if any of them had taken account of ,israel's spiritual destiny as a witness for ,jehovah in the midst of the heathen1 could they have told whether this land of ,syria or some other would be a fit theatre for the fulfilment of that high destiny8 ,and in ignorance like theirs lies the source of mistakes often made in judging the circumstances of life1 in deciding what will be wisest and best to undertake4 ,we1 too1 look at things from the point of view of our own happiness and comfort1 and1 in a higher range1 of our religious enjoyment4 ,if we see that these are to be had in a certain sphere1 by a certain movement or change1 we decide on that change1 we choose that sphere4 ,but if neither temporal well-being nor enjoyment of religious privilege appears to be certain1 our common practice is to turn in another direction4 ,yet the truth is that we are not here1 and we shall never be anywhere1 either in this world or another1 simply to enjoy1 to have the milk and honey of a smiling land1 to fulfil our own desires and live to ourselves4 ,the question regarding the fit place or state for us depends for its answer on what ,god means to do through us for our fellow-men1 for the truth1 for ,his kingdom and glory4 ,the future which we with greater or less success attempt to conquer and secure will1 as the ,divine hand leads us on1 prove different from our dream in proportion as our lives are capable of high endeavour and spiritual service4 ,we shall have our hope1 but not as we painted it4 ,who are the ,calebs and ,joshuas of our time8 ,not those who1 forecasting the movements of society1 see what they think shall be for their people a region of comfort and earthly prosperity1 to be maintained by shutting out as far as possible the agitation of other lands2 but those who realise that a nation1 especially a ,christian nation1 has a duty under ,god to the whole human race4 ,those are our true guides and come with inspiration who bid us not be afraid in undertaking the world-wide task of commending truth1 establishing righteousness1 seeking the enfranchisement and ,christianisation of all lands4 ,notwithstanding the efforts of ,caleb and afterwards of ,joshua to controvert the disheartening reports spread by their companions1 the people were filled with dismay2 and night fell upon a weeping camp4 ,the pictures of those ,anakim and of the tall ,amorites1 rendered more terrible by imagination1 appear to have had most to do with the panic4 ,but it was the general impression also that ,canaan offered no attractions as a home4 ,there was murmuring against ,moses and ,aaron4 ,disaffection spread rapidly1 and issued in the proposal to take another leader and return to ,egypt4 ,why had ,jehovah brought them across the desert to put them under the sword at last8 ,the tumult increased1 and the danger of a revolt became so great that ,moses and ,aaron fell on their faces before the assembly4 ,always and everywhere faithless means foolish1 faithless means cowardly4 ,by this is explained the dejection and panic into which the ,israelites fell1 into which men often fall4 ,our life and history are not confided to the ,divine care2 our hope is not in ,god4 ,nothing can save a man or a nation from vacillation1 despondency1 and defeat but the conviction that ,providence opens the way and never fails those who press on4 ,no doubt there are considerations which might have made ,israel doubtful whether the conquest of ,canaan lay in the way of duty4 ,some modern moralists would call it a great crime--would say that the tribes could look for no success in endeavouring to dispossess the inhabitants of ,canaan1 or even to find a place among them4 ,but this thought did not enter into the question4 ,panic fell on the host1 because doubt of ,jehovah and ,his purpose overcame the partial faith which had as yet been maintained with no small difficulty4 ,now it was by the mouth of ,moses ,israel had been assured of the promise of ,god4 ,broadly speaking1 faith in ,jehovah was faith in ,moses1 who was their moralist1 their prophet1 their guide4 ,men here and there1 the seventy who prophesied for instance1 had their personal consciousness of the ,divine power2 but the great mass of the people had the covenant1 and trusted it through the mediation of ,moses4 ,had ,moses then1 as the ,israelites could judge1 a right to command1 unquestionable authority as a revealer of the will of the unseen ,god8 ,take away from the history every incident1 every feature1 that may appear doubtful1 and there remains a personality1 a man of distinguished unselfishness1 of admirable patience1 of great sagacity1 who certainly was a patriot1 and as certainly had greater conceptions1 higher enthusiasms1 than any other man of ,israel4 ,it was perhaps difficult for those who were gross in nature and very ignorant to realise that ,moses was indeed in communication with an unseen1 omnipotent ,friend of the people4 ,some might even have been disposed to say3 ,what if he is8 ,what can ,god do for us8 ,if we are to get anything1 we must seek and obtain it for ourselves4 ,yet the ,israelites as a whole held the almost universal belief of those times1 the conviction that a ,power above the visible world does rule the affairs of earth4 ,and there was evidence enough that ,moses was guided and sustained by the ,divine hand4 ,the sagacious mind1 the brave1 noble personality of ,moses1 made for ,israel1 at least for every one in ,israel capable of appreciating character and wisdom1 a bridge between the seen and the unseen1 between man and ,god4 ,we must not indeed deny that this conviction was liable to challenge and revision4 ,it must always be so when a man speaks for ,god1 represents ,god4 ,doubt of the wisdom of any command meant doubt whether ,god had really given it by ,moses4 ,and when it seemed that the tribes had been unwisely brought to ,canaan1 the reflection might be that ,moses had failed as an interpreter4 ,yet this was not the common conclusion4 ,rather1 from all we learn1 was it the conclusion that ,jehovah ,himself had failed the people or deceived them4 ,and there lay the error of unbelief which is constantly being committed still4 ,for us1 whatever may be said as to the composition of the ,bible1 it is supremely1 and as no other sacred book can be1 the ,word of ,god4 ,as ,moses was the one man in ,israel who had a right to speak in ,jehovah's name1 so the ,bible is the one book which can claim to instruct us in faith1 duty1 and hope4 ,speaking to us in human language1 it may of course be challenged4 ,at one point and another1 some even of those who believe in ,divine communication to men may question whether the ,bible writers have always caught aright the sound of the heavenly ,word4 ,and some go so far as to say3 ,there is no ,divine ,voice2 men have given as the ,word of ,god1 in good faith1 what arose in their own mind1 their own exalted imagination4 ,nevertheless1 our faith1 if faith we are to have at all1 must rest on this ,book4 ,we cannot get away from human words4 ,we must rely on spoken or written language if we are to know anything higher than our own thought4 ,and what is written in the ,bible has the highest marks of inspiration--wisdom1 purity1 truth1 power to convince and convert and to build up a life in holiness and in hope4 ,it remains true accordingly that doubt of the ,bible means for us1 must mean1 not simply doubt of the men who have been instrumental in giving us the ,book1 but doubt of ,god ,himself4 ,if the ,bible did not speak in harmony with nature and reason and the widest human experience when it lays down moral law1 prescribes the true rules and unfolds the great principles of life1 the affirmation just made would be absurd4 ,but it is a book of breadth1 full of wisdom which every age is verifying4 ,it stands an absolute1 the manifest embodiment of knowledge drawn from the highest sources available to men--from sources not earthly nor temporary1 but sublime and eternal4 ,faith1 therefore1 must have its foundation on the teaching of this ,book as to what man is to believe concerning ,god and what duty ,god requires of man4 ,and on the other hand infidelity is and must be the result of rejecting the revelation of the ,bible1 denying that here ,god speaks with supreme wisdom and authority to our souls4 ,the ,israelites doubting ,jehovah who had spoken through ,moses1 that is to say1 doubting the highest1 most inspiring word it was possible for them to hear1 turning away from the ,divine reason that spoke1 the heavenly purpose revealed to them1 had nothing to rely upon4 ,confused inadequate counsels1 chaotic fears1 waited immediately upon their revolt4 ,they sank at once to despondency and the most fatuous and impossible projects4 ,the men who stood against their despair were made offenders1 almost sacrificed to their fear4 ,joshua and ,caleb1 facing the tumult1 called for confidence4 ,fear not ye the people of the land1 they said1 for they are bread for us3 their defence is removed from over them1 and ,jehovah is with us3 fear them not4 ,but all the congregation bade stone them with stones2 and it was only the bright glow of the pillar of fire shining out at the moment that prevented a dreadful catastrophe4 ,so the faithless generations fall back still into panic1 fatuity1 and crime4 ,trusting in their resources1 men say1 ,no change need trouble us2 we have courage1 wisdom1 power1 sufficient for our needs4 ,but have they unity1 have they any scheme of life for which it is worth while to be courageous8 ,the hope of bare continuance1 of ignoble safety and comfort will not animate1 will not inspire4 ,only some great vision of ,duty seen along the track of the eternally right will kindle the heart of a people2 the faith that goes with that vision will alone sustain courage4 ,without it1 armies and battle-ships are but a temporary and flimsy defence1 the pretext of a self-confidence1 while the heart is clouded with despair4 ,whether men say1 ,we will return to ,egypt1 refusing the call of ,providence which bids us fulfil a high destiny1 or1 still refusing to fulfil it1 ,we will maintain ourselves in the wilderness--they have in secret the conviction that they are failures1 that their national organisation is a hollow pretence4 ,and the end1 though it may linger for a time1 will be dismemberment and disaster4 ,modern nations1 nominally ,christian1 are finding it difficult to suppress disorder1 and occasionally we are almost thrown into a state of panic by the activity of revolutionists4 ,does the cause not lie in this1 that the en avant of ,providence and ,christianity is not obeyed either in the politics or social economy of the people8 ,like ,israel1 a nation has been led so far through the wilderness1 but advance can only be into a new order which faith perceives1 to which the voice of ,god calls4 ,if it is becoming a general conclusion that there is no such country1 or that the conquest of it is impossible1 if many are saying1 ,let us settle in the wilderness1 and others1 ,let us return to ,egypt1 what can the issue be but confusion8 ,this is to encourage the anarchist1 the dynamiter4 ,the enterprise of humanity1 according to such counsels1 is so far a failure1 and for the future there is no inspiring hope4 ,and to make economic self-seeking the governing idea of a nation's movement is simply to abandon the true leader and to choose another of some ignominious order4 ,would it have been possible to persuade ,moses to hold the command of the tribes1 and yet remain in the desert or return to ,egypt8 ,neither is it possible to retain ,christ as our captain and also to make this world our home1 or return to a practical heathenism1 relieved by abundance of food1 the ,hellenic worship of beauty1 the organisation of pleasure4 ,for the great enterprise of spiritual redemption alone will ,christ be our leader4 ,we lose ,him if we turn to the hopes of this world and cease to press the journey towards the city of ,god4 ,,xii ,,the ,,doom ,,of ,,the ,,unbelieving ,,numbers xiv ,the spirit of revolt which came to a head in the proposal to put ,joshua and ,caleb to death was quelled by the fiery splendour that flashed out at the tent of meeting2 but disaffection continued1 and ,moses realised with horror that immediate destruction threatened the tribes4 ,jehovah would smite them with pestilence1 disinherit them1 and raise up a new nation greater and mightier than they4 ,moses himself should be the father of the destined race4 ,the thought was one at which an ambitious man would have grasped2 and to entertain it might well seem a good man's duty4 ,in what better way could one of earnest and courageous spirit serve the world and the ,divine purpose of grace8 ,moses stood as a representative of ,abraham1 to whom the promise had been first given1 and of ,jacob1 to whom it had been renewed4 ,if the will of ,heaven was that a fresh beginning in the old succession should be made1 the honour was not lightly to be put aside4 ,moses now saw1 as ,abraham saw1 a great possibility4 ,the ,divine purpose did not fail1 though ,israel proved unfit to serve it2 in the field of a more instructed age that magnificent hope which made ,abraham great would blossom more generously and yield its fruit of blessing4 ,with the sense of this possible honour to himself1 there came1 however1 to ,moses other and arresting thoughts4 ,for ,abraham had become great by sacrifice1 and only one spiritually greater even than he could found a worthier race4 ,did ,moses not think of that scene on ,moriah1 when the son of the promise lay stretched on the altar1 and feel himself inspired for a sacrifice of his own8 ,yet what could it be8 ,nothing but the silent inward refusal of that great honour which was being put in his power1 the honour of becoming even higher than ,abraham in the line of originators4 ,true1 it seemed that necessity was laid on him4 ,yet might not ,jehovah intervene on ,israel's behalf as once before on ,isaac's1 when the moment of his death had almost come8 ,not to sacrifice ,israel was the call ,moses heard when he listened in the silence1 but to sacrifice his own hope1 though it seemed to be pressed on him by ,providence4 ,and this began to prove itself the necessity4 ,on the one hand he could not hide the fear that even if the ,israelites were settled in ,canaan a long period of education would be required to fit them for national life and power2 after many generations they would be still incapable of any high spiritual task4 ,but if ,israel perished1 what would happen8 ,the faith of ,jehovah1 already established as an influence in the world1 would fall into abeyance4 ,when doom fell on ,israel1 the ,egyptians would hear of it1 ,canaan would hear of it4 ,the desert1 the valley of the ,nile1 the hills of the ,promised ,land1 would ring with the exultant cry that ,jehovah had failed4 ,and then--how long would the world have to wait till this seeming defeat could be retrieved8 ,century after century had passed since ,abraham left his own land to fulfil the vocation of ,god4 ,century after century would have to pass before the sons of ,moses could attain to any greatness1 any power to move the world4 ,the instrument ,jehovah had meanwhile to use was imperfect2 the tribes were not like a strong two-edged sword in the hand of the ,king4 ,yet they existed2 they could be used1 and ,divine might1 ,divine grace1 could overcome their imperfection4 ,ere the world grew older in ignorance and idolatry1 ,moses would have the heavenly purpose wrought4 ,for this he will renounce1 for this he must renounce1 the honour possible to himself4 ,let ,jehovah do all4 ,his choice made1 ,moses intercedes with ,god4 ,the prayer has an air of simple anthropomorphism4 ,he appears to plead that ,jehovah should not imperil ,his own fame4 ,the underlying thought is partly concealed by the form of expression2 but the meaning is clear4 ,it is the dawning power of the religion of ,god for which ,moses is concerned4 ,he would not have that lost to men which by the events of the exodus and the wilderness journey has been so far secured4 ,egypt is half persuaded2 ,canaan is beginning to see that ,jehovah is greater than ,anubis and ,thoth1 than ,moloch and ,baal4 ,was that impression to fade and to be succeeded by doubt1 possibly contempt of ,jehovah as ,israel's ,god4 ,he had brought ,his people into the wilderness1 but ,he could not establish them in ,canaan2 therefore ,he slew them3 if that were said1 would not the loss to mankind be incalculable8 ,thou1 ,jehovah1 art seen face to face1 and ,thy cloud standeth over them1 and ,thou goest before them in a pillar of cloud by day1 and in a pillar of fire by night4 ,the astonished lands have seen this2 let them not return with greater trust than ever to their own poor idols4 ,in the report of ,moses' intercession words are quoted which were part of the revelation of the ,divine character at ,sinai3 ,jehovah slow to anger1 and plenteous in mercy1 forgiving iniquity and transgression1 and that will by no means clear the guilty2 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children1 upon the third and fourth generation4 ,the prayer quoting these latter clauses is abundantly sincere2 and it proceeds on the belief that mercy rather than judgment is the delight of ,god4 ,the greatness of the ,divine compassion already shown time after time since the people left ,egypt is still relied upon4 ,and the desire of ,moses is granted so far as it is in harmony with the character and purpose of ,god4 ,thou wast a ,god that forgavest them1 though ,thou tookest vengeance of their doings 7,psalm xcix4 #h74 ,jehovah says1 ,i have pardoned according to ,my word4 ,the national sin is not to be visited with destruction of the nation4 ,no pestilence shall exterminate the murmurers1 nor shall they be left without the guidance of ,moses and of the cloud to melt away in the plagues of the wilderness4 ,but yet the power of ,jehovah shall be shown in their punishment2 the manner of it shall be such that the earth shall be filled with the glory of the ,lord4 ,the men who came out of ,egypt and have tempted ,jehovah ten times shall never see ,canaan4 ,their carcases shall fall in the desert4 ,for forty years shall the ,israelites wander as shepherds till the evil generation shall have disappeared4 ,divine ,providence judges the pusillanimity of men4 ,their fear deprives them of that which is offered and actually put within their grasp4 ,they prove themselves incapable when the time of decisive endeavour comes1 and a new generation must arise before the ripeness of circumstance again opens the way4 ,the case of the ,israelites shows that rebuke and disappointment are necessary in the ,divine discipline of human life4 ,defects of character1 of faith1 are not overborne by a tour de force in order that the development of a heavenly purpose may be hastened4 ,it would indeed cease to be a heavenly purpose1 if with easy forgiveness ,god gave miraculous success4 ,the result would be no gain in the long-run to any good cause4 ,if men fail1 ,god can wait for others who shall not fail4 ,we are apt to forget this2 we think that we show proper trust in the fulness of ,divine pardon when we insist that men who have erred and been forgiven1 who have faithlessly missed their opportunity and passed through penitence into new zeal1 shall be hurried on to the duties they refused to face4 ,but now1 as in the times of ,israel1 the law of adequate discipline forbids1 the law of punishment forbids4 ,humanity is not to be cheated of its ,divine instruction1 nor shall any pretext of generosity or necessity be urged in order that certain men may enter a ,canaan they once refused to possess4 ,we see a term set to a probation4 ,does it appear an inordinate punishment1 this denial of ,canaan to the unbelieving8 ,there is no need to think so4 ,for the men and women who held back in doubt of ,god1 the wilderness1 quite as well as ,canaan1 would serve the main end1 to teach them trust4 ,life went on still under the protection of the ,almighty4 ,the desert was ,his1 as well as the land flowing with milk and honey4 ,yea1 in the desert they had1 being such as they were1 fewer temptations to question the power of ,god and their own need of ,him than they would have found in the land of promise4 ,may we not say that men who had been so ready to receive an evil report of the land would have been confirmed in their doubt of ,jehovah if they had been allowed to cross the frontier8 ,better for them to remain in the desert that made no pretence to be anything else1 than to enter ,canaan and find excuses for calling it a desert4 ,no individual was prevented from learning to know ,god and trust ,him2 of that we may be sure4 ,the way of instruction was that of penitence and sorrow and continued hardships4 ,but there would have been no other way for those unbelievers even if they had entered on the promised inheritance4 ,in ,canaan1 as well as in the desert1 they would have had to learn contrition1 to advance in moral life by means of temporal hardships and defeat4 ,and there was a limitation of the judgment4 ,only those from twenty years old and upward were included4 ,the young men and young women1 presumably because they had not bewailed their lot and cried against ,moses and ,god1 having too much of the hopeful spirit of youth1 were not condemned to die in the wilderness4 ,a difference was there1 and by the terms of the deliverance was made clear1 which often comes to light in human history4 ,the old1 who should know most of the goodness of ,god and ,his unfailing power1 draw back2 the young and inexperienced are ready to advance4 ,men who are occupied with affairs tend to think that their wise management brings success1 and they place ,divine ,providence secondary to their own wisdom4 ,shall we be able for this8 they ask4 ,does this approve itself to us as men of the world1 responsible men8 ,if not1 they think it would be folly to go forward even at the call of ,god4 ,but the young are not so wise in their own experience2 they are in the mood to dare3 the young and the trustful--men like ,joshua and ,caleb1 who have learned that power and success are of ,god1 and that ,his way is always safe4 ,to calculate and act on the basis of expediency is not the failing of the young4 ,let us pray for men who have faith in the future of humanity and of the ,church to stand forth and rally about them the youths1 not spoiled by overwise theories of life1 who have still in their souls the heavenly instinct of hope4 ,caleb has here and elsewhere in the history peculiar honour1 all the more remarkable that he was1 properly speaking1 no ,israelite4 ,the narrative at this point associates his family with the tribe of ,judah4 ,but ,caleb was a ,kenizzite 7,numb4 xxxii4 #ab72 and ,kenaz appears in ,gen4 xxxvi4 #aa1 #ae1 as an ,edomite or descendant of ,esau4 ,at what time this particular ,kenizzite family joined the expedition of ,israel we have no hint4 ,as yet1 however1 there was no inter-marriage2 and it should be noticed that the district which in consideration of his fidelity ,caleb has for his inheritance in ,canaan is the same as was occupied by ,kenizzites before the conquest4 ,there is1 of course1 no improbability in this2 it may rather appear to give proof of the genuineness of the narrative4 ,caleb joins the ,israelites1 attaches himself to ,judah in the camp and on the march1 proves himself a faithful servant of ,god and of the host1 and has the promise of his forefathers' inheritance when the distribution of ,canaan shall be made4 ,he reported favourably of the region about ,hebron2 and ,hebron became his city1 as we learn from ,josh4 xiv4 ,in contrast to the special promise made to ,joshua and ,caleb is the fate of the other ten whose report brought a slander upon the land4 ,these died by the plague before ,jehovah4 ,it would seem that before ,moses appealed to ,god on behalf of the people1 the pestilence was spreading which might have swept the ,israelites down like ,sennacherib's army in after-times4 ,and the ten false spies had been among the first to die4 ,little indeed know men how soon ,providence will convict them of their faithlessness and rebellion4 ,let us save our lives1 they say1 by holding back from duties that involve difficulty and danger4 ,why advance where we are sure to fall by the sword8 ,but the sword finds them nevertheless1 or the plague lays hold of them2 and where then is the life they were so careful to preserve8 ,the men of ,israel who said1 ,let us not go to ,canaan1 but return to ,egypt1 neither see ,canaan nor ,egypt4 ,they gain nothing they desire2 they lose all they were so careful to keep4 ,suddenly at ver4 #dj we are brought to a new development4 ,the people no sooner hear their doom than they resolve to take the future into their own hands4 ,they acknowledge that they have sinned1 meaning1 however1 only that they have fallen into a mistake the consequence of which they had not foreseen2 and with this inadequate confession of fault they decide to make the advance into ,canaan forthwith4 ,they do not see that instead of recovering their hope in ,god by any such attempt they will really deepen the alienation between themselves and ,him4 ,submission is indeed hard1 but it is their one grace1 their one duty4 ,if they press on into ,canaan1 they must go without the ,lord1 as ,moses warns them1 and they shall not prosper4 ,it is not enough when men have discovered an evil heart of unbelief1 and turned again in repentance1 that they take up the thread of life which has become ravelled4 ,perverse faithlessness cannot be cured by a sudden decision to resume the duty which was abandoned in fear4 ,the refusal was no superficial thing1 but had its source in the springs of will1 the character and habits of life4 ,we are apt to judge otherwise1 and to suppose that we can alter the whole current of our nature by a single act of choice4 ,to-day the trend is strongly in one direction1 along a channel which has been forming for many years2 to-morrow we think it possible to become other men1 strong where we were weak1 determined upon that which we abhorred4 ,but something must intervene2 some change must take place deeper than our impulse4 ,we must have the new heart and the right spirit2 and in proportion to the gravity of the situation and the importance of the duty to be done must the time of discipline be long4 ,the wilderness wandering had to be for many years because the temper of a whole people was to be altered4 ,for a single person a far shorter ordeal may suffice4 ,he may pass through the stages of conviction1 repentance1 and new creation in a few weeks or even days4 ,nay1 sometimes the regenerating ,spirit brings about the change apparently in a moment4 ,yet the rule is that stability in faith must come slowly1 that the way of trial cannot be hastened4 ,a great task1 therefore1 the right doing of which is necessary to the open vindication of religion1 may not be gone about in a sudden change of mind4 ,we are not to take lightly1 into untried hands1 the massive plough of the kingdom of ,god4 ,in ,canaan1 the ,amalekites and ,canaanites1 ,moses said1 would dispute the advance of ,israel1--,amalekites skilled in desultory war1 ,canaanites long trained in military art4 ,these would fight without any sense of the support of the true ,god4 ,but how would the ,hebrews speed1 meeting them on the same footing8 ,the contest would be then between human skill and daring on either side2 and there could be no doubt as to the issue4 ,bands of men acquainted with the country1 disciplined in war as the tribes of ,israel were not1 fighting for their fields and homes with a defence of walled cities to fall back upon1 would certainly win4 ,if the ,hebrews went up1 it would be without the sign of ,jehovah's presence2 the ark of the covenant could not be borne with the army on such an expedition4 ,their attempt1 being presumptuous1 must end in disaster4 ,too often the conflicts in which the ,church is involved are of this very kind4 ,there is profession of high moral design and ,christian principle4 ,ostensibly it is for the sake of true religion that something is undertaken4 ,but in reality the affair is not one that belongs to the essence of faith4 ,it is perhaps a question of prestige1 of exclusive claim to certain rights or moneys1 the very last thing a ,christian church should insist upon4 ,then the contest is between human diplomacy and resolution1 whether on the one side or the other4 ,it is idle to call a campaign like this a holy war4 ,the ark of the covenant does not accompany the army that calls itself ,jehovah's4 ,as ,israel found that even ,amalekites and ,canaanites were too strong for her1 so has the ,church often found that men whom she termed unbelievers were superior to her in the arms she chose to use4 ,again and again have her forces had to retire smitten even unto ,hormah4 ,for those who are called unbelievers and atheists have their rights2 and they will always be able to maintain their rights against a presumptuous church which goes up into the mountain without the sanction of its living ,head4 ,it was no general advance of the tribes that on this occasion ended in defeat4 ,the solid1 resolute march of the whole people was a very different thing from the half-hearted sally of some hundreds of fighting men4 ,when the host of the ,israelites1 men1 women1 and children1 moved together1 the men of war had support in the sympathy of those they defended1 in the prayers of the priest and of the people4 ,they were nerved to play the part of heroes by the thought that all depended upon them1 that if they failed their wives and children would be put to the sword4 ,and again there is a parallel in the advance of the ,church against her adversaries4 ,if the officials only go out to fight1 if it is their affair1 their expedition1 if there is no strong onward movement of the whole host1 what is there to give support to the enterprise8 ,the fighting men may seem to have heart enough for their battle2 but the underlying feeling that they are not engaged in the defence of the ,gospel itself1 or in guarding any position on which the power and success of the ,gospel depend1 must always1 and properly1 weaken their arms4 ,there is all the difference in the world between an ecclesiastical battle and the contest for vital faith4 ,and it is a matter of regret that so much of the strength and ardour of good men should be wasted in downright earthly fighting1 when the feeling of the ,church as a whole is not with those who claim to be her army4 ,let all the tribes1 that is to say all the churches of ,christ that are of one mind as to vital truth1 advance together1 without jealousy1 without mutual contempt1 and the opposition to ,christianity will practically melt away4 ,from the twenty-first chapter1 which appears to open with a reminiscence of the first attack on ,canaan1 we gather that one of those who opposed the expedition was the ,canaanite ,king of ,arad4 ,the advance appears therefore to have been made by way of ,hezron and ,beersheba4 ,the mountains visible from the camp were likely the chalk hills beyond the ,ascent of ,akrabbim4 ,these passed1 probably near ,hezron1 a valley opened1 stretching away towards ,hebron4 ,the ,amalekites gathering from every wady1 and the ,canaanites from the ridge to the right1 where ,arad lay1 seem to have fallen upon the ,hebrews with a sudden onset4 ,while many escaped others were slain or taken captive4 ,a keen memory of the defeat survived2 but it was not till long afterwards1 in the days of the judges1 that the strongholds of the region were reduced4 ,,xiii ,,offerings3 ,,sabbath-,,keeping3 ,,dress ,,numbers xv ,the enactments of this chapter regarding meal offerings and drink offerings1 the heave offerings of the first dough1 and the atonement for unwitting errors belong to the cultus of ,canaan4 ,nothing generic distinguishes the first and third of these statutes from some that were presumably to be observed in the desert2 but the note is explicit1 ,when ye be come into the land of your habitations which ,i give unto you1 ,when ye be come into the land whither ,i bring you4 ,the whole chapter1 with its instance of presumptuous sin introduced by the clause1 ,and while the children of ,israel were in the wilderness1 marking a return to that time1 and its commandment regarding the fringes or tassels of blue to be attached to the dress as remembrancers of obligations1 may appear at first sight without any reference either to what has preceded or what follows4 ,the compilers1 however1 have a definite purpose in view4 ,the presumption of ,korah and his company1 and of ,dathan and ,abiram1 is in contrast to the unwitting faults for which atonement is provided1 and it comes under the category of what is done with a high hand--a form of blasphemy which is to be punished with death4 ,the case of the ,sabbath-breaker is an instance of this unpardonable sin1 and sends its light on to the incidents that follow4 ,even the memorial fringes or tassels1 and the prophetic sentences that accompany the command to wear them1 seem to be forewarnings of the doom of sacrilegious men4 #a4 ,,meal ,,and ,,drink ,,offerings4--,the statute regarding offerings to make a sweet savour unto ,jehovah is specially occupied with prescribing the proportion of flour and oil and wine to be presented along with the animal brought for a burnt offering or sacrifice4 ,any one separating himself in terms of a vow1 or desiring to express gratitude for some ,divine favour1 or again on the occasion of a sacred festival when he had special cause of rejoicing before ,god1 might bring a lamb1 a ram1 or an ox as his oblation2 and the meal and drink offerings were to vary with the value of the animal brought for sacrifice4 ,the law does not demand the same offering of every person under similar circumstances4 ,according to his means or his gratitude he may give4 ,but deciding first as to his burnt or slain offering1 he must add to it1 for a lamb1 the tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil1 and also a quarter of a hin of wine4 ,for a bullock1 the quantities were to be three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour1 with half a hin of oil1 and1 as a drink offering1 half a hin of wine4 ,the provision is a singular one1 based on some sense of what was becoming which we cannot pretend to revive4 ,but it points to a rule which the ,apostle ,paul may have recognised in this and other ,jewish statutes as belonging to universal morality3 ,take thought for things honourable in the sight of all men4 ,to make a show of generosity by giving a bullock1 while the flour and oil and wine were withheld1 was not seemly4 ,neither is it seemly for a ,christian to be lavish in his gifts to the ,church1 but withhold the meal offering and drink offering he owes to the poor4 ,throughout the whole range of use and expenditure1 personal and of the family1 a proportion is to be found which it is one of the ,christian arts to determine1 one of the ,christian duties to observe4 ,and nothing is right unless all is right4 ,the penny saved here takes away the sweet savour of the pound given there4 ,no man is in this to be a law to himself4 ,public justice and ,divine are to be satisfied4 ,the presence or absence of oil in an oblation marked its character4 ,the sin offering and the jealousy offering were without oil4 ,the oil of joy 7,isa4 lxi4 #c7 accompanied festal and peace offerings4 ,all ordinances prescribing the oblation of wine and oil necessarily belonged to the cultus of ,canaan1 for in the wilderness neither of these elements of the sacrifice could be always had4 ,the idea underlying the peace offerings1 with their accompanying meal and drink offerings1 was unquestionably that of feasting with ,jehovah1 enjoying ,his bounty at ,his table4 ,acknowledgment was made that the cattle on the hills were ,his1 that it was ,he who gave the harvest1 the vintage1 and the fruit of the olive-grove4 ,confession of man's indebtedness to ,jehovah as ,lord of nature was interwoven with the whole sacrificial system4 ,in connection with this ordinance of meal and drink offerings1 and that of atonement for unintentional failures in duty 7ver4 #bb ff471 it is very carefully enacted that the law shall be the same for the homeborn and the stranger4 ,for the assembly there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger that sojourneth with you1 a statute for ever throughout your generations3 as ye are1 so shall the stranger be before the ,lord4 ,the design is to secure religious unity1 and by means of it gradually to incorporate with ,israel all dwellers in the land4 ,while certain ordinances were intended to make ,israel a holy nation separated and consecrated to ,jehovah1 this admission of strangers to the privileges of the covenant has another design4 ,in the ,book of ,deuteronomy 7vii4 #b7 a statute occurs that entirely excludes from citizenship and incorporation all ,canaanites1 ,hittites1 ,jebusites1 ,amorites1 ,hivites1 ,girgashites1 and ,perizzites4 ,there was to be no intermarriage with them1 no toleration of them1 lest they led ,israel away into idolatry4 ,the statute is enforced by the words1 ,for thou art an holy people unto the ,lord thy ,god3 the ,lord thy ,god hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto ,himself1 above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth4 ,with this emphatic assertion of the severance of the ,hebrews from other races the strain of ,numbers1 as well as ,exodus and ,leviticus1 generally agrees4 ,when we endeavour to harmonise with it the admission of strangers to the right and joy of sacrificial festivals1 we at once meet the difficulty that no other races were fitter to be received into religious confraternity than those of ,canaan4 ,neither ,babylonians1 ,syrians1 ,phnicians1 nor ,philistines were free from the taint of idolatry2 and however degrading the rites of the ,canaanites were1 some of the other nations followed practices quite as revolting4 ,we know that for a long period of ,israel's history strangers were1 according to the statute presently under consideration1 admitted to the fellowship of religion1 as well as to high office in the state4 ,we have only to study the ,book of ,joshua to discover that the ,israelites1 like the ,saxons in ,britain1 destroyed the cities and not the population of the country1 and that the number of cities actually overthrown was not very large4 ,we have only to turn to the list of the 'mighty men' of ,david to learn how many of them were foreigners1 ,hittites1 ,ammonites1 ,zobahites1 and even ,philistines of ,gath 7#b ,sam4 xv4 #ah1 #ai2 vi4 #aj74 ,nor must it be forgotten that ,david himself was partly a ,moabite by descent4#f ,in accordance with this large tolerance we might be disposed to include among the strangers admitted to privilege men belonging to races that inhabited ,canaan before the conquest4 ,even ,deuteronomy seems in one passage to exclude none but ,ammonites and ,moabites2 and the covenant law of ,exod4 xxiii4 commands generous treatment of the stranger4 ,in contrast to the homeborn1 strangers may appear to mean those only who had come from other countries and chosen to identify themselves with the faith and fortunes of ,israel2 still this passage attempts no such definition1 and on the whole we must allow that the ,mosaic law in regulating the political and social position of resident non-,israelites showed a spirit of great liberality4 ,they had1 of course1 to conform to many laws--those1 for instance1 of marriage1 and those which forbade the eating of blood and the flesh of animals not properly slaughtered4 ,if uncircumcised1 they could not keep the ,passover2 but being circumcised1 they had equal rights with the ,hebrews4 ,the purpose evidently was to make an open way to the benefits of ,israel's government and religion4 ,the heave offering of the first dough is placed 7ver4 #bj7 side by side with the heave offering of the threshing-floor of the first sheaves4 ,in ,leviticus 7xxiii4 #ag7 a harvest oblation is ordered--two wave-loaves of fine flour baken with leaven4 ,here the heave offering of a cake made from the first dough is not accompanied with sacrifices of animals1 but is of a simple kind1 mainly a tribute to the priests4 ,the ,deuteronomic statute regarding firstfruits1 which were to be put in a basket and set down before the altar1 prescribed a formula of dedication beginning1 ,an ,aramean ready to perish was my father1 and he went down into ,egypt3 and the offering of these firstfruits was to be an occasion of joy--,thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the ,lord thy ,god hath given unto thee and unto thine house1 thou and the ,levite1 and the stranger that is in the midst of thee4 ,there can be no question that the most developed statute regarding these harvest offerings is that given in ,leviticus1 where the exact time for the presentation of the loaves is fixed1 the fiftieth day after the ,sabbath1 from the day when the sheaf was brought4 ,the feast accompanying the offering of the loaves came to be known as that of ,pentecost4 ,passing now to the law of atonement for unintentional omissions of duty1 we notice that the introductory sentences 7vv4 #bb1 #bc7 have a peculiar retrospective cast4 ,they seem to point back to the time when the ,lord gave commandment by the hand of ,moses4 ,it would appear that in course of years discovery was made that portions of the law were neglected1 and the provisions of this statute were to relieve the nation and individuals of accumulating defilement4 ,when ye shall err1 and not observe all these commandments1 which the ,lord hath spoken unto ,moses1 even all that the ,lord hath commanded you by the hand of ,moses1 from the day that the ,lord gave commandment1 and onward throughout your generations2 then it shall be1 if it be done unwittingly1 without the knowledge of the congregation--so runs the preamble4 ,a series of statutes in ,lev4 iv4 contemplates offences of a like kind1 when something has been done which the ,lord commanded not to be done4 ,the enactment of ,numbers appears to point to a complete falling away of the congregation from the whole of the law1 an unconscious apostasy4 ,maimonides understands the provision as relating to guilt incurred by the people in adopting customs and usages of the heathen that seemed to be reconcilable with the law of ,jehovah1 though they really led to contempt and neglect of ,his commandments4#g ,for the nation as a whole1 under these circumstances1 atonement was to be made by the burnt offering of a young bullock with its meal offering and drink offering1 and the sin offering of a he-goat4 ,in this purgation all strangers resident with ,israel are specially included4 ,when any person discovered that he had neglected a precept1 he was to offer a she-goat of the first year for a sin offering4 ,the ,israelite and the stranger alike had in this way access to the sanctuary4 ,but in contrast to unintentional omission of duty was set deliberate neglect of it4 ,for this there was no atonement4 ,whether the high-handed transgressor was homeborn or a stranger1 he was to be utterly cut off as a blasphemer2 his iniquity rested upon him4 ,the distinction is morally sound2 and the punishment of the rebel against authority--apparently nothing less than death1 or perhaps1 if he has fled the land1 outlawry--is such as the theocratic idea obviously required4 ,it was ,jehovah ,himself who was defied4 ,a man who1 as it were1 shook his fist in rebellion against ,god had no right to live in ,his world1 under the protection of ,his beneficent laws4 ,the distinction between unwitting neglect and open rejection runs through the whole range of duty1 natural1 ,hebrew1 ,christian4 ,what a man knows to be right he has before him as a ,divine law of moral conduct4 ,by the highest obligations1 under which he lies to the ,lord of conscience1 to his fellow-men1 and to himself1 he is bound to obey4 ,judaism added the authority of revelation--the ,mosaic law1 the prophetic word4 ,christianity still further adds the authority of the word spoken by the ,son of ,god1 and the obligation imposed by ,his death as the manifestation of eternal love4 ,in proportion as the ,divine will is made clear1 and the law enforced by revelation and grace1 the sin of rejection becomes greater and more blasphemous4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the unwitting transgressor1 be he heathen or imperfectly instructed ,christian1 has under the new covenant1 in which mercy and justice go hand in hand1 no less consideration than the ,hebrew who unintentionally erred4 ,there is no law that cuts him off from his people4 ,wide as this principle may reach1 it must be that according to which men are judged4 ,many1 knowing the invisible things of ,god through the things that are made1 are without excuse4 ,they hold down the truth in unrighteousness2 they are high-handed transgressors4 ,but others who have no knowledge of the ,divine law1 and break it unwittingly1 have their atonement3 ,god provides it4 ,nor are we to impeach ,divine ,providence by judging before the time4 ,it may be asked1 ,why1 since defiant rejection of ,christian law is more blasphemous than high-handed breach of the old ,hebrew law1 the providence of ,god does not punish it8 ,if any one with ,christ and ,his cross in view is guilty of injustice1 or of hatred which is murder1 does he not prove himself unworthy to live in ,god's world8 ,and why1 then1 does he not suffer at once the doom of his rebellion8 ,the theory of some stern moralists has been that human government should administer the justice of ,heaven and cut off the unbeliever4 ,in many a notable case this has been done1 and has caused a righteous horror which continues to be felt4 ,but although men cannot safely undertake the punishment of such offenders1 why does not ,god8 ,christ boldly stated that here and now this is not the method of the ,divine government1 but that men enjoy the ,father's mercy even when they are unjust1 unthankful1 and evil4 ,yet ,he spoke of judgment universal--judgment and retribution that shall not miss a single sinner1 a single secret sin4 ,and ,his view of the theocracy clearly is that meanwhile ,god by mercy to the defiant desires to train men in mercy1 by forbearance towards the unthankful and evil commends to us like patience and endurance4 ,transgressors are to have their full opportunity of repentance1 to which the very goodness of ,god calls them4 ,but justice which delays is not unobservant4 ,though ,he who reigns moves slowly to ,his end1 ,he will not fail to reach it4 ,he hath appointed a day in the which ,he will judge the world in righteousness4 ,as for human law1 its sphere is fixed4 ,society must protect itself against crime1 and is to do so in the name of ,god1 in conformity with the eternal principles of righteousness4 ,the ,hebrew temper may seem to have carried this principle into a range that was perilous to enter1 as in the instance immediately to be considered2 yet the protection of society was even then the immediate motive1 not vain jealousy for the honour of ,god4 ,for ourselves1 we have a duty which must be done without assumption or hypocrisy4 ,the various subjects of thought suggested here should be followed out4 ,for us1 they are complicated on the social as well as the religious side by certain theories that are in vogue4 ,the duty of civil government1 for example1 is on one side extended beyond its proper range by the attempt to give it authority in the domain of religious truth2 on the other hand it is unduly restricted by toleration of what is against the well-being of society4 ,the ,christian moralist has much to ponder in relation to popular opinions and the trend of modern legislation4 #b4 ,,the ,,sabbath-,,breaker4--,if the actual sequence of events is followed in the narrative of ,numbers1 it must have been after the condemnation of the adult ,israelites that judgment of the man who was found infringing the ,sabbath law had to be executed2 and some who were themselves under reprobation took part in convicting and punishing this offender4 ,there is a difficulty here which on high moral grounds it is impossible to explain away4 ,disaffection and revolt had brought on the mass of the people the sentence of destruction2 and this had only been exchanged on ,moses' intercession for the forty years of wandering4 ,should not sins that were visited with this penalty have excluded all who were guilty of them from any judicial act8 ,but the same objection would1 if admitted1 prevent all of us from taking part in the execution of law4 ,neither the judge nor the jury1 neither those who legislate nor those who administer law1 are free from moral fault4 ,the whole system dealing with crime has this defect2 and ,israel in the wilderness was as much entitled as modern society to take in hand the correction of offenders1 the maintenance of public well-being4 ,the law which had been broken was one specially connected with duty to ,god4 ,sabbath-keeping might indeed seem to belong to worship rather than to social morality4 ,the seventh day was the ,sabbath of ,jehovah4 ,it was to be kept holy to ,him1 made a delight for ,his sake4 ,the statute regarding it belonged to the first table of the ,decalogue4 ,still1 the commandment had a social as well as a religious side4 ,in goodwill to men ,jehovah required the day to be kept holy to ,him4 ,had one and another like this offender been allowed to set aside the fourth commandment1 the interests of the whole congregation would soon have suffered4 ,it was for the good of the race1 physically as well as intellectually and spiritually1 the ,sabbath was to be kept4 ,those who guarded the sanctity of the ,sabbath were guarding not the honour of ,god alone1 though they may have thought that the chief merit of their watchfulness1 but the interests of the people1 a precious heritage of the nation4 ,it is not necessary to maintain that judgment was given by ,moses solely on the ground that the man who gathered sticks on the ,sabbath was an offender against the public well-being4 ,the thought of ,jehovah's jealousy was constantly kept before the mind of ,israel1 for by that idea1 better than any other1 beneficent legislation was supported in a rude age2 and judgment no doubt rested mainly on this4 ,yet the interference of the people and their share in the execution of punishment are to be justified by the undoubted fact that ,israel could not afford to let the ,sabbath be lost4 ,even those who were to a great extent earthly could perceive this4 ,and if the punishment seems disproportionate1 we must remember that it was the presumptuous temper of the man rather than his actual fault that was judged criminal4 ,st4 ,james said1 no doubt from this point of view1 ,whosoever shall keep the whole law1 and yet offend in one point1 he is become guilty of all4 ,the criminal act was that of breaking down1 with daring hand1 the safeguard of social and religious prosperity4 ,and there is a sense in which without ,pharisaism those who are concerned for the public well-being may still insist on the strict enforcement of the laws that guard the day of rest4 ,though all days are alike sacred to spiritually minded persons1 yet bodily health and mental soundness are bound up more than men in general know with the ,sabbatic interval between labour and labour4 ,the ,puritanism often scoffed at is far more philanthropic than the humanitarianism1 so-called1 which derides it4 ,and when any one enforces the duty of ,sabbath-keeping by insisting on ,god's claim to the seventh day1 his belief is no superstition4 ,convict him first of advocating what is against the good of men1 irrational1 absurd1 before venturing to call him superstitious4 ,if what is advanced as a claim of ,god can be proved to be really for the good of men1 it is a virtue to insist that for ,god's sake as well as the sake of men it should be rendered4 ,there were persons in our ,lord's time who made ,sabbath-keeping a superstition4 ,against them ,he testified4 ,but it is in ,his name who was the great ,friend of men the ,sabbath law is now insisted on2 and the day of rest has all the higher sanction that it commemorates ,his resurrection from the dead1 ,his promise of that new life which relief from labour enables us to pursue4 ,the institution of the ,sabbath and the scrupulous observance of it were1 for ,israel1 and are still for all believers in ,divine religion1 most important means of maintaining unity in the faith4 ,now that many causes interfere with the simultaneous exhibition of regard for other symbols of ,christian belief1 the day of rest and worship gives a universal opportunity which it would be fatal to neglect4 ,it has the advantage