THE WANDERINGS IN THE WILDERNESS
THE RED SEA IS LEFT BEHIND AND THE MARCH TO CANAAN IS BEGUN.
The Bitter Water of Marah.
And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called "Marah," that is, bitter.
And the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"
And he cried to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them; and he said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee."
And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the [{192}] congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness: and the children of Israel said unto them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole multitude with hunger."
The Quails and the Manna.
Then said the Lord unto Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."
And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?"
And Moses said unto Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings.'"
RESTING PLACE UNDER THE PALMS AT THE "SPRING OF MOSES" IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
This brackish pool of water with palms growing about it is supposed to be the place of the "bitter waters of Marah" which Moses sweetened for the weary Israelites in their flight, the first stopping place after escaping from Egypt. This place is not far from Suez.
And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, 'At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.'"
And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, "What is it?" for they knew not what it was.
And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, 'Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them which are in his tent.'"
And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. And Moses said unto them, "Let no man leave of it till the morning."
Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun grew hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they [{196}] gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said to them, "This is that which the Lord hath spoken, 'To-morrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake, and boil that which ye will boil; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.'"
And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, "Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day is the sabbath, in it there shall be none."
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to gather, and they found none.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, because the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."
So the people rested on the seventh day. And the house of Israel called the name thereof "Manna": and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
And Moses said, "This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, 'Let an omerful of it be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you [{197}] in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.'"
And Moses said unto Aaron, "Take a pot, and put an omerful of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations."
As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron did. And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they ate the manna, until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.
The Battle with Amalek at Rephidim.
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand."
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah my Banner: and he said, "The Lord hath sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
| THE SONG OF THE MANNA GATHERERS |
Comrades, haste! the tent's tall shading Lies along the level sand, Far and faint: the stars are fading Over the gleaming western strand, Airs of morning Freshen the bleak burning land. Haste, or e'er the third hour glowing With its eager thirst prevail O'er the moist pearls, now bestrowing Thymy slope and rushy vale. . . . . . . . Comrades--what our sires have told us, Watch and wait, for it will come. . . . . . . . Not by manna show'rs at morning Shall our board be then supplied, But a strange pale gold, adorning Many a tufted mountain's side, Yearly feed us, Year by year our murmurings chide. There, no prophet's touch awaiting, From each cool deep cavern start Rills, that since their first creating Ne'er have ceased to sing their part; Oft we hear them In our dreams, with thirsty heart. |
| --John Keble. |
IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI
From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., and used by special permission.
MOSES CLIMBS MOUNT SINAI TO TALK WITH GOD.
The Giving of the Commandments.
In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 'Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.' These are words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."
And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do."
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the foot of the mount. And all Mount Sinai smoked, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. And the [{202}] Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
And God spoke all these words, saying,--
THE COMMANDMENTS.
"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
I.
"Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
II.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love me and keep my commandments.
III.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
IV.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and [{203}] earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
V.
"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
VI.
"Thou shalt not kill.
VII.
"Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII.
"Thou shalt not steal.
IX.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
X.
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, not his manservant, not his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. And they said to Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
And Moses said to the people, "Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not."
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
THE GOLDEN CALF.
Israel Sins Grievously and Is Severely Punished.
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together about Aaron, and said to him, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him."
And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me."
And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received the gold at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, "These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, "To-morrow shall be a feast to the Lord."
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
HILL OF THE GOLDEN CALF (JEBEL AARON) AND ITS MOSLEM TOWER BELOW THE RIDGE OF SINAI
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
A traveler writes: "We started to descend by the gorge on the northeast side of the mountain (Jethro's Path), by which possibly Moses may have descended when he heard the sounds of the camp before he could see what was taking place there. We were completely shut in by the sides of the gorge until just as we emerged near the bottom. There was no sound below for us to hear, but we could readily accept Mr. Palmeston's statement that he had distinctly heard the sounds of his own camp at the foot of the mountain which was entirely hidden from view. If the worship of the golden calf be supposed to have taken place anywhere in the neighborhood of the hill of Aaron this circumstance would be in striking conformity with the several other facts which singularly adapt this place to be the scene of the lawgiving."
