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(Continued: Chapter I- The Romance of Jewish History)
The God of the whole earth, who miraculously delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, and who protected the people and provided for their needs throughout the wilderness wanderings, manifested His power in bringing Israel into Canaan.
After crossing the Jordan, the Israelites encamped in the plain of Jericho. Joshua, a real strategist, inspected the approaches to Jericho in order that he might know how to attack it. As he was reconnoitering about the city, suddenly there appeared before him "a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand ..." (Josh. 5:13). In a fearless manner Joshua approached the stranger, saying, "Art thou for us or for our adversaries?" His reply was, "Nay; but as prince of the hosts of Jehovah am I now come." Joshua, falling on his face and worshiping, said to him, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" Then the stranger instructed Joshua, saying, "Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy."
The hosts of Jehovah are the celestial beings consisting of cherubim, seraphim, and all ranks and orders of angels. The stranger who appeared to Joshua on this occasion is the prince, the generalissimo of God's celestial armies. Those constituting the hosts of the Lord are "ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation" (Heb. 1:14). For further information on this point, examine carefully II Kings, chapter 6.
In this connection the reader should note that there is an army of evil spirits which opposes the armies of the Lord. "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (Isa. 24:21). At the end of the Tribulation, the Lord will incarcerate this host of wicked spirits, that are now "on high," in the pit of the abyss during the thousand-year reign of Christ, and after the Kingdom Age they will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
An illustration of the clash between the armies of Jehovah and the forces of evil is set forth in Revelation 12:7,8: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven." One has every reason to believe that, when Joshua attacked Jericho, there was a terrific conflict—invisible to mortal eyes—between the hosts of Jehovah and the forces of Satan. One may also believe that the fate of Jericho, to a certain extent, depended upon the outcome of this conflict.
Light is shed on this subject by a glance at the battle of Ai. At Jericho Israel was triumphant in every way. At Ai Israel was defeated, being thrown back in utter confusion. Jericho was a veritable fortress for that day. Ai, though strong, could not compare with Jericho from the standpoint of power; nevertheless, at Ai the armies of Israel were utterly defeated. Why? Evidently, the armies of the Lord had forsaken Israel because sin had entered their camp. Under such conditions a holy God would not countenance sin in His people and allow them to be triumphant over their enemies.
Obviously, Joshua was expecting to attack Jericho according to orthodox military tactics of his day, but man's ways are not God's ways. The Lord, therefore, revealed to Joshua the method of attack:
6 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him (Joshua 6:1-5).
Joshua faithfully carried out Jehovah's instructions to him in both the letter and the spirit of the command. God honored and accepted his obedience, for "to obey is better than sacrifice ..." (I Sam. 15:22b). The reader is urged to study Joshua, chapter 6, for the inspired account of the supernatural overthrow of Jericho.
Thus Israel's entrance into the land and the overthrow of Jericho shine forth in the light of divine intervention. These events constitute another mountain-peak experience in the romance of Jewish history.
F. The Reigns Of David And Solomon
In the days of David and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel reached its greatest height of glory, power, and influence in the world. The eighty years of their combined reigns were the Golden Era of Jewish national history from every standpoint. The Lord can work marvelously when He has servants yielded to Him. Someone has well said that the world has yet to see what God can do through one whose heart is perfect toward Him. David was a man after God's own heart.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah hath sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah hath appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee (I Sam. 13:14).
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will (Acts 13:22).
4 Nevertheless for David's sake did Jehovah his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem; 5 because David did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (I Ki. 15:4,5).
It is true that, figuratively speaking, Satan slipped up on the blind side of David and caused him to sin grossly. When, however, he was brought face to face with his sins, he humbled himself before God and implored divine mercy.
Solomon's heart was right toward God when the Lord chose him to rule His people.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5 In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, 0 Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? (I Ki. 3:4-9).
Though Solomon started out well, he made a wreck of his life. He was a man of peace, and it seems that he was willing to purchase peace at any price. He adopted the principle of maintaining peace by royal marriages. When the war clouds began to appear on the horizon, we may believe that Solomon arranged marriage between himself and some of the princesses of the countries involved. Thus war was averted. By adopting this policy as a principle upon which to build peace, Solomon destroyed the basis of a just and righteous government.
According to the historical account in I Kings, chapter 11, we see the leaven of immorality rapidly spreading throughout the kingdom and destroying the basic, fundamental principles of life.
Judged from the standpoint of literature, the reigns of David and Solomon surpassed all other periods of Jewish history. It is to be borne in mind that the literary activities¹ of Israel were the result of the Holy Spirit's speaking in and through chosen vessels. The world has been enriched by the poets, philosophers, and historians; but none of the writings of the uninspired men can compare with the writings of the Sacred Scriptures.