of beginning to claim men on the ground where religion first appeals to them1 that of ,god's care for their temporal well-being4 ,those with whom religious feeling is quite elementary must see that a boon of incalculable value is offered in this recurring refreshment to the wearied body and strained mind4 ,and with progress in religious culture the benefit of the day of rest is found to advance4 ,the opportunities of worship1 of religious meditation and service1 which it brings will be esteemed as the value of ,christian fellowship1 the importance of ,christian knowledge1 and the duty of ,christian endeavour are successively understood4 ,on all these grounds the ,sabbath1 or ,lord's ,day1 is for modern religion1 as for that of the old covenant1 a great declaration1 a means of unity and development which the spiritual will earnestly uphold4 ,let it fail1 and distinction between religious and non-religious will be without a sign4 ,no doubt the reality is more by far than the symbol4 ,yet fellowship1 for which in many cases the ,sabbath alone gives opportunity1 is far more than a symbol2 and unity requires an outward manifestation4 ,nothing could be more perilous to the religious life of our people than the tendency1 shown by many who profess ,christianity and sanctioned by some of its teachers1 to make the ,sabbath a day of self-pleasing1 of mere individualism1 and incoherent secularity4 #c4 ,,the ,,memorial ,,tassels4--,the unique sumptuary law with which the chapter closes may be regarded as a sequence of the ,sabbath-breaker's conviction4 ,that ,israelites might never be without a reminder of their duty1 and of the ,divine laws they were scrupulously to observe1 these tassels with a band of blue were to be constantly worn4 ,it appears to us singular that men should be expected to pay heed to such mementoes as these4 ,we are apt to say1 ,if the laws of ,god were not in their hearts1 the zizith would scarcely make them more attentive2 and if they had the laws in their hearts1 they would need no memorials of obligation4 ,but the ornament was something more than a reminder of duty4 ,it was a badge of honour1 and became more so as the ,israelites understood their high position among the peoples4 ,the zizith would be like an order1 a mark of rank2 or like the uniform of his regiment which to the good soldier recalls its history4 ,the ,hebrew would have to live up to his duty as signified by these attachments of his dress4 ,and ,israelites were to be distinguished by the zizith from those who were of other races1 not under law to ,jehovah4 ,every man who wore this badge would be able to count on the sympathy of every other ,israelite4 ,the symbol became a means of rousing the esprit of the nation1 and binding it together in a zealous fraternity4 ,the nature of the badge appears to us peculiar2 but the value of it cannot be denied4 ,the modern peoples1 far as they have travelled from the old ways of the ,hebrews1 retain the use of symbolic dress1 the liking for ornaments1 by which a man's life may be known4 ,the name zizith is derived from a word meaning blossom4 ,the tassel was formed of twisted threads bound by a cord or ribbon of blue to the garment4 ,it was the blossom of the robe1 so to speak1 hanging by a blue stem4 ,the ornament is again mentioned in ,deut4 xxii4 #ab1 where it has another name1 gedilim1 enlargements4 ,with extraordinary pride the ,jews of our own time still wear the talith1 which is a fantastical development of the zizith of ,numbers4 ,the rabbins observe that each string consisted of eight threads1 which1 with the number of knots and the numerical value of the letters in the word1 make #fac1 which1 according to them1 is the exact number of the precepts in the law4 ,the ,pharisees in ,christ's time enlarged their phylacteries1 displaying superfluously the proofs of their ,hebrew orthodoxy and zeal4 ,it is the danger of all symbols4 ,in the youth of a people they have meaning2 they express fact1 they give honour4 ,the ,israelite wearing his felt himself reminded1 put on his honour1 not to go about according to his own heart and his own eyes by which he used to go a-whoring4 ,but afterwards the zeal became that of pride1 the symbol a mere amulet or a token of self-sufficiency4 ,the ,jew of to-day is partly kept separate by his talith1 and because he wears it1 feels himself in touch with the fathers and heroes and prophets of his people4 ,but he also feels1 what is not always good1 his remoteness from heathen and ,christian dogs4 ,and ,christian symbols1 the few sanctioned by ,scripture1 the others that have crept into use in the course of history1 bring with their use a similar danger4 ,in many cases they are signs of privilege rather than memorials of duty4 ,they minister to pride1 rather than stimulate zeal in the service of ,god and men4 ,the crucifix itself1 with consummate superstition1 is worn and kissed as a talisman4 ,,footnotes3 #f ,sayce1 ,the ,higher ,criticism and the ,verdict of the ,monuments1 p4 #cei4 #g ,see ,keil and ,delitzsch in loco4 ,,xiv ,,korah1 ,,dathan1 ,,and ,,abiram ,,numbers xvi41 xvii ,behind what appears in the history1 there must have been many movements of thought and causes of discontent which gradually led to the events we now consider4 ,of the revolts against ,moses which occurred in the wilderness1 this was the most widely organised and involved the most serious danger4 ,but we can only conjecture in what way it arose1 how it was related to previous incidents and tendencies of popular feeling4 ,it is difficult to understand the report1 in which ,korah appears at one time closely associated with ,dathan and ,abiram1 at other times quite apart from them as a leader of disaffection4 ,according to ,wellhausen and others1 three narratives are combined in the text4 ,but without going so far in the way of analysis we clearly trace two lines of revolt3 one against ,moses as leader2 the other against the ,aaronic priesthood4 ,the two risings may have been distinct2 we shall however deal with them as simultaneous and more or less combined4 ,a great deal is left unexplained1 and we must be guided by the belief that the narrative of the whole book has a certain coherency1 and that facts previously recorded must have had their bearing on those now to be examined4 ,the principal leader of revolt was ,korah1 son of ,izhar1 a ,levite of the family of ,kohath2 and with him were associated two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation1 called to the assembly1 men of renown1 some of them presumably belonging to each of the tribes as is shown incidentally in xxvii4 #c4 ,the complaint of this company--evidently representing an opinion widely held1 was that ,moses and ,aaron took too much upon them in reserving to themselves the whole arrangement and control of the ritual4 ,the two hundred and fifty1 who according to the law had no right to use censers1 were so far in opposition to the ,aaronic priesthood that they were provided with the means of offering incense4 ,they claimed for themselves on behalf of the whole congregation1 whom they declared to be holy1 the highest function of priests4 ,with ,korah were specially identified a number of ,levites who1 not content with being separated to do the service of the tabernacle1 demanded the higher sacerdotal office4 ,it might seem from vv4 #aj1 #aa1 that all the two hundred and fifty were ,levites2 but this is precluded by the earlier statement that they were princes of the congregation1 called to the assembly4 ,so far as we can gather1 the tribe of ,levi did not supply princes1 men of renown1 in this sense4 ,while ,moses deals with ,korah and his company1 ,dathan1 ,abiram1 and ,on1 who belong to the tribe of ,reuben1 stand in the background with their grievance4 ,invited to state it1 they complain that ,moses has not only brought the congregation out of a land flowing with milk and honey1 to kill them in the wilderness1 failing to give them the inheritance he promised2 but he has made himself a prince over the host1 determining everything without consulting the heads of the tribes4 ,they ask if he means to put out the eyes of these men1--that is1 to blind them to the real purpose he has in view1 whatever it is1 or to make them his slaves after the ,babylonian fashion1 by actually boring out the eyes of each tenth man1 perhaps4 ,the two hundred and fifty are called by ,moses to bring their censers and the incense and fire they have been using1 that ,jehovah may signify whether ,he chooses to be served by them as priests1 or by ,aaron4 ,the offering of incense over1 the decree against the whole host as concerned in this revolt is made known1 and ,moses intercedes for the people4 ,then the ,voice commands that all the people shall separate themselves from the tabernacle of ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 apparently as if some tent of worship had been erected in rivalry of the true tabernacle4 ,dathan and ,abiram are not at the tabernacle1 but at some little distance1 in tents of their own4 ,the people remove from the tabernacle of ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 and on the terrible invocation of judgment pronounced by ,moses1 the ground cleaves asunder and all the men that appertain unto ,korah go down alive into the pit4 ,afterwards1 it is said1 fire came forth from the ,lord and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense4 ,the men that appertained unto ,korah may be the presumptuous ,levites1 most closely identified with his revolt4 ,but the two hundred and fifty consumed by the fire are not said to have been swallowed by the cleaving earth2 their censers are taken up out of the burning1 as devoted or sacred1 and beaten into plates for a covering of the altar4 ,on the morrow the whole congregation1 even more disaffected than before1 is in a state of tumult4 ,the cry is raised that ,moses and ,aaron have killed the people of ,jehovah4 ,forthwith a plague1 the sign of ,divine anger1 breaks out4 ,atonement is made by ,aaron1 who runs quickly with his burning censer into the midst of the assembly1 and stands between the dead and the living4 ,but fourteen thousand seven hundred die before the plague is stayed4 ,and the position of ,aaron as the acknowledged priest of ,jehovah is still further confirmed4 ,rods or twigs are taken1 one for each tribe1 all the tribes having been implicated in the revolt2 and these rods are laid up in the tent of meeting4 ,when a day has passed1 the rod of ,aaron for the tribe of ,levi is found to have put forth buds and borne almonds4 ,the close of the whole series of events is an exclamation of amazed anxiety by all the people3 ,behold1 we perish1 we are undone1 we are all undone4 ,every one that cometh near unto the tabernacle of ,jehovah dieth3 shall we perish all of us8 ,now throughout the narrative1 although other issues are involved1 there can be no question that the main design is the confirmation of the ,aaronic priesthood4 ,what happened conveyed a warning of most extraordinary severity against any attempt to interfere with the sacerdotal order as established4 ,and this we can understand4 ,but it becomes a question why a revolt of ,reubenites against ,moses was connected with that of ,korah against the sole priesthood of the ,aaronic house4 ,we have also to consider how it came about that princes out of all the tribes were to be found provided with censers1 which they were apparently in the habit of using to burn incense to ,jehovah4 ,there is a ,levitical revolt2 there is an assumption by men in each tribe of priestly dignity2 and there is a protest by men representing the tribe of ,reuben against the dictatorship of ,moses4 ,in what way might these different movements arise and combine in a crisis that almost wrecked the fortunes of ,israel8 ,the explanation supplied by ,wellhausen on the basis of his main theory is exceedingly laboured1 at some points improbable1 at others defective4 ,according to the ,jehovistic tradition1 he says1#h the rebellion proceeds from the ,reubenites1 and is directed against ,moses as leader and judge of the people4 ,the historical basis of this is dimly discerned to be the fall of ,reuben from its old place at the head of the brother tribes4 ,out of this story1 says ,wellhausen1 at some time or other not specified1 when the people of the congregation1 i4e41 of the ,church1 have once come on the scene1 there arises a second version4 ,the author of the agitation is now ,korah1 a prince of the tribe of ,judah1 and he rebels not only against ,moses but against ,moses and ,aaron as representing the priesthood4 ,the jealousy of the secular grandees is now directed against the class of hereditary priests instead of against the extraordinary influence on the community of a heaven-sent hero4 ,then there is a third addition which belongs likewise to the ,priestly ,code1 but not to its original contents4 ,in this1 ,korah the prince of the tribe of ,judah is replaced by another ,korah1 head of a post-exilic ,levitical family2 and the contest between clergy and aristocracy is transformed into a domestic strife between the higher and inferior clergy which was no doubt raging in the time of the narrator4 ,all this is supposed to be a natural and easy explanation of what would otherwise be an insoluble enigma4 ,we ask1 however1 at what period any family of ,judah would be likely to claim the priesthood1 and at what post-exilic period there was no doubt a strife between the higher and inferior clergy4 ,nor is there any account here of the two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation1 with their partially developed ritual antagonistic to that of the tabernacle4 ,we have seen that according to the narrative of ,numbers seventy elders of the tribes were appointed to aid ,moses in bearing the heavy burden of administration1 and were endowed with the gift of prophecy that they might the more impressively wield authority in the host4 ,in the first instance1 these men might be zealous helpers of ,moses1 but they proved1 like the rest1 angry critics of his leadership when the spies returned with their evil report4 ,they were included with the other men of the tribes in the doom of the forty years' wandering1 and might easily become movers of sedition4 ,when the ark was stationed permanently at ,kadesh1 and the tribes spread themselves after the manner of shepherds over a wide range of the surrounding district1 we can easily see that the authority of the seventy would increase in proportion to the need for direction felt in the different groups to which they belonged4 ,many of the scattered companies too were so far from the tabernacle that they might desire a worship of their own1 and the original priestly function of the heads of tribes1 if it had lapsed1 might in this way be revived4 ,although there were no altars1 yet with censers and incense one of the highest rites of worship might be observed4 ,again1 the period of inaction must have been galling to many who conceived themselves quite capable of making a successful assault on the inhabitants of ,canaan1 or otherwise securing a settled place of abode for ,israel4 ,and the tribe of ,reuben1 first by birthright1 and apparently one of the strongest1 would take the lead in a movement to set aside the authority of ,moses4 ,we have also to keep in mind that though ,moses had pressed the ,kenizzites to join the march and relied on their fidelity1 the presence in the camp of one like ,hobab1 who was an equal not a vassal of ,moses1 must have been a continual incentive to disaffection4 ,he and his troops had their own notions1 we may believe1 as to the delay of forty years1 and would very likely deny its necessity4 ,they would also have their own cultus1 and religiously1 as well as in other ways1 show an independence which encouraged revolt4 ,once more1 as to the ,levites1 it might seem unfair to them that ,aaron and his two sons should have a position so much higher than theirs4 ,they had to do many offices in connection with sacrifice1 and other parts of the holy service4 ,on them1 indeed1 fell the burden of the duties1 and the ambitious might expect to force their way into the higher office of the priesthood1 at a time when rebellion against authority was coming to a head4 ,we may suppose that ,korah and his company of ,levites1 acting partly for themselves1 partly in concert with the two hundred and fifty who had already assumed the right to burn incense1 agreed to make their demand in the first instance1 that as ,levites they should be admitted priests4 ,this would prepare the way for the princes of the tribes to claim sacerdotal rights according to the old clan idea4 ,and at the same time1 the priority of ,reuben would be another point1 insistence upon which would strike at the power of ,moses4 ,if the princes of ,reuben had gone so far as to erect a tabernacle or mishcan for their worship1 that may have been1 for the occasion1 made the headquarters of revolt1 perhaps because ,reuben happened at the time to be nearest the encampment of the ,levites4 ,a widespread rebellion1 an organised rebellion1 not homogeneous1 but with many elements in it tending to utter confusion1 is what we see4 ,suppose it to have succeeded1 the unity of worship would have been destroyed completely4 ,each tribe with its own cultus would have gone its own way so far as religion was concerned4 ,in a very short time there would have been as many debased cults as there were wandering companies4 ,then the claim of autonomy1 if not of right to lead the tribes1 made on behalf of ,reuben1 involved a further danger4 ,moses had not only the sagacity but the inspiration which ought to have commanded obedience4 ,the princes of ,reuben had neither4 ,whether all under the lead of ,reuben or each tribe led by its own princes1 the ,israelites would have travelled to disaster4 ,futile attempts at conquest1 strife or alliance with neighbouring peoples1 internal dissension1 would have worn the tribes piecemeal away4 ,the dictatorship of ,moses1 the ,aaronic priesthood1 and the unity of worship stood or fell together4 ,one of the three removed1 the others would have given way4 ,but the revolutionary spirit1 springing out of ambition and a disaffection for which there was no excuse1 was blind to consequences4 ,and the stern suppression of this revolt1 at whatever cost1 was absolutely needful if there was to be any future for ,israel4 ,it has been supposed that we have in this rebellion of ,korah the first example of ecclesiastical dissension1 and that the punishment is a warning to all who presumptuously intrude into the priestly office4 ,laymen take the censer2 and the fire of the ,lord burns them up4 ,so1 let not laymen1 at any time in the ,church's history1 venture to touch the sacred mysteries4 ,if ritual and sacramentarian miracle were the heart of religion2 if there could be no worship of ,god and no salvation for men now unless through a consecrated priesthood1 this might be said4 ,but the old covenant1 with its symbols and shadows1 has been superseded4 ,we have another centre now1 another tabernacle1 another way which has been consecrated for ever by the sacrifice of ,christ1 a way into the holiest of all open to every believer4 ,our unity does not depend on the priesthood of men1 but on the universal and eternal priesthood of ,christ4 ,the co-operation of ,aaron as priest was needful to ,moses1 not that his power might be maintained for his own sake1 but that he might have authority over the host for ,israel's sake4 ,it was not the dignity of an order or of a man that was at stake1 but the very existence of religion and of the nation4 ,this bond snapped at any point1 the tribes would have been scattered and lost4 ,a leader of men standing above them for their temporal interests can rarely take upon him to be the instrument of administering the penalty of their sins4 ,what king1 for instance1 ever invoked an interdict on his own people1 or in his own right of judging for ,god condemned them to pay a tax to the ,church1 because they had done what was morally wrong8 ,rulers generally have regarded disobedience to themselves as the only crime it was worth their while to punish4 ,when ,moses stood against the faithless spirit of the ,israelites and issued orders by way of punishing that bad spirit1 he certainly put his authority to a tremendous test4 ,without a sure ground of confidence in ,divine support1 he would have been foolhardy in the extreme4 ,and we are not surprised that the coalition against him represented many causes of discontent4 ,under his administration the long sojourn in the desert had been decreed1 and a whole generation deprived of what they held their right--a settlement in ,canaan4 ,he appeared to be tyrannising over the tribes2 and proud ,reubenites sought to put an end to his rule4 ,the priesthood was his creation1 and seemed to be made exclusive simply that through ,aaron he might have a firmer hold of the people's liberties4 ,why was the old prerogative of the headmen in religious matters taken from them8 ,they would reclaim their rights4 ,neither ,levi nor ,reuben should be denied its priestly autonomy any longer4 ,in the whole rebellion there was one spirit1 but there were also divided counsels2 and ,moses showed his wisdom by taking the revolt not as a single movement1 but part by part4 ,first he met the ,levites1 with ,korah at their head1 professing great zeal for the principle that all the congregation were holy1 every one of them4 ,a claim made on that ground could not be disproved by argument1 perhaps1 although the holiness of the congregation was evidently an ideal1 not a fact4 ,jehovah ,himself would have to decide4 ,yet ,moses remonstrated in a way that was fitted to move the ,levites1 and perhaps did touch some of them4 ,they had been honoured by ,god in having a certain holy office assigned to them4 ,were they to renounce it in joining a revolt which would make the very priesthood they desired common to all the tribes8 ,from ,jehovah ,himself the ,levites had their commission4 ,it was against ,jehovah they were fighting2 and how could they speed8 ,they spoke of ,aaron and his dignity4 ,but what was ,aaron8 ,only a servant of ,god and of the people1 a man who personally assumed no great airs4 ,by this appeal some would seem to have been detached from the rebellion1 for in xxvi4 #i-aa1 when the judgment of ,korah and his company is referred to1 it is added1 ,notwithstanding the children of ,korah died not4 ,from #a ,chron4 vi4 we learn that in the line of ,korah's descendants appeared certain makers and leaders of sacred song1 ,heman among them1 one of ,david's singers1 to whom ,psalm lxxxviii4 is ascribed4 ,with the ,reubenites ,moses deals in the next place1 taking their cause of discontent by itself4 ,already one of the three ,reubenite chiefs had withdrawn1 and ,dathan and ,abiram stood by themselves4 ,refusing to obey the call of ,moses to a conference1 they stated their grievance roughly by the mouth of a messenger2 and ,moses could only with indignation express before ,god his blamelessness in regard to them3 ,i have not taken one ass from them1 neither have ,i hurt one of them4 ,neither for his own enrichment1 nor in personal ambition had he acted4 ,could they maintain1 did the people think1 that the present revolt was equally disinterested8 ,under cover of opposition to tyranny1 are they not desiring to play the part of tyrants and aggrandise themselves at the expense of the people8 ,it is singular that not a word is said in special condemnation of the two hundred and fifty because they were in possession of censers and incense4 ,may it be the case that the complete reservation of the high-priestly duties to the house of ,aaron had not as yet taken effect1 that it was a purpose rather than a fact8 ,may it not further be the case that the rebellion partly took form and ripened because an order had been given withdrawing the use of censers from the headmen of the tribes8 ,if there had as yet been a certain temporary allowance of the tribal priesthood and ritual1 we should not have to ask how incense and censers were in the hands of the two hundred and fifty1 and why the brass of their vessels was held to be sacred and put to holy use4 ,the prayer of ,moses in which he interceded for the people1 ver4 #bb1 is marked by an expression of singular breadth1 ,o ,god1 the ,god of the spirits of all flesh4 ,the men1 misled on the fleshly side by appetite 7ver4 #ac71 and shrinking from pain1 were against ,god4 ,but their spirits were in ,his hand4 ,would ,he not move their spirits1 redeem and save them8 ,would ,he not look on the hearts of all and distinguish the guilty from the innocent1 the more rebellious from the less8 ,one man had sinned1 but would ,god burst out on the whole congregation8 ,the form of the intercession is abrupt1 crude4 ,even ,moses with all his justice and all his pity could not be more just1 more compassionate1 than ,jehovah4 ,the purpose of destruction was not as the leader thought it to be4 ,regarding the judgments1 that of the earthquake and that of the fire1 we are too remote in time to form any proper conception of what they were1 how they were inflicted4 ,moses1 says ,lange1 appears as a man whose wonderful presentiment becomes a miraculous prophecy by the ,spirit of revelation4 ,but this is not sufficient4 ,there was more than a presentiment4 ,moses knew what was coming1 knew that where the rebels stood the earth would open1 the consuming fire burn4 ,the plague1 on the other hand1 which next day spread rapidly among the excited people and threatened to destroy them1 was not foreseen4 ,it came as if straight from the hand of ,divine wrath4 ,but it afforded an opportunity for ,aaron to prove his power with ,god and his courage4 ,carrying the sacred fire into the midst of the infected people he became the means of their deliverance4 ,as he waved his censer1 and its fumes went up to heaven1 faith in ,jehovah and in ,aaron as the true priest of ,jehovah was revived in the hearts of men4 ,their spirits came again under the healing power of that symbolism which had lost its virtue in common use1 and was now associated in a grave crisis with an appeal to ,him who smites and heals1 who kills and makes alive4 ,it has been maintained by some that the closing sentences of chap4 xvii4 should follow chap4 xvi4 with which they appear to be closely connected1 the incident of the budding of ,aaron's rod seeming to call rather for a festal celebration than a lament4 ,the theory of the ,book of ,numbers we have seen reason to adopt would account for the introduction of the fresh episode1 simply because it relates to the priesthood and tends to confirm the ,aaronites in exclusive dignity4 ,the symbolic test of the claim raised by the tribes corresponds closely to the signs that were used by some of the prophets1 such as the girdle laid up by the river ,euphrates1 and the basket of summer fruits4 ,the rod on which ,aaron's name was written was of almond1 a tree for which ,syria was famous4 ,like the sloe it sends forth blossoms before the leaves2 and the unique way in which this twig showed its living vigour as compared with the others was a token of the choice of ,levi to serve and ,aaron to minister in the holiest office before ,jehovah4 ,the whole circumstances1 and the closing cry of the people1 leave the impression of a grave difficulty found in establishing the hierarchy and centralising the worship4 ,it was a necessity--shall we call it a sad necessity8--that the men of the tribes should be deprived of direct access to the sanctuary and the oracle4 ,earthly1 disobedient1 and far from trustful in ,god1 they could not be allowed1 even the hereditary chiefs among them1 to offer sacrifices4 ,the ideas of the ,divine holiness embodied in the ,mosaic law were so far in advance of the common thought of ,israel1 that the old order had to be superseded by one fitted to promote the spiritual education of the people1 and prepare them for a time when there shall be on the bells of the horses1 ,,holy ,,unto ,,the ,,lord2 and every pot in ,judah shall be holy unto the ,lord of hosts1 and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seethe therein4 ,the institution of the ,aaronic priesthood was a step of progress indispensable to the security of religion and the brotherhood of the tribes in that high sense for which they were made a nation4 ,but it was at the same time a confession that ,israel was not spiritual1 was not the holy congregation ,korah declared it to be4 ,the greater was the pity that afterwards in the day of ,israel's opportunity1 when ,christ came to lead the whole people into the spiritual liberty and grace for which prophets had longed1 the priestly system was held tenaciously as the pride of the nation4 ,when the law of ritual and sacrifice and priestly mediation should have been left behind as no longer necessary because the ,messiah had come1 the way of higher life was opened in vain4 ,sacerdotalism held its place with full consent of those who guided affairs4 ,israel as a nation was blinded1 and its day shone in vain4 ,of all priesthoods as corporate bodies1 however estimable1 zealous1 and spiritually-minded individual members of them may be1 must it not be said that their existence is a sad necessity8 ,they may be educative4 ,a sacerdotal system now may1 like that of the ,mosaic law1 be a tutor to bring men to ,christ4 ,realising that1 those who hold office under it may bring help to men not yet fit for liberty4 ,but priestly dominance is no perpetual rule in any church1 certainly not in the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,the freedom with which ,christ makes men free is the goal4 ,the highest duty a priest can fulfil is to prepare men for that liberty2 and as soon as he can he should discharge them for the enjoyment of it4 ,to find in episodes like those of ,korah's revolt and its suppression a rule applicable to modern religious affairs is too great an anachronism4 ,for whatever right sacerdotalism now has is purely of the ,church's tolerance1 in the measure not of ,divine right1 but of the need of uninstructed men4 ,to the spiritual1 to those who know1 the priestly system with its symbols and authoritative claim is but an interference with privilege and duty4 ,can any ,aaron now make an atonement for a mass of people1 or even in virtue of his office apply to them the atonement made by ,christ8 ,how does his absolution help a soul that knows ,christ the ,redeemer as every ,christian soul ought to know ,him8 ,the great fault of priesthoods always is1 that having once gained power1 they endeavour to retain it and extend it1 making greater claims the longer they exist4 ,affirming that they speak for the ,church1 they endeavour to control the voice of the ,church4 ,affirming that they speak for ,christ1 they deny or minimise ,his great gift of liberty4 ,freedom of thought and reason was to ,cardinal ,newman1 for example1 the cause of all deplorable heresies and infidelities1 of a divided ,church and a ruined world4 ,the candid priest of our day is found making his claim as largely as ever1 and then virtually explaining it away4 ,should not the vain attempt to hold by ,judaic institutions cease8 ,and although the ,church of ,christ early made the mistake of harking back to ,mosaism1 should not confession now be made that priesthood of the exclusive kind is out of date1 that every believer may perform the highest functions of the consecrated life8 ,the ,divine choice of ,aaron1 his confirmation in high religious office by the budding of the almond twig as well as by the acceptance of his intercession1 have their parallels now4 ,the realities of one age become symbols for another4 ,like the whole ritual of ,israel1 these particular incidents may be turned to ,christian use by way of illustration4 ,but not with regard to the prerogative of any arch-hierarch4 ,the availing intercession is that of ,christ1 the sole headship over the tribes of men is that which ,he has gained by ,divine courage1 love1 and sacrifice4 ,among those who believe there is equal dependence on the work of ,christ4 ,when we come to intercession which they make for each other1 it is of value in consideration not of office but of faith4 ,the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much4 ,it is as righteous men1 humble men1 not as priests they prevail4 ,the sacraments are efficacious1 not from any virtue in them or in him that administers them1 but through faith1 by the energy of the omnipresent ,spirit4 ,yet there are men chosen to special duty1 whose almond twigs bud and blossom and become their sceptres4 ,appointment and ordination are our expedients2 grace is given by ,god in a higher line of calling and endowment4 ,while there are blessings pronounced that fall upon the ear or gratify the sensibility1 theirs reach the soul4 ,for them the world has need to thank ,god4 ,they keep religion alive1 and make it bourgeon and yield the new fruits for which the generations hunger4 ,they are new branches of the ,living ,vine4 ,of them it has often to be said1 as of the ,lord ,himself1 ,the stone which the builders rejected the same has become head of the corner2 this is the ,lord's doing1 and it is marvellous in our eyes4 ,,footnote3 #h ,prolegomena to the ,history of ,israel1 p4 #ced4 ,,xv ,,tithes ,,and ,,cleansings ,,numbers xviii41 xix #a4 ,,duties ,,and ,,support ,,of ,,the ,,ministry4--,the statutes of chap4 xviii4 are related to the rebellion of ,korah by a clause in ver4 #i1 ,ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar3 that there be wrath no more upon the children of ,israel4 ,the enactments are directed anew against any intrusion into the sacred service by those who are not ,levites1 and into the priesthood by those who are not ,aaronites4 ,it is clearly implied that the ministry of the tabernacle is held under a grave responsibility4 ,the iniquity of the sanctuary and the iniquity of the priesthood have to be borne2 and the ,aaronites alone are commissioned to bear that iniquity4 ,the ,levites1 though they serve1 are not to touch the holy vessels lest they die4 ,the priesthood1 for everything of the altar1 and for that within the veil1 is given to the ,aaronites as a service of gift4 ,a certain iniquity1 corresponding to the holiness of the tabernacle and its vessels1 attends the service which is to be done by the priests4 ,their entrance into the sacred tent is an approach to ,jehovah1 and from ,his purity there is thrown a defilement on human life4 ,the idea thus represented is capable of fine spiritual realisation4 ,with this embodied in the law and worship1 there is no need to look in any other direction for that evangelical poverty of spirit which the better ,israelites of an after time knew4 ,here prophecy found in the law a germ of deep religious feeling which1 rising above tabernacle and altar1 became the holy fear of ,him who inhabits eternity4 ,the creation throughout its whole range1 in the very act of receiving existence1 comes into contrast with the creative ,will and is on a lower moral plane1 to which the ,divine purity does not accompany it4 ,the seraphim of ,isaiah's vision feel this severance to a certain extent4 ,they are so far apart from ,god that ,his holiness is not enjoyed unconsciously1 as the element of life4 ,it shines above them and determines their attitude and the terms of their praise4 ,with their wings they cover their faces1 and they cry to each other1 ,holy1 holy1 holy is ,jehovah of hosts3 the whole earth is full of ,his glory4 ,even they bear the iniquity of the great temple of the world in which they minister4 ,on fallen man that iniquity lies with almost crushing weight4 ,woe is me6 says the prophet1 for ,i am undone2 because ,i am a man of unclean lips1 and ,i dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips3 for mine eyes have seen the ,king1 ,jehovah of hosts4 ,thus the soul is brought into that profound consciousness of defect and pollution which is the preparation for reverent service of the ,highest4 ,the attribute of holiness remains with ,god always1 and ,his mercy in forgiving sin in no way detracts from it4 ,the eternity of ,god sets ,him so far above transitory men that ,he can extend compassion to them4 ,art ,thou not from everlasting1 ,o ,jehovah my ,god1 mine ,holy ,one8 ,we shall not die4 ,but ,his touch is1 to the sinful earth1 almost destruction4 ,when the ,lord the ,god of hosts toucheth the land it melteth1 and all that dwell therein mourn 7,amos ix4 #ab74 ,when a people falls from righteousness the ,divine holiness burns against it like a consuming fire4 ,we are all become as one that is unclean1 and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment3 and we all do fade as a leaf2 and our iniquities like the wind take us away4444 ,thou hast hid ,thy face from us1 and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities 7,isa4 lxiv4 #f1 #g74 ,the idea of the identification with the ,holy ,god of the sanctuary dedicated to ,him1 so that from the porch of it falls the shadow of iniquity1 is still further carried out in ,numb4 xviii4 #a1 where it is declared that ,aaron and his sons shall bear the iniquity of their priesthood4 ,the meaning is that the priesthood as an abstract thing1 an office held from ,jehovah and for ,him1 has a holiness like the sanctuary1 and that the entrance into it of a man like ,aaron brings to light his human imperfection and taint4 ,and this corresponds to a consciousness which every one who deals with sacred truth and undertakes the conduct of ,divine worship in the right spirit is bound to have4 ,entering on those exalted duties he bears his iniquity4 ,the sense of daring intrusion may almost keep back a man who knows that he has received a ,divine call4 ,to the heavenly muse the poet can but reply3-- ,i am not worthy even to speak ,of ,thy prevailing mysteries2 ,for ,i am but an earthly muse 444 ,and darken sanctities with song4 ,with regard to the ,levites whom ,aaron is to bring near that they may be joined unto him1 it is singular that their duties and the restrictions put on them are detailed here as if now for the first time this branch of the sacred ministry was being organised4 ,in the actual development of things this may be true4 ,difficulties had to be overcome1 the nature of the statutes and ordinances had to be explained4 ,now the time of practical initiation may have arrived4 ,on the other hand1 the attempt of ,korah to press into the priesthood may have made necessary a recapitulation of the law of ,levitical service4 ,for the support of the ,aaronites the heave offerings1 even all the hallowed things of the children of ,israel were to be given by reason of the anointing4 ,the meal offerings1 sin offerings1 and guilt offerings1 as most holy1 were to be for the male ,aaronites alone3 heave offerings of sacrifice1 again1 all the wave offerings1 were to be used by the ,aaronites and their families1 the reservation being made that only those without ceremonial defilement should eat of them4 ,the first-fruits of the oil and vintage and the first ripe of all fruits in the land were other perquisites4 ,further1 the first-born of man and of beast were to be nominally devoted2 but first-born children were to be redeemed for five shekels1 and the firstlings of unclean beasts were also to be redeemed4 ,the children of ,aaron were to have no inheritance in the land4 ,in these ways however1 and by the payment to the priests of the tenth part of the tithes collected by the ,levites1 ample provision was made for them4 ,for the ,levites1 nine-tenths of all tithes of produce would appear to have been not only sufficient1 but far more than their proportion4 ,according to the numbers reported in this book1 twenty-two thousand ,levites--about twelve thousand of them adult men--were to receive tithes from six hundred thousand4 ,this would make the provision for the ,levite as much as for any five men of the tribes4 ,an explanation is suggested that the regular payment of tithes could not be reckoned upon4 ,there would always be ,israelites who resented an obligation like this2 and as the duty of paying tithes1 though enjoined in the law1 was a moral one1 not enforced by penalty1 the ,levites were really in many periods of the history of ,israel in a state of poverty4 ,it was a complaint of ,malachi even after the captivity1 when the law was in force1 that the tithes were not brought to the temple storehouses4 ,the ,deuteronomic laws of tithing1 moreover1 are different from those given in ,numbers4 ,while here we read of a single tithe which is to be for the ,levites1 which1 if paid1 would be more than sufficient for them1 ,deuteronomy speaks of an annual tithe of produce to be eaten by the people at the central sanctuary by way of a festival1 to which children1 servants1 and ,levites were to be invited4 ,each third year a special tithe was to be used in feasting1 not necessarily at the sanctuary1 and again the ,levites were to have their share4 ,it is supposed by some that there were two annual tithings and in the third year three tithings of the produce of the land4 ,but this seems far more than even a specially fertile country could bear4 ,there was no rent to be paid1 of course2 and if the tithes were used in a festival no great difficulty might be found4 ,but it is clear at all events that more dependence was placed on the free will of the people than on the law2 and the ,levites and priests must have suffered when religion fell into neglect4 ,israel was not ideally generous4 #b4 ,,water ,,of ,,purification4--,the statute of xix4 #a-bb is peculiar1 and the rites it enjoins are full of symbolism4 ,it is implied that water alone was unable to remove the defilement caused by touching a dead body2 but at the same time the taint was so common and might be incurred so far from the sanctuary that sacrifice could not always be exacted4 ,in order to meet the case an animal was to be offered1 and the residue of its burning was to be kept for use whenever the defilement of death had to be taken away4 ,a red heifer was to be chosen1 the colour of the animal pointing to the hue of blood4 ,the heifer was to be free from blemish1 a type of vigorous and prolific life4 ,the charge of the sacrifice was to be given to ,eleazar the priest1 for the high-priest himself might not undertake a duty the performance of which caused uncleanness4 ,the ceremonies must take place not only outside the tabernacle court1 but outside the camp1 that the intensity of the uncleanness to be transferred to the animal and purged by the sacrifice may be clearly understood4 ,the heifer being slain1 the priest takes of its blood and sprinkles it towards the tent of meeting seven times1 in lieu of the ordinary sprinkling on the altar4 ,the whole animal is then burnt1 and while the flame ascends the virtue of the residuent ashes is symbolically increased by certain other elements4 ,these are cedar wood1 which was believed to have special medicinal qualities1 and also may have been chosen on account of the long life of the tree2 some threads of scarlet wool which would represent the arterial blood1 instinct with vital power2 and hyssop which was employed in purification4 ,the priest1 having presided at the sacrifice1 was to wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh and hold himself unclean till the even4 ,the assistant who fed the fire was in like manner unclean4 ,these were both to withdraw2 and one who was clean was to gather the ashes of the burning and1 having provided some clean vessel within the camp1 he was to store up the purifying ashes for future use by the people4 ,finally1 the person who did this last duty1 having become tainted like the others1 was to wash his clothes and be unclean for the day4 ,the ashes were to be used by mixing them with water to make water for pollution2 that is1 water to take away pollution4 ,special care was to be exercised that only living water1 or water from a flowing stream1 should be used for this purpose4 ,it was to be applied to the defiled person1 vessel1 or tent1 by means of hyssop4 ,but1 again1 the man who used the water of purification in this way was to wash his clothes and be unclean until even4 ,here we have an extra-sacerdotal rite1 not of worship--for as ordinarily used there was no prayer to ,god1 nor perhaps even the thought of appeal to ,god4 ,it was religious1 for the sense of defilement belonged to religion2 but when under the necessity of the occasion any one applied the water of purification1 his sense of acting the priestly part was reduced to the lowest point4 ,the efficacy came through the action of the accredited priest when the heifer was sacrificed1 it might be a year previously4 ,so1 although provision was made for needs occurring far from the sanctuary1 no opening was left for any one to claim the power belonging to the sacerdotal office4 ,and in order to make this still more sure it was enacted 7ver4 #ba71 that though the sprinkled water of purification cleansed the unclean1 any one who touched it being himself clean should de facto be defiled4 ,the water was declared so sacred that unless in cases where it was really required no one would be disposed to meddle with it4 ,the sanctity of the tabernacle and the priesthood was symbolically carried forth to the most distant parts of the land4 ,all were to be on their guard lest they should incur the judgment of ,god by abusing that which had ceremonial holiness and power4 ,the idea here is in a sense directly opposite to that which we associate with the sacred word1 by which ,divine will is communicated and souls are begotten anew4 ,to use that word1 to make it known abroad is the duty of every one who has heard and believed4 ,he diffuses blessing and is himself blessed4 ,there is no strict law hedging about with precautions the happy privilege of conveying to the sin-defiled the message of forgiveness and life4 ,and yet may we not call to recollection here the words of ,paul1 ,i buffet my body1 and bring it into bondage2 lest by any means1 after that ,i have preached to others1 ,i myself should be rejected4 ,in a spiritual sense they should be clean who bear the vessels of the ,lord2 and every deed done1 every word spoken in the sacred ,name1 if not with purity of purpose and singleness of heart1 involves in guilt him who acts and speaks4 ,the privilege has its accompanying danger2 and the more widely it is used in the thousand organisations within and without the ,church1 the more carefully do all who use it need to guard the sanctity of the message and the ,name4 ,in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver1 but also of wood and of earth2 and some unto honour1 and some unto dishonour4 ,if a man therefore purge himself from these--the profane babblings of those who do not handle the word of ,god aright--he shall be a vessel unto honour1 sanctified1 meet for the ,master's use1 prepared unto every good work4 #c4 ,,defilement ,,by ,,the ,,dead4--,the statute of the water of purification stands closely related to one form of uncleanness1 that occasioned by death4 ,when death took place in a tent1 every one who came into the tent and every one who was in the tent1 every open vessel that had no covering bound upon it1 and the tent itself 7ver4 #ah7 were defiled2 and the taint could not be removed in less than seven days4 ,whoever in the open field touched one who had been slain with a sword1 or had otherwise died1 or touched the bone of a man1 or a grave--contracted like defilement4 ,for purification the sacred water had to be sprinkled on the defiled person1 on the third day and again on the seventh day4 ,not only the aspersion with sacred water1 but1 in addition1 cleansing of clothes and of the body was necessary1 in order to complete the removal of the taint4 ,and further1 while any one was unclean from this cause1 if he touched another1 his touch carried defilement that continued to the close of the day4 ,to neglect the statute of purification was to defile the tabernacle of ,jehovah3 he who did so was to be cut off from his people4 ,the law was made stringent1 as we have already seen1 partly no doubt for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease4 ,and to that extent the preservation of health was presented as a religious duty2 for only in that sense can we understand the statement that he who did not purify himself defiled the tabernacle of ,jehovah4 ,yet the stringency cannot be altogether due to this1 for a bone or a grave would not often communicate infection4 ,the general principle must be received by way of explanation1 that death is peculiarly repugnant to the life of ,god1 and therefore contact with it1 in any form1 takes away the right of approach to the sanctuary4 ,that this idea goes back to the fall and the death penalty then pronounced might seem a reasonable conclusion4 ,but the same thought does not apply to the defilement connected with birth4 ,if the statute regarding uncleanness by death rested on the connection of death with sin1 making death and mortal corruption an embodiment of sin1 the thought was obscured by many other laws regarding uncleanness4 ,the aim we must believe was to make the theocratic oversight of the people penetrate as many as possible of the incidents and contingencies of their existence4 ,,xvi ,,sorrow ,,and ,,failure ,,at ,,kadesh ,,numbers xx ,there is a mustering at ,kadesh of the scattered tribes1 for now the end of the period of wandering approaches1 and the generation that has been disciplined in the wilderness must prepare for a new advance4 ,the spies who searched ,canaan were sent from ,kadesh 7xiii4 #bf71 to which1 in the second year from the exodus1 the tribes had penetrated4 ,now1 in the first month of the fortieth year it would seem1 ,kadesh is again the headquarters4 ,the adjacent district is called the desert of ,zin4 ,eastward1 across the great plain of the ,arabah1 reaching from the ,dead ,sea to the ,elanitic ,gulf1 are the mountains of ,seir1 the natural rampart of ,edom4 ,to the head of the ,gulf at ,elath the distance is some eighty miles in a straight line southward2 to the southern end of the ,dead ,sea it is about fifty miles4 ,kadesh is almost upon the southern border of ,canaan2 but the way of the ,negeb is barred by defeat1 and ,israel must enter the ,promised ,land by another route4 ,in preparation for the advance the tribes gather from the wadies and plateaus in which they have been wandering1 and at ,kadesh or near it the earlier incidents of this chapter occur4 ,first among them is the death of ,miriam4 ,she has survived the hardships of the desert and reached a very great age4 ,her time of influence and vigour past1 all the joys of life now in the dim memories of a century1 she is glad1 no doubt1 when the call comes4 ,it was her happiness once to share the enthusiasm of ,moses and to sustain the faith of the people in their leader and in ,god4 ,but any service of this kind she could render has been left behind4 ,for some time she has been able only now and then with feeble steps to move to the tent of meeting that she might assure herself of the welfare of ,moses4 ,the tribes will press on to ,canaan1 but she shall never see it4 ,how is a life like this of ,miriam's to be reckoned8 ,take into account her faith and her faithfulness2 but remember that both were maintained with some intermixture of poor egotism2 that while she helped ,moses she also claimed to rival and rebuke him2 that while she served ,jehovah it was with some of the pride of a prophetess4 ,her devotion1 her endurance1 the long interest in her brother's work1 which indeed led to the great error of her life--these were her virtues1 the old great virtues of a woman4 ,so far as opportunity went she doubtless did her utmost1 with some independence of thought and decision of character4 ,even though she gave way to jealousy and passed beyond her right1 we must believe that1 on the whole1 she served her generation in loyalty to the best she knew1 and in the fear of the ,most ,high4 ,but into what a strange disturbed current of life was her effort thrown6 ,downcast1 sorely burdened women1 counting for very little when they were cheerful or when they complained1 heard ,miriam's words and took them into their narrow thoughts1 to resent her enthusiasm1 perhaps1 when she was enthusiastic1 to grudge her the power she enjoyed1 which to herself seemed so slight4 ,in the camp generally she had respect1 and perhaps1 once and again1 she was able to reconcile to ,moses and to one another those whose quarrels threatened the common peace4 ,when she was put forth from the camp in the shame of her leprosy1 all were affected1 and the march was stayed till her time of separation was over4 ,was she one of those women whose