[155] Exod. 8. 15, 32; 9. 34; 10. 3, 7.
Thirdly, as to God's sanctioning wicked customs. The most important is that of human sacrifice; but it is very doubtful whether the passages relied on do sanction this custom;[156] since it is clearly laid down elsewhere that the firstborn of men are never to be sacrificed, but are always to be redeemed.[157] Moreover human sacrifices among other nations are strongly condemned, in one passage Jehovah expressly saying that they were not to be offered to Him.[158] It is, however, further urged that we have two actual instances of such sacrifices in regard to Isaac and Jephthah.[159] But Jephthah had evidently no idea when he made his vow that it would involve the sacrifice of his daughter; and there is nothing to show that it was in any way acceptable to God.
[156] Exod. 22. 29, 30; Lev. 27. 28, 29.
[157] Exod. 13. 13; 34. 20; Num. 18. 15.
[158] Deut. 12. 31.
[159] Gen. 22; Judg. 11. 39.
In the case of Isaac we have the one instance in which God did order a human sacrifice; but then He specially intervened to prevent the order from being carried out. And the whole affair, the command and the counter-command, must of course be taken together. It was required to test Abraham's faith to the utmost, therefore as he most valued his son, he was told to offer him. And since children were then universally regarded as property, and at the absolute disposal of their parents, human sacrifices being by no means uncommon, the command, however distressing to his heart, would have formed no difficulty to his conscience. But when his faith was found equal to the trial, God intervened, as He had of course intended doing all along, to prevent Isaac from being actually slain.
With regard to the other practices, such as slavery, and polygamy, it is undisputed that they were recognised by the Jewish laws; but none of them were instituted by these laws. The Pentateuch neither commands them, nor commends them; it merely mentions them, and, as a rule, to guard against their abuse. Take, for instance, the case of slavery. The custom was, and had been for ages, universal. All that the laws did was to recognise its existence and to provide certain safeguards; making kidnapping, for instance, a capital offence, and in some cases ordering the release of slaves every seventh year.[160]
[160] Exod. 21. 2, 16; Lev. 25. 41.
On the other hand, many worse customs existed at the time which the Jewish laws did absolutely forbid;[161] and they also introduced a code of morals, summed up in the Decalogue, of such permanent value that it has been practically accepted by the civilised world. While the highest of all virtues, that of doing good to one's enemies, which was scarcely known among other nations, is positively enjoined in the Pentateuch.[162]