sponded to the cry against it (18"'), and Ha rained fire on the cities of the iihiiu from J" ' out of heaven' (19"). To Mo8es lie said He had come down to save His people (Kx 3'). But, thougli heaven was His throne, He manifested Himself over all the earth, — to Abraham in Ur and Canaan ; to Jacob in Mesopotamia, to whom He also said, ' Fear not to go down to E!,'ypt ; I will go down with thee ' (Gn 46*) ; to Moses at Sinai and in Egypt ; to His peoi>le, going before them into Canaan (Ex 33"). There, though His presence was specially attached to the Ark, He also revealed Himself to Joshua as the captain of the Lord's hosts (Jos 5"), and by His spirit He ruled the people, raising up judges, inspiring Saul and David. (6) As to His relation to nature, it is said in the oldest Creation narrative that He made heaven and earth, and all the creatures, as well as man (Gn 2). On the highest scale He commands nature, sending a universal flood upon the earth, opening the windows of heaven and breaking up the fountains of the great deep (Gn 7). By some convulsion of nature He 'over- throws' the cities of the plain (Gn 19). Before Joslnia He made the sun and moon stand still in the sky (Jos 10'-) ; and at His command the stars tight in their courses against Siscra (Jg .")■"). All eartlily and heavenly forces obey Him. He caused an east wind to blow, and rolled back the sea (Ex 14-') ; He brought locusts on Egypt ( 10'*), and tiirncil tiho river into blood (7'°) ; He sent hail and (iie C.)-^) and darkness (10--). In the days of Ahab lie scourged the land three and a half years with a drought (1 IC 17'), and in the time of David devastated the people with a pestilence (2 S 24"). (( ) In the early literature Israel had not yet entered greatly into relation with the nations ; the teaching ot Scripture regarding J"'3 rule of the nations lirst appears in the prophets when the great Assyrian and Babylonian empires came upon tlie stage of the world's history. But the same conceptions appear in the earlier literature as in tlic later. J" showed His power over Egypt when He brought out the people with a high hand, slew the Urstborn, and overwhelmed the army in the sea. He drove out the nations before Israel, and gave David his victories over Aram auvi l:.e peoples around. In Israel itself He is the Living God and Ruler. His angel leads the hosts of Joshua and Barak. The government of the people is in His hand. When in early times a crisis arises. He raises up a judge to save the ueople ; when the old order changes. He elects Saul to the throne ; and when the age of conflict is over and an era of peaceful development is inaugurated, He ' builds an house ' for David, making his dynasty perpetual. Human leaders are but the form in which J" clothes His own etliciency, for it is His spirit animating them that makes them heroes and saviours, such as were the judges and Saul. The spirit of J" is J" exercising etliciency. And though tliis etliciency is most visible in the ex- ternal rule of the people it operates also in the sphere of thought, raising up pro|)hets and Nazir- itcs. The external and the inward often go hand in hand, as when David made Jerusalem the spiritual as well as political capital of the king- dom, and when jirupliets of the Lord like Nathan and (iad heciinie his advisers, (rf) J"'s rule of the world and of His |>eople is mural. For his sin Adam forfeited Eden ; for their wickedness man- kind were drowned by a flood, and the cities of the plain overthrown. Ahab's sin wius chastised by a drought, and David's by a pestilence. The histories being so greatly public annals, little is said of the rehition of j'' to the individual. But such histories aa those of Sarah, Hacliel, and Hannah indicato how closely connected J" was
thought to be with family life ; and such narra- tives as the covenants between Jacob and Laban (Gn 31""), Abraham and Abimelech (21--" ), Joshua and the Gibeonitcs (Jos 9'"), show how He entered into the common life of men. That J"'8 treatment of the individual was considered moral everywhere appears, e.g. the brethren of Joseph (Gn 42-"'-), Korah (Nu 16*"'-), Achan (Jos 7'"), Hoplini and Phinehas (1 S 3"), Ahab (1 K 21^'-). In Ex 3?" J" says, ' Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.' And in narrating the death of Abimelech, tile very ancient historian says, 'Tluis (Jod reijuited the wickedness of Ahiiuelecli whicli he did unto his father' (Jg 9"- "). And on reward of righteousness, comp. David's words, 1 S 20^ ' The Lord render to every man his righteousness.' Cf. 2 S 2', 1 K 18'2"-. And, linally, (c) the idea of J"'s foresight and predetermination is illustrated in the protevangelium (Gn 3"- "), in the covenant promises to Abraham (Gn 15), in the destinie- appointed for Jacob and Esau (25'-^ 27^"- *""•), and in the place and character predicted for the children of Jacob (Gn 49).