patriarchs and prophets-第107节

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by　a　stretched…out　arm；　and　by　great　terrors；　according　to　all　that　the　Lord
your　God　did　for　you　in　Egypt　before　your　eyes？　Unto　thee　it　was　showed；
that　thou　mightest　know　that　the　Lord　He　is　God；　there　is　none　else　beside
Him。〃

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〃The　Lord　did　not　set　His　love　upon　you；　nor　choose　you；　because　ye　were
more　in　number　than　any　people；　for　ye　were　the　fewest　of　all　people：　but
because　the　Lord　loved　you；　and　because　He　would　keep　the　oath　which　He　had
sworn　unto　your　fathers；　hath　the　Lord　brought　you　out　with　a　mighty　hand；
and　redeemed　you　out　of　the　house　of　bondmen；　from　the　hand　of　Pharaoh　king
of　Egypt。　Know　therefore　that　Jehovah　thy　God；　He　is　God；　the　faithful　God；
which　keepeth　covenant　and　mercy　with　them　that　love　Him　and　keep　His
commandments　to　a　thousand　generations。〃　Deuteronomy　7：7…9。

The　people　of　Israel　had　been　ready　to　ascribe　their　troubles　to　Moses；　but
now　their　suspicions　that　he　was　controlled　by　pride；　ambition；　or
selfishness；　were　removed；　and　they　listened　with　confidence　to　his　words。
Moses　faithfully　set　before　them　their　errors　and　the　transgressions　of
their　fathers。　They　had　often　felt　impatient　and　rebellious　because　of　their
long　wandering　in　the　wilderness；　but　the　Lord　had　not　been　chargeable　with
this　delay　in　possessing　Canaan；　He　was　more　grieved　than　they　because　He
could　not　bring　them　into　immediate　possession　of　the　Promised　Land；　and
thus　display　before　all　nations　His　mighty　power　in　the　deliverance　of　His
people。　With　their　distrust　of　God；　with　their　pride　and　unbelief；　they　had
not　been　prepared　to　enter　Canaan。　They　would　in　no　way　represent　that
people　whose　God　is　the　Lord；　for　they　did　not　bear　His　character　of　purity；
goodness；　and　benevolence。　Had　their　fathers　yielded　in　faith　to　the
direction　of　God；　being　governed　by　His　judgments　and　walking　in　His
ordinances；　they　would　long　before　have　been　settled　in　Canaan；　a
prosperous；　holy；　happy　people。　Their　delay　to　enter　the　goodly　land
dishonored　God　and　detracted　from　His　glory　in　the　sight　of　surrounding
nations。

Moses；　who　understood　the　character　and　value　of　the　law　of　God；　assured　the
people　that　no　other　nation　had　such　wise；　righteous；　and　merciful　rules　as
had　been　given　to　the　Hebrews。　〃Behold；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　taught　you
statutes　and　judgments；　even　as　the　Lord　my　God　commanded　me；　that　ye　should
do　so　in　the　land　whither　ye　go　to　possess　it。　Keep　therefore　and　do　them；
for　this　is　your　wisdom　and　your　understanding　in　the　sight　of　the　nations；
which　shall　hear　all　these　statutes；　and　say；　Surely　this　great　nation　is　a
wise　and　understanding　people。〃

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Moses　called　their　attention　to　the　〃day　that　thou　stoodest　before　the　Lord
thy　God　in　Horeb。〃　And　he　challenged　the　Hebrew　host：　〃What　nation　is　there
so　great；　who　hath　God　so　nigh　unto　them；　as　the　Lord　our　God　is　in　all
things　that　we　call　upon　Him　for？　And　what　nation　is　there　so　great；　that
hath　statutes　and　judgments　so　righteous　as　all　this　law；　which　I　set　before
you　this　day？〃　Today　the　challenge　to　Israel　might　be　repeated。　The　laws
which　God　gave　His　ancient　people　were　wiser；　better；　and　more　humane　than
those　of　the　most　civilized　nations　of　the　earth。　The　laws　of　the　nations
bear　marks　of　the　infirmities　and　passions　of　the　unrenewed　heart；　but　God's
law　bears　the　stamp　of　the　divine。

