Aaron walked into the Sanctuary to perform the prescribed service, or when he returned after its completion, was to call the attention of the worshipping Israelites in the Court to the sacredness of his office, and to impress their minds with deep reverence; for without the pious devotion of the people, the intervention of the Highpriest before God was of little avail.

Thus magnificently were the High-priest and the priests attired; yet were they to approach the Sanctuary with uncovered feet, that they might constantly be reminded of modesty and humility.

43. THE GOLDEN CALF.

[EXOD. XXXII.]

The Israelites had watched Moses from their tents as he disappeared amidst the flames and the smoke of Mount Sinai; they awaited his return with anxiety; but when day after day, week after week passed by, and they were still left without their chief and guide, they despaired of his re-appearance, and came to Aaron and said: 'Rise, make us a god who shall go before us; for as to this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' Aaron, weak and well aware of the stubbornness and violence of the people, acceded to their demand. He bade the men and women bring their golden ornaments, which he melted and formed into the shape of a calf, most probably a likeness of the Egyptian Apis. Then the people exclaimed in wild rejoicing: These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt;' and Aaron built an altar before the image and announced: "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.'

The morrow came, and the reckless people brought their peace-offerings and their burnt-offerings, and sacri

ficed to the idol. Then followed the usual public feasting, with dancing and games.

The Lord, as He communed with His servant Moses on the heights of Sinai, heard the impious sounds rising from the tents, and His wrath was great. He commanded Moses to descend, and to declare that He would utterly annihilate the rebellious people. But Moses prayed to the Lord humbly and fervently: Lord, why is Thy anger kindled against Thy people, which Thou hast brought from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, To their misfortune He brought them out to slay them in the mountains, and to destroy them from the face of the earth? Turn from the rage of Thy anger, and recall the evil against Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou hast sworn by Thy own self, and to whom Thou hast said, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land of which I have spoken will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.' And the Lord heard the prayer of His pious servant.

Moses then went down, bearing in his hands the two tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments had been written by the finger of God. Joshua, his devoted follower, awaited him at the foot of the mountain. The sounds of merriment were rising loud in the air, and Joshua, the warrior, exclaimed, There is a noise of war in the camp.' But Moses answered, 'It is not the voice of those who cry victory, nor the voice of those who cry defeat; the voice of those who sing do I hear.' And as he advanced, he came in full view of the camp. He saw the golden calf raised on high, with the offerings burning before it, whilst around it danced and sang the infatuated multitude. The faithful servant of God was filled with horror at the impiety of the people: in his indignation

and anger he dashed the stone tablets out of his hands, and they were broken at the foot of the mountain. Then he advanced into the midst of the revellers, seized the calf, burned it in fire, and ground it into powder, which he scattered in water; and of this water he made the Israelites drink to their own ignominy. He then turned upbraidingly to Aaron, demanding, 'What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon it? Aaron felt his miserable weakness, and replied in a confused manner, repeating the request of the children of Israel and his own guilty assent: They gave me their gold; then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.' Moses now went to the gate of the camp, and proclaimed in a loud voice: "He who is for the Lord may come to me'; whereupon the men of the tribe of Levi assembled round him as his faithful followers. Most terrible was their mission on that day; they were to wreak the Lord's vengeance on their sinful brethren. They were addressed by Moses: Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword at his side, pass on, and return from gate to gate in the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.'-The sons of Levi obeyed this fearful mandate, and three thousand Israelites fell on that day for Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, yea, every man with his son, and with his brother, and bring upon yourselves a blessing to-day.' Then Moses prayed again to God, and said: 'Oh this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made to themselves a god of gold. And now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin; but if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. And the Lord said to Moses, Whosoever has sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book: therefore, now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to thee. Behold, My

messenger shall go before thee; and in the day when I visit, I shall visit their sin upon them.'-The Israelites were to continue their journey to the land of promise, but the presence of the Lord would not be in the midst of them; for, said God, 'Thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee on the way.'-When the Hebrews heard these words, they were afflicted with grief, laid off their ornaments, and delivered themselves up to mourning. But Moses was commanded to pitch his tent outside the camp, and called it the 'Tent of Meeting'; for here God met His servant Moses and communed with him. When the prophet went into the tent, all the people rose and looked until he was lost from their sight in a pillar of cloud, from which God spoke to him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.' And as the pillar of cloud hovered above the door, the people, full of awe and reverence, bowed themselves down and worshipped. When Moses returned to the camp, he prayed to God with fervour and zeal until he received the promise that God's glorious presence would lead the people onwards.

44. RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT.

[EXOD. XXXIII. XXXIV.]

Then Moses, full of faith and trust, exclaimed: 'O show me Thy glory. He longed to see the whole mysterious greatness of God, who had hitherto only appeared to him in a cloud of smoke. But no man might see the Lord and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock; and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and I will cover thee with My hand while I pass by. And then I will take away My hand,

and thou shalt see My back, but My face cannot be seen.'

For the second time Moses, on the command of God, ascended to the heights of Sinai, alone and unseen by all, bearing in his hand two tables of stone which he had hewn instead of those he had broken. As he stood on the summit of the mountain, the Lord descended in a cloud, and once again He repeated His promises to Moses; nay, He revealed to Him His very nature and being. Passing before His servant, He said: The Eternal, the Eternal, a God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means always leave unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, to the third and to the fourth generation.' He then renewed, through Moses, His covenant with the Israelites, briefly reiterating the principal pledges and commands, previously given, and revealing the pith of the new creed: Behold I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord; for it is a terrible thing which I will do with thee.-Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee. But But you shall destroy their altars, break their images, and annihilate their Ashtartes. For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, Zealous is His name, He is a Zealous God; lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land; for when they go astray after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, they might invite thee, and thou mightest eat of their sacrifice, and take of their daughters