THE COMMANDMENTS.—PART 1.
By A. C. Spicer
The first evidence in Exodus of a knowledge of the precepts of the decalogue, we discover in chap. 1 : 15–21, where we learn that the Hebrew midwives disobeyed the commandment of the king of Egypt to kill all the Hebrew male children thereafter born, “for they feared God.” Evidently, if respect for human life, and hence the existence of laws for its protection, were but the dictates of the desire for self-preservation, these Hebrew women might have obeyed the king, as law-maker. But, “they feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them.” This furnishes very strong presumptive evidence that the king’s command was known by them to be contrary to an existing law of God. They disobeyed, in this case, risking the displeasure of the king; while in many things not involving a violation of a known law of God, the Hebrews submitted to terrible hardships and wrongs from the king. For this faithfulness to God in disobedience to the king, God especially and signally rewarded those women; while for patient endurance of wrongs and obedience to the king, in matters not involving a violation of God’s law, God greatly and signally blessed and prospered the Hebrew people. These rewards argue obedience to law, and hence argue a knowledge of the law; for, without a knowledge of the law, obedience thereto could only be an accident, and hence without virtue, and therefore not subject to reward. This circumstance, together with the record in chap. 2 : 12–14, evinces that Moses, and the Hebrews generally, were conscious of the prohibition of the sixth precept of the decalogue. In Ex. 7 : 25 ; 12 : 15, 16, 19 ; 13 : 6, 7, the septenary period is again brought to our notice. Recurring to the consideration of the number seven, so characteristic in the Bible, we notice it obtained prevalence at an early day, and probably originated from the fact that “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore God blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Gen. 2 : 2, 3 ; Ex. 20 : 11), and thus established the septenary cycle, which gave the prominence to the number seven. In Gen. 4 : 15 and 24, we read, And the Lord said, “Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And Lamech said, “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” And the Lord said unto Noah, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens.” Gen. 7 : 2. “Of fowls also of the air by sevens.” Verse 3. “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth.” Verse 4. “And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.” Verse 10. Jacob proposed to Laban, “I will serve thee seven years for Rachel.” Gen. 29 : 18. “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel.” Verse 20. “Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. . . . And served with him yet seven other years.” Verses 27, 28, 30. Jacob “bowed himself to the ground seven times” before Esau. Gen. 33 : 3. In Gen. 41 : 18–54 there is an account of Pharaoh’s dream of the seven fat kine and the seven lean kine, of the seven full ears of corn and the seven withered ears, and Joseph’s interpretation of the dream, as meaning seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. These references and quotations clearly show that the representative seven, corresponding to the number of days in the week, which so significantly prevails throughout all the subsequent part of Bible history, and the division of days into weeks, obtained and were recognized early in the history of the race, and doubtless from the beginning. Now here in Ex. 7 : 25, the same characteristic again appears; and in Ex. 12 : 15, 16, 19, we read, “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you. . . . Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses.” This language is addressed by God to Israel in appointing to them and establishing and regulating the commemorative passover festival. In the above passages there is clearly and positively presented to us the division of time into weeks, or periods of seven days each. And here we ask, Upon what considerations—upon what fact or facts—is this division of time based? What was its origin? When, where, how, and by whom did it originate? Certainly, no considerations naturally arising from physical need or natural laws could possibly have suggested or determined the reckoning of time by periods of seven days. Months and years are natural divisions of time determined and established by natural phenomena. Not so the weeks. The prevalent and oft-repeated fallacious declaration that “man and beast naturally require one day in seven for physical rest,” does not answer the above questions. For, consider the questions in relation simply to physical or mental labor and the necessity of rest for recuperation, and there appears to the mind no valid reason why sufficient physical rest might not have been, and might not now be, just as appropriately taken daily as weekly. Indeed, it stands to reason and experience both that sufficient simple rest from labor, so as to avoid exhaustion, might better, and should, be taken daily. If it be claimed, as is often done, that commutative concert of labor and rest, and universal uniformity in respect thereto, for the sake of securing cumulative power and more effective application of forces, were essential; yet nothing in nature (aside from God’s example and appointment of the Sabbath) or in human reason could have suggested or determined that period to have been septenary instead of one of five days, or of six days, or of eight, or of nine, or ten days, or of any other number of days. In short, there is nothing in man’s reason, or in his inward consciousness of the right or of fitness, that could even suggest that septenary period, independent of the fact that God wrought six days in creating, and rested on the seventh day, and blessed and sanctified that seventh day a Sabbath for man and gave it to him as such, enjoining its observance upon him, thus establishing that period of time. The septenary cycle, then, has its basis in the above stated facts, its reasons in higher considerations than the need of mere physical rest and recuperation, while the rest of God determined it, and the appointed, hallowed, sanctified Sabbath of God marked or noted it, determining when it began and when it closed. This is important; and it is important to note that the reckoning of time by weeks was evidently from the beginning and continued throughout the entire time of Bible history. But as we shall be led to these considerations again a little further on, we now pass them for the present, and call attention especially to the ordinance of the passover. Ex. 12. 1. Its name. It is denominated by God, “The ordinance of the passover,” “the feast of unleavened bread.” Verses 17, 43. 2. Its object. “This shall be unto you for a memorial.” Verse 14. “It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel, when he smote the Egyptians.” Verse 27. It was needful that this great event should be commemorated, and this ordinance is its memorial monument. And mark this fact: We find nowhere in history that God ever erected more than one memorial to commemorate any one event. 3. How enduring. “Throughout your generations, forever.” Verse 14. 4. Who are to observe it. “All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.” Verse 47. “Ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever.” Verse 24. “A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.” Verse 45. “There shall no stranger eat thereof; but every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.” Verses 43, 44. Mark this characteristic: Only Israelites were to eat thereof. 5. How to be kept. “Ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.” Verse 14. “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. . . . And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation unto you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that [i. e., in the preparation of that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.” Note this fact that not all work was forbidden during these holy convocations. The passover lamb might be killed and dressed, and the feast prepared. Mark the distinction between this passover festival and the Sabbath. 6. Why God appointed this memorial. “And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.” Ex. 13 : 14. “And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.” Verses 8, 9. 7. When were they to begin keeping this festival ordinance? “When ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he has promised, ye shall keep this service.” This distinction is worthy of special note. They were not to commence the observance of the passover festival until they reached the promised land, and did not do it. Analyzed, the passover certainly appears to be: 1. A special memorial festive ordinance, and not an institution, nor of general character, like the institutions of marriage and the Sabbath. 2. It commemorated an event peculiar to the Israelites, and hence its observance was confined to them, and forbidden to others. 3. It was, primarily, a festival of thanksgiving, exclusive Sabbath rest not being required. 4. It was an annual festival of seven days’ duration, and not weekly. 5. It was designed to aid the Israelites in keeping in remembrance, throughout all their generations, the great mercy and goodness of God manifested to them, to the end that they might be induced to keep the law of God. These observations in respect to the passover are presented here, because it is desired to present the thoughts in these papers as they are drawn in consecutive order from the Bible. Comparative and contrastive use will be made of them a little further on.