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, "Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said, 'These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'"
And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may grow hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation."
And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, why doth thy wrath grow hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'For evil did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, 'I will multiply your family as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your family, and they shall inherit it for ever.'"
And the Lord repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people.
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both sides; on the one side and on [{208}] the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
And he said, "It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear."
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses' anger grew hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?"
And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord grow hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, 'Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.' And I said to them, 'Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off'; so they gave it me: and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."
And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose; for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies: then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoso is on the Lord's side, let him come unto me."
FAMOUS MONASTERY OF SAINT CATHERINE IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT SINAI
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
It was in this monastery that Prof. C. Tischendorf discovered one of the oldest and most valuable manuscripts of the Bible in existence. Tischendorf made three visits to the monastery, in 1844, 1853, and 1859. On the first visit he found forty-three leaves of the manuscript in a wastebasket. Later he found the entire manuscript with the exception of a few pages. It was published by Czar Alexander II in celebration of the first millennium of the Russian Empire. A traveler says, "When on a visit to Mount Sinai in March, 1877, I saw a copy of the magnificent four volume edition in the convent library and mentioned the name of Tischendorf, the sub-prior kindled up in indignation and called him a thief, who had stolen their greatest treasure on the pretext of a temporary loan; and when I reminded him of the large reward of the Emperor of Russia, who had furnished a new silver shrine for the coffin of Saint Catherine, he admitted it reluctantly, but remarked that they did not want the silver, but the manuscript--the manuscript which their monks could not read and were about to throw into the fire."
And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'"
And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. And Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, yea, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day."
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, "Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin."
And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."
And the Lord said to Moses, "Whosover hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sins."
And the Lord smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
THE NEW TABLES OF STONE.
How the Tables Which Had Been Broken Were Replaced.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou brokest.
"And be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me on the top of the mount.
"And no man shall come up with thee; neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount."
And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
And the Lord passed by before him, and a voice said, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth; keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; who will by no means clear the guilty."
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
And he said, "If now I have found favor in thy sight, [{213}] O Lord, let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance."
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
And Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in his hand.
THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS
THE PEOPLE GIVE A FREE-WILL OFFERING TO THE LORD.
And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said unto them, "These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. 'Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.'"
And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, 'Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the Lord's offering; gold, and silver, and brass; and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair; and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood; and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; and onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
"'And let every skilled workman among you come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded; the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; the ark, and the staves [{215}] thereof, the mercy-seat, and the veil of the screen; the table, and its staves, and all its vessels, and the shewbread; the candlestick also for the light, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base; the hangings of the court, the pillars thereof, and their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court; the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords; the finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.'"
And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and brought the Lord's offering, for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all the service thereof, and for the holy garments.
And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought brooches, and earrings, and signet-rings, and armlets, all jewels of gold; even every man that offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.
And every man, who had blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, brought them. Everyone that offered an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering: [{216}] and every man, who had acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
And all the women that were skillful spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, and the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
And all the women who were skillful spun the goats' hair.
And the rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; and the spice, and the oil; for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
The children of Israel brought a freewill offering unto the Lord; every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all the work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
And Moses said unto the children of Israel, "See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; and to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of cunning workmanship. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the [{217}] weaver, even of them that do any workmanship, and of those that devise cunning works."
THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FURNISHINGS.
The Tent.
And every skillful man among them that wrought the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the cunning workman made he them. The length of each curtain was eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains had one measure. And he coupled five curtains one to another: and the other five curtains he coupled one to another. And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the second coupling. Fifty loops made he in the one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain that was in the second coupling: the loops were opposite one to another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps: so the tabernacle was one. And he made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made. The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the breadth of each curtain: the eleven curtains had one measure. And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. And he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which [{218}] was outmost in the second coupling. And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one. And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sealskins above.
