  THE GIVING OF THE LAW. FIRST READING.
WHEN the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, God had told Moses to lead them to the foot of Mount Sinai. This was a high steep rocky mountain in the wilderness. And God told Moses to set bounds round the mountain, so that nobody should come and touch it; and the people were to pray, and wait round it for the holy and awful thing that was to happen. Then there came on the hill-top a deep dark cloud, and the mountain was altogether on a smoke, and it shook and quaked, and there were lightnings and thunders and voices, and the sound of a trumpet loud and louder, so that all the people trembled. Then out of that cloud there came a voice speaking to them—a voice that they all could hear, and that made them afraid. For it was the voice of God. And God spoke out of the cloud, and gave the Ten Commandments. They were the very same Ten Commandments you say in the Catechism, and see written up in church. The Ten Commandments. God had come in this terrible and awful manner to speak to them, that all Israel might hear and fear, and take care not to break them. Afterwards God gave these Ten Commandments to Moses, written upon two tables—or pieces of stone—written by God Himself. That was the way the Ten Commandments were given—by God's own voice speaking to men, out of the cloud, amid thunders and lightnings, and the sound of the trumpet, dreadful to hear. MOSES RECEIVING THE TABLES OF THE LAW.—Ex. 31:18. And God means us all to obey the Commandments, just as much as He meant the Israelites to obey them. They are His words, and must be kept; and if we ask Him in our prayers He will give us help and strength to obey them, so that we may fulfil the promise that was made at our baptism, that we should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same unto our lives' end. QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
WHEN the lightning and thunder and the loud voice of the trumpet came forth from the cloud on Mount Sinai, and God had spoken the Ten Commandments, He called to Moses to come up and speak with Him in the cloud. How wonderful it must have been! Moses was the only man that ever spoke so near to God. God gave him two blocks of stone written with the Ten Commandments, written with God's own Finger. Then God told him to make a chest to keep them in. It was to be made of wood, with gold all over it; and two figures of cherubims were to be one on each side. This chest was to be called the Ark of the Covenant. And it was to be put into a square room, inside a tent, that was to be made with curtains, and carried about with the Israelites. It was to be called the Tabernacle. And this was to be a very holy place. The children of Israel would say their prayers in front of the Tabernacle; but they were not to go into the place where the Ark was, because they were sinful, and God is holy. That place was to be called the Holy of Holies, and no one might go near it The first High Priest was to be Moses' brother Aaron; and he was to wear a beautiful dress when he ministered before God—a high cap with "Holiness to the Lord" on it, a long embroidered robe, edged with gold bells and pomegranates, and a blue scarf crossed over her breast; and in the middle a breast-plate, made of twelve precious stones, each carved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, so that he might have them on his heart as he prayed to God. All this and much more God told Moses while he was on the mount. MOSES DESTROYS THE TABLES OF THE LAW.—Ex. 32:19. QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
WHEN Moses went up into the awful cloud upon Mount Sinai, he stayed there forty days. But all the Israelites below were impatient. They could not think what had become of Moses; and though they had so lately heard God's own Voice speaking to them, they would not wait as they had been told to do. They cried out that they wanted something instead of Moses, whom they had lost. So they took all their gold ear-rings and melted them, and made an image of a golden calf. And then these foolish wicked people began to feast and dance, and worship this golden idol. Moses was coming down Mount Sinai with the two Tables of the Commandments in his hands. And first he heard a shouting and singing; then he saw the people leaping and dancing, and the great golden idol standing in the midst. Then he was sure it was of no use to bring them the Commandments if they minded them no better. So he took the two tables of stone, and threw them out of his hand, and broke them to pieces. Then he went down, and severely punished the worst of the Israelites for having disobeyed the commandment. And he broke the golden calf to pieces, and ground it to powder. Then he went and prayed to God to forgive the people. God did forgive them, and let Moses bring two fresh tables of stone to be written with the Ten Commandments. But the first that they had lost were the tables God had given, and they could never have them back again! QUESTIONS.
ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. |
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