down to Egypt, and now comes the fulfilment of that prophecy (Gen.
15:13-15). During the life of Joseph all went well with the sons of
Jacob. They had the best of the land, and dwelt in peace. God's plans
have been carried out to the minutest details, and the plans of
evil-minded men have miscarried. God has caused even the wrath of man
to praise him, and the remainder he has restrained. Joseph's brethren
are content to bow before him, and even Jacob sees that his words of
Genesis 37:10 were not wise. The wisdom of man is seen to be folly,
and it has been proved that "the foolishness of God is wiser than
men." (1 Cor. 1:25.)
#32. Joseph's Faith.#--On his death-bed Joseph takes an oath of his
people saying that God will surely visit his people and bring them in
due time to the land promised to Abraham. He charges them to remember
his body when they march out, and take it with them, and lay it away
in its final resting-place in the Land of Promise. Many years pass.
Liberty is exchanged for oppression. The bitter cry of the people
rises to God. All this time the body of Joseph (doubtless embalmed) is
not finally buried. His real funeral has not yet taken place. This is
the longest delayed funeral on record. Then at last comes the Exodus,
and lo, they remember that oath that Joseph took of them, years
before, and out with them goes his body. For forty years they carry it
with them, and only then they lay it away in the Land of Promise. (See
Gen. 50:24-26. Exod. 13:19, and Josh. 24:32.)
Test Questions
Into what two sections may we divide Joseph's life?
Why were his brethren envious of him?
What further intensified their hatred?
Give the plan of God and the plans of men with regard to Joseph.
What action did Joseph's brethren finally take with regard to him?
Into whose household did the lad come in Egypt?
What signs have we that in all this Joseph did not lose his faith in
God, or lose his convictions as to duty?
How did Joseph's exaltation come so suddenly?
Give an illustration of this from modern Eastern life.
How long was it between the sale of Joseph and the first appearance of
his brethren to buy corn?
Why did Joseph treat his brothers as he did when they first came to
him?
What remarkable proof have we of Joseph's steadfast faith in God's
promise?
What two most peculiar facts may be noted with regard to Joseph's
body?
Lesson 5
Moses
Old Testament Division--Third Period (Continued)
LEADING PERSONS
#Moses.#--Son of Amram and Jochebed (Exod. 6:20). Adopted by
Pharaoh's daughter (Exod. 2:1-10). Took the part of the
oppressed and had to flee (Exod. 2:11-14). Shepherd for forty
years and married (Exod. 2:21). Called to deliver his people,
but was timid (Exod. 3:1-10). Had various contests with
Pharaoh (Exod. 5 to 12). Led people out of Egypt triumphantly
(Exod. 14). Received the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20). Built
the Tabernacle (Exod. 25). Led the people to the borders of
the Promised Land, but was turned back on account of their
sins (Num. 13:1 to 14:34). Died on Mount Nebo (Deut. 34).
Reappeared on Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3).
#Aaron.#--Brother of Moses. Made high priest (Exod. 28 and
29). Sinned in the matter of the golden calf (Exod. 32). Died
on Mount Hor (Deut. 10:6).
#TIME.#--1578 B. C. to 1458 B. C.
#PLACES.#--Egypt and Sinaitic Peninsula, then east of the Jordan
valley.
[Illustration]
#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--The "going out" of the Hebrews from Egypt
marked the beginning of their national life, and laws were given
governing their relation to God and to each other. The breaking of
God's laws cost the nation forty years of wilderness wandering before
they entered their "promised land."
Moses--Leader and Legislator
#33.# By far the greatest man in Old Testament history is Moses. In
point of moral uplift, no man in all the world, until Christ, can be
compared with him. His life divides itself into three equal sections--
(1) Life at Pharaoh's court.--Forty years.
(2) Life as shepherd in the desert.--Forty years.
(3) Life in the desert as leader of God's people.--Forty years.
#34. Life at Pharaoh's court.#--Moses was born at the time of Israel's
greatest oppression, when, as a measure of self-defense, Pharaoh had
ordered all Hebrew male children to be cast into the Nile. Hence the
Hebrew proverb, "When the tale of bricks is doubled, then comes
Moses." As in the case of Joseph, we see at once the collision between
God's plan and that of earth's greatest monarch. God's plan was that
Moses must live; Pharaoh's plan, that Moses must die. Again we see the
successful issue of God's plan, and the overthrow of the human plan.
