Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-20

In accordance with their request and
the command of Jehovah. the great law
giver and leader had dismissed Aaron,
Nahab and Abihu and the seventy elders
of Israel who had gone with him to
the lower ledge of the mountain. where
they saw God and did eat while he
retired within the pavilion of fire to con-
fer with Jehovah concerning the appll-
cation of the law to the social and civil
life of the nation, receive orders concern
ing the erection of the tabernacle and
the stones with the law written thereon
for their guidance.
The six-week absence of Moses had a
disastrous effect upon the people. for
they soon became uneasy and restless
So as one has suggested, there passed
from one to another of the waiting
crowd the word: Where is he? He did
not take food with him to sustain him
for SO long. Has he met with some mis-
hap in the lonely sleeps? Or perchance
he has been destroyed by that burning
fire or absorbed into the unseen"
Certainly it was natural, as Edersheim
suggests, for those who had waited pa
tiently week after week to wonder II
Moses had not been destroyed by the
luminous cloud. the visible symbol of
Jehovah that lowered high up on the
mountain top, like devouring fire." and
in their ignorance to desire another lead
er. So they turned to Aaron with the
request Make us a god
The demand for manufactured god
shows that in their hearts they had
Lord had delivered Them Like all OF
the ten great transgressions charged up
against Israel during the wilderness wan
deringS. it exposed in the nation IAN evil
heart of unbeief in departing from the
living God, whom they set entirely aside
by making calf in His stead" God is
spirit. and any attempt to represent
Him to our senses by the craving of an
image was forbidden by the command
ments. This effort to degrade Jehovah
to the level of a beast shows that, losing
sight of Moses. they had lost their faith.
Their old tendencies toward a worship
in accordance with their former habits
were permitted to have complete sway,
for Aaron. like the modern politician;
bowed to the whims of the people and
allowed the sin to be aggravated by
pretense of worshiping Jehovah.
They were like that unfaithful servant
who said: my lord delayeth his COM
ing; and began to smite their fellow
servants. and to eat and to drink with
the drunken" For the love Of the flesh
they had broken their covenant with
God, just as men filled with love OF
liquor will break commercial contracts
so as to lose their cash, their credits,
their trades their jobs; break every So
cial, moral and religious obligation. caus-
ing the loss Of friends. destruction OF
the home, breaking the hearts OF motner,
love Fastening toward the drunkard end
because they are slaves to appetite
The modern drunkard. dope mend
and ancient Israel started with reJec.
ton of Gods commands. who Will not
permit us to violate His law without
paying the penalty-''the wages OF SIN Is
DEATH"
God tested the patriotism of Moses
when he suggested to make MN tne
founder of a new line by blotting out
Israeli The man of God proved ms
loyalty to both God and Israel 10y ioi-
lowing up his successful intercesslon
with a righteous indignation that crush
ed out the forces of idolatry ana ihteIh-
perance by the use of the first gold cure.
X X
Intercession, Indignation, 1nterven-
ton.
Moses who had been talking during
these DAYS as a friend face to race with
God found in the warning that COO had
given him of the conditions in the camp
the clues by which he dared to intercede
with Jehovah to spare Israel by forgiv-
ing it and restoring it to his
favor The three arguments USED oy
Moses prove that his passion for the
glory of God surpassed and took preced-