〃The　Lord　hath　taken　you；　and　brought　you　forth　out　of　the　iron　furnace；〃
declared　Moses；　〃to　be　unto　Him　a　people　of　inheritance。〃　The　land　which
they　were　soon　to　enter；　and　which　was　to　be　theirs　on　condition　of
obedience　to　the　law　of　God；　was　thus　described　to　themand　how　must　these
words　have　moved　the　hearts　of　Israel；　as　they　remembered　that　he　who　so
glowingly　pictured　the　blessings　of　the　goodly　land　had　been；　through　their
sin；　shut　out　from　sharing　the　inheritance　of　his　people：

〃The　Lord　thy　God　bringeth　thee　into　a　good　land；〃　〃not　as　the　land　of
Egypt；　from　whence　ye　came　out；　where　thou　sowedst　thy　seed；　and　wateredst
it　with　thy　foot；　as　a　garden　of　herbs：　but　the　land；　whither　ye　go　to
possess　it；　is　a　land　of　hills　and　valleys；　and　drinketh　water　of　the　rain
of　heaven；〃　〃a　land　of　brooks　of　water；　of　fountains　and　depths　that　spring
out　of　valleys　and　hills；　a　land　of　wheat；　and　barley；　and　vines；　and　fig
trees；　and　pomegranates；　a　land　of　oil　olive；　and　honey；　a　land　wherein　thou
shalt　eat　bread　without　scarceness；　thou　shalt　not　lack　anything　in　it；　a
land　whose　stones　are　iron；　and　out　of　whose　hills　thou　mayest　dig　brass；〃
〃a　land　which　the　Lord　thy　God　careth　for：　the　eyes　of　the　Lord　thy　God　are
always　upon　it；　from　the　beginning　of　the　year　even　unto　the　end　of　the
year。〃　Deuteronomy　8：7…9；　11：10…12。

〃And　it　shall　be；　when　the　Lord　thy　God　shall　have　brought　thee　into　the
land　which　He　sware　unto　thy　fathers；　to　Abraham；　to　Isaac；　and　to　Jacob；　to
give　thee　great　and　goodly　cities；　which　thou　buildedst　not；　and　houses　full
of　all　good　things；　which　thou　filledst　not；　and　wells　digged；　which　thou
diggedst　not；　vineyards　and　olive　trees；　which　thou　plantedst　not；　when　thou
shalt　have

466

eaten　and　be　full；　then　beware　lest　thou　forget　the　Lord。〃　〃Take　heed　unto
yourselves；　lest　ye　forget　the　covenant　of　the　Lord　your　God。　。　。　。　For　the
Lord　thy　God　is　a　consuming　fire；　even　a　jealous　God。〃　If　they　should　do
evil　in　the　sight　of　the　Lord；　then；　said　Moses；　〃Ye　shall　soon　utterly
perish　from　off　the　land　whereunto　ye　go　over　Jordan　to　possess　it。〃

After　the　public　rehearsal　of　the　law；　Moses　completed　the　work　of　writing
all　the　laws；　the　statutes；　and　the　judgments　which　God　had　given　him；　and
all　the　regulations　concerning　the　sacrificial　system。　The　book　containing
these　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　proper　officers；　and　was　for　safe　keeping
deposited　in　the　side　of　the　ark。　Still　the　great　leader　was　filled　with
fear　that　the　people　would　depart　from　God。　In　a　most　sublime　and　thrilling
address　he　set　before　them　the　blessings　that　would　be　theirs　on　condition
of　obedience；　and　the　curses　that　would　follow　upon　transgression：

