SEPTEMBER 11. 1881. Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. Lauke 10:23-3%. KEY-NOTE: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that Rom. 10; 14. believeth." Gal, 3:16-22, LESSON XXXVII. Idolatry Punished.-Exod. xxxii. 26-35. 26. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. 28. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people about three thousand men. 29. For Moses bad said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. 30. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a What is our key-note to-day? Gospel? What the Epistle? note express the theme of both? pray for in the Collect? great sin and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold mine angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. 35. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made. QUESTIONS. What is the Does the keyWhat do we What is the subject of our lesson to-day? Wherein did this idolatry consist? Verses 1-6. Who made this calf? Who first proposed the making of gods? In doing so, did they mean to forsake Jehovah? Why then did they do this? Where was Moses at the time? Exod. xxiv. 18. What was he doing there? How long had he been there? Of what material was the calf made? Whence did the gold come? Would they have been so free to offer these things, if the object had been a good one? Do people ever make more sacrifices for false religions than for the true? Do In making and worshipping the golden calf, did the children of Israel mean to commit idolatry? What then was their design? Why did they want a symbol of Jehovah? Against which commandment then did they sin? people now ever sin against this commandment in the same way? How did the Lord judge of this conduct of Israel? Verse 8. What did He propose to Moses? Vers. 9-10. What did Moses do then? Vers. 11-13. Was his prayer granted? Ver. 14. What did he do afterwards? Vers. 15-18. When Moses came to the camp, what did he do with the calf? What did he say to Aaron? What did Aaron answer? VERSES 26-29. Why did Moses stand in the gate? What was the condition of the people? Ver. 25. What did Moses say? Who then were gathered to him? What orders did he give them? Was this a command to commit deliberate murder? What then was its meaning? In the fight which followed, how many of the people were slain? How was this a consecra tion of themselves to the Lord? VERSE 30. What did Moses say on the morrow? In what did this sin consist? Did they regard it as a sin? Have men a right to make or change divine ordinances? But what does Moses propose to do? What is meant by atone ment? 1. Vain are the hopes, the sons of men On their own works have built; Their hearts, by nature, all unclean, And all their actions guilt. 2. Let Jew and Gentile stop their mouths, NOTES. The parable of the Good Samaritan, in the Gospel for this day, spoken in answer to the lawyer's question, "Who is my neighbor?" is generally regarded as a representation of Christ, coming to the rescue of the suffering sinner, who has found no saving help in the law, represented by the priest and Levite passing by on the other side. The epistle contains a discussion of the relation of the law to the promise, showing that righteousness comes not by the law, but by the promise, which the former only serves to reveal. The theme of both Gospel and Epistle, we think, is well expressed in our key note (from Rom. x. 4), the sentiment of which forms the fundamental tone also of the Collect. When Moses, who had thus far been the immediate representative of Jehovah among the people of Israel, had been for forty days in the burning, smoking, quaking mount, receiving and recording visions of the tabernacle and of the forms of Israel's future worship, the people, supposing him to have perished, and desiring some visible representation or image of Jehovah in their midst, said to Aaron, who was next to Moses in authority, but who could by no means fill the place of the latter, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us. It should be understood once for all that, in making this demand, the people did not propose to abandon Jehovah, or to introduce other gods besides Him, but desired simply to have a visible representation or symbol of Jehovah, by means of which they might the better commune with Him. In order to answer this demand, Aaron required the people to bring him the jewels (golden ear-rings) which belonged to the women and children. This sacrifice was made with an alacrity that would probably not have shown itself if the object had been a good one. Somehow people are ever more ready to make sacrifices for the benefit of false religions than for the benefit of the true. If Christian people were to contribute as much for the support of their religion, as the heathen contribute for the support of theirs, the ministers of the Gospel would never need to be beggars, as many of them are now said to be. So again, people are ever more disposed to lavish money upon themselves, their dress, jewels and luxuries, those dear idols of the natural heart, than to spend it for the glory of God. In this respect then the Israelites were not singular. Nor again were they singular in another respect. For let it be remembered that in making this golden calf and worshipping before it, they did not mean to commit idolatry. It was not the calf they meant to worship, but Jehovah by means of the calf. "To-morrow is a feast to Jehovah," they said. But Jehovah desired no such worship, but had forbidden it in the second commandment. It was against this commandment therefore, which requires us to worship God in the way of His own. appointment, that the Israelites sinned. They felt rightly that they needed some visible means of holding communion with Jehovah; but Jehovah had already granted them that in the altar (Exod. xx. 24), and Moses was now