The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-12-24

his daughter asks for two months
"to bewail her virginity." The in
ference Is imperative. 1t was not
death. but perpetual Yirginity to which
she was devoted. The only reason
able exigesis that can be put on the
e expression, 81 will offer it," marginal
note) is, if the first conner is a human
being he or she shall be the Lords, or
if it ia an animal | will offer it as a
burnt Offering.
We learn from this VOW some very
important lessons which we would do
well to heed. First, the spirit of con-
secration it evinced. It's meaning was
evident that Jehovah was the true
Judge and deliverer of Israel, His,
therefore, should be the glory when
Israel returned in victory. There was
to be no diverting of honor from Him
to Jepthah; sacrifice, therefore,
should be made before all men to &C
knowledge this. But as Jepthah IS the
person most in danger of being tempt
ed to forget Gods claim, he gives an
ticipatively of his own, land of his own
especially which might be considered
as especially for his honor. Second,
the unexpected form the sacrifice as
sumed. How it astonishes meu when
God takes them at their word. Not
that they do not mean what they say,
but they do not realize all it implies.
God ever does this that he may edu-
cate the heart in loving sacrifice, and
reveal the grandeur and absoluteness
of his claim upon us. Third, the grace
that invested it from: First. the mu-
tual love of parent and child. They
both sorrow because she was an only
child and they are all in all TO one an
other. 1t was pure, real sacrifice.
Second, the unquestioning and cheer
full obedience of the child, like Isaac
and Christ. Third, the unwaverlng
fidelity of Jepthah to his vow. 1t was
the wisest course and the one that
proved best the fidelity aud infinite
love of God. There was sorrow,
but who will say that there was not
a compensating blessedness in the
act and "a far more exceeding and
eternal weight OF glory" in the ages
to come. This is what God expecLs.
In conclusion let me say that a ma
iority of the expositors believe in the
literal execution of this VOW. Poets
and painters picture the scene on the
banks of the Jordan. The altar is
erected, the wood placed upon it, and
the fair young girl in white, emblem
attic of her purity, is placed upon the
fatal pile. A prayer is offered, the
father stands weeping as if his heart
would break, the high priest with
black robes and beard sweeping his
aged breast plunges the knife into her
heart, while the flames quickly con-
sumo her body. The willows bend
their funeral foliage over her ashes
and the dark waters OF the Jordan
murmur a requiem for the innocent
victim. From this sad view we are
forced to dissent. Can it be possible
that such deed as this could be per-
formed by pious father, servant of
God, a Judge in Israel who had been
commended by the apostle for having
the spirit of God upon him? Or. Hales
gives a translation of the vow thus:
He vowed vow unto the Lord and
said if thou wilt surely give the chill
dreu of Canaan into my hand, then 1T
shall be that whatsoever cometh out
of the doors of my house to meet me
when / return in peace from the chill
dren of Canaan shall either be the
Lords, or [ will offer it tor burnt
OF e ing"
The translation gives rise to propo
sitions First, what person soever
met him should be the Lords or dedi-
Gated to his service. Second, what
beast soeyer met him should be offer
ed as a burnt offering to the Lord. So
to my mind, beyond doubt, the de-
vehement to which Jepthah consigned
his daughter was celibacy. 1t seems
to me that this is almost expressly
stated, for when che girl consented
that the vow should be put into execu-
ton she said, Let me alone two
months that | may go up and down the
mountains and bewail my virginity; [
and my fellows.
To agree never to marry was the
greatest sacrifice that could be made
by Jewish maiden, for she thereby
gave up the hope of becoming a moth
err in Israel, and the ;p0ssible mother
of the Redeemer OF the world, and yet
such sacrifices on the part of young
women were often made in all relig-
ions. The ancient pagans had their
vestal virgins; the Roman Catholics
have their nuns; the Jewish religion
was not an exception. In the division of
the spoils taken in the first Midianite
war of the whole number of captive vir-
gins, the Lords tribute was thirty
two persons. In Mum. 31:35-40 you
read land thirty and two thousand
persons in all, of women that had not
known man by lying with him. And
the persons were sixteen thousand, of
which the Lords tribute was thirty
and two persons" The argument for
celibacy is complete, l think, when it
says she returned from the mountains
to her father "who did with her &C.
cording to his VOW he had vowed,