Page images
PDF
EPUB

happy and virtuous, by keeping them from idolatry, and prepare them to receive the New and Better Covenant by our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose Advent the sacrifices were to cease. It is necessary to remember, that, at this time, all nations, except the Israelites, worshipped false gods. These false gods were thought to have committed many crimes themselves, and therefore it was natural for their worshippers to do the same: thus idolatry was not only absurd, and foolish, but it was, in the highest possible degree, wicked. Intoxication was a frequent accompaniment of heathen worship, and was even considered obligatory in some religious rites. One of their divinities was a god of thieves; another was thought to take pleasure in human sacrifices, more particularly young children; and the more their parents loved them, the greater merit it was considered in the father or mother, to give them up to be burnt before the idol! Moloch, which was worshipped by the Ammonites, a nation on the borders of Canaan, was a frightful statue of a man with the head of an ox; its arms were stretched out over a furnace of fire, as if ready to hold what was given to it. Inside the arms was a secret spring, which, when the offerer laid the victim upon them, suddenly gave way, and dropped the shrieking child into the fire!

Such scenes are too horrible to dwell upon; but some few particulars of the idolatrous customs which once prevailed, ought to be known,

Y

that we may understand why idolatry was so strictly forbidden to the Israelites, and also feel more deeply how much we ourselves owe to God, for having kept the knowledge of Himself in the world. But for His revelations to mankind, first by Moses and the Prophets, and afterwards by Our Saviour Jesus Christ, we might now have been as wicked, and as wretched, as the worshippers of Moloch.

When every thing was completed, Moses reared the Tabernacle. And "a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle."

NADAB

CHAPTER XII.

AND ABIHU.

THE ISRAELITES LEAVE

MOUNT SINAI. SECOND GIFT OF QUAILS.

SEDITION OF AARON AND MIRIAM.

WHEN the Tabernacle was reared, and the first sacrifice laid upon the Altar of Burnt Offerings, fire descended from heaven and consumed it: this sacred fire was kept burning, and never suffered to be extinguished, and was appointed to be used in all the services of the Tabernacle worship.

Nadab and Abihu, the two eldest sons of Aaron, knew of this command respecting the

sacred fire, and yet dared to disobey it. They took their censers, and offered strange fire before the Lord; that is, not the sacred fire. They either did this wilfully, knowing that hereby they transgressed the command of God, or, as seems most probable from what follows, they were intoxicated with wine, and did not know what they were doing. We can hardly determine which was the greater crime, and it was instantly punished.

"And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord."

"Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace."

Aaron felt that the punishment of his sons was just, and he did not murmur at God's will: but he was a father, and he could not speak in answer to Moses.

"And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said."

Levit. x. 9, 10. "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generation; and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean."

Moses commanded Eleazer and Ithamar, the brothers of Nadab and Abihu, not to rend their clothes and uncover their heads,* or show any outward sign of mourning; since the death of their brothers was not a common death, but a punishment sent by God, and was not, therefore, to be publicly mourned, however great their private sorrow might be.

The sacrifices, accordingly, continued; but when they were concluded, Moses found that the part of the sin-offering belonging to the priests, had not been eaten in the court of the Tabernacle, as was appointed, but the whole had been burnt. And he remonstrated with Aaron and his sons, saying, "ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded." But Aaron touchingly replied, “Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering and their peace-offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me; and if I had eaten this sin-offering to-day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?" Aaron repressed his grief, and appeared calm; but he could not take food, or eat of the sacrifice which his sons had died while offering. God never requires us not to feel sorrow in affliction. He only forbids our murmuring at what He sees fit to do, and commands us to trust

Tearing the clothes was a customary sign of mourning with the Israelites, and sometimes they shaved their heads; but "not to uncover their heads" means here, probably, that they were not to take off the turban of linen the priests wore whilst officiating, but to continue their services as usual.

in His goodness, and believe that all is best as He appoints, although we may not see it at the time.

In consequence of the death of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazer, their brother, succeeded to the office of High Priest at Aaron's death.

The Priests were henceforth forbidden to taste wine, before performing their duties in the Tabernacle.

The Israelites had remained nearly a year in the neighbourhood of Mount Sinai, when the cloud was taken up which rested upon the tabernacle, and gave the signal that they were to re-commence their journeyings. Then Moses took the silver trumpets, and, blowing an alarm upon them, the tribe of Judah, followed by Issachar and Zebulun raised their tents, and set forward on their march. These tribes were followed by the Levite families of Gershon and Merari, bearing the curtains and boards of the tabernacle to them succeeded the three tribes from the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; immediately following came the Kohathites, the remaining family of Levites, accompanied by Moses and Aaron, and bearing the sanctuary; the Levites who preceded having thus had time to rear the Tabernacle, before the arrival of the sacred Ark. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin came next, and the rear was brought up with the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

The same order was observed in all the

encampments of the Israelites. Immediately

« PreviousContinue »