Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-08-01
THE LAW ON MOUNT SINAI.


steadily into the mountain Businesses,
the Cloud leading on through winding
valley and under high cliff, and over
rugged pass, until even Moses, the
leader, began to wonder whittier the
journey was trending and why God
was shutting them in from the rest OF
the world. Once or twice he thought
he recognized places along the route
as ones which he had passed with
Aaron more than a year before on
their return from indian, but the
thought Of gaming the Promised Land
was 60 uppermost in his mind that he
had persuaded himself that it could
not be. He spoke to Aaron about the
matter once, pointing out rock that
looked very like one under the shadow
of which they had rested one night,
but the latter had considered it so I'M
probable that he finally dismissed the
thought from his mind.
So the journey had continued until
at last one day they suddenly came
into valley which instantly Moses
recognized as the one leading to the
Mount of God where he had stood be-
fore the burning bush and God had
spoken to him out of the midst there
of. On either side there rose the lofty
rocks forming natural isle like the
approaches to the temples Of Egypt
which were lined with the colossal
figures of men and gods. And at the
end of this broad avenue, rising i'm
mediately out Of the level plain over
which they were marching, lowered
the massive cliffs of Sinai, like the
huge altar of some natural temple.
The place was one to inspire rever.
ence, and thoughts of worship, and
Moses and Aaron were not alone in
these feelings, for as the multitude
halted at the sound of the trumpets
and began to pitch their tents, they
talked together in low tones about God
having brought them to his temple.
And when Moses departed up the
mountain it was whispered through the
camp that he had gone up to talk with
God. The events at Rephidim had
done much to arouse their con.
seriousness of God, and during those
first days at the foot of Mount Sinai
there was subdued, reverent spirit
pervading the camp, and when Moses
again came into their midst he found
people watchful for his return and
ready to listen to the message he
might bring them.
And Moses called the elders of Israel
and when they had assembled the peo-
pie in great concourse on the slop-
ing sides of the hill, he repeated the
words of the Lord in the ears Of the
elders and they in turn spoke them to
the people.
"This is the message Of God to Is.
rael, he cried, when Q great hush had
fallen upon the assembly, "for he has
commanded me in the mountain to say
to the house of Jacob, and to tell the
children of Israel: iYe have seen what
l did unto the Egyptians, and how |
bear you on eagles wings and brought
you unto myself
AS the words were repeated and all
the people heard they bowed low, and
the memories which the words re-
called stirred them as they had not
been stirred before, and reused them
to that religious feryor which hung
eagerly on the rest of the message as
Moses might deliver it.
"'Now therefore, Moses contin-
ued, eff ye will obey my voice in
deed, and keep my covenant, then ye
shall be peculiar treasure unto me
above all people; for all the earth is
mine.
A great stiffness rested upon the
people as Moses ended the words of
the Lord, and then as though moved
by one spirit, that vast concourse OF
people lifted their voices and shouted
until the very mountains on every
side fairly rang ard shook with the
volume thereof:
call that the Lord hath spoken We
will do"
And with this p.omise upon their
lips, if indeed it had not sunk to the
depths of their hearts-it is so much
easier to utter the pledge with the
mouth than it is to scar and burn it
into the tablets Of memory of the
heart-the people were dismissed and