THE GOLDEN CALF WORSHIPPED. THE TABERNACLE ERECTED. Exodus xxv.-xl. Lev. viii.

WHILE Moses was on the mount, the people became 'impatient; and they desired Aaron to make them gods to go before them, and to lead them. Aaron made them a golden calf, which they worshipped. God told Moses of the sin which the people had committed; and said, “It is a stiffnecked people; now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation." And Moses besought the Lord for the people, and spoke of his promises to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, that he would multiply their seed as the stars, and give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance. So the Lord repented him of the evil which he had said he would do unto them. Moses then came down from the mount with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; but when he saw the people dancing and worshipping the calf, which Aaron had made, his anger waxed hot, and he threw down the two tables of stone, and broke them. He destroyed the golden calf and reproached Aaron; and, according to God's command, he appointed the Levites to punish the Israelites for this sin. Three-thousand of those who had worshipped the calf were slain by the Levites.

NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.

impatient-that is of delay. It must be
remembered they were only just
released from slavery, and were
unaccustomed to self-control.
gods-idols such as they had seen in
Egypt. They were too childish to
prefer a spiritual to a carnal religion.
Does not God's abhorrence of idolatry
prove how sinful it is to change a
religion purely spiritual into one that
depends upon images and pictures to
assist its worshippers?

calf-in imitation of the idolatry of
Égypt, where a calf, or young bullock
was worshipped at their principal
feasts.

worshipped-not as God, but as his

emblem. The prevailing notion of idolaters is, that the god to whom an idol is dedicated takes possession of the image at the time of consecration.

This is easy to say, but impossible to prove.

repented-i. e. speaking after the manner of men. God changes not his purposes as man does, nor regrets as though he had committed an error; but he is moved with compassion towards the miserable, or he is entreated by their prayers, and reverses his threats. Ezekiel xviii. 21-32. dancing-This custom was followed in ancient times not only by idolaters but by the worshippers of the True God. 2 Sam. vi. 14; Ps. xxx. 11. This sacred dancing was not for amusement, but to express delight. Jer. xxxi.4.

threw down-as a sudden and powerful expression of displeasure; implying the breaking of the covenant which God had made with them on Sinai.

F

Moses again besought the Lord to pardon the sin which the people had committed; but God said, "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book." God then sent a plague among them. The Lord also refused to go up with them to Canaan. The people mourned for their sin, and Moses again entreated the Lord to forgive them, and to go with them. The Lord then consented to lead the people. And he wrote again the ten commandments on two tables of stone, and gave them to Moses.

God appointed two wise-hearted men, Bezaleel and Aholiab, to construct the tabernacle; the people brought gold, silver, and brass, and other free-offerings for the work, more than enough; and the tabernacle was made with its curtains and coverings according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. Bezaleel also made the furniture and vessels for the tabernacle; the ark was made of shittimwood, overlaid within and without with pure gold; the

mercy-seat was of pure gold; the table of shittim-wood, overlaid with gold; and the dishes, and spoons, bowls, and covers, were of pure gold. The candlestick, with six branches, the incense-altar, the altar of burnt-offering, and the laver, were also made according to the patterns which God gave to Moses. Robes were also made for the priests.

After all was finished the tabernacle was erected in the Wilderness of Sinai, the coverings were put on it, and the furniture and vessels were placed within it. Moses anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and the tabernacle was consecrated to the Lord. "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle..... And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys; but if the cloud rested, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up."

God had appointed Aaron and his sons to be priests. They were to offer sacrifices to God, and make intercession for the people. Moses consecrated them with oil, and

with the blood of a bullock and two rams.

24. NADAB AND ABIHU SLAIN. THE LEVITES CONSECRATED. Leviticus. Numb. i. 1,50-54; iii.-5-51; viii. 5-26.

WHEN Aaron made his first offerings to the Lord for himself, and for the people, as Moses commanded him, the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people; and there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the burnt-offering upon the altar, which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces.

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had commanded them not to do. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. The people took the bodies of Nadab and Abihu,

Some of

and buried them outside the camp. God then commanded that the priests should not drink wine nor strong drink when they went into the tabernacle lest they should die. God gave Moses many laws for the Israelites. them are called the ceremonial law; they relate to sacrifices and offerings in general, to religious feasts and fasts, to cleansings of various kinds, to forbidden food and forbidden pleasures. The principal offerings were the burnt-offering, the meat-offering, the drink-offering, the peace-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering. Another class of laws was for the guidance of the judges and rulers in the government of the nation; these laws are called the civil code. All these ordinances and laws the Israelites were commanded strictly to observe.

Two men strove together in the camp, and one of them was put into prison because he blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed. Moses inquired of the Lord how he was to be punished. God said he was to die. The people took him outside the camp, and stoned him till he died. His mother was Shelomith, an Israelitish woman, but his father was an Egyptian.

The descendants of Levi were called Levites. When the children of Israel journeyed in the Wilderness of Sinai, God chose the Levites to serve him in the tabernacle. He accepted them instead of the first-born of the Israelites.

NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.

not drink-perfect sobriety in all who conducted the service of the Lord was henceforward enjoined, which leads to the probable conclusion that Nadab and Abihu were drawn into the sin of which they had been guilty by an improper indulgence in wine. ceremonial law-it must be remembered

that the laws of Moses are not described under the heads ceremonial, civil, and moral; but that they are so classified for the convenience of Biblereaders.

offerings-burnt-offerings were free-will sacrifices of animals wholly devoted to God. Meat-offerings were of things without life, as ears of corn, flour, oil, &c. Drink-offerings were of wine. Peace-offerings were thanksgivings for blessings received or desired. Sinofferings were for wilful sins and sins

of ignorance. Trespass-offerings were similar to sin-offerings. code-book; body, or series of laws. ordinances-observances; ceremonies ordered to be observed. stoned-this horrid mode of destroying life was inflicted on idolaters, blasphemers, sabbath-breakers, and rebellious children; the witnesses against them were required to commence the dreadful punishment, after which the assembled multitude completed it. instead-it was commanded that the first-born of all the tribes should be devoted to God, as Israel's expression of gratitude for their deliverance from Egypt by the destroying angel; but now God chose the tribe of Levi, and accepted them for his service instead of the first-born of all Israel.