The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-06

Men ought to obey the nat OF the AL
| mighty, but when the requirement rests
| upon that which the Judgment approves
| then obedience is easier and more hearty.
Usaiah, l. 1s) Three reasons are here
assigned for the prohbltory statue. ].
| The things condemned are displeasing to
| God; they are not according to His will
THAT ought to determine the matter. .
| 'rhe people should be perfect with the
| 1.ord-liye as He requires, and that they
could not do and indulge In practices
which were offensive to Him. g. These
customs OF the people of the land had
| led to their ruin. They were degrading to
| the minds, corrupting to the morals. IN
| furious to the health. so that the Lord
determined to drive the inha abitants out
to overthrow their institutions and scat
| ter them abroad, as unworthy longer to
be a people. Surely these reasons were
adequate to deter Israel.
TEACHER PRoMlsED.-.tverse ,5)-
| Hopes were next awakened through n
promise OF far-reaching import. Another
! teacher. eminent aud qualified, resem-
| bling Moses In some respects. should be
raised up by the lord to Israel. Some
| have understood this as referring TO the
| prophets who In after centuries did such
| splendid service. But the greater num-
| ber OF expositors. with good reason, be-
| lieve that the promise pertained to Jesus
| John. |, t'. as Peter declared. (Acts,
| Ill., a2) Two purposes may have prompt
| ed the promise. 1t may have been in
tended protective against false
methods Of obtaining information on re-
| ligious subjects-a teacher of sacred
| things would be able to instruct on all
| those matters attempted to be covered
by the forbidden practices. 1t is more
| probable as the promise related to some
| distant person. that the people were by
| mi Tod To nj, pf hp
enant and satisfied submission to Its
| methods of instruction on the mysteries
| of life and the future.
REQUEST GRANTED.-(Verse 16.)-'rhe
| coming of that promised teacher, and the
use Of ordinary methods of instruction
| TO the total exclusion of the heather arts
and devices. would be. moreover. in ac-
| cordance with the expressed desire of the
| people. Moses reminded them that in the
| wonderful displays Of the supernatural.
granted at Sinai they had been terrified
| EXODUS. Xxx. 19), and requested that COM
| munications might be made from God
| through him. 1t would be manifestly I'M
| wise to return in Canaan to the exhibit
tons there. even If they were genuine,
| thereby again arousing their fears. This
| was a strong argument. Men ought to
| learn by experience what is best for
| them. Truth delivered calmly by a man
| Of God. by a teacher, Is in every respect
| better than those strange demonstrations
| of wizards. charmers. necrOmancers. and
| OWNERS. that arouse the Imagination but
| leave one in great uncertainty as to the
things that were supposed to be covered
| by them
| DESIRE APPROvED.-CVerses II aud
| 1S.)-MOses went on to say that the de-
sire expressed by the people at Sinai was
fully approved by the Lord at the time
1 data ,tt,u
| tion to send the Great Teacher like Moses
was in consequence of that approval. or
| rather in harmony with It, In other
words, the choice OF a method then made
| by Israel was in full accord with the
| divine purpose of a method. They de-
| sired human voice and He had deter
mined to give it to them. Moreover,
Jehovah declared then. and that was
| forty years before the present address.
that the Teacher to be raised and sent
| should have the divine words put into
| his mouth. Just what Jesus declared to
| be true of himself John. xviii 81. and
that this Teacher should speak precisely
what God commanded him. He would
| thereby become reliable. authoritative
| and hence final, all that any one might
| need.
! ACCOUNT REQuIRED.-(Verses ~
| and 20)-Flere then was the system of
| divine instruction instituted Just before
| entrance int" Canaan. TO protect it and
secure 1t against perversion or neglect
| responsibility Of two kinds was imposed.
First, upon the people. II they did not
harken to the words spoken they would
| he accountable to God. deuteronomy.
| vi 80 Indifference to messenger would
| be disreSpect to Him who sent the mcs-
| senger. (Acts, Iii. 2s.) Second, upon the
prophet who shall precede the Great
| Teacher and prepare the way for Him.
| Revelations. xix, 10) All those holy men
who spake as they were moved by the
| Holy Ghost or Peter. |. 2D, were fore
| runners of Jesus seeking to preserve the
| nation In loyalty to the conditions and
| purposes of the covenant until Messia h
should come. Hence they We're made
accountable for the faithful discharge of
| their official duties. If they spoke in the
| name of other gods, or spoke what God
did not give them. death would be the
| result. BY these two provisions We see
| how God had limited His people in their
modes Of securing religious knowledge.
| STANDARD GIVEN.--(Verse II and
22)--One point needed to be guarded
| Suppose a prophet should speak what
| the Lord had not given. how would the
people know? How might they distin-
gush divine message and human
| message? 1t was necessary to guard
| against all imposition. The people must
| have something reliable. The Lord pre-
| scribed method to meet such contns-
| ency. The prophet would give sign as
a proof of his divine commission. That
| sign involved the item of prescience.
| Jeremiah, xviii, 81 He would make a
| statement that rested for its verl1cation
| upon something future. and if the predic-
| ton We're fulfilled then it would be
known that the statement was reliable,
| otherwise that the word was without the
authority of God. deuteronomy. xiii. -
| This was a trustworthy test and stand
ard, inasmuch as no mere man can know
| the future. 1t was in this way that the
prophets obtained their influence upon
the people. The predictive element in
their writings and sayings was taken as
sign of their right to speak for God.
CLOSING THOUGHTS.-Our topic is
not well suited to the passage. The
Prophet like Moses IL only one item
among several We see here that God
was instituting a method In opposition to
the heather method for obtaining knowl-
edge of religious matters He would lay
his spirit upon certain men who would
speak for Him. who would have an in
falible sign of their authority, one that
could not be forged. And beyond these
would arise In Israel a supreme Prophet
like to Moses Here was the plan for the
Old Testament series of writings pro-
duced by holy men under the spirits
guidance with Jesus as the prospective
and ultimate person toward which all
| should tend, Let lis remember that this
was the plan OF God, adopted before the
settlement, carried out In the centuries
that followed. Thus II was that Israel
was lifted above all the other nations.