lot it is to serve others all their lives and to have little for their service8 ,still1 like many another1 she helped to make ,israel4 ,of good and evil1 of ,divine elements and some that are anything but ,divine1 lives are made up4 ,and although we cannot gather the results of any one and tell its worth1 the stream of being retains and the unerring judgment of ,god accepts whatever is sincere and good4 ,miriam from first to last fills but a few lines of sacred history2 yet of her life1 as of others1 more has to be told2 the end did not come when she died at ,kadesh and was buried outside ,canaan4 99 99 99 99 99 ,spread through a diversified and not altogether barren region1 over many square miles1 the tribes have been able during the thirty-seven years to provide themselves with water4 ,gathered more closely now1 when the dry season begins they are in want4 ,and at once complaints are renewed4 ,nor can we wonder much4 ,in flaming sunshine1 in the parched air of the heights and the stifling heat of the narrow valleys1 the cattle gasping and many of them dying1 the children crying in vain for water1 the little that is to be had1 hot and almost putrid1 carefully divided1 yet insufficient to give each family a little1--the people might well lament their apparently inevitable fate4 ,it may be said1 ,they should have confided in ,god4 ,but while that might apply in ordinary circumstances1 would not be out of place if the whole history were ideal1 the reality1 once understood1 forbids so easy a condemnation of unbelief4 ,nothing is more terrible to endure1 nothing more fitted to make strong men weep or turn them into savage critics of a leader and of ,providence1 than to see their children in the extremity of want which they cannot relieve4 ,and a leader like ,moses1 patient as he may have been of other complaints1 should have been most patient of this4 ,when the people chode with him and said1 ,would ,god that we had died when our brethren died before the ,lord6 ,and why have ye brought the assembly of the ,lord into this wilderness1 that we should die1 we and our cattle8 they ought surely to have been met with pity and soothing words4 ,it is indeed a tragedy we are to witness when we come to the rock2 and one element of it is the old age and the weary spirit of the leader4 ,who can tell what vexed his soul that day8 how many cares and anxieties burdened the mind that was clear yet1 but not so tolerant1 perhaps1 as once it had been8 ,the years of ,moses1 his long and arduous service of the people1 are not remembered as they ought to be4 ,even in their extremity the men of the tribes ought to have appealed to their great chief with all respect1 instead of breaking in upon him with reproaches4 ,was no experience sufficient for these people8 ,after the discipline of the wilderness1 was the new generation1 like that which had died1 still a mere horde1 ungrateful1 rebellious8 ,from the leader's point of view this thought could not fail to arise1 and the old magnanimity did not drive it away4 ,another point is the forbearance of ,jehovah1 who has no anger with the people4 ,the ,divine ,voice commands ,moses to take his rod and go forth to the rock and speak to it before the assembly4 ,this does not fall in with ,moses' mood4 ,why is ,god not indignant with the men of this new generation who seize the first opportunity to begin their murmuring8 ,relapsing from his high inspiration to a poor human level1 ,moses begins to think that ,jehovah1 whose forgiveness he has often implored on ,israel's behalf1 is too ready now to forgive4 ,it is a failing of the best men thus to stand for the prerogative of ,god more than ,god ,himself2 that is1 to mistake the real point of the circumstances they judge and the ,divine will they should interpret4 ,the story of ,jonah shows the prophet anxious that ,nineveh1 the inveterate foe of ,israel1 the centre of proud1 ,god-defying idolatry1 should be destroyed4 ,does ,god wish it to be spared1 to repent and obtain forgiveness8 ,so does not ,jonah4 ,his creed is one of doom for wickedness4 ,he resents the ,divine mercy and1 in effect1 exalts himself above the ,most ,high4 ,in like temper is ,moses when he goes out followed by the crowd4 ,there is the rock from which water shall be made to flow4 ,but with the thought in his mind that the people do not deserve ,god's help1 ,moses takes the affair upon himself4 ,the tragedy is fulfilled when his own feelings guide him more than the ,divine patience1 his own displeasure more than the ,divine compassion2 and with the words on his lips1 ,hear now1 ye rebels2 shall we bring you forth water out of this rock8 he smites it twice with his rod4 ,for the moment1 forgetting ,jehovah the merciful1 ,moses will himself act ,god2 and he misrepresents ,god1 dishonours ,god1 as every one who forgets ,him is sure to do4 ,is he confident in the power of his wonder-working rod8 ,does he wish to show that its old virtue remains8 ,he will use it as if he were smiting the people as well as the rock4 ,is he willing that this thirsting multitude should drink8 ,yet he is determined to make them feel that they offend by the urgency with which they press upon him for help4 ,there have been crises in the lives of leaders of men when1 with all the teaching of the past to inspire them1 they should have risen to a faith in ,god far greater than they ever exercised before2 and more or less they have failed4 ,this is not the will of ,providence1 they have thought1 though they should have known that it was4 ,they have said1 ,advance3 but ,god goes not with you1 when they should have seen the heavenly light moving on4 ,so ,moses failed4 ,he touched his limit2 and it was far short of that breadth of compassion which belongs to the ,most ,merciful4 ,he stood as ,god1 with the rod in his hand to give the water1 but with the condemnation upon his lips which ,jehovah did not speak4 ,in this mood of assumed majesty1 of moral indignation which has a personal source1 with an air of superiority not the simplicity of inspiration1 a man may do what he will for ever regret1 may betray a habit of self-esteem which has been growing upon him and will be his ruin if it is not checked4 ,in the strong mind of ,moses there had lain the germs of hauteur4 ,the early upbringing in an ,egyptian court could not fail to leave its mark1 and the dignity of a dictator could not be sustained1 after the anxieties of the first two years in the desert1 without some slight growth of a tendency or disposition to look down on people so spiritless1 and play among them the part of ,providence1 the decrees of which ,moses had so often interpreted4 ,but pride1 even beginning to show itself towards men1 is an aping of ,god4 ,unconsciously the mind that looks down on the crowd falls into the trick of a superhuman claim4 ,moses1 great as he is1 without personal ambition1 the friend of every ,israelite1 reaches unaware the hour when a habit long suppressed lifts itself into power4 ,he feels himself the guardian of justice1 a critic not only of the lives of men but of the attitude of ,jehovah towards them4 ,it is but for an hour2 yet the evil is done4 ,what appears to the uplifted mind justice1 is arrogance4 ,what is meant for a defence of ,jehovah's right1 is desecration of the highest office a man can hold under the ,supreme4 ,the words are spoken1 the rock is struck in pride2 and ,moses has fallen4 ,think of the realisation of this which comes when the flush of hasty resentment dies1 and the true self which had been suppressed revives in humble thought4 ,what have ,i done8 is the reflection--,what have ,i said8 ,my rod1 my hand1 my will1 what are they8 ,my indignation6 ,who gave me the right to be indignant8 ,a king against whom they have revolted6 ,a guardian of the ,divine honour6 ,alas6 ,i have denied ,jehovah4 ,i1 who stood for ,him in my pride1 have defamed ,him in my vanity4 ,the people who murmured1 whom ,i rebuked1 have sinned less than ,i4 ,they distrusted ,god1 ,i have declared ,him unmerciful1 and thereby sown the seeds of distrust4 ,now ,i1 too1 am barred from ,israel's inheritance4 ,unworthy of the promise1 ,i shall never cross the border of ,god's land4 ,aaron my brother1 we are the transgressors4 ,because we have not honoured ,god to sanctify ,him in the eyes of the children of ,israel1 therefore we shall not bring this assembly unto the land ,he gives them4 ,by the lips of ,moses himself the oracle was given4 ,it was tragical indeed4 ,but how could the brothers who had yielded to this dictatorial hierarchical temper be men of ,god again1 fit for another stroke of work for ,him1 unless1 coming forth into action1 their pride had disclosed itself1 and with whatever bad result shown its real nature8 ,we deplore the pride2 we almost weep to see its manifestation2 we hear with sorrow the judgment of ,moses and ,aaron4 ,but well is it that the worst should come to light1 that the evil thing should be seen1 ,god-dishonoring1 sacrilegious2 should be judged1 repented of1 punished4 ,moses must feel himself and find the blessedness of being little4 ,by that sin fell the angels1 that sin unconfessed4 ,here in open sight of all1 in hearing of all1 ,moses lays down the godhead he had assumed1 acknowledges unworthiness1 takes his place humbly among those who shall not inherit the promise4 ,the worst of all happens to a man when his pride remains unrevealed1 uncondemned2 grows to more and more1 and he never discovers that he is attempting to carry himself with the air of ,providence1 of ,divinity4 ,the error of ,moses was great1 yet only showed him to be a man of like passions with ourselves4 ,who can realise the mercy and lovingkindness that are in the heart of ,god1 the danger of limiting the ,holy ,one of ,israel8 ,the murmuring of the ,israelites against ,jehovah had often been rebuked1 had often brought them into condemnation4 ,moses had once and again intervened as their mediator and saved them from death4 ,remembering the times when he had to speak of ,jehovah's anger1 he feels himself justified in his own resentment4 ,he thought the murmuring was over2 it is resumed unexpectedly1 the same old complaints are made and he is carried away by what appears zeal for ,jehovah4 ,yet there is in him even1 the man1 much more in ,god1 a better than the seeming best4 ,pathetic indeed is it to find ,moses judged as one who has failed from the high place he could have reached by a final effort of self-mastery1 one more generous thought4 ,and we see him fail at a point where we often fail4 ,sternly to judge our own right of condemning before we speak sternly in the name of ,god2 neither to do nor say anything which implies the assumption of knowledge1 justice1 charity we do not possess--how few of us are in these respects blameless for a day6 ,far back in sacred history this high duty is presented so as to evoke the best endeavour of the ,christian soul and warn it from the place of failure4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is preserved in the ,book of ,exodus 7xxxvi47 a list of the ,kings of ,edom reaching down apparently to about the establishment of the monarchy of ,israel4 ,recent archology sees no reason to question the genuineness of this historical notice or the names of the ,dukes of ,edom given in the same passage4 ,with varying boundaries the region over which they ruled extended southward from ,moab and the ,dead ,sea as far as the ,elanitic ,gulf4 ,kadesh1 considerably west of the ,arabah1 is described as being on its uttermost border4 ,but the district inhabited by the ,edomites proper was a narrow strip of rugged country eastward of the range of ,mount ,seir4 ,one pass giving entrance to the heart of ,edom led by the base of ,mount ,hor towards ,selah1 afterwards called ,petra1 which occupied a fine but narrow valley in the heart of broken mountains4 ,to reach the south of ,moab the ,israelites desired probably to take a road a good deal farther north4 ,but this would have led them by ,bozrah the capital1 and the king who reigned at the time refused them the route4 ,the message sent him in ,moses' name was friendly1 even appealing4 ,the brotherhood of ,edom and ,israel was claimed2 the sore travail of the tribes in ,egypt and the deliverance wrought by ,jehovah were given as reasons2 promise was made that no harm should be done to field or vineyard3 ,israel would journey by the king's way turning neither to the right nor the left4 ,when the first request was refused ,moses added that if his people drank of the water while passing through ,edom they would pay for it4 ,the appeal1 however1 was made in vain4 ,an attempt to advance without permission was repelled4 ,an armed force barred the way1 and most reluctantly the desert road was again taken4 ,we can easily understand the objection of the ,king of ,edom4 ,many of the defiles through which the main road wound were not adapted for the march of a great multitude4 ,the ,israelites could scarcely have gone through ,edom without injuring the fields and vineyards2 and though the undertaking was given in good faith by ,moses1 how could he answer for the whole of that undisciplined host he was leading towards ,canaan8 ,the safety of ,edom lay in denying to other peoples access to its strongholds4 ,the difficulty of approaching them was their main security4 ,israel might go quietly through the land now2 but its armies might soon return with hostile intent4 ,water1 too1 was very precious in some parts of ,edom4 ,enough was stored in the rainy season to supply the wants of the inhabitants2 beyond that there was none to spare1 and for this necessary of life money was no equivalent4 ,a multitude travelling with cattle would have made scarcity1 or famine1--might have left the region almost desolate4 ,with the information they had1 ,moses and ,joshua may have believed that there were no insuperable difficulties4 ,yet the best generalship might have been unequal to the task of controlling ,israel in the passes and among the cultivated fields of that singular country4 ,there is no need to go back on the history of ,jacob and ,esau in order to account for the apparent incivility of the ,king of ,edom to the ,israelites and ,moses4 ,that quarrel had surely been long forgotten6 ,but we need not wonder if the kinship of the two peoples was no availing argument in the case4 ,those were not times when covenants like that proposed could be easily trusted1 nor was ,israel on an expedition the nature of which could reassure the ,idumans4 ,and we have parallels enough in modern life to show that from the only point of view the king could take he was amply justified4 ,there are demands men make on others without perceiving how difficult it will be to grant them1 demands on time1 on means1 on goodwill1 demands that would involve moral as well as material sacrifice4 ,the foolish intrusions of well-meaning people may be borne for a time1 but there is a limit beyond which they cannot be suffered4 ,our whole life cannot be exposed to the derangements of every scheme-maker1 every claimant4 ,if we are to do our own work well1 it is absolutely necessary that a certain space shall be jealously guarded1 where the gains of thought may be kept safely and the ideas revealed to us may be developed4 ,that any one's life should be open so that travellers1 even with some right of close fraternity1 may pass through the midst of it1 drink of the wells1 and trample down the fields of growing purpose or ripening thought1 this is not required4 ,good-will makes an open gate2 ,christian feeling makes one still wider and bids many welcome4 ,but he who would keep his heart in fruitfulness must be careful to whom he grants admission4 ,there is beginning to be a sort of jealousy of any one's right to his own reserve4 ,it is not a single ,israel approaching from the ,west1 but a score1 with their different schemes1 who come from every side demanding right of way and even of abode4 ,each presses a ,christian claim on whatever is wanted of our hospitality4 ,but if all had what they desire there would be no personal life left4 ,on the other hand1 some whose highways are broad1 whose wells and streams are overflowing1 whose lives are not fully engaged1 show themselves exclusive and inhospitable--like those proprietors of vast moors who refuse a path to the waterfall or the mountain-top4 ,without ,edom's excuse1 some modern ,idumans warn every enterprise off their bounds4 ,neither brotherhood nor any other claim is acknowledged4 ,they would find advantage1 not injury1 in the visit of those who bring new enthusiasms and ideas to bear on existence4 ,they would learn of other aims than occupy them1 a better hope than they possess4 ,their sympathy would be enlisted in heavenly or humane endeavours1 and new alliances would quicken as well as broaden their life4 ,but they will not listen2 they continue selfish to the end4 ,against all such ,christianity has to urge the law of brotherhood and of sacrifice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have assumed that ,kadesh was on the western side of the ,arabah1 and it is necessary to take ver4 #bj as referring to an incident that occurred after the ,israelites had crossed the valley4 ,not otherwise can we explain how they came to encamp among the mountains on the eastern side4 ,the repulse must have been sustained by the tribes after they had left ,kadesh and penetrated some distance into the northern defiles of ,iduma4 ,bozrah1 the capital1 appears to have been situated about half way between ,petra and the southern extremity of the ,dead ,sea1 and a force issuing from that stronghold would divert the march southward so that the ,israelites could safely encamp only when they reached the open plain near ,mount ,hor4 ,hither therefore they retreated3 and here it was that ,moses and ,aaron were parted4 ,the time had come for the high priest to be gathered to his people4 ,scarcely any locality in the whole track of the wandering is better identified than this4 ,from the plain of the ,arabah the mountains rise in a range parallel to the valley1 in ridges of sandstone1 limestone1 and chalk1 with cliffs and peaks of granite4 ,the defile that leads by ,mount ,hor to ,petra is peculiarly grand1 for here the range attains its greatest height4 ,through a narrow ravine1 says one traveller1 we ascended a steep mountain side1 amid a splendour of colour from bare rock or clothing verdure1 and a solemnity of light on the broad summits1 of shade in the profound depths--a memory for ever4444 ,it was the same narrow path through which in old times had passed other trains of camels laden with the merchandise of ,india1 ,arabia1 and ,egypt4 ,and thus having ascended1 we had next a long descent to the foot of ,mount ,hor1 which stands isolated4 ,the mountain rises about four thousand feet above the ,arabah and has a peculiar double crest4 ,on its green pastures there graze flocks of sheep and goats2 and inhabited caves--used perhaps since the days of the old ,horites--are to be seen here and there4 ,the ascent of the mountain is aided by steps cut in the rock1 indeed a tolerably complete winding staircase1 for the chapel or mosque on the summit1 said to cover the grave of ,aaron1 is a notable ,arab sanctuary1 resorted to by many pilgrims4 ,from the roof of the tomb--now only an ordinary square building with a dome--northward and southward1 a hilly desert2 eastward1 the mountains of ,edom1 within which ,petra lies hid2 westward1 the desert of the ,arabah1 or wilderness of ,zin2 beyond that1 the desert of ,et-,th2 beyond that again1 in the far horizon1 the blue-tinted hills of the ,land of ,promise4 ,such is the mountain at the foot of which ,israel lay encamped when the ,lord said unto ,moses1 ,take ,aaron and ,eleazar his son1 and bring them up unto ,mount ,hor2 and strip ,aaron of his garments1 and put them upon ,eleazar his son3 and ,aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there4 ,we imagine the sorrowful gaze of the multitude following the three climbers1 the aged brothers who had borne so long the burden and heat of the day1 and ,eleazar1 already well advanced in life1 who was to be invested with his father's office4 ,coming soon after the death of ,miriam1 this departure of ,aaron broke sharply one other link that still bound ,israel with its past4 ,the old times were receding1 the new had not yet come into sight4 ,the life of a good man may close mournfully4 ,while some in leaving the world cross cheerfully the river beyond which the smiling fields of the heavenly land are full in view1 others there are who1 even with the faith of the ,conqueror of death to sustain them1 have no gladdening prospect at the last4 ,only from a distance ,aaron saw the ,land of ,promise2 from so great a distance that its beauty and fruitfulness could not be realised4 ,the sullen gleam of the ,lake of ,sodom1 lying in its grim hollow1 was visible away to the north4 ,besides that the dim eyes could make out little4 ,but ,edom lay below2 and the tribes would have a great circuit round that inhospitable land1 would have to traverse another desert beyond the horizon to the east1 ere they could reach ,moab and draw near to ,canaan4 ,a true patriot1 ,aaron would think more of the people than of himself4 ,and the confidence he had in the friendliness of ,god and the wisdom of his brother would scarcely dispel the shadow that settled on him as he forecast the journey of the tribes and saw the difficulties they were yet to meet4 ,so not a few are called away from the world when the great ends for which they have toiled are still remote4 ,the cause of liberty or of reformation with which life has been identified may even appear farther from success than years before4 ,or again1 the close of life may be darkened by family troubles more pressing than any that were experienced earlier4 ,a man may be heavily burdened without distrusting ,god on his own account1 or doubting that in the long run all shall be well4 ,he may be troubled because the immediate prospect shows no escape from painful endurance for those he loves4 ,he does not sorrow perhaps that he has found the promises of life to be illusory2 but he is grieved for dear friends who must yet make that discovery1 who shall travel many a league and never win the battle or pass beyond the wilderness4 ,the mind of ,aaron as he went to his death was darkened by the consciousness of a great failure4 ,kadesh lay westward across the valley1 and the thought of what took place there was with the brothers as they climbed ,mount ,hor and stood upon its summit4 ,they had repented1 but they had not yet forgiven themselves4 ,how could they1 when they saw in the temper of the people too plain proofs that their lese-majesty had borne evil fruit8 ,it needs much faith to be sure that ,god will remedy the evil we have done2 and so long as the means cannot be seen1 the shadow of self-reproach must remain4 ,many a good man1 climbing the last slope1 feels the burden of transgressions committed long before4 ,he has done his utmost to restore the defences of truth and rebuild the altars of witness which in thoughtless youth or proud manhood he cast down4 ,but circumstances have hindered the work of reparation2 and many who saw his sin have passed far beyond the reach of his repentance4 ,the thought of past faults may sadly obscure the close of a ,christian life4 ,the end would indeed be hopeless often were it not for trust in the omnipotent grace which brings again that which was driven away and binds up that which was broken4 ,yet since the very work of ,god and the victory of ,christ are made more difficult by things a believer has done1 is it possible that he should always have happy recollections of the past as life draws near its end8 ,it was no doubt honourable to ,aaron that his death was appointed to be on that mountain in ,seir4 ,old as he was1 he would never think of complaining that he was ordained to climb it4 ,yet to the tired limbs it was a steep1 difficult path1 a way of sorrow4 ,here1 also1 we find resemblance to the close of many a worthy life4 ,high office in the ,church has been well served1 overflowing wealth has been used in beneficence2 but at the last reverses have come4 ,the man who was always prosperous is now stripped of his possessions4 ,darkened in mind by successive losses1 bereaved of friends and of power1 he has to climb a dreary mountain-path to the sharp end4 ,it may be really honourable to such a man that ,god has thus appointed his death to be not in the midst of luxury1 but on the rugged peak of loss4 ,understanding things aright1 he should say3 ,the ,lord gave1 and the ,lord hath taken away2 blessed be the name of the ,lord4 ,but if dependence is felt as shame1 if he who gave freely to others feels it a sore thing to receive from others1 who can have the heart to blame the good man because he does not triumph here8 ,and if he has to climb alone1 no ,eleazar with him1 scarcely one human aid1 what shall we say8 ,now life must gird itself and go whither it would not4 ,sad is the journey1 but not into night4 ,the ,christian does not impeach ,divine providence nor grieve that earthly good is finally taken away4 ,though his life has been in his generosity1 not in his possessions1 yet he will confess that the last bitter trial is needful to the perfecting of faith4 ,should the believer triumph over death through ,christ8 ,it is his privilege2 but some display unwarranted complacency4 ,they have confidence in the work of ,christ2 they boast that they rest everything on ,him4 ,but is it well with them if they have no sorrow because of days and years that ran to waste8 ,is it well with them if they deplore no failure in ,christian effort when the reason is that they never gave heart and strength to any difficult task8 ,who can be satisfied with the apparent victory of faith at the last of one who never had high hopes for himself and others1 and therefore was never disappointed8 ,better the sorrowful ending to a life that has dared great things and been defeated1 that has cherished a pure ideal and come painfully short of it1 than the exultation of those who even as ,christians have lived to themselves4 ,perhaps the circumstances that attended the death of ,aaron were to him the finest discipline of life4 ,climbing the steep slope at the command of ,god1 would he not feel himself brought into a closer relation with the ,eternal ,will8 ,would he not feel himself separated from the world and gathered up into the quiet massiveness of life with ,him who is from everlasting to everlasting8 ,the years of a high priest1 dealing constantly with sacred things and symbols1 might easily fall into a routine not more helpful to generous thought and spiritual exaltation than the habits of secular life4 ,one might exist among sacrifices and purifications till the mind became aware of nothing beyond ritual and its orderly performance4 ,true1 this had not been the case with ,aaron during a considerable portion of the time since he began his duties4 ,there had been many events by means of which ,jehovah broke in upon the priests with ,his great demands4 ,but thirty-seven years had been comparatively uneventful4 ,and now the little world of camp and tabernacle court1 the sacred shrine with its ark1 the symbolic dwelling-place of ,god1 must have their contrast in the broad spaces filled with gleaming light1 the blue vault1 the widespread hills and valleys1 the heavens which are ,jehovah's throne1 the earth which is ,his footstool4 ,the bustle of ,israel's little life is left behind for the calm of the mountain land4 ,the high priest finds another vestibule of the dwelling of ,jehovah than that which he has been accustomed to enter with sprinkled blood and the pungent fumes of the incense4 ,is it not good thus to be called away from the business of the world1 immersed in which every day men have lost the due proportions of things1 both of what is earthly and what is spiritual8 ,they have to leave the computations recorded in their books1 and what bulks largely in the gossip of the way and the news of the town2 they are to climb where greater spaces can be seen1 and human life1 both as brief and as immortal1 shall be understood in its relations to ,god4 ,often those who have this call addressed to them are most unwilling to obey4 ,it is painful to lose the old standards of proportion1 to hear no longer the familiar noise of wheels1 to see no machinery1 no desks1 no ledgers1 to read no newspapers1 to have the quiet1 the slow-moving days1 the moonless or moonlit nights4 ,but if reflection follows1 as it should1 and brings wisdom1 the change has saved a man who was near to being lost4 ,the things he toiled for once1 as well as the things he dreaded1--that success1 this breath of adverse opinion1--seem little in the new light1 scarcely disturb the new atmosphere4 ,one thus called apart with ,god1 learning what are the real elements of life1 may look with pity on his former self1 yet gather out of the experience that had small value1 for the most part1 here and there a jewel of price4 ,and the wise1 becoming wiser1 will feel preparation made for the greater existence that lies beyond4 ,moses accompanied his brother to the mountain top4 ,by his hands1 with all considerateness1 the priestly robes were taken from ,aaron's shoulders and put on ,eleazar4 ,the true friend he had all along relied upon was with the dying man at the last1 and closed his eyes4 ,in this there was a palliation of the decree under which it would have been terrible to suffer alone2 yet in the end the loneliness of death had to be felt4 ,we know a ,friend who passed through death for us1 and made a way into the higher life1 but still we have our dread of the solitude4 ,how much heavier must it have weighed when no clear hope of immortality shone upon the hill4 ,the vastness of nature was around the dying priest of ,israel1 his face was turned to the skies4 ,but the thrill of ,divine love we find in the touch of ,christ did not reassure him4 ,these all 444 received not the promise1 ,god having provided some better thing concerning us1 that apart from us they should not be made perfect4 ,eleazar followed ,aaron and took up the work of the priesthood1 not less ably1 let us believe1 yet not precisely with the same spirit1 the same endowments4 ,and indeed to have one in all respects like ,aaron would not have served4 ,the new generation1 in new circumstances1 needs a new minister4 ,office remains2 but1 as history moves on1 it means always something different4 ,when the hour comes that requires a clear step to be taken away from old notions and traditions of duty1 neither he who holds the office nor those to whom he has ministered should complain or doubt4 ,it is not good that one should cling to work merely because he has served well and may still seem able to serve2 often it is the case that before death commands a change the time for one has come4 ,even the men who are most useful to the world1 ,paul1 ,apollos1 ,luther1 do not die too soon4 ,it may appear to us that a man who has done noble work has no successor4 ,when1 for instance1 ,england loses its ,dr4 ,arnold1 ,stanley1 ,lightfoot1 and we look in vain for one to whom the robes are becoming1 we have to trust that by some education they did not foresee the ,church has to be perfected4 ,the same theory1 nominally1 is not the same when others undertake to apply it4 ,the same ceremonies have another meaning when performed by other hands4 ,there are ways to the full fruition of ,christ's government which go as far about as ,israel's to ,canaan round the land of ,moab1 for a time as truly retrogressive4 ,but the great ,leader the one ,high ,priest of the new covenant1 never fails ,his ,church or ,his world1 and the way that does not hasten1 as well as that which makes straight for the goal1 is within ,his purpose1 leads to the fulfilment among men of ,his mediatorial design4 ,,xvii ,,the ,,last ,,march ,,and ,,the ,,first ,,campaign ,,numbers xxi ,it has been suggested in a previous chapter that the repulse of the ,israelites by the ,king of ,arad took place on the occasion when1 after the return of the spies1 a portion of the army endeavoured to force its way into ,canaan4 ,if that explanation of the passage with which chap4 xxi4 opens cannot be accepted1 then the movements of the tribes after they were driven back from ,edom must have been singularly vacillating4 ,instead of turning southward along the ,arabah they appear to have moved northward from ,mount ,hor and made an attempt to enter ,canaan at the southern end of the ,dead ,sea4 ,arad was in the ,negeb or ,south ,country1 and the ,canaanites there1 keeping guard1 must have descended from the hills and inflicted a defeat which finally closed that way4 ,from the time of the departure from ,kadesh onward no mention is made of the pillar of cloud4 ,it may have still moved as the standard of the host2 yet the unsuccessful attempt to pass through ,edom1 followed possibly by a northward march1 and then by a southward journey to the ,elanitic ,gulf when they compassed ,mount ,seir many days 7,deut4 ii4 #a71 would appear to prove that the authoritative guidance had in some way failed4 ,it is a suggestion1 which1 however1 can only be advanced with diffidence1 that after the day at ,kadesh when the words fell from ,moses' lips1 ,hear now1 ye rebels1 his power as a leader declined1 and that the guidance of the march fell mainly into the hands of ,joshua1--a brave soldier indeed1 but no acknowledged representative of ,jehovah4 ,it is at all events clear that attempts had now to be made in one direction and another to find a feasible route4 ,moses may have retired from the command1 partly on account of age1 but even more because he felt that he had in part lost his authority4 ,israel1 moreover1 had to become a military nation3 and ,moses1 though nominally the head of the tribes1 had to stand aside to a great extent that the new development might proceed4 ,in a short time ,joshua would be sole leader2 already he appears to hold the military command4 ,the journey from ,mount ,hor to the borders of ,moab by way of the ,red ,sea1 or ,ym-,suph1 is very briefly noticed in the narrative4 ,oboth1 ,iye-abarim1 ,zared1 are the only three names mentioned in chap4 xxi4 before the border of ,moab is reached4 ,chap4 xxxiii4 gives ,zalmonah1 ,punon1 ,oboth1 and lastly ,iye-abarim1 which is said to be in the border of ,moab4 ,the mention of these names suggests nothing as to the extremely trying nature of the journey2 that is only indicated by the statement1 the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way4 ,the truth is1 that of all the stages of the wandering1 these along the ,arabah1 and from the ,elanitic ,gulf eastward and northward to the valley of ,zared1 were perhaps the most difficult and perilous4 ,the ,wady ,arabah is an expanse of shifting sands1 broken by innumerable undulations1 and counter-sected by a hundred watercourses4 ,along this plain the route lay for fifty miles1 in the track of the furious sirocco and amidst terrible desolation4 ,turning eastward from the palm-groves of ,elath and the beautiful shores of the ,gulf1 the way next entered a tract of the ,arabian wilderness outside the border of ,edom4 ,oboth lay1 perhaps1 east from ,maan1 still an inhabited city1 and the point of departure for one who journeys from ,palestine into central ,arabia4 ,out from ,maan this desert lies1 and is thus described3--,before and around us extended a wide and level plain1 blackened over with countless pebbles of basalt and flint1 except when the moonbeams gleamed white on little intervening patches of clear sand1 or on yellowish streaks of withered grass1 the scanty produce of the winter rains1 and now dried into hay4 ,over all a deep silence which even our ,arab companions seemed fearful of breaking2 when they spoke it was in a half whisper and in few words1 while the noiseless tread of our camels sped stealthily but rapidly through the gloom without disturbing its stillness4#i ,for one hundred miles the route for ,israel lay through this wilderness2 and it is hardly possible to escape the conviction that although little is said of the experiences of the way the tribes must have suffered enormously and been greatly reduced in number4 ,as for cattle1 we must conclude that hardly any survived4 ,where camels sustain themselves with the greatest difficulty1 oxen and sheep would certainly perish4 ,there had come the necessity for a rapid advance1 to be made at whatever hazard4 ,all that would retard the progress of the people had to be sacrificed4 ,there is indeed some ground for the supposition that part of the tribes remained near ,kadesh while the main body made the long and perilous detour4 ,the army entering ,canaan by way of ,jericho would as soon as possible open communication with those who had been left behind4 ,the only recorded episode belonging to the period of this march is that of the fiery serpents4 ,in the ,arabah and the whole ,north ,arabian region the cobra1 or naja haie1 is common1 and is superstitiously dreaded4 ,other serpents are so innocuous by comparison that this chiefly receives the attention of travellers4 ,one incident is recorded thus by ,mr4 ,stuart-,glennie3--,two cobras have been caught1 and one1 which has been dexterously pinned by the neck in the slit end of a stick1 its captor comes up triumphantly to exhibit4444 ,after a time the fellow let it go1 refusing to kill it1 and permitting it to glide away unharmed4 ,this ,i understood to be from fear--fear of the vengeance after death of what1 in life1 had been incapable of defending itself4 ,at ,petra 444 the snakes which ,hamilton1 a fearless hunter of them1 killed1 the ,arabs would not allow to lie within the encampment1 asserting that we should thus bring the whole snake-tribe to which the individual belonged to avenge the death of their kinsman4 ,whether all the serpents that attacked the ,israelites were cobras is doubtful2 but the description fiery seems to point to the effects of the cobra-poison1 which produces an intense burning sensation in the whole body4 ,another explanation of the adjective is found in the metallic sparkle of the reptiles4 ,much people of ,israel died of the bites of these serpents1 which1 disturbed by the travellers as they went sullenly and carelessly along1 issued from crevices of the ground and from the low shrubs in which they lurked1 and at once fastened on feet and hands4 ,the peculiar character of the new enemy caused universal alarm4 ,as one and another fell writhing to the ground1 and after a few convulsive movements died in agony1 a feeling of terrified revulsion spread through the ranks4 ,pestilence was natural1 familiar1 as compared with this new punishment which their murmuring about the light food and the thirst of the desert had brought on them4 ,the serpent1 lithe and subtle1 scarcely seen in the twilight1 creeping into the tents at night1 quick at any moment1 without provocation1 to use its poisoned fangs1 has appeared the hereditary enemy of man4 ,as the instrument of the ,tempter it was connected with the origin of human misery2 it appeared the embodied evil which from the very dust sprang forth to seek the evil-doer4 ,many ways had ,jehovah of reaching men who showed distrust and resented ,his will4 ,this was in a sense the most dreadful4 ,the serpents that lurked in the ,israelites' way and darted suddenly upon them are always felt to be analogues of the subtle sins that spring on man and poison his life4 ,what traveller knows the moment when he may feel in his soul the sharp sting of evil desire that will burn in him to a deadly fever8 ,men who have been wounded can1 for a time1 hide from fellow-travellers their mortal hurt4 ,they keep on the march and make shift to look like others4 ,then the madness reveals itself4 ,words are spoken1 deeds are done1 that show the vile inoculation taking effect4 ,by-and-by there is another moral death4 ,humanity may well fear the power of evil thoughts1 of lusts1 of envious feelings1 that serpent-like attack and madden the soul2 may well look up and cry aloud to ,god for a sufficient remedy4 ,no herb nor balm to be found in the gardens or fields of earth is an antidote to this poison2 nor can the surgeon excise the tainted flesh1 or destroy the virus by any brand of penance4 ,resuming his generous part as intercessor for the people1 ,moses sought and found the means to help them4 ,he was to make a serpent of brass1 an image of the foe1 and erect it on a standard full in sight of the camp1 and to it the eyes of the stricken people were to be turned4 ,if they realised the ,divine purpose of grace and trusted ,jehovah while they looked1 the power of the poison would be destroyed4 ,the serpent of brass was nothing in itself1 was1 as long afterwards ,hezekiah declared it to be1 nehushtan2 but as a symbol of the help and salvation of ,god it served the end4 ,the stricken revived3 the camp1 almost in a panic through superstitious fear1 was calmed4 ,once more it was known that ,he who smote the sinful1 in wrath remembered mercy4 ,it must be assumed that there was repentance and faith on the part of those who looked4 ,the serpents appear as the means of punishment1 and the poison loses its effect with the growth of the new spirit of submission4 ,it has rightly been pointed out that the heathen view of the serpent as a healing power has no countenance here4 ,that singular belief must have had its origin in the worship of the serpent which arose from dread of it as an embodiment of demoniacal energy4 ,our passage treats it as a creature of ,god1 ready1 like the lightning and the pestilence1 or like the frogs and insects of the ,egyptian plagues1 to be used as an instrument in bringing home to men their sins4 ,and when our ,lord recalled the episode of the healing of ,israel by means of the brazen serpent1 ,he certainly did not mean that the image in itself was in any sense a type or even symbol of ,him4 ,it was lifted up2 ,he was to be lifted up3 it was to be looked upon with the gaze of repentance and faith2 ,he is to be regarded1 as ,he hangs on the cross1 with the contrite1 believing look3 it signified the gracious interposition of ,god1 who was ,himself the ,true ,healer2 ,christ is lifted up and gives ,himself on the cross in accordance with the ,father's will1 to reveal and convey ,his love--these are the points of similarity4 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of ,man be lifted up4 ,the uplifting1 the healing1 are symbolic4 ,the serpent-image fades out of sight4 ,christ is seen giving ,himself in generous love1 showing us the way of life when ,he dies1 the just for the unjust4 ,he is the power of ,god unto salvation4 ,with ,him we die that ,he may live in us4 ,he judges us1 condemns us as sinners1 and at the same time turns our judgment into acquittal1 our condemnation into liberty4 ,israel's past and the grace of ,jehovah to the stricken tribes are connected by our ,lord's words with the redemption provided through ,his own sacrifice4 ,the ,divine ,healer of humanity is there and here2 but here in spiritual life1 in quickening grace1 not in an empirical symbol4 ,christ on the cross is no mere sign of a higher energy2 the very energy is with ,him1 most potent when ,he dies4 ,like the serpent poison1 that of sin creates a burning fever1 a mortal disease4 ,but into all the springs and channels of infected life the renovating grace of ,god enters through the long deep look of faith4 ,we see the ,man1 our brother1 full of sympathy1 the ,son of ,god our sin-bearer4 ,the pity is profound as our need2 the strong spiritual might1 sin-conquering1 life-giving1 is enough for each1 more than sufficient for all4 ,we look--to wonder1 to hope1 to trust1 to love1 to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory4 ,we see our condemnation1 the handwriting of ordinances that is against us--and we see it cancelled through the sacrifice of our ,divine ,redeemer4 ,is it the death that moves us first8 ,then we perceive love stronger than death1 love that can never die4 ,our souls go forth to find that love1 they are bound by it for ever to the ,infinite ,truth1 the ,eternal ,purity1 the ,immortal ,life4 ,we find ourselves at length whole and strong1 fit for the enterprises of ,god4 ,the trumpet call is heard2 we respond with joy4 ,we will fight the good fight of faith1 suffering and achieving all through ,christ4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at ,iye-abarim1 the ,heaps of the ,outlands1 which is toward the sunrising1 the worst of the desert march was over4 ,that the long and dreary wilderness did not swallow up the host is1 humanly speaking1 matter of astonishment4 ,yet singular light is thrown on the journey by an incident recorded by ,mr4 ,palmer4 ,in the midst of the broken country extending from the neighbourhood of the ancient ,kadesh to the ,arabah1 he and his companions encamped at the head of the ,wady ,abu ,taraimeh1 which slopes to the south-east4 ,here in the midst of the desolate mountains a quite young girl1 small1 solitary traveller1 was found4 ,she was on her way to ,abdeh1 some twenty miles behind1 and had come from a place called ,hesmeh1 six days' journey beyond ,akabah1 a distance of some hundred and fifty miles4 ,she had been without bread or water1 and had only eaten a few herbs to support herself by the way4 ,the simple trust of the child could achieve what strong men might have pronounced impossible4 ,and the ,israelites1 knowing little of the road1 trusted and hoped and pressed on till the green hills of ,moab were at last in sight4 ,the march was eastward of the present highway1 which keeps within the border of ,edom and passes through ,el ,buseireh1 the ancient ,bozrah4 ,we may suppose that the ,israelites followed a track afterwards chosen for a ,roman road and still traceable4 ,the valley of ,zared1 perhaps the modern ,feranjy1 would be reached about fifteen miles east from the southern gulf of the ,dead ,sea4 ,thence1 striking on a watercourse and keeping to the desert side of ,ar1 the modern ,rabba1 the ,hebrews would have a march of about twenty miles to the ,arnon1 which at that time formed the boundary between ,moab and the ,amorites4 ,at this point the history incorporates1 why we cannot tell1 part of an old song from the ,book of the ,wars of ,jehovah4 ,vaheb in ,suphah1 ,and the valleys of ,arnon1 ,and the slope of the valleys ,that inclineth toward the dwelling of ,ar1 ,and leaneth upon the border of ,moab4 ,the picturesque topography of this chant1 the meaning of which as a whole is obscured for us by the first line1 may be the sole reason of its quotation4 ,if we read ,vaheb in storm we have a word-picture of the scene under impressive conditions2 and if the storm is that of war the relique may belong to the time of the contest described in ver4 #bf when the ,amorite chief1 crossing ,jordan1 gained the northern heights and drove the ,moabites in confusion across the ,arnon toward the stronghold of ,ar1 some twelve or fifteen miles to the south4 ,yet another ancient song is connected with a station called ,beer1 or the ,well1 some spot in the wilderness north of the ,arnon valley4 ,moses points out the place where water may be found1 and as the digging goes on the chant is heard3 ,spring up1 ,o well2 sing ye unto it3 ,the well which the princes digged1 ,which the nobles of the people delved1 ,with the sceptre1 and with their staves4 ,the seeking of the precious water by rude art in a thirsty valley kindles the mind of some poet of the people4 ,and his song is spirited1 with ample recognition of the zeal of the princes who themselves take part in the labour4 ,while they dig he chants1 and the people join in the song till the words are fixed in their memory1 so as to become part of the traditions of ,israel4 ,the finding of a spring1 the discovery that by their own effort they can reach the living water laid up for them beneath the sand1 is an event to the ,israelites1 worth preserving in a national ballad4 ,what does this imply8 ,that the resources of nature and the means of unlocking them were still only beginning to be understood8 ,we are almost compelled to think so1 whatever conclusions this may involve4 ,and ,israel1 slowly finding out the ,divine provision lying beneath the surface of things1 is a type of those who very gradually discover the possibilities that are concealed beneath the seemingly ordinary and unpromising4 ,by the beaten tracks of life1 in its arid valleys1 there are1 for those who dig1 wells of comfort1 springs of truth and salvation4 ,men are athirst for inspiration1 for power4 ,they think of these as endowments for which they must wait4 ,in point of fact they have but to open the fountains of conscience and of generous feeling in order to find what they desire4 ,multitudes faint by the way because they will not seek for themselves the water of ,divine truth that would reinvigorate their being4 ,when we trust to wells opened by others we cannot obtain the supply suited to our special need4 ,each for himself must discover ,divine providence1 duty1 conviction1 the springs of repentance and of love4 ,the many wait1 and never get beyond spiritual dependence4 ,the few1 some with sceptre1 some with staff1 dig for themselves and for the rest wells of new ardour and sustaining thought4 ,the whole of human life1 we may say1 has beneath its surface veins and rills of heavenly water4 ,in heart and conscience we can find the will of our ,maker1 the springs of ,his promises1 revelations of ,his power and love4 ,more than we know of the living water that flows through the world of humanity like a river has its source in springs that have been dug in waste places by those who reflected1 who saw in man's world and man's soul the work of the faithful ,creator4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from ,beer in the wilderness the march skirted the green fields and valleys of the country once held by the ,moabites1 now under ,sihon the ,amorite4 ,when they had gone but a few stages along this route the leaders of the host found it necessary to enter into negotiations4 ,they were now some twenty miles only by road from the fords of ,jordan1 but ,heshbon1 a strong fortress1 confronted them4 ,the ,amorites must be either conciliated or attacked4 ,this time there was no circuitous way that could be taken2 a critical hour had come4 ,the presence of the ,amorites on the eastern side of ,jordan is accounted for in a passage extending from vv4 #bf-cj4 ,moab had apparently1 as at a later time referred to by one of the prophets1 been at ease1 resting securely behind her mountain rampart4 ,suddenly the ,amorite warriors1 crossing the ford of ,jordan and pressing up the defile1 had attacked and taken ,heshbon2 and with the loss of that fortress ,moab was practically defenceless4 ,field by field the old inhabitants had been driven back1 out into the desert1 southward beyond the ,arnon4 ,even as far as ,ar itself the victors had carried fire and sword4 ,retiring1 they left all south of the ,arnon to the ,moabites1 and themselves occupied the country from ,arnon to ,jabbok1 a stretch of sixty miles4 ,the song of vv4 #bg-cj commemorates this ancient war3-- ,come ye to ,heshbon1 ,let the city of ,sihon be built and established2 ,for a fire is gone out of ,heshbon1 ,a flame from the city of ,sihon3 ,it hath devoured ,ar of ,moab1 ,the ,lords of the ,high ,places of ,arnon4 ,woe to thee1 ,moab6 ,thou art undone1 ,o people of ,chemosh4 ,the chant rejoicing over the defeated goes on to tell how the sons of ,moab fled1 and her daughters were taken captive2 how the arms of the ,amorite were victorious from ,heshbon to ,dibon1 over ,nophah and ,medeba4 ,the ,israelites arriving soon after this sanguinary conflict1 found the conquered region immediately beyond the ,arnon open to their advance4 ,the ,amorites had not yet occupied the whole of the land2 their power was concentrated about ,heshbon1 which according to the song had been rebuilt4 ,the request made of ,sihon to allow the passage of a people on its way to ,jordan and the country beyond came possibly at a time when the ,amorites were scarcely prepared for resistance4 ,they had been successful1 but their forces were insufficient for the large district they had taken1 larger considerably than that on the other side of ,jordan from which they had migrated4 ,in the circumstances ,sihon would not grant the request4 ,these ,israelites were bent on establishing themselves as rivals3 the answer accordingly was a refusal1 and war began4 ,refreshed by the spoil of the fields of ,arnon1 and now almost within sight of ,canaan1 the ,hebrew fighting men were full of ardour4 ,the conflict was sharp and decisive4 ,apparently in a single battle the power of ,sihon was