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Class-Book of Old Testament History

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<h3> Note.</h3> Three points in reference to Moses deserve attention: (i) His work, (ii) His character, (iii) His office. (i) His work. “The Hebrew lawgiver was a man who, considered merely in an historical light, without any reference to his Divine inspiration, has exercised a more extensive and permanent influence over the destinies of his own nation and mankind at large, than any other individual recorded in the annals of the world.... To his own nation he was chieftain, historian, poet, lawgiver. He was more than all these, he was the founder of their civil existence. Other founders of republics and distinguished legislators have been, like Numa, already at the head of a settled and organized community; or have been voluntarily invested with authority, like Lycurgus and Solon, by a people suffering the inconvenience of anarchy. Moses had first to form his own people, to lead them out of captivity, to train them for forty years in the desert, and bestow on them a country of their own, before he could create his commonwealth.” (ii) His character. “The word meekness (<abbr title="Numbers">Num.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 12">xii.</abbr> 3) which is used in Scripture in reference to his personal character ‘represents what we should now designate by the word disinterested.’ All that is told of him indicates a withdrawal of himself, a preference of the cause of his own nation to his own interests, which makes him the most complete example of Jewish patriotism.” He joins his countrymen in their degrading servitude (<abbr title="Exodus">Ex.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 2">ii.</abbr> 11; <abbr title="chapter 5">v.</abbr> 4); he forgets himself to avenge their wrongs (<abbr title="Exodus">Ex.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 4">iv.</abbr> 13). He wishes that not he only, but all the nation were gifted alike: Enviest thou for my sake? (<abbr title="Numbers">Num.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 11">xi.</abbr> 29.) When the offer is made that the people should be destroyed, and that he should be made a great nation (<abbr title="Exodus">Ex.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 32">xxxii.</abbr> 10), he prays that they may be forgiven—if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written (<abbr title="Exodus">Ex.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 32">xxxii.</abbr> 32). Even when excluded from realizing the hopes of a lifetime, his zeal for his people suffers no diminution. (iii) His office. While other prophets saw Jehovah only in visions and dreams, Moses spake with Him mouth to mouth, and was entrusted with the whole household of God (<abbr title="Hebrews">Heb.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 3">iii.</abbr> 2, 5). He was at once Deliverer, Lawgiver, Priest, Teacher, Leader, and Judge. His prophetic gift controlled, pervaded, inspired, and regulated all these functions, and he was thus an eminent type of a still greater Prophet (<abbr title="Deuteronomy">Deut.</abbr> <abbr title="chapter 18">xviii.</abbr> 15, 18) to be raised up to Israel from among their brethren, (i) as a Redeemer of his people; (ii) as a Mediator between them and God; (iii) as a Teacher and Lawgiver; (iv) as receiving the fullest communications from God; (v) as the Revealer of a new name of God; (vi) as the founder of a new religious society. See Milman’s <cite>History of the Jews</cite>, <abbr title="Book 1">I.</abbr> 214; Article Moses, in Smith’s <cite><abbr title="Biblical Dictionary">Bib. Dict.</abbr></cite>; Kurtz’s <cite>History of the Old Covenant</cite>, <abbr title="Book 3">III.</abbr> 478; Davison <cite>On Prophecy</cite>, <abbr title="pages">pp.</abbr> 110<abbr title="through">–</abbr>112. </blockquote> <hr class="chap_50" /> <h2 class="vm_30 h2head"> BOOK <abbr title="6">VI.</abbr> JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF WESTERN PALESTINE.</h2> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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