The National tribune., 1895-07-04
INTRoDUcT!oN.


| indicated above.l @f'
| INTRoDUcT!oN
After the Israeites had become settled at
| Mt Sinai. God called Moses up to an elevated
point and made known to him the Ten Com.
mandments and various other laws. The Com
| msndments were announced under most I'M
pressive circumstances, and the people prom
| ised to obey them. Then Moses assembled into
| the mountain to receive in detail directions rs
to the tabernacle, the ark. tho furnishings etc,
| of the tabernacle, the institution of the minis
try, etc. He was absent for 10 days and 40
nights. "a: Is. 1t is probable he did not tell
| the people how long he would be absent. and
six weeks seemed 10 them very long time.
| They became exceedingly impatient, and at
length got the impression Moses bad gone for
! good.
We should notice here another fact. The
| Jews were monotheists and yet they were hu-
man. IL is very natural TO follow the example
| of equals, and yet more easy to initiate the
| great and powerful, They were surrounded
| by nations who were idolatrous. They had
| just escaped from Egypt, where for some hun
dreds of years they had been in bondage to y
people whose worship was idolatrous.
| When the Roman soldiers routed Jerusalem
they went into the TEN ple-into the very
Sanctuary. They found the sacred place with
| no idols for worship, and concluded the Jews
| had no tact for religious fitness; that they had
no objects for alteration, and that probably
they worshiped the intangible The soldiers
suggested that it must be the Jews worshiped
| the clouds. There was associated with the
| idea of worship the need of idols or images.
The senses assert themselves. Carnality rules.
The conceptions of spirituality and righteous
ness arc beyond heather intelligence.
CALF WORSHIP.
| We remember the Israelites had just escaped
| from Egypt The sacred calf Apis, or Aphis,
was one Of tho idols of the Egyptians. Osiris
was the great deity of Egypt. He was eldest
| son of Saturn and Rhea, and was worshiped in
Asia Minor Greece, Rome, etc. 1t was sup
posed the soul of Osiris animated the sacred
| bull named Apis Osiris was the person flea
ton of all good. physical and moral. lie was
| called Lord of Lords, King of the Gods, Mani
! tester of Good, etc. Great honors were paid to
! Apis at Memphis.
| Edward l.. Clark, in "Israel in Egypt"
wrote: Everything that men loved ia The
earth about them and in the heavens above
were united in the character OF Osiris. The
bull is believed TO be born of the lightning;
when one such dies in the order of nature. he
is embalmed with macnifcence and buried in
a coffin of black marble; the nation is in
mourning; with every demonstration of grief
be is drawn on a sled TO the tomhs and laid
aside in truly regal scpulchcr. 90 feet square.
III galleries thousands Of feet long success
angle on his forehead, n hall moon on his back
and thickness under bis tongue resembling
a beetle. When it is announced that another
A pis is found the land trails the tidings with
cries of JOY. He is fed with milk 40 days in
house facing the rising sun. most costly
boat with golden cabin is launched for him.
The finest food, the noblest attendants.
the sweetest music is provided and the nation
keep bolidsay. During his life warm baths
and costly perfumes. reriiDsDn couches ana truly
royal apartments are furnished by ample rove
MUGS. A seven days festival is kept III his
honor. He is then brought into the temple
called Apcum, with its grand court OF pillars,
which is thrown open 10 the crowds who
sembIe from all the land. royal guard Of SOL
diers surround the goi, q choir of women sing
ing hymns lead the procession. The Queen
performs The Office OF 'priestess and servant As
the excitement increases isdecent dances aud
great mad ness of behavior become the order of
the day. The night ends ia drunken feasts."
IdOlatry has always been common. Even
Greece aud Rome had idolatrous forms OF wor.
ship. Some people cute enough to sepa-
rate worship from the material object by re-
garding it only "A representation OF God
But the inevitable tendency of worship through
images. pictures. etc, is toward absolute, sim
pie idolatry. Hence the second Command
ment. 1dOlatry prevails greatly even to-day
in parts of India and Africa. TO satisfy the
idols, tho golden calf was made.
SUBJECT: IDoLATRY OF THE IsRAELITEs IN
WoRsHIPING COLDER CALF AT MI. SINAI.
Data.
Ex,, 81: 1-G. Bnt one should read the entire
chapter it is too long for a lesson. Verses
to 6 tell us only of the prolonged absence of
Moses: tho general desire for some object of
worship; the demand Of the people that Aaron
should furnish some such object; the assent of
Aaron the offerings Of the people for the gold
required in making a calf for worship; the
making Of al altar, and the idolatrous worship
We learn further in the chapter of the
prayer OF Moses 10 spare the wicked people VS.
la; the descent Of Moses and the breaking
OF the two tables Of stone Cl5l9) of the de-
struction OF the golden calf COZ; the deaths OF
3 600 in punishment tYs. 2l-29l; of the prayer
Of Moses to I've obiierated rather than the people
annihilated VS. 30 So.
Our lesson will cover only the first six verses.
References.
Verse /. Moses delayed. "a: IS; Deu, .: 9.
Make us gods. Acts, Z: 30. Go before us. Ex.,
IL: q.
Verse .. Break off earrings. Jud.. 8: "a 81.
Verse 4. Aaron made golden calf. Ex.,
90: %; Deu.. 9 Is; Jud-. Il: 3. A; l XII, -:
IS; Nch., 8: is; Ps., Jog: 10; Is, g; Acts,
Z: Al; Ro, 1: %.
Verse .. A feast. Lev, %: 2, 4, 81 81; 2 XII,
10: 20; . CHI. 30:5.
Verse &. People sat down TO eat drink, play.
! Cor. 1917.
These references should be read in the classes.
They are a commentary in themselves.
Tine.
We find ourselves I'm the year 1891 Il. G.,
25i3 A. NJ. 1886 years ago. The lsraelites en-
camped about Nt Sinai FOR IL months and six
DAYS They had not been long in that camp
when the eve. IS of this lesson occurred. Moses
had been up into the mountain for 40 days
prior to this lesson. 1t was then lie received
the Decalog. lie remained in the mountain
40 days when he went up the second timc. 1t
was then he delayed to come down" as men,
toned in the first Verse of the lesson. We do
not know how long be bad been in the mount
ain before the people hkgsn to complain. Some
time must have elatxed before they would be-
come so demoralizeSi. but the disturbance
must have begun some time before the 40 days
time to manufacture the calf and originate its
service.
Place.
The events of the lesson took place on Mt.
Sinai aud in the surrounding valleys. The To-
caity is grand aud sublime. The mountainous
region covers an area of 40 miles in diameter.
1t is rugged and steep. Without entering into
the argument as to, the particular peak from
which the law was proclaimed, it may be stated
that the best grounded authority makes IL Rds
SufsaJeh. The valleys northwest and north
east are convenient for camps such as the
Israelites pitched. .i,