PERIOD II.] THE ANGUISH OF HAGAR. archer-skilled in the use of the bow | tion; caves were used in ancient times and arrow, both as a hunter and a as burial places. warrior. offer up-slay him as a being devoted to God in sacrifice. angel of the Lord-' messenger;' one that is sent to execute the orders of Divine Providence. lad-a youth; Isaac was at this time about twenty-five years of age. ram-a male goat or sheep, much used in sacrifice in after times. tried-proved his faith in God's power to raise Isaac again from the dead. Hebrews xi. 19. Ephron-a descendant of Heth; the Owner of the plot of ground which Abraham purchased for a burial place; this curious transaction is fully recorded at the close of the twenty-third chapter of Genesis. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. GERAR-a royal city and country of the Philistines, near Gaza, the territory of which was extensive. BEERSHEBA 'the well of the oath ;' was the place in the south of Canaan where Abraham and Abimelech, king of Gerar, made a covenant of peace. WILDERNESS-an uncultivated and dreary district; the wilderness here spoken of extended southward from Palestine to Mount Sinai. Less. 25. W. of Paran.' MORIAH-the name of a mountain on the north-east of Jernsalem. MACHPELAH-the name of the cave, near Hebron, which Abraham purchased of Ephron, the Hittite. Several of the patriarchs and their wives were cave-a natural or artificial excava-buried there. HAGAR IN THE DESERT. "GOD OPENED HER EYES, AND SHE SAW A WELL OF WATER." Injur'd, hopeless, faint, and weary, In the agonies of dying, Can she see her soul's delight? Lo! the angel of the Lord, ELIEZER'S MISSION TO PADAN-ARAM. [2347-1635 B.C. "Lift thine eyes, behold yon fountain, MRS. TIGHE. 10. THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC. Genesis xxiv.-xxv. 6, 12-18, & xi. 10,11. When Abraham was very old, he called his faithful servant Eliezer to him; and made him promise not to take a wife for Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites. He told him to journey into Mesopotamia, and bring Isaac a wife from Abraham's own kindred. Eliezer obeyed the directions of Abraham, and went to the city of Nahor. It was evening when Eliezer came to a well near the city, to which the women usually came to draw water; and while his camels rested, he prayed to the Lord for success, saying, “O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water; and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master." As soon as he had finished his prayer, Rebekah, a daughter of Bethuel, Abraham's nephew, came to draw water. The servant asked her to give him drink, she did so, and also drew water for his camels. When Eliezer knew who she was he blessed God for having brought him to his master's kindred. He afterwards went to her father's house, where he told his errand, and asked Rebekah in marriage for Isaac. Bethuel, PERIOD II.] REBEKAH GOES INTO CANAAN. and his son Laban, answered, "The thing 'proceedeth from the Lord;" and Rebekah consented to go with Eliezer. They blessed her and sent her away with her nurse. Rebekah first saw Isaac when he was meditating in the fields. She became his wife, and Isaac loved her. Soon after Isaac's marriage, Abraham married Keturah, and had six sons. Ishmael became the father of twelve princes. Shem was the last of the race who had lived before the flood. He died at the age of six-hundred years. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. faithful-true to his master's commands; loyal. Eliezer-God's help;' it is thought he was a kinsman of Abraham. promise-this was in the form of an oath, which form pledged Eliezer to act true to his own convictions of God's faithfulness to Abraham and his seed. evening-in the east evening or early dawn is better suited to laborious duties than the middle of the day, owing to the great heat at noon. draw-the wells being generally deep, the water is drawn up by means of a bucket attached to a rope. camel-carrier;' an eastern beast of burden which has been called "the ship of the desert." The camel is endued with great strength. He is taught to kneel to receive his load, to be disburthened, to drink, &c. daughters-women of every rank perform this laborious task. damsel a young unmarried woman. pitcher-an earthen vessel with two handles; it was carried on the head or left shoulder, and held by the right hand, and when presented to any one was supported on the left hand. Rebekah-noose; she was cousin to Isaac. Bethuel the father of Rebekah; he was a son of Nahor, Abraham's brother. blessed God-praised the Lord for his goodness. Laban-Rebekah's brother; the eldest son of Bethuel. proceedeth, &c.