T H E S P I RI T OF P R O P H E CY .

T HE

G RE A T CO N T R O V E R S Y

T
BE W EEN

CHRIST AND HIS ANGELS

A ND

SA T A N A N D H IS A N G ELS .

BY EL L EN G .

E HITE .

V O L . I

ST EA M P RES S
or TH ' S EVENT H DA Y A DVE N T I
-
ST P U B LI S H I NG A S S OCI A T I ON ,

B A TT LE CREEK M ICH
 CON T E N T S .

I x rn O O CCI
- '
O II Y —T n n S P I RI T OF P no p n z c r ,
C HAP TER I .

T m; FA LL OF S A AN T
C H APT ER II .

T m; Ca n A T l O X,

CHAPTER I I I .

T m; T RI PT A H O X A
'
m) FALL
CH A P TER I V .

T H E P LA N OF S AL VA I ON ,T ”

C HA PT ER V .

C A D: Axn Aux .

CHAPT ER V I .

S zm '
A tn Es oc n
C H A PT ER V II .

T m; F L O O D ,

C H AP TER V III .

s a z xsno p msurr ,

C HAP TER IX .

T m: T w n: o or BA nxL,
C HAP TER X .

A B RA II A II

CH A PT ER XI
C HA P T ER XII .

J A CO B AND ES A U ,
C HAP TER XIII .

J A CO B A ND u mAN G EL ,

H P
C A T ER XI V .

J o sap n A m) ms B an a n as,

C HAP TER X V .

C H A P TER XV I .

T m; P Lo z s ox Ea r n ,

C H A PTER XV II .

Tun P A sso v sn,

.
vi C ON T EN T S .

C HAP TER X V III .

I S B A EL L EA VES EG YP T ,

C HA P TER XI X .

T n EI B J O U BN EI IN G S ,

CHA PTER XX .

T E E LA W or G O D,

C HAP TER XXI .

T E E S AN C T U A RY,
C HA P TER XXII .

S T B A N G E FI RE
C HAP T ER XX I II .

T E E ' U AIL S ,

C HA P TER XXI V .

M I B I A II ,
C H APT ER XXV .

CAL EB AN D JO S HU A ,

C HAPTER XX V I .

K OBA B , DA T B A N ,
A ND A DI BA E ,

C HAPTER XX V I I .

A A B ON
’
S RO D,

C HAP TER XX V III .

TEE SIN or MO S ES ,

C HA P TER XX I X .

F I ERY S ERP EN TS
C HA PTER XXX .

BA L A A II ,

C HA P TER XXXI .

B EA T E or MO SES ,

C HAPTER XXXII .

J OSB UA

C HAP TER XXXI I I .

S A M U EL AND S A U L,

C HAPTER XXXIV .

DA VI D ,

C HAPTER XXX V .

S O L O M ON
C HA PT ER XXXV I .

TE E A RK OF
 T HE SPIRIT OF PROPH ECY .

ON CE, man k ed wi th G od in Eden W i th op en face h e

w al .

beh eld th e glory of th e L ord and talk e d wi th God an d Christ , , ,

an d a n g e ls i n P arad i se
, w ith out a d immin g va i l b e twe en
,
.

M an fell from h i s moral r e c ti tud e an d i nn oce n cy a n d was ,

d iven from th e garden from th e tre e of l i fe and from th e

r
, ,

vi sibl e p r e se n c e of t h e L ord an d h is h oly an g el s M oral .

darkn ess li k e th e p all of d e ath h a s si n c e c astits S h ad ows

, ,

eve y w h e re an d ever wh ere t

r , y h e bl igh t a n d m i l d e w o f s i n

h as b e e n seen A n d ami d t. h e gen eral gl oom a n d mora l

wre tc h e d n e ss man h as wan d er ed f rom t
, h e gat e s of P ar a d i se

for n e a rly six t h ou san d y ears su bj e ctto si ckn ess p a in sor , , ,

r ow t, e a rs an d d e at
, h H e h as also b een subj ec t to th e
.

temp t at i on s an d wi les of th e d evi l so much so th a titi s th e ,

sa d h i st o ry of man t h rough outth e enti re p eri od Of h is fall en

,

st ate t h atS a tan h as reig ed wi th almostun iversal swa y

, n .

W h e n all wa s l ostin A d am an d th e sh a d e s of n igh td a k ,

r

en e d t h e moral h eaven s th e re so on a pp e a red t ,

h e st ar of

h op e i n Ch i st an d wi t
r h itth ere w as establi sh ed a mean s of
,

commu n i c ati on b e twe en G od an d man I n his fall en sta te .

,

man c ould n otc onve rse fa c e to fa c e wi th God an d wi th Ch ri st , ,

an d w i t h an g els as wh en in his Ede n puri ty But th rough

,
.

th e mi i st n rat i on of h oly an gels c oul d th e greatG od sp e ak to

him in d e a ms an d in vi si on s
r If th ere b e a p oph et .
'
r

a mon g y ou I t h e L ord wi ll ma k e my sel f k n own u

,
nt o h im i n

a vi si on an d wi ll sp e ak u t
,
o h im i n a d ream
”
n Nu m 12 6 . . .

T h e man ife st at i on of th e S piritof p roph ecy was d e sig ed n

for all d i sp en sa t i on s Th e S ac re d Re c ord n owh e re e st i c ts

.
r r

itto an y p arti c u p ti
la r eri od of me f o r m th e fal l t o th e fi n al
,

re sti tu ti on Th e Bi bl e rec ogni ze s its mani fe st

.
at i on alik e in
8 T H E S P R T OF PRO P H ECYI I .

th e p atiarch al a ge in th e J ewi sh age an d in th e Ch ri sti a n

r , ,

age . T h ro u g h thi s m e d i um G o d c om m un e d w i th h ol y me n
of old .E o c h th e se ve th from A d a m p rop h e si e d ; a d so
n , n ,
n

e xt e n si ve wa s t h e ra n g e of h is p rop h e t i c vi si on a nd so mi ,

nu te t h a th e c ould l ook d own over l on g a g e s a n d d e sc ib e

, ,
r

th e c omi g of th e L ord a n d t
n h e e x ec ut i on of th e l a st J ud g
,

me tup on th e u godly J ud e verse s I 4 1 5

n n .
, , .

G od sp ak e to h is p roph e t s in t h e J e wi sh d i sp e sa t i on in n

vi si on s a d i n d rea ms an d O p e n e d b e fore th e m th e g e a t
n ,
r

t hi gs of th e future e sp e c ia lly th ose c on e c te d wi th th e fi st

n ,
n r

a d ve t of Ch i st t
n o sur ffe r for si n ers a n d h is se c on d a p n ,

p e a ri g i gl o y to d e stroy h is e e mi e s a n d c omp l e te th e
n n r n ,

r d e mp t
e i on of h is p e opl e I f th e spi i t of p oph e cy n e ly . r r ar

d i s pp ea re d from th e J e wi sh Ch ur c h for a fe w c e tu ie s to
a n r

wa rd th e cl ose of th a t d i sp e sa ti on on a c c ou tof th e c or n ,
n

ru p t io s ni n th a tc h u c h i t re a pp e a re d ,
t i ts c l o se to u
-
sh e r r a

i th e M e ssi a h
n ' a c h a i a s th e f t
. h e r of J oh n th e B p tist
r ,
a a ,

wa s fi ll e d w i t h th e H oly S pi ri t a d p roph e si e d S ime o ,

n . n,

a ju sta d d e vou
n tman wh o w a s wa i t i n g for th e c o sol a ti on
,
n

of I sra e l c a me by t h e S pi ri ti t h e te mp l e a d p oph e
”
,
o t n ,
n r

si e d of J e su a l igh t t o l igh t en t h e G e ti l e s a d th e
'
s as n ,
n

gl ory of I sra el A n d A n n a a p oph e te ss sp a k e of h im

'
.
,
r ,

to a ll t h e m th a tl ook e d for e d emp ti on in J e rusa l em A d r . n

th e re w a s n o g rea te r p oph e tt h an J ohn wh o w a s c h ose n of

r ,

G od to i n trod uc e to I sra el th e L a mb of God th a t tak e th '

a wa y t h e sin of th e world .

T h e Ch ri st i n age c ommen c e d wi th th e outp ourin g of th e

a

H oly S p iri t a n d th e ma ife st

, at i on of va ri ous spi ri tual gifts
n .

A mo n g th ese wa s th e gi ftof p roph e cy A fte r c ommi ssi on i n g .

h i s d i sc ip l e s to g o i n to all t h e w orld a n d p rea c h t h e g osp el ,

J e sus say s to th e m A d t h e se sign s sh all foll ow th e m th a t

,
'
n

b el i e ve I n my n ame sh all th ey c a st out d evil s ; th ey sh ll

: a

sp e k w i t
a h n e w ton gue s ; th ey sh ll tak e up se rp e n ts ; a d a n

i f th e y d ri n k a ny d e a dly thi n g i tsh all n oth u rtt h em; th ey ,

 THE S
‘

PIRI T O F P R O P H EC Y . 9

sh a ll la y h an ds on h ey sh all rec over

t
he sc ik M a rk
,
an d t .

16 17 18
: On th e day of p e t
,
. e c ost w h e n t h e Ch i st i an n , r

d i sp e sa ti o wa s fu
n lly op en ed some O f th e se gif ts we r e man
n ,

ife s et d i a w o n d e nfu l m a n e A c ts 2
r 1 —11 L uk e i n n r. .
,

gi vi g a c c oun t O f h is tra vel s wi th P a ul a n d oth e rs wh e a

n , n

quarte r of a c e tury of th e Ch ri sti a n ag e h a d al e a dy p asse d

n r ,

a ft e sp e a ki n g of e n t
r e i g in t o t h e h ou se O f P hi l ip t
r n h e e va n ,

li t ay s : A nd t h a me ma n h a d fou d a u gh t i
'
g e s s ,
e s e s v r r r ,

gi n s w hic h d i d p oph e sy A d a s w e ta i e d th e e man y

,
r . n rr r

d ay s th e e c ame d w from J udc a a c e ta i n p roph e t a me d

,
r o n r ,
n

Ag b u a s
”
A c ts 21 9 1 0
. A ga i n st i ll l te r w e se e th e b e
,
.
, a ,

l ove d J oh n i n th e I sl e of P a tmos i mb ue d wi th th e spi ri tof

, ,

p roph e cy in all i ts full ess T h e won d e rful Revela ti on was n .

gi ve u to h im wh e mo e th a h al f a c e tu y of th e Ch i s
n n n r n n r r

t i an a g e h d p a sse d A d h e e th e N e w T esta me t re c o d
a . n r -
n r

l e ave s us w i th out a S in gl i ti ma ti o th t th e gifts O f th e e n n a

S pi ri t sh ould c e a se f om th e c h uc h t i ll th e day of gl o y
r r r

S h ou ld b e ush e e d i n by th e sec on d app ea i g of J e sus

r r n

Ch i st
r .

S in ce t h e g re ata p ost a sy t h e se gifts h a ve r arely b e en ma n ,

ife ste d ; a d fo r thi s e a son p rofe ssed Ch i sti

n r s ge e ll y
, r an n ra

su pp ose th a tth ey we e d e sig e d to b e l imi te d to th e p e i od

r n r

of t h e p ri mi ti ve c h u rc h B utf om t h e ti me of t . h e p ri mi t i ve r

Ch i sti a n s to th e p re se t th e e h a ve b e en ma ife st
r n ati on s r n

a mon g t h e mostd e vote d foll owe s of J e su s whi c h h a ve b e e n r ,

rec og n i e d by n e arl y a ll of t
z h e l e a d i n g d e omi ati on s a s t he n n

gifts of th e H oly S pi i t T h en sh ould otth e e rors a d th e r . n r n

u b l i e f of th e c h urc h b e a ssign e d a s r e a so s wh y th e se
n e n

m ife sta ti o s h ave b e e n so seld om rath er th a n th a t G od

an n ,

h a s ta k e n th e se b l e ssi n g s from th e c h u c h W h en th e pe o r

p l e of G o d a t
ta i t o p i m i ti v e f i
n th a d p a c ti
r c e as t h ey a n r ,

most c e ta i n ly w i ll un d e th e l st me ssa g th e l tte r i

r r a e, a ra n

wi ll b e p ou re d o u t a n d a ll th e gift s w i ll b e
,
vi v d The re e .

fo rme r ra i n w a s gi ve n a t th e c o m m e c e m e n t o f t h e Ch ri s n
10 THE S PI R I T O F P RO P H EC Y .

i
ta n age , h e tme
in t i
i g of th e gosp el se e d to
of t
he sow n ,

c au se i tt o g e rmi at e an d t a k e g ood root

n Th n t h e c h urc h . e

e nj oy e d t h e gift s A n d wh en t h e l at
. te r rai n sh all b e p ou e d r

ou t at t h e cl ose of t h e d i sp e sat i on to rip en th e gold e n n ,

h arve st for th e g arn er of G od th en w ill th e gifts of th e ,

H ol y S pi ri tb e ma n ife st e d i n all t h ei r fulln e ss .

T o thi s a gr ee t h e word s of t h e p roph e t a s q uot ed by ,

P et er A n d i t sh all c ome t
:
'
o p a ss i n t h e l a st d a y s s i th , a

G od I w i ll p our outof my S pi i t up on all fl e sh ; an d y o u

,
r r

so s a d y ou
n r d u
n gh te s sh all p roph esy a d y our y o u g
a r , n n

me sh ll se e vi si on s a d y our old me n sh all d re am d r e a ms

n a ,
n .

A n d on my se va n t s a n d on my h an d ma i d en s I w i ll p o u
r , r ,

ou t in th ose d a y s of my S pi ri t a n d th ey sh all p oph e sy ,

r .

A n d I w ill S h ow w on d e s i h e ave n ab ove a n d sig n s i t r he n , n

e a rt h b e n eath ; bl ood a d fi re a d va p or of smok e T h e ,

n ,
n .

su n sh ll b e t urn e d i to d a rk e ss a d th e moo i to b l ood

a n n ,
n n n ,

b e fore th a tgre ata n d n otabl e day O f th e L ord c ome ”

A ct s .

2 1 7 20
: -
T h e S pi i t of p r oph e c y i s h e e se en a mon g t
. r he r

e sp ec i l sign s O f t
a h e l std ay s It s r e vi va l i n t
ah e l std ay s . a

wa s t o c on st i tute on e of th e most n ote d sig s of th e ap n

p r o a c h i g e n d Tnhi s i s e v i d e.n t f o m i t
s b e i g c l a sse d w i h
t r n

t h e mostp omi n e tsig s i n t r h e sun in th e moo

n n a d in t
,
he ,
n, n

st a s a d su
r , ch wo dn s i th e h e a ven s a b ove a n d i
n er t he
n ,
n

ea t h b en eath a s blood a n d fi e a d va p or of smok e

r , ,
r , n .

Of all t h e b l e ssi n gs whi c h G od h a s b e stow e d up on h is pe o

p le th
, e gif t o f h is S o n e x c e p t e d n on e h ave b ee n so sa c r e d , ,

a n d so i m p ortan t to th e i r wel fare a s th e gift of h is h oly ,

la w a n d h is H oly S pi ri t A n d n on e h a v e b e en so w ell c al
, .

cu la t ed t o t h wa tth e pla n s of S a ta an d c on se que n tly to

r n, , ,

st i r h is ra g e a s th e se A d wh en th at p e opl e sh ould a i se
, . n r

in t h e l a st g e n e ra t i on of men wh o S h ould b e ob se vi g all , r n

ten of th e p re c e p t s of G od s h ol y la w a n d sh ou ld r e c ogn i e
’
,
z

t h e r e vi va l of t h e spi ri t of p roph e c y th e y migh t e x p e c tto ,

fe e l th at bi ttern e ss from th e i r Opp on en ts whi c h c an ari se ,

 TH E S PI R IT O F PROPH ECY . 11

on ly from th e d irectin spirati on of Satan And t h e d ragon

.
'

wa s w ro th w i t h t h e woman an d wen t t , o m ak e wa r wi t h the

remn a n to f h er se e d whi c h k e e p t ,
h e c omman d men t s of G od ,

an d h a v e t he t e st i mon y of J esus Ch ri st Rev 1 2 : 1 7 . .

T he t e st i mon y of J esus sa i d th e an gel to J ohn , ,

th e spi i tof p rop h ecy

r Re v . I ti s t
. h e k ee pi n g of
th e c omman d men t s of G od a n d t h e re cogn i t
, i on of th e r e
vi va l of t h e S p i ri tof p roph e c y b y th e r emn a n tof th e c h u c h r ,

or t h e Chri st i a n s of th e lastge n erati on that stirs th e ire of ,

th e d ra gon .

T h e J e wish a ge n ot wi t
, h sta n d i n g i ts ap ostasi es op en ed ,

a n d c l o se d wi t h sp ec i al man ife sta ti on s of th e Spi ri tof G od .

A d i t i s n otre ason abl e t

n o su pp ose th atth e Ch ri sti a n a ge ,

the l igh t of whi c h c omp are d wi t,

h th e former d i sp en sa ti on ,

is a s th e l igh t Of t h e su n t o t h e feeb l e ray s of t h e moon ,

sh o u ld c omme nce in gl ory an d cl ose in Ob sc uri ty A n d

, .

si c e a sp e c i al work of t
n h e S pi ri twa s n e c e ssary to p re p a re
a p e o p l e for t h e fi rsta dve n tof Ch ri st h ow mu c h mor e so for
,

h is se c on d a dven t .

G od h a s n eve r man ife st e d h i s p ower t o h is p e opl e si mply

for th e i r g ratifi c a t i on ; b uta c c ordin g to th e i r n e c ssi ti e s h a s e

h e wrough tfor t h e m T h en we may sa fel y c on c lud e t

. ha ta s
his p e op l e a re p assi n g t h e p e ri l s of t h e lastd ay s in t he fin al
st ru ggle wi th th e aroused p owe rs of da rkn ess wh en fal se ,

p roph e ts sh all h ave p owe r to S h ow greatsi gn s a n d won d e rs ,

in somuc h th a t if it we re p ossibl e th ey would d ec eive th e

, ,

ve ry e l e c t ou, r gr ac i ou s G od w il l bl ess a n d st re n g th e n h is
fa i n ti n g p eop le with th e g i fts a s well a s the gra c es of th e
, ,

Hol y S pi ri t .

W e h ave see n th atth e man i fe stati on of th e S p i ri tof p Oph r

ce y i n d re a m s an d i n vi si on s b ec a me n e c e ssa ry in c on se q u en ce

of ma s b e i n g sep arat e d from t h e vi sib l e p re se n c e of G od

’
n .

Butw h e n th e t a b ern ac l e of G od sh all b e wi t h me a d he n, n

sh a ll d we ll wit h t h em and God h i mself sh all b e w i th th em

, ,
12 THE S PI R I T OI
‘
P RO PH EC Y .

Re v 2 1 . h e Ch ri stsh all c ome a ga i n wi th all th e h oly

3 w n

an g l s a d r e ce i ve h is p eop l e u to hi msel f th a twh e re h e

e ,
n n ,

sh ll b e t
a h re th ey m y b al s J oh n 1 4 3 n d w h e m n
, e a e o, : a n a

r e d e e me d sh all w a l k a d t a l k wi t h G od a n d Ch i st an d a nn ,
r ,

g l s i Ed en e store d ; th th e e w ill b e n o fu th e e e d of
e ,
n r en r r r n

t h e S pi i tof p oph ec y r r .

W h e m i n Ed e stood in a ll th e p e fe c ti on of h is man
n an n r

h ood b e fo e th e bl igh t of si h a d to uc h e d a y thi g th a t

,
r n n n

G od h a d ma d e fo h i m a d w i th op e f c e b e h e ld th e gl o y
r ,
n n a r

of t h e Loxd h c ou ld h ve o e e d of th e S pi i t of prOph
,
e a n n r

e cy B utw h e n Ed n w s l osti n c o se q ue c e O f t a sg e s
. e a n n r n r

si on , a d ma n w a s d oome d t
n o g r op e h i s w y f o m t h e g tes a r a

of P a d i se e n sh ou
ar d e d in th e mora l gl oom th t e sul te d
, r a r

f om th c urse a d th e re ign of S a ta h e e e d e d th e l igh t

r e n n, n

of t h e spi i tof p oph ec y r A d h is e e d i n tr hi s re sp e c tw ill . n n

co t i ue more o l e ss u ge t u til th e re sti tuti o wh e th e

n n , r r n ,
n n, n

r e d e e me d S h a ll w a l k a d t l k w i t h G od a n d wi th Ch ri st n a , ,

a n d wi t h th e h oly g el s i Ed e n e sto e d an ,
n r r .

T h e a p ost l e to th e Co ri thi s c l e ly susta i s thi s p osi n an ar n

ti o n H e i t od u
. c es t h e subj e c t by st
n r ati g N ow c o c e n n ,
n r

i n g S pi i t ual gifts b re th e I would oth ve youig ra t

r ,
r n, n a no n .

1 C or H e d eem d t
. h e su bj ec t of too g ea t i mp o t e r r

an c to l e a ve th e h u c h a tC i t
e h i ig o n c e sp c ti g
c r or n n n ra re e n

i t H e p op ose s to i n st uc tth e m W e S h ll do w ell to a va i l

. r r . . a

ou se l ve s of t
r h e b e n e fi tof hi s t e a c hi g s n .

I n thi s c h a p te t h e a p ost l e i t od uc e s th e h um b od y
r n r an ,

wi th i ts seve al memb e s c ti g i n h a mon y o e d e p e d e t

r r a n r ,
n n n

up n th e oth er a s a n i ll ust a ti on of th e Ch i sti a n c h u c h

o , r r r ,

w i th i t s me mb e s a n d t h e se ve al gift s G o d h a s se t i
r , th e r n

c h u ch r H e th e n m k e s t
. h e a pp l i ca ti on of th e fig u
a re t h us
No w y e e t h e b ody o f Ch i st a n d me mb e s i n p a ti c u
ar lar r ,
r r .

A n d G od h a t h se tsome i th e c h urch fi rstap ostl e s se c o d n , ,

n

a rily p Oph e t s t h irdly tea ch e rs after that mi ra cl es then

r , , ,
 TH E SPI RI T O F PRO H E P CY . 13

gifts of h eali n gs h elp s g overn ments d i versi ti es of ton gue s

, , , .

Ve rse s 27 an d 28 .

Le ti tb e b orn e i n mi n d th a t G d has set p ro ph e ts mi ra o ,

c l e s a n d gift
,
s of h e al i n g s i n t h e Ch ri sti an c h u c h a s ve i l y
, r r

as h e h a s t e a c h e rs h el p s a d g ove rn me n t
, ,
ns A n d thi s e x .

p e ssi on God h a th set th e m in th e c hurc h me a s mo e

r , , n r

th an th a t h e w ould c ommu i c a t e wi t h thi s p eopl e by h is

n

H ol y S pi ri t i n th e Ch ri st i an a ge th e sa me s h e h d i a a n

fo me r d i sp en sa t
r i on s I tc o n ve y s t . h e i dea t h a tG od h a d espe
c ia lly e d o w e d t
n h e Ch i st i an c hurc h wi th th e m H e h a d
r .

est a b l i sh ed t h e m in th e c h urch to re mai n un ti l th e r e tu n of ,

r

h e r a b se n tL ord T hi s wa s d on e b ec a use th e c h urc h n e e d e d

.

t h em . Did th e p ri mi ti ve c h urc h n e e d th e m ? S o d i d th e
t ru e c h u c h n e ed t
r h em to l igh th e r p a th way d uri n g th e d a rk
p e ri o d o f h e r p e r sec u t i on s a d m a rt y r d o m A n d muc h
n .

mo e d oe s th e c h u c h n e ed th e gifts in ma ki g h e r c ourse
r r n

t h ro ugh th p e ri l s o f t
e h e l astd a y s a n d i n maki g r ea d y t , o n

re c e i ve h e r soo nc omi n g L ord

-
.

T h e d e sig n of th e gift s a n d a l so t h e ti me of t
,
h e i c on ti n r

n an c e i n t h e chu rc h a r e d e fi i t , e l y e xp e sse d by t
n h e a p ostl e r

to th e Eph e si a s n A d h e g a ve some a p ostl e s ; n d some

:
'
n ,
a ,

p ro ph e ts ; a n d some e va g eli sts ; ,

d som
n p astors a d an e, n

tea c h e r s ; for t h e p er fe c ti n g of t h e sa i n t s for t h e wo rk o f ,

th e mi n i st ry ,fo r t h e e dify i n g of t he b od y of Ch ri st; till

we a ll c ome i n t he u n it y of th e fa i th a n d of th e k n owl e d g e ,

of t h e S on of G od u nt o a p e rfe c t ma n u
,
nt o t h e mea sure o f ,

t h e st at ure of th e fulln e ss of Ch rist Ch a p 4 1 1 1 3 . . : -

.

I tc an n otb e sh own t h a tth e c hurc h d i d in th e l i fe ti me of ,

P au l reac h th e state of un i ty k n owl ed g e a n d p e fec ti on

, , ,
r ,

h e re me n ti on e d A n d c ert
. a i nl y t h e c h urc h d i d n ot e j oy n

th e se d uri n g h e r a p ost a sy 2 T h e ss 2 : 3 a n d t ,
h e p e i od o f
.
,
r

h er fi i gh t i n t o th e w i l d er n e ss R ev N o
,
r h a s sh e .

re a c e h d hi
t s st at e of u n i ty k n ow l e d g e a,
n d p e r fe c ti o s i c e
,
n, n

t l b
h e a ors of M a rtn i L u t h e r T h e c h u r c h
. t o d a y i s a l m o st -
14 T H E S IR T P I O F PRO PH EC Y .

in fi n i tely b el ow this sta te of un i ty kn owl e d ge an d pe rfec , ,

ti on. A d n otun ti l t
n h e Ch ri sti a n s of t h e l a stg e n e ra ti on of

men sh all b e brough t to th e e nj oy men t of i t by th e last

wa rn in g me ssag e a n d all t h e mea n s G od ma y e mp loy to pre
,

p are th e m to b e tran sla te d to H eave n wi th out tastin g d e ath ,

will th e ul t i mate d esi gn of th e gi fts b e rea l i ze d .

Bu tP a u l in 1 Cor 1 3 ha s di stinc tly sh own wh en th e gi fts

,
.
,

wou ld c ea se I n th e fi rst p art of th i s c h a p te r th e a p ostle

.

d i sc ourse s upon th e pre emi n en ce of love (i mp rop e rly tra n s

-

la te d h rity) to th e gi ft of ton gue s gi ft of p rop h ec y fa i th

c a , , ,

lib e ra l i ty to th e p oor an d c oura g e to gi ve on e s b ody to be

,
’

b urn e d T h ese i n th e ab sen ce of love a re valuele ss H e

.
, , .

t h e n d escrib e s th e vi rtues an d ri c h es of l ove cl osin g w i t h ,

th e se w ord s Ch ari ty 'l ove ] n e ver fa i le th ; b ut w h e th er

t h e r e b e p roph e c i e s th e y S h all fa il ; wh et , h e r th ere b e
t on gu es t h ey sh a ll c e a se ; w h e t
, h e r th ere b e k n owl e dge it ,

sh a ll van i sh awa y V e rse 8 W hi l e l ove is n ot on ly th e

”
. .

c r own i g Ch ri st
n i an g rac e h ere b utwill reac h forward to all ,

et e rn i ty an d b e th e crown i n g gl ory of th e red e e me d th e

, ,

gi fts will c ea se w i th fa ith an d h op e A tth e gl ori ous app e ar .

i n g of t h e L ord fa i t h wi ll b e l ostin S igh t h op e i n frui ti on

, , ,

p roph ec ies wi ll fa i l to b e any lon ge r a l igh t to th e c hurc h ,

to gue s wi ll c ea se t
n o b e a S ign an d t h e fa i n t kn owl e d g e of ,

t h e p re sen tdim n igh t wi ll van i sh b e fore t h e p e rfec t k n owl

e d g e of t h e p erfe c tday a s t h e dim ray s of t h e moon van i sh
,

b efore th e ligh tof th e risi n g sun .

N e x t c ome t h e forc ib l e words of ve rse s 9 an d 1 0 F or '

we k n ow i n p art an d we p rop h e sy in part; b u

, twh en th at
whi c h i s p e rfe c tis c ome th en th a twhi c h i s in p artsh a ll b e
,

d on e a way ”
W e still wa i t for th a t whi c h i s p e rfec t to
.

come . A n d whi l e we wa i t may ou r d ea r ab se n tL ord man i

, ,

festhimself to his wai ti n g p e ople th rough th e gi fts .

say s P au l sp eak i n g of th e p resen t i mp erfec t sta te W e

, ,

kn ow in p art an d we prop h esy in part H ow l on g sh all

,
”
.
 THE S PI R I T O F PR O P H EC Y . 15

t
he S pi ri t of p rop h ecy serve th e c h urc h ? W h en wi ll i t b e
d on e a wa y ? A n swe r Bu : twh e n t h a twhi c h is p er fe c tis
c ome t , h en th a twhi c h is in p a rtsh all b e d on e a way T hi s .

sh ou l d se ttle th e questi on of th e p e rp e tui ty of th e gifts in

th e Ch ri st i a n c h urc h .

T h e p op u l ar vi e w h owever i s thi s Th e gifts were gi ven

, , :

t o t h e p ri mi t i ve c h urc h to re main on ly d uri n g th e life ti me

,

of Ch ri sts fi rst a p ost les A t th ei r d e a th th e gifts w ere to

’
.
,

b e remove d from t h e c h urc h Bu tleti tb e r e me mb e re d t

. h at
a g e a tc h a n g e t
r a k e s pl a c e wh e n t h e g ift s a re t o c e a se a n d ,

t h a tc h ange is from an imp erfe c t sta te to th a twhi c h is per

fe e t; fromth e d i mn ess of n igh tto th e glory of p e fec t day r

W e n e e d n oti n qui re if suc h a c h a n g e took p l ac e a tth e d e a th

of t h e fi rst a p ostl es ; for a ll wh o h a ve an y k n owl e d g e of t he
hi st ory of t h e p ri mi t i ve c h urch k n ow th a twh ateve r c h an g es
,

d i d ta k e pl ac e in th e c h urc h ab out th e ti me of th e d ea th of
t h e a p ost l es were n otfor th e b etter b ut d ec i d edly for th e
, ,

Even in P aul s day t h e my st ery of i n iqu i ty al re ady

’
worse .
,

work e d i n th e c h urc h 2 T h e ss 2 : 7
. A nd t h e ap ost
. . l e ad ,

dre ssi n g th e elde rs of th e c h urc h atM il etus say s : ,

kn ow thi s th atafte r my d ep artin g sh all gri evous w ol ve s en

,

te r in amon g y ou n otsp a r in g t
,
h e fl oc k Also of y ou .r o wn

se l ve s sh all men arise sp e aki n g p erverse t hi n gs t o d ra w

'

, ,

a w a y d i sc i pl es a ft er t h em A c ts 20 : 29 30 Butif w e
”
.
, .

ap p ly t hi s g reatc h an g e t o t h e c lose Of t h e p resen tdi sp en sa

t i on an d th e in troducti on of th e etern al day of glory all is
, ,

pla in H ere we ha ve th e clearest p roof th atth e gifts were

.

n ott o b e d on e a way u nti l th e sec on d a pp earin g of Chri st .

P au l c on t in ues wi th an i llustrati on of th e p r esen t i mp er

feet state an d th e future state Of p erfe c ti on a n d gl ory
,

h
W e I w ac
n a s hi l d I s p
, a k e a s a c hil d I un d er s to o d,
a s a

c hi ld I t
,
h oughta s a c hi ld ; b utwh en I b ec ame a m a n I p u t ,

a way c hi ld i sh t hi n gs V erse 1 1 H is ch ildh o d

”
.
o .
r e p r e se n ts

th e p re sen t i mp erfe ctst at e ; h is ma n h o d o th e p fe c t i o

,
n of er
16 T HE S PI RI T O F P RO H EP CY .

t
he i mmorta l sta te T hi s is e vi d en t Now supp ose we a re
. .

wro g a d th a t P a u l s c hild h ood rep re sen ts th e c h urc h i n

’
n ,
n

h is d y e n d owe d w i th th e gifts ; a n d th a thi s ma h ood re p

a ,
n

re se n t s t h e chu rc h a ft e r h is d e a t h stripp e d of th e gifts of ,

th e H oly S pi ri t a n d fa st si ki n g a wa y towa rd th e g r e a t
,
n

a p ost a sy ' A b su rd i ty'

A d sti ll t
n h e a p ost l e c on ti ue s with a n oth e b ea utiful i llus
n r

tra tion of t h e c h a n ge from t h e p re se n td i sp e sa ti o du in g n n, r

whi c h t h e ch u r c h wa s t o e j oy t h e c omp ara ti ve ly d im l igh t

n -

of t h e gifts a s sh e w l k e d by f i t
,
h a n d h e m to th e O p e n
a a ,

gl o i e s of th e world to c ome wh en th e red e eme d S h ll walk

r , a

wi t h G od i Ed en resto e d a d tal k fa c e to f c e w i th Ch rist

n r ,
n a

a d a g el s
n n H e say s . F or n ow w e se e th rough a gl a ss
”
d a kly ; b ut th e n fa c e to f c e
r , V e rse 1 2 T o th e vi e w
a . .

t h tth e gifts w ere to c e a se a tth e d e a th of th e fi sta p ostl e s

a r ,

a dt
n h a twi th th ei r d eath c a me th e gl ori ous c h a g e i ll ustr ated n

by th ese w o d s of th e a p ostl e w e n e ed only to r e p ea t A h

r , ,

su rd i ty'
T h e t ut h of God up on thi s subj ec ti s c on si sten t an d h a r
r

mon i ous w i th i tself an d wi th a ll d i vi n e truth T h e spi ri tof

, .

p roph ec y in c on sequen c e of th e fa ll an d ma n s se p a ra ti on
,
’

from th e vi sibl e p r esen c e of God b ecame a n e c e ssi ty T hi s , .

n ec e ssi t y h a s n otb een ob vi a te d by any p ast c h an ge of dis

p e n sa ti on A n d n.o d i sp e n sa ti on n e e d s th e gif t
s o f t h e H o l y
S pi ri tmore t h an th e Ch ri sti an age ; a n d at n o ti me i n th e
l on g p e ri od of man s separati on from God s vi sibl e p re sen c e
’ ’
,

h ave th ey b e en so mu c h n ee d e d a s a mi d t h e p eril s of t he
ragi n g t e mp e st s of t h e l a std ay s Butwh e n t h e Re d e e mer .

sh all c ome t h e c on t rove rsy b e e n d ed t h e sa i t s r e stg i ve n

’
, ,
n ,

an d t h ey all i mmortal me etaroun d th e th ron e wi th an gels

, , ,

an d fa c e t o fa c e b e h ol d t h e gl ory of G od an d t h e L a mb t he ,

S p i ri t of p oph ec y wi l l b e n u
r mb ere d amon g H e ave n s c h oi e ’

e stbl essi n gs of t h e p a st . J w . .
 T H E GREA T CON TROVERSY .

CH A P T E R I .

TH E F ALL OF S ATAN .

S AT AN in Hea ven be fore hi s rebellion was a

, ,
high an d ex alte d a n gel next in ho nor to God s ,
’

de ar Son H is counten a nce l ike tho se of the

.
,

other angel s wa s mild an d expressive of h app i

,

ness H is forehea d was high an d bro ad showin g

.
,

a powerful intellect H is form was perfec t ; his

.

bearing noble an d maj estic A specia l light .

be amed in hi s counten a nce an d shone around ,

him brighter an d more be a utiful th a n around the

other a ngel s ; yet J e su s God s de ar Son h a d t he
’

, ,

pre eminence over all the a ngelic host He was

-
.

on e wi th the F a ther before the a ngel s were cre

a ted . S a ta n wa s envio us of C hrist an d gra dually ,

assu med co mma n d which devolved on C hrist a l one .

T h e grea t Creat or asse mbled the he aven ly ho st ,

th a t he might in the presence Of all the a ngels
c onfer speci a l honor upon hi s Son The Son was .

sea ted o n the throne with the F ather an d the ,

he avenly thron Of holy ange ls was g a thered

around them he F ather then ma de known that
.

it was ord ained by himself th at C hri st his S on , ,

should be equ a l with hi msel f ; so th a t wherever

was the pre sence of his S on it was a s his own ,

presence The word of the Son was to be obeyed

.

as re a dily as the word of the F thera H is S on h e .

G reatCon tro v
ers y .
2
18 T HE G R EA T C O N T ROVER S Y .

had invested with authority to command the b e a v

e n ly ho st E specially was his Son to work in
.

unio n with himsel f in the a nticip a ted cre ation of

the earth an d every living thing th at should exist
upon the e arth H is Son would c arry outhis wi ll
.

a n d his p u rpo ses but would do nothing of hi mself

,

alone. The F ather s will would be fulfilled in him

’
.

S atan was envious an d j ealou s Of Jesus Chri st .

Yetwhen all the angels bowed to Jesus to ack n owl

edge hi s suprema cy an d high authority an d right
ful rule S at an bowed with them; but hi s he art
,

wa s filled with envy an d h atred Chri st ha d been

.

t a ken into the S peci al counsel of God in reg a rd to

his pl an s while S at an was un a cqu ainted with
,

them H e did not underst and neither was he

.
,

permitt ed to know the purpo ses of God But

,
.

Christ was a cknowledged sovereign of Hea ven ,

his power an d authority to be the sa me a s th a t of
God himse lf S atan though tth a t he was himself
.

a fa vorite in He a ven among the angel s He ha d .

been highly ex alted ; but thi s did not c all forth

fromhim gr atitude an d pra ise to hi s Cre ator He .

aspired t o the hi ht of God hi msel f He gloried

in his loftiness fil e knew th at he was honored by
.

the angel s He had a speci al mi ssion to execute

. .

H e had been ne a r the gre at Cre a tor an d the ,

c e asel ess be ams of gloriou s light en shrou din g the
e tern al God ha d shone e speci a lly u
, pon him S a .

t a n thou ht how a n gel s ha d obeyed his comma nd

g
with ple asurab l e al acrity W ere n othis g arment s
.

l i ght an d beautiful ? W hy should Chri st thus be

hon ored before hi mself ?
He l eft the immediate pre sence of the F a ther ,

di ssatisfied a n d filled with envy ag ainst Jesus

,

Christ Concealing his re al purpo ses he assem

.
,

b l ed the angelic ho st H e introduced his subj ect

.
,
20 THE G R EA T C O NT RO V ER S Y .

urged th at Christs receiving speci al honor from

’

the F a ther in the pre sence Of the angels did not

, ,

detr a c t fro m the honor th at he ha d heretofore te

c eive d . The angels wept They anxiously sought
.

to move S a t an to renounce his wicked design an d

yield sub mi ssion to their Cre a tor ; for a ll h a d
hereto fore been peace an d h armony an d wh at ,

could occ a sion thi s dissenting rebelliou s voice ? ,

S a t an refu sed to li sten And th en he t urned.

fro m the loy a l an d true a ngel s denouncing them ,

a s sl a ve s These angel s true to God stood in

.
, ,

a ma ze men ta s they sa w th a t S a t a n wa s succe ssful

in h is effort to excite rebellion He promised .

th em a new an d better government th a n they then

h a d in which all would be freedo m Gre a t n u
,
m .

ber s signified their purpo se to a ccept S ata n a s

their le a der an d Chief comma nder A s he sa w .

his a dv ance s were met with succe ss he fl a ttered ,

hi mself th at he sho uld yet h ave all the a ngels on

his side a n d th a t he wo uld be equ al wit h G o d
,

himself an d his voice of authority would be hea rd

,

in commanding the entire ho st of He aven Ag a in .

the loyal a ngel s warned S at an an d assured him ,

wh a t must be the c on sequence if he persi sted ;

th a t He who could cre a te th e a ngels could by his ,

power overturn all their authority a n d in some ,

sign a l manner p u ni sh their aud a city an d terrible

rebellion T O think th a t an angel should re sist
.

the law of God which was as sa cred as himself '

They w arned the rebellio us to clo se their e a rs to
’
S a t an s deceptive re asonings an d a dvi sed S at an , ,
a n d all who h a d been a f fected by him to go to ,

God an d confe ss their wrong for even a dmitt in g

a tho u ght of questioning his a uthority .

M any of S at an s symp athizers were i n clined to

’

h e e d the coun sel Of the loyal an gel s an d repent ,

 THE FAL L or S AT A N .
21

of their di ssa ti sfa ction a n d be ag ain recei ved to

,

the co n fidence of the F a ther a n d his de a r Son .

The mighty revolt e r the n decl a red th a t h e was a c

u e d with God s la w an d if h e sho u ld ub m i
’

a in t t
q s ,

to servile Obedience his honor would be t aken ,

fro m h im . N O more would he be intru sted with

his ex a lted mi ssio n He told them th a t himsel f
.

an d they a l so h a d now gone t oo fa r t o go b a c k ,

an d he would br a ve the con sequen ces for to

bow in servile wor shi p to the Son of God he never
wo uld ; tha t God wo uld n otforgive an d now they ,

must assert their liberty an d g ain by force the

po sition a n d a uthority which wa s n ot willingly
ac corded to the m .

The loyal angel s h asten speedily to the Son Of

G o d a n d a cqu a int him with wh a t is t aki n g pl a ce
,

a mo n g the a n gel s They find the F ather in con

.

ference with his beloved Son to determine the ,

me a ns by which for the best good of the loy al an

,

gels the a ssumed authority Of S at a n co uld be for

,
-

ever putdown The gre a t God could a tonce h a ve

.

h urled this arch deceiver fro m He a ven ; butthi s

was n othis purpo se He wo uld give the rebelliou s
.

an equ a l ch a nce to me a su re stre n gth an d mi ght

with his Own Son an d his loy al an gel s In thi s .

b a ttle every a ngel wo uld choo se his own side an d ,

be ma nifested to all It would not h ave been safe

.

to suffer an y wh o u n ited with S a t a n in h is rebe ll

ion tO contin ue to occupy He a ven They h a d .

lea rned the le sson Of genuine rebellion a g a in st

the un chan c able law Of God ; an d thi s is incur
a ble. If od h ad exerci sed his power to p un i sh
thi s chief rebel disaffected angel s would n oth a ve
,

b e en ma nife sted ; hen ce God took another co ur se ;

for he would manife st di stinctly to all the h e av
e n ly ho sthis ju stic e an d his j udgmen t .
 T II E G R EA T C ON T RO V ERS Y .

It was the hi hest crime to rebel ag ain st the

government of Od All He aven seemed in c om
.

motion The angel s were ma rsh aled in co mp a

.

nies e a ch division with a higher co mma ndin g

,

a ngel a t the ir he a d S at a n was warring a g ain st

.

the law of God bec au se ambitious to ex a lt him

,

self an d unwi lli n g t o submit to the a uthority of

,

God s Son He aven s grea t commander

’

,
’
.

All the he avenly ho st were summoned to appe a r

before the F a ther to h a ve ea ch c ase determined
, .

S at a n unblushingly ma de known his dissatisfac

tion th a t C hri st should be preferred before him .

He stoo d up proudly an d urged th at he sh oul d

be equ a l with God an d Should be t aken into c on
,

ference with the F a ther an d understand his pur

po se s God in formed S at a n th at to his S on a lone
.

he would reve al his secret purpo ses a n d he re ,

q uired all the family in He aven even S at a n to , ,

yield h im implicit unquestioned Obedience ; but

,

th at he (S at an) h a d proved himsel f un worthy a

pl a ce in He aven Then S a t an exultingly pointed
.

to his symp athizers co mprising nearly on e h a l f of

,

all the an el s an d excl a i med The se are with me '

g , ,

W ill you expel these al so an d make such a void

,

in He a ven ? He t h en decl ared th at he was pre

p a red to resi st the authority of Chri st an d to ,

defend hi s pl a ce in Hea ven by force of might ,

strength a g a in st strength .

Good an gel s wept to he ar the word s Of S at a n ,

an d h is ex a lting bo a st s God decl ared th a t the
.

rebellious should remain in Heaven n o lon ger .

Their high an d h appy st ate had been held up on

condition of obedie n ce to the la w which God h ad
given to govern the high order Of i n te llig e n ce s .

But no provi sion h a d been made to save tho se

wh o shoul d venture to tr an sgre ss his law Sa .
 T HE F ALL or S AT A N .
23

ta n grew bo l d in hi s rebellion an d expressed hi s ,

contempt of the Creator s law T hi s S ata n coul d
’
.

n ot be a r .He cl aimed th at angels needed n o la w ;

but S hould be l eft free to follo w their own will ,
whi ch would ever g ui de them right ; th at law was
a re striction of their liberty a n d th a t t o aboli sh
,

law wa s on e grea t obj ect of his st a nding as he

di d. The condition Of the angel s he thought
n eeded i m provement N ot so the mind of God
.
,
wh o h ad made l aws an d ex alte d t hem equ al to
h imself . T he happine ss of the a ngel ic ho stc on
si st ed in their perfec t obedien c e t o law E ach .

had h is Sp ec i a l work assi gned him; an d until S a

tan re b ell e d there ha d been perfect o rd er an d
,

h a rmoni ous action in Heaven Then th ere was .

wa r in He aven The Son of God the Prin ce

.
,

of H e a ven an d his loy al a n el s en ed in

, g a
g g ,

con fli ct with the arch rebel an d tho se who united

with him The Son of Go d an d true, loyal
.

a n e l s prev ai l ed ; an d S at an an d his symp a

g
thi z ers were expel le d from H e aven All the .

hea venly ho st acknowledged an d a dored the God

of justic e Not a t a i n t of rebell ion was left in
.

He ave n All was aga in p ea ceful and harmo nious

.

as befor e .

Angels in Heaven mourned the fate of tho se

who h ad b ee n their comp a nions in h appiness an d
b liss Their loss was felt in Heaven The F ather
. .

c onsu lted Jesu s in regard to atonce c arryin g out

their purpose to make man to inhabit the e arth .

H e would pl a ce man upon prob ation t o t est h is

loya lty before he could be rendered etern ally se

,

cure I f he endured the test wherewith G od saw

.

fit to prove him he sho uld eventu ally be eq ual

,

with t h e a n gel s H e wa s to h ave the fa vo r of

.

G od an d he was to conver se with a ng el s a n d

, ,
24 THE G R EAT C O N T RO VER S Y .

they with hi m He did not se e fit to pl ac e them

.

beyond the power of disobedienc e .

CH A P T E R II .

THE CR E A T I O N .

TH E F ather the Son engaged in th e mi ghty

an d ,

wondrous work they ha d contemplated of cre a tin g ,

the world The e arth c ame forth from the h and

.

of the Cre ator ex c eedingly be a uti ful There wer e .

mount a in s an d hills an d pl a in s ; an d in tersper se d

, ,

a mon
g the m were river s an d bodie s of w a ter The .

e arth was not on e exten sive pl ain but the monot ,

on y of the sc enery was broken by hill s an d moun

t ai ns n ot high an d ra gged as they now are but
, ,

regul ar an d beautiful in sh ape The b are high .

,

rock s were never seen upon them but lay bene ath ,

the surfac e an sweri n g as bone s to the e arth Th e

,
.

waters were regul arly di spersed The hills moun .

,

t ain s an d very beautiful pl ain s were a dorned with

, ,

pl a nts an d flowers an d t all majestic tree s of every

, ,

description whi ch wer e many ti mes l arger an d

, ,

much more be autiful th a n tre es n ow are Th e

, .

a ir was pure an d he althful an d the e arth seemed ,

like a noble p al a ce Angels beheld an d rejoiced

.

a tthe wonderful an d be au tiful work s of G od .

After the e arth wa s created an d the be asts up ,

on it the F a ther an d S on c a rried Out their pur

,

po se which was designed before the fall of S a t a n

, ,

to make man in their Own i mage They h a d .

wrou ght together in the cre ation of the e a rth a n d

e very livi n thin upon it And w G d y t
g g n o o . sa s o
 THE C R EA T I O N .
25

his S on , Letus makeman in our imag e As .

Ada m c ame forth from the h and of his Cre a tor ,

he wa s Of noble hi ght an d of be autiful symmetry
, .

He wa s more th a n twice as t all as me n n ow livin g

upon the e a rth an d was well proportioned
, H is .

fe a ture s were perfect an d be autiful H is co mplex .

ion wa s neither white nor sallow but ruddy glow

, , ,
ing with the rich tint of health Eve was n otquite .

as t a ll a s Ad am Her he a d re ac hed a little above

—
.

h is S houlder s She tOO was nobl e perfect in

.
, ,

symmetry an d very be autiful

,
.

This sinless p air we re n o artifici al garments .

They were cl othed with a covering of light an d

glory such as th e angel s we ar While they lived
,
.

in Obedience to God thi s circle of light en shrouded

,

them Although everything God h a d ma de wa s

.

in the perfection Of be a uty an d there seemed ,

nothing w anting upon the e a rth which God ha d

cre a ted to make Adam an d Eve h appy yet be ,

ma nife sted his gre at l ove to them by pl a nting a

g a rden especi ally for them A portion of their .

time was to be occupied in the h a ppy employ

ment of dressing the g a rden an d a portion in re ,

c e ivin g the vi sit s of a n gel s li stenin g t o their ,

in struction an d in h appy me d it a tion

,
Their 1a .

bor was n otwe ari so me but ple asa nt an d invigor

,

a ting. Thi s be a utiful g arden was to be their

ho me their speci al residence
,
.

In thi s g a rden the Lord pl a ced trees Of every

v a riety for u sefulness an d be auty There were .

trees l a den with luxuri ant fruit of rich fr agr ance , ,

b e a utiful to the eye an d ple asant to the t a ste

, ,

designed Of God to be food for the holy p a ir .

There were the lovely vine s which grew upright ,

l a den with their burden of fruit un like an ything ,

man h as seen since the fall The fruit was very .

26 T HE G R EA T C O N T R O V ER S Y .

l a rge a n d of di fferent colors ; some ne arly bl a ck

, ,

so me purple ,
red pink an d l ight green T his
, ,
.

be autiful a n d luxuri ant growth of fr uit upon the

br anche s of the vine wa s c alled grapes They .

did not tr ail upon the ground although not sup ,

ported by trelli se s but the weight of the fruit

,

bowed them down It was the h appy l abor Of

.

Ad am an d Eve to form bea utiful bowers fro m the

br anches O f the vine an d train them forming
, ,

dwellings of n ature s be autiful living trees an d

’

foli a ge l a den with fr a gr a nt fruit

,
.

The e arth was clothed with be a utiful verdure ,

while myri a ds of fragr ant flowers of every v a riety

a n d hue spr ang up in rich profu sion around them .

Everything was tastefully an d gloriou sly a rr a n ged .

In the midst of the g a rden stood the tree of life ,

the glory of which surp assed all other tree s I ts .

fr uit looked like apples of gold an d silver an d ,

wa s to perpetu ate i mmortali ty The lea ves con .

tain ed hea li n g propertie s .

V ery h appy were the holy p a ir in Eden U n .

l imited control was given them over every living

th ing The lion an d the l amb sported together
.

pe a ce fully an d h armlessly arou n d them or slum ,

bered at their feet Birds of every v ariety o f

.

color an d plumage flitted among the trees an d

flowers an d about Adam an d Eve whi le their
, ,
mellow toned music echoed among the trees in
-

sweet a ccord t o the pr a i se s of their Cre ator .

Ad am an d Eve were ch armed with the be auties

Of their Eden ho me They were delighted with
.

the little so n gsters aro und them we aring their ,

bright yet gr a cefu l pluma ge a n d w arbli ng forth ,

their h appy cheerful music The holy p air united

, .

with them an d r aised their voices in h a rmonious

son s of love pr ai se an d a dor a tion t the F ther
g , o a ,
28 T HE G REA T C O N T RO V ER S Y .

S ata n stood in ama zement athis new con dition .

H is h appiness was gone He looked upon the an

.

gels who with him were once so h appy but who

, , ,

h ad been expelled from He aven with h im Before .

their fall not a S ha de of discontent ha d ma rred

,

their perfect bli ss Now all seemed ch anged

. .

Counten ances whi ch ha d reflected the ima ge of

their M aker were gloo my an d desp a irin g Strife .
,

di scord an d bitter recrimin ation were among them

, ,
.

Previous to their rebellion these thi ngs had been

unknown in He aven S a ta n now beholds the ter
.

rible results of his rebellion He shuddered an d .

,

feared to fa ce the future an d to contempl ate the ,

end of these thing s .

The hour for joyful h appy songs of pr ai se to

,

God an d his de ar Son h ad come S a t an had led .

the he avenly choir He had r aised the fir st note

.
,

then all the angelic ho st united with him an d glo ,

riou s str a in s O f music h ad reso u nded through

Heaven in honor of God an d his dear Son B ut .

n ow instea d of str a in s of sweetest mu

, sic di scord ,

a n d angry word s fa ll upon the e a r of the gre a t

rebel lea der Where wa s he ? W as itn ota ll a

.

horrible dre am? W as he Shut out Of Hea ven ?

Were the g ates Of He aven never more to open an d
a dmit him? The hour of worship dr aws nigh ,

when bright an d holy angels bow before the F a

ther N 0 more will he unite in he avenly song
. .

N O more will he bow in reverence an d holy awe

before the presence Of the etern al God Could he .

be a ga in a s he was when he was pure true an d ,

l oy al gl adly would he yield up the cl aims Of h is

,

a uthority But he wa s lo st ' be ond redemption

y
.
,

for s pre sumptiou s rebellion And this was

h i
not all ; he had led others to rebellion an d to the
same l o st condition with him self— angel s who h a d ,
 T H E T EM PT A T I O N A ND FA LL . 29

never thought to qu estion the will of H e a ven or ,

refuse Obedience to the law of God till he ha d put

it into their minds presentin g before them th at
,

they might enjoy a gre ater ood a hi her an d

more glorious liberty Thi s gad been t e soph
,

istry whereby he h a d d eceived them A respon si .

bility now re sts upon him from whi ch he would

fa in be rele ased .

These spirits h ad become turbulent with disap

pointed hope s Inste a d of gre ater good they were
.
,

experienci n g the sa d results of disobedience an d dis

rega rd Of la w Never more would th ese unh appy
.

beings be swayed by the mild rule of Jesus Christ .

Never more would their spirits be stirred by the

deep e arnest love pe a ce an d joy which his pres
, , , ,

ence had ever inspired in them to be returned to ,

h im in cheerful Obedience a n d reverenti al honor .

S at an trembled as he viewed his work He was .

a lone in medit a tion upon the p ast the present , ,

a n d hi s fu ture pl ans H is mighty fr ame shoc k as

.

with a tempest An angel from He a ven was p ass

.

In He c alled him an d entre a ted an i n terview

.
g ,

with Christ This wa s gra nted h im He then re

. .

l a ted to the S on of God tha t he repented of his

r e belli on an d wished a ain the favor Of God
He was willing to take ti e pl ace God had previ
, .

ou sly assigned him an d be under his wise c om

,

mand Christ wept atS a t an s woe but told him

.
’

, ,

a s the mind Of God th a t he could never be re ,

c eive d into He a ven He aven mu st n otbe pl a ced

.

in jeop ardy All Heaven would be marred Should

.

he be received b ack ; for sin an d rebellio n orig

in ate d with him The seed s of rebellion were still
.

W ithin him .He had in his rebelli on n o o c c a

, ,

sion for h is course an d he h a d not only ho pelessl y

,

ruin ed himsel f but the ho st of a ngels also who

, ,
30 THE G R EA T C O N T RO V ER S Y .

wo uld th en h ave been h appy in H ea ven ha d b e re

mai n ed ste a d fast The law Of God co uld condemn
.
,

but co uld not p a rdon .

He repen ted not of his rebellio n bec ause he saw

the goodness of God which he h a d abused It .

wa s not po ssible th at his love for God h a d so

increased since his fa ll th at it would le a d to cheer
fu l sub missio n a n d h appy Obedi ence to his law
which had been despised The wretchedness he
.

re alized in lo sin g the sweet light Of He aven and ,

the sense of guilt which forced itself upon h im ,

a n d the di sa ppo intment he experienced himself in

not findin g his expectation s re alized were the c au se

,

Of his grief To be commander out of Hea ven

.
,

was v astly different fro m bei n g thu s honored in

Heaven The lo ss he ha d su sta ined of all the
.

privileges of Heaven seemed too much to be borne .

H e wished to regain these .

This grea t cha nge Of po sition had n otincr eased

his love for God n or for his wi se an d ju st law
,
.

When S atan bec ame fully convinced that there

was n o po ssibility Of his being re i n st ated in the
-

fa vor of God he manifested his malice with in

,

cre ased h atred a n d fiery vehemence .

G od knew th a t such determined rebellion would

n ot re ma in in a ctive S at a n would invent mean s
.

to annoy the he avenly angel s an d S how contemp t

,

for his authority A s he could not gain admission

.

within the g ates Of He aven he would w a it j u st at

,

the entra n ce to t aunt the an gel s a n d seek con

,

ten tion with them as they went in an d out He .

would seek to destroy the h appiness of Adam an d

Eve He would en de avor to incite them to re
.

bellion knowing th a t this would c ause grief in

,

H e aven .

H is followers were seeking hi m; an d he a rou se d

 T HE T EM PT AT I O N A ND P ALL . 31

himself an d assumin g a l ook of defi ance in formed

, ,

them Of his pl an s to wrest from God the n oble

Ad am a n d his comp anion Eve I f he could in .
,

an
y w a
y be guile
, them to di sobedi ence God wo u ld ,

ma ke some provision whereby they might be par

do ued an d than himself a n d all the fallen angels
,

would be in a fair way to sh are with them Of G od s ’

mercy If thi s Should fa il they c ould un ite with

.
,

Adam an d Eve ; for when once they should tran s

gr ess the law of God they would be subj ects of,

God s wrath like themselves Their tr ansgressio n

’

,
.

would pl a ce them also in a st a te Of rebellion ; ,

a n d they could unite with Ad a m an d Eve t a ke ,

possession of Eden an d hold it as their home, .

And if they could g ain a ccess to the tree of life

in the midst Of the g arden their strength would , ,

they thou ht be equ al to th at Of the holy angels

, ,

an d ev e n Cd h imself could not expel them .

S a t an hel d a consult ation with his evil an gels .

Th e y did n ot all re a dily unite to en gage in this

ha za rdous an d terrible work He told them th at .

he would n ot intrust an y on e Of them to ae com

p li sh thi s work ; for he tho u ght th a t he a lone h a d
wisdom suflicien tto c a rry forw ar d so i mportant an
ente rprise H e wi shed them to con sider the mat
.

ter while he should le a ve them an d seek retire

ment to mature his pl an s He sought to im
,
.

ress upon them th at thi s was their l ast an d only

p ope . If they fa iled here all pro spect Of reg a in
,
in g an d controlling He a ven or an y p art of God s
’

,
c re a tion was hopele ss
,
.

S atan went alone to mature pl an s th at would

most surel y secure the fall Of Adam an d Eve .

H e had fe a r s th at his purpo ses might be defe a ted .

A n d aga in even if he should be succe ssful in le a d

,

in g A dam an d Eve to di sobey the comma nd men t

32 THE G R EAT C O N T RO V ERS Y .

of God an d thu s become tran sgr essors of his la w

, ,

a n d no good co me to h imsel f h is own c a se would ,

not be improved ; h is guilt would only be in

cre ased .

He shuddered at the thought Of plunging the

holy h appy p air into the misery an d remorse he
,

wa s hi msel f end uring He seemed in a state Of

.

indecision ; a tone time firm an d determined then ,

hesit ating an d w avering H is angel s were seek .

ing h im their le a der to a cqu aint him with their

, ,

de c ision They will unite with S a ta n in his pl an s

.
,

a n d with him be a r the re spon sibility an d sh a re ,

the consequence s .

S at an c ast off his feeling s of desp air an d we ak

ne ss a n d as their lea der fortified himself to br a ve
, , ,

ou tthe ma tter a n d do all in hi s power t

,
o de fy the

a uthority Of God an d his Son He a cqu a i n ted .

them with his pl an s I f he sho uld come boldly .

upon Ad aman d Eve an d make compl aints of God s ’

own Son they would not listen to him for a mo

,

ment but would be prep a red for such an a tt a ck

,
.

Should he seek to i n ti mida te them bec au se of his

power so recently an a ngel in high a uthority he
, ,

could a cco mpli sh nothing He de cided th at c un .

nin g an d de c eit would do wh a t might or force , ,

could not .

God assemble d th e angelic ho st to t ake me as

ures to avert the thre a tene d evil It was decided .

in He a ven s council for a ngel s to vi sit Eden a n d

’

w arn Adam tha t he was in danger from the foe .

Two angel s spe d on their way to visit our first

p arents The holy p air received themwith j oyful
.

innocence expre ssing their gr ateful th a nk s to their

,

Cre ator for thu s surrounding them with such a

pro fu sion Of his bounty Everythi ng lovely an d .

a ttr a ctive wa s their s to enjoy a n d everythin g ,

 T H E T EM PT A T ION A ND FALL . 33

s eeme d wisely a dapted to their w a nts ; an d th at

which they prized above all other blessings was ,

the society of the Son Of God an d the he a venly

a n el s for they ha d much t rel te to the m t
g , o a a
every visit of their new discoveries of the bea uties
,

Of n a ture in their lovely Eden ho me an d they ha d ,

ma ny question s to ask rel ative to ma ny t hings

which they could but indi stinctly comprehe n d .

The angels gr a ciou sly an d lovingly g a ve them

the informa tion they desired They a lso g ave .

them the sa d history Of S a ta n s rebellion an d fa ll

’
.

They then distinctly informed them th a t the tree

of knowledge was pl a ced in the g arden t o be a

pledge Of their Obedi ence an d love to God ; th at

the high an d h appy esta te Of the holy angels was
to be ret a in ed upon condition of obedience ; th a t
they were simil arly situ a ted ; tha t they could Obey
the law Of God an d be inexpressibly h a ppy or ,

disobey an d lo se their high est ate an d be plunged

, ,

into hopeless desp air .

They told Adam an d Eve th a t God would n ot

m m —
co pel the to Obey tha t he h a d not removed
from them power to go contr a ry to his will th at
they were mor al agents free to Obey or disobey
, .

Th e r e was but on e prohibition tha t God ha d seen

fit to lay upon themas If they should tran s
.

gress the will of GOdyetthey woul d surely

They told Adam an d Eve th at the mo st ex alted
angel next in order to Chri st refu sed Obedience
, ,

t o the law Of God whi ch he ha d or da ined to gov

ern heavenly beings; th at thi s rebellion ha d c a used

war in He aven which resul ted in the rebellio us be
ing expelled therefrom an d every angel was driven
,

ou tOf He aven who united with him in q ue stion

in g the authority Of the a J ehov a h ; a n d th a t

G tC t v
rea y 3
on ro ers
gre.
t
34 T HE G R EAT C O N T RO V ER SY .

this fallen fe e was n ow an enemy to all th at con

cerned the interest Of God an d his de ar S on .

They told themth at S atan purposed to do them

harm an d it was necessary for themto be gu a rded
, ,

for they might come in conta ct wi th the fa llen foe ;

but he could not h arm them whil e they yielded
Obedi ence to God s command ; for if necessary
’

, ,

every angel fro m Heaven would come to their

help r ather th an th at he should in an y way do
them h arm B utif they disobeye d the comman d
.

of God then S at a n would h a ve power t

, o ever an

n oy perplex an d trouble them

, , If they remain ed
, .

ste a d fast ag ain st the fir st in sinu a tion s of S a t a n ,

they were as secure as the hea venly angels B ut .

if they yielded to the tempter He wh o sp ared n ot

,

the ex alted angels would not sp are them They

,
.

mu st suffer the pen a lty of their tr ansgressio n ;

for the law Of God wa s a s sa cred as himsel f a n d ,

he required implicit Obedience fro m all in Hea ven

a n d on e a rth .

The angel s cautione d Eve not to sep ara te from

her hu sb and in her employment ; for she might
be brought in contact with thi s fallen foe If sep .

a r st ad fro m e ac h other they would be in re a ter

, g
d anger th a n if both were together The an els
.

ch arged themto clo sely follow the in structions Od

had given them in reference to the tr ee Of knowl
e dge ; for in perfect obedience they were sa fe ,
an d thi s fallen foe could then h a ve n o power t o

deceive them God would not permit S a tan to

.

follow the holy p air with conti nual tempta tions .

He could have access to them only atthe tree Of

knowledge Of good an d evil .

Adam an d Eve assured the angels th a t they

sho u ld never tran sgress the expre ss comma nd of
God ; for itwas their highest ple asure to do h is
36 THE G R EA T C O NT RO V ER S Y .

with soft an d ple asant words an d with music al ,

voice he a ddressed the wonderin g Eve She was

,
.

st artled to he a r a serpent spe a k He extolled her .

be auty an d e xc eedin l oveliness which was n ot

di sple asin g to Eve i utsh e was amazed for she
,

.
,

knew tha t to the serpent God h ad n ot given the

power Of speech .

Eve s curio sity was a rou sed In ste a d Of fl ee ing

’
.

from the spot she listened to hear a serpent talk

,
.

It did not occur to her mind th at it might be th a t

fallen foe u sing the serpent as a medium It was
,
.

S atan tha t spoke n ot the serpent Eve was be

, .

uiled fl a ttered infa tu ated H a d sh e me ta c om

g , ,
.

man di ng person age po ssessing a form like the ,

a ngel s a n d re semb ling them sh e would h ave been

, ,
upon her gu ard But th at strange voice shou l d
.

h ave driven her to her husb an d s side to inquir e ’

of him why a nother shoul d thu s free ly a d dr e ss

her But she enters into a controversy with th e
.

serpent She an swers his question

. W e may ,

e atof the fruit of the tree s of the g arden But .

of the fruit of the tree which is in the mid st Of

the g arden God h ath sa id Ye sh all n oteatof it

, , ,
”
nei ther sh all ye touch it lest ye die The ser
,
.

pent a nswer s Ye sh all n otsurely die ; for God

,

doth know th a t in the day ye eat thereof then ,

your eye s sh all be opened an d ye sh all be as ,

”
gods knowing goo d an d evil
, .

S at an would convey the ide a th at by eatin g of

the forbidden tree they would receive a new an d
,
more nob l e kin d of knowl edge th an they h a d
hitherto a tt a ined Thi s has been his speci al work
.

with gre at success ever since his fall to le a d men ,

to pry into the secrets of the Almighty an d n ot ,

to be sati sfied with wh a t God has reve aled a n d ,
n otc areful t o obey th a t which he h as co mma n d ed .
 T H E T EM PT AT ION A ND FA L L . 37

H e would le a d them to di sobey God s co mmands,

’

a n d then ma ke them believe th a t they are enter

ing a wonderful field of knowledge This is .

p urely suppo sition an d a mi ser able deception

, .

They fa il to understand wh a t God has revealed ,

a n d di sreg a rd hi s explicit co m mandments an d as ,

pire after wisdom independent of God an d seek

, ,

to understand th a t which he h as been pleased to

withhold from mortal s They are el ated with
.

their ideas Of pro gre ssion an d charmed with their

,

o wn v ain philo sophy ; but grope in m i dnight d ark

n e ss rel a tive to true knowledge The are ever
le a rning an d never able to co me to the knowl edge
.

of the tru th .

It was n otthe will of God th a t thi s si n less p air

should h ave an
y know l edge o f evil He h a d .

freely given them the good but withhel d the evi l

, .

Eve thought the words Of the serpent wise an d ,

sh e received the bro a d assertion Ye sh a ll n ot

,

surely die ; for God doth know th a t in t he da

ye eat thereof then your eye s sh all be open etf ,
”
a n d ye S h a ll be a s go ds k n o wing
,
oo d a n d e vil
— makin g God a li ar S a t an bO dly insinu ates
.

th a t God h a d deceived themto keep themfrombe

in g ex alted in knowl edge eq u al with hi mself God .

sa i d If ye ea t ye S h al l su
”
,
'
rely die The ser .

”
pent said I f ye ea t ye shall not surely die
, .

The tempter assured Eve th a t as soon as she

at e of the fruit she wou l d receive a new an d supe
rior knowledge th a t wo ul d make her equ al with
G od. He c alled her a ttention to hi msel f He ate .

freely of the tree an d found it not only perfectly

ha rmle ss but delicious an d exhil ar atin g ; an d tol d
,

her that it was bec ause of its wonderful properti es

to i mp a rt wi sdom a n d power th a t G od h d pro
a
hibite d them fro m t asti n g or even to uchi n g 1 13 ; for
38 T uz G REA T c on movmsv .

he knew its wonderful qu alities He stated th at .

by e ating of the fruit of the tree forbi d d en them

was the re ason he h a d a tt a ined the power of
speech . He intimated th a t God would n ot c arry
ou this word It wa s merely a thre at t
. o inti m idate
them an d k ee p th em fro m gre at good H e fur .

ther told themtha t they co ul d n otdie H ad they .

n ote aten of the tree of life whi ch perp etu ates im

mortality ? H e said th at God was dece ivin g th em

to keep them from a higher st ate of felicity an d
more ex alted happiness The tempt er plucked .

the fruit a n d p assed it to Eve She took it in .

her h and Now said the tempter you were pro

.
, ,

hibite d fro m even touching it le st you di e He .

told her th a t she woul d re ali ze n o more sen se

of evil an d de a th in e a ting th a n in touchi n g

or h a ndli ng the fr uit Eve wa s embolden ed be

.

c a use she felt not the imme di ate sign s of God s ’

displeasure She thought the wor ds of the

.

tempter all wi se an d correct She a te an d was .

,

d elighte d with the fruit It seemed delicious to .

her t aste an d she imagined th a t she real i z ed in

,

herself the won derful effects of the fruit .

She then plucked for hersel f of the fruit a n d

at e a n d imagined she felt the quicken in p ower
, g
of a new an d el ev ated exi stence as the result of
the exhil arating influence of the forbidden fruit .

She was in a str ange an d unn atur al excitement as

sh e sought her h u sb and with her h ands fil l ed with
,

the forbidden fruit She rel ated to him the wi se

.

discourse of the serpent an d wi shed to conduct ,

him atonce to the tree of knowledge She told .

him she h a d e aten of the fruit an d inste a d of her ,

feeling any sen se of de ath she re ali z ed a ple asin g , ,

exhil ar ating influence A s soon as Eve h ad di s

.
 T HE T EMPTAT I O N A ND FA LL . 39

obeyed sh e bec ame a powerful medi um through

,

which to oc casion the fall of her husb and .

I sa w a sa dne ss come over the counten a nce of

Adam He a ppe ared afr aid an d astoni shed A
. .

str u ggle a ppe ared to be going on in his mind .

He told Eve he was quite certa in th a t t hi s was

the fe e that they ha d been wa rned ag ainst ; a n d if
so th a t sh e mu st die
,
She assured him she felt .

fec ts but r a ther a very ple a sa nt infl uen c e

n o ill e f , ,

a n d entre a ted h im t o ea t .

Adam quite well understood th a t his co mp ani on

h a d tran sgre ssed the only prohibition l a id upon
them as a test of their fidelity a n d l ove Eve .

rea soned tha t the serpent said they should n o t

su rely die an d his wor ds must be true for she
, ,

felt n o si gn s of God s disple asure but a ple asa nt

’

influence as sh e imagined the angels felt Ad am

, .

regretted th at Eve ha d left hi s side ; but n ow the

deed wa s done He must be sep a r ated fro m her
.

who se society he ha d loved so well How could .

he h ave it th us ? H is love for Eve was stron g .

A n d in utter di scour a gement he re sol ved to sh a re

her fa te H e r e a son e d th at Eve was a p art of
.

hi mself ; a n d if sh e mu st die he would di e with ,

h e r ; for he could n otbe a r t he thought of sep ar

a tion fro m her H e l a cked faith in his me r
.

c ifu l an d benevo l ent Cre ator He did n otthink .

th at God who had formed him outof the du st of

,

the groun d into a living be auti ful form a n d h ad , ,

crea ted Eve to be his comp a n ion co uld supply ,

her pl ace After all might not the words of thi s

.
,

wi se serpent be correct ? Eve wa s b e fo re h im ,

ju st a s lovely a n d be a utiful a n d a pp a r e n tly a s ,

innocen t as before this ac tof di sobedie n c e She

,
.

expr essed grea t er higher lo ve for h im th a n b e fore

,

her di sob ed ience as the effe ct s o f ,

th e fr m t sh e
40 THE G RE AT CO N T RO VERS Y .

h ad t n He saw in her no sign s of de a th

ea e . .

She h a d told him of the h appy infl uence of the

fr ui t of her a rdent love for h im an d he decided
, ,

to br ave the con seq uences He seized the fruit .

an d q u ickly ate it a n d like Eve felt not i mme

, , ,

diately its ill effects .

Eve h a d thought hersel f c ap able of deciding

between right an d wrong The fl attering hope .

of entering a hi gher state of knowledge h a d led

her to think th a t the serpent was her especi al
friend po sse ssing a gre a t interest in her wel fare
,
.

H a d sh e so ught her hu sb and an d they h a d re ,

l a ted to their M aker the words of the serpent ,

they wo uld h ave been delivered at once from h is

a rtfu l tempt ation .

God in struc ted our first p arents in reg ard to the

tree of knowledge an d they were fully in formed
,

rel ative to the fall of S atan an d the d an ger of ,

li steni n g to h is suggestions He did not deprive .

them of the power of e ating the forbidden fruit .

He left the m as free mor al agents to believe his

word obey his co mma ndments an d live or believe
, ,

the tempter di sobey a n d peri sh They both a te

,
.
,

an d the gre a t wi sdo mthey obt a ined was the knowl

edge of sin an d a sen se of guilt The covering

,
.

of light about them soon di sappe ared an d under ,

a sense of uilt an d lo ss of their divine covering

g , ,

a shi vering sei z ed them a n d they tried to cover ,

their expo sed forms The Lord would not h a ve

.

them investig ate the fruit of the tree of knowl

edge for then they would be expo sed to S a t a n
,

masked He knew th at they would be perfectly

.

safe if they touched n otthe fruit .

O ur fir st p arents cho se to believe the word s as ,

they thought of a serpent ; yet he had given the m

,

no token s of his lov e H e had don e n othi n g for

.
 r m; Ta mrmrro x A ND F ALL . 41

their h appiness an d benefit ; while God ha d given

them everythin g th a t was good for food a n d ple a s ,

an tt o the sight Everywhere the eye mi ht re st

was a bund a nce an d be auty ; yet Eve was (f
.

ec e ive d
by the serpent to think that there was something
,

withheld which would make them wi se even a s ,

God . In ste ad of beli eving an d c on fidin g in G od ,

sh e b asely di str u sted h is goodne ss an d cheri shed ,

the words of S at an .

A fter Ad am s tr a n sgression he a tfirst ima gined

’

th a t he felt the ri sing to a new an d higher exist

ence But soon the thought of his tra nsgression
.

terrified him The air tha t ha d been of a mild

.

an d even temper a ture seemed t o c hi ll the m

,
The .

uilty p a ir h a d a sen se of sin They felt a dre a d

g .

of the future a sen se of w ant a n akedne ss of sou l

, ,
.

T h e sweet love an d pe a ce an d h appy contented

, , ,

bli ss seemed removed from them an d in its pl ace

, ,

a w a nt of so mething c ame over them th a t they

never experienced before They then for the fir st .

turn ed their attention to the extern al They h ad .

n o tbeen clothed but were dr a ped in light a s were

,
the he avenly angel s This light whi c h h a d en
.

shr ouded them dep a rt ed To reli eve the sen se of

.

la ck a n d n akedness which they re ali ze d their a t ,

tention was dir ected to seek a covering for their

forms ; for how could they meet the eye of God
a n d a ngels unclothed ?

Their cri me is now before them in its true light .

Their tra n sgression of God s express co mmand ’

assu me s a cle arer ch ar a cter Adam cen sured .

E ve s folly in le aving his side an d being deceived

’

by the serpent They both fl attered themselves

.

th at G od who h ad given them everything to make

,

the m h appy might yet excuse their di sobedience

, ,

b ec ause of his gre at love to them an d th at thei r ,

 THE G REA T CO N TROVER S Y .

punishment would not be so dre adful a fter a ll , .

S at an ex ulted in his success He h ad n ow .

tempted the woman to distrust God to q uestio n ,

his wisdo m an d to seek t

,
o penetr a te his a ll wi se -

pl a n s And through her he h ad also c a u sed the

.

overthrow of Adam who in con sequen c e of his, ,

love for Eve di sobeyed the command of God an d

, ,

fell with h er .

The news of man s fall spre a d through H e a ven

’

-
e very h a rp was hushed The angels c ast their .

cro wn s from their he a ds in sorrow All He a ven .

was in agita tion The angel s were grieve d a tthe

.

b ase ingr atitude of man in return for the rich ,

bounti es God ha d provided A c ouncil was held .

to decide wh at mu st be done with the guilty p a ir .

The angels fe ared th at they wo uld put forth the

h and an d eatof the tree of li fe an d thus perpe t
, ,

u a te a life of sin .

The Lord vi sited Adam an d Eve an d made ,

known to them the consequence of their di sobe di

ence A s they he ar God s maj estic appro a ch
.
’

they seek to hide themselv es from h is in spection ,

whom they d elighted while in their i nn ocen ce ,

an d holiness to meet ,
And the Lord Go d .

c alled unto Adam an d sa id un to hi m W here art

, ,

thou ? And he said I he ard thy voice in the ,

g arden an d I wa s afr a id bec au se I was n aked

, ,
a n d I hid m yself A n d he said W ho told thee th a t
.
,

thou w ast n aked ? H ast thou e aten of the tree

whereof I commanded thee th at thou sho uldest n ot
”
e a t? Thi s q ue stion was asked by the Lord n ot ,

bec au se he needed information butfor the con vic ,

tion of the guilty p a ir How didst tho u beco me .

a sh amed a n d fe arfu l ? Ad am a cknowle dged his

tr an sgre ssion n otbec au se he wa s penitent for his
,

gr ea t di sob edience but to c ast r eflection upon God

, .
44 T H E G RE AT c ox mo vsnsv
'
.

di ssol u tion They were made of the d ust o f the

.

e a rth , an dunto du st sho uld they return .

They were informed th a t they wo uld h ave to

lo se their Eden home They had yielded to S a .

a n s deception an d beli eved the word of S a t a n

’
t ,

th at God would lie By their tr an sgression they

.

h a d opened a way for S at an to g ain a ccess to

them more rea dily an d it wa s n ot safe for them
,

to rema in in the garden of Eden lest in their ,

st ate of sin they g ai n a ccess t

,
o the tree of li fe ,

an d perpetu ate a life of sin They en tre ated to .

be permitted to remain although they ack n owl ,

edged that they h a d forfeited all right to b lissful

Ede n They pro mised that they would in the
.

future yield to G od implicit obe dience They .

were informed that in their fall from inno c ence

to guilt they g ained n o strength but great we ak
,

n e ss They had n ot preserved their integrity

.

while they were in a st a te of holy h appy inno ,

cence an d they would ha ve far less stren gth to

,

remain true an d loya l in a st ate of con sciou s guilt .

They were filled with keenest a ngui sh an d re

morse They now re aliz e d th at the pen alty of
.

sin wa s de a th .

Angels were commissioned to immedi ately gu ard

the way of the tree of li fe It was S at an s studied .
’

pl an tha t Ad am an d Eve should disobey God re ,

c e ive his frown an d then p a rt ake of the tree of
,

life th at they might perpetu ate a life of sin But

, .

holy angel s were sent to deb ar their way to th e

tree of life Around these an gels fl ashed be ams
.

o f light on every side which h a d the appe a r ance

,

of glittering sword s .
 THE PLA N or S AL VAT I O N . 45

C HAP TE R IV .

THE PLAN or SA L VAT I O N .

S O RRO W filled He aven as it waS realized th a t ,

‘

man was l o st an d the world that God cre ated was

,

t o be filled with mort al s doomed t o misery si c k ,

ness an d de ath an d there was n o way of esc ape

, ,

for the ofl en der The whole family of Adammu st

'

die I saw the lovely Jesus an d beheld an ex

.
,

pression of symp athy an d sorrow upon his coun

ten an ce Soon I saw him appro ach the exc ee din
.

bright light whi ch enshrouded the F ather S ai .

my a ccompanying angel He is in clo se converse ,

with hi s F ather The a nxiety of the angel sseemed

.

to be intense while Jesu s was c ommunin g with h is

F ather Three times he was shut in by the glori
.

ou s light about the F ather an d the thi rd time he ,

c ame from the F ather his person could be seen .

H is counten ance was c alm free from a ll perplex ,

ity an d trouble an d shone with benevolence an d

,

l oveliness such as words c a nn ot express H e

,
.

then ma de known to the angelic host th at a way

of e sc ape h a d been m a de for l ost man He told .

th em tha t he had b een plea ding with his F ather ,

a n d h a d ofl ere d to give hi s life a ran som an d t ake

'

the senten ce of de a th upon himself th at throu h ,

him man might find p ardon ; tha t through t e

merits of hi s b l ood an d obedience to the law of
,

God they c ou
,
ld have t he favor of God an d be ,

brought into the beautiful gard en , an d eatof the

fruit of t he tree of life .

At first the an gels could n ot rej oice for their ,

Commander concealed n othing from them but ,

open ed before them the pl a n of sa lv atio n Je su s .

46 T H E G RE AT Co N T Ro vnasv .

told the m th at he would stand between the wr ath

of his F ather a n d g u ilty ma n th at he would be ar ,

iniq uity a n d scorn an d but few wo uld receive him

,

a s the Son of God Ne arly all would h ate an d

.

rej ect him He would le a ve all his glory in

.