And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up. Ten cubits was the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board. Each board had two tenons, joined one to another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle. And he made the boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward; and he made forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty boards, and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part. And there were eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; under every board two sockets. And he made bars of acacia wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. And he made the middle bar to pass through in the midst of the boards from the one end to the other. And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold for places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim the work of the cunning workman made he it. And he made thereunto four pillars of acacia, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver. And he made a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, the work of the embroiderer; and the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold: and their five sockets were of brass.
The Workmen Are Chosen.
"And Bezalel and Oholiab shall work, and every skillful man, in whom the Lord hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord hath commanded."
And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every skillful man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: and they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it. And they brought yet unto him freewill offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they wrought; and they spoke unto Moses, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make."
And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying,--
"Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
The Ark.
And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: and he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a rim of gold to it round about. And he cast for it four rings of gold, in the four feet thereof; two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. And he made staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. And he made a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And he made two cherubim of gold; of beaten work made he them, at the two ends of the mercy seat; one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end: of one piece with the mercy seat made he the cherubim at the two ends thereof. And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.
The Table.
And he made the table of acacia wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereto a rim of gold round about. And he made for it a border of an handbreadth round about, and made a golden rim to the border thereof round about. And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that were on the four feet thereof. Close by the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table. And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table. And he made the vessels which were upon the table, the dishes thereof, and the spoons thereof, and the bowls thereof, and the flagons thereof, to pour out of, pure gold.
The Candlestick.
And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knobs, and its flowers, were of one piece with it: and there were six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof: three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a knob and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a knob and a flower: so for the six branches going out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick were four cups made like almond blossoms, the knobs thereof, and the flowers [{222}] thereof: and a knob under two branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two branches of one piece with it, and a knob under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it. Their knobs and their branches were of one piece with it: the whole of it was one beaten work of pure gold. And he made the lamps thereof, seven, and the tongs thereof, and the snuff-dishes thereof, of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
The Altar of Incense.
And he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, foursquare; and two cubits was the height thereof; the horns thereof were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: and he made unto it a rim of gold round about. And he made for it two golden rings under the rim thereof, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it, for places for staves to bear it withal. And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
The Altar of Burnt Offering.
And he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof, foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
THE TRADITIONAL SPOT ON WHICH MOSES READ THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
The traditional Sinai is bounded on the north by the great plain Er-Rahab out of which it rises precipitately. The northernmost peak is called the "Head of the Willow," probably from a willow tree growing in one of the gullies, and is commonly taken as the place of the giving of the Law. The height of the peak is 6,937 feet. "Now the whole prospect is before us. The vast plain of Er-Rahab, flecked with a few camels and black Arab tents, and capable of holding millions of people all in view of the Mount, gradually slopes away from the eminences where we are."
And he made the horns thereof upon the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of one piece with it: and he overlaid it with brass. And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. And he made for the altar a grating of network of brass, under the ledge round it beneath, reaching halfway up. And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grating of brass, to be places for the staves. And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with brass. And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made it hollow with planks.
And he made the laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women which served at the door of the tent of meeting.
The Court.
And he made the court: for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine linen, an hundred cubits: their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. And for the north side an hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. And for the east side eastward fifty cubits. The hangings for the one side of the gate were [{226}] fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three; and so for the other side: on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. All the hangings of the court round about were of fine linen. And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their capitals of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. And the screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. And their pillars were four, and their sockets four, of brass; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
The Workmen and the Materials.
This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. And Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses. And with him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; an hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them. And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels. And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tent of meeting, and the brazen altar, and the brazen grating for it, and all the vessels of the altar, and the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the gate of the court, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.
The Garments of the Priests.
And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made finely wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and [{228}] in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the cunning workman. They made shoulderpieces for it, joined together: at the two ends was it joined together. And the cunningly woven band, that was upon it, to gird it on withal, was of the same piece and like the work thereof; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And they wrought the onyx stones, inclosed in clasps of gold, graven with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel. And he put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And he made the breastplate, the work of the cunning workman, like the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being double. And they set in it four rows of stones: a row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row. And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in clasps of gold in their settings. And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, for the twelve tribes.