broken4 ,leaving his fortress the ,amorite chief had gone out against ,israel into the wilderness2 and at ,jahaz the fight went against him4 ,from ,arnon to ,jabbok his land lay open to the conquerors4 ,and having once tasted success the warriors of ,israel did not sheathe their swords4 ,the fortress of ,amman guarded the land of the ,ammonites so strongly that it seemed for the time perilous to strike in that direction4 ,crossing the valley of the ,jabbok1 however1 and leaving the fierce ,ammonites unattacked1 the ,israelites had ,bashan before them2 a fertile region of innumerable streams1 populous1 and with many strongholds and cities4 ,there was hesitation for a time1 but the oracle of ,jehovah reassured the army4 ,og the king of ,bashan waited the attack at ,edrei in the north of his kingdom1 about forty miles east from the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,israel was again victorious4 ,the king of ,bashan1 his sons1 and his army were cut to pieces4 ,such was the rapid success the ,israelites had in their first campaign1 amazing enough1 though partly explained by the strifes and wars which had reduced the strength of the peoples they attacked4 ,we must not suppose1 however1 that though the ,amorites and the people of ,bashan were defeated1 their lands were occupied or could be occupied at once4 ,what had been done was rather in the way of defending the passage of the ,jordan than providing a settlement for any of the tribes4 ,when the ,reubenites1 ,gadites1 and ,manassites came to dwell in those districts east of the ,jordan1 they had to make good their ground against the old inhabitants who remained4 ,the army had passed into the north1 but the main body of the people descended from the neighbourhood of ,heshbon by a pass leading to the ,jordan ,valley4 ,the return of the victorious troops after a few months gave them the assurance that at last they could safely prepare for the long expected entrance into the ,land of ,promise4 ,suffering and the discipline of the wilderness had educated the ,israelites for the day of action4 ,by what a long and tedious journey they reached their success6 ,behind them1 yet with them still1 was ,sinai1 whose lightnings and awful voices made them aware of the power of ,jehovah into covenant with whom they entered1 whose law they received4 ,as a people bound solemnly to the unseen ,almighty ,god they left that mountain and journeyed towards ,kadesh4 ,but the covenant had neither been thoroughly accepted nor thoroughly understood4 ,they began their march from the mountain of the ,lord as the people of ,jehovah1 yet expecting that ,he was to do all for them1 require little at their hands4 ,the other side of privilege1 the duty they owed to ,god1 had to be impressed by many a painful chastisement1 by the sorrows and disasters of the way4 ,wonderfully1 all things considered1 had they sped1 though their murmurings were the sign of an ignorant rebellious temper which was incompatible with any moral progress4 ,by the long delay in the wilderness of ,kadesh that disposition had to be cured4 ,in a region not fertile like ,canaan itself1 yet capable of supporting the tribes1 they had to forget ,egypt1 realise that forward not backward was their only way1 that while desert after desert intervened now between them and ,goshen1 they were within a day's march of the ,promised ,land4 ,but even this was not enough4 ,perhaps they might have crept gradually northward2 shifting their headquarters a few miles at a time till they had taken possession of the ,negeb and made a settlement of some kind in ,canaan4 ,but if they had done so1 as a nation of shepherds1 advancing timorously1 not boldly1 they would have had no strength at the opening of their career4 ,and it was decreed that by another door1 in another spirit1 they should enter4 ,edom refused them access to the east country4 ,they had again to gird up their loins for a long journey4 ,and that last terrible march was the discipline they required4 ,resolutely kept to it by their leader1 on through the ,arabah1 across the desert1 to the ,heaps of the ,outlands towards the sunrising they went1 with new need for courage1 a new call to endure hardness every day4 ,did they faint once1 and turn murmurers again8 ,the serpents stung them in judgment1 and the cure was provided in grace4 ,they learned once more that it was ,one they could not elude with whom they had to do1 ,one who could be severe and also kind1 who could strike and also save4 ,decimated1 but knit together as they had never been1 the tribes reached the ,arnon4 ,and then1 the first trial of their arms made1 they knew themselves a conquering people1 a people with power1 a people with a destiny4 ,it is so in the making of manhood1 in the discipline of the soul4 ,sinai1 and the awful declarations of duty and of the ,divine claim there1 must enter into our life2 it would be light1 frivolous1 and incapable otherwise4 ,but the revelation of power and righteousness does not insure our submission to the power1 our conformity to the righteousness4 ,divine words have to be followed by ,divine deeds2 we have to learn that in ,god's kingdom there is to be no murmuring1 no shrinking even from death1 no turning back4 ,it is a lesson that tries the generations4 ,how many will not learn it6 ,in society1 in the ,church1 the rebellious spirit is shown and has to be corrected4 ,at the ,graves of ,lust1 at the ,place of ,burning1 murmurers are judged1 those who refuse ,god's way fall and are left behind4 ,and when the ,land of ,promise is in sight possession of it shall not be easily obtained by those who are still half-wedded to the old life1 distrustful of the righteousness of ,god and ,his demand on the whole love and service of the soul4 ,there is indeed no heaven for those who look back1 who even if angels were to hurry them on would still lament the losses of this life as irremediable4 ,there must be the courage of the daring soul that adventures all on faith1 on the ,divine promise1 on the eternity of the spiritual4 ,wherefore1 that the earthly temper may be taken out of us1 we have to cross desert after desert1 to make long circuits through the hot and thirsty wilderness even when we think our faith complete and our hope nigh its fulfilment4 ,it is as those who overcome we are to enter the kingdom4 ,not as the world's poor routed leavings1 not obtaining permission from ,edomites or ,amorites to slip ingloriously through their land1 but as those who with the sword of the ,spirit can hew our own way through falsehoods and bring down the lusts of the flesh and of the mind1 as warriors of ,god we are to reach and cross the border4 ,how many survive1 having gone through discipline like this8 ,how many overcome and have the right to pass through the gate into the city8 ,,footnote3 #i ,palgrave1 ,central and ,eastern ,arabia1 p4 #b4 ,,xviii ,,balaam ,,invoked ,,numbers xxii4 #a-ai ,while a part of the army of ,israel was engaged in the campaign against ,bashan1 the tribes remained in the plains of ,moab beyond the ,jordan at ,jericho4 ,the topography is given here1 as elsewhere1 from the point of view of one dwelling in ,canaan2 and the locality indicated is a level stretch of land1 some five or six miles broad1 between the river and the hills4 ,in this plain there was ample room for the encampment1 while along the ,jordan and on the slopes to the east all the produce of field and garden1 the spoil of conquest1 was at the disposal of the ,israelites4 ,they rested therefore1 after their long journey1 in sight of ,canaan1 waiting first for the return of the troops1 then for the command to advance2 and the delay may very likely have extended to several months4 ,now the march of ,israel had kept to the desert side of ,moab1 so that the king and people of that land had no reason to complain4 ,but the campaign against the ,amorites1 ending so quickly and decisively for the invaders1 showed what might have taken place if they had attacked ,moab1 what might yet come to pass if they turned southward instead of crossing the ,jordan4 ,and there was great dismay4 ,moab was sore afraid of the people1 because they were many3 and ,moab was distressed because of the children of ,israel4 ,manifestly it would have been unwise for ,balak the king of the ,moabites to attack ,israel single-handed4 ,but others might be enlisted against this new and vigorous enemy1 among them the ,midianites4 ,and to these ,balak turned to consult in the emergency4 ,by the ,midianites we must understand the ,bedawin of the time1 the desert tribes which possibly had their origin in ,midian1 east of the ,elanitic ,gulf1 but were now spread far and wide4 ,on the borders of ,moab a large and important clan of this people fed their flocks2 and to their elders ,balak appealed4 ,now1 he said1 shall this multitude lick up all that is round about us1 as the ox licketh up the grass of the field4 ,the result of the consultation was not an expedition of war but one of a quite different kind4 ,even the wild ,bedawin had been dismayed by the firm resolute tread of the ,israelites1 a people marching on1 as no people had ever been seen to march1 from faraway ,egypt to find a new home4 ,the elders of ,moab and of ,midian cannot decide on war2 but superstition points to another means of attack4 ,may they not obtain a curse against ,israel1 under the influence of which its strength shall decay8 ,is there not in ,pethor one who knows the ,god of this people and has the power of dreadful malediction8 ,they will send for him2 ,balaam shall invoke disaster on the invaders1 then peradventure ,balak will prevail1 and smite them1 and drive them out of the land4 ,there can be no doubt in what direction we are to look for ,pethor1 the dwelling-place of the great diviner4 ,it is by the ,river1 that is to say1 by the ,river ,euphrates4 ,it is in ,aram1 for thence ,balaam says ,balak has brought him4 ,it is in the land of the children of ,ammo 7xxii4 #e71 for such is the preferable translation of the words rendered children of his people4 ,the situation of ,pethor has been made out4 ,at an early period in ,assyrian research1 says ,mr4 ,a4 ,h4 ,sayce1#aj ,pethor was identified by ,dr4 ,hincks with the ,pitru of the cuneiform inscriptions4 ,pitru stood on the western bank of the ,euphrates1 close to its junction with the ,sajur1 and a little to the north of the latter4 ,it was consequently only a few miles to the south of the ,hittite capital ,carchemish4 ,indeed1 ,shalmaneser ,,ii4 tells us explicitly that the city was called ,pethor by 'the ,hittites4' ,it lay on the main road from east to west1 and so occupied a position of military and commercial importance4 ,originally an ,araman town1 ,pethor had received1 on its conquest by the ,hittites1 a new element of population from that race1 and the two peoples lived in it side by side4 ,the ,aramans of ,pethor called themselves the sons of 7the god7 ,ammo2 and1 according to ,mr4 ,sayce1 ,dr4 ,neubauer is right in explaining the name of ,balaam as a compound of ,baal with ,ammi1 which occurs as a prefix in the ,hebrew names ,ammiel1 ,amminadab1 and others4 ,it is also worthy of mention that the name of ,balak's father--,zippor1 or ,bird--occurs in the notice1 still extant1 of a despatch sent by the ,egyptian government to ,palestine in the third year of ,menephtah ,,ii4 ,it may be further said with regard to ,mr4 ,sayce's valuable work1 that he does not attempt to deal particularly with the prophecies of ,balaam4 ,they must1 he says1 be explained by ,hebrew philology before the records of the monuments can be called upon to illustrate them4 ,it may be that the text is corrupt2 it may be that passages have been added at various times to the original prophecy of the ,araman seer2 these are questions which must be settled before the ,assyriologist can determine when it was that the ,kenite was carried away captive1 or when ,asshur himself was 'afflicted4' ,the divination of which so great things were expected by ,balak is amply illustrated in the ,babylonian remains4 ,among the ,chaldeans the art of divination rested on the old belief in every object of inanimate nature being possessed or inhabited by a spirit1 and the later belief in a higher power1 ruling the world and human affairs to the smallest detail1 and constantly manifesting itself through all things in nature as through secondary agents1 so that nothing whatever could occur without some deeper significance which might be discovered and expounded by specially trained and favoured individuals4 ,the ,chaldeo-,babylonians not only carefully noted and explained dreams1 drew lots in doubtful cases by means of inscribed arrows1 interpreted the rustle of trees1 the plashing of fountains and murmur of streams1 the direction and form of lightnings1 not only fancied that they could see things in bowls of water1 and in the shifting forms assumed by the flame which consumed sacrifices and the smoke which rose therefrom1 and that they could raise and question the spirits of the dead1 but drew presages and omens1 for good or evil1 from the flight of birds1 the appearance of the liver1 lungs1 heart1 and bowels of the animals offered in sacrifice and opened for inspection1 from the natural defects or monstrosities of babies or the young of animals--in short1 from any and everything that they could possibly subject to observation4 ,there were three classes of wise men1 astrologers1 sorcerers1 and soothsayers2 all were in constant demand1 and all used rules and principles settled for them by the so-called science which was their study4 ,we cannot of course affirm that ,balaam was one of these ,chaldeans1 or that his art was precisely of the kind described4 ,he is declared by the narrative to have received communications from ,god4 ,there can1 however1 be no doubt that his wide reputation rested on the mystical rites by which he sought his oracles1 for these1 and not his natural sagacity1 would impress the common mind4 ,when the elders of ,moab and ,midian went to seek him they carried the rewards of divination in their hands4 ,it was believed that he might obtain from ,jehovah the ,god of the ,israelites some knowledge concerning them on which a powerful curse might be based4 ,if then1 in right of his office1 he pronounced the malediction1 the power of ,israel would be taken away4 ,the journey to ,pethor was by the oasis of ,tadmor and the fords at ,carchemish4 ,a considerable time1 perhaps a month1 would be occupied in going and returning4 ,but there was no other man on whose insight and power dependence could be placed4 ,those who carried the message were men of rank1 who might have gone as ambassadors to a king4 ,it was confidently expected that the soothsayer would at once undertake the important commission4 ,arriving at ,pethor they find ,balaam and convey the message1 which ends with the flattering words1 ,i know that he whom thou blessest is blessed1 and he whom thou cursest is cursed4 ,but they have to treat with no vulgar thaumaturgist1 no mere weaver of spells and incantations4 ,this is a man of intellectual power1 a diplomatist1 whose words and proceedings have a tone of high purpose and authority4 ,he hears attentively1 but gives no immediate answer4 ,from the first he takes a position fitted to make the ambassadors feel that if he intervenes it will be from higher motives than desire to earn the rewards with which they presume to tempt him4 ,he is indeed a prince of his tribe1 and will be moved by nothing less than the oracle of that unseen ,being whom the chiefs of ,moab and ,midian cannot approach4 ,let the messengers wait1 that in the shadow and silence of night ,balaam may inquire of ,jehovah4 ,his answer shall be in accordance with the solemn1 secret word that comes to him from above4 ,three of the ,new ,testament writers1 the ,apostles ,peter1 ,john1 and ,jude1 refer to ,balaam in terms of reprobation4 ,he is ,balaam the son of ,beor who loved the hire of wrongdoing2 he taught ,balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of ,israel1 to eat things sacrificed to idols1 and to commit fornication2 he is the type of those who run riotously in the way of error for hire4 ,gathering up the impressions of his whole life1 these passages declare him avaricious and cunningly malignant1 a prophet who perverting his gifts brought on himself a special judgment4 ,at the outset1 however1 ,balaam does not appear in this light4 ,the pictorial narrative shows a man of imposing personality1 who claims the vision and the faculty ,divine4 ,he seems resolute to keep by the truth rather than gratify any dreams of ambition or win great pecuniary rewards4 ,it is worth while to study a character so mingled1 in circumstances that may be called typical of the old world4 ,did ,balaam enjoy communications with ,god8 ,had he real prophetic insight8 ,or must we hold with some that he only professed to consult ,jehovah1 and found the answer to his inquiries in the conclusions of his own mind8 ,it would appear at first sight that ,balaam1 as a heathen1 was separated by a great gulf from the ,hebrews4 ,but at the time to which the narrative of ,numbers refers1 if not at the period of its composition1 the boundary line implied by the word gentile did not exist4 ,moses had clearly taught to the ,hebrews ethical and religious truths which neighbouring nations saw very indistinctly2 and the ,israelites were beginning to know themselves a chosen race4 ,yet ,abraham was their father1 and other peoples could claim descent from him4 ,edom1 for example1 is in ,numbers xx4 acknowledged as ,israel's brother4 ,at the stage of history1 then1 to which our passage belongs1 the strongly marked differences between nation and nation afterwards insisted upon were not realised4 ,and this is so far true in respect of religion1 that though the ,kenites1 a ,midianite tribe1 did not follow the way of ,jehovah1 ,moses1 as we have seen1 had no difficulty in joining with them in a sacrificial feast in honour of the ,lord of ,heaven4 ,if beyond the circle of the tribes any one1 impressed by their history1 attributing their rescue from ,egypt and their successful march towards ,canaan to ,jehovah1 acknowledged ,his greatness and began to approach ,him with sacred rites1 no doubt would have existed among the ,hebrews generally that by such a man their ,god could be found and ,his favour won4 ,the narrative before us1 stating that ,jehovah called ,balaam and communicated with him1 simply declares what the more patriotic and religious ,israelites would have had no difficulty whatever in receiving4 ,this diviner of ,pethor had heard of ,israel's deliverance at the ,red ,sea1 had followed with keen interest the progress of the tribes1 had made himself acquainted with the law of ,jehovah given at ,sinai4 ,why1 then1 should he not worship ,jehovah8 ,and why should not ,jehovah speak to him1 make revelations to him of things still in the future8 ,so far1 however1 we touch only the beliefs1 or possible beliefs1 of the ,israelites4 ,the facts may be quite different4 ,we are in the way of considering revelations of the ,divine will to have been so uncommon and sacred that a man of very high character alone could have enjoyed them4 ,if indeed ,god spoke to ,balaam1 it must have been in another way than to ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,elijah4 ,especially since his history shows him to have been a man bad at heart1 we are inclined to pronounce his consultation of ,god mere pretence2 and as for his prophecies1 did he not simply hear of ,israel's greatness and forecast the future with the prescience of a clear calculator1 who used his eyes and reason to good purpose8 ,but with this the gist of the ,bible narrative cannot be said to agree4 ,it seems to be certainly implied that ,god did speak to ,balaam1 open his eyes1 unfold to him things far off in the future4 ,although many cases might be adduced which go to prove that an acute man of the world1 weighing causes and tracing the drift of things1 may show wonderful foresight1 yet the language here used points to more than that4 ,it seems to mean that ,divine illumination was given to one beyond the circle of the chosen people1 to one who from the first was no friend of ,god and at the last showed himself a malicious enemy of ,israel4 ,and the doctrine must be that any one who1 looking beneath the surface of things1 studying the character of men and peoples1 connects the past and the present and anticipates events which are still far off1 has his illumination from ,god4 ,further it is taught that in a real sense the man who has some conception of ,providence1 though he is false at heart1 may yet1 in the sincerity of an hour1 in the serious thought roused at some crisis1 have a word of counsel1 a clear indication of duty1 a revelation of things to come which others do not receive4 ,still we must interpret the words1 ,god said to ,balaam1 in a way which will not lift him into the ranks of the heaven-directed who are in any sense mediators1 prophets of the age and the world4 ,this man has his knowledge so far from above1 has his insight as a true gift1 receives the word of prohibition1 of warning1 veritably from a ,divine source4 ,yet he does not stand in a high position1 lifted above other men4 ,the whole history is of value for our instruction1 because as surely as ,balaam received directions from ,god1 we also receive them through conscience2 because as he opposed ,god so we also may oppose ,him in self-will or the evil mind4 ,when we are urged to do what is right the urgency is ,divine1 as certainly as if a voice from heaven fell on our ears4 ,only when we realise this do we feel aright the solemnity of obligation4 ,if we fail to ascribe our knowledge and our sense of duty to ,god1 it will seem a light thing to neglect the eternal laws by which we should be ruled4 ,reaching ,pethor the messengers of ,balak state their request4 ,instead of going with them at once1 as a false man might be expected to do1 ,balaam declares that he must consult ,jehovah2 and the result of his consultation is that he declines4 ,in the morning he says to the princes of ,moab1 ,get you into your land1 for ,jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you4 ,the question whether ,israel was a fit subject for blessing or for cursing has been practically settled in his mind4 ,when he lays the matter before ,jehovah1 as he knows ,him through ,his law and the history of ,israel1 it is made unmistakable that no malediction is to be pronounced4 ,but what1 then1 was the secret of ,balaam's delay1 of his consultation of the oracle8 ,if it had been an absolute determination to serve the interests of righteousness1 he could now frame his reply to the princes in such a way that they would understand it to be final4 ,he would not say demurely1 ,jehovah refuseth to give me leave1 for these words allow the belief that somehow the power to curse may yet be obtained4 ,balaam permits himself to hope that he will find some flaw in ,israel's relation to ,jehovah which will leave room for a malediction4 ,he delays1 and professes to consult ,god1 diplomatically1 that even by the refusal his fame as a diviner acquainted with the ,unseen ,power may be established4 ,and the answer he returns means that his own reputation is not to be hazarded by any divination which ,jehovah will discredit4 ,had not the future proceedings of ,balaam cast their shadow back on his career and words1 he might have been pronounced at the outset a man of integrity4 ,the rewards offered him were probably large4 ,we may believe that whatever reputation ,balaam had previously enjoyed this embassy was the most important ever sent to him1 the greatest tribute to his fame4 ,and we would have been inclined to say1 ,here is an example of conscientiousness4 ,balaam might go with the princes at least1 though he can pronounce no curse on ,israel2 but he does not2 he is too honourable even to profess the desire to gratify his patrons4 ,this favourable judgment1 however1 is forbidden4 ,it was of himself1 of his fame and position1 he was thinking4 ,he would not have gone in any case unless it had precisely suited his purpose4 ,understanding that ,israel is not to be cursed1 he manages so that his refusal shall enhance his own reputation4 ,still1 the small amount of sincerity there is in ,balaam1 superimposed on his self-love and diplomacy1 is in contrast to the utter want of it which men often show4 ,they are of a party1 and at the first call they will make shift to denounce whatever their leaders bid them denounce4 ,there is no pretence even of waiting for a night to have time for quiet reflection2 much less any anxious thought regarding ,divine providence1 righteousness1 mercy1 by means of which duty may be discovered4 ,it is possible for men to appear earnest defenders of religion who never go even as far as ,balaam went in seeking the guidance of truth and principle4 ,they pass judgments with a haste that shows the shallow heart4 ,tempted by some envious ,balak within1 even when no appeal is made1 they set up as soothsayers and take on them to prophesy evil4 ,the messengers of ,balak returned with the report of their disappointment2 but what they had to say caused1 as ,balaam no doubt intended1 greater anxiety than ever to secure his services4 ,one who was so lofty1 and at the same time so much in the secrets of the ,god ,israel worshipped1 was indeed a most valuable ally1 and his help must be obtained at any price4 ,did he say that ,jehovah refused to give him leave8 ,balak will assure him of rewards which no ,god of ,israel can give1 very great recompense1 tangible1 immediate4 ,other messengers are sent1 more1 and more honourable than the former1 and they carry very flattering offers4 ,if he will curse ,israel1 ,balak the son of ,zippor will do for him whatever he desires4 ,nothing is to hinder him from coming2 neither the prohibition of ,jehovah nor anything else4 ,the conduct of ,balaam when he is appealed to the second time confirms the judgment it has been found necessary to pronounce on his character4 ,he behaves like a man who has been expecting1 and yet1 with what conscience he has1 dreading1 the renewed invitation4 ,he appears indeed to be emphatic in declaring his superiority to the offer of reward3 ,if ,balak would give me his house full of silver and gold1 ,i cannot go beyond the word of the ,lord my ,god1 to do less or more4 ,the air of incorruptible virtue is kept4 ,the ,moabites and ,midianites are to understand that they have to do with a man whose whole soul is set on truth4 ,and the protestation would deceive us--only ,balaam does not dismiss the men4 ,giving him all credit for an intention still to keep right with the ,almighty1 or1 shall we say8 allowing that he was too clever a man to imperil his reputation by intending a curse which would not be followed by any ill effects1 we find immediately that he is unwilling to let the opportunity pass4 ,he asks the messengers to tarry for the night1 that he may again consult ,jehovah in the matter4 ,he has already seen the truth as to ,israel1 the promise of its splendid career4 ,yet he will repeat the inquiry1 ask once more regarding the prospect he has distinctly seen4 ,it is ambition that moves him1 and perhaps1 along with that1 avarice4 ,may he not be able to say something that will sound like a curse1 something on which ,balak shall fasten in the belief that it gives him power against ,israel8 ,it would1 at all events1 be a gratification to travel in state across the desert1 to appear amongst the princes of ,midian and ,moab as the man after whom kings had to run4 ,and there was the possibility that without absolutely forfeiting his reputation as a seer of things to come he might obtain at least a portion of the reward4 ,he will at all events do the messengers the honour of seeking another oracle for their sakes1 though he dishonours the name of ,god from whom he seeks it4 ,it was possible for ,balaam during the interval of the two embassies to recover himself4 ,he was one who could understand integrity1 who knew enough of the conditions of success to see that absolute consistency is the only strength4 ,there was a straight way which he might have followed4 ,but temptation pressed on him4 ,tired of the narrow field within which he had as yet exercised his powers1 he saw one wider and more splendid open to him4 ,the wealth was no small inducement4 ,he was in the way of divining for reward2 this was the greatest ever in his reach4 ,and ,balaam1 knowing well how base and vain his pretext was1 resigned his integrity1 even the pretence of it1 when he bade the messengers wait4 ,yet was his fault a singular one8 ,we cannot say that he showed extraordinary covetousness in desiring ,balak's silver and gold4 ,for the time1 in the circumstances1 scarcely anything else could be expected of a man like him4 ,to judge ,balaam by modern ,christian rules is an anachronism4 ,the remarkable thing is to find one of his class at all scrupulous about the means he employs to promote himself4 ,we say that he was guilty of perverting conscience2 and so he was4 ,but his conscience did not see or speak so clearly as ours4 ,and are not ,christian men liable to have their heads turned by the countenance of those in a higher rank than their own1 and to succumb to the enticement of great wealth8 ,when they are asked to reconsider a decision they know to be right1 do they never tamper with conscience8 ,it is one of the commonest things to find persons nominally religious indulging in the same desires and acting in the same way as ,balaam4 ,but the earthly craving that makes any one go back to ,god a second time about a matter which ought to have been settled once for all1 involves the greatest moral hazard4 ,no human being1 in any situation1 has spiritual strength to spare4 ,there is a point where he who hesitates casts the whole of his life into the balance4 ,for young persons1 especially1 a great warning1 often needed1 lies here4 ,the fault of ,balaam1 a fault of which he could not fail to be conscious1 was that of tampering with his inspiration4 ,the insight he possessed--and which he valued--had come through his sincere estimate of things and men apart from any pressure brought to bear on him to take a side either for money or for fame4 ,his mind using perfect freedom1 travelling in a way of sincere judgment1 had reached a height from which he enjoyed wide prospects4 ,as a man and a prophet he had his standing through this superiority to the motives that swayed vulgar minds4 ,the admission of sordid influences1 whether it began with the visit of ,balak's messengers or had been previously allowed1 was perhaps the first great error of his life4 ,and it is so in the case of every man who has found the strength of integrity and reached the vision of the true4 ,the ,christian who has held himself free from the entanglements of the world1 refusing to touch its questionable rewards1 or to be influenced by its jealousy and envy1 has what may be called his inspiration1 though it lifts him to no prophetic height4 ,he has a clear mind1 a clear eye4 ,his own way is plain1 and he can also see the crookedness of paths which others follow and reckon straight enough4 ,he can go with a firm step and say fearlessly1 ,be ye followers of me4 ,but if the base considerations of gain and loss1 of ease or discomfort1 of the applause or enmity of other men1 intrude1 if even in a small way he becomes a man of the world1 at once there is declension4 ,he may not be ambitious nor covetous4 ,yet the withdrawal of his mind from its sole allegiance to ,god and the righteousness of ,god tells at once on his moral vision4 ,it is clouded4 ,the oracle becomes ambiguous4 ,he hears two voices1 many voices2 and the counsels of his mind are confused4 ,like others1 he now takes a crooked course1 he feels that he has lost the old firmness of speech and action4 ,it is a sad thing when one who has felt himself born to the good1 to the perfect1 who has gained the power that comes through reverence1 and sees greater power before him1 yields to that which is not venerable1 not pure4 ,the beginnings of the fatal surrender may be small4 ,only a throb of self-consciousness and satisfaction when some one speaks a word of flattery or with show of much deference prefers an astute request4 ,only a disposition to listen when in seeming friendship counsel of a plausible kind is offered1 and milder ways of judging are recommended to lessen friction and put an end to discord4 ,even the strong are so weak1 and those who see are so easily blinded1 that no one can count himself safe4 ,and indeed it is not the great temptations1 like that which came to ,balaam1 we have chiefly to dread4 ,the very greatness of a bribe and magnificence of an opportunity put conscience on its guard4 ,peril comes rather when the appeal for charity1 or the casuistry of protesting virtue1 sends one to reconsider judgment that has been solemnly pronounced by a voice we cannot mistake2 when we forget that the matter is only rightly determined for men when it is clearly and irrevocably decided by the law of ,god1 whatever men may think1 however they may deplore or rebel4 ,thou and ,god exist-- ,so think6--for certain2 think the mass--mankind-- ,disparts1 disperses1 leaves thyself alone6 ,ask thy lone soul what laws are plain to thee-- ,thee and no other1--stand or fall by them6 ,that is the part for thee3 regard all else ,for what it may be--,time's illusion4 ,men in their need1 in their sorrow1 their self-esteem1 would have the true man revoke his judgment1 yield a point at least to their entreaties4 ,he will do them kindness1 he will show himself human1 reasonable1 judicious4 ,but on the other side are those to whom1 in showing this consideration1 he will be unjust1 declaring their honour worthless1 their sore struggle a useless waste of strength2 and he himself stands before the ,judge4 ,the one sure way is that which keeps the life in the line of the statutes of ,god1 and every judgment in full accord with ,his righteousness4 ,,footnote3 #aj ,the ,higher ,criticism and the ,monuments1 p4 #bgd4 ,,xix ,,balaam ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,numbers xxii4 #bj-ch ,the history is moving towards a great vindication of ,israel and prediction of its coming power1 all the more impressive that they are to be wrung from an unwilling witness1 a man who would pronounce a curse rather than a blessing2 all the more impressive1 too1 because the enemies of ,israel will themselves arrange on a mountain pinnacle the scene of the revelation1 with smoking altars and princely spectators4 ,the great ,actor in the drama is unseen2 but ,his voice is heard4 ,however tractable the omens may have been under other circumstances in the hands of the soothsayer1 he now finds a ,master4 ,as the story unfolds1 ,balaam is seen attempting the impossible1 endeavouring to force the hands of ,providence1 held as in a chain at every stage4 ,there is a ,power that treats him as if he were a child4 ,finally1 with most unwilling eloquence1 he is compelled to fling far and wide a challenge to ,israel's enemies1 the praises of her rising star4 ,in harmony with this general movement is the result of ,balaam's second appeal for permission to take the journey to ,moab4 ,he receives it1 but with a reservation4 ,fear of the great ,god whom he invokes holds him to the conviction that whatever he may do no word must pass his lips other than ,jehovah gives him to speak4 ,in repeating his inquiry he has assumed that the ,god of ,israel is amenable to human urgency2 and as he will have ,jehovah to be1 so within limits he seems to find ,him4 ,yet there is more to reckon with than a dubious oracle1 discovered through signs and portents of the sky or whisperings of the breeze at night4 ,jehovah has brought ,his people from ,egypt1 fed them in the desert1 given them victory4 ,balaam finds that this ,god can send angels upon ,his errands1 that there is no escape from ,his presence nor evasion of ,his will4 ,it was in a kind of madness the diviner set out from ,pethor by the way of the ,euphrates' ford4 ,excited by the hope of gaining the rewards and enjoying the fame awaiting him in ,moab1 he was at the same time conscious of being in opposition to the ,god of ,israel1 and committed to an adventure that might end disastrously4 ,he went in a mood of wilfulness1 hoping and yet half doubting that his way would become clear1 irritable therefore1 ready to resent every hindrance4 ,a diviner of repute1 credited with powers of blessing and cursing1 he perhaps felt himself safe on ordinary occasions1 especially among his own people1 even when he went against those who consulted him4 ,but could he count on the forbearance of the king of ,moab into whose country he was venturing8 ,jehovah might be opening his way only to destruction4 ,such fears could hardly be avoided4 ,and men who have gone back to conscience endeavouring to extort from it a sanction or permission previously denied1 who1 with some half assurance that the way is open1 set out on a desired course1 are practically in the same mad mood1 have equal reason to dread the issue4 ,is this understood8 ,it may be safely asserted that half the wrong things men do--taking an average of human action1 half at least--are done not in despite of conscience1 but with its dubious consent1 when the first clear decision has been set aside4 ,no doubt the urgency is often very great1 as it was in ,balaam's case1 and frequently of a less questionable kind4 ,not the desire of envious persons to have others cursed or evil intreated1 but possibly the desire of some to have the shadow of adverse judgment taken away1 may be the plea1 and be supported by the promise of large reward4 ,the first word of conscience is distinct--,have nothing whatever to do with the matter3 the shadow has fallen on the wrongdoer2 he has not repented2 let him suffer still4 ,but his agents come with gold and silver1 with plausible words1 with seeming ,christian arguments4 ,then the appeal to conscience is renewed1 and he who should be firm in judgment finds a false permission4 ,or the case may be of one in business1 tempted to some practice1 common enough1 but dishonest1 vile4 ,his first feeling has been that of disgust4 ,he could not for a moment contemplate a thing so base4 ,but under the pressure of what appears to be necessity1 plausible arguments and pretexts gain ground4 ,the fact that reputable men find no difficulty about the matter1 the notion that a custom is excusable because it is followed by most if not by all1 along with other considerations of a personal kind1 are allowed to have some weight1 and then to overbalance the sense of duty4 ,and the result is that the moral atmosphere is confused4 ,the man sets out on a way which appears to be opened for him2 but he goes under the shadow of a haunting fear4 ,like ,balaam1 one who thus extorts from conscience1 that is from ,god1 permission to go where he himself desires1 knowing it to be a wrong way1 is quite aware1 may indeed be eager to acknowledge to himself1 that he is still held by a ,divine command extending over a part of his conduct4 ,he will not speak a word that shall be against truth4 ,he will resume friendship with the rich transgressor2 but he will not in words excuse or palliate his crime4 ,he will adulterate certain commodities in which he deals1 but he will never assert that they are genuine4 ,this is the tribute to religion and to conscience that sustains decaying self-respect4 ,by this the man who passes for a ,christian endeavours to keep himself separate from those who have no conscience4 ,the most is made of the difference4 ,as compared with those who unblushingly defend the wrong1 this man may think himself a saint4 ,he would on no account speak a falsehood4 ,does he not fear ,god8 ,is he a dog that he should do this thing8 ,nevertheless1 the way leads into a bottomless quagmire4 ,for a time the waning light of religion may shine4 ,it may even burst before it dies into a bright flame of indignation against sin--the crimes others commit--or of loud protestation against what are called false charges4 ,but the man dies a ,balaam1 with a perverted conscience1 and must face the dreadful result4 ,well has it been said that no virtue is safe without enthusiasm4 ,a man cannot be true to the highest law unless he has the motive within him of pure devotion to ,god as his personal ,redeemer1 unless he recognises that his joy in ,god and his salvation are bound up with fidelity to the moral ideal which is presented to him4 ,faith1 hope1 love must inspire and keep the soul in fervour of desire to reach the heights to which it is called by the ,divine voice4 ,but the most of men come far short of this enthusiasm4 ,it is rather with reluctance1 after a kind of struggle with themselves1 that they look duty in the face4 ,and even when they do they find no pleasure in resolving to press on where the absolutely right is seen4 ,their pleasure lies in doing less than that4 ,they seek accordingly some way of observing the letter of duty while they avoid its spirit4 ,but the sense of having come short in a matter that involves their highest wellbeing1 their standing before ,god1 their very right to hope and to live1 remains with them4 ,marriage1 for example1 is often entered upon after a struggle with conscience in which a clear mandate has been set aside4 ,the desire to please self is allowed to overcome the conviction that the new bond will keep life on the low worldly ground1 or drag it back from spirituality4 ,the merely expedient is chosen rather than the ideal of moral independence and power4 ,and of this come fretfulness1 dissatisfaction with self1 with others1 with ,providence4 ,all the sophistries that can be used fail to set the mind at rest4 ,events continually occur which throw flashes of light on the past and reveal the lost hope1 the forfeited vision4 ,god does not make the wrong way smooth for one who has extorted permission to follow it4 ,a man desiring to enter on a course which he sees to be dishonourable or at least dubious may be absolutely prevented at first4 ,his appeal is to ,providence4 ,if circumstances allowed his plan he would reckon the ,divine will favourable to it4 ,but they do not4 ,every door he tries in the direction he wishes to take is barred against him4 ,afterwards one yields to pressure1 or is thrown wide because he knocks at it persistently4 ,then he advances1 taking for granted that he has obtained permission from ,god4 ,but he does not go far till he is undeceived4 ,so1 ,balaam sets out on his adventure1 riding on his ass and attended by his two servants4 ,yet he does not get clear of the vineyards of ,pethor without hindrance4 ,obstacles to his journey which do not appear in the narrative may have at first stood in his way1 certain political complications1 we may suppose4 ,now they are removed4 ,but he is met by others4 ,the angel of the ,lord opposes him1 one who stands with a drawn sword in hand in a hollow way between the vineyards1 a path closely fenced on the one side and the other4 ,balaam fails to see the adversary2 he is absorbed in his own thoughts4 ,but the ass sees1 and will not go forward1 and as ,balaam becomes aware of resistance his anger is kindled4 ,the narrative here is confessedly difficult4 ,one of the most reverent commentators on the passage declares that he feels too deeply the essential veracity of the story to be troubled with minute questions about its details4 ,i would not1 he says1 force them upon any one's belief merely by uttering the coarse sentence1 that they are in the ,bible and therefore must be received4 ,one is afraid of leading people to fancy that they do believe what they do not believe1 and so of propagating hypocrisy under the name of faith4 ,to some the narrative may present no serious difficulty4 ,they accept it literally at every point4 ,others again are not so easily satisfied that the occasion called for miracles like those which appear on the face of the history4 ,it seems to them of no great moment whether ,balaam went or did not go to ,moab1 whether he cursed ,israel or blessed it4 ,neither the curse nor the blessing of a man of ,balaam's sort could make the least difference to ,israel4 ,these readers accordingly would find a parabolical or pictorial explanation of the incidents4 ,literal belief1 in any case1 need not be made a test of reverence2 the spirit is surely more than the letter4 ,the point of greatest importance is to believe that ,god dealt with this man1 opposed his perverse will by gracious influences and unexpected protests4 ,to ,balaam1 no doubt1 the angel's appearance and the ass's rebuke were real1 as real and impressive as any experiences he ever had4 ,he was humbled2 he acknowledged his sin and offered to return4 ,when he reached the land of ,moab1 the recollection of what befell him by the way had a salutary influence on all he said and did4 ,in many unforeseen1 singular1 and often homely ways1 men are checked in the endeavour to carry out the schemes which ambition and avarice prompt4 ,the angel of the ,lord who opposes one bent on a bad enterprise often appears in familiar guise4 ,to some men their wives stand in the way1 some are challenged by their children4 ,what in voluntary blindness they have declined to see--the madness of the wrong course1 the intrinsic baseness of the thing undertaken--those who look with pure eyes perceive clearly and are brave enough to condemn4 ,at other times obstacles are placed in the way by the simple ordinary duties which claim attention1 occupy thought and time1 and tend to bring back the mind to humility and saneness4 ,yet covetousness can make men very blind4 ,under the influence of it they suppose themselves to be acting cleverly1 while all the time those whom they think they are outwitting see them posting on the way to bankruptcy and shame4 ,even a good man may lose his spiritual discrimination occasionally when he fancies himself called to curse not ,israel but ,moab1 and sets out in heat upon the errand4 ,he fails to see that the case of ,balaam is so far parallel to his own that he ought to expect an angel to oppose him4 ,the critical ,balaam who feels it his high duty to pronounce maledictions on some theological opponent1 not for silver and gold1 but for the cause of ,god1 is resisted by many an angel bearing the sharp sword of the ,word1 set to declare the great tolerance of ,christ1 and to vindicate the liberty that is in ,him4 ,that men fail to see these angels1 or else ride past them1 is abundantly evident1 for the altars smoke on many a height1 and scrolls of futile condemnation are flung upon the breeze4 ,balaam smites the ass even when she falls down under him in her abject terror4 ,he endeavours to force her on till at last he is put to shame by her rebuke4 ,we are pointed to the irrational way in which those act whose moral judgment is blinded4 ,their course being wrong1 they do not turn against themselves1 but rise in passion against every person or thing that hinders4 ,the husband who is resolved to take a wrong path thrusts away his faithful wife2 the son bent on what will be his ruin pushes off his weeping mother when she pleads before him4 ,often an apparently inexplicable fit of temper in public or in private means that a man is in the wrong and is aware of a mistake1 from the consequences of which he would fain escape4 ,one's heart bleeds for none more than for those victims of selfish anger who suffer under the abuse of the ,balaams of society4 ,they have seen the angel in the way4 ,they have sought by a gesture or a warning word to arrest the friend who would go on to evil4 ,then the cruel strokes fall on them1 curses1 foul abuse1 taunts often directed against their religion4 ,they are charged with setting themselves up as holier and better than other people4 ,they are denounced as meddlers and fools4 ,they protest without effect often1 and suffer apparently to no purpose4 ,yet shall we suppose their endeavours altogether lost8 ,good is surely stronger than evil4 ,every right act and word is germinal4 ,after long years it bears fruit4 ,in ,balaam's case there was a happier issue than is often seen4 ,the protest against his cruelty opened his eyes to the truth that a messenger of ,god stood in his way4 ,the rebuke came home to him4 ,so might a hard1 self-willed man who rode rough-shod over the feelings and rights of others be brought suddenly to a sense of his cruelty by the look on the face of a dog4 ,bad as men and women may be1 violent and abusive as they may become in times of anger and impatience1 there are ways of softening their hearts4 ,they go on for years attempting to justify themselves in a rough and selfish course4 ,but who shall say that even the seeming worst are beyond recovery8 ,when there appears to be no redeeming feature left in the character1 the crisis may be at hand1 the transgressor may be so taught by the piteous look of a dumb animal that his infatuation will come to an end4 ,recoiling from himself he will acknowledge his perversity and turn to better thoughts4 ,how far did ,balaam's repentance go8 ,there can be little doubt the motive of it was the sudden discovery that the ,god of ,israel was mightier and more observant than he had imagined2 in short1 that ,jehovah was his master4 ,balaam yields1 changes his mind1 not because he is in the least degree more disposed to do what is right1 but because he finds the antagonism of ,god falling suddenly upon his life4 ,to the angel he says3 ,i have sinned3 for ,i knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me3 now therefore1 if it displease thee1 ,i will get me back again4 ,this is an acknowledgment of authority1 but not of an obligation into which any sense of ,god's goodness enters4 ,it is the sullen acquiescence of a foiled adventurer1 who at the very outset is made to understand the terms and narrow limits of his power4 ,he has his knowledge1 his vision4 ,when he set out he intended to use them1 if possible1 under such conditions as would secure his own liberty4 ,he is now made to understand that he is not free4 ,the angel with the drawn sword will be in ,moab before him1 ready to cut him down if he should do or say anything opposed to the mind of the ,god of ,israel4 ,he is cowed1 not converted4 ,and so it often is with men who find their schemes counteracted1 and are made to feel their weakness in presence of the forces of human government1 or of the natural world4 ,their confession of sin is really a sullen acknowledgment of impotence4 ,sift their feelings and you discover no sense of guilt4 ,they miscalculated1 and they regret having done so1 because it is to their shame4 ,they will go back to make other plans1 to lay the foundations deeper with greater subtlety1 and by-and-by1 if they can1 to carry out their ideas and gratify their covetousness and ambition in other ways4 ,sometimes indeed it may become clear to a man that his efforts to advance himself1 such as he is1 cannot prosper because ,omnipotence is against him4 ,then acknowledgment of defeat is confession of despair4 ,of this we see an example in the first ,napoleon after his final capture when he was on the voyage to ,st4 ,helena4 ,he had forced his way over obstacles enough1 leaving blood and ruin behind him4 ,but at length the stronger power came down to meet him1 and he knew that the game was lost4 ,beneath the seeming acquiescence there lurked rebellion4 ,he often spoke as a believer in ,god2 but the ,god he knew was one he could have wished to foil4 ,in the island to which he was confined he schemed desperately to regain his freedom that he might renew the vain conflict with ,providence for his own glory and the glory of ,france4 ,i have sinned3 ,i will get me back again4 ,yes4 ,but will it be to lay other and more cunning plots for self-aggrandisement1 and recover the lost ground by some daring stroke8 ,then it will be also to meet other angels1 and at the last the minister who bears the sword of doom4 ,balaam will return1 confessing himself defeated for the time4 ,but he learns that he may not4 ,he has come so far with designs of his own2 he must now go on to ,moab to serve the purposes of ,god4 ,the permission he wrested1 so to speak1 from ,providence1 was not wrested after all4 ,there are deeper schemes than ,balaam can form1 the great far-reaching plans of the ,god of ,israel1 and by these1 however unwillingly1 the soothsayer of ,pethor is now bound4 ,this journey has been of his own perverse choosing2 now he must finish it1 feeling himself at every point a servant1 an instrument2 and if danger and even death await him1 still he must proceed4 ,easy it is to begin in the craftiness of human purpose and the foolishness of earthly hope2 