He aven appe ar upon earth as a man humble

,
.
,

himself as a man become a cqu ainted by his own

,

experience with the various tempt atio ns with whi ch

man would be b eset th a t he mi ght kno w how to ,

succor tho se who should be tempted ; an d t hat

fin a lly after his mission as a te a cher sh o uld be
,

a cco mpli shed he would be delivered into the h a n ds

,

of me n an d endure almo st every cru

, elty a n d suf
ferin g th a t S a t a n an d his angels co uld in spire
wicked men to inflict ; th at he should die the cru
elestof d e a ths hun up between the he a v e ns an d
g ,

the e arth as a guilty sinner ; th athe sh ould sufl er

'

drea dful hour s of a gony which even angels could ,

n otl ook upo n but would v a il their fac es from t

, he
sight .N otmerely agony of body wo u ld he su f
fer but ment al agony that with which bo dily ,

su fl erin g could in n o wise be comp are d The

'

weight of the sins of the whol e world woul d be

upon him He told them he woul d die an d rise
.
,
a g a in the third da
y a n d sh ould a scen d ,to his
F ather to intercede for wayw ard guilty man ,
.

The angels prostr ated themselves b efor e

They offered their live s Jesus sai d to them that .

he shoul d by hi s de ath save many tha t the l i fe

of a n an ely co u ld n ot pay the deb t H is life
alon e c o g
.

d be acce pt ed of his Father as a ran

som for man Jesus also tol d th em that they
.

should h ave a p art to a ct t o be with hi m an d at , ,

difl eren t ti mes strengthen him Th at he shou

'

ld .

take ma n s fallen n ature an d his strength wou

’
ld ,

not be even equ al with theirs And they should .

 THE PLA N o r sA LVA ri oN . 47

b e witnesses of h is humili ation an d grea t sufl er

'

ings And as they should witness his sufl erin gs

'

.
,
a n d the h a te of men tow a rd s him they would be ,

stirred with the deepest e moti on s an d throug h ,

their love for him would wi sh to rescue a n d de

,

liver him from his murderers ; butth at they must

n otin t e rfere to prevent a nythin they s hould b
g e
hold ; an d th a t they should ac ta p art in his res
urre ction ; tha t the pl a n of salv ation was devi sed ,

a n d hi s F a ther h a d a ccepted the pl a n .

W ith a ho ly sa dn ess J esus co mforted an d

cheered the angel s a n d informed them th a t here
,

a fter tho se whom he should redeem wo u ld be with

him an d ever dwell with him ; an d th a t by his
,

dea th he should ran som many a n d d estroy him . ,

who h a d the power of death And his F a ther

.

would tve him the kin dom an d the gre a tness

°

h e { in gdom under t e whole he aven an d he

,

of t ,

should po sse ss it forever an d ever S a tan an d .

sinner s should be de stroye d never more t , o di sturb

He a ven or the purifi ed new earth Jesus b ade
,
.

the heaven ly h ost be r ec on c il ed to th e pla n that

hi s F a ther a ccepted an d r ejoice th at fallen man
,

could be ex alted a ain through his d eath to oh

ta in fa vor with GO5an d enjoy He a ven
,

T hen j oy inexpressibl e j oy fill ed H e aven

, ,
.

A n d the he avenly ho stsu n

g a son
g of pr aise an d
a dora tion They touch ed their h arp s an d sun g
.

a note hi her th an they ha d don e befor e for the

g ,

r e at mer cy an d cond esc e n sio n of God in yield

g
ing up his dea rly B eloved to die for a r ac e of
rebel s . Praise an d a dora tion were poured forth
for the sel f deni al an d sa crifice of Je sus ; th at he
-

wou ld c on sent to le ave the bosom of hi s F a ther ,

an d choo se a l ife of su fl erin g a d u

ng i h d di
'

n a s a n e
,

an i n o miniou s de at h to i v e h is li fe fo r other s
g g
.
48 T H E G RE AT CO N T ROV ERSY .

S aid the a ngel Think ye th at the F ath er

,

yielded up his desrl beloved Son without a

str u g le ? No no t was even a struggle with
the (g
.
,

od of He a ven whether to let g uilty man

,

peri sh or to give his beloved S on to di e for them

,
.

Angels were so interested for ma n s salvation th at ’

there co uld be found among them tho se who would

yield their glory an d give their life for per
,

ishin g man But said my a ccomp anying angel

.
, ,

Th a t wo uld a va il nothin g The tra n sgression .

wa s so gre at th a t an a ngel s h fe wo uld n ot pay

’

the debt Nothing but the de ath an d in terc es

.

sion s of h is Son wo u ld pay the debt and save lost ,

man from hopeless sorrow an d mi sery .

But the work of the a ngels was assigned them ,

to a scend an d descend with strengthening b a lm

from glory to soothe the Son of God in his sufl er
'

ing s an d a dmini ster unto him Also their work

,
.
,

would be to gu ard an d keep the subj ects of gr ace

fro m the evil angel s an d th e d a rkne ss con st a ntly
,

thrown a round them by S a t an I saw th at it was .

i mpo ssible for God to alter or ch ange his la w to ,

sa ve lo st perishing man ; therefore he suffered

,

his beloved Son to die for ma n s tr an sgression

’
.

S a t an a g ain rej oiced with his angels th at he

could by c au sing man s fa ll pull down the Son
,
’

of God fro m his ex alted po sition He told his .

a n el s th a t when J e su s shou l d t ake fallen ma n s

’

g
n ature he could overpower him an d hinder the
, ,
a cco mplishment of the pl an of salv a tion .

I was then shown S a t a n as he was a h appy , ,

ex alted angel Then I was shown him as he now

.

is
. He still bears a kingly form H is fe a tures .

are still noble for he is an a ngel fallen

, But the .

expression of his counten ance is full of anxiety ,

c a r e unh a ppi n ess malice
, h ate mischief deceit
, , , , ,
 T n E rLA N or S AL VAT I O N . 49

an d every evil Th at brow which was once so

.

n oble I p a rticu
,
l a rly noti c ed H is forehea d c om .

men c ed fro m his eye s to recede ba ckwa rd I sa w .

th a t he h a d demea ned himself so long th at every

good q uality was deb ase d an d every evil tra it wa s ,

developed H is eye s were cunn in g a n d sly an d

.
,

S ho wed gre a t penetra tion H is fr ame was l arge ;

.

but the flesh hung loo sely abo ut his h a nds a n d

fa ce . A S I beheld him h is c h in wa s re sti n g u
,
pon
his leftha n d He appea red to be in deep tho ught
. .

A smile wa s upon his co unten ance whi ch ma de ,

me tremble it wa s so full of evil an d S a t ani c sly

,

n e ss . This smile is the one he we ars ju st before

he make s sure of his victim ; a n d as he fa sten s
the victim in his sn are thi s smile grows horrible
,
.

In humility an d inexpressible sa dness Ad am ,

a n d Eve le ftthe lovely g a rden wherein they h a d

been so h appy un til th e y disobeyed the command

o f God The a tmo sphere was ch an ged It was
. .

no long er unv a rying a s before the tran sgression .

G o d clo thed them with c o a ts of skin s to protect

them fro m the se n se of c hillin ess an d then of he at
to whi c h they we re expo sed .

All H e aven mourn ed on a ccount of the disobe

di e n c e an d fall of Ad am an d Eve which bro u ght ,

th e wr ath of God upon the whole human r a ce .

They were cut ofl fro m communing with God an d

’

were plunged in hopeless misery The law of .

God co uld n ot be ch anged to meet man s n ec es ’

sit y; for in God s a rr a n ge ment ’

it w a s never to

lo se its force nor give up the smallest p art of its

,

cl a ims .

The an gels of God were co mmissioned to vi sit

the fallen p air an d in form the th t l h g m a a t o u h
they could no longer reta i n po ss e ssi o n o f their
G re a tCon t
ro v y
e rs .
4
50 T H E o REA T O
C N T RO V ERS Y .

holy esta te their Eden home bec ause of their

, ,

tr an sgression of the law of God yet their c a se was ,

not altoge ther hopeless They were then i n formed

.

th at the Son Of God who ha d conversed wi th them

,

in Eden h a d been moved with pity as he viewed

,

th eir hopeless condition an d h a d volunteered to ,

t a ke upon himself the punishment due to them ,

a n d die for them th a t man might yet live through ,

faith in the atonement Christ propo sed to make

for him Thro ugh Christ a door Of hope was
.

opened th a t ma n notwithstanding his gre a t sin

, , ,

sho u ld not be under the ab sol ute control of S a t an .

F aith in the merits of the Son Of God would so

elev ate man th at he could re si st the devices of
S ata n Prob ation wo uld be gr anted him in which
.
,

thro ugh a li fe of repent ance an d fa ith in the ,

a tonement of the Son of God he might be te ,

deemed from his tran sgression of the F a ther s ’

la w an d thu s be elev a ted to a po sition where his

,

efforts to keep his law could be accepted .

The angels rel ated to them the grief th a t was

felt in He aven a s it wa s announced th a t they ha d
,

tr an sgressed the law of God which had ma de it ,

expedien t for C hrist to make the gre at sa crifice

of h is own preciou s life .

When Adam an d Eve realized how ex alted an d

sa cred wa s the la w of God the tr an sgre ssion of ,

which made so co stly a sa crifice nece ssary to sa ve

them an d th eir po sterity fro m utter ruin they ,

ple a d to die themselves or to le tthem an d their ,

po sterity endure the pen alty of their tran sgres

sion , r ath er th a n th at the beloved Son Of God
sho u ld make thi s gre at sa crifice The a nguish Of .

Ad am was incre ased He saw th at his S in s were

.

of so gre a t magnit u de a s to involve fe arful co use

q u en c es And
. m ust it be th a t He a ven s ho n ored ’
52 T H E G RE AT C N O TROVERS Y .

G od, ra ther th an repent ance an d obedience rely ,

in g by fa i th upo n the merits of the sa crifice o ffere d .

Thi s sac rifi c e was of suc h in fin ite v al ue as to make

a ma n wh o sho u ld a v ail himself of it more precio us,

th a n fin e gold ev en a ma n th an the golden wedge

,

of O phir .

Ad am wa s c arri e d do wn through successive gen

e ra t ion s a n d saw th e incre ase of cri me Of guilt
, ,

a n d defile me n t bec a u ,
se man wo u ld yield to his
n a tur ally stro n g i n clin a tions to tra n sgress the holy
la w of G o d He wa s sho wn the c urse of God
.

r e sting mor e an d mor e hea vily upon the human

r a c e upon the c a ttl e an d upon the e arth bec a use
, , ,

Of ma n s contin u ed tr an sgression He was shown

’
.

th a t i n iquity an d viol ence wo uld stea dily incre ase ;

t a mid a ll the tide of h u m a n mi sery an d woe
y e ,

th ere would ever be a few wh o would preserve the

k n owl e dge Of G o d an d would remain unsullied
,

ami d t h e pre va il in g mor al d egener a cy Ad am .

—
was ma de to co mpr eh en d wh at Sin is the tr a ns
re ssion of the la w He w a s shown th a t mor a l
g .
,

men t al an d physic al d e gener a cy wo uld result to

,

the r a ce fro m tr an sgression until the world would

, ,

be filled with h uma n misery Of every type .

The days Of man were shortened by his own

co urse Of sin in tr an sgressin g the righteou s la w of
God The r a ce was fi n ally so gr e atly deprec i a ted
.

th at they app eared inferior an d almost v a lueless

,
.

They were g enerally incomp etent to a ppreci a te

the mystery of C alv ary the gr and an d elev ated
,

fa cts of the atonement an d the pl a n of salv a tion ,

bec ause of the indulgence of the c arn al mind .

Ye t not withst anding the w ea kness an d enfeebled

, ,

ment al mor al an d physi c al powers Of the hu ma n

, ,

r a c e Chri st true to the purpo se for which he left

, ,

H eaven co n ti n ues h is inter est in the feeble de

, ,
 T HE PLA N o r S A LVA T i O N .
53

rec ia te d,
degener a te speci men s o f h u m a nity a n d
p ,

i n vite s the m to hide th eir we a k n e ss a n d gre a t ( 10

fi cie n c es in h im I f they will come un to h im he
.
,

will supply a ll their needs .

W hen Ad am a ccor di n g to God s spe c i al dire c

’

tion s ma de an o fferi n g for sin it was to h im a

, ,

mo st p a inful ceremony H is h a nd mu st be r a ised .

to t a ke life which God alon e c ould give an d make

, ,

an o fferin g for S in It was the first t ime he h a d

.

witn e ssed de a th A s he looked upon the blee din g

.

vi c tim writhing in the a goni es of de a th he was

, ,

to look forw a rd by fa ith to the Son Of G od whom ,

the victim prefigure d who was to die ma n s sa c ,

’

rific e .

T hi s ceremonial o ffering orda ined of God was , ,

to be a perpetua l reminder to Adam of h is guilt ,

a n d al so a pe n itenti a l a ckno wledg ment of h is sin .

Th is a c t of t aking life ga ve Ad a m a deeper a n d

more p erfec t se n se Of his tr a n sgression which ,

n othing less th a n the de a th o f God s d e a r S on

’

c ou ld expi ate He marvel e d atthe in finite good

.

n e ss an d ma t c hle ss lov e whi c h w o uld give suc h a

r a n so m to sa ve the guilty A s Ad amwas sl aying .

th e in no c en t vi c tim it se emed to him th a t h e was

,

sh edding the blood Of t he S on of God by his own

h and He kne w th a t if he h a d rema ined st e a d
.

fa st to G od an d tr ue to his holy law there wo uld

, ,

h ave been no dea th Of beast nor of man Yet in .

the sa crifici a l ofierin gs po inting to the gre a t an d

'

perfect O fferin g of God s dear Son there a ppe ar e d ’

a st ar of hope to il lumin ate the d a rk an d ter rible

future an d relie ve it Of its utter hopelessne ss an d

,

rum .

In the beginning the hea d of ea c h family wa s

,

con sidered ruler an d priest of his own household .

Aft erw ar d as the r ac e multiplied upon the e arth

, ,
54 THE G RE AT C NTR O OV ERS Y .

men ofdivine appointment performed thi s solemn

worshi p of sa crifice for the people The bl oo d of .

be a sts was to be asso ci ated in the mi n ds of Sin

ners wi th the blood of the Son of God The .

de ath of the victimwas to evidence to all th a t the

pen alty of sin was dea th By the a ctof sac rifice
.
,

the sin ner a cknowledged his guil t an d manifested ,

his fa ith loo k i n g forward to the gre a t an d per

,

fe e t sa crifice of the Son of God which the o ffer ,

ing of be asts prefigure d W itho ut the a to n e ment

.

of the Son of God there could be n o c ommu n ic a

tion Of blessing or salva tion from God to man

, .

God was je alou s for the honor of his law The .

tra n sgre ssion of th a t law c aused a fe arful sep ar a

tion between God an d man To Adam in his in .

w as gr anted co mmunio n direct free an d

n oc e n c
y , ,

h appy with his M aker A fter his tra n sgre ssion

,
.
,

God wo uld co mmunic ate to man throu gh Chri st

a n d a ngel s .

CHAPTER V .

C AI N AN D A B EL .

C AI N an d Abel the son s of Adam were very

, ,
un like in ch ar a cter Abel fe ared G od C ain cher
. .

ish e d rebelliou s feelin g s an d murmured a a in st

,

God bec ause of the curse pronounced upon dam ,

an d bec au se the gro u nd wa s c urse d for his Sin .

These brothers had been in structed in reg a rd to

the provi sion ma de for the salvation of the huma n
r a ce They were required to c arry outa sy stem
.

of hu mble obedience showing their reverence for

,

God an d their faith an d depen d ence up on the

,
 OA i N A N D AB EL .
55

p ro m i sed R edee m er by sl ayi n g the first

, lin s of
g
the flock an d solemnly presenti n g them with the
,

bloo d as a burnt Ofl erin g to God This sa crifice

'

-
.
,

would lea d them to contin u ally keep in mind th e ir

S in an d the Redeemer to co me who was to be the
, ,

gre at sa crifice for man .

C ain brought his ofl e rin g unto the Lord with

'

murmu r ing a n d infidelity in h is he a r tin reg ard to

the promised Sa crifice He was unwilli n g to .

strictly follo w the pl a n Of obedience a n d procure ,

a l am b an d Ofl er it wi th the fruit of the ground

’

He merely took of the fruit Of the ground an d ,

disregarded the r eq uirement Of God Go d ha d .

ma de known to Adam th a t without sheddi n g Of

bloo d there could be no remi ssion Of sin C ain .

was not p articul a r t o bri n g even t he best of the

fr u its Abel a dvise d h is brother not to come be
.

fore the Lord witho ut the bloo d of a sa crifice .

Ca in being the elde st would n ot li sten to h is ,

brother He de spised his coun sel an d with do ubt

.
,

a n d mu rmuring in reg ard to the nec essity of the

ceremoni al Offerin gs he pr e sente d hi s ofl erin g
'

.
,

B ut G o d did n o ta c ce pt it .

A bel brought of the firstlin gs of his fl ock an d ,

o f the fa t as God ha d co m ma nded ; an d in full

fa it h of t he Messi a h t o co me a n d with hu mble ,

reverence he presented the ofl erin g

'

,
God ha d re .

spect unto his Ofl erin g A light fl ashes from

'

Hea ven an d co nsume s the Offering of Abel C ain .

see s no ma nife st a tion th a t his is a ccepted He is .

a ngry with the Lord a n d with h is brother ,

God .

c onde scend s t o se nd a n an gel to C a in t o conver se

with him .

The an gel inquire s of him the re aso n of h is a n

ger an d informs h im th at if he does well an d fol
, ,

lo ws the direc tions God has given he will a cc ept ,

56 T H E G REA T

hi m, an d re spect his Ofl erin g But if he will n ot

'

humbly sub mit to God s arra n g emen ts, an d believ e

’

a n d ob ey h im, h e c a n not a c c ept his of

feri n g T he .

a n e l tell s C a i n th a t itwas no inj u stice on t h e

g
p art Of G od, or p arti ality sh own to Abel ; but
th a t it was on a ccount of hi s own sin , an d disobe
die n c e of God s exp re ss c ommand, why h e could
’

—
not re spect his o ffering an d if h e wo uld do well
he w ould be a ccepted of God, an d h is brother
sho u ld li st en to him, an d he should t ake the le a d ,
be c ause he was the eldest B ut even a fter bein g
.

thus fa ithfully in structe d, C a in did n ot r e p ent .

In st ead Of cen surin g an d abhorring himsel f for

h is un belief, he still co mpl ain s of the i nj usti c e a n d
p a rti ality of God And in his j e alo usy a n d h a
.

tre d he contend s with Abel , an d r e pro a c h e s h im .

Ab el me ekly p oin t s out his brother s error , a n d ’

sho ws him th a t the wro n g is in hi msel f B ut .

C ai n h at es his brother from the mome n t th a t God

mani fe st s to him the t oken s of h is a ccept ance .

H is b rother Abel seek s to appe a se hi s wr a th by

contending for the comp assion of God in savi n g
th e live s Of their p a rent s, when he might h a v e
bro ught upon them i mmedi ate de ath He tell s .

C a i n th a t God loved them or he would n oth av e

,
giv e n his Son innocent an d holy to suffe r the
, ,

wr ath which man by his di sobedience dese rved to

suffer. While Abel j ustifi es the pl an of God C ain ,

becomes enr aged an d his anger incre ases an d

,

burn s a g ai n st Abel until in his r age he sl ays him

,
.

God i n quires of C ain for his brother an d C a in ,

utt ers a guilty falsehood I know n ot; am I

'

my broth er s keeper ?
’ ”
God in forms C a in th at
he knew in reg ard to his sin — th at he was a o
q ua in te d with h is every a c t an d ev e n
,
the tho ught s
of his he art an d says t o him Thy brother s ’

, ,
 OA i N A N D A B EL .
57

blood crieth unto me from the ground And ne w .

a rttho u c u rsed fro m th e e ar th whi c h h a th ope n ed

her mo uth to receive thy brother s blood fro m thy ’

h a nd W hen thou tillest the gro und it sh a ll not

.
,

hence forth yield unto thee her strength A fugi .

”
tive an d a v a g abond sh alt thou be in the e arth .

The curse upon the gro und at first h a d been

felt but lightly ; but now a do uble c urse re sted
upon it C ain an d Abel repre sent th e two cl asses
.
,

the righteou s an d the wicked the believers an d ,

unbelievers which should exist fro m the fall

,

o f man to the second co mi n g of Chri st C a in s ’

.

slayi n g h is brother Abel repre sent s the wicked ,

who will be envio us Of the righteou s an d will ,

h a te them bec au se th ey a re better tha n them

selve s They will be je alo us of the righteo us an d
.
,

w i ll per secute an d put themto de ath bec a u se their

right doing c ondemns their sinful course
-
.

Adam s life was on e of sorrow humility an d

’

, ,

c ontin u al repent a nce A s he t aught his c hildre n

.

a n d gr a nd children the fe a r of the Lord he wa s

-

Often bitterly repro ached for h is sin whi c h re sulted

in so much mi sery upon h is po sterity W hen he .

left the bea utiful Eden the though t th a t he must

,

di e thrilled hi m with horror

,
He looked upon .

de a th as a dre adful c alamity He was first ma de .

a cqu a inte d with the dre a dful re a lity of de ath in

the huma n family by his own son C a in slaying his

bro ther Abel Filled with the bittere st remorse
.

for hi s own tr an sgression an d deprived of his son ,

Abel an d looking upon C ain as his murderer

, ,

an d knowing the cur se God pronounced u pon

h im bowed down Ad am s hea rt with grief M o st
’
.
,

bitterly di d he repro a ch himself for his first grea t

tra n sgre ssion He entre ated p ardon from God
.

through the promi sed S a crifice Deeply ha d he .

58 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERSY .

felt the wr a th of Go d for his crime commi tted in

P a radise He witnessed the general corruption
.

which after ward fin ally provoked God to de stroy

the inh abita n ts Of the e arth by a flood The sen .

tence of d e ath pronounced upon him by his

M a ker which a tfirst a pp e ared so terrible to h im
, ,

a fter he h ad lived so me h u ndred s of ye ar s looked ,

j ust a n d merciful in God to brin g to an end a ,

mi ser able life .

A s Adam witnessed the fir st sign s Of dec a ying

n at ure in the falling le af an d in the drooping ,

flo wers he mourned more deeply th a n me n now

,

mo urn over their dea d The droopi n g flo we r s .

were not so deep a c ause of grief be c ause mo re ,

tend er an d delic a te ; but the t all nobl e sturdy , ,

tr e e s to c astoff their le ave s to dec ay pr ese n ted , ,

be fore hi m the gener al di ssolution of b eauti ful

n at ure which God h a d cre ated for the especi al
,

ben e fit of ma n .

T O his children an d to their children to the

, ,

n inth genera tion he deline ated the perfection s of

,

his Eden home ; an d al so h is fa ll an d its dre a dful

results an d the lo a d of grief brought upon h imon
,

a cco u nt Of the r upture in hi s family which ended ,

in the de a th of Abel He rel ated to them the .

su fl erin gs God ha d brought himthrough to te a ch

'

him the necessity of strictly a dhering to his la w .

He decl ared to them th a t sin would be puni shed

in wh a tever form it existed He entre a ted them .

to Obey God who wo uld de al mercifully with them

,

if they should love an d fe ar him .

Angels held commu n ic ation with Ad am a fter

hi s fall an d in for med h im of the pl a n of salv a
,

tion an d tha t the huma n r a ce was n ot beyond

,

redemption Although a fe arful sep ar ation h a d

.

t ak e n pla ce between God an d man yet provi sion ,

60 THE G REA T CON T R OV ERS Y .

The descend ants of C a in were not c areful to

respe c t the day upon whi c h God rest ed They .

cho se their Own time for l abor an d for rest re ,

gardless of J ehov a h s speci a l

’
co mm a nd There .

were two di stinct cl asse s upon the e arth O ne .

cl ass were in open rebellion a g a in st God s law ’

while the other class obeyed his commandments ,

an d revered his S abb a th .

C H A P T E R VL
S ET H AN D EN O CH .

S ET H was a worthy ch ara cter an d was to t ake ,

the pl a ce of Abel in right doing Yet he was a .

son Of Ad am like sinfu l C a in an d inherited from

,

the n a ture of Ad am n o more n atur al goodne ss

th an did C a in He was born in sin ; but by the
.

r a ce of God in rece ivin g the fai t h ful instruc

g ,

tions Of hi s father Adam he honored God in doi n g

,

h is wi ll. He sep ara ted hi mself from the corrupt

descen dants of C a in a n d l a bor ed as Abel would
, ,

h ave done had he lived to turn the mi nds of sin

,

ful men to revere a n d Ob ey God .

Enoch was a holy man He served God with .

singlene ss of he a rt .He re ali z ed the corruption s

of the huma n fam ily an d sep ar ated hi mself from
,

the descendants of C ain an d reproved them for

,

their grea t wickedness There were tho se upon

.

the e a rth who a cknowledged God who fe ared a n d ,

worshiped hi m Yet righteou s Enoch was so dis

.

tressed with the increasing wickedness of the nu

g odly, th at h e wo uld not d aily associ a te with the m ,
 T
SE H A N D EN O CH .
61

fe a ring th at he should be afl ec ted by their in fi

'

de lity an d th a t his thought s mi ght not ever

,

reg a rd God with tha t holy reverence which was

due h is ex a lted ch a r ac ter H is soul was vexed a s
.

he d a ily witnessed their tramplin g upon the au

th ority Of God . He cho se to be sep a r ate from
them an d spen t much of his time in solit ude
, ,

which he devoted to reflectio n an d pr ayer He .

w aited before God an d pr ayed to k n o w h is will

,

more perfectly th a t he might perform it God

,
.

co mmuned with E n och through his angels an d ,

g a ve him divine in struction He ma de kno wn to

.

him th a t he wo uld not a lw a ys be a r with ma n in

—
his rebellion th a t his purpo se wa s to destroy the
sin fu l r a ce by bringing a flood Of w a ters upon th e
e arth.

The pure an d lovely garden of Eden fro m ,

which our first p a rents were driven rema ined n u ,

til G od purpo sed to destroy the e arth by a flood .

G o d h a d pl a nted th a t g a rden a n d e speci ally

,

ble ssed it ; an d in hi s wo n derful provi den ce he

withdrew it from the e arth an d will return it to
,

the e a rt h a g a in more gloriously a dorn ed than be

,

fore it was removed from the earth God purposed .

to pre serve a specimen of hi s perfect work of cre

atio n free fro m t he curse where with h e ha d curse d
the e a rth .

The Lord opened more fully to Enoch the pl a n

of sa lv a tion a n d by the spirit Of prophecy c a rried
,

him do wn through the gener ation s which should

li ve after the flood an d showed him the gre a t
,

events connected with the second co ming of

Chri st an d the end of the world .

Enoch was troubled in reg a rd to the de a d It .

seemed t o h im th at the righteou s an d the wicked

woul d go to the dust together an d th at wo uld be,
62 T H E G REA T O
C NTR OV ERS Y .

their end H e could not cle arly see the life of

.

the j ust beyond the gr ave In prophetic vi sion .

he was in structed in reg ard to the Son of God ,

who was to die ma n s sa crifice an d was shown
’

the coming of Chri st in the clo uds of He aven at ,

tended by the angelic ho st to give life to the ,

righteo us de ad an d r a n som them fro m their

,

gr ave s He a l so saw the corrupt state of the

.

world a tthe ti me when Chri st sho uld appe ar the

second ti me — th a t there would be a bo astful pre ,

su mptuou s sel f willed gener ation a rr ayed in re

,
-

bellion a gain st the law of God an d den ying the ,

only Lord God an d our Lord Jesus Chri st a n d ,

trampli n g upon his blood an d despising his a tone,

men t He saw the righteou s crowned with glory

.

a n d honor while the wicked were sep ar a ted fro m

,

the presence of the Lord an d con sumed with fire , .

Enoch fa ithfully rehearsed to the people a ll

th a t God ha d reve aled to him by the spirit of
prophecy Some believed his words an d turned
.
,

fro m their wickedness to fe ar a n d worship God .

Such often sought Enoch in his pl a ce s Of retire

ment an d he instructed them an d pr ayed for
, ,

them th at God would give them a knowledge of

his will At length he cho se cert ain periods for
.

retirement an d wo uld not suffer the people to

,

find him for they interrupted his holy medit a tion

,

an d co mmunion with God He did not exclude .

himself a tall times from the society of tho se who

loved him an d li stened to his words of wi sdo m;
neither did he sep ar ate himself wholly fro m the
corrup t He metwith the good an d ba d atst a ted
.

ti me s an d l abored to turn the ungodly fro m their

,

evil course an d in struct them in the knowledge

,

an d fe a r of G o d He t aught tho se who h a d the

.

knowledge of God to ser ve himmore perfectly .

 SE HT A N D EN oc H .
63

He would remain with them as l o n g as he coul d

b enefit them by hi s godly conversation a n d holy
ex ample an d then wo uld withdr aw himsel f from
,

a ll society — fro m the j u st the sc ofiin a n d idol a

g ,

trou s to remain in solitude hungering an d thir st

, ,

ing for commun ion with God an d th at divine ,

knowledge which he alone could give him .

Enoch continued to grow more he avenly while

communing with G od H is fa ce wa s ra di an t with
.

a holy light which would re ma i n upon h is c ou nt e

n a nce while in structi n g tho se who would he a r his
words Of wisdo m H is hea venly an d dignified
.

a ppe a r ance str uck the people with awe The .

Lord loved E n och bec ause he stea dfa stly followed

him a n d abhorred iniq u
,
ity an d e arnestly sought,

he a ve n ly knowledge th at he might do his will

perfectly He ye a rned to unite himsel f still more
.

clo sely to God who m he fea red reverenced an d

, , ,

a dored God would n ot permit Enoch to die as

.

other men but sent his angel s to t ake him to

,

He a ven witho ut seeing de ath In the pre sen c e of .

t h e righteou s a n d the wicked E n o c h wa s removed ,

from th em
'

Tho se wh o loved hi m tho ught tha t

.

G od mi ght h a ve left h im in so me of his pl aces of

retirement ; but after seeking him diligen tly an d ,

bei n g un ab le to fin d him reported th a t he was ,

not for God took him

,
.

The Lord here te a ches a lesson of the gre ate st

i mporta nce by the tran sl a tion of Enoch a descend ,

an t of fa llen Ad a m th at a ll would be rew a rd e d

, ,

who by fa ith would rely upon the promi sed S a cri

fice an d fa ithfully Obey his comma n dment s
,
T wo .

classe s are here a gain represen ted which wer e to ex

—
istuntil the second co ming Of Chri st the ri gh te o us
an d the wicked t h e rebelliou s an d the lo y a l
,
God .

will remember the righteous who fe ar hlm On ,

61 T H E G RE AT CON TROVERS Y .

a ccount of his de ar Son he will respect an d honor ,

them a n d give them everl asting life B ut the

,
.

wicked who trample upon his authority he will

, ,

cut off an d destroy fro m the earth a n d they will ,

be a s tho ugh they h ad not been .

Afte r Adam s fall fro m a st ate of per fect hap

’

in e ss to a st a te of mi sery an d sin there w

p a s ,

d a nger of man s bec oming di sc o ur aged an d in

’

quiring W h at profit is it th a t we ha ve kept his

,

ordin an ces an d w alked mournfully before the

,

Lord S in c e a he avy c ur se is re sti n g upon the

,
”

human r a ce an d d e a th is the portion Of us a ll ?

,

B ut the in struction s whi c h God ga ve to Ad a m ,

an d which were repe a ted by Seth a n d fu lly e x em ,

li fie d by Eno c h cle a red aw a y the d arkne ss a n d

p ,

gloo m an d g a ve hope to man th at as thro ugh

, ,

Adam c ame dea th thro ugh J esus the promised , ,

R e d e emer wo uld c ome life an d immort ality

,
.

I n the c a se of E n oc h the desponding fa ithfu l ,

were ta ught th a t although living amo n g a corrupt

,

an d S in fu l people who were in open a n d d a rin g

,

rebellion ag ainst God their Cre ator yet if they ,

would obey him an d h a ve faith in the promi sed

,

Redeemer they co uld work righteou sne ss li ke the

,

fa ithfu l E n o ch be a c c epted of God an d fin ally

, ,
ex a lted to his he a venly throne .

Enoch sep ar ati n g himself from the world

, ,

a n d spending m uch of his time in prayer an d

in communion with God represents God s loy al ,
’

people in the l ast d ays who will be sep a

r a te fro m the world Unrighteou sne ss will pre .

v ail to a dre adful extent upon the e arth Men .

will give themselves up to follow every imag in a

tion of th eir corrupt he arts an d c arry out their ,

deceptive philo sophy a n d reb el a g ain st the au ,

thorit y Of high He a ven .

 T
S E H A N D EN OCII . 65

God s people will sep ar a te themselves fro m th e

’

unrighteou s pr a ctic es of tho se aro und them a n d ,

will seek for p urity Of thought an d holy c o n form ,

ity to h is will until his divine ima ge will be re

,

fl ec ted in the m Like E n och they will be fit ting

.

for tr a n sl a tion to He a ven W hile th ey en d eavor

.

to instruct an d w a rn the world they will n otcon ,

for m to the spirit an d c usto ms of un believ e rs but ,

will condemn them by their holy c onver satio n an d

godly ex ample Eno c h s tra n sl a tion to He a ven
.
’

just before the destruction of the world by a flood ,

represents the tra n slation of all the li ving right

c ou s fro m the e arth previou s to its de str uctio n by
fire The saints will be glorified in the presence
.

of tho se who h a ve h ated them for their loy a l Obe

dien c e to God s righteo us co mmandment s
’
.

Enoch in str ucted his family in reg ard to the

flood Meth usel ah the son of E n och li stened to
.
, ,

the prea chi n g of his gr andson No ah who fa ith , ,

fully w arned the inh abit a nt s of the old world

th a t a flood of w a ter s wa s comin g upo n the e arth .

Methu sel ah an d his son s an d gra n dson s live d in

, ,

the time of th e b uil din g of the ark They with .

,

so me other s received in struction fro m No a h an d

, ,

a ssi sted h im in building the ark .

S eth wa s of more noble st ature th a n C a in or

Abel an d resembled Ad am more th an an y of h is
,

other son s The descend ants of Seth ha d sep a

.

r a ted themselves from the wicked de scend an ts of

C a in They cheri shed the knowle dge of God s
.
’

will whi l e the ungodly r a ce of C ain ha d n o re

,

spect for God an d his sa cred comma nd ment s .

But when men multiplied upon the e arth the de ,

sc en den t s of Seth saw th a t the d a ughters of the

descenda nts of C ai n were v ery be autiful an d they ,

n v
G re atCo t
ro ers y .
5
66 THE G RE TA C O N T ROVERS Y .

dep arted fro m God an d displease d him by ta kin g

wives as they cho se Of the idol atrou s r a ce Of
C a in .

C HAP TER VII .

TH E FL OOD .

T H O S E who honored an d fe ared to ofl en d Go d

'

a tfirst felt the c u rse but lightly ; while tho se who

t ur n ed from God an d tr ampled upon his author
ity felt the effects of the c urse more he a vily
, ,

e speci ally in st ature an d nobleness Of form The .

desc end ants of Seth were c alled the son s of

—
God the descend a nt s of C a in the son s Of men ,
.

A s the so n s of God mingled with the son s of men ,

they bec ame corrupt a n d by intermarria ge with

,

them lo st through the influence of their wive s

, , ,

their pec uli ar holy ch ar a cter an d united with the

, ,

son s of C a in in their idol a try M any c a st aside .

the fe ar of God an d tr ampled upon his co mmand

,

men t s B utthere were a few th at did righteo us

.

ness wh o fe ared a n d honored their Cre ator

, .

e a h a n d h is family were among the righteou s

yew .

The wickedness of man was so gre at an d in ,

cre a sed to such a fe arful extent th at G od re ,

p e nt e d th a t he h a d ma de m an u pon the e a rth ; for

he saw th at the wickedness Of man was gre a t a n d ,

th at every imagin a tion of the thoughts of h is

h ea rt wa s o n ly evil continually .

The c urse did not ch an ge at once the appe ar

a n c e of the e arth It wa s still rich in the bounty
.

God h a d provided for it There were gold a n d .

68 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

wicked deeds They formed images to worship

.
,

a n d t aught their children t o reg ard th ese piece s

of work man shi p ma de with their own h a nd s a s ,

gods an d to worshi p them They did n otchoo se

,
.

to think Of G od the cre a tor of the he a ven s a n d

,

the e arth an d rendered no gr ateful th ank s to him

,

who ha d provided them all the things which they

po ssessed They even den ied the existence Of the
.

Go d of H e aven an d gloried in an d wor shiped

, , ,

the work s of their own hands They corrupted .

themselves wi th tho se things which G od h ad

pl aced upon the ea rth for man s benefit They ’
.

prep ared for themselves be autiful w alk s overhung ,

with fruit tree s Of every description U nder these .

maj e stic an d lovely tree s with th eir wide sprea d

,
-

branche s which were green from the commence

,

ment of the ye ar to its clo se they pl aced their ,

idols of worship Wh ol e groves bec ause of the

.
,

she l ter of their br a nches were dedic a ted to their

,

idol gods an d ma de attr active for the p eople to

,

r esort to for their idolatrou s worship .

In ste ad Of doin g justi ce to their neighbors they ,

c arried outtheir own unl awfu l wi shes They had .

a pl u r ality of wives which was contrary to God s ’

wise arr angement I n the beginning G od g ave

o Ad am one wife—showing t
.
,

t o a ll who S hou l d li ve
upon the e arth his order an d law in th at re sp ec t
,
.

The tr ansgression an d fall of Ad am an d Eve

brought sin an d wretchedness upon the human
ra ce, an d man foll owed his own c a rn a l de sire s ,

a n d ch anged God s order

’
The more men multi
.

p lie d wives to themselves the more they increased

,
in wicke dness an d unh appine ss If an y on e cho se .

to t ake the wive s or c a ttle or a nything belo n

, ,g
in g t o his neighbor he did not reg ard ju stice or
,

right but if he coul d prev ail over his neighbor

,
 THE F L OO D .
69

by reason of strength or by putting him to d e ath

, ,
he did so an d ex ulted in his deeds of violenc e
, .

They loved to destroy the lives of animals They .

used them for food a n d thi s incre ased their fe

,

roc it a n d violence an d c a u sed them t look upo

y , o n
the blood of human beings with astonishin g in dif
ference .

But if there was on e sin above another which

c alled for the destruction Of the r a ce by the flood ,
it was the b a se crime Of a malgamatio n of man an d
be ast which defa ced the ima e of God an d c ause d
co nfusion everywhere G OTpurpo sed to destroy
,

by a flood th a t powerful long lived race th at had

,
-

corrup te d their ways before him He woul d n ot .

su ffer them to l ive out the d ays of their n a tural

life which would be hundreds of ye ars It was
,
.

only a few gener ation s b a ck when Adam had

a ccess to th a t tree which wa s t o prolong life .

After his disobedience he was n otsufl ered to eat

'

Of the tree Of life an d perpetu ate a life of sin I n .

order for man to po ssess an endle ss l ife he must

continue to e at Of the fruit of the tree Of life .

Deprived of th at tr e e his life would gradu ally

,

we a r out .

More th a n on e hundred years before the floo d

the Lord sent an a n gel to faithful No ah to make
known to him th at he would no longer have mercy
upon the corrupt r a ce But he would n ot h ave
.

them ignorant Of his design H e would instruct.

No ah an d make hi m a fa ithful prea cher to w arn

,

the worl d of its co ming destruction tha t the in ,

h abitants of the e arth might be left without excuse .

No ah was to pre a ch to the peopl e an d also to ,

prepa re a n ark as God should direct him for the

sa vin Of himself a n d family He w a s n o t only
g .

to prea ch bu t his ex ample in buildin g the ark

,
70 THE G RE AT O N O TROV ERS Y .

was t
o convince all th at he believed wh a t he
prea ched .

No ah an d his family were not alo n e in fe aring

a n d obeyin g God But No ah was the mo st piou s
.

a n d holy of an y upon the e a rth a n d was the on e ,

who se life God preserved to c arry out his will in

building the ark an d w arni n g the world Of its
c o mi n g doo m Methusel ah the gr andfa ther of
.
,

No ah lived until the very ye ar of the flood ; an d

,

there were others who believed the preaching of

No ah an d aided him in b uildin g the ark who
, ,

died before the flood Of w aters c ame upon the

e arth No ah by his prea chin g an d ex amp l e in
.
,

buil ding the ark condemned the world God ,

.

g ave all who cho se an opportunity to repent an d

turn to him But they believed not the prea chi ng
.

of No ah They mocked athis wa rnings an d ridi

.
,

ou le d the buildin g of th at i mmense ve ssel on dry

l and No ah s efforts to reform his fellow men did
.
’
-

not succeed But for more th an on e hundred

.

ye ars he persevered in hi s efforts to turn men to

repent ance an d to God E very blo w struck upon .

the ark was pre aching to the peopl e No a h di .

re c te d he pre a ched he worked while the people

, , ,

looked on in ama zement an d reg arded him as a ,

fan atic .

God gave No ah the ex a ct dimen sion s o f the

ark an d explicit direction s in reg a rd to the c on
,

struction Of it in every p ar t icul ar In ma ny re .

S pe c ts it wa s not ma de like a ve ssel but prep ared ,

like a hou se the fo undation like a bo a t which

,

wo uld flo at upon w a ter There were no windows .

in the sides Of the ark It was three stories high .

,

a n d the light they received wa s fro m a win dow in

the top LThe door was in the S ide The different

. .

ap a rt ment s prep ared for the reception of di fferent

 THE F L OO D .
71

a nima ls were so made th at the window in the top

g ave light to all The ark was made of the
.

c ypre ss o r ophir wood which wo u ld k n ow n o th

g ,

i n g of dec a y for h u ndreds Of ye ars It was a .

b uildi n g of gre at dur ability whi ch no wisdo m of ,

man co uld invent God was the designer a n d

.
,

No ah his master b uilder -

.

After No ah had done all in his power to make

every p art of the work correct it wa s impo ssible ,

th at it could of itself withstand the violence Of

the storm which God in his fierce an ger was to
brin g upon the e arth The work Of co mpletin g
.

the b uildin g was a slow process Every piece of .

timber was clo sely fitted an d every se am covered,

with pitch All that men could do was done to

.

make the work perfect ; yet a fter all G od alone , ,

co uld preserve the b uilding upon the angry he av ,

ing billows by his mira culou s power

,
.

A multitude at first app arently received the

w a rni n g of No ah yet did not fully turn t
, o God

w ith true repent a nce There was some time given

.

them before the flood was to come in which they ,

were to be pl a ced upon prob a tio n — to be proved

a n d tri e d . They failed to endure the tri al The .

r ev a ilin g degener a cy overc ame them an d they

p ,

fi n a lly joi n ed others who were corru pt in deriding ,

an d sc ofiin g at faithfu l No ah They wo uld not .

le a ve off their sin s but continued in polygamy

, ,

an d in the indulgence of their corrupt p assio n s .

The period of their prob ation was drawi n g ne a r

its clo se. T h e unbelievi n g sc oflin g i n h abit ant s of
,
’
the world were to h ave a specia l sign of God s
divin e p ower No ah had fa ith fully followe d the
.

in struction s God h a d given to him The a rk wa s .

fi s
n i hed ex a ctly a s G o d h a d d irected H e h a d .

l aid in st ore i mmen se 'uantiti es of food for man

72 THE G RE AT CON RO T V ERS Y .

and beast And after this was acco mpli shed God
.
,

co mma n ded the fa ith ful No ah Co me tho u a n d , ,

all thy ho u se into the ark for thee h ave I seen

, ,

right eo us before me ”
Angels were sent to c ol
.

le c t f o m the forest an d field the be asts whi ch

r

God ha d cre ated Angel s went before th ese an i

.

mal s a n d they followed two an d two ma le a n d , ,

female an d cle an be asts by seven s These be a sts

,
.
,

from the mo st ferocious down to the most gentle ,

a n d h a r mle ss pe a cefu lly a n d sole mnly marched

,

into th e a rk The sky seemed clouded with birds

.

of every de scription They c ame flying to the

.

a rk t
, wo an d two male an d fema le an d the clea n
, ,

birds by sevens The world looked on wi th won

.

—
der so me with fear but they had beco me SO ,

h a rdened by rebellion th a t thi s mo st sign al ma ni

festation of God s power ha d but a mo ment ary
’

influence upon them For seven d ays these an i .

ma ls were co ming into the ark an d No a h was ,

a rr a n gin g the m in the pl a ce s prep a red for the m .

And as the doomed r a ce beheld the sun shining

in its gl ory an d the e arth cl ad in al mo st its Eden
,

be auty they drove away their ri sin g fe a rs by boi s

,

te rous merriment ; a n d by their deeds Of violence

seemed to be en c o u r a gi n g upon themselve s the
vi sit ation of the alrea dy awa kened wr ath Of God .

Everything was n ow re a dy for the clo sing Of

the ark which could not h ave been done by No ah
,

from within An angel is seen by the sc oflin g

.

multitude descending from Hea ven clothed with ,

brightn e ss hk e the li htn in g He clo se s th at .

massive outer door an then t akes his cour se up

,
w ard to Heaven a ain Seven d ays were the
T
.

family of No ah in t i e ark before the r a in be a n

to de scend upon the e arth In thi s time t ey .

were arrangin g for their l ong st ay whi l e the wa

 THE F LOO D .
73

ten hould be upon the earth And these were

s .

d ays of bl a sphemo us merrimen t by the un be lie v

ing multitude They thought bec ause the proph
.

e cy of No a h was not fu lfilled i mmedi a tely a fter he

entered the ark th at he was deceived a n d th at it
, ,

wa s i mpo ssible th a t the world could be de stroye d

by a flood Previou s to thi s there ha d been n o
.

ra in upon the earth A mi st had risen from the .

w a ters which God c a used to de scend atnight like

,

de w reviving veget ation an d c ausing it to flouri sh

, .

Notwithsta nding the solemn exhi bition they had

f —
witnessed o God s power of the unn atur al occur ’

rence of the be asts lea ving the forests an d fields ’

a n d going into the ark an d the a ngel Of God ,

clothed with brightness an d terrible in maj esty , ,

descending from Heaven an d clo sing the door ;

yet they h ardened their he ar ts an d continued to ,

revel an d sport over the sign al manifesta tion s Of

divine power But upon the eighth day the h ea
.

ven s g athered bla ckness The mutte ring th unders .

,

a n d vivid lightning fl ash es beg a n to t e rri fy ma n ,

a n d be a st The r airi desce n ded from the clouds

.

a bove them T hi s was somethin g they h ad never

.

wit n essed an d their he arts beg an to faint with

,

fe a r The be asts were roving about in the wildest

.

terror an d their discor dant voice s seemed to mo an

,

ou t their own destiny a n d the fa te Of man The .

storm incre ased in violence until w a ter seemed to

come from heaven like mighty cat aracts The .

boundaries of rivers broke aw ay an d the w aters ,

ru shed to the v alleys The foundation s of the .

re a t d e ep al so were broken u J et s f w a ter

g p o .

would burst up from the e arth wi th indescrib able

force thro wing massive rocks hundreds of fe e tin to
,

the air an d then they would bury themselves deep

,

in the e arth .
74 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

T he people first beheld the destruction Of the ,

work s of their h an ds Their splendid buildings.

,

th eir beauti fully arr an ged g arden s a n d groves

-

where they h ad pl a ced their idol s were destroyed ,

by light ni ng fro m he aven Their rui n s were .

sc a ttered everywhere They ha d erected a ltars

.

in groves an d con secr a ted them to their idols

, ,

whereon they offered huma n sa crifices These .

which God detested were torn down in h is wr ath

before them an d they were ma de to tremble be
,

fore the power Of the living G od the M aker of ,

the he aven s an d the e arth an d they were ma de to ,

know th a t it wa s their abomin ation s an d horrible ,

idol atro us sa cri fices which h ad c alled for their
,

destruction .

The violence of the storm increa sed an d there ,

were mi n gled wi th the w arring Of the element s ,

the w ailings of the people who ha d despi sed the

a uthority of God Trees building s rock s a n d
.
, , ,

e arth were hurled in every direction The ter

,
.

ror of man an d be a st wa s beyond de scription .

And even S at an himself who was compelled to be ,

amid the w a rrin

g elem ent s fe ared for h is o wn ex ,

iste n c e He ha d delighted to contro l so powerful

.

a r a ce a n d wi shed them to l ive to pr a ctice their

,

abo mi n a tion s an d incre a se their rebel lion a g ain st

,

the God of He aven He uttered imprec ati on s .

ag a i n st God ch a rging him with inju stice an d cru

,

e lt M a ny of the people like S at a n bl asphemed

y .
, ,

God a n d if they could h ave c arried outtheir re

,

bellion would h ave torn him from the throne of

,

j ustic e W hile ma ny were bl asphemin g an d curs

.

ing their Cre ator others were fr antic with fe ar

, ,

stretchi n g their h a nds towa rd the a rk ple a ding ,

for admitt ance But this was impo ssible God

. .

h a d cl o sed t he door the only entr ance an d shut

, ,
76 T HE G RE AT O T OV ERSY
C N R .

v iolence through the air an d appe ar as th e ? ,

a ngrily hurled with stones an d e arth into

, ,

swellin g boiling billo ws Upon the loft

,
.

hi ght s huma n being s a n d be ast s wo uld strc

hold their po sition until all were hurled toge t
into the fo aming w a ters which ne arly rea c ,

the highest points Of la nd The loftiest bi g .

are a t l e ngth re a ched an d man an d be ast a , .

p e ri sh by the w aters of the flood .

Anxio usly did No ah an d hi s family wa tch

de crea se Of the w aters He desired to go fc .

upon the e arth aga in He sent outa r a ven w' .

flew b a ck an d forth to an d from the ark He .

not receive the information he desired an d ,

sent forth a dove which fin ding no re st re t ur , ,

to the ark aga in After seven da ys the dove

.

sent forth a g ain an d when the O live le a f wa s 8

,

in its month there was gre at rejoicing by

,

family of eight which ha d so long been shut u

,

the ark Aga in an a ngel descends an d Opens

.

door of the ark No ah could remove the top

.
,

he could notopen the door which God ha d 8 1

God spoke to No ah through the angel who ope '

the door a n d b a de the family Of No a h go fc

,

ou t of the ark an d bring forth with them cv

,

livin g thing .

No ah di d n otforget God who h ad SO gra ciOt

preserved them but immedi ately erected an a'
,

a n d took of every cle a n be a st a n d Of every c l

,
fowl an d Ofl ere d burnt Ofl erin gs on the al
' '

sho wing his fa it h in Chri st the gre a t sa crii

a n d ma nife sting his gr atitu de to God for tl
wo n derful preserva tion The O fferin g of N .

c a me up before God like a S weet sa vor H e .

fl
'

ce t
p e d the o erin
g an d ble ssed No a h a n d his f
, .

i ly . Here a lesson is t aught all who shoul d

 TH E F L OOD .
77

upo n the e arth th at for every mani fest a tion of

,

God s mercy an d love toward them the first a c t

’

of all shou l d be to render to hi m gr a teful th a nk s

an d h umbl e worship .

And lest man sho uld be terrified with g ather

ing clouds an d fa llin g rains an d should be in
, ,

co n tinu al dre a d fea ring another flood God gra

, ,

c iou sly enco u r a ges the family of No a h by a prom

ise. And I will est abli sh my coven ant with
y o u ; neither sh a ll a ll fle sh be cut off a n
y more
by th e wa ters of a flood ; neither sh all there any
more be a flood to destroy the e arth And God .

sa id This is the token Of the coven a nt which I

,

ma ke between me an d you an d every livin g crea

ture th a t is with you for perpetua l genera tion s
, .

I do setmy bow in the clo ud an d it sha ll be for ,

a t o k e n of a co ven ant between me an d the e a rth .

And it shall come to p ass when I bring a clo ud ,

over the earth tha t the bow sh all be seen in the

,

cloud A n d the bow sh all be in the cloud ; an d

.

I will look upon it tha t I may remember the ev

,

erlast in g cov e n ant between God an d every li ving

”
cre a ture Of all flesh th at is upon the e a rth .

'
Wha t a conde scen sion on the p art of God
Wh a t comp assion for erring man to pla ce the ,

be a utiful v arieg a ted rainbow in the clouds a

, ,

tok e n of the coven ant of the gre at God with man I

Thi s rainbow was to evidence t h e fa ct to all gen
era t ion s th a t God destroyed the inh abit a nt s Of
th e earth by a flood bec ause Of their gre a t wick
,

educes It was his design th at as the children of

.

a ft er e ner ation s should se e the bow in the cloud

an d sg
,

ould inquire the reason of thi s glorious

arch th a t sp anned the he a ven s th a t their pa ,

rents c ould explain to them the destruction of th e

old w orld by a floo d b ec ause th e p eopl e gave
,
78 T H E G RE AT C N O T ROV ERSY .

the mselves up to a ll ma nner of wickedness an d ,

tha t the h ands of the Mo st High h a d bended the

bow an d pl a ced it in the clo uds a s a token that
, ,

he wo uld never bring a g ain a flood of w a ters on

the e arth Thi s symbol in the clo uds wa s to con
.

firm the belief of a ll an d est abli sh their c on fi

,

d ence in God ; for it was a token Of di vine mercy

a n d goodn e ss to man ; th a t a lthough God ha d
been provoked to destroy the e a rth by the flood ,

yet his mercy still en c ompasseth the earth G od .

say s when he looketh upon the bow in the cloud ,

h e will remember He wo uld n ot h ave us under

.

st a nd th a t he would ever forget ; bu t he spe a k s

to ma n in his own l a ngu a ge th a t ma n may better ,

und er st an d him .

A r a in bow is repre sented in He a ven ro und

abo u t the thro n e also above the head of Chri st
, ,

a s a symbol Of God s mercy encomp assin the

’

g
e arth W hen man by his gre at wickedness pro
.
, ,

vokes the wr ath of God Chri st man s intercessor , ,

’

,
p l e ads for him a n d point s to the r ainbo w in the
,

clo ud as evidence Of God s gre at mercy an d c om

,
’

p a ssion for errin g man ; also the r ainbow a bove

the thro n e a n d upon his he a d emblematic al Of the ,

glory an d mercy fro m God re stin g there for the

benefit Of repentant man .

E very species of a nimal s which God h ad cre

a ted was pre serve d in the ark The confu sed .

specie s whi c h God did not cre a te whi c h were the ,

result Of amalg amation were de stroyed by the ,

flood Since the flood there has been amalg ama

.
,

tion of man an d be ast as may be seen in the al ,

mo st endless v arieties of species of animals and ,

in certain r a ces of men .

After No ah h ad come for th from the ark he ,

looked aro und upon the po werful a n d ferociou s

 THE F L OO D .
79

b e asts whi ch he brought out Of the ark a n d then ,

upon his family numbering eight a n d was grea tly ,

a fr a id th a t they would be de stroyed by the be ast s .

B utthe Lord sent his a ngel to say to No a h The ,

fe ar of you an d the drea d of you sh all be upon

, ,

every be ast of the e arth an d upon every fo wl of ,

the air upon all th at moveth upon the e arth an d

, ,

upon all the fishes of the se a ; into your h ands

are they delivered Every moving thing th a t liv
.

eth sh all be me a t for you ; even as the green herb

”
h a ve I given you all thin S
Previous to thi s time G
.

od ha d given ma n no

permi ssion to eata ni ma l food Every living sub .

st a nce upon the fa ce of the e arth upon which ma n

co uld sub sist ha d been destroyed ; therefore God
ga ve No ah permi ssion to e atof the cle a n be asts
which he ha d t a ken with hi m into the ark God .

sa id to No ah Every moving thing th a t liveth

,
'

S h a ll be me at for yo u e ven a s the green herb h a ve

,

A s God h a d formerly
”
I given you all things .

given them the herb Of the ground a n d fruit of

the field n ow in the peculi a r circumstan c es in
, ,

which they are pl a ced he permit s them to e ata n

,

ima l fo od Yet I saw th at the flesh of a nimals

.

wa s not the mo sthe a lthful article of food for man .

T h e whole surfa ce Of the e arth was ch anged at

the flood A third dre a dful curse n ow rested
.

upon it in con sequence Of ma n s tran sgression ’

.

The be autiful tree s an d shrubbery be aring flower s

were destroyed yet No ah preserved seed an d took
,

it with him into the a rk an d God by his mira cu ,

lou s power preserved a few of the di fferent kinds

of tree s an d sh ru b s alive for future gener ation s .

Soon after the flood trees an d pla nts seemed to

,

spring ou
’
t of the very rock s In God s provi .

d en c e seeds were sc attered an d driven into the

80 T H E G RE AT O TROV ERS Y
C N .

c revic es of the rocks an d there sec urely hid for

,

the future use of man .

The waters ha d been fifteen cubits above the

highe st mo unta in s Th e Lord remembered No ah
.
,

a n d a s the w a ter s decre ased he c a u sed the a rk to

,

re st upon the top of a c l uster of mount a in s which ,

God in his po wer had preserved an d ma de to

st a nd fa st all thro u gh th a t violent storm These .

mo unt ain s were but a little dista nce ap a rt a n d ,

the a rk moved abo ut an d rested upon one then ,

anot her of the se mo unta ins an d was n o more

, ,

dri ven upon the bo undless ocean Thi s g a ve .

gre at relie f to No ah an d a ll within the ark A s .

the mo untain s an d hills appeared they were in a ,

broken ro ugh condi tion a n d a ll aro und them

, ,

a ppe ared like a se a of roiled wa ter or so ft mu d .

In the time of the flood the people a n d be asts ,

a l so g a thered to the highe st points of l a nd a n d

, ,
a s the w a ter s ret u rned from Ofl the e arth de a d
'

bodies were left upon high mo unta in s an d upon

the hills as well a s upon the pl a in s Upon the
,
.

su rfa ce of the e arth w ere the bo di e s of men an d

be asts ButGod would not h ave these to remain
.

upon the fa c e Of the e arth to de co mpo se an d pol

l ute the a tmo sphere therefore he ma de of the
,

e ar th a v ast b urying gro und He c au sed a pow .

e rfu l wind to p ass over the e arth for the p urpo se

of drying up the waters which moved them with
—
,

g re a t force in s o m e in st a nce s c a rrying a w a y the

top s of the mounta ins like mighty av al anches ,
for mi n g h uge hill s an d high mount a in s where
there were n o n e to be seen before an d burying ,

the de ad bodies with trees stones an d e a rth , ,

.

These mo unt ain s an d hills incre ased in siz e an d

bec ame more irregul ar in sh a pe by collection s of
ston e s ledg e s tr ees a n d e arth which were driven
, , , ,
 TH E F O L OD .
81

upon an d around them The precious wood ston e .

, ,

silver a n d gold th a t ha d ma de rich a n d a dorned

,

the world before the flood an d which the inha bi t ,

a nt s h a d idolized wa s su nk bene ath the surfa ce

,

of the e arth The w aters which ha d broken for th

.

with such gre at po wer had moved earth an d ,

rock s an d he aped them upon e arth s tre asures

,
’

an d in ma ny in st a n c e s formed mo u nt ain s above

them to hi de them from the sight an d se arch of
me n .

G o d saw th a t the more he enriched an d pro s

pered S inful man the more he corrupted his way
,

before him These tre asures which should h a ve

.
,

led ma n to glorify the bountiful giver ha d been ,

worshiped in ste a d Of God while the giver had ,

been rejected .

The beautiful reg ul a r sh aped mount ain s ha d

,
-

di sappe ared Stone s ledges an d ragged rock s,

.
, ,

a ppe a red upon so me p art s of the e a rth whic h

w ere before out of S ight W here h a d been h ill s
.

an d mo u nt a in s n o tr a c es of them were visible

,
.

W here h a d been be aut iful pl a in s covered with

verd ure an d lovely pl ants h ills an d mounta in s ,

were forme d Of stone s trees an d earth above the , , ,

bo d ie s of men an d beasts The whole sur fa ce Of .

the e a rth presented a n appearance of disorder .

Some p arts of the e arth were more disfigur e d

th a n the others W here once ha d been e a rth s
.
’

richest treasures of gold silver an d precious , ,

stone s were seen the he a viest ma rk s Of the cur se

,
.

And upon countries which were not inh abited an d ,

tho se portion s of the earth where there had been

the le ast crime the curse re sted more lightly
,
.

Before the flood there were immen se forests .

The trees were many ti mes l arger th an an y trees

G reatCon t
ro v ers y .
6
82 T HE G REAT Co N T Ro vERsv .

w hic h we n ow se e T h ey wer e of gre a t d urab

.il
it They would know nothin of dec a y for hun
y .
g
dreds of ye ars At the time of the flood these
.
,

forest s were torn up or broken down a n d buried

in the e a rth In some pl aces l a rge qu antities of
.

the se immen se trees were thrown to gether an d

c overed with stones an d e arth by the co mmotion s
of the flood They h ave since petrified a n d be
.

c o me co al which a ccount s for the l arge co a l beds

,
which are now found This co al has produced Oil . .

God c auses l arge qu antities of co al an d oil to ig

n ite an d burn Rock s are inten sely heated lime
.
,

stone is b u rned an d iron ore melted Wa ter an d

,
.

fire under the surfa ce of the e arth meet The ac .

tion of w a ter upon the limestone adds fury to the

inten se heat an d c auses ea rthqu akes volc a no es
, , ,

an d fiery i ssue s The a ction of fire an d w ater

.

upon the ledges of rock s an d ore c au ses loud ex

plosion s which sound like muflled thunder These .

wonderful exhibition s will be more numerou s an d

terrible just before the second coming of Christ
an d the end of the world as si gn s of it s speedy ,

destruction .

Co a l an d oil are gener ally to be foun d where

there are n o burning mount ain s or fiery issues .

When fire an d w ater under the surface Of the e arth

meet the fiery issues c annot give sufli cien tvent to
,

the he ated element s bene a th The earth is con .

vu lsed the ground he ave s an d ri se s into swell s or

, ,

w aves an d there are hea vy sounds like th under

,

under ground The air is he a ted an d suffoc atin g

.
,
.

The e arth quickly open s an d I saw vill ages cities , ,

a n d burning m ount a in s c arried down together into

t he e arth .

God control s all these elemen t s ; they are his

in struments to do his will ; he c alls t hem into a o
84 TH E G REAT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

an d all th a t dwell therein Who c an st a nd before

.

h is i n dign a tion ? a n d wh o c an abide in the fierc e

ne ss of his a n ger ? H is fury is po ured out like
fire an d the rock s are thrown do wn by h im
”
.
,
—
N ah 1 : 3 6 . .

'
thy he ave n s O Lord an d come down
B ow , ,

to uch the mo unta in s a n d they sh all smoke , .

C a st forth lightnin g a n d sc a tter them : shoot

,

ou t thi n e arro ws a n d d estroy them

,
P S 1 44 . .

5, 6 .

Gre a ter wonders th an h ave yet been seen will

be wi tne ssed by tho se upon the e arth a short pe
rio d previo u s to the co ming of Chri st And I .

will S ho w wo n der s in he aven above an d si gns ,

in the e arth bene a th ; blood an d fire an d v a por Of , ,

smoke
”
And there were voices an d th unders
.
, ,

a n d lightning s ; a n d there wa s a gre a t e a rthq ua ke ,

su c h as wa s not since men were u pon the e arth ,

so mighty a n e a rthq u ake a n d so gre a t ,

And .

ev ery isl and fled a way a n d the mo unta in s w ere not

,

fo un d And there fell upon men a gre a t h a il out

.

of he a ven every stone a bout the weight of a t

,
al

ent an d men bl a sphemed God bec a u se of the

pl a gue of the h ail ; for the pl ague thereof was ex
c e e din g gre a t .

The bo wel s of the e a rth were the Lord s a rsenal ’

fro m which he drew forth the we apon s he em

ployed in the destruction of the Old world W a .

ters in the bowels Of the e arth gushed forth an d ,

un ited with the waters from he a ven to a ccomplish ,

the work of destruction Since the flood God .

,
ha s used both w ater a n d fire in the e a rth as his
a gent s to de stroy wicked citie s .

In the day of the Lord j ust before the co ming ,

of Christ God will send lightning s from he a ven

,

in his wr ath which will un ite with fire in the

,
 D I S G U I S ED I S F I DELI T Y .
85

ea r th . mountain s will burn like a furn a ce

Th e ,
an d will pour forth terrible stre a ms o f l a v a de
,

stroyin g g a rden s a n d fields vill a es a n d citie s

g ,;
an d as t h ey pour their melted ore rock s an d ,

he a ted mud into the rivers will c ause th e m to

, ,

boil like a pot an d send forth massive rock s a n d

, ,

sc a tter their broken fr a gment s upon the l a nd with

inde scrib a ble violence W hole r iver s will be dried
.

up The ea rth will be co n v ul sed an d there will

.
,

be dre a d ful eruption s an d e arthq uakes every

where God will pl ag ue the wicked inh abitants
.

Of the e a rth un til they a re de stroyed fro m off it .

The sa ints a re pre served in the e arth in the

midst of these drea dful commotion s as No a h was ,

preserve d in the ark atthe time Of the flood .

C HAP TE R V III .

D I S G U I S ED I NFI D EL I T Y .

I then c arried b a c k to the cre ation an d

WA S ,

was shown th at the first week in which God per ,

fo rmed the work Of cre ation in six d ays a n d re sted

o n the seventh day was j u st like every other week
,
.

The grea t G od in his d ays Of cre a tion an d day of

,

rest me asured Ofi the fir st cycle as a sample for

'

successive week s till the clo se of ti me The se .

are t h e gener ation s of the he aven s an d Of the

ea rth when they we re cre a ted God giv e s us the .

production s Of his work atthe clo se Of e a ch lit e r a l

da y E ac h day was a ccounted of him a ge n e r a
.

tion bec u
a s e every d h gener t e d or prod u c e d
i
a e a
,

m
so e n ew portion of S
l work O n the sev e nt h .
86 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

day of the first week G od rested from his work ,

a n d then ble ssed the day of his rest , a n d set it

ap art for the u se of man The weekly cycle Of

.

seven liter al d ay s, six for l abor a n d the seventh

for rest, which ha s been preserved an d brought
down through Bible hi story origin ated in the gre a t
,

fa cts of the first seven d ays .

‘
When God sp ake his law with an audible voic e
fro m Sin a i be introduced the S abb ath by saying
, ,

Remember the S abb ath day to keep it holy

-
”
.

He then declare s defin itely wh at shall be done on

the six days an d wh at sh all n ot be done on the
,

seventh . He then in giving the re ason for thus

,

ob servin g the week points them b a ck to his e x

,

ample on the fir st seven d ays of ti me F or in .

six d ay s the Lord ma de he aven an d e a rth the sea ,

hem is an d rested the seventh

a n d all th a t in t ,

day wherefore the Lord blessed the S abb ath day

,
-

an d h a llo wed it Thi s re ason appe ars be a utiful

an d forcible when we u nderst and the record of
cre ation to me a n literal d ay s The first six d ays .

of e a ch week a re given to man in which to l a bor ,

bec au se God employed the same period Of the first

week in the work of creation The seventh day .

God ha s reserved as a day Of rest in co mme mora ,

tion of his re st during the same period of time

a fter b e ha d performed the work of cre ation in

six d ay s .

But the infidel supposition th at the events of

the first week required seven v ast indefinit e peri ,
ods for their a cco mpli shment strikes directly a t
,

the fo und ation of the S abb ath of the fourth c om

mandment It makes indefinite an d Ob scure th at
.

which God has ma de very pl ain It is the worst .

kind of infidelity ; for with many who profess to

believe the r ecord of creation , it is infi d elity in
 D I S G U I SED I NF I D ELI TY .
87

di sguise I t c harges God with comman din g men

.

to Ob serv e t h e week of seven liter a l days in c om

memoration Of seven indefinite periods which is ,

unlik e hi s de a lings with mortals an d is an im ,

ac hmen to f his wi sdo m

p e .

Infidel g eologists cl a i m tha t the worl d is very

much Older tha n the Bible rec ord ma kes it They .

rej ect t h e B ible record bec a use of tho se things

whi c h a re to them evidences from the e arth itself
tha t the world has exi sted ten s of thousands Of
ye a rs And many who profess to believe the Bi
.

ble record are ata lo ss to a ccount for wonderful

thi n gs which are found in the earth with the view ,

tha t cre atio n week was only seven liter al days ,

an d th a t the world is n ow only about six thou sand

yea rs Old These to free themselves fro m difli cul

.
,

ties thrown in their way by infidel geolo gi sts a dopt ,

the view tha t the Six days of cre ation were six
vast in definite periods an d the day of God s rest
, ,
’

was a nother indefinite period ; makin g sen sele ss

the fourth co mma n dment Of God s holy law Some ’
.

e a gerly receive thi s po sition ; for it destroy s the

forc e of the fourth co mmandment an d they feel a ,

freedo m from its claims upo n the m They h a ve .

limite d ide as of the si z e of men ani mals an d trees

, , ,

b e fore the flood an d of the gre at changes which

,
then t ook place in the earth .

B ones Of men an d ani mals are foun d in the

e a rt h in mount a ins an d in v alleys showin g th at
, ,

much la rger men an d beasts once lived upon the

ea rth . I was shown th at very l arge powerful an ,

ima la e xi ste d before the flood which do not n ow

,

exist . Instruments Of w arfare are sometime s

found ; also petrified wood Bec ause the bones
.

Of human beings and of a nimals found in the e arth

are m uc h l a r g er th a n tho se of m e n a n d a n i mal s
88 T H E G RE AT O T O VERSY
C N R .

n ow living or th at h a ve exi sted for many gen era

,

tion s p ast some conclude th at the world is O l der

,

tha n we h a ve an y script ur al rec ord of an d was ,

popul a ted long before the record of crea tion by a ,

ra ce of being s v astly superior in si z e t o men n ow

upon the e arth .

I h ave been shown th at without Bible hi story

, ,
geology can prove nothing Relic s found in the .

e arth do give evidence of a st ate of things differ

ing in ma ny re spects from the present But the .

time of their e xistence an d how long a period

,

these thi n gs h a ve been in the e arth a re only to ,

be understood by Bible history It may be inno .

cen t to conjecture beyo n d Bible hi story if our ,

suppo sitio n s do not co n tr a dict the fa cts fo und in the

sa cred Scripture s B utwhen me n le ave the word
.

Of God in reg ard to the hi story Of cre a tion a n d ,

se e k to a cco u n t for God s c re a tive work s u pon n a t

’

u ral principles th ey are upon a boundless oce an

,

of u n cert a inty Just how God accomplished the

.

work of creation in six liter al d ays he has never ,

reve aled to mort als H is cre ative work s are j ust

.

a s incomprehen sible a s his exi stence .

Gre a t is the Lord an d gre atly to be pra i sed

,
a n d h is gre a tne ss is un se a rch able .

W hi ch doeth gre at things p ast findi n g out;

y e a an d wonders without n u
, m ber ”
.

W hic h doeth gre at thi n gs an d un se arch a ble ;

,
marvelou s thin gs without n umber .

God thundereth marvelou sly with his voice ;

gre at thi ngs doeth he which we c annot co mpre
,

h end .

O h the depth of the riches both of th e wis

dom an d knowledge Of God how un se a rch a ble
are his ud ment s a n d h is w ay s p a st findin u t'
j g , g o
 D I S G UI S ED i N Fi DELi T r .
89

For who h a th known the mind of the Lord ? or

”
who h a th b een his coun selor ?
The w ord of God is given as a l amp unto our
feet an d a light unto our p a th
,
Those who c a st .

his word behind them an d seek by their own b lind ,

phi lo sophy to tr a ce outthe wonderful mysteries of

Jehov a h will stumble in darkness A guide h as
,
.

been given to mort als whereby they may tra ce

Jehov a h an d his work s a s far as will be for their
good In spiration in giving us the history of the
.
,

flood ha s explained wonderful mysteries th at ge

,

ology independent of in spira tion never co uld

, , .

I t ha s been the speci a l work of S at an to le a d

fallen man to rebel a g a in st God s govern ment
’

an d he ha s su cceeded too well in his efl orts H e

'

ha s tried to ob sc ure the law of God which in it ,

self is very pl a in He h as man ifested a spe c i a l

.

ha te a g a in st the fourth precept of the dec alogue ,

bec ause it defines the living God the maker of ,

the he a ven s an d the earth The pl aine st precepts .

of J eh ov a h a re t u rned from to receiv e in fid el fa ,

ble s .

M an will be left witho ut exc use God h as .

iven su fli c ie n tevidence upon which to b ase fa ith

g ,

if he wishes t o believe In the l ast d ays the e arth

.
,

will be almo st destitute of true faith Upon the .

merest preten se the word of God will be c on sid

,
ered unreli able while huma n re ason in g will be re
,

c eive d thou b it be in oppo sition to pl ain Script

g ,

ure fa cts M en will ende avor to expl ain fro m

.

n atur al c auses the work of cre a tion which God ,

has n ever reve aled But h uman science c ann ot

.

se a rch ou tthe secret s of the God of He a ven a n d ,

expl ain the stupendo us work s Of cre ation whic h ,

were a mir acle of almighty po wer an

y soo n e r th an
,

itc a n show how G od c ame into exi stence .

90 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO VERS Y .

The secret thing s belon g unto the Lord our

God ; but tho se thing s which a re reve aled belong
”
unto us a n d to our chi ldren forever Men prO .
,

fessing to be ministers of God r ai se their voices ,

a g a in st the inve stig a tion Of prophecy a n d tell the ,

people that the prophecies e speci a lly Of D a niel ,

an d John are Ob sc u,
re an d th at we c a nnot under
,

st a nd them But some Of the very men who op

.

se the inve sti ga tion Of prophecy bec au se it is

p o
ob scure e agerly receive the suppo sition s of geo l
,

ogist s which dispute the Mo sa ic record

,
B ut if . .

God s reve aled will is SO difli cultto be understood

’

certainly men should n ot re st their fa ith upon

mere suppo sition s in reg ard to th at which he h as
n otreve aled God s w ays are not a s our wa ys
.
’

neither are his thoughts a s our thoughts H u .

man science c an never account for his wondro us

works God SO ordered th a t men be asts a n d
.
, ,

trees many times l arger th a n tho se n e w upon the

,

e arth an d other thi ngs shoul d be buried in the

, ,

e arth atthe time of the flood an d there be pre ,

served to evidence to ma n th a t the inh a bit a nts of

the Old world perished by a flood God de signed .

th a t the di scovery of the se thing s in the e a rth

should e st abli sh the fa ith of men in in spired h is
tory B utmen with their v ain re ason ing make
.
, ,

a wron g u se of these t hi n s whi ch God de si ned

g g
should le ad them to ex al t him They fall into .

the same error as did the people before the fl oo d

—tho se things which God ga ve them as a benefit ,

they turned into a curse by making a wron g use ,

of them .
92 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

ex alt its builders an d was desi gned to turn the

,

a tte n tion of other s wh o S ho uld live upon the e a rth

fro m God to j oin with them in their idol a try .

Before the work of building wa s a ccomplished ,

people dwelt in the tower Roo ms were splen .

didly furni shed decor ated an d devoted to their

,

idol s Tho se who did not believe in God im

.
,

a in e d if their to wer could re a ch unto the clouds

g ,

they would be able to di scover re ason s for the

flood .

They ex alted themselve s a g ain st God But he .

wo uld not permit them to complete their work .

They h a d built their tower to a lofty hight when ,

the Lord sen t two a ngel s to con fo und them in

their work Men h a d been appointed for the pur
.

po se of receivi n g word from the workmen a t the

top of the tower c alling for materi a l for their
,

work whi ch the first would co mmunic ate to the

,

second an d he to the third u

,
ntil the word re a ched
,

tho se upon the ground A S the word was p a ssing

.

from on e to another in its descent the a ngel s ,

confounded their l an gu age a n d when the word ,

re ached the work men upon the groun d ma teri a l ,

was c alled for which h a d not been required And .

a fter the l a boriou s proce ss of getting the ma teri a l

to the workmen a tthe top of the to wer it wa s not ,

that which they wished for Disappointed an d .

enr a ged they repro ached tho se who m they sup

,

po sed were a t fault After thi s there was n o

.
,

h armo n y in their work Angry with on e a nother

.
,
a n d un able t o a ccount for the mi su nderst anding ,

an d str a n ge word s among the m they leftthe work

,

a n d sep ar a ted fro m e a ch other an d sc a ttered ,

abro a d in the e arth Up to thi s time men h a d
.
,

spoken bu tone l angu a ge Lightning fro mhe ave n

.
,

as a token of God s wr ath

’
broke off the top of ,
 A BR A H AM . 93

their tower c asting it to the ground Thus God

,
.

woul d show to rebelliou s man th at he is supreme .

C HAPTE R X .

ABR AH AM .

TH E Lord selected Abr ah am to c a rry out hi s

will He wa s directed to leave his idol atrou s n a
.

tion an d sep a r ate from hi s kindred The Lord

,
.

h a d reve a led himsel f to Abr ah am in his yo uth ,

a n d g a ve him under st a ndi n g an d pre served hi m

,

fro m idol a try He de signed to make him a n ex

.

a mple of fa ith a n d tr u
, e devotion for his people ,

wh o should a fterw a rd live upon the e arth H is .

ch a r a cter was marked for integrity genero sity , ,

a n d ho spit ality He commanded respect as a

.

mighty prince among the people H is reverence .

a n d love for God an d h is strict obe dience in per

,

forming his will gained for h im the re spect of his

,

serv a nt s an d neighbor s H is godly ex ample an d

.

righteou s course united with his faithful in struc

,

tion s to his serv ants an d all his household l ed ,

them to fea r love an d reverence the God of

, , ,

Abra ham The Lord appe ared to Abr ah am an d

.
,

promi sed hi m th a t his seed should be like the

st a r s Of he a ven for number He also ma de .

known to him through the figure of the horror

,

Of gre a t d a rkness which c ame upon him the long , ,

servile bond a ge of his descend a nt s in Egypt .

In the beginning God ave to Adam one wife

T
, ,

thu s showing his order i e never designed th a t

.

man should h ave a plur ality of wives L amech .

was th e first who dep arted in thi s re spect from

94 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

Go d s wise arrangement He h ad two wives

’
.
,

which cre ated di sc ord in his family The envy .

a n d j e a lo usy of both ma de L amech unh appy .

W he n men beg an to multiply upon the fa c e of the

e arth a n d d a ughters were born unto them they
, ,

took them wives of all which they cho se Thi s .

wa s on e Of the gre a t si n s of the inh abita nt s of

the Old world which bro ught the wr ath Of God
,

upon them Thi s custom was pra cticed after the

.

flood an d bec ame so common th at even righteous

,

men fell in to the pr a ctice a n d had a plura lity of ,

wives Yet it was n o le ss sin bec au se they he

.

c ame corr upted a n d dep arted in thi s thing from

,

God s order
’
.

The Lord sa id Of No ah an d his family who

were saved in the ark For thee ha ve I seen ,
'

righteo us before me in thi s gener a tion ”

No ah .

h ad buton e wi fe ; a n d their united family di sci

pline was blessed of God Bec ause No a h s son s .
’

were righteou s they were pre served in the ark

,

with their righteou s father God has n o t sa nc .

tion e d polygamy in a si n gle in st a nce It was con .

tra ry to h is will He k n ew th a t the h appiness of

.

man wo uld be destroyed by it Abra h a m s pe a ce .

’

vvas gre a tly ma rred by h is u nhappy ma rri age with

I I ag a r .

After Abr ah am s sep ar a tion from Lot the Lord

’

sa id to him Liftup now thine eye s an d look fro m

,

the pl a ce where thou a rt northwa rd an d so uth , ,

w a rd an d e astward an d westward ; for all the l and

, ,

which tho useest to thee will I give it an d to thy

, ,

seed forever And I will ma ke thy seed as the

.

dust of the e arth ; so tha t if a man c an nu mber

the dust Of the e a rth then sh all thy seed a lso be ,

nu mbered The word of the Lord c ame unto

.

Abram in a vision saying Fear n ot Abram I , , , ,

 AB R H A AM .
95

thy shi el d an d thy exceedin g gre at rew ard

, And .

Abram sa id Behold to me thou h ast given n o

, ,

seed ; a n d lo on e born in my hou se is mine heir

”
, .

As Abr a h a m h a d no son he a tfirst thought th a t,

his tru sty serv a nt Eliezer should become his son

, ,

by a doption a n d his heir But God informs

, .

Abr a h a m th a t his servant sh all n otbe his son an d

heir butth at he sho uld re ally h a ve a son
, And .
'

he brought him forth abro a d an d said Look now , ,

tow ard he aven an d tell me the stars if thou be

, ,
a ble to nu mber them; a n d he sa id unto him S o
,
”
sh a ll thy seed be .

If Abrah am an d S ar ah ha d waited in con fid

ing fa ith for the fulfillment of the promise th a t
they sho uld h a ve a son much unh appin ess wo uld
,

h a ve been avoided They believed that it would

.

be j ust as G od ha d promi sed but co uld n ot be ,

lieve th a t S arah in her old age would h ave a

, ,

son . S a rah suggested a pl a n whereby sh e tho ught

the promise Of God co uld be fulfilled She eu .

trea ted Abr ah am to t ake H a g ar a s his wife In .

this they both l a cked faith a n d a perfect trust in ,

the power of God By he arkening to the voice

.

O f S a r a h a n d t a kin H a g a r a s h is wife Abr ah am

, g ,

fa ile d to endure the te st Of h is faith in Go d s

’

unlimited power an d brought upon himself an d

, ,

upon S ar ah much unh appiness The Lord in

,
.

tende d to prove the firm faith a n d reli ance of

Abrah am upon the promises he had ma de him .