VIEW FROM MOUNT HOR
From an old engraving.
And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue; and the hole of the robe in the midst thereof, as the hole of a coat of mail, with a binding round about the hole of it, that it should not be rent. And they made upon the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and linen. And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the skirts of the robe round about, between the pomegranates; a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about, to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And they made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, and the miter of fine linen, and the goodly turbans of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine linen, and the girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer; as the Lord commanded Moses.
And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like the engravings of a signet, "Holy to the Lord." And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it upon the miter above; as the Lord commanded Moses.
Thus was finished all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
The Work Is Approved.
And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the Tent, and all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, and [{232}] its pillars, and its sockets; and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of sealskins, and the veil of the screen; the ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat; the table, all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread; the pure candlestick, the lamps thereof, even the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for the light; and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door of the Tent; the brazen altar, and its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels, the laver and its base; the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court, the cords thereof, and the pins thereof, and all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; the finely wrought garments for ministering in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
The Tabernacle Is Set Up.
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, "On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and thou shalt screen the ark with the veil. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
FOUR THOUSAND YEARS UNCHANGED PATRIARCHAL LIFE IN PALESTINE TO-DAY
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
The unchanged habits of the East render it in this respect a kind of living Pompeii. The outward appearances, which in the case of the Greeks and Romans we know only through art and writing, through marble, fresco, and parchment, in the case of Jewish history we know through the forms of actual men, living and moving before us, wearing almost the same garb, speaking in almost the same language, and certainly with the same general turns of speech and tone and manners. Such as we see them now, starting on a pilgrimage, or a journey, were Abraham and his brother's son, when they "went forth" to go into the land of Canaan. All their substance that they had "gathered" is heaped high on the backs of their kneeling camels. The slaves that they "had bought in Haran" run along by their sides. Round about them are their flocks of sheep and goats, and the asses moving underneath the towering forms of the camels. The chief is there, amidst the stir of movement, or resting at noon within his black tent, marked out from the rest by his cloak of brilliant scarlet, by the fillet of rope which binds the loose handkerchief round his head, by the spear which he holds in his hand to guide the march, and to fix the encampment. The chief's wife, the princess of the tribe, is there in her own tent, to make the cakes and prepare the usual meal of milk and butter; the slave or the child is ready to bring in the red lentil soup for the weary hunter, or to kill the calf for the unexpected guest
And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle. And thou shalt set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water therein. And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court. And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar shall be most holy. And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and thou shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them: and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. And Moses set up the tabernacle, and laid its [{236}] sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and set up its pillars. And he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark: and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he put the table in the tent of meeting, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the veil. And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. And he lighted the lamps before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil: and he burnt therein incense of sweet spices; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle. And he set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meal offering; as the Lord commanded Moses. And he set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water therein, to wash withal. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat; when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed: as the Lord commanded Moses. And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle [{237}] and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud of the Glory of God in the Tent.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys: but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
| LEAD ME ON |
Traveling to the better land, O'er the desert's scorching sand, Father! let me grasp thy hand; Lead me on, lead me on! When at Marah, parched with heat, I the sparkling fountain greet, Make the bitter water sweet; Lead me on! When the wilderness is drear, Show me Elim's palm-grove near, And her wells, as crystal clear: Lead me on! Through the water, through the fire, Never let me fall or tire, Every step brings Canaan nigher: Lead me on! Bid me stand on Nebo's height, Gaze upon the land of light, Then, transported with the sight, Lead me on! When I stand on Jordan's brink, Never let me fear or shrink; Hold me, Father, lest I sink: Lead me on! When the victory is won, And eternal life begun, Up to glory lead me on! Lead me on, lead me on! |
MOUNT HOREB
From a photograph in the possession of the Forbes Library and used by permission.