In carrying out his plan, God makes use of a mother's wit, a sister's
fidelity, a woman's curiosity, and a baby's tears. For all this read
carefully Exodus 2:1-10. These are the minute links in the chain of
God's providence which, welded together, restore that babe to his
mother's arms in less than twenty-four hours, now with the shield of
royalty protecting him. Had any one of these links broken, Moses' fate
might have been sealed.
#35.# As illustrating these links, in a different sphere, read the
following: Professor Darwin tells that he noticed that pansies would
not grow wild near English villages, but would grow far away from
them. Investigation revealed that in English villages dogs go at
large. Where dogs go at large, cats must stay at home; where cats stay
at home, field-mice abound; where field-mice abound, bumblebees' nests
are destroyed; where bumblebees' nests are destroyed, there in no
fertilization of pollen. Therefore, where there are dogs, there are no
wild pansies. Apply this to the case in hand. No mother's wit, no ark
of bulrushes; no ark no sister's watch-care, and no chance to arouse
the curiosity of the princess. Therefore, no discovery of the babe
weeping. Consequently, no saving of the future deliverer of his
people. Thus God worked through natural agencies to thwart the decree
of Pharaoh. During these forty years Moses enjoyed all the educational
advantages of the most civilized nation of that day. So he was
prepared by the king himself to deliver the Hebrews from his control.
#36. Life as Shepherd in the Desert.#--Moses' life at court came to a
sudden end, through his patriotic effort to deliver one of his race
from the cruelty of an Egyptian. As a result he had to flee for his
life, as even Pharaoh could not defend him for slaying one of the
ruling race for cruelty to a mere slave. For forty years we find him
on the Sinaitic peninsula, herding sheep. These must have been years
of deep thought. Often he must have wondered why God had given him
such deliverance, only to let him languish in the desert while at the
same time his people, whom he might have helped, were ground down
under the heel of the taskmaster. At the same time these years of
solitude must have been rich in opportunity for meditation and
communion upward. The city is not the best place for deep thought.
Elijah was no city man, neither was John the Baptist. In solitude
these men learned much that the city never could teach them.
#37. Life as a Leader of God's People in the Desert.#--His life of
solitude came to a sudden close, when God called to him out of the
midst of the burning bush, and bade him return to Egypt and deliver
his people. At first Moses begged to be excused, for he doubtless well
remembered that because of his effort to deliver _one_ Hebrew, he had
been an exile for forty years. How then could he succeed in delivering
_a nation_? But on God's promise to be with him, he and his brother
Aaron undertook the task.
#38.# Here we note the collision between God's plan and that of the
king. God's plan is, Let my people go. Pharaoh's plan is, they shall
stay right here. So the battle was joined. Note that Pharaoh, as a
result of the consecutive plagues, relents and tries compromises. For
these read carefully the story of the plagues, noting especially these
passages: Exodus 8:8, 15, 25, 32; Exodus 9:28, 35; Exodus 10:11, 20,
24, 28. And at last, when his pride is utterly broken, comes Exodus
12:31.
#39.# Then came that night, much to be observed, on which Israel
marched out in triumph, while Egypt mourned, and Pharaoh repented ever
resisting the divine command. To this day all Jews observe that great
night, called the night of the Passover.
#40.# Under the crags of Mount Sinai, Moses spent one year with his
people. That was a most significant year, as there he received the ten
commandments, and the instructions as to the building of the
Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. There, too, he received
directions as to the sacrifices that were to be typical of that great
sacrifice on Mount Calvary, hundreds of years later. There, too, he
had his bitter experience with his people in the matter of the worship
of the golden calf; a presage of much that was to follow in the
history of that wonderful but stiffnecked people as they continued
their journeys through the wilderness.
#41.# Mark in the life of this wonderful man the incredible contrast
between his highest and his lowest moods. In his agony over the
idolatry of his people while he was on the Mount receiving the ten
commandments, Moses pleads with God for them, and even goes so far as
to beg that, if need be, his own name might be blotted out of God's
book. If he or the people must perish, let it be he, and not the
people. This is most noble, and reminds one of what Paul later on
said, in the same strain (Rom. 9:1-3). Yet later on Moses yields to
incomprehensible murmuring, when the people have again transgressed.