H a g ar was proud an d bo astful an d c arried ,

her self h a ughtily before S ar a h She fl attered .

herself tha t sh e was to be the mother Of the gre a t

n a tion God h a d pro mi sed t o ma ke Of Abr a h am .

And Abrah am was compelled to li sten to com

lain ts from S ar ah in reg ard to the co n d uct of
fiagar charging Abrahamwith wron g in the mat
,
96 T H E G REA T OO N T RO VERsr .

ter Abra h am is grieved a n d tells S a r ah th at

.
,

H ag ar is her serva nt a n d th a t sh e c an h a ve the ,

co n trol of her butrefuses to send her a wa y for

, ,

sh e is to be the mother of his child throu gh who m

he thi n k s the promi se is to be fulfilled He in .

for ms S ar ah th a t he sho uld not h ave t a ken H a g ar

for h is wi fe if it h a d not been her speci al req ue st .

Abr ah am was also compelled to listen to H a g a r s ’

compl a in t s of ab use from S ar ah Abr a h am is .

in perplexity I f he seek s to redre ss the wrongs

.

of H ag a r he incre ase s the j e alo usy a n d unh a ppi

,

n e ss Of S a r a h his fir st a n d much loved wife

,
-
.

H ag ar fled fro m the fa ce of S ar a h An a ngel .

of God meet s her an d comfort s her an d a l so re

, ,

prove s her for her h a ughty cond uct in bidding ,

her ret urn to her mi stress a n d sub mit herself ,

u n der her h an ds .

After the bir th Of I shma el the Lord mani ,

fe ste d himsel f a g a i n to Abr a h am an d said unto ,

h im I will e stablish my coven a nt between me

,

a n d thee a n d thy seed a fter thee in their gener

, ,
”
at ion s for an everl a sti n g coven a nt
,
Ag a in the .

Lord repe ated by his angel h is promise to give

S ara h a son a n d th at sh e sho uld be a mother of
,

many n ations Abr ah am did not yet under st and

.

the pro mi se Of God H is mind i mmedi ately rests .

upon Ishma el a s though through him would come

,

the many n a tions pro mi sed an d he excl aims in , ,

his afl e c tion for h is son O h th at Ishma el mi ght

'

, ,
”
live before thee 1
Ag ain the promi se is more definitely repeated
to Abr ah am S a rah thy wife sh all be a r thee a
son i n deed ; a n d tho u sh a lt c a ll his n a me I saa c ;
a n d I will e st ablish m coven a nt with h im for a n
y
everla sting coven ant a n d with his se e d after him ,
”
.
 AB RA H AM .
97

An gels are se n t the second time to Abr ah am on

their wa y to de stroy Sodo m an d they repe a t the ,

pro mise more distinctly th a t S a ra h sh a ll h ave a

son .

A fte r the birth of Isaac the gre at joy ma ni ,

fasted by Abr aham an d S a rah c aused H a g ar to

be very j e a lo us Ishma el ha d been in structed by
.

his mother th at he was to be e spe c i ally ble ssed of

God as the son of Abra h am an d to be heir to
, ,

th a t which wa s promised to him Ishma el p a rtook .

of hi s mother s feeling s a n d wa s a ngry bec a u se

’

of the j oy ma nife sted a tthe birth of Isa a c He .

despised Isa a c bec ause he thought tha t he was

preferred before him S ar ah saw the dispo sition .

ma nifested by Ishma el ag ain st her son Isa a c an d ,

sh e was grea tly moved She rel a ted to Abr ah am

.

th e di srespect ful conduct of Ishma el to her a n d ,

to h e r son I sa a c an d sa id to h im ,C a st outthi s ,

bondwo ma n an d her son for the son of this bond

, ,

wo ma n sh all n ot be heir with my son even with ,

”
Isa a c .

Abr ah am is greatly distressed Ishma el is .

his son beloved by him How c a n b e send him

,
.

a w ay ' He pr ays t o God in h is perplexity for he ,

knows not wh a t c ourse to t ake The Lord in .

forms Abr a h a m thro ugh his angel s to li sten to

, ,

the voice of S ar ah his wife an d th a t he sho u ld ,

n o t let his afl e c t ion s for his son or for H a g a r

'

, ,

prevent his compli ance with her wi she s For thi s .

was the o n l y cour se he co uld p ursue to re store

harmony a n d h a ppiness a g a in to his family .

Abra h am ha s the con solin g promise from the

an e l th a t Ish m a el although sep a r a ted fro m his
,
,

fat er s hou se should not die nor be for saken of

’

, ,

God ; th a t he should be pre served bec a use he w as

G re atCo t
ron v ers y .
7
98 THE G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

the son of Abrah am God also promises to make

.

of I shma el a gre a t n ation .

Abr ah amwas of a noble benevolent dispo sition , ,

whic h wa s ma n ifested in his ple a din g so e a rnestly

for the people of Sodo m H is stro n g spirit su . f
fere d muc h . He wa s bowed with grie f a n d his ,

p atern al feeli n g s were deeply moved as he send s

aw ay H a g a r a n d h is son I sh ma el to w a nder a s

str an ger s in a str ange l a nd .

I f God ha d sanctioned polyg amy he would not ,

h a ve thus di re c ted Abrah am to send a w a y H a g ar

a n d her son . He would te a ch all a lesson in this ,

th at the rights an d h appi n e ss of the marri a ge re

l a tion are to be ever respected a n d g ua rded even ,

a ta gre a t sa crifice .S ar ah wa s the first a n d only

true wi fe of Abr ah am She wa s entitled to rights
.
,

a s a wi fe an d mother which no other could h a ve

,

in the fa mily She reverenced her husb a nd c all

.
,

in g him lord ; butsh e wa s j e alo us le st h is a fl e c

'

tion s sho uld be divided with H ag ar God did not .

reb uke S ar ah for the co urse sh e p ursued Abra .

h am was reproved by the a ngel s for di stru sti n g

God s power which h a d led him to t ake H a g ar a s
’

his wi fe a n d to think th a t through her the pro m

,

ise wo uld be fu lfilled .

Ag ain the Lord sa w fit to test the fa ith of

Abrah am by a mo st fe arful tri al If he h a d e n .

dured the first te st a n d h a d p a tiently w aited for

,

the pro mise to be fulfilled in S ar ah an d h ad not ,

t ake n H ag ar as his wi fe he would not h ave been

,

su bj ected to the clo se st te st th a t wa s ever req uired

of man The Lord b a de Abr ah am T ake n ow '
.
,

thy son thine o n ly son I saa c wh om tho u l ovest

, , ,

a n d get thee u n to the l a nd of Mori ah ; a n d ofl e r

'

him th ere for a burnt Ofl e rin g upon on e of the

'

mo unt ain s which I will tell the of ”

.
1 00 T H E G RE AT CO N R T O VERSY .

ing outwh at God h a d co mmanded himto do H e .

took the wood fro m the h a nds of his serv ant s an d ,

l aid it upon the sho ulders of his son He al so .

took the fire an d the knife He was prep ared to .

e xec u te the dre a dful mi ssion given him Of G od .

F ather an d son w alked on together .

And Isa a c sp ake unto Abr ah am hi s father ,

an d sa id My fa ther ; a n d he sa id Here am I my
, , ,

son . And he sa i d Behold the fire an d the wood ;

,

butwhere is the l amb for a burnt Ofl erin g ? A n d

'

Abrah am said My son God will provide himself a

, ,

l amb for a burnt ofl erin g ; so they went both Of them

'

together .
”
Firmly w a lked on th at stern loving , ,

su fl erin g father by the side of his son A S they

'

c ame to the pl a ce which God h a d pointed out to

Abr ah am he b uil ds there an alt ar an d l ays the
, ,

wood in order re ady for the sa crifice an d then

, ,

informs Isaa c of th e command Of God to ofl e r

'

him as a b urnt Ofl e rin g He repe ats to him the

'

-
.

pro mi se th at God sever a l times ma de to him th a t

thro ugh Isaa c he sho uld become a gre a t n a tion ,

an d t h at in performi n g the command of God in

sl aying h im God wo u
,
ld fulfill his promise ; for he
wa s a ble to r a ise him fro m the dea d .

Isaa c believed in God He had been t aught .

implicit obedience to his fa ther an d he loved a n d ,

reverenced the God Of his fa ther He could h a ve .

resisted hi s fa ther if he had cho sen to do so But .

ion ately e mbr a cing his fa ther he sub

a fter afl e c t
,
mitted to be bound an d l aid upon the wood And .

as h is father s h a n d is r a i sed to sl a y his son a n

’

,
angel of G od who h a d ma rked a ll the fa ithfu lne ss
of Abr ah a m on the wa to Mori h c ll t h im
y a a s o ,

ou t of He a ven an d says Abra ham Abr a h a m; '

, , ,
a n d he sa id Here am I And he said La y not
.
, ,

thine h and upon the lad n either do thou anything ,

 IS AA C .
1 01

unto him ; for n ow I know th at thou fe arest God,

s eeing tho u hast not withheld thy son thine only ,

so n fro m me
,
.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes an d looked , ,

a n d behold behind h im a ram c aught in a thi cket

b y hi s horn s ; an d Abr ah am went an d took the

r am a n d Ofl ere d hi m up fo r a burnt Ofl erin
' '

, g in -

”
th e stea d o f his son .

Abr ah am h a s n ow fully an d nobly b orne the

test an d by his fa ithfulness redeemed hi s l a ck Of
,

er fect tru st in God which l a ck led hi m t o t a ke

p ,

H a ga r as his wife After the exhibition Of Abra

.

ha m s faith an d confidence G od renews his pro m

’

ise t o him And the an gel Of the Lord c alled

'
.

unto Abr ah am out Of Hea ven the sec ond time ,

a n d sa id By my self I h a ve swo rn saith the Lord

, , ,

for beca u se thou h a st done this t hing an d h ast ,

n o twithh eld thy son thi ne on l y son th at in b l e ss

, ,

in g I will bless thee an d in mu ltiplyin g I will

,

multiply thy see d as the st ars of th e he aven an d ,

as the sa nd which is upon the sea shore ; an d thy

seed sh all po ssess the g ate o f his enemie s And .

in thy se ed sh all all th e n a tion s of the e a rth be

bl essed ; bec au se thou h astobeyed my voice .

C H AP TE R XI .

I SA AC .

T H E C an a a nites were idol a ters, an d the Lord

ha d co m
m a nded th a t h is people sho uld n o t i n ter
ma rry with them s
le t they sho uld
,
be led i n to i dol
a try Abr ah amwas old an d he expe cted soon to
.
,
1 02 T H E G RE AT CON T ROV ERS Y .

die . Isa ac was yet unma rried Abr ah am was .

a fra id of the corrupting infl uence surroundin g

Isa ac a n d was anxio us to h a ve a wife selected for
,

him who would not le a d h im from God He c om .

mitted this matter to his faithful experienced ,

serv a nt wh o r u led over all th at he h ad Abr a .

h am req uired his serv ant to make a solemn o a th

to him before the Lord th at he would not t ake a ,

wife for Isaac Of the C an aanites butth at he would ,

go u n to Abr ah am s k indred who believed in the

’

true G od a n d select a wi fe for Isa ac He ch arg ed

,
.

h im to bewa re an d not t a ke I saa c to the count ry

,

fro m whic h he came ; for they were ne arly all af

fecte d with idol a try If he co uld n otfind a wife
.

for I sa ac who wo uld le a ve her kindred an d come

where he wa s then he should be cle a r of the o ath
,

which he h ad made .

Thi s i mpor tant matter was n ot leftwi th Isaac ,

for him to sele ct for himself independent Of his ,

fa ther Abr ah am tell s his servant th at God will

.

send h is an gel before him t o di rect him in his

choice The serv ant to whomthis mission was in

.

trusted st a rted on his long journey A S b e en .

tere d the city where Abr ah am s kin dred dwelt

’

he pr ayed ea rn e stly to God to direct him in h is

choice of a wife for Isa a c He a sked tha t certain .

eviden ce might be given him th a t he sho uld n ot ,

err in t h e ma tter He rested by a well which wa s

.

a pl a ce Of the gre a t est g a thering Here he par .

tic ularly noticed the eng a gin g ma nner s a n d co urt

cou s co n duct of Rebek ah ; a n d all the evidence h e
ha d a sked of God he received th a t R ebek a h was
the on e who m God h a d b e en ple ased to select to
beco me Isa ac s wi fe She invited the serv a nt to
’
.

’
her fa ther s hou se He then rel ated to Rebe k ah s
.
’

father an d her brother the evidence s he h a d re

1 04 T H E G RE AT O T ROV ERS Y
C N .

p ul se r ather th an by the judgment of their p arents

a n d the fe a r of God It is often the c ase th at
.

th ey co n tr a ct marri a ge witho ut even the kno wl

e dge of the ir p arents And in ma ny inst a nces
.
, ,

their lives are imbittered by h asty ma rri a ges be ,

c ause the son in law or the da ughter in law feels

- - - -

under n o Obli g ation to make their pamn ts h appy .

Young men a n d women sometimes ma nifest

gre a t independen c e upon the subj ect of marri age ,

a s tho u gh the Lord ha d nothing to do with them ,

o r th ey with the Lord in th a t ma tter ; a n d th a t

,

it was p urely a matter of their own whi ch neither ,

God n or their p arents should in any wi se control .

They seem to think th a t the besto wal Of their af

fe c tion s is a matter in which sel f a lone sho uld be
consulted S uch make a seriou s mistake ; a n d a
.

few ye ar s of marri a ge experience gener ally te a che s

them th a t it is a mi ser able mi st a ke Thi s is the .

gre at re ason of so ma ny unh appy marriages in ,

which there is so little true genero us love a n d so

, ,

little exercise Of noble forbe ar ance tow ard e a ch ,

other These O ften beh ave in their own ho mes

.

more like petti sh children th an the dignified a f

, ,

fe c tion a te h usb a nd a n d wife .

Isa ac h a d been tr a in ed in the fe ar of God to a

li fe of obedienc e And when he was forty yea rs
.

Old he sub mitted to h ave the G od fearin g expe

,
-

rie n c e d serv a nt of his fa ther choo se for h im He .

believed tha t God would direct in reg ard to h is Oh

t ai n in g a wife .

Childre n now from fi fteen to twenty genera lly

co n sider themselves competent to make their own
choice without the consent Of their p aren ts And
,
.

they would look with astonishment if it should be ,

propo sed to them to move in the fe ar of God a n d

make the matter a subj ect of pr ayer Isaac s .
’
 JACO B A N D ES AU .
1 05

c as e is l efton record as an ex ample for chil dren

,

to imit a te in a fter gener ation s especi ally tho se ,

who pro fe ss to fea r God .

The course whi ch Abr ah am p ursued in the c d

uca tion Of Isa ac th at c aused him to love a life of
,

n obl e Obe di ence is recorded for the benefit of

, par

ent s an d
,
h ould le a d the m to co mma nd their
s

hou seholds after them They S ho uld in struct .

the ir chi l dren t o yield t o a n d respect their au

, ,

tho rit y And .they should fee l th a t a respon sibil

ity rests upon them to guide the afl ection s of their
'

children tha t they may be pla ced upon persons

,

wh o their jud gment would te a ch them wo uld be

su i ta ble comp anion s for their son s an d their daugh
te rs . It is a sad fa ct tha t S a ta n control s the af
fe c tion s Of the yo ung to a gre a t extent And .

so me p a rents feel th a t the a fl e c t ion s should not

'

be gui ded o r re str ained The course pur sued by

.

Abra ham is a rebuke to all suc h .

C HAPTE R XII .

J AC OB AN D ES A U .

GOD knows the end from the beginnin g He .

knew b efore the bi rth of Ja cob an d E sa u just

, ,

wh a t c h a ra cters they would both develop He .

kne w th at E sau would not h a ve a hea rt to Obey

him . H e a n swered the troubled pr ayer of Re
bek a h an d i n formed her th a t she wo uld h ave two
,

c hildren an d the eld e r should serve the yo u

,
ng e r .

H e presented the fut ure hi story of her two son s

be for e her that they would be two n a ti ons the
, ,
1 06 T H E G RE AT C N O TROV ERS Y .

on e gre ater th an the other an d the elder should

,

serve the yo u n ger The firstborn was entitled to

.
-

pec uliar a dv ant a ge s a n d speci al privileges which ,

belo n g e d to n o other members of the family .

I saa c loved E sa u better th a n Ja cob becau se ,

Esa uprovided him veni son He wa s ple a sed with

.

h is bold cour a geo us spirit ma nife st e d in hunting

,

wild be a sts J a cob was the fa vorite son of his

.

mother bec ause his di spo sition wa s mild a n d bet

, ,

ter c alcul ated to make his mother h a ppy Jacob .

h a d le a rned fro m his mother wh a t G od ha d t aught

her th at the el der sho uld serve the younger an d
, ,

h is youthful re a soni n g led him to concl ude that

this promi se co uld not be fulfilled while E sauh ad
the privilege s which were con ferred on the first
born And when E sau c ame in from the field
.
,

fa int with hun g er Ja cob i mproved the opportu

,

n it to t u rn E a u s nece ssity t h i n a dvan

’

y s o s ow
t age a n d propo sed to feed him with pott a ge if he
, ,
would renounce all c l a i m to his birthright ; an d
E sau sold his birthrigh tto Ja cob .

E sau took two idol atrou s wives which was a ,

gre at grief to I saa c an d Rebek ah Notwithstan d .

in g thi s Isa a c loved E sau better th an Ja cob

,
.

A n d when he tho ught th a t he was a bout to die ,

he req ue sted E sau to prep are h im me at th a t he ,

might bless him before he died E sau did n ottell .

h is fa ther th at he h a d sold his birthright to J a cob ,

a n d co n fir med it with an o a th Rebek a h hea rd .

the words Of Isa a c an d sh e remembered the words

,
”
of the Lord The elder sh all serve the younger
, ,
a n d sh e knew th a t E sau h a d lightly reg a rded his

birthright an d sold it to Ja cob She persu a ded .

Ja cob to deceive his fa ther a n d by fr aud receive

,

the blessi n g of his fa ther which sh e thought could

,

not be obtained in any other way Ja cob was at .

1 08 T H E G RE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

an d Ja cob th at the blessin g rightly belon ged to

,

J a c ob .

The circumstanc es of E sau s selling his birth ’

right represent the u n righteous who con sider the ,

r e demption purchased for them by Christ of little

v alue an d sa crifice their heirship to Hea ven for
,

peri sh able tre asures M any are controlled by .

th e ir appetite an d ra ther tha n to deny an nu

,

he althy appetite will sa c rifice hi gh an d va luable

,

co n sider a tio n s If one must be yielded the gr ati

.
,

fic a tio n of a depr a ved appetite or the high and ,

he a venly blessing s which God promises only to

the sel f denying an d God fe aring the cla mo rs of
- -

a ppetite a s in the c a se of E sa u will gene ra lly pre

, ,

v a il a n d for sel f gratific ation God an d Heaven

,
-

will be virtually despised Even professed Chris .

ti a n s will use te a co ffee sn ufl tob a cco an d spirits

'

, , , ,

a ll of whi c h be n u mb the finer sen sibiliti es of t he

so u l I f youtell them they ca nnot h ave H ea ven
.
,
a n d the se h u rtful indulgence s an d th at they ,

sho u ld deny their appetites an d clea n se them ,

selves fro m all filt hin e ss of the flesh a n d spirit ,

perfectin g holiness in the fe ar Of the Lord they ,

a re o f fen ded look sorrowfu , l an d conclude that if ,

the way is so str a it that they c annot indulge in

their gro ss appetite s they will not w alk any ,

lo n ger in it .

E speci ally will the corrupt p assion s c ontrol the

mind Of tho se who v alue Heaven of so little
worth Hea lth will be sa crificed the men tal fac
.
,

ultie s enfeebled an d He aven will be sold for

,

th ese ple asures as E sau sold his birthright Esau

,
.

wa s a reckless per son He ma de a solemn o ath .

th at Ja cob sho uld h a ve his birthright Th is case .

is lefton record a s a w arning to other s A s E sau .

lea rned that Jacob ha d obtained the blessing

 J A COB A N D ES AU . 1 09

which wou l d h ave belo n ged to hi m had he n ot ,

rash ly sold it he was gre a tly di stressed He re
, .

nt e d of hi s r ash ac t when it was t l te t

p e oo a o ,

remedy th e matter Thus it will be with sinners .

in the day of God who h a ve b a rtere d away their

,

heirshi p to Hea ven for selfish gratific a tion s an d

hurtful lu st s They will then fin d n o pl a ce for
.

repen ta nce although they may seek it like E sau

, , ,

car efu lly an d with tears .

J a c ob was n ot happy in his marri age rel a tion ,

al tho u gh his wi ves were si sters H e formed the .

marri age contra ct with L ab an for his d aughter

Rac h e l whom he loved After he had served
,
.

se v en y ea rs for R a chel L ab a n d eceived him an d ,

gav e him Le ah Wh en Ja cob re ali z ed the de c ep

.

tion thatha d been practiced upon him an d th a t ,

Lea h h a d acte d her p art in deceiving him he ,

cou l d n otlove Le ah L ab a n wished to reta in the .

faithful services of Ja cob a greater len gth of

time therefore deceived him by givin g him Le ah
, ,

inste a d of Ra chel Ja cob reproved L ab a n for .

thus tr iflin g with his afl ec tion s in gi vi n g him

'

Lea h whom he had not love d L ab an entre ated

,
.

Ja cob n otto put away Le a h for this was con sid ,

ered a gr e at disgrace not only to the wife but to , ,

the whole family Ja cob was pl ace d in a mo st

.

tryin g po sition ; but he decided to still ret ain

Leah an d also marry her si ster Le ah wa s
,
.

loved in a much l ess degree than R a chel L ab a n .

was se l fish in his de a lin gs with Ja cob He o n ly .

thought of a dva ntaging himself by the faithful

labo rs Of Ja cob He would have l eft the a rtful
.

Lab an lon g before but he was afr aid of enco unter

,

He heard the compl aint Of L ab an s

’
ing Esa u .

sons sa yin g
,
Ja cob h ath t aken away all th a t
,
'

was o u r fa ther s ; an d of th at which wa s ou r fa

’
1 10 THE G RE AT Co N T ROVERsr .

th e r
’
h ath be gotten all thi s glory And J a cob
s .

b e held the counten a nce of L ab a n a n d behold it , , ,

wa s not tow a rd him a s before

”
.

J a co b was di stressed He knew not which way .

to turn He c arries his c a se to God a n d inter

.
,

cede s for directio n fro m him The Lord merci .

fully a n swers his distressed prayer And the .

'

Lord sa id unto Ja cob Retur n unto the l a nd of ,

thy father s an d to thy kindred ; an d I will be

,
with thee A n d Ja cob sent an d c a lled R achel
.

a n d Le a h to the field unto his flock a n d sai d ,

unto the m I se e yo ur fa ther s counten a nce that

,
’

it is not toward me a s before but the G o d of my

fa ther h ath been with me And ye know that .

with all my power I h a ve served your father .

And your father h a th deceived me an d ch an ged ,

my w age s ten ti mes ; but God sufl ere d him not

'

to hurt me J a cob rel ated to them the dream

.

given him Of God to le ave L ab an a n d go unto his

,

kindred R a chel a n d Le ah expressed their dis

.

sati sfa ction of their fa ther s proceeding s As

’
.

Ja cob rehe arsed his wro n g s to the m an d pro ,

po sed to le ave L ab an R a chel an d Lea h sa id to ,

Ja c ob I s there yet an y portion or inherit ance

,
'

for us in our fa ther s hou se ? Are we n o tcounted

’

o f h im str a nger s ? for he h a th sold u s an d b a th ,

quite devoured al so our money For a ll the .

riches which God h ath t aken fro m our fa ther ,

th a t is ours a n d our children s ; now then wh at

,
’

,
”
soever God h a th sa id unto thee do ,
.

It was c usto mary a ncie n tly for the bridegroom

to pay a sum of money according to his circum ,

st a nce s to the fa ther of his wi fe

, If he h a d no .

money or anything of v alue his l abor was a c

, ,

c ept e d for a st a ted length Of time before he

could Obtain the d aughter as h is wife This cus .

1 12 T H E G RE AT CoN T ROVERsr .

proves to be too indolent to provide for a family ,

a n d his wi fe an d children su fl er
'

If the ability .

of su ch h a d been proved a s was the cu stom an ,

c ie n tly before ma rri age much mi sery would h ave

, ,

bee n saved I n the c ase of R a chel a n d Leah

.
,

L a b a n selfishly kept the dowry which should h ave

been given to them They h a ve reference to this
.

when they say He h ath sold us an d h ath quite

, ,

devoured al so our money ”

.

In the a b sence of L ab an Jacob took his family ,

a n d a ll th a t he h a d an d le ft L ab a n
, A fter he .

h a d p ur sued his jo urney three d ays L a ba n le a rned ,

th at he h ad left him a n d he was very angry , .

And he pur sued after him determined to brin g ,

him b a ck by force Butthe Lord h a d pity upo n

.

Jacob an d a s L ab an was about to overt a ke him

, ,

g ave him a dre am not to spe a k good or bad to Ja

cob That is he sho uld not force him to return
.
, ,

or urge him by fl attering in d uce ments W hen .

L ab a n me t Jac ob he inquired why he h ad stolen

,

a way un aw a re s a n d c a rried a w ay h is d a ughters

,

a s c aptive s t aken with the sword L ab a n tells .

him ,
It is in the power of my h a nd to do you
'

h urt ; butthe God of your fa thers sp a ke unto me

yestern ight sayin g T a ke thou heed th a t thou
, ,

spe a k not t o J a cob either good or ba d Ja cob .

then rehearsed to L ab a n the ungenerous co urse

he h ad pursued tow ard him th at he h a d only ,

studied his own adv a nt age He appeals to L a b an .

a s to the uprightne ss of h is conduct while with

h im an d says
, Th at which was torn Of bea sts I
,
'

bro ught not unto thee ; I b are the lo ss Of it ; of

my h a nd didst thou require it whether stolen by ,

day or stolen by n ight

,
Thu s I was ; in the day
.

the drought co n sumed me an d the fro st by night ; ,

a n d m sl e ep dep arted fro m m ine eye s

y .
 J ACOB A N D ES AU .
1 13

sh
’
A eph erd s life wa s one O f dil igence He .

was obliged to w a tch his flock s day an d nigh t .

W ild beasts were common a n d often bold an d , ,

wo uld do gre a t inj ury to flock s of sheep an d c a t
tle th a t were not guarded by a faith fu l shepherd .

Although Ja cob h ad a number Of servants to aid

him in tending the flock s owned by h imself an d
L a b a n yet the responsibility of the whole ma tter
,

rested upon him And in so me se a son s Of the .

ye a r he was obliged to be with the flocks himself,

day an d night to protect them in the dryest sea
,

son Of t he yea r tha t they should n otperi sh with

,

thirst ; an d in the coldest p art of the season to ,

sa ve th em from becoming chilled with the he a vy

ni ght fro sts Their flock s were also in danger of
.

being stolen by unprincipled shepherds who ,

wished to enrich themselves by ste a ling their

neighbors ca ttle ’ ’

A shepherd s life was on e of constant c are He

’
.

was n o t qu alified for a shepherd unle ss he was

merciful a n d po ssessed coura ge an d persever a n ce
,
.

Ja cob w as chief S hepherd an d h ad shepherds n u ,

der him who were termed serv an ts The c hief .

shepherd c alled the se serv a nt s t o who m he in ,

trusted the c are of the flock to a strict a ccount if ,

they w ere n ot found in a flouri shing condition .

If there were a n y of the c attle mi ssing the chi ef ,

shepherd su f fered the lo ss .

The rel atio n of Christ to his people is comp are d

to a shepherd He saw after the fall his sheep
.
, ,

in a piti able con di tion expo sed to sure destruc ,

’
tion He leftthe honors an d glory of his F ather s
.

house to become a shepherd to save the miser a ,

ble w a nderin g sheep who were re a dy to perish

, ,
.

H is wi n n ing voice was h e a rd c a l ling the m to h i s

G re atCon t
ro v e rs y .
8
1 14 T H E G RE AT CoN TROVERsr .

fo l d , fe an d sure retrea t from the h a nd of rob

a sa
bers ; also a shelter fro m the scorchin g he a t an d ,

a protection fro m the chillin g bl asts H is c a re .

was continu ally exercised fo r the good of his

S heep . He strengthened the we ak no urished the ,

su fl e rin g an d g a thered the l amb s of the flock in

'

his ar ms a n d c arried them in his bo so m H is

,
.

sheep love him He goeth before his sheep a n d

.
,

they he ar h is voice a n d follow him And a '

.
,

str a nger will they n o t follow but will flee from ,

him ; for they know not the voice of str anger s

”
.

‘
Christ says fI am the good Shepherd The .
,

good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep But .

he th a t is an hireli n g an d not the shepherd whose

, ,

own the sheep are not seeth the wolf co min g an d, ,

le aveth the sheep an d fl ee th ; an d the wolf c a tch

,

eth them an d sc attereth the sheep The hirelin g

,
.

fl e e th bec au se he is an hireling an d c a reth n otfor ,

the sheep I am the good Shepherd an d know my

.
,
sheep a n d am known of mine
, .

Christ is the chief shepherd He has intru sted .

the c are of his flock to under shepherds He re .

uires these shepherds to h ave the same interest

qor his sheep whi ch he has ever mani fested and ,

to ever feel the re spon sibi lity of the ch a rge he has

in tru sted to them Mini sters who are c a lled of
.
,

God to l abor in word an d doctrine are Christ s ,

’

shepherd s He has appoin ted them under h im

.

sel f to over see an d tend h is flock He has sol .

emn l co mmanded the se to be faithfu l hepherd

y s s ,
to feed the flock with diligence to follow h is ex ,
am ple to strengthen the weak nourish the faint
, ,

ing an d shield them fro m devouring beast s He

, .

points them to his ex ample of love for his sheep .

T o sec ure their deliver a nce he l aid down h is life ,

for them If they imit a te h is self denyin g ex am

. -
 T H E G REA T O
C NTR OVERSY .

re ali ze th at they will be c alled to render a strict

a cco u nt Of their mini stry And if they are foun d .

faith fu,
l they will receive a rich rew a rd And .

when the chie f Shepherd sh all ap e ar ye sh a ll re ,

c eive a crown of glory th a t fa de t not a w ay .

Ja cob say s Thus h ave I been twenty yea rs in

,

thy house I served thee fo urteen ye a rs for thy

.

two d aughters an d six ye ars for thy c a ttle ; an d

,

thou h astch anged my w ages ten times Except .

the God Of my fa ther the G od of Abr a h am an d , ,

the fe a r of Isa a c h ad been with me surely thou

, ,

h adst sent me a way n e w empty God h a th seen .

mine affliction an d the l a bor Of my h a nd s an d

, ,
”
reb uked thee ye sternight .

L ab a n then assured Ja cob th at he h ad an in

te rest for his d a ughter s a n d their chi ldren th a t ,

he could not h arm them He propo sed to make a .

coven a nt betwee n them And L ab a n sa id NOw .

, ,

therefore co me thou let us make a coven a nt I

, , ,

a n d thou an d let it be for a witne ss between me

a n d thee . And Ja cob took a stone an d se tit up ,

for a pill a r And Ja cob said unto his brethren

.
,

G a ther stones ; a n d they took stones an d ma de ,

”
a n he a p a n d they did e at there u
,
pon the hea p .

L ab a n understood the wrong of polyg a my al ,

tho ugh it wa s a lo n e through his a rtifice th at

J a cob h ad t aken two wives He well knew that .

it was the j e alousy of Le ah an d R a chel th a t led

them to give their maids to Jacob which confu sed ,

the family rel ation a n d incre ased the unh appiness

,

of his d aughter s And now a s his daughter s are

.

journeying ata gre at di stan c e fro m him a n d their ,

interest is to be entirely sep arate from his Own ,

he would guard a s fa r a s po ssible their h appiness

, ,
.

L ab a n wo uld not h ave Ja cob bring still gre a ter

unhappiness upon himself a n d upon Le a h an d ,
 J A CO B A N D ES AU .
1 17

R a chel by t a king other wive s An d L a b an sa id ,

, .

The Lord w a tch between me an d thee when we ,

a re ab sent o n e fro m a nother I f thou sh alt a fflict .

my daughter s or if thou sh alt t ake other wives

,

beside s my daughters ; n o man is with us ; se e ,

G o d is wit n e ss betwixt me an d thee
”
.

Ja cob ma de a solemn coven a nt before the Lor d ,

th a t he wo uld n ot t ake other wive s A n d La .

'

b a n sa id to Ja cob Behold thi s he ap a n d behold

, ,

thi s pill a r whic h I h ave c a st bet wixt me an d

,

thee ; thi s hea p be witness an d this pilla r be wit ,

n ess tha t I will n ot p ass over this he ap to thee

, ,

a n d th a t thou sh alt not p a ss over thi s he ap a n d

th is pill a r unto me for h arm The God of Abr a

,
. .

h am an d the God Of Nahor the God Of their fa

, ,

ther j udge betwixt us And Ja cob swe ar by the

,
.

fe ar of his father Isa ac .

A s J a cob went on h is way the angel s of God ,

me thim And when he saw them he sa i d This

.
, ,
”
is God s ho st
’
He saw the an els of G od in a
.
,

dre a m en c ampin g aro und about im J a c ob se nt

,
.

a hu mble concili atory me ssa ge to h is brother E sau

,
.

And the messengers ret urned to J a cob sayi n g , ,

We c ame to thy brother E sau an d al so he cometh ,

to mee t thee a n d fo ur hundred men with him

,
.

Then Ja cob was gre atly a fr aid an d di stre ssed ;

a n d b e divided the people th a t wa s with h im a n d ,

the flock s an d herds an d the c amel s into two

, , ,

b a n ds ; an d said I f E sau come to the one c om

,

pa ny an d smite it then the other comp an y which

, ,

is left sh all e sc ape .

And Ja cob sa i d O God of my father Abrah am , ,

a n d God of my fa ther Isa a c the Lord whi c h sa id st ,

u n to me Return unto thy c oun tr an d to thy

,

kindred an d I will deal well with t e e ; I am not

,

worthy of the l e ast of all t he mercies an d of all ,

1 18 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

the truth which thou hast sh owed unto th serv

,

a n t; for with my st a f
f I p assed over this ord an ,

a n d n ow I am beco me t wo b ands Deliver me I .

,

pray thee from the h a nd Of my broth er from the

, ,

h an d of E sau ; for I fe ar him l est he will co me ,

an d smite me an d the mother with t

,
he children .

A n d thou saidst I will surely do thee good an d

, ,

make thy seed a s the sand Of the sea w hi ch c an ,

n otbe num bered for multitude .

CH A P T E R X I I I .

J A CO B AN D T H E A N G EL .

JA CO B wrong in receivin g his brother s bless

’
S ,
’

ing by fr aud is a g ain brought forcibly be fore h im

, ,

an d he is afr a id th a t God will permit E sau to t a ke

his life .In his distress he prays to God all night .

An an gel was represented to me as st anding be

fore Jacob presenting h is wrong before him in its
,
true char acter A s the angel turns to le a ve him
.
,

Ja cob l ays hold Of h im an d will not let him go , ,

.

He ma kes supplic ation s with tears He ple ads .

th at he h as deeply repented of his sins a n d the ,

wrong s a g ain st his brother which h ave been the ,

me a n s of separatin hi m from his father s house ’

for twenty ye ar s H e venture s to ple a d the pro m

.

ises Of God an d the token s of h is favor to him

,

from ti me to time in his absence fro m his fa ther s

,
’

hou se All night Ja cob wrestled with the a ngel

.
,

makin supplic ation for a blessing The a ngel .

seeme to be resisting his prayer by continu a lly ,

c allin g his sin s to his r emembrance at the same ,

1 20 THE G RE AT O TRO V ERSY
C N .

me I pray thee thy n ame And he sa id Wh ere

, ,
.
,

fore is it th at thou do st a sk after my n ame ? And

b e blessed h im there And Ja cob c alled the n ame .

of the pl a ce Peniel ; for I h a ve seen G o d fa ce to

fa ce an d my life is preserved
,
”
It wa s Christ .

th at was with J a cob thro ugh th at night with ,

whom he wrestled a n d whom he perseveringly ,

held until b e ble ssed him .

The Lord he ard the supplication s Of Ja cob an d ,

ch anged the p urpo se s of E sau s he art He did ’

.

not san c tio n a n y wrong c ourse whic h J a cob pur

su ed H is life ha d been one of doubt perplexity
.
, ,

a n d remor se bec au se of his sin u ,

n til h is e a rne st ,

wrestling with the a ngel a n d the evidence b e ,

there obta in ed th a t God h ad p ardoned his sin s .

'
Yea he ha d power over the a ngel a n d pre
, ,

v ailed He wept an d ma de supplic ation unto

.
,

h im He fo und himin Bethel an d there he sp ake

.
,

with us even the Lord God of ho sts The Lord

,
.

is h is memori al
”
.

E sau was marchin g ag ain st Ja cob with an a rmy ,

for the purpo se of killing h is brother But while .

J a cob was wrestling with the an gel th a t night an ,

other a ngel was sent to move upon the he a rt of

E sauin his sleeping ho urs In his dre am he saw .

Ja cob an exile fro m h is fa ther s house for tw enty ’

ye ars be c ause he wa s a fr aid of h is life And be

, .

marked h is sorro w to find his mother de a d He .

saw in his dre am Ja c ob s h u mility an d a n gel s Of

’

God around about him He dre amed th a t when .

they met he h a d no mind to h ar m h im W hen .

E sauawoke be rel ated his dre am to h is fo ur hun

,

dred me n a n d told them th a t they must not in

,

j ure Ja cob for the God of his father was with him
, .

And when they should meet Ja cob not one of ,

them should do him h ar m And Jacob lifted up .

 J A CO B A ND T HE A NG EL . 1 21

his e ye s, an d looked, an d behold , E sau c ame , a n d

with h im four hundred men
” '
And he p assed .

over before them, an d b owed himself to the ground

seven ti me s, u ntil he c ame nea r to his brother .

And E sa u ra n to meet him, an d embr a ced him,

an d fell on h is neck , an d ki ssed him; a n d they

wept . Ja cob entre ated E sau to a ccept a pe ace

ofi e rin g whi ch E sau declined but J a cob u rged
'

, ,

him: T ake I pray thee my ble ssing th at is

'
, ,

brought to thee ; b ec au se God h a th de alt gra

c iou sly with me an d bec a u se I h a ve e n ou
,
gh .

And he urged him an d he took it ,

.

Ja cob an d E sau represent two cl asse s : Ja cob ,

the righteou s ; an d E sau the wicked Ja cob s , .

’

di stress when he le a rned th a t E sau was marching

a g a in st him with fo u r hundred men represent s ,

the tro uble of the righteou s as the decree goes

forth to put them to de ath just before the comin g ,

o f the Lord A S the wicked g ather about them

.
,

they will be filled with anguish ; for like Jac ob , ,

they c a n se e n o esc a pe for their lives The an gel .

pl a ced himself before Ja cob a n d he took hold of ,

the an gel a n d held him a n d wrestled with him

, ,

all night S O al so will the righteo us in their

.
,

time of trouble an d ang ui sh wrestle in pr ayer ,

with God as Jacob wrestled with the angel Ja

,
.

cob in his di stre ss pr ayed all night for deliver an c e

fro m the h and of E sa u The righteous in th eir .

ment a l angui sh will c ry to God day an d n ight for

delivera nce from the h and Of the wicked who sur
round them .

Jacob confessed his unworthiness : I am n ot '

worthy of the le ast Of all the merci es an d o f all ,

the truth which Thou h ast showed unto thy serv

,
”
an t . The righteous in their di stress will h a ve a
d eep se n se Of their unworthiness an d with many ,
1 22 THE G RE AT C N R O T O VERS Y .

tea rs will a ckno wledge their utter unworthin ess ,

a n d h k e J a cob will ple a d the pro mi se s o f God

, ,

through Christ ma de to just such dependent

, ,
helpless repenting sinners
,
.

J acob took firm hold of the angel in his di stress ,

a n d wo u ld not let him go A s he ma de suppli ca .

tion with te ar s the a ngel reminded him Of his

,

p a stwrongs a n d ende a vored to e sc ape from J a

,

cob to test an d prove him S O will the righteou s

,
.
,

in the day of their a nguish be tested proved an d , , ,

tried to ma nifest their strength of faith their per

, ,

sever a nce a n d u nsh aken confidence in the power

of God to deliver them .

Jacob would not be turned away He knew .

th a t God was merci ful an d he appealed to his ,

mercy He pointed b a ck to his p a st sorrow for

.
,

a n d repent a nce of h is wrong s an d urged hi s

, p e ,

tition for deliver an ce fro m the h and of E sau .

Th us h is i mportuni n g contin ued all night A s be .

reviewed his p ast wro n gs he was driven al mo st to ,

desp air B ut he knew th at he must h a ve help

.

fro m God or perish He held the a ngel fa st a n d

.
,

urged his petition with agonizing e arnest cries , ,

until he preva iled Thus will itbe with the right

.

c ou s A S they r e view the events of their p ast

.

lives their hopes will a lmo st sink B ut as they

, .

re alize th at it is a c ase of life or dea th they will ,

e arnestly cry unto God a n d appea l to him in re ,

a rd to their p a st sorro w for a n d hu mble repen t

g ,

a nce of their many sin s an d then will refer to hi s

, ,

p ro m i se Let h im
, t a ke hold o f my strength th a t ,

he may make pe ace with me a n d he sh a ll ma ke ,

pe ac e with me ”
Thu s will their e arnest petition s
.

be o ffered to God day an d night .

God would not h a ve heard the pr ayer Of J a cob ,

an d mercifu lly saved his life if he ha d n ot pre ,
1 24 THE G RE AT T OV ERSY
CON R .

will not ce ase their e arnest a gonizin g crie s for ,

deliverance They c annot bring to mind any

.

p arti c ul ar sin s but in their whole li fe they c an

se e but little good Their S in s h a d gone b efore
.

h and to j udgment an d p ardon ha d been written

, .

Their sin s ha d been borne aw ay into the l a nd of

forgetfuln ess an d they co uld not brin g them to
,

re me mbr ance Certa in destr uction thre a ten s them

.
,

an d li ke J a cob they will not su

, ,
ffer their fa ith to
grow we ak bec ause their pr ayers are not immedi
a tely a n swered Tho ugh su ffering the p a ng s of
.

hu n ger they will not ce a se their interce ssion s

, .

They lay hold of the strength of God a s Ja cob ,

l aid hold of the a ngel ; an d the l angua ge of their

so u l i s I will not let thee go except thou bless
,

me . The sa int s a t length prev ail like Ja cob , ,

an d are glorio u sly delivered by the voice of G o d .

Th a t se ason Of distre ss an d a nguish will require

a n e ffortof e a rne stne ss a n d determined fa ith th a t

c a n end u re del ay a n d hunger an d will not fail ,

under we akne ss though severely tried The pe

,
.

riod of prob a tion is the ti me gr a nted to a ll to

prep are for the day of God I f an y negl e ct the .

prep ar a tio n a n d heed not the faithful w arnings

,

given they will be witho ut excuse Ja cob s e ar

,
.

nest perseveri n g wrestling with the angel should

, ,

be an ex ample for Christi an s Ja cob prev a iled .

be c ause he wa s persevering8 an d determined All .

wh o de sire the blessing of God a s did J a cob an d , ,

will lay hold Of the promi se s as he did a n d be as ,

e arne st an d persevering a s he wa s will succeed ,

a s he succeeded W hy there is so little exercise

.

of true fa ith a n d so little of the weight of tr u

,
th
resting upon many professed believer s i s bec a use ,

they are indolent in spiritu al things They are .

unwilling to make exertions to deny self, to ago ,

 J A COB A ND T HE A N G EL . 1 25

ni ze before G od to pray long an d ea rnestly for

,

the blessing an d therefore they do n ot Obta i n it

, .

That fa ith which will live through the time of

trouble must be daily in exerci se n ow Tho se .

who do n o t make strong efforts n ow to exercise

pe rsevering fa ith will be wholly unprep ared to ex
,

e rc ise th a t fa ith which will en a ble t h em to st a nd

in the da y Of trouble .

The son s of Ja cob were n ot all righteou s .

They were affected in so me degree with idol atry .

G od did not sanction the cruel revengeful con ,

duct of Jacob s son s to the Shechemites Ja cob

’
.

was ignor a nt of their purpo se until their work Of ,

cruel ty was a cco mplished He reproved his sons .

,

an d told them th a t they h a d troubled him to ,

make him despised among the inh abit ants Of the

land And bec au se Of this their wrong the sur
.
,

round ing n a tion s would manifest their indign a tion

by destroying him an d hi s hou se In his di stre ss .

Ja cob a ga in calls upo n God And God sa id .

unto Ja cob Arise go up to Bethel a n d dw ell

, , ,

there a n d make there an a lt ar un to God th a t

, ,

a ppea red unto thee when thou fl e dde st fro m the

fa c e of E sa u thy brother Then Ja cob sa id unto .

hi s hou sehold a n d to all th at were with him Put

, ,

a wa y the str ange god s th a t a re among you an d ,

be cle an an d ch ange your garments an d let us

, ,

a rise an d go up to Bethel a n d I will make there

, ,

an a lt a r unto Go d who a n swered me in the da

, y
of m distre ss a n d was with me in the wa which
y , y
I went And they g a ve unto Ja cob all the
.

str a nge gods which were in their h and an d all ,

their e arrin S which were in their ears an d ,

Ja cob hid t e m under the oak whic h wa s by

S hechem And the family Of Ja cob never
.

fo u nd them again And they j ourneyed ; an d

.
1 26 T HE G RE AT O T O V ERS Y
C N R .

the terror of Go d was upo n th e cities that were

round about the m an d they di d n ot p u
,
rsue after
”
the son s of Ja cob .

Ja cob wa s humbled an d required hi s family to

,

humble themselve s an d to lay off all their orn a

,

ments for he was to make an atonement for their

,

sin s by Ofl erin g a sa crifice un to Go d th at he

'

, ,

might be entre ated for them a n d not le a ve them ,

to be destroyed by other n a tion s G od a ccepted .

the effor ts of Ja cob to remove the wrong from

his family a n d a ppe a red unto him an d ble ssed
, ,

him a n d renewed th a t pro mi se ma de to h im be

, ,

c ause his fe ar was before him And Ja cob set .

up a pill ar in the pl a ce where he t alked with him ,

”
even a pill ar of stone .

C H AP T E R XIV .

J O SEP H AN D H I S B RET H R EN .

JO S EPH li stened to his fa ther s in struction s, an d

’

fe a red the Lord He wa s more obedient to his

.

fa ther s righteous te a chin g s th a n an y of h is breth

’

re n. He treasured his instruction s, a n d, with

integrity of heart , loved to obey God He was .

g rieved a tthe wrong cond u ct of so m e of hi s breth

re n , a n d meekly entre ated the m to pur sue a ri ht

e ou s cour se , a n d le ave off their wicked a c ts his .

only imbittered them ag a inst him H is h a tred of .

sin wa s such th a t he could n ot endure to se e hi s

brethren sinning aga inst God He l aid the matter .

before h is father hoping th at h is authority migh t

,

refor m them This expo sure of th eir wron gs en

.
1 28 T H E G RE T CoN TROvERsr A .

fa ther s house so th a t they did not see their fa

’

ther for sever al month s ata time In his a ux .

ie t f r them he sent Jo seph to se e if they wer e

y o ,

a ll well With the true interest of a brother Jo

.
,

seph se arched for his brethren where his fa ther ,

su ppo sed he would find them but they were n ot ,

there A certai n man found him w a ndering in

.

the field in se arch of his brethren an d direc ted ,

him to Doth a n Thi s was a long journey for J o

.

seph But he cheerfully performed it beca u se

.
,

he loved his brethren a n d also wished to relieve ,

the a nxiety of his fa ther But he was illy rep aid .

for h is love to them an d obedience to his fa ther , .

And when they saw him a far ofl even be fore

'
'
,

he c ame ne ar unto them they con spired a g a in st ,

him to sl a y h im And they said one to a nother .

,

Behold this dre amer co meth Come n ow there

,
.

fore an d let us sl ay h im an d c ast him into some

, ,

pit ; a n d we will say So me evil be a st h a th de ,

vou re d him; an d we sh al l se e wh a t will beco me

of his dre ams And Reuben he ard it an d he

.
,

delivered h im outof their h ands an d said Let us , ,

not kill him And Reuben said unto them Shed

.
,

no blood butc a st him i n to this pit th a t is in the

,

wildern ess an d lay no h and upon him; th a t he

,

might rid him out of their h ands to deliv e r hi m ,

”
to his father ag ain .

Jo seph un su spiciou s of wh a t was to befall him

, ,

appro a ched h is brethren with gl a dness of h eart

to greet them after his long wea risome jo urney ,
.

H is brothers r udely rep ulsed h im He told them .

his err a nd butthey an swered him not

,
Jo seph .

was al a r med a ttheir a ngry look s Fe a r took the .

pl a c e of joy an d he in stinctively shr a nk with

,

dre a d from their presence They then took hold .

of hi m violently They t aunted him with the .

 J OS EPH A ND H I S BRETH REN .
1 29

ad moni ti on s he had given them in the p ast an d ac ,

cu sed him of rel a ting his dre ams t o exa lt himself
above them in the m ind of their father th a t he ,

mightlove him more tha n themselv es They se .

cu sed him of hypocrisy A s they gave ut te r a nce

.

to th e ir e nvi ous feelings S a tan controlled their

,

min ds a n d they had n o sense of pity an d n o

, ,

feelin gs Of love for their brother They stripped .

him of his co a t of many color s th a t he wore ,

whic h was a token of hi s fa ther s love an d which ’

ha d e xcited their envious fee lin gs .

Jo seph was we ary an d hun y yet they ave ,

him n either rest nor food d they took m

°

.
,
an d c ast him into a pit ; a n d the pit was empty
,
”
ther e was n o wa ter in it A S Jud ah thought of
.

Jose ph l ying in the pit sufferin g a lin gering de ath

,

by sta rvation he was tro ubled F or a short time

,
.
,
be with other s of his brethren seemed t
, o po ssess
,

a sa t a nic fre n zy But after they ha d begun to

.

a c co mp li sh their wicke d purpo se s t o the helpless ,

innocent Jo seph some of them were ill a t e ase
,
.

The y did n ot feel th at sa tisfa ction they thou ht

the y should h a ve to se e Jo seph perish Jug ah .

was the first to express his feelings H e sai d .

un to his brethren Wh at profit is it if we sl ay our

,

bro ther an d conceal his bloo d ? Come an d let

, ,

us sell him to the Ishma elites an d let not our ,

ha nd be upon him; for he is our brother an d our ,

fl esh ; an d his br ethren were content Then there .

passe d by Midianites merch antmen ; an d they

,

drew an d lifted up Joseph outof the pit an d sold ,

Joseph to the Ishma elites for twen ty pieces of sil

ver ; an d they brought Jo seph into E gypt .

The thought of being sold as a sl a ve wa s more

d eadfu to
r l Jo seph th a n to d i e He m a nifested .

n
roversy
G reatCo t .
9
130 THE G RE AT O T O VERS Y
C N R .

the deepest an guish an d appeal ed first to on e of

,

his brethren then to a nother for co mp a ssion

, , .

Some of their he arts were mo ved with pity but ,

through fe ar of derision from the rest kept S ilent , .

They a ll thou ght they ha d gone too far to repent

of their a ct s ; for Jo seph might expo se them t o
their father an d he wo uld be exceedingly a n gry
,

w ith the m for their trea tment of his much loved -

Jo seph They steeled their he arts a gain st his

.

di stress an d wo uld not li sten to his entre a ties for

,

his fa ther s sake to let h im go but sold him as a

’

sl a ve .

Reuben went away fro m his brethren th a t they ,

might not le a rn his purpo se in regard to Jo seph .

H e a dvised them to put him in the pit a n d de ,

signed to return a n d t ake him to his fa ther .

And Reuben returned unto the pit a n d behold , , ,

Jo seph was n otin the pit ; an d he rent his clothes .

And he returned unto his brethren an d sa id The , ,

”
child is not ; an d I wh ither sh all I go ? H is
,

brethren told him th a t they ha d sold Jo seph .

And they took Jo seph s co at an d killed a kid ’

of the go a t s a d dipped the co at in the blood ;

n ,

a n d they sent the c o a t of many color s an d they ,

bro u ht it to their fa ther an d said Thi s h a ve we , ,

foun” kno w n ow whether it be thy son s co a t or ’

no . They c au sed their father inten se a nguish ,

a s he pictured to himself the Violent de a th h is son

mu st h ave suffered by being torn in pieces by wild

be asts H is son s h ad not i magined th at their fa
.

h er s grief would be so deep

’
t All his children .

tried to co mfort him but he refu sed to refr ain ,

from his grief He decl ared to his children th at

.

he wo uld go do wn into h is gr ave mourning .

Joseph s brethren fl attered themselves th a t th ey

’

were ta king a sure course to prevent the fulfill

1 32 T H E G RE AT O T O VERSY
C N R .

this mi sfo rtune into a blessing H e gave h im fa .

vor with the keeper of the prison a n d to Jo seph ,

was soon committed th e c h arge of a ll the pri son

ers.

Here is an ex ample to all genera tion s who should

live upon the e arth Although they may be ex.

po sed to tempt ation s yet they should e ver re ali ze

,

th a t there is a defense athand an d it will be their ,

own fau lt if they are n otpreserved G od will be .

a pre sent help a n d his Spirit a shield

,
Although .

surro u n ded with the severe st tempta tion s there is ,

a source of stren gth to whi ch they c a n a pply a n d

re sist th em How fierce was the assault upon Jo

.

seph s mor al s It c ame from one of influence the

’
.
,

mo st likely to le ad astr ay Yet how promptly an d .

firmly wa s it resisted H e suffered for hi s virtue

.

a n d integrity ; for sh e wh o would le a d h im a str ay ,

revenged herself upon the Virtue sh e could not

su bvert an d by her influence c au sed hi m to be
,

c ast into prison by ch a rging him with a foul

,
~

wrong Here Jo seph sufl ere d bec au se he would

'

n otyield his integrity He h ad pl a ced his repu

.

ta tion a n d intere st in the h a nds of G od And .

altho u gh he was sufiere d to be afllicte d for a time

'

to prep are him to fill an import ant po sition yet ,

God safely gu arded th a t reput ation th a t was

bla ckened by a wicked a ccu ser an d afterw ard in , ,
his Own good time c aused it to shine , God ma de .

even the pri son the way to his elev ation V irtue .

will in time bring its own reward The shield .

which covered Joseph s he a rt was the fe a r of God’

, ,

which c au sed him to be faithful a n d j ust to his

master a n d true to God He despised th a t in
, .

r a titude which would le a d him to a bu se his mas

g
ter s confidence although h is master might never
’

le arn the fa ct The gr a ce of God he c alled to hi s

.
 J OS EP H A ND Hi s B RET H REN . 1 33

a id, an d then fought with the tempter He nobly .

sa ys,
H ow then ca n I do t hi s gre a t wickedness ,
a n d S in a g a i n stGod ?
”
He c ame ofi co n q ueror
'

Amid the sn a res to w hi ch all a re expo sed they ,

ne ed strong an d trustworthy defenses on which to

rely M an y in thi s corrupt a ge h ave so small a
.
, ,

supply of the gr a ce of God th a t in many in ,

st a nces their de fe n se is broken down by the fir st

assault a n d fierce temp t

,
a tion s t ake them c a ptives .

The sh ield of gr a ce c an preserve all unconquered

by the tempt a tion s of the ene my though su r ,

rou nded with the mo st corrupting influences By .

firm principle a n d unw avering tr u stin God their ,

virtue an d nobleness of ch a r a c t er can shine ; an d ,

a lt h o ugh surrounded with evil n o t a int need be ,

leftupon t he ir vir tue a n d inte grity And if like .

,

J o seph t h ey su fl er c alumny an d false a ccu sa tion s

'

, ,

Providenc e will overrule a ll the enemy s devices ’

fo r good an d God will in his own time ex alt a s

, , ,

much higher as for awhile they were deba sed by

,

wicked reve ng e .

T h e p a r twhich Jo seph a ct ed in connection with

th e scene s of the gloo my pri son wa s th a t which ,

ra ised him fin ally to pro sperity an d honor God .

d esigned th a t he sh ould obt ai n an e xperience by

te mpt a tions a dversity an d h ard ship s t
, ,
o prep are ,

hi m to fill an ex alted po sition .

While he was confi n ed in priso n Ph ara oh be ,

c a me ofl en de d with t wo of his o fficers t he chief

'

baker an d the chief b u tl er an d they were put in

,

the prison where Jo seph was bound And th e .

c apt ai n of the gu ard ch a rged Jo se ph with them ,

a n d he served them; a n d they contin u ed a se ason

in w ard Jo seph ma de his life u seful even while in
”
.

prison H is exempl ary co n d uct humble deport

.
,

men t an d fa ithfulness obta ined for h im the c onfi

, ,
1 34 THE G RE AT C N O TROVERS Y .

dence of all in the pri son an d those who were c on ,

nee ted with it He di d n ot spend his time in

.

mourning over the i njustice of his a ccusers which ,

ha d deprived him of his li b erty .

On e morning as Jo seph bro ught food to the

,

kin g s O fficers he ob serv e d th at they w ere look

’

ing very sa d He kindly inquired Wherefore

.
,
'

look ye so sa dly to day ? A n d they said unto him-

W e h ave dre amed a dre am an d there is no inter ,

preter of it A n d Joseph said unto them DO n ot

.
,

interpreta tion s belong to God ? Tell me th em I ,

”
p ra y you . Then the butl er related to Jo seph
his dre am which he interpreted th at the b utler
, ,

would be restored to the king s favor a n d deliver ’

Ph araoh s cup into his h and as he h ad formerly

’

don e The bu tler wa s sa tisfied with the inter

.

p re ta i
to n a,
n d his m i n d wa s a tonce re li e ved .

J o seph told the c hi ef b utler th at in thr ee days

he would be no more a pri soner He felt very .

gr at eful to Jo seph bec au se of the interest he h a d

manifested for him a n d the kind tre atment he ,

h a d re c eived a t his h a nds ; a n d above all for , ,

helping him when in gre at di stress of mind by ,

interpreting his dre am Then Joseph in a very .

,

touc hing manner a lluded to his c aptivity an d

, ,

entrea ted him But think on me wh en it sha ll

,

be well wi th thee an d shew kin dn ess I pray thee

, , ,

unto me an d make mention of me unt o Ph a ra oh

, ,
an d b rin
g m e ou t of thi s h ou se ; for inde e d I wa s
stol e n aw ay out of the l and of the Hebrews ; an d

her e al so h ave I don e nothing th a t they should

put me into the d ungeon When the chief b aker .

”
saw th a t the interpreta ti on was good h e took ,
cour age an d made known his dr eam A s soo n as .

b e rel a ted his dre am Jo seph looked sad H e n u ,

.

derst ood it s t erribl e me aning Joseph p ossessed .

1 36 T H E G RE AT Co N T ROVERsr .

king rel ated his dre ams to them but was grea tly ,

di sappoi n ted to find th a t with all their ma gic a n d

bo asted wisdo m they could not expl a in th em
,
.

The perplexity an d distress of the king incre ased

‘

A s the chief b utler sa w his di stre ss all a tonce ,

Jo seph c ame into his mind an d atthe sa me time ,

a con viction of his forget fu lne ss an d ingr a titude .

Then sp ake the c hief butler unto Ph ar a oh say ,

in g I do remember my fa ul ts thi s day

”
,
He then .

rel a ted to the king the dreams which he an d the

chi ef b a ker h ad whi c h troubled them as the
,

dre ams which now tro ubled the king a n d sa id , ,

'
And there was there with us a young man an ,

H ebrew serva nt to the c apta in of the gu a rd ; a nd

,

we told him an d he interpreted to us our dre ams ;

,

to e a ch man a ccording to his dr e am h e di d inter

pret And it c ame to p ass as he interpreted to
.
,

us so it was ; me b e restored unto mine ofiic e

, ,

an d him he h a nged .

It was humilia ting to Pha ra oh to turn a way

fro m the magicia ns an d wise men of his kin gdo m
to a Hebrew serv ant But his le a rned an d wise .

men fa iled hi m an d he n ow will condesc e nd to

,

a ccept t h e humble service s of a sl a ve if his ,

tro ubled min d c an obt ain relief .

Then Ph a r a oh sent an d c alled Jo seph an d ,

they brought him h astily outof the dungeon a n d

he shaved himself an d ch anged his r aiment an d
, ,

c ame in unto Ph araoh And Ph ara oh said unto .

Jo seph I have dre amed a dre am an d there is

, ,

none th at can interpret it ; a n d I h a ve hea rd say

of thee t h at thou c an st un d erst and a dre am to
,

interpret it And Jo seph an swered Ph ar aoh say

.
,
in g It is not in me ; God sh all give Ph a ra oh an
,
”
a n swer of pe a ce .

Joseph s answer to the kin g shows his strong

’
 J O S EP H A ND HIS B RE H REN T . 1 37

faith a n d humbl e trust in God He mod estly .

discl a ims all honor of po ssessing in himself supe

rior wisdom to interpret He tells the king th at
.

hi s k nowledge is n o t gre ater th a n th a t of tho se

whom he h as con sulted It is n o t in me
. .

God a lone c an expla in these mysterie s And .

Pha r a oh sa id unto Jo seph In my dre am behold , , ,

I sto od upon the b ank of the river ; a n d behold ,

ther e c ame up outof the river seven kin e fat ,

fl eshe d an d well fa vored ; an d they fed in a

-

me a dow ; an d behold seven other kin e came up

,

aft e r th em poor an d very ill fa vored an d l e an

,
-

fleshed such as I never saw in all the land of

,

Egypt for b a dn ess And the lea n an d the ill

.

fa vored kine di d e at up the fir st seven fa tkine ;

an d w h en th ey h ad e a ten them up it could not be ,

kn own tha t they ha d e aten them; but they were

still ill fa vor e d as a tt
-

,
h e beginnin g S O I a woke . .

A n d I saw in my dream an d behold seven , ,

ea r s c ame up in on e st alk full an d good ; a n d , ,

behol d seven e a rs withered thin an d bl asted

, , , ,

with the east wind sprung up after them ; a n d

,

th e th in ears devoured the seven goo d e a rs : an d

I told this unto the magici ans ; but there was
n on e th a t could decl are it t o me .

And Jo seph sa id unto Ph araoh The dre am of ,

Phar aoh is on e God h ath shewed Phar aoh wh a t

.

he is aboutto do T he seven good kine are seven

.

yea rs ; an d the seven good ea rs are seven ye ars ;

the dream is on e .And the seven th in an d ill
fa vored kine th a t c ame up after them are seven
ye ars ; a n d the seven empty e ars blasted with the
eastwind sha ll be seven ye ars of famine ”
.

Joseph told the king th at there wo uld be seven

ye a rs of great plenty Everyth in g wo uld grow
.

in gre a t a b u ndance Fiel ds an d g arden s would

.
1 38 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

yield more plenti fully th a n formerly Fruits an d .

grain s would yield abund antly And the se seven .

years of ab unda nce were to be followed by seven

ye ars of fa mine The ye ars of plenty wo uld be
.

given th at he might prepa re for the comin g

ye a rs of fa mine And the plenty sh a ll n ot be
.

kno wn in the la nd by re ason of th at fa mine

lo wing ; for it sha ll be very grievo us And for .

th a t the dre am was doubled unto Ph a r a oh twice ,

it is becau se the thing is estab lished by God and ,

G od will shortly brin g it to p ass Now therefore .

let Ph ara oh look out a man discreet an d wi se ,

a n d se thim over the l a nd of Egypt .

The king b e lieved all th a t Jo seph said He .

believed th a t God was with h im an d wa s im ,

pressed with the fa c t th a t he was the most suit

a ble man to be pl a ced in a uthority a tthe he a d of

af fa ir s . He did n o tdespise him because he was a

Hebrew sla ve He sa w th at he possessed a n ex
.

c elle n tspirit And Ph a ra oh said unto his serv

.

an t s Can we find such a one a s thi s is a ma n in

, ,

who m the Spiri tof God is ? And Ph ar a oh said

unto Jo seph For asmuch a s God h ath shewed thee
,

a ll thi s there is none so di screet a n d wi se a s thou

,

a rt
. Tho ush alt be over my house an d a ccording ,

unto thy word sh all all my people be r uled ; only

in the throne will I be grea ter th a n tho u .

Altho ugh Jo seph was ex al ted a s a ruler over

a ll the l a n d yet he did not forget God He
, .

knew th at he was a stranger in a str ange l a nd ,

sep a r ated fro m his fa ther an d his brethren wh ich ,

often c aused him sa dne ss butb e firmly believed

,

th a t God s h a nd ha d overruled his co urse to

’

pl a ce him in an import an t po sition A n d de .

pending ouGod continu ally he performed a ll the,

duties of his o ffice as ruler over the l a nd of

,
1 40 T H E G RE AT O T O V ERS Y
C N R .

the famine to lay up l a rge supplie s for the seven

yea rs of famine whi c h were to follow an d that ,

a ll the co untrie s jo urneyed to Egypt to b uy corn .

He sa id unto his son s Why do ye look one ,

'

upon a nother ? And he sa id Behold I have , ,

he a rd tha t there is corn in Egypt Ge t you .

down thither an d buy for us fro m thence that

, ,

we may live a n d n ot di e And Jo seph s ten

,
.
’

brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt But .

Benj amin Joseph s bro ther Ja cob sent n o twi th

,
’

his brethren for he sa id Lest per a dvent u re m is ,

chief befa ll him .

Ja cob s sons c ame with the crowd of buyers to

’

purch ase corn of Jo seph ; an d th ey bowed down

themselves before him with their faces to the
A n d Jo seph knew his brethren bu
”
e ar th. t he ,

a ppe are d n o t to know them an d sp a ke roughly ,

unto them .And he sa id unto them Whence

'
,

come ye ? And they sa id From th e l a nd of ,

C an a a n to buy food ”
And Jo seph reme mbered
.

the dre ams which he dreamed of them a n d said ,

unto them Ye are spies ; to se e the n a ke dness of

,

the l and ye are come ”

.

They assured Jo seph that their only err and

into Egypt wa s to buy food Jo seph ag ain .

ch arges them with being spies He wi sh ed to .

l e arn if they po ssessed the same h aughty spirit

they ha d when he was with them; an d he was
a nxiou s to dr a w fro m the m some infor ma tio n in

regard to his fa ther an d Benj a min They fee l .

humble d in their a dversity an d manife st gri ef , ,

r a ther tha n anger a t the suspicion s of Jo seph

,
.

They assure him th at they are no spies but the ,

sons of one ma n ; th a t they are twelve brethr en ;

th a t the youngest is now with their father an d ,

o n e is n ot H is fa ther an d Benj ami n are the

.
 J O S EPH AND H i s B RET H REN . 14 1

v ery o n es Jo seph wishes to l earn in reg ard to .

He pro fe sses to doubt the truthfulness of their

story a n d t
, ell s them th at he will prove them an d ,

that they sh a ll n otgo forth from E ) t until their

oun g est brother come hi ther If? propo ses to
ycop them in confinement until on e shall go an d
.

bring their brother to prove their words whether

, ,

ther e was any truth in them I f they would not .

con sent to this he would regard them as spies

, .

T h e sons of Ja cob felt unwilli ng to con sent to

this a rrangement It would require so me time
.

for on e to go to their fa ther to get Benj amin an d

, ,

their families would suffer for foo d A n d then .

ag a i n, who among them wo uld underta ke the

journ ey alone l e aving their brethren in a pri son ?
,

H ow could th at one meet his father ? They saw

his distress atthe suppo sed de ath of Jo seph an d ,

h e would feel th at he wa s deprived of all his son s .

A s they c onversed with one another in thi s ma n

n er Jo seph he ar d them
,
They sa id further It
.
, ,

may be we sh all lo se our live s or be ma de sl a ve s ,

.

A n d if on e go b a ck to our fa ther for Benj amin ,

an d bring him h ere he ma ,y be m a de a sl a ve al so ,

a n d ou r fa ther will surely die They deci d ed to .

a ll r e ma in an d su fier to ge ther ra ther th a n to

'

, ,

brin g gre ater sorrow upon their father by the lo ss

of hi s much love d Benj amin
-

Th e thr e e d ays of confinement were d ays of

bitter sorrow with Jacob s sons They reflected ’
.

upon their p a st wrong course especi ally their cru ,

clt y to J oseph .They knew if they were convicted

of bein g spi es an d they could n otbring evidence
,

to cl e a r them selve s they wou,

l d all h a ve to die or ,

b ec ome slaves They doubted whether y

. a n e f
f o r t
an
y o n e of the m m ight ma ke w o uld c au se t h ei r
fa ther to con e
s nt to h a ve Be nj a m in go f ro m h i m ,
1 42 THE G RE AT CoN T ROVERsr .

after the cruel de ath as he thought Jo seph had , ,

suffered They sold Jo seph as a sl ave an d they

.
,

were fe arful th a t God designed to pun ish them

by sufl erin them to become sl ave s Jo seph c on
'

sider s th a t her an d the familie s of h is breth

is fa t
ren may be suffering for food an d he is convinced ,

th at his bre thren h ave repented of their cruel

trea tment of him an d th at they would in n o case
,

tre a t Benj amin as they had tre ated him .

Jo seph makes another propo si tion to h is breth

ren And he said unto them the third day This
.
,

do a n d li ve ; for I fe ar God I f ye be true men

,
.
,

let one of your brethren be bound in the hou se of

your pri son : go ye c arry corn for the famine of ,

your hou se s But bring your youngest brother

.

unto me ; so sh all your words be verified a n d ye ,

”
sh all not die T hey agree to a ccept this propo
.

sitio u of J o seph s but expre ss t o one a nother lit

’

tle hope th at their fa ther will l et Benj amin return

with them They a ccu se themselves an d on e an
.
,

other in reg ard to their treatment of Jo seph

,
.

'
An d they sa i d on e to another We a re verily ,

guilty concerning our brother in th at we saw the ,

an gu i sh of his so ul when he besought us an d we , ,

wo uld not he a r ; therefore is this di stress co me

upon us And Reuben a nswered them saying
.
, ,

Sp ake I not unto you saying Do n otsin aga in st , ,

the child ; an d ye wo uld not hea r ? therefore b e ,

h e ld al so his bloo d is required
, And they knew .

not th at Jo seph understood them ; for he sp a ke

un to themby a n interpreter And he turned hi m .

sel f abo u t from them an d wept ; an d returned to ,

them ag a in an d c ommuned with them an d took

, ,

from them Simeon an d bound him before their ,

eye s .

Jo seph selec ted Simeon to be bound bec a use he ,

1 44 AT
T H E G RE CONT ROVERS T .

them, Me h ave ye bereaved Of my c hildren ;

'

Jo seph is not an d Simeo n is n ot a n d ye will

, ,

t a ke Benj amin away A ll these th in gs are

.

a a inst me assu
”
Reuben red his fa ther th a t if
g .

he would intrust Benj amin to his care he would ,

su rely brin g him a ga in to his fa ther ; if n ot he ,

might sl ay his two sons This r ash sp ee c h did.

n o t relieve the mind of J a cob He sa id My '

.
,

so n sh all n otgo down with you; for hi s bro ther

is dea d an d he is left alone
,
If mischief befall .

hi m by the way in the which ye go then sh all ye ,

brin g down my gray h airs with sorrow to the

g r a ve .

Ja cob s afie c tion s cling to Benj amin with all

’ '

the strength of a mother s love He show s how ’

.

deeply he has felt the lo ss of Jo seph But want .

presses upon J acob an d his chi ldr en an d their ,

ho useholds are c a lling for food Ja cob req uests .

his son s to go ag a in into Egypt a n d buy food .

Judah says to his fa ther th athe ca nn ot g o do wn

unless Benj amin is with them; for the man di d '

sole mnly protestunto u s saying Ye sh all n otsee ,

my fa ce except your brother be with you

,
”
Ju .

da h assures hi s fa ther th a t he will be surety for

h is brother th a t if he would send him with them
,

they would go an d if he did not bring Benj amin

,

b a ck he would he a r the bl ame of it forever

, .

He tells his father th a t while they ha d been

lingering beca use of his unwillin gness to send
,

Benj amin they could h ave journeyed to E gyp t

,

a n d returned a g a in Ja cob feels compelled to

.

permit his son Benj amin to go with his brethr en .

He al so sent a present to the ruler hopin g ther e ,

with to obta in his fa vor He also di rected his .

son s t o t a ke double money a n d ret urn the mo ney

,

found in their sa ck s ; for it might ha ve been

 J O S EP H A ND H I S T
B RE H REN .

placed there by mist ake He says to them Ta k e .

,

al so your brother an d a ri se o a ain unto t h

g g , e ,

man .

A s his S on s were about to le ave him to go on

the ir do ubtful journey their aged father aro se , ,

and ,
while st anding in their midst, rai sed his
hands to heaven an d entreated the Lord to go ,

with them an d pronounced upon them a gr a cious

,

ben ediction And God Almighty give you

.

merc y before the man th at he may send away ,

yo ur other brother an d Benj amin If I be be ,

.

rea ved of my children I am bere ave d ,

.

And th e men took th at present an d they ,

too k double money in their hand an d Benj amin , ,

an d ro se up a n d we nt down t o E gypt an d stood

'

, ,
”
befo re Joseph And when Jo seph aw Benj a
.

min with them he could sc arcely restrain his

,

brotherly feeli ngs of love He gave direction to .

ma ke prep ar ation for his brethren to dine with

W hen they were t aken into Jo seph s house ’

they were a fraid tha t it was for the p urpo se of

callin g them to acco unt bec ause Of the money
found in their sa ck s And they thought th at it .

might h a ve been intention ally pl a ced there for

the purpo se of findi ng occ asion aga in st them to
make th em slaves an d th a t they were brou ht
into the ruler s house to better accomplish 3118
,
’

obj ec t They sought to make friends with the

.

st ewa rd of the house a n d made kno wn to him ,

tha t the y h ad found their money in the mouth s of ‘

their sac k s fe arin g tha t the rul er who h ad tre ated

,

them SO rou ghly would a ccu se them of wrong in

reg ard to the matter They informed the ste w .

ard th a t they had brought b a ck the money fo u nd

in their sa ck s in full weight ; al so other money
,

G rea tCon t
ro v ers y .
10
146 T H E GRE AT O
C NTR O VERSY .

t
o buy food ; an d a dded We c ann ot te ll who
,
'

u t ur money in ou r sa cks
p o .

And he sa id Pe a ce be to you fe ar n ot; your

, ,

God an d the God of yo ur fa ther h a th given you

, ,

tre asure in your sa cks I ha d your money . .

And he brought Simeon out unto them ”

The .

words of the steward relieved their anxiety an d ,

they thought G od was indeed gra cious un to them,

as their fa ther h a d entre a ted he would be .

W hen Jo seph c ame home his brethr e n g ave ,

him the present in the n ame of their fa th e r an d ,

they bo wed themselves to him to the e arth .

And he aske d them of their welfare a n d said , ,

I s your fa ther well the old ma n of whom ye

,

sp a ke ? I s b e yet ali ve ? And they a n swered ,

Thy serv ant our father is in good he alth he is ,

yet a live And they bowed down their heads

.

a n d ma de obeisance And he lifted up his eyes

.
,
a n d saw hi s brother Benj amin his mother s son
’

, ,
an d said I s thi s your younger brother of whom
, ,

ye sp ake unto me ? And he said God be gra ,

c iou s unto thee my son, And Jo seph ma de .

h aste ; for his bowels did yearn upon h is broth

e r : a n d he so ught where to weep ; an d he e nter
ed into hi s ch amber an d wept there And be
,
.

w ashed his fa ce an d went out an d refr a in ed

, ,

himself an d said Set on brea d

, ,
”
.

Jo seph did n ot eatat the same t able with his

brethren for the Egypti an s consi dered it an
,
abo min a tion for them t o eat brea d with the H e
brews Jo seph pl aced his brethren atthe t a ble
.
,
as was cu sto ma ry when their a ges were k n own
,

co mmencing with the elde st a ccor di ng to his ,

birthright arrang ing them in order down to the

,

un gest as though be perfectly knew their a ges

Eis brethren were astonished at this act of J o
, .
1 48 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

my servant ; an d ye sh al l be bl amel ess Then .

they speedily took down every man his sa ck to

the ground an d opened every man h is sa ck
,
.

And b e se arched a n d beg an a t the eldest and

, ,

le ftat the you n gest ; an d the cup was found in

Be nj amin s sa ck ’ ”
.

At this discovery all were gre atly surprised ;

an d ,
to express their grea t distress they rent ,

their g arments which wa s the custom when in

,
gre a t afllic tion Benj ami n was more ama z ed an d
.

co n fo unded than his brethren They returned .

i n to the city sorrowful an d a fra id They thought .

th at the h an d of God was a g ainst them for their

p ast wickedness By their own promise Benj a
.
,

min wa s a ppoi n ted to a li fe of sl avery And the .

fe ar s of their fa ther they tho ught would be ful ly

re alized Mi schi ef h ad befallen his much loved
.
-

Be nj amin .

J ud ah h a d pledged hi msel f to be surety for

Benj amin And Jud ah a n d his brethren c ame
.
'

to Jo seph s house ; for he was yet there ; an d

’

they fell before him on the groun d A n d Jo seph .

sa id u nto them W h a t deed is this th a t ye h a ve

,

do n e ? wot ye not tha t such a man as I c an cer

”
ta in ly divi n e ? Jo seph asked this qu estion
to dra w forth fro m his brethren an a ck n owle dg
ment of their p a st wrong co urse th at their true ,
feeling s might be more fully reve aled H e did .

not cl ai m an y power of divin ation but was will ,

ing his brethren sho uld believe th at he c ould
re a d the secret a c ts of their li ves And J udah .

sa id W h a t sh all we sa
, y unto my lord ? wh a t
sh a ll we spe ak ? or how sh a ll we cle ar ourse l ves ?
God h a th found outthe iniquity of thy serv a nts .

Behold we a re my lord s serva nts both we an d

,
’

, ,

he a l so with who m the cup is found J uda h .

 J O S EP H A ND HIS B RE H RENT .
149

told h is b rethren th at God had found out their

in iq u ity for selling their brother in Egypt a n d ,

was n o w r eturning u po n them their tra n sgres

sion s by permittin g them to beco me sl a ves a l so
, .

J o seph refu sed to a ccept them all a ccor di n g to ,

the w ord of Jud ah as bondmen ,And he sa id .

,

God forbid tha t I sho uld do so ; but the man in

who se h and the cup is found he sh all be my serv ,

an t; a n d a s for you get you u u

'

p in pe
, a ce n to
yo ur fa ther Judah spoke with Jo seph aside
.

fro m the re st an d rel a ted to him the reluct ance

,

of h is father to l et Benj amin come with the m to

Egypt an d th a t he pledged himself to beco me

,

su rety for Benj amin tha t if he brought him n ot

,

t o his fa ther he wo uld be ar the bl ame forever

, .

He eloquently ple a d in beh alf of his father re ,

la ting his gre at grief a t the lo ss of Jo seph an d ,

th a t Benj amin was all th a t was left of the mother

which his father loved an d th a t if Benj amin ,

sho u ld be sep a r ated from his father he wo uld die ; ,

for hi s li fe wa s bound up in the l a d s li fe Jud a h

’
.

then nobly ofiere d to become a sl a ve in ste a d of

'

h is brother ; for he co uld not meet his father

witho ut Benj amin wa s with him S a id Judah .
,
'
N ow therefore I pr a y thee let thy servant
, ,

abide in ste a d of the la d a bondman t o m lord

y ,

a n d let the la d
g o up with h is brethren .

J o seph was sati sfied He ha d prove d his breth .

ren an d had seen in them the fruits of true re

,

nt n c e for their sin s ; a n d he wa s so deeply

p e a

sfl ec t e d th a t he could n o lon ger conce al his feel

'

in gs an d requested to be l eft alone with his

,

brethr e n H e then g a ve vent to his lo n g sup

.
-

pre ssed feelings an d wept alou d ,

And J oseph .
'

sa id unto his brethren I am Jo seph ; d o th my ,

fa th er yet l ive ? An d his b re t hren coul d n otan

1 50 T H E G RE AT CONT ROVERsr .

swer him; for they were trouble d athis pr esen ce .

H is brethren could n ot an swer him for a stonish

ment They could not re ally beli eve th a t the
.

ruler of Egypt was their brother Joseph whom

they h ad envied an d would h ave murdered but
, ,

fi n ally were satisfied to sell as a slave All their .

ill tre atment of their brother p ainful ly p asse d be

fore them an d especi a lly his dre ams whi ch they
, ,

h a d despise d an d h a d l abored to prev e nt their

,

fulfi ll ment They ha d a cted their p a rt in fulfill

.

ing these dre ams Repe ate dly had they made
.

obei sance to Jo seph a ccording to h is dre am , .

And n ow they stood before him condemn ed and

a ma zed .

A s J o seph saw the confu sion of his br e thren,

he said to them Come ne ar to me I pra y you
, , .

And they c ame ne ar And he sa id I am Jo seph .

,

yo ur brother whom ye sold into Egypt

, He .

nobly sought to make thi s occ asion a s e a sy for

his brethren a s po ssible H e had n o desire to in
.

cre ase their emb arrassment by censuring them .

