Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/56

 50 The Plan of the Ages.

which so carefully guarded this point. Moses' law provided for a restitution every fiftieth year their Jubilee year. This law, by preventing the absolute alienation of property, thereby prevented its accumulation in the hands of a few. (Lev. 25 : 9, 13-23, 27-30.) In fa<5l, they were taught to consider themselves brethren, and to a6l accordingly; to assist each other without compensation, and to take no usury of one another. See Exod. 22 : 25 ; Lev. 25 ; 36, 37 ; Num. 26 : 52-56.

All the laws were made public, thus preventing designing men from successfully tampering with the rights of the people. The laws were exposed in such a manner that any who chose might copy them ; and, in order that the poor- est and most unlearned might not be ignorant of them, it was made the duty of the priests to read them to the people at their septennial festivals. (Deut. 31 : 10-13.) I s ^ reason- able to suppose that such laws and arrangements were de- signed by bad men, or by men scheming to defraud the people of their liberties and happiness ? Such an assump- tion would be unreasonable.

In its regard for the rights and interests of foreigners, and of enemies, the Mosaic law was thirty-two centuries ahead of its times if indeed the laws of the most civiJi/ed of to-day equal it in fairness and benevolence. We road :

" Ye shall have one manner of law as well for the stran- ger [foreigner] as for one of your own country ; for I am the Lord your God." Exod. 12 : 49 ; Lev. 24 : aa,

" And if a stranger sojourn with tbee in your land, ye shall not vex him; but the stranger that dwelieth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shall love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. " Lev. 19:33,34-

" If thou meet thine fnemf *s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see

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