〃If　thou　shalt　hearken　diligently　unto　the　voice　of　the　Lord　thy　God；　to
observe　and　to　do　all　His　commandments　which　I　command　thee　this　day；〃
〃blessed　shalt　thou　be　in　the　city；　and　blessed　shalt　thou　be　in　the　field；〃
in　〃the　fruit　of　thy　body；　and　the　fruit　of　thy　ground；　and　the　fruit　of　thy
cattle。　。　。　。　Blessed　shall　be　thy　basket　and　thy　store。　Blessed　shalt　thou
be　when　thou　comest　in；　and　blessed　shalt　thou　be　when　thou　goest　out。　The
Lord　shall　cause　thine　enemies　that　rise　up　against　thee　to　be　smitten
before　thy　face。　。　。　。　The　Lord　shall　command　the　blessing　upon　thee　in　thy
storehouses；　and　in　all　that　thou　settest　thine　hand　unto。〃

〃But　it　shall　come　to　pass；　if　thou　wilt　not　hearken　unto　the　voice　of　the
Lord　thy　God；　to　observe　to　do　all　His　commandments　and　His　statutes　which　I
command　thee　this　day；　that　all　these　curses　shall　come　upon　thee；〃　〃and
thou　shalt　become　an　astonishment；　a　proverb；　and　a　byword；　among　all
nations　whither　the　Lord　shall　lead　thee。〃　〃And　the　Lord　shall　scatter　thee
among　all　people；　from　the　one　end　of　the　earth　even　unto　the　other；　and
there　thou　shalt　serve　other　gods；　which　neither　thou　nor　thy　fathers　have
known；　even　wood　and　stone。　And　among　these　nations　shalt　thou　find　no　ease；
neither　shall　the　sole　of　thy　foot　have　rest：　but　the　Lord　shall　give　thee
there　a　trembling　heart；　and　failing　of　eyes；　and　sorrow　of　mind：　and　thy
life　shall　hang　in　doubt　before　thee；　and　thou　shalt　fear

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day　and　night；　and　shalt　have　none　assurance　of　thy　life：　in　the　morning
thou　shalt　say；　Would　God　it　were　even！　and　at　even　thou　shalt　say；　Would
God　it　were　morning！　for　the　fear　of　thine　heart　wherewith　thou　shalt　fear；
and　for　the　sight　of　thine　eyes　which　thou　shalt　see。〃

By　the　Spirit　of　Inspiration；　looking　far　down　the　ages；　Moses　pictured　the
terrible　scenes　of　Israel's　final　overthrow　as　a　nation；　and　the　destruction
of　Jerusalem　by　the　armies　of　Rome：　〃The　Lord　shall　bring　a　nation　against
thee　from　far；　from　the　end　of　the　earth；　as　swift　as　the　eagle　flieth；　a
nation　whose　tongue　thou　shalt　not　understand；　a　nation　of　fierce
countenance；　which　shall　not　regard　the　person　of　the　old；　nor　show　favor　to
the　young。〃

The　utter　wasting　of　the　land　and　the　horrible　suffering　of　the　people
during　the　siege　of　Jerusalem　under　Titus　centuries　later；　were　vividly
portrayed：　〃He　shall　eat　the　fruit　of　thy　cattle；　and　the　fruit　of　thy　land；
until　thou　be　destroyed。　。　。　。　And　he　shall　besiege　thee　in　all　thy　gates；
until　thy　high　and　fenced　walls　come　down；　wherein　thou　trustedst；
throughout　all　thy　land。　。　。　。　Thou　shalt　eat　the　fruit　of　thine　own　body；
the　flesh　of　thy　sons　and　of　thy　daughters；　which　the　Lord　thy　God　hath
given　thee；　in　the　siege；　and　in　the　straitness；　wherewith　thine　enemies
shall　distress　thee。〃　〃The　tender　and　delicate　woman　among　you；　which　would
not　adventure　to　set　the　sole　of　her　foot　upon　the　ground　for　delicateness
and　tenderness；　her　eye　shall　be　evil　toward　th