H e fel t th at they h ad suffered enough for their

cruelty to him an d he ende a vored to comfort
,

them He said to them Now therefore be n ot

.
,

grieved nor angry with yourselves tha t ye so ld

, ,

me hither ; for G o d did send me before you to

preserve life For these two ye ars bath the fam
.

ine been in the la nd ; an d yet there are five y e a rs,

in the which there sh all be neither carin g n or
h arve st A n d God sent me before you to pre
.

serve you a po sterity in t h e e arth an d to save ,

your lives by a gre at deliverance S o n ow it was .

not you th at sent me hither but God ; an d he ,

h ath ma d e me a fa ther to Pha r ao h an d lord o f all ,

his house an d a ruler throughout all th e l an d of
,

gyp t H
. a ste ye ,
an d go up to my fat h er, a n d
1 52 T H E GREA T CONTRovnRsr .

on e an other the c ause of their guilt in regard to

their cruel treatment of himself With j oy th ey .

re turned to their fa ther an d told h im sa ying , , ,

Jo seph is yet alive an d he is governor over all ,

the l a nd of Egypt And Ja cob s hea rt fa inted .

’

for he believed the m not And they told h im all .

the words of Jo seph which he ha d said unto them; ,

a n d when he sa w the w a gon s which Joseph had

sent to c arry h im the spirit of Ja c ob their fa ther

,

revived And Isr ael sa id It is eno ugh Jo seph

.
,

my son is yet alive I will go an d see him before .

”
I die .

Ja cob s son s then ma de their humili atin g c on

’

fession s to their fa ther of their wicked tre a tment ,

o f Jo seph a n d entre a ted his forgivene ss

,
Jacob .

did not suspect his sons were g uilty of such cru

c lt
y . But he saw th a t God h a d overruled it all
for good a n d he forg a ve an d blessed his e rr ing
,

so n s .He co mmenced h is journey with gl a dness

of he art a n d when he c a me t
, o Beer sheb a he of
fe re d gr a teful sa crifice s an d entre ated Go d t o ,

ble ss him an d make known to him if he was

,

ple ased wi th their moving into Egypt J a cob .

w a nted a n evidence from God th at he would go

wi t h them And God sp ake unto Isra el in the
.

vision s of the n ight an d said Ja cob Ja cob And , , ,

.

he said Here am I And he sa id I am G od the

, .
, ,

God of thy fa ther Fe ar n ot to go do wn into .

Egypt for I will there make of thee a grea t n a

,

tio n I will go down with thee into Egypt a n d I

.
,
will al so surely bring thee u p a g a in ; a n d Jo seph
S h all pu this h and upon thi ne eye s
”
.

The meeting of Joseph an d his fa ther was very

a fie c tin g J oseph left his c h ariot an d ra n to
'

.
,

meet his father on foot an d embr a ced h im a n d , ,

an d they wept over ea ch other Ja cob then ex .
 J O S EPH A ND H i s T
BRE HREN . 1 53

pr se e d h is willin gne ss to di e ; since he ha d ag ain

s

seen hi s son Jo seph for whom he ha d so lo n g

,

mo urned a s de a d .

J o seph coun se led his brethren when P ha ,

ra oh S hould ask them of their occup a tion to tell ,

him fr a nkly th a t they were shepherds altho ugh ,

such a n occ u p ation was re ga rded by the Egyp

ti a n s a s degr ading Jo seph loved righteousness
.
,

an d fe a red God He did not wi sh h is brethr en

.

to be expo sed to tempt a tion therefore wo uld not ,

h a ve them in the king s speci a l services amid the ’

corruptin g idolatro us infl uence a tcourt If they

, .

should tell the king th a t they were S hepherds he ,

would n otseek to employ them in his service an d ,

ex a l tthe mto some honor able po sition for Jo seph s ’

sa ke. W hen the king le a rned tha t they were

S hepherd s he g ave Jo seph per mi ssion to settle his
,

father an d his brethren in the be st p art Of the

country of Egypt Jo seph selected Go shen a s a
.

su ita ble pl a ce provided with good p asture s w ell ,

wa tered Here also they could worship G od

.

without being di sturbed with the ceremo n ie s a t

ten di n g the idol atro us wor ship of the Egypti an s .

Th e country round about Go she n was inh abited

by the Isr a e lites until with power an d mi ghty
,

si n s a n d wonder s God brou ht his people ou t of

g g
E gy pt .

Joseph brought Ja cob before Ph ar aoh an d in ,

trodu c ed his mu ch honored father to the king

-
.

Ja cob blessed Ph a ra oh for his kindness to his son

Joseph . And Ph a ra oh said unto Ja cob H ow
'
,

old a rt thou ? And Ja cob said unto Ph a r a oh ,

The day s of th e ye ars of my pilgrimage are a n

hundred a n d thirty ye ars Few an d evi l h a ve the .

day s of the ye ars of my life been an d h a ve not ,

att a ine d unto the d ay s of the ye a r s of the li fe

1 54 T H E G RE AT C N R O T OVERS Y .

of my fathers in th e d ays of their pilgri ma ge .

Ja cob told the ki n g that his years ha d been few

a n d evil ; th a t is he h a d seen mu
,
ch tro ubl e a n d suf ,

fe re d much perplexity which ha d cut short his ,

ye ars The life of Ja cob h a d not been smooth

.

a n d pe a cefu l The j ealousy of his wiv es had

.

bro ught a trai n of evils Some of his children .

h ad grieved h im a n d made his life very bitter

,
.

But the la st ye ars of Ja cob s li fe were more ’

pe a ceful H is son s had re formed

. .

A s Ja cob was about to die h is children g ath ,

ered abo ut him to receive his blessing a n d to ,

li ste n to his l ast words of advice to them He .

forg ave his children for all their u n filial c ondu ct ,

a n d for their wicked tre a tment of Jo seph which ,

h a d c aused hi m ma ny ye ar s of grief a s he h ad
reflected upon h is supposed drea dful de a th As .

he spoke with his children for the l ast ti me the ,

Spirit of the Lord rested upon him an d he ut ,

te re d prophecies concerning them which re a ched ,

far in the future W hile under the Spirit o f in

.

S pir ation he l aid open before them their p ast li ves

, ,

a n d their fu ture hi story revealing the purpo ses ,

o f God in reg a rd to the m He showed them th at .

God wo uld by no me an s sa nction cruelty or wick ,

e dn e ss . He co mmenced with the eldest A l .

though R euben ha d no h and in selling Jo se ph ,

yet previou s to th a t tr an saction he h ad rievously

sinned . H is course wa s corrupt for he T ra d tra n s ,
resse d the l w f G d J cob uttere d his
g a o o a .

prophecy in reg ard to h im: R e uben tho u art ,

my firstborn my might an d the beginning of my
-

, ,
strength the excellency of dignity an d th e ex
,

c ellen c
y ”of power ; un sta ble a s w a ter tho u S h a l t ,
n otexcel .

H e then prophe sie d in regard to Simeon an d

1 56 T H E G RE T CON R A T O VERS Y .

ings of my proge n itors unto the utmo stbound of ,

the everl asti n g hill s ; they sh all be on the head

Of Jo seph a n d on the crow n of the he a d o f h im
,

tha t was sep ar ate from his brethren .

J acob was an affection a te fa ther The words .

he uttered to h is children were n oth is spoken be ,

c a use h e h a d reta ined a n un forgiving S p irit on

a ccount of their wrongs He h ad forgiven them . .

He h ad loved them to the l ast He mourned .

deeply a tthe lo ss of Joseph a n d when Sime on was ,

reta ined in Egypt be manifested grief a n d ex

, ,

pressed his a nxious wish tha t his chi ldren S hould

return safely fro m Egypt with their brother Sim
eo n .He h ad n o resentful feeling tow ard his sorrow
in g children B ut God by the spirit of proph ecy
.
, ,

elev a ted the mind of Jacob above his n atur a l feel

i n gs In his l ast hours a ngel s were all around
.
,

him an d the power of the gr a ce of God shone upo n

,

him H is p atern a l feeling s would h a ve led him t

. o
utter in his dying testi mony only expression s of
, ,

love an d tenderness But under the influence of

.

in spir a tion he uttered truth altho ugh p a in ful , .

A fter the de ath of Ja cob Jo seph s brethr en ,

’

were filled with gloom an d di stress They .

tho ught th a t Jo seph h ad concealed his resent

ment outof re spect for their father ; an d n ow th a t
,

he was de ad he would be revenged for th e ill

,

tre atment he ha d suffered a ttheir hands And .

’
when Jo seph s brethren saw th a t their fa ther was
de a d they said Joseph will per a dventure h ate us
, , ,
an d will cert ainly requite u s a ll the evil which we
did unto him A n d th ey sent a messen ger un to
.

Jo seph saying Thy father di d comma nd b e fore

, ,

he died saying S O sh all ye say unto J o seph F or

, , ,

give I pr ay thee now the tresp ass of thy breth

, ,

ren , a n d their sin ; for they did unto the e e vil ;

 J O S EPH A ND Hi s B RE H REN T . 1 57

an d n ow, we pray thee forgive the tresp ass O f the

,

serv ants o f the God of thy fa ther And Jo seph .

wept when they sp ake unto him And his breth .

ren also went an d fell do wn before his fa ce ; a n d

they sa id Behold we be thy servan ts And Jo
, .

seph sa id unto them Fe a r not ; for am I in the

,

pla ce of God ? But as for you ye thought evil ,

a g a in st me ; but God me a nt it unto good to bring ,

t o p ass a s it is this day to save much people alive

, , .

N o w there fore fe a r ye n ot; I wi ll nouri sh you ,

a n d your little one s And he co mforted them,
.

a n d sp a ke kin dly unto them .

J o seph could not be ar the thought th a t his

brethren should th ink th at he h arbored a spirit of
reven ge tow a rd them whom he cordi ally love d .

Jo seph ill ustrates Christ Jesus c ame to his .

own but h is own re c eived him n ot

, He was re .

d an d d e sp ised bec au e h ct were right

j ec te s
,
is a s
eou s an d h is con sistent self denying li fe wa s a
, ,
-

continu a l rebuke upon those who pro fe ssed piety ,

but who se lives were corrupt Jo seph s integrity .

’

an d virtue were fiercely a ssa iled ; an d sh e who

would le a d him astray co uld n ot prev ail there ,

fore her h a tred was strong again st the virtue an d

integrity which she co uld n otcorrupt an d she tes ,

tified falsely a g a inst him The innocent sufl ered

'

bec ause of his righteo usness He was cast int o .

prison bec au se of his virtue Joseph was sold to .

his ene mies by his own brethren for a small su

,
m ,

of money The Son of God was sold to his hit

.

teres tenemies by on e of his own disciples Jesus .

was meek a n d holy H is wa s a life of unex ampled

.

self deni al
-
goodness an d holiness He was not
, ,
.

uilty f wrong yet f l e witne sses w er e

g o an
y ; a s
hi red to test ify ag a in st h im He was h a ted b e
.

u
ca s e h e h ad been a af ithful reprover of S i n a nd
 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO V ERSY .

corruption Jo seph s brethren stripp ed h imO f his

.
’

co a t of man y colors The executioners of J esus .

c ast lots for his seamless co at .

Jo seph s brethren purpo sed to kil l him but

’

were fin ally content to sell him as a sl a ve to pre ,

vent his bec o ming gre ater th an themselv es They .

tho ught they h ad pla ced him where they would be

n o more troubled with his dre ams an d where ,

there would n ot be a po ssibility of their fulfill

ment But the very course which they pursu ed
.
,

God overruled to bring about th a t which th e y de

signed never S hould t a ke pl a c e —th a t h e sho u ld
h ave do minion over them .

The chief priests an d elders were j e a lous of

Christ tha t he would dr aw the a ttentio n of the
,

people aw ay fro m themselves to him Th e y knew ,

.

that he was doing gre ater work s th an they ever

h a d done or ever co uld perform; an d they knew
,

th at if he was sufl ered to continue his tea chi n gs

'

he would become higher in authority th an they ,

an d m ight beco me king of the Jews They .

a greed together to prevent thi s by priv a tely t ak

ing him an d hiring witnesses to testify falsely

,

a g a i n st hi m th a t they might conde mn h im an d

, ,

p u t h i m to de a th They wo uld not a.ccept h im as

their ki n g but cried out Crucify him' crucify
, ,
him' The Jews tho ught th at by t aki n g the life
o f Chri st they co u , ld prevent his becoming king .

But by murdering the Son of G od they wer e ,

brin ging abo ut the very thing they sought to pre

vent Joseph by being sold by his bre thren in to
.
,

Egypt bec ame a savio ur to his fa ther s famil ’

Yet thi s fa ct did not lessen the guilt of his bre th

,

ren The crucifixion of Chri st by his en e mies

.
,
made him the R edeemer of ma nkind the S a viour ,
of the fallen r a ce an d ruler over the who l e worl d
,
.
1 60 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO V ERS Y .

had never sold their c a ttle their l ands a n d them

, ,

selves to Ph a r a oh for food a s many of the Egyp

, ,

ti a ns ha d done They h a d been gr a nted a portion

.

o f l a nd wherein to dwell with their flock s a n d cat

,

tle on a ccount of th e servic e Jo seph h a d b een to

,
‘

the ki n gdo m Ph ar a oh a pprecia t ed his wisdom

.

in the ma n agement of all things con n ected with

the kingdo m e speci ally in the prep a ra tion s for
,

the long ye ars of famine which c ame upon the

l a nd of Egypt He felt th at the whole k i n gdom
.

was i n debted for their pro sperity to the wise man

a e me n to f Jo seph ; a n d as a token of h is r ti
g , g a

t ude he said to Jo seph The l and of Egypt is

, ,

before thee ; in the best of the l and ma ke thy

fa ther a n d brethren to dwell ; in the l a n d of
Go shen let them dwell ; an d if thou knowest any
men of a ctivity a mong them then ma ke them rul ,

e rs over m
”
c a ttle A n d Jo seph pl a ced his
'
y .

father a n d his brethren a n d gave them a po sses

,

sion in the l a nd of Egypt in the be st of the l a nd

, ,

in the la nd of R ameses as Phar a oh h ad c om ,

man ded And Jo seph nourished his fa ther an d
.
,

h is brethren an d all h is fa ther s hou sehold with

’

, ,

brea d a ccording to their families .

NO ta x was required of Jo seph s fa ther an d ’

brethren by the king of Egypt a n d J o seph was ,

allowed the privilege of supplyin

g them liber a lly

with food The king said to his rulers A r e we

.
,

not in debted to the God of Jo seph an d to h im , ,

for thi s liber al supply o f food ? W a s it n ot be
c ause of his wisdom tha t we l a id in so abunda ntly ?
W hile other l and s are peri shing we h a ve en ou gh ' ,

H is man agement h as gre a tly enriched th e kin g

dom .

'
And Jo seph died a n d a ll his brethren an d
, ,

all th a t gener a tion And the children of Isra el

.
 J O S EP H AND H i s B RE H RENT . 1 61

were fruitful , an d incre ased abun d antly, an d mu l

tipli e d, a n d w a xed e xce edi n mighty ; an d the
land was filled with them ow there ro se up a .

ne w kin g over E gypt , which kne w n ot Jo seph .

A n d he sa id unto his people, Behold , the people

of t h e chil dr en of Isr a el are more an d mightier
than we Co me on, let us deal wisely with them,
.

lestth e y mul tiply, an d it come to p ass, th a t, when

there falleth outa ny war they j oin a l so unto our ,

enemies an d fight aga in st us an d so ge tthem up

, ,
”
ou tof the l and .

Thi s new king of Egypt l e arne d tha t the chil

dren of Israe l were Of gre a t service to the king
dom .Ma ny of themwere able an d understa ndin g
workmen an d he was not willing to lose their la
,

bo r This new king r anked the children of Isr a el

.

with tha tclass of sl a ves who had sold their flock s ,

their herds, their la nds an d themselv es to the , ,

kin gdom Therefore they did se t over the m

.

taskmaste rs to afflict them with their b urden s

, .

And they built for Ph araoh tre asure cities Pitho m -

, ,

an d Raa m ses But the more they afllicte d them

.
,

the more they multipli ed an d grew And they .

wer e ieved bec ause of the children of Isr a el .

And t e Egyptians made the chi ldren of Isr ael to

serve with rigor And they ma de their live s bit
.

ter with h ard bond age in mort ar an d in brick , , ,

an d in a ll man ner of service in the field ; a ll

their service wh erein they made them serve wa s

with rigor ”
They compelled their wo men to
.

work in the fields as though they were Sl a ve s

,
.

Ye ttheir numbers did n otdecrease A s the ki n g .

an d his ru l er s saw th a t they continu ally i n cre a sed ,

they con sulted together to co mpel them to a e c o m

plish a cert a in a mount every day They thought .

G reatCo t
ro n v y
ers .
11
1 62 T H E G RE AT CON TROVERsr .

to s ubdue them with h ard l abor an d w er e an gry ,

bec ause they could n ot d ecre ase th e ir n umbers ,

an d cru sh ou ttheir independen t S pirit .

And bec ause they failed to ac complish their

p urpo se they h a rdened their he arts to go still fur
,

ther The king commanded that th e ma le chil

.

dren should be killed as soon as th ey were born .

S a t an was the mover in these ma tters H e kn ew .

th at a deliverer was to be r ai sed up amon g the

Hebrews to r escue them from oppression H e .

thought th at if he could move the king to d estroy

the male children the p urpose of God wo uld be
,

defea ted The women fe ared God an d did n otdo

.
,

as the king of Egypt co mma nded them but sa ved ,

the male children alive The women d a re d n ot.

murder the Hebrew children ; an d bec a u se they

obeyed n ot the co mmand of the kin g th e Lord ,

pro spered them A S the ki n g of Egypt was in

.

formed th a t his comma nd h a d not been ob ey e d he ,

wa s very angry He then ma de his co mmand

.

more urgent an d exten sive He ch a rged a ll hi s .

people to ke ep a strict w a tch saying Every son , ,

th a t is bor n ye sh all c a st into the river a n d e ve ry ,

d aughter ye S h a ll sa ve alive ”
.

C HA P TE R XV .

M O S ES .

WH EN th is c ruel decree wa s in full force M oses ,

was born H is mother hid him a s long a s she
.

co uld with an y safety an d then prep ared a little

,

ve ssel of bulru shes making it secur e with pitch

, ,
1 64 THE G RE AT CON TB OVEBBY .

more pa rticular in his instruction than in thatof

her other children ; for she felt confi den t th a t he
was preserved for some grea twork By .

fu l tea c hin She instilled into his young min d t he

fear of G an d love for truthfuln ess an d j u sti ce .

She did n ot r est here in her eflorts butea rn estly

’

prayed to G od for her son that he might be pre

served fromevery c orru ptin in fluen ce S h e t
a ug ht .

himto bow an d p ray to Go t he li vin g God for he ,

a lone c oul d hea r him a n d help him in an y emer

e n cy She sought t o imm ess his mind wi t h th e

g .

S infu lness of idola try She knew that he was to be

.

soon sep ar ate d fro m her infl uence, an d given u p to

his a dopted royal mother t o be surroun de d with
,

i n fl uences calculated to ma k e him disbelieve in th e

e xistence of the M aker of the heavens an d of the
e a rth .

The in structions he receive d from his pare nts

were such as to fortify hi s mind an d shield him ,

fro m being lifted up an d corrupted with sin and ,

becoming proud amid the splen dor an d extra va

ance of court li fe H e h a d a cl ear mind a n d an
g .
,

understan ding hea rt an d never lo st the pious im

,

ressions he received in his youth H is mother

p
.

ept him as long as she could but was oblig e d to

,
sep a r a te fro m him when he was about twelve ye a rs
old an d he th en bec a me the son of Phara oh s
’
,

daii hter
g
.

By moving Ph a raoh
l ere S at a n was defea t e d .

to destroy the male children, he thought to turn

aside the purpo ses of God an d destroy th e one
,

who m God wo u ld r aise up to d eliver his p eop l e .

B ut th at very decree a ppointin g the Hebrew chil

,

dren to death was the me a ns God overrul e d to

,

pla ce Moses in the royal family where he ha d ad ,

vantag es to become a learne d man an d emin en tly ,
 MO SES .
1 65

qu alified to l ea d his people from E gypt Pharaoh .

exp ec ted to ex alt his a dopted grandson to the

th rone He educ ated him to stand atthe hea d of
.

the a rmi es of Egypt an d lea d them to b attle, .

Moses was a great favorite with Ph ar aoh s host ’

an d was honored bec au se he conducted w arfa re

with superior skill an d wisdom And Mo ses .

was lea rned in all the wi sdom of the Egypti a n s ,

an d was m ighty in words a n d in deeds The .

Egyptians rega rded Moses as a remark able char

a ct er .

A n gel s in structed Mo ses that God ha d cho sen

him to deliver the children of Isr a el The rulers .

among the children of Isr a el were a lso t a ught by

a n els th a t the time for their deliver a nce was ni h

g ,
an th a t Moses was the man whom God would use
to a cco mplish thi s work Mo ses thought tha t the.

children of Isra el would be delivered by warfare ,

an d th a t he would sta nd atthe he a d of the Hebrew

host to conduct the warfare a gain st the Egyp

,

ti an a rmies an d deliver hi s brethren from the

,

yoke of oppression H aving this in view Mo ses

.
,

u a rded his afiect on s th a t they mi ght not be

'

g i ,

str on gly pl a ced upon h is a dopted mother or upon ,

Ph ar aoh lest it should be more difficult for him to

,

r ema in free to do the will of God .

The splendor an d pride displayed atthe Egyp

ti a n court an d the fl attery he rec eived could n ot
, ,

make him forget hi s d espised brethren in Sl avery .

He would n ot be induc ed even with the promi se ,

of wea rin the crown of Egypt to identify himself

with the E
,

gypti ans an d engage with them in their

,

idola trou s worship He would n otforsake h is Op

.

’
pressed brethren who he knew were God s cho
,

sen people The king was interested in Moses

.
,

a n d he com manded th at he sho uld be instructe d in

1 66 TH E G RE AT CON RT O VERS Y .

the worship of the Egyptians This work was .

committed to the pri ests who offici ated in the ,

idolatrous feasts ob served by the people in honor

of their idol gods B ut they c o uld n ot by any
.
,

threa ts or promises of rewards preva il upo n M oses ,

to en ga we with them in their hea thenish c e remo

nies . e wa s threa ten e d with the loss Of the
crown an d tha t he should be diso wned by Pha
,

raoh s d a ughter u nless he renounced his H ebrew

’

fa ith B ut he would n otrenoun c e his fai th

. He .

wa s firm to ren der ho mage to no obj ect sa v e God ,

the mak er of the he aven s an d of the ea rth to '

whom a l one reverence an d honor are due He .

even re asoned with the pri ests a n d ido la trou s wor

sh ipe rs upon their superstitious ceremonia l wor ship

of sen sele ss obj ect s They co uld not a nsw er him
. .

H is fi rmness in this respe c t was t olera ted bec a u se ,

he was the ki n g s a dopted gra ndson an d was a

’

un iversal favorite with the mo st influe ntial in the

k ingdom .

The Lord preserved Moses from b eing inj ured

by the corrupting influences around him T he .

principles of truth rec eived in his youth from

,

God fe arin p ar ents were never forgotte n by him

A n d when T
.
,
i e mo st needed t o be S hielded fro m the
corrupti n g i n fluences a tten ding a life a t c ourt ,

then the lesson s of his youth bore frui t Th e fea r .

of God was before him And so stron g wa s his

.

love for his brethren an d so great was his r espec t

,

for the Hebrew faith th at he would n ot co nceal ,

his p ar ent age for the honor of being an h eir of
the royal fami ly .

When Mo ses wa s forty ye ars old he wen tout ,

'

unto hi s brethren an d looked on their b urden s ;

,

an d he spied a n Eg pti a n smi t i ng Hebre w e

y a on ,

of his brethr en An d he lo oked this way an d

.
1 68 THE G RE AT CON R T O VERS Y .

liver the hildren of Isra el by wa rfare as M oses

c ,

tho ught ; but by his own mighty power th at the ,

glory might be a scribed to him alone .

God overruled the a c tof Moses in sl y ing the

Egyptia n to bri n g about h is purp ose ae had in .

his providence bro ught Mo se s into the roy a l fam

ily of Egypt where he had received a thorough
,

educ a tion a n d yet he was n otprep a re d for Go d

to intru st to him the gre a t work he h a d ra ised

h im up to a cco mplish Mo ses could n ot immedi
.

a tely le a ve the ki n g s court a n d the indul g en c es

’

gra n ted h im a s the king s ran dson to pe rform ’

the special work of God H

,

e mu st h a v e time t
. o
Obt ain an experience an d be educa t e d in the
,

school of a dver sity an d poverty H is father in .

-

law fe a red G od an d was e speci ally ho n ored of

,

a ll the people around him for his far seei n g judg -

men t H is influence with Mo ses was gre a t

. .

W hile Mo ses wa s li ving in retirement th e Lord ,

sent his a ngel s to e speci a lly in struct h im in re

a rd t o the f uture H ere he le a rned mor e fully
g .

the great lesson of self control an d humility -

.

H e kept the flocks of Jethro ; an d while h e was

performin g his humble duties as a shepherd God ,

wa s prep a ri n g h im to become a spiritu a l sh e pherd

of hi s sheep even of h is p eople Isr a el
, He had .

been fully qu alified as a general to sta nd a tthe ,

he a d of a rmies ; an d n ow the Lord wo uld have

him le a rn the duties an d perform the ofli c es of a
, ,

faithful Shepherd of his people to tenderly car e ,

for his erring str ayin g sheep
, A s Mo se s le d th e .

flock to the desert an d c ame to the mount ain of

,

God even to Horeb

,
the an gel of the Lord ap
,
'

p e a re d u nto him in a fl ame of fire ou t of th e ,

midst of a bush And he l ooked an d b e hol d

.
, ,

the bush b ur ne d with fire, an d the bush was n ot

 MO SES . 1 69

o ume d And M o ses said I will now turn

c ns .
,

a sid e an d se e thi s gre a t sight why the bu sh is

, ,

not burned And when the Lord sa w th a t he

.

turn ed a side to se e God ca lled unto hi m outof ,

the mi dst of the bush an d said Mo se s Moses , , , .

A n d h e sa id H ere am I , And he said Dr aw .

,

not n igh hi ther P utofi thy shoes fro m OR thy

'

fee t fo r the pl a ce whereo n thou standest is holy

,

rou n d Moreover he sa id I am t h e G o d of thy

g .
,

fa ther the God of Abr ah am the God of Isa ac

, , ,

an d t h e God of Ja cob And Moses hi d his fa ce ; .

for h e was afra id to look upon God And the .

Lord said I h ave surely seen the afllic tion of my

,

people which are in Egypt an d have he a rd their ,

b re aso n of their t ask masters ; for I kno w

cr
y y
-

the ir sorrows ; an d I am come down to deliver

them out of the h and of the Egyptian s an d to ,

brin g them up outof th at l and unto a good la nd

an d a l a rge unto a l a nd flowing with milk an d
,

honey ; unto the pla ce of the C a n a anite s an d ,

the Hittites an d the Amorites an d the Per iz

, ,

e s a n d the Hivite s an d the J ebu

ai t ,
sit es
,
Now .

th e refore behold the cry of the children of I s

, ,

rael is come unto me ; an d I h a ve al so seen the

oppression wherewith the E gypti an s oppress
them Come n ow therefore an d I will send
.
, ,

thee un to Ph a r aoh th at thou may est brin g forth

,

my pe Ople the children of Isr a el out of Egypt

, ,
.

Tbe time had fully co me when God would h ave

Moses exch a nge the shepherd s st aff for the rod
’

of G od which he wo u
,
ld make powerful in a e com
li h i ign n d wonder s in delivering h is peo
p s n
g S s a ,

ple fro m oppression an d in preserving t h em when ,

p ursue d by their enemies And Mo ses said .

'

un to G od Who am ,
I th a t I S hould go u n to
,
P h a
.

ra o h an d
,
th I
at s hould brin g forth th e ch i ldre n
1 70 TH E G REAT C N R O T O V ERS Y .

of I sr a el outof Egypt A n d he sa id Certa inly ,

I will be with thee ; an d this S h all be a tok en unto

thee th at I h ave sent thee : W hen tho u hast
,

brought forth the people outof E gypt ye S hall ,

serve God u pon this mo unt ain And Mo ses said .

unto God Behold when I co me unto the childr en

, ,

of Isr a el a n d sh all sa y unto them The G o d of

, ,

your fathers h ath sent me unto you an d they ,

sh a ll say t o me Wh a t is his n ame ?

,
wh a t sh all I
say unto them And God said unto Mo ses I A M ,

T H AT I AM And he said Thus shalt thou say

.
,

u n to the children of Isr a el I A M ha th se n t me ,

unto you And God said moreover unto M oses

.
,
Thus sh alt thou say unto the children of Isra el ,
The Lord God of your fa thers the Go d of Abra ,
ham the God of Isaa c an d the God of Ja cob
, , ,
h ath sent me unto you T his is my n a me for .

ever an d thi s is my memori al unto all g en era

,
”
tion s .

Moses did n otexpect th a t this wa s the man n er

in which the Lord wo uld use him to del iver Is
r a el from Egypt He thought that it w o uld be.

by w a rfare And when the Lord made kn own to

.

h im th a t he must st and before Ph ar a o h an d in ,

h is n ame dema nd him to let Isra el go h e shrank ,

fro m the t ask .

The Ph a raoh before whom he was to appear ,

was not the one who h ad decreed th a t h e S houl d

be put to de a th Th a t king was de a d an d an
.
,

other had ta ken the rein s of government Nea rly .

a ll the Egypti a n kin s were c a lled by t h e n am e

g
of Ph ar a oh Mo ses would h ave preferr ed to
.

st a nd at the he ad of the children O f I sr a el as

their general an d ma ke war with the E gy pti ans

,
.

B utthi s was not God s pl an H e would be mag’

.

n ifie d be fore his people an d tea ch n o to n l

y th em,,
1 72 T H E G RE AT O T OV ERSY
C N R .

woman Shal l bo rrow of her neighbor an d of her ,

th a t sojourneth in her house jewels of silver and , ,

j e wels Of gold an d r aiment ; an d ye sh all put

,

them upon your son s an d upon your d aughters,

,

a n d ye sh a ll spo il the Egypti a n s .

The Egypti an s had made sl aves of th e ch ildren

of I sr a el when they were n ot sl a ve s an d the
, ,

Egypti an s were not entitled to their la bor They .

h a d only allowed the children of Isr a el a suste

n a nce a n d h a d enriched themselves with t
,
h e l abor
whic h they h a d extorted from them T h e y had .

oppre ssed them an d bound them down under

,

hea vy burden s until God inte rpo sed in th eir be

,

h alf And a s they were to go from their o ppress

.

ors they wo u
,
ld nee d for their long j ourn e y that
which they could exch ange for bread a n d use as ,

their circumst ances Should require Th erefore, .

God di rected them to bo rrow of their n e ighbors ,

a n d of the str a nger th a t sojourned with t hem;

th at is the Egypti a n th at ha d been a ppo inted
,

over them to se e th a t they performed a c ertain

a moun tof l abor e a ch day Although th ey might
.

borrow quite an amount itwould be but a small ,

recompen se for the h ard l abor they ha d p e rformed,

whic h h a d en ri c hed the E yptian s
Mo se s ple ad with the Tord an d sa id
.

But i
, ,
'

behold they will n otbelieve me n or hea rk e n unto

, ,

my voice ; for they will say The Lord h a th not ,

a ppe ared unto thee
”
The Lord then a ssured
.

him by the mir a cle of the rod s bec omin a ser

’

pent a n d the ban d s turnin g lepro us tha t y such

,
’

sign s an d wonderful work s would b e c a u se t he

Egypti an s an d Phara oh to fear so th a t th ey would ,

n o td a re to h ar m him By these Si s b e assured

M o se s th a t he wo uld convince the Tin g an d his
.

people tha t a gre a ter than hi mself was ma ni fest

 MO SES . 1 73

ing his power b e fore them And yet, after they .

S ho uld perfo rm ma ny mir a cles before Ph a r a oh in

the Si ht of the people, they woul d n ot let Isra el
o ses wi shed t o be excused fro m the l abo
go .

rious task H e plea d a l a ck of rea dy speech as

.

an exc u se ; th a t is he ha d been SO long from the

,

Egypti a ns th athe ha d n otas cle ar knowledge an d

,

rea dy use of their l angu a ge as when he was amon g

them .

T he Lord reproved Mo ses for his fe arfulness ,

as tho ugh the God who cho se him to perform hi s
grea t work was un able to qu alify him for it or as ,

though God had ma de a mista ke in his selectio n

of t h e man : And the Lord said unto him W ho ,

hath ma de man s mo uth ? or who maketh the

’

du mb or d eaf or the seeing or the blind ? H a ve

, , ,

not I th e Lord ?
,
Wha t an appeal ' What a
rebuk e to the di stru stful '
N ow therefore go an d I wi l l be with thy
'
, , ,

mouth an d tea ch thee wh a t thou sh a lt sa y And

,
.

he sa id O my Lord send I pr a y thee by the

, , , ,

han d of himwho mthou wilt send

”
He en tre a ted .

the Lor d to select a more proper person The .

bac k wa r dness Of Moses at first proceeded fro m

hu mility a modest difliden c e But after Go d
,
.

pro m i se d to re m ove h is d ifli c ultie s a n d be with ,

his mouth an d te ach himwh at to say an d to give

, ,

him succ ess fin ally in his mi ssion then for him to

, ,

still ma ni fest reluct a nce was disp l e asin t God

g o .

His un willingness to execute the mi ssion God ha d

preserved his life to fill an d had qu alified him to ,

perform after the assurance th at God would be

,

with him showed unbelief an d crimin al despond

,

ency a n d distrust of God himself The Lord re

,
.

bu ked h im fo r thi s di stru st The deliver a n ce of.

Israe l outof Egypt in the man ner God propo sed ,

1 74 T H E G RE AT O
C N TR OVERS Y .

to do the work looked hopeless to hi m of th e mis

,

sion s ever being successful

’
.

Mo ses excelled in wisdom in conducti n g affairs .

A aron Mo ses elder brother h ad been in d aily

,
’

use of the l angua ge of the E gyptia n s a n d und er ,

stood it per fectly He was eloquent . .

And the anger of the Lord was kin dled

a g a in st Mo se s ; an d he sa id I s n otA aro n t h e Lo ,

vite thy brother I know th at he can spea k well .

And also behold he co meth forth to mee t th ee ;

, ,

a n d when h e seeth thee he will be glad in his ,

he art And tho u sh alt speak unto hi m an d put

.
,

words in his mouth : an d I will be with thy mouth ,

a n d with his mouth an d will te a ch youwh at e , y

sh a ll do And he sh all be thy spokesma n unto
.

the people : an d he sh all be even he Sh a l l be to ,

thee in ste a d of a mouth an d thou sh al tb e to him ,

instea d of God And thou sh alt t ak e thi s rod in

.

”
thine h a nd wherewith thou sh alt do S igns
, .

Mo ses con sented to perform the mi ssion He .

first vi sited his father in law an d obta ine d h is con

- -

sent for hi mself an d his fa mily t o retu rn into

Egypt He did not da re to tell Jethro h is mes
.

sage to Ph ar a oh le st he Should be unwil ling t

,
o
let his wife an d children a ccomp any him on such
a d an erou s mission The Lord tr n th ene d
g s e g .

him an d removed his fear s by sayin g to him

, ,

R eturn into Egypt ; for all the men are de ad

”
which sought thy life .

'
And the Lord said unto M o ses Wh en thou ,

g oe s t to return into Egypt see th a t th o u d o all ,

tho se wonders before Ph a ra oh which I h ave put ,

in thine h and ; but I will h arden his he a rt that ,

”
he sh all not let the people go Tha t is th e dis .
,

pl ay of almi ghty po wer before Ph a r aoh bein g re ,

j ec te d by h im would ma ke ,
him h a rder a n d m or e
1 76 THE AT
G RE O T OV ERSY
C N R .

an d threatened his life He di d n ot e x p l a in to

.

Mo ses why he assumed th at threaten n aspect .

Mo ses knew th at there wa s a c ause H e wa s go .

ing to Egypt a ccording to God s express c omma nd

’

,
therefore the journey was right He at on c e re .

membered th at he h ad n otobeyed Go d in perform

ing the ordi n a nce of circu mcision upon h is young
est son an d h a d yield e d to his wife s e ntre a ties
’

to po stpone the ceremony After he h a d obeyed .

the co mmand of God he was free to go before ,

Pha ra oh a n d there was nothing in the way to

,

hi n der the mini str ation of angels in connection

with his work .

In the time of trouble just previous to the com ,

in g of Christ the live s of the righteou s will be

,

preserved through the mini stra tion of holy an gel s .

Tho se who co me up to th a t tryin g ti me neglecting

to obey God s co mmands will h a ve no security of
’

their live s Angels ca nn ot protect the m from the

.

wr ath of their enemie s while they are li ving in

n eglect of a n
y kno w n duty or expre ss co m m a nd ,

of Jehov ah .

The Lord h ad informed Mo ses th at A a r on his ,

brother three years older th a n himsel f would ,

c o me forth to meet hi m an d when he sho u l d see

,

him wo u
, ld be gl a d They ha d been sep ar a te d
.

for ma ny ye a rs Angels of God ha d instructed

.

Moses in reg ard to the work he Shoul d perform .

Angels were a lso sent to te a ch A aron to go forth

a n d meet Mo ses for the Lord ha d cho sen hi m t o
,

be with Mo ses ; an d when he Should me et his

brother to li sten to his words ; for God h ad given
,

M o ses words to spe ak to him in reg ard to the p a rt

he should a ctin connection with the deli ver ance
of Isr a e l .And the Lord said to A a ron G o in to ,

the wilderness to meet Moses And he went an d .

,
 MO S ES .
1 77

met him in the mount of God an d ki ssed him , .

And M o ses told A aron all the words of the Lord

who h a d sent him a n d all the Sign s which he h a d
,

co m ma nded him And M o ses an d A aron went

.

an d g a thered together all the elder s of the chil

dren of Isr ae l And A aron sp ake all the word s

.

which the Lord h a d spoken unto Mo ses a n d did ,

the sign s in the sight of the people And the .

peopl e believed And when they he ard th at the

.

Lord ha d visited the children of Isra el an d th a t ,

he ha d looked u pon their afllic tion then they ,

”
bo w ed their hea ds a n d worshiped .

The Hebrews expected to be delivered from

their bond age without an y p artic ul a r tri al of
their fa ith or suffering on their p art They were
,
.

ma ny of them rea dy to le a ve Egypt but n ot a ll , .

T h e h a bits o f so me ha d beco me so much like the

Egyptians tha t they preferred to remain with
th em . And afterward Mo ses an d A aron went
'

in an d told Ph araoh Thu s saith the Lord God of

, ,

Israe l Let my people go th a t they may hold a

, ,

fe ast unto me in the wilderness A n d Ph ar a oh .

sa id ,
W h o is the Lord th a t I sho uld obey his ,

voic e to let Israel go ? I know not the Lord nei ,

ther will I let Isr a el go And they sa id The .

,

God of the Hebre ws h ath metwith us : let us go ,

we pr a y thee three d ays journey into the desert

,
’

an d sa crifice unto the Lord ou r God ; le st he fal l

upon us with pestilence or with the sword ,

The .

reque st Of Mo ses an d A aron wa s very mode st .

T hey ask e d to go only three days journey B ut ’

.

Phar a oh h aughtily refused this an d pro fe ssed to ,

be e ntir ely ignor ant of the God of Isr a el B ut .

the Lord purpo sed t o let Ph ar a oh k n o w th a t h is

voice is to be obeyed ; th a t he i a bove all an d s ,

G reatCont
roversv .
12
1 78 T H E G REA T CoN T ROVERsr .

will compel proud rulers to bow to his authority .

And the ki n g of Egypt said unto them Where ,

fore do ye Mo se s a n d A aron let the people from

, ,

their works ? Get you unto your b urden s And .

Pha ra oh sa id Behold the p e ople of the l a nd n ow

, ,

a re man y a n d ye make the m rest fro m their bur

,

den s And Ph ar aoh co mmanded the same day

.

the t a sk masters of the p eople an d their o ffi ce rs , ,

S a yin g Ye S h all no more give the people st

,
r aw
to make brick as heretofore ; let them go a n d
,

g ather straw for themselves And the t ale of the .

bricks whi ch they did ma ke here tofore ye sh all

, ,

lay upon them; ye sh a ll not di mini sh a ught

thereof ; for they be idle ; therefore they cry,
sayi n g Le tu
, s go a n d sa crifice to o u r God .

Ph ara oh s he ar twas beco ming more unfeel ing

’

towa rd the children of Isra el He gre a tly in .

cre ased their l abor The ta skmasters pla ced over

.

the Hebrews were Egypti an s They h a d oflic ers .

under them wh o ha d the oversight of the work ,

a n d directed the p eople These o ffic ers were He .

brews an d they were respon sible for the w ork of

,

the people under them And when the unj ust re .

u ireme n twa s given them to ma ke the m g a ther

q ,

for their brick the sc attered str aw an d stubble

found in the fields the people could n ot perform
,

their u su al amount of l abor SO the people .

were sc a ttered abro a d throughout all the l a nd of

Egypt to g ather stubble in ste ad of stra w And
, .

the t askmasters h asted th em saying F ulfill your , ,

work s your da ily ta sks as when there was straw

, ,
.

And the oflic ers of the children of Isra el which ,

Ph araoh s t askmasters h a d set over them were

’

be aten an d dema nded W herefore h a ve ye n otful

, ,

filled your task in making brick both yesterday

an d t o day, as h eretofor e ?
-
1 80 T H E G RE AT CoN T ROVER sr .

Ph ar a oh to spe ak in thy n ame he h ath d on e evil ,

to this people ; nei ther h ast thou delivered thy

”
p eople a tall .

A s the children of Isr a el ch a rged all their su f

fe rin g upon M o ses he w as gre atly di stressed a n d
, ,

felt a l most like murmuring bec a use the Lord de

l ayed to deliver his people They were n ot yet .

pr e p ared to be deli vered They ha d but little .

fa ith an d were unwillin g to p atiently sufl e r an d

'

perseveri n gly endure their affliction s until G od ,

sho u ld work for them a lorious delivera nce

Then the Lord saitI u n to Mo ses Now sh al t
.

'
,

tho u see wh at I will do to Ph ar a oh ; for with a

stro n g h an d sh a ll he let the m go a n d with a ,

stro n g h a nd sh a l l he drive them out of h is l a nd .

And God sp ake unto Mo ses an d sa id unto hi m, ,

I a m the Lord ; an d I a ppe ared unto Abra h a m ,

unto Isaa c a n d unto Ja cob by the n ame of G od

, ,

Almighty ; but by my n ame Jehova h wa s I n ot

kno wn to them And I h ave also est ablished my
.

coven ant with them to give them the l a nd of ,

C a n aan the l and of their pilgrimage wherein

, ,

they were str angers And I h ave al so he a rd the

.

gro a n i n g of the c h ildren of Isr a el whom th e ,

Egypti a n s keep in bondage ; an d I h a v e re mem

bered my coven a n t .

M any ye ars ha d the children of Isra el been in

servit u de to the Egypti a n s O nly a few families .

wen t down into Egypt but they ha d beco me a ,

l a rge multitude And bein g surrounded with

.

ido latry man y of them ha d lo st the knowledge

,

of the true God an d ha d forgotten his la w And

,
.

they united with the Egypti an s in their worship

of t h e sun moon a n d st ar s al so of be a st s an d
, , ,

i mages the work of men s h ands Everything

,
’
.

a ro u nd the children of Isra el was c al cul ated to

 M O S ES . 1 81

make them forget the l ivin g God Yet there were .

those a mo n g the Hebre ws who preserved the

k n o wle dge of the true God the ma ker of the ,

hea ve n s a n d of the e a rth They were grieved to

.

see their children d a ily witnessin g a n d even en ,

ga gi n g in the abomin a tion s of the i dol atrou s

,

peo ple a round them an d bowin g down to Egyp

,

ti a n deities ma de of wood an d sto n e an d ofier

, ,
'

ing sa crifice to these senseless Obj ects The faith .

fu l were rieved an d in their di stre ss they cried

u n to the L
,

ord for deli vera nce fro m the Egypti an

yoke ; th a t he would bring them out of Egypt ,
where they might be rid of idol atry an d the cor ,

ru tin i n fluence s which surrounded them

p g .

But many of the Hebrews were content to re

ma in in bo n d age rather th a n to go to a new c o un
try an d mee t with the difficulties attendin g such a
j o urney Therefore the Lord did not de liver
.

the m by t h e fir st di spl ay of his sign s a n d wo n der s

be fore Ph ar a oh .He overruled e ven ts to more
fully develop the tyrannic a l sp irit of Pha r a oh ,

and t h a t he might mani fest h is grea t p o wer to the

Egypti a n s an d al so before his people to make
,

them a nxiou s to lea ve Egypt an d choo se the ,

servic e of God . T h e t a sk of Mo se s would h a ve

been much e asier ha d n ot many of the Hebrews
beco me corrupted an d been unwilli n g to l eave
,

Egypt .
1 82 T H E G REA T CON TROVERS T .

C H AP TE R XV I .

THE P LA G U ES ON EGY PT .

TH E Lord said unto Mo ses Wh erefore say , ,

u n to the chil dren of Isra el I am the Lord an d I , ,

will br in g youou tfrom u nder the b urden s of the

Egypti an s an d I will rid yououtof their bond age
, ,

a n d I will redeem you with a stretched ou t arm -

a n d with gre a t j u dgments And I will t ak e you .

t o me for a people a n d I will be t ,

o
y ou a God ;

a n d ye sh all know th a t I am the Lord yo u r God ,

which bringeth you ou tfrom under the burdens of

the Egyptia n s And I will bring youin unto the
.

l a nd concer n ing the which I di d swear to give it

,

to Abrah am to Isaa c an d to Ja cob ; an d I will

, ,

give it to you for an herita ge ; I am the Lord .

And Moses sp ake so unto the children of Isra el ;

butthey he arkened not unto Mo ses for a nguish of
S pirit an d for
,
cru el bond age And the Lord .

sp ake unto M o ses sayin g Go in speak unto P ha

, , ,

r a oh kin g of Egypt th a t he let th e children of

,
”
Isra el go outof his l and .

Moses wa s somewh a t discouraged In his d e~ .

S pon den cy he inq u ired of the Lord I f the c hildr en ,

of Israel thi ne own circumcised people will n ot

, ,

he a rken unto me how then shall Ph ar a oh who is

, ,

uncircumci sed an d an idol a ter he ar me ? An d ,

the Lord said unto Moses See I h ave ma de thee a , ,

g o d to Ph a r a oh ; an d A aro n thy b rother sh all be

thy proph et Thou shal t speak all tha t I comma nd

.

thee ; an d A aron thy broth er S h all spe ak unto Pha

r a oh th at b e send the children of Isr a el outof his
,

l a nd And I will h arden Ph ara oh s he a rt an d mul

.
’

t iply my si gns an d my won d ers in t he l an d of Egypt .

1 84 T H E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

de rful manifest a tio n s, ma ny woul d h a ve b ee n satis

fie d to rema in in Egypt r a ther tha n to j ourney
through the wilderness .

A n d Mose s a n d A aron went in unto Ph ar aoh ,

an d t h ey did so a s the Lord h ad c omma nded

a n d A a ro n c a st do wn his rod before Ph a r a oh an d ,

before his servants a n d it bec ame a serpent ,

.

Then Ph ara oh also c alled the wise men an d the

sorcerer s N ow the ma gic i a ns of Egypt they also
.
,

did in like ma nner with their ench a ntments ; for

they c ast down every man his rod an d th e y be , .

c a me serpe n ts ; bu t A a ron s rod swa llow ed up

’

their rods And he h ardened Ph ara oh s hea rt

.
’

th at he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had ,

sa i d .

The magicia n s seemed to perform sever al th ings

with the ir en c h a n tments simil a r to tho se th ings
whi c h God wro u ght by the h and of Mose s an d
A a ron They did not really c ause their rods to
.

b e come serpents butby ma gic aided by the great

, ,

d ec eiver ma de them to appe ar like serpents to

, ,

co unterfeit the work of God S ata n assisted his .

S erv a nt s to re si st the work of the Mo st High ,

or der to deceive the people an d encour age them ,

in their rebellio n Phara oh wo uld gr asp a t the

.

lea st eviden ce he co uld Obtain to j ustify himself

in resi stin g the work of God performed by Mo ses
a n d A a ron He told these servants of Go d th a t
.

h is ma gici an s could do a ll these wonders The .

d ifference between the work of God a n d th at of ,

the ma gi c i an s was one was of God the oth er of

, ,

S atan O ne was true the other false

.
,
.

Ph ara oh dec lared th a t Mo ses a n d A a ron were

impo sters an d could a ccomplish no more th a n h is
,

magici an s S aid Mo ses an d A aron to Ph a ra oh

.
,

Th at Jehov ah whom thou preten destn otto kn ow ,

 T HE PLAG U ES ON EG YPT . 1 85

will convince thee th a t he is more powerfu l than

all god s They informed him that God wo uld yet
.

e rform gre a ter wonder s, which wo uld le ve him

p a

witho ut e xc use, an d which would be pe rpet u al

mo n ume n ts of his providence an d power in beh alf

of Isra el .

And the Lord said unto Mo ses Ph ar aoh s ,

’

hea rt is h a rdened he refuseth to let the people go

, .

Ge t th e e unto Ph a ra oh in the morn in g ; lo he ,

goe th out unto the wa ter ; an d thou S h alt stand

by the river s brink aga in st he co me ; an d the rod
’

whi c h was turned to a serpent sh alt tho u take in

thi ne h a nd And thou Sh alt say unto him The
.
,

Lord G od of the Hebrews hath se nt me unto thee ,

sa ying ,
Let my people go tha t they may serv e ,

me in the wilderness ; an d behold hitherto thou , ,

wo u ldest not hea r Th us sa ith the Lord In this

.
,

tho u sh alt know th a t I am the Lord : beho ld I ,

will smite with the rod th a t is in mine h and up on

the wa ters which are in the river an d they sh all ,

be turned to blood A n d th e fish th a t is in the

.

river sh a ll die a n d th e river sh all stin k ; an d th e

,

Egyptia ns Sh a ll lo a the to drink of the w at e r of the

”
ri ver
.

Ph ar a oh would n otlisten to Mo ses an d A aron ,

but despi sed their wor ds ; yet he h a d no power to

h a rm them A n d Mo se s an d A a ron di d so as
.
,

the Lord comma nded ; an d he lifted up the rod ,

an d smote the wa ter s th a t were in the river in ,

the S ight of Pha ra oh an d in the sight of his serv

,

a nts ; a n d a ll the w a ters th a t were in the river

”
were turned to blood For seven days the .

pl ague upon the waters con tinued Yet the ki n g .

humbled n ot himself but h a rdened his h e ar t ,

.

M ose s an d A aron were comma nded fir st befor e , ,

brin g in g the pl agues to faithfully rel ate to Pha

,
1 86 T H E GRE AT O T OVERSY
C N R .

r a oh the n ature of e a ch plague which was to c ome ,

a n d the ef fect of the pl a gue th at he might h a v e ,

the pri vilege of saving himself from it if he chose ,

by letti n g the children of Isr a el go to sa crifice

unto God B utif the king should re fuse to obey
.

the command of God then wo uld he still visit him

,

wi th j udgments .

And the Lord sp ake un to Mo se s Go unto ,

Ph ar aoh an d say unto him Thus sa ith the Lord

, , ,

Let my people go th a t they may serve me And

,
.

if tho urefuse to let them go behold I will smite , ,

a ll thy border s with frog s .

'
And A a ron stretched out hi s h and over the
w aters of Egypt an d the frogs c ame up a n d cc v ,

e red the l a nd of Egypt And the ma gici a n s did

.

so with their ench a nt ment s a n d brought u p frog s ,

upon the l and of Egypt Then Ph a r a oh c alled . .

for Mo ses an d A aron a n d sai d Entre a t the Lord

, , ,

th a t he may t ake away the frogs fro m me a nd ,

fro m my people ; an d I will let the people go th at ,

they may do sacrifice unto the Lord And Mo ses .

said unto Ph ar a oh Glory over me ,

Wh en sh all .

I entre at for thee an d for thy serv ants an d for

, ,

thy people to destroy the frogs from thee an d thy

,

ho uses a n d th a t they may rema in in the river

,

only ? And he sa id To morrow And he sa id ,

-
.
,

B e it a ccordin g to thy word ; th a t thou mayest

th a t there it none like unto the Lord our
g n0aw
Although the magici a n s appeared to produ ce
frogs like Mo se s an d A aron they could n ot re ,

move them When Ph a r a oh sa w th a t the ma i

.

e i aus could n ot st ay the pl a gue or remov e t e ,

frog s he was so me wh at humbled a n d would h a ve

, ,

Mo ses an d A aron entre at the Lord for him to re ,

move the pl ague of the fro gs He was beginnin g to .

1 88 T HE G RE AT O T O VERS Y
C N R .

he artwas h ardened an d he hearkene d n ot unto

,

them ; as the Lord ha d said .

The Lord a gain commanded Moses an d A aron

to say unto Ph a ra oh Let my people go that
,
'
,

they may serve me Else if thou wilt n o tlet my

.
,

p e ople go behold I will send swarms of flie s upon

, ,

thee a n d upon thy serva nts an d upon thy people

, , ,

a n d i n to thy ho use s ; an d the hou ses of the E

gyp
tia n s sh all be full of swarms of flies a n d a l so the ,

ground whereo n they are And I will sever in that .

da y the l a nd of Go shen in which my p eop le dwell

, ,

th a t no swa rms of flies sh all be there ; to th e end

tho u mayest know tha t I am the Lord in the
midst of the e arth And I will put a divi sion be
.

t ween my people an d thy people To morr o w S hall .

-

thi s S ign be And the Lord did so ; an d there

.

c ame a gr ievo us swarm of flies into the house of

Ph ar a oh a n d i n to his ser va nts houses a n d into
,
’

a ll the l a nd of Egypt ; the l a nd wa s corrupted

by rea son of the swa rm of flie s And Ph araoh .

c alled for Mo ses a n d for Aa ron an d sa id Go ye , , ,

sa crifice t o yo ur God in the l and And Mo ses .

sa id It is n otmeet so to do
,
for we sh a ll sa c rific e
the abo mi n ation of the Egypti a n s to the Lord our
God Lo sh a ll we sa crifi c e the abo min a tion of
.
,

the Egypti an s before their eyes a n d wil l they n ot ,

stone u s? We will go three d ays j ou rney into ’

the wilderne ss an d sa crifice to the Lord our G od

, ,
a s he sh a ll co mma nd u s .

The Egypti an s worshiped cert ain beasts an d ,

they reg arded it a n unp ardon able ofien se to h ave

on e of the se be a st s sl a in And if one of their oh.

j ects o f wor ship were sl a in even a ccidenta lly t

’
h e , ,

person s life alone could a n swer for the ofl en se

'

Mo ses shows Ph ar aoh the impo ssibili ty of their

sa crificing t o God in the l a nd of Egypt in the ,
 THE PLAG U ES ON EG YPT . 1 89

S ight of the Egypti ans ; for they might sel ect for
their Ofl e rin g some on e of the be asts which they
'

con sidered sa cre d .

M o ses aga i n proposed to go three d ays j ourney

into th e wilderness The king con sente d while
.
,

under the ch ast enin g h and of God And P ha .

'

raoh said I will let you go th at ye may sacrifice

, ,

to th e Lord your God in the wilderness ; only ye

sh all n o t go very fa r a w a y Entre a t for me
. .

And M o ses sa id Behold I go out from thee an d

, , ,

I wil l e ntre a t the Lord th a t the sw a rms of flies

may dep a rt from Pha raoh fro m his servant s an d
, ,

fro m h is people to morrow ; but l et not Pha r aoh

,
-

dea l deceitfully an more in n otletting the people

o t o s a crifice to t e Lord And Mo se s went ou t
g .

from Ph ara oh an d entre ated the Lord An d the .

Lord did accordi n g to the word of Mo se s ; an d he

remov ed the sw arms of flies from Pha raoh from ,

hi s ser van ts a n d fro m his peop l e there rema ined

,

n o ton e .An d Phara oh h ardened hi s he art a tthis

time a lso neither would he let the people go
,
.

And the Lord commanded Mo ses an d A a ron to

a a in before Ph a r a oh an d tell h im Thu s
g o g ,

saith t h e Lord God of the Hebrews Let my peo ,

ple go th at they may ser ve me

,
”
And if he .

S hould refu se t o l et them go an d sho u ld hold

,

themstill the plague Should be upon their c a ttle

,
.

And the Lor d sh all sever between the c attl e of

Israe l a n d the c attle of Egypt ; an d there Shall
,

nothi ng die of all th at is the children of Isr a el s ’

.

An d all the c a ttle died th at were visited with the

p la e ,
but n o t on e of the c a ttle o f the Hebre w s

die And Ph ara oh sent messen gers to in quire if

an
y o f t h e c a ttle of the I sr ae lite s were de ad The .

messe nger returned to the king with the word th a t

not on e of them h ad died neither were they af ,
1 90 THE G RE AT O T OV ERSY
C N R .

fl ic te d atall with the pl ague Yet h is he art was .

h a rdened, an d he refu sed to let Isra el go .

Then Mo ses an d A a ron a ccordin g to th e c om ,

ma nd of God took ashes of the furn a c e and

, ,

stood be fore Ph a ra oh ; a n d Mo ses spr inkled it u p

toward he a ven ; an d it b ec ame a boil bre a kin
forth with bl a in s upon man an d upon b e ast A nd ,
.

the ma ician s could n ot sta n d before M oses be

c au se 0 ? the boil ; for the boil was upon th e m
e i aus an d u
,
pon all the Egypti ans A n d t 0 .

Lord h a rdened the hea rt of Ph ara oh a n d he ,

he arkened n otunto them as the Lord h a d S pok en ,

”
unto Mo ses .

The magici a n s with all their magic a n d sup

,

po sed po wer could not by an y of their e nch an t

, ,

ments shield themselves from the grievous pl ague

,

of the boil s They could no longer st a nd before

.

Moses a n d A a ron bec au se of this grievou s afllie

,

tio n The Egypti an s were thus permitted to see

.

how u sele ss it would be for them to put their trust

in the bo asted po wer of the ma gici an s when they ,

could not sa ve even their own bo di es from the

pl ag ue s .

And the Lord said unto Mo se s R i se up e arly ,

in the morni n g a n d st a nd before Ph a r a oh an d

, ,

say unto him Th u s sa ith the Lord G od of t

, he
Hebrews Let my people go tha t they may S e rve
, ,
me For I will a t th is time send all my pl a gues
.

upon thine he a rt an d upon thy serv a nts an d

, ,
upon thy people ; th a t tho u maye st know that
there is none like me in all the e arth F or n ow .

I will stretch outmy h a nd th at I may smit e th ee ,

a n d thy people with pe stilence ; an d thou S h a l tbe

cu t off fro m the e arth And in very dee d for .

this c ause h ave I r a ised thee up for to S how in ,

thee my power ; an d th a t my n ame may b e de

1 92 T H E G RE AT Co N T RovERS Y .

a ll the l a nd of Egypt all th at was in the field ,

both ma n a n d be ast And the ba il smote every .

herb of the field an d br ake every tr ee o f the,

field O nly in the la nd of Go shen where the

.
,

c hildren of I sr a el were wa s there n o h a il And ,

.

Ph ar aoh se n t a n d ca lled for Mo se s a n d A aron

, ,

a n d sa id u nto them I ha ve sin n ed thi s time ; the

,

Lord is righteou s an d I a n d my people are ,

wicked Entre at the Lord (for it is enough) that

.

there be no more mighty t hunderin gs an d hail ,

a n d I will let you go a n d ye S h all st a y n o longer ,

.

And M o ses sa id u n to him A S soon a s I a m gone ,

ou t of the city I will spre a d abro a d my h a nds

,

unto the Lord ; an d the thunder sh all ce a se n ei ,

ther Sha ll there be a ny more h ai l ; th a t thou

ma yest k n ow h ow th at the ea rth is the Lord s ’
.

Bu t a s for thee an d thy serv a nts I kno w th a t ye ,

will n ot yet fe a r the Lord God And the fl ax .

an d the b a rley wa s smitten ; for the b a rley was in

the e ar an d the fl a x was bolled But the whe at

, .

a n d the rye were not smitten ; for they were n ot

”
gro wn up .

After the pl ague was st ayed the kin g refuse d ,

to let Isr a el go Rebellion produces rebellion

. .

The kin g h a d beco me so h ardened with hi s c on

tin ual oppo si t io n to the will of God th at his ,

whole bein g ro se in rebellion to the a wful exhi bi

tion s of his divine po wer .

Mo se s a n d Aa ron were commanded to a ga in go

in unto Ph ar a oh an d request him to let Isr a e l go
,
.

The Lord tells them tha t he ha s sn fiered the kin

to resi st them an d has borne with his c on tin uafi
,

rebellio n tha t he might Sho w his gre a t sign s an d

,

wonders before him a n d before the children of ,

Isr a el th at thou mayest tell in the e a rs of thy

,

a n d of thy son s son wh at things I h a ve ’

so n , ,
 T HE PLA G U ES ON EG YPT . 1 93

wro ught in Egypt an d my sign s which I h a ve ,

done a mong them th a t ye may know how th a t I ,

am the Lord .

H ere the Lord was ma nifesting his power to

confirm the faith of his people Isra el in h im as
bein g the only true a n d livi n g God He wo uld .

giv e the m un mist a k a ble evidence s of the di ffer

ence he pl a ced between the Egypti a n s an d his

people H is wonder ful work s in their deliver a n c e
.

should c a u se all n a tion s to know th a t altho u gh

they h ad been bound down by h a rd l abor an d ,
had been despi sed yet he ha d cho sen them a s his
,

peculi a r people a n d th at he would work for their

,

deli ver a nce in a wonderful manner .

Mo ses an d A aron obeyed the co mmand of God ,

an d rel a ted to the king the n a t u re of the grie v
ou s pl a gue w hi c h God wa s abo u t to send upon
h im ; th a t if he wo uld not let Isr a el go he wo uld ,

bring locusts into the coa sts of Egypt which ,

woul d cover the fa ce of the ea rth an d wo uld e a t ,

the resid ue of th at which e sc a ped the b a il T h e

—
.

kin g w per itted to choo se to humble himself

a s m
before God an d let Isra el go or refuse an d suffer
, ,

the e fl e c ts of the pla gue

’

'
And Ph ar a oh s serv ants said unto him H ow
’

long S h all this man be a sn are unto us ? Let the

men go tha t they may serve the Lo rd th eir God
, .

”
Knowest thou not yet tha t Egypt is destroyed ?
’
The king s rulers or coun selors were c alled his
serv a nts bec a u se they were under Ph a r a oh
,
They .

entrea ted the kin to let Isr a el go They rel ated

to hi m th at they Ta d sust ained gre at lo ss by the
.

de a th of their c attle an d th at Egypt wa s n e arly ,

ru ined by lightning And the ba il mi n gled wi th .

fire h ad broken down their forests a n d h a d de ,

G roa tCon t
ro v
ers y .
13
1 94 T H E G RE AT CoNTR0 vERS Y .

s troy ed their fruit an d ne arly all their gr a in ;

,

th a t e verything wa s in a ruinou s con dition a n d ,

th a t th ey were lo sin g a ll th at they h a d g a ined

thro ugh the l abor of the Hebrews The king .

se n t for Mo se s an d A a ron a n d he sa id unto them , ,

G O serve the Lord your God butwh o a re they

,

th a t sh all go ? And Mo ses said We will go with ,

ou r young a n d with ou r old with our son s a n d ,

with our d aughters with our flock s an d with our

,

herds will we go ; for we must hold a feast un to

the Lord And he sa id unto the m Let the L ord
.
,

be so with you as I will let you go an d your

, ,

little ones Look to it for evil is before you

.
, .

Not so ; go now ye th at are men an d serve the ,

Lord for th a t e did desire And they were

,
.

drive n out fro m h ara oh s presence ’

.

The king Shows his contempt of God s com ’

mand by h is a n swer to Mo ses an d A a ron Let .

yo ur God req uire thi s of you if he will for you ,

to t ake your little one s ; I will not let you go .

Your lit tle chil dren a re not n eeded in your j o ur

ne
y . Doe s your God think I will do thi s thing ,

a n d let you go with your wive s an d little children

i n to the wilderness upon so d a ngero us an expedi

tio n to them? I will not do this ; but only you
th at a re me n sh all go to ser ve the Lord This .

h ard he a r ted oppre ssive king wo uld n ow prete n d

-

to the Hebrews th a t he had a Speci al intere st in

their welfa re an d a tender c a re for their littl e
,

one s He ha d tried to destroy the Isr a elites with

.

h a rd l abor ; but now to serve his own pur po se

, ,

he professes to h ave a very speci al c are for them ,

a n d pl a i n ly decl are s to Mo se s a n d A a ron th a t

God who would require suc h a thing a s for them

,

to go with their fa milies into the wilderne ss ,

S ho u ld not be obeyed ; for he would only lea d

1 96 THE G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

le tthe children of Isr a el go Notwithst a nd ing .

h is h umility while dea th thre a tened h im, a n d h is

promise to let Isra el go , a fter he was reli e ved
fro m the pl ague , he h ardened his he a rt , a n d re
fu sed to let them go .

And the Lord said unto M o ses, Stret c h out

thine h and tow a rd heaven , that there may be d a rk
ness over the l and of Egypt, even d a rkne ss whi ch
may be felt And Mo ses stretched forth h is
.

h a n d to wa rd heaven ; a n d there was a thi c k d a rk

ness in all the l and of Egypt three d ays They .

sa w not on e a nother , neither ro se a ny fro m h is

pla ce for three d ays ; butall the children of I s
r a el ba d light in their dwelling s And Ph a r a oh .

c a lled unto Mo se s, a n d sa id , Go ye , serve the

Lord ; only let your flock s an d yo ur herds he

t yed Let your little ones al so go with you
s a . .

And Mo ses said Tho umu st give us a lso sacrifice s

,

an d b u r n tofl e rin gs th a t we may sa crifice unto

'

the Lord our God Our c attle also S h a ll go with

.

us ; there shall not an hoo f be left behind ; for

thereo f must we t a ke to serve the Lord our God ;
a n d we k n ow n otwith wh a t we mu st serve the

Lord un til we c ome thither But the Lord ha rd

,
.

ened Ph a r a oh s he a r t an d he would not let them

’

go And Ph ar a oh said un to him Get thee fro m

.
,

me t ake heed to thyself se e my fac e no more ;

, ,

for in th at day tho usee st my fa ce thou sh a lt die ,

.

And Mo ses said Tho u h ast Spoken well ; I will

,

se e thy fa ce a g a i n no more .

Ph ar aoh h ardened his he art ag a in st the Lor d ,

a n d he vent u red notwith standing all the sign s

,

an d mighty wonders he h a d witne ssed to thre a ten

,

that if Mo se s an d A aron a ppe ared be fore h im

a g a in they sho u ld die I f the ki n g had not be
.
,

c o me h ardened in h is reb ell ion a a in st G o d h e

g ,
 THE PLAG U ES ON EG Y PT . 1 97

would h a ve been h umb l ed under a sen se of the

power Of the living God who could sa ve or de
stroy .He would h a ve kno wn th at He who could
do such mir a cles an d multiply h is si gn s a n d won
,

ders would preserve the lives of his cho sen serv

,

a nt s even if he should h a ve t
, o Sl ay the ki n g Of
Egypt .

A S Mo se s had witne ssed the won derfu l work s

o f G o d his fa ith h a d gro wn st
,
rong an d h is c on ,

fide n c e h ad become est abli shed while God ha d ,

been fitting him an d q uali fying him by manifest ,

at io n s of his power to st a nd a tthe he a d of the

,

a rmies of Isr a el a n d a s a S hepherd of his people

, , ,

to lea d the mfromEgypt He was elevated a bove

.

fe a r by his firm trust in God which l ed him to ,

sa y t o the kin g O ur c a ttle Sh all go with us ;

,
”
there sh al l n ot an hoof be l eft b ehind This .

fi rm cour age in the presence of the kin g annoyed ,

his h aughty pride an d he uttered the thre a t of

,

ki lling the servant s Of G od He did not realiz e.

in h is blindness th a t he Was not only c onten din g

a g a in st Mo ses an d A a ron but a g a in st the mighty
,

Jehovah the maker of the hea ven s an d of the

,

e a rth M o ses ha d obta ined the favor of th e pe o

.

ple He was regarded a s a very wonderful ma n

.
,
a n d the kin would n otd are to h a rm h im
g .

An d the Lord sa id unto Mo se s Yet will I ,

bring one pl ague more upon Ph ar aoh an d upon ,

Egypt ; afterward he will let you go hence .

W h en he Sh al l let you go he Shal l thrust youout ,

hence altogether Speak now in the e ars of the peo

.

ple an d let every man borrow of his neighbor a n d

, ,

every wo man of her neighbor j e wels of S i lver , ,

”
a n d j e wel s of Old
Notwithst an d
.

ing Moses h ad been forbidden to

c o me again into the pre sence o f Ph ar aoh for in ,
1 98 T H E G RE AT CO N T ROVERSY .

the day he should see his fa ce he shoul d die ; yet ,

he ha d one more messa ge fro m God for the rebell

io us ki n g an d b e firmly walked into his pre sence
, ,

a n d st ood fe arlessly before him to decla re to him ,

the word Of the Lord .

'
A n d Mo se s sa i d Th us saith the Lord About
, ,

mid n ight will I go outinto the midst of Egypt ;

a n d a ll the firstborn in the l a nd of Egypt S h all
-

die from the firstborn of Ph ar a oh th a t sitteth

,
-

upo n his throne even u n to the firstborn of the

,
-

maid ser va nt th a t is behi n d the mill an d a ll the

-

firstborn of bea sts

-
And there sh a ll be a grea t
.

cry througho ut a ll the l a nd of Egypt such as ,

there was none like it nor S h all be like i t any ,

more But ag ai n st an y of the children of I sra el

.

sh all not a dog move h is to n gue a g a in st man or ,

be ast ; th at ye may know how th a t the Lord doth

put a difference between the Egypti a n s a n d I S
r a el A n d all the se thy serv ants sh all come down
.

unto me a n d bow down themselves unto me say

, ,

i n g Get thee out a n d all the people th a t follow

, ,

thee ; an d after th at I will go out And he went .

ou tfro m Ph ar a oh in a gre a t a nger .

A s Mo ses told the king of the pl a gue which

wo uld come upon them more dre a dful th a n a n y ,

th a t h ad yet vi sited Egypt whi ch would c a use a ll ,

h is gre a t coun selors to bow down before h im a n d

entre a t the Isra eli te s to le ave Egypt the kin g ,

wa s exceedin gly a n gry He was en r aged bec a u se

.

he co uld not intimid ate Mo ses an d ma ke h im ,

tremble b efore his kingly a uthority But Mo ses .

l e aned for support upon a mi ghti er arm th an th at

of any e a rthly mon arch .
20 0 T H E G RE AT CO N TR O VERS Y .

H ere was a work required of the chil dren of

I sra el whi c h th ey must perform on their p art to
, ,

pro ve the m a n d to S how their faith by their works

,

in the gre a t de liver a nce G od h a d been bringing

a bo u t for them In order to e sc ape the great
.

j udg me n t of God which he was to bring upon the

E gypt ian s the token of blood must be seen upon
,

their ho use s And they were required to S ep arate

.

the mselves an d their children from the E gyptians ,

a n d g a ther them into their own hou ses ; fo r if an

y
o f the Isr a elite s were fo u n d in the hou se s o f the

Egypti an s they would fall by the h a nd of the

,

destroying a ngel They were al so di r e cted to

.

keep the feast of the p a ssover for a n ordin a nce ,

th a t when their children sho uld inquire wh a t such
ser vice me ant they sho uld rel a te to th em their
,

wonderful pre serv ation in Egypt : Tha t when the

destroyi n g a ngel went forth in the n ight to sl ay
the firstborn of man an d the firstborn of beast
-

,
-

he p assed over their ho uses an d n ot on e of the ,

Hebrews th at ha d the token Of blood upon their

door po sts was sl ain And the people bowed their
-
.

he a ds a n d worshiped grateful for this rema rk a ble

,

memori a l given to pre serve to their children the

remembrance Of God s ca re for his people T here ’
.

were q uite a number of the Egypti a n s who were

led to a cknowledge by the manifesta tion s of th e
,

S ig n s a n d wonders S hown in E ypt th a t t h e G od

g ,

of the Hebrews wa s the on ly true G od They .

entreated to be permitted to co me to the h ou ses

of the I sr a elite s with their fami lies upon th a t fe ar

ful n ight whe n the an gel of God should sl a y the

firstborn of the Egypti an s
-
They were c onvinced .

th a t their gods who m they h ad worshiped were

without kno wledge an d h a d no power to sa ve or
,

to de stroy A n d they pledge d themselves to

.
 T HE PA S S O VER . 20 1

henceforth choo se the God of Isra el as their God .

They decided to le ave Egypt an d go with the ,

children of Isra el to worship their God The I s .

rae lit e s welco med the believing Egypti an s to their

house s .

The p a ssover pointed b a ckw ard to the del iver

a nce o f the children of Isr a el an d wa s a l so typ ,

ic al pointing forward to Chri st the L amb of God

, , ,

sl a in fo r the redemption of fa llen ma n The blood .

sprinkled u pon the door po sts prefigure d the a ton

-

ing blood of Chri st an d a lso the continu al de

,

n de n c e of sin ful man upon the merits of th a t

p e

blood for safety fro m the power of S a tan an d for ,

fin a l redemption Christ ate the p assover supper

.

with his disciples j ust before his c rucifixion an d ,

the same night in stituted the ordin ance of the

,

Lord s supper to be ob served in commemora tion

’

o f his de ath The p assover had been ob served

.

to c o mmemor a te the delivera nce of the children

of Isr a el fro m Egypt It ha d been both c om
.

memora ti ve an d typic al The type h a d re a c hed .

th e a ntitype when Chri st the L amb of God with ,

ou t blemi sh died u,
pon the cro ss He left an .

ord in a nce to commemor a te the events of his cru

c ifix ion .
C hrist ate the p assover supper with his disciple s ,

then a ro se from the table an d sa id unto them , ,

W ith d esire h ave I desired to e a tthi s p assover

with you be fore I suffer ”
He then performed .

the h umili a ting o ffice of w a shing the feet of his

disciples Christ ga ve his disciples the ordin an c e
.

of wa shi n feet fo r the m to pr a ctice whi c h wo uld

g ,

tea ch them lessons of hu mility He conn ec ted .

thi s ordin a nce with the supper He design ed th a t .

this sho uld be a se ason of self ex a min a tio n t hat -

,

his follower s mi ght h a ve an Opportunity to become

202 T H E G RE AT CON TROVERS Y .

a cq uainted with the true feelings of their own

heart s to wa rd God a n d on e a nother If pride ex .

iste d in their he a rts how soon would it b e discov

,

e red to the honestly erring ones a s they S hould

-

e n g a ge in thi s h umble duty I f selfi sh n e ss or ha .

tr od to o n e a nother exi sted it would be mo re readi ,

ly di sc overed a s they enga ged in th is hu mble work .

Thi s ordi n ance wa s desig n e d to result in mutual

con fession s to on e a nother an d to incre a se feel ,

i n g s of forbea rance forgiveness of ea c h other s

,
’

errors a n d tr ue love prep ara tory to eng a ing in

, ,

the solemn ordin a nce of co mmemor a ting t e suf

fe rin gs an d de a th of Chri st He loved his disci .

ple s well eno ugh to die for them H e exhorted .

the m to love one a nother a s he h a d loved them , .

The e x ample of washing the feet of h is disciples

wa s given for the b enefit of all who sho uld beli eve
in him . He r eq uired them to follow hi s exa mple .

This h umble ordin a nce was not only de signed to

t est their humility an d fa ithfulne ss but to keep ,

fresh in their remembra nce th at the redemption of

h is p eople was purch ased upo n conditions of hu
mility an d c ontinu al obedience upon their p art .

So a fter he ha d washed their feet an d had ,

t ak e n h is g a rmen ts an d was set do wn aga in he

, ,
sa id u n to them K n ow ye wh a t I h a ve done t o
,

y o u ? Ye c a ll me M a st e r a n d Lord a n d y e sa
y ,
w e ll for so I am I f I then your Lord an d M as
.
,
te r h a ve wa sh e d yo u
, r feet ye also ought to wash
,
’
on e a n oth e r s feet For I h ave given you an ex
.

a mpl e th a t ye sho u
, ld do as I h a ve done to you .

V e rily verily I say unto you The serv ant is n ot

, , ,

grea te r th an h is lord ; neither he th a t is sent

gre ater th an he tha t sent him If ye kno w these .

thin gs h appy are ye if ye do them

,
”
.

Jesu s then took hi s pl a ce again at the tab le,

2 04 T H E G RE AT CoN T RovERS Y .

C HAP TE R XVII I .

I S RA E L LE A V ES E G YP T .

TH E children of Isr a el had followed the direc ~

tion s given them of God ; an d while the an gel of

de ath was p assing from hou se to h ou se among the
Egypti an s they were all re ady for their journ ey
, ,

a n d wa iting for the rebelliou s king a n d his great

men to bid them go And it c a me to p ass that

.
,

a tmid n ight the Lord smote all the firsth e m in -

the l an d of Egypt from the firstborn of Ph araoh

,
-

th at saton his throne unto the firstborn of the ,

-

c ap tive th at was in the dungeon an d a ll th e first

'

,
born of c attle And Ph ar aoh ro se up in the
.

n ight he a n d all h is serv a nts an d a ll t

, ,
h e Egyp ,

ti an s ; a n d there was a great cry in E gypt ; for

there wa s n ot a ho use where there was n ot one
de a d And he c alled for M oses an d A aron by
.

night an d sai d R i se up an d get youforth from

, , ,

amon m
g y people both ye a n d the children of I s
,

r a el ; an d go serve the Lord as ye h ave said

, ,
.

Also t ake your flock s a n d your herds a s ye h ave ,

sa id a n d be gone ; a n d b l e ss me a l so
, An d the .

Egypti an s were urgent upon the peopl e th a tthey ,

might send them out of the l and in h ast e ; for

they said We be all de a d men And th e p e ople
, .

took their dough before it was lea vened th eir ,

k n e ading trou ghs being boun d up in their c lo thes

-

upon their shoulder s An d the children of Israel.

did a ccordin g to the word of M o ses ; a n d they

borro wed of the Egypti ans j ewels o f silver and ,
j e wels of gold an d r a iment And the L or d gave
, .

the people favor in the sight of the E gypti ans so ,

 1 SRA EL L EA VES EG Y PT . 205

hatth e y
t l ent unto them such things as they re
qu ired ; a n d they spoiled the Egyptians .
”

The Lord reve a led this to Abr aham about four

hundred ye a rs before it wa s fulfilled And he '

sa id unto Abr a m Know of a su , rety th at thy seed

Sh a l l b e a str a nger in a l a nd th a t is not theirs ,
an d sh a l l serve them; an d they S h all afllic tthem
fou r h undred ye a r s And also th a t n a tion whom
.

the y S h all serve will I j udge ; an d afterw a rd sh all

,

h ey come ou
”
t twith gre a t sub st a nce .

A n d a mi xe d multitude W ent u p a l so with

th em ; an d flock s an d herds even very much c a t

, ,
”
tle. The children of Isr a el went out of Egyp t
with their po sse ssions which di d not belong to ,

Pharaoh for they had never sold them to h im

, .

Jac ob an d his son s took their flock s an d c a ttle

with th em in to Egypt The children of Isra el
.

h ad b ecome exceedingly numerou s a n d their flock s ,

an d h er ds had grea tly incre a sed God ha d judged .

the E gyptian s by sending the pl a gues upo n them ,

an d ma d e t hem ha sten his people out of Egypt ,

with a ll th a t they po ssessed .

'
A n d itc ame to p ass when Ph ar a oh h a d let ,

the pe ople go th a t God led them not through the

,

way of th e l and of the Phili stine s although th a t ,

was n ea r ; for God said Lest pera dventure the ,

p eople r e pen t when they se e war an d they re ,

turn to Egypt But God led the people about

.
,

through the way of the wilderness of the R e d S e a .

An d the children of Isr a el went up h a rnessed out

of t h e l an d of Egypt And Mo ses took the bo n es
.

of Jo seph with hi m ; for he h a d stra itly sworn the

chil dren of I sr a el sayi n g God will surely vi sit
, ,

yo u a n d ye S h a ll c a rry up m y bone s a w a y he n ce

with you And they took their jo urn ey fro m

.

S uc c oth an d enc amped in Etham in the edge of

, ,
20 6 T H E GRE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

the wilderne ss And the Lord went b e fo re them

.

by day in a pilla r of a cloud to le a d them the ,

way ; a n d by n ight in a pilla r of fire to give ,

th e m light ; to go by day an d n ight He took .

n o t a wa y the pill a r of the cloud by da y nor t he ,

pill a r o f fire by night from before th e p eople

,
”
.

The Lord knew th a t the Phi listine s would op

po se their p assing through their l a nd They .

wo uld say of them They h ave stolen a wa y from

,

their masters in Egypt an d would mak e war ,

with them Thu s God by bringin g them by the

.
,

way of the se a reve aled hi msel f a co mp assion ate

,

G od a s well a s a G o d of j udgment
, The Lord .

informed Mo ses th a t Phar a oh wo uld p ur su e them ,

a n d he directed h im j u st where to enc amp before

the sea He told Mo ses th at he would be honored
.

before Ph ar a oh an d all his ho st After the H e .

bre ws ha d bee n gone fro m Egypt some da ys the ,

Egyptians told Phar aoh th at they h ad fl ed an d ,

would never return to serve him a g ain A n d they .

mourned bec au se they had permitte d them to

leave Egypt It was a very grea t lo ss for them
.

to be deprived of their services ; an d they regret

ted th a t th ey h ad con sen ted to let them go .

