The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-06

ton.
But his better spirit prevailed. He is
represented Tvs. 1919 as expostulating
with God for his severe judgment upon
the recreants. He pleads with God as
having led the people out of Egypt, and
reminds him of his promise to Abraham
and his sons. Of course this is but the
dramatic expression of what passed in
Moses mind.
He is represented Tvs. Is) as causing God
to repent of the evil which he would do his
people; which means that Moses purposed
to show more merciful spirit to the peo-
pie than was at first his intention.
3. Moses seeks to Reconcile his
People to their Lawns. 3o-35.
Our story is too long for full telling in
single lesson-passage. But the striking
picture in the omitted verses (o-20 cannot
be spared from the narrative. Wesee the
venerable Moses fastening down the
mountain-side, with the two tables of the
testimony in his hand, the tables which
were written on both sides by the finger of
God: the Hebraic method of saying that
they represented the very essence of the
Divine Law. Joshua his companion hears
the shouting at the festival; he mistakes
it for the signs of an attack by the enemy.
The two men of God approach near enough
to learn the cause of the commotion. They
see the calf and the lascivious dancing.
Then Moses anger returns full upon him.
He cast tie tables out of his hands and
brake them beneath the mount. This is
an object-declaration that the Divine
promise of favor implied in the tables
written in the mount was by the recreancy
of the people nullifed.
Moses enters among the jewellers, and
assumes stern command. He indignant
ly orders that whatever is combustible in
the idolatrous image shall be burned. He
is not content with this. Even the gold
that has been consecrated to the image is
polluted. He causes it to be powdered
and makes the guilty ones drink of it,
the first instance of "gold cure" of which
we have record.
He brings Aaron to severe account. He
hears Aaron's explanation but he is not
greatly Modified. When he sees that
Aaron has let the guilty ones loose, intend
ing for them no exemplary punishment,
then Moses stood wt at the gate Of the
CANT and said, Whose is on the L0yd'S
side, let him come to me. There is quick
gathering of the sons of Levi to Moses
standard then sanguinary battle begins.
Moses gives commandment that none who
violently defend the image-worship shall
escape; he tells his followers to ruthlessly
smite neighbor or companion or brother
in this loyal cause. Ana there tell ofkAs
beoble that day about three thousand men.
After the terrible battle Moses called the
victors to a new conservation. He would
have every one pledge himself to Jehovah
in loyalty that will when necessary dis
regard all ties of family relationship.
Our lesson-verses continue the story,
telling US that on the morrow Moses said
to the people, Ne haze stnnsd a great sim
and nozO I qOfU go n1 unto the LoydJ, fer
adventure shall MAKE atonement for
youy sin. If it is needful for him to sacri-
fee himself he will, we may be sure, gladly
to God which were to be learned or re.
membered. Symbolism was to very large
ly characterize the prescribed worship.
The system of sacrifices was full of symbols
of spiritual import. Nevertheless symbol
ism was to stop at sharply-dehned line.
There was never to be craven stone or
wooden image of God. Nothing was ever
to be allowed that could reasonably sug-
gest to the most superstitious that the Jews
believed in God as having material form,
or that there can be more than One God
in the universe. The faith of Israel, that
Jehovah is One God, and beside him is
none else, had already been declared in
the firstof the Ten Words; and the second
Word was direct prohibition of all at
tempts to trangress the simplicity of this
faith by any form of image worship.
Moses was man of God, and inspired
by the Divine presence; but he was COM
PEELED, as all men of God have been, to
exercise his own sagacity. Moses had no
more direct vision of God, and no more
definite conversation with him, than any
loyal Christian may have in these days.
The government prepared for the Jews
was Divine; no less the formation of the
American Republic was under Divine di-
rection.
That Moses with his chosen advisers
should remain at work on their intricate
problem "forty days." and that there
should be special care taken to keep away
the distraction of all merely temporary
concerns, are facts fitting the circum-
stances.
Yet when we try and place ourselves in
the position of the two-and-a-half millions
of people at the base of the mountain, we
cannot wonder at the increasing fever of
impatience To the councillors in the
mountain-solitude the hours, filled with
great thoughts and projects, passed swift
ly; but to the idle people in the plain the
vacant hours dragged slowly. They could
not tell why there was such delay in their
march to the Promised Land. They could
not understand why all access to the noun
tain was forbidden them. They began to
feel resentful toward Moses for thus leav-
ing them in such a strait.
And still Moses did not come. The
fretful people forgot the grand spiritual
ideal of the Ten Words. An Invisible
cd moe ;tcalf bard ap0uob for fhapo RI