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holy　men。　It　was　this　act　that　sealed　their　doom。　They　had　committed　the　sin
against　the　Holy　Spirit；　a　sin　by　which　man's　heart　is　effectually　hardened
against　the　influence　of　divine　grace。　〃Whosoever　speaketh　a　word　against
the　Son　of　man；〃　said　Christ；　〃it　shall　be　forgiven　him：　but　whosoever
speaketh　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　it　shall　not　be　forgiven　him。〃　Matthew
12：32。　These　words　were　spoken　by　our　Saviour　when　the　gracious　works　which
He　had　performed　through　the　power　of　God　were　attributed　by　the　Jews　to
Beelzebub。　It　is　through　the　agency　of　the　Holy　Spirit　that　God　communicates
with　man；　and　those　who　deliberately　reject　this　agency　as　satanic；　have　cut
off　the　channel　of　communication　between　the　soul　and　Heaven。

God　works　by　the　manifestation　of　His　Spirit　to　reprove　and　convict　the
sinner；　and　if　the　Spirit's　work　is　finally　rejected；　there　is　no　more　that
God　can　do　for　the　soul。　The　last　resource　of　divine　mercy　has　been
employed。　The　transgressor　has　cut　himself　off　from　God；　and　sin　has　no
remedy　to　cure　itself。　There　is　no　reserved　power　by　which　God　can　work　to
convict　and　convert　the　sinner。　〃Let　him　alone〃　（Hosea　4：17）　is　the　divine
command。　Then　〃there　remaineth　no　more　sacrifice　for　sins；　but　a　certain
fearful　looking　for　of　judgment　and　fiery　indignation；　which　shall　devour
the　adversaries。〃　Hebrews　10：26；　27。





（406）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　36

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　the　Wilderness


For　nearly　forty　years　the　children　of　Israel　are　lost　to　view　in　the
obscurity　of　the　desert。　〃The　space；〃　says　Moses；　〃in　which　we　came　from
Kadesh…barnea；　until　we　were　come　over　the　brook　Zered；　was　thirty　and　eight
years；　until　all　the　generation　of　the　men　of　war　were　wasted　out　from　among
the　host；　as　the　Lord　sware　unto　them。　For　indeed　the　hand　of　the　Lord　was
against　them；　to　destroy　them　from　among　the　host；　until　they　were
consumed。〃　Deuteronomy　2：14；　15。

During　these　years　the　people　were　constantly　reminded　that　they　were　under
the　divine　rebuke。　In　the　rebellion　at　Kadesh　they　had　rejected　God；　and　God
had　for　the　time　rejected　them。　Since　they　had　proved　unfaithful　to　His
covenant；　they　were　not　to　receive　the　sign　of　the　covenant；　the　rite　of
circumcision。　Their　desire　to　return　to　the　land　of　slavery　had　shown　them
to　be　unworthy　of　freedom；　and　the　ordinance　of　the　Passover；　instituted　to
commemorate　the　deliverance　from　bondage；　was　not　to　be　observed。

Yet　the　continuance　of　the　tabernacle　service　testified　that　God　had　not
utterly　forsaken　His　people。　And　His　providence　still　supplied　their　wants。
〃The　Lord　thy　God　hath　blessed　thee　in　all　the　works　of　thy　hand；〃　said
Moses；　in　rehearsing　the　history　of　their　wanderings。　〃He　knoweth　thy
walking　through　this　great　wilderness；　these　forty　years　the　Lord　thy　God
hath　been　with　thee；　thou　hast　lacked　nothing。〃　And　the　Levites'　hymn；
recorded　by　Nehemiah；　vividly　pictures　God's　care　for　Israel；　even　during
these　years　of　rejection　and　banishment：　〃Thou　in　Thy　manifold　mercies
forsookest　them　not　in　the　wilderness：　the　pillar　of　the　cloud　departed　not
from　them　by　day；　to　lead　them　in　the　way；　neither　the　pillar　of　fire　by
night；　to　show　them　light；　and　the　way　wherein　they　should　go。　Thou　gavest
also　Thy

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　407

good　Spirit　to　instruct　them；　and　withheldest　not　Thy　manna　from　their
mouth；　and　gavest　them　water　for　their　thirst。　Yea；　forty　years　didst　Thou
sustain　them　in　the　wilderness；　。　。　。　their　clothes　waxed　not　old；　and　their
feet　swelled　not。〃　Nehemiah　9：19…21。

The　wilderness　wandering　was　not　only　ordained　as　a　judgment　upon　the　rebels
and　murmurers；　but　it　was　to　serve　as　a　discipline　for　the　rising
generation；　preparatory　to　their　entrance　into　the　Promised　Land。　Moses
declared　to　them；　〃As　a　man　chasteneth　his　son；　so　the　Lord　thy　God
chasteneth　thee；〃　〃to　humble　thee；　and　to　prove　thee；　to　know　what　was　in
thine　heart；　whether　thou　wouldest　keep　His　commandments；　or　no。　And　He　。　。
。　suffered　thee　to　hunger；　and　fed　thee　with　manna；　which　thou　knewest　not；
neither　did　thy　fathers　know；　that　He　might　make　thee　know　that　man　doth　not
live　by　bread　only；　but　by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of
the　Lord　doth　man　live。〃　Deuteronomy　8：5；　2；　3。

