SECTION IX.

ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS-WANT OF WATER-MARAH-ELIM-WANT OF FOOD -MANNA PROMISED-SABBATH-QUAILS-DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNA-REGULATIONS FOR COLLECTING IT-POT OF MANNA TO BE LAID UP FOR A MEMORIAL.

THE Israelites were now delivered from this formidable enemy; but they were in a wide and howling wilderness. The name of that part of the wilderness into which they now had entered, was Shur. And having marched three days without finding water, at length they came to Marah, where they found water, but it was bitter, hence the name given to the place. The people began now to manifest their rebellious disposition, for they murmured against Moses and said, "What shall we drink? And when Moses cried unto the Lord, he showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, they were made sweet. And leaving Marah they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees, and they encamped there by the waters."

At some of these stages they must have continued a number of days, as on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing from the land of Egypt, they arrived at their next resting place, which was in the wilderness of Sin, on the way from Elim to Sinai. The provisions which they had brought with them from Egypt being exhausted, the people began to be in want; and regretted that they had ever left the flesh-pots of Egypt, where they did eat bread to the full; and they murmured against Moses, who constantly had recourse to the Lord for help. And he said, "I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate 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." This is the first clear intimation which we have in Scripture of the observance of the Sabbath after its institution; and the mention of it is made in that familiar manner, which would induce us to think, that it was no new thing and there was nothing in the circumstances of the people which could be a reason for setting apart the seventh day of the week, at this time, as a day of rest. To overawe the agitated people, and to reprove their wicked murmurings, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. What that appearance was, which is called THE GLORY OF THE LORD, we cannot certainly tell; but it was doubtless a very bright appearance; but whether there was seen, on these occasions, any person in the form of man, cannot be gathered from the sacred record. But the Lord not only promised to furnish bread for this great

congregation, but flesh also; the latter was first given: "For in the evening the quails came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." And when the dew disappeared the people saw "a small round thing, as small as the hoar-frost, on the ground." "And when they saw it, they said, manna-what is it?" And thus this extraordinary bread received its name. They were now directed by Moses to go out and gather, every one for himself; and when they brought it in to be measured with an omer, "He that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack they gathered, every man according to his eating." Moses had given strict orders, that no portion of the manna should remain until the morning, but the people disobeyed his voice, and kept of it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank; and he was much displeased. Every morning they gathered what was necessary for that day; except that on the sixth day, they collected double the usual quantity, namely, two omers for one man. And Moses said unto them, "To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you, to be kept until the morning; and that which was laid up on the sixth day did not stink; neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, eat this 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, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none." Notwithstanding these plain directions, some of the people went to gather on the seventh day and found none. This perverseness occasioned another exhortation respecting the observation of the Sabbath, "See, for 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.' That is, no man was permitted to go out to collect food on the Sabbath; but this did not prohibit them from going out to worship; or even to lead their ox or ass to watering; or to relieve the sick and afflicted. "So the people rested on the seventh day." The appearance of the manna was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers made with honey. In order that future generations might have a memorial and sensible evidence of this extraordinary and long continued miracle, Moses directed the people to fill an omer with the manna, and to put it up before the Lord. This command seems to have been anticipated, here; for it is said that Moses and Aaron laid it up before the TESTIMONY to be kept: but the ark of the testimony in which the manna was deposited, did not yet exist. The command, however, might have been given now,

and the execution of it deferred until this depository was prepared for its preservation.

SECTION X.

REBELLION OF THE PEOPLE AT REPHIDIM FOR WANT OF WATER-THE ROCK SMITTEN -THE PEOPLE ASSAILED BY THE AMALEKITES-JOSHUA DEFEATS THEM.

THIS miraculous bread that fell from heaven, was the sustenance of this great multitude of people, not merely for a day, or a week, or a month, or a single year; but for forty years.

