RELIGION
1030
RELIGION
and Pbicol the genera], came to Isaac and renewed their covenant of peace at the same place where they bad made il with bis father. During the time of Jacob we find no friendly association with the Philistines. In Joshua's time their land was to In- given to Israel. Dur- ing the period of the Judges we find only hostility, civil and religious. The worship ofDagon and other idols had m>\v supplanted every vestige of the ancient faith. Beelzebub was the god of Ekron. David burned the images that he found in ihe conquered camp. The overthrow of Saul was published in the house of their idols, and his armor deposited in the temple of Ashta- roth. Their soothsaying is noted by Isaiah (ii, G I. I be illegal associations formed with Ashdod in the days of Kehemiah were most damaging to the people of the Lord. Goliath defied the God of Israel, and cursed Da- vid by his gods.
III. Canaanitish. -Another illustration of the primi- tive religion we have in Melchizedek and his people. lie was king of Salem, priest oi the Most High, and a very eminent type of the expected Deliverer. While Melchizedek lived, and others of the same faith, in suf- ficient numbers to have influence in the nation, it was announced to Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites was "not yet full." Some four hundred years were yet allowed them to improve or misimprove their pri\ ileges. A very tew. like Rahab of Jericho, were willing to obej the trnih; Imt the seven nations, as such, had whollj apostatized to the grossest idolatry. Il i- possible, al- most probable, that there was still some regard tor the true religion among those known as Jebusites, although they did not surrender to Joshua. The following con- siderations are in their favor: (a.) They were long spared alter the other nationalities had been broken up. They held their capital till the time of David, (b.) This capital was the ancient seat of .Melehi/.ekek. where we might expect the truth to he kept in families when the nation hail given it up. (c.) Araunah the Jeblisite is honorably noted in the history of David, after their capital had surrendered. ('/. ) At Araunah's threshing- floor the destroying angel suspended his work, (e.) He made to David a noble oiler victims for the sacrifice, and wood to hum it from his farming implements. (/.) He is living in Jerusalem, not as an idolater, hut ap- parently like the people around him. (</.) In 2 Sam. xxiv, ■_':!. the Hebrew reading is. -All these did king Araunah give to the king." This would indicate that he was a lineal descendant of the royal line of Melchiz- edek, and was king of the