〃He　found　him　in　a　desert　land；　and　in　the　waste　howling　wilderness；　He　led
him　about；　He　instructed　him；　He　kept　him　as　the　apple　of　His　eyes。〃　〃In　all
their　affliction　He　was　afflicted；　and　the　Angel　of　His　presence　saved　them；
in　His　love　and　in　His　pity　He　redeemed　them；　and　He　bare　them；　and　carried
them　all　the　days　of　old。〃　Deuteronomy　32：10；　Isaiah　63：9。

Yet　the　only　records　of　their　wilderness　life　are　instances　of　rebellion
against　the　Lord。　The　revolt　of　Korah　had　resulted　in　the　destruction　of
fourteen　thousand　of　Israel。　And　there　were　isolated　cases　that　showed　the
same　spirit　of　contempt　for　the　divine　authority。

On　one　occasion　the　son　of　an　Israelitish　woman　and　of　an　Egyptian；　one　of
the　mixed　multitude　that　had　come　up　with　Israel　from　Egypt；　left　his　own
part　of　the　camp；　and　entering　that　of　the　Israelites；　claimed　the　right　to
pitch　his　tent　there。　This　the　divine　law　forbade　him　to　do；　the　descendants
of　an　Egyptian　being　excluded　from　the　congregation　until　the　third
generation。　A　dispute　arose　between　him　and　an　Israelite；　and　the　matter
being　referred　to　the　judges　was　decided　against　the　offender。

Enraged　at　this　decision；　he　cursed　the　judge；　and　in　the　heat　of　passion
blasphemed　the　name　of　God。　He　was　immediately　brought　before　Moses。　The
command　had　been　given；　〃He　that

408

curseth　his　father；　or　his　mother；　shall　surely　be　put　to　death〃　（Exodus
21：17）；　but　no　provision　had　been　made　to　meet　this　case。　So　terrible　was
the　crime　that　there　was　felt　to　be　a　necessity　for　special　direction　from
God。　The　man　was　placed　in　ward　until　the　will　of　the　Lord　could　be
ascertained。　God　Himself　pronounced　the　sentence；　by　the　divine　direction
the　blasphemer　was　conducted　outside　the　camp　and　stoned　to　death。　Those　who
had　been　witness　to　the　sin　placed　their　hands　upon　his　head；　thus　solemnly
testifying　to　the　truth　of　the　charge　against　him。　Then　they　threw　the　first
stones；　and　the　people　who　stood　by　afterward　joined　in　executing　the
sentence。

This　was　followed　by　the　announcement　of　a　law　to　meet　similar　offenses：
〃Thou　shalt　speak　unto　the　children　of　Israel；　saying；　Whosoever　curseth　his
God　shall　bear　his　sin。　And　he　that　blasphemeth　the　name　of　the　Lord；　he
shall　surely　be　put　to　death；　and　all　the　congregation　shall　certainly　stone
him：　as　well　the　stranger；　as　he　that　is　born　in　the　land；　when　he
blasphemeth　the　name　of　the　Lord；　shall　be　put　to　death。〃　Leviticus　24：15；
16。

There　are　those　who　will　question　God's　love　and　His　justice　in　visiting　so
severe　punishment　for　words　spoken　in　the　heat　of　passion。　But　both　love　and
justice　require　it　to　be　shown　that　utterances　prompted　by　malice　against
God　are　a　great　sin。　The　retribution　visited　upon　the　first　offender　would
be　a　warning　to　others；　that　God's　name　is　to　be　held　in　reverence。　But　had
this　man's　sin　been　permitted　to　pass　unpunished；　others　would　have　been
demoralized；　and　as　the　result　many　lives　must　eventually　have　been
sacrificed。

The　mixed　multitude　that　came　up　with　the　Israelites　from　Egypt　were　a
source　of　continual　temptation　and　trouble。　They　professed　to　have　renounced
idolatry　and　to　worship　the　true　God；　but　their　early　education　and　training
had　molded　their　habits　and　character；　and　they　were　more　or　less　corrupted
with　idolatry　and　with　irreverence　for　God。　They　were　oftenest　the　ones　to
stir　up　strife　and　were　the　first　to　complain；　and　they　leavened　the　camp
with　their　idolatrous　practices　and　their　murmurings　against　God。

Soon　after　the　return　into　the　wilderness；　an　instance　of　Sabbath　violation
occurred；　under　circumstances　that　rendered　it　a　case　of　peculiar　guilt。　The
Lord's　announcement　that　He　would

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　409

disinherit　Israel　had　roused　a　spirit　of　rebellion。　One　of　the　people；　angry
at　being　excluded　from　Canaan；　and　determined　to　show　his　defiance　of　God's
law；　ventured　upon　the　open　transgression　of　the　fourth　commandment　by　going
out　to　gather　sticks　upon　the　Sabbath。　During　the　sojourn　in　the　wilderness
the　kindling　of　fires　upon　the　seventh　day　had　been　strictly　prohibited。　The
prohibition　was　not　to　extend　to　the　land　of　Canaan；　where　the　severity　of
the　climate　would　often　render　fires　a　necessity；　but　in　the　wilderness；
fire　was　not　needed　for　warmth。　The　act　of　this　man　was　a　willful　and
deliberate　violation　of　the　fourth　commandmenta　sin；　not　of
thoughtlessness　or　ignorance；　but　of　presumption。

He　was　taken　in　the　act　and　brought　before　Moses。　It　had　already　been
declared　that　Sabbathbreaking　should　be　punished　with　death；　but　it　had　not
yet　been　revealed　how　the　penalty　was　to　be　inflicted。　The　case　was　brought
by　Moses　before　the　Lord；　and　the　direction　was　given；　〃The　man　shall　be
surely　put　to　death：　all　the　congregation　shall　stone　him　with　stones
w