Part 6 (1/2)

Jour. 4. Kad.-bar.--Des. Par.--Ret. 7.) Wat. roc. Kad. 8.) Rep. Ar.

Jour. 5. Kad.-bar.--Ed.--Riv. Jor. 9.) Bra. ser. 10.) Vic. ov. Amo.

11.) Dea. Mos.

IV. =Res. Wan.= 1. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. Tra.

5. Rel. Ed.

Review Questions

State the route of the first journey. What was the great event of this journey? What was the second journey? What events are named with this journey? What was the third journey? What two events took place with this journey? What was the longest journey? Name four places of this journey? Name two events near its close. What was the last journey? What events took place at this time? Where was the last encampment of the Is'ra-el-ites? What inst.i.tutions originated during this period? What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people? How did it give them liberty?

What was the influence in military affairs? What were its results upon the religion of the people?

FIFTH STUDY

Inst.i.tutions of Israelite Wors.h.i.+p

PART ONE

In the Old Testament we note certain forms and inst.i.tutions for wors.h.i.+p, and as some of these received their shaping during the wilderness life of the Is'ra-el-ites, we give a brief account of such inst.i.tutions at this place in the history.

I. Earliest of all inst.i.tutions for wors.h.i.+p we find the =Altar=, and throughout the Old Testament the altar wors.h.i.+p stands prominent.

1. =Its Principle=, the root idea underlying the altar, was of a meeting between G.o.d and man. As the subject always came to his ruler with a gift in his hands, so the wors.h.i.+per brought his offering to his G.o.d, whether Je-ho'vah, the G.o.d of Is'ra-el, or Ba'al, the divinity of the Ca'naan-ites.

2. =Its Origin= is unknown, but it was early sanctioned by a divine approval of the wors.h.i.+p connected with it (Gen. 4. 3, 4; 8. 20; 12. 8).

3. =Its Universality.= There was scarcely a people in the ancient world without an altar. We find that the wors.h.i.+p of every land and every religion was a.s.sociated with altars. (See allusions in Isa. 65. 3; 2 Kings 16. 10; Acts 17. 23, to altars outside of the Is'ra-el-ite faith.)

4. =Its Material.= Among the Is'ra-el-ites it was of earth or unhewn stone. Where metal or wood was used it was merely for a covering, the true altar being of earth inside. The laws of Is'ra-el forbade any carving of the stone which might lead to idol wors.h.i.+p (Exod. 20. 24, 25).

5. =Its Limitation.= In the patriarchal age the chief of the clan was the priest, the altar stood before his tent, and there was but one altar for the clan, which thus represented one family. When Is'ra-el became a nation only one altar was allowed by the law, carrying out the idea that all the Twelve Tribes were one family (Deut. 12. 13, 14; Josh. 22. 16).

Yet the law, if known to the Is'ra-el-ites, was constantly ignored by the prophets (1 Sam. 7. 9; 1 Kings 18. 31, 32).

6. =Its Prophetic Purpose=, as revealed in the New Testament, was to prefigure the cross whereon Christ died (John 1. 29; Heb. 9. 22; 1 Pet.

3. 18).

II. The =Offerings=, as fully developed and named in the law, were of five kinds, as follows:

1. =The Sin Offering.= 1.) This regarded the wors.h.i.+per as a sinner, and expressed the means of his reconciliation with G.o.d. 2.) The offering consisted of an animal. 3.) The animal was slain and burned without the camp. 4.) Its blood was sprinkled on the altar of incense in the Holy Place (Lev. 4. 3-7).

2. =The Burnt Offering.= 1.) This regarded the wors.h.i.+per as already reconciled, and expressed his consecration to G.o.d. 2.) It consisted of an animal, varied according to the ability of the wors.h.i.+per. 3.) The animal was slain and burned on the altar. 4.) Its blood was poured out on the altar, a token that the life of the wors.h.i.+per was given to G.o.d (Lev. 1. 2-9).

3. =The Trespa.s.s Offering.=[4] 1.) This represented the divine forgiveness of an actual transgression, whether against G.o.d or man, as distinguished from the condition of a sinner represented in the sin offering. 2.) The offering consisted of an animal, generally a ram, though a poor person might bring some flour. 3.) The animal was slain and burned on the altar. 4.) The blood was poured out at the base of the altar (Lev. 5. 1-10).

4. =The Meat Offering.=[5] 1.) This expressed the simple idea of thanksgiving to G.o.d. 2.) It consisted of vegetable food. 3.) The offering was divided between the altar and the priest; one part was burned on the altar, the other presented to the priest to be eaten by him as food (Lev. 2. 1-3).

5. =The Peace Offering.= 1.) This expressed fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d in the form of a feast. 2.) It consisted of both animal and vegetable food. 3.) The offering was divided into three parts, one part burned upon the altar, a second eaten by the priest, a third part eaten by the wors.h.i.+per and his friends as a sacrificial supper. Thus G.o.d, the priest, and the wors.h.i.+per were all represented as taking a meal together.