"Moses was displeased. And Moses said unto Jehovah--Have I conceived
all this people?... that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy
bosom?... I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is
too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee,
out of hand" (Num. 11:10-15). Is this the same man who speaks in the
matter of the golden calf, as we saw above? And in this extraordinary
fall we learn a lesson of humility and self-distrust. "Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
#42.# At last, after forty years of wandering, Israel is on the
borders of the Land of Promise, but on account of his unadvised
speech, Moses is not permitted to enter. On Mount Nebo he dies, alone,
and there God lays his body away until the great resurrection day.
#43.# But again we see Moses. This time not outside of the Land of
Promise, but in the midst of it. On the Mount of Transfiguration he
appears, and this time with Israel's great prophet, Elijah, and with
Israel's Messiah. There they talk of the death so soon to be
accomplished in Jerusalem. Then he and the prophet return to the
spirit world.
#44.# Yet once more Moses is brought to our attention. On the Isle of
Patmos, John in vision sees and hears much of what goes on in the
eternal world of bliss. And lo, he hears the ransomed sing the song of
Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3). To this man is given the privilege
accorded to none other of the sons of men, to have his name coupled
with that of the Son of God in the glad songs of heaven. Truly a
privilege so exalted that we cannot possibly magnify it too much!
Test Questions
Into what three divisions does Moses' life fall?
State the plan of God and man in relation to this babe.
Give the links in the carrying out of God's plan, on the birth of the
child.
What illustration is given to make these links more clear?
What event terminated Moses' life at court?
How long did his desert life as shepherd last?
What brought this period of his life to its close?
Give again the conflict between the plan of God and that of Pharaoh
with regard to the people.
Give the various attempts at compromise on the part of Pharaoh.
Where did Israel spend the first year after the Exodus?
What two great revelations did Moses receive at Sinai?
Give the two instances of Moses' action that are apparently
contradictory to each other.
Where did Moses die?
Why could he not enter the Land of Promise?
Where do we next meet him?
Give the final mention of this man in the Word.
Test Questions for Review
Introduction to Lesson 5
1. Give the reasons why the following periods are important.
Patriarchal; Mosaic; of Elijah and Elisha; of the Messiah.
2. Name the four periods in which the narrative amplifies and miracles
multiply.
3. Give the extent of the first, second, and third periods.
4. Give two divisions of period four.
5. What was the cause of the division of the United Kingdom?
6. Give the names of the chief actors in the first period of Bible
history.
7. Name the great characters of the Old Testament up to David.
8. Who were buried in the Cave of Machpelah?
9. Into what two sections may we divide Joseph's life?
10. Into whose household did Joseph go in Egypt?
11. What two peculiar facts may be noted with regard to Joseph's body?
12. State the three divisions of Moses' life.
13. Where did Israel spend the first year after the Exodus?
14. What two great revelations did Moses receive at Sinai?
15. Where did Moses die?
Lesson 6
Joshua to Samson
Old Testament Division--Third Period (Concluded)
#Conquest of Canaan.#--Joshua became leader (Josh. 1:2).
Received command from God (Josh. 1:6-9). Victory at Jericho
(Josh. 6), followed by defeat at Ai (Josh. 7). Central
Palestine conquered, and a great assemblage held at Shechem
(Josh. 8:30-35). Southern and northern Palestine partially
conquered (Josh. 10:1 to 11). Joshua's farewell (Josh. 23 to
24:27) and death (Josh. 24:29-33).
#Israel under Judges.#--Othniel delivered the people from
Mesopotamia (Judg. 3:5-11). Ehud delivered from Moab (Judg.
3:12-30). Deborah and Barak delivered from Canaanites (Judg.
4:1 to 5:31). Terrible oppression under the Midianites,
delivery by Gideon (Judg. 6:1 to 7:25). Jephthah delivered
from Philistines and Ammonites (Judg. 10:6 to 12:7). Samson
delivered from Philistines (Judg. 13:1 to 16:31).
#TIME.#--1458 B. C. to Samuel, 1121 B. C.
#PLACES.#--Palestine.
[Illustration]
#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--The Jewish nation under Joshua achieved
success just so long as they obeyed fully the commands of God. The
Judges, as leaders, were direct representatives of God--who was the
actual head of the nation--and so far as God's laws were strictly
obeyed, the nation prospered.
Joshua and the Judges
#45. Joshua Becomes Leader.#--At the death of Moses we see Israel on
the east side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho. Joshua succeeds Moses
as leader. To him comes God's command, "Moses, my servant, is dead;
now therefore arise, go over this Jordan." (Josh. 1:2.) Note here no
sign of discouragement. Moses may be dead, but God still lives, and
will work through Joshua as well as through Moses. Notice in the
orders given by God to Joshua that no mention at all is made of sword,
spear, or bow, but only of obedience. This is emphasized again and
again and rightly, for in obedience to God's law lay Israel's hope
(read Josh. 1:6-9).