In this Golden Era of David and Solomon, appeared the Book of Psalms, the greatest selection of devotional and prophetic poems ever compiled; the Book of Proverbs, unsurpassed in practical wisdom; Ecclesiastes, the one Book showing the vanity of all human strivings; the Song of Solomon, the greatest love song ever written; and probably the Book of Job, the greatest drama ever written.
The rays of divine glory continually flashed forth during the Golden Era of Israel's literary activity.
II. A SECOND GLIMPSE AT SINAI
When Israel came out of Egypt, the Lord led His people to Mount Sinai. Here He appeared in a unique manner and delivered His law to His people. The account of these miraculous occurrences are recorded in the Books of Exodus and Leviticus. In the Book of Numbers appears the record of Israel's trek through the wilderness for forty years. As has already been mentioned, there arose during this period a new generation that had not seen the miraculous manifestations of the giving of the law and the many infallible proofs of divine intervention at Sinai. At the close of the wilderness wanderings, for the benefit of all the people, especially the new generation, God again broke through the natural barriers of commonplace events and spoke those portions of the law that met the requirements of the time. This repetition of the law constitutes the Book of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy, chapter 4, is replete with meaning. Among the things discussed are the giving of the law, the remnant of the Hebrew people seeking God in the end time, and the deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
In Deuteronomy 4:9-14, Moses urges the people to be diligent in keeping before their minds what they saw and heard at Sinai. The very atmosphere was supercharged with the presence of the God of the universe; Mount Sinai vibrated with divine glory; and a hush of holiness and awe settled down upon the people. Then God, the sovereign of the universe, the covenant-keeping Jehovah, spoke the Ten Words, the Ten Commandments, which set forth the basic principles of God's relation to man and of man's relation to man.
9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children; 9 the day that thou stoodest before Jehovah thy God in Horeb, when Jehovah said unto me, Assemble me the people, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children 11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 And Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice. 13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. 14 And Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. (Deut. 4:9-14).
The speaking of the living God to mortal man was unknown to the peoples of the earth. "Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and live?" (Deut. 4:33). This rhetorical question demands the answer, No. "Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee; and upon earth he made thee to see his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire" (Deut. 4:36).
In verses 25-31 Moses gives a brief survey of the course of Jewish history from his day through the centuries to the end time. By the judgments of the Tribulation, the Israelites surviving that period will, comparatively speaking, be few in number.
27 And Jehovah will scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither Jehovah shall lead you away. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from thence ye shall seek Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt find him, when thou searchest after him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, in the latter days thou shalt return to Jehovah thy God, and hearken unto his voice: 31 for Jehovah thy God is a merciful God; he will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them (Deut. 4:27-31).
From these verses we see that the remnant of Israel will seek God with all their heart in the latter days—and will find Him.
In verses 32-40 appears a second glimpse of God's delivering His people from Egyptian bondage. It is such a sublime statement of a historical fact that the reader will appreciate the quotation in full:
32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? 33 Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Jehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Jehovah he is God; there is none else besides him. 36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he made thee to see his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. 37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt; 38 to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as at this day. 39 Know therefore this day, and lay it to thy heart, that Jehovah he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else. 40 And thou shalt keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days in the land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, for ever. (Deut. 4:32-40).
III. THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH
A most wonderful and sublime peak of Jewish history is yet in the future. Moses concludes Israel's National Anthem with a matchless prophecy of Messiah's second advent. He will appear as El Gibbor (Isa. 9:6), God the mighty warrior:39 See now that I, even I, am he,
And there is no god with me:
I kill, and I make alive;
I wound, and I heal;
And there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For I lift up my hand to heaven,
And say, As I live for ever,
41 If I whet my glittering sword,
And my hand take hold on judgment;
I will render vengeance to mine adversaries,
And will recompense them that hate me.
42 I will make mine arrows drunk with blood,
And my sword shall devour flesh;
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the head of the leaders of the enemy.
43 Rejoice, 0 ye nations,
with his people:
For he will avenge the blood of his servants,
And will render vengeance to his adversaries,
And will make expiation for his land, for his people (Deut. 32:39-43). King David spoke of Messiah's coming in Psalm 18:1-19. Also see Habakkuk 3:1-15 and Isaiah 63:1-6.
When Messiah does come, He will champion the cause of the faithful remnant of Israel, lift the curse from the earth, and establish His reign of righteousness from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Footnote:
¹ After the Spirit of God ceased to make revelations through His servants the prophets, there was considerable literary activity apart from inspiration resulting in the Books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, et cetera.
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