but the end is not under the control of him who begins4 ,there is ,one who orders all things so that the gifts of men and their perversity and their wrath shall all praise ,him1 shall all be woven into the web of ,his evolving purpose1 universal1 holy1 sure4 ,it is a startling thought that in a sense whatever we begin in pride or self-will1 playing1 as it were1 the first act of the drama on some stage we ourselves select1 the movement cannot be arrested when we choose4 ,in one way or another1 act after act must proceed to the very end which ,god foreordains4 ,many human purposes appear to be sharply and completely broken off4 ,in the midst of his days man hears the call he cannot disobey4 ,his tools1 his hopes1 his declared intentions must be laid aside4 ,but the end is not yet4 ,the curtain has fallen here4 ,it will be raised again4 ,and in many unfoldings of ,divine purpose we witness scene after scene1 in scene after scene have to play our part4 ,one who has begun ill may sincerely repent1 and then the development takes a direction which will be to the glory of ,divine grace4 ,that act of repentance over1 another comes1 in which the humble thought of the penitent reveals itself4 ,he is seen a new man1 timorous where he was bold1 bold where he was timorous4 ,beyond there are other scenes1 in which he shall be found endeavouring to repair the evil he has done1 to gather the poisoned arrows he has strewed about the world4 ,and the consummation shall be reached when the task at which he has vainly laboured is completed for him by ,christ1 and his recovery and the restitution he toiled for shall be complete4 ,but if there is no penitence1 still the drama must go on to its finish4 ,the man resenting1 yet unable to resist1 shall do what ,god requires1 what ,god permits4 ,he shall attempt to curse1 yet be constrained to bless4 ,he shall in bitterness of anger frame new devices and carry them out4 ,then1 when the cup of his iniquity is full1 and all is done ,providence allows1 retribution shall overtake him4 ,in the thick of battle the sword of the angel shall smite him to the ground4 ,for each man1 under ,god's rule1 in the midst of the forces ,he upholds1 there is a destiny1 some stages of which we can trace4 ,entering on life we of necessity become subject to great laws which our revolt cannot in the least affect4 ,and these are moral laws4 ,the seeming success of the immoral who are intellectually or brutally strong is within the narrow limits of time and space4 ,in the breadths of eternity and infinity there is no strength for any but the good4 ,there is a purpose of ,god which ,balaam is unwilling to subserve2 and of that the man becomes gradually aware4 ,when he is met by ,balak and his train and upbraided with his reluctance to come where honours and rewards are to be had1 the soothsayer realises his peril and begins at once to prepare the ,moabite king for disappointment4 ,lo1 ,i am come unto thee1 he says3 have ,i now any power at all to speak anything8 ,the word that ,god putteth in my mouth1 that shall ,i speak4 ,what we see now is a contest between the influence of ,balak1 with his power to reward and also to punish1 and the consciousness of a constraint which had entered deeply into ,balaam's mind4 ,the sense of ,jehovah's authority over him on this occasion was indeed supported by another strong motive which the diviner never allowed to fall into the background4 ,he had his reputation to maintain4 ,at whatever hazard1 he must show himself to ,moabites1 ,midianites1 ,aramans1 a man who knew the knowledge of the ,most ,high4 ,the ignorance of ,balak is seen in his absurd hope that for the sake of some bribe of his the prophet of ,pethor will be induced to fling away his fame4 ,there are things which even money cannot buy4 ,there is a limit beyond which even a false and avaricious man cannot venture for the sake of honours and rewards4 ,it is a vulgar judgment that every man has his price4 ,one who is not particularly conscientious on most occasions will sometimes touch the bounds of concession and take his stand for what is left1 all the self he has in any true sense4 ,neither will money buy nor threats compel his further acquiescence in what he deems wrong4 ,again1 as in ,balaam's case1 the limit of the power of gold or of threats may be fixed by pride4 ,there are gifts1 qualities1 distinctions possessed by some1 in virtue of which they seem to themselves to occupy a place which all might covet4 ,the veteran has his decoration1 once attached to his uniform by some honoured commander under whom he served4 ,no money could buy that4 ,he would die rather than part with it4 ,another is proud of his name4 ,to dishonour that would be treachery to his ancestors4 ,balaam has his unique power of vision1 and for a while at least he preserves it4 ,a man like ,balak1 measuring others by himself1 regards a diviner as one of a lower order who may be moved by menaces and promises4 ,he finds that ,balaam has pride enough to lift him above them4 ,thus vanity counteracts vanity2 the comparatively base keeps the base in check4 ,,xx ,,balaam',s ,,parables ,,numbers xxii4 #ci-xxiv4 #i ,the scene is now on some mountain of ,moab from which the encampment of the ,hebrew tribes in the plain of the ,jordan is fully visible4 ,at ,kiriath-huzoth1 possibly the modern ,shihan1 about ten miles east of the ,dead ,sea1 and to the south of the ,arnon valley1 preparation for the attempt against ,israel's destiny has been made by a great sacrifice of oxen and sheep intended to secure the good-will of ,chemosh1 the ,baal or ,lord of ,moab4 ,on the range overhanging the ,dead ,sea1 somewhat to the north of the ,arnon1 perhaps1 are the ,bamoth-,baal1 or high places of ,baal1 and the bare height where ,balaam is to seek his auguries and will be met by ,god4 ,the evening of ,balaam's arrival has been spent in the sacrificial festival1 and in the morning ,balak and his princes escort the diviner to the ,bamoth-,baal that he may begin his experiment4 ,after his usual manner1 ,balaam pompously requires that great arrangements be made for the trial of auguries by means of which his oracle is to be found4 ,balak has offered sacrifices to ,chemosh2 now ,jehovah must be propitiated1 and seven altars have to be built1 and on each of them a bullock and a ram offered by fire4 ,the altars erected1 the carcases of the animals prepared1 ,balaam does not remain beside them to take actual part in the sacrifice4 ,it is1 in fact1 to be ,balak's1 not his2 and if the ,god of ,israel should refuse ,his sanction to the curse1 that will be because the offering of the king of ,moab has not secured ,his favour4 ,accordingly1 while the seven wreaths of smoke ascend from the altars1 and the invocations of the ,divine power which usually accompany sacrifice are chanted by the king and his princes1 the soothsayer withdraws to a peak at some distance that he may read the omens4 ,peradventure1 he says1 ,jehovah will come to meet me4 ,it was now a critical hour for the ambitious prophet4 ,he had indeed already found distinction1 for who in ,moab or ,midian could have commanded with so royal an air and received attention so obsequious8 ,but the reward remained to be won4 ,yet may we not assume that when ,balaam reached ,moab and saw the pitiable state of what had been once a strong kingdom1 the cities half ruined1 filled with poor and dejected inhabitants1 he conceived a kind of contempt for ,balak and perceived that his offers must be set aside as worthless8 ,god met ,balaam1 we are told4 ,and this may have been the sense in which ,god met him and put a word into his mouth4 ,what was ,moab compared with ,israel8 ,a glance at ,kiriath-huzoth1 a little experience of ,balak's empty boastfulness and the entreaties and anxiety which betrayed his weakness1 would show ,balaam the vanity of proposing to reinvigorate ,moab at the expense of ,israel4 ,his way led clearly enough where the finger of the ,god of ,israel pointed1 and his mind almost anticipated what the ,voice he heard as ,jehovah's declared4 ,he saw the smoke streaming south-eastward1 and casting a black shadow between him and ,moab2 but the sun shone on the tents of ,israel1 right away to the utmost part of the camp 7xxii4 #da74 ,the mind of ,balaam was made up4 ,it would be better for him in a worldly sense to win some credit with ,israel than to have the greatest honour ,moab could offer4 ,chemosh was in decline1 ,jehovah in the ascendant4 ,perhaps the ,hebrews might need a diviner when their great ,moses was dead1 and he1 ,balaam1 might succeed to that exalted office4 ,we never can tell what dreams will enter the mind of the ambitious man1 or rather1 we do not know on what slender foundations he builds the most extravagant hopes4 ,there was nothing more unlikely1 the thing indeed was absolutely impossible1 yet ,balaam may have imagined that his oracle would come to the ears of the ,israelites1 and that they would send for him to give favourable auguries before they crossed the ,jordan4 ,rapidly the diviner had to form his decision4 ,that done1 the words of the oracle could be trusted to the inspiration of the moment1 inspiration from ,jehovah1 whose superiority to all the gods of ,syria ,balaam now heartily acknowledged4 ,he accordingly left his place of vision and returned to the ,bamoth where the altars still smoked4 ,then he took up his parable and spoke4 ,from ,aram ,balak brought me1 ,moab's king from the mountains of the east2 ',come1 curse for me ,jacob1 ,and come1 menace ,israel4' ,how can ,i curse whom ,god hath not cursed8 ,and how can ,i menace whom ,god hath not menaced8 ,for from the head of the rocks ,i see him1 ,and from the hills ,i behold him4 ,lo1 a people apart he dwells1 ,and among the nations he is not counted4 ,who can reckon the dust of ,jacob1 ,and in number the fourth of ,israel8 ,let my soul die the death of the righteous2 ,and be my last end like his6 ,in this parable1 or mashal1 along with some elements of egotism and self-defence1 there are others that have the ring of inspiration4 ,the opening is a vaunt1 and the expression1 ,how can ,i curse whom ,god hath not cursed8 is a form of self-vindication which savours of vanity4 ,we see more of the cowed and half-resentful man than of the prophet4 ,yet the vision of a people dwelling apart1 not to be reckoned among the others1 is a real revelation1 boldly flung out4 ,something of the difference already established between ,israel and the goim1 or peoples of the ,syrian district1 had been caught by the seer in his survey of past events1 and now came to clear expression4 ,for a moment1 at least1 his soul rose almost into spiritual desire in the cry that his last end should be of the kind an ,israelite might have2 one who with calm confidence laid himself down in the arms of the great ,god1 the ,lord of providence1 of death as well as life4 ,a man has learned one lesson of great value for the conduct of life when he sees that he cannot curse whom ,god has not cursed1 that he would be foolish to menace whom ,god has not menaced4 ,reaching this point of sight1 ,balaam stands superior for the time to the vulgar ideas of men like the king of ,moab1 who have no conception of a strong and dominant will to which human desires are all subjected4 ,however reluctantly this confession is made1 it prevents many futile endeavours and much empty vapouring4 ,there are some indeed whose belief that fate must be on their side is simply immovable4 ,those whom they choose to reckon enemies are established in the protection of heaven2 but they think it possible to wrest their revenge even from the ,divine hand4 ,not till the blow they strike recoils with crushing force on themselves do they know the fatuity of their hope4 ,in his ,instans ,tyrannus ,mr4 ,browning pictures one whose persecution of an obscure foe ends in defeat4 ,i soberly laid my last plan ,to extinguish the man4 ,round his creep-hole1 with never a break1 ,ran my fires for his sake2 ,overhead1 did my thunder combine ,with my underground mine3 ,till ,i looked from my labour1 content ,to enjoy the event4 ,when sudden 444 how think ye1 the end8 ,did ,i say1 ',without friend'8 ,say rather from marge to blue marge ,the whole sky grew his targe1 ,with the sun's self for visible boss1 ,while an ,arm ran across1 ,which the earth heaved beneath1 like a breast ,where the wretch was safe prest6 ,do you see8 ,just my vengeance complete1 ,the man sprang to his feet1 ,stood erect1 caught at ,god's skirts and prayed6 --,so1 ,i was afraid6 ,in smaller matters1 the attempts at impudent detraction which are common1 when the base1 girding at the good1 think it possible to bring them to contempt1 or at least stir them to unseemly anger1 or prick them to humiliating self-defence1 the law is often well enough understood1 yet neither the assailants nor those attacked may be wise enough to recognise it4 ,a man who stands upon his faithfulness to ,god does not need to be vexed by the menaces of the base2 he should despise them4 ,yet he often allows himself to be harassed1 and so yields all the victory hoped for by his detractor4 ,calm indifference1 if one has a right to use it1 is the true shield against the arrows of envy and malice4 ,balaam's vision of ,israel as a separated people1 a people dwelling alone1 had singular penetration4 ,the others he knew--,amorites1 ,moabites1 ,ammonites1 ,midianites1 ,hittites1 ,aramans--went together1 scarcely distinguishable in many respects1 with their national ,baals all of the same kind4 ,was ,ammon or ,chemosh1 ,melcarth or ,sutekh1 the name of the ,baal8 ,the rites might differ somewhat1 there might be more or less ferocity ascribed to the deities2 but on the whole their likeness was too close for any real distinction4 ,and the peoples1 differing in race1 in culture1 in habit1 no doubt1 were yet alike in this1 that their morality and their mental outlook passed no boundary1 were for the most part of the beaten1 crooked road4 ,strifes and petty ambitions here and there1 temporary combinations for ignoble ends1 the rise of one above another for a time under some chief who held his ground by force of arms1 then fell and disappeared--such were the common events of their histories4 ,but ,israel came into ,balaam's sight as a people of an entirely different kind1 generically distinct4 ,their ,god was no ,baal ferocious by report1 really impotent1 a mere reflection of human passion and lust4 ,jehovah's law was a creation1 like nothing in human history ascribed to a ,god4 ,his worship meant solemn obligation1 imposed1 acknowledged1 not simply to honour ,him1 but to be pure and true and honest in honouring ,him4 ,israel had no part in the orgies that were held in professed worship of the ,baals1 really to the disgrace of their devotees4 ,the lines of the national development had been laid down1 and ,balaam saw to some extent how widely they diverged from those along which other peoples sought power and glory4 ,amorites and ,hittites and ,canaanites might keep their place1 but ,israel had the secret of a progress of which they never dreamed4 ,wherever the tribes settled1 when they advanced to fulfil their destiny1 they would prove a new force in the world4 ,for the time ,israel might be called the one spiritual people4 ,it was this ,balaam partly saw1 and made the basis of his striking predictions4 ,the modern nations are not to be distinguished by the same testing idea4 ,the thoughts and hopes of ,christianity have entered more or less into all that are civilised1 and have touched others that can scarcely be called so4 ,yet if there is any oracle for the peoples of our century it is one that turns on the very point which ,balaam seems to have had in view4 ,but it is1 that not one of them1 as a nation1 is distinctly moved and separated from others by spirituality of aim4 ,of not one can it be said that it is confessedly1 eagerly1 on the way to a ,canaan where the ,living and ,true ,god shall be worshipped1 that its popular movements1 its legislation1 its main endeavours look to such a heavenly result4 ,if we saw a people dwelling apart1 with a high spiritual aim1 resolutely excluding those ideas of materialism which dominate the rest1 of them it would not be presumptuous to prophesy in the high terms to which the oracles of ,balaam gradually rose4 ,regarding the wish with which the diviner closed his first mashal1 hard things have been said1 as for example1 that even in his sublimest visions his egotism breaks out2 in the sight of ,god's ,israel he cries1 ',let me die the death of the righteous4' ,here1 however1 there may be personal sorrow and regret1 a pathetic confession of human fear by one who has been brought to serious thought1 rather than any mere egoistic craving4 ,why should he speak of death8 ,that is not the theme of the egotist4 ,we hear a sudden ejaculation that seems to open a glimpse of his heart4 ,for this man1 like every son of ,adam1 has his burden1 his secret trouble1 from which all the hopes and plans of his ambition cannot relieve his mind4 ,now for the first time he speaks in a genuinely religious strain4 ,there are the righteous whom the ,great ,jehovah regards with favour1 and gathers to ,himself4 ,when their end comes they rest4 ,alas6 ,i1 ,balaam1 am not one of them2 and the shadows of my end are not far away6 ,would that by some mighty effort ,i could throw aside my life as it has been and is1 revoke my destiny1 and enter the ranks of ,jehovah's people--were it only to die among them4 ,wistfully1 men whose life has been on the low ground of mere earthly toil and pleasure may1 in like manner1 when the end draws near1 envy the confidence and hope of the good4 ,for the old age of the sensualist1 and even of the successful man of the world1 is under a dull wintry sky1 with no prospect of another morning1 or even of a quiet night of dreamless sleep4 ,the weariest and most loathed worldly life1 ,that age1 ache1 penury1 and imprisonment ,can lay on nature1 is a paradise ,to what we fear of death4 ,courage and peace at the last belong to those alone who have kept in the way of righteousness4 ,to them and no others light shall arise in the darkness4 ,the faithfulness of ,god is their refuge even when the last shadows fall4 ,he whom they trust goes before them in the pillar of fire when night is on the world1 as well as in the pillar of cloud by day4 ,to the man of this earth even the falling asleep of the good is enviable1 though they may not anticipate a blessed immortality4 ,their very grave is a bed of peaceful rest1 for living or dying they belong to the great ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was with growing dissatisfaction1 rising to anxiety1 ,balak heard the first oracle that fell from the diviner's lips4 ,despite the warning he had received that only the words which ,jehovah gave should be spoken1 he hoped for some kind of a curse4 ,his altars had been built1 his oxen and rams sacrificed1 and surely1 he thought1 all would not be in vain6 ,balaam had not travelled from ,pethor to mock him4 ,but the prophecy carried not a single word of heartening to the enemies of ,israel4 ,the camp lay in the full sunshine of fortune1 unobscured by the least cloud4 ,it was the first blow to ,balak's malignant jealousy1 and might well have put him to confusion4 ,but men of his sort are rich in conjectures and expedients4 ,he had set his mind on this as the means of finding advantage in a struggle that was sure to come2 and he clung to his hope4 ,although the curse would not light on the whole camp of ,israel1 yet it might fall on a part1 the remote outlying portion of the tribes4 ,in superstition men are for ever catching at straws4 ,if the anger of some heavenly power1 what power mattered little to ,balak1 could be once enlisted against the tribes1 even partially1 the influence of it might spread4 ,and it would at least be something if pestilence or lightning smote the utmost part of that threatening encampment4 ,one must be sorry for men whose impotent anger has to fall on expedients so miserably inadequate4 ,moab defeated by the ,amorites sees them in turn vanquished and scattered by this host which has suddenly appeared1 and to all ordinary reckoning has no place nor right in the region4 ,sad as was the defeat which deprived ,balak of half his land and left his people in poverty1 this incursion and its success foreboded greater trouble4 ,the king was bound to do something1 and1 feeling himself unable to fight1 this was his scheme4 ,the utter uselessness of it from every point of view gives the story a singular pathos4 ,but the world under ,divine providence cannot be left in a region where superstition reigns and progress is impossible--simply that a people like the ,moabites may settle again on their lees1 and that others may continue to enjoy what seem to them to be their rights4 ,there must be a stirring of human existence1 a new force and new ideas introduced among the peoples1 even at the expense of war and bloodshed4 ,and our sympathy with ,balak fails when we recollect that ,israel had refrained from attacking ,moab in its day of weakness1 had even refrained from asking leave to pass through its impoverished territory4 ,the feelings of the vanquished had been respected4 ,perhaps ,balak1 with the perversity of a weak man and an incompetent prince1 resented this as much as anything4 ,balaam was now brought into the field of ,zophim1 or the ,watchers1 to the top of ,pisgah1 whence he could see only a part of the camp of ,israel4 ,the ,hebrew here as well as in xxii4 #da is ambiguous4 ,it has even been interpreted as meaning that on the first occasion part of the encampment only was in view1 and on the second occasion the whole of it 7so ,keil in loco74 ,but the tenor of the narrative corresponds better with the translation given in the ,english ,version4 ,the precise spot here called the top of ,pisgah has not been identified4 ,in the opinion of some the name ,pisgah survives in the modern ,siaghah2 but even if it does we are not helped in the least4 ,others take ,pisgah as meaning simply hill1 and read the field of ,zophim on the top of the hill4 ,the latter translation would obviate the difficulty that in ,deut4 xxxiv4 #a it is said that ,moses1 when the time of his death approached1 went up from the plains of ,moab unto ,mount ,nebo1 to the top of ,pisgah that is over against ,jericho4 ,pisgah may have been the name of the range2 yet again in ,numb4 xxvii4 #ab1 and ,deut4 xxxii4 #di1 ,abarim is given as the name of the range of which ,nebo is a peak4 ,we are led to the conclusion that ,pisgah was the name in general use for a hill-top of some peculiar form4 ,the root meaning of the word is difficult to make out4 ,it may at all events be taken as certain that this top of ,pisgah is not the same as that to which ,moses ascended to die4 ,balak and his princes had not as yet ventured so far beyond the ,arnon4 ,at ,balaam's request the same arrangements were made as at ,bamoth-,baal4 ,seven altars were built1 and seven bullocks and seven rams were offered2 and again the diviner withdrew to some distance to seek omens4 ,this time his meeting with ,jehovah gave him a more emphatic message4 ,it would seem that with the passing of the day's incidents the vatic fire in his mind burned more brightly4 ,instead of endeavouring to conciliate ,balak he appears to take delight in the oracle that dashes the hopes of ,moab to the ground4 ,he has looked from the new point of vision and seen the great future that awaits ,israel4 ,it is vain to expect that the decree of the ,almighty ,one can be revoked4 ,balak must hear all that the spirit of ,elohim has given to the seer4 ,up1 ,balak1 and hear2 ,hearken to me1 son of ,zippor3 ,no man is ,god1 that ,he should lie2 ,and no son of man1 that ,he should repent1 ,hath ,he said1 and shall ,he not do it8 ,and spoken1 and shall ,he not make good8 ,behold to bless ,i have received2 ,and ,he hath blessed and ,i cannot undo4 ,he hath not beheld iniquity in ,jacob1 ,nor seen perverseness in ,israel4 ,jehovah his ,god is with him2 ,and the shout of a ,king is with him4 ,god brings them forth from ,egypt3 ,like the horns of the wild ox are his4 ,surely no snake-craft is in ,jacob1 ,and no enchantment with ,israel4 ,at the time it shall be said of ,jacob and ,israel1 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,behold the people as a lioness arises1 ,and as a lion lifts himself up2 ,he shall not lie down till he eat the prey1 ,and drink the blood of the slain4 ,the confirmation of the first oracle by what ,balaam has realised on his second approach to ,jehovah compels the question which rebukes the king's vain desire4 ,hath ,he said1 and shall ,he not do it8 ,balak did not know ,jehovah as ,balaam knew ,him4 ,this ,god never went back from ,his decision1 nor recalled ,his promises4 ,and ,he is able to do whatever ,he wills4 ,not only does ,he refuse to curse ,israel1 but ,he has given a blessing which ,balaam even1 powerful as he is1 cannot possibly hinder4 ,it has become manifest that the judgment of ,god on ,his people's conduct is in no respect adverse4 ,reviewing their past1 the diviner may have found such failure from the covenant as would give cause for a decision against them1 partial at least1 if not general4 ,but there is no excuse for supposing that ,jehovah has turned against the tribes4 ,their recent successes and present position are proofs of ,his favour unrevoked1 and1 it would seem1 irrevocable4 ,there is a ,king with this people1 and when they advance it is with a shout in ,his honour4 ,the ,king is ,jehovah their ,god2 mightier far than ,balak or any ruler of the nations4 ,when the loud ,hallelujah rose from the multitude at some sacred feast1 it was indeed the shout of a monarch4 ,singular is it to find a diviner like ,balaam noting as one of the great distinctions of ,israel that the nation used neither augury nor divination4 ,the hollowness of his own arts in presence of the ,god of ,israel who could not be moved by them1 who gave ,his people hope without them1 would seem to have impressed ,balaam profoundly4 ,he speaks almost as if in contempt of the devices he himself employs4 ,indeed1 he sees that his art is not art at all1 as regards ,israel4 ,the ,hebrews trust no omens2 and either for or against them omens give no sign4 ,it was another mark of the separateness of ,israel4 ,jehovah had fenced ,his people from the spells of the magician4 ,true to ,him1 they could defy all the sorcery of the ,east4 ,and when the time for further endeavour came1 the nations around should have to hear of the ,god who had brought the ,hebrew tribes out of ,egypt4 ,with a lion-like vigour they would rise from their lair by the ,jordan4 ,the ,canaanites and ,amorites beyond should be their prey4 ,already perhaps tidings had come of the defeat of ,bashan3 the cities on the other side ,jordan should fall in their turn4 ,as yet there is nothing in the predictions of ,balaam that can be said to point distinctly to any future event in ,israel's history4 ,the oracles are of that general kind which might be expected from a man of the world who has given attention to the signs of the times and perceived the value to a people of strong and original faith4 ,but taking them in this sense they may well rebuke that modern disbelief which denies the inspiring power of religion and the striking facts which come to light not only in the history of nations like ,israel but in the lives of men whose vigour springs from religious zeal4 ,balaam saw what any whose eyes are open will also see1 that when the shout of the ,heavenly ,king is among a people1 when they serve a ,divine ,master1 holy1 just1 and true1 they have a standing ground and an outlook not otherwise to be reached4 ,the critics of religion who take it to be a mere heat of the blood1 a transient emotion1 forget that the grasp of great and generous principles1 and the thought of an ,eternal ,will to be served1 give a sense of right and freedom which expediency and self-pleasing cannot supply4 ,however man comes to be what he is1 this is certain1 that for him strength depends not so much on bodily physique as on the soul1 and for the soul on religious inspiration4 ,the enthusiasm of pleasure-seeking has never yet made a band of men indomitable1 nor need it be expected to give greatness2 we cannot persuade ourselves that apart from ,god our blessedness is a matter of surpassing importance4 ,we are a multitude whose individual lives are very small1 very short1 very insignificant1 unless they are known to serve some ,divine end4 ,it has been seen by one philosopher that if the religious sanction be taken away from morality some other must be provided to fill up the vacuum4 ,further1 it may be said that if the religious support and stimulus of human energy be withdrawn there will be a greater vacuum more difficult to fill4 ,the would-be benefactors of our race1 who think that the superstition of a personal ,god is effete and should be swept away as soon as possible1 so that man may return to nature1 might do well to return to ,balaam4 ,he had a penetration which they do not possess4 ,and singularly1 the very apostle of that impersonal stream of tendency making for righteousness1 which was once to be put in the place of ,god1 did on one occasion unwittingly remind us of this prophet4 ,mr4 ,matthew ,arnold had a difficult thing to do when he tried to encourage a toiling population to go on toiling without hope1 to plod on in the underground while a select few above enjoyed the sunlight4 ,the part was that of a diviner finding auguries for the inevitable4 ,but he spoke as one who had to pity a poor blind ,israel1 no longer inspired by the shout of a king or the hope of a promised land1 an ,israel that had lost its faith and its way and seemed about to perish in the desert4 ,well did he know how difficult it is for men under this dread to endure patiently when those above have abolished ,god and the future life2 men1 who are disposed to say1 yet must be told that they say vainly1 ,if there is nothing but this life1 we must have it4 ,let us help ourselves1 whenever we can1 to all we desire4 ,was that ,israel to be blessed or cursed8 ,there was no oracle4 ,yet the cultured ,balak1 hoping for a spell at least against the revolutionaries1 had a rebuke4 ,the prophet did not curse2 he had no power to bless4 ,but ,moab was shown to be in peril1 was warned to be generous4 ,balaams enough there are1 after a sort1 with more or less penetration and sincerity4 ,but what the peoples need is a ,moses to revive their faith4 ,the hollow maledictions and blessings that are now launched incessantly from valley to hill1 from hill to valley1 would be silenced if we found the leader who can re-awaken faith4 ,it would be superfluous1 then1 for the race in its fresh hope to bless itself1 and vain for the pessimists to curse it4 ,with the ensign of ,divine love leading the way1 and the new heavens and earth in view1 all men would be assured and hopeful1 patient in suffering1 fearless in death4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the second oracle produced in the mind of ,balak an effect of bewilderment1 not of complete discomfiture4 ,he appears to be caught so far in the afflatus that he must hear all the prophet has to tell4 ,he desires ,balaam neither to curse nor bless2 neutrality would be something4 ,yet1 with all he has already heard giving clear indication what more is to be expected1 he proposes another place1 another trial of the auguries4 ,this time the whole of ,israel shall again be seen4 ,the top of ,peor that looketh down upon ,jeshimon1 or the desert1 is chosen4 ,on this occasion when the altars and sacrifices are prepared the order is not the same as before4 ,the diviner does not retire to a distance to seek for omens4 ,he makes no profession of mystery now4 ,the temperature of thought and feeling is high1 for the spot on which the company gathers is almost within range of the sentinels of ,israel4 ,the adventure is surely one of the strangest which the ,east ever witnessed4 ,in the dramatic unfolding of it the actors and spectators are alike absorbed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the third prophetic chant repeats several of the expressions contained in the second1 and adds little2 but it is more poetical in form4 ,the prophet standing on the height saw immediately below him the vast encampment of ,israel amongst the acacia groves of ,abel ,shittim--like the water-courses of the mountains1 like the hanging gardens beside his own river ,euphrates1 with their aromatic shrubs and their wide-spreading cedars4 ,beyond them on the western side of ,jordan rose the hills of ,palestine1 with glimpses through their valleys of ancient cities towering on their crested heights4 ,and beyond all1 though he could not see it with his bodily vision1 he knew well that there rolled the deep waters of the great sea1 with the ,isles of ,greece1 the ,isle of ,chittim--a world of which the first beginnings of life were just stirring1 of which the very name here first breaks upon our ears4 ,from the deep meditation which passed into a trance the diviner awoke to gaze for a little upon that scene1 to look fixedly once more on the camp of the ,hebrew tribes1 and then he began3-- ,balaam the son of ,beor saith1 ,and the man whose eye was closed saith3 ,he saith who heareth the words of ,el1 ,who seeth the vision of ,shaddai1 ,falling down and having his eyes opened4 ,thus in the consciousness of an exalted state of mind which has come with unusual symptoms1 the ecstasy that overpowers and brings visions before the inward eye1 he vaunts his inspiration4 ,there is no small resemblance to the manner in which the afflatus came to seers of ,israel in after-times2 yet the description points more distinctly to the rapture of one like ,king ,saul1 who has been swept by some temporary enthusiasm into a strain of thought1 an emotional atmosphere1 beyond ordinary experience4 ,the far-reaching encampment is first poetically described1 with images that point to perennial vitality and strength4 ,then as a settled nation ,israel is described1 irrigating broad fields and sowing them to reap an abundant harvest4 ,why comparison is made between the power of ,israel and ,agag one can only guess4 ,perhaps the reigning chief of the ,amalekites was at this time distinguished by the splendour of his court1 so that his name was a type of regal magnificence4 ,the images of the wild ox and the lion are repeated with additional emphasis2 and the strain rises to its climax in the closing apostrophe3-- ,blessed be every one that blesseth thee ,and cursed be every one that curseth thee4 ,so strongly is ,israel established in the favour of ,shaddai1 the ,almighty ,one1 that attempts to injure her will surely recoil on the head of the aggressor4 ,and on the other hand1 to help ,israel1 to bid her ,god-speed1 will be a way to blessedness4 ,jehovah will make the overflowing of ,his grace descend like rain on those who take ,israel's part and cheer her on her way4 ,in the light of what afterwards took place1 it is clear that ,balaam was in this last ejaculation carried far beyond himself4 ,he may have seen for a moment1 in the flash of a heavenly light1 the high distinction to which ,israel was advancing4 ,he certainly felt that to curse her would be perilous1 to bless her meritorious4 ,but the thought1 like others of a more spiritual nature1 did not enter deeply into his mind4 ,balaam could utter it with a kind of strenuous cordiality1 and then do his utmost to falsify his own prediction4 ,what matter fine emotions and noble protestations if they are only momentary and superficial8 ,balak's open jealousy and hatred of ,israel were1 after all1 more complimentary to her than the high-sounding praises of ,balaam1 who spoke as enjoying the elation of the prophet1 not as delighting in the tenor of his message4 ,israel was nothing to him4 ,soon the prosperity to which she was destined became like gall and wormwood to his soul4 ,the encampment roused his admiration at the time1 but afterwards1 when it became clear that the ,israelites would have none of him1 his mood changed towards them4 ,ambition ruled him to the end2 and if the ,hebrews did not offer in any way to minister to it1 a man like ,balaam would by-and-by set himself to bring down their pride4 ,weak humanity gives many examples of this4 ,the man who has been an expectant flatterer of one greater than himself1 but is denied the notice and honour he looks for1 becomes1 when his hopes have finally to be renounced1 the most savage assailant1 the most bitter detractor of his former hero4 ,and so strong often are the minds which fall in this manner1 that we look sometimes with anxiety even to the highest4 ,,xxi ,,the ,,matter ,,of ,,baal-,,peor ,,numbers xxiv4 #aj-xxv4 #ah ,the last oracle of ,balaam1 as we have it1 ventures into far more explicit predictions than the others1 and passes beyond the range of ,hebrew history4 ,its chief value for the ,israelites lay in what was taken to be a ,messianic prophecy contained in it1 and various bold denunciations of their enemies4 ,whether the language can bear the important meanings thus found in it is a matter of considerable doubt4 ,on the whole1 it appears best not to make over-much of the prescience of this mashal1 especially as we cannot be sure that we have it in the original form4 ,one fact may be given to prove this4 ,in ,jeremiah xlviii4 #de1 an oracle regarding ,moab embodies various fragments of the ,book of ,numbers1 and one clause seems to be a quotation from chap4 xxiv4 #ag4 ,in ,numbers the reading is1 and break down 1 all the sons of tumult 2 in ,jeremiah it is1 and the crown of the head of the sons of tumult 4 ,the resemblance leaves little doubt of the derivation of the one expression from the other1 and at the same time shows diversity in the text4 ,the earlier deliverances of ,balaam had disappointed the king of ,moab2 the third kindled his anger4 ,it was intolerable that one called to curse his enemies should bless them again and again4 ,balaam would do well to get him back to his own place4 ,that ,jehovah of whom he spake had kept him from honour4 ,if he delayed he might find himself in peril4 ,but the diviner did not retire4 ,the word that had come to him should be spoken4 ,he reminded ,balak of the terms on which he had begun his auguries1 and1 perhaps to embitter ,moab against ,israel1 persisted in advertising ,balak what this people should do to his people in the latter days4 ,the opening was again a vaunt of his high authority as a seer1 one who knew the knowledge of ,shaddai4 ,then1 with ambiguous forms of speech covering the indistinctness of his outlook1 he spoke of one whom he saw far away1 in imagination1 not reality1 a personage bright and powerful1 who should rise star-like out of ,jacob1 bearing the sceptre of ,israel1 who should smite through the corners of ,moab and break down the sons of tumult4 ,over ,edom and ,seir he should triumph1 and his dominion should extend to the city which had become the last refuge of a hostile people4 ,of spiritual power and right there is not a trace in this prediction4 ,it is unquestionably the military vigour of ,israel gathered up into the headship of some powerful king ,balaam sees on the horizon of his field of view4 ,but he anticipates with no uncertainty that ,moab shall be attacked and broken1 and that the victorious leader shall even penetrate to the fastnesses of ,edom and reduce them4 ,a people like ,israel1 with so great vitality1 would not be content to have jealous enemies upon its very borders1 and ,balak is urged to regard them with more hatred and fear than he has yet shown4 ,the view that this prophecy finds its preliminary fulfilment in ,david1 in whom the kingdom was established1 and by whose victories the power of ,moab and ,edom was broken1 but its final and complete fulfilment only in ,christ1 is supported by the unanimous belief of the ,jews1 and has been adopted by the ,christian ,church4 ,yet it must be allowed that the victories of ,david did not break the power of ,moab and ,edom1 for these peoples are found again and again1 after his time1 in hostile attitude to ,israel4 ,and it is not to the purpose to say that in ,christ the kingdom reaches perfection1 that ,he destroys the enemies of ,israel4 ,nor is there an argument for the ,messianic reference worth considering in the fact that the pseudo-,messiah in the reign of ,hadrian styled himself ,bar-cochba1 son of the star4 ,a pretender to ,messiahship might snatch at any title likely to secure for him popular support2 his choice of a name proves only the common belief of the ,jews1 and that was very ignorant1 very far from spiritual4 ,there is indeed more force in the notion that the star by which the wise men of the ,east were guided to ,bethlehem is somehow related to this prophecy4 ,yet that also is too imaginative4 ,the oracle of ,balaam refers to the virility and prospective dominance of ,israel1 as a nation favoured by the ,almighty and destined to be strong in battle4 ,the range of the prediction is not nearly wide enough for any true anticipation of a ,messiah gaining universal sway by virtue of redeeming love4 ,it is becoming more and more necessary to set aside those interpretations which identify the ,saviour of the world with one who smites and breaks down and destroys1 who wields a sceptre after the manner of oriental despots4 ,in ,balaam's vision small nations with which he happens to be acquainted bulk largely--the ,kenites1 ,amalek1 ,moab1 and ,edom4 ,to him the ,amalekites appear as having once been the first of the nations4 ,we may explain1 as before1 that he had been impressed on some occasion by what he had seen of their force and the royal state of their king4 ,the ,kenites1 dwelling either among the cliffs of ,engedi or the mountains of ,galilee1 were a very small tribe2 and the ,amalekites1 as well as the people of ,moab and ,edom1 were of little account in the development of human history4 ,at the same time the prophecy looks in one direction to a power destined to become very great1 when it speaks of the ships of ,chittim4 ,the course of empire is seen to be westward4 ,asshur1 or ,assyria1 and ,eber--the whole ,abrahamic race1 perhaps1 including ,israel--are threatened by this rising power1 the nearest point of which is ,cyprus in the ,great ,sea4 ,balaam is1 we may say1 a political prophet3 to class him among those who testified of ,christ is to exalt far too much his inspiration and read more into his oracles than they naturally contain4 ,there is no deep problem in the narrative regarding him--as1 for instance1 how a man false at heart could in any sense enter into those gracious purposes of ,god for the human race which were fulfilled by ,christ4 99 99 99 99 99 ,balaam1 we are told1 rose up and returned to his own place2 and from this it would seem that with bitterness in his heart he betook himself to ,pethor4 ,if he did so1 vainly hoping still that ,israel would appeal to him1 he soon returned to give ,balak and the ,midianites advice of the most nefarious kind4 ,we learn from xxxi4 #af1 that through his counsel the ,midianite women caused the children of ,israel to commit trespass against ,jehovah in the matter of ,peor4 ,the statement is a link between chaps4 xxiv4 and xxv4 ,vainly had ,balaam as a diviner matched himself against the ,god of ,israel4 ,resenting his defeat1 he sought and found another way which the customs of his own people in their obscure idolatrous rites too readily suggested4 ,the moral law of ,jehovah and the comparative purity of the ,israelites as ,his people kept them separate from the other nations1 gave them dignity and vigour4 ,to break down this defence would make them like the rest1 would withdraw them from the favour of their ,god and even defeat ,his purposes4 ,the scheme was one which only the vilest craft could have conceived2 and it shows us too plainly the real character of ,balaam4 ,he must have known the power of the allurements which he now advised as the means of attack on those he could not touch with his maledictions nor gain by his soothsaying4 ,in the shadow of this scheme of his we see the diviner and all his tribe1 and indeed the whole morality of the region1 at their very worst4 ,the tribes were still in the plain of ,jordan2 and we may suppose that the victorious troops had returned from the campaign against ,bashan1 when a band of ,midianites1 professing the utmost friendliness1 gradually introduced themselves into the camp4 ,then began the temptation to which the ,midianitish women1 some of them of high rank1 willingly devoted themselves4 ,it was to impurity and idolatry1 to degradation of manhood in body and soul1 to abjuration at once of faith and of all that makes individual and social life4 ,the orgies with which the ,midianites were familiar belonged to the dark side of a nature-cultus which carried the distinction between male and female into religious symbolism1 and made abject prostration of life before the ,divinity a crowning act of worship4 ,surviving still1 the same practices are in ,india and elsewhere the most dreadful and inveterate barriers which the ,gospel and ,christian civilisation encounter4 ,the ,israelites were assailed unexpectedly1 it would appear1 and in a time of comparative inaction4 ,possibly1 also1 the camp was composed to some extent of men whose families were still in ,kadesh waiting the conquest of the land of ,canaan to cross the border4 ,but the fact need not be concealed that the polygamy which prevailed among the ,hebrews was an element in their danger4 ,that had not been forbidden by the law2 it was even countenanced by the example of ,moses4 ,the custom1 indeed1 was one which at the stage of development ,israel had reached implied some progress2 for there are conditions even worse than polygamy against which it was a protest and safeguard4 ,but like every other custom falling short of the ideal of the family1 it was one of great peril2 and now disaster came4 ,the ,midianites brought their sacrifices and slew them2 the festival of ,baal-peor was proclaimed4 ,the people did eat and bowed down to their gods4 ,it was a transgression which demanded swift and terrible judgment4 ,the chief men of the tribes who had joined in the abominable rites were taken and hanged up before the ,lord against the sun2 the judges of ,israel were commanded to slay every one his men that were joined unto ,baal-peor4 ,the narrative of the ,priests' ,code1 beginning at ver4 #f1 and going on to the close of the chapter1 adds details of the sin and its punishment4 ,assuming that the row of stakes with their ghastly burden is in full view1 and the dead bodies of those slain by the executioners are lying about the camp1 this narrative shows the people gathered at the tent of meeting1 many of them in tears4 ,there is a plague1 too1 which is rapidly spreading and carrying off the transgressors4 ,in the midst of the sorrow and wailing1 when the chief men should have been bowed down in repentance1 one of the princes of ,simeon is seen leading by the hand his ,midianitish paramour1 herself a chief's daughter4 ,in the very sight of ,moses and the people the guilty persons enter a tent4 ,then ,phinehas1 son of ,eleazar the priest1 following them1 inflicts with a javelin the punishment of death4 ,it is a daring but a true deed2 and for it ,phinehas and his seed after him are promised the covenant of peace1 even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood4 ,his swift stroke has vindicated the honour of ,god1 and made an atonement for the children of ,israel4 ,an act like this1 when the elemental laws of morality are imperilled and a whole people needs a swift and impressive lesson1 is a tribute to ,god which ,he will reward and remember4 ,true1 one of the priestly house should keep aloof from death4 ,but the emergency demands immediate action1 and he who is bold enough to strike at once is the true friend of men and of ,god4 ,the question may be put1 whether this is not justice of too rude and ready a kind to be praised in the name of religion4 ,to some it may seem that the honour of ,god could not be served by the deed attributed to ,phinehas2 that he acted in passion rather than in the calm deliberation without which justice cannot be dealt out by man to man4 ,would not this excuse the passionate action of a crowd1 impatient of the forms of law1 that hurries an offender to the nearest tree or lamp-post8 ,and the answer cannot be that ,israel was so peculiarly under covenant to ,god that its necessity would exonerate a deed otherwise illegal4 ,we must face the whole problem alike of personal and of united action for the vindication of righteousness in times of widespread license4 ,it is not necessary now to slay an offender in order clearly and emphatically to condemn his crime4 ,in that respect modern circumstances differ from those we are discussing4 ,upon ,israel1 as it was at the time of this tragedy1 no impression could have been made deep and swift enough for the occasion otherwise than by the act of ,phinehas4 ,but for an offender of the same rank now1 there is a punishment as stern as death1 and on the popular mind it produces a far greater effect--publicity1 and the reprobation of all who love their fellowmen and ,god4 ,the act of ,phinehas was not assassination2 a similar act now would be1 and it would have to be dealt with as a crime4 ,the stroke now is inflicted by public accusation1 which results in public trial and public condemnation4 ,from the time to which the narrative refers1 on to our own day1 social conditions have been passing through many phases4 ,occasionally there have been circumstances in which the swift judgment of righteous indignation was justifiable1 though it did seem like assassination4 ,and in no case has such action been more excusable than when the purity of family life has been invaded1 while the law of the land would not interfere4 ,we do not greatly wonder that in ,france the avenging of infidelity is condoned when the sufferer snatches a justice otherwise unattainable4 ,that is not indeed to be praised1 but the imperfection of law is a partial apology4 ,the higher the standard of public morality the less needful is this venture on the ,divine right to kill4 ,and certainly it is not private revenge that is ever to be sought1 but the vindication of the elemental righteousness on which the well-being of humanity depends4 ,phinehas had no private revenge to seek4 ,it was the public good4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is confidently affirmed by ,wellhausen that the ,priestly ,code makes the cultus the principal thing1 and this1 he says1 implies retrogression from the earlier idea4 ,the passage we are considering1 like many others ascribed to the ,priests' ,code1 makes something else than the cultus the principal thing4 ,we are told that in the teaching of this code the bond between cultus and sensuality is severed2 no danger can arise of an admixture of impure1 immoral elements1 a danger which was always present in ,hebrew antiquity4 ,but here the danger is admitted1 the cultus is entirely out of sight1 and the sin of sensuality is conspicuous4 ,when ,phinehas intervenes1 moreover1 it is not in harmony with any statute or principle laid down in the ,priests' ,code--rather1 indeed1 against its general spirit1 which would prohibit an ,aaronite from a deed of blood4 ,according to the whole tenor of the law the priesthood had its duties1 carefully prescribed1 by doing which faithfulness was to be shown4 ,here an act of spontaneous zeal1 done not on the positive command of a will outside1 but on the impulse arising out of a fresh occasion1#aa receives the approval of ,jehovah1 and the covenant of an everlasting priesthood is confirmed for the sake of it4 ,was ,phinehas in any sense carrying out statutory instructions for atonement on behalf of ,israel when he inflicted the punishment of death on ,zimri and his paramour8 ,to identify the ,priestly ,code with cultus legislation1 and that with theocracy1 and then declare the cultus to have become a pedagogic instrument of discipline1 estranged from the heart1 is to make large demands on our inattention4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the closing verses of the chapter another question of a moral nature is involved4 ,it is recorded that after the events we have considered ,jehovah spake unto ,moses1 saying1 ,vex the ,midianites1 and smite them2 for they vex you with their wiles1 wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of ,peor1 and in the matter of ,cozbi1 the daughter of the prince of ,midian1 their sister1 which was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of ,peor4 ,now is it