#46.# Now follows the contest for the possession of the land. Jericho
is taken, but at Ai defeat is experienced, on account of disobedience.
So Israel learns a costly but salutary lesson. Then follows the
conquest of the central part of Palestine, ending at Shechem. Next in
turn came southern Palestine, and then the northern part of the land
(Josh. 10:1 to 11). Yet at the close of Joshua's life, not all of the
land had been taken possession of. Still the heathen tribes held on in
various places; and, indeed, they were not thoroughly subdued until
the time of David.
#47. Reading the Laws of Moses.#--Worthy of note was the great
assemblage at Shechem, between the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim, in
the very center of the land, where the law of Moses was read, with its
blessings and curses, to all the people (Josh. 8:30-35). Noteworthy
also is the final address of the aged Joshua to his people, at
Shechem, beseeching them to obey the law of Moses, recorded in chapter
24.
#48. The Period of the Judges.#--After the death of Joshua, the people
seem to have become more or less disorganized. The tribes ruled
themselves--at times well, and at times ill. During the times of the
Judges the general trend of their history was as follows: Israel would
fall into sin, and then as a punishment God allowed their foes whom
they had spared to rule over them. Then in due time Israel would
"lament after the Lord," that is, repent and call on the God of their
fathers for deliverance. Then God would allow them respite, and by the
hand of some one of the judges, whom he raised up, would give them
deliverance (see Judg. 2:11-18). The chronology of the book of Judges
is not very clear, and it is most probable that there were times when
the "oppression" was not felt over all the land, but was only
sectional. Just the lines for a right chronology are uncertain.
#49. Comparison of Periods of Oppression and Deliverance.#--Now if we
desire in a general way to judge as to the proportion of godliness as
compared with idolatry, that prevailed in these times, we can do so by
adding up the years of "oppression" and those of deliverance. This
will afford us a rough criterion as to the way in which Israel obeyed
and disobeyed their God. For remember that the "oppressions" were the
result of disobedience, while the "deliverances" were the result of
true repentance. Worked out in this way, we have the following
statement, in which the name stands for the country to which the
people were in temporary bondage:
Mesopotamia, bondage 8 years,--rest 32 years.
Moab, bondage 18 years,--rest 22 years.
Canaan, bondage 20 years,--rest 20 years.
Midian, bondage 7 years,--rest 32 years.
Philistia and Ammon, bondage 18 years,--rest 7, 10, and 8 years.
Philistia, bondage 40 years,--rest 20 years.
Adding all these up, we find that the people were in bondage in whole
or in part for 111 years, while they had "rest" as the result of their
repentance for 151 years. Without pressing this mathematical
calculation too far, we must nevertheless conclude that for more than
half the time the nation at large obeyed God fairly well.
#50. Great Leaders among the Judges.#--Deborah and Barak, who, by
their combined forces drove out the oppressors of Canaan, under Jabin
their king. This man had mightily oppressed the people, he having nine
hundred chariots of iron, against which poor Israel could bring no
corresponding force. Yet when the Lord's time came, he was able to
overthrow the armies of Jabin, through the courage and combination of
the two persons named. Then the land had rest for forty years. (For a
wonderful setting of the song of triumph that Deborah and Barak sang,
let the student turn to Professor Moulton's "Literary Study of the
Bible," pp. 133-142.)
#51.# After this came the terrible oppression of the Midianites, who,
with their camels, their flocks, and herds came on the land like
grasshoppers, and ate up everything. Fortunately this oppression
lasted only for seven years, otherwise there would have been nothing
left. The deliverance from the hosts of Midian came through Gideon,
whose three hundred men with torches and trumpets wrought havoc among
the Midianite army. What the three hundred at Thermopylae were to
Greece, that this three hundred were to the people of Israel.
#52.# Another terrible experience of Israel was that which came to
them in connection with their oldtime foes, the Philistines and the
Ammonites. Study the story as told in Judges 10:6-18, together with
the narrative of their deliverance under Jephthah. Here the student
will see clearly set forth the cause of the "oppression," verses 6-9,
and the cause of the deliverance, verses 10-18. Jephthah was a rude
man of his times, but then we must realize that rude times call for
violent men.
