of evolutions series of evolutions, which serve well to illustrate the progress and order of the divine revelation. First comes the account Genesis a series of the miraculous beginning, the cutting, forming, and and of revela making (and y) of Adam's world (Gen. i, 1-ii, 3). tions. This passage is most naturally explained as the supernatural preparation of the heavens and land where the first man appeared. From that geographical and historical beginning we trace a welldefined series of generations (nin). The first series comprises the "generations of the heavens and the land" (ii, 4). The startingpoint is "a day of Jehovah God's making land and heavens," when as yet no plant or herb of the new creation had commenced the processes of growth; no rain had yet fallen, no man to work the soil had yet appeared (ver. 5). It is the morning of the sixth day of the creative week. The whole surface of the ground is watered, and the processes of growth begin (ver. 6). Man is formed () from the dust of the soil, and becomes (7) a living soul by the breath of Jehovah God (ver. 7). His formation is, therefore, conceived as a generation or birth out of the heavens and the land by the breath (p) of God. Then the woman was produced from the man, another step in the process of these generations (ver. 23; comp. 1 Cor. xi, 8). Then follows the narrative of the fall, showing how the first man was from the earth and earthy (1 Cor. xv, 47), and by disobedience lost his original relation to God. The first generations run to violence and crime, and become more and more earthly until Seth is born, and with him the revelation takes a new departure. "The book of the generations of Adam" (v, 1) is not a record of Adam's origin, but of his posterity in the line of Seth. But again the race deteriorates, and the sons of Seth, so much nobler than the Cainites, and other children of Adam, that they are called the sons of God (vi, 2), intermarry with the fair but ignoble daughters of men, and the land is filled with violence. With Noah, who was just and upright, and walked with God (vi, 9), another series of generations takes its departure, and the flood destroys all the rest of men. After the flood God establishes a covenant with Noah (ix, 9), and through him foretells the honour that shall come to the From Noah ondwellings of Shem (ix, 27). But the tendencies of the ward. sons of Noah still appear to be earthy, and their generations are rapidly sketched (x). Shem's line is traced to Terah (xi, 10-26), with whose son, Abram, the c^venant of grace and the promise of unspeakable glory in the after times are set forth in fuller light. The history of Abraham, the friend of God, first exhibits in clear outline the wonderful condescension of Jehovah; he is separated from country and kindred, and disciplined in faith. He receives the covenant of circumcision, and the promise of a seed through whom all nations shall be blessed. Jehovah speaks to him in visions and dreams, and in the person of his angel. Additional revelations come in connexion with Isaac and Ishmael, the generations of Jacob branch out into twelve tribes, and the prophetic blessing of the dying patriarch reveals the outline of their history in after times (Gen. xlix). A progress of It is impossible to trace the record of these ten generations of the Book of Genesis without observing the steady progress of divine revelation. Again and again the history, darkened by the growth of human wickedness, fastens upon a divinely chosen name, and from it takes a new departure. With each new series of generations some new promise is given, or some great purpose of God is brought to light. While the tendency of the race is to grow worse and worse, there appears at the same time the unwavering purpose of the Almighty to choose out and maintain a holy seed. Thus the Book of Genesis is an essential part of the history of redemption. era of revelation. The centuries of Egyptian bondage are rapidly passed over, but The Mosaic leg- the history of the deliverance from Egypt is detailed islation a new with notable fulness. Jehovah's triumph over the gods of Egypt, the establishing of the passover, the journey to Sinai, the giving of the law, the building of the tabernacle, and the entire Mosaic ministry and legislation were the beginnings of a new era. Captious critics, incompetent to grasp the scope and moral grandeur of the Mosaic system, may cavil at some of its enactments, and forget that Moses had to do with a nation of emancipated serfs; but the philosophical historian will ever recognise the Sinaitic legislation as one of the greatest wonders of the world. The Decalogue, sublimely uttered from the mount of God, embodies the substance of all