a branch of one cluster of grapes, which was so large and heavy that two of them carried it upon a pole. They stated that the cities were very large, and walled round, and the others reported that the people were giants. Caleb and Joshua, however, were the only two who encouraged Moses to conquer the country, although they farther said that they, in comparison to the giants, were grasshoppers, and that they were certainly the sons of Anak, of Palestine. The people wept, and cried unto Moses and Aaron, saying they were sorry to be slain, and begged that they might return back to Egypt. God declared that not one of the murmurers should ever enter the land of Canaan, but that they should be condemned in the desert. The people resolved upon entering the land. The Canaanites and the Amalakites descended the hill, and drove them back to Hamah. During the time that the people were fighting against the Canaanites, Moses and Aaron stayed with the ark. And on the Sabbath day there was found a man gathering sticks, and, according to the law, he was stoned to death by the congregation. This is the only example in the Bible of a person being punished capitally for breaking the Sabbath. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up; and the congregation said, Ye have killed the people of the Lord. And for this saying the plague broke out among the people. For Caleb and Joshua telling the truth to Moses, that the land flowed with milk and honey, the congregation would have stoned them; but they were by the plague destroyed for their disobedience, leaving, however, Caleb and Joshua, and such of the Israelites as were under twenty years of age. Moses laid the rods (or sceptres) upon the tabernacle, and in the morning the children of Israel came to take away the rods, and behold the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was budded, and bloomed, and yielded almonds. And the Lord gave the Levites a tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for the services of the tabernacle, being a tithe of the corn, fruit, and cattle; and the Levites who were subordinate to the priests, paid unto the priests a tenth of these tithes. died. water. The children of Israel now came to the desert of Zin, where Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, Here the people murmured for want of Moses again smote the rock, at Meribah, and it brought forth water. Moses demanded of the King of Edom a quiet passage through the borders of his dominions, but the King of Edom refused. At this period there was an ordinance for a law made in the sacrifice of a red heifer without spot or blemish, and which had never been yoked or burdened. The ashes, as well as the blood, were sprinkled and thrown among the people or congregation, and considered by them as the purifying of the flesh. Eleazar was the priest appointed, and the priest sprinkled the blood seven times before the tabernacle and the congregation of the people. 1471 B. C. VOL. II. C RED HEIFER. Twenty seventh Medal. The Sacrifice of the Heifer. Red THE SACRIFICE OF THE The reason of being commanded to take the red heifer for the sacrifice is, because the Israelites followed the customs of the Egyptians in sacrificing the male, when God informed the people that both were equally proper for the sacrifice. Many writers, however, agree that this command was intended. to be typical of our Saviour, who commanded that an ass's colt, without blemish, be brought to him, and on which no person had ever before sat, to carry him into Jerusalem. The refusal of the King of Edom to Moses, obliged him to conquer the Edomites. Aaron died at Mount Hor. He was Moses's elder brother, but too easily persuaded against his own judgment. This appeared when his sister Miriam urged him to revile his brother, and when the people excited him to make the golden calf. The Israelites rebelled, and spoke against Moses, because of the bad quality of the bread and water. And God sent fiery serpents among the people, and many were bitten and died. Moses prayed unto the Lord to withdraw the fiery serpents. The Lord, therefore, commanded Moses to make a brazen serpent, and put it upon a pole, that all the people that were bitten might look up to the brazen serpent and live. The people repented, and were healed. MOSES'S BRAZEN SERPENT. O Moses sent to Sihon, King of the Amorites, for leave to pass through the highway only of his country, and offered to pay for everything which the Israelites might want; but Sihon refused, and Og, the King of Bashan, came to his assistance, and 1448 B. C. Twenty-eighth Medal. Moses's brazen 1447 B. C. Moses utterly destroyed them both, and dwelt in their cities. The children of Israel proceeded, and pitched in the plains of Moab, of which Balak was king. Balak, having already refused Moses a passage, became sore afraid, and sent unto the city of Pethor, on the Euphrates, for Balaam, the divine prophet, to come and curse his enemies, the Israelites, and promised him much. Balaam saddled his seeing the Angel of And ass, and went; and the ass, |