תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

fiable under those peculiar circumstances; against a people evidently devoted to destruction for their wickedness, and in favour of a people visibly under the guidance and protection of the ALMIGHTY. In respect likewise to the falsity she uttered, her case was of a very particular nature; she had but one alternative, either to conceal the men whose cause she had espoused for just reasons, or to deliver them to their enemies; but we cannot wonder, that she should be solicitous to provide for her own future safety, by preserving those who would soon have the power of protecting her from the general destruction which she believed was coming on her country, and which her utmost fidelity to the people of Jericho would not have been able to avert. Had she owned they were in the house, she would have betrayed those who, properly speaking, were becoine her countrymen.

The Scriptures of the New Testament point out Rahab as a person of exemplary piety; and indeed to carry her through such an undertaking, she must have had a great degree of faith*; but she did not rest here, she shewed her faith by her workst. Let us imitate Rahab in respect to faith and trust in GoD, and, like her, let us shew kindness to his faithful servants. We shall never be tempted, as she was, to forego our alle giance to our sovereign on account of IDOLATROUS WORSHIP, for none but a professed CHRISTIAN can reign over us: the King is bound to defend our faith, and consequently he is entitled to the loyalty of his subjects, who could not betray him to an enemy without being guilty of a great sin.

*Heb. xi. 31.

+ Jam. ii. 25.

SECTION

SECTION XXXV.

THE WATERS OF JORDAN DIVIDE AND THE PEOPLE 1 PASS THROUGH THE MIDST OF THE RIVER.

From Joshua, Chap. iii. iv.

AND Joshua rose early in the morning: and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

And it came to pass after three days that the officers went hrough the host; and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves; for to-morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

And the LORD said unto Joshua, this day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

And thou shalt command the priests that bear th ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your GCD.

And

And Joshua said, hereby ye shall know that the living Gon is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth, passeth over before you into Jordan.

Now therefore take ye twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest),

A

That the waters which came down from above, stood and rose up on an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan; and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho.

And the priests that bare the ark of the covenants of the LORD, stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua,

saying,

saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command you them, saying, Take ye hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge this night..

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a

man.

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? then shall ye answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according

to

to all that Moses "commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests in the presence of the people.

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them about forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

And the LORD spake unto Joshua, Saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.

And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks as they did before.

And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal,

And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israèl came over this Jordan on dry land.

For

« הקודםהמשך »