Moses was fully familiar with the locality; and Mount Sinai, where he developed his scheme, he would permit no one to approach. “Take heed to yourself that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it; whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death” ([Ex. xix, 12]). He would brook no nonsense. He kept these poor ignoramuses in constant terror, in constant dread, of his Jehova. These precautions were used, and terrible things threatened, so that no one should intrude upon his privacy on the mountain, and no doubt were necessary in order to secure his success.
We have no clear account of the manner in which these people left Egypt. The population must have numbered close upon three millions. This is entirely omitted. What God said to Moses, and Moses said to God, is continually repeated, but historical facts are wanting. We learn one important fact, however—they did not leave poor. When they departed from Egypt this multitude had to be kept busy, otherwise they would lose confidence in Jehova and in Moses, and relapse into making images.
What kind of a God was this Jehova? In [Ex. xxxi] we find him giving directions about working in brass, silver, gold, furniture, designating who should work at it; but God himself turns stone-mason—in verse 18 we find two tables of Testimony, tables of stone, written by the finger of God. If God had a finger, he had a whole hand. If he had one hand he may have had two. To write needs practice, sight, brain, and all other parts belonging to a man. No doubt, when the tables, etc., were written, it was done by a man.
As to the Ten Commandments, they were not new with Moses. They were a codification of Chaldean and Egyptian laws.
The day of rest was recognized long ago in those slave-making days. It was a principle of economy, power-saving. Six of the Commandments are natural laws and are instinctively obeyed even among lower animals. All other laws were adopted from recognized customs and usages of the people, mostly taken from the Egyptians, with some few alterations, perhaps, suitable to the existing emergency.
When this Republic was founded, there were actually no new laws made, but old laws modified to suit our case; thus the Constitution was framed. Moses did precisely the same thing. The laws were the recognized habits, practices, customs, laws, usages, long established among the nations in that region. And God, or Jehova, had as much to do with the framing of them as he had with the Constitution of this nation.
Leviticus may be truly called the cookery-book of Jehova. Just think of it, that God himself told them what to select and how to cook it. They were instructed to forsake the idols or the images of God, but retained the grosser barbaric practices of sacrificing. The detailed account given of the bill of fare is interesting. For a full description we beg to refer the reader to Leviticus.
Human nature was strong in Moses. He did what any man high in the affairs of a state would do. He installed his own relations into office—first his own tribe, the Levites. These were immediately installed as a permanent bureaucracy, as well as aristocracy. They were the rulers, lawmakers, preachers, doctors, etc. ([Num. i, 47], et seq.). His brother Aaron and his sons were at once installed in the permanent offices. A hereditary aristocracy was established and consecrated as priests of the nation ([Lev. viii]). And the tribe of Levi were also selected to minister unto the priests, Aaron and sons.
The actions of this supposed God are very curious, and even amusing. He assumes so many shades of color, character, and passion, just as a man would under various degrees of excitement, disappointment, and discontent. “Whenever Moses found it necessary to act with promptness and resolution he found it convenient to use his Lord God, Jehova, and usually with excellent effect. But when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebel Moses gives God advice ([Num. xvi, 15]). “And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord: Respect not thou their offering.” He at once suppresses the rebellion with a strong hand and puts an end to it.
Wipe out of the biblical story the dust and cob-webs of superstition and ignorance, cleanse it of the mire and dirt of barbarism, and you find in Moses a man of action, sagacity, and determination; skillful in the arts of war; a man of great will power, energy, and pluck, breaking down all barriers, overcoming all obstacles, conquering all difficulties, in order to secure the final success of his immense undertaking; the creator of Jehova, the great I AM, the maker of God, the leader of a great army, the organizer of a nation, the lawmaker, the lawgiver, the molder and master mind of this great work.