for the sake of themselves and their own safety the ,israelites are to smite ,midian8 ,is retaliation commanded8 ,does ,god set enmity between the one people and the other1 and so doing make confession that ,israel has no duty of forgiveness1 no mission to convert and save8 ,there is difficulty in pronouncing judgment as to the point of view taken by the narrator4 ,some will maintain that the historian here1 whoever he was1 had no higher conception of the command than that it was one which sanctioned revenge4 ,and there is nothing on the face of the narrative which can be brought forward to disprove the charge4 ,yet it must be remembered that the history proceeds on the theocratic conception of ,israel's place and destiny4 ,to the writer ,israel is of less account in itself than as a people rescued from ,egypt and called to nationality in order to serve ,jehovah4 ,the whole tenor of the ,priests' ,code narrative as well as of the other bears this out4 ,there is no patriotic zeal in the narrow sense1--,my country right or wrong4 ,scarcely a passage can be pointed to implying such a sentiment1 such a drift of thought4 ,the underlying idea in the whole story is the sacredness of morality1 not of ,israel2 and the suppression or extinction of this tribe of ,midianites with their obscene idolatry is ,god's will1 not ,israel's4 ,too plain1 indeed1 is it that the ,israelites would have preferred to leave ,midian and other tribes of the same low moral cast unmolested1 free to pursue their own ends4 ,and ,jehovah is not revengeful1 but just4 ,the vindication of morality at the time the ,book of ,numbers deals with1 and long afterwards1 could only be through the suppression of those who were identified with dangerous forms of vice4 ,the forces at command in ,israel were not equal to the task of converting2 and what could be achieved was commanded--opposition1 enmity2 if need were1 exterminating war4 ,the better people has a certain spiritual capacity1 but not enough to make it fit for what may be called moral missionary work4 ,it would suffer more than it would gain if it entered on any kind of intercourse with ,midian with the view of raising the standard of thought and life4 ,all that can be expected meanwhile is that the ,israelites shall be at issue with a people so degraded2 they are to be against the ,midianites1 keep them from power in the world1 subject them by the sword4 ,our judgment1 then1 is that the narrative sustains a true theocracy in this sense1 exhibits ,israel as a unique phenomenon in human history1 not impossible1--there lies the clear veracity of the ,bible accounts1--but playing a part such as the times allowed1 such as the world required4 ,from a passage like that now before us1 and the sequel1 the war with ,midian1 which some have regarded as a blot on the pages of ,scripture1 an argument for its inspiration may be drawn4 ,we find here no ethical anachronisms1 no impracticable ideas of charity and pardon4 ,there is a sane and strenuous moral aim1 not out of keeping with the state of things in the world of that time1 yet showing the rule and presenting the will of a ,god who makes ,israel a protesting people4 ,the ,hebrews are men1 not angels2 men of the old world1 not ,christians--true6 ,who could have received this history if it had represented them as ,christians1 and shown us ,god giving them commands fit for the ,church of to-day8 ,they are called to a higher morality than that of ,egypt1 for theirs is to be spiritual2 higher than that of ,chaldea or of ,canaan1 for ,chaldea is shrouded in superstition1 ,canaan in obscene idolatry4 ,they can do something2 and what they can do ,jehovah commands them to do4 ,and ,he is not an imperfect ,god because ,his prophet does not give from the first a perfect ,christian law1 a redeeming gospel4 ,he is the ,i ,am4 ,let the whole course of ,old ,testament development be traced1 and the sanity and coherency of the theocratic idea as it is presented in law and prophecy1 psalm and parable1 cannot fail to convince any just and frank inquirer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the end of ,balaam's life may be glanced at before the pages close that refer to his career4 ,in xxxi4 #h1 it is stated that in the battle which went against the ,midianites ,balaam was slain4 ,we do not know whether he was so maddened by his disappointment as to take the sword against ,jehovah and ,israel1 or whether he only joined the army of ,midian in his capacity of augur4 ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson imagines the insane frenzy with which he would rush into the field1 and finding all go against him1 and that lost for which he had bartered heaven1 after having died a thousand worse than deaths1 find death at last upon the spears of the ,israelites4 ,it is of course possible to imagine that he became the victim of his own insane passion4 ,but ,balaam never had a profound nature1 was never more than within sight of the spiritual world4 ,he appears as the calculating1 ambitious man1 who would reckon his chances to the last1 and with coolness1 and what he believed to be sagacity1 decide on the next thing to attempt4 ,but his penetration failed him1 as at a certain point it fails all men of his kind4 ,he ventured too far1 and could not draw back to safety4 ,the death he died was almost too honourable for this false prophet1 unless1 indeed1 he fell fleeing like a coward from the battle4 ,one who had recognised the power of a higher faith than his countrymen professed1 and saw a nation on the way to the vigour that faith inspired1 who in personal spleen and envy set in operation a scheme of the very worst sort to ruin ,israel1 was not an enemy worth the edge of the sword4 ,let us suppose that a ,hebrew soldier found him in flight1 and with a passing stroke brought him to the ground4 ,there is no tragedy in such a death2 it is too ignominious4 ,whatever ,balaam was in his boyhood1 whatever he might have been when the cry escaped him1 ,let me die the death of the righteous1 selfish craft had brought him below the level of the manhood of the time4 ,balak with his pathetic faith in cursing and incantation now seems a prince beside the augur4 ,for ,balaam1 though he knew ,jehovah after a manner1 had no religion1 had only the envy of the religion of others4 ,he came on the stage with an air that almost deceived ,balak and has deceived many4 ,he leaves it without one to lament him4 ,or shall we rather suppose that even for him1 in ,pethor beyond the ,euphrates1 a wife or child waited and prayed to ,sutekh and1 when the tidings of his death were brought1 fell into inconsolable weeping8 ,over the worst they think and do men draw the veil to hide it from some eyes4 ,and ,balaam1 a poor1 mean tool of the basest cravings1 may have had one to believe in him1 one to love him4 ,he reminds us of ,absalom in his character and actions--,absalom1 a man void of religion and morals2 and for him the father he had dethroned and dishonoured wept bitterly in the chamber over the gate of ,mahanaim1 ,my son ,absalom6 would ,god ,i had died for thee1 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my son6 ,so may some woman in ,pethor have wailed for ,balaam fallen under the spear of a ,hebrew warrior4 ,,footnote3 #aa ,wellhausen1 ,prolegomena1 p4 #dbd4 ,,xxii ,a ,,new ,,generation ,,numbers xxvi41 xxvii ,the numbering at ,sinai before the sojourn in the ,desert of ,paran has its counterpart in the numbering now recorded4 ,in either case those reckoned are the men able to go forth to war1 from twenty years old and upward4 ,once1 an easy entrance into the land of promise may have been expected2 but that dream has long passed away4 ,now the ,israelites are made clearly to understand that the last effort will require the whole warlike energy they can summon1 the best courage of every one who can handle sword or spear4 ,there has been hitherto comparatively little fighting4 ,the ,amalekites at an early stage1 afterwards the ,amorites and the ,bashanites1 have had to be attacked4 ,now1 however1 the serious strife is to begin4 ,peoples long established in ,canaan have to be assailed and dispossessed4 ,let the number of capable men be reckoned that there may be confidence for the advance4 ,nothing is to be won without energy1 courage1 unity1 wise preparation and adjustment of means to ends4 ,true1 the battle is the ,lord's1 and ,he can give victory to the few over the many1 to the feeble over the strong4 ,but not even in the case of ,israel are the ordinary laws suspended4 ,this people has an advantage in its faith4 ,that is enough to support the army in the coming struggle2 and the ,israelites must make ,canaan theirs by force of arms4 ,for1 surely1 in a sense1 there is right on the other side1 the right of prior possession at least4 ,the ,canaanites1 ,hittites1 ,jebusites1 ,hivites have tilled the land1 planted vineyards1 built cities1 and fulfilled1 so far1 their mission in the world4 ,they1 indeed1 never feel themselves secure4 ,often one tribe falls on the territory of another1 and takes possession4 ,the right to the soil has to be continually guarded by military power and courage4 ,it is not wonderful to ,amorites that another race should attempt the conquest of their land4 ,but it would be strange1 humanly speaking impossible1 that a weaker1 less capable people should master those who are presently in occupation4 ,by the great laws that govern human development1 the dominant laws of ,god we may call them1 this could not be4 ,israel must show itself powerful1 must prove the right of might1 otherwise it shall not even yet obtain the inheritance it has long been desiring4 ,the might of some nations is purely that of animal physique and dogged determination4 ,others rise higher in virtue of their intellectual vigour1 splendid discipline1 and ingenious appliances4 ,man for man1 ,israelites should be a match for any people1 because there is trust in ,jehovah1 and hope in ,his promise4 ,now the trial of battle is to be made2 the ,hebrews are to realise that they will need all their strength4 ,do we ever imagine that the law of endeavour shall be relaxed for us1 either in the physical or in the spiritual region8 ,is it supposed that at some point1 when after struggling through the wilderness we have but a narrow stream between us and the coveted inheritance1 the object of our desire shall be bestowed in harmony with some other law1 having been procured by other efforts than our own8 ,thinking so1 we only dream4 ,what we gain by our endeavour--physical1 intellectual1 spiritual--can alone become a real possession4 ,the future discipline of humanity is misunderstood1 the forecast is altogether wrong1 when this is not comprehended4 ,in this world we have that for which we labour2 nothing more4 ,so-called properties and domains do not belong to their nominal owners1 who have merely inherited4 ,the literature of a country does not belong to those who possess books in which it is contained2 it is the domain of men and women who have toiled for every ell and inch of ground4 ,and spiritually1 while all is the gift of ,god1 all has to be won by efforts of the soul4 ,before humanity lies a ,canaan1 a ,paradise4 ,but no easy way of acquisition shall ever be found1 no other way indeed than has all along been followed4 ,the men of ,god able to go forth to war need to be numbered and brought under discipline for the conquests that remain4 ,and what is yet to be won by moral courage and devotion to the highest shall have to be kept in like manner4 ,the second numbering of the people showed that a new generation filled the ranks4 ,plagues that swept away thousands1 or the slow1 sure election of death1 had taken all who left ,egypt excepting a few4 ,it was the same ,israel1 yet another4 ,is1 then1 the nation of account1 and not the individuals who compose it8 ,perhaps the two numberings may be intended to guard us against this error2 at all events1 we may take them so4 ,man by man1 the host was reckoned at ,sinai2 man by man it is reckoned again in the plains of ,moab4 ,there were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty3 there are six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty4 ,the numberings by the command of ,jehovah could not but mean that ,his eye was upon each4 ,and when the new race looked back along the wilderness way1 each group remembering its own graves over which the sand of the desert was blown1 there might at least be the thought that ,god also remembered1 and that the mouldering dust of those who1 despite their transgression1 had been brave and loving and honest1 was in ,his keeping4 ,israel was experiencing a singular break in its history4 ,it would begin its new career in ,canaan without memorials1 except that cave at ,machpelah where1 centuries before1 ,abraham and ,sarah1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 had been buried1 and the field at ,shechem where the body of ,joseph was laid4 ,no graves but these would be the monuments of ,israel4 ,in ,jehovah1 the ,ancient of ,days1 lay the history1 with ,him the career of the tribes4 ,the past receding1 the future advancing1 and ,god the sole abiding link between them4 ,for us1 as for ,israel1 notwithstanding all our care of the monuments and gains of the past1 that is the one sustaining faith2 and it is adequate1 inspiring4 ,the swift decay of life1 the constant flux of humanity1 would be our despair if we had not ,god4 ,thou carriest them away as with a flood2 they are as a sleep3 ,in the morning they are like grass which groweth up4 ,in the morning it flourisheth and groweth up2 ,in the evening it is cut down and withereth4 ,so the ,prayer of ,moses the man of ,god1 under the saddening thought of mortality4 ,but ,god is from everlasting to everlasting1 the dwelling place of ,his people in all generations4 ,the life that begins in the ,divine will1 and enjoys its day under the ,divine care1 blends with the current1 yet is not absorbed4 ,a generation or a people lives only as the men and women that compose it live4 ,such is the final judgment1 ,christ's judgment1 by which all providence is to be interpreted4 ,an ,israelite might enter much into the national hope1 and to some extent forget himself for the sake of it4 ,but his proper life was never in that forgetfulness3 it was always in personal energy of will and soul that contributed to the nation's strength and progress4 ,the tribes1 ,reuben1 ,simeon1 ,judah1 and the rest1 are mustered4 ,but the men make the tribes1 give them quality1 value2 or rather1 of the men1 those who are brave1 faithful1 and true4 ,that each life is a fact in the ,eternal overflowing ,life1 conscious of all--in this there is comfort for us who are numbered among the millions1 with no particular claim to reminiscence1 and aware1 at any rate1 that when a few years pass the world will forget us4 ,in vain the most of us seek a niche in the ,valhalla of the race1 or the record of a single line in the history of our time4 ,whatever our suffering or achieving1 are we not doomed to oblivion8 ,the grave-yard will keep our dust1 the memorial stone will preserve our names--but for how long8 ,until in the evolutions that are to come the ploughshare of a covetous age tears up the soil we imagine to be consecrated for ever4 ,but there is a memory that does not grow old1 in which for good or evil we are enshrined4 ,we all live unto ,god4 ,the ,divine consciousness of us is our strength and hope4 ,it alone keeps the soul from despair--or1 if the life has not been in faith1 stings with a desperate reassurance4 ,does ,god remember us with the love ,he beareth to ,his own8 ,in any case each human life is held in an abiding consciousness1 a purpose which is eternal4 ,the page of ,israel's history we are reading preserves many names4 ,it is in outline a genealogy of the tribes4 ,reuben's sons are ,hanoch1 ,pallu1 ,hezron1 ,carmi4 ,the son of ,pallu is ,eliab4 ,the sons of ,eliab are ,nemuel1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram4 ,and of ,dathan and ,abiram we are reminded that they strove against ,moses and ,aaron in the company of ,korah2 and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up4 ,the judgment of evildoers is commemorated4 ,the rest have their praise in this alone1 that they held aloof from the sin4 ,turn to other tribes1 ,zebulun1 ,asher1 ,naphtali1 for instance1 and in the case of each the names of those who were heads of families are given4 ,in the ,first ,book of ,chronicles the genealogy is extended1 with various details of settlement and history4 ,in what are we to find the explanation of this attempt to preserve the lineage of families1 and the ancestral names8 ,if the progenitors were great men1 distinguished by heroism1 or by faith1 the pride of the descendants might have a show of reason4 ,or again1 if the families had kept the pure ,hebrew descent we should be able to understand4 ,but no greatness is assigned to the heads of families1 not a single mark of achievement or distinction4 ,and the ,israelites did not preserve their purity of race4 ,in ,canaan1 as we learn from the ,book of ,judges1 they dwelt among the ,canaanites1 the ,hittite1 and the ,amorite1 and the ,perizzite1 and the ,hivite1 and the ,jebusite3 and they took their daughters to be their wives1 and gave their own daughters to their sons1 and served their gods 7iii4 #e1 #f74 ,the sole reason we can find for these records is the consciousness of a duty which the ,israelites felt1 but did not always perform--to keep themselves separate as ,jehovah's people4 ,in the more energetic minds1 through all national defection and error1 that consciousness survived4 ,and it served its end4 ,the ,bene-,israel1 tracing their descent through the heads of families and tribes to ,jacob1 ,isaac1 ,abraham1 realised their distinctness from other races and entered upon a unique destiny which is not yet fulfilled4 ,it is a singular testimony to what on the human side appears as an idea1 a sentiment2 to what on the ,divine side is a purpose running through the ages4 ,because of this human sentiment and this ,divine purpose1 the former maintained apparently by the pride of race1 by genealogies1 by traditions often singularly unspiritual1 but really by the over-ruling providence of ,god1 ,israel became unique1 and filled an extraordinary place among the nations4 ,many things co-operated to make her a people regarding whom it could be said3 ,israel never stood quietly by to see the world badly governed1 under the authority of a ,god reputed to be just4 ,her sages burned with anger over the abuses of the world4 ,a bad man1 dying old1 rich1 and at ease1 kindled their fury2 and the prophets in the ninth century ,b4,c4 elevated this idea to the height of a dogma4444 ,the childhood of the elect is full of signs and prognostics1 which are only recognised afterwards4 ,a race may treasure its ancient records and venerated names to little purpose1 may preserve them with no other result than to mark its own degeneracy and failure4 ,israel did not4 ,the ,unseen ,king of this people so ordered their history that greater and still greater names were added to the rolls of their leaders1 heroes1 and prophets1 until the ,shiloh came4 ,by the computations that survive1 a diminished yet not greatly diminished number of fighting men was reckoned in the plains of ,moab4 ,some tribes had fallen away considerably1 others had increased1 ,simeon notably among the former1 ,judah and ,manasseh among the latter4 ,the causes of diminution and increase alike are purely conjectural4 ,simeon may have been involved in the sin of ,baal-peor more than the others and suffered proportionately4 ,yet we cannot suppose that1 on the whole1 character had much to do with numerical strength4 ,assuming the transgressions of which the history informs us and the punishments that followed them1 we must believe that the tribes were on much the same moral plane4 ,in the natural course of things there would have been a considerable increase in the numbers of men4 ,the hardships and judgments of the desert and the defection of some by the way are general causes of diminution4 ,we have also seen reason to believe that a proportion1 not perhaps very great1 remained at ,kadesh1 and did not take the journey round ,edom4 ,it is certainly worthy of notice with regard to ,simeon that the final allocation of territory gave to this tribe the district in which ,kadesh was situated4 ,the small increase of the tribe of ,levi is another fact shown by the second census2 and we remember that ,simeon and ,levi were brethren 7,gen4 xlix4 #e74 ,the numbering in the plains of ,moab is connected in vv4 #eb-f with the division of the land among the tribes4 ,to the more thou shalt give the more inheritance1 and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance3 to every one according to those that were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given4 ,the principle of allocation is obvious and just4 ,no doubt the comparative value of different parts of ,canaan was to be taken into account4 ,there were fertile plains on the one hand1 barren highlands on the other4 ,these reckoned for1 the greater the tribe the larger was to be the district assigned to it4 ,an elementary rule2 but how has it been set aside6 ,vast districts of ,great ,britain are almost without inhabitants2 others are overcrowded4 ,an even distribution of people over the land capable of tillage is necessary to the national health4 ,in no sense can it be maintained that good comes of concentrating population in immense cities4 ,but the policy of proprietors is not more at fault than the ignorant rush of those who desire the comforts and opportunities of town life4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the twenty-seventh chapter is partly occupied with the details of a case which raised a question of inheritance4 ,five daughters of one ,zelophehad of the tribe of ,manasseh appealed to ,moses on the ground that they were the representatives of the household1 having no brother4 ,were they to have no possession because they were women8 ,was the name of their father to be taken away because he had no son8 ,it was not to be supposed that the want of male descendants had been a judgment on their father4 ,he had died in the wilderness1 but not as a rebel against ,jehovah1 like those who were in the company of ,korah4 ,he had died in his own sins4 ,they petitioned for an inheritance among the brethren of their father4 ,the claim of these women appears natural if the right of heirship is acknowledged in any sense1 with this reservation1 however1 that women might not be able properly to cultivate the land1 and could not do much in the way of defending it4 ,and these1 for the time1 were considerations of no small account4 ,the five sisters may of course have been ready to undertake all that was necessary as occupiers of a farm1 and no doubt they reckoned on marriage4 ,but the original qualification that justified heirship of land was ability to use the resources of the inheritance and take part in all national duties4 ,the decision in this case marks the beginning of another conception--that of the personal development of women4 ,the claim of the daughters of ,zelophehad was allowed1 with the result that they found themselves called to the cultivation of mind and life in a manner which would not otherwise have been open to them4 ,they received by the judgment here recorded a new position of responsibility as well as privilege4 ,the law founded on their case must have helped to make the women of ,israel intellectually and morally vigorous4 ,the rules of inheritance among an agricultural people1 exposed to hostile incursions1 must1 like that of ver4 #h1 assume the right of sons in preference to daughters2 but under modern social conditions there are no reasons for any such preference1 except indeed the sentiment of family1 and the maintenance of titles of rank4 ,but the truth is that inheritance1 so-called1 is every year becoming of less moral account as compared with the acquisitions that are made by personal industry and endeavour4 ,property is only of value as it is a means to the enlargement and fortifying of the individual life4 ,the decision on behalf of the daughters of ,zelophehad was of importance for what it implied rather than for what it actually gave4 ,it made possible that dignity and power which we see illustrated in the career of ,deborah1 whose position as a mother in ,israel does not seem to have depended much1 if at all1 on any accident of inheritance2 it was reached by the strength of her character and the ardour of her faith4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the generation that came from ,egypt has passed away1 and now 7xxvii4 #ab7 ,moses himself receives his call4 ,he is to ascend the mountain of ,abarim and look forth over the land ,israel is to inhabit2 then he is to be gathered to his people4 ,he is reminded of the sin by which ,aaron and he dishonoured ,god when they failed to sanctify ,him at the waters of ,meribah4 ,the burden of the ,book of ,numbers is revealed4 ,the brooding sadness which lies on the whole narrative is not cast by human mortality but by moral transgression and defect4 ,there is judgment for revolt1 as of those who followed ,korah4 ,there are men who like ,zelophehad die in their own sins1 filling up the time allowed to imperfect obedience and faith1 the limit of existence that falls short of the glory of ,god4 ,and ,moses1 whose life is lengthened that his honourable task may be fully done1 must all the more conspicuously pay the penalty of his high misdemeanour4 ,with the goal of ,israel's great destiny in view the narrative moves from shadow to shadow4 ,here and throughout1 this is a characteristic of ,old ,testament history4 ,and the shadows deepen as they rest on lives more capable of noble service1 more guilty in their disbelief and defiance of ,jehovah4 ,the rebuke which darkens over ,moses at the close and lies on his grave does not obscure the greatness of the man2 nor have all the criticisms of the history in which he plays so great a part overclouded his personality4 ,the opening of ,israel's career may not now seem so marvellous in a sense as once it seemed1 nor so remote from the ordinary course of ,providence4 ,development is found where previously the complete law1 institution1 or system appeared to burst at once into maturity4 ,but the features of a man look clearly forth on us from the ,pentateuchal narrative2 and the story of the life is so coherent as to compel a belief in its veracity1 which at the same time is demanded by the circumstances of ,israel4 ,a beginning there must have been1 in the line which the earliest prophets continued1 and that beginning in a single mind1 a single will4 ,the ,moses of these books of the exodus is one who could have unfolded the ideas from which the nationality of ,israel sprang3 a man of smaller mind would have made a people of more ordinary frame4 ,institutions that grow in the course of centuries may reflect their perfected form on the story of their origin2 it is1 however1 certain this cannot be true of a faith4 ,that does not develop4 ,what it is at its birth it continues to be2 or if a change takes place it will be to the loss of definiteness and power4 ,kuenen himself makes the three universal religions to be ,judaism1 ,mohammedanism and ,christianity4 ,the analogy of the two latter is conclusive with regard to the first--that ,moses was the author of ,israel's faith in ,jehovah4 ,and this involves much1 both with regard to the human characteristics and the ,divine inspiration of the founder1 much that an after-age would have been utterly incapable of imagining4 ,when we find a life depicted in these ,pentateuchal narratives1 corresponding in all its features with the place that has to be filled1 revealing one who1 under the conditions of ,israel's nativity1 might have made a way for it into sustaining faith1 it is not difficult to accept the details in their substance4 ,the records are certainly not ,moses' own4 ,they are exoteric1 now from the people's point of view1 now from that of the priests4 ,but they present with wonderful fidelity and power what in the life of the founder went to stamp his faith on the national mind4 ,and the marvellous thing is that the shadows as well as the lights in the biography serve this great end4 ,the gloom that falls at ,meribah and rests on ,nebo tells of the character of ,jehovah1 bears witness to the ,supreme ,royalty which ,moses lived and laboured to exalt4 ,a living ,god1 righteous and faithful1 gracious to them that trusted and served ,him1 who also visited iniquity--such was the ,jehovah between whom and ,israel ,moses stood as mediator1 such the ,jehovah by whose command he was to ascend the height of ,abarim to die4 ,to die1 to be gathered to his people--and what then8 ,it is at death we reckon up the account and estimate the value and power of faith4 ,has it made a man ready for his change1 ripened his character1 established his work on a foundation as of rock8 ,the command which at ,horeb ,moses received long ago1 and the revelation of ,god he there enjoyed1 have had their opportunity2 to what have they come8 ,the supreme human desire is to know the nature1 to understand the distinctive glory of the ,most ,high4 ,at the bush ,moses had been made aware of the presence with him of the ,god of his fathers1 the ,fear of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4 ,his duty also had been made clear4 ,but the mystery of being was still unsolved4 ,with sublime daring1 therefore1 he pursued the inquiry3 ,behold when ,i come unto the children of ,israel1 and shall say unto them1 ,the ,god of your fathers hath sent me unto you2 and they shall say to me1 ,what is ,his name8 what shall ,i say unto them8 ,the answer came in apocalypse1 in a form of simple words3--,i ,,am ,,that ,i ,,am4 ,the solemn ,name expressed an intensity of life1 a depth and power of personal being1 far transcending that of which man is conscious4 ,it belongs to ,one who has no beginning1 whose life is apart from time1 above the forces of nature1 independent of them4 ,jehovah says1 ,i am not what you see1 not what nature is1 standing forth into the range of your sight2 ,i ,am in eternal separation1 self-existent1 with underived fulness of power and life4 ,the remoteness and incomprehensibility of ,god remain1 although much is revealed4 ,whatever experience of life each man sums up for himself in saying ,i am1 aids him in realising the life of ,god4 ,have we aspired8 have we loved8 have we undertaken and accomplished8 have we thought deeply8 ,does any one in saying ,i am include the consciousness of long and varied life8--the ,i ,,am of ,god comprehends all that4 ,and yet ,he changes not4 ,beneath our experience of life which changes there is this great ,living ,essence4 ,i ,,am ,,that ,i ,,am1 profoundly1 eternally true1 self-consistent1 with whom is no beginning of experience or purpose1 yet controlling1 harmonising1 yea1 originating all in the unfathomable depths of an eternal ,will4 ,ideas like these1 we must believe1 shaped themselves1 if not clearly1 at least in dim outline before the mind of ,moses1 and made the faith by which he lived4 ,and how had it proved itself as the stay of endeavour1 the support of a soul under heavy burdens of duty1 trial1 and sorrowful consciousness8 ,the reliance it gave had never failed4 ,in ,egypt1 before ,pharaoh1 ,moses had been sustained by it as one who had a sanction for his demands and actions which no king or priest could claim4 ,at ,sinai it had given spiritual strength and definite authority to the law4 ,it was the spirit of every oracle1 the underlying force in every judgment4 ,faith in ,jehovah1 more than natural endowments1 made ,moses great4 ,his moral vision was wide and clear because of it1 his power among the people as a prophet and leader rested upon it4 ,and the fruit of it1 which began to be seen when ,israel learned to trust ,jehovah as the one living ,god and girt itself for ,his service1 has not even yet been all gathered in4 ,we pass by the theories of philosophy regarding the unseen to rest in the revelation of ,god which embodies ,moses' faith4 ,his inspiration1 once for all1 carried the world beyond polytheism to monotheism unchallengeably true1 inspiring1 sublime4 ,there can be no doubt that death tested the faith of ,moses as a personal reliance on the ,almighty4 ,how he found sufficient help in the thought of ,jehovah when ,aaron died1 and when his own call came1 we can only surmise4 ,for him it was a familiar certainty that the ,judge of all the earth did right4 ,his own decision went with that of ,jehovah in every great moral question2 and even when death was involved1 however great a punishment it appeared1 however sad a necessity1 he must have said1 ,good is the will of the ,lord4 ,but there was more than acquiescence4 ,one who had lived so long with ,god1 finding all the springs and aims of life in ,him1 must have known that irresistible power would carry on what had been begun1 would complete to its highest tower that building of which the foundation had been laid4 ,moses had wrought not for self but for ,god2 he could leave his work in the ,divine hand with absolute assurance that it would be perfected4 ,and as for his own destiny1 his personal life1 what shall we say8 ,moses had been what he was through the grace of ,him whose name is ,i ,,am ,,that ,i ,,am4 ,he could at least look into the dim region beyond and say1 ,it is ,god's will that ,i pass through the gate4 ,i am spiritually ,his1 and am strong in mind for ,his service4 ,i have been what ,he has willed1 excepting in my transgression4 ,i shall be what ,he wills2 and that cannot be ill for me2 that will be best for me4 ,god was gracious and forgave sin1 though ,he could not suffer it to pass unjudged4 ,even in appointing death the ,merciful ,one could not fail to be merciful to ,his servant4 ,the thought of ,moses might not carry him into the future of his own existence1 into what should be after he had breathed his last4 ,but ,god was ,his2 and he was ,god's4 ,so the personal drama of many acts and scenes draws to a close with forebodings of the end1 and yet a little respite ere the curtain falls4 ,the music is solemn as befits the night-fall1 yet has a ring of strong purpose and inexhaustible sufficiency4 ,it is not the still sad music of humanity we hear with the words1 ,get thee up into this mountain of ,abarim1 and behold the land which ,i have given unto the children of ,israel4 ,and when thou hast seen it1 thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people1 as ,aaron thy brother was gathered4 ,it is the music of the ,voice that awakens life1 commands and inspires it1 cheers the strong in endeavour and soothes the tired to rest4 ,he who speaks is not weary of ,moses1 nor does ,he mean ,moses to be weary of his task4 ,but this change lies in the way of ,god's strong purpose1 and it is assumed that ,moses will neither rebel nor repine4 ,far away1 in an evolution unforeseen by man1 will come the glorification of ,one who is the ,life indeed2 and in ,his revelation as the ,son of the ,eternal ,father ,moses will share4 ,with ,christ he will speak of the change of death and that faith which overcomes all change4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the designation of ,joshua1 who had long been the minister of ,moses1 and perhaps for some time administrator of affairs1 is recorded in the close of the chapter4 ,the prayer of ,moses assumes that by direct commission the fitness of ,joshua must be signified to the people4 ,it might be ,jehovah's will that1 even yet1 another should take the headship of the tribes4 ,moses spake unto the ,lord1 saying1 ,let ,jehovah1 the ,god of the spirits of all flesh1 appoint a man over the congregation which may go out before them1 and which may come in before them1 and which may lead them out and which may bring them in2 that the congregation of ,jehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd4 ,one who has so long endeavoured to lead1 and found it so difficult1 whose heart and soul and strength have been devoted to make ,israel ,jehovah's people1 can relax his hold of things without dismay only if he is sure that ,god will ,himself choose and endow the successor4 ,what aimless wandering there would be if the new leader proved incompetent1 wanting wisdom or grace6 ,how far about might ,israel's way yet be1 in another sense than the compassing of ,edom6 ,before the ,friend of ,israel ,moses pours out his prayer for a shepherd fit to lead the flock4 ,and the oracle confirms the choice to which ,providence has already pointed4 ,joshua the son of ,nun1 a man in whom is the spirit1 is to have the call and receive the charge4 ,his investiture with official right and dignity is to be in the sight of ,eleazar the priest and all the congregation4 ,moses shall put of his own honour upon ,joshua and declare his commission4 ,joshua shall not have the whole burden of decision resting upon him1 for ,jehovah will guide him4 ,yet he shall not have direct access to ,god in the tent of meeting as ,moses had4 ,in the time of special need ,eleazar shall inquire for him by the judgment of the ,urim before ,jehovah4 ,thus instructed1 he shall exercise high authority4 ,a man in whom is the spirit--such is the one outstanding personal qualification4 ,the ,god of the spirits of all flesh finds in ,joshua the sincere will1 the faithful heart4 ,the work that is to be done is not of a spiritual kind1 but grim fighting1 control of an army and of a people not yet amenable to law1 under circumstances that will try a leader's firmness1 sagacity1 and courage4 ,yet1 even for such a task1 allegiance to ,jehovah and ,his purpose regarding ,israel1 the enthusiasm of faith1 high spirit1 not experience--these are the commendations of the chief4 ,qualified thus1 ,joshua may occasionally make mistakes4 ,his calculations may not always be perfect1 nor the means he employs exactly fitted to the end4 ,but his faith will enable him to recover what is momentarily lost2 his courage will not fail4 ,above all1 he will be no opportunist guided by the turn of events1 yielding to pressure or what may appear necessity4 ,the one principle of faithfulness to ,jehovah will keep him and ,israel in a path which must be followed even if success in a worldly sense be not immediately found4 ,the priest who inquires of the ,lord by ,urim has a higher place under ,joshua's administration than under that of ,moses4 ,the theocracy will henceforth have a twofold manifestation1 less of unity than before4 ,and here the change is of a kind which may involve the gravest consequences4 ,the simple statement of ver4 #ab denotes a very great limitation of ,joshua's authority as leader4 ,it means that though on many occasions he can both originate and execute1 all matters of moment shall have to be referred to the oracle4 ,there will be a possibility of conflict between him and the priest with regard to the occasions that require such a reference to ,jehovah4 ,in addition there may be the uncertainty of responses through the ,urim1 as interpreted by the priest4 ,it is easy also to see that by this method of appealing to ,jehovah the door was opened to abuses which1 if not in ,joshua's time1 certainly in the time of the judges1 began to arise4 ,it may appear to some absolutely necessary to refer the ,urim to a far later date4 ,the explanation given by ,ewald1 that the inquiry was always by some definite question1 and that the answer was found by means of the lot1 obviates this difficulty4#ab ,the ,urim and ,thummim1 which mean clearness and correctness1 or as in our passage the ,urim alone1 may have been pebbles of different colours1 the one representing an affirmative1 the other a negative reply4 ,but inquiry appears to have been made by these means after certain rites1 and with forms which the priest alone could use4 ,it is evident that absolute sincerity on his part1 and unswerving loyalty to ,jehovah1 were an important element in the whole administration of affairs4 ,a priest who became dissatisfied with the leader might easily frustrate his plans4 ,on the other hand1 a leader dissatisfied with the responses would be tempted to suspect and perhaps set aside the priest4 ,there can be no doubt that here a serious possibility of divided counsels entered into the history of ,israel1 and we are reminded of many after events4 ,yet the circumstances were such that the whole power could not be committed to one man4 ,with whatever element of danger1 the new order had to begin4 ,moses laid his hands on ,joshua and gave him his charge4 ,as one who knew his own infirmities1 he could warn the new chief of the temptations he would have to resist1 the patience he would have to exercise4 ,it was not necessary to inform ,joshua of the duties of his office4 ,with these he had become familiar4 ,but the need for calm and sober judgment required to be impressed upon him4 ,it was here he was defective1 and here that his honour and the maintenance of his authority would have to be secured4 ,deuteronomy mentions only the exhortation ,moses gave to be strong and of a good courage1 and the assurance that ,jehovah would go before ,joshua1 would neither fail him nor forsake him4 ,but though much is recorded1 much also remains untold4 ,an education of forty years had prepared ,joshua for the hour of his investiture4 ,yet the words of the chief he was so soon to lose must have had no small part in preparing him for the burden and duty which he was now called by ,jehovah to sustain as leader of ,israel4 ,,footnote3 #ab ,antiquities of ,israel3 ,the ,priesthood4 ,,xxiii ,,offerings ,,and ,,vows ,,numbers xxviii4-xxx ,the legislation of chapters xxviii4-xxx4 appears to belong to a time of developed ritual and organised society4 ,parallel passages in ,exodus and ,leviticus treating of the feasts and offerings are by no means so full in their details1 nor do they even mention some of the sacrifices here made statutory4 ,the observances of ,new ,moon are enjoined in the ,book of ,numbers alone4 ,in chapter xv4 they are simply noticed2 here the order is fixed4 ,the purpose of chapters xxviii41 xxix4 is especially to prescribe the number of animals that are to be offered throughout the year at a central altar1 and the quantities of other oblations which are to accompany them4 ,but the rotation of feasts is also given in a more connected way than elsewhere2 we have1 in fact1 a legislative description of ,israel's ,sacred ,year4 ,daily1 weekly1 monthly1 and at the two great festal seasons1 ,jehovah is to be acknowledged by the people as the ,redeemer of life1 the ,giver of wealth and blessedness4 ,of their cattle and sheep1 and the produce of the land1 they are to bring continual oblations1 which are to be their memorial before ,him4 ,by their homage and by their gladness1 by afflicting themselves and by praising ,god1 they shall realise their calling as ,his people4 ,the section regarding vows 7ch4 xxx47 completes the legislation on that subject1 supplementing ,lev4 xxvii4 and ,numb4 vi4 ,it is especially interesting for the light it throws on the nature of family life1 the position of women and the limitations of their freedom4 ,the link between the law of offerings and the law of vows is hard to find2 but we can easily understand the need for rules concerning women's vows4 ,the peace of families might often be disturbed by lavish promises which a husband or a father might find it impossible or inconvenient to fulfil4 #a4 ,,the ,,sacred ,,year ,,numbers xxviii4-xxix ,throughout the year1 each day1 each sabbath1 and each month is to be consecrated by oblations of varying value1 forming a routine of sacrifice4 ,first the ,day1 bringing duty and privilege1 is to have its morning burnt offering of a yearling lamb1 by which the ,divine blessing is invoked on the labour and life of the whole people4 ,a meal offering of flour and oil and a drink offering of strong drink--that is1 not of water or milk1 but wine--are to accompany the sacrifice4 ,again in the evening1 as a token of gratitude for the mercies of the day1 similar oblations are to be presented4 ,of this offering the note is made3 ,it is a continual burnt offering1 which was ordained in ,sinai for a sweet savour1 a sacrifice made by fire unto the ,lord4 ,in these sacrifices the whole of time1 measured out by the alternation of light and darkness1 was acknowledged to be ,god's2 through the priesthood the nation declared ,his right to each day1 confessed obligation to ,him for the gift of it4 ,the burnt offering implied complete renunciation of what was represented4 ,no part of the animal was kept for use1 either by the worshipper or the priest4 ,the smoke ascending to heaven dissipated the entire substance of the oblation1 signifying that the whole use or enjoyment of it was consecrated to ,god4 ,in the way of impressing the idea of obligation to ,jehovah for the gifts of time and life the daily sacrifices were valuable2 yet they were suggestive rather than sufficient4 ,the ,israelites throughout the land knew that these oblations were made at the altar1 and those who were pious might at the times appointed offer each his own thanksgivings to ,god4 ,but the individual expression of gratitude was left to the religious sense1 and that must often have failed4 ,at a distance from the sanctuary1 where the ascending smoke could not be seen1 men might forget2 or again1 knowing that the priests would not forget1 they might imagine their own part to be done when offering was made for the whole people4 ,the duty was1 however1 represented and kept before the minds of all4 ,in the ,psalms and elsewhere we find traces of a worship which had its source in the daily sacrifice4 ,the author of ,psalm cxli41 for example1 addresses ,jehovah3 ,give ear unto my voice when ,i cry unto ,thee4 ,let my prayer be set forth as incense before ,thee2 ,the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice4 ,less clearly in the fifth1 the fifty-ninth1 and the eighty-eighth psalms1 the morning prayer appears to be connected with the morning sacrifice3 ,o ,lord1 in the morning shalt ,thou hear my voice2 ,in the morning will ,i order my prayer unto ,thee1 and will keep watch 7,psalm v4 #c74 ,the pious ,hebrew might naturally choose the morning and the evening as his times of special approach to the throne of ,divine grace1 as every believer still feels it his duty and privilege to begin and close the day with prayer4 ,the appropriateness of dawn and sunset might determine both the hour of sacrifice and the hour of private worship4 ,yet the ordinance of the daily oblations set an example to those who would otherwise have been careless in expressing gratitude4 ,and earnestly religious persons learned to find more frequent opportunities4 ,daniel in ,babylon is seen at the window open towards ,jerusalem1 kneeling upon his knees three times a day1 praying and giving thanks to ,god4 ,the author of ,psalm cxix4 says3 ,seven times a day do ,i praise ,thee1 ,because of ,thy righteous judgments4 ,the grateful remembrance of ,god and confession of ,his right to the whole of life were thus made a rule with which no other engagements were allowed to interfere4 ,it is by facts like these the power of religion over the ,hebrews in their best time is explained4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we pass now to the ,sabbath and the sacrifices by which it was distinguished4 ,here the number seven which recurs so frequently in the statutes of the sacred year appears for the first time4 ,connection has been found between the ordinances of ,israel and of ,chaldea in the observance of the seventh day as well as at many other points4 ,according to ,mr4 ,sayce1 the origin of the ,sabbath went back to pre-,semitic days1 and the very name was of ,babylonian origin4 ,in the cuneiform tablets the sabbatu is described as a 'day of rest for the soul4'444 ,the ,sabbath was also known1 at all events in ,accadian times1 as a dies nefastus1 a day on which certain work was forbidden to be done2 and an old list of ,babylonian festivals and fast-days tells us that on the seventh1 fourteenth1 nineteenth1 twenty-first1 and twenty-eighth days of each month the ,sabbath rest had to be observed4 ,the king himself1 it is stated1 'must not eat flesh that has been cooked over the coals or in the smoke1 he must not change the garments of his body1 white robes he must not wear1 sacrifices he may not offer1 in a chariot he must not ride4' ,the soothsayer was forbidden on that day to mutter in a secret place4 ,in this observance of a seventh day of rest1 specially sacred1 for the good of the soul1 ancient ,accadians and ,babylonians prepared the way for the ,sabbath of the ,mosaic law4 ,but while the days of the ,chaldean week were devoted each to a separate divinity1 and the seventh day had its meaning in relation to polytheism1 the whole of time1 every day alike1 and the ,sabbaths with greater strictness than the others1 were1 in ,israel's law1 consecrated to ,jehovah4 ,this difference also deserves to be noticed1 that1 while the ,chaldean seventh days were counted from each new moon1 in the ,hebrew year there was no such astronomical date for reckoning them4 ,throughout the year1 as with us1 each seventh day was a day of rest4 ,while we find traces of old religious custom and observance that mingled with those of ,judaism and cannot but recognise the highly humane1 almost spiritual character those old institutions often had1 the superiority of the religion of the ,one ,living and ,true ,god clearly proves itself to us4 ,moses1 and those who followed him1 felt no need of rejecting an idea they met with in the ancient beliefs of ,chaldea1 for they had the ,divine light and wisdom by which the earthly and evil could be separated from the kernel of good4 ,and may we not say that it was well to maintain the continuity of observance so far as thoughts and customs of the far past could be woven into the worship of ,jehovah's flock8 ,neither was ,israel nor is any people to pretend to entire separation from the past4 ,no act of choice or process of development can effect it4 ,nor would the severance1 if it were made1 be for the good of men4 ,beyond the errors and absurdities of human belief1 beyond the perversions of truth due to sin1 there lie historical and constitutional origins4 ,the ,sabbaths1 the sacrifices1 and the prayers of ancient ,chaldea had their source in demands of ,god and needs of the human soul1 which not only entered into ,judaism1 but survive still1 proving themselves inseparable from our thought and life4 ,the special oblations to be presented on the ,sabbath were added to those of the other days of the week4 ,two lambs of the first year in the morning and two in the evening were to be offered with their appropriate meal and drink offerings4 ,it may be noted that in ,ezekiel where the ,sabbath ordinances are detailed the sacrifices are more numerous4 ,after declaring that the eastern gate of the inner court of the temple1 which is to be shut on the six working days1 shall be opened on the ,sabbath and in the day of the new moon1 the prophet goes on to say that the prince1 as representing the people1 shall offer unto the ,lord in the ,sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish4 ,in the legislation of ,numbers1 however1 the higher consecration of the ,sabbath as compared with the other days of the week did not require so great a difference as ,ezekiel saw it needful to make4 ,and1 indeed1 the law of ,sabbath observance assumes in ,ezekiel an importance on various grounds which passes beyond the high distinction given it in the ,pentateuch4 ,again and again in chapter xx4 the prophet declares that one of the great sins of which the ,israelites were guilty in the wilderness was that of polluting the ,sabbath which ,god had given to be a sign between ,himself and them4 ,the keeping holy of the seventh day had become one of the chief safeguards of religion1 and for this reason ,ezekiel was moved to prescribe additional sacrifices for that day4 ,we find as we go on that the week of seven days1 ended by the recurring day of rest1 is an element in the regulations for all the great feasts4 ,unleavened bread was to be eaten for seven days4 ,seven weeks were then to be counted to the day of the firstfruits and the feast of weeks4 ,the feast of tabernacles1 again1 ran for seven days and ended on the eighth with a solemn assembly4 ,the whole ritual was in this way made to emphasise the division of time based on the fourth commandment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,new ,moon ritual consecrating the months was more elaborate4 ,on the day when the new moon was