up in the mountain copying the pattern of the tabernacle and of the order of worship in which they were to engage afterwards. Their act was, therefore, an introduction of an order of will-worship, derived in form from the Egyptian worship of the ox (Apis), which in time would inevitably have degenerated in Egyptian idolatry. But what was that more than many Christian people are doing, when they substitute their own modern inventions for the old economy of the Gospel? When pictures are put in the place of God's word "as books for the laity," when the "mourners' bench" is made to take the place of all divinely appointed means of grace, and when people desert the house of God for the disorderly mob of the campmeeting, all this is only another way of worshipping the calf. God judged of this act of Israel, not according to its pretended purpose, but according to its inevitable tendency. "Thy people have corrupted themselves," He said to Moses, "and have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it." God proposes even to destroy the people, and to make a great nation of Moses. But Moses, after, by means of a prayer in which he appeals to Jehovah's covenant oath, he had obtained at least a conditional pardon, came down from the mountain in order to cleanse the ship of the calf; for in that case Aaron people from their sin. His wrath was himself, along with most of the Levites, kindled when he approached the camp would have been involved in the senand heard the noise of revelry that tence. We cannot imagine Moses coolly went up from the disorderly mob danc- standing there, and commanding the ing around the calf. First of all he Levites to go out and commit indisdestroyed the calf, burning it, and re- criminate slaughter among an unresistducing it to powder, and throwing it ing, thoroughly frightened people. The into the brook from which the people thing was not done with the formality had to drink. But how can gold be re- with which it is recorded. There was a duced to ashes? By chemical solvents, row in the camp, a fight of opposing facit has been answered. But we doubt tions; and before it was quelled and whether Moses was so much of a chem- the authority of Moses fully restored, ist as to do that, even if we could sup- about three thousand men were slain. pose that he had the means at com- For Moses had said, &c. This verse is mand. The whole case becomes clear obscure; but whatever the consecration by supposing the calf to have consisted may mean, it was something that came of a frame-work of wood, which was after the fight and not before; for the simply overlaid with gold. Aaron's translation should read, "And Moses answer to the stern question of Moses, said," instead of " For Moses had said." "What did this people do unto thee, Perhaps the meaning is simply: "Conthat thou hast brought so great a sin secrate yourselves to the service of Jeupon them," is naive to a degree that hovah, every man along with his son," makes it ludicrous (the comic act in this &c. It certainly cannot mean that solemn tragedy): "they gave me the they were to consecrate themselves by gold; then I cast it into the fire, and slaying their sons, &c. That would there came out this calf;" as if he had have been something worthy of a prohad no agency in determining its shape phet of Moloch, but not of one who at all! professed to get his inspiration from Jehovah. VERSES 26-29. Moses stood in the gate of the camp. Somewhere at the VERSE 30. Ye have sinned a great outskirts of the camp: perhaps because sin, i. e., in making this calf as a symat the moment it was not safe to ven- bol of Jehovah, and offering sacrifices ture any farther among the people. before it, all of which was contrary to The people were in a state of mutiny. the law of Jehovah. Now it must be The word translated naked in the pre- remembered, that at the time the peoceding verse means unbridled, un- ple did this, they did not regard it as a checked, unruly. Moses seeing that the sin at all. Nevertheless in the sight of people were in a state of insubordina- God it is a great sin. Men have no tion, or of unchecked, uncontrolled dis- right either to make or to change diorder, stood in the gate of the camp. vine ordinances. The form in which All was excitement and confusion; and ordinances are to be administered may Moses' object was to restore order by change, for that is subject to the changrestoring his own authority. Who is on ing tastes and conditions of men; but the Lord's side, let him come unto me. such change must not amount to the The people were divided in regard to substitution of a calf for what God has the propriety of what had been done, appointed. Atonement. The word is most of them probably inclining to the here used in the sense of expiation, opinion that it was all right, and being which was generally made by means of ready also to maintain their opinion a sacrificial offering, which was supwith their clubs and swords. Still posed to cover sin in the sight of God, there were many also who were better and thus procure pardon for the ofdisposed, among whom were particularly the Levites, to whose tribe Moses VERSES 31-32. These verses contain and Aaron belonged. Put every man Moses' intercessory prayer. This prayer his sword by his side, &c. This was not consists first of a confession, and secan order for a judicial execution of ondly, of two petitions. If thou wilt those who had participated in the wor-forgive their sins. The sentence is in fender. complete, and in order to complete the sense we must add: "I ask nothing more," or something of similar import. And if not, i. e., if thou wilt not forgive. A hint that in prayer we should not presume to force the divine will to our desires. Blot me .. out of thy book. The figure is derived from the family register, in which the names of the family are