Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker Discourse volume 1.djvu/268

Rh story of the garden, the temptation and fall of man; the appearances of God in human shape, eating and drinking with his favourite, and making covenants; the story of the flood and the ark; the miraculous birth of Isaac; the promise to the patriarchs; the great age of mankind; the tower of Babel and confusion of tongues; the sacrifice of Isaac; the history of Joseph; of Moses; the ten plagues miraculously sent; the wonderful passage of the Red Sea; the support of the Hebrews in the wilderness on manna; the miraculous supply of food, water, and clothing, and the delivery of the Law at Mount Sinai. On these it is needless to dwell. But there is one account in the Law too significant to be passed over. It is briefly this. As the Jews approached the land of Canaan, Moses sent twelve men, “heads of the children of Israel,” to examine the land, and report to the people. They spent a long time in their tour, reported that the land was fertile, exhibited specimens of its productions, but added, it was full of warlike nations. The Jews were afraid to invade it; “They wept all night and said, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt.” They rebelled, and wished to choose a leader and return. Moses and Aaron, and Caleb and Joshua—two of the twelve messengers—urge them to battle, and say, “Jehovah is with us.” The people refuse, and would stone them. Then the glory of Jehovah appeared before the face of the people, and God says to Moses, “How long will this people provoke me? … I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.” But Moses, more merciful than his God, attempts to appease the Deity, and that by an appeal to his vanity; And Moses said unto Jehovah, “ Then the Egyptians shall hear of it, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations will speak, saying, Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them.” Then he proceeds to soothe his Deity; “Pardon the iniquity of this people;” “Jehovah is long-suffering and of great