first seen1 or should by computation be seen1 besides the continual burnt offering two young bullocks1 one ram1 and seven lambs of the first year1 with meal and drink offerings1 were to be presented4 ,these animals were to be wholly offered by fire4 ,in addition1 a sin offering was to be made1 a kid of the goats4 ,why this guilt sacrifice was introduced at the new moon service is not clear4 ,keil explains that in consideration of the sins which had been committed in the course of the past month1 and had remained without expiation1 the sin offering was needed4 ,but this might be said of the week in its degree1 as well as of the month4 ,it is certain that the opening of each month was kept in other ways than the legislation of the ,pentateuch seems to require4 ,in ,numbers it is prescribed that the silver trumpets shall be blown over the new moon sacrifices for a memorial before ,god1 and this must have given the observances a festival air4 ,then we learn from #a ,sam4 xx4 that when ,saul was king a family feast was observed in his house on the first day of the month1 and that this day also1 in some particular month1 was generally chosen by a family for the yearly sacrifice to which all were expected to gather 7#a ,sam4 xx4 #e1 #f74 ,these facts and the festal opening of ,psalm lxxxi41 in which the timbrel1 harp1 and psaltery1 and joyful singing in praise of ,god1 are associated with the new moon trumpet1 imply that for some reason the occasion was held to be important4 ,amos 7viii4 #e7 implies further that on the day of new moon trade was suspended2 and in the time of ,elisha it seems to have been common for those who wished to consult a prophet to choose either the ,sabbath or the day of new moon for enquiring of him 7#b ,kings iv4 #bc74 ,there can be little doubt that the day was one of religious activity and joy1 and possibly the offering of the kid for expiation was intended to counteract the freedom the more thoughtless might permit themselves4 ,there are good reasons for believing that in pre-,mosaic times the day of new moon was celebrated by the ,israelites and all kindred peoples1 as it is still among certain heathen races4 ,originally a nature festival1 it was consecrated to ,jehovah by the legislation before us1 and gradually became of account as the occasion of domestic gatherings and rejoicings4 ,but its religious significance lay chiefly in the dedication to ,god of the month that had begun and expiation of guilt contracted during that which had closed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we come now to the great annual festivals4 ,these were arranged in two groups1 which may be classed as vernal and autumnal1 the one group belonging to the first and third months1 the other to the seventh4 ,they divided the year into two portions1 the intervals between them being the time of great heat and the time of rain and storm4 ,the month ,abib1 with which the year began1 corresponded generally to our ,april2 but its opening1 depending on the new moon1 might be earlier or later4 ,one of the ceremonies of the festival season of this month was the presentation1 on the sixteenth day1 of the first sheaf of harvest2 and seven weeks afterwards1 at ,pentecost1 cakes made from the first dough were offered4 ,the explanation of what may appear to be autumnal offerings in spring is to be found in the early ripening of corn throughout ,palestine4 ,the cereals were all reaped during the interval between ,passover and ,pentecost4 ,the autumnal festival celebrated the gathering in of the vintage and fruits4 ,the ,passover1 the first great feast1 a sacrament rather1 is merely mentioned in this portion of ,numbers4 ,it was chiefly a domestic celebration--not priestly--and had a most impressive significance1 of which the eating of the lamb with bitter herbs was the symbol4 ,the day after it1 the feast of unleavened bread began4 ,for a whole week leaven was to be abjured4 ,on the first day of the feast there was to be a holy convocation1 and no servile work was to be done4 ,the closing day likewise was to be one of holy convocation4 ,on each of the seven days the offerings were to be two young bullocks1 one ram1 and seven yearling he-lambs1 with their meal and drink offerings1 and for sin one he-goat to make atonement4 ,the week of this festival1 commencing with the paschal sacrament1 was made to bear peculiarly on the national life1 first by the command that all leaven should be rigidly kept out of the houses4 ,as the ceremonial law assumed more importance with the growth of ,pharisaism1 this cleansing was sought quite fanatically4 ,any crumb of common bread was reckoned an accursed thing which might deprive the observance of the feast of its good effect4 ,but even in the time of less scrupulous legalism the effort to extirpate leaven from the houses had its singular effect on the people4 ,it was one of the many causes which made ,jewish religion intense4 ,then the daily sacrificial routine1 and especially the holy convocations of the first and seventh days1 were profoundly solemnising4 ,we may picture thus the ceremonies and worship of these great days of the feast4 ,the people1 gathered from all parts of the land1 crowded the outer court of the sanctuary4 ,the priests and ,levites stood ready around the altar4 ,with solemn chanting the animals were brought from some place behind the temple where they had been carefully examined so that no blemish might impair the sacrifice4 ,then they were slain one by one1 and prepared1 the fire on the great altar blazing more and more brightly in readiness for the holocaust1 while the blood flowed away in a red stream1 staining the hands and garments of those who officiated4 ,first the two bullocks1 then the ram1 then the lambs were one after another placed on the flames1 each with incense and part of the meal offering4 ,the sin offering followed4 ,some of the blood of the he-goat was taken by the priest and sprinkled on the inner altar1 on the veil of the ,holy of ,holies1 and on the horns of the great altar1 around which the rest was poured4 ,the fat of the animal1 including certain of the internal parts1 was thrown on the fire2 and this portion of the observances ended with the pouring out of the last drink offering before the ,lord4 ,then a chorus of praise was lifted up1 the people throwing themselves on the ground and praying in a low1 earnest monotone4 ,to this followed in the later times singing of chants and psalms1 led by the chorus of ,levites1 addresses to the people1 and shorter or longer prayers to which the worshippers responded4 ,the officiating priest1 standing beside the great altar in view of all1 now pronounced the appointed blessing on the people4 ,but his task was still not complete4 ,he went into the sanctuary1 and1 having by his entrance and safe return from the holy place shown that the sacrifice had been accepted1 he spoke to the assembly a few words of simple and sublime import4 ,finally1 with repeated blessing1 he gave the dismissal4 ,on one or both of these occasions the form of benediction used was that which we have found preserved in the sixth chapter of this book4#ac ,it is evident that celebrations like these1 into which1 as time went on1 the mass of worshippers entered with increased fervour1 gave the feast of unleavened bread an extraordinary importance in the national life4 ,the young ,hebrew looked forward to it with the keenest expectancy1 and was not disappointed4 ,so long as faith remained1 and especially in crises of the history of ,israel1 the earnestness that was developed carried every soul along4 ,and now that the ,israelites bewail the loss of temple and country1 reckoning themselves a martyred people1 this feast and the more solemn day of atonement nerve them to endurance and reassure them of their hope4 ,they are separate still4 ,they are ,jehovah's people still4 ,the covenant remains4 ,the ,messiah will come and bring them new life and power4 ,so they vehemently cling to the past and dream of a future that shall never be4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the day of the firstfruits was1 according to ,lev4 xxiii4 #ae1 the fiftieth day from the morrow after the passover sabbath4 ,the special harvest offering of this feast of weeks is thus enjoined3 ,ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah2 they shall be of fine flour1 they shall be baken with leaven1 for firstfruits unto the ,lord 7,lev4 xxiii4 #ag74 ,according to ,leviticus one bullock1 two rams1 and seven lambs2 according to ,numbers two bullocks1 one ram1 and seven lambs1 were to be sacrificed as whole offerings2 the difference being apparently that of varying usage at an earlier and later time4 ,the sin offering of the he-goat followed the burnt offerings4 ,the day of the feast was one of holy convocation2 and it has peculiar interest for us as the day on which the pentecostal effusion of the ,spirit came on the gathering of ,christians in the upper room at ,jerusalem4 ,the joyous character of this festival was signified by the use of leaven in the cakes or loaves that were presented as firstfruits4 ,the people rejoiced in the blessing of another harvest1 the fulfilment once more by ,jehovah of ,his promise to supply the needs of ,his flock4 ,it will be seen that in every case the sin offering prescribed is a single he-goat4 ,this particular sacrifice was distinguished from the whole offerings1 the thank offerings1 and the peace offerings1 which were not limited in number4 ,it must stand1 says ,ewald1 in perfect isolation1 as though in the midst of sad solitude and desolation1 with nothing similar or comparable by its side4 ,why a he-goat was invariably ordered for this expiatory sacrifice it is difficult to say4 ,and the question is not made more easy by the peculiar rite of the great day of atonement1 when besides the goat of the sin offering for ,jehovah another was devoted to ,azazel4 ,perhaps the choice of this animal implied its fitness in some way to represent transgression1 wilfulness1 and rebellion4 ,the he-goat1 more wild and rough than any other of the flock1 seemed to belong to the desert and to the spirit of evil4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the festivals of spring we now pass to those of autumn1 the first of which coincided with the ,new ,moon of the seventh month4 ,this was to be a day of holy convocation1 on which no servile work should be done1 and it was marked by a special blowing of trumpets over the sacrifices4 ,from other passages it would appear that the trumpets were used on the occasion of every new moon2 and there must have been a longer and more elaborate service of festival music to distinguish the seventh4 ,the offerings prescribed for it were numerous4 ,those enjoined for the opening of the other months were two bullocks1 one ram1 seven he-lambs and the he-goat of the sin offering4 ,to these were now added one bullock1 one ram1 and seven he-lambs4 ,altogether1 including the daily sacrifices which were never omitted1 twenty-two animals were offered2 and with each sacrifice1 except the he-goat1 fine flour mingled with oil and a drink offering of wine had to be presented4 ,there seems no reason to doubt that the seventh month was opened in this impressive way because of the great festivals ordained to be held in the course of it4 ,the labour of the year was practically over1 and more than any other the month was given up to festivity associated with religion4 ,it was the seventh or sabbath month1 forming the exalted summit of the year1 for which all preceding festivals prepared the way1 and after which everything quietly came down to the ordinary course of life4 ,the trumpets blown in joyful peals over the sacrifices1 the offering of which must have gone on for many hours1 inspired the assembly with gladness1 and signified the gratitude and hope of the nation4 ,but the joy of the seventh month thus begun did not go on without interruption4 ,the tenth day was one of special solemnity and serious thought4 ,it was the great day of confession1 for on it1 in the holy convocation1 the people were to afflict their souls4 ,the transgressions and failures of the year were to be acknowledged with sorrow4 ,from the evening of the ninth day to the evening of the tenth there was to be a rigid fast--the one fast which the law ordained4 ,before the full gladness of ,jehovah's favour can be realised by ,israel all those sins of neglect and forgetfulness which have been accumulating for twelve months must be confessed1 bewailed1 and taken away4 ,there are those who have become unclean without being aware of their defilement2 those who have unwittingly broken the ,sabbath law2 those who have for some reason been unable to keep the passover1 or who have kept it imperfectly2 others again have failed to render tithes of all the produce of their land according to the law2 and priests and ,levites called to a high consecration have come short of their duty4 ,with such defects and sins of error the nation is to charge itself1 each individual acknowledging his own faults4 ,unless this is done a shadow must lie on the life of the people2 they cannot enjoy the light of the countenance of ,god4 ,for this day the whole offerings are1 one young bullock1 one ram1 seven he-lambs2 and there is this peculiarity1 that1 besides a he-goat for a sin offering1 there is to be provided another he-goat1 for atonement4 ,maimonides says that the second he-goat is not that for ,azazel1 but the fellow of it1 the one on which the lot had fallen for ,jehovah4 ,leviticus again informs us that ,aaron was to sacrifice a bullock as a sin offering for himself and his house4 ,and it was the blood of this bullock and of the second he-goat he was to take and sprinkle on the ark and before the mercy-seat4 ,further1 it is prescribed that the bodies of these animals are to be carried forth without the camp and wholly burned--as if the sin clinging to them had made them unfit for use in any way4 ,the great atonement thus made1 the reaction of joy set in4 ,nothing in ,jewish worship exceeded the solemnity of the fast1 and in contrast with that the gladness of the forgiven multitude4 ,another crisis was past1 another year of ,jehovah's favour had begun4 ,those who had been prostrate in sorrow and fear rose up to sing their hallelujahs4 ,the deep seriousness of the ,day of ,atonement1 says ,delitzsch1 was transformed on the evening of the same day into lighthearted merriment4 ,the observance in the temple was accomplished in a significant drama which was fascinating from beginning to end4 ,when the high priest came forth from the ,most ,holy ,place1 after the performance of his functions there1 this was for the people a consolatory1 gladsome sight1 for which poetry can find no adequate words3 ',like the peace-proclaiming arch in painted clouds2 like the morning star1 when he arises from the eastern twilight2 like the sun1 when opening his bud1 he unfolds in roseate hue4' ,when the solemnity was over1 the high priest was escorted with a guard of honour to his dwelling in the city1 where a banquet awaited his more immediate friends4 ,the young people repaired to the vineyards1 the maidens arrayed in simple white1 and the day was closed with song and dancing4#ad ,this description reminds us of the mingling of elements in the old ,scottish fast-days1 closing as they did with a simple entertainment in the manse4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the feast of tabernacles continued the gladness of the ransomed people4 ,it began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month1 with a holy convocation and a holocaust of no fewer than twenty-nine animals1 in addition to the daily sacrifice1 and a he-goat for a sin offering4 ,the number of bullocks1 which was thirteen on this opening day of the feast1 was reduced by one each day till on the seventh day seven bullocks were sacrificed4 ,but two rams and fourteen he-lambs were offered each day of the feast1 and the he-goat for expiation1 besides the continual burnt offering4 ,the celebration ended1 so far as sacrifices were concerned1 on the eighth day with a special burnt offering of one bullock1 one ram1 and seven he-lambs1 returning thus to the number appointed for ,new ,moon4 ,it will be noticed that on the closing day there was to be a solemn assembly4 ,it was the great day of the feast 7,john vii4 #cg74 ,the people who during the week had lived in the booths or arbours which they had made1 now dismantled them and went on pilgrimage to the sanctuary4 ,the opening of the festival came to be of a striking kind4 ,one could see1 says ,professor ,franz ,delitzsch1 even before the dawn of the first day of the feast1 if this was not a ,sabbath1 a joyous throng pouring forth from the ,jaffa ,gate at ,jerusalem4 ,the verdure of the orchards1 refreshed with the first showers of the early rain1 is hailed by the people with shouts of joy as they scatter on either side of the bridge which crosses the brook fringed with tall poplar-osiers1 some in order with their own hands to pluck branches for the festal display1 others to look at the men who have been honoured with the commission to fetch from ,kolonia the festal leafy adornment of the altar4 ,they seek out right long and goodly branches of these poplar-osiers1 and cut them off1 and then the reunited host returns in procession1 with exultant shouts and singing and jesting1 to ,jerusalem1 as far as the ,temple hill1 where the great branches of poplar-osier are received by the priests and set upright around the sides of the altar1 so that they bend over it with their tips4 ,priestly trumpet-clang resounded during this decoration of the altar with foliage1 and they went on that feast day once1 on the seventh day seven times1 around the altar with willow branches1 or the festive posy entwined of a palm branch and branches of myrtles and willows1 amidst the usual festive shouts of ,hosanna2 exclaiming after the completed encircling1 ',beauty becomes thee1 ,o ,altar6 ,beauty becomes thee1 ,o ,altar6' ,so1 in later times1 the festival began and was sustained1 each worshipper carrying boughs and fruit of the citron and other trees4 ,but the eighth day brought all this to a close4 ,the huts were taken down1 the worshippers sought the house of ,god for prayer and thanksgiving4 ,the reading of the ,law which had been going on day by day concluded2 and the sin offering fitly ended the season of joy with expiation of the guilt of the people in their holy things4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the series of sacrifices appointed for days and weeks and months and years required a large number of animals and no small liberality4 ,they did not1 however1 represent more than a small proportion of the offerings which were brought to the central sanctuary4 ,besides1 there were those connected with vows1 the free-will offerings1 meal offerings1 drink offerings1 and peace offerings 7xxix4 #ci74 ,and taking all together it will be seen that the pastoral wealth of the people was largely claimed4 ,the explanation lies partly in this1 that among the ,israelites1 as among all races1 the things sacrificed were of the same kind as those the worshippers desired to obtain from ,god4 ,the sin offering1 however1 had quite a different significance4 ,in this the sprinkling of the warm blood1 representing the life blood of the worshipper1 carried thought into a range of sacred mystery in which the awful claim of ,god on men was darkly realised4 ,here sacrifice became a sacrament binding the worshippers by the most solemn symbol imaginable--a vital symbol--to fidelity in the service of ,jehovah4 ,their faith and devotion expressed in the sacrifice secured for them the ,divine grace on which their well-being depended1 the blood-bought pardon that redeemed the soul4 ,among the ,israelites alone was expiation by blood made fully significant as the centre of the whole system of worship4#ae #b4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,vows ,,numbers xxx ,the general command regarding vows is that whosoever binds himself by one1 or takes an oath in regard to any promise1 must at all hazards keep his word4 ,a man is allowed to judge for himself in vowing and undertaking by oath1 but he is to have the consequences in view1 and especially keep in mind that ,god is his witness4 ,the matter scarcely admitted of any other legislation1 and neither here nor elsewhere is any attempt made to lay penalties on those who broke their vows4 ,to use the ,divine ,name in an oath which was afterwards falsified brought a man under the condemnation of the third commandment1 a spiritual doom4 ,but the authorities could not give it effect4 ,the transgressor was left to the judgment of ,god4 ,with regard to vows and oaths the sophistry of the ,jews and their rabbis led them so far astray that our ,lord had to lay down new rules for the guidance of ,his followers4 ,no doubt cases arose in which it was exceedingly difficult to decide4 ,one might vow with good intention and find himself utterly unable to keep his promise1 or might find that to keep it would involve unforeseen injury to others4 ,but apart from circumstances of this sort there came to be such a net-work of half-legalised evasions1 and so many unseemly discussions1 that the purpose of the law was destroyed4 ,absolution from vows was claimed as a prerogative by some rabbis2 against this1 others protested4 ,one would say that if a man vowed by ,jerusalem or by the ,law he had said nothing2 but if he vowed by what is written in the ,law1 his words stood4 ,the wise men declared four kinds of vows not binding--incentive vows1 as when a buyer vows that he will not give more than a certain price in order to induce the seller to take less2 meaningless vows2 thoughtless and compulsory vows4 ,in such ways the practice was reduced to ignominy4 ,it even came to this1 that if a man wished to neutralise all the vows he might make in the course of a year he had only to say at the beginning of it1 on the eve of the ,day of ,atonement1 ,let every vow which ,i shall make be of none effect1 and he would be absolved4 ,this immoral tangle was cut through by the clear judgment of ,christ3 ,ye have heard that it was said to them of old time1 ,thou shalt not forswear thyself1 but shalt perform unto the ,lord thine oaths3 but ,i say unto you1 ,swear not at all2 neither by the heaven1 for it is the throne of ,god2 nor by the earth1 for it is the footstool of ,his feet2 nor by ,jerusalem1 for it is the city of the great ,king4 ,neither shalt thou swear by thy head1 for thou canst not make one hair white or black4 ,but let your speech be1 ,yea1 yea2 ,nay1 nay3 and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one4 ,in ordinary conversation and dealings ,christ will have no vows and oaths4 ,let men promise and perform1 declare and stand to their word4 ,he lifts even ordinary life to a higher plane4 ,with regard to women's vows1 four cases are made the subject of enactment4 ,first1 there is the case of a young woman living in her father's house1 under his authority4 ,if she vow unto the ,lord1 and bind herself by a bond in the hearing of her father and he do not forbid1 her vow shall stand4 ,it may involve expense to the father1 or put him and the family to inconvenience1 but by silence he has allowed himself to be bound4 ,on the other hand1 if he interpose and forbid the vow1 the daughter is released4 ,the second case is that of a woman who at the time of marriage is under a vow2 and this is decided in the same way4 ,her betrothed husband's silence1 if he hears the promise1 sanctions it2 his refusal to allow it gives discharge4 ,the third instance is that of a widow or a divorced woman1 who must perform all she has solemnly engaged to do4 ,the last case is that of the married woman in her husband's house1 concerning whom it is decreed3 ,every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul1 her husband may establish it1 or her husband may make it void4444 ,if he shall make them null and void after he hath heard them1 then he shall bear her iniquity4 ,these regulations establish the headship of the father and the husband in regard to matters which belong to religion4 ,and the significance of them lies in this1 that no intrusion of the priest is permitted4 ,if the ,priests' ,code had been intended to set up a hierocracy1 these vows would have given the opportunity of introducing priestly influence into family life4 ,the provisions appear to be designed for the very purpose of disallowing this4 ,it was seen that in the ardour of religious zeal women were disposed to make large promises1 dedicating their means1 their children1 or perhaps their own lives to special service in connection with the sanctuary4 ,but the father or husband was the family head and the judge4 ,no countenance whatever is given to any official interference4 ,it would have been well if the wisdom of this law had ruled the ,church1 preventing ecclesiastical dominance in family affairs4 ,the promises1 the threats of a domineering ,church have in many cases introduced discord between daughters and parents1 wives and husbands4 ,the amenability of women to religious motives has been taken advantage of1 always indeed with a plausible reason1--the desire to save them from the world1--but far too often1 really1 for political-ecclesiastical ends1 or even from the base motive of revenge4 ,ecclesiastics have found the opportunity of enriching the ,church or themselves1 or1 under cover of confession1 have become aware of secrets that placed families at their mercy4 ,no practice followed under the shield of religion and in its name deserves stronger reprobation4 ,the ,church should1 by every means in its power1 purify and uphold family life4 ,to undermine the unity of families by laying obligations on women1 or obtaining promises apart from the knowledge of those to whom they are bound in the closest relationship1 is an abuse of privilege4 ,and the whole custom of auricular confession comes under the charge4 ,it may occasionally or frequently be used with good intention1 and lonely women without trusted advisers among their kindred may see no other resource in times of peculiar difficulty and trial4 ,but the submission that forms part of it is debasing1 and the secrecy gives priesthood a power that should belong to no body of men in dealing with the souls of their fellow-creatures1 and fellow-sinners4 ,at the very best1 confession to a priest is a weak expedient4 ,,footnotes3 #ac ,see ,ewald's ,antiquities1 p4 #aca1 ,solly's translation4 #ad ,expositor1 #crd ,series1 vol4 iv41 p4 #hh4 #ae ,ewald's ,antiquities1 p4 #dj4 ,,xxiv ,,war ,,and ,,settlement #a4 ,,the ,,war ,,with ,,midian ,,numbers xxxi ,the command to vex and smite the ,midianites 7xxv4 #af7 has already been considered4 ,israel had not the spiritual power which would have justified any attempt to convert that people4 ,degrading idolatry was to be held in abhorrence1 and those who clung to it suppressed4 ,now the time comes for an exterminating war4 ,while hordes of ,bedawin occupy the hills and the neighbouring desert1 there can be no security either for morals1 property1 or life4 ,balaam is among them plotting against ,israel2 and his restless energy1 we may suppose1 precipitates the conflict4 ,moses conveys the command of ,god that the attack on ,midian shall be immediately made1 and himself directs the campaign4 ,the details of the enterprise are given somewhat fully4 ,a thousand fighting men are called from each tribe4 ,the religious purpose of the war is signified by the presence in the host of ,phinehas1 whose zeal has given him a name among the warriors4 ,he is allowed to carry with him the vessels of the sanctuary2 and the silver trumpets are to be sounded on the march and in the attack4 ,the ,midianitish clan apparently gives way at once before the ,hebrews1 and either makes no stand or is totally defeated in a single battle4 ,all the men are put to the sword1 including ,balaam and five chiefs1 whose names are preserved4 ,the women and children are taken2 the whole of the cattle and goods become the prey of the victors2 the cities and encampments are burned with fire4 ,on the return of the army with the large band of captives1 ,moses is greatly displeased4 ,he demands of the officers why the women have been spared1--the very women who caused the children of ,israel to trespass against the ,lord4 ,then he orders all above a certain age1 and the male children1 to be put to death4 ,the young girls alone are to be kept alive4 ,the purification of those who have been engaged in the war is next commanded4 ,for seven days the army must remain outside the camp4 ,those who have touched any dead body and all the captives are to be ceremonially cleansed on the third and seventh days4 ,every article of raiment1 everything made of skins and goats' hair1 and all woollen articles1 are to be purified by means of the water of expiation4 ,whatever is made of metal is to be passed through the fire4 ,details of the quantity and division of the prey1 and the voluntary oblations made as an atonement for their souls by the officers and soldiers out of their booty1 occupy the rest of the chapter4 ,the numbers of oxen1 sheep1 and asses are great--six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep1 seventy-two thousand beeves1 sixty-one thousand asses4 ,no mention is made of horses or camels4 ,the girls saved alive are thirty-two thousand4 ,the army takes one half1 and those who remained in the camp receive the other4 ,but of the soldiers' portion1 one in five hundred both of the persons and of the animals is given to the priests1 and of the people's portion one in fifty to the ,levites4 ,the jewels of gold1 ankle-chains1 bracelets1 signet-rings1 earrings and armlets offered by the men of war as their atonement1 not one of them having fallen in the battle1 amount in weight to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels1 the value of which may be estimated at some thirty thousand of our pounds4 ,the gold is brought into the tent of meeting for a memorial before the ,lord4 ,now here we have to deal with an accumulation of statements1 every one of which raises some question or other4 ,the war of national and moral antipathy is itself easily understood4 ,but the slaughter of so many in battle and so many others in cold blood1 the statement that not a single ,israelite fell1 the number and kinds of the animals captured1 the order given by ,moses to put all the women to death1 the quantity of gold taken1 of which the offering appears only to have been a part--all of these points have been criticised in a more or less incredulous spirit4 ,in apology it has been said1 with regard to the slaughter of the women1 that when brought as captives by the soldiers they could not be received into the camp1 and there was only this way of dealing with them1 unless indeed they had been sent back to their ruined encampments1 where they would have slowly died4 ,again1 it has been explained that the ,midianites were so debased and enfeebled as to have no power to withstand the onset of the ,hebrews4 ,the droves of oxen1 sheep1 and asses are held to be not greater than a wealthy nomadic clan1 numbering perhaps two hundred thousand1 would be likely to own2 and the quantity of gold is likewise accounted for by the well-known fact that among ,orientals the wealth represented by precious metals is fashioned into ornaments for the women4 ,in detail the difficulties may thus be partly overcome2 yet the whole account remains so singular1 both in its spirit and incidents1 that ,wellhausen has roundly declared it to be fictitious1 and others have had no resource but to fall back1 even for the slaughter of the women1 on the ,divine command4 ,it is true there were other peoples1 the ,moabites1 for instance1 as idolatrous1 and almost as degraded4 ,but a terror of ,jehovah's name had to be created for the moral good of the whole region1 and the ,midianites1 it is said1 who had so grossly assailed the purity of ,israel1 were fitly selected for ,divine chastisement4 ,the opinion that the whole account is an invention of the ,priests' ,code may be at once dismissed4 ,the ideas of national purity that prevailed after the exile and are insisted upon in the books of ,ezra and ,nehemiah would not have countenanced the dedication of any spared from the slaughter1 even young girls1 as a tribute to ,jehovah4 ,the attack and the issue of it were1 no doubt1 recorded in the ancient documents of which the compilers of the ,book of ,numbers made use4 ,and the fact must be held to stand1 that there was a grim slaughter relentlessly carried out at the command of ,moses in accordance with the moral and theocratic ideas that ruled his mind4 ,but it remains doubtful whether the numbers can be trusted1 even although they appear to be in the substance of the narrative4 ,the disproportion is enormous between the twelve thousand ,israelites sent against ,midian and the number of men who1 if we accept the figures given1 must have fallen without striking one effective blow for their lives4 ,of these there would have been some forty thousand at least4 ,assuming that somehow the numbers are exaggerated1 we find the story a good deal cleared4 ,it was entirely in harmony with the spirit of the age that a war outrance should have been commanded in the circumstances4 ,if1 then1 an adequate force of ,hebrews marched against the ,midianites and took them at unawares1 perhaps by night1 or when they were engaged in some idolatrous orgy1 their defeat and slaughter would be comparatively easy4 ,the ,hebrews with ,phinehas among them were1 we may believe1 filled with patriotic and religious ardour1 assured that they were commissioned to execute ,divine justice and must not shrink from any work that lay in their way1 however dreadful4 ,does the thing they did still seem incredible8 ,perhaps the recollection of what took place after the ,indian ,mutiny1 when ,great ,britain was in the same temper1 may throw light upon the question4 ,the soldiers then1 bent on punishing the cruelty and lust of the rebels1 partly in patriotism1 partly in revenge1 set mercy altogether aside4 ,if we had the whole history of the war with ,midian1 instead of the mere outlines preserved in ,numbers1 we might find that1 apart from figures1 the statements are by no means over-coloured4 ,moses had the entire responsibility of ordering the women to be put to death4 ,when he saw the train of female captives1 some of them possibly using their arts of blandishment not without success1 he might well be afraid that the very end for which the war had been undertaken was to be frustrated4 ,he was a man who did not scruple to shed blood when the law of ,god and the purity of morals and religion seemed to be endangered4 ,he knew ,jehovah to be gracious--gracious to those who loved ,him and kept ,his commandments4 ,but was ,he not also a jealous ,god1 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations of them that hated ,him8 ,it was this ,god ,moses sought to serve when in the heat of his indignation1 and not without reason1 he gave the terrible order4 ,the appropriation of some of the captive girls to the priests and ,levites as ,jehovah's tribute1 the offering by the soldiers of part of their booty as an atonement for their souls1 the presence of ,phinehas with the vessels of the sanctuary1 and the sacred trumpets in the ranks--these manifestly belong to the time to which the history refers4 ,and it may be said in closing that circumstances might be well known to ,moses on account of which the attack had to be made promptly and the dispersion of the ,midianites had to be complete4 ,we cannot tell what ,balaam may have been plotting2 but we may be pretty sure there was nothing too base for him to scheme and the ,midianites to carry into effect4 ,they knew themselves to be under suspicion1 perhaps in danger4 ,with what craft and vehemence the ,bedawin can act we are well aware4 ,life even yet is of no account among them4 ,another day1 perhaps1 and the ark might have been carried off or ,moses put to death in his tent4 ,but the nature of the wrong done to ,israel is a sufficient explanation of the war4 ,and we can also see that the ,hebrews themselves had a lesson in moral severity when their soldiers went forth to the massacre and returned red with blood4 ,they learned that the sin of ,midian was abominable in the sight of ,god and should be abominable in theirs4 ,they were taught1 whether they received the teaching or not1 that they were to be enemies for ever of those who practised idolatry so vile4 ,a deep gulf was made between them and all who sympathised with the worship and customs of the tribe they destroyed4 ,and the whole circumstances1 remote as they are from our own time1 may bring home even to ,christians the duty of moral decision and relentless war against the vices and lusts with which too many are inclined to make terms4 ,we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against the wiles of error1 the lusts of deceit1 against fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness1 enmities1 strife1 jealousies1 wraths1 factions1 divisions1 heresies1 envyings1 drunkenness1 revellings and such like1--the works of the flesh4 ,these ,midianites are with us1 would draw our hearts away from religion and destroy our souls4 ,not only are we to assail the grosser forms of sin and exterminate them1 but we are with equal severity to strike down the fair-seeming vices that come with blandishment and insidious appeal4 ,this is our holy war4 ,the old form of it required the suppression or extermination of those identified with vice1 men and women1 all in whom the impurity was rooted4 ,young girls alone could be spared1 whose character might still be shaped by a higher morality4 ,even yet1 to a certain extent1 that way of dealing with evil has to be followed4 ,we imprison felons and put murderers to death2 but the new power that has come with ,christianity enables us to deal with many transgressors as capable of reformation and a new life4 ,and this power is far as yet from being fully developed4 ,it is the fault of our age to be on one side too lenient1 on another wanting in patience1 charity1 and hope4 ,excuses are found for sin on the ground that it is useless to fight against nature1 that we must not be hypocritical nor puritanical4 ,temptations that come with mincing gait1 cajolery and smiles1 are allowed to disport themselves untouched4 ,why1 it is asked1 should life be made sombre8 ,a stern religion that would banish gaiety is declared to be no friend of the race4 ,under cover of art--pictorial1 dramatic1 literary--the customs of ,midian are not only admitted but allowed to have authority4 ,and religion even is invoked4 ,are not all things pure to the pure8 ,should not life be as free and joyous as the ,maker clearly intends in giving us the capacity for those gratifications to which art of every kind ministers8 ,is not full freedom indispensable to the highest religion8 ,ought not genius1 in every department1 to have complete liberty in guiding and developing the race8 ,without hypocrisy1 without banishing the sunshine of life or denying the freedom which is necessary to progress and vigour1 we are to be jealous for morality1 severe against all that threatens it4 ,and here our age is impatient of direction4 ,the tendency is to a civilisation without morality1 that is1 a new barbarism4 ,the strenuous mind of the old theocratic leaders is required anew1 with a difference4 ,life and thought have so far advanced under ,christianity that liberty is good in things which once had to be sternly reprobated2 but only the same guidance will carry us higher4 ,to those who lead in arts and literature the appeal has to be made in the name of ,god and men to regard the fitness of things4 ,the old ideas of ,puritanism are not to be the standard8 ,true4 ,neither are the tastes of ,greece nor the manners of ,pompeii4 ,every artist must1 it appears1 be his own censor4 ,let each1 then1 use his right under a sense of responsibility to the ,god who would have all to be pure and free4 ,there are pictures exhibited1 and poems sent out from the press1 and novels published1 which1 for all the skill and charm that are in them1 ought to have been cast into the fire4 ,in private life1 too1 the ,midianitish talk1 the jest1 the anecdote1 the innuendo1 all but indecent1 the hint1 the laugh that breaks down the barriers of integrity and sobriety1 show the license of a barbarism which is bent on conquest4 ,every ,christian is called to wage against these immoralities an exterminating war4 ,on the other hand1 charity and patience are needed4 ,it is difficult to forbear with those who seem to find their pleasure in what is evil1 more difficult to continue the efforts necessary to win them to religion1 purity1 and honour4 ,we feel it a hard task to track our own unholy desires to their retreats and slay them there4 ,proteus-like they elude us2 when we think they have been destroyed1 a passing word or thought revives them4 ,and if in the task of our own purification we need long patience1 it is not wonderful that even more should be required in the attempt to set others free from their besetting sins4 ,much of our philanthropy1 again1 is useless because we try to cover too large a field4 ,few are engaged in comparison with the enormous region over which effort has to extend1 and we treat the hurt slightly1 with too much haste4 ,then we grow despondent4 ,impatience1 hopelessness1 should never be known among those who undertake the ,divine work of saving men and women from their sins4 ,but to cure this1 new ideas on the whole subject of ,christian endeavour and new methods of work are required4 ,the evil forces1 a host arrayed against true life1 must be followed into the desert places where they lurk1 and there1 with the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the bright strong word of ,god1 attacked and slain4 ,when ,christians are brave and loving enough1 when they have patience enough1 the gospel of purity will begin to have its power4 #b4 ,,settlement ,,numbers xxxii ,the request of the men of ,reuben and ,gad that they should be allowed to settle on the eastern side of ,jordan in the land of ,jazer and the land of ,gilead was at first refused by ,moses with warm displeasure4 ,they appeared to wish exemption from further military duty1 if indeed they had not almost formed the intention of parting altogether with the rest of the tribes4 ,moses asked of them1 ,shall your brethren go to the war and shall ye sit here8 ,and wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of ,israel from going over into the land which the ,lord hath given them8 ,he recalled the spies and the evil report they brought1 by which a former generation had been disheartened and made to murmur against the ,lord4 ,the forty years of wandering had intervened since that error--a long period of suffering and punishment4 ,and now with this request the men of ,reuben and ,gad were playing the same dangerous part4 ,behold1 ye are risen up in your fathers' stead1 an increase of sinful men1 to augment yet the fierce anger of the ,lord toward ,israel4 ,it is somewhat surprising to find the proposal met in this way4 ,but ,moses had doubtless good cause for his condemnation of the two tribes4 ,for some time1 we can believe1 the notion had been entertained1 and already the cattle were driven northwards and scattered over the pastures of ,gilead4 ,the people felt that the confraternity which had survived the test of the wilderness journey was now about to break up4 ,and as the two clans that proposed to settle in ,eastern ,palestine were strong and could send a large number of warriors into the field1 there was reason to fear that the want of them would make the conquest of the great tribes beyond ,jordan too heavy a task4 ,the circumstances were of a kind resembling those of a ,church when the enjoyment of privilege and of the gains of the past is chosen by many of its members1 and the rest1 discouraged by this moral unbrotherliness1 have to maintain the aggressive work which ought to be shared by all4 ,the force of unity lost1 the ,christian energy of large numbers lying unemployed1 the rest overburdened1 ,churches often come far short of the success they might attain4 ,when ,reubenites and ,gadites devote themselves to building houses1 cultivating fields1 and rearing cattle1 neglecting altogether the command of ,god to conquer the territory still in the hands of ,his enemies1 the spirit of religion cannot but decay4 ,the selfishness of worldly ,christians reacts on those who are not worldly1 so that they feel its subtle influence1 even although they scorn to yield4 ,and when there is some great task to be done which requires the personal service and contributions of all1 withdrawal of the less zealous may in this way make victory impossible4 ,true1 we have on the other side the case of ,gideon and his rejection of the great bulk of his army1 that he might take the field with a few who were brave and ready4 ,numbers of half-hearted people do not help an enterprise4 ,still1 the duties of the ,church of ,christ are so great that all are required for them4 ,it is no apology to say that men are apathetic1 and therefore useless4 ,they ought to be eager for the ,divine war4 ,it was not at all wonderful that the men of ,reuben and ,gad proposed to settle on the east of ,jordan4 ,the soil of that region1 extending from the ,jabbok ,valley northwards1 and including the whole district watered by the ,yarmuk and its tributaries1 was exceedingly fertile1 with fine forests of oak1 and stretches of meadow and arable land4 ,what could be seen of ,juda from the heights of ,moab appeared poor and barren in comparison with that green and fertile country4 ,there was abundance of room there1 not only for the two tribes1 but for more2 and besides the half of ,manasseh which finally joined ,reuben and ,gad1 other clans may have begun to think that they might rest content without venturing across ,jordan4 ,but ,moses had good reasons for resisting as far as possible this desire4 ,there was no natural boundary on the east of ,gilead and ,bashan4 ,moab1 in a similar situation1 was exposed to the attacks and perhaps corrupted by the influence of the ,midianites4 ,if ,israel had taken up its abode in this region which joined on to the desert1 it too would have become half a desert people4 ,the ,jordan came1 as no doubt ,moses foresaw1 to be the real boundary of the nation which maintained the faith of ,jehovah and carried on ,his purposes4 ,in danger of losing all because they had been too selfish1 the men of ,reuben and ,gad made a new proposal4 ,they would go with the rest to the conquest of ,canaan2 yea1 they would form the van of the army4 ,if ,moses would only allow them to provide sheep-folds for their flocks and cities for their families1 they would take the field and never think of returning till the other tribes had all found settlement4 ,the offer was one which ,moses saw fit to accept2 but with a caution to the ,reubenites4 ,if they fulfilled the promise1 he said1 they should be guiltless before the ,lord2 but if they did not1 their sin would be written against them4 ,foreseeing the result of a division between the east and west which any such faithless conduct would certainly cause1 he added the warning1 ,be sure your sin will find you out4 ,the time would come when1 if they refused to do their part in helping the rest1 they should find themselves1 in some day of extreme peril1 without the sympathy of their brethren1 the prey of enemies who came from the east and north4 ,earthly comfort and the means of material prosperity can never be enjoyed without spiritual disadvantage1 or at least the risk of spiritual loss4 ,the whole region of ease and wealth lies towards the desert in which the adversaries of the soul have their lurking-places1 from which they come stealthily or even boldly in open day to make their assaults4 ,a man who has large means is exposed to the envy of others2 his life may be embittered by their designs upon him2 his nature may be seriously injured by the flattery of those who have no power but only the base cunning to which narrow self-love may descend4 ,these1 however1 are not the assailants that are most to be dreaded4 ,rather should the man who is rich fear the danger to his religion and his soul which draws near in other ways4 ,the wealthy who have no religion court his friendship and propose to him schemes for increasing his wealth4 ,alliances are urged upon him which stir and partly gratify his ambition4 ,he is pointed to honours that can only be had through abandoning the great ideas of life by which he should be ruled4 ,he is served obsequiously1 and is tempted to think that the world goes very well because he enjoys all he desires1 or is in the way to obtain the fulfilment of his highest earthly hopes4 ,the curse of egotism hangs over him1 and to escape it he needs a double portion of the spirit of humility4 ,yet how is that to come to him8 ,it is well for a man when1 before enjoying the good things of this life in abundance1 he has taken the field with those who have to fight a hard battle1 and has done his share of common work4 ,but even that is not enough to guard him against pride and self-sufficiency for the whole term of his existence4 ,better is it when by his own choice the hardness is retained in his experience1 when he never discharges himself from the duty of fighting side by side with others1 that he may help them to their inheritance4 ,that and that alone will save his life4 ,he is called as a soldier of ,god to maintain the holy war for human rights1 for the social well-being and spiritual good of mankind4 ,every rich man should be a friend of the people1 a reformer1 taking the part of the multitude against his own tendency and the tendency of his class to exclusiveness and self-indulgence4 ,the warning given by ,moses to ,reuben and ,gad in accepting their proposals should linger with those who are rich and in high station4 ,if they fail to do their duty to the general mass of their fellow-men1 if they leave the rest to fight1 at disadvantage1 for their human inheritance1 they sin against ,god's law1 which calls for brotherhood1 and that sin will surely find them out4 ,in the end no sin is more sure to come home in judgment4 ,and it is not by some miserable gifts to religious objects or some patronage of philanthropic schemes the prosperous can discharge the great debt laid upon them4 ,in whatever way the inequalities of life1 the disabilities of privilege and wealth1 hinder the realisation of brotherhood1 there lie opportunity and need for men's personal effort4 ,would this imply sacrifice of what are called rights1 of perhaps no small amount of substance8 ,that is precisely the saving of a rich man's life4 ,to that ,christ pointed the rich young ruler who came to ,him seeking salvation--from that the inquirer turned away4 ,and how does the sin of those who neglect such high duties find them out8 ,perhaps in the loss of the possessions they have selfishly guarded1 and their reduction to the level of those whom they kept at arm's-length and treated as inferiors or as enemies4 ,perhaps in the harshness of temper and bitterness of spirit the proud1 friendless rich man may find growing upon him in old age1 the horrible feeling that he has not one brother where he should have had thousands1 no one to care--except selfishly--whether he lives or dies4 ,to come to that1 so far as a man is concerned with his fellow-men1 is to be indeed lost4 ,but these retributions may be artfully escaped4 ,what then8 ,is not ,one to be reckoned with who is the ,guardian of the human family and gives men power and wealth only as ,his stewards1 to be used in ,his service8 ,the future life does not obliterate society1 but it destroys the class separations1 the factitious distinctions1 that exist now4 ,it brings a man face to face with the fact that he is but a man1 like others1 responsible to ,god4 ,is not the result indicated by our ,lord when ,he says to exclusive ,pharisaical men1 ,they shall come from the east and west1 and from the north and south1 and shall sit down in the kingdom--ye yourselves cast forth without8 ,brotherhood here1 not in name1 but in deed and truth1 means brotherhood above4 ,denial of it here means unfitness for the society of heaven4 ,we learn from ver4 #ai that the ,reubenites and ,gadites confidently affirmed1 even when they made their request to ,moses1 that their inheritance had fallen to them on the east side of ,jordan4 ,it may be asked how they knew1 since the division was not yet made4 ,and the answer appears to be that they had made up their minds on the