"* to go Aaron, and urged him to make them " a god before them. He, so far as the narrative informs us, complied without remonstrance or hesitation; and having obtained their ornaments of gold, of this metal he made a molten calf, and built an altar, and proclaimed the following day as a feast unto Jehovah. On this occasion the people arose early, offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings; and having "sat down to eat and to drink," they rose up to play." (Exod. xxxii. 6.) 66 There is perhaps no historical incident in the whole annals of the Hebrew nation which presents greater difficulties than this. As, however, the investigation of this subject belongs to the next chapter, it will be sufficient here to call attention to the astonishing fact, that while the awful voice of God, which had enjoined them not to make to themselves any graven image, and at the sound of which every heart had quailed, was still tingling in their ears, this flagrant act of transgression was perpetrated. Yet, The melancholy intelligence of this great declension was communicated by God to Moses; and he was sent down to them with the two tables of stone containing the law, the workmanship of God, in his hand. Having come down to the side of the Mount, where Joshua waited for him, he descended with him toward the congregation. As they went, they heard the sound of a tumult: this Joshua supposed to be the sound of war; but Moses, divinely informed of what had taken place, corrected his error. although he had been so forewarned, and notwithstanding the great meekness of his temper, no sooner did Moses come near enough to see the golden calf, and the people dancing and singing before it, than, angry at this flagrant violation of divine law, he cast the tables from his hands, and brake them in pieces beneath the Mount. He then took the golden calf and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and mixed it with water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. After the destruction of the idol, he summoned SO GEDDES, BOOTH, and ROSENMULLER render it. those who were on the Lord's side to attend him. All the Levites having obeyed the call, he sent them throughout the camp to slay those who had been most guilty in this transaction; and about three thousand men were then destroyed. Throughout the whole of this case, Moses acted in a manner the most noble that can be conceived. When Jehovah threatened to destroy the Israelites for their sin, and to make of him a great nation, the pious and patriotic man showed that his devotedness to God, and his love for his people, influenced him far above all personal or family considerations. He preferred the Divine Honour and Glory to any personal aggrandizement; and was so deeply concerned for his offending brethren, that he never ceased to intercede on their behalf, until Jehovah graciously promised to continue. unto them his presence as heretofore. The Lord having pardoned the sin of his people, Moses was again called up into the Mount with two new tables, on which he wrote the ten commandments from the dictation of God. On this occasion he received various other laws, and was favoured with a further and more glorious manifestation of Jehovah; which had such an effect upon his countenance, that when he came down his face shone so brightly that Aaron and the elders feared to come near him, and he put on a veil while he conversed with them. On this second occasion also, Moses was in the Mount with God forty days. Immediately after his descent from Sinai the second time, Moses proceeded to carry into effect the divine commands respecting the ecclesiastical apparatus and polity, concerning all which he had been fully informed in the Mount. Although all the erections included in this scheme were temporary, and adapted to be taken down and carried from place to place, and then again to be raised as the camp was removed from one place to another; yet, when the numerous utensils and requisites are considered,the preparation of the tabernacle and its court, the ark, and other provision for the most holy place, the E laver, altar, and other necessaries for sacrifice, ablution, and the various requirements of the ceremonial law; the vestments, and other ornaments for the priests,—it will be acknowledged that the work was one of great extent and magnitude, especially when we remember that the people had just emerged from the most debasing slavery, and were locating temporarily in a desert. With respect to the necessary provision for the work, the sanctuary of God and its furniture were not to be made of common or mean materials. These emblems and figures of "things in the heavens" were to be composed of gold and silver: brass in abundance was required, as well as various precious stones, valuable wood, costly yarns, skins, and numerous other articles. Yet the people possessed all that was necessary, and, when appealed to by Moses, gave willingly until every thing required for this great work was placed at the disposal of their chief. It may be desirable to form some idea of the value of these contributions. The particulars are generally stated, Exod. xxv. 3—7; and afterward more fully detailed, chap. xxxv.; and the amount is also given as a whole, chap. xxxviii. 