Notwith st an ding all they had suffered from the

j udgments of God they were S O h a rdene d by their
,

continu al rebellion th at they decided to pursu e

the children of Isra el an d bring them b a ck by
,

forc e into Egypt The king took a v e ry l a rge

.

a rmy an d S ix h u ndred ch ariots an d pursued after ,

them an d overtook them while enc ampe d by the

,

se a .

And when Phar a oh drew nigh the c hil dren ,

of I sr a el li fted up the ir eye s an d be h o l d the , , ,

Egypti an s ma r c hed a fter them ; an d th ey were

sore a fr a id ; a n d the children of Isr a el c ried ou t
2 08 THE G RE AT O T OV ERS Y
C N R .

God wo uld h ave Mo ses understand th a t h e would

w ork for h is people — th a t their ne cessity w ould be
h is opportunity When they should go a s far as
.

th ey co ul d he must bid them still go forward ;

,

th a t he sho uld use the rod God had giv e n him to

divide the wa ters .

And I behold I will h arden the hea rts of the

, ,

Egypti ans an d they sh all follow them; a n d I will

,

get me ho n or upon Ph ar a oh an d upo n a ll his host, ,

upo n h is ch ariots a n d upon his horsemen And

,
.

the E yptia n s sh a ll know th at I am the Lord ,

whe n h a ve gotten me honor upon Ph a r a oh upon ,

h is ch a riots a n d upon h is horsemen

, And the .

a n gel of God which went be fore the c amp of I S

,

r a el removed a n d went behi n d the m a n d the pil

, ,

la r of the clo ud went fro m before their fa ce an d ,

stood behind the m And it c ame between the

.

c a mp of the Egypti an s a n d the c amp Of I srael ;

a n d it wa s a clo u d a n d d arkness to them but it ,

g ave light by night to these S O th a t the on e .

c ame n otne ar the other a ll the night ”

.

The Egpytian s co uld n otsee the Hebrew s ; for

the clo ud of thick d arkn ess wa s be fore them ,

whi c h c lo ud wa s a ll light to the Isr a elite s Thus .

did God di spl ay h is power to prove his peopl e ,

whether they wo uld trustin him a fter giving them
such token s of his c a re an d love for them a n d t o ,

reb uke their unbelie f an d murmurin g And .

Mo se s stret c hed out his h a nd over the se a ; an d

the Lord c ause d the se a to go b a ck by a strong
e ast wind all th a t night a n d ma de the se a dry
,

l and an d the w a ters were divi ded And the chil

, .

dren of Israel went i n to the midst Of the se a upon

the dry gro und ; an d the w a ters were a wa ll unto
them on their right h and a n d on their left ”
Th e .

w a ters ro se up an d stood like conge al ed w a lls on

,
 I SR AEL L EAV ES EG YPT . 209

either S ide while I sra el walked in the midst of

,

the sea on dry ground .

The E gypti a n host was triumphing through th at

n ight th a t the children of I sr a el were a g a in in

their power They thought there was n o po ssi

.

bility of their esc ape ; for before them stretched

the Red S ea an d their l a rge armies were clo se
,

behind them In the morni n g as they c ame up

.
,

to the se a lo there wa s a dry p a th the wa ters

, , ,

were divided an d stood like a w all upon either

,

S i de a n d the children of Isr a el were h alf wa

, y
through the sea walking on dry l and They , .

w a ited awhi le to decide wh at course they h a d

bet ter pursue They were di sappointed an d en
.

r age d th at a s the Hebrews were almo st in their

, ,

po wer an d they were sure of them an unexpected

, ,

way was opened for them in the se a They .

dec ided to follow them And the Egypti an s .

'

pu rsu ed an d wen t in a fter them to the midst of

, ,

the sea even all Ph a raoh s horses his ch ariots

,
’

, ,

an d h is hor se men A n d it c ame to p a ss th a t in

.
,

the morn i n g watch the Lord looked un to the ho st

of the Egypti an s through the pill a r of fire a n d of

the clo ud an d troubled th e ho stof the Egyptia n s

, ,

an d took of f their ch a riot wheel s th at they dr ave ,

them heavily ; so th a t the Egyptian s said Let us ,

flee from the fa ce of Isr a el ; for the Lord figh teth

for them aga in st the Egypti an s .

The Egypti an s d ared to venture in the p ath

G od h ad prep a red for his people an d angel s of ,

God went through their ho st an d removed their

ch a rio twheels They were pl agued Their prog
. .

ress was very Slo w an d they beg a n to be troubled

,
.

They remembered the ju dgments th a t the God of

the Hebrew s h a d brought upon them in Egypt to ,

G reatCo n t
rove rsv .
14
210 T H E G REA T O T OV ERSY
C N R .

mpel them to let Isra el go an d they thought ,

th at God might deliver them all into th e h a n ds Of

the Isra e lites They decided th at G od w a s fight
.

i n g for the I sr a elit e s a n d they were terribly

,

a fra id a n d were t
,
urni n g about to flee from them ,

whe n the Lord said unto Mo ses Stretch out

'
,

thi n e h and over the sea th a t the wa ters may ,

co me a g ai n upo n th e Egypti an s upon their ch ar ,

io ts a n d upon their horsemen

,
And Mo ses .

stret c h e d forth h is h and over the se a a n d the sea ,

return ed to h is stre n gth when the morning ap

re d ; a n d the Egypti a n s fled a g a in st i t; an d
p ea

the Lord overthrew the Egyptia ns in the midstof

the se a And the w a ters returned a n d covered
.
,

the ch a riots an d the horsemen a n d a ll the host

, ,

of Ph ar a oh th a t c ame into the sea a fter them;

there remained not so much as one of them But .

the children of Isr a el walked upon dry la nd in

the midst o f the se a ; an d the wa ters wer e a wall
un to the m on th e ir right h an d a n d on their le ft ,
.

Thus the Lord saved Isra el th a t day out Of the

h a nd of the Egypti an s ; a n d Isra el sa w th e Egyp
tia ns dea d upon the se a shore And Isra el saw .

th a t grea t work which the Lord di d upon the

Egypti ans ; a n d the peo ple fe a red the Lord an d ,
”
beli eved the Lord an d his serva nt Mo se s
, .

A s the H ebrews witnessed the ma rvelous work

of God in the destruction of the Egypti a n s they
,

u nited in an in spired song of lo fty e loquen ce an d

gra teful pr aise Miri a m the S i ster Of M o ses a
.
, ,

prophete ss led the women in mu sic

, .

'
Then sa ng Mo ses a n d the childre n o f Israel
thi s song unto the Lord a n d sp ake sayin g I will, , ,
S ing unto the Lord for he h ath triu mph e d lo ri
, g
ou sl The hor e d h i rider h th h e thrown
y . s a n s a
into the sea The Lord is my strength an d song
.
,
21 2 THE AT
G RE O T OVERS Y
C N R .

still as a stone ; till thy people p ass over 0 Lord , ,

till the people p a ss over whi ch thou h a st pur ,

ch a se d Tho u sh al t brin g them in an d pl ant

.
,

them in the mo unt ain of thine inherita nc e in the ,

pl a c e 0 Lord which thou h ast ma de for thee to

, ,

d we ll in ; in the sanctu ary O Lord whi ch thy , ,

h an d s h a ve e st abli shed .

The Lord sh all reign forever an d ever For .

th e hor se o f Ph a r a oh went in w ith his ch a riots

a n d wi th his horsemen into the sea a n d the Lord ,

bro ught a g ai n the wa ters of the sea upon them ;

bu t the c hildren of Isr a el went on dry l a nd in the
mid stof the se a ”
.

Ph araoh who would not acknowledge God an d

,

bow to h is a uthority delighted to S how h is power

,

a s ruler over tho se who m he co u ld control M o ses .

decl a red to Ph a ra oh a fter he req uired the p e ople

,

to make brick witho ut str aw th a t God whom he , ,

pr e tend e d n otto k n o w wo uld co mpel him to yield

,

to h is cl a i ms an d a ckno wle dge his authority as

, ,

supre me r u ler .

The ti me h a d co me when God would a n swer

th e pr ayer s of h is oppressed people a n d wo uld ,

bri n g th e m fro m Egypt with such mighty dis

pl ays Of his po wer th a t the Egypti an s would be
co mpelled to a ckno wledge th a t the G od o f the
Hebrews who m they h a d despised was above a ll
, ,

gods He wo uld now puni sh them for their idol

.

a try a n d for the ir pro u

, d bo asting of the mercies
be stowed upon th em by their sen seless go ds God .

would glori fy his own n ame th a t other n a tion s ,

might he a r of his power an d tremble a th is mighty
a ct s a n d th a t h is people by wit n e ssing h is mir a c
, ,

ulous work s S ho uld fully t urn fro m their idol a try

,

to r e nd er to him pure worship .

God co mmanded Mo ses to say unto Ph a raoh ,

 I SRA EL L EA V ES EG YPT .
21 3

For this c ause h ave I r a ised thee up for to ,

S how in thee my po we r This doe s n o t mean

.

th at G o d h a d given him a n exi stence for th at pur

p o se ; but h is providence h a d S O overruled event s
th at such a rebellious tyra nt as Ph a ra oh S ho uld
be upon the throne of Egypt at the time God
would deliver the Hebrew s F or thi s p urpo se h is .

li fe ha d been preserv e d though he h a d j ustly for

,

feite d the mercy of God by h is crime s God saw .

fi tt o sp a re his life t o ma ni fest through his st u

, b ,

bornn e ss his wonders in the l a nd of Egypt

,
He .

would c a use Ph araoh s rebe llion ag ain st him to be

’

the occ a sion to multiply evi dences of his power

for th e good of hi s people an d th at h is n a me ,

might be ma gnified before the Egyptia n s an d ,

bro ught to the k n o wledge of tho se who Should

afterward live upon the e arth The di spo sing of .

e vents is of h is providence He could h ave pla c ed

.

a more merci fu l ki n g upon the throne of Egypt ,

who would n o th a ve da red to persi st in h is rebell

io n with the di spl ay of God s mighty po wer ma n i
’

fe ste d before him as it wa s before Ph ar a oh B ut .

then the p u rpo ses of God wo uld not h a ve been ac

c o mpl ish ed .H is people would h ave been deceived
in reg a rd to the sin fulness of the i dol atry of the
Egypti a n s an d would n ot h ave experienced in
,

the mse lve s the h ard he ar t ed cruelty which the

-

idol a trous Egyptian s could pr ac tice God would .

ma nifest before the m tha t he h ates idol atry an d ,

th a t he will punish cruelty a n d oppre ssion wh er

e ver it exi st s .

Altho ugh many of the Isra elite s ha d be co me

c orrupt e d by idol atry yet the faithfu, l stood firm .

T hey h a d n ot conce aled their fa ith but openly ,

a cknowledged before the Egypti a n s th a t they

serve d t he only true a n d living G od They re .
21 4 THE G RE AT O T OVERSY
C N R .

’
h e ar sed the evid ences of God s e xi st en c e and
po wer from cre ation do wn The E gypti a n s ha d .

a n o ppo rt u nity of beco min g a cqu a in ted with the

fa ith o f th e Hebre ws a n d the ir God , They had .

t ri e d to subvert the fa i th ful worshipers o f the true

G o d a n d were a nnoyed because they h a d n otsuc
,

c e e de d either by thre at s the pro m

,
i se of rew a rds
, ,

o r by c r u el tre a tment .

T he two l ast kin gs who h ad occupied the throne

of Egypt h a d been tyra nnica l a n d ha d c ruelly ,

e n tre a t ed the Hebrews The elders of Isr a el h ad .

e n de a vored to enco ura ge the S inking fa ith of the

I sr a eli tes by referring to the pro mise ma de to
,

Abr ah am a n d the prOph e tic words Of Jo seph just

,

before he died foretelling their deliver a nc e from

,

Egypt Some would li sten a n d believe O thers

. .

looked a ttheir own sa d condition an d would not ,

hope The Egypti an s h a d le arned the expecta

.

tion s Of the children of Isra el an d derided their ,

hope s of deliverance a n d spoke scornfully of the

,

power of their God They pointed them to their

.

o wn situ ation a s a people a s mere ly a n a tion of ,

S l a ve s an d t a untingly sa i d to the m I f your God

, , .

is so j ust an d mercifu l an d po ssesses po wer above

,

the Egypti a n god s why does he not ma ke you a

,

free people W hy not manife st his gre a tn ess an d

po wer an d e xalt you ? The Egyptia ns then
,

c a lled the attention of the Isr aelites to their own

p e ople who worshiped gods of their own choosing ,
which the Isr aelite s terme d fal se god s They ex .

ultin gly said th a t their gods h a d pro spered them ,

an d ha d
given the m food an d rai m ent a n d g re
, a t ,

riches ; a n d th at their gods h ad a lso given the IS

ra e lit es into their h a nd s to se rve them an d th at ,

they h ad power to oppress them an d d e stroy ,

their lives so that they Should be n o peopl e

, .
21 6 T H E G RE AT CONTROVERS Y .

rior to all others Tha t his n ame migh t be de

.

clare d thr ou ghout all the ea rth he w ould give ,

exempl a ry an d demonstra tive proof to a ll n a tions

Of his divine po wer a n d j u stice It wa s the de .

sign Of God th a t these exhi bition s of power

S ho u ld streng then the faith of his people an d that ,

their po steri should ste a dfastly worship Him

alone who h a y t
wrou ght such merc iful w onders in
t heir beh alf .

The mir a cle Of the rod s becoming a serp en t ’

a n d the river s bei n

’
turned to blood did not move ,

the h a rd hea rt of h araoh only to increa se his ,

h atred of the Isra elites The work of the magi .

e i aus led h im to believe tha tthe se m i r a cl es were

performe d by magic ; but he h a d ab un d a n t evi
dence th at this was not the c ase when the pl ague
of frogs was re moved God could h a ve c aused
.

them to disappe a r an d return to dust in a mo

ment ; but he did not do this lest after they , ,

S hould be re moved the king an d t , he Egyptians

Should say th a t itwas the result of ma gic lik e ,

the work of the magician s They di ed a n d then .

f

,
they g a thered them together into he ap s Their .

bodies they could see be fore them an d they cor ,

ru te d the a tmo sphere Here the king d ll

p . a n a ,

Egypt ha d evidences which their va in philo sophy

,

coul d not di spo se of th at thi s work was n o tmagic

, ,
buta ju dgment fro m the G od of He a ven .

The ma gician s co uld n otproduce the lice The .

Lord would n otsuffer them to make it even a ppear

to their own sight or to th at of th e Egypti an s
, ,
th at they coul d produce the pla gue of the lice .

H e woul d remove all excuse of unbelief from

Ph ar a oh . He compelled even the ma gi ci an s
themselves to say Thi s is the finger of G od
,
' ”
.

Next c ame the p l ague of the swarms of fli es .

 I SR AEL LEA V ES EG YPT .
2 17

They were n otsuch flies as h armlessly annoy us

in some se a son s of the year ; butthe flies bro ught
upon Egypt were la rge an d venomou s Their .

sti n g wa s very p a in ful u pon man a n d be ast God .

sep a r a ted h is people fro m the Egypti an s an d su f ,

fe re d n o flies to appe ar thr o ughout their co asts .

The Lord then sent the pla gue of the murra in

upon their c a ttle an d a tthe same time preserved
,

the c a ttle of the Hebrews th a t n ot on e of them

,

died . Next c ame the plag ue of the boil upon

man an d bea st an d the magici ans could n ot pro
,

t e c t themselves fro m it The Lord then sent

.

upo n Egypt the pl ague of the bail mingled with

fire with lightnings an d thunder The time of
, .

ea c h pl ag u e was given before it c ame th at it ,

might n ot be said to h ave h a ppened by ch ance .

The Lord demon str a ted to the Egypti an s th at the

wh o le earth was under the c o mma nd of the God
O f th e Hebrews — tha t thunder ba il a n d storm , , ,

obey his voice Ph araoh the proud king wh o

.
,

once inquire d W ho is the Lord th a t I sho uld

,
'

obey h is voice ? h umbled hi mself an d sa id

”
I ,

h a ve sin ned The Lord is righteo us a n d I an d

.
,

my peo ple are wicked ”

He begged of Moses to
.

b e hi s intercessor with God th a t the terrific thun ,

der an d lightni n g might ce ase .

The Lord next sent the dre adful pl a gue of the

locusts The king chose to receive the pl agues
.

ra ther tha n to sub mit to God W ithout remorse .

,

he sees his whole kingdo m u n der the mir a cle of

the se dr e a dful j udgments The Lord then sent.

da rkness upon Egypt The people were not

.

merely deprived of light but the atmo sphere wa s

,

Very oppressive so th at bre athing w

,
a s d iflic ult ;
e t the Hebrews h a d a p u a m
re t o ph re
s e a n d ,

g h t,
in their dwelling s O ne m ore dre
.
a dfu l
21 8 T H E GRE AT O
C NT R OVERSY .

pl a gue God brought upon E gypt more severe ,

th a n a ny before it It was the king a n d h is idol

.

a tro us prie st s who oppo sed to the l a st th e requ est

of Mo ses .The people desired th a t the Hebrews

Should be per mitted to le ave Egypt Mo se s re .

l ated to Ph a r a oh an d to the people o f E ypt,

,

al so to the I sr a elites the n a ture an d e ffect 0

, the
l ast pl a g ue O n th a t night so terrible to the
.
,

Egypti a n s and so gloriou s to the people of God

, ,

was the sole mn ordin a nce of the p assover in sti

tut
ed .

It was very h ard for the E gypti a n kin g an d a

proud a n d idol a trou s people to yield to the re
u ireme n t s of the God o f He a ven V ery low
q S .

wa s the kin g of Egypt to yield W hil e under .

mo st grievou s afllic tion he would yield a l it tle ; ,

but when the afilic tion was removed he wo uld ,

t ake b a ck all he ha d gr a nted Thu s pl ag ue after .

,

pl a gue was brought upon E gypt a n d he yielded ,

no more th an he was co mpelled to by the dre adful

Visita tions of God s wr a th The king even per
’
.

si sted in h is rebellion a fter Egypt h a d been ru ined .

Mo ses an d A aron rel ated to Ph ar a oh th e n ature

an d ef fe c t of e a ch pl a gue which S hould follow his
refusal to let Isr a el go E very time he sa w these
.
,

pla gue s co me ex a ctly as he was told they would

come ; yet he would n ot yield First he would .
,

only gr ant them permission to sacrifice to God in

the l an d of Egypt ; then a fter Egypt h a d suffered ,

by God s wr ath b e gr a nted th at the me n alone

’

S hould go .A fter Egypt had been ne arly de

stroyed by the p la g u e of the locusts the n be ,

r anted th a t their childre n a n d their wive s mi ht

g g
g o a l so ; b utwo u ld not let their c a ttle go M o ses .

then told the king th a t the a ngel Of G od would

sl ay their firstborn -
.
220 T H E G RE AT CON R T O VERS Y .

an d let Isra el go fro m servin g us ? Ph araoh

prep ared a well eq uipped army comp o sed of the
-

priests of their idol gods a n d of the rulers and

, ,

of a ll the gre a t men o f his kingdo m T hey thought .

if their priests a ccomp a nied them th ey would be ,

more sure of success The mo stmighty of Egypt

.

were selected th at they migh t intimidate th e Is

,

ra e lites with the gr and di spl a y of their po we r an d

gre atne ss They thought th at when th e news
.

S ho u ld re a ch other n ation s th a t they w ere com ,

p olled to yield to the power of the G od Of Israel ,

who m they h a d despi sed they would b e l ooked

,

upon wi th deri sio n B ut if they shoul d go with

.

gre a t pomp an d brin g Isra el b ack with fo rce they ,

would redeem their g lory an d would also have the

,

service s of the children of Isr a el a g a i n They .

overtook the Hebrews at the Red S e a This .

pl a ce wa s appointed for the l ast di spl a y Of the

o wer of God before the infa tuated Egyp tians
p
.

n the morning they c ame up to the Re d S ea and

,

saw the Hebre w ho st w a lking upon a dry p a t h pre

p a red for them in the sea while high w alls Of water
,

stood upon either S ide conge aled by t,

h e po wer of
God Thi s exhibition of God s power only in
.
’

cre a sed their feelings of rebellion ; a n d they had

so long re si sted such mani fe st a tion s th a t t hey ,

were h ardened ; a n d in their blindn ess rush ed into ,

the p ath th a t God had mir a culou sly prep ared for
h is people Then were fulfilled the words which
.

the Lord sp ake to Mo ses And a ga in st all the ,

'

go ds of Egypt I will exec u, te judgment I am .

the Lord .
”
The j udgmen t of God was ma nifested
in the utter destruction of the E gypti an h ost .
 T H EI R J O URN EYI NG S . 22 1

C HAP TE R XIX .

T H EI R J O U RN EY I N G S .

TH E c hildren of Isra el tr aveled in the wilderne ss,

an d, fo r t hr ee d ay s, co uld find n o good wa ter to
They were sufl erin with thirst , And
'

drink .

he peo ple
t murmured a gain st o ses saying W h a t , ,

Shall we drink ? And he cried unto the Lord ;

an d the Lord shewed him a tree which when he ,

had c a st into the w a ters the w a ters were ma de,

sweet . There he made for them a statute an d an

ordin a n c e an d there he proved them, a n d sa id If
, ,

thou wil t dil i ently he arken to the voice of the

Lor d thy G odan d wil t do th a t which is right in
,

his sigh t an d wi l t give e ar to his comma ndments

, ,

a n d k ee p all his st a tute s I will put none of the se

,

dise ases upon thee which I h a ve brou ght upon the

,

E gyptia n s ; for I amthe Lord th a t he aleth thee ”

.

T he children of I sr a el seemed to po sse ss an evi l

h ea rt of unbelief They were unwilling to endure
.

h a r dshi ps in the wil derness W hen they metwith .

difi c u lties in the way they would regard the m a s

,

imp ossibilities Their confidence in God would

.

fail an d they could see noth ing before them but

,

dea th '
. And the whole congreg ation Of the chil
dr e n of Isr a el murmured a g a in st Mo ses an d
Aa ro n in the wilderne ss And the chil dren of .

Israe l said unto them Would to Go d we had died

,

by the ha nd of the Lord in the l and of Egypt ,

when we sat by the fl esh pots an d when we did -

ea tbre a d t o the full ' for ye h a ve brought us forth

into this wilderness to kill thi s whole assembly

wi th hun ger .

They h a d n otre ally suffered th e p an gs of hun

22 2 THE GRE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

ger They ha d food for the present but they

.
,

fe ared for the future They c ould n o t se e how

.

th e host of Isr a el wa s to sub si st in their long trav ,

e ls t hro ugh the wilderne ss upon the si mple food ,

they th e n h ad an d in their unbelief th ey sa w their

,

children fa mi shin g The Lord was willing that

.

they sho uld be bro ught short in th e ir foo d and ,

th a t they sho uld mee twith diflic ulties th a t their ,

h e arts sho uld turn to h im wh o ha d hither t o helped

them th a t th ey might believe in him He was

,
.

r e a dy to be to them a present help I f in their .

,

wa nt they wo u
,
ld c all upon him he would mani ,

fest to them token s of his love an d continu a l c are .

B utthey seemed to be unwilling to tru st the Lord

an
y further th a n they could witne ss be fore the ir

eye s the continu a l evidences of his p o wer If .

they ha d po ssessed true fa ith an d a firm confi

de n ce in Go d inconve n iences a n d ob st a cles or
, ,

even rea l sufl e rin g would h a ve been c h e erfully

' '

borne a ft er the Lord h a d wrought in such a won

,

derful manner for their deliver an ce fro m servit ude .

M oreover the Lord pro mi sed the m if th ey wo uld

,

obey his co mmandmen t s no dise ase S hould rest,

upo n them; for he says I am the L ord that ,

'

he aleth thee .

A fter this sure pro mi se from God it was crim ,

in al unbelief in them to anticip ate th a t themsel ves

a n d children might die with hunger They h a d .

su ffered gre a tly in Egypt by being overt a xed in

l abor Their children ha d been put to de a th an d
.
,
in a n swer to their pr ayer s of a ngui sh God had ,
merci fully delivered them He promised to be .

their God to t ake them to himself a s a p eople

, ,

a n d to le a d them to a l a rge an d good l a nd But .

they were re ady to fa int a ta ny sufl erin g they Sho uld

'

ha ve to endure in the way to th atl a nd T hey had .

2 24 T H E GRE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

guagc o f such will be , Bless h

t e Lord , 0 my sou l,

a n d th
a ll a t is within m e ble ss hi s h o ly n a me; ,

for he h a th dea lt bounti fully with me Self de .

-

nial is con sidered by some to be re al suffering .

Depraved a ppet ites a re ind ul ged And a restr ain t .

upon the unhe althy appetite woul d le ad e ven many

profe ssed Christi ans to n ow start b a ck a s tho ugh ,

a ctu a l st a rv a tion wo u ld be the co nsequenc e Of a

pl ai n diet And like the children of Isr ael they
.
, ,

would prefer sl a very dise ased bodi es a n d even

, ,

de a th r a ther th a n to be deprive d of the fl e sh pots

,
-
.

Bre a d an d w ater is all th at is promi sed to the

remn ant in the ti me of trouble .

A n d when the de w th a t lay wa s gone up be ,

he ld upon the fa ce o f the wilderness ther e lay a

,

sma ll ro u nd thing as small as the b o ar fr o st on

,
-

the grou n d And when the children of Isra el

.

saw it they said one to another It is man n a ;

, ,

for they wi st not wh at it was And Mo ses sai d .

unto them This is the bre a d which the Lo rd hath

,

iven you to e at This is the thing whi ch the

L
.

or d h a th commanded Ga ther of it every man , ,

a ccord in g to h is e a ting an o mer for every m , an

a c c or di n g to the n u mber of your perso n s ; t ake

ye every ma n for them which are in h is tents .

And the children of Isr ael did S O an d g ,

ered so me more so me less And when they did

, ,
.

mete it with a n o mer he th at gathered much h ad

,

n othi n g over an d he th a t g a thered little h a d n o

,

lack They gathered ever man accordin g to his

e ating And Mo ses said L
.

.
e tno man le a ve of it ,

till the morn ir Notwith stan ding they h eark

ened n otun to ig
.
,

o ses ; but so me of them leftof it

until the morning and it bred worms a n d stan k
, .

And Mo se s wa s wro th with them And they g a th .

ered it every morning every man a ccording to his ,

 T H EI R J O URN EYI N G S . 225

ea t in g an d when the sun w a xed hot it mel ted

, , .

'
And it came to p ass th at on th e Sixth day
.

they g ath e red twice as mu c h bre a d two o mers for

'

on e man . And all the rulers of the con greg a tion

c ame a n d told Moses And he said unto them
.
,
This is th atwhich the Lord h ath said To m orro w ,

is th e r est of the holy S abb a th unto the Lord .

Bak e tha t which ye will b a ke to day an d soothe -

that ye will se ethe ; an d tha t wh ich rema in eth

ov er lay up for you t
,
o be kept unti l the morning
, .

And t h ey l aid it up till the morning as Mo ses ,

b a de ; a n d it did n otstin k neither was there any ,

worm therein A n d M oses sa id Ea tth at to d ay

.
,

for tod ay is a S abb ath unto the Lord T O day .

-

h a ll n o tfind it in the field Six d ay s ye sh a l l

y e s .

a t h e r it; but on the seventh da y w hich is t he

Sabb ath in it there Shall be none
,

.
,

T h e Lord is no le ss p a rtic ul ar n ow in reg ard to

h is S a bba th th a n when he gave the foregoin S pe
IT
,

c ia l di re ction s t o the children of I sr a el S re .

qui red them to b ake th at wh ic h they wo uld b a ke ,

a n d se ethe th a t is boil t a t whi c h they wo u ld

( ) h ,

seeth e on the sixth day prep a r a tory to the re st

, ,

of t he S a bb a th Tho se who neglect to prep a re

.

for th e S abb a th on the sixth day an d who cook ,

food upon the S abb ath viol a te the fo urth c om ,

ma ndment an d are tr an sgressor s of God s la w

’
.
,

All who are re ally anxious to Ob serve the S ab

b ath a ccording to the commandment will n otcook ,

an
y f ood u pon the S abb a th They will in the .
,

fear of th a t God who g ave his law from Si n a i ,

deny themselves an d e atfood prep ared upo n the

,

sixth da even if it is not so p a l at able God

y ,
.

forba de the c hildren of Isr a el s b aki n g a n d b oili n g ’

upon the S abb a th Th a t prohibitio n S ho uld be

.

G reatCo t
ro n v ers y .
10 p
226 A
T H E G RE T C N TR O OVERS Y .

reg arded by every S abb ath keeper, a s a sol emn -

inj un ction fro m Jehov a h to them T he Lord .

wo uld gu ard h is people from ind ul gin g in glut

tony upon the S abb ath whi ch he h as se t ap art
,

fo r sa c red m edit a tion a n d wor sh ip .

The S abb ath of the Lord is a day of re st from

l abor a n d the diet upo n th at day S h ou ld be more
S i mple a n d p a rt a ken of in le ss qu a ntiti es th a n
, ,

upon the six l aboring d ays bec ause we do n ot ,

h a ve th at exerci se upon the S abb ath th at we

h a ve upon the other d ays of the week M any .

h a ve erred in not pra cticing self den i a l upon the -

S abb ath By p a rta king of full me al s a s on the

.
,

S ix l aboring d ay s their mi n ds are beclouded ;

,

they are st upid an d o ften drowsy ; so me sufier

'

with he a d a che Such h a ve n o truly devotional

.
-

feelin g s upon the S abb ath an d the ble ,

‘
ssing rest
in g upo n the S abb ath does n otprove a b l e ssin g to
the m T he si c k a n d suffering require c a re and
.

a ttentio n upon the S a bb a th as well as u o n the ,p

other six d ays of the week ; an d itmay b e n oces
sa ry for their c o mfor tto prep are w ar m food an d
drink s upon the S abb ath In suc h in sta n ces it
.
,
is n o Viol a tio n of the fourth c omma ndmen t t
'

o
make them as c omfortable as po ssible The great .

L awgiver is a God of comp assion as well as of ,

j u s tice
.

God manifested his gre a t c are an d l ove for his

people in se n ding them bre a d fro mhe a ven M an .

”
di d e a t a ngels food ;
’
th at is food provided for
,
the m by the an ge ls The three fold miracle of
—
-
.

the m a n n a a doub l e q u a ntity on the sixth da

y ,
a n d none upon the seventh a n d it s keeping fresh
,

through the S abb ath while upon other da ys it

woul d beco me unfit for use—was design e d to im
,

pre ss them with the sacredness of th e S abb ath .

2 28 T H E G REA T O T O VERS Y
C N R .

in h imin their di stress They Should h a ve k nown.

th a t h e would not permit themto perish with thirst ,

whom he ha d pro mised to t ake unto himself as his

e ople B ut in ste a d of entre atin g the Lord in
humili ty to provide for their necessity the mur
.

mured a g ain st Mo ses and dema nded O him , ,

water G od h ad been continu ally man ifesting

.

h is power in a wonderful manner before th em to ,

make them understand th at all the benefits which

they received c ame from him; th at h e coul d give
th em or remove them a ccording to his own will
, ,
.

At times they h a d a full sense of thi s an d hum ,

bled themselve s gre atly before the Lord ; but

when thirst y or when hungry they ch arged it all
, ,

upon Mo ses as though they ha d left Egypt to

,

plea se him Mo ses wa s grieved with th e ir cruel

.

mur murings He inq uired of the Lord wh at he

.

S ho u ld do ; for the people were rea dy to st one him .

The Lord b a de him go smite the rock with the

rod of God The clo ud of his glory rested directly
.

before the rock He cl a ve the rock s in th e wil

.

dern ess an d g ave them drink as outof the great

,

depths He brought streams also out of the rock

.
,

an d cau sed wa ters to ru

”
n down like river s Mo .

ses smote the rock but it was Chri st wh o st , ood

by him an d c aused the water to fl ow fro m the
fl in t y rock The people
. te mpted the Lor d in

their thirst a n d said If God has brought us out

, ,

here why does he not give us w ater as well as

, ,
bre ad Th a t if showed crimin al unbelief an d
.
,
made Moses afraid th a t God wo uld p unish them
for their wicked murmurings The Lord tested .

the faith of his people but they did n ot endure ,

the tri al They murmured for food a n d for

.
,
wa ter a n d compl a i n ed of Mo se s
, Bec a u se of .

their unbelief God suflered their enemies to make

'

,
 T H EI R J O URN EYI N GS . 22 9

war with them, th a t he might manifest to his peo

m
ple fro whence cometh their stren th .

'
Then c ame Amalek , a n d fo ug t with Isra el
in R ephid im And Mo ses sa id unto Jo shua ,
.

Ch oo se us out men an d go out , fight with A ma ,

lek . To morro w I will sta nd on the top of the

hi ll with the rod of God in mine h and S O Jo sh ua .

did as Mo se s ha d sa id to h im a n d fought with ,

Amalek And Mose s A aro n an d H ur went up

.
, , ,

to the t o p of the hill And it c ame to p ass when .

,

M o ses held up his h a n d tha t Isra el preva iled ; ,

a n d when he let down hi s h a nd Ama lek preva iled , .

But Mo ses h ands were he avy ; an d they to ok a

’

st o ne an d put it under him a n d he sa tthereon ;

, ,

a n d A aron an d H u r st ayed u his h an ds the on e

p ,

on t h e on e side a n d the other on the other S ide ;

,

a n d his h a nd s were ste ady until the go in down

g
of he
t s n u .
”

M oses held up h is h ands to war d H ea ven with ,

th e rod of God in h is right ha nd entrea tin g help ,

from God Then I sra el p rev a iled an d drove ba c k

.
,

their enemies When Mo ses let down h is h ands

.
,

it was see n tha t I sra el soon lo st all they had

a ined an d were b e i n g overcom e by their e ne
g ,

mi es M oses again held up his h an ds towar d

.

H e a ven an d I sr a el preva ile d an d the e ne my was

, ,

driven b a ck .

Thi s actof M oses reachi ng up his h ands towar d ,

God was to teac h Isra el th a t whi le they made

,

G od their trust an d l ai d hold upon his stre n gth, ,

an d ex alted his thron e he would fight for them , ,

a n d subdu e their ene mies Butwhen they should .

l et go their hold upon his stren gth an d sho uld ,

tru st t o their Own power they wo uld be ev e n ,

wea ker th an their enemies who ha d n otthe knowl ,

d
e ge o f God an d their ene m ie s wo
,
uld prev a il over
23 0 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO VERS Y .

them Then Joshu a discomfite d A mal ek and

.

h is people with the edge of the sword And the .

Lord said unto Moses Write thi s for a memori al ,

in a book a n d rehe arse it in the e ars of J o shua ;

,

for I will utterly put out the reme mbra nce of

Amalek fro m un der he a ven A n d M o ses built an .

a lt a r a n d c alled the n ame of it J ehovah ni ssi ; for

-

he sa id Beca use the Lord h ath S w orn tha t the

,

Lord will h ave war with Amalek from genera

”
tion to gen era tion I f the childr e n of I sr a el h ad
.

not murmured a g ain st the Lord he w o uld not ,

h a v e sufl ere d their enemies to ma ke war with

’

them .

Before M oses h ad left E gypt he sent ba ck his ,

wi fe a n d childr en to his fa ther in law And after - -

.

Jethro hea rd of the wonderful delivera n c e of the

Isr a elites fr om Egypt he visited M ose s in the ,

wilderne ss a n d brought his wi fe an d children to

,

him . And Mo ses went out to meet h is fa

ther in law an d did obeisan c e a n d kissed him;
- -

, ,

an d they a ske d e a ch other Of their wel fa re ; an d

they c ame into the t ent And Mo ses told his fa . n

th er in law all that the Lor d h ad done unto P ha

- -

r a oh a n d to the Egypti ans for Israel s sa ke an d

, ,
’

,
all the tr av a il th a t h a d c ome upon them by the
way a n d how the Lord delivered them A n d Je~
, .

thro rejoiced for all the goodne ss which th e Lord

h a d done to Isr a el whom he h ad delivere d ou ,
tof
the h and of the Egypti ans And Jethro said .
,
Blessed be the Lord who h ath delivered youout of ,

the h and of the Egypti a ns an d outof the h an d of ,

Pha raoh who h ath delivere d the peo le from un

,

der the h an d of the Egypti an s ow I know .

th a t the Lord is gre ater th an all go ds ; for in the

thing wherein they de alt proudly he was above ,

them An d Jethro , M o ses father in law to ok a

.
’
- -

,
23 2 T H E G RE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

th r in la w dep art ; an d he w e nt h is way

h is fa e - -

i n to h isl a nd own .

M o se s wa s not above being in structed by his

fa th e r in la w God h a d ex alted hi m gre a tly and
- -
.

wro ught wo n d er s by his h a nd Yet Mo ses did .

not re a son th a t God h a d cho sen him to in struct

oth e rs an d h a d a ccompli shed wonderful thi n gs by
,

h is h a n d a n d he there fore needed n ott

,
o be in

st ru ct e d He gla dly listened to the suggestion s

.

of his fa ther in law an d a dopted h is pl a n as a

- -

wi se a rr a n g e me n t .

C HAP TE R XX .

TH E LA W OF G OD .

A FT ER the children of Isr ael left R ephidi m they ,

c ame to the de sert of Sin ai an d h a d pitched ,

in the wilderness ; a n d there Isr a el c amped

b e fore the mo un t And Mo ses went up unto .

G od a n d the Lord c alled unto him out of the

,

mo unt a i n sa yi n g Thus shalt thou say to the

, ,

ho use of Ja cob a n d tell the children of Isra el

,

Ye h ave seen wh a t I did unto the Egyptian s an d ,

h ow I b a re you on e agle s wings a n d broughtyou ’

unto myself Now therefore if ye will obey my

.
, ,

voi c e i n deed a n d keep my coven a nt then ye

, ,
Sh all be a peculi ar tre a sure unto me a b ov e all

people ; for all the earth is mine And ye S hall .

be u n to me a ki n gdom of priests an d an holy na ,

tion These are the words which thou S h al tS peak

.

un to the children of Isr ael And M o se s c ame .

a n d c al led for t
he elder s of the peop l e, a n d l ai d
 T H E LA W OF G OD . 23 3

before th eir fa ce s all these words whi ch the Lord

comma nded him And all the people an swered
.

together an d said All th at the Lord h ath spoken

, ,

we will do And Mo ses returned the words of

.

”
the p eople unto the Lord .

T h e people here entered into a solemn coven a nt

with God an d a ccepted him as their ruler by
, ,

which they bec ame the peculi a r subjects of his

di vin e a uthority And the Lord said u n to M O
.
'

S es Lo I co me unto thee in a thi c k clo u

, ,
d that ,

the p eople may hea r when I spe a k with thee an d ,

”
believe thee forever W hen the Hebrews h a d
.

me t with difliculties in the way they were dis ,

po sed to murmur a gainst Mo ses an d Aa ron an d ,

a ccu se them of le a din the ho st of I sr a el from

g
Egypt to destroy them God would honor Mo ses .

before them th a t they might be led to confide in

,

h is i nstruction s an d know th at he ha d put his

,

S pirit upon h im .

Th e Lord then g ave M o ses expre ss direction s

in reg ar d to prep aring the people for h im to ap
pro ac h nigh to them th at they might he ar his la w
,

spok en n ot by a ngel s but by himself And '

.
, ,

the Lo rd said unto Mo ses go unto the people , ,

an d sa nctify them to d ay an d to morro w an d let -

them w ash their clothes an d be re ady ag a inst the ,

third day ; for the third day the Lord will come
down in the sight of all the people upon Mount
”
Sin a i. The people were require d to refrai n
fr om worldly l abor a n d c are a n d to po sse ss devo ,

tic n al thought s God required them also to w a sh

.

th eir c loth es He is n o less p a rticul ar now th a n

.

h e wa s then He is a Go d of order an d requires

.
,

h is p eo ple n ow upon the e arth to ob serve h a b r t

s

of strict cle a nline ss And tho se who worshi p .

G o d with unclea nly g a rment s a n d person s do n ot ,

23 4 T H E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

come before him in an a ccept able ma nner He is .

not pleased with their l ac k of reverence for him ,

a n d he will not a ccept the service o f filthy wor

sh ipe rs for they in su

,
lt their Ma ker The Crea .

tor of the hea ven s a n d of the e a rth con sidered

cle anlin ess of so much i mporta nce th at he said ,

And let them w ash their clothe s ”

.

And tho u sh alt set bounds unto the peopl e

ro und about saying T ake heed to yourselves
, , ,

th a t ye go not up into the mount or touch the

’

bor der of it W ho soever toucheth the mount

.

sh a ll be su rely putto de ath There S h all not a

.

h a nd touch it but he Sh all surely be stoned or

, ,

shot throu h ; whether it be be a st or ma n it Shall ,

n o tlive . Vhen the tr umpet soundeth long they ,

S h a ll come up to the mount This co mmand

”
.

wa s de signed to i mpress the minds of thi s rebell

io us people with a pro found vener a tio n for God ,

the author a n d authority of their l aws .

And it c ame to p a ss on the third day in the

morn ing th at there were thunders a n d lightnings
, ,

a n d a thick cloud upon the mount an d the vo ice ,

o f the tru mpet exceeding loud ; so th a t a ll the

people th at was in the c amp trembled The an .

gelio host tha t a tte nded the divine M aj esty sum

mon e d the people by a sound resembli ng th a t of
a tr u mpet which w axed lou der an d louder until
,

th e whole e a rth trembled .

'
A n d Mo ses bro ught forth th e people ou tOf
the c amp to meet with God ; a n d they stood atthe
nether p art of the mo unt And Mount Sin a i was
.

al together on a smoke bec au se the Lord de scended

,

upon it in fire ; a n d the smoke thereof ascended

a s the smoke of a fu rn a ce an d the whole mount
,

qu aked greatly The divine M aj esty d escen ded

.
23 6 T H E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

th e third a n d fourth gener a tion of th e m th at hate

me ; a n d sho w i n g mercy unto thou sa nd s of them
th a tlove me an d keep my comma nd ments .

'
Tho u S h al t n ot t ake the n ame of the Lord
thy God in v a in ; for the Lord will n o thold him
g uiltless th a t t aketh his n ame in v ain .

'
Remember the S abb a th day to k e ep it holy , .

Six d ays shalt thou l abor an d do all thy work ; ,

b ut the seventh day is the S abb a th of the Lord

thy God : in it thou sh alt not do a ny work th ou , ,

n or t hy so n nor thy d aughter thy man serv ant

, ,
-

nor thy ma id serv ant nor thy c attle n or thy

-

, ,

str a n ger th a t is within thy g ate s ; for i n S ix days

th e Lord ma de hea ven an d e arth the se a an d all , ,

th a t in them is an d rested the S a bb a th day ;

,

where fore the Lord blessed the S abb a th day and ,

h allowed it .

Ho n or thy fa ther an d thy mother th a t thy ,

d ays may be lo n g upon the la nd whi ch th e Lord

thy God giveth thee .

Thou sh al tnot kill .

Thou sh alt not co mmit a dultery .

Thou S h alt not ste al .

Tho ush alt not be ar false witness a ga in st thy

n eighbor .

'
Tho u sh alt n ot covet thy neighbor s house ’

thou sh alt not covet thy neighbor s wife n or his ’

man serv an t nor his ma id serva nt n or his ox nor

-

,
-

, ,
”
h is a ss n or a ny thi n g th at is thy neighbor s
,
’
.

T he fir sta n d second co mmandmen ts Spok en by

Jehov ah are precep ts a g ainst idola try ; for i dolatry ,
if pr a cticed would le a d me n to re a t lengths in Sin
, g
a n d rebellion a n d result in the Ofi e rin f h um
'

an
, g o
sa crifice s . G od wo uld g uard ag ain st the l e ast ap
pro a ch to such abo min a tion s The firstfour com .

man dmen ts were given to Show men th eir duty to

 T H E LA W OF G OD . 237

God . Th e fo urth is the connecting link betw e en

th e gre at G o d an d man The S abb ath , especi a lly,
.

was given for the benefi t of man , an d for th e

h onor of Go d . These l ast Six precepts S ho w the
duty of ma n to his fellow man -
.

The S abb a th was to be a S ign between God an d

his peo ple forever In thi s manner was it to be
—
.

a Si n all who Should ob serve the S abb a th , si

g g
nifi e d by such ob serv ance th a t they w ere wor ship

ers of the livi n g God the cre ator of the heaven s

,

an d t he e a rth
. The S abb a th was to be a Sign be
tw ee n G od a n d his people a s ‘long as he Sho u ld
h a ve a people upon the e arth to serve him .

And all the people saw the thunderi n gs an d ,

the li ghtn ings an d the noi se o f the tr u

,
mpet an d ,

th e mo untain smoking ; an d when the people sa w

it they removed an d stood afar off And they
, ,
.

sa i d unto Mo se s Spe a k tho uwith u

,
s an d we will ,

b e ar ; bu t let n otGod spe ak wi t h us lest we die ,

.

And Moses said unto the people Fe ar n ot; for ,

G od is come to prove you a n d th a t h is fe a r ma y

,

be before your faces th a t ye sin not A n d the

,
.

people sto od afar off ; a n d Mo ses drew ne ar unto

the thick d arkness W here God was And the .

Lord sa id unto Mo se s Thu s thou sh alt say unto

,

the c hildren of Isra el Ye h ave seen th a t I h ave

,

ta lk e d with you fro m Heaven ”

The maj estic .

prese nc e of God a tSin ai an d the commotions in

,

the ea rth occ asioned by his presence the fearful ,

thun derin gs an d lightnin gs which a ccomp anied thi s

vi sitation of God so impr essed the minds of the
,

p e opl e with fe ar an d reverence to his sa cred maj

esty th a t they in stinctively dre w b a ck fro m the
,

a wful presence of G od le st they S hould n ot be

,

a ble t o end u re his terrible glory .

Ag a in God wo uld gu ard the ch i ldre n of Isr ael

,
23 8 THE G REAT O T O V ERS Y
C N R .

from idol atry He sa id unto them Ye sh all not

.
,

make with me gods Of silver ”

neither S h a ll ye make
,

un to you gods of gold They w ere in d anger

.

o f i mit a ti n g the ex a mple Of the Egyp ti a n s and ,

maki n g to t hemselve s i mages to represen t G od .

The Lord said to Mo se s Behold I send an ,

'
,

A n gel be fore thee to keep thee in the way and to

, ,

bri n g thee into the pl a ce whi ch I h ave prepared .

Bew are Of h im an d obey his Voice provoke him

, ,

not ; for he will n ot p ardon your tr an sgr essions ;

for my n a me is in h im B u tif thou S h a lt indeed
.

Obey h is voice an d do all th at I sp e ak then I will

, ,

be an e n e my unto thine ene mies an d a n a dver ,

sa ry unto thine a dver sa rie s ; for mine a ngel sh all

go before thee an d bring thee in unto the Amor
,

i tes a n d the Hittites an d the Perizzites an d the

, , ,

C an a anites the Hivites an d the Je busi tes ; a n d I

, ,

will cut the m off ”

The angel who went before
.

Isra el wa s the Lord Jesus C hrist Thou shalt .

n ot bow dow n to their god s n or serve them nor , ,

do after their work s but thou shal tutterly over
throw them an d quite bre ak down their ima ges
,
.

And ye sh all serve the Lord your God a n d he ,

sh a ll bless thy bre a d an d thy w ater ; a n d I will

,

t ake S ickness away fro m the midst of thee .

God would h a ve his people underst a nd th a the

a lone should be the obj ect of their wor shi
p; a n d
whe n they S hould overcome the ido l atrou s n a tions
a ro u nd them they should n otpre serve a ny of the
,

i mages Of their worship bututterly d estroy th em,

.

M a ny Of the se he a then deities were very c o stly ,

a n d Of be autiful work ma n ship which might tempt
,

tho se who h a d witnessed idol worship so co mmon ,

in Egypt to even reg ard thbse sensele ss Obj ects

,

with so me degree of reverence The Lord woul d .

h a ve his people know that it was bec a use O f the

24 0 T H E G RE AT CONT R OVERS Y .

ple all the words of th e Lord an d all the j udg ,

men ts ; an d all th e people an swered with one

voice a n d sa id
,
All the words which th e Lord
,

h a th sa id will we do .

Mo se s ha d written n otthe ten comman dments

, ,

bu t the judgment s which G od would h a v e them

ob serve a n d the romises on condition tha t they
would obey him T
,

i e rea d t hi s to the p eople an d

.
,

they pled ed themselves to obey all the words

which the Tord ha d said Mo ses then wrote th eir .

S o le mn pledge in a book an d o f fered sac rifice unto

G o d for the people And he took the book of
.

the coven a nt an d re a d in the au di e n c e of the peo

,

ple ; an d they sa id All th a t the Lord ha th sai d

,

will we do an d be obedient And Mo ses took the

, .

blood an d sprinkled it on the people a n d sa id

, , ,

B ehold the blood of the covenant w hich the Lord ,

h a th ma de with yo uconcerning all these words .

The p e ople repea ted their solemn pledge to the

Lord to do all tha t he ha d sa id and to b e ob e dient , .

Mo ses obeyed the co mma nd of Go d an d took ,

with him A aron Na dab an d Abih u with seventy

, ,

o f the mo st influenti a l elders in Isr a el wh o had ,

a ssi st e d h im in his w ork an d pl a ced the m a tsuch

,

di st a n ce th a t they might behold the maj esty of

the divine pre sence W hile the people S hould wor
,

ship a t the foot of the mount And they saw .

'

the God of Isra el ; a n d there was under h is feet

a s i twere a p a ved work o f a sapphire stone an d
,
a s it were the body o f he a ven in hi s cle a rness .

And upon the nobles of th e children of Isr a el h e

l aid not his ban d ; a lso they saw Go d a n d did , ,
”
e a ta n d drink .

They did not behold the person of Go d but ,

only the inexpressible glory which surrounded
h i m Previou s to this ha d they l ooked upo n such
.
,
 T H E LA W OF GOD .
24 1

sacr e d glory they could not h a ve lived for they

, ,

were unprep a red for it But the exhibition s of .

G od s po wer h a d filled them with fea r which

’

wr ought in them repent ance for their p a st tr an s

ressio ns They loved a n d reverenced G o d a n d
g .
,

ha d b e en puri fying themselve s an d contempl a ting ,

h is grea t glory p urity a n d mercy until they could

, ,

a ppro ac h ne a rer H im who h a d been the subj ect

of all their medit a tion s God had en shrouded his .

g lo ry with a thick cloud so th a t t he people could ,

n o tbe hold it The o ffice of the elders who m Mo

.

ses to ok wi t h him was to aid him in lea ding the

,

ho st o f Isra el to the promise d l and T hi s work .

was o f such magnitude th a t G od conde scended to

put his Spirit upon them He honored them wit h .

a n ea rer Vie w o f the glory which su rrounde d his

e x alt ed maj e sty th a t they might with wi sdom ac t
,

th e ir p art in the work assigned them of gui din g

his people with his fe a r an d gl ory contin u ally be
,

for e them .

'
And the Lord said u n to Moses C ome up to ,

me into the mount an d be there ; a n d I will giv e

,

thee t ables of stone an d a law an d command , ,

men ts which I h ave written ; th at thou may est

tea ch them And Mo ses ro se up an d his minister
.
,

Jo sh u a ; an d M o ses went up into the mount of

Go d . A n d he said un t o the elder s T a rry ye ,

he r e for u s u ntil we come ag a in unto you; an d,

,

behold A aron an d Hur are with you ; if an y man

,

ha v e any ma tters to do let him come unto them ,

.

A n d M o ses went up into the mount an d a clo ud ,

co vered the mount And the glory of the Lord .

a bod e upon M ount S in a i a n d t h e cloud covered it ,

six d ay s ; an d the seventh da he c a lled unto

y
M oses out Of the midst Of the cloud And the .

G rea tCo n t
ro v ers y .
16
24 2 r m : A
G RE T coxrn ovna sr .

sight the glory of the Lord was l ik e devouring

of

fire o n h
t e top o f th e m ount in the eye s of the ,

child ren of Isr a el And Moses went into the

.

midst of the cloud a n d gat h im up into the,

moun t ; a n d Mos”e s wa s in the mount forty days

a n d forty nigh t s .

Even Mo ses could n ot go up a tonc e into the

mou n t ; for he could not i mmedia tely approa ch so
n igh unto God a n d end u ,
re the exhibitions of his
lory Six days he was prep a ring to mee t with
g .

G od . H is c ommon tho ughts an d feelin gs must be

p u t a wa y .D u ring six days he was devoting his
thoughts to God a n d sa ncti fying himse l f by medi
,

ta tion an d pra yer be fore he could be prep ared to

,

co n ve rse with God .

After the Lord ha d given Mo se s directions in

r e g ard to the sanctuary he a gain g a ve h im sp ecial
,

i n struc tions in regard to his S abb a th And then .

he h a nded do wn from the cloud with h is own di

vine h ands the tables of stone to Mo ses whereon ,

he ha d en gr aven with his own finger the ten com

man dmen ts .

B utwhile Mo ses wa s receiving speci a l instru o

tio n s fro m God the chi ldren of Isra el were cor
,

ru t
p gi n the mselve s a t the foo t o f the m oun t .

'
And when the people saw th at Mo ses delayed
to come down outof the mount the people ga th ,

ered themsel ves together unto Aa ron an d sai d ,

un to him Up ma ke us gods whi ch sh all go b efor e
, , ,
us ; for a s for thi s Mo ses the ma n th a t brought ,

us up outof the la nd of Egypt we wot n otwh at ,

i s beco me of him And A aron said unto th em
.
,

Break ofi the golden e ar rin g s which a re in the

'

e ars of your wives of yo ur son s an d o f your

, ,

d aughters an d bring them unto me And all the

, .

people br ake ofi the golden e ar rings whi ch were

'

-
 ms oa mr c os mo vxnsv .

s ho ul d never re turn t o th em they c o uld

go b ac k,

into Egypt a n d find favor with th e Egyptians

, ,

by bea rin this image befor e them a c k n owledg

in g itas tg
,

l eir god ) .

Aa ron remon strated against their p l an s until he ,

tho ugh tthe peopl e were determin ed to c a rry out

th e i r purpose an d then ceased h is reason in wi th
,

them T he cla mors of the pe opl e ma de a ron

.

a fr a id of h is life .And in stea d of st an ding up

n obly for the honor of God an d tru stin g his ,

in h is ha nds who ha d wro ught wonders for his

people he lost his co ura ge his tru st in G od and
, , ,

cowardly yielded to the wishes o f an imp atient

people ; an d this too in d irect op position to the
, ,

c ommands of Go d He made an idol an d built

.
,

an a l t a r whereon they ofiered sa crifice t o this idol

'

And A aron submitted to hear the p eo pl e pr oc laim ,

These be thy gods O Israel which h a ve brought

, ,
”
thee up outof the l and of Egypt W ha t an in .

sult to Jehov a h ' They ha d recentl y l ist e n ed t o

the procl ama tion of the law of God from S in ai ,

a mid the mo st su bli me demon stra tion s of divine

po wer a n d when their fa ith was t ested by M oses
, ,
’

bei n g fro m the m for a few week s they e n gaged ,

in id ol a try which had been so recently spe c ified

, ,

an d expressly forbi dden by J ehov ah ,

By so do .

in g they tr an s resse d the first an d secon d com

ni a n dme n t od s a nger was kindl e d a ainst
’
s .
g
tll em.

'
And the Lord said unto Moses G o ge t th e e , ,

down ; for thy people which thou brough testout

,

of the l a nd of E ypt h a ve corrupted t

g ,
hem se l ves .

They h ave turned a si de quickly outof th e way

which I commanded them They h ave made
them a molten c alf a n d h a ve worshiped it and
, ,

h a ve sa crificed thereunto an d sa id Th ese be thy

, ,
 r un LA W or c on . 24 5

ods, Isr a el which h a ve brought thee up ou

O t of
g ,

the l a nd of Egypt And the Lord sa id unto Mo

.

ses I h a ve see n this p e ople an d behold it is a , ,

, ,

st iff n e cked people

-
Now therefore le tme alone
.
, , ,

tha t my wr a th may wa x hot aga in st them a n d ,

th a t I may c on sume them; an d I will make of

”
the e a gre a t n a tion .

G od saw th at the children of I sr a el especi a lly ,

t h e mi xed multitude were cont inu ally dispo sed to

,

rebel an d by th eir work s provoke h im t

, , o destroy ,

th em H e knew tha t they would murmur again st

.

M o ses whe n in difficulty an d grieve him by their

, ,

c on t in ual rebellion H e propose d to M o ses to

.

consu me the m an d make of him a gre a t n ation

,
.

H ere the Lord pro ved Mo se s He kne w th at it .

was a la borio u s an d soul trying work t o le a d th a t

-

re belli ou s pe ople t hrough to the promi se d l a nd .

H e wou ld test the persevera nce fa ithfulness an d ,

lo ve of M o ses for such an errin g a n d un gr ateful

,

e0 pl e But M o se s wou l d n ot con sent to h a ve

.

a s] d estroyed H e show e d by his in t

. e r c ession s
’

with G od that he va lued the pro sperity of God s

c ho sen people more highly th a n a gre a t n ame or ,

t o b e ca lle d t he fa ther of a gre a ter natio n tha n

was Isr ae l .

'
A n d Moses besou ght the Lord his God an d ,

sa i d Lord why do th thy wr a th w a x hot a g ai n st

, ,

t hy people which tho uhast brought forth ou tof

t he lan d of Egypt with grea t power a n d with a
, ,

migh ty han d ? W herefore should the Egypti ans

speak an d say F or misc hi e f di d he bring them
,

ou t t o sla y t h em in t
, he mo un t a ins an d to c o n ,

su mo them fro m the fa ce of the ea rth ? T urn

from thy fierce wr ath an d repen t of this e vrl ,

a ga i n t
s t hy peopl e R e mm
e ber Abr a h
. a m I saac , ,

an d I sra el thy servant s t

,
o who m tho u sw ar est ,
 24 6 THE G RE AT con movmsr .

by thine own sel f an d saidst unto them, I will

,

mul tiply your seed as the sta rs of he ave n and all ,

thi s l an d tha t I h ave spoken of wi ll I give unto

”
yo ur seed a n d they sh a ll inhe rit it forever
,
.

T h e thought th a t the he a then n a tio n s an d se ,

ec ia ll the Egypti a n s would triumph over Is~

p y ,

r a e l a n d repro ach God wa s ov erwhelmi ng to Mo

, ,

se s
. He could n otle t Isra el go n otwithsta n din g ,

a ll their rebel lion an d their repeat

, e d murmur
ings a g a i n st him How could he give up a peo
.

ple for whom so much had been done a n d who ,

h a d in so wonderful a manner been brough t ou t

o f E ypt The new s of their del iv er a nc e had
g .

been spre a d among all n a tions a n d a ll pe ople ,

were a n xiously w atching to see W h at G od would

do for them And Mo ses remembered well the
.

wor ds of the Egypti a n s th a t he wa s l e a din g them

,

i n to the wilderness th at they mi ght perish and ,

he receive their po ssession s And n ow if Go d .

sho u ld de stroy his people an d exal t h im to be a ,

grea ter n a tion th a n Isr a el woul d not the he athen ,

tri umph an d deride the God of the Hebre ws a n d

, ,

say th a t he was n otable t o le a d them t o the la n d

he h a d pro mised them ? A s Mo ses interc ede d for
Isra el before G od his timidity was lo st in his
,

deep interest a n d love for th at people for wh om '

he h ad in the h an ds of Go d been th e mean s of

, ,

doi n g so much He pre sented befo re G od his

.

pro mise made to Abr ah am Isaa c an d Jacob , '

, .

He prayed to God with firm fa ith a n d determin e d

purpose The Lord listen e d to h is ple a din g s an d
.
,

reg ar de d his unselfish prayer an d promise d M o ,

ses th a t he wou ld sp are Isr a el .

N obly did Mo ses st a nd the test an d sho w that ,

his intere st in Isr a el wa s n ot to obt ai n a at

n am e, n or t o exaltHim self The b u rd en of od s

’
.
24 8 T un G REA T con movna sr .

for th e d re adful ibiti on which be wi tn essed of

e xh

th de r a d a tio n o f Isr a e l H e th re w dow n the

e g
.

t a bl es of stone in utter discoura gementan d wrath

,

bec a use of Isra el s gre a t sin before God

’
.

T he ac tof Mo ses i n b u rning the c al f an d grind

in g it to powder an d making them drin k of it
, ,

w t show the m the ut t er wo r th l essn e ss of th e

—
a s o

o d which they ha d been worship in

g th at t h eir
g
od h ad n o power a tall M en c o ul d bu rn it in
g
.

the fire grind it to powder an d drink it with out

, ,

r e c e i vi n g an y i nj u ry therefrom H e ask e d them .

ho w then they could expect suc h a god t

, ,
o save

them or to do them a n y g ood or a ny evi l Then

, ,
.

h e rehearse d to th em the exhibition s wh ich t hey

h a d witn esse d of the unl imi ted power glory , and ,

maje sty of the livin g God

, .

And itc ame to p ass when ye hea rd th e voi ce ,

ou tof the midstof the d ark ness (for t h e moun tain

di d burn with fire) th a t ye c a me near un t o me,
,

even all the he ads of yo ur trib es an d your el de rs , .

A n d ye said Behold the Lord ou

, , r God ha th sh ewed

us h is gl ory an d his grea tn ess an d we h ave heard

, ,

h is voice ou tof t he midst of t h e fir e W e have .

seen t h i s day tha t Go d doth t alk with man an d ,

he liveth N ow therefore why shou l d w e die ?

.
, ,
for thi s gre at fire will con su me us If we h e a r the .

voice of the Lord our God any more th e n we ,

sh a ll di e . F or who is there of a ll flesh tha t ha th

he a rd the voice of the living God spe akin g o utof
th e mi dst of t h e fire a s we h a ve an d lived ? Go
, ,
thou ne ar an d he a r all tha t the Lor d our G od
,

sh a ll say ; an d spea k thou un t o u s all t h at t he

Lord our Go d sha ll spe ak unto th e e ; a n d we will
he ar it an d do it And the Lord h eard the
, .

VOI CO of words when ye sp ak e un to me

he ]y
.
,
A nd t our
or d said unto me, I h ave h eard the
 TH E LA W or G OD .
24 9

v oic e of the words of this peopl e which they hav e ,

spok en u nto thee They h ave well said a ll th at

.

they ha ve spoken O h th at there were suc h an

.
,

h ea rt in th em th a t they wo uld fe a r me an d keep

, ,

all my co mma nd ment s a l wa ys th at it might b e ,

well wi th them, an d with their ch ildr e n forever

M ose s then prese nted b e fore them their dis
rac efu l conduct in worshipin g a c alf the work of
g ,

ma n in the pla ce of offering sin cere devotion to

,

t h e li vin g God . He point e d them to the broken

t a bl es of st one which represented to them tha t
,

thu s ha d they broken t h e cov e n an t which they

h a d so recently made with God God did n o tte
.

prov e M oses for bre akin g the ta bl es of sto n e ,

bu t was very a n gry with Aaron bec ause of his

sin a n d he would ha ve destroyed him h a d it n ot ,

been for the spec i a l interce ssion s of Mo se s in his

b eh alf Moses inq uired of Aaron W h at did this
.
,
'

p pe o le u nto thee th a t
, thou h ast brought so gre a t
a sin upon them?
A a ron endeavore d to excuse his sin a n d re
—
,

l ated to M ose s the cl amors of the people th a t if

he h a d n otcomplied wi th their wi shes they would ,

ha v e k il l ed him And A a ron sa id Letn ot the

.
,

an e r of m l ord w a x hot Thou knowe st t h e

g y .

p le t h t they a re se t on mischief F or they

p eo ,
a .

sa id u nt o me M a ke us g ods whi ch sh a ll go before

, ,

us ; for as for this Mo ses the man tha t brought ,

us up outof the l a nd of E gypt we wotn ot wh a t ,

is become of him And I said un to them Who

.
,

soever h a th a n y gold let the m bre a k it off

,
So .

th ey ga ve it me ; then I c ast it into the fire a n d ,

h ere c ame out thi s c al f

”
t He would h ave M oses
—
.

t hin k tha t a mira cle had been per or ed f f m th a t

th e gold was ca st into the fire an d b y som
, ei m m e

ulous power it was ch anged to a c a lf Th i s w as .

 T H E G RE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

to l e ssen his g u il tin the eyes of Mo se s, a n d c au

se
i tto a ppe a r t ha t he ha d a pl a u sible e xcuse for
p e rmi tti n g the p eople to sa crifice to it , an d to
procl ai m T he se be thy gods O I sra el whi ch
,
'
, ,

bro ugh tthee up outof the l and of Egypt ”

.

Mo se s reb uked A aron an d i n forme d him that

,

h is c o n d uc t was highly cen sura ble ; for he ha d

bee n blessed above the people an d ha d been ad ,

mitte d in to c lo se converse with G od That he .

sho u ld c o mmit so gre a ta sin even to sa ve h is life

, ,

w a s a ma tte r o f a sto n ish ment to fa i th ful Mo ses .

H e sa w th a t the people were n a ked ; th a t is wer e ,

st ripp e d of their or n a me n t s ; for A a ro n h a d made

th em n aked to their sh a me a mo n g their enemies ,
.

He ha d deprived the m of their orn a ments and ,

p u t the m to a sh a m e fu l u se They h a d n ot .

merely lo st their orn a ment s but they were di ,

vested of their de fe n se ag a i n st S a tan ; for they

h a d lo st their piety an d con secr a tion to God ,

a n d h a d for feited h is protection He ha d in his .

,

di sple asure removed his susta ini ng h a n d an d

, ,

they were le ftexpo sed to the contempt a n d power

o f th e ir enemies Their enemies were well ao
.

q u a in te d with the w onder ful work s perfor m ed by

the h a n d of Mo ses in Egypt And they knew .

th a t Mo se s ha d bro ught them from Egypt in obe ,

dien es to the co mmand of the Go d of th e H e

bre ws to rid them of idol atry an d to secure to
, ,

himself their undi vided afl e ction s an d their sacred

'

worship .

The children of Isra el ha d brok en their all e

g ian c e to God ; a n d i f he s
,
hould se e fi t he ,

wo uld pu n i sh the m as they deserve d Then .

Mose s stood in the g a te of the c amp a n d said , ,

Who is on the Lord s side ? lethim co me unto me

’
.

And all the son s of L evi g athered themsel ves to

25 2 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO VERS Y .

high crime of idol atry an d con secr a t e d th em

,

selves more fu lly to the sa cred worshi p of the

o n ly tr ue God The terror of the Lord was upon
.

the people an d they were afraid th a t they would

,

a ll be de stroyed .A s Mo ses saw their di stress ,

he promised a ccor di n g to their ea rn est request

, ,

to ple a d wi th the Lord to p ardon their gr ea t sin .

And it c a me to p a ss on the morrow tha tMoses ,

sa id u nto the people ye ha ve sinned a great sin ;

,

a n d now I will go up unto the Lord ; pera dv en t ure

I sh a ll make a n a tonement for your sin And Mo .

se s retu r n ed unto the Lord an d sa id O h ' this, ,

people h ave sinned a gre at sin an d h a ve ma de ,

them gods of gold Yet n ow if thou wilt forgive

.
,

their sin a n d if not blot me I pray t

, hee ou t , ,

of thy book which tho u h a st written A n d the .

Lord said unto M o ses W hoso ever ha th sin n ed

,

a g ai n st me ,
him will I blot o u t of my book .

Therefore n ow go lea d the pe ople unto the pla ce

, ,

of whi c h I h a ve spoken un t o thee B ehold min e .

,

An gel sh all go before thee ; n e vertheless in the ,

day when I visit I will visit their sin u pon them

,
.

And the Lord pl agued the people b ec ause they ,

ma de th e ca lf which A a ron made

,
”
.

Mo ses ma ni fested his grea t love for th e pe opl e

in his entre aty to the Lord to forgive their sin or ,

blo thi s n ame outof the b ook which he had writ

te n H is interce ssion s here il l u str ate Christ s
’
.

l ove a n d me di a tion for the sinful ra ce The Lord .

re fused to let Mo ses sufl er for the sins of his

'

b a ck slidi n g people He dec l are d to him tha t

.

tho se who had sinne d a g ain st him h e woul d blot

ou t of his book which he ha d written ; for t he
righteou s sho u l d n otsuffer for the g uilt of th e
n er. The book here referre d to is th e book of
recor ds in H e a ven where every na m e is recor ded,
,
 T H E LA w or c on . 25 3

an d their a cts their sin s an d obedience a re fa ith

, , ,

fully written When a n y on e commits sin s which

.

are t oo grievou s for the Lord to p a rdon their ,

n ames are er ased fro m the book a n d they are de ,

voted t o de struction Although Mo ses re alized

.

th e dre a dfu l fa te of tho se who se n ames should be

dropp e d from the book of God yet he pl a inly de ,

c la re d before God th a t if the n a mes of his erring

I sr a el should be blotted out an d be n o more te ,

membered by him for good he wi shed his n ame to ,

be blotted outwith their s ; for he could never e n

dure to se e the fullness of his wra th co me upo n
th e people for who m he ha d wrought such won
ders .

'
A n d the Lor d sa id unto Mo ses Dep art a n d , ,

o u p h e nce thou an d the people which thou h ast

g ,

brou ght up out of the l a nd of Egypt unto the ,

la n d which I swear unto Abr aham to Isa a c an d , ,

to J a cob , sayi n g Unto thy seed wil l I give it

, .

A n d I will send an Angel before thee ; a n d I will

driv e ou t the C a n aanite the Amorite a n d the
, ,

H ittite an d the Perizzite the Hivite an d the

, , ,

Jchusi te ; unto a la nd flowing with milk a n d

honey ; for I will n otgo up in the midst of thee ;
for thou a rta stiff necked people lest I consu me
-

thee in the way And when the people he a rd

.

the se evil tidings they mourned ; a n d no man di d

,

ut n him his orn a ments For the Lord h a d sa id

p o .

un to M ose s S ay unto the childre n of Isr a el Ye

, ,

are a stif f necked people

-
I will come up into the
.

midst of thee in a moment an d co n sume thee ; ,

therefore n ow put off thy orn aments from thee

, , ,

th a t I may k no w wh a t to do unto thee And the .

c hildre n of Isr a el stripped the mse lve s of their or

n a men t s by the mount Horeb And Mo ses took .

t h e tabe rn a cle an d p itched it witho ut t

,
h e c amp ,
2 54 T H E G RE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

a fa r from the c amp an d c all ed it the taber

of
f ,

n a c le o f the co n gr e g a tion And it c a me to p ass .

th a t every one whic h so ugh t the Lord went out ,

u n to the ta bern a c le of the congreg a tion which ,

wa s wi tho ut the c a mp .

The t abern a c le here mentioned wa s a temporary

te n t a rr a n ged for the worship of God The tab .

srn a c le the p a ttern of which God g a ve t

,
o M oses ,

h a d not yet been b uilt .

All who si n cerely repented of the ir sins ma de ,

su ppli c a tion un to God in the t aberna cle confess ,

i n g their si n s with gre a t humili t y a n d then re ,

turned ag ain to their tents Then Mo se s went .

into the t abern a cle The people w a tched with

.

the deepest interest to se e if God wo uld a ccept

h is in terce ssion s in their beh alf a n d if he conde
scended to meet wi t h Mo se s then they might hope ,

th a t they might n o t be utterly con sumed W hen .

the c loudy pil la r descended a n d stood a t the door

of the t a bern a cle the n all the people wept for
,

j oy a n d ro se up an d worshiped every man in his

, ,

te n t door They bo wed themselves upon their

.

fa ces to the e ar th in h umili ty A s the pill ar of .

clo ud a toke n of God s presence continued to

,
’

rest a tthe door of the t abern a cle they knew that ,

Moses was ple a di n g in their behalf before God .

And the Lord sp ake unto Mo ses fa ce to fa c e as ,

a ma n spe a keth unto his friend
”
.

And Mo ses sa id unto the Lord See thou say , ,

e stunto me Bri n g u thi s people d thou h st
, p ; a n a
n ot let me know who m thou wilt send with me .

Ye t thou h a st said I know thee by n ame an d

, ,

thou h ast also found gra ce in my sight N ow there .

,

fore I pray thee if I h ave found a ce in thy

, ,
sight show me now thy wa th t m know
, y a a
y ,

thee that I may find gr ace in thy sight ; an d con

,
25 6 T H E G RE AT c os movmsr .

serv a nt And
. the
'
Lord sa i d un to M o se s I will ,

do this thin g a lso th a t tho uh ast spo ken for thou

h astfound gr a ce in m sight an d I kn ow th e e by ,

n a me A n d he said
. b esee ch th ee sh o w me thy
, ,

lory And he sa id I will mak e a ll my goodn ess

g .
,

p ass before thee an d I will pr oc la im the n ame of

,

the Lord before thee an d will be grac io us to

who m I will be gr aciou s an d will show mercy on ,

who m I will show mercy And he said Tho u .

,

c a nst not see my fa ce ; for there sh all n o man see

me a n d li ve And the Lord said Behold th ere
,
.
, ,

is a pl a c e by me a n d thou sha lt sta n d u, po n a

rock ; an d it sh all co me to p ass whi le my glory ,

p asseth by th a t I will put thee in a c leftof the

,

rock a n d will cover thee with my h a nd while I

,

p ass by ; an d I will t ake away min e h a nd an d ,

thou sh al tse e my b a ck p ar ts ; but my fa c e shall

”
not be seen .

Ne ver before ha d fa llen man been thus favor ed

of God A s he l a id upon Mo ses th e gr e a twork
.

of le a ding his people through t o th e pr omised

l and he condescended to manifest to h im his glory
,

as he never h a d t o a n y other s u pon th e e a rth .

A n d the Lord sa id unto Mo ses H ew th e e t wo ,

t ables of stone like unto the first ; an d I will write

upon these ta bles the words tha t were in th e first
t ables which thou br a k est And be r ea dy in the .

morning an d come up in the morning unto M ount

,

Sin a i a n d present thyself there to me in th e top

,

o f the moun t And n o man sh all c ome up with

.

thee neither let an y ma n be seen through out all

,

the mount ; neither le t the flocks n or her ds feed

before tha t mount ”
.

The Lord forb ade an y ma n s being se en th r ough ’

out the mount bec ause of their r e cen t tra n s se

lest his glory should consume th em Thi s
,

.
 T H E LA W or c on . 25 7

wi ll g iv e all to un der sta n d how God re gar ds the

tr a nsgressio n of his commandments I f the peo .

ple c o uld n otl ook upon his glory, which appe are d
upon Sin a i the secon d time as he ag ain wrote h is ,

la w how will the wick e d who h ave tr ampled upo n

, ,

the au thority of God hear his burning glory a s ,

th ey me et the gr eat L awgiver over his broken law ?

'
A n d he he wed two ta bl es of stone like unto ,

the first; an d M o ses ro se up e a rly in the morn

ing an d went up unto Mount Sin ai a s the Lord
, ,

had c o mmande d him a n d took in his h and the ,

two tables of stone And the Lor d descende d in

.

the cloud an d stood with him there an d pro

, ,

c la imed t h e n ame of the Lord And the Lord .

passe d by before him an d procl ai med The Lord , ,

the L ord God mercifu l an d gra cious lon sufl er

'

, ,

in g an d ab u
, ndant in goodness an d truth seping ,

me rcy for thou sa nds forgivin g iniquity an d tra ns ,

ression a n d sin a n d th a t will by n o me an s cle a r

g ,

th e g u ilty ; vi siting the iniquity of the fathers

upo n the children an d upon the c hildren s c hil
’

dre n unto the third an d to the fourth gener a tion

,
.

G od did n otmea n in this thre atening th a t the

chi ldren should be compelled to s uffer for their
p a r ents sin s but th a t the ex ample of the p aren ts
’

would be imit ate d by the children I f the chil .

dren of wicked p arent s should serve God an d do

righte ousness he would rew ard their right doi n g
,
-
.

Butth e efl ec ts of a sinfu l life are often inherite d

'

by th e children They follow in the foot step s of

.

th eir p arents Sinful ex ample h as its i n flue n ce

.

fro m fa ther to son to the third a n d fo urth ge n er a

,

tion s If p arent s indulge in depr aved appetites

. ,

they will in a lmo st every c ase se e the same a c te d

, ,

over in their children The children will develop .

17
25 8 THE G RE AT O
C N TR O VERS Y .

ch ar acters simil ar to tho se of their p arents; an d nu

l ess they are ren ewed by r a ce an d over c o me th ey
g
, ,

a re tr uly un fortun a te f p a rent s

. ar e conti nu ally

rebelliou s an d inclined to disobey G od their chil

, ,

dren will gener ally imit ate their ex ample Godly .

p arents who in struct their children by precept

,

an d ex ample in the w ays of righteou sness will ,

gener ally se e their children following in th eir foot

step s . The ex ample of God fe aring p arent s will -

be i mitated by their children a n d their chil dren s ,

’

ch ildren will imit ate the right ex ample the ir pa

ren t s h ave se tbe fore them ; a n d thu s the influence

is se en from gener a tion to gener ation .

A s the Lord i mpre ssed upon the he a rt of M oses

a cle a r sen se of his goodne ss h is mercy a n d com ,

p assion he wa s filled with tr an sports of j oy which

, ,

l ed h im to worship God with profound re verence .

H e e n tre a ted th a t the Lord wo uld p a rdo n the in

iq uity of h is people a n d t ake them for h is in h er
,

ita n c e . Then God gra ciously promised Mo ses

th at he wo uld make a coven a nt b efore all Isr ael
to do gre at things for his people ; a n d th at he
wo uld evidence to all n a tion s his speci a l c a re a n d
love fo r them .

God then c h arged Mo ses to make n o coven ant

with the inh abit a nts of the l a nd whither they
sho u ld go lest they shoul d be in sna red thereby
,
.

B ut they should destroy their ido l a lt ar s brea k ,

the ir i mages a n d c ut down their groves which
, ,

were dedic ated to their idols an d W here the peo ,

ple a sse mbled to hold their idol a trous fe asts given ,

in honor of the ir idol gods He then said to t hem .

,

Thou sh al tworship no other god ; for the Lord ,

who se n ame is J e alou s is a j e a lou s God

,
”
God .

c la i ms supreme worship a s h is due He ga ve spe .

c i al direction s in reg ard t o h is S abb a th : Six '

2 60 T H E G RE AT GON TB OVERS Y .

w ays re ali ze tha t judgments are from G o d He .

is a j e alous God an d r e q,
uir es he ar t se rvi c e and
perfe c tobedience to a ll his comma ndme nts .

And it c ame to p ass when Mo ses came down ,

from Mount Sin ai (with the two t ables of testi

mony in Mo ses ha nd wh en he c ame down from
’

the mo unt) th at Moses wist n ot th at the ski n of

,

his fac e sho n e while he talked with H im A n d .

when A ar on an d all the chi ldren of Israe l saw

Mo ses behold the skin of his fac e shone an d th ey
, , ,

were a fra id to co me nigh him And M oses called .

unto them; a n d A aro n an d all the rulers of the

congrega tion returned unto him an d M oses talk ed ,

with them And afterward all the children of I s

.

r a el c ame nigh ; an d he ga ve them in command

ment a ll th a t the Lord ha d spoken with him in
Mount Sin ai And till Mo ses had don e spe akin g
.

wi th the m he put a v ail on his fa ce

, B utwhen .

Mo ses went in before the Lord to spe a k with hi m , ,

he took the v a il ofl until he c ame out A n d he

'

.
,

c ame out an d sp ake unto the children of Israel

th a t which he was commanded And the children .

of Isr a el saw the fa ce of Mo ses th a t the sk in of ,

Mo ses fa ce shone ; an d Moses putthe v a il upon his

’

fa c e a g a in until he went in to spe ak with him

”
, .

Those who trample upon God s a uthori ty an d ’

,
show open contemp t to t h e law given in su ch
gra ndeur a tSin ai virtu ally despise the L a wgiver
, ,
the grea t J eho vah The children of Isra el who
.

transgressed the first an d second comman dments ,

were charged not to be seen a nywhere n ear th e
mount where God was to descend in glory to
,

write the law a sec ond time up on tables of stone ,

l est they should be con sumed with the burnin g
glory of h is pr esen c e And if they could not .

even look upon the fa c e of Mo ses for the glory

 T H E LA W or G on . 261

of his c ounten ance , bec au se he ha d been commun

in g with God, how much less c an the tr a n sgressor s
o f God s la w look u pon the Son of God when he
’

sh all a ppe a r in the cloud s of he aven in the lory

o f hi s F a ther, surrounded by all t he a nge lic ost, L
t o e x ec u te judgment upon all who h a ve disre
a rd e d the co mma nd men t s of God , a n d ha ve trod
g
de n under foo t his blo o d '
The law of God existe d be fore man was crea ted .

T he a n gels were governed by it S ata n fell be

.

ca u se he tra n sgresse d the principles of God s ov

’

g
e rn me n t . After Adam an d Eve were created, God
ma de kno wn to them his law It was n ot then.

writte n , butwa s rehe ar sed to them by J eho v ah .

