to do so, it is then only a commandment of men. The worship of those
who make or keep such commandments is useless, for God will not accept
it. Christ said of those who do so, "But in vain do they worship Me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9.
The only safe course is to take God's law _just as He gave it_ on
Sinai, and obey it _as_ He gave it. Of those who will be alive when
Christ comes it is written, "Here are they that keep the commandments
of God." Revelation 14:12.
Heaven will be filled with commandment-keeping people; for it is
written, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city." Revelation 22:14.
We can not keep these commandments ourselves any more than the children
of Israel could in the wilderness. It is for this that Christ died on
Calvary. Through Him we can have forgiveness for our sins, and receive
help to overcome sin and obey the law of God.
While Moses was in the mount God gave him instructions for building
the sanctuary. It was to be like the one in heaven. In it the Lord
would meet His people and give them such instruction as they needed.
Provision was also made in it for sacrifices and offerings, all of
which were to show their faith in the Saviour to come.
Moses was in the mountain one-ninth of a year. The faith of the people
was not strong enough to endure the long separation from their leader.
They did not think he would return to them. They said, "As for this
Moses, ... we wot not what has become of him."
They came to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods, which shall go
before us." They would make to themselves a calf as their leader to
take the place of Moses, and then go on to the promised land without
him. The old habits of idol worship in Egypt had come back to them.
So Israel brought their ornaments of gold to Aaron, and he made of them
a golden calf. The calf represented Apis, the god held most sacred by
the Egyptians.
When it was done the people gathered around it and cried, "These be thy
gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Exodus
32:4.
How could they so soon forget the wonders and plagues brought by the
Lord upon Egypt! How could they forget the terrible day when God spake
to them His law from the top of Mount Sinai!
And the Lord said to Moses, "Get thee down, for thy people have
corrupted themselves." As Moses came in sight of the camp of Israel,
and saw their heathen worship, he was filled with horror and anger.
In his hands he bore the tables of the sacred law which they were
transgressing. He threw them down, and they were broken in pieces at
the foot of the mount. This was to remind the Israelites that they had
broken God's law which they had promised to obey. In consequence of
this they could not claim the promise He had made them.
Through the pleading of Moses, God spared Israel at this time, but the
rebellion and evil must be put away from among them.
Moses called for a separation in the camp. Some had not joined in the
idolatry, but through it all had remained true to God. These were asked
to take their place at the right hand of Moses. Many others saw how
wicked they had been, and repented. These took their stand at the left.
Others were stubborn and would not repent, and would not come by the
side of Moses at all. About three thousand of the leaders in wickedness
perished at the command of the Lord, and the camp was cleansed.
[Illustration: The Ark of the Covenant.
And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: ... And thou shalt put
the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the
testimony that I shall give thee. Ex. 25:17, 21. And He gave unto Moses
... two tables of testimony, written with the finger of God. Ex. 31:18]
Aaron confessed his sin in making the golden calf, and was forgiven.
The calf was ground to powder and scattered in the waters of the brook
from which they drank.
At the command of God, Moses hewed out two more tables of stone, and
took them up to Sinai. On these God again wrote His law. When the
sanctuary was completed, these tables were placed in a beautiful ark,
overlaid with gold. For this reason it was called "The Ark of the
Covenant."
This ark was the most sacred thing in all the earthly sanctuary. It was
sacred because it contained the tables on which God had written His
law. It was deposited in the most holy place, into which none but the
high priest ever entered.
On the top of the ark was the mercy seat, and here was where the glory
of God rested, and from this place He spake to His people.
When the children of Israel were taken captive by the Babylonians, the
ark disappeared, and the Bible makes no mention of it since that time.
[Illustration: Moses Breaking the Tables of the Law.]
[Illustration: The Return of the Spies.]
[Illustration]
The Twelve Spies.
AFTER all the work on the tabernacle was done, the Israelites again
took up their march toward the promised land. In eleven days they
reached Kadesh, near the borders of Canaan.
