Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

love of GOD, and of his SON JESUS CHRIST; and the blessing of GOD ALMIGHTY, the FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST, be amongst you and remain with you always." How earnestly should we all endeavour to obtain an interest in these inestimable blessings!

SECTION IX.

THE PRINCES OFFERINGS

WHEN every thing was completely in order, the princes of the people, the heads of tribes, advanced with great solemnity to present their offerings, which consisted of six covered waggons and twelve oxen, a waggon for two princes, and for each one an ox; and each prince offered one silver charger, one silver bowl, one golden spoon, one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering; one kid of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peaceofferings two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year.

All the silver vessels together weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, and the gold of the spoons one hundred and twenty shekels: so that each dish or charger weighed about sixty ounces, according to our weights, each bowl about thirty-five ounces, and the golden spoons about five ounces a-piece. It pleased the LORD to assure Moses of His acceptance of these offerings, by speaking to him, as He had promised to do, from between the cherubims on the Mercy-seat. After this, the LORD commanded, that the Levites should be

• See Numb. vii. viii.

purified,

purified, by washing with water, &c. and brought before the Tabernacle of the congregation; and that the whole assembly of Israel should be gathered together, and put their hands upon the Levites, which they did; Aaron was then commanded to offer them to the LORD, as an offering from the children of Israel, to do the service of the LORD'S House in their stead. Aaron then made an atonement for the Levites, who were from that time wholly separated from the other tribes; and entered on their holy office; for the LORD accepted them, instead of all the first-born, whom He had redeemed to Himself.

The princes of Israel have left an example to all persons, who are placed in exalted stations, to be foremost in acts of piety; and to be ready to employ some portion of their riches to the honour of God.

By appointing Priests and Levites Himself, the LORD put an honour upon the priestly office, and shewed, that those employed in his immediate service should be exempted from secular occupations, and regarded as holy persons.

SECTION X.

THE PASSOVER KEPT A CLOUD GUIDETH THE ISRAELITES-THE PRAYERS OF MOSES.

From Numbers, Chap. ix. x.

AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year, after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

And

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.

And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even, in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.

So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that, the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

And they first took their journey, according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moser,

And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days journey, to search out a resting-place for them.

And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee, flee before thee.

:

And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

At the first institution of the Passover, the Israelites ate it in great haste in the land of Egypt; but in the wilderness they were able to celebrate it with more composure of mind, and had time to explain to their children the origin of this institution. Surely, when they reflected what a wonderful year the last had been to them, how miraculously they had been assisted and delivered from dangers, they must have entertained the most exalted sentiments of the goodness of GOD! How careful was God of His people! who, if left to themselves, would certainly have gone astray; nor are Christians less indebted to Gon's PROVIDENCE, which protects them from numberless dangers and distresses. We should therefore studiously endeavour to avail ourselves of HIS HOLY WORD, which will afford as clear light to our minds in the way to Heaven, as the pillar of fire did to the eyes of the Israelites in their journey towards the land of Canaan.*

By offering up prayers at the removing and resting of the Ark, Moses has set an example to governors to implore the blessing and guidance of Heaven in all im portant undertakings.

VOL. II.

D

SECTION

SECTION XI.

THE BURNING AT TABERAH-MURMURINGS AGAINST

MOSES-MANNA LOATHED.

From Numbers, Chap. xi.

AND when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

But now our soul is dried away; and there is nothing at all, besides this manna before our eyes.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

And

« PoprzedniaDalej »