The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-20
THE LESSON STORY.

The lSraelIteS had, on the plain OF
Sinai, passed year of unparalleled char
acter-growth. The descendants of Abraham
had left Egypt horde of barbarians; now
they had become at least half-civilized,
and had been compacted into an organized
nation. Some progress had been made
in bringing the chaotic mass of indi-
viduals into uniformity; and the nation
had assumed visible form. 1t had been
necessarily year of hardship and depriva-
ton. The adjacent fertile spots had no
doubt been put under contributions for
grazing and grain; yet the desertyield
could not have been luxuriant.
But now the time had arrived when the
Israelites must take up again their de-
layed march for their Promised Land. 1t
was great undertaking to move such a
mass of people,-two millions and half
of men, women and children; an under
taking second only to starting with such
an undisciplined horde out of Egypt into
the desert
The start of the Israelites from Sinai,
.r Horeb, ''the mount of the Lord" was
marked by one incident, which claims our
attention in the present lesson.
Moses when in exile, forty years before,
had found Jet no in INDIAN the father of
seven gfown-up daughters; from among
these daughters he had chosen his wife
Zipporah. Jethro was chief and priest
of the powerful tribe of Midianites, whose
territory extended over large portions of
the Sinaitic peninsula, including the region
of Horeb, and reaching alongide of Edom
and Moab to the north, thus approaching
near to the southern borders of Canaan.
That Jethro was, as is stated, priest, sig
ni6es thu: he was an idolator; and Zip
porah's reluctant yielding of her son to the
rite of circumcision (Ex. 4:26), signifies
that she was not then in agreement with
her husbands faith in the One God; and
separation of Moses and his wife had
ensued. But Jethro had, during the stay
of the Israelites at Sinai, brought Zpporah
to Moses and effected reconciliation be-
tween her and her husband. He had also
given to Moses valuable counsel in state
craft Then Jethro had departed to his
own country.
But his son Hobab, brother of Moses
wife, remained as the helpful friend of his
sisters husband. He had, it is fair to as
sumo, become converted to Moses relig-
ion. He shared his fathers friendship for
the new nation. The support of such an
influential prince, heir to the craftsmanship
of the Miiianites, was of great import to
Moses.
1. The Appeal to HObab's Hope
of Reward Fails,-vs. 20, 80.
Moses had learned to value his brother
inlaw. His people had been for year
secure under Midianite protection. AS
the time now drew near when Moses must
leave this friendly protection, and take up
the march northward with his people, he
made an earnest endeavor to keep with
him his faithful friend.
His first appeal to Hobab was, by the
human standard, legitimate and strong.
NE are about to journey, he said, unto
sAe place Of aVAicA tie Lord said, 7 70iH
gfve ii y0u, come thou a01th rs, and sOe
mil do thee good: .for the Lord hath
spoken good concerning Israel He made
the proffer, that is, of the hope of Israel
to one of alien race. He told him of the
promise made by the Spirit to Abraham
Gen. Ia:7) that he and his descendants
should possess the land of Canaan; land
beautiful to look upon and so fertile as to
be said to be flowing with milk and honey.
This promise had been many times re-
peated. Gen. 1873, IS; 1873; 2S:I3;
Elk. 3:S; Ps. los :9-II) Its acceptance
was deeply rooted in the hearts of all we'll
instructed Israelites. That they were to
become prosperous nation was now,
seemingly, manifest destiny. Hobab's
own people, the Midianites, would con-
tinue to be desert-roamers and shepherds.
They had no ardent desire for growth in
civilization; they had no ambition to be
controlling nation. To offer to Hobab
therefore the privilege of sharing by adop-
ton the traditions and prophecies of the
Abrahamic race, vas an enticing proffer
of worldly ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
But Hobab made a prompt and decisive
reply: I 7OiH not goJ bit I anil deParf TO
my ozOn land, and 10 my ktndyed.
He was like the Goth of the middle ages
who, when going to the Roman font to be
baptized as a Christian convert paused
and asked of the officiating priest: "Where
are my ancestorsf" ain hell" was the