T h e S a bba th of the fourth comma ndment was

i n stitute d in Eden . After G od ha d made the
w orld , a n d cre a ted man u pon the e arth, h e ma de
th e S abba th for man After Adam s sin an d fall ,
’
.

n ot hing was taken fro m the law of G od The . .

ri n c i les of t h t n c omma ndments e xi sted b e

p p e e
for e the fall , an d were of a ch ar ac ter suited to
the c o ndi tio n of a holy orde r of being s Afte r
.

th e fa ll , the principle s o f tho se precepts w e re n ot

c h a nge d, bu t a ddi tion a l p rec epts were g iven t o
mee tman in his falle n sta te .

A system was then established requiri n g the

sacrific in o f be asts, t o k ee p be fore fa llen ma n
th atwhio t h e se rpe nt mad e Eve disb e liev e, tha t
th e pe n alty of di sobedience is dea th .The tran s
re ssion of God s law ma de itn e cessary for Chri st
’

g
to die a sa crifice , a n d thu s ma k e a way po ssible
fo r man to esc ape the pen alty, an d yet the ho n or
of G o d s la w be pr eserved
’
. The system of sa c ri
fice s wa s to tea ch man humility, in view of h i s
fallen condition , an d le a d h im to r e pen t a nce , a n d
to t ru st in God a l one ,
thro ug h the pro m i sed R e
2 62 Ti m G REAT CO N TROVERS Y .

d e emer ,
for p a rdon fo r p a st tr an sgre ssion of his
la w . I f the la w of God h a d not been tran s
rosse d th e re n e ve r wo u ld h a ve be e n d ea th a n d
g , ,

th e re w o uld h a v e be e n no need o f a ddition al pre

c opts to sui tman s fall en condition ’
.

Ad am t aught h is de scend ants the la w of God ,

whi c h la w wa s h a nd ed down t o the fa ith ful t hro ugh

su c c e ssi ve g e n er a tion s The con tinu al tran sgres
.

sion of G o d s law c alled for a flood of w aters u pon

’

th e e a rth The law was pr eserved by N o ah an d

.

h is fa mily who for right doi n g were sa v e d in the

,
-

a rk by a mir a c le of God No ah t aught h is de

.

sce n dan t s the ten co mma n dment s The Lord pre .

se rv e d a p e ople for hi msel f fro m Ad a m down in ,

who se he art s wa s h is la w He says of Abr a h am

.
,
He obeyed my voice a n d kept my ch arge my
'
, ,

co mmandment s my statutes an d my l a ws
,
”
, .

The Lord app e ared unto Abr ah am an d said ,

un to h im I a m the A l mighty God

,
'
W a lk be .

fore me an d be thou p e rfe c t And I will make a

,
.

coven ant betw e en me an d thee an d will multiply ,

thee exceedingly ”
And I will estab lish my
.
'

c oven a nt between me a n d thee an d thy se e d a fter ,

th e e i n th e ir en eration s for an everl a sting c ove

n a n t to be a G
, ,

o d u n to th e e a n d to thy se ed a ft er
,

thee .

He then requir ed of Abrah am an d h is see d c ir ,

cu mc ision whi c h wa s a circle c ut in the fl esh as

, ,
a toke n th a t God h a d c u tthem ou tan d sep ara te d
them from all n a tio n s a s his peculia r treasure .

By thi s sign they solemn ly ple dged themselves

tha t they would n ot interma rry with other n a
ti on s ; for by so doi n g th ey wo uld l ose their rev
e ren ce for God a n d his holy law a n d w oul d be ,
c o me like the idol a trou s n a tion s a round them .

By the ac tof circumcision they sol emnly agreed

2 04 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

th e y faile d to endure the tri al They murmured .

a g a i n st God be c a use o f difli culties in the wa

y and ,

wi shed to return a ga in to Egypt To le a ve them .

wi tho ut exc use the Lord himself conde scended to

,

co me do wn upon S in a i en shrouded in gl ory an d , ,

surro u nded by h is angel s an d in a mo st sublime ,

a n d a w fu l manner ma de known his law of ten

co mma ndments He did not trust th em to be
.

t augh t by a n y on e n ot even h is an gel s but

, ,

S poke h is la w with a n audible voice in the h ea r in g

of a ll the p eople He did not even then trust

.
, ,

them to the short memory of a peop l e wh o were

prone to forget his requirements but wrote them ,

with h is own holy finger upon tabl es of stone .

He would remove fro m th em all po ssibili ty of

minglin g with his holy precepts a ny tr a dition or ,

of c onfu sing h is requiremen ts with the pr a c tic es

of me n .

He then c ame still closer to hi s peop l e wh o were ,

so re a dily led a stra y an d would not lea v e them

,

with merely the ten precepts of the dec al ogue .

H e commanded M o ses to write a s he sho ul d bi d

.

him j udgment s an d l aws gi ving minut e direc

, ,

tions in rega rd to what he req uired th em to per

form a n d thereby gu arde d the ten precepts which
,

he ha d engr aved upon the tables of sto ne Th ese .

specific direction s an d requirement s were iv en t

o
g
dra w e rrin ma n t o the obedience of t h e moral
la w which e is so prone to tran sgress
, .

I f ma n h a d kept the law of God a s i ven to

g ,

Adam a fter h is fall pr eserved in the ark by No ah

, ,
an d ob served by Abr ah am ther e would h av e been
,
n o n ecessity for the ordin ance of circu mc isio n .

And if the d escen d ants of Abrah am had kept the

coven ant of which circumcision was a tok e n or
,

pledge they would n ever hav e gon e into idolatry,

,
 T H E LA W or G OD . 2 65

been suflered to go down into E ypt; an d

'

n or
there would h a ve been no nece ssity of g od s pro ’

cl aiming his law from Sin a i an d engra ving it upon

,

ta bles of stone an d gu arding it by defini te dir c e

,

tion s in the judgment s an d stat utes given to

Mo ses .

M oses wrote these jud gment s an d statutes from

th e mouth of God while he was with him in the
mo unt If the pe ople of G od h a d obeyed the
.
,

pri n cipl es of the ten comma ndments there would ,

h a ve been n o need of the specific directions given

to Mo ses which he wrote in a book rel ative to
, ,

t h eir duty to God an d to on e a nother The defi .

n it e direc tion s which the Lord a ve to Mo se s in

g
regard to the duty of hi s people to on e another ,
an d t o t he str a nger are the principles of the ten
,

c ommandments simplified an d given in a defin ite

ma nner th a t they n e ed n oterr
,
.

Th e Lord sa id of the children of Isra el Be ,

ca u se they ha d n o t executed m j u dg m ents bu t

y ,

h ad despised my st a tute s an d h a d poll uted my

,

S a bba th s a n d their eyes were a fter their fa thers

’

i dols wherefore I g a ve them al so sta tute s th a t

,

wer e n otgoo d an d j udgment s whereby they shoul d

,

n otliv e Be c au se of continu al disobedience the

.
,

Lord a nnexed pen alties to the tr ansgression of h is

law wh ich were n otgood for the tr an sgressor or
, ,

whe reby he shoul d n otlive in h is rebelli on .

By transgre ssin g the law whi ch God ha d giv en

in such maj e sty a n d amid glory whi ch was un a p
,

p re ac h able the people sho wed open c ontempt of

,

the cat L a wgiver an d d eath was the pen alty

,
.

oreove r a l so I g ave them my sabb a th s t

,
o ,

b e a sign betwe en me an d them th a t they migh t ,

k n ow th a t I a m the Lord th a t san c ti fy them .

Bu tt h e house of Isr a el rebelled a ga in st me in the

2 66 T H E G RE AT O T O VERS Y
C N R .

wil dern ess : they w alked n ot in my st a tutes and ,

th e y de spi se d my j udgments wh ich if a man do , ,

h e sh al l e ve n li ve in them; a n d my sa bb a ths they

g rea tly pol lut e d Then I said I would pour out
.
,

my fury upon them in the W i lderness to consume ,

th e m ”
.

The st a tut e s a n d j udg ment s given of God were

good for the obedie n t They shoul d live in
.

th e m . B ut they were n ot good for the tr a n s

gr osse r ; for in the c i vil law given to Moses pun ,

ishme n twas to be inflicted on the tr a n sgre ssor ,

th a to thers sho uld be restr ained by fe a r .

Mo ses ch a rged the c hildren of Isr a el to ob ey

G o d H e sa id unto the m Now therefore he arken
.
, ,

O Isr a el unto the st a t ute s a n d unto the j udgments

, ,

whi c h I te a c h you for to do them th a t ye may

, ,

l ive an d go in an d po ssess the l and wh ich the

,
”
Lo rd God of yo ur fa thers giveth you .

The Lord i n structed Mo ses definitely in regard

to the ceremoni al sa crifices whi ch were to cease ,

atthe de a th o f Chri st The system of sa crifices

.

fore sh adowed the o fferin g of Chri st a s a Lamb

wi thout blemish .

The Lord first est abli shed the system of sacrifi

c ia l o fl erin s with Ad am a ft er h s fa ll which he
'

g i ,

t aught to his descend ants This system was cor .

ru t d before the flood d by tho e who ep r ted

p e a n ,
s s a a

th e mselves from the fai thful follower s of God an d

e n g a ged in the b uilding of the tower of B abel .

Th ey sa crifi c e d to gods of their own make inste a d

of the God of He a ven They did n otoffer sac ri
.

fic es bec au se th ey h ad fa ith in the R edeemer to

co me but bec a use they thought they sho uld pl ea se
,

their gods by o ffering a gre a t ma ny beasts upon

polluted idol altars Their superstition led them
.

to
g reat ext ra v a
gan c es T h e
.
y t a u gh t th e pe op l e
268 T H E GREA T co m om sr .

a ltars to the honor of their gods an d th ey re ,

u ired e ve n their own children t o p a ss throu h

q g
the fire A fter they ha d er ected the ir a lt a r s they
.
,

r eq uired their c hil dren to leap over the altars

th rough the fire I f they co uld do this wi t
. hout
b ei n g b urned the idol pri ests an d th e people te
,

c e ive d it a s a n evidence th a t their god acc epted

their ofl erin gs an d fa vored especially the person

'

wh o p assed through the fiery ordeal H e was .

lo a ded wi th benefits a n d was ever afte rward ,

gre a t ly estee med by all the people H e was .

nev e r a llo wed to be p unished however a ggravat ,

ing might be hi s crimes If another pe rson who .

le aped through the fire wa s so un fortun a t e as to

be b urn ed then his fa te was fix ed ; for they
,

tho ught th a t their gods wer e an gry an d would be ,

a ppe ased with nothing short of the unh a py vic

p
ti m s li fe an d he was offered up as a sacrifice
’

upon their i dol alt a rs .

Even some of the children of Isr a el h ad so far

degr a ded themselves as to pr ac tice these a bomin
at ion s an d God c a used the fire to ki n dle upo n
,

their children whom they made to p ass through

,

the fire T hey did n ot go to all th e l e n gths of

.

the he athen n ation s ; but God deprive d them of

their children by c ausing the fire to consume them
in the ac tof p assing thro ugh it .

Bec ause the peopl e of God h ad confused ideas

of t h e c e remo n i a l sa crifici a l offerin s a n d h ad
g ,
hea then tra dition s con fo unded with their c eremo
n i a l worship God condescended to give th em
,

defi nite directions th at they migh t understand,

the true i mport of tho se sa crifice s which wer e to

la st only till the L amb of God should be sl ain ,

who wa s the g reat an titype of all their sa crifi cial

o fi e rin
'

gs .
 T RE S AN CT U ARY . 2 69

CH A F TE R XXI .

TRE S A N CT U A RY .

TH E tabern a cle was made a ccordi ng to the c om

ma ndmen t of God The Lord r a ised up men an d
.
,

u a lifi e d th em with more th a n n a t u r a l a bili tie s t

q o
perform the mo st ingeniou s work Neither Mo ses .

n or t h ose workmen were left to pl a n the form an d

workma n ship of the b uilding God himself de .

vise d th e pl an an d gave it to M o ses with p a rti e

, ,

ula r di r ec tions as to its size a n d form a n d the ,

ma teri als to be u sed an d specified every article of

,

furn iture which was to be in it He presented .

b efor e Moses a mini a ture model of the he avenly

sa n ctu a ry an d co m
,
ma nded him to make all things
a c cordin to the p e rn showed himin the mount
a tt
g .

M oses wr ote all the direction s in a book an d re a d ,

the m t o t he most influenti a l of the people .

The n the Lord required the people to bring a

free~wfl l o fferin g to make him a sa n ctu ary th a t
, ,

he mi ght d well among them And a ll the c on

.
'

re a t i on of the children of I sr a e l dep a rted from

g g
the pr esence of Mo se s And they came every
.
,

on e who se he art stirred him up an d every on e ,

whom his spirit ma de willing an d they brought ,

the Lord s offering to the work of the t abern acl e

’

of t h e congregation a n d for all his service a n d

, ,

for th e ho l y ga rment s And they came both men

.
,

an d wo men a s ma ny as were wil ling he a rted a n d

,
-

brou g ht br a celet s a n d e ar ring s an d ri n g s a n d

,
-

, ,

tablets all j ewel s of gold ; an d every ma n th at

,
”
ofie red o ffered a n offering of gold unto the Lord
'

.
,

Grea t an d expen sive prep ar a tion s were use es

sa ry . Precio us an d co stly ma terials must be co l
27 0 T H E G RE AT O T OVERS Y
C N R .

l ooted B utthe Lord a ccepted only the free will

.
-

o ffe ri ngs D e vo tio n to the work of God a n d sac

.

rific e fro m t h e h e a rt were first req uired in prep ar

i n g a pl a c e for God And while the building of
.

th e sa n c tua ry wa s going on an d the people w ere ,

bri n g in g their o fferings u nto Mo se s a n d he was ,

pre se n ti n g them to the work men all the wi se men ,

wh o wro u ght in the work ex ami n ed the gifts a nd ,

de c ided th a t the people had bro ught enough a nd ,

e ven more th an they could use A n d Mo ses pro .

cla i med thro ugho ut the c amp saying Le tneither , ,

man n or wo ma n ma ke a n y more work for the of

fe rin g of the sa nct ua ry So the people were re
.

st r ained from bri n ging ”

.

The repea ted murmuri n gs of the Isra elites and ,

the visitat ion s of God s wr ath bec a u se of their

’

tran sgre ssion s a re recorded in sacred history for

,

the ben efit of God s people who sho uld a fterward

’

live upon the ea r th butmore e speci ally to prove

a warni n to tho se who should live ne a r the clo se
g
of t ime Al so their a cts of devotion their energy
.
, ,

a n d liber al ity in bringing their free will o f

,
ferings -

to Mo ses a re recorded for the benefit of the people

,

o f God Their ex ample in prep aring ma teri al

.

for the t abern acle so cheerfully is a n ex ample ,

for all who truly love the worship of God Those .

who pri ze the ble ssing of God s sa cred presence ’

whe n prep a ring a building th a t he may mee twith

the m sho uld man i fest gre ater intere st an d ze a l in
,

the sa cred work in proportion a s they value thei r

heavenly blessi ng s higher than their e arthly c om
forts They should re alize tha t they are prep ar
.

in a hou se for God

gwany will expend much to erect c omfortable
.

a n d t a sty b u ildings for themselves butwhen they

wo uld prep are a pla ce th a t they may receive the
272 T H E G RE AT CON RT O V ERS Y .

an d he will re ward every on e who freely gives

b a c k to hi m when he req uir es th a twhich he has
, ,

gi ve n the m I f they withhold t ha tw h ich be longs

.

to God he will afflic tthem in their fa mi lies and

, ,

c a use decre ase in their po sse ssio ns j ust a c cording ,

to their dispo sition to rob him .

A fter the b uil ding of the t abern a cle was com

l t d Mo s es ex am i ned all the work a n d c om
p e e , ,

p ared itwith the p attern an d directions he had ,

re c eived of God an d he saw th a t every part of

,

i ta g reed with the pa ttern ; an d he b l e sse d th e peo

l God g a ve a p a ttern of the ark t o M o ses
p .e ,

wi t h speci a l direction s how to mak e it The ark .

wa s made t o cont a in the t ables of ston e on which ,

God engraved with his own fi n ger the ten com

, ,

man dme n ts It was in form like a chest an d was

.
,

overl aid an d inl aid with pure gold It was o rn a .

me n te d with crown s of gold ro und about the top .

The cover of this sa cred chest was the mercy se at -

ma de of solid gold O n e a ch end of the mercy .

S e a t wa s fixed a cherub of p u re soli d gold Their ,

.

fa c e s were t urned to wa rd e a ch other an d wer e ,

looking reverenti ally downw ard towa rd the mercy

se a t ,whi c h repre sents all the he a venly a n gel s
lookin g wi th i n terest a n d reverence to the la w of
God depo sited in the ark in the hea venly sa n c tu
ar
y. The se c h erub s h a d w ings O ne win g of .

e a c h an gel was stretched for th on high whi le the ,

other wing o f e ac h a ngel c overed their fo rms .

The ark of the e a rthly sa nctu ary was the pa t

tern of the true ark in He a ven Th e re b esid e .
,

the hea venly ark sta nd living angels a t either

, ,

end of the ark e a ch with on e wing oversha dow

,

ln
g the m er c y se a t a n d stretching forth on high
-

, ,

while the other wing s are folded over th eir forms

In toke n of reverence an d hu mility .
 THE S A N CT U ARY . 2 73

In the e arthly ark Moses was require d to pl ace

the t a ble s of stone These were cal led the tab le s
.

of the te sti mony ; an d the ark was c a lled the ark

of the te sti mony bec ause they cont a in ed God s

’

testi mony in the ten co mmandments The t aber .

n ae le was compo sed of t wo a p artments sep ar ated ,

by a c urt ain or v a il
,
.

A ll the furniture of the t abern a cle was ma de of

soli d gold or pl a ted with gold
, The curt ains of .

the t abern acle were of a v a riety of colors mo st ,

bea utifully a rr anged an d in these curt ain s were ,

wrought with thre a ds of gold an d silver cheru

, ,

bims which were to repre sent the angelic ho st

, ,

wh o are connected with the work of the he a venly

sa nctu a ry a n d who are mini stering a ngel s to the
,

sa ints upon the e arth .

Within the second v ail was pl a ced the ark of

th e t e stimony an d the be au
,
tiful an d rich curta in
was dra wn be fore the sa cred ark This curt a in .

did n otre a ch to the top of the b uilding The

glory of God which wa s above the m
.

,
ercy se a t -

co uld be seen from both ap artment s but in a ,

much less degree from the first ap artment Di .

re c t ly before the ark but sep ar ated by the cur ,

ta in was the golden alta r of incen se The fire

,
.

upon this alt ar wa s kindled by the Lord himself ,

an d was sa credly cheri shed by feedi n g it with

h oly incen se whi ch filled the sa nctu ary with its

,

fra gra nt cloud day an d night I ts fragr ance

,
.

extended for mile s aroun d the t abern a cl e When .

the priest o ffered the incen se before the Lord he ,

looke d to the mercy se at Although he co uld n ot

-
.

se e it he knew it was there ; an d a s the i n c en se

,

a ro se like a cloud the glory of the Lord de ,

scended u pon the mercy se a t an d fil led the mo st -

G rea tCo t
ro n v ers y .
18
274 ms GRE T CoN TRoVERSY.
A
holy pl ace an d was visible in the holy pl a ce ; and
,

the glory often so filled both ap artme nt s th at the

priestwas un a ble to oflic ia te an d wa s obliged to ,

st a nd a tthe door of the t a bern a cle Th e priest .

in the holy pl a ce directing his pr ayer by fa i th to

,

the mercy sea twhich he could n otse e represents

-

, ,

the people of G od directing their pr a yers to

Chri stbefore the mercy se a t in the he aven ly san c -

t ua ry They c annot behol d their Media tor with

.

the n a tural eye but with the eye o f fa ith th ey

,

se e C hri st before the mercy se a t an d dir ect their -

prayer s to him an d with assur a nce c l aim the ben

,

e fit s of his medi ation .

These sacred ap artments had n o windows to

a dmit light The c a ndlestick wa s ma d e of purest
.

gold an d was kept b urni ng night a n d day an d

, ,

g ave light to both ap artments The lig ht of the .

l amp s upon the c a n d lestick reflected upon the

bo a rds p lated with gold a tthe side s of the build ,

in g an d upon the sa cred furniture a n d upon

, ,

the curt ain s of be autiful colors with cherubims

wro ught with thre ads of gold an d S ilver which ,

a ppe a r a nce wa s glorio u s beyond de scription N0 .

la n g ua ge c a n describe the be auty a n d loveliness ,

a n d sacred glory which the se ap a rt ment s pre
,

sented The gold in the sanctu ary reflected the

.

colors of the curtains which appeared like the ,

differe n t colors of the r ain bow .

O n ly on c e a ye a r could the high priest en ter

i nto the mo st holy pl a ce a fter the mo st c ar e fu ‘
,L
a n d solemn prep ar a tion N o mort a l eye but th a t
.

of the high prie st co u ld look upon the sa cred

r a ndeur o f th a t a p a rtment bec au se it was the
g ,

especi al dwellin g pl a ce of Go d s vi sible glory

-
’
.

The high priest always entered it with trembling ,

whil e the pe op l e w ai ted his return with so l emn
27 6 T R E G RE AT O
C NTR OVERS Y .

e rn a cle, an d then they journeyed a ga in In all .

their journeyin gs they ob served p e rfe c t order .

Every tribe bore a sta nd ard with the S ign of ,

their fa ther s house upon it an d every tribe was

’

co mmanded to pitch by their own sta nd ard A nd .

when they tr aveled the difl e ren t t ribes ma rched

,

in order every tribe under their o wn sta n dard

,
.

W he n they rested from their journeyin gs the ,

t abern acle was erected an d the n the di fl erent

'

tribe s pitched their tents in order in j ustsuch a ,

po si tion a s G o d co mmanded a round the ta berna,

cle a ta dista n ce from it
,
.

W he n the people j o urneye d th e ark of the ,

coven ant was borne before them An d the .

'

cloud of the Lord was upo n them by day when ,

they went outof the c amp And it c ame to p ass .

,

when the ark set for ward th a t M o ses sa id Ri se

, ,

up Lord a n d le tthin e enemies be sca ttere d ; an d

, ,

l et them th a t h ate thee flee before th e e And .

when it rested he sa i d Return 0 Lor d, unto the

, , ,

ma ny thou sands of Isr a el ”

.

C HAP TER XXII .

S T RA N G E F I RE .

A N D N a d a b a n d Abihu, the son s of Aa ron ,

took either of them his cen ser, a n d put fire therein ,
a n d put in c en se thereon an d o ffered str e fire
, a n
g
before the Lor d, which he co mmanded them not .

And there went outfire fro m the Lord , a n d de

'

vou re d them an d they died before the Lord

, .

Then M o ses said unto Aa ron , This is it tha t th e

 T AN G E
S R FI RE . 27 7

Lord sp ake saying I will be sanctified in them

, ,

th a t co me n igh me an d be fore all th e p e ople I

,

will be glorified And A aron held his pe a ce

. .

The son s of Aaron did not ta ke the sacred fire

from the a lt a r which the Lord hi mself ha d kin
,

di ed a n d which he h a d comma nded the priest s to

,

use when they ofl ered incen se before h im They

'

to o k common fire a n d putitin their cen sers an d

, ,

p u t incen se thereon Thi s wa s a tr a n sgre ssion of

.

God s express command a n d his j udgment speed

’

,
’
i ly followed Aa ron s son s who ofli ciate d in holy
.
,

thin gs would n ot h ave thu s tran sgressed if they

,

h a d not indul ged freely in the u se of wine an d ,

b e en p a rti ally intoxic ated They gr a tified the .

a ppetite which debased their fa c ulties an d dis

, ,

q ualified them for their sa cred oflic e Their in .

te lle c ts were beclo u ded so th a t they did not h a ve ,

a re alizi n g sen se of the di fference between the sa

c re dn ess of the fire which Go d let fa ll fro m He aven ,

a n d which wa s kept burni n g co n ti n u ally u pon the

a lt a r an d the co mmon fire whi c h he h a d sa i d they
, ,

sho u ld not use I f they ha d h ad the full an d cle a r

.

use of their re asoni n g po wer s they would h ave re ,

coiled with horror a tthe presumptuou s tran sgres

sion of God s po sitive co mma nds They ha d been
’
.

e speci ally favored of God in bein g of the n umber

of the elders wh o witn e ssed the glory o f God in the
mount They understood th a t the mo st c areful
.

sel f ex amin a tion an d san ct

-
ific ation were req uired
on their p a r tbefore pre se ntin
g the m selve s in the
sanctu ary where God s presence was ma ni fe sted
’
.
,
'
And Mo ses said unto Aaron a n d unto Ele ,

a z ar an d unto Ith amar

, his so n s U n cover not , ,

your he a ds neither rend yo ur clothes lest ye di e

, , ,

an d l e st wra th co me upon a ll the peop le ; bu t let

y o ur brethren , t h e whole hou se of I sr ael bew ai l ,

0 - 4 T H E G RE AT O
C N TR OV ERS Y .

th e b u rnin g w h i ch the Lord h a th k ind l e d A nd .

ye Sh all n o tgo outfrom the door of th e t a berna

c le o f t he co n gr e g a tion lest ye di e ; for the a noint
,

in g oil of the Lord is upon you And they did .

”
a c c ording to the word of Mo se s The fa ther of .

the me n Sl a in an d their brothers were forbidden

, ,

to ma n ifest a n y S ign s of grief for the one s who

h a d been j ustly p unished of God W hen M oses .

r e min ded A aron of the word s of the Lord tha t he ,

wo u ld be san c tified in themth a t c ame nigh to h im ,

A a ron was silent He knew th a t God was j ust ;

.

a n d he mu rmured n ot H is hea rt wa s grieved at

.

the dre a dful de ath of his son s while in their diso

be dien c e ; yet a ccord ing to God s co mma nd he
’

, ,

ma de no expression of h is sorrow le st h e S hould ,

S h a re the same fa te of h is son s a n d the congreg a ,

tion al so be infected with the spiri tof unreconcil

i a tion a n d God s wr a th co me upon the m
’
.
,

W hen the Isr a elites committed S in a n d God ,

pun ished them for their transgression a n d the ,

people mourned for the fate of the on e punished ,

in ste a d of sorrowin g because God h ad been dishon

ored the symp a thizers were accounted equ ally
,

g uil ty wi th the tran sgressor .

The Lord tea ches us in the direction s given to ,

A aron reconcili a tion to his j ust punishments even

, ,

if his wr ath come s very nigh He woul d h a ve his .

people a ck n owledge the j ustness of his correction s ,

th a t others may fe ar In these l ast days ma ny

.
,
a re li able to be sel f deceived a n d they are un a bl e
-

to see their own wrongs I f God throu gh h is .

,
serv a nt s reprove s an d reb u
, kes the errin g there ,
a re tho se who st a nd re a dy to sym p athiz e with
tho se who deserve reproof They will seek to .

lighten the burden which God compell ed his serv

a nts to la upo n t hem T h se s y m at h i h
t i k
y e .
p z e r s n
2 80 T U E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

ma nd s r
,
epre s ent tho se wh o tr a n sgre ss h
t e fou rth
co mmandment of J ehov ah which is very pl ain :
,

Six d ay s sh a lt tho ul abor an d do a ll thy work ;

,

butthe seventh da y is the S abb a th o f the L ord

thy God : in it tho uSh alt not do a n y work Ste ,
.

Ne arly all the professed followers of Chri st do not

keep the day God h as sanc tified a n d r eq uired
them to keep sa cred to rest upon it b ec a use he
,

h a s re sted upon it hi mself

’
They l a bor upon God s
.

holy time an d honor the first day of the week by

,

resting upon it which is a common work ing day

, ,

a day upon w hich God did not re st a n d upon ,

which he h as pl a ced no sa cred honor .

A dep arture fro m the fourth comman dment will

not n ow be immedi ately vi sited with temporal
de a th ; yet God does n ot regard the viol a tion of
h is c o mma nd ment s a n y more lightly th a n he did
the tra n sgr ession of A aron s son s De a th is the
’
.

fi n al p unishment of all who rej ect light an d con ,

ti n n e in tr an sgression W h en God sa ys Keep

.
,

holy the seventh day he does n o tme an the S ixth

, ,

nor the first but the very day he has specified

,
.

If men sub sti tute a common day for the sa cr ed ,

a n d sa
y th a t wi ll do j u st a s well they in su lt
,
the
M aker of the he aven s a n d of the e arth who made ,

the S abb ath to co mmemor a te his restin g upon the

seventh da after cre a ting the world in six days
y ,
.

It is d a ngerou s busine ss in the service of God to

devi a te fro m h is i n stitutions Tho se wh o h ave to
.

do with God who is i n finite an d who explicitly

, ,
directs in reg ard to his own worship shoul d foll ow ,

the ex ac tcourse he h as presc ribed a n d n otfeel at ,

l iberty to devi a te in the le ast p artic ul a r bec a use

they think it will a n swer j ust a s well G o d will .

te ach all his crea tures th at he me an s j ustwh a t he

say s .
 T II E ' U AI L S . 2 81

C HAP TE R XXIII .

THE 'UAI LS .

G OD continued to feed the Hebrew ho st with

the brea d r a ined fro m He ave n ; but they were
n o t sa ti sfied Their depr aved appetites cra ved
.

mea t whi ch God in his wi sdom h a d withheld in

, ,

re a t me a sure fro m the m And the m ixed

a
g ,
.

multitude th at was amon g them fell a lu sting ;

an d t h e children of Isr a el al so wept ag ain an d ,

sa id Who S h all give u

, s fle sh t o ea t? We remem
ber the fish which we did e a t in Egypt freely ;
the cucumbers an d the melon s an d the leek s
, , ,

a n d the onion s an d the g a rl ic ,

But n ow our .

so u l is dried a w ay ; there is nothin g at all be ,

side s thi s ma nn a
”
before our eyes ,
They be .

c ame wea ry of the food prep ared for the m by

a n gel s a n d sent t
, o them fro m He a ven Th e y .

knew it was just the food God wi shed them to

h a ve an d th a t it was he a lthful for the m a n d their
,

chil dren Notwithsta ndin g their h ardships in the

.

wi lderness there was n ota feeble one in all thei r

,

tribes S a t an the author of dise ase an d mi sery

.
, ,

will appro a ch God s people where he c an h ave the

’

re ate st su cce He h a s controlled the a ppet it e

g ss .

in a gre at me asure fro m the time of his success

ful exp e ri ment with Eve in le a din g her to e at ,

the forbidden fruit He c ame with his tempt s .

tion s first to the mixed mu ltitude th e belie vin g ,

E gypti an s an d stirred them up to seditio us mur

,

murin gs They wo uld n ot be content wi th th e

.

he al th ful food wh ich God ha d provided for h

t e m .

Their depr aved appetites cr aved a gre ater varlety,

especi ally fl e sh me a t s -
.
28 2 T H E G RE AT CoN T RovERS Y .

Thi s murmuri n g soon infect ed ne a rly the whole

b o dy of the people At first God did not gratify
.
,

h
t e ir l us t ful a ppetite s b ut c a u sed hi s j udgments
,

to c o me upon them a n d co n sumed the mo st guilty

,

by lightni n g fro m he a ven Yet this in ste ad of .

,

h umb li n g them seemed only to incre ase their mur

,

muringa W he n Moses hea rd the peo ple weeping

.

in the door of their tents an d co mpl aining thro ugh ,

ou ttheir families h e w as disple ase d He presente d

,
.

be fore the Lord the diffic ul ties of his situ ation th e ,

u n sub mi ssi ve spirit o f the Isra elite s an d the posi ,

tio n in which God h a d pl a ced him to the people ,

th a t of a nursi n g fa ther who should make the ,

su fferi n gs of the people his own H e inq uired of .

th e Lord how he could be a r this gre a t b u rden of

c o n tin u a lly witne ssin g the disobedience of Isra el ,

a n d he aring their mu r muri n gs aga inst his c om

ma n ds a n d ag ain st God hi mself He declared
,
.

b efore the Lord th a t he woul d r ather die th an to

se e I sr ael by their per ver sene ss dr a win do wn
, g ,

j ud ments upon themselves while the enemies of

G odwere rejoicing in their destruction
,

In his .

di stress he said I a m not able to be ar a ll this re

,

S po n si bility a lo n e bec a u se it is too he a vy fo r me

, .

The Lord direc ted Mo ses to gather before him

seventy of the elders who m he knew t , o b e the
e lders of t he people They were n ot only to be
.

th ose a d va nce d in ye ars but men of dignity sound , ,

j udg me n t a n d ex perie n ce who were qu alified to

, ,
be j udge s o r oflic ers
, And bring them unto th e
.

t abern a c le of the congre a tion th a t they may

fin d I will come do wn
,
st and there with thee .

a n d ta lk with thee there

; a n d I wil l t a ke of the
S pirit which is upo n th ee a n d will put it upo n ,
th em; a n d they S ha ll be a r the burden of th e eo
p
l
p with the e, t hat t hou bea r itn otthyse l f a l one
e .
 T H E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

of the elders of the people an d se tth em round ,

a bout th e tab e r n a cle A n d h

t
. e Lord c a me down

in a c lo ud a n d sp a ke unto him an d took of the

, ,

Spirit th a t was upon h im an d g av e it un to the

,

seve n ty elders ; an d it c ame t o pa ss th a t when ,

th e Spirit re sted upon them they proph esied an d , ,

”
did n ot ce ase .T hi s prophetic gift r ested upon
the j udge s a n d elders to est abli sh the c on fidence
,

of the people in the m an d to be a Sign th at G od

,

h a d c ho sen them to unite their a uthority with th at

of Mo ses a n d a ssist him in the work o f subd u
,
in g
the murmuri n g s of the people during th eir soj ourn
in the wilderness a n d thu s e ase the t
, ask u pon
M o ses .

And there went forth a wind from the Lord ,

an d bro u ght qu ail s from the sea an d le tthem fall ,

by the c amp as it were a d ay s journey on this

,
’

S i de a n d a s it were a d ay s j ourney o n the other

’

S i de
, rou n d a bout the c amp an d a s it were two ,

cubits high upo n the fa ce of the e arth And the .

people stood up all th a t day an d all th at night , ,

a n d all the next da a n d they g a thered the qu a ils ;

y ,

he th a t g athered le ast g athered ten ho mers ; an d

they spre a d them all abro ad for themselves round
a bout the c amp A nd while the flesh wa s yet be
.

tween their teeth ere it was chewed the wr a th of

, ,

the Lord was kindled a g ain stthe people an d the ,

Lord smote the people with a very grea t pl ague ”

.

I n this inst a n ce the Lord g ave the people th a t

W t ll wa s not for their best good bec au se they ,

would h ave it They wo uld n otsubmit to rec ei ve

.

fromthe Lord only tho se thing s which would prove

for their good They g a ve themselves up to sedi
.

t i ous murmuring s a g ainst Mo ses an d a g a in st the ,

Lord bec au se they did not receive tho se thi ngs

,

W hI Ch woul d prove an injury to th em Th eir de .

 M I RI AM . 285

rave d a ppetite s controlled th em a nd G od g a ve

p ,

the m fl esh me a ts a s they desired an d let them

-

, ,

su fl e r the re sults of gr atifying their l ust ful a ppe

tites. B urning fevers c ut do wn very la rge n um
bers of the people Tho se who ha d been the mo st
.

guilty in their murmurings were sl ain a s soon a s ,

they tasted the me a t for which they h ad l usted .

I f they ha d sub mitted to h a ve the Lord sele c t

the ir food for them an d ha d been th an k ful an d
, ,

sa ti sfied with food of which they co u ld ea tfreely

without injury they would n oth a ve lost the fa vor
,

of Go d a n d then been p u
, nished for their rebellio us
murmurin gs by gre at numbers of thembei n g Sl ain
, .

C HAP T E R XXIV
M I RI A M .

AFT ER Mo ses had told the Lord th at he was

un a ble to be a r the b urden of the people alone ,

an d G od h a d directed him t o choo se seventy of

the elders an d he ha d put the same Spirit upon

, ,

them which was upon Moses Aaron an d Miri am ,

were j e alous bec ause they had n ot been con sulted

in the matter They h ad n ot felt reconcile d to
.

the ac tof Mo se s in so re adily receiving the coun

sel of Jethro h is fa ther in law
,
They fe a red th at
- -
.

he had more influence over Mo ses th a n they h a d .

And n ow seventy elders h ad been cho sen witho ut

,

the ir being con sulted ; an d as they h a d never

themselves felt the respon sibility an d b urdens
which Mo se s ha d born e for the people they di d ,

n otse e a n re a l nece ssity for the help of the sev

y
2 86 T EE G RE T co NTRovERSY
A .

ent
v e lders . And th ey said H ath the Lord ia
,

d eed spo k e n on ly b y M o se s ? h a th he not spoken

”
a lso by u A n d th e Lord hea rd it
?
s .

A a ro n a n d M iri a m thought as t hey had been

,

c h o se n t o a id M o se s in t h e work th a t the bore ,

th e b u rde n of th e work as well as I oses .

A n d as th e Lord h a d spok e n by them a s well ,

as b y M ose s why S hould he co mpl ain o f su

,
ch
h e a vy b urden s as to n e ed seventy of the judge s
a n d e ld e rs a poi n ted t o the work of a idin g h im
p .

M oses fel t his w ea k n ess He felt the import anc e

.

of t h e g re a t work committ ed t o h im a s n o other ,

ma n h a d ever felt it Aa ron h a d Sho wn hi s weak

.

n e ss by i e ldi n g t the people an d ma ki n g a

y o ,

mol te n c al f in the a b sen c e of Mo ses G od had

, .

e ve r b e en Mo se s co u nselor
’
.

A s M ir iam b ec ame j e a lou s of Mo ses she was ,

dispo se d to find fa u lt with the events of h is li fe

whi c h G o d ha d e sp e c i a lly overr u l ed Sh e c om .

pl ai n ed of Mo se s bec ause he ma rried a n Ethi

opi an wo man in ste a d of t a k in g a wife fro m a mo n g
,

the Hebrews The wife of Moses wa s n o t black

.
,

bu ther co mplexion was so me wh at d a rker th a n the

H e br e ws . She wa s of a ti mid di spo sition te n der
‘
,

h e a rted a n d was grea tly a fl ec te d upon witn essing

‘
,

su fl e rin g . Thi s wa s the reason th a t Mo ses con

sen t ed to h ave her return to Midi a n while he was ,
i n E gypt th a t sh e might n otwitness the terrific
,

pl a gues whic h the Lord was to bri n g upon Egypt .

A fter she mether h usb a n d in the wilderness she ,

sa w th a t his bur den s a n d a n xietie s were liab le to

we ar away his strength an d in her di stre ss She

,
a cq u ai n ted her fa ther with the ma tter J ethro .

h a d marked th a t the c are of a ll th e p eople was

upo n Mo se s a n d there fore he coun seled h im to
,

l ook a fter the religious i n terests of th e Hebrew

2 88 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

”
sinn e d . Le ther n o tbe a s o ne d e a d A n d MO .
'

se s c ried unto t h e Lord sa yin , He a l her now ,

O God I beseech thee

,
”
An Miri am was shut
.

ou to f the c a mp seven d ays; an d th e people jour

n eye d n o t till Miri am was brought in aga in
”
.

The cloud w as removed from the t abern acle be

c au se the wr ath of God rested upon Miriam an d ,

it did not return until sh e was removed outof the

c amp God h ad chosen Mo se s an d put his Spirit
.
,

upon him; and by the compl a ints of M iriam

a g a in st God s cho sen serv a nt Sh e n o t only b e
’

h a ved irreverently to Mo ses but towa rd God ,

hi mself who ha d c ho sen him A aron was drawn

,
.

into the je alous spirit of his sister Miriam H e .

might h a ve prevented the evil if h e ha d n ot

symp a thized with her a n d h ad presente d before
,

her the sinfulne ss of her conduct But in stead .

of thi s he li stened to her words of co mp l aint

, .

The murmuri n g s of Miri am an d A aron are l eft

upon record as a reb uke to all who will yield to
je alo usy an d compla in of tho se upon who m God
,

l ays the burden of his work .

C HAP TER XXV .

CA L E B AN D J O SH U A .

TH E Lord co mman d ed Mo ses to sen d men to

se arch the l a n d of C a n a a n which he wou l d give
,

un to the children of Isr a el A ruler of e a ch tribe

.

was t o be selected for thi s purpo se They wen t .

,
a n d after forty d ay s returned from their se a rch
, ,
a n d c ame before M o ses an d A aro n an d all t he ,
 CA LEB A ND J O S HUA . 289

o r
c n g e ga tion of Isr ael an d showed them the fruit ,

of the l a nd All agreed th at it wa s a good l an d

.
,

an d they exhibited the rich fr u it which they ha d

brought as evidence On e cl uster of the gr a pes .

was so l a rge th a t two men c arried it between them

on a st afl They also brought of the figs an d the
.
,

pomegr an ates which grew there in abund ance

, .

After they ha d spoken of the fertility of the l a nd ,

all bu ttwo spoke very disc ou ra in l of their bei n g

gy
a ble t o po sse ss it They said t a tthe people were
.

very strong th a t dwelt in the la nd a n d the cities ,

were surro unded with gre at an d high w alls ; an d ,

more th an all thi s they saw the children of the ,

gia n tAna k there They then described how the

.

people were situ ated around C an a a n an d the im ,

possibility of their ever bei n g able to po ssess it .

A S the people li stened to thi s report they g ave ,

vent to their di sappointment with bitter repro ach es

a n d w a i ling They did n otw ait an d reflect an d
.
, ,

re ason th a t God who h ad bro ught them out th us

, ,

far wo u
,
ld cert ainly give them the l and But .

they yielded to disco ur a ge ment at once They .

limited the po wer of the Holy O ne a n d tru ste d ,

not in God who had hitherto led th em They

,
.

repro a ched Mo se s an d murmuri n gly said to on e

,

a nother Thi s then is the e n d of a ll ou

, ,
r hope s
,
.

This is the l and th a t we h ave been tr avelin g from

Egypt to obt ain C aleb an d Josh ua sought to
.

obt ain a he ari n g ; but the people were so excit e d

th a t they could not command themsel ves to li sten
to the se two me n A fter they were c almed a little
.
,

C aleb ventured to speak He sa id to the people .

,

Let us go up a tonce an d po sse ssi t; for we are ,

we ll a ble to overcome it But the men th a t .

went up with him said W e be not able to go U p ,

G re atCo t
ro n v e rsy .
19
29 0 T RE G RE AT O
C NTR OVERSY .

a ga in st the peop l e ; for they ar e st ron g er th a n w e .

A n d they continued to repe a t th eir evil r epo rt ,

a n d de c l a red th a t all the m e n were o f g re at s tat

ure .
And there w e sa w the gi a nt s the so ns o f ,

An ak which co me of the giant s A nd we were

,
.

in our own sight as asshoppers an d so we were ,

in their sight An all the co ngregation

.

up their voice an d cried ; an d the people wept

,

th a t night And all the children of Isr ae l mur

.

mured a gainst M o ses an d a ga inst A aron ; an d

the whole congreg a tion said unto th em W oul d ,

G o d th a t we h a d died in the l an d of E gy pt ' or

would G od we had died in th is wil dern ess ' And
wh erefore ha th the Lord brou ght us unto this
l a n d to fall by the S word th atour wiv es an d ou
, , r

children Should be a p rey ? Were it n ot better

for us to return into E gypt ? An d they said on e
to a nother Let u , s ma ke a c apt a in a n d le tu s re ,

turn in to Egypt Then Mo ses an d A aron fell on

.

their fa ces be fore all the assembly of the con gre

at ion of the chil dr en of Isr a el
g .

The I sraelite s not only ga ve ven t to th eir com

pl a ints a a in at M o ses but a ccused G od h imself of
de a li n g d
,

eceitfully with them by pro misin g them ,

a l a nd which they were un ab l e t o po ssess Their .

rebellious spirit here ro se so high th a t forgetful ,

of t he stron g arm of O mnipotence wh ich had

bro ught them outof the l and of E gypt a n d had ,

th us far con ducted them by a serie s of mir acles ,

they resolved to c hoo se a co mman d er t o le ad

them b a ck to E pt where they h ad been Slaves
, ,
a n d h a d su fl ere so ma ny h a rdship s
'

Th ey a ctu .

a lly appointed the m a c a pta in thu s disc a rding

,
M o se s their p a tient suffering le a der ; a n d they
, ,
murmured bitterly aga in st Go d .

Mo ses an d A aron fell upon their fa c e s before

2 92 T H E GRE AT CON TRO V ERS Y .

teh m with a pe stilence a n d di sinherit the

,
m an d ,

w ill m a ke of thee a gre a ter n a tion a n d m ighti er

th a n they And Mo se s sa id unto the Lord Then
.
,

the Egyptian s sh all he a r it (for thou broughtest ,

up thi s people in thy might from among them

a n d they will tell it t o the inh a bit a nts of thi s

l a nd ; for they h ave he ard th at thou Lord art , ,

a mo n g thi s people th a t thou Lord artseen fa ce

, , ,

to fa ce an d th at thy clo ud st andeth over th em

, ,

a n d th a t thou goe stbefore them by d a yti me in a ,

ill a r of c lo ud a n d in a pill ar of fire by night

£1ow if thouS halt kill all thi s people as on e man
.
,

, ,

then the n a tio n s whi c h h ave hea rd the fame of

thee will spe ak saying Bec au se the Lord was
, ,

not a ble to bri n g thi s people into the l and which

he sware unto the m therefore he ha th sl a in them
,
”
in the wilderness .

Mo se s a g a in refuses to h ave Isra el destroyed ,

an d hi msel f ma de a mightier n a tion th a n was Is

ra el . Thi s favored serv a nt of God ma ni fests his

love for Isra el a n d shows his ze a l for the glory
,

of h is M a ker a n d the ho n or of his people : As

tho u h ast forgiven this people fro m Egypt even
un til n ow tho uh ast been long su ffering a n d mer
,
-

c ifu l hither to to wa rd thi s ungr ate ful people how ,

ever unworthy they may be thy mercy is the ,

sa me . He ple ads W ilt thou n ot therefore

, , ,
sp a re t h e m thi s o n ce a n d a dd thi s on e more in
,

st an ce o f divi n e p a tience to the ma ny thou h ast

alre a dy given ?

And the Lord said I h a ve p a rdoned a ccord,

ing to thy wor d But as truly as I live all the

.
,

e arth sh all be filled with the glory of the Lord .

Bec au se all tho se men which h ave seen my glory ,

a n d m mir a cle s which I did in Egypt a n d in the
y ,

wilderne ss a n d h ave t empted me n ow these ten

,
 C AL EB A ND J O S H UA . 29 3

imes,
t h ave n ot hearkene d to my voice ;
an d

su rely they sh all not see the l and which I swa re

unto their fa thers neither sh all a ny of th e m th at
,

provoked me se e it But my serv a nt C aleb be.

,

c au se he h a d another Spirit with him a n d ba th ,

followed me fully him will I bring into the lan d

,

whereinto he went ; an d his seed sh all po sse ss it .

The Lord b a de the Hebrews return an d go i n to ,

the wilderness by the way of the R ed S e a They .

were very n ea r th e good l a nd ; but by their ,

wicked rebellion they forfeited the protection of

,

G od . H a d they received the report of C aleb an d

Joshua an d gone immedi a tely up God would
, ,

ha ve given them the l and of C an aa n B ut they .

were unbelievi n g an d showed such a n i n solent

,

S pirit a g a in st God th a t they bro ught upon them

,

selve s the denunci atio n th a t they sho u ld never

,

enter th e promi sed l a nd I t wa s in pity an d .

mercy th a t God sent them b ack by the R ed S ea ,

for the Amalekite s an d C an aanites while they ,

were delayin an d murmuri n g he ard of the Spi e s , ,

an d prep are themselves to make war with the

children of Isr a el .

'
And the Lord sp a ke unto M o se s an d unto
A aron saying H ow lo n g sh all I bea r with thi s
, ,

e vil congreg a tion which murmur ag a in st me ?

,
I
h a ve heard the murmurings of the children of
I sr a el which they murmur a g a in st me
,
The .

Lord told Mo ses an d A a ron to say to the people

th a t he would do to them as they had Spoken .

They h ad said Would God th at we had died in the

,

l and of Egypt ' or would God we ha d died in this

N ow God will t ake them a t their
”
wilderness .

wo rd He te lls h is serv a nts to say to them th a t

.

they S hould fa ll in the wildern ess from twe n ty ,

ars old an d upw ard bec a u se of their rebellion

y e ,
2 94 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

an d murmuri ngs aga in st the Lord O n l y C aleb

.
.

an d Jo shu a should go unto the l a n d of C a n aan .

Bu tyour little one s which ye sa id should be a

,

prey them will I bring in a n d they shall k n o w

, ,

the la nd which ye h ave despi sed .

T h e Lor d decl ar ed th a t the children O f the

H ebrews Should w ander in th e wildern ess forty
e a rs reckoning from the time th ey l eft Egypt
bec ause of the rebellion of their p arents until
, ,

the ir p arent s should all die Thu s S hould th ey .

be a r a n d suffer the con sequence of the ir iniquity

yea rs a ccording to the number of d ays they
,

were se arching the l a nd a day for a yea r ,

And .

ye sh all know my bre a ch of pro mi se They .

sho u ld fully rea liz e th at it was the pu n ishment

for the ir idol atry an d rebe l lious murmu,
rings ,

which h ad ob liged the Lord to ch ange his purpo se

concerning them C aleb an d Joshu a were prom
.

i sed a rewa rd in pre ference to a ll the ho stof I S

r a el bec ause the l atter h a d forfeite d all cl aim to
,

God s favor an d protection

’
.

The Lor d sent fire fro m his presenc e an d c on

su med the men who had brought the evil report ,

whi c h ma de all the congregation murmur a g a inst

Moses a n d a g ain st the Lord B ut C a leb an d .

Jo shu a live d before the Lord an d before th e peo ,

ple which evi d enced to them tha t their repor twas

,

corre c t .

W hen the people lea rned from M oses the pur

po se of God concerning them they mourned ,

gre atly E arly the next mornin g they gath ere d

.

themselves before M o ses a ll equipped for war , ,

a n d said We be here a n d will o unto the pl a ce
,
g ,

the Lord h a t h promi sed ; for we h ave si n ned .

The Lor d had said th at they shoul d not possess

th e l an d , butshou ld die in the wi ld ern ess; an d if
 T H E G RE AT CO N TROVERS Y .

C HAPTE R XXVI .

K O R A II ,
DA T H AN, AN D A B I RA M .

TH E Lord knew tha t Kora h wa s rebellious at

he a rt a n d wa s secretly atwork a ga in st M oses in
,

th e c ongreg a tion of I sra el although hi s rebellion ,

h a d not ye t d e veloped i t sel f The Lord made an .

e x a mpl e of Miri am a s a w arnin ,

to all who migh t
be t e mpte d to rebel a gain st o ses Kora h was .

not sa ti sfied with h is po si tion He wa s connected .

with the service of the t abern a cle yet h e desired ,

to be ex al ted to the pri esthood G od h a d estab .

lish e d Moses a s chief governor an d the priesthoo d ,

was given to A aron an d h is son s Kor ah deter .

min ed to compel Mo ses to ch ange th e order of

thi n gs whereby he sho uld be r ai sed to the dignity
,

of t he pri esthood To be more sure of a e co m

.

lis h i h is purpo se he drew D ath a n a n d Abir am

p n
g , ,
the de scend ants of Reuben into his reb ellion , .

They re asoned th at being descenda nt s fro mthe

,

eldest son s of Jacob the chief a uth o rity whi c h

, ,

Mo ses usurped belonged to them; an d with K o

, ,

ra h they were re solved to obt a in the ofli c e o f the

,

priesthood The se three bec ame very z e a lous in

.

a n evil work They infl uen c ed two hundred an d

.

fi ft y m e n o f renown to join them w h o were a l so ,

determi n ed to h a ve a sh a re in the prie sthoo d a n d
govern ment God h a d honored the Levites to do
.

service in the t abern a cle bec au se they took n o

,

p art in making an d worshiping the golden c alf ,

a n d bec a u se of their fa ith fu lness in exe c utin g the
order of God upon the idol aters .

To the Levites was assigned the oflice o f e rec t

ing t he tabern acle , an d en c ampin g aro u n d a b ou t
 K ORA II , DAT H A N ,
A ND AB I RAM . 2 97

it whi l e the ho sts of Isr a el pitched their tents a t

,

a di st a nce fro m the t abern a cle And when they .

jo urneyed the Levite s took do wn the ta bern a cle

, ,
an d bore it a n d the a rk an d the c a ndle stick a n d
, , ,

the other sa cred article s of furnit ure Bec ause .

God thu s honored the Levites they became ambi ,

tion s for still higher ofli c e th a t they might obt a i n,

gre a ter influence with the congrega tion And .

'

they g ath ered themselves together a g a in st Mo ses

a n d a g a in st A a ron a n d sa id unto them Ye t a ke
, ,

t o o muc h upon you seeing all the congreg a tio n

,

a re holy ,every one of them an d the Lord is ,

a mong the m W herefore then lift e up your

.
, ,

se lves a bove the congreg ation of the ord ?

Kora h D a tha n an d Abir am an d two hundred
, ,

an d fi fty prince s who h a d joined the m fir st bec ame ,

j e a lous then envio us an d next rebelliou s They

, ,
.

h a d ta lked in rega rd to Mo ses posit iOn as ruler

’ '

o f the people until they i m a ined th a t it was a

, g
ve ry enviable p osition whi c h an y of them could,

fill as well as Mo ses And they g ave themselves.

up to discontent until they really deceived them

,

selves a n d on e a nother in thinking th at Mo ses

, ,

a n d A a ron h a d pl a ced themselve s in the po sitio n

whi ch they occupied to Isra el They sa id th at .

Mo ses an d A aron ex alted themselves above th e

congr e g a tion of the Lord in t aki n g upo n them ,

the priesthood an d government an d th a t thi s Of ,

fic e should not be con ferred on their hou se alone .

They sa id th a t it wa s sufficient for themif they were

on a level with their brethren ; for they were n o

more holy th a n the people who were equ ally fa ,

vore d with God s peculi a r pre sence an d protection

’
.

A s Mo se s li stened to the words of Kor a h he ,

was filled with angu ish an d fell upo n h is fa ce be

,

fore the people And he sp ake u n to Kor ah an d

.
29 8 T H E G RE AT CON T R OVERS Y .

unto all h is comp an y saying Ev e n to morrow

, ,
-

h
t e L o rd w ill s ho w w h o a re h is a n d who is holy ; ,

a n d w i ll c a use him t o co me n ea r u nto him; even

h im whom he h a th chose n will h e c ause to come
n ea r un to h im T hi s do T a ke yo ucensers K o
.
,

rah a n d a ll his co mp any ; a n d pu

,
tfire therein ,

an d u t in cen se in them before t h e Lo r d t om or

p
-

row ; a n d itS h all be th a t the man whom t h e Lord

do th ch oo se he sh all be holy Ye t a ke
,
.

upo n you ye sons of Levi And Moses sa id unto

,
.

Ko ra h Hea r I pray you ye sons of L e vi : Seem

, , ,

et h it but a sma ll thi ng unto you tha t the God ,

of Isra el h a th sep ara t ed

y ou fro m th e c ongre a
g
tio n of Israel to brin g you ne ar to hi mself to do
,

the se rvi ce of th e t a bern a cle of t he Lord an d to ,

st a nd be fo re the co n re a t io n t o minist er u nt
g g o
the m? And he h a th brought th e e ne a r to him ,
a n d a ll thy brethren the so ns of Levi with th ee ;

a n d seek ye the prie stho o d also ? for whi ch c a use

both thou an d all th co mp any are ga thered to

gether a ga in st the ord An d wh a t is A a ron
.
,

th atye murmur a ga in st him? M oses told them

”

th a t A a ron h ad assumed no oflic e of himself ; that

God ha d pl a ced him in the sa cred oflice .

D a th a n a n d Abiram said I s it a sma l l th ing

,

th at thou h ast bro ught us up outof a lan d that

fl owe t h with mi lk an d honey to kill u s in t
, he
wil derness exce pt thou make thyself a l t
, oge ther
a prin c e o ver u s? Moreover thou h ast n otbroug h t
,
us into a la nd tha t fl o we th with milk an d honey,
or
given u s i n herita nce of fiel ds an d viney ar ds .

Wilt thou put out the eyes of these me n ? W e

will n otcome up ”
.

They a ccu sed Mo ses of being the c au se of

their n otenterin g the pro mised la nd T hey said .

th a tGod had n otd e al t with th em thus H e had .

30 0 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO V ER S Y .

the m, l aid incense thereon an d stood in the

an d ,

door o f the t abern a cle of the co n greg a tio n with

”
M oses a n d A aron .

Kora h a n d h is co mp any who a spired to the ,

ri e sthood i n their sel f c on fiden c e even took the

p
-

c e n ser s a n d stood in the door of the ta bern a cle

wi t h Moses Kor ah h ad cherished h is envy a n d

.

r eb el lion until he was self deceived a n d he really -

t h o ught th at the congreg ation was a very right

eou s p e ople a n d th a t Mo se s was a
,
tyran nic al
r ul e r c ontinu ally d welli ng upon the necessity of
,

the c o n gre ga tion s be i n g holy when there was n o

’

ne ed of it for they were holy

,
.

These rebellious ones ha d fl atte red the people

in gener al to believe th a t they were right an d ,

th a t all the ir trouble s a ro se from Mose s their ,

ruler who was continu ally remin di n g them of

,

their si n s The people thought tha t if K orah could

.

l e a d the m a n d encourage them an d dwell upon

, ,

their righteous a c ts in ste a d of remindi n g them of

,

their failures they should ha ve a very pe a ceful

, ,

p ro sperou s j ourney an d he would without doubt

,

le a d them n ot b ack an d forward in the wilder

,
n e ss b u, t into the promised l and They sa id th at .

it wa s Mo ses who ha d told them th a t they could

n otgo i n t o the l an d a n d th a t the Lord h a d not
,
thu s said .

Kora h in h is ex alted self con fiden c e g a thered

,
-

,
a ll t he c on greg a tio n ag a inst M o ses a n d A aron
‘u ,

f nto the door o f the ta bern a cl e of the con reg a

ti on .
And the glory of the Lord appeare unto
a ll the co n reg ation And the Lord p k e unto
g . s a

Mo ses a n d unto A aro n sayi n g Sep a ra te yourselves

, ,
from mo ng thi s c ong reg a tion th a t I ma consume
a y ,
th em i n a moment And they fell upon their
.

fac es, a n d sa id, O God, the God of the S irits of all

p
 x ORA H , DAT H A N , A ND AB I RAM . 301

flesh sh all one man Sin an d wilt thou be wroth

, ,

with a ll the congregation ? And the Lord sp ake

unto Mo ses saying Speak unto the congreg ation
, , ,

saying Get you up fro m about the t a bern a cle of

,

Kor a h D a th an an d Abir am A nd Mo ses ro se

, , .

up an d went unto D ath an an d Abir am an d the ,

elder s of Isra el followed him And he sp ake unto .

the congregation saying Dep art I pr ay you from

, , , ,

the tents of these wicked men an d touch nothing ,

Of their s lest ye be con sumed in all their sin s

,
So .

th ey atup fro mthe t abern a cle of Kor ah D a th an

an d g
, ,

bir am on every side ; an d D atha n an d Abi

,

ra m c ame out an d stood in the door of their tent s

, ,

an d their wive s an d their son s an d the ir little

, ,

children And Mose s sa id Hereby ye sh all know

.
,

th a t the Lord h ath sent me to do all these work s

for I h ave not done them of mine own mind If .

these men die the common de ath of all men or if ,

they be visited after the visitation of all men then ,

the Lord h ath n otsent me But if the Lord make .

a new thin an d the e a rth open her mo u th an d

g , ,

sw allow them up with all th a t appert ain unto

,

them an d they go down quick into the pit then

, ,

ye sh all underst and th at these men h ave provoked

”
the Lord A s Mo ses ce a sed spe aki n g the e arth
.
,

opened an d swallowed them up an d their ten t s , ,

a n d a ll th a t pert a ined unto them They went .

down a live into the pit an d the e arth clo sed over ,

them an d they peri shed fro m amo n g the con gre

,

g i on .
at

A s thechildren of Isr ael h e ard the cry of th e

perishi n g ones they fled ata gre a t dist an c e from
,

the m . They knew th at they were in a m e a s n l e

,
’

guilty ; for they h a d received the a c c us a t i on s

g
a a in st Mo e
s s an d A a ro n ; a n d they w ere a f r a i d
th at they should al so perish wi th them The j u dg .
3 02 T H E G RE AT CON TRO VERS Y .

m en t o f G od w a s not yet fi n i shed A fire c ame .

f r o m the clo ud o f glory a n d con

, su m ed the two
h un dr ed an d fifty me n th a t ofl ere d incense
'

They .

we re pri n c e s ; th a t is me n gener a lly of good j udg

,

me n t a n d of i n fl u e nce in the congreg ation men of

, ,

re n own They were highly e steemed an d their

.
,

j udgment h a d Ofte n been soughtin difi cult mat

But they were afl ec ted by a wr ong in flu
'

ters .

e nce a n d bec ame envio u

,
s j e a lou s a n d rebellious
, ,
.

They perished notwith Kor ah D ath a n an d A bi , ,

ra m bec a use they were n ot the first in rebe ll ion

,
.

They were to se e their end first an d h a ve a n op ,

rt u nit of repenti n g of their crime B ut the

p o y y .

were n ot reconciled to the destruction o f those

wicked men ; an d the wr ath of God c ame upon
them an d de stroyed them also
, .

A n d the Lord sp a ke unto M o ses saying , ,

S pe ak unto Ele a z ar the son of A aron the priest

, ,

tha t he ta ke up the censers outof the burn ing ,

a n d sc a tter thou the fire yonder ; for they are hal

l o wed The cen ser s of these sinners a g a insttheir

.

o wn soul s let them make them bro a d pl a tes for a

,

covering Of the altar ; for they Ofl ere d them

'

be fore th e Lord therefore they are h allow e d an d

,

they sh all be a S ign unto the children of Isra el .

After this exhibition of God s judgment the peo ’

ple returned to their tents but n o t h umbled ,

.

They were terrified They had been deeply influ

.

e n c e d by the Spiri tof rebe llion an d ha d been ,

fl a ttered by Kor a h a n d his co mp any to believe
th at they were a very good people an d th atth ey ,
h ad been wro nged an d abused by M o ses They .

h d their minds so thoroughly imbued with the

a
S p i r i t of tho se who ha d peri shed th a t it wa s difli cu
.

,
lt
to free themsel ve s of their blind pre u di ce If
j .

t h ey S hould admit th a t Kor a h an d his co mp any

 T H E G RE AT CO N TR OV ER S Y .

an d th e glory o f th e Lord a ppe a red And Moses .

a n d A a ron c a me b e fore the t a bern a cle of t

h e con
g g
re ation And . the Lord S p ake u nto M o ses ,

sa yi n Get youup fro m among thi s c ongregati on ,

th a t ma y con sume them as in a moment A nd .

”
they fe ll upon their fa ces Notwithst a nding the
.

r e belli on of I sra el a n d their cruel conduct to

,

M o ses yet he ma nifes ted for them the same in

,

te re stas before He fell upon h is fa ce before the

.

Lord a n d implored him to sp a re th e people

,
.

W hile Mo ses was prayin g be fore the Lord to par

do n the S in of h is people he requested A a ron t , o
ma ke a n a to n eme n t for their sin while he re ,

ma ined be fore the Lord th a t h is pr a yers might ,

a sc end with the in cen se a n d be a c cept a ble to G o d

, ,

th a t a ll the congreg a tion might n otpe rish in their

r ebellion And Mo ses said unto A aron T ak e
'
.
,

a ce n ser a n d put fire therein fro m o ff the altar

, ,
a nd
p u t o n i n c e n se a n d go q u ickly
, unto the c on

re a t i n a n d ma ke a n a tonement fo r them ; for

g g o ,

there is wra th gone out from the L or d The .

pl ague is begun And Aa ron took as M oses c om

.

ma n de d an d ran into the midst of the c o ngreg a

,

t io n ; a n d behold the pl a gue was beg un among

, ,

the people And he put on incen se a n d made

.
,
a n a tone ment for t h e people And he st o od be .

t ween the de a d an d the living ; a n d th e pl ague

was st a yed N ow they th a t died in the pl ague
.

we re fo urteen tho u sa nd a n d seven hundre d be ,

si de s them th a t died a bout the ma tter of Kora h .

And A aron ret urn ed unto Mo ses unto th e door

o f the t abern a cle o f the co n reg a tion a n d the
g ,
pl ag ue was stayed ”
.
 ’
A ARON S ROD . 3 05

C HAP TE R XXV II .

’
A A R ON s R OD .

G OD mercifully condescende d to give the host

of I sr a el a no t her evidence one c al c ul at ed to c or
,

rect their perverted j udgment He therefore re .

quired th a t ea c h tr ibe Should t ake a rod an d ,

write upon the rod the n ame of the hou se of their

fa ther s . And thou sh alt write A aron s n ame ’

upon the rod of Levi ; for on e rod shall be for the

he a d of the hou se of their fathers And thou .

sh a lt lay them up in the t abern a cle of the congr e

g at io n before the te stimony where I will m eet ,

with you And it sh all come to p a ss th a t the

.
,

ma n s rod who m I sh a ll choo se sh all blo ssom

’
.

And I will make to ce ase from me the murmur

in gs of the children of Isra el whereby they mur ,

mur ag ain st you ”

And Mo se s l aid up the rods
.

be fore the Lord in the t abern acle of witn e ss And .

it c ame to p ass tha t on the morro w Mo se s went

,

into the t abern a cle of witness ; an d behold the , ,

rod of A aron for the hou se of Levi was bud d ed ,

a n d bro u ht forth b u ds a n d bloomed blo ssoms

d
, ,

an d i el ed almond s A n d M o se s brou ght out

y .

all t h e rod s from before the Lord unto all the

children Of Isra el ; an d they l ooke d an d took ,
-

every man hi s rod And the Lord sa id unto M o

.

se s Bring A aro n s rod ag a in before t h e te stimony

’

, ,

to be kept for a token a g a in st the rebel s ; a n d

thou sh a lt q uite t ake away their murmurin gs
fro m me th a t they die not
,
”
God here wro ught .

a mir a cle which was su fli cien t to silenc the

e c om
pl aints of the Isr a eli tes an d whi c h was to be a,

G tC t v
rea y 2
o n ro ers
0 .
 T H E G RE AT O
C NT ROVERS Y .

st a n ding te stim ony th a t G o d h a d settled the pri est

hood upon Aa ron All the rema rk able ch anges
.

in t h e rod o c c urred in on e night to c onvi n c e,

the m th a t God h ad po sitively distin guishe d be

t we e n A a ron an d the rest of the children of
Isr a el A fter th is mir ac le of divine power the
.
,

au thority of the prie sthood wa s n o lo n ger c alle d

in q ue stio n Thi s wonderful ro d wa s preserved
.

to be frequently shown to the people to remin d ,

the m of the p ast to prevent them from murmur

,

i n g a n d a g a i n c a lli n g in question to who m t

,
he
priesthood right fully belon ged .

After the children o f Isr a el were fully convinced

o f their wrong in unju stly a ccu sing Moses a n d
,

A a ron a s they ha d done they saw their p ast re ,

bellion in its true l ight a n d they were terrified ,

.

They sp ake unto Moses sayi n g Behold we

'
, ,
”
die we peri sh ; we a ll peri sh
, They a re at .

leng th co mpelled to beli eve the unwelcome truth

th at their fa te is to die in the wilderne ss After .

they believed th a tit was indeed the Lord who had

sa id th a t they sho u ld not enter the pro mised l and ,

b utshould die they then a cknowledged th a t Mo ses

,

a n d A a ron were right a n d th a t they h a d sinned

,

a g a in st the Lord in rebelling a g ai n st their nu

,
thority They also confessed th a t Kor a h an d
.
,

those who perished with him were sinners a g a in st ,

th e Lord a n d th a t they ha d j ustly su fl ere d h is
'

,
wr a th .

The fa cts rel a tive to Korah a n d h is comp any ,

who rebelled a g ain st Mo ses a n d A aron an d ,

a g a i nst J ehov a h a re recorded for a w a rni n g to
,
’

God s peop l e especi ally tho se who live upon the

,
e ar t h ne ar the clo se of time S a ta n ha s led per .

son s to i mit ate the ex a mple of Kora h D a th an

, ,
a n d Ab ir am in raisin in su rre ct ion a mo n th
, g g e
 T H E G RE AT CO NTROVERS Y .

the disafl ected rally aroun d the st a nda rd an d all

'

the spiritu ally defective the l ame th e h alt and

, , ,

the blin d unite their influen c e to sc a tter an d to

, ,

sow di scord .

Every a dv an ce of God s serva n ts a t the head ’

of the work h as been wa tched with su spicion by

tho se who h a ve h a d a spirit of i n surrection an d ,

all t heir a ction s h ave been misrepresented by the

fa ult fin din g until hone st so u
-

,
l s h a ve been dr awn
into the sn are for want of correct knowledge .

Those who le a d them astr ay are so afl e c te d them

sel ve s by bli n d prej u dice a n d by r ej ecting the
,

testimonies God has sent them tha t they c a n n ot ,

see or hea r ari ght It is as difli cultto un deceive

.

so me of the se who h a ve permitted them selv es to

be led into rebellion as it was to convince the re
,

b ellious I sr a elites th a t they were wrong an d th at ,

Mo ses a n d A a ron were right Even a fter God .

,

in a mira c ulo us ma nner c aused the e a rth to swa l

,

low up Kor ah D ath a n a n d Abiram the lea ders

, , ,

in the rebellion the people still would h a ve it

,

th a t Moses an d Aaron were wron g a n d th a t they ,

h a d killed the people of the Lord The H ebrews .

w ere not c ured of their rebellion until fo urtee n

tho usa nd a n d se ven hundred of the peo ple who
h a d j oined the rebellio us ha d been sl a in And .

then after all this God in mercy condescen ded to

, ,

pe rfo rm a remark a ble mira cle upon the rod of

A on, to settle their mi nds forever in reg ard to
a r

the pri esthood .

 TH E S I N or MOS ES . 3 09

CHAPTER X XVI I I .

THE SI N OF M O S ES .

A G A I N the congrega tion Of Isr a el was brought

into the wilderness to the very pl ace where God
,

proved them soon after their l e aving Egypt The .

Lor d brought them w a ter outof the rock which ,

h a d continued to flow until ju st before they c ame

a ai n t o the rock when the Lord c au se d tha t liv
g ,

in g stream to ce a se to prove his people ag ain to

, ,

see if they would endure the tri a l of their fa ith ,

or would a g a in murmur ag a in st him .

When the Hebrews were thirsty an d coul d find ,

no water they bec ame imp a tient an d did n otre

, ,

member the power Of God which ha d ne arly forty ,

e a rs before brou ght themw ater outof the rock

yn stea d of trusting in God they complained of
.
,

,
M o se s a n d A aron an d sa id to them W ould God
, ,

th a t we ha d d ied when our brethren died before the

”
Lord ' th at is they wished that they ha d been
,

of th a t number who h a d been de stroyed by the

plague in the rebellion of Korah D ath an , an d ,

Abiram .

They an grily inquired W hy have ye bro ught

,
'

up the congreg ation of the Lord into this wilder

ness tha t we an d our c attle should die there ?
,

A n d wherefore h av e ye ma de u s to co me u p out
of Egypt to brin g us in unto thi s evil p l ace ? it is
,

no pl a ce of seed or of fi s or of vine s or of po me
, g , ,

g r a n a te s ; neither is there a n
y w a ter to dri nk .

And Moses a n d Aaron went fro m the presence of

the assembly unto the door of the t abern a cle of
the con grega tion an d they fell upon their fa ces
m
,

a n d t h e g lory of the Lord a ppe ared unto th e .

310 T H E G RE AT CON T ROYERS Y .

A n d the Lord s p a ke unto M o se s sa ying Tak e , ,

th e ro d a
,
n d g a ther thou th e a ss e m bly together ,

toh u a n d A a ron thy bro ther an d spe a k ye unto ,

th e ro c k before their ey es a n d it S h a ll gi ve forth

h is wa ter a n d thoush alt bri n g forth to them wa
,

ter outof the rock S O thou sh alt give the con

.

re a t io n a n d their be a sts drink A n d M o ses

g g
.

took th e rod from before the Lord as he c om ,

ma n de d h im And Mo ses an d A a ron g ather ed

.

th e c o n gregatio n tc e t h er be fore the rock ; an d

h e said unto them ig c a r now ye rebe ls ; mu
, , st we ,

fe t c h y o u w a ter out of thi s rock ? And M oses

li fted up his h a nd a n d with his ro d he smote the
,

rock twice ; an d the wa ter c ame out a bundan tly ;

a n d the con re ga tion dr a nk an d th e ir beast s also
g , .

And the Lord sp ake unto Mo se s an d A aron B e ,

c au se e believed me n ot to sanctify me in the ,

eye s 0 the children of Isra el there fore ye shall ,

n o tbring thi s co n greg a tio n into the l a nd which I

h ave given them ”

.

Here Mo ses sinned He bec ame we a ried with

.

the continu al murmuri n gs o f the people a gai nst

h im a n d a tthe co mmand ment of the Lord took
, ,

th e ro d a n d in ste a d Of spe aking to the rock as

, , ,
G o d c o mma nded h im he smote it with the ro d
,

t wice after sayi n g Mu st we fetch you water

, ,
'

ou t of this rock ? He here spoke un a d vise dly

wi th h is lip s .H e did not say Go d will n ow Sho w ,
o u a n o ther evide n c e of h is po wer a n d brin u
y gy o ,
w a ter o ut of this ro c k He did not ascri be th.

flow fro m the fl in ty rock an d there fore did n ot ,

ma gni fy him b efore the people For thi s fa ilure .

o n the p art of M o ses God woul d not

, p e rmi thi m
to le a d the peopl e to the promise d l a nd .

Thi s necessity for the manifest ation of G od s ’

3 13 A
T H E G RE T CO NT R OVERS Y .

p ow er a o l n e co u ld pe rf o rm ,
h e h a d p r o v e d th em ,

an d t est ed th e m ,
t o se e w heth e r the w o u ld obe y
h im At
.
every tri a l they fa ile d n st ea d
. o f b e

i
le v in g i n ,
a n d a c k n o w le d i n
g, G o d, w h o h a d
st re w n the ir p a th w ith evi e n c e s of hi s power,
a n d sign al t okens of his ca re an d love , they dis
tr usted h im, an d asc ribed their l eavin g E gyp tto

M o ses, ch ar gin him as the c au se of a ll their dis

ast ers . i
M oses a d born e with their stubbornness
w i th re ma rk able forbe a ra nc e At o n e time th ey
.

thre a tened t o stone him .

The Lord wo uld remove this impr ession forever

fro m their minds by forbiddi n g M oses to e nter the
,

promised la nd The Lord had hi ghly e x alted

.

Mo ses He ha d revealed to him his grea t glory

. .

H e had t aken him in to a sa cred n e arn ess with

hi mself u pon the mount an d ha d c ondesc ended ,

to t a lk wi th him as a man spea ke t h with a friend .

He ha d c o mmuni c a ted to M o ses an d through him ,

to the p eople h is will his sta tutes a n d his l aws

, , .

H is bein g th u s ex alted a n d honored o f G o d made

h is error of gr ea ter ma gn itude M o ses repented .

Of his S in an d humbled himself gr ea tly before

,

God He rel a ted to all Isra el h is sorro w for his

.

sin . The result of his sin he did n otc on c e al but ,

told them th a t for th us fa ili n g to ascribe lory to

g
God he could not le a d them to the pro mised l and
, .

H e th en aske d them if thi s error up o n h is p art

,
w a s so re a t a s to be th u corrected f G d h w
g s o o o ,

God would rega rd their repe at ed murmuri n gs in

ch a r i ng him Mo se s with the u m m
g ( ) nco o n visi ta
tion s of God bec ause of their si n s .

F or this singl e instan c e Moses had a ll owe d th e

I mp ressi on t
,
o be entert a ined t ha t he had brough t
t hemw ater ou tof the rock when he sh o u l d h av e
magni fied the n ame of the Lord amon g his peopl e
,

.
 T H E S I N or M O S ES . 3 13

The Lord woul d n ow settle the matter with his

peo ple tha t Mo se s was merely a man followin g
, ,

the guidance an d direction Of a mightier th a n he ,

even the Son of God In this he would l e a ve .

them without doubt W here much is given much .

,

is requ ir ed M o se s ha d bee n highly favored with

.

speci a l views of God s maje sty The light and

’
.

glory of God had been imp arted to him in rich

a bun da nce H is fa ce had reflected upon the peo
.

ple the glory th a t the Lord ha d let Shine upon

him . All will be ju dged a ccor di n g to the privi
leges they h ave ha d a n d the ligh t an d benefi ts ,

bestowed .

The sin s of good men whose gener al deport ,

ment h as been worthy of i mit ation are peculi arly ,

ofl e n sive to God They c ause S ata n to triumph

.
,

an d t o t aunt the angel s of G od with the fa ili n g s

of God s cho sen in stru ment s an d give the u

’
n ,

right eous occasion to lift themsel ves up again st

God The Lord ha d himself led Mo se s in a spe
.

c ia l ma nner an d h a d reve aled to h im h is glory

, ,

as t o n o other upon the e arth He was n atur ally .

i mpa tient but had t ake n hold fi rmly of th e gra c e

,

of G od an d so h u ,
mbly implored wi sdom from
He aven th at h e was stren gthen ed from God an d
, ,

ha d overcome his i mp atience so th at h e was c alled

of G od t he meekest man upon th e fa c e of the
whole ea rth .

A ar on died atMount H or for the Lord had sai d

tha t he should not enter the promised lan d ; be
c au se with Mo ses he ha d si n n ed a t t
, ,
h e ti me o f
brin gin g w a ter from the rock atM erib ah M oses .

a n d the son s of A aron buried him in t h e mo unt ,

th a t the people might not be tempted t o m a

k e too

g re a t ceremony over his body a n d b e gm lt y O f ,

t h e S in of idol atry .
s me
o o f the m pri s o n er s ; a n d the ho st o f the I s

r ae l e
it s be so u ght the Lord to g o w ith the m to b a t
l
te g a a in st th e C a n a a nite s a n d deliver ,the m i n to
th eir ha n ds an d they w ould utterly destroy their
,

ci tie s a n d w o uld be fa ith ful i n follo wing God

,
.

H e he a rd their pr a yer a n d w ent,

ou t w ith their
a r mie s to b at t le a n d the Isr a elite s overc ame th eir
,

e n e mies a n d utterly de stroyed th e m a n d their

,

cit ies.

C HAPTE R XXIX .

F I E RY S E R P EN T S .

A s the people journeyed fro m H o r by t h e way

o f the Re d S e a , to c o mp a ss the l a n d Of E do m,
the y were much discoura ge d, a n d co mpl a ined of
th e h ard ships of the way And the people .

S p ake a a instGod , an d a gain st Mo se s, W here fore

g
h a ve ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in
the wildern ess ? for there is n o bre a d , neithe r is
there a ny wa ter ; a n d our soul lo athe th this light
bre a d And the Lord sent fiery serpents a mo ng
.

the people an d they bit the people ; an d much

,

p p
e o le o f I sr a el died Therefore the peop
. l e c a m e
to M ose s a n d sa id W e h ave sinned ; for we ha ve
, ,

spoken a g a i n st the Lord a n d a g a in st thee pr y

;
,
a

unto the Lord th at he ta ke a way the serpent s

,

from us And M o ses prayed for the p eople

.
.

And th e Lord sa id unto Mo se s M a ke thee a fiery ,

serpent an d setit upon a pole
, ; a n d it S h a ll co m e
t o p a ss th a t every one th a t is bitten when he
, ,
look et h u pon it sh all live An d, Mo ses m a d
. e a
316 TH E G RE AT O
C NT R OVER S Y .

for th eir ingr a titude an d make th em to reali ze

,

h is p as t m erciful c a re for t h e m of w h i ch they ,

h a d b e en u n mi n d ful .

The Isra elites were terrified an d humble d be

cau se of the serpent s a n d confessed their S in i n
,

murmurin g Mo ses was direct e d to erec t the bra

.

ze n serpe n t upon a pole an d if th ose wh o w ere ,

bi tten looked upon th at they S hould be healed , .

Here the Isra eli tes were req uired to do some

thi n g They mu st look upon the br a zen serpent
.

i f th e y w o u ld li ve M an y h ad di ed by the bite
.

of t he serpe n t s Wh en Mo ses r a ised the serpent

.

upo n the pole some ha d n o faith th a t merely

,

l ooking at th at would he a l them an d they died , .

M others fa ther s brother s an d sisters were all

, , ,

a n xiou sly e n g a ged in helpi n g th eir su fl erin g dy

'

in g rel a tives an d friend s to fix their l an gu id ,

upo n the serpen t If they could o nly o n ce l ook

.

whi le fa i n ti n g an d dying they revived a n d were , ,

h e aled of all the e fl ec ts of their poisono us woun ds .

There was n o virtue in the serpent of br ass to c ause

such a ch a n ge i mmedi a tely in th o se wh o l ooked
upon it . The he aling virtue received by their
lo o k in g upon the serpent was derived fro m God
a lo n e . He Cho se in his wi sdom this man n er to
, ,

d ispl a y h is power It was the fa ith of the peopl e

.

in the provi sion ma de whi ch was a ccept a ble to ,

G od . By this S impl e me an s the peopl e wer e ,
ma de se n sib le th a t God ha d permitted th ese ser
pen ts to a fllic t them bec au se of their murmur
in gs an d l a c k of fa ith in him If they would .

obey God they ha d n o rea son to fe a r ; for h e

,

would be their friend a n d preserve them from ,

d a ngers to which they were continu a lly e xpo se d

m the wi lderness .

