The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-11-24

reason for embalming the dead.
Sacrifice occupied a most important
| place among the Scmites. And there
are traces Of human sacrifices which
| under the Christian dispensa,ion have
| been offered only by heather. The
| Semites living i'm tribes or clans had a
local deity Ia whom they offered sacri-
.ice. He sat at the table and partook
OF the slain animal.
IL. The primitive Hebrew stage.
| This period covers the patriarchal and
nomadic epoch. while the people were
| still wandering about. IL is not SUR
prising to discover many. points of
resemblance between this period and
| the preceding. They were just emerg-
ing from the ancient darkness into the
later day. God had assigned them
leaders whose work IL was To lead
| them into the truth. but they were
| slow 10 follow.
Being nomads they appointed wor-
ship wherever they were. There was
no temple. tabernacle or ark. A rude
altar erected out Of the stones or the
ground was their temple. In Jacobs
| family were found teraphim or house
hold gods.
Sacrifice still retained the social as
pcct so that il meant little more than
| family gathering at which the local
deity was present However. hy this
| time Jehovah was recognized as the
God Of the Hebrews. Other acts OF
worship. such as prayer, VOWS aud
dreams were observed.
There were very few il any hymns
| ut this time. The law had not been
fully compiled. and Il limited literature.
Ill. This division introduces us to
the Canaanitlsh state. Great changes
took place during his epoch. because
| the people of Israel discontinued their
nomadic life and settled down In the
promised land among tribes of foreign
| faith. We naturally find that the cho-
| sen people suffered nollttle contamin-
alton, of which subsequent history is
| evidence.
Sacred places Increased in numbers
and the worship of Baal nourished.
II seems To he n time of degeneration.
for the worship Of Jehovah was cor
ruptcd. The ark containing the two
tables of stone was transported from
one place to another. Images were
erected To represent the deity. and the
| Urim and ThumlNim were employed
| 10 ascertain the Will of God.
Sacrifice was regarded ms communion
with the deity The burnt Offering
seems To havebeen used more than any
other. Prayer. VOWS visions were
! still observed, while Sorcery was los
| ing It's hold.
Having discontinued their wandering
| life they observed the Sabbath. the
| feastS of the moon and of harvest. lt
| appears. however. that they were not
! free from corruption.
Music and dancing had It's place. ana
| II Is said of David rs n later time that
: he danced. There were hymns. such
MS the exodus song. the song OF De-
borah and the song of Hannah. Laws
were assuming form rs the outgrowth
OF Custom. They were not written 10y
Moses, but compiled or formulated by
! him.
". The prophetic stage. This pc.
| riod is So called because of the number
of prophets who exercised most
wholesome influence on the HE OF the
people This was done by teaching
more enlightened conception of God.
| Samuel. David. Elijah. Elisha. Isaiah
and Jonah were among those who
raised the standard of living.
The high places were stu used Tor
| the worship of Baal, and at one time
the worship Of Baal and Jehovah We're
consolidated. At the time of David the
ark of the covenant was taken 10 Je-
! rusalem. and the temple was COM
| pletcd In the days OF Solomon, which
produced n more orderly system or
worship. Idolatrous practices were
not however, entirely superseded, for
we read Of golden calves Mt Bethel
and Gilgas.
The completion OF the temple made
| the most perfect organization ana de-
yelopment Of the priesthood impera-
| tive. TO this time no distinction was
known between church and state. but
| the division OF the monarchy In o1o
produced n complete separation.
The acts Of worship continued about
| the same as in the preceding period.
| except that certain restrictions were
| imposed. Sacrifice was offered to es-
| tabllsh communion with God. There
was some human sacrifice. Praying tn
| God was becoming n pleasure, ana
vows were made by Nazarites. Ora
cles and dreams wore regarded as chan
nels through which Jehovah commu-
n'caied His revelations. Sorcery was
practiced against the protests OF the
| ~ opbets. A hymn book was IN pro-
csss of compilation and the priests
were compiling law.
'rhr attitude Of the prophets toward
existing conditions will help us TO APP
praciate our theme and make It's ap.
| pllcatlon.
The prophets considered the high
places as detrimental 10 the religious
life OF the nation. They maintained
that the temple was all they required
for the worship OF the true God.
The prophets insisted upon purity or
life among the people OF God. espe-
cially the priests. II appears from the
records that the sacred office was not
entirely free from corruption.
They further insisted upon the true
worship OF the heart. While admit
ting the place OF forms. they contend
ed that the forms must be spiritual
lied.