#53.# The only other case to which attention is called here that of
the longest of all the periods of oppression,--the second under the
Philistines, which lasted forty years. Here it was Samson who was to
deliver the people from the iron hand of the Philistines, and it took
the iron hand of a Samson to do the work.
#54. Not a Time of National Unity.#--During all these many years, the
government of the people was largely that of the tribal leaders. There
was not the national unity that we saw in the days of their two great
leaders, Moses and Joshua. Nor was there the same unity of action that
came later on under the kings. But none the less, the great need of
the people during these years was not so much political as religious.
Had they only obeyed the commands of God as given to Moses, and as
reiterated by the angel of the Lord to Joshua, God would not have
permitted them to be ground under the heel of their oppressors as they
were. We fail to read the story aright unless we seize the truth that
righteousness exalts a people, while sin is a reproach to any nation.
This truth has its modern as well as its ancient application.
Test Questions
Where was Israel at the time of the death of Moses?
Whom did God appoint to be Moses' successor?
What peculiarity was there in God's directions to Joshua?
In what order were the different parts of the land conquered?
Tell of the great assembly at Shechem.
What was the general trend of the history of Israel during the times
of the Judges?
What was the cause of each period of "oppression"?
What was the cause of each "deliverance"?
Give the proportion of the years of "oppression" and those of "rest."
Give the first two leaders named as deliverers.
Who brought relief from the oppression of Midian?
Who delivered the people from the first Philistine bondage?
Who did the same thing in the case of the second Philistine bondage?
What was the condition of the people politically during the period of
the rule of the Judges?
Lesson 7
Saul to Solomon
Old Testament Division--Fourth Period
LEADING PERSONS
#Samuel.#--The connecting link between the times of the
Judges and of the kings (1 Sam. 1-8).
#Saul.#--First king, who made a good beginning (1 Sam.
10:1-27). He united the people, breaking down factions.
Spurned Samuel's advice (1 Sam. 15:1-35). He became jealous
of David, and angered at his own son, Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:8
to 19:11). Rejected by God as king (1 Sam. 15). Killed in
battle at Gilboa (1 Sam. 31:1-13).
#David.#--A shepherd boy, noted for bravery (1 Sam. 16-31).
Chosen king and ruled over Judah seven years (2 Sam. 2). Then
became king over all Israel, and greatly enlarged the
nation's borders. Made Jerusalem the capital (2 Sam. 5:6-9).
A great religious leader and composer of Psalms. Sinned
against Uriah (2 Sam. 11:1 to 12:14). His son Absalom
rebelled (2 Sam. 15 to 18).
#Solomon.#--Son of David. Began his reign with a wise choice
(1 Kings 3). Built the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5).
Sinned in his marriages (1 Kings 11). He was noted for his
great wisdom and riches. He lived in luxury, the people were
heavily taxed, and the outward prosperity was accompanied by
inward spiritual decay. See Samuel's warning in 1 Samuel
8:1-18.
#Other Persons.#--Goliath, the Philistine giant, whom David
slew.--Jonathan, Saul's son, a great friend of David.
#PLACES.#--Mizpeh, Socoh, Gilboa, Jerusalem.
#TIME.#--1121 B. C. to 983 B. C.
[Illustration]
#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--David's reign as king brought the people to
the place of their greatest national success, and David's reign and
that of Solomon were politically the best in all Israel's history.
David was signally honored in becoming an ancestor of Mary, the mother
of Jesus.
The United Kingdom. Saul, David, Solomon
#55. Israel Asks for a King.#--Ostensibly because Samuel's sons were
worthless men, but also and largely because they wished to be "like
the nations around them," Israel asked the prophet Samuel to appoint a
king over them. This Samuel was reluctant to do. But commanded by God
to acquiesce, he anointed Saul, the son of Kish, to be king over
Israel. That God did not consider the change from government by judges
to government by kings to be an improvement, is apparent from his
saying, "they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them"
(1 Sam. 8:7).
#56. The First King, Saul.#--Saul found the nation somewhat
disorganized, and split into many factions. His task was to unite the
people, so that they could show a bold and successful front against
their foes. Prominent among these foes were the Philistines, who lived
on the southwest of Israel, and who were a courageous and persistent
folk. In all this work Saul was somewhat successful. He began well,
but before very long, owing to self-will, he swerved aside from the
advice of the aged Samuel. During his reign the great war with the
Philistines took place in which Goliath and David figured so
dramatically (1 Sam. 17).