The H ebrews in their afflictio n co u ld n ot save

 ‘
TI ERY BEB P EN I S '
. 3 17

themse l ve s fro m the efl e c t of the fiery serpent s .

Go d a lone could sa ve sinful , rebelliou s Isr a el , by

hi s i n finite power ; yet , in his wi sdom, he did n ot
se e fit t o p a rdon their tr a n sgre ssions without t est

in g their repenta nce a n d fa ith They were re .

q uired , by an ac tOf their own , to Show their pen

iten c e , an d faith in the provision th a t God h a d ma de
for their recovery T hey, on their p art, must a c t
. .

They mu st look , in order to live The a ct of .

looki ng showed their faith in the Son of God,

who m the se rpent represented The liftn up .

of the br a zen serpent was t o te a ch Isr a el a

lesson They had presented their ofl erin gs to
.

God, an d felt th at in thu s doing they h a d ma de

a mple a tone ment for their sin s They did n ot, by
.

faith , rely upon the merits Of the Redeemer to

co me , of which their ofl erin gs were only the type
'

T h e serpent , ma de of br ass to rese mble the fiery

ser pe nt , wa s to be pl a ced in the mi dst Of the c a mp ,
lifted upon a pole Thi s was to S how to Isr a el
.

th a t their ofl erin gs, of themselves, h a d no more

'

sa ving virtue or power th an the serpent of br ass ,

which was to revi ve in their minds the future sac

rific e of the Son of God S O a lso their offerin gs
.
, ,

were to be brought with subdu ed wills a n d peni

tent he a rt s they h avi n g faith in the meritorio us
,

o ffering of God s dear Son None were compelled

’
.

to look upon the br a zen serpent All could l ook .

a n d live or di sbeli eve the si mple provi sion G od

,

ha d ma de re fu ,se to look an d di e ,
.

The requirements of God may n ot a lways be

a ppreci a ted by his people a n d many a re u n a ble to
,

unde rst and the deali n g s Of God with them; yet

it is n ot their p art to questio n the pu rpo se s of
G od but to yield sub mi ssive obedien c e ; fo
,
r G od

has a purpo se in all his requirement s Wt ll we ,

318 T HE GREA T CON TRovERS Y .

ma n ot fu lly se e h e re but S h all se e here aft er

fl
.
,

ra e l h a d bee n pre served by a m ir a cle o f G o d s

’

me rc y duri n g e v e ry da y o f their tr a vels in the

wil de r n e ss . The migh ty A n gel wh o wen t before
th e m w as th e S on o f G od H e evened their pat
. h ,

so t h a t th e ir fe e tdid not swell It wa s the Maj

.

e t
s
y o f H e a ve n who su bd ued a n d re st r ai n ed t he
st ro n g a n d d a n gero u s be a sts of t h e forest as well ,

as t h e poi so n o u s serpe n t s th a t i n fe sted t he wi lder

n e ss. The children of Isr a el did n otrealize the
tho usa n d da n g e rs they were pr e served from in
t h eir tra vels be c a u se they w er e k ept fro m them
,
.

T hey h a d h ard h e a rts of unbelie f a n d w ere unrec ,

on c ile d to be gu ided an d controll e d by God They .

i mag in e d e vi ls They dwelt u pon the dangers

.

whi c h thre a tened them althou gh th ey experi enced

,

them n ot The Lord permitted the serpents to

.

di str e ss them th a t they might r e a liz e how mu

,
ch

they might h a ve sn fl e re d if Go d h a d not merci

'

fully e n co mp assed them a n d pre ser v ed themfrom

,

af fl iction a n d de a th T he Lord h a d j ust given

.

th em a wonderful victory over their e n emi es in ,

a n sw er to pr ayer The Lord proved them to see

.
,

if th e y wo uld look to h im a n d tr ust in him if , ,

b ro ug ht i n to str a it pl a ces But th ey did not .

st a nd the te st ; they co mpl a ined o f G o d an d of

,

M o se s killing the m with hun ger The Lord pun

’
.

i sh od them by permitti n g th e dea th they had

,

c o mpl a i n e d o f to c o me u pon them .

T h e b ra ze n serpe n t li fted upon a pole illu s

, ,

trate s th e Son of G od who wa s to die upon the

,

cro ss The people who are sufl erin g from the

’

e ffects of S in c an find hope an d salv a ti o n a lon e in

the provi sion God h as made A s th e Isra elites .

sa ved their live s by looki n g upon the br a zen ser

p t so S inners c an look to C h ri st an d live

e n ,
.
3 20 T H E G RE T A O T O V ERS Y
C N R .

th e m o u t of the l a nd ; for I wo t th a t h e who m

t h ou bl esse stis bles s ed a n d h e w h om th ou, cursest
”
is c ursed .

B a la a m h ad been a prophet of G od an d a g oo d ,

ma n ; but he a po sta tized an d ga ve himsel f up ,

t o covetou sness so th a t he loved the w ages of u

,
n

ri gh teo usn e ss At th e time B a l a k sent messen gers

.

for h im he was double minded pur sui n g a course

,
-

to g a in a n d reta i n the favor a n d honor of the e n e

mie s of the Lord for the sake of rewa rds th at he
,

r e c e i ved fro m them At the same ti me he was

.
,

pro fessi n g to be a prophe t of God Idol a trous .

n ations believ e d th a t c urses might be uttered

which would affec t individu al s an d e ven wh ole
.
,

n a tions A s the messen gers rela ted their erra nd

.

to B al a am he very well k n ew wh a t a n swer to

,

g ive them; but he aske d them to t arry th at

n i ht a n d he would bring the m word as the Lord
g ,

should spe a k unto h im The pr esen ts in the .

h and s of the men excited his covetou s di spo sition .

G od c a me to B al aam in the nigh t through on e of ,

his a ngels an d in quired of him Wh at men are

, ,

the se wi th thee ? And B a l aa m said unto God

'
,

B a l a k the son of ' ip por king of M o a b ha th

, , ,

sent u n to me sa ying Behold , there is a people

, ,

co me out of Egypt whi ch covereth the face of ,

the e arth Come n ow curse me th em; pera dven

.
, ,

t ure I sh all be able to overcome them an d drive ,

the m o ut And God said unto B a laam Thou

.
,
S h a lt n o t go with the m Thou Sh alt not cur se.

”
the people ; for they are blessed Th e a n gel .

te lls Bal a am th at the children of Isra el are c on

d ucted under the b a n ner of th e G od of He a ven ,
a n d th a t n o cur se fro m m an c ould re t a rd their

progress In the morni n g he a ro se a n d relu e

.
,
tau t ly told the men to retur n to B al ak for th e Lord ,
 B ALAAM . 3 21

woul d uffer him to go with them Then Ba

n ots .

lak se n t o ther princes more of them in number , ,

a n d more ho n or a ble or occ u pying a more ex a lte d

,

position th a n the former messen gers ; a n d thi s

time Ba l a k s call was more urgent : Le t noth
’
'

ing I pr ay thee hi nder thee fro mcomi n g unto me

, ,

for I will pro mote thee unto very gre a t honor a n d ,

I will do wha tsoever tho usaye st unto me Come .

,

there fore I pray thee curse me this people

, ,
.

A n d B a l aa m a nswered a n d sa id unto the serv a nts

of B al a k I f B al a k would give me his ho u
, se ful l
of silver a n d gold I c annot go beyond the word
,

of the Lord my God to do l ess or more , .

H is fe a r of God s power hol ds the a scendency

’

over his covetou s di sposition ; yet his course of

cond uct shows th a t his love of honor an d g a in
was striving h ard for the ma stery a n d he di d not ,

su b due it He wo uld h a ve gra tified his covetous

.

n ess if he h a d d a red t
, o do it After God ha d .

sa id th a t he sho u ld not go he wa s anxious to be ,

gr a nted the privilege o f go in g He urged them .

to remain th a t night th a t he might ma ke i n q u

,
iry
a g a in of God An an gel was sent to B al aam to
.

say un t o h im I f the me n co me to c all thee

,
'
,

ri se up an d go with them; but yet the word whi c h

,

I sh a ll say unto thee th a t sha l ttho u do ,

The .

Lord sn fl ered B a la am to follo w his own in cli n a

tion s an d try if he cho se so to do to please both
, , ,

God an d man .

The me ssengers of B ala k did not c all upon him

in the morning to h ave h im go with them T he y .

were a nnoyed with h is del a y an d expe c ted a se c ,

o n d refu sa l B al a am could h ave exc e hi el

. u s d m s f ,

a d e asily a voided going ;

n t u
bu he tho gh th t t a

ec
b a s u e the Lord the second ti m e did n o t forb i d
G reatCo tn v
ro ers y .
21
32 2 T HE G REA T O T ROVERS Y
C N .

h sg
i om he would go a n d ov e rt a k e the a m b as sa

dors of al ak The a nger of the L ord was kin

.

del d a
g a i n st B a l a a m b e c a use he w e n t ; a n d he

se n t h is a n g e l to st a nd i n the wa y , an d to sl a
y
h im fo r h is pre su mptuou s folly The beast saw .

th e a ng e l o f th e Lord , a n d turned a side B al a am .

was b e side h imself with r a ge T h e spe ak in g of .

the b e a stwas unnoticed by h im a s a nythin g re

ma rk able , for he was blin ded by p assion As .

th e a ngel reve aled himself to B a l a a m, he was

te rrifi e d, a n d lefthi s be ast a n d b o w ed in humili t y
be fore the a ngel He rel ated to B a l a am the word
.

o f the Lord , a n d sa id , I wen t out to withstand

thee , bec a use thy way is perverse before me ”
It .

wa s i mport ant to I sr a el to overco me the Mo a bites,

in order to overcome the inh a bit a nts of C an aan .

A fter the angel h ad i mpressively w a rned B alaam

a a in st g ra ti f ing the Mo abite s he g a ve h im er
g y p ,

mi ssio n to p ursue his j o urney G o d would glorify .

h is n a me even thro ugh the pre sumpt uo us B al aam

, ,

be fore the enemies of Isra el Thi s co uld not be .

done in a more efl e ctu a l ma nner th a n by sho wing

'

them th a t a man of B alsam s coveto us di spo si tion ’

da red not for an y promi ses of pro motion or re

,

w a rds pronounce a curse a g ain st Isr a el

, .

B al ak met B al a am an d inq uired Of him why

,

he thu s d el aye d to come when he sent for him ;

a n d told him th a t he h a d power t o pro mote h im
to h o n or B a l a a m an swered Lo I am come unto
.
, ,

thee He the n told h im th a t he ha d n o power to sa y

.

a ny thi ng The wor d th a t G od S hould give h im

.
,

th a t could he spe ak an d c ould go n o further

, .

B l aam ordered the sa crifice s a ccord in g to the

a

re h rou s rite God sent his an gel to meet wi th

g s .

B l aam to give him words of utter a nce as he

a
, ,
h a d done on occ asion s when B al aam was whol ly
3 24 T H E GRE AT O T O V ER S Y
C N R .

keep s h im from cur si n g th em He thi nk s if he .

t ak e s him to an other pl ace wher e I sr a el will not ,

a ppe a r to such a dv a nt a ge he c an obt a in a

, cur se

f ro m B a l a a m Ag a.in a t ' ophi m a

,
t t h e top of ,

Pi sg ah B al a am ofl ere d burnt o fferin gs an d then

'
-

, ,

went by hi mself to commune with the angel of

God And the a n gel to l d Ba l a am wh a t to say
. .

W h en he returned B al ak inquired anxiou ,

sly ,

W h a t h ath the Lord spoken ? And he took

up h is p ar able a n d said R i se up B a l a k an d hear;
, , , ,

he a rken unto me thou son of ' ippor : God is

,

n o ta ma n th a t he should lie ; n eith er the son of

,

ma n th at he sho uld repent H ath he said, and

,
.

sh all he not do it ? or h a th h e spoken and ,

S h a ll he not make it good ? B eh o ld I h ave re ,

c e ive d co mmand ment t o ble ss ; an d h e hat h

b le ssed an d I c annot reverse it H e h a th not
,
.

beh eld i n iq uity in Ja cob neither h a th he seen ,

perversen ess in Isra el The Lord his God is .

with h im an d the Shout Of a kin g is a mon g them

, .

God brought th em outof Egypt ; h e h a th as it ,

were the strength of a uni c orn Surely there is

,
.

n o e n ch a ntme n t a g a in st J a cob n either is there ,

a n y di vi n a t io n ag a in stI sr a el According to this .

ti me it Sh a ll be sa id of J a cob a n d of Isr a el What ,

h ath God wro ught Behold the people Shall ,

rise up a s a great lio n an d lift up himself as a ,

yo un g lio n He sh all not lie down until he eatof

.

”
the pr ey a n d dri n k the b l ood of the sl ain
, .

B al a k still fl attered himsel f with th e vain hope

th at God wa s subj ect to v ari a tion lik e man B a , .

l aam informs him th a t God will never be induced

to bre ak h is wor d or a lter his purpo se c onc erni n
, g
Isra el an d th a t it is in v ain for him to hope to
,

obta in a c urse fo r his people or to ex pec t him to ,

reverse the bl essi n g he has pro mi sed to them;

 B ALAA M . 3 25

and no ench antment or curse uttere d by a di

viner co uld h ave the least infl uence upo n th at
n a tion th at ha s the protection of O mnipotence .

B a l a a m h a d wish e d to appe ar to be fa vorable

to B a l a k an d h a d permitted h im to be deceived
, ,

an d t o think t ha t he used superstitiou s ceremonies

an d ench a nt ments when he be sough t the Lord .

But as he followed the co mmand given him of

Go d he gre w bolder in proportion a s he obeyed
,

the divine impul se a n d he l aid aside his pre ,

ten ded conj ura tion an d lookin g to ward the en , ,

c a mpme n t o f the Isr a elite s he beholds the m a ll ,

enc a mped in perfect order under their respective ,

st a nd a rd s a t a di st ance fro m the

, t abern a cle .

B a la a m was permitted to behold the glorious ma n

ife sta tion of God s pre sence over sh a dowi n g pro
’

, ,

te e ting a n d guiding the t abern acle He was

, ,
.

filled with a dmira tio n a t the sub li me scene H e .

Open ed his p arable with all the dig nity of a true

prophet of God H is prophetic words are th ese.

'
H ow goodly a re thy tent s 0 J ac ob an d thy , ,

t a bern ac les O Isra el ' A S the v alleys are they

,

he
’
S pre a d forth a s g arden s by the river s side as t
, ,

trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath pl anted ,

a n d as ced a r tree s be side the w aters H e Sh all .

pour the w ater out of his buckets an d his seed ,

S h all be in ma ny w a ter s an d h is king sh a ll be ,

higher th an Ag ag an d h is kin gdo m S h all be ex ,

al t ed God bro ught him forth out of E gypt ;

.

he h a th a s it were the strength of a unicorn He

, , .

S h a ll e a tu the n a tion s his ene mies a n d sh a l l

p , ,

bre ak their bones an d pierce themthro ugh with his

,

a rrows .He couched he lay dow n as a lio n a n d , ,

a s a gre a t lion W ho Sh all stir himup ? Blessed

.

is he th a t ble sseth thee a n d c ur sed is he th at ,

cu rseth thee A n d B al ak s a ng er was ki n dle d

’
.
 3 26 T H E G RE AT CO N T ROV ER S Y .

ao a in st B al aam a n d he smote his h a nds to

,

g z th e r And
. B a l a k sa id unto B a l a a m I c all ed ,

h
t ee to cur se m ine ene m ie s a n d behold
, , thou h a
, st
a l t
o
g e th e r ble ssed t h e m the se three ti mes
”
.

The Mo abite s understood the i mport of the pro

h et ic w or ds of B al aa m
— th a t the I sr a elites aft er
p ,

co n qu e ring the C an a anites should settle in their ,

l a nd a n d all a ttempt s to subdue the m wo uld be of

,

n o more a v ail th a n for a fe eble be ast t o a rou se t he

lio n out of his den B al aam told B al ak th at he
.

wo u ld in form h im wh a t the Isra elite s S hould do to

h is p e ople a ta l a ter period The L ord un folded
.

the future be fore B ala am a n d permitted events ,

wh ic h would occur to p a ss before h is sight that ,

th e Mo abit e s should underst a nd th a t Isra el S ho u ld

fin ally triumph A s B al aam prophetic ally re
.

h e a rse d th e future to B al a k a n d h is prince s he ,

wa s struck with a ma z eme n t a t the future di spl ay

o f G od s po wer
’
.

After B al aam h a d re turned to h is pl a ce an d ,

the controll ing influen ce Of God s Spirit h ad left ’

h im h is coveto u
,
sness which h a d n ot been over
,

co me but merely held in check prev a iled He

, ,
.

c ou ld think of nothi n g butthe rewa rd a n d pro mo

ti on to honor which he might h a ve received of
B al ak until he wa s wil ling to resort to a n y mean s
,

to o b ta in th at which he desired B a l a a m k n ew .

t h a t th e pro spe rity of Isr a el depended upon th eir

ob se r va n c e o f the la w of God ; a n d th a t th er e was
n o wa
y to bring a c u r se upon the m b u t by sedu o
in g them to tr a n sgre ssion He d ecided to secure
.

to hi mself B al ak s r eward a n d the pro motion he

’

desire d by a dvi si n g the Mo a bites wh a t co urse to

,

p ur sue to bri n g the curse upon Isra el He coun .

seled B a l ak to procl a i m a n i do l a trou s fe a st in

h on or of t h eir idol gods an d h e woul d pe rsu

, a de
 3 28 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

pri n ces of the co n greg ation went for th to meet ,

th e m witho ut the c amp And Mo se s was wroth

.

w i th t he o fli c e rs of the ho st wi th the c a pta in s ov er

,

tho usa n ds a n d c apt a in s ov er hun dre ds wh i ch

, ,

c a me fro m the b a ttle And Mo ses sa id unto them

.
,

H a ve ye sa ved all the wo men alive ? Behold ,

the se c a used the c hil dre n of I sr a el thro ugh the ,

c ou n se l o f B a l a am to co mmit tre sp a ss a g a in st t
,
he
L ord in the matter of Peor an d there was a pl ague
,

a mo n g the co n g reg ation of the Lord .

M o se s co mma n ded the me n of war to de

str oy t h e wo men a n d male children B a l a am had .

sold the children o f I sr a el for a rew a rd an d he ,

p eri sh e d wi th the people whose fa vor he h a d oh

ta in e d a tthe sa crifice of t we n ty four thou sa nd of
-

the Isr a elite s The Lord is regar ded as cruel by

.
,

many in req uiring h is people to make war with

,

other n a tion s They say that it is contr ary to

.

his benevole n t ch a r a cter But he who ma de the

.

world an d formed man to dwell upon the ear th

, ,

h as unli mited control over all the work s of his

h a nds ; an d it is his right to do a s h e plea ses ,

a n d wh a t he ple ase s with the work of h is h a nd s

, .

M an h as no right to say to his M a ker W hy doe st ,

thou thus ? There is n o inj ustice in his c h a ra cter .

H e is the rul er of the world an d a l ar g e por tion ,

o f his su bj ects h ave rebelled a g ain st his a u thority ,

a n d h a ve tr a m le d upon his law He h as be
upo n them liberal blessi n gs an d sur
.

st o we d
,

ro un ded them with everything need ful ; yet th ey

h ave bowed to i mages of wood an d stone silver an d ,

gold which their own hands h ave ma de They

, .

te a ch their chil dre n th a t these are the g ods th a t

give them life an d he alth an d mak e their l an ds
,
fr u itful an d ive them riches an d ho n or They
he GOT
, .

scorn t of I srael T hey d espise his people

.
 B ALAAM . 3 29

bec ause their work s are righteou s The fool .

ha th sa id in h is heart There is n o God They

, .

are c orr u pt they h a ve done abo min able work s

, .

G o d h a s borne with th em until they filled up the

me asure of their iniq uity a n d then he h as bro ugh t
,

upo n them swift destr uc tion He h as u sed h is

.

peop le a s instruments o f his wr ath to p un ish wicked ,

n a tions who ha ve vexed them a n d seduced them ,

in to idola try .

A family picture was presente d before me : A

p a rt o f the children see m a nxious to lea rn an d
O bey the req u ireme nts of the fa ther while the oth ,

e rs tr a mple upo n his a uthority a n d seem to ex u

,
lt in
S howing conte mpt of his fa mily government Th e y .

sh a re t he bene fits of their fa ther s hou se a n d a re

’

c on st a ntly rec eiving of h is bounty ; they a re

wholly depende nt upon him for all they receive ,

y e t a re n ot gr a te ful but ,
conduct the m selve s

proudly a s tho ugh all the fa vors they received of

,

their i n dulgent p a rent were su pplied by themselves .

T he fa ther n o tice s all the di srespec tful a ct s o f h is

disobedi ent ungr a tefu
,
l chi ldren ye the b ea rs with ,

the m .

At len gth these rebellio us children go still fur

,

ther a n d see k to infl ue n c e a nd le a d t

,
o rebellion

tho se me mbers o f their fa ther s family who h a ve

’

hither t o be en faith ful T hen all the dig n ity an d

.

a uthor it y of the fa ther is c alled into ac tion ; an d

he expels fro m his h o use the rebellio us chil dren ,

who h a ve not only ab used his lov e a n d ble ssi n gs

the msel ves buttried to subvert the rema in in g fe w
,

who h a d su b mitted to the w ise an d j udi cio us la ws

o f their fa ther s hou sehold
’

For the sake of the few who are loy al whose ,

h appine ss wa s expo sed to the seditious i n fluence of

h
te rebelliou sm e mber s of h is household he s ep a ,
3 30 T H E G RE AT O
C N TR OV ERSY .

r a t e s h is und utiful childr e n fr om his family while ,

a t th e s a me ti m e he l a bor s to brin
g the re mai nin
g
fa ith ful a n d loy al o n e s clo ser to himself All .

wo uld ho n or the wi se a n d j u st c our se of su ch a

p a re n t in p un ishi n g most sev er e ly h is undutifu
,
l ,

re b e llio us chil dren .

G o d h a s d e alt thu s with h is child r en Bu tman .

,

in h is blindn ess will overl o ok th e a bo min a tions of

,

th e u n godly an d p ass by unnoticed the c ontinu

,
al

i n g ra titude a n d rebellion a n d H e a ven darin g sins

,
-

o f tho se who tr ample u pon God s la w a n d defy his

’

au tho ri ty They do not stop h e re but exultin

.
,

su bverting his people an d in fl uen c ing them by

,

their wiles to tr ansgress a n d S ho w o pen c ontempt

,

for the wise requi rements o f J ehov a h

, .

So me c an see only th e de struction o f Go d s en ’

emie s which look s to th em unmer c i ful a n d severe

,
.

T hey do not look upon the other side Butletcv .

e rla st in g th a nk s be given th a t i mpu lsive change

, ,

able man with all his bo a sted be nev o lence is not

, ,

the dispo ser an d controller of e vent s The ten .

d er mercies of the wi cked are cru el ”

.

CHAPTER XXXI .

DE A TH OF M O SES .

M O SES was soon to die ; a n d he was c ommanded

Of God to g ather the children of Isr a el together
b e fore h is d eath a n d re la te to the m a ll the jour
,

n eyin s of the Hebre w ho st since th e ir dep a rtu re

fro m gypt an d all the gre a t tr a n s re ssions of
, g
th ei r fa thers which brou ht his j ud men t up
, g g s o n
33 2 T H E G RE AT CO N TR OV ERS Y .

m ount a in a n d Leb a no n But the Lord

. w a s w roth
m
,

wi th e for your s a ke s a n d would ,

n o t he a r m e .

A n d th e Lord sa id unto me Let it su fli c e th ee ;

,

spe a k no more u n to me o f thi s ma tter G e tth ee .

up i n to the to p of Pi sg ah an d lift up thine ey es ,

we st wa rd a n d north war d a n d so u
,
thward a nd
, ,

e a st wa rd a n d behold it with thi n e eye s ; for th ou

,

S h al tnot go over t hi s Jord a n B utch a rge J o shu. a ,

a n d encour a ge him an d strengthe n h im; for he

,

sh a ll go over before thi s people a n d he S h a l l c au se ,

th e m to inherit the la nd which tho u S h a lt see ”

.

N ow th e re fore hea rken O Isra el unto the stat

, , , ,

ute s a n d unto the j udg ments which I te a ch you , ,

fo r to do them th a t ye may live a n d go i n a n d

, ,

p o ssess the l a nd whi ch the Lord God of your

fa th e r s giveth you Ye Sh all not a dd unto the
.

word which I co mma nd you nei t h er Sh a ll ye di

,

mi n i sh a ught fro m it tha t ye may keep the com

,

ma n dme n ts of the Lord your G od wh ich I c om

mand you ”
.

Mo ses tol d them th at for their r ebellion the , ,

Lord ha d several time s purposed to destroy them;

but he h a d interceded for them S O e a rnestly th at
God h a d gra ciously sp ared them He reminded .

them Of the mira cles which the Lord did unto

Ph ar aoh a n d all the la nd of Egypt He sa id to .

the m B ut your eyes h ave seen all the grea t

,
'

ac t s o f the Lord which he di d Therefore sh a ll .

y e k ee
p a ll the c o m m a nd m ent s which I c o m m a n d
o u thi s da th t ye m be trong d i
y y a, a
y s an g o n ,
a n d po ssess t
”
he l and whi ther ye go to po ssess it
,
.

Mo ses especi ally warned the children of Isr a el

a g ain st being sed u ced into idol a try He e a rne stly .

ch arged them to Obey the co mmand ments of God .

I f t h ey woul d prove obe di ent an d l ove th e Lord

, ,
a n d serve him with their un i ided ion s h e
dv afl e c t
'

,
 D EATH or M O S ES . 33 3

wou l d giv e the m r ain in due se ason a n d cause ,

their veget ation to flourish an d increase their ,

c attl e They S hould also enj oy especi al an d e x

.

alted privileges a n d should triumph over t h eir

,

enemies He rel ated to them the adv anta g es of

.

the l a nd of C an aan over th a t of Egypt In cer .

ta in se asons of the yea r the cultiva ted l ands in ,

Egypt ha d to be w atered from the river by ma

chinery which wa s worked by the foot This was .

a l a borious proce ss .

Mo ses said to them F or th e lan d whi ther ,

'
,

thou go est in to po ssess it is n ot as the l an d of ,

Egypt from whence ye came out wher e tho u

, ,

sowedst thy see d an d w a tered st it with thy foot

, ,
as a a rden of h e rb s ; but the l a nd whither ye
g go ,

to po sse ss it is a l a nd of b ills a n d va lleys an d

, ,

drinketh w a ter of the r ai n of hea ven ; a l and

which the Lord thy God c areth for The eyes of .

the Lord thy God are alw ays upon it from the ,

be ginnin g of the ye ar even unto the e n d of th e

”
ye ar .

M any o f the Egypti an s p aid th at devotion to

the river which belo n ged alon e to God They .

a ckno wle dged it as their god b e c a u se they we r e ,

dependent on its w aters to quench their thirst ,

an d to use u pon their l an ds to c ause veget a tion to

flourish ; an d it liberally supplied their t ables with
fish .

Durin g the pl a gues on E gypt Ph araoh was ,

punctua l in his superstitious devotion to the river ,

an d vi sited it every morni n g ; an d a s he st oo d ,

upon i ts b anks he o ffered pr a ise an d th an k sgi vi n g

,

t o the w ater recounti n g the gre a t goo d it a e co m

,

li h d d telling the w a ter of its gre a t po wer

p s e a n ,

th at without it they co uld not exi st ; for thei r

l a nd s were w atered by it an d it suppl i ed me at for ,
3 34 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO V ERS Y .

th e ir ta bl e s The
. fir s t pl a gue w h ich vi sited Egypt
w as to co m e upo n the w a ter s o n e o f
, the ex alte d
g o ds o f Ph a ra o h Mo . se s s m ote th e wa ter before
P ha r a o h a n d h is gre a t m e n a n d th ey sa w th e wa
,

te r whi c h th e y we re a dori n g t u rn e d to blood It .

w as a p utrid ma ss for se ven d a y s a n d all the fish

th a tw er e in it di e d T h e people could not u
. se

th e w a ter for a n y p u rpo se .

Mo se s instructed the children o f Isr a el in an

e a rn est i mpre ssive manner
,
He knew th at it was
.

h is l a st op po rt un ity to a ddress th em He then .

fi n ished wri ti n g in a book all the l a ws j udg ments , ,

a n d st a tute s whi c h God h a d ive n h i m ; a l so the

, g ,

v a riou s regul ations respe c ting sa crifici a l ofl erings

’

H e pl a ced the book in the h a nds o f men in the sa

c red oflic e a n d req u
,
ested th a t fo r safe keeping it
, ,

sho u ld be put in the S ide of the a rk ; for God s ’

c a re was c o n tinu a lly upon th a t sa cred chest T his .

book o f Mo ses wa s to be preserved th a t the j udges ,

o f I sr a el might re fer to it if a n c a se sho u ld co m e

y
up to make it n ece ssary An erri n g p eople often
.

u n der sta nd God s r eq uirement s to suit their own

’

c a se ; therefore the book of Mo se s wa s pre served

i n a mo st sa cred p la ce for fu ,
ture reference .

Mo ses clo sed his l a st instruction s to the people

by a mo st powerful prophetic a ddress It was
, .

p athetic an d eloq uen t By in spira tion of God

.
,
h e blessed sep a r a tely the tribes Of Isr a el In his .

c lo si n
g w ord s he d w
, elt l a rgely upon the m a
j e sty
of G od a n d the excellency of I sr ael which
, ,

would ever continue if they wo uld Obey God an d ,

t ake hold of his strength H e said to the m .

,
'
There is none like unto the Go d Of Jeshurun ,

who rideth upo n the hea ven in thy he l p an d in ,

h is excellency on the Sk The etern a l G o d is
y .

thy re fu g e a n d un der e th the everl stin

, n a a r e a
g
33 6 T H E G RE AT C N O T R OV ER S Y .

h im all the l and o f Gi l e a d u n to , D a n a n d a ll ,

N ap ht a li a n d,
the l a nd o f Ep h r a i m a n d M a n es ,

S eh a nd
,
a ll the l a n d O f Jud a h u n to the ,
u tm os t
se a a ,
n d the s o u t h a n,
d the pl a in Of the v al ley o f
J e ri cho the ci ty of p al m trees unto ' o ar And
, , .

th e Lord s a id u nto h im Thi ,

s i s the l a nd w h i ch I
a w a r e un to Abr a h a m u n to
,
I sa a c a n d u nto J ,
a co b ,

s y
a i n g I w
,
ill give it unto thy se ed I h av e .

c a ues d thee to s e e i t wi t h thi n e ey e s bu t t h ou ,

l
sh a t o n t go ov e r t h i ther S o . M o se s the s er v an t ,

of t h e Lor d d ie d th ere in th e l a nd o f Moab ao

, ,

c o rdin g to the word of the Lord And he buried

.

h im in a v a ll ey in the l and of Mo a b over against ,

B e th p e e r ; butno man k n o weth of his sepulchre

-

un t o this da y A n d Mo ses w as a hun dred and

.

t we n ty y e a rs old when he died ; h is eye was not

dim n or h is n a t ur al force ab a ted
,
.

Mo ses a sc e n ded to Pi sg ah the high est promi ,

n en ce o f t h e mou n t a i n which he c o uld a tt ai n and ,

there h is cle ar an d un di mmed eye s viewed the

la n d the pro mised ho me of Isr a el
,
G od opened .

b e for e h is sigh t the whole l a nd O f C a n aan He .

th er e in th e mount fully re aliz ed the r ic h bl ess

i n gs Isr a el wo u ld enjoy if th ey wo uld fa i thfully
O be y the c omman dme n ts of Go d
'

W h ile upon the mount Mo ses a g a i n confesses ,

h is sin be fore Go d a n d i mplore s p a rdon for his

,

tra n sg re ssio n He h a d gre a tly de plored his sin

.

wh ic h h a d de b a r re d h im from the pro mi sed land .

I twa s a se ve re a ffliction to him n o t to be per

mitte d to enter the e a rthly C an a a n Yet he hum .

bly a ccep ts the puni shment of his tr a n sgressi on ,

a n d murmu rs not a t the decree of G o d ; n ot
with sta nding it was the c o n tin ua l murmuring of
the people which ha d afllic te d him a n d was the ,
c au se o f h is beco m i ng for a mo ment i mp a tient ,
 D EAT H OF M O S ES .
33 7

whi c h re sulted in his fa iling to ascribe the glory

o f the gre a t mir a cle they witne ssed to it s tr ue
A uthor Thi s wa s the p urpo se of God in prov
.

ing his p eople th a t in their tri al s they wo uld be

,

ind uced to c a l l upon him for deli verance ; an d he

wo uld answer the m by reve ali ng his gre a tness
an d po wer t o the m th a t thei r fa ith a n d tr u
, st
migh t be in God alone Here wa s a favor able .

opport unity for Mo ses to adore an d ma gni fy the

goodness an d power of God an d to ma ke a deep ,

impression upon the people while their he arts ,

were so ftened a n d their gr a titude aw akened a n d

, ,
a solemn sa cred awe perv a ded the pl a ce
, He .

co uld h ave ex alted God before them who se thre a t ,

e n in s never fai l an d who se pro mi se s are ever

g ,

su re
.

Mo ses alone upon the mo unt reviewed his p ast

, ,

li fe of vicissitudes a n d h a rdship s sin ce he turned

fro m co urtly honor s a n d fro m a pro spective king
dom in Egypt re fusi n g to be c alled the son of
,

Ph a r a oh s daughter c hoo sin g r ather to sufl er af

’

fl ic tion with the people of God He c all s to min d .

h is h u mble shepherd s life a n d while tending his

’

, ,

flock the won derful sight of the fl aming b ush an d

, ,

the Lord s there sa nctifying himfor the work an d

’

intru sting to him the respon sible mi ssion of deliv

ering Isra el fro m their oppressio n He c ame .

do wn fro m point to point in his experience H e .

called to mind the mighty mira cles of God s power ’

in the pl ag ues of Egypt to make Ph ar aoh willin g

to let the people go ; the Hebre ws walki n g t hrough ’

the R ed S e a on dry gro und while the wa ters were ,

st a nding a s a wa l l o n ei ther side ; the symbol of

the di vine pre sen ce in the pill a r of cl oud by day ,

a n d of fire by night ; the wa ter given them fro m

G reatCo n t
ro v
ers y .
22
 T H E G RE AT CO NTRO V ERS Y .

th e fl in ty rock ; the d a ily bre a d w hich duri, n

g th e

n igh ,t fe ll fro m he a ven round a bo u t their t en ts ;

th e vi c torie s G o d h a d given the m o v er t h eir en e

m ; i e s their q u iet an d se c ure re st in the m i d st of

a v a st w ilder n e s s ; a n d the u n s urp a ss ed glory a n d
maje sty of God wh ich he h a d b een permitted to
w itn e ss . A S he re vie wed the se thi n g s h e was ,

o ver whel med wi th a sen se of th e good n ess an d

p o wer of God H is p ro mi se s w ere sure to Israel
. .

W h e n they were fa ithful an d obedie n t no good ,

th in g p ro mised h a d b e e n wi thheld fro m them .

B utin c o n se q ue n c e o f their c o n ti n ual b ac k sli dings

a n d grie vo u s si n s forty ye a rs w ere consu med in
,

the ir wa nderings in the wilderne ss .

He h a d bee n disappointed a n d grieved bec ause

of the contin u a l rebellion o f I sr a el ; yet he h a d

n o tsinn ed a g a in st God until he bec a me i mp a ti e n t

wi th Isra el a n d spoke u
,
n a d vi se dly w ith his lip s .

Not withsta n di n g a ll his l abors a n d b urde n s for

rebellious I sr a el d uring their for ty ye ars j our ’

n e in only t w o of t ho e in th a t v ast army wh o

y g , s
were above twenty years old when they leftEgypt ,

were fo und so fa ithful th a t they co uld se e the p ro m

ise d la n d . The Lord ha d sa id th a t they sho uld fall
in the wilderness for their tr an sgressio n s They .

h a d evil he a rts of un belief Mo ses l a borio us t ask

.
’

a s he revie wed the re sult o f his l a bor s see med

,
a l mo st in va in .

M ose s submitted to God s de c ree in r e a rd to

’

g
h imsel f
o

.
He regretted n o t the b urden s he h a d
borne for an u n gra teful people who had n ota ppre
c na t e d h is l abors his a nxio u s c a re a n d love for
,

them He k n e w tha t his mi ssion a n d work were

.

of God s own a ppointing

’

W hen the Lord first

m
.

‘
a de known to Mo ses h is purpose s to qu alify
hi m to lead h is people from sla v er h s h k
y , e r a n
34 0 T H E G RE AT O
C N TR OV ERS Y .

and o il o l ive a n d
,
honey The Lor .d h a d s ai d ,

T ho u sh al t e a t bre a d withou t sca r c en ess thou ,

”
sh a l t n o t l a ck a ny t hi n g in i t .

Mo s es w a s sho w n fu t ur e event s e speci a lly th ose ,

c o n n e c t e d w ith th e fir s t a d vent o f J esu s C h ris t .

H e was sho wn i mport a nt thrillin g scenes in the ,

l ife o f C hri st an d the very l ac e s where these

,

sc e n e s wo u ld be en a c ted e sa w his humble

.

b ir th an d the angels procl a iming the gl ad tidings

,

to the shepherd s Behold I bri n g you good ti

,
'
,

din gs o f g re a tjoy whi ch sh a l l b e to all people

,
.

F o r un to yo uis born thi s day in th e cityof David , ,

”
a S a vio u r whi c h is Chri st th e Lord
,
Moses saw .

t hat C hristhad ex c h a ng ed his maj e sty and splen

do r for the ma n ger of Bethlehem He heard the .

j oyful vo ices of the shinin g ho stOf Hea ven break

fo r th in th a t divi n e song G lory to God in the
,

h ighest a n d on e a rth pe a ce good will toward

, ,

me n .
N
He saw the S a vio ur of th e world humbly
wal king through the street s Of Bethlehem di vest ed ,

o f k in g ly honor s wi t ho ut po mp or gr andeur He
,
.

sa w the ma nner of his rej ection by t he prou d and

c orr u pt J e wish n atio n They de spi sed an d re .

j ec t e d H im w h o h a d co m e to give the m life H ere .

was their only st a r of hope H e sa w the great .

a go n y Of the Son of God in the g a rden o f Get h

se ma n e a n d the betr aya l of J e su s into the h a nds of
,

a mo b whi c h wa s i n fu ri ated by S at a n He saw the .

cr uel mo c ki n g s a n d scourgin g s in stig a ted by his

o wn n a t ion a n d their l ast cro wni n g a c t of nailin g
,

h i m to the cro ss a n d Mo se s saw th a t as he had

,
li fted up the serpent in the wilderne ss so the Son ,
of God was li fted u on the wooden c ro ss H
p e .

sa w him bleedi n g an d dyi n g th a t who soever S hould

,
h lie ve in him S ho u ld n otperish but h a ve e ternal
1lp
‘ ,
e .
 D EAT H or M O S ES .
34 1

G ri e f, ma zeme n t i n dign ation an d horror

a , , ,
we re depi c ted on the c o un te n a n c e of Mo se s a s b e ,

vie wed the hypo c ri sy a n d sa ta n i c h a tr e d ma n i

fe ste d by th e J e wi sh n a tion a g ai n st their Re
deemer the mighty a n g e l who h a d go n e be fore
,

their fa thers a n d wro ught so wo n de rfully for

,

the m in a ll th eir jo urneyi n gs He he ard h is a go .

n i z in
g cry My God
,
'
m y God wh y,h a st t ho u ,

forsa ken me ? He sa w h im ri se fro m the de a d ,

an d walk forth a tri u mph a n t conq ueror an d as ,

ce n d to his F a ther e scorted by a dori n g a n gel s .

The g ate s of the city w e re ope n ed by a n gel s who ,

welco med their divi n e Comma nder b a ck with so n g s

of glory a n d e ve rl a sti n g tri umph Mo se s co un .
’

te n an ce c h a n ged a n d sho n e w i th a holy r a di a n c e

, ,

a s he vie wed the glory a n d triu mph o f Ch rist .

H o w sma ll a ppe a r e d a ll h is h a rd ship s tri a ls an d , ,

sac rifi c e s whe n c o mp a red wi t

,
h tho se of the divine
Son of God ' He r ejoiced th a t he had cho sen to
su ffer afllic tion with the p e ople Of G od a n d in a ,

sma ll me a sure be a p a r t a ker wit h Christ of h is

ufl erin gs
'

s .

Itwas n o tthe will God th a t an y one Sho uld

of

go up with Mo se s to the top of Pi sg ah There .

he stood upon a high pro mine n ce upon P isgah s

,
’

top in the pre sence of God a n d he a ve nly an ge ls

,
.

After he h ad vie wed C an a a n to h is sa ti sfa c tion ,

he la y do wn like a tired w arrior to re st S le ep

, ,
.

c a me upo n him but it wa s the sl e ep of de a th

,
.

A n gel s took h is body an d b uried it in the v a ll e y .

The Isr a elit es c o uld n e ve r fin d the pl a c e w h e r e

he wa s b uried H is secret b uri a l wa s to pr e ve n t
.

the p e ople fro m sin nin g a ga i n st the L ord by

co mmitti n g idola try ove r h is bo dy .

Tho se who h ad n o tbee n c areful to he e d h rs I n

0

struction d urin h is l i fe would be i n the gre ate st

g ,
3 42 T H E G RE AT O
C N T RO V ERSY .

d an ger of m a nife sti n g an u n sa n c tifie d g rief in the

e ve n t of his de a th a n d w ould c ommi t idolatry
,

o ve r h is li fele ss bo dy if they co u ld ob ta in it God .

d esigned to hide Mo se s from them where his grave ,

wo uld be u nkno wn except by himsel f a n d heavenly

a n el s Mo se s h a d ac c o mpli sh ed mu ch for Israel
g . .

I n a ll h is i n str u c tio n s to the m co uld be seen ju s

tic e in te llige n ce a n d p u
,
ri ty ,
.

T he li fe of Mo se s was ma rked with su p r em e

l o ve to God H is piety h umility a n d forbear

.
,

a n c e g a ve h im i n fl u
,
ence wi th the h o st of Israel .

H is zea l a n d fai th in G od were gre a ter than those

o f an y other ma n u pon the e a rth He had often .

a ddre ssed h is peop le in words of stirring elo

q ue n co N 0 on e knew bet ter th a n he how to
.

move th e afl ec tion s of the people H e conducted

'

a ll ma t t ers conn ected with the reli gious interest s

of t he people w ith gre a t wisdo m .

S a ta n ex ulted tha t he ha d succeeded in causing

Mo se s to S in ag ain st God For thi s transgres .

sio n Mo se s c ame u
,
nder the domi n ion of death .

I f he ha d continued fa i th fu l a n d h is l ife had not

,

been marred with th at on e tra n sgre ssion in fail ,

in g to gi ve to God the glory Of bringing water

fro m the rock he wo u ld h a ve entered the prom
,

i sed l and a n d would ha ve been tra n sl at ed to

,

H e ave n wi thout seei n g de ath Mich a el or Christ .

, ,

wi th the a ngel s th a t b u ried M o se s c a me down ,

fro m He a ven a fte r he h a d r ema ined in the grave

,

a short ti me an d re su , rrected him an d took him ,

to He aven .

A s Chri stan d the a ng els a pp ro a ch e d the grave ,

S ata n a nd his a ngels a ppea red a t the g ra ve an d ,

w ere gu ardin g the body of M ose s lest it should ,

be removed A S Chri st a n d hi s a ngels d r e w n igh

.
,

S a tan resiste d their appro ach, butwas compelled,

3 44 T m: G RE AT CO N TR O VERS Y .

un t o h im ye sh a ll h e a rken H e c.ont inue s T he ,

'

L o rd sa id u n to me They h a ve w ell spoken that

,

wh i h
c t hey h a ve spoken I w ill
. r a i se th e m up a

P ro ph et fro m among their brethren like unto

, ,

th e e a n d will putmy words in h is mo uth ; a n d he

,

sh a ll spea k un t o them all th a t I sh a ll c ommand

h im
”
.

T hrou h outward sign s a n d c eremonies the

Lo rd ma d
,

e known to the Hebre ws his p urity an d

hol iness a n d h is stern j ustice H e a lso mul tipl ied
,
.

e vi de n c es of h is willingness t
o p a rdo n the erri ng

a n d si n fu l who manifested true repent a n c e and ,

su bmi ssio n to h is j ust req uirements while they ,

presented their o fferings in fa ith of the future per

fe e t o fferi n g of the Son of G o d W hen the high .

pri est performed his service be fore the people ,

their min ds w ere directed to the co ming S av io ur ,

o f who m the J e wi sh prie st was a str i kin an d

g
be a uti ful r e pr ese n ta tion .

C HAP TER XXX II .

JOSH UA .

A FT ER the de ath of Mo se s Jo shu a was to be ,

th e le a de r o f Isr a el to co n d uc t them to the ro m
, p
i sed l a n d H e h a d bee n prime mini ster to Mo se s
.

dur i ng the gre a ter p a rt o f th e ti me the Isr a el ite s

ha d w a n dered in the wil der n e ss He ha d seen .

the wo nderfu l works of G o d wrought by Mo ses ,

a n d well u nderstood the dispo sitio n of the people .

H e was on e of the twelve spies wh o were sent out

to se arch the pro mi sed l and an d on e of the two
,
 JO S H UA . 34 5

wh o ga ve a fa ithful a cco unt of its richne ss, an d

wh o encour a ged the people to go up in the strength
of God a n d po ssess it He wa s well q ua lified for
.

this importa nt o ffice The Lord pro mi sed Jo sh ua

.

to be with h im as he had been with Mo se s, an d to

ma ke C a n aa n fall an e asy conquest to him, pro
vide d he wo u ld be fa ith ful to ob serve all his c om
ma n dmen ts He was anxio us as to how he sho uld
.

execute his c ommi ssion in le adi n g the people to

the l a n d of C an aa n ; butthi s encour ageme nt re
moved his fe a rs .

J o shu a co mmanded the chil dren of Isra el to

prep a re for a three d ay s journ ey, an d th at all the
-
’

me n of war sho uld go outto b a ttle And they .

an swered J o sh u a , sayi n g , All th a t tho uco mma n d

e stu s, we will do , an d whithersoever thou sen de st

us, we will go Accordi n g a s we he arken e d un to

.

Mo ses in a ll thing s, so will we he a rken unto thee ;

o n ly th e Lord thy God be with thee, as he wa s
wi th Mo se s . W ho soever he be th a t doth r ebel
ag a i n st thy co mma n dme n t , an d w ill not h e a rk e n

unto thy word s in a ll th a t tho uco mman de st h im,

h e sh a l l be putto de a th ; only be strong an d of
a good cour a ge .

The p a ssage of th e Isr a elit es over Jor dan was

to be mira c ulou s A n d Jo shu a sa id un to the
.
'

people S ancti fy yo urselves ; for to morrow the

,
-

Lord will do wo n ders amo n g you And Jo shu a .

sp a ke unto the prie st s sayi n g T ak e u p th e ar

,k ,

of t he c ove n a nt an d p a ss over before the peop le

, .

And they took up the ark of the cove n a n t a n d ,

w e n t be fore the p e ople A n d the Lord said un to

.

Jo shu a This day will I b egin to ma gn i fy th e e in

,

the sight of a ll Isr a e l th at th ey may k n o w” th at

, ,

a s I wa s with Mo se s so I will be wi t
,
h thee .

The prie sts were to go before the people an d

3 46 T H E GRE AT co ma ovmsr
be ar th e ark cont ainin g the law of God And as .

th e ir feet were dipped in the brim of J ordan the ,

wa ter s were c u t 0 6 fro m above a n d the pri est s ,

p a ssed on he a rin g the a rk which was a symbol

, ,

of t h e Di vine Presence ; a n d the Hebrew host fol

lo we d . t e n the priest s w ere h a l f way over
J o rd a n th e y w ere co mma n ded to st a nd i n the bed
,

of t he r ive r u n ti l a ll the ho st of I sr a el had passed

o ver He re the the n exi sti n g gener a tion of the
.
,

I sr a elites were conv inced th a tthe w a ters of Jor

da n we re subj ec tto the same po w er th a t their fa
th ors h a d see n di spl ayed a t th e Red S ea fort y ,

y e a rs before M .a ny o f the se p a ssed through t he

Re d S e a when they were children N ow they .

p a ss over Jord an men of war fully equi pped for

, ,

b attle After a ll the ho st o f I sr a el h ad passed

.

over J ord an Jo shu a commanded th e priests to

,

co me up out of the river A s soon as the .

p rie sts be a ri n g the ark of the cov e n a nt c ame up

, ,

ou t of the river an d stood on dry l a n d Jordan

, ,

rolled on a s before an d overfl owe d a ll h is b anks

,
.

Thi s wonderful mira cle performed for the Israel

it es gre atly i n c rea sed their fai th Th a t this won .

de rful mir a c le mi gh tne ve r be forgotte n the L ord ,

di rec ted J o shu a to comma nd th a t me n of no te ,

o n e o f e a c h tri be take up st ,
one s fro m the bed of
the river the pl a ce where the prie st s fee tstoo d
,
’

while the Hebre w ho st was p assing over an d ,

be a r them upo n their sho ulder s a n d erect a mon ,
umen tin G ilga ly t o kee p in re me mbr a nce the fa c t

th atIsr a el passe d over Jorda n on dry l a nd A fter .

the prie sts h a d co me up fro mJord an G o d removed ,

h is mighty h an d a n d the wa ter s r ush ed like a

,

mi ghty c a tar a c tdo wn their own ch a nnel .

W hen a ll the king s of the A morite s a n d the

k ing s of the C ana anites he ard th at the L or d had
348 T H E G RE AT CO N TR OV ERS Y .

sa id un to h im, What sa ith my l ord un to h is serv

f
’

a n t' A n d t h e c a pt a in o the Lord s ho st sai d

un t o J o sh u a ,
Loo s e thy shoe fr o m o ff thy foot ;
fo r t h e pl a c e w hereon t hou st a nde st is h oly And .

”
J o sh ua did so .

T hi s w as n o common a ngel It was the Lor d .

J esus Chri st he who h ad conducted the H ebrews

,

thro u gh h
t e w ildern ess en sh r ouded in the pill ar
,

o f fire by n ight a n d a pill a r of cloud by day

,
.

The pla ce was made sa cred by his pre sence there ,

fore Jo sh ua was commanded to put ofl h is shoes

'

The burn i n g bush seen by Mo ses w as also a to

ken o f the Di vine Prese n ce ; an d as he dre w n igh
to behold the wonderfu l sight the same vo ice ,

whi c h here spe ak s to J o shu a sa id to Mo se s , ,

Dra w n ot n igh hither Put ofi thy sh oe s from .

of f thy feet ; for the pl a ce whereon thou st a nde st

”
is h oly g ro und .

T h e g lory o f God h a llo wed the sa nctua ry ; an d

for thi s re ason the prie sts never enter ed the pl ac e
sanc t ifi e d by God s presence with shoes upon their
’

feet P a r ticles of dust might clea ve to their sh oes

.
,

which would de secr ate the sanct ua ry ; therefore

the priests w ere req uired to le ave their shoes in
th e co u r t befo re entering the sa nct ua ry In the
, .

c ourt beside the door of the t abern a c le stood the

, ,

bra ze n l a ver wherei n the pries ts w ashed their

,

h a n ds a n d their feet before enteri n g th e t a ber n a

c le ,th a t a ll imp urity migh t be removed th a t ,
'

they die n ot All wh o o ffici ated in the sa n c tu

.
'

ar
y w ere r e quired of G o d to m a ke speci al prep a

r ation s before e ntering where God s glory was ’

re ve aled .

In order to convey to the mind of J o sh ua that

he was no le ss th an Chri st the ex alted on e he , ,
say s ,Loose thy shoe fro m off thy foot
' ”
The .
 JOSH UA . 34 9

Lord then instructed Jo shua wh a t cour se to pur

su e ih order to ta ke J ericho All the men of .

wa r should be co mmanded to co mp a ss the c ity

o n ce e a c h day for six days a n d on the se venth ,

day they sho uld go a round J ericho seven ti me s .

And Jo sh ua the son of N un c a lled the , ,

priests a n d said unto them T ake up the a rk of

, ,

the coven a nt a n d le t seven prie sts be a r seven

,

trumpe ts of r ams horn s before the ark of the ’

Lord And he sa id unto the people P a ss on

.
, ,

a n d co mp a ss the city an d let h im th a t is a r med ,

p a ss on before the ark of the Lord And it c ame .

to p ass when Jo shua ha d spoken unto the people

, ,

tha tthe seve n priests be aring seven tr umpets of

r ams hor n s p assed on be fore the Lord a n d ble w
’

with the trumpets ; an d the a rk of the coven a nt

of the Lord fo llo wed the m And the armed men .

wen tbe fore the priests th a t ble w with the tr ump

et s ,
an d the re a r wa rd came a ft er the a rk the ,

priests going on an d blo wing wi th the tr umpets

,
.

And Jo shua ha d co mma n ded th e people sayi n g , ,

Ye sh all not sho ut nor make a n y noi se with yo ur ,

voi c e nei ther sh al l an y word proceed outof yo ur

,

mouth until the day I bid you sho ut ; then sh all

,

ye sho ut So the ark of the Lord co mp a ssed the

.

city goin g about it once ; an d they c ame into

,

the c amp an d lodged in the c amp,

.

The Hebre w ho st ma rched in per fect or d er .

Fi rstwent a select body of a rmed men cl ad in ,

their w arlike dress not n ow to exerci se their skill ,

in a r ms butonly to believe a n d obey the dire c

,

tio n s give n them Next follo wed se ve n priests .

w ith tr umpe ts T he n c ame the a rk of G od gli t

. ,

tering wi th gold a h alo of glory ho veri n g o ver

,

it born e by priests in their ri c h a n d pec uli a r dress

,

denoting their sa cred offi ce The v ast army of .

350 T H E G RE AT CO N TRO V ERS Y .

I sr a el followed in perfect order e a ch tribe under ,

its r e spec tive st a n dard Thu s they co mp assed the.

c ity wi th the a rk o f God N o so und was heard .

b ut the tre a d o f th a t mighty ho st a n d the sol ,

e mn voi c e o f t h e t rumpe ts e c h oed by the hills , ,

and re so un din g thro ugh th e city of Jericho .

W ith w o n de r a n d al a rm th e wa tchmen of that

doo me d c i ty mark eve ry mo ve a n d reportt o ,

tho se in a uthori ty They c a n no t tell what all .

t hi s display me a n s Some ridi c ule the i dea of

.

t h a te ity s bei n g t ake n in thi s ma nner while others

’

a re a we d as t hey behold the splendor of t

,
he
a rk a n d the sol e mn a n d dig n ified a ppe a r an ce of
,

the priests an d the ho sto f Isr a el followi ng with

, ,

J o sh ua a t their he ad They reme mber thatthe .

R ed S e a for ty y ea r s be fore p arted before them

, , ,

a n d th a t a p assa ge h ad j u st been prep ared for

the m th ro ugh the river Jord a n They are too .

muc h terrifie d to sport They are stric t to keep .

the g ate s of the ci ty clo sely sh ut an d mighty ,

warrior s to g uard e a ch g a te For six days the .

,

a r mie s of I sr a el per form their circ u it a ro un d the

c ity On the seve n th day they co mp a ssed Jeri
.
,

cho se ve n ti me s The people were co mman ded

.
,

as u su a l to be silent
, The voice o f the trump ets
.

a lone wa s to be he a rd The people w ere to oh .

ser ve a n d when the tru mpeter s sho u

, ld make a
lo ng er b last th a n u sual the n a ll w ere to shout ,
wi th a l o ud v o i c e for God h a d given th em the
,

c i ty .
And it c a me to pass on the seventh day ,

th a t they ro se e arly a bo ut the da w ni n g of the ,

day a n d comp assed the city a fter the sa me man
, ,
n e r se ven ti mes
, only on th a t da y they c o mp assed
the c i ty seven ti me s And it c ame to p a ss at the
.

seventh ti me when the priests ble w with the

,
tru mpets, Jo shu a said unto the p eopl e, S h out; for
35 2 T H E G REAT CON TRO V ERS Y .

th em H e rel ated to them th a t the kin g Of Moab

.

w a rred a g ain st them a n d c a lled B a l a am to cu

, rse

th e m; butGod wo uld n othe a rken unto Balaam ,

”
th e re fore be ble ssed youstill He then said to .

t hem A n d if it seem evil unto yo uto serve the

,

Lord choo se you this day who m y o u will serve ;

,

wh e ther the god s which your fa the rs served t hat

w e re on the o ther side of the flood o r the godsof ,

th e A morite s in who se l a nd ye d well

,
Butas .

fo r me an d my ho u se we w ill serve the Lord

,
.

A n d the people a n swered a n d sa id God forbid , ,

th a twe sho uld forsake the Lord to serve other ,

gods ; for the Lord our God b e it is th a t brought ,

us up an d our fa thers o utOf th e l a nd of Egypt

, , ,

fro m th e hou se of bond a ge a n d which did those ,

gre a t sign s in our sight a n d pr eserved us in all

,

the way wherei n we went an d among a ll the peo ,

ple thro ugh who m we p a ssed .

The peo ple re n e wed their coven a nt with Jo shua .

They said unto h im The Lord o ur God will

,
'

we serve a n d his voice will we obey

,
”
Joshua .

wrote the word s of their coven a nt in the book

co n t aining the l a ws an d st a tutes g iven to Moses .

J oshua wa s loved an d respec ted by a ll Isr a el and ,

his de a th was much l ament ed by the m .

C HAP TE R XXX I I I .

SA M UEL AN D SA UL .

TH E children of Isr a el wer e a h i ghly favored -

people God h a d bro ught the m fro m Egyptian

.

bond a ge a n d a ckno wledged the m a s his o wn pe

,
culi a r tre a sure Moses sa id. Wh a t n a tion is ,
'
 S A M U EL A ND S AUL . 3 53

there so great who h a th God so nigh the m as the

, ,

Lord our God is in a ll thin gs th a twe c all upo n

him for
S amuel ha d ju dg ed Isra el fro m his youth He .

ha d been a righteo us a n d i mp a r ti al j udge fa ith ful ,

in a ll his work He was be c o mi n g Old ; a n d the

.

peop le sa w th a t his son s did not follo w h is foot

step s .Although they were n o t vile like the ,

ch ildren of Eli ye tthey were di shonesta n d double

,

mi n ded W hile they a ided their fa ther in his

.

l aborious work their love Of re ward led the m to

,

favor the c a u se of the u n righteou s .

The Hebrew s demanded a king of S a muel like ,

the n a tion s a round them By pr eferri n g a de s .

poti e mon arc hy to the wi se an d mild govern ment

Of God hi msel f by the j u ri sdi c tion of his pro ph
,

et s they sho wed a gre a t wa n t of fa ith in God

, ,

an d co n fidence in h is providence to r a ise the m u

p
r ulers to lea d a n d govern them The children of .

Isra e l bei n g pec uli a rly the people of God their ,

form of govern ment wa s essen ti al ly d ifferen t fro m

a ll the n a t io n s aro und the m God h a d given the m .

st a tute s a n d l aws an d h a d c ho sen their rulers fo r

,

the m; a n d these le a ders the people were to obey

in the Lord In all c a ses of difficulty a n d gre a t
.

perplexity God wa s to be inquired of Their de

,
.

ma nd for a ki n g wa s a rebellio us dep art ure fro m

God their speci a l le a der He kne w th a t a ki n g
, .

wo uld n ot be be stfor his c ho sen people They .

wo u ld render to a n e arthly mon arch tha t ho n or

which wa s du e to God a lo n e And if they h a d a .

ki ng who se he art wa s li fted up a n d not ri gh twith

God h e wo uld lea d the m a way from h im a n d
, ,

c ause themto rebel a g ain sth im The Lord k n ew .

th at n o o n e co uld occupy the po i io s t n Of ki g

n ,

G reatCon t
ro v ers y .
23
35 4 T H E G RE A T CO N TR OV ER S Y .

an d r ec ei ve th e honor s u su a lly given to a ki n

g ,

w ith o u t b e c o m i n g ex a lted a
,
n d h is w a y s see m in g
ri
g h t i n h is o w n eye s,
w h ile a t the sa m e ti me h e

w a sin n in g a g a inst G o d
s . A tthe w ord of a ki ng ,

i n n oc e n t p e rso n s w o u ld be ma de to sufler while

’

th e mo st u n w o rt hy w o uld be ex al ted unl ess he,

c o n tin u a lly t ru st e d in God a n d received wisdo m

,

fro m h im .

I f th e H ebre ws h a d continued to obey God

a fte r t h e y l e ftEgypt, a n d h ad kept h is righteous
la w h e would h a ve go n e before the m a n d pro spered
.

th e m a n d ma de the m a l wa ys a terror to the h e a

.

th e n n a tio ns a ro u nd t he m B ut they so o fte n

.

fo llo wed th e ir own rebellio us he a r ts, a n d depa rted

fro m G od a n d we nt i n to idol a try , th a the suffered
.

the m to b e O ve r c o me by o t her n ation s, to hu mble

a nd pu n ish t he m W hen in their a ffl ictio n they
.

c ri e d u nt o G o d, he a l wa ys he a rd the m, a n d r a i sed

th e m u p a ru l e r to d e l i ver the m fro m their ene

mies T hey w ere so bli n ded th a t they did n ot
.

a c k n o wl e dge th a t it wa s their sin s which h a d

ca u se d God t o dep a rt fro m the m, a n d to le a ve

th e m w ea k a n d a prey to the ir e n e mie s ; b u tthey

re a so n e d t ha t itwas bec a use they h a d no o n e in
ve sted wi th k in gly a u t hority to co mma nd the a r
mi es Of Isra el They ha d n ot kept in gr a te ful
.

re me mb ra n ce the ma ny in st a nces God h a d given

th e m of h is c a re a n d gre a t love , bu to ften di str u st ed
h is g o o dn e ss a n d mercy .

G od h a d r a i se d up S a muel to j u d a e Isra el He .

was honored by a ll the people Cod was to be

.

a c kno wle dged as their re a t he a d ; t he d i

g y e e s g
n a te d t heir r ulers, a n d i mb ued them with his
S piri t, a n d co mmu nica ted his will to them through
h i s a n g els, th a t they might i n struct the people .

G od a lso ga ve speci a l evidences to the eople by

p ,
3 56 T il l G REA T C N O T RO VERS Y .

un to th e Lord, an d L o r d s en
he
t t thunder an d

ra in t ha t d a y A n d. a ll the p p g
e o l e r e a tly fe a re d
th e Lo rd a n d S a m u e l A n d a l l th
. e
p e ople sa i d
un to S a m u e l Pr a y
,
f o r thy s e rv an t s u n to the L or d
t h v G o d th,
a t w e di e n o t ; fo r w e h a v e a dded u n t o

a ll o u r s in s thi s e v il to a sk u s ,
a k i n g ”
S a m u el .

u
so g h t to e n c o u r a
g e t h e p eo ple th a t a l thou gh th,
e
y
h d
a sinn ed y, e t if th e y fro m th a t ti m e f o llow ed t h e

Lo r d . h e w o u ld n o t fo r s a k e th e m f o r hi s g re a t ,

n a me s sa k e M oreover a s fo r me G od forbid
'

.
, ,

tha t I sho u ld sin a ainstthe Lo r d in ce asi ng to

cr

ray fo r y o u; bu t I w i ll te ac h y ou the good and

p
the righ twa y ; o n ly fea r the Lo r d a n d serve him ,

in truth with a ll yo u r he a rt ; fo r c on sider how

g re a t thi n gs he h a t h done f or
y o u But if y e .

shall stil l do w ic k e dly ye sh a ll b e c on su , med both ,

y e a n d y ou r k in g .

W h e n the P hilistin es with th eir l a rge army , ,

re pa re d to ma k e wa r w i t h I sr a el the n the p eople

p ,

we re a fra i d They h ad n ot th a t c onfiden ce that

.

God wou ld a p pear for them as be for e they had ,

w i c k edl y de ma nd ed a k ing They knew thatthey .

we r e bu t a ha ndfu l co mpare d wi th th e a rmies of

,

the P hi listin es a n d t ,o go ou tto b a ttle wi t h them

see med t o b e ce r t a in de a t h T hey did not feel as .

sec u re as t hey thought they should in po ssession

of t he ir king I n their perplexity they dared
.
,

no tc al l u p o n God w ho m they h a d slighted T h e .

Lord sa i d to S a mue l They h a ve n o tr ej ected you , ,

butme by des i ri n g a ki n g
, .

Now thes e me n wh o h a d bee n v a li a nt an d a

,

terro r to t he ir n umerou s enemies were a fr a id to ,

g o o u t a
g a in s t th e P h i li stin e s to b a ttle They .

h a d th e ir king butdid n ot da re to tru st in h im;

,

and t h ey fe l ttha t they ha d chosen him be fore the

S tren g th o f Israel When they were br o ught into
.
 S AM U EL AND S AU L .
357

th is perpl exing co n di tion their hearts fa inted , .

I n the ir di stress the people sc a ttered a n d hid

, ,

themsel ves in c a ves an d in thi c kets a n d in hi h

, g ,

l a ces a n d in pi t s as t ho u g h es c a pi n g fro m c a
p , , p
tivity . Th ose who ventured to go wi th S a ul fol ,

lo wed h im tre mbli n g He was in grea tper plexity

.

a s h e sa w t ha t t h e pe ople were sc a ttered fro m h im .

H e anxio usly a wa i ted the pro mi sed co mi n g Of S a m

ue l ; b utthe time expi red a n d he c a me not ,
God .

ha d d esignedly de t a i n ed S a mu e l tha t his people,

mi g h tbe proved an d migh tre a liz e t h eir sin a n d

, ,

h o w sma l l was t h eir stre ng th a nd ho w wea k their ,

j udgme n t a n d wi sdo m wi tho utG od , .

I n their c a l amity t h ey re pent ed tha t th ey h a d

,

c ho sen a king . . T hey h a d p ossessed gre a ter co ur

a n d co n fide n c e while t h e h a d G od fe a ri n g
a e
g y
-

r uler s to instr uc t a n d lea d th em ; for th e y ob

ta in e d c ou n se l direc tfro m God a n d it wa s lik e ,

b eing le d by G od hi msel f N ow th e y re ali zed

.
,

th a t t h ey were comma nd e d by a n e rri n g ki n g ,

who could n o tsave them in t he ir di st re ss S a ul .

ha d not a high an d ex a lted se n se o f the exc e llence

a n d terrib le maj e st y o f God He h a d n o ta sac red
.

r eg a rd for h is a ppoin t e d ordin a nce s With a n im .

tu u s spi ri t be c a u se S a muel did n ota ppea r a t

p e o

th e appointed ti me be rush ed be fore God pre

,

su mptuo usly a n d undertoo k the sa c red work of

,

sa cri fice . W hi le equipp e d for war he bui l t the ,

al t a r a n d o fficia t ed fo r himse lf a n d t he people .

Thi s work wa s sa credly g iven to those a ppoi n t e d

fo r the p urpo se . T his a c twas a crime in S a n ] ,

a n d su ch a n e xample wo uld lea d the p eo ple t o

h a ve a lo w estima te of th e religio u s c m
ere o i e s
n

o
a n d rd n a i nc e s sa ncti fi ed a n d a ppoi n ted o f God ,

re fi u rin the inle ss O f

f eri n
g o f h is de a r Son
p g g s .

G od would h a ve hi s peop le h a ve a holy re g rd

a
35 8 T H E G REA T CON R T OV ERS Y .

a n d sa cr e d re v eren c e fo r the sac rifici a l w ork o f

th e pri e s t s w hi c h ,
poi n ted to th e sa cri fi c e o f hi s

Son .

A s s oon a s S a ul h a d fi n i shed h is p re su m p t uo u s

w ork S ,
a m u el a ppe a r s a n d beholding the
,
e v ide n ,

c es o f S a u l s sin c
’
r ie s o u t in grief
,
to hi m W h a t ,

h ast th e n do n e ? ”
S aul expl ain s the matter to
S amuel j ustifyi n g himsel f settin g befo re S amuel
, ,

p
h is e p r l e xi ty a n d di s tre s s a n d h is d el a y as an , ,

ex cu se S amuel reproves S aul an d tell s himth at

.
,

he ha s done fo olishly in n otkeepin g th e c ommand

me n ts o f the Lord which if he h ad obeyed th e , ,

Lord would h ave est a blished his k in gd om forever .

But n ow thy kin dom sh a ll n ot continue The .

Lord hath sough t im a man after his own hea rt ,

a n d the Lord h ath co mma nded him t o be c apt a i n

over his p eople bec ause tho uh ast n ot k ep tth at

,

whi c h th e L o rd c omma nded thee

”
.

B e c a use o f the sin o f S a n ] in his pre sumptuous

ofie rin g the Lo rd wo u ld n otgive to him the honor
'

of co mma nding the a r mie s of I sr a el in b attle wit h

the Philistines The Lord would h a ve his n ame
.

a lo n e ma gnified le st t h e armies of Isr a el should

,

e x al t t h e msel ves a s th ough it were on a cco unt of

th e ir right eou sn ess val or or wisdo m th a t their , , ,

en emi es were overco me He moved up o n th e .

he a r t of Jon ath an a righteo u s man an d his , ,

a rmo r be a r e r t
-

o go over to the g a rri son o f t he

,

Ph ilistin es Jon a th a n believed th a t God was a ble

.

to work for them a n d to sa ve by man y or by fe w , .

He did n ot rush up pr esump tuou sly He ask ed .

coun sel of God an d the n with a fe arl e ss h e a rt

, , ,

tr ustin g in him alon e moved for war d Thro ugh , .

th e se two men the Lo rd a cco mpli shed his w o rk of

,

su bd ui n g the Phili stines He sent an gels to pro .

te et Jon ath an an d his armor be arer an d to shi el d -

,
3 60 T H E G RE AT C N O T RO V ERS Y .

P h il istine s . The Lord for I sr a el wro u

an d
ght ,

de li ev red the m fo r h is o w n n a m e s gl o ry le st th e
’

he a t h e n a rm y should tri um ph over h is people a n d ,

e x a l t the m se lve s pro u dly a g a in st God .

A ga in S a u ,
l err e d in h is r a sh vow th at no ma n
sho u ld e a t u n til the eve n i n g There was a grea t .

l a c k of wi sdo m in S a ul s ze al in ma ki n g such a ’

vo w . It was a gre at da y s l abor for the people ’

h e y sufl ered much thro ugh fa intness ; an d

'

an d t

wh en th e t ime of the vow expired the people ,

we r e so fa i n t th a t they tra n sgre ssed the co mma n d

me n to f the L or d a n d a te mea t wi th the bloo d
, ,

which h a d bee n forbidden of G od S a ul was de .

te rmin e d to S l ay h is so n J on a th an bec a u se in h is ,

fa i n t n ess h e ha d tasted O f a little hon ey bei n g ,

ig n or ant of h is father s vow ’

.

Here wa s se en S aul s blind z e al a n d fa il ure to

’

j udg e righ teo usly an d wisely in difli c ult matters .

He sho uld h a ve re aso n ed th us : G o d ha s be en

ple ased to work in a speci a l ma nner through J on
at han thu s choo si n g him a mong the children of
,

I sr a el to deliver them; a n d it would be a crime

to destroy h is li fe which God ha s mira culou sly
,

preser ve d He knew that if b e sp a red h is life he

.
,

must a c k n o wledge th at he ha d co mmitted a n error

in making such a vow This would humble his .

pride before the people S a ul should h a ve re .

S pe c t e d the on es who m God h a d honor e d by

c h oo si n
g th e m to deli ver I sr a el In putti n
g J o n .

a th a n to dea th he wo uld sl ay on e who m God

,

l ove d while tho se whose he ar ts were n o t righ t

,

wi th God he would preserve a live

, G od would .

n ot su fl er J on a th a n to die but led th e people to

'

Oppo se S aul s j u dgmen t a lthough he were a rul

’

in g mon arch th a t he might be convin c e d th a t he

,

smn e d in makin so r ash a vow An d th

g e peo .
 S AM U EL A ND S AU L . 3 61

ple sa i d unto S a ul Sh all Jo n ath a n die who h ath

, ,

wro ugh tthi s gre a t sa lva tio n in Isr a el ? God for

bid ; as the Lord live th there sh all n o ton e h air
,

of h is he a d fa ll to the grou n d ; for he h a th

wro ugh twith God this day S O th e people re s .

”
c ued Jon a th a n th a t he died n ot
, .

S a ul wa s an imp ul sive ma n an d the people of ,

Isra el were soon ma de to feel their sin in de man d

in g a kin g The Lord dire c ted S amuel to go
.

u n to S a ul with a speci a l co mman d fro m h im .

Before b e rel a ted to him the words of the Lor d ,

b e said to him ,The Lord sent me to an oint thee

to be ki n g over his people over Isra el ; n ow , ,

therefore he a rken thou unto the voice of the

,

words of the Lord .

S amuel ha d lo st confiden c e in S aul s religious ’

ch a r a c ter bec a use he h a d been so reg ard le ss Of

,

fol lo wing the word o f the Lord He had si n n ed .

in h is pre su mpt uou s o ffering an d gre atly erred in ,

his r ash vow .There fore S amue l g a ve h im a

,

speci a l c h a rge to heed the wo rd s o f t h e Lord .

Thus sa ith the Lord of ho sts I remember th a t ,

which A ma lek did to I sra el how he l a id w a it for ,

him in the wa y when he c a me up fro m Egypt

,
.

N ow go a n d smite A malek an d utterly de stroy ,

a ll th a tthey h a ve a n d sp a re the m not

,
.

M any ye a rs before G o d ha d a pp o in ted Amalek

,

to utter destru c tion They h a d li fted up their

.

h a nds a g a instGod a n d h is throne a n d ha d t aken ,

o a th by th eir gods th a t Isra el should be utt e rly

con su med a n d the God of Isra el bro ugh t do w n
,

so t h a t he w o u ld not be able to deli ver the m o ut

of their h a n d s .

A malek h a d made deri sion of the fe a rs of h is

people a n d ma de sport of God s wo n derful work s
,
’

fo r the del iver ance Of Isr a el performed by th e

 0
3 5d T H E G RE AT Co N T R 0 v ER sv .

h an d of Mo ses be fore the Egypti an s They had .

b o aste d th a t th e ir wise me n a n d mag ici an s c ould

p e rfo rm a ll tho se w onder s ; a n d th a t if the chil
dre n o f I sr a e l h a d be e n their c a p tives in their ,

po we r a s th ey were in Ph a r a oh s th e God of I s ’

r a el hi msel f w o uld not h a ve been a ble to deliver

th e m o ut of th e ir h a n ds They de spised Israel .
,

a n d vo w ed to pl ag u e them unti l there should not

be one l e ft .

G o d ma rked their bo a stful w ords a g ain sth im ,

a n d a ppoi n ted t hem to be utterly de stroyed by

th e ve ry people th ey ha d despi sed th a t a ll n a tio n s ,

migh tma rk the end Of th a tmo stproud a n d pow

e rfu l p e ople .

G o d proved S a u l by i n trusti n g h im wi th th e
i mpor ta nt co mmi ssion to exec ute h is thre a tened
wr a th upon Amal ek Buthe di sob e yed God a n d
.
,

spa r e d the wi c ked bl a sphemo u ,

s king Ag a g who m ,

G o d h a d a ppoi n te d unto de a th an d sp a red the ,

be st of the c a ttle He destroyed utterly a ll the

.

refuse th atwo uld n otprofi tthe m S aul tho ught .

it wo uld a dd to his gre a t n ess to sp a re Ag ag a ,

n oble mon a rch sple n didly a tt ired ; a n d th a t t o

re turn fro m b a ttle wi th him c aptiv e with great ,

spoil o f oxe n sheep a n d much c a ttle wo u

, ,
ld get ,

to hi mself muc h r e no wn an d c ause the n a tion s to

,

fe ar h im an d tre mble before h im And the peo

, .

ple un i ted w ith h im in this They exc used their .

si n a mo n the ms l i tde troying the ttl

g e v e s n n o s c a e ,

b e c a use th ey c o uld reser ve them to sa crifice to

God an d sp are their own c a ttle to themselves
, .

S amuel visits S aul with a curse fro m the Lord

fo r his di sob e die n ce fo r th u s ex alti n g hi mself be
,
fo re the Lord to choo se his own co urse an d
, ,
fol lo w h is own re asoni n g in ste a d of stric t ,
ly fol
l o wi n g the Lord S aul goes for th to meet S amuel,
.
 T H E G RE AT CO N T R O V ERS Y .

is better th a n sa cri fice a n d to,he a rken th an the ,

f a t o f r a ms . F o r reb ellio n is a s the sin of w i t

ch
c ra ft a n d st
,
ubbor n ne ss is a s iniq uity a n d idol atry .

B e c a use tho uh a st rej ected the word of the Lord ,

h e h a th a l so rej ec ted thee fro m b ei n g king And .

S a ul sa i d un to S amuel I h a ve sinned ; for I have

,

tr a n sgr e sse d the co mma nd me n t o f the Lord and ,

t h y word s ; bec a use I fe a red the p eople and ,

”
ob ey e d t heir voice .

G o d did not wish h is people to po ssess anything

whi c h bel o n g e d to the A mal e kite s for his cu rse
,

r e ste d upo n them a n d their po ssession s He de .

sig n ed th a t they should h a ve a n end a n d thathis ,

people sho uld not pre serve a nythi n g for them

se l ve s whi c h h e h a d c u rsed He a lso wished the
.

nat io n s to se e the end Of th a t p eo ple who had

de fied h im a nd to mark th a t th e y w ere destroyed
,

by th e ve ry peopl e they ha d de spi sed They .

we re n o tto dest roy the m to a dd to their own

posse ssion s or to get glory to themselves butto
, ,

ful fill the word of the Lord spoke n in regard to

A ma le k .

T he Lord h ad sa id unto Mo ses W rite thisfor

,

a me mori a l in a book a n d rehe a r se it in the ears

,

O f J o sh u a for I wil l utterly put o utthe remem

bran ce of A malek fro m under h e a ven ”
Re .

member wh at Amalek did unto th ee by the way ,

whe n ye w ere come forth o u to f Egypt ; how he

me t thee by the wa y an d smote th e hi n dermost
,

o f th e e eve n a ll t h a t were feebl e

, behind th ee ,

wh en tho uw ast fa int a n d we a ry a n d he fe ared ,

n o tGod . T herefore it sha ll be w hen the L ord ,

thy God h a th give n thee rest fro m a ll thine ene

mi es rou n d about in the l a n d whic h the Lord thy
,
G o d giveth thee for a n inherita nce to po ssess it ,

tha t thoush alt blo toutthe rememb ra nc e of A m

 S AM U EL A ND S AU L . 3 65

alek fro m un der he aven ; thou sh al tnot forget it .

And yet S aul ha d ventured to disobey G o d a n d ,

re
s erve th a t which he h a d cursed a n d a ppointed
unto de a th to O ffer before God as a sac rific e for
,

sm .

S amuel presented before S aul his wi cked c ourse ,

an d then i n quired H ath the Lord as gre a t de

,

light ih b ur n t o fferings an d sa crifice s as in obey

-

,
”
in g the voi c e of the Lord ? I two uld h a ve been
better ha d he obeyed God th an to make such pro ,

vision s for sa crifices a n d O fferi n gs for their sin s of

diso b edie n ce .

G o d did not h a ve a s gre a tdeligh tin their shed

din g the blood Of be asts as in obedie n c e to h is ,

co mma ndments The ofl erin gs were divin ely a p

'

pointed to remind sinful man th a t S in brough t

dea th a n d th a t the blood of the i n no c en t be ast
,

could a tone for the guilt of the tr an sgressor by ,

virt ue of the gre at sa crifice yet to be o ffered .

God required of h is peo ple obedie n c e r a ther th a n

sac rifice A ll the ri c he s of the e a rth were h is
. .

The c a ttle upon a tho usand hills belo n ged to him .

He did not require the S poil of a corrupt people ,

up on whom his c urse re sted even to th eir utter ,

ex tinction to be presented to him to prefigure the

,

holy S aviour as a l amb without ble mi sh

,
.

S amuel i n formed S a ul th a t his rebellio n was a s

t h e sin Of witchcr a ft Th a t is when one com
.
,

me n c es to tr a vel in the p ath of rebel lion he ,

yields himsel f to be controlled by an infl uence

th a t is in oppo sition to the will of God S a ta n .

controls the rebellious mind Tho se wh o a re thus .

co n trol led lo se a c alm tru st in God an d h a ve l e ss ,

a n d le ss di spo sition to yield lovi n g ob e die n c e to

S ata n beco mes more a n d more famih ar

.

h is wi ll .

with the m unti l they seem to ha ve no power to

,
3 66 T H E G RE AT C O N TR O VERS Y .

c e a se to r ebel In this re spect reb el lio n is asthe

.
,

s i n o f w i tc hcr aft .

S a ul s stubbornness in persisting be fore S amuel

'

th a t h e h a d obeyed G o d w a s a s iniq uity a n d i dol

,

at H is lo ve to c a r ry o u t h is o wn will was
r
y.

more d esir able to h im th a n to obt a in the favor of

G o d o r the a pprob a tion of a cle a r con science
,
.