-they saw the whole affair was of God's appointment. consented-being one who trusted in the Lord, and feared to offend him, she offered no objection to this uncommon proceeding. blessed-wished her great prosperity. nurse-in the east this domestic is regarded as a second parent; she not only rears the children but often accompanies a married daughter to her new home to be her adviser, assistant, and friend. meditating-probably thinking devoutly of God's promises with regard to his seed. princes-chiefs of tribes or clans. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE. MESOPOTAMIA-a large province of Asia, situated between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. In a part of Mesopotamia, called the Land of Shinar, were the first dwellings of men after the deluge, when they began to build the Tower of Babel. In the same plain after many years, the great city Babylon was built. Mesopotamia became a part of the Assyrian Empire, and afterwards, successively, of the Babylonian, Persian, and Macedonian Empires. It is now included in Persia. HISTORY OF JOB. [2347-1635 B.C. ISAAC AND REBEKAH. "SHE BECAME HIS WIFE, AND HE LOVED HER; AND ISAAC WAS COMFORTED AFTER HIS MOTHER'S DEATH." It was the solemn hour of eve, When twilight shades were gathering o'er him, The recent loss of her that bore him; The heart conceives it hath no other; Seem parted with a parted mother. But while to him the path of life To bid him dream of joy to-morrow; And if there be a human art Unknown to sister, friend, or brother, From sorrowing o'er a parted mother— It is a wife's with radiant eye To light a husband's path of sadness, As twilight stars steal on the sky To fill the darkening vales with gladness; It is a wife's to soothe the breast; (The breast that loves her-loves no other), With earnest of that holy rest, When he shall join a parted mother. W. KNOX. 11. THE HISTORY OF JOB. Book of Job. Job, it is supposed, lived in the time of Abraham. His possessions were in the land of Uz in Idumea. He was a very good man, and God had blessed him with large flocks and herds, and with seven sons and three daughters, and he was the greatest man in the East. Satan obtained leave to tempt Job; one messenger came to tell him that all his cattle had been carried off by a band of Sabeans; another messenger came and said the fire of God PERIOD II.] JOB'S CONTROVERSY. had fallen from heaven, and burned up all his sheep; another came and told him that three bands of Chaldeans had fallen upon his camels, and carried them away; another brought him word that a wind had smitten the house in which all his children were assembled, and they were slain. Job's faith in God was not shaken by these calamities; he 'bowed with submission to God's will and said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." After this Satan was permitted to tempt Job still further, and Job was smitten with a painful disease, which covered his body from the sole of his foot to his crown. His wife then tempted him to forsake God, but he answered, "What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil." In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Three of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to him to comfort him; instead of which they aggravated his distress, by telling him that his afflictions were sent upon him as a punishment for some great sin. Job denied the accusation, and in declaring his own innocence, evinced some impatience at the afflictions he endured. He allowed that God afflicts the wicked, and blesses the righteous, but he also shewed them that the righteous often have to bear severe trials. One of his friends named ·Elihu, a younger person than those who had spoken, then reproved Job's three friends for condemning Job, and shewed that God is just in all his ways. He called on Job to ⚫reflect upon his own impatience, and to remember that God's power and wisdom are far beyond man's comprehension. After this God addressed Job out of the whirlwind, showing him by reference to his own mighty power as displayed in the formation and condition of the universe, and the strength and structure of many of the large animals which inhabit it, the insignificance and ignorance of man. Job then humbled himself, and said, " Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee, I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." He also said unto the Lord, "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought is withholden from thee. I repent in 'dust and ashes." |