The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-28
STUDIES. IN JEWISH HISTORY.

Inc message OF the messenger lIom
Gilgal reminded the people that they
had disobeyed the command that they
form no league or friendship with the
idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan. 1t
was from the first clearly foreseen that
aggressive sensualism could never be an
ally of an aggressive spiritualism. The
duty therefore set before Israel was to
break down the affairs of the Ubiquitous
Canaanites. and extirpate them utterly.
1t is the clear after vision of history to
behold that, stern as this requirement
is. it was essential to the safety of
Israel. There was no moral POSSIBLE.
ity of alliance between the religion
Of immortality and the religion OF
righteousness, The only condition on
which Israel could hold it's country was
to kill or drive out the sensualists who
had SO long polluted the land. The
question Of the messenger from Gilgal
was: Why haze ye not done thiss
The natural penalty of such rebellion
against the Voice was then declared. Is
rael had already lost the power Of its
faith. 1t was fast sinking into con-
dition which would invite capture and
re enslavement by the heather. This
was the word ascribed to Jehovah:
Wherefore also said, aciH not drive
them out from before you; but they
shall be as thorns in your sides. and
their gods shall be a snare unto you.
That is, Jehovah withdraws his favor
from his recreant people, and leaves
them to the fruit of their own ways.
The Better Israel was by this message
touched and aroused. Repentance of
the national recreancy was quick and
strong If not deep. The multitude,
which was gathered in a plaza orsquare
of Shiloh, lifted up their Uoice and aoept.
They made a merit of their penitent
tears. they commemorated their weeping
by naming the place in Shiloh where
they had been assembled, Bochim, that
is. Weeping. They apparently assumed
that their downward tendency could be
resisted by cry. mere sentiment.
2. The Example of Joshua
Recalled,--vs. CLIO.
The reference to the example of
Joshua at this point may have been by
the messenger from Gilgal. or it may
have been by the editor of the book of
Judges. 1t is, in general, repetition of
the statement, made in the book of
Joshua, that the influence of the great
warrior and servant of God had been
for whole generation effective in re-
straining the Hebrews from fatal COM
promises with the Canaanites. The ex-
ample was an invitation to the tribes to
return to the path which their fathers
had walked.
The reference to the distribution of
the land by Joshua in equitable shares
where the army of conquest was dis
banded; the reminder of Joshua's death
in good old age and of his burial place;
the recalling that all the people served
Jehovah while Joshua lived. and that
all the elders of the people remaining
after Joshuas death served him to the
end Of their days,-such "reminiscences
were calculated to fan the embers Of
religious patriotism in the Hebrews.
And then came the sorrowful comics
sion that, following the generation of
the faithful, there arose another genera
tion after them, achich kneu not the
Lord, nor get the icork a1hich he had
acroughUorIsrael. The story, often re-
peated in the subsequent annals. is told
in the monotonous formula. Israel did
eUil in the sight of the Lord. The ma
ture Of the evil chosen. the one evil
which was the fountain of all evils. is
indicated in the statement that Israel
served Bddlim.
Baal was the Phenician name of the
Assyrian Bel, signifying the male pro-
ductive power in nature. the prototype
OF the Grecian Jove. Closely associated
with this idol was Astarte of the Phoe-
nicians and Assyrians. the prototype of
the Grecian Venus. typifying the moth
or power in nature. The Baal -Astarte
worship. as can readily be conceived,
was fulfilled by rites destructive Of home
sanctities and subversive of morality.
To say, therefore. that the people. in
the second generation after Joshua
served Baalim.-that is. the class of
idols of which Baalim was the type
was to give ample reason why the He.
brews provoked the Lord to anger.
3. Judges were Raised up,-vs.
IL, u. 16.
The Israelites we're not yet, however,
deserving OF humiliation as the people
of Israel. The Lord raised up judges.
achich saUed them ont of the hand of
them that spoiled them. These leaders
we're men who exercised such conceded
authority over the tribes. or sections of
the tribes, as preserved to Israel the
memory and prophecy of their nation.
Through their ministry the traditions of
Israel were preserved. THE judges"
says johnson. "were usually raised up
by divine appointment; they were prob.
ably also elected to their high positions
by the free choice of those whom they
ruled. their eminent qualifications for