recorded. To blot out of God's book is to cut off from the household and fellowship of God. Moses is not willing to be substituted for his people; nay, He is even willing to forfeit his covenant privileges, if that shall be of any advantage to his people. VERSES 33-35 Whosoever hath sinned him will I blot out. God will not punish one person for the sins of another, and least of all can He accept satisfaction from one for the sins of another. Though He may visit the sins of one generation upon another, yet the suffering which is thus entailed upon the latter cannot make atonement for the former. Moral guilt, like merit, is a quality inseparable from a person, and cannot be transferred from one to another. These principles apply even to the idea of atonement as finished in Christ. Unless the sinner becomes one with Christ in such way that Christ's righteousness shall become his righteousness, that righteousness avails him nothing. Therefore now go, &c. The petition of Moses is granted in so far that the threatened punishment is at least suspended. The people are to be led into Canaan, but their sin also is to be visited and punished. Mine angel shall go before thee. Either the pillar of cloud and fire, or some kind of providential agency employed for their guidance. The Lord plagued the people, that is, visited their sins. Had this been their last trangression, they might have obtained full pardon and been permitted to enter into the land of promise. But afterwards they added fresh transgressions; and because of these they were punished also for "the debt which had been forgiven" (Matt. xviii. 27, 34), and were destroyed in the wilderness. PRIVATE PRAYER.-"This day," said Philip Henry, in a note in his diary, "my new closet was consecrated, if I may say so, with this prayer-that all the prayers that ever should be made in it according to the will of God, morning, evening and at noonday, ordinary or extraordinary, might be accepted of God, and obtain a gracious answerAmen." It was the caution and advice he frequently gave to his children and friends: "Be sure to look to your secret duty; keep that up, whatever you do. The soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it. It is secret trading that enriches the Christian." He observes that "apostasy generally begins at the closet door." A HINT TO TEACHERS.-Do not be careless about your appearance, when you come before your class. For, though to be scrupulously tidy about the minutiae of your dress may seem to be a little thing, the target conspicuous enough for a scholar's notice is not too small for your aim. That girl in your class has eyes sharp as a squirrel's. She is quick as a mirror to catch impressions, and worse than indelible ink for retaining them. The teacher's dress is an object-lesson for those squirrel eyes, and it will be studied when the International may be slighted. Do not forget that you are holding up a picture every Sabbath, and the picture will be copied.-S. S. Journal. THE NIGHT-BELL OF PRAYER. "Pull the night-bell." This is the inscription we often see written on the door-post of the shop in which medicines are sold. Some of us have had our experiences with night-bells, when sudden illness has overtaken some member of our households, or when the sick have rapidly grown worse. How have we hurried through the silent streets, when only here and there a light glimmered from some chamber-window! eagerly have we pulled the night-bell at our physician's door; and then, with prescription in hand, have sounded the alarm at the place where the remedy was to be procured. Those of us who have had these lonely midnight walks, and have given the summons for quick relief, know the meaning of that Bibletext, "Arise, cry out in the night!". Dr. Cuyler. How SEPTEMBER 18. 1881. Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. Lacke 17:11-18. KEY-NOTE: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 71 وند LESSON XXXVIII. " Gal. 5;16-24. даво Examples for Us.-1 Cor. x. 1-11. 4th " ye ers igh the t; ual ock rist. vell the to ags, ESTIONS ith the Portsover. 9.th the shed sea, 10th The Manna. 12. 14th. Now! - Examples for us. 13th Idolatry punishedThe commandmento. the the commandmen De What meat VERSE 5. With whom was God not well VERSE 6. What things were our examples? What is meant by examples? What is the aim of these examples? Can you give an instance of such lusting on the part of the Israelites? Num. xi. 4. Is the Christian ever in danger of this sin? VERSE 7. What event in the history of Israel is referred to in this verse? Exod. xxxii. 1-6. Did the people on that occasion mean to commit idolatry? Were the Corinthian Christians in danger of sinning in the same way? VERSE 8. What is meant by fornication here? What event in the history of Israel is referred to here? Num. xxv. 1-9. Who was the instigator of that seduction? Of what should this be a warning to us? VERSE 9. What is the meaning of tempting in this verse? Whom are we not to tempt? To what sin of the people of Israel does the Apostle here refer? Exod. xvii. 2, 7; Num. xxi. 4-9. Whom did the Israelites tempt? Is Jehovah and Christ the same person? How were the Israelites punished for this sin? VERSE 10. What is meant by murmuring? Can you mention some instances of the Israelites' murmuring? Exod. xvi. 2; Num. xiv. 2; xvi. 41. How were they destroyed for this? VERSE 11. Why are these things said to have happened to the Israelites? What does that mean? For what purpose were they written? What is meant by the ends of the world? Is there saving efficacy in the sacraments of the Church? Are all church-members saved? Why not? How is this illustrated by what happened to the Israelites? What lesson should this teach us? 1. Come, Holy Spirit! come And on this poor benighted soul, 2. From the celestial hills, Light, life, and joy dispense; |