From the wildernesss of Sin, the people journeyed again, and came to Rephidim; and here a new distress began to be experienced. They were supplied with bread, and had received an abundant feast of flesh; but now water failed. Never was there a more rebellious, discontented people than those whom Moses was now conducting through the wilderness; and whatever disaster was experienced, the blame was cast upon him, who had no more power to prevent it, than any other man. Instead of humbly crying to God for a supply of water, which they had every encouragement to do, with confidence, they began to chide with Moses; and said, "Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said, Why chide you with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?" But they continued to murmur against him, saying, "Wherefore is this, that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children, and our cattle, with thirst?" The clamour against him, on this occasion, was so violent, that when Moses cried to the Lord for help, he said, "What shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me." By this time, the host of Israel had approached the mount of Horeb, a part of the range of Sinai; and the Lord commanded Moses to take with him the elders of Israel, and go and stand on the rock of Horeb, and to smite the rock with the rod with which he at first smote the river, when its waters were turned to blood. And Moses did according to the word of the Lord, in the sight of the elders of Israel; and the name of the place was called Massah and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord: the latter of these names signifies chiding, and the former, temptation. Among other impious things, they said, "Is the Lord among us or not?" And now a new calamity befell them. "Amalek came and fought with them at Rephidim." And Moses said to Joshua, "choose out men, and go and fight with Amalek. To-morrow, I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. So Joshua fought with Amalek; and Moses, and

Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And when Moses held up his hand, then 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 one 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 the Lord said unto Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it JEHOVAH-NISSI; that is, JEHOVAH MY BANNER. Because the Lord had sworn that he would have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

Where the Amalekites now dwelt is unknown; long after this they are found inhabiting the south part of the land of Canaan. Saul, the first king of Israel, lost the divine favour by neglecting to execute the divine vengeance on this nation.

Here also we have the first notice of a man more famous than all others after Moses, for the frequent and familiar intercourse which he had with God, and for the wonderful works which he was enabled to perform. It may be asserted that Joshua was the witness of more stupendous miracles than any man who ever lived upon earth. At this time, though appointed commander-in-chief of the armies of Israel, he must have been quite a young man, and is so called, after this time.

Although Moses represented to Pharaoh that he wished to go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices unto Jehovah; yet no favourable opportunity seems to have occurred for this service, until after the defeat of the Amalekites. Moses then, for the first time, as far as appears, erected an altar; and no doubt offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings; for an altar has no other use than for sacrifices. The name given to it seems to relate to the victory just achieved, by the help of the Lord, and to the oath that there should be unceasing war with Amalek. THE LORD IS MY BANNER, was a fit device to be inscribed on the standard of Joshua, who was the instrument of the Almighty in destroying a great multitude of people.

SECTION XI.

JETHRO'S VISIT TO MOSES-HIS WISE COUNSEL-INSTITUTION OF OFFICERS-JETHRO RETURNS HOME.

WHILE Israel was encamped at Mount Horeb, Jethro, fatherin-law to Moses, having heard how he had brought the people out of Egypt, came unto him, with Zipporah his wife, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, whom Moses, after starting with them to Egypt, sent back again, as has already been related. This must have been a most gratifying visit to Moses; and, therefore, as soon as it was announced that his father-in-law had arrived, "he went out to meet him, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel; whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. Jethro appears to have been eminently devout as well as wise; for on hearing the narrative of Moses, he was so excited, that he burst forth in praises to God, saying, "Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. And Jethro," who was a priest, "took burnt-offerings and sacrifices for God;" and as it was customary every where, to feast on the remains of such sacrifices, as were not entirely consumed upon the altar, Aaron and the elders of Israel came and "eat bread with Moses' father-in-law, before God;" that is, at the altar, where offerings had just been made to God.

When Jethro observed how the people came to Moses with their causes and disputes from morning until evening, and that he had no assistance, and no relaxation from the severe duties of the judgment-seat, he found fault with his arrangements, and told him that at this rate he would wear out both himself and the people; "For," said he, "this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, and I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all seasons. And it shall be that every great matter they shall