21, &c. From these different " accounts it appears, that half a shekel of silver was levied on every man above twenty years of age; besides which, every one who was so inclined made voluntary offerings. Moses assembled the congregation, (xxxv. 4,) and mentioned what classes of articles would be needed for the work of the tabernacle; and those persons who possessed any of the articles needed, offered liberally, so that more than enough was soon obtained, and Moses forbade any thing further to be brought. (xxxvi. 5—7.) The articles required varying considerably in character and value, there was room for almost every person to testify his zeal by some offering or other. The wealthy could bring precious stones and gold, while the poorer class might furnish the skins, and the hair of goats. The women, it appears, (xxxv. 26,) exerted themselves in spinning the goats' hair for the tent coverings, as women do to this day in the encampments of the Bedouin Arabs. "The statement in chap. xxxviii. 24-31, is very valuable, as enabling us to form some idea of the expense of this costly fabric. It is there said that the gold weighed 29 talents and 730 shekels; the silver, raised by a poll-tax of half a shekel, was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels; and the brass, (more probably copper,) 70 talents and 2,400 shekels. This enables us to form the following calculation, estimating the talent of 3,000 shekels at 152lbs. troy weight : Gold, at £4 per ounce Brass (or copper) at 1s. 3d. per lb. avoirdupois...... Total........ .£175,460 0 0 6 £213,320 3 6 "Now we have to consider that this is the value of only the raw material of the metals employed in the structure of the tabernacle; and when we add the value of the wood, the curtains, the dress of the high priest, with its breastplate of precious stones, the dresses of the common priests, and the workmanship of the whole, it must be considered a moderate estimate if we regard the total expense of this fabric as not less than £250,000.”* In Western Asia at present the precious metals have a much higher actual value than in Europe. This might not have been the case in ancient times, when we are told that gold and silver abounded in Arabia and Egypt. Yet, however this may be, the contribution of so much valuable metal, in addition to other costly benefactions, proves that the people possessed very considerable ubstance. But the construction of the tabernacle, and of its various and costly furniture, not only shows the wealth of the Israelites; it also proves that they possessed a thorough knowledge of the useful and elegant arts. Making every allowance for the special inspiration of Bezaleel and Aholiab, who were thus qualified for devising curious works, and for working in gold, silver, and brass, and for cutting and setting precious stones and carving in wood; it must be evident to the "Illustrated Commentary of the Old and New Testaments," in loco. most superficial reader, that the ordinary operations of working in wood and metals, of spinning, weaving, and dyeing, must have been familiar to the people at large. All the handicraft arts must have been practised; and the community who in the wilderness could execute such works must have been qualified to take a respectable position amongst the civilized nations of the earth. The commandments of Jehovah respecting the tabernacle and its furniture, and the appointment and consecration of the priests, having been obeyed, and the sacred things having been consecrated by blood, "Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat : which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." (Lev. ix. 23, 24.) Thus was obedience to the revealed will of God acknowledged and honoured. But, immediately after this, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, proceeding to offer incense before the Lord in a manner unauthorized by the statutes delivered to Moses, were struck dead by fire from Jehovah. Thus early did God guard his divinely-revealed economy from any human alteration or vain intrusion. The stay of the Israelites at Sinai terminated the first year of their sojourn in the wilderness; and on the first month of the second year, the passover was re-appointed and observed. On the first day of the second month, Moses was commanded to take the number of the people. This led to a careful investigation into the pedigrees of the several families, and formed a solid basis for the construction of future genealogical tables. The result of this census showed, that, after one year's journeying in the wilderness, the Israelites numbered 603,550 men above twenty years of age, fit to go forth to war: a number, it should be observed, which entirely excludes the sons of Levi. This census led to a more strict arrangement of the several families, and a more orderly disposition of the |