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Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, the land of Canaan, but they shall all die in the wilderness; but unto their children I shall give it for an inheritance. After the number of the days in which the land was searched, ye shall atone for your iniquities forty years, and wander about in the desert. Only Joshua and Caleb, because they have clung faithfully to me, they shall come into the promised land." Moses communicated these words to the people, and they mourned greatly.

Shortly before the close of these forty years, the Israelites came into the wilderness of Zin, where Miriam died and was buried.

$ 39. MOSES' FAREWELL ADDRESS TO HIS PEOPLE. HIS DEATH. [Deuteronomy i.-xxxv.]

When the forty years were drawing to their close, and the time approached that Moses was to die, he assembled the whole people, and publicly and solemnly admonished them never to depart from the law of God. "Ye shall add nothing to it," he continued, "nor diminish aught from it, but observe the commandments of the Eternal your God. For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say: 'SURELY THIS GREAT NATION IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.' For what nation is there so great, to which God is nigh, as the Lord our God in all things for which we call unto him? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all these laws, which I set before you this day? Therefore, forget not what ye have heard and seen, but relate it unto your children, and your children's children. Specially remember the day that ye stood before God on Sinai, where the Lord spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire and the clouds. For ask of the days that are past, whether there hath ever been a people that heard the voice of God as ye have heard; or whether God hath ever chosen for himself a nation like yourselves, by so

many wonders, and by war, and by so mighty a hand? Thou hast seen it, that thou mightest know: THE LORD BE YOUR GOD, AND THERE IS NONE BESIDES HIM! The Lord hath chosen you, not because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Eternal loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers. And forget not the way which He led you these forty years, and gave you bread to eat, and water to drink in the wilderness. Behold! the heaven and the heaven of heavens are the Lord's thy God, and the earth also with all that therein is, and yet He hath chosen you to be His peculiar people. Therefore, be no more stiff-necked. The Lord your God is Lord of Lords, a great God, mighty and terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward; who doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, a blessing, if you obey the commandments of God, and a curse, if you do not obey." And Moses said furthermore to the children of Israel: "I am hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in. Joshua, he shall henceforth be your leader. Fear not, the Lord will ever watch over you: He will not fail you, nor forsake you." Moses then called unto Joshua, and said unto him, in the sight of all Israel: "Be strong and of good courage. Thou shalt bring this people into the promised land, and divide it among the tribes. Fear not, nor be dismayed; the Lord will be with thee, He will not forsake thee." Hereupon Moses delivered the book of the law, which he had written, unto the priests, and said to them: "Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and at the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, on the Feast of Tabernacles, ye shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing." Having closed this speech, Moses recited a song which he had written, and left it to the Israelites for a memento, took leave from the tribes of his people, blessed them, and went up from the plains of Moab to the Mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. There the Eternal

showed him the whole land of Canaan, and said: "This is the land which I have sworn unto the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither." The sight of the beautiful land filled the soul of the great prophet with delight; he thanked God for the love shown unto his people, closed his eyes, and fell asleep to awake in the promised land of eternity. Such is the death of the champion of Virtue; his last thoughts are engaged with the happiness of his beloved ones his last wish is the salvation of mankind.

Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural strength abated. There arose no other prophet like Moses, who knew God so clearly, and to whom God so often and so manifestly revealed Himself. He was buried in the valley near the mountain where he died, but no man knows the place of his grave, even to this day.

IV.

ISRAEL AS A NATION.
A. Joshua.-The Judges.

§ 40 JOSHUA. THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN. [The Book of Joshua i.] 2533 A.M.

God's promise to give the Israelites the land of Canaan, was now brought to its fulfillment. After the death of Moses, God said to Joshua, the disciple and chosen successor of the great prophet, and who was a better warrior than his master: "My servant Moses is dead; now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I give to you. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. Be strong and of good courage, aud let this book of the law not depart from thy mouth; do not depart from the law of Moses, either to the right hand or to the left; then thou shalt have success in all that thou undertakest." Joshua at once made ready, together with his people to march upon Canaan. Prudent as he was, he sent, before he marched forth, two men as spies into the land, to survey it. When they returned with favorable and encouraging reports, he broke up with his people to invade Canaan. On the opposite side of Jordan he erected a monument of twelve stones, in commemoration of his happy passage over the river, and then continued his march towards Jericho. Jericho was SO strongly fortified, that no one could go in or come out. But God gave this city into the hands of the Israelites without battle; its inhnbitants were put to death, and all their silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron were consecrated unto God. Achan, who had secretly taken

some of the booty to himself, was stoned to death for this trespass.

The Israelites then marched upon Ai and captured also this city. After the capture of Ai, Joshua erected an altar on Mount Ebal, and read the whole law before the people. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not fulfill. The Levites spoke with a loud voice before all the people: "Cursed be the man that maketh any idol and worshipped it!" and all the people said, "Amen!" "Cursed be he that disgraceth his father or mother!" and all the people said: "Amen!" "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's land-mark!" and the whole people said, "Amen!" "Cursed be he that maketh the blind to lose his way!" and all the people said, "Amen!" "Cursed be the man that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless and the widow!" and all the people said, "Amen!"

Hereupon, the war, which the Israelites carried on with great courage and bravery, was continued seven years, during which they conquered thirty small kingdoms. The inhabitants of Canaan, with whom God was greatly displeased on account of their sins and idolatry, resisted in vain with all the strength of despair; they were defeated, and either fell during the contest, or were compelled to flee and seek another home. The small tribe of the Gibeonites escaped by a cunning stratagem. Some men with torn shoes and mouldy bread appeared before Joshua, describing themselves as coming from a far distant country, and imploring him to make a treaty of peace with them. Joshua, regarding their garments and whole conduct as a confirmation of their words, unhesitatingly complied with their request, and concluded with them a treaty of peace. But soon he found that he had been imposed upon, those men proving to have been sent by the Gibeonites. Nevertheless, he did not treat them as enemies, but kept his oath sacred. Moreover, when the Gibeonites were attacked by five neighboring princes, the Israelites, faithful to their treaty, came to their aid, and defeated their enemies.

Joshua made also arrangements with the view of preserving the ceremonial observances connected with divine worship, as prescribed by the law of Moses. He intro

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