Valentine Democrat., 1907-07-25


Golden Text.-Little children, KEEP
yourself from idols.-1 John > 81
1t was not long after the giving of the
Commandments that the Israelites broke
the first two of them in the most fragrant
manner. They were people unused as
yet to much self-restraint. Slavery. in
imposing restraints, makes those subject
ed to it ravenous for freedom, and if
the restraints of slavery are removed they
are very apt to run into riotous excesses,
not having learned to distinguish between
liberty and license.
1t was very natural. therefore, that the
children of Israel, when deprived of the
presence of their strong leader, Moses,
should fall back into the idol worship
which many of them had no doubt prac-
ticed in Egypt. 1t was natural that they
should seek relaxation from the tension
that living for while on a very highly
religious plane had brought. 1t was nat
ural; but that is no excuse for SHINING.
1t is not surprising that the people who
/ were just beginning to think of them
selves as Gods people should fall into
grievous rebellion against Him when they
thought He had taken Moses away from
them, but they were none the less sinful.
They knew the sight and they deliberate
ly forsook it.
: IT is fearful thing to fail into the
har4s of the living Cod" So says the
writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews af-
ter telling Of Gods punishment of willful
sin, and of His fiery indignation, which
shall devour the adversaries."
The Israelites found it fearful thing
upon this occasion to have fallen into
Gods hands for judgment They discov-
cred that though lie was long-suffer-
ing and patient with them, there were
limits to His fOrbearance. He could not,
would not, put up with wjllful sin, and
they must be punished severely for this
idol-worship and licentious orgy One of
the punishments was administered by
means of the judicial slaughter that
Moses commanded in order to purify the
people. And here is a good illustration
of the way God looks upon the lives Of
men. Human life is to Him full of dig
nifty just so long as it is at least an at
tempt to be Godlike.
Notes.
Up Make Us Gods.-lIan is by nature
a religious animal. Pride of intellect
sometimes makes the educated man an in
fidel, but all men in a state OF nature be-
lieVe in a God or in a number of gods
and feel the need of seeking the favor of
their gods in such ways as seem to them
most likely TO succeed. The Israelites
were never tempted to infidelity. When
they ceased worshiping God it was that !
they might worship idols.
This Moses" This seems to have
been spoken cOntemptuousIy. Noses was |
to the people strange man, a man who |
was incomprehensible to them on account |
of his strong faith and his high aims |
They were ever ready to lay the blame |
OF every trial that came to them upon the |
grand man who was doing his best to |
bring them into the grand heritage which |
God had prepared for them. 1t is the |
way of the world toward all reforuers. |
Whenever there is slip or halt in the
work of reform the crowd is ready to
boot its disapprobation of the reformers.
These be Thy Gods. Aaron was not
inventing new god for the people but
only giving them a symbol or representa-
ton of the God who had brought them
out of the land of Egypt. There is no
significance in the use of the plural num-
Der, for the word God usually appears in
the plural in the Old Observation-Disclosures |
(Gods). 1t was a reverential way of
speaking of God-just as we use the h
plural you" instead of the singular
thou" in addressing another person as a |,
matter of politeness. Aaron made a calf
as the symbol OF God because the people
had been accustomed to that symbol in
Egypt.
The Feast.-We learn from other parts ;
of this narrative how indecent and i'm Il
moral was the dancing and play" that |
made part of the festivities One sin leads
to another, and there must be no letting
down of the bars of restraint in any di-
rection if we desire to keep ourselves un-
der effective control. c
Thy People Cod puts the burden
Of the responsibility upon Moses and in {
50 doing God Acknowledges. in a most =
striking way, the great part played by Ia
Moses in the accomplishment Of the Ex-
)dus. 1t was primarily God who had
brought the people out Of Egypt, but
Noses had performed very important a
part in their delivery and in leading s
hem through the sea and through the t
wilderness. God works through men and s
gives them credit for all that is accom-
1Iished
4 Great Sin.''-3Ioses was a very
IiTerent man from his brother. He had L
10 fear before the people, and the only
diplomacy he knew was the way of
and truth. Their
great sin was very perverse and non D
trous rebellion against God. Moses did v
lot mince matters. and spoke to the peO- 4
lie in righteous anger. And they realized 4
hat he spoke the truth, and that they / n
deserved heavy punishment. II
Moses as an tercessOr.-AlthOugh he :
ebuked the people severely for their sin
nd commanded that many of them L
hould be put to death. Moses had not u
eased to love them. How wonderfully \
loses laid to heart the welfare Of mis- g
eople, his people, is -1UE by his brok-
n-hearted request to God to let him bear I
he penalty of their sin. We have a par y
llel case in Pauls great heaviness and IN