26.

"shall not perceive.'" But, he added, according to St. Mark's account, "Unto you it is given to know the "mystery of the Kingdom of God; but unto them "that are without, all these things are done in "parables."

The importance of the fact that in our Saviour's time the prophecy of Isaiah was actually being fulfilled, is perhaps shown, as clearly as it could be, by Christ's quotation of it being recorded in all four of Acts xxviii. the Gospels. St. Paul also quoted the same prophecy against the Jews in Rome, when addressing those of them who were in that city, and again, when writing to them from Corinthus. Thus we have unquestionable testimony of the fact that darkness had fallen even upon God's own elect people, according to prophecy, at the time of our Saviour's sojourn here on earth.

Rom. xi. 8.

Rom. xi. 25.

66

The time when this darkness was to give place to returning light is also referred to by St. Paul, when addressing the Jews in Rome, where he observed, "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant "of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part hath happened "to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come "in." Here, again, is a specific time given for the removal of this partial blindness; but, taken by itself, this passage of scripture does not serve to denote when the return of light may be expected, or how the true light, when it does return, is to be distinguished from a luminous halo of transient birth. We shall, however, in the following pages, endeavour to gather light upon this subject by reading text with text, and putting our own interpretation of scriptural writings to the test of a comparison with past and current events.

CHAPTER III.

ISRAEL AND JUDAH.-PART I. THE KINGDOMS.

In

A large portion of the Old Testament is devoted to a record of the early history of God's elect race. Up About 1920 to the time of Abram no people had been specially B.C. selected for God's own purpose upon earth. Abram's day, however, the world had become estranged from God, as it was also before the flood. In Noah's time the rebellion of mankind led to a fearful punishment, and all except a few were destroyed by the waters of the deluge. The remembrance of this punishment did not, however, restrain man from repeating acts of wickedness and irreligion; God, in his infinite mercy refrained from further summary acts of vengeance, but He separated a chosen seed unto himself with the view-as it would seemof drawing mankind to Himself by acts of love rather than by wrathful punishment. Looking back upon the history of mankind, who is ever constantly tempted by the power of evil on the earth, it seems clear that to have repeated punishments upon the disobedient whenever man rebelled against his Maker, as had once before been done, would have led to constant destructions upon the earth, and so have prevented it from ever becoming fully populated. God therefore determined to endeavour to draw man to Him by cords of love, instead of by wrathful punishment. To this end He selected Abram as His servant, to whom He showed especial favour, as to one worthy of so high a distinction, and bound Himself by an oath to give to his seed, for ever, blessings innumerable on this earth, and-under condition of faithful service-everlasting salvation in the world to come. These promises were

not, however, bestowed without threats of punishment in the event of rebellion; but in no case was the punishment to extend to a total destruction of the chosen race, but it was promised that a tenth should always be saved as witnesses to the rest of the world. Abraham continued faithful to God, as did also his son Isaac, the only offspring of his first wife Sarah.

Isaac had two sons-who were twins-by his wife Rebekah, but it was to Jacob and to his seed that the line of inheritance was vouchsafed. Jacob espoused first his cousin Leah, through the treachery of her father Laban, although he was engaged to her sister Rachel, whom, however, he also subsequently married. Judah was the last son which Leah bare to Jacob, and Rachel-whom only Jacob loved-had but one son, Joseph. To these two sons of Jacob were the highest favours of God shown, and through them have the promises made to Abraham descended. As of the two sons of Isaac the birthright did not fall to the lot of the_elder, so also Reuben, though the firstborn son of Jacob, was not destined as heir to the inheritance; "but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his Gen. xxxv. 22. “ birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the "son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be "reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed "above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; "but the birthright was Joseph's."

1 Chron.v. 1,2.

Levi, Leah's third son, who was next older than Judah, had for a time the pre-eminence over his brethren, inasmuch as from his seed was born Moses, who was the first leader of the Israelites, and brought them out from their Egyptian captivity. After the death of Moses, the leadership naturally fell upon Joshua, Jehoshua or Oshea (as he is variously called in the Bible), the son of Nun, who was of the tribe of Ex. xxiv. 13. Ephraim, the son of Joseph. This same Joshua was previously the minister of Moses, and he and Caleb (of the tribe of Judah) alone stood firm in their faith and trust in the Divine promises, when the rest of the

Num. xiii. 8.

people broke out in rebellion against Moses through Num. xiv. 6. fear of the strength of the inhabitants of the land, after the return of the first expedition to search out the country of Canaan. Joshua lead the people of Israel Joshua i. 1. into their promised land, and having conquered, and in part only driven out the former inhabitants, he divided it amongst their tribes. Joshua did not live long after this, and, on his death, the leadership of the tribes Judges i. 2. again fell to the lot of Judah. From this time the land continued under Judges until Samuel. The office of Judge appears to have been hereditary, for when Samuel was old the people represented to him that his sons, being corrupt in their practices, were not fit to 1 Sam. viii. 5. succeed him, and they therefore desired to have " a "king to judge them like all the nations." In spite of Samuel's remonstrances the people insisted upon having

B.C. 1425.

a king, and he chose Saul, the son of Kish, of the tribe 1 Sam. ix. 1, 2. of Benjamin, whom also he anointed king. Saul was B.C. 1095. not only a member of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, but, according to his own evidence, he did not even belong to any of the leading families, for, said he

to Samuel, is not "my family the least of all the 1 Sam. ix. 21. "families of the tribe of Benjamin ?" After Saul had reigned about thirty-two years his abominable behaviour caused God to reject him as king, and Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint David, the son B.C. 1063. of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, to be king. David belonged to Saul's household, but after he had slain Goliah, the giant of the Philistines, Saul became envious of his popularity and sought to kill him. David, however, escaped out of Saul's hand, and after wandering about for some time, he settled himself at the cave 1 Sam. xxii. of Adullam, where he was soon joined by a band of 1, 2. spendthrifts and loose characters, and he became a captain over them. With this

With this army David returned to Judah, and came into the forest of Hareth, where he commenced an open rebellion against the ment of Saul, and carried on wars against the Philistines on his own account.

govern

About

B.C. 1055.

Saul also was constantly at war with the Philistines, and on one occasion so great was the defeat he suffered at their hands, that, in a fit of despair, having seen his three sons, and most of the flower of his army destroyed, he fell upon his own sword and so killed himself.

After the death of Saul, David was made king at Hebron, and was anointed the second time by the men Sam. ii. 4. of Judah. David was not permitted to enjoy the throne in peace, for several of the people, under the leadership of Abner, the son of Ner, still adhered to the house of Saul, and they took Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, and brought him over to Mahanaim, a place across the Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, and made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

After this, Abner led an army against David, and the two forces met together by the pool of Gibeon. In this encounter Abner was thoroughly beaten, but the men of Israel still adhered to their king, and there was long war between the two houses of Saul and David. The whole strength of Ish-bosheth appears to have been in Abner; on one occasion, however, that king so insulted his chief captain that he rebelled against him, and, after having talked over the principal men of Benjamin, he entered into negotiations with David to transfer the whole kingdom to him. Subsequently Abner went to Hebron and had a personal communication with David on the subject, but on his return he was treacherously murdered by Joab, one of David's captains, who looked upon Abner as a spy, and his overtures as deceitful.

On the death of Abner, Ish-bosheth lost his principal supporter; neither does there appear to have been any man in Israel to take his place. The rebellion that Abner had stirred up, before his expedition to Hebron, extended, and Baanah and Rechab, two of Ish-bosheth's captains, murdered him, cut off his head, and straight