subject4 ,without waiting for the lot1 they seem to have said1 ,this is nobody's land now that the ,amorites and ,midianites are dispossessed4 ,we will have it4 ,and there was no sufficient reason for refusing them their choice when they accepted the conditions4 ,at the same time1 these tribes did not act fairly and honourably4 ,and the result was that1 although they gained the fat land and the good pastures1 they lost the close fellowship with the other tribes which was of greater value4 ,reuben1 the premier tribe1 could no longer keep its position4 ,it was by-and-by succeeded by ,judah4 ,neither ,reuben nor ,gad made any great figure in the subsequent history4 ,the half-tribe of ,manasseh1 which was settled1 not on its own request1 but by authority1 in the northern part of ,gilead towards the ,argob1 had greater distinction4 ,gad has some notice4 ,we read of eleven valiant men of this tribe who swam the ,jordan at its highest to join ,david in his trouble4 ,but no person1 no incident is recorded to place ,reuben before us in any distincter form than as a member of the community 7if community it can be called7 of the ,reubenites1 the ,gadites1 and the half-tribe of ,manasseh4 ,the very towns of his inheritance--,heshbon1 ,aroer1 ,kiriathaim1 ,dibon1 ,baal-meon1 ,sibmah1 ,jazer--are familiar to us as ,moabite1 not as ,israelite1 towns4 ,the ,reubenites1 in fact1 under the influence of their wild neighbours1 gradually lost touch with their brethren and fell away from the religion of ,jehovah4 ,it is a parable of the degeneration of life4--,earthly choice rules and heavenly faith is hazarded for the sake of a temporal advantage4 ,men have their will because they insist upon it4 ,they do not consult the prophet1 but make terms with him1 that they may gain their end4 ,but as they place themselves1 so they have to live1 not on the soil of the promised land1 no integral part of ,israel4 ,,xxv ,,the ,,way ,,and ,,the ,,lot ,,numbers xxxiii41 xxxiv #a4 ,the itinerary of xxxiii4 #a-di is one of the passages definitely ascribed to ,moses4 ,it opens with the departure from ,rameses in ,egypt on the morrow after the passover1 when the children of ,israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the ,egyptians4 ,the exodus is made singularly impressive in this narrative by the addition that it took place while the ,egyptians were burying all their firstborn1 which the ,lord had smitten among them4 ,the ,divine salvation of ,israel begins when the dark shadow of loss and judgment rests on their oppressors4 ,the gods of ,egypt are discredited by the triumph of ,jehovah's people4 ,they can neither save their own worshippers nor prevent the servants of another from obtaining liberty4 ,from ,rameses1 the place of departure1 to ,abel-shittim1 in the plains of ,moab1 forty-two stations in all are given at which the ,israelites pitched4 ,of these about twenty-four are named either in ,exodus1 in other parts of the ,book of ,numbers1 or in ,deuteronomy4 ,some eighteen1 therefore1 are mentioned in this passage and nowhere else4 ,of the whole number1 comparatively few have as yet been identified4 ,the ,egyptian localities1 at least ,rameses and ,succoth1 are known4 ,with the exit from ,egypt1 at the crossing of the ,red ,sea difficulty begins4 ,our passage says that the ,israelites went three days' journey into the wilderness of ,etham2 ,exodus calls it the wilderness of ,shur4 ,then ,marah and ,elim bring the travellers1 according to chap4 xxxiii41 to the ,red ,sea1 the ,ym ,suph4 ,ordinarily1 this is supposed to be the ,gulf of ,suez1 alongside which the route would have lain from the day it was crossed4 ,there are1 however1 the best reasons for believing that this ,red ,sea is the eastern gulf1 ,the ,elanitic1 as it must be in xiv4 #be1 where1 after the evil report of the spies1 the ,divine command is given3 ,to-morrow turn ye1 and get you into the wilderness by the way to the ,red ,sea4 ,from this identification of the ,ym ,suph many things follow4 ,and one is the rejection of the ordinary opinion regarding the position of ,sinai4 ,the mountain of the law-giving is always described as situated in ,midian4 ,now1 ,midian is beyond ,elath1 on the eastern side of the ,ym ,suph1 not in the peninsula between the ,gulfs of ,suez and ,akabah4 ,elim and ,elath1 or ,eloth1 appear to be names for the same place1 at the head of the ,gulf of ,akabah4 ,we have therefore to look for ,sinai either among the southern hills of ,seir or those lying more southward still1 towards the desert4 ,in ,deborah's song 7,judg4 v4 #d1 #e7 occur the following verses3-- ,lord1 when ,thou wentest out of ,seir1 ,when ,thou marchedst out of the field of ,edom1 ,the earth trembled1 the heavens also dropped1 ,yea1 the clouds dropped water2 ,the mountains flowed down at the presence of the ,lord1 ,even yon ,sinai at the presence of the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel4 ,in the same direction the ,prayer of ,habbakuk points 7iii4 #c1 #g73 ,god came from ,teman1 ,and the ,holy ,one from ,mount ,paran4 ,his glory covered the heavens1 ,and the earth was full of ,his light4444 ,i saw the tents of ,cushan in affliction1 ,the curtains of the land of ,midian did tremble4 ,the tradition which places ,sinai in the south of the peninsula between the two gulfs is of later origin than the lifetime of ,st4 ,paul1 and can claim no higher authority than the interested fancies of ignorant cnobites4 ,it throws into confusion both the geography and the history of the ,pentateuch1 and contradicts the definite statements of the ,old ,testament4 ,so the most recent inquiry4 ,if ,mount ,sinai was somewhere to the south of ,edom1 the journey thence to ,kadesh by way of ,kibroth-hattaavah and ,hazeroth1 localities mentioned both in ,numb4 xi4 and xxxiii41 may have had other stations2 and these may be named in ver4 #ai of our passage and onward4 ,but identification of the places is exceedingly doubtful till we come to ,ezion-geber1 in the ,arabah1 and ,mount ,hor4 ,deut4 x4 places the scene of ,aaron's death at ,mosera1 which seems to be the same as ,moseroth1 and is there given along with other stations named in the itinerary---,bene-jaakan1 ,gudgodah 7 ,hor-haggidgad71 ,jotbathah4 ,and this seems to prove that these localities were in or near the ,arabah1 ,moseroth being in the region of ,mount ,hor4 ,but where ,kadesh is to be found between ,rithmah and ,moseroth1 and under what name1 it is impossible to say4 ,keil argues for ,rithmah itself4 ,palmer reckons twenty stations to the first arrival at ,kadesh4 ,his map1 however1 shows a ,mount ,sheraif1 which may be the same as ,shepher1 not far from ,gadis1 which he identifies with ,kadesh4 ,for the rest we are left in great ignorance1 relieved only by this1 that at the most there are but eighteen stations given1 more probably thirteen1 for the whole thirty-seven years between the first arrival at ,kadesh and the death of ,aaron at ,mount ,hor2 and five or six of these were on the ,arabah4 ,during the whole of that long period there were only a few removals of the tabernacle1 and those apparently within a limited area near ,kadesh4 ,a list of names with only three historical notes appears a singular memorial of the forty years4 ,time was1 no doubt1 when the places named were all well known1 and any ,israelite desiring to satisfy himself as to the route by which his forefathers went could make it out by help of this passage4 ,to us the interest of the subject is partly the same as that which might have been found by a ,hebrew1 say1 of the time of ,hezekiah1 for whom the verification of the wilderness journey might be a help to faith4 ,but the impossibility of identifying the localities shows that there are matters in the history of ,israel which are of no particular importance now4 ,there is more danger in seeking to gratify mere curiosity1 than profit in any possible discoveries4 ,why should not the mountain of the law-giving be hid in the shadows as well as the grave in which ,moses was laid8 ,why should not the places at which ,israel encamped be to us mere names1 since1 if we could identify them1 it might only be to add fresh difficulties instead of clearing away those that exist8 ,the ,israelites who entered ,canaan had not seen all the way by which ,jehovah led ,his people4 ,when they crossed the ,jordan1 present duty was to engage them1 not the mere names that belonged to the past4 ,they were to forget the things behind1 and stretch forward to the things which were before4 ,and duty is the same still4 ,our backward glance1 especially on the actual path from one spot of earth to another by which men have gone in trial and anticipation1 must not hinder the efforts called for by the circumstances of our own time4 ,the way of the desert1 especially1 may well lie half obliterated in the distance1 since we know the spiritual fruit of the dealings of ,god with ,israel1 and can bear it with us as we follow our own road4 ,the ideas of change and urgency are in our passage4 ,the wilderness journey was taken by a people on whom ,divine influences had laid hold1 who of themselves would have remained content in ,egypt1 but were not suffered1 because ,god had some greater thing in store for them4 ,the urgency throughout was ,his4 ,and so is that which we ourselves feel hurrying us from change to change1 from place to place4 ,we may not be in the wilderness1 but in a spot of shelter and comfort2 and it may be no house of bondage1 but a vantage-ground for generous effort4 ,even when we are thus happily settled1 as we imagine1 the call comes1 and we must strike our tents4 ,at other times our own anxiety anticipates the command4 ,but we know that always1 whether we pass into sterner conditions of life or escape to more pleasant circumstances1 the times and changes that happen to us are of ,god's appointing1 that ,his providence urges us toward a goal4 ,and this means that our reaching the goal must be by ,his way1 although properly we endeavour to find it for ourselves4 ,the number of the stations at which ,israel encamped in the course of forty years can scarcely be taken as representing the number of changes from dwelling to dwelling any pilgrim through this world shall have to make4 ,but if we think of halting-places and movements of thought1 we shall have a fruitful parallel4 ,from the twentieth to the sixtieth year--may we not say8--is the time of journeying that takes the mind from its first freedom to comparative rest4 ,not far on the ,divine law-giving impresses itself on the conscience2 and hence a direct road may appear to lead into the peace of obedience4 ,but the stations successively reached1 ,kibroth-hattaavah1 ,hazeroth1 ,rithmah1 and the rest1 represent each a peculiar difficulty encountered1 a barrier to our steady progress towards the settled mind4 ,st4 ,paul indicates one he found when he says3 ,i had not known coveting1 except the law had said1 ,thou shalt not covet4 ,another halt is imposed when it is found that the law appears to forbid what is according to nature2 still another when obedience requires separation from those who have been valued friends and pleasant companions4 ,these hindrances left behind as the soul1 still confiding and hopeful1 is urged on towards the goal1 a great trial like that of ,kadesh follows4 ,we are not far from the frontier of promise2 and anticipations are formed of many delights for heart and life4 ,is not obedience to bring felicity1 an easy salvation from doubt and fear8 ,but it becomes plain that there are enemies to faith and peace beyond the border as well as in the region already crossed4 ,complete conformity to the ,divine will has not been achieved4 ,will it ever be achieved8 ,we begin to doubt the result of law-keeping4 ,there is perhaps a backward look to ,sinai1 implying a question whether ,god spoke there1 or beyond ,sinai1 to the old traditional way of life4 ,and so another term of difficult inquiry begins4 ,in this way many find themselves held for a long period of middle life4 ,their minds move from one point to another without seeming to make any progress4 ,but neither does rest come4 ,it is seen that partial obedience1 a measure of nearness to the perfection once dreamed of1 will not suffice4 ,then arises the question whether obedience can ever save4 ,there is return almost to ,sinai itself1 at least to a place from which its peak is seen and the mind is confirmed as to the inexorability of law4 ,so the urgency of the ,divine will is felt1 and the way is fixed4 ,if the soul would make its own way into peace1 it is driven back4 ,for1 perhaps1 it would have the difficulty solved by taking the way of a ,church1 accepting a creed--as ,israel would have passed through the territory of ,edom4 ,this also is forbidden4 ,trusted helpers fall by the way1 as ,aaron died at ,hor1 and there is sorrowful delay4 ,but movement is enforced2 and1 finally1 it is by a road that reveals ,sinai and the law in quite another aspect1 showing vital faith1 not mere obedience1 to be the means of salvation1 our progress is made4 ,round the borders of ,edom1 not by trust in creed or ,church1 but by confidence in ,god ,himself1 the soul must advance4 ,then strength comes4 ,point after point is reached and passed4 ,self-righteousness1 pride1 and ,pharisaism--,amorites of the mountain land--are overcome4 ,at length through the faith of ,christ peace is found1 the peace that is possible on this side the river4 ,it is our high privilege to be urged and led on thus by ,him who knows the way we should take1 who tries us that we may come forth purified as gold4 ,without ,divine pressure we should content ourselves in the desert and never see the real good of life4 ,so many lose themselves because they will not admit that to be of the truth is necessary to salvation4 ,there is a way of thinking1 or rather refusing to think1 of spiritual verities which keeps the soul unaware of the purpose ,god would carry into effect1 or indifferent to it4 ,the mind refuses its duty2 and in the midway of life the spiritual goal fades from view4 ,to guard against this taking place in the case of any one is the office of the ,gospel ministry4 ,if evangelical preaching does not keep thought awake and attentive to ,divine inspirations1 if it does not speak to those who are in every stage of perplexity1 at every possible camping-ground1 it fails of its high purpose4 #b4 ,commandment is given that when the ,israelites pass over ,jordan they shall use effectual means for establishing themselves as the people of ,jehovah in ,canaan4 ,they are1 for one thing1 to drive out before them all the inhabitants of the land4 ,nothing is here said of putting them all to the sword2 only they are not to be left even in partial occupation4 ,the plan of ,israel's settlement in its new territory requires that it shall be subject to no alien influence1 and shall have the field entirely to itself for the development of customs1 civilisation1 and religion4 ,and in this there is nothing either impossible or1 as the ideas of the time went1 strange and cruel4 ,we do not need to take refuge in the command of ,god and defend it by saying that ,he had absolute right over the lives of the ,canaanites4 ,the tides of war and population were continually flowing and receding4 ,when the ,israelites reached ,canaan1 they had the same right as others to occupy it1 provided they could make their right good at the point of the sword4 ,yet for their own special consciousness the command given by ,moses in ,jehovah's name was most important4 ,it was only as ,his people they were to advance1 and as ,his people they were to dwell separate in ,canaan4 ,to drive out all the inhabitants of the land was1 however1 a difficult task2 and even ,moses might not intend the order to be literally obeyed4 ,we have seen that he did not require the destruction of the ,midianites to be absolute4 ,in the wars of conquest in ,canaan cases of a similar kind would necessarily arise4 ,when a tribe was driven out of its cities many would be left behind1 some of whom would conceal themselves and gradually venture from their hiding-places4 ,the command was general1 and could scarcely be supposed to require the putting to death of all children4 ,and again1 as we know1 there were fortresses which for a long time defied attempts to reduce them4 ,the ,israelites were not so faithful to ,god that ,moses could expect their success to be insured by supernatural aid4 ,it is the constant purpose they are to have in view1 to sweep the land clear of those presently in occupation4 ,as they establish themselves1 this will be carried out2 and if they fail1 allowing any of the tribes to remain1 these will be as pricks in their eyes and as thorns in their sides4 ,the will of ,god that ,israel1 called to special duty in the world1 was to keep itself separate1 is here strongly emphasised4 ,it was the only way by which faith could be preserved and made fruitful4 ,for the ,canaanites1 already civilised and in many of the arts superior to the ,hebrews1 had gross polytheistic beliefs imbedded in their customs1 and a somewhat elaborate cultus which was observed throughout the whole land4 ,figured stones1 which by their shape or incised emblems conveyed religious ideas2 molten images1 probably of bronze1 like those found at ,tel el ,hesy1 which were for household use1 or of a larger size for tribal adoration2 high places crowned by altars and sacrificial stones1 were specially to be destroyed4 ,the tendency to polytheism required to be carefully guarded against1 for the gods of ,canaan represented the powers of nature1 and their rites celebrated the fruitfulness of earth under the lordship of ,baal or ,bel1 and the mysterious processes of life associated with the influence of ,astarte1 the moon4 ,the divinities of ,egypt also appear to have had their worshippers2 and1 indeed1 the mixed population of the land had drawn from every neighbouring region symbols1 rites1 and practices supposed to propitiate the unseen powers on whose favour human life must depend4 ,israel could prosper only by rejecting and extirpating this idolatry4 ,allowed to survive in any degree1 it would be the cause of physical suffering and spiritual decay4 ,the command thus ascribed to ,moses was again one which he must have known the ,israelites would find difficult to carry out1 even if they were cordially disposed to obey it4 ,the sacred places of a country like ,canaan tend to retain their reputation even when the rites fall into disuse2 and however expeditiously the work of sweeping away the original inhabitants might be done1 there was no small danger that knowledge of the cult as well as veneration for the high places would be learned by the ,hebrews4 ,the command was made clear and uncompromising so that every ,israelite might know his duty2 but the difficulty and the peril remained4 ,and as we know from the ,book of ,judges and subsequent history1 the law1 especially in regard to the demolition of high places1 became practically a dead letter4 ,jehovah was worshipped at the ancient places of sacrifice2 and so far were even pious ,israelites of the next few centuries from thinking they did wrong in using those old altars1 that ,samuel fell in with the custom4 ,it was true in regard to this commandment as it is with regard to many others1--the high mark of duty is presented1 but few aim at it4 ,expediency rules1 the possible is made to suffice instead of the ideal4 ,there is reason to believe1 not only that the images and stone symbols of ,canaan were venerated1 but that ,jehovah ,himself was worshipped by many of the ,hebrews under the form of some animal4 ,and the ,canaanites became to those who fraternised with them as pricks in their eyes4 ,spiritual vision failed2 faith fell back on the coarse emblems used by the old inhabitants of the land4 ,then the vigour of the tribes decayed and they were judged and punished4 #c4 ,the boundaries of the land in which the ,israelites were to dwell are laid down in ch4 xxxiv42 but1 as elsewhere1 there is difficulty in following the geography and identifying the old names4 ,the south quarter is to be from the wilderness of ,zin along by the side of ,edom--that is to say1 it is to include the region of ,zin near ,kadesh and extend to the mountains of ,seir4 ,the ascent of ,akrabbim is apparently the ,ghor rising southwards from the ,dead ,sea4 ,the line then runs along the ,arabah for some distance1 say fifty miles1 across by the south of the ,azazimeh hills and of ,kadesh ,barnea towards the stream called the river or brook of ,egypt1 which it followed to its debouchment in the ,mediterranean4 ,the western boundary was the ,mediterranean or ,great ,sea for a distance of perhaps one hundred and sixty miles4 ,the northern boundary is exceedingly obscure4 ,they were to keep in view a mount ,hor as a landmark2 but no two geographers can be said to agree where it was4 ,the entering in of ,hamath is also a locality greatly disputed4 ,most likely it was some well-known part of the road leading along the ,leontes valley to that of the ,orontes4 ,if we take the mount ,hor here indicated to be ,hermon1 a line running west and striking the ,mediterranean somewhere north of ,tyre would be a natural boundary1 and would correspond fairly with the actual partition and occupation of the country4 ,it is certain1 however1 that both the ,philistines and ,phnicians1 especially the latter1 were so strongly established in the southern and northern parts of the seaboard that any attempt to dispossess them was soon discovered to be futile4 ,and even in the limited central range from ,kedesh ,naphtali to ,beersheba the settlement was only effected gradually4 ,the ,canaan of the ,divine promise marked out1 yet never fully possessed1 is a symbol of the region of this life which those who believe in ,god have assigned to them1 but never entirely enjoy4 ,there are boundaries within which there is abundant room for the development of the life of faith4 ,it is not1 as the world reckons1 a district of great resources4 ,as ,canaan had neither gold nor silver1 neither coal nor iron mines1 as its seaboard was not well supplied with harbours1 nor its rivers and lakes of great use for inland navigation1 so we may say the life open to the ,christian has its limitations and disabilities4 ,it does not invite those who seek pleasure1 wealth1 or dazzling exploits4 ,within it1 discipline is to be found rather than enjoyment of earthly good4 ,the milk and honey of this land are spiritual symbols1 ,divine sacraments4 ,there is room for the development of life in every branch of study and culture1 but in subordination to the glory of ,god1 and for the testimony that should be borne to ,his majesty and truth4 ,many of us affect to despise so narrow a range of thought and endeavour1 and persist in believing that something more than discipline may be looked for in this world4 ,is there not a proper kingdom of humanity better than any kingdom of ,god8 ,may not the race of men1 apart from any service paid to an ,unseen ,god1 attain dignity of its own1 power1 gladness1 magnificence8 ,it is supposed that by rejecting all the limitations of religion and refusing the outlook to another life the united labour of men will make this life free and this earth a paradise4 ,but it remains true that men must limit their hopes with regard to their own future here as individuals and the future of the race4 ,we must accept the boundaries ,god has fixed1 on one side the swift ,jordan1 on the other the ,great ,sea4 ,there are seemingly rich fields beyond1 wide regions that invite the tastes and senses1 but these are no part of the soul's inheritance2 to explore and reduce them would bring no real gain4 ,the range that lies open to us as servants of ,god1 and affords ample space for the discipline of life1 is often not used and therefore not enjoyed4 ,when people will not accept the inevitable fixed limits within which their time and vigour can be occupied to the best advantage1 when they look covetously to districts of experience not meant for them1 as ,israel did at certain periods of her history1 their life is spoiled4 ,discontent begins1 envy follows4 ,where in seeking and reaching moral gains1 purity1 courage1 love1 there would have been a continual sense of adequate result and encouraging prospect1 there is now no gain1 no pleasure4 ,the appointed lot is despised1 and all it can yield held in contempt4 ,how many there are who1 with a full river of ,divine bounty on one side their life1 and the great ocean of the ,divine faithfulness ebbing and flowing on the other1 with the pastures and olive-groves of the ,word of ,god to nourish their soul1 with access to ,his city and sanctuary1 and an outlook from summits like ,tabor and ,hermon to a transfigured life in the new heavens and earth1 speak nevertheless with scorn and bitterness of their heritage6 ,they might be reaching the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ1 but they remain graceless and discontented to the end4 ,israel1 understanding its destiny and using its opportunities aright1 might well say--and so may every one who knows the truth as it is in ,jesus ,christ--the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places2 yea1 ,i have a goodly heritage4 ,but this gladness of heart has its root in believing content4 ,the restricted land is full of ,god's promise3 ,thou maintainest my lot4 ,the security of ,jehovah's word encompasses the man of faith4 ,,xxvi ,,the ,,cities ,,of ,,refuge ,,numbers xxxv41 xxxvi #a4 ,,the ,,inheritance ,,of ,,the ,,levites4 ,the order relating to the ,levitical cities may be said to describe an ideal settlement4 ,we have1 at all events1 no evidence that the command was ever fully carried out4 ,it was to the effect that in forty-eight cities1 scattered throughout the whole of the tribes in proportion to their population1 dwellings were to be allotted to the ,levites1 who were also to have the suburbs of those cities2 that is to say1 the fields lying immediately about them1 for their cattle1 and for their substance1 and for all their beasts4 ,it is assumed that closely surrounding each of the cities there shall be pasturage1 and that a regular or fairly regular boundary can be made at the distance of one thousand cubits from the city4 ,singularly1 nothing whatever is said as to the duties of the ,levites thus distributed throughout the land on both sides ,jordan1 from ,kedesh ,naphtali in the north1 to ,debir in the south1 according to ,josh4 xxi4 ,it is not said that they were to perform any ecclesiastical functions or instruct the people in the ,divine ,law4 ,yet something of the kind must have been intended1 since many of them were at a great and inconvenient distance from ,shiloh and other places at which the ark was stationed4 ,according to this statute1 there is1 for one thing1 to be no seclusion of the ,levites from the rest of the people4 ,if clergy and laity1 as we say1 are distinguished1 the distinction is made as small as possible4 ,from the terms of the present order 7xxxv4 #b1 ff47 it might appear that the towns given to the ,levites were to be occupied by them exclusively4 ,in parallel passages1 however1 it is clear that the ,levites dwelt along with others in the cities2 and in this way1 as well as by engaging in pastoral work1 they were kept closely in touch with the men of the tribes4 ,the land allotted to them was not sufficient for farms2 but the tithes and offerings were to a large extent for their support4 ,and the arrangement thus sketched is held with some reason to be an ideal for every order of men called to similar duty4 ,the ,levites1 indeed1 were not at first spiritual4 ,neither the nature of their work at the sanctuary1 nor the conditions of their life1 implied any special consecration of heart4 ,but the general tone of a religious ministry advances2 and even in ,david's time there were ,levites who served ,god in no mere routine1 but with earnest mind1 with a measure of inspiration4 ,the ordinance here is in behalf of a consecrated order devoted to the service of ,god4 ,the suburbs1 or pasture lands about the cities1 are measured a thousand cubits broad1 and are to be two thousand cubits along each of the four boundaries4 ,if the figures given are correct it would seem that1 although the wall of the city is spoken of1 the measurement must really have begun in the centre of the city2 otherwise there could never have been a square of land1 cities not taking that form2 nor could a boundary of two thousand cubits on each aspect1 north1 south1 east1 and west1 be made out4 ,the cities must often have been small1 a cluster of poor huts built of clay or rude brick1 with a wall of similar material4 ,we need imagine no stately dwellings or fine pleasure grounds when we read here of the provision for the ,levites4 ,within the wall they had their bare1 mean cottages2 outside1 there might be a breadth of perhaps four hundred yards of poor enough ground which they could claim4 ,but as the tithes were not always paid1 so the dwellings and the pasturage may not always have been allotted4 ,there is not much reason to wonder that in a short time after the settlement in ,canaan the ,levites1 finding no special work at the sanctuary1 and obtaining little support from the offerings1 gradually became part of the tribes in which they happened to have their abode4 ,hence we read in ,judges 7xvii4 #g7 of a young man out of ,bethlehem-judah1 of the family of ,judah1 who was a ,levite4 ,the main purpose of the present statute1 so far as it refers to the dwellings of the ,levites1 would appear to have been economic1 not religious4 ,it was that all the tribes might have their share of maintaining the servants of the sanctuary4 ,but it seems likely that a class half priestly would1 in lack of other duty1 attach itself to the high places1 and set up a worship not contemplated by the law4 ,and if this is to be regarded as a misfortune1 the choice of the ,levitical cities is in some cases difficult to account for4 ,kedesh in ,naphtali had been a famous holy place of the ,canaanites2 so probably were others1 as ,gibeon1 ,shechem1 ,gath-rimmon4 ,the special symbol of ,jehovah was the ark2 and where the ark was the principal national rites were always performed4 ,but in a time of pioneer work and constant alarms the central sanctuary could not always be visited1 and the ,levites appear to have lent themselves to worship of a local kind4 ,an ecclesiastical order needs great faithfulness if it is not to become irreligious through poverty1 or proud and domineering through assumption of power with ,god4 ,to live poorly as those ,levites were expected to live1 without the opportunity of earthly gain1 while often the share of national support which was due fell to a very low and wholly inadequate amount1 would try the fidelity of the best of them4 ,no large claim need be made in behalf of men specially engaged in the work of the ,christian ,church2 and great wealth seems inappropriate to those who represent ,christ4 ,but what is their due should at least be paid cheerfully1 and the more so if they give earnest minds to the service of ,god and man4 ,with all faults that have at various periods of the ,church's history stained the character of the clergy1 they have maintained a testimony on behalf of the higher life1 and the sacredness of duty to ,god4 ,a materialistic age will make light of that service1 and point to ecclesiastical pride and covetousness as more than counterbalancing any good that is done4 ,but a broad and fair survey of the course of events will show that the witness-bearing of a special class to religious ideas has kept alive that reverence on which morality depends4 ,true1 the ideal of a theocracy would dispense with an order set apart to teach the law of ,god and to enforce ,his claims on men4 ,but for the times that now are1 even in the most ,christian country1 the witness-bearing of a gospel ministry is absolutely needful4 ,and we may take the statute before us as anticipating a general necessity1 that necessity which the apostles of our ,lord met when they ordained presbyters in every ,church1 and gave them commission to feed the flock of ,god4 #b4 ,,the ,,cities ,,of ,,refuge4 ,among the forty-eight cities that provide dwellings for the ,levites1 six are to be cities of refuge1 that the man-slayer which killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither4 ,three of these cities are to be on the east and three on the west side of ,jordan4 ,according to other enactments they are to be distributed so as to be reached quite easily from all parts of the country4 ,they were sanctuaries for any one fleeing from the avenger of blood2 but the protection found in them was not by any means absolute4 ,only if there appeared to be good cause for admitting a fugitive was he afforded refuge even for a time1 and his trial followed as soon as possible4 ,the laws of protection and judgment are here laid down not fully1 though with some detail4 ,we notice first that the statutes regarding the man-slayer are frankly based on the primitive practice of blood revenge4 ,it was the duty of the nearest male relation of one who had been slain to seek the blood of the man who slew him4 ,the duty was held to be one which he owed to his brother1 to the community1 and to ,god2 and the principle of retribution in such cases was embodied in the saying1 ,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4 ,the gol1 or redeemer1 whose part it was to recover for a family land that had been alienated1 or a member of the family who had fallen into slavery1 had it also laid on him to seek justice on behalf of the family when one belonging to it had been killed4 ,the evils of this method of punishing crime are very evident4 ,all the heat of personal affection for the man put to death1 the keen desire to maintain the honour of family or clan1 and the bitter hatred of the tribe to which the homicide belonged1 made the pursuit of the criminal swift and the stroke fierce and unrelenting4 ,a gol put on a false track might easily strike to the ground an innocent person2 and he would feel himself bound to incur all risks in avenging his kinsman4 ,often whole tribes of ,arabs are involved in the blood feud beginning in a single stroke1 and wherever the custom prevails there is the gravest danger of wide and sanguinary strife4 ,the enactments of our passage are intended to counteract in part these abuses and dangers4 ,we may wonder that the ,hebrew law1 enlightened on many points1 did not wholly abolish the practice of blood revenge4 ,justice is not the private affair of any man1 even the nearest kinsman of one who has been injured4 ,we have learned that the administration of law1 especially in cases of murder or supposed murder1 is best taken out of the hands of a private avenger1 whose aim is to strike as soon and as effectually as possible4 ,it remains of course for those whose friend has died by violence to institute inquiries and do their utmost to bring the criminal to justice4 ,but even when a man's guilt seems clear his trial is before an impartial judge by whom all relevant facts are elicited4 ,in ,hebrew law there was no complete provision for such an administration of justice4 ,the ancient custom could not be easily set aside1 for one thing2 the passionate oriental nature would cling to it4 ,and for another1 there was no organisation for repressing disorder and dealing with crime4 ,a certain risk had to be run1 in order that the sanctity of human life might be clearly kept before a people too ready to strike as well as to curse4 ,but if the man-slayer was able to reach a city of refuge he had his trial4 ,the old custom was checked by the right of the fugitive to claim sanctuary and to have his case investigated4 ,as for the sanctuary cities1 there may also have been some imperfect custom which anticipated them4 ,in ,egypt there certainly was2 and the ,canaanites1 who had learned not a little from ,egypt1 may have had sacred places that afforded protection to the fugitive4 ,but the ,mosaic law prevented abuse of the means of evading justice4 ,he who had killed another was a criminal before ,god4 ,the blood of the brother he had slain defiled the land and cried to ,heaven4 ,no sanctuary must protect a man who had with homicidal purpose struck another4 ,there was to be neither priestly protection1 nor sanctuary1 nor ransom for him4 ,the ,divine principle of justice took up the cause4 ,in vv4 #af ff4 there are examples of cases which are adjudged to be murder4 ,to smite one with an instrument of iron1 or with a stone grasped in the hand presumably large enough to kill1 or with a weapon of wood1 a heavy club or bar1 is adjudged to be deliberate homicide4 ,then if hatred can be proved1 and one known to have cherished enmity towards another is shown to have thrust him down1 or hurled at him1 lying in wait1 or to have smitten him with the hand1 such a one is to be allowed no sanctuary4 ,on the other hand1 the cases of inadvertent homicide are defined3 if he thrust him suddenly without enmity1 or hurled upon him anything without lying in wait1 or with any stone1 whereby a man may die1 seeing him not4 ,these1 of course1 are simply instances1 not exhaustive categories4 ,it is not here stated1 but in ,josh4 xx4 #d the statute runs that the man-slayer who fled to a sanctuary city was to state his cause before the elders1 no doubt at the gate4 ,their preliminary decision had to be given in his favour before he could be admitted4 ,but the real trial was by the congregation1 ,numb4 xxxv4 #bd1 some assembly representing the tribe within whose territory the crime has been committed1 or more likely a gathering of headmen of the whole nation4 ,further1 at ver4 #cj it is enacted that the charge of the avenger of blood against any one must be substantiated by two witnesses at least4 ,these provisions form the basis of a sound judicial method4 ,the rights of refuge and of revenge stand opposed to each other1 and between the two a large and authoritative court gives judgment4 ,it will be observed1 moreover1 that the judiciary was not ecclesiastical4 ,where power was to be exercised in the name of ,god1 the priests were not to wield it1 but the people4 ,the form of government is far nearer a democracy than a hierocracy4 ,a singular point in the law is the term during which the unwitting man-slayer who had been acquitted by the court of justice must remain in sanctuary4 ,he is in danger of being put to death by the avenger of blood until the acting high priest dies4 ,till that event he must keep within the border of his city of refuge4 ,and here the idea seems to be that the official memory of the crime which had ceremonially defiled the land rested with the high priest4 ,he was supposed to keep in mind1 on ,god's behalf1 the bloodshed which even though unintentional was still polluting4 ,his death accordingly obliterated the recollection that kept the man-slayer under peril of the gol's revenge4 ,the high priest had no power to acquit or condemn a criminal1 nor to enforce against him the punishment of his fault4 ,but he was the guardian of the sacredness of the land in the midst of which ,jehovah dwelt4 ,with regard to the symbolical meaning of the cities of refuge1 it is needful to exercise great care at every point4 ,the man-slayer1 for instance1 fleeing from the avenger of blood1 is not a type of the sinner fleeing for his life from the justice of ,god4 ,if guilty of murder1 a man could find no safety even in the city of refuge4 ,it was only if he was not guilty of premeditated crime that he found sanctuary4 ,the refuge cities1 however1 represented ,divine justice as in contrast to the justice or rather the vengeance of man--that ,divine justice which ,christ came to reveal1 giving ,himself for us upon the cross4 ,human righteousness errs sometimes by excess1 sometimes by defect4 ,certain offences it would never condemn1 others it would passionately and remorselessly punish4 ,the sanctuary cities show a higher idea of justice4 ,but all men are guilty before ,god4 ,and there is mercy with ,him not only for the unwitting transgressor1 but for the man who has to confess deliberate sin1 the forfeiture of his life to ,divine law4 ,the singular opinion has been expressed that the death of the high priest was expiatory4 ,this is said to be unmistakably evident from the addition of the clause1 who has been anointed with the holy oil 7ver4 #be74 ,the argument is that as the high priest's life and work acquired a representative signification through this anointing with the ,holy ,ghost1 his death might also be regarded as a death for the sins of the people by virtue of the ,holy ,ghost imparted to him1 through which the unintentional man-slayer received the benefits of the propitiation for his sins before ,god1 so that he could return cleansed to his native town without further exposure to the vengeance of the avenger of blood4 ,and thus1 it is said1 ,the death of the earthly high priest became a type of that of the heavenly ,one1 who through the eternal ,spirit offered ,himself without spot to ,god1 that we might be redeemed from our transgressions4 ,but although many of the ,rabbins and fathers held this view as to the expiatory nature of the high priest's death1 there is absolutely nothing in ,scripture or reason to support it4 ,all the expiation1 moreover1 which the ,mosaic law provided for was ceremonial4 ,if the death of the high priest was efficacious only so far as his functions were1 then there could be no atonement or appearance of atonement for moral guilt1 even that of culpable homicide for instance4 ,the death of the high priest was therefore in no sense a type of the death of ,christ1 the whole meaning of which lies in relation to moral1 not ceremonial1 offences4 ,while it cannot be said that light is thrown by the provisions regarding cities of refuge on the atonement of ,christ--for that would be the morning star shedding light on the sun--still there are some points of illustration2 and one of these may be noted4 ,as the protection of the sanctuary city extended only to the boundaries or precincts belonging to it1 so the defence the sinner has in ,christ can be enjoyed only so far as life is brought within the range of the influence and commands of ,christ4 ,he who would be safe must be a ,christian4 ,it is not mere profession of faith--,lord1 ,lord1 have we not prophesied in ,thy name8--but hearty obedience to the laws of duty coming from ,christ that gives safety4 ,who shall lay any thing to the charge of ,god's elect8--and the elect are those who yield the fruit of the ,spirit1 who are lovers of ,god and their fellow-men1 who show their faith by their works4 ,it is a misrepresentation of the whole teaching of ,scripture to declare that salvation can be had1 apart from life and practice1 in some mythical relation with ,christ which is hardly even to be stated in words4 #c4 ,,tribal ,,inheritance4 ,already we have heard the appeal of the daughters of ,zelophehad to be allowed an inheritance as representing their father4 ,now a question which has arisen regarding them must be solved4 ,the five women have not cared to undertake the work of the upland farm allotted to them1 somewhere about the head waters of the ,yarmuk4 ,they have1 in fact1 as heiresses been somewhat in request among the young men of different tribes2 and they are almost on the point of giving their hands to husbands of their choice4 ,but the chiefs of the family of ,manasseh to which they belong find a danger here4 ,the young women may perhaps choose men of ,gad1 or men of ,judah4 ,then their land1 which is part of the land of ,manasseh1 will go over to the tribes of the husbands4 ,there will be a few acres of ,judah or of ,gad in the north of ,manasseh's land4 ,and if other young women throughout the tribes1 who happen to be heiresses1 marry according to their own liking1 by-and-by the tribe territories will be all confused4 ,is this to be allowed8 ,if not1 how is the evil to be prevented8 ,the national centre and general unity of ,israel could not in the early period be expected to suffice4 ,without tribal coherence and a sense of corporate life in each family the ,israelites would be lost among the people of the land4 ,especially would this tend to take place on the eastern side of ,jordan and in the far north4 ,now the clan unity went with the land4 ,it was as those dwelling in a certain district the descendants of one progenitor realised their brotherhood4 ,hence there was good reason for the appeal of the ,manassites and the legislation that followed4 ,women who succeeded to land were to marry within the families of their fathers4 ,men were apparently not forbidden to marry women of another tribe if they were not heiresses4 ,but the possession of land by women carried with it a responsibility and deprived them of a certain part of freedom4 ,every daughter who had an inheritance was to be wife to one of her near kin2 so should no inheritance remove from one family to another2 the tribes should cleave every one to his own inheritance4 ,the exigencies of the early settlement appear to have required this law2 and it was maintained as far as possible1 so that he who lived in a certain region might know himself not only a ,reubenite or a ,benjamite as the case might be1 but a son of ,hanoch of the ,reubenites1 or a son of ,ard among the ,benjamites4 ,but we may doubt whether the unity of the nation was not delayed by the means used to keep the land for each tribe and each tribe on its own land4 ,the arrangement was perhaps inevitable2 yet it certainly belonged to a primitive social order4 ,the homogeneity of the people would have been helped and the tribes held more closely together by interchange of land4 ,in every law made at an early stage of a people's development there is involved something unsuitable to after periods4 ,and perhaps one error made by the ,israelites was to cling too long and too closely to tribal descent and make too much of genealogy4 ,the enactment regarding the marriage of heiresses within their own families was an old one1 bearing the authority of ,moses4 ,there came a time when it should have been revoked and everything done that was possible to weld the tribes together4 ,but the old customs held2 and what was the result8 ,the tribes east of ,jordan1 as well as ,dan and ,asher1 were well-nigh lost to the ,confederacy at an early date4 ,subsequently a division began between the northern and southern peoples4 ,we cannot doubt that partly for want of family alliances between ,judah and ,ephraim1 and subordination of tribal to national sentiment1 there came the separation into two kingdoms4 ,for the tribe idea and the other of making inheritance of land a governing matter1 the ,israelites would seem to have paid dearly4 ,and there is danger still in the attempt to make a nation cohere on any mere territorial basis4 ,it is the spirit1 the fidelity to a common purpose1 and the pervasive enthusiasm that give real unity4 ,if these are wanting1 or if the general aim is low and material1 the security of families in the soil may be exceedingly mischievous4 ,at the same time the old feeling is proved to have a deep root in fact4 ,territorial solidarity is indispensable to a nation2 and the exclusion of a people from large portions of its land is an evil intolerable4 ,christianity has not done its work where the ,church1 the teacher of righteousness1 is unconcerned for this great matter4 ,how can religion flourish where brotherhood fails8 ,and how can brotherhood survive in a nation when the right of occupying the soil is practically denied8 ,first among the economic questions which claim ,christian settlement is that of land tenure1 land right4 ,christianity carries forward the principles of the ,mosaic law into higher ranges1 where justice is not less1 but more--where brotherhood has a nobler purpose1 a finer motive4 ,,index ,aaron1 #af2 character of1 #bi2 and his sons1 #cb2 complains of ,moses' marriage1 #acg2 rod of1 #aih1 #bjg2 intercession of1 #bjg2 close of his life1 #bce4 ,aaronites1 support of1 #bae4 ,abstinence1 pledge of1 #fj4 ,agag1 #cjg4 ,alliances with ,christianity1 #aad4 ,amalekites1 #cab4 ,amorites1 #aeg1 #bec2 defeat of1 by ,israel1 #bee4 ,anak1 sons of1 #aeg4 ,angel of the ,lord1 #bha4 ,arabah1 ,wady1 #bdd4 ,arad1 ,king of1 #agh1 #bdc4 ,ark1 the1 #dd2 borne before the host1 #aaf4 ,arnold1 ,matthew1 #cjd4 ,art1 claimed for ,god1 #ie4 ,assemblies1 calling of1 #if4 ,atonement1 for omissions1 #ahd2 great day of1 #cef4 ,azazel1 #cee4 ,baal-peor1 festival of1 #cad4 ,baals1 the1 #bie4 ,balaam1 reputation of1 #bfa2 name of1 #bfb2 his knowledge of ,jehovah1 #bfg2 refuses to go to ,moab1 #bfh2 his error1 #bgc2 the critical1 #bhc2 first parable of1 #bib2 prayer of1 #bif2 second parable of1 #cjj2 third parable of1 #cje2 fourth parable of1 #cji2 end of1 #cbj2 like ,absalom1 #cbb4 ,balak1 in anxiety1 #bfa2 and ,balaam1 #bhh2 his sacrifices1 #bij2 bewildered1 #cje4 ,bashan reduced1 #bee4 ,bible1 the ,word of ,god1 #afc2 statements of1 #bha4 ,blessing1 the1 of ,aaron1 #fg2 of ,moses1 #aaf4 ,blood revenge1 #djj4 ,boehme1 ,jacob1 quoted1 #fi4 ,boundaries of land1 #cij4 ,brazen serpent1 the1 #bdh2 symbolism connected with1 #bdi4 ,browning1 ,r41 quoted1 #bge1 #bid4 ,caleb1 one of the spies1 #aea2 honoured1 #agc4 ,camp1 arrangement of the1 #bg4 ,canaan1 to be explored1 #aeb2 reported on1 #aeg4 ,canaanites admitted to fellowship1 #ahc2 to be driven out1 #chi4 ,candelabrum1 #gh2 symbolism of1 #gi4 ,censers1 the two hundred and fifty1 #aih1 #bje4 ,census1 the first1 #ah2 of all men1 #bj2 results of1 #bb2 the second1 #cbc4 ,ceremonial duties1 use of1 #dg4 ,chaldean soothsaying1 #bfc4 ,chittim1 #cjf1 #cab4 ,christ1 the ,light1 #hc2 the historical1 #hh2 ,revealer of ,god1 #ib2 the ,true ,leader1 #aji2 sin-bearing of1 #abf2 sole headship of1 #baj2 the ,healer1 #bdi2 did ,balaam prophesy of8 #caj4 ,christian1 law1 rejection of1 #ahg2 life1 ignorant criticism of1 #aeh2 limitations of1 #cic2 nation1 duty of a1 #afj4 ,church1 position of the1 #bj2 a national1 #ba2 and the irresolute1 #ajg2 helpers of the1 #aac2 perils of1 #aae2 mistaken claims of1 #agf2 unity of1 #bjc4 ,civilisation without morality1 #cgb4 ,cloud1 the pillar of1 #hi2 in ,isaiah1 #ij2 value of1 as a symbol1 #ic4 ,complaints of the ,israelites1 #aai2 against ,providence1 #aai4 ,conscience paltered with1 #bgh4 ,consciousness1 the ,divine1 #cbg4 ,convocation1 holy1 #ceb4 ,covetousness1 #bgb4 ,daily worship1 #cde4 ,dathan and ,abiram1 #aie1 #bje4 ,dead1 defilement by the1 #ec1 #bbj4 ,death1 conception of1 #c2 desired1 #abh2 triumphed over1 #bch2 tests faith1 #ccg4 ,delitzsch1 ,prof4 ,f41 quoted1 #ceg4 ,discipline1 the finest1 #bch2 of humanity1 #cbe4 ,disorder1 social1 #afe4 ,divination1 #bfc4 ,divine guidance1 #bfh4 ,division of land1 #ccj4 ,drama of life1 #ccj4 ,edom1 territory of1 #bcj2 ,israel debarred from1 #bca4 ,egyptian worship1 #dc4 ,eleazar1 and ,ithamar1 #ca2 installed as high priest1 #bda4 ,eldad and ,medad1 #acj4 ,elders1 seventy1 chosen1 #abh2 became critics of ,moses1 #bjj4 ,endeavour1 law of1 #cbd4 ,enthusiasm of faith1 #cjc4 ,ethiopians1 #acf4 ,ezekiel1 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,smith1 ,w4 ,robertson1 quoted1 #cg4 ,spies1 the1 despatched1 #aea2 evil report of1 #aeh2 doom of the ten1 #agc4 ,spirit1 endowment of the1 #acj4 ,spiritual maladies1 #adi4 ,spirituality1 #bif4 ,standards1 #bg4 ,strange fire1 #ca4 ,strangers1 #ahb4 ,symbolism1 of ,sabbath1 #aia2 ,christian1 #aic4 ,sympathy with ,christianity1 #aab4 ,taberah1 #abj4 ,tabernacles1 feast of1 #cei4 ,tassels1 memorial1 #aib4 ,temple1 the1 #ge4 ,temptations1 #cga4 ,theocracy1 not hierocracy1 #f2 sustained1 #cai4 ,tithes1 #bae4 ,transgressors1 high-handed1 #ahe4 ,trespass1 atonement for1 #ee4 ,tribes1 the1 in camp1 #bg4 ,trumpets1 the silver1 #ie2 signalled the advance1 #ig2 in war time1 #ii2 at festivals #ajj1 #cee4 ,unbelieving1 doom of the1 #afg4 ,uncleanness1 ideas of1 #df2 by leprosy1 #dh2 by the dead1 #eb1 #bbj4 ,unity of ,christians1 #ig4 ,unleavened bread1 feast of1 #cea4 ,urim1 #cda4 ,vaheb in ,suphah1 #bea4 ,virtue1 safety of1 #bgi4 ,vocation of the ,christian1 #abc4 ,vows1 #cdd1 #cfa2 of women1 #cfb4 ',wars of ,jehovah1 ,book of1' #bea4 ,water fails1 #bbd4 ,way of the soul1 #chf4 ,well1 song of the1 #beb4 ,wellhausen1 ,j41 on theocracy1 #f2 on ,korah1 #aii2 quoted1 #cag1 #cfh4 ,wilderness1 our life in1 #abd1 #beh2 near ,maan1 #bde2 discipline of1 #bef4 ,women1 claim of1 #aci1 #ccb4 ,young1 the1 hopefulness of1 #agb4 ,zared1 valley of1 #bea4 ,zelophehad1 daughters of1 #cca1 #djf4 ,zippor1 #bfb4 ,zophim1 #bii4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious punctuation and spelling errors have been fixed throughout4 ,inconsistent hyphenation is as in the original4