A n d wh e n h is sin was opened cle a rly be fore him ,

a n d h is wrong defini t ely pointed o ut h is pride of ,

O pi n io n his excessive sel f love le d h im to justify

,
-

h i msel f in h is wrong co urse in defi a nce of the re ,

p roo f o f S a muel an d the word Of the Lord by

,

th e mo u th o f h is prophet Such ob stin a cy in a .

k n o wn tr a n sgressio n sepa ra ted h im fore ver fro m

,

God .

H e kn ew th a t he h a d gone contr ary to God s

’

express command ; yet when reproved by God

thro ugh S a muel he would n ot hu mb ly a ckn owl
,

e dge h is sin butin a determined ma nner uttered

,

a fa l sehood in self j u st ific a tion -

I f he h a d hu m .

bly repen ted a n d received the reproof the Lord

, ,

would h ave h ad mercy a n d forgiven S aul of h is

gre a tS in B ut the Lord l eft S a ul for his stub
.

bo rn ly refusing to be correc ted a n d fo r ut teri ng ,

fal sehoods to S amuel his messenger S amuel ,

.

told S aul th a t as he ha d rej ected the wor d of the

,

Lord G od had rej ected him from being king

,
.

Thi s l a st st artl in g denunci a tion fro m S amuel

g a ve S a ul a sen se of his true condition a n d , ,

thro ug h fe a r he a c knowle dged th a t he had sin

,

ne d an d ha d tr an sgressed the commandment of

,

the Lord which h e h ad before firmly denied He

, .

entre a ted S a muel to p ardon h is sin an d to wor ,

ship with h im before the Lord S amuel refused .
,
a n d told S a ul th a t G od had rent the kin gdom
fro m him; a n d l e st he shoul d be deceived he told
,
3 68 T H E G RE AT CO NTRO VERS Y .

y ou n g es t w
,
ho s e hu m ble occ up a tion w a s th at of
le n din g sh ee p He h a d filled the h umble office
.

o f s h e
ph e rd w ith s uch fa i thfulne ss a n d co ur a e
g
th a t G o d s el e c t e d h im t o be c a pt a i n of h is people .

I n c o urse o f time he was to c ha n ge h is shepherd s

’

c ro o k fo r t h e scepter .

D a vid was not of lofty sta ture ; but his c oun te

n a nc e was be a utifu l expressive of h umility hon
, ,

y a n d true cour a ge The a ngel of God sig

'

est ,
.

n ifie d to S amu el tha t D avid wa s the on e for h im

to a n oi n t fo r he was God s cho sen
,
Fro m th at ’
.

ti me th e Lo rd ga ve D avid a prudent a n d under

st a n di n g he a rt .

W hen S aul sa w th a t S amuel c ame no more to

i nst ruc th im he k n e w th a t the Lord h ad rej e c ted
,

himfor his wi c ked co urse an d his cha r a cter seemed ,

e ve r a fter t o be marked wi t h extreme s H is serv .

an t s who m he directed ih reg a rd to thi n s c on

, g
n ec t e d wi t h the ki n gdo m a ttimes d a red n ot ap ,

pro ac h h im for he seemed like an insa ne man

, ,

violent an d ab usive H e Often seemed fi lled wi th

.

r e morse He was mel ancholy a n d o ften afr aid

.
,

when there wa s no d anger Thi s di sq ualified him .

fo r be i n g ruler He was a l ways full of a nxiety ;

.

a n d whe n in his gloo my mood s he wi shed n ot to ,

be di sturbed a n d a ttime s wo uld sufl er none to ap

'

ro a ch him; He wo uld speak prophetic ally of

p is bei n g de t hroned a n d a nother s occupying his
,
’

positio n as r ule r a n d th at his po sterity would

,

never be ex alted to the throne an d receive king ly ,

honors but th a t they wo uld all peri sh bec au se of

,

his si n s . He would repe a t prophe tic ally say , ,

in g s a g a in st himself with distra cted energy even ,

in the presen c e of his lords an d of the people ,
.

Tho se who witnessed the se stra n ge exhibition s

1 n S a u l reco m men ded to himmusic as c a l cul ated
, ,
 S AM UEL A ND S AUL . 3 69

to h a ve a soothin g infl uence upon his mind when

th us distr a cted In the providen ce of God D avid
'
.
,

wa s bro u ght to his n o ti c e a s a skillful musici an .

He wa s a lso reco mme n d ed for bei n g a v ali a n t man

of w a r pruden t a n d fa i thful in a ll mat ters be
, ,

ca use he wa s especi ally g uid e d by the Lord S aul .

fel t h u mbled atti mes an d was even a n xio us th a t ,

one should t ake charge of the go vern me n t of the

ki n gdom who sho uld k n ow from the Lord how to
,

move in a ccord ance with his wi ll W hile in a .

fa vor a ble st a te of mind he sent messen gers for ,

D a vid He soon loved him a n d g ave him the

.
,

po sition of a rmor be arer makin g him h is a ttend

-

an t. He tho ught th a t if D a v id wa s favored of

God he wo uld be a safeg uard to h im an d per
, ,

h a p s save his life when he sho uld be expo sed to ,

his enemies D a vid s skillful pl ayi n g upon the ’

.

h a rp soothed the tro ubled spirit of S aul A s he .

listened to the en ch anting stra i n s of music itha d ,

an i n fl uence to dispel the gloom whi c h h a d settled

upon h im an d to brin g h is excited mind i n to a
,

more ra tion al h a ppy st a te ,

.

E speci ally was the he art of Jon ath a n knit with

D a vid s ; an d there wa s a mo st sacred bo n d Of
’

u n ion est a blished between them which rema ined ,

unbroken till the de a th of S a ul an d Jon a tha n .

Thi s wa s the Lord s doing s th a t Jo n ath a n might ’

be the me an s of preservin g the li fe of D avi d

when S aul wo uld try to kill him God s provi .
’

dence connected D avid with S aul th a t by his ,

wise beh avio u r he might obta in the c o n fi de n c e Of

the people an d by a long co urse h r hip
,
o f a ds s a n d
vicissitude s be led to put h is entire trust i n God
,
,

while he was prep a ring him to be o e c m r uler o f

h is people .

G re at Co t
ro n v e rsy .
3 70 T H E G RE AT C N O TR O V ERS Y .

W n he the Phili s tine s r e new e d w a r w ith I sra el ,

D a vid was permitted to go to h is fa ther s house

’

to resu m e the o c c u p a tio n o f s hepherd whi c h h e ,

lo ved The Phi li stine s d a re n ot vent ure their

.

l a rge armies a ga in st I sr a el a s th ey h a d heretofore

,

d no e,
fe a r in g they w o u ld be o verco m e a n d fa ll ,

b e fo er I s r a el . They ar e ign or a nt o f the w ea k

e
n ss o f I s r a el . They kno w n o t th a t S a u l an d
h is e p ople h a ve gre a t a nxie ty a n d they
, d ar e n ot
c o m m e n ce the b a t tle w ith the m fe a ri n g ,t h a t I s

r a e l will be ove rco me B ut th e Ph ili stin es pro

.

po se th e i r O wn manner Of wa rfa re in selecting a ,

man of gre a t size a n d stren gth who se hightis ,

a bout t welve feet ; an d they send this cham p io n

for th to provoke a comb a t with Isr a el requesting ,

t h em to send outa man to fight with him He .

was terrible in appe a r a nce a n d spoke prou ,

dly ,

a n d de fie d the a rmies of I sr a e l a n d their God .

For for ty days this proud bo a ster filled Israel

with terror an d ma de S aul gre a tly a fr a id ; for no
,

on e d ared to comb a t with the mighty gi a nt Is .

r a el on a ccount Of their t ra n sgression s had not

, ,

th a t sa cred tr ust in God which wo uld le a d them

to ba t tle in his n ame . Bu t God wo uld n otsuffer
a n idola tro u s n a tion to lift their he a d s pro u dly
a ga in st the R uler of the univer se He saved Is .

r a el n otby the h and of S a ul but by the hand of

, ,

D a vi d who m he ha d r ai sed up to r ule h is people

,
.

S a ul k n o ws n otwh a t to do H e imagin es Is .

r a el as Phili stine sl a ve s He c a n se e no way of

.

e sc a pe . In his trouble he o ffers gr e a t reward to

,

an
y o n e w h o will s l a y the proud bo a ster B ut a ll .

feel their we ak n ess . They h a ve a kin g whom

God does not i n struct who dares n ot e n gage in
,
i lly perilou s enterprise fo r he e x pects n o speci al
f
mterposm
,

ion fro m God t o sa v e his life A s Israel .

3 72 T H E G RE AT CO NTROVERS Y .

th a t I sr a e l need not fe a r :
'
Thy serv a nt w il l go

a n d fig h twi t h this Phili stine .S a ul obj e c t s, be

cau se O f h is you t .h D a vid re fers to the perils he
h a d e xpe rie n c ed in the wilderne ss, to sa ve the
sh e e p u n der h is c a re . He h umbly a sc ribes his deliv
e ra n c e t o G od .
'
The Lord th a t deli vered me out
of t h e paw o f the lio n , a n d o utof the pa w of th e
b e a r, he will d eliver me out of th e h a n d of this
P hili sti n e.
”
S a ul gives D a vid permission to go .

I le pl a c e s upon D a vid h is own ki n gly a r mor ; bu t

D a vid l a id it off, a n d merely c ho se h im five
smo o t h sto n es fro m the brook , a sling , a n d a staff .

A S th e p roud de fie r o f I sr a el sa w the yo un g man

O f be a u t i ful co un ten ance a ppro a c hi n g h im with
this eq uip ment , he i n q uired, A m I a dog, th a t
tho ucomestto me wi th st a ves ? He cursed Da
vid by h is god s, a n d bo asti n gly i n vited h im to
c o me t o h im, t h a t he might give his fle sh to the
fo wl s O f th e a ir, a n d to the bea st s of the field .

Then said Da vid to the Philistine , Tho u c o mest

to me with a S word, a n d wi th a spe a r, a n d with a
shield but I co me to thee, n o t in display Of
a rmo r, n or wi t h powerful wea pon s, but in the '

n a me o f t he Lord of ho sts, the God of the a rmies ,

of I sr a el , who m tho uh astdefied D a vid makes
”
.

n o bo a st o f su perior skill H is bo ast is in the

.

Lo rd . T his day will the Lord deliver thee into

min e h a n d , th a t a ll the e arth may k n ow
th a t th e re is a G o d i n Isr a el And all this a s
.

se mbly S h all kno w th a t t h e Lord sa veth not with

sword a n d spe ar ; for the b a ttle is the Lord s a n d
’

he will give you into our h a n d s And it c ame to .

p ass, whe n the Philisti n e a ro se , an d c a me an d

dre w n igh to me et D a vid , th a t D a vid h a sted a n d
,
ra nto wa rd the a rmy to meet the Philistine And .

Da vrd puthis h a nd in his ba an d took thence a

g ,
 S AM U EL A ND S AU L . 3 73

s tone a n d sl ang it a n d smote the Phili stin e in his

, ,

forehe a d th a t the sto n e su

,
n k in to his for eh e a d ;
an d he fell upon his fa ce t o the e a rth .

D a vid c utoff the he ad of the pro ud bo aster with

his o w n po w erful sword Of whi c h he h a d bo a sted , .

A n d when the Philisti n e s saw th a ttheir ch ampio n

wa s de a d they w ere con fu
,
se d a n d fl e d in e ve ry ,

dire c tio n Isra el p ursui n g th em

,
.

W he n S a ul a n d D a vid were ret ur n in g fro m the

sl a u ghter of the Phili sti n e s the wo men of the c it ,

ie s c a me outto meet them with demo n st r atio n s of

a n d with si n gi n g O n e co mp an y sa n g S au l
j y
o ,
.
,

h a th sl a in h is tho usan ds ”
Another co mp an y re .

spon de d to the fir st And D avid his ten tho u

,
'

sa n d s . This ma de S aul very a n gry In ste a d .

of ma n i fe sti n g h u mble gr ati tude to God th a t I S

r a el ha d bee n sa ved outof th e h an d of th eir e n e
mies by the h a n d o f D a vid a cruel spirit of j oa l ,

o n sy comes upon h im an d as in ti me s p ast he , , ,

yields himsel f to its co n trol And S aul wa s ve ry .

wro th a n d the sayi n g di sple a se d h im ; a n d he

,

sa id ,
They h ave asc ri bed un to D avid te n tho u
sa n d s a n d to me th e y h a ve a scrib e d bu
,
t tho u
sa n ds a n d wh a tc a n he h a ve more bu tt h e ki n g
dom ? H is fea rs were a ro used th a t this wa s
in deed the man who wo uld t ake his pl a c e a s rul e r .

Ye t be c a use the p e ople all esteemed a n d lov e d

D a vi d S aul wa s afr a id to h arm him ope nly
,
.

Thro ugh the i n fl ue n ce of the people D avid was ,

pro moted to t ake ch a rge of the b usi n e ss co n n e c te d

wi th war fare He wa s le a der in a ll th e ir impo rt
.

a n t e nterpri se s A s S a ul sa w th a t D a vid h a d
.

w on the love an d confid en ce of the p e o ple h e ,

h a ted h im for he thought th a t he wa s pr e fe rre d

b efore h im He wa tc hed a n opportun ity to sl ay
.

h im; an d w hen the evi l spirit was upon him an d ,

3 74 T H E GRE AT O
C N T ROVERS Y .

D a vi d pl aye d before h im as usua l to soothe his

t ro ubled min d he tried to k ill him by throwing
, ,

w i th fo rce a sh a r p pointed in
-
stru m e nt a th is h eart .

A n gel s o f G od preserved th e li fe of D avid They .

m a de h im un d er sta nd wh a t w a s th e pu rpose of

S aul ; a n d as the in str ument wa s hurled athim ,

he spr a n g to on e side an d receiv e d n o h a rm while

, ,

th e i n str ument was driven deep i n to the wall where

D a vid h ad been si tting .

The people of Israel wer e n ow ma de to feel their

p e c uli a r po si tion They h a d da ily e vidence that
.

G o d ha d le ft S au l to h is o wn g uilty course and ,

th atthey were co mma n ded by a ruler who dared

to commi t murder an d sl a y a righteous person
,

who m the Lord h ad cho se n to sa ve them And .

by the cruel a cts of S aul they wer e h a ving living

evidences to wh at extremes of guil t a n d crime a
king mi ht go who rebelled aga i n st G od a nd was
vernedby h is own p assion s
,

g o .

D avid h ad obeyed S a ul as a serv a nt an d his ,

cond uc t was hu mble H is life was irre proacha .

b l e H is fa ithfulness in doing the w ill of God

.

'

wa s a con st ant rebuke to S a ul s extr a v a g ant re ,

helli o ns c o urse S aul de termined to le a ve no

.

mea n s u n trie d th at D avid migh t b e S l a in As

, .

lon g as S aul lived thi s wa s the gre a t o bj ect of

,

h is life n ot with st anding he was co mpelled to as

,

c ribe to the providence of G od th e escape of

D a vi d fro m his h a nds Ye t his he a r twas desti .

tute Of the lo ve O f God a n d he was a self idol a ,

-

ter . True honor justice an d huma n ity were

, , ,
sa crificed t o his pride a n d a mbition H e hunted .

D a vid as a wild beast D a vid Ofte n h a d S au l in.

his power a n d was u

, rged by the me n whom he
co mma nded to Sl ay him Although Da vid knew .

th at he was c ho se n of God as ruler in Israel, yet

37 6 T H E G RE T CON R A T OV ERSY .

yi eld h erself un reserv edlyto b e controlled by his

sa t a n i c m a j es ty Thi s
. sh e h a d done .

W h e n S a ul inquired fo r S a muel , the Lord did

no t c a use S a m uel to a p p e a r to S a ul H e saw .

not hi n
g
. S a t a n w a s n o t a l lowed to di stur b th e

re s t o f S a m uel in th e gr a ve ,
a n d bring h im up in

re ali t y to th e wi tch of Endor G od do es not .

g i ve S at a n po wer t o re surrect the de a d B u tSe .

ta n s a n ge ls a ssume the for m Of de a d fri ends,

'

a n d sp e ak a n d a c t like the m, th a t thro u gh pro

fe ssed dea d frien ds he c an the better c arry on his
w o rk o f d ec eption S a ta n knew S amuel well,
.

a n d h e k n e w h ow to repre sent h im be for e t he

wi tch of Endor , an d to u tter correctly the fate of
S a u l an d his sons .

S a tan will c ome in a very pl a u sibl e manner to

su ch as he c a n deceive , a n d will in sinu ate him
sel f into their favor , a n d le a d the m a l mo st im p e r

c e pt ibly fro m G o d He wi n s them under his con

.

trol , c autiously a tfirst , u n til their per c eptibili t ies

b ec ome blun te d Then he will ma k e bolder sug
.

est io n s un til he c an le a d the m to co mmit al m ost

g ,

d gree of cri me W he he h a s led th em

an
y e n .

fully in to h is sn are he is then willi n g th at they

,

S ho u l d se e where they a re a n d he ex ults in their ,

c onfu sion as in the c ase o f S a ul

, He h ad suf .

fe ted S ata n to lead hima willing c a ptive a n d n ow ,

S a ta n spre a ds before S aul a correct desc rip tion
o f h is fa t e By givi n g S a ul a correc t sta t ement
.

o f h is e n d t h ro u
, g h th e w o ma n o f E n dor S at a n
,

open s a way for I sra el to be in str uct e d by his sa

ta nie c unnin g th a t they may in their rebell ion
, ,
a ga in st G od learn of h im an d by thus doing
, , ,

se ver the lastl i n k which would hold th e m to God .

S aul knew th a t in thi s l ast a c t of c on sul t ,

ln
g the witc h of En dor he cut the l ast shred ,
 DA vI D .
3 77

which h eld him to God He knew th a t if he ha d

.

not be fore willfully sep ar ated himsel f from God ,

this a c tse aled tha tsep a ra tion a n d made it fi n al , .

He ha d ma de an a greeme n t with dea th an d a ,

c oven a nt wi th hell The c up of his iniq ui ty was

.

fu ll
.

C HAP TE R XXXIV
DAVI D .

G OD selected D avid humble shepher d to rule

,
a ,

his people . He was strict in all the ceremonies

connected with the Jewi sh religion a n d he di sti n ,

u ish e d hi mself by h is bold n e ss a n d u n wa v eri n g

g
tr ust in God He was remark able for his fideli ty
.

a n d revere n ce H is fir mn e ss hu mility love O f

.
, ,

j usti c e a n d deci sio n of c h ara ct er q ua lifi e d him

, ,

to c a rry outthe high p urpo ses of God to i n str uc t ,

I sr a el in their devotio n s a n d to r ule them a s a

,

genero us a n d wise mon arch .

H is religiou s ch a r a c ter wa s sin c ere an d fervent .

It wa s while D avid was th us true to God an d ,

po ssessi n g the se ex a lt e d tr aits of c hara cter th at ,

God c alls him a ma n a fte r his own h e a rt W he n .

ex a lted to the thron e his ge n eral co ur se was

,

in striki n g contr ast wi th the ki ng s of other n a

tion s He abhorred idol atry an d ze al o usly kep t
.
,

the people Of Isra el fro m bei n g se duc e d i n to i t

by th e surro undi n g n a tion s H e wa s gr e a tly be
.

l o ved a n d honored by h is people .

He o ften co n quered an d triumph ed H e m

,
.

cre a sed in weal th an d gre a tn e ss B ut h1 s pro s

.

p e r ity h a d an influence to le a d him fro m G o d .

378 T H E G RE T A O
CO N T R V ERS Y .

H is t e m pt a tion s w e r e m a ny a n d s trong H e .

fi n a ll y fe ll i n to t h e c o m m o n pr a ctice o f o th er

k in gs a ro u n d him of h a ving a plur a l it

, y of wives ,

a n d h is li fe w a s i m b itte r ed by th e e v il re su l ts o f
ol
p yg a my . H is fir st wro n g w a s i n t aki n
g m ore

th a n o n e w ife th us d e p a r ti n g fro m God s wise ar

’

ra n ge me n t T his d e pa r ture fro m righ t prepared

.
,

th e w a y for g re at e r errors The ki n gly i dola

.

tr o u s nat io n s c on sider e d it a n a ddi tio n to their

h o n o r a n d dign i ty to h a ve ma n y wi v e s a n d David ,

re a rde d i t a n ho n or to h is throne to po ssess sev

g
e ra l wi ve s Bu
. th e was mad e to se e the w retched
e vil of su ch a c o urse by th e unh a ppy discord
, ,

rivalry an d j e alou sy a mong h i s nu merous wives

a n d c hild ren .

H is cri me in t h e c ase of U ri a h a n d B a th Sheba -

was he inou s in the sight o f God A just and im .

a rt i a l G o d did n o tsa n ction or e xc u se the se si ns

p
i n D a vi d b u ,
t se n t a reproo f an d he a vy d enu n

c ia t ion by N ath a n h is prophet w hi c h portrayed

, ,

in l iv ing color s his gr ie vo us o fl e n se D avi d had

'

b e e n bli n d e d to h is wo n der ful de p a r ture from

G od . He ha d e x c used his o wn si n ful c ourse to
h imse l f un til his ways seemed p a ssa ble in h is own
,

e ye s . O n e w ro n g st e p h ad prep a red t he way for

a no t her un til h is si ns c a l led fo r th e reb uke from
,

J eho va h thro ugh Na th an D a vid a wake ns as

.

fro m a d rea m He feels the sen se of his sin

. .

H e do es n o tseek to ex c use h is co ur se or p alliate ,

h is sin as did S a ul ; but with remor se a n d si ncere
,

g rief , he bo w s h is he a d be fore th e prop h et of

G o d an d ac kno wled ge s h is guilt
, N a th a n tells .

D a vid tha t bec ause of h is repenta nce a n d h umble

,

con fessio n God will forgive h is sin a n d a vert a

, ,

p a r t o f the thre a tened c a lamity a n d sp a re his ,

li fe ; t h hould be puni hed b u h h d
y e e S s e ca se e a ,
3 80 T H E G RE AT CO N T R O V ERS Y .

ou l
s y . T h eir sin s a r e n o t c o n c e a led , but f a ith fully
h i to y f G d
'

re c o rd ed in th e s r o o s chur c h ,
w i h
t th e

un is h mc n t fro m G o d ,
w hi c h follo wed the offenses .

he se i nst a n c es a re l e ft o n r e c ord for the b enefit

o f a fte r
g e n e r a ti on s,
a n d s h o uld in spire fait h in

th e w ord o f G od, as a fa it h ful h i story M en who

.

wish to do u b t G od, d o ub t Ch r i sti a n ity , and t he

wo r d o f G od, will n o t j udg e c a n di dly a n d im p ar

tin ily b u, tw ith prejudiced mi n ds w ill sc an t he life

a n d c h a ra cter , t o de t ec t a ll th e de fec t s in the lives
of t ho se who h a ve been th e mo st eminen tleaders
o f Isra e l . G o d has ca use d a fa ithful delineat ion
o f c h a r ac t e r to be give n i n in spired hi st ory, of

the b est a n d gre ate st me n i n their day These .

me n we re mor tal , subject to a tempti ng devil .

T he i r w e akn esses an d sin s a re n o t covered, bu tare

fa i th fu lly rec orded, with the r eproo fs a n d punish
me n ts whi c h foll owe d The se thi n g s were writ
.

te n fo r o u r a dmo n ition u po n who m the ends of

he world a re come
”
t .

G od ha s n otallo we d much to be sa id in his word

to e x tol th e vir t u es of the b est me n that have
li ved upon the e a rth . All their vi ctories, and
g re a t a n d
g oo d w ork s , were a scribed to God H e .

a lo n e wa s t o r e cei ve the glory , h e a lone t o be ex

al t ed . He wa s a ll a n d in a ll M a n was only an
.

a e n t , a feeble in st
g r u m ent in h is h a nd s T h e .

o w e r a n d exce llence w ere all o f G o d God s aw

p .

i n ma n a c o n t in u a l dispo si tion to dep a rt from, and

forge t, h im, a n d to wor ship the cre a ture instead
of t he Cre a tor . Th e r e fore , God w ould not snfler
mu ch in the pr ai se of man to be le ft upon the
p a g es Of sa cr ed hi story .

D avid repented Of his sin in dust a n d ashes .

H e e ntr e a te d the forgivene ss of G o d, a n d con

c e aled n o this repent an ce fro mt h e g r e a t men , and
 D A VI D . 38 1

even serv ants of his kin gdo m He compo sed a

,
.

penit e nti al p sa l m reco un tin g his sin a n d repen t

,

a n ce which p salm he k n e w wo u
,
ld be sun g by
a fter gener a t io n s He wished o thers to be in
.

str u c ted by the sa d h istory of h is li fe .

The so n g s which D avid compo sed were sun g by

all Isr a el e speci ally in the presen ce of th e a s
,

se mbled cour t a n d before prie sts elder s a n d lords

, ,
.

H e knew th a t the con fessio n of his guilt wo uld

bring his sin s to the notice of other genera tion s .

H e pre sen ts h is c a se sho wi n g in who m was h is

,

tru st a n d hope for p ardon : H a ve mercy upon '

me O God a ccordi n g to thy lovi n g ki n dne ss ;

, ,
-

a ccording u nto the mul ti tude of thy te n der mer

cies blot out my tr ansgre ssion s W a sh me thor
,
.

o ughly from mine i n iq ui ty an d cl e a n se me fro m ,

my sin ”
Deliver me fro m blood g uilt ine ss O
.
'
,

God thou God of my sa lv ation

,
”
.

D a vid does not manife st the spirit of an un c on

ver ted man I f he ha d po ssessed the spirit of
.

the rulers of the n a tio n s a round him he would not ,

h ave born e fromN a th an the pi c ture of his cri me

, ,

before h im in its truly abo min able colors but ,

wo u ld h ave t aken the life of the fa i thful reprover .

B ut n ot wi th sta nding the lo fti n e ss of h is t hrone ,

a n d h is u n limited po wer his humble a c k n owle d

g,

ment of all wi th whi c h he was ch a rge d is evidence ,

th a t he still fe a red an d tremb led at the word of

the Lord .

D a vid wa s made to feel bitterly the fruits of

wro n g doi n g H is so n s a c ted o ver the si n s o f
-
.

w hi c h he ha d been gu ilty A mn o n c ommitted a .

gre a t cri me ; Ab sa lo m re ve n ged it by sl ayin g

h im Th us was D a vid s sin bro ugh t co n tin ually
’
.

to h is mi n d a n d he ma de to feel the fu
,
ll weight
o f the inj u stice do n e to U ri a h an d B a t
h Sheb a -
.
 T H E G RE AT CO N TROV ERS Y .

Absalo m h is own son whom he loved a bove all

, ,

h is c hi ld re n rebelled
,
a g a in st h im By h is re .

m a rk a b l e b e a uty w i n ni n
,
g m a n ner s a n d pretended ,

k i n dn ess he c u
,
nn in gly stole the h ea rts of the
p e o pl e He did n o tpo ssess bene volence athea rt
.
,

butw as amb itio us a n d as hi s co urse sho ws would

, , ,

r e sor tto in trigue a n d c rime to obta in the kin gdom .

H e would h a ve req uited his fa ther s love an d

’

k i n d n ess by ta king his li fe He w as pro c l aimed

.

k i n g by h is follo wers in Hebro n an d led them ou , t

to pursue h is fa ther He was defe a ted a n d sl ain
. .

D a vid wa s bro ught into gre a t di stress by this

rebel lion . It was unlike an y wa r th a t he ha d been
c on n e cted with H is wi sdo m from God wi th his
.
,

e nergy a n d wa rlike skill h a d en abled him t , o suc

c e ssfu lly resi st the a ssaults of h is e nemie s B u t .

thi s unn a tur a l wa rfa re ari sin g in h is own house

, ,

and t h e rebel bei n g h is own son seemed to con fu se

,

a n d w e a ke n h is c a l m j u dgment And the k n owl.

edge th a t this evil h ad been predi c ted by the proph et ,

and t ha the ha d bro ught it upon hi mself by tra n s

gressin g the co mman dments of God destroyed ,

h is skil l a n d former uneq ual ed co ur a ge .

D a vid was humbled a n d grea tly distressed .

He fled fro m J erusalem to save his life He did .

n o t go forth wi t h confiden c e an d kingly honor ,

t rusti n g in God as he ha d in pre vio us b a ttles ;

,
b ut a s h e wen t up by the ascent of the Mo un t of
O li ve t surr o un de d by his p e ople an d his migh ty
, ,

me n be c o vered his h ea d in h is h umility an d

, ,

walk e d b arefoot weepi n g ; an d h is people imi

,

ta te d th e ex ample of deep h u mility ma nife sted by

th e ir k in g while fleei n g before Absalom
, .

Shimei a kin sma n of S aul who ha d ever been

, ,
envi o us of D a vid beca use he received the throne
a n d kin l h
g y onors whic h had o n ce b e en g i ven t o
384 ms oa mr u
c o rrn o v mzsr .

pi e ce of the skir t of h is robe th a t h e might ,

ev idence to S a ul th a t he w ould n o t h a rm h im al ,

tho ugh he migh th a ve ta ke n h is li fe if he ha d b een

so dispo sed .D a vid repented eve n of this be ,

c a use S aul wa s the Lord s a nointed ’

W h e n D a vi d w as thirsty a n d gre a tly desired ,

wa ter of the well of Bethlehe m three me n wi t h , ,

ou th is knowledge broke through the ho st of t

,
he
Phil istines an d drew water out of the well of
,

Be thlehem a n d brought it to D a vid H e c onsid

,
.

e red i t too sa cred to drink t o quen c h his thirst ,

bec a use three me n through their love for him had

, ,

periled their li ves to o bt a in it He did n otlightly .

reg a rd life I t seemed to h im th a t if he dran k

.

the wa ter these br a ve me n h a d put their li ves in

j eop ardy to ob ta in it woul d be like drinkin g their
,

blood He solemnly poured out the w ater as a

.

sa c red o fferi n g to God .

A fter th e de a th of Absalo m God turned the ,

he arts of Isr a el a s the he a rt of o n e ma n to Da

, ,

vid . Shimei who had cursed D a vid in his hu mil

,

i ty through fe a r of h is life wa s a mo n g the first

, ,

o f the rebelliou s to meet D a vid on h is ret u rn to

J e r usale m He made confession of his rebellious
.

cond uct to wa rd D a vid Those who witne ssed his .

abu sive co u rse urged D a vid not to sp a re his life ,

b e c a u se he cursed the Lord s a nointed But ’

.

D a vid rebuked the m He not only sp ared the .

li fe of S himei but mercifully forga ve him H a d

, .

D a vid po ssessed a reve n ge ful spirit he could re a d ,

il h ave r tified it by putting the o f
f en der t
y g a
, o
de a th .

Isra el pro spered an d i n cre ased in n umbers n u

der D avid s r ule a n d a s they bec a me strong a nd
’

, ,
ha d incr e ased in wea lth an d gre a tne ss they bec ame
,

ex lted a n d proud They forgot the Gi ver o f a ll

a .
 D AVI D . 3 85

th ei r mercie s, an d were fa st lo sing their peculi ar

a n d holy ch a r a cter , whi c h sep a r a ted the m fro m

the n a tions a round them .

D a vi d in his prosperity did n otpreserve th a t

, ,

h umility of ch a ra c ter a n d tru st in God wh ic h

c ha r ac teri z ed the e arlier p art of his life He .

looked upon the a ccession to the ki n gdo m wi th

pri de a n d contr asted their then pro sperous
,

c ondition wi th their few numbers a n d lit tle

stre n gth when he a scen ded the throne t a ki n g ,

glory to hi msel f He gr a tified his a mbi tiou s feel

.

ings in yielding to the temp ta tion of the de vi l

to n umber Isra el th a t he might c o mp are their
,

former we akness with their then pro sperous st ate

under his rule Thi s was disple asi n g to G od a n d
.
,

contr a ry to his express c o mma n d I two uld le a d .

Isr a el to rely upon their stre n gth of numbers in ,

ste a d of the living God .

The work of n umbe ri n g Isr a el is n otfully c om

p let e d be fore D a vid feel s co n vi c ted th a t he h a s

co mmitted a gre a t sin a g a i n st God He see s his .

error a n d h umbles hi mself before God confe ss

, ,

in g h is gre a t sin in fooli shly n u mberi n g the peo

ple B ut his repenta nce c ame too l ate The
. .

word h a d al re a dy gone for t h fro m the Lord to h is

faith ful prophet to c arry a message to D avid a n d
, ,

ofier h im h is choice o f puni sh me n t s for h is tr an s

'

re ssio n D a vid still sho ws th a t he h a s confidence

g .

in God He c hoose s to fall into the h an ds of a

.

mer c i ful God r a ther th a n to be l eft to the c r ue l

,

mercies of wi cked men .

S wift de struc tion follo wed Seventy tho usa n d .

were destroyed by pestilen ce D a vid an d the el .

u m
.

ders of Isr a el were in the deepe t h s i l to

i a i n ,

mourni n g before the Lor d A s the an gel of the .

Gu
estCo t
ro n v ers y .
25
3 86 m o unA r '
co m ov msr .

Lor d w as on his wa y to de stroy J erusalem, God

b a de h im sta y his w o rk o f de a th A pitiful God .

lo es
v h is p eo ple s till ,
n ot w i th st a n di n g the ir r eb ell
io n T
. h e a n g e l ,
cl a d i n w a rlike g a r men ts ,
w i h
t a

dra w n sw ord in h is h a nd , str e tched o utover Jeru sa

le m is r e ve a led to D a vid , a n d to tho se who are

.

w ith h im . D a vid
terribly a fr a id yet he cries
is ,

ou t in h is a n d h is c o mp a ssio n fo r Israel
d istress ,
.

I le b e gs of G od to sa ve th e sh e e p In anguish .

h e c o n fesse s I h a ve sinn e d a n d I h ave done

,
'
,

w ic k e dl y ; butth ese sheep wh a t h a ve they done ? ,

Le t thi n e h a n d I pr a y the e b e a ga in st me and

, , ,

a ga in stm fa t her s ho u se G e ak s t D avid

'

y o d sp o .
,

by h is prophet a n d bids h im ma k e a tonement for

,

h is sin Da vid s he art was in th e work an d his

'

.
,

re pe n t a n c e was a ccepted T h e t h resh ing floor of .

-

A ra un a h is ofl e red him fre e ly w here to b u ild an

'

alt ar u nto t h e Lord ; a lso c a ttl e a n d everything ,

n eed fu l fo r the sa c rific e B ut D a vid tells him .

who w ould make thi s ge n erou s ofl e rin g that t he

'

Lord w il l a c c ept th e sa crifice whi c h he is willing

to ma ke bu t th a the would n ot co me be fore t
,
he
L o rd w i th a n ofl erin g which co st him no thing
'

H e w o ul d bu y it o f h im fo r fu ll price He o f
f ered .

there burn to ffe rings a n d p e a c e o fferings

-
God -
.

a cc e pted t he o fferi n gs by a n sw eri n g D a vid in sen d

i n g fire from He a ven to co n su me the sacrifice .

T h e a n g el of the Lord wa s co mma nded to pu this

sw o rd i n t o h is she a th a n d ce a se h is work of de ,
ruc ti on
.

st .

D av id co mpo sed ma ny of the p sa l ms in the

w ilderness to which he wa s co m elled to flee for
,
p
sa fe t y S aul eve n pursued him there ; a n d D avi d
.

w a s seve ra l ti mes preserved fro m fa llin g in to t he

h a n ds of S a ul by the speci a l i n terp o sition of
,
P rov i de n c e W hile D a vid was th us p assing
.
38 8 m l; G RE AT co ur a o v m sr .

me n sh ould build for h im An a n gel .w a s c o m

miss io n e d to st a nd by D a vid w h ile he w a s w r i tin
g
ou t,
f o r t h e ben e fi t o f Solo m o n the i m port a n t ,
d i
re c i
t o n s i n r e g a rd to the a rr a n g e m e n t of the ho u se .

D a vid s he a r t was in the work H e manifested

'

a n e a rn est n e ss an d devotion i n ma ki n g ext ensive

r p arat io n s for the b u ildi ng a n d sp a red n ei t her

p e ,

l a bor n or exp e nse butma de l a rge don a tions from

,

h is own tre asury thereby setti n g a n o ble ex ample

,

b e fo re his peo pl e whic h they di d n o t h esitat e t

,
o

fo llo w wi th willin g h ea rt s .

D a vi d fe e ls the gre atest solicitude for Sol omon .

H e fe ar s th a t he may follo w h is ex a mple in wrong

do i n g . H e c a n se e with th e deep e st sorro w the
spo t s a n d bl e mish es he h a s bro u ght upon his
c ha ra c t e r by fall in g into grievou s si n s ; an d he

wo u ld sa ve his son from the evil if he coul d He .

ha s le a r n e d by e xperience tha t the Lord will in no

c ase sa n c t i on wro n g doin g whether i tbe found in
-

the lo ftiest prince or the hu mble st su bj ect but ,

would vi sit th e l e ader of his pe opl e wi th as mu ch

se ve rer puni sh me n t a s h is po sition is more respon

si bl e t h a n th a t of the humbl est subj e c t The sins .

c o mmi t te d by the le a der s of Isr a el w ould h ave an

infl u e n ce to l e ssen the heino usness o f cri me in the
mi n ds a n d con sciences of the people a n d would be ,

bro ught to the n oti c e of other n ation s who fear ,

n o t G od but who tr ample upon his a uthority ;
,

and t h ey wo ul d be led to bl aspheme the God of

I sra el .

D a vi d solemn ly ch arge s his so n to adh ere

stric t ly to the law of Go d a n d to k eep all his ,

st a tutes He rel a tes to S olo mon the word of the

.

Lord spoken u n to him thro ug h h is prophets

,

M o reove r I will e sta bli sh his k in g do m forever

, ,
I f he be c on st a n t to do m
y co m m a n d m ent s a nd
 DAV I D .
3 89

my j udgment s as a t thi s day N ow th ere fore

, .
, ,

i n the sight of all I sr a el the c on greg ation of the ,

Lord an d in the audi e nc e of our God kee p a n d

, ,

se e k for a ll t h e c o mma n d me n t s o f th e L ord yo ur

G o d th a t ye may po sse ss this good l and a n d l ea ve
, ,

it for an i n herita nc e for yo ur childre n a fter you

forever And tho u Solo mo n my son k n ow t hou
.
, , ,

th e G od o f thy fa ther a n d serve h im with a per ,

fe e t he a r t a n d with a willing mind ; fo r the Lord

,

se a r cheth all he ar t s an d u n de rst an de th a ll the im

,

a in a t ion s o f the thou ht s I f th ou se ek h im he

g g .
,

wi ll be fo u n d of thee ; but if th oufor sa ke him he

,

will c ast the e ofl for ever T a ke he e d n o w ; for

'

th e Lord h a th c ho sen thee to b uild a n hou se for

th e sa nct uary
”
B e stro n g an d do it
.
,
.

A fter givi n g thi s ch a rg e to h is son in th e a ud i

e nce o f t h e peo pl e a n d i n th e pr ese n c e of God
, ,

h e o ffer s gr a teful th a n k s to God for di spo si n g his

o wn h ea rt an d the h e a r t ,
s of the p eo l e t
p o give ,

willi n gly for the g rea t work of b uil di n g H e a l so .

e ntre a t s the Lord to i n cli n e the he a rt o f S o lo mo n

to h is co mma n dme n t He says I k n o w al so '

s .
, ,

my God th at tho utrie st the he art a n d h ast ple as

, ,

ure in uprightness A s for me in the uprightn ess

.
,

o f min e h e a rt I h ave willi n gly offered a ll the se

thing s And n ow h a ve I see n with j oy thy peo

.

le whi c h are pre se n t here to o ffer willi n gly u n to

p ,

thee . O Lord God of Abr ah am I saa c an d of , ,

I sra el our fa ther s keep this forever in the imag

, ,

in a tie n of the tho u ghts of the he art of thy people ,

a n d prep are the ir he a r t u n to th e e A n d gi ve .

unto Solo mo n my so n a per fe c t hea rt to keep thy

, , ,

c o mma ndme n t s thy te sti mo n ie s a n d thy st a tu

,
te s , ,

a n d to do all the se thing s a n d to b u ild the pal ,

a c e for the which I h a ve ma de provi sio n

,
.

D a vid s public l abor wa s abou t to clo se He

’
.
39 0 ms oa mr c ox mo v msr .

k new t h a t h e s h ou l d s o o n die ,
a n d he d o es n o t
le a ve h i s bu s in e s s m a t te r s in c on fu s io n , to vex th e

so u o l f h is so n ; b u t w hi l e h e h a s s u fli c ie n t ph y s

l
ic a a n d m e n ta l s treng th , he a rr a n
g e s the aff ai rs

of h is k in g do m ,
e v e n to t h e m inute s t m a tt er s,
n ot
fo gr e tt i n
g to w a rn Solo m on in reg a rd to the ca s e

o f S h i m e i
. H e k ne w th a t th e l a tt e r w o uld c au se

tor u b l e in t h e k i n gdo m . He w a s a d a ngerou s m a n ,

o f v io l e n t te m p e r ,
a n d w a s k ep t in c o n trol o n ly
t h rou g h f e a r . W hene v e r he d a red ,
h e wo u ld c a u s e

r e b e llion , or, if he ha d a fa vor a ble opportunity,

wo ul d n o t hesitate to t ake t h e li fe o f Solomon .

D a vid , in a rra n g in g h is b usin e ss, sets a good

e xa mp l e t o all wh o a re a d va n c ed in ye a r s, to set

tle th e i r ma t ters wh ile they a r e c a p a ble of doing

so , th a twh e n th ey sh a ll be dr a wing n e ar to d eat h,
a n d t h e i r ment al fa cultie s are di mme d, t hey shall
h a ve n o thi n g of a worl dly n a t ure to diver t their
mi n ds fro m G od .

C HAP TE R XXXV

S O L OM ON .

h
T II E rt s
eaof the peopl e a re t urned t ow a rd Sol
o mo n a s they were to D a vid a n d they obey him
, ,

in a ll th in gs The Lord sen ds h is a n ge l to instruct

.

Solo mon by a dre am in the n ight se ason H e .

drea ms that Go d converses with hi m And God .

sa i d A sk wh at I sh all gi ve the e
,
And Solomon .

sa i d Thou h a st sh o wed unto thy serv a nt D avid

, ,

my fa ther great mercy a ccording a s he wa lked

, ,

before thee in truth an d in righteousness an d in

, ,
3 93 r m: on uxr c o xra o v msr .

e v e r. S ol o m on f e e l s th e m a g n itude o f h
t e wo r k
of b u il d in
g a ho u s e fo r G o d H e thu s gives ex
.

re s io n t o h is i de a s : t o is a ble to b uild him

p
-

a n ho u se , see i ng t h e he a v en a n d He aven of heav

e n s c a nn otc ont a in h i m

T he Lord imp a rt e d unto S o lo mon th a t wisdom

wh i c h h e desir ed a bo ve e a rthly ri che s, honor, or
lo n g li fe H e was the wi se st kin g th a t ever sat
.

upo n th e thro n e God ga ve h im a n und erstand

.

in g h e a r t H e wro te man y proverb s, a n d com

.

p ose d ma n y so n s
g For m .a n y y e a r s h is li fe was

ma rk ed w ith de vo tion to G o d, a n d with upri ght

n e ss fir mpri n c ipl e , a n d strict Ob e dience to God s
’

c omma n ds H e dire c te d in e v ery important en

.

te rprise an d man a ge d t
. h e b usiness ma tters con
n ec t ed w i t h the ki n gdo m, with th e gre a test wis
do m H is fai thfu
. lly c arrying out the directi ons,
in c o n str u cting the most mag n ificent building the
w o rld e ve r sa w, ca u sed his fame to spre a d among
th e n a tion s e ve rywh ere He was g re a tly bl essed
.

a n d h onor ed of God All n a t ions a c kno wledged,

.

a n d marve l e d a t , h s superior kno wle dge a n d wis

i
do m th e e xcell enc e of h is ch a r a cter, a n d the
,

rea t n ess o f his power M a n y c a me t o h im from

g .

a ll a rt s o f the world t o behold h is unli m it ed

p
p o we r a n d t , o b e i n st ructe d h o w to c onduct d i t
h
c ul t ma t t e rs T he temple buil tfor G o d could not
.

be e xce ll ed for richn ess, b ea uty , a n d co stly de

A fte r the temp le was fi n ishe d, So lo mo n assem

bl e d all Israel , a n d ma n y n ation s a l so c ame to
wi t s t
n es he dedic ation of th e hou se o f God It .

was de dic at e d with re a tsplen d or

g S olo m on ad .

dresses the p eo ple, a n d se ek s to te a r a wa y from

the mi n ds of a ll present the su perstition s which
h a ve c lou d ed he
t min ds of heathen na tion s in re
 S O LO M ON . 3 93

rd to Jehov a h He tell s themth at God is not

g a .

like the he a then god s who a re confi n ed to t emple s

,

b uilt for the m ; b utth a t the God o f I sr a el wo u ld

meet them by h is Spirit when the peopl e sho uld
a sse mble in th a t ho u se d e d ic a ted to h is wor ship .

S olo mo n k n eel s before God in the pre sen c e of ,

th a t i mmen se co n greg atio n an d mak e s suppli c a ,

tio n to God He i n quires in h is pr ay er B ut

.
,
'

w ill God i n deed dwell on the e a r th ? Behold ,

h e ave n an d the He aven of he aven s c an n ot con

t a in thee ; how much le ss thi s ho use th at I h ave
b uilded l”
He co n tin ue s : Th a t thine eyes may
be open to wa rd thi s ho use night an d day eve n to ,

wa rd the pl a c e Of whi c h thou h a st sa id My n a me ,

sh a ll be there ; th a t thou may e st he a rken u n to

the pr ayer which thy serv an t sh all ma k e tow a rd

”
this pl a ce .

N ow when Solo mon ha d ma de a n end of

,

pr aying the fire c a me do wn fro m H e aven a n d

, ,

c on su med the burnt ofl erin g an d th e sa c rifi c es ;

'

a n d the glory of t h e L ord filled the ho use And .

the priests could not enter i n to the ho use of the

Lord bec au se the glory Of the Lord h a d fi lled
,

the Lord s hou se And when all the childre n of

’
.

Isr a el saw how the fire c ame down an d the glory ,

o f the Lord upon the ho u se th ey bo wed the m ,

selve s with their fa ce s to wa rd the gro u nd upo n the

p a vemen t an d worshiped an d pr a ised the Lord
, , ,

sa yi n g For he is good ; for h is mercy en du

, reth
fo rever .

Seven d ays was Solo mon eng aged in th e de di

c ation Of the ho use of God A n d a fte r th e c e re .

monie s Of dedic a ting the ho use w ere e n de d th e ,

Lord sa id un to him I h ave he ard thy pr ayer a n d

,

thy supplic a tion th a t thou h a st made before me .

I h a ve h allo wed thi s ho use which thou h ast built ,

394 m s. G RE AT c os m ov m sr .

to put m y n a m e t h ere forever ; a n d m ine ey es an d

m i n e h e a r t s h a l l be th e re p erpet u a lly A n d if .

th o u w il t w a lk before m e a s D a v id thy f ath er , ,

w a lk e d in i n t e,g ri ty o f h e a rt a n d in upright n,e ss ,

to d o a c c or d i n g to a ll th a t I h a ve c ommanded
th e e a
,
n d w i lt ke e p my st a t ute s a n d m y j udg m ent s ,

th e n I will e st a bl ish th e throne o f thy ki ngdom

up o n I sr a el forev e r as I pro mi sed to D avi d thy
, ,

fa ther sayi n g There sh a ll n ot fa il thee a man

, ,

upon th e throne of Isr a el B ut if ye sh all atall

.

t urn fro m follo wi n g me ye o r yo ur chil dren and , ,

will not ke e p my co mma ndmen t s a n d m st atu

y t es

whic h I h a ve se tbe fore you but g o a n d serve ot ,

her
g o ds an d worshi p the m; then w ill I cut off Is
,

r a e l outof the l and whi c h I h a v e given them;

a n d this hou se whi c h I h a ve h a llo wed for my
n a me will I c ast out of my si ght ; a n d Israel
,

sh a ll be a p roverb an d a by word a mong all peo -

ple .

If I sra el remained fa ith ful a n d true to God ,

t h is glorious building wa s to sta nd forever as a ,

perpe tu al sign of God s especi al fa vor to his chosen ’

peo ple They were c alled peculi a r bec ause they

.
,

a lone a mo n g all the n a tio n s Of e a rth pre served

, ,

th e true wor ship of G od by keeping h is co mman d ,

me n ts .

W hile Solo mon rema i n ed pur e God was wi th ,

h im I n the dedic a tion Of the te mple he ex al t

. s ,

G o d s la w be fore the people W hile ble ssing the

'

people h e r e pe a ts these words : The Lord our

God be with us as he wa s with our fa thers Let
, .

h im n otleave us n or forsa ke u s; th a t he may in

,

cline our he a rts unto h im to w alk in a ll his ways , ,

a n d to k eep h is co mmand ment s a n d h is st atu tes , ,

a n d his ju dgment s which he co mma nd e d ou r fa
,
”
th e rs .
396 Ti m G RE AT CO N TR OV ER S Y .

h a ve pr o p e rty a n d i n tellect a n d yet be v al ueless

, ,

be ca u s e th e glo w i n g fire o f goodne ss h as nev er

b urn e d upon the al ta r of h is he a rt bec a use his ,

c o n sc i e n c e h a s bee n sc a red bl a cke ned a n d c risp e d

, ,

w ith se lfishness a n d sin W hen the lust of the

.

fl e sh is c o n troll in g th e ma n a n d the evil p assions ,

of t h e c a r n al n at ure are permit ted to r ule sk ep ,

ti c i sm ia r eg ard to the re alities Of the Christian

r eligio n is e n c our aged an d doubts are expressed
, ,

as t ho ugh it w a s a speci al virt ue to doubt .

T h e li fe o f S olo mon might h a ve been rema rk s

ble un til it s clo se if virt u ,
e h a d been preserved .

Bu t he surre n dered thi s speci al gr a ce t o lu st ful

p assion I n h is yo uth he looked to God for guid
.

ance . He t rusted in h im an d G o d cho se for h im

, ,

a n d wi sdo m wa s given to h im — wi sdom th at a ston

ish e d th e world H is power an d wi sdo m were
.

e xt oll e d thro ugho ut the l a nd H is love of women .

w a s h is sin Thi s p assion he did not control in

.

h is man h ood It proved a sn are to him H is

. .

w ive s le d h im into i dol atry an d the wisdom God ,

h a d gi ven h im wa s remo ved when he beg a n to de

sc e n d the declivity of life ; he lo st h is fi rmn ess
o f c ha r a cter a n d bec ame more like
, the gid dy
y outh wa veri n g be tween right an d wro n g He
,
.

ield e d h is principl es an d pl a ced hi msel f in the

y ,

cu rr ent of evil an d thus sep a r ated himself fro m

,

G o d the so urce of his strength

, He wa s a man .

w h o h a d move d fro m prin c iple Wi sdom ha d be en .

mo re pr e c io us to h im th a n the gold of O phir .

B ut al a s ' l ust ful p a ssio n s Ob tained the vic tory .

H e wa s d e ceived an d r uined thro ugh wo men .

W h a t a le sso n for w a tch ful n ess ' W h a t a te sti

mo ny a s to the need Of stre n gth fro m God to the
Ve ry la st .

In the b a ttle wi th inwa rd corruption s a n d out

 S OLO MON . 3 97

w ard tempt ation s even the wi se an d powerful Sol

,

o mon was v anq uished It is n ot safe to permit

.

the le a st dep arture fro m the strictest integrity .

Ab st a in from all appe ar ance of evil ”

R emem .

b er Solo mon Amo n g ma n y n atio n s there was

.

n o kin g like him beloved of his God

, He fel l . .

He wa s led fro m God an d bec ame corr upt thro ugh

the in dulgence of l ustful p assion s Thi s is the .

prev a ilin g sin of thi s age an d its progress is fea r

,

ful . None but the p ure an d lo wly c an dwell in

h is pre sence . W h o sh all ascend into the hill of
'

the Lord ? an d who sh all stan d in his ho ly p lac e ?

He th a t h ath cle an h an ds an d a p ure he ar t wh o
,

h a th n otlifted up his so ul unto v a nity nor sworn ,

deceitfully .

Solo mon s he art was turned from God wh en h e

’

multiplied to himself wi ve s of idol a tro us n a tio n s .

God h ad expressly forbidden his people to i n ter

ma rry wi th ido latro us n a tion s for he h a d cho sen ,

the m as his pec uli ar tre asure For it c ame to .

p ass when Solo mon was Old th a t his wive s turn e d

, ,

a wa y his he a rt a ft er other gods ; an d his he art

wa s not perfe ct wi th the Lord his God a s wa s the ,
”
h e a rt of D a vi d h is fath er
,
A n d the Lord wa s
.

a n gry with Solo mo n b e c au se h is he art wa s tu

,
rn ed
fro m the Lord God of I sr a el which h a d app ea r e d ,

unto him t wice an d h ad comman ded him conc ern

,

ing thi s thing th a t he sho uld not go after other

god s ; but he kept n otth at which the Lor d c om
,

man de d W herefore the Lord sa i d unto Solo mo n

.
,

F orasmuc h as thi s is done of thee a n d tho uh a st ,

n ot kept m coven a nt a n d m st a t ute s whi c h I

y y
h a ve commanded th e e I will surely ren d the ki n g
,
dom fro m th ee an d will give it to thy serv an t
,
.

The Lord informed Solomo n by his prophet of , ,

his p urpo se concer n i n g him th at he would c au se

3 98 T H E G RE AT O T R O VERS Y
C N .

h is pro sper ity to ce ase a n d would r a i se up adver

,

sa rie s a
ga in st h im a n
,
d he sh ould n o long er r ei n
g
a s u n i ve rs a l mo n a rch upon the throne of Israel .

H a d S lo mo n died prior to h is dep a rti n g from

o

G o d h is li fe would h a ve be e n o n e o f the most re

,

ma rk able upon record B ut he t a rnished his lu

. s

te r a n d exhibi ted a striking ex a mple of the weak

,

n e ss o f t h e wise st o f mor ta l s The gre a test men .

,

and t h e wisest will surely fa il un le ss their lives

,

a re ma rked wit h tr ust in G o d a n d Obe dience to ,

h is c o mma nd ment s .

C HAPT E R X X X V I .

TH E ARK OF G O D.

T II E ark of God was a sa cred chest ma de to be ,

th e depo sitory Of the ten co mma nd men t s which ,

la w was the represent ative Of God hi mself Thi s .

a rk wa s con sidered the glory a n d strength of

I sra e l The token of the Divine Presence abode

.

upo n it day a n d nigh t The priest s who mi nis .

te re d before it were sa credly con secr a ted to t he

ho ly o ffice They we re a bre astpl a te bordered
.
-

wi th pre c iou s st ones of different ma terials the ,

sa me a s c o m o se the twelve found a tion s of the

p
city Of God W i thin the border were the n ames
.

o f the t welve tri bes o f Isr a el gr a ven o n preciou s

,

stone s se t in gold This wa s a very rich and

.

bea uti ful work suspended fro m the sh oulders of

,

the priests covering the bre ast

, .

At the right an d left Of the bre a st pl a te were -

se t t wo l a r ger stones whi ch shon e with reat

, g
4 00 THE G RE AT CO N T R O VER S Y .

When Eli was high prie st he ex al ted his sons ,

to the prie sthood Eli a lone was permitted to .

e nt er t he mo st holy o n ce a ye a r H is son s min .

iste re d a tthe door o f th e t abern a cle a n d ofli ciated ,

i n th e sl a
y in g o f the be a st s a n d a tt h e a ltar of ,

sa c rifi c e T he y c ont in ua lly ab used th is sa cred of

.

fic e . Th e y were sel fish coveto us glut tonous and , , ,

ro fl iga t e God reproved Eli for h is criminal

p .

n e l e c t of fa mily di scipline E li r eproved his

g .

so n s b u,
t did n o t re str a i n them And a fter they .

w e re pl a c ed in the sa c red ofli c e o f prie sthood Eli ,

h e a rd o f their c o n d uc tin defr a udi n g the c hildren

O f I sr a el in t heir o fferi n g s also their bold trans ,

re ssio n s o f the la w of God an d their violent con

g ,

du c t whi ch c a used I sr a el to sin

,
.

T he ir crime s were k n own to a ll I sr a el Eli re .

prov e d them He presented before them the .

e n or mi t y o f their sin I t was n o t like a sin .

a a in st e a c h o t h e r whi c h Ofli c ia t in g prie st s cou l d

g ,

a tone fo r B ut if the priests the mselves sin

.

a g a in st God an d sho w open cont empt fo r his e u

,

tho rit y w h o sho u

,
ld a to n e for the m ? They re

g a rd e d n o t the counsel of their fa ther Eli was .

j udg e a n d a lso high pri est in Isra el a n d he was

, , ,

respo n si ble for the co n d uct of his so n s He .

sho u ld ha ve re moved them a t once fro m the

prie sthoo d an d j u dged them a s their c ase de
,

se rve d He kne w th a t if he should do thi s they

.
,
mustsuffe r dea th for their abomin a ble e x ample to
Israel Permit ti n g the m lo aded wi th guilt to
.
, ,

o c cupy the rela tion of priests to Isra el would ,

le ad the people to lightly reg ard cri me an d to ,

de spise th e sacrifici al o fferi ng s .

The Lord by his prophet sent a reproof to Eli

, ,

W here fore kick ye a t my sa crifice a n d a t mi ne

Offering which I h a ve co mma nded in m h abita
,
y
 T II E A RK OF G OD . 4 01

tion ; ho n ore st thy so n s above me, to make

an d

yo urselves fa twi th the chiefest of a ll the O deri n gs

’

o f I sr a e l, my people ? W h ere fore the Lord God

o f I sr a el sa i th , I sa id i n deed th a tthy hou se , an d
the ho u se Of thy fa t her, sho uld wa lk be fore me
forever ; but n o w the Lord sai th , Be itfa r from
me ; for them th a t honor me I will honor , a n d
they th a t de spise me sh all be l ightly estee med .

Eli s undue a ffec tion for his so n s ma de him a

’

p a rti a l j udge He excu sed si n s in them which

.

he wo uld ha ve condemned in others The Lord .

informed Eli by his prophet th at bec ause he h a d

, ,

th us sufl ered his son s to remain in sa c red o ffice

’

while they w ere compelli n g Isr a el to sin an d be ,

c au se Of their tr an sgression s of his law he wo uld ,

cu t Ofl both his so n s in one day A s Eli h a d

'

n eglected h is sa cred d uty God wo uld pu n i sh ,

the m a n d they sho uld both peri sh

,
.

Here is a stan di n g reb uke to p arent s who are ,

pro fessed follower s of Chri st who n e gle c t to re ,

str a in their c hi ldren bu tmerely entre a t the m like

, ,
”
Eli ; an d who say W hy do ye so wickedly ? ,
'

but do n o t decidedly re str a i n th e m S uch suf .

fe r God s c au se to be di shonored bec au se they

’

do n ot exercise th a t authority which belong s to

them in order to re str ain wickedness .

The Lord ma de known to the child S amuel the

j udgments he would bri n g upon E li s h ouse be ’

c ause Of h is negligence
O

And the Lord said to .

'

S amuel Behold I will do a thing in Isr a el at

, , ,

which bo th the e a r s of every on e th a t he a reth it

sh a ll ti n gle In that day I will perform a g a i n st
.

Eli a ll thi n gs which I ha ve spok en con cern i n g h is

ho use W hen I begin I will al so make a n end
.
,
.

F or I h a ve told h im a
th t I will j udge h is ho use

G reatCon tro v ers y .

26
40 2 T H E G RE AT Oon T R OVERsr .

r
fo e ver ,
the iniquity which he knoweth ; be
for
ca u e
s h is son s m a de t h e mse l v e s vile a n d b e ,

re st r a in e d th e m not And there f o re I.h a ve sw or n

un to the ho use of Eli th a t the iniq uity of Eli s

’

ho use sh al l n otbe purged with sa crifice nor ofier

’

”
in g forev e r .

T he tra n sgr ession s Of Eli s so n s were so daring

’

so insu l ting to a holy God t ha t n o sa crifice cou ld ,

at o n e for such willful tr an sgr e ssi o n These sinfu l .

rie st s profa ned the sa cri fice s w hich typified t he

Son of God And by their bl asphemous conduct
.

they wer e tra mpling u pon the blood of the atone

men t from which wa s derived the virtue of all
,

sacrific es .

S amuel told Eli th e word s of the Lor d ; and '

h e sa id It is the Lord ; let him do wh at seemet

,
h
h im good
”
Eli kne w th a t G o d h a d been dis
.

ho n ored a n d he felt th a t he h a d sinned He

,
.

sub mi t t ed tha tG od was j ust in thus pu n ishing his

si nful neglect T he word Of the Lord to S amu
. el

was made known by Eli to all I sr a el In doing .

this he thought to correct in a me a sure his past

,

sinful negligence The evil pronounced upon Eli

.

wa s n ot long del ayed .

T he Isr a e lite s ma de war with the Philistines ,

a n d were overcome a n d fo u r thou sa nd of them

,

were sl a in The Hebrews were a fr a id They

. .

k ne w th a t if other n ation s sho ul d he ar Of their

defea t they would be enco ur aged to also make
,

Wa r with them The elders of Isr a el decided

.

th a t their defe a t wa s bec au se the a rk of God was

n otwith them T hey sent to Shiloh for the ark
.

of the coven an t They thought Of th e ir p assage

.

o ver Jord a n a n d the e asy conquest o f Jericho

, ,

when th ey bore the ark ; an d they dec ided that

a ll t ha t was nece ssa ry
was to brin g th e ark t o
 r un G REA T co x T RO V ERsr .

re
r
st u ’

a c c o rd n g i o t
t he obe dience or tr a n sgression
o f hisla w the sa c red ch est
a in e
c on t d in .

T h er e w as a ve ry g r e a t sl a ughter in Israel .

E l l w a si ttin
g yb t hse w a y si de w a tchin g w i h
t a ,

t e mb lin g h e a r t to r ec ei ve n e ws fro m the a rmy

r .

I I w a a fra id th a t th e a rk o f G o d migh t b e
s

ta k e n a n d po llu t
. ed by the Phili stin e ho st A .

tr s e a ge r from t
u
s h e a rmy ra n to S h iloh a n d in
f rza e l Eli th a t his two so n s h a d b een sl a in He .

c a li b a r t
o o
h is w ith a degree of c a l mness for he
e
,

h a i r eas on to e xp ec t it Bu twh e n the messe n .

”
a ided A nd t h a rk of G od is t a ken Eli
'
e
g : -
r
, ,

w a v e red in a n gu ish upo n his sea t a n d fell b a ck ,

w a rd a n d died He sh a red th e wrath of God .

w h ic h ca me u po n hi s so n s He w as
gui lty in a .

re a t me a su r e of t he i r tra n s re s si n s bec a u se h e
g g o ,

h a d c ri min a ll y n e gl ec te d to restr a in th e m The .

c a pzu re o f t h e a rk of G o d by the Phi listin es was

c n side re d th e g re a t
-
est c a l a mity w hi c h could be

fa il I sra el T h e w ife of Phineh as as she was

.
,

ab u t to die n a me d h e r chil d I c h abod saying

o
.
, ,

T he gl ory is de part e d fro m Isr a el for the ark ,

”
o f G od is t a ken .

G o d pe rmi tted h is ark to b e t ak en by their

e n e mies t o sho w I ra e l ho w v a in i t was t
. o tr u st
s

in the ark th e symbo l of his presence wh ile they

, ,
w e re p ro fa ning th e c omma ndme n t s cont a in ed in
th e a rk G o d wou ld h umble them by re moving
.

fro m th e m tha tsa cred ark their bo a sted st ren gth ,

a n d c onfi de n c e .

The Philistin es were triumph a nt b ec a use th ey ,

h a d a s th e y though t the fa mo u s o d of the I s
.
g ,
ra e lit es w hi c h h a d performed su
, c h wonders for
th e m a n d ha d ma de them a te rror to their ene
,

mi e s Th ey to ok the ark of G od to A shdod an d

.
,
se tI ti n a splendi d tem ple mad e in ho n or O f their ,
 T H E A RK OF G OD . 4 05

mo st pop ul ar god D a gon an d pl a ced it by th e

, ,

side of their god In the morn ing the pri e sts of

.
,

these god s en tered the te mple a n d they were ter ,

rifie d to find D agon fa llen u pon his fa ce to th e

round before the ark of the Lord They r ai sed
D
.

a gon an d pl a ced him in h is for mer po sitio n .

They tho ught he might h a ve a ccidentally fall e n .

B ut the next morni n g they fo und h im fa llen a s

before upon h is fa ce to the ground an d the h e a d ,

o f D a gon an d both his h an d s were c u toff T he .

a n gel s of G o d who ever a cco mp a nied the a rk

, ,

pro str ated the senseless idol god an d a fter wa rd ,

mutil ated it to show th a t G o d the livi n g G o d

, , ,

wa s above all gods an d th a t before him every

,

he a then god was a s nothing The he athen pos .

se ssed gre a t reverence for their god D a gon an d ,

when they found it ruino usly mutil a ted an d lyi n g ,

upon its fa ce be fore the ark Of God th ey were ,

sa d a n d con sidered it a very ba d o men to the

,

Phil isti n es I twa s i n terpre ted by them th a t the

.

Philisti n e s an d all their gods would ye t be sub

dued a n d de stroyed by the Hebrews a n d the ,

Hebre ws God wo uld be gre a ter an d more po wer

’

fu l th a n a ll god s They removed the ark Of God

.

fro m their idol temple a n d pl aced it by itsel f,

.

T he me n of A shdod beg a n to be gre a tly a ffl ict e d .

The Lord de stroyed them; a n d they r emembe red

the pl agues bro ught upo n Egypt an d their mu ,

tila te d god a n d were convinced th at it was b e

,

c a use they kep t the ark of God tha t the se ,

di stressin g afllic tion s c ame upon th em God .

wo u ld e vidence to the idol atrou s Phili sti n e s a n d ,

a l so to h is people th a t the a rk was stre n gth a n d

,

po wer to tho se who were ob e dient to his la w ; a n d

th a t to the disobedient an d wicked it was pu n i sh
men t an d de ath .
4 00 THE G RE AT CON T RO VER sr .

When men of A shdo d b ec ame convi nced

he
t
th a t it w a s the God o f the H ebrew s w h o c au sed

th e ir a f flic tio n s bec a us e o,

f h is a rk t h ey d ec i ded ,

th a tth e a rk o f the G o d o f I sr a el sho uld not abide

wi th the m For sa id they h is h a nd is sore
.
, ,
”
upo n us a n d upo n D a gon our go d
, ,The great .

me n a n d rulers con sulted to ge ther rel ative to ,

w h a t they should do wi th t he a rk Of the God of

I sra el They had t aken itin tri umph but knew
.
,

n o twh a t to do with the sa cred c h est for instead

Of its bei n g a power a n d strength to them it was ,

a gre a tb u rden a n d a he avy curse They decided .

to send it to G a th B ut the destroyi n g angels .

c a rried on their work of destructio n in th at place

a l so . V e ry many of th e peopl e of G a th died ; and
they d a red n o t reta in the ark lo n ger there lest ,

th e God of Isr a el should consu me them all by his

curse .

T h ey o f G a th decided to send the a rk to Ek

ron . A n d a s the idol a trou s priests bore the ark
o f God to Ekron , the people of th a t pl a ce were

gr e a tly a l armed an d cried out , They h ave ,

b rought about the ark of the God of I sra el to us,

to sl ay us a n d our people The Ekro n ites were
.

a l so a fllic t c d an d re a t numbers of the m die d

g ,
.

They we n t to their gods for help a s the cities of ,

A sh dod a n d G a th had do n e but they Obta ined n o ,

r e lie f T hey then humbled themselves to cry to

.

th e G o d o f Isr a e l to who m the ark belon ed for

, g ,

relie f fro m their a ffli c tion S O they sent an d

.

g a thered together all the lords of the P hilistines ,

a n d said Send a w ay the a rk of the G o d of Isr ael
, ,

a n d le tit go a g a i n to h is own pl a ce th a t it sl ay
,
us not a n d our people ; for there was a de adly
,
de struction througho ut a ll the ci ty ; th e h and Of
God was v e ry he avy there And th e men that .
408 A
T H E G RE T CON T R O V ER S Y .

ta k e th e a t]: o f God ,
h
t e y a dvi sed the m, sa i
y g,
n

N o w, th e re fo re , make a n e w c a rt , a n d t ake t wo
milc h k i n e , o n whi c h t h e re h a th c o me no yoke,
a n d tie t h e k in e to th e c a r t, a n d bri n g the ir calves
h o me fro m th e m A n d t a ke the a rk o f th e Lord,
.

a n d la y it u po n the c art ; a n d put the j ewels of

o ld , wh ic h ye r e t ur n h im fo r a tre sp a ss o ff erin ,
g g
-

i n a c o de r by the side th e r e o f ; a n d se n d ita way,

th a t it may go . A n d se e , if it goeth up by t he
w a y Of h is o wn c o ast to Beth she me sh , then he -

h a th done a s thi s g re a t evil ; but if not , then we

sh a ll kno w t h a t i tis n oth is h and th a t smote us;
itwas a ch a nce th at h a ppe n ed to us A nd t he .

me n did so ; an d took two mil c h kine , an d tied

th e m to th e c ar t, an d sh u t up their c alves at
ho me . A n d the ki n e took the str a ight way to
th e wa y o f B e t h sh eme sh , a n d we n t a long the
-

hi g h wa y , lo wi n g as t h ey went, a n d t urned not

a side t o t he r ig h th a n d or to the left .

T he P hilistin es k n e w th a t th e co ws wo u ld not
be i n d uced to l ea ve their yo un g c a lv e s a t home,
u nle ss th ey sho uld be urged by so me unseen
p o we r . The co ws we n t direct to Beth shemesh -

l o wi n g fo r thei r c al ve s yet going direc tly from

,

th e m . T he lor ds o f the Philisti n e s follo we d after

th e a rk un to the bor de r o f B e th sh e me sh T hey
-
.

da red n o t tr u st th a t sa c r e d c h e st whol ly to the

c o ws. They fe a red t ha t if a n y e vil h a p pe n ed to
It
, g re a t e r c a l a mi ti e s wo uld co me upo n th em .

T hey k n ew n o t th a t a n e ls o f God a c co m ani ed

g p
the ark an d gui de d th e co ws in their co urse to the
,

P 13 0 0 w here i tbelo n g e d The peo ple of Be th she

.
-

me sh were re aping in th e field a n d whe n they saw

the a rk of God upon the c art dra wn by th e co ws , ,

they were rea tly rej oiced Th ey k n e w that it

Wa s the worg of God
.

The co ws dre w the c ar t

.
 T H E A RK or G OD . 409

cont a ini n g the ark to a l arge stone an d stood

, ,

still of the mse lv e s . The Levi tes took do wn the

a rk o f t h e Lord a n d the o fferi n g of the Phili stine s ,

a n d th ey o f fered the c a rt a n d the co ws whi c h h a d

borne the sa cred ark a n d the o fferi n g of the Phil
,

istin e s unto God as a b ur n tsa c rific e

,
The lords -
.

of the Phili stine s ret u rned to Ekron an d the ,

pl a gue was st ayed .

The men Of Beth shemesh were c uriou s to know

-

wh a t gre a t po wer could be in th a t a rk which ,

c a used it to accompli sh such marvelo us things .

They looked upon the ark alone as being so pow

erfu ,
l an d were not a ccrediti n g the power to God .

No n e butmen sa credly appointed for the purpo se

co uld look upon the a rk dive sted of its coveri n gs
, ,

witho ut bei n g sl ain ; for it wa s as tho ugh looki n g

upon God h imsel f And as the p eople gr a tified
.

th e ir c urio si ty a n d op en ed the a rk to g a ze into

,

its sa c re d rece sse s which the he athen i dol a ter s

,

h a d n o td a r e d to do the an gel s a tte n di n g the a rk

,

sl e w abo ve fi ft y tho usan d of the p e o ple .

A n d the people of Beth shemesh were a fr a id of -

the ark ; a n d they said W ho is able to st and be

,

fore thi s holy Lord God A n d to who m sh a ll he

u fro m us ? A n d th ey sent me sse n ger s t o
g o p
th e i n h abit ant s of Ki rj a th je ari m sayin g The -

, ,

Philisti n es h ave bro ught ag a in the a rk of the

Lord Come ye do wn a n d fetch itup to you
.
,
”
.

The people of Kirj ath je ari m bro ught the ark of

-

the Lord to the ho use Of Abin a d ab an d san c ti ,

fie d his son to keep it For twe n ty ye a rs th e

.

H ebre ws were in the po wer of the Phi li stin es a n d ,

they were gre atly humbled an d repen ted Of their ,

si n s ; an d S amu el i n terceded for them an d God ,

wa s a g ai n merci fu l to them And the Phili sti n es .

ma de war with them an d the Lord a gain wrought

4 10 T n E G REA T CON T ROVERsr .

in a m ir a culou s m a nn e r fo r I s r a el an d t he
y ,

o ve cr a m e their ene m i es .

T h e a rk re m a ined i n th e hou s e of Abi na d ab

un ti l D a vid was ma de king He ga thered to
.

g ethe r a ll th e cho se n m en o f I sr a el thir y

t th ou ,

sa nd a n d w en t t o bring u the a rk f G od
, p o .

T h e y se tthe a rk upo n a n e w c a rt a n d broughtit ,

ou tof the hou se o f Abin a d a b U zz a h a n d Ahio

.
,

son s of Abin a d ab dro ve the c a rt

, D a vid and all .

th e hou se of Isr a el pl a yed be fore the Lord on all

man n e r o f music al in struments A n d when .
'

they c a me to N achon s thr eshing fl oor U zz ah put

’
-

fo r th h is h an d to the a rk of G o d an d took hold ,

o f it; for the oxen shook it And the anger of

.

th e Lord was ki ndle d a gain st U zz a h an d God ,

smote h im there for h is error ; a n d there he di ed

”
by the ark of God U zz ah wa s a n gry wi th the
.

o xe n bec a use they stumbled H e showed a man

,
.

ife st distr ust of God a s though he who had,

brou gh tthe ark fro m the l and of the Philistines ,

could n ot take c are of it A n gel s wh o attended .

the ark struck do wn U zz ah for presuming impa

tie n tly t o put h is h and u pon th e a rk o f God .

And D a vid was afraid of the L ord th at day ,

a n d sa i d H o w sh all the a rk o f the Lord co m

,
e to
me ? So D a vid would n o tre move the ark of the
Lord un to him into the city of D a v id ; but D avi d
c a rried it aside into the hou se Of O bed edo m t he -

Gi tti te ”
. D a vid kne w tha t he was a sinful man ;
a n d he was a fr a id th a t like U zz a h he should in
, ,
so me wa
y be pre su m p tu ou s an d c,a ll forth t he
wr a th of God u pon himsel f And the ark of
.
'

the Lor d continue d in the hou se o f O be d edom -

the Gi ttite three months ; a n d the Lord bl essed

,

O be d edo m a n d all his househol d

-

,
”
.

God would tea ch his p eop l e th at, whil e his ark

4 12 T uE G RE AT CON R T O VER S Y .

f or e t h e Lord ; a n d s h e de s pi sed h im in her he art .

T h e di g n i ty a n d pride of king S a ul s d a ughter

’

we re hs o c k e d th a t king D a vid sho u ld la

y as ide h is

a rme n t s o f roy al t y a n d h is ro a l scepter a n d

y
g , ,

be c lo th ed wi th the si mple linen g a r me n ts worn

by th e pr iests She tho ugh ttha the wa s greatly
.

d isho n or in g himsel f before the people of Isra el .

B ut G o d h onored D a vid in the sigh t o f a ll I sr a el

by l e tting h is Spiri t abide upon him D a vid .

h umbled h imself butGod ex al ted hi m He sun g

,
.

in a n in spired manner pl ayin g upon the h a rp , ,

pro duc i n g th e mo st ench a ntin g music He fel t in .

,

a sma l l degree th a t holy j oy th a t a ll the sa ints

,

wi ll e xperience a t the voice of God when their

c a p ti vi ty is turned an d God makes a coven a nt of
,

p ea c e wi th all who h a ve kept his comman dments .

And they bro ught in the a rk of the Lord ,

a n d se tit in h is pl a ce in the mi dst of the t aber ,

n a c le t h a t D a vid ha d pitc hed for it And D a vid .

ofie red b u rnt ofl e rin gs an d pe a ce ofl erin gs before

’ ' '

- -

”
th e Lord .

A fter Solo mon h a d finish ed b uildi n g the temple ,

h e a sse mbled the eld e rs of Isr a el an d the mo st ,

in fl ue n t ia l men a mo n g the people to bri n g up the ,

a rk of the coven a nt of the Lor d ou t of the c ity

o f D a vid These men co n secr a ted themselves to
.

G od a n d with gre a t solemni ty a n d reverence

, , ,

a c c o m a n ie d t h p ie t w h bore the k A d '

p e r s s o a r n .

t h ey bro ug h t up th e a rk of the Lor d an d th e ,

t a be r n a cle o f th e c o n g reg a tio n a n d all the holy ,

ve ssels th a twere in the t a ber n a c le even tho se did ,

th e p ri e sts a n d the Levite s bri n g up And k i n g .

Solo mo n a n d a ll the co n greg a tion of I sr a el th a t

, ,

were a sse mble d unto h im were with h im be fore

,
the a rk sa c rificing sheep a n d oxen th a t could n ot
, ,
be told n or numbered for multitude .
 I H E A RK OF G OD . 413
;

Solomon followed th e ex ample of his fa ther

D avid E very six p ac es he sacrificed W i th
.
,
.

si n gi n g an d wi t
,
h music an d gre a t ceremony , ,
'
the priests bro ught in the ark of the c oven a nt
of the Lord unto h is pl a ce into the or a cle of the ,

ho use to th e mo st holy pl a ce even un der the

, ,

wi n gs of the cher u bim For the cherubim spre a d.

for th th e ir two wi n g s over the pl a ce of the ark ,

and t h e c her ubi m covered the ark an d the st a ves

”
th er e o f above .

A mo st splendid sanctu ary ha d been ma de a c ,

cordi n g to the p attern showed to Moses in the

mo un t an d after wa rd presented by the Lord to
,

D a vid The e ar thly sanctu ary was ma de like the

.

h eave n ly In a d di tion to the ch erubim on the

.

top of the a rk Solo mon ma de two other an gels

,

of l a rg e r size st andi n g a t e a ch end of the a rk

, ,

r epr e se n ti n g the he a venly angel s al ways guarding

th e la w of God It is impo ssible to describe the
.

b e a uty a n d splendor of this t a bern a c le There .

,

a s in the t abern a cle the sa cred ark was borne in

,

solemn reverenti al order an d se tin it

,
s pl a ce be
,

ne a th the wings of the two st ately cher ubim th a t

sto od upon the floor .

The sacred choir united their voices with all

ki n ds of music al in strumen ts in pr a ise to God ,
.

A n d while the voices in h armony with in stru ,

ments of mu sic resounded thro ugh the temple

, ,

a n d were borne upon the a ir thro u gh Jerusalem ,

the cloud of God s glory took p ossession of the

’

ho use a s it h a d formerly filled the t abern a cle

, .

A n d it c ame to p ass when the priest s were ,

co me outof the holy pl a ce th a t the clo ud filled ,

the house of the Lord so th a t the prie sts could not

,

st a nd to mini ster bec a u se of the clo ud ; for the glory

”
of the Lord h a d filled the hou se of the Lord .
4 14 T H E G RE AT O T O V ER S Y
C N R .

K i ng S o l o mo n tood upon a br a z en sc afl old be

'

fore th e al tar a n d ble ssed the p e ople

,
He t hen .

k ne l t do wn a n d wi th h is h an d s r a i sed upward
, , ,

ou re d fo r t h e a rnest an d solemn pr a yer to God

p ,

wh il e the con gr e g a tio n were bo w ed w i th t heir

fa c es to th e groun d A fter Solo mon h a d ended
.

h is pr ayer a mir a c u , lo us fire c ame fro m H eaven

a n d c on su med the sa crifice .

B e c a use of the sin s of Isr a el th e c al amity ,

w hi c h G o d sa id sho u ld come upon the te mpl e if

h is p eo ple dep arte d fro m hi m was fu lfilled some ,

h u n dr e ds of ye ars after the temple wa s b u i lt God .

pro mised Solomon if he wo uld remain faithful , ,

a n d h is p eopl e would obey a ll h is co mma n dmen t s ,

th a t t h a t glorious t emple should sta nd forever in

a ll it s splendor as a n evidence of the pro sp erity
,

a n d e xal t e d blessin s resting upon I sr a el fo r their

g
O be di e nce .

B e c a use o f Isra el s tra n sgression o f the c om

’

man dmen ts of G od an d their wi c ked a c ts G od, ,

su f fer e d the m to go into c a ptivity to humble a n d ,

un i sh the m Be fore the te m ple w a s d e stroyed

p .
,

G o d ma de kno wn to a fe w of his fa ith ful serv a n ts

the fa te of the temple which wa s the pride of I s ,

ra el an d which they regarded with idol a try while

, ,

th ey were sinning a ga in stGod He al so re ve a led .

to them t h e c a pti vity of I sr a el These righteous .

me n j ust be fore the destr uction of the te mple

, ,

r e mo ved the sa cred ark cont a ining the t ab les of

stone an d wi t
, h mo urn i n g an d sa dn ess secreted
, ,

it in a c ave where it was to be hid from th e peo

ple o f Isra el because of their sins a n d wa s to be
, ,
no m ore restored to them Th a t sa cred a rk is .

yet hi d I thas nev er been disturbed since it was

.

secre t ed .