true religion and all sound morality. The construction of the tabernacle, modelled after a divine plan (Exod. xxv, 40), and the order of the Levitical service, most truly symbolize the profoundest conceptions of the curse of sin and the power of God in redemption. Doctrine of God. But, aside from the Decalogue and the symbolism of the Mosaic cultus, how full and comprehensive the doctrinal and moral teachings of the last four books of the Pentateuch. The personality, attributes, nd moral perfections of God are set forth in unspeakably superior form to that of any and all other religious systems of the ancient or modern world. The selfexistence and eternity of God, his holiness, justice, and mercy, his wisdom and his providence, are revealed in many ways. How awfully sublime and yet how gracious that revelation to Moses in the mount, when "Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and called in the name of Jehovah; and Jehovah passed by before him, and called: Jehovah, Jehovah, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in kindness and truth, keeping kindness for thousands, lifting iniquity, and transgression and sin, but in punishing will not let go unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, and upon children of children, upon the third and upon the fourth" (generations). Exod. xxxiv, 5–7. Superior ethi code. Such a revelation would necessarily beget the holiest reverence, and at the same time evince that he was worthy of all love. Hence the commandment, "Thou shalt love cal and civil Jehovah, thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might" (Deut. vi, 5). This doctrine of God furnished the basis of a superior ethical code. The true Israelite was required to guard the morals of his neighbour, and love him as himself. He must not yield to feelings of vengeance, nor hold bitterness in his heart toward any of his brethren (Lev. xix, 17, 18). He must not oppress the poor and the needy, but leave large gleanings for them in his harvest field (Lev. xix, 10). He must not even allow his neighbour's ox or sheep to go astray, but seek to restore them to him as if they were his own (Deut. xxii, 1-3). Even in taking the young of birds for any proper purpose, he must, in kindness and consideration, spare the mother bird. Surely a code which enacted such humane provisions ought never to have been charged with barbarous severity.' Its severest penalties were grounded in the highest expediency,' and ample securities were provided against injustice and capricious acts of power. While the governments of all the great nations of that age were despotic and largely barbarous, that of the Mosaic legislation was essentially republican. The Pentateuch holds the same relation to the subsequent books 1 See Sewall, Humaneness of the Mosaic Code, Bib. Sacra for 1862, pp. 368–384. 2 Barrows observes: " The attitude of the Mosaic economy toward the Gentile nations was indeed severe, but it was the severity of love and goodwill. It had for its object not their destruction, but a speedier preparation of the way for the advent of Christ, in whom the promise, 'In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,' was to find its fulfilment.”—Missionary Spirit of the Psalms and Prophets. Bib. Sacra for 1860, p. 459. 3 See the excellences of the Mosaic legislation elaborately set forth by Michaelis, Commentaries on the Laws of Moses (Eng. Trans. by Smith, 4 vols., Lond., 1814); Warburton, The Divine Legation of Moses; Graves, on the Four Last Books of the Pentateuch (Lond., 1850). Old Testament of the Old Testament that the gospels hold to the rest of the New The Pentateuch Testament. It contains in some form the substance of fundamental to all the Old Testament revelation, but it intimates in revelations. many a passage that other revelations will be given. It assumes that a great and glorious future is awaiting the chosen nation, and indicates the ways by which the glories may be realized. At the same time it warns against the possibility of lamentable failure. The entire system of Mosaic laws, moral, civil, and ceremonial, was wisely adapted to train the Israelitish nation, and served as a schoolmaster to prepare them and the world for the reception of the Gospel of Christ. So far was Moses from regarding his work as final in the training of Israel, that he announced by the word of Jehovah that another prophet should arise, to whom divine revelations would be given, and whom the people should obey (Deut. xviii, 15–19). The last words of the great lawgiver are full of warning, of promise, and of prophecy (Deut. xxix-xxxiii). After the death of Moses Joshua received his divine commission to carry forward the great work of establishing