Here twelve spies--one from each tribe--were sent to view the land.
They were gone forty days, and on their return brought samples of the
fruit of Canaan. They brought one cluster of grapes, so large that it
was carried on a pole between two of the men.
In their report to Moses they said, "We came unto the land whither thou
sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the
fruit of it." Numbers 13:17.
Oh, if they had only been willing to stop there in their report! But
they went on to tell that the land was filled with strong nations.
There were walled cities that could not be broken down, and there were
giants, the sons of Anak.
Then Israel lost all hope and courage, "And all the congregation ...
cried; and the people wept that night." And they murmured against Moses
and Aaron, and said, "Would God we had died in Egypt! or ... in the
wilderness.... Let us return to Egypt." Numbers 14:2, 4.
Where now was their faith and trust in God? They had forgotten the
wonders and plagues and the deliverance from Egypt. They had forgotten
the many times God had done wonderful things for them on their journey.
Surely a God who could do such things could give them the victory over
their enemies in Canaan.
Only two of the twelve spies kept their faith in God. Caleb and Joshua
told the people that God was able to give them the land. "And Caleb
said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to
overcome it." Numbers 13:30. But the people would not listen to them.
Then God spake to Moses, and told him that Israel had been so
rebellious that those who came out of Egypt should never enter the land
of promise. They should wander in the wilderness forty years until they
died, and when their children were grown He would bring them into the
land.
But Caleb and Joshua had been faithful to God. These two were excepted,
and of all the men that left Egypt, only these two should finally enter
Canaan. The other ten spies, who had caused Israel to sin, were smitten
by the plague, and died in the sight of all Israel.
All the next night Israel spent in mourning. They now realized what
they had lost. But in the morning a new hope came to them. They would
make up for their lack of courage. They would now go up and take the
land.
The armies of Israel gathered, but Moses said to them, "Go not up, for
the Lord is not among you." They had lost their opportunity, and if
they went up God would not fight for them.
But the army of Israel was a vast multitude of over half a million
solders. They now felt able to attack their enemies. So against the
command of God they went up to battle with the armies of the Canaanites
that had come out to meet them.
But the ark of God remained in camp, and so did Moses and Aaron, Caleb
and Joshua. Without a leader, and forsaken of God, the army of Israel
was defeated with great slaughter.
Then the Israelites turned back to the wilderness.
[Illustration]
The Brazen Serpent.
THE Israelites wandered in the wilderness nearly forty years. Then, at
the command of the Lord, they again turned their faces toward Canaan.
On this journey they were permitted to meet many difficulties, that
their faith and trust in God might be tested. They were sometimes short
of food to eat and water to drink, and as they neared the promised land
great armies came out to destroy them. But the Lord helped them in
every trouble, and gave them the victory over their enemies.
Part of their way lay through a hot, sandy desert, where they suffered
from heat and thirst. But, instead of being patient, they rebelled
against God, and found fault with Moses.
Then the Lord let serpents come into the camp, whose bite was like
fire, and brought sure death. Some in almost every tent were bitten.
This punishment showed them their sin, and they came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee.
Pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." Numbers
21:7-9.
In answer to the prayer of Moses the Lord told him to make a serpent of
brass, and raise it up on a pole, so that all in the camp could see it.
Those who were bitten were told to look at this Serpent and they would
be healed. The serpent could not heal them, but to look required faith,
and faith brought the healing power.
[Illustration: The Brazen Serpent.]
The Lord could have healed them with a word, but the lesson must
be complete. The lifting up of the serpent was to them a type of the
lifting up of Christ on the cross, for through Him only could they
receive pardon and relief from the consequences of sin. The brazen
serpent was an object lesson to lead the children of Israel to look to
Christ.
The Hebrews had the same Gospel, or good news of pardon and salvation
through Christ, that we have. Speaking of them in the wilderness, the
Apostle Paul says, "For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto
them." Hebrews 4:2.
Every sacrifice they made for sin, every lamb slain, was to show their
faith in "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
John 1:29. The blood of the offering was a type of the blood of Christ.
Jesus Christ is the great central figure of the Gospel. It was Christ
who was with Israel in all their journey from Egypt to the promised
land.
Christ was the "Spiritual Rock" which followed them. He was in the
pillar of cloud by day, and in the pillar of fire by night. He was the
"Angel" that went before Israel; for Jehovah said, "My name is in Him."
(See Exodus 23:21, 22.) No being bears the name of God but His Son.
So, in the history of the world, it has not been as some have supposed,
God the Father in the Old Testament, and Christ the Son in the New
Testament. It has been Christ with His people all the way.
In the Old Testament Christ was their "Spiritual Rock." In the New
Testament, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." 2
Corinthians 5:19.
Both the Father and the Son have ever worked for the salvation of man;
but Christ has been the active agent in this work. It was God who "so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" for our redemption.
It was Christ who made the terrible sacrifice for our salvation.
[Illustration: The Israelites Crossing the Jordan.]
[Illustration]
Entering the Promised Land.
AS Israel neared the promised land, both Moses and Aaron died. Joshua
was then made commander in the place of Moses.
Soon they came to the River Jordan, which they must cross. Here again
the Lord made a way for them. He told Israel to go forward, and as the
feet of the leaders touched the water, the river stopped flowing from
above, and the bed of the stream was left dry. Then the people passed
over on dry ground, as their fathers had crossed the Red Sea forty
years before.
The book of Joshua tells of the battles that Israel fought with the
inhabitants of the land of Canaan. These were very wicked nations, who
were as bad as the people who lived before the flood. So the Lord used
the armies of Israel to destroy those wicked people.
The first city overthrown was Jericho. This city had very strong and
high walls, and the Hebrews were not able to break them down. But the
Lord could do what man could not.
One day Joshua saw a man near the camp, with a sword drawn in his
hand. "And Joshua went unto him and said, Art thou for us or for our
adversaries?
"And he said, Nay; but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I come."
Joshua 5:13-15. Then Joshua knew that it was Jesus Christ, for He is
the Captain of the Lord's host.
[Illustration: Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still.]
The Lord told Joshua what to do. Each day, for six days, all the army
of Israel was to march around the city. The soldiers were to go ahead,
the priests with the ark of God were to come next, and all the rest of
the people were to follow.
On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times. "And
it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the
trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given
you the city." Joshua 6:16.
And when the people shouted, the walls of Jericho "fell down flat,"
and the soldiers went into the city and utterly destroyed it as the
Lord had told them to do. This was to show to all nations that God was
fighting for Israel.
The tenth chapter of Joshua also tells of a very wonderful battle
between Israel and five of the kings of Canaan. All day the battle
lasted, and God fought for Israel, sending down great hailstones upon
their enemies. More were killed by these hailstones than were slain by
the Israelites.
As the conflict raged, Joshua saw that the day would be too short to
finish the battle. Then, led by the Spirit of God, he commanded the sun
and moon to stand still until the work should be fully done.
"So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go
down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or
after it." Joshua 10:13, 14.
In this battle the armies of the wicked Canaanites were utterly
destroyed, and their kings slain.
When the nations of Canaan were fully conquered, the land was divided
up and given to the different tribes of Israel, as their home.
[Illustration: Gideon's Three Hundred.]
[Illustration]
The Judges of Israel
AFTER the death of Joshua, Israel was governed by judges for many
hundred years. Sometimes these judges were wicked men, and led the
people into the worship of idols.
Then the Lord, although He still loved them, allowed their enemies to
afflict them, that they might remember that He alone could save them
from their foes and from sin.
Then when they returned to Him, confessed their sins, and put away
their idols, He would choose good and wise men to be their judges. He
would then go with their armies to battle, defeat their enemies, and
deliver them.
At one time the armies of Midian afflicted Israel for seven years. At
harvest time they would come "as grasshoppers for multitude," and take
from Israel "all the increase of the earth." During these attacks the
people fled to the dens, and caves, and strongholds of the mountains.
Then Israel cried to the Lord for help, and He raised up Gideon to
deliver them. One day an angel appeared to him, as he was threshing
grain in secret for fear of the invaders. And the angel told him that
he was chosen to "save Israel from the hand of the Midianites."
Gideon then prepared food and brought it to the angel. He also asked
for a sign that he might know that the words spoken by the angel came
from the Lord. So instead of eating the food, the angel said to Gideon,
"Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock,
and pour out the broth."
When Gideon had done as he was told, the angel touched the food with
the rod in his hand, and fire came out of the rock and burned it. Then
the angel disappeared, and Gideon knew that it was the Lord who had
spoken to him.
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he made a call for
soldiers. But before he dared take command of the army that gathered,
he asked for other signs that he might be sure that God had really
chosen him and would go with him.
So one night he spread a fleece of wool on the floor, and asked the
Lord that if He had chosen him to lead Israel, to let dew fall on the
fleece, and the rest of the floor be dry. And in the morning he found
it so.
The next night he asked that the dew might fall on the floor and dampen
it, and the fleece remain dry. This also was done. Then Gideon knew
that the Lord had called him to lead the armies of Israel.
Gideon's army numbered only thirty-two thousand men, but their enemies
were "like grasshoppers for multitude." Yet the Lord told Gideon that
his army was too large. The Lord would show all Israel that He would
deliver them if they would trust him.
So Gideon was told to let all who were fearful go back to their homes.
As a result, twenty-two thousand men returned, leaving only ten
thousand.
Yet _these_ were too many. The army must be so small that every one
would know that it was God alone who gave the victory. So at the
command of the Lord they were led to a brook to drink.
Those who kneeled down and drank were sent home. But there were three
hundred men whose thoughts were only on the work before them. They
dipped up the water in their hands, and drank as they went on, with
their faces toward the enemy.
These three hundred men were then armed for their work, and in a
strange manner. Each man was given a trumpet, a pitcher, and a blazing
torch hidden in the pitcher. This little army was then divided into
three companies, and, in the darkness of night, approached the hosts of
Midian from three sides.
At a signal from Gideon, all three companies gave a blast of their
trumpets to awaken the sleeping enemy. Then they broke the pitchers and
let their torches flame up, and gave the battle cry,--"The sword of
the Lord, and of Gideon." To the Midianites it appeared that they were
surrounded by a great army.
In their fear they fled for life. They mistook their own companions for
enemies, and killed one another. The news of the victory spread, and
thousands of Israel joined in pursuit of their retreating foes, and the
great army of Midianites was utterly destroyed.
The strongest and most wonderful Judge of Israel was Samson. According
to instruction given his mother from the Lord, he was a "Nazarite" from
his birth. This meant that he was to drink no wine, and the hair of his
head was never to be cut.
As he grew up, the Lord gave him wonderful strength. One day as he was
passing through a vineyard of the Philistines, a young lion met him. He
had no weapons with him, but with his bare hands he tore the lion and
killed him.
Soon after this a great army of Philistines came out against Israel.
"And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon Samson." His only weapon
was the jaw bone of an ass; but with this he defeated the whole army of
the Philistines, and slew a thousand of them.
[Illustration: Samson Carrying the Gates of Gaza.]
Here was another lesson of what the Lord could do for His people.
Gideon had three hundred men when he fought the hosts of Midian; but
at this time one man alone won the battle against an army of the
Philistines.
At another time Samson stayed part of a night in a city of the
Philistines, called Gaza. And the dwellers in Gaza shut the gates, and
set men to watch them, so that when he should come out they might kill
him.
But before morning Samson arose, tore down the great gate of the city,
carried it on his shoulders to a hill, and left it there.
All the wonderful things that Samson did, and how he finally died, a
prisoner to the Philistines, are recorded in Judges 13-16.
About fifty years after Samson's death, Samuel was born, who was to
be both a judge and a prophet. His mother was a good woman. The Bible
says, she "lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth." 1 Samuel 11:28.
Eli was priest at this time in the temple of the Lord, and "the child
Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli."
While Samuel was a small boy, it came to pass one night, ere the lamp
of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was,
and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel, and he
answered, "Here am I," thinking Eli had called him.
Three times this occurred. Then Samuel said, "Speak, Lord; for Thy
servant heareth."
Let us answer the Lord as did Samuel. He speaks to each of us in His
word, the Bible.
[Illustration: The Child Samuel.]
[Illustration: The Parting of David and Jonathan.]
[Illustration]
The Kings of Israel.
UNTIL the days of Samuel, Israel was not governed by kings. Jehovah had
promised to be their Ruler and King. Had they been true to Him they
would have been prospered and given every needed blessing.
But the people wanted to be like the nations around them. So the elders
came to Samuel and said, "Make us a king to judge us like all the
nations."
Samuel was a prophet of the Lord, and had been the judge of Israel for
many years. Their demand for a king displeased him, for he felt that
the people had rejected him.
But the Lord told Samuel to do as they asked, "for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected Me." And the Lord chose Saul, of
the tribe of Benjamin, to be king.
At the command of the Lord, Samuel anointed Saul as king. A little
later he called the people together and presented their new-made king
to them. And they shouted, "God save the king!"
But Saul soon became proud, and many times refused to obey the Lord.
Then the Lord rejected Saul and chose David, a young shepherd boy, to
be king when Saul should die. And Samuel anointed David to be king in
the place of Saul.
[Illustration: David and Saul at the Cave.]
When Saul heard of this he was very angry, and tried many times to
kill David. Saul wanted his son Jonathan to be king when he died. How
foolish it was for Saul to try to kill David, when God had said he
should be king over Israel!
So David fled from Saul, and for many years lived among strangers, and
in the dens and caves of the mountains. But Saul hunted him so many
times that David had to change his hiding place very often.
One time Saul lay down to sleep in the very cave where David was
hidden, not knowing he was there. Some of the men who were with David
wanted him to kill Saul, but he would not do it. He only crept up to
the king and cut off a piece of the robe which he wore.
When the king had gone, David called to him and showed him the piece he
had cut from his garment. Saul saw at once that David could have killed
him as easily as he cut a piece from his garment.
Then Saul promised David that he would not again try to destroy him.
But David did not trust his promises; and it was well he did not, for
Saul was soon hunting him as wickedly as before.
Notwithstanding David was hated by Saul, his son Jonathan loved David.
They were as brothers to each other. Jonathan was a true servant of
God. He was always true to David, and whenever he could aid him in
escaping from his father, he did so, notwithstanding he knew that David
was to be made king instead of himself. This shows that he was one of
the most generous and lovable characters recorded in the Bible.
Finally there was a great battle between Saul's army and the
Philistines. In this battle Jonathan was slain, and Saul fell on his
own sword and killed himself.
Soon after this David was made king. In most things he was a good
king, and obeyed the Lord and ruled Israel well. He was a great
warrior, and subdued the enemies of his people.
[Illustration: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba]
At the death of David, his son Solomon was made king. He was a very
wise man and a good king. It was he who built at Jerusalem the
wonderful temple for the service of the Lord.
The wisdom and riches of Solomon were so wonderful that his fame was
spread abroad in all the earth. And the queen of Sheba, in Arabia, came
to see if all the reports she had heard were true.
And the queen asked Solomon hard questions; but he was able to answer
every one of them. She was then shown the riches and wonderful works of
Solomon.
When ready to return to her own land she told Solomon that she had
heard wonderful reports about him and his kingdom, but she had not
believed them. Now, she said, "Mine eyes have seen it; and, behold, the
one-half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me." 2 Chronicles
9.
After the days of Solomon, Israel was ruled by many kings. Some of them
were good, and their rule brought the blessing of God to their people.
But many were wicked men who led Israel into sin and idolatry. Then the
Lord could not protect them, and their enemies would afflict them.