Israel continued after in the land of promise. Jehovah spoke to him as he did to Moses (Josh. i, 1; iii, 7; iv, 1). He also revealed himself in the person of his angel (Josh. v, 13), and in all the history of the conquest and settlement of Canaan, Jehovah spoke as frequently and familiarly with Joshua as he had done with Moses. In the dark times of the Judges God left himself not without prophetic witness. Revelations came to Deborah and Gideon and Manoah. At length Samuel arose when prophecy was rare in Israel (1 Sam. iii, 1), and in his day the schools of the prophets appear (1 Sam. x, 5; xix, 20). When David became king of all Israel, the promise and prophecy of the Messiah assumed a fuller form. Revelation Moses. Psalter. The word which came to the king through Nathan the prophet (2 Sam. vii, 4-17) was the germ of the Messianic psalms, and the Theology of the entire collection of lyrics, which constitutes the Hebrew psalter, is an invaluable index of the highest religious thought and feeling of Israel in the times of David and later. The Messianic hope is enhanced by a variety of conceptions: he is the anointed King in Zion, declared to be the very Son of Jehovah (Psa. ii); he is a reigning Lord, who is at the same time a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Psa. cx); his majesty and grace are extolled above all the sons of men (Psa. xlv); but he is also a sufferer, crying out as if forsaken of God, while his enemies deride him and cast lots for his vesture (Psa. xxii); he even sinks into the grave, but exults in hope and confidence that he shall not see corruption (Psa. xvi). The doctrine of God is also set forth in the psalter in new force and beauty. He is Lord of earth and sea and heavens, ruling on high and beholding all; the almighty Preserver, the omnipresent Spirit, infinitely perfect in every moral excellence; tender, compassionate, long-suffering, marvellous in mercy, and yet terrible in his judgments, fearful in holiness, ever vindicating the truth; he is the absolute and eternal God, the fountain of life and of light. The guardianship of angels (Psa. xxxiv, 7; xci, 11) and the hope of a blissful immortality (xvii, 15) were not wanting in the psalmist's faith. The doctrines of redeeming grace, of pardon from sin, of cleansing from guilt; the hidden life of trust; the personal approach of the worshipper into closest fellowship with God; the joy and gladness of that fellowship, and the probationary discipline of the saints, are doctrines which find manifold expression in the hymn book of the Israelitish people.' The age of Solomon was the golden age of the proverbial philosophy of the Hebrews. The Book of Proverbs repre- The Solomonic sents the Old Testament doctrines of practical wisdom Proverbial Phi(pp), and is the great textbook of biblical ethics. It losophy. brings out in fuller form and in a great variety of precepts the ethical principles embodied in the Mosaic law. It has to do with practical life, and so serves, at the right stage in the progress of the divine revelation, to exalt that human element in which pure religion necessarily finds some of its most beautiful manifestations. "The Book of Proverbs," says Stanley, "is not on a level with the Prophets or the Psalms. It approaches human things and things divine from quite another side. It has even something of a worldly, prudential look, unlike the rest of the Bible. But this is the very reason why its recognition as a sacred book is so useful. It is the philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does not despise common sense and discretion. It impresses upon us, in the most forcible manner, the value of intelligence and prudence, and of a good education. The whole strength of the Hebrew language, and of the sacred authority of the book, is thrown upon these homely truths. It deals, too, in that refined, discriminating, 1 "This book," says Calvin, "not unreasonably, am I wont to style an anatomy of all parts of the soul, for no one will discover in himself a single feeling whereof the image is not reflected in this mirror. All griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, and anxieties—in short, all the tumultuous agitations wherewith the minds of men are wont to be tossed-the Holy Ghost hath here represented to the life. The rest of Scripture contains the commands which God gave to his servants to be delivered unto us. But here the prophets themselves, holding converse with God, inasmuch as they lay bare all their inmost feelings, invite or impel every one of us to self-examination, that of all the infirmities to which we are liable, and all the sins of which we are so full, none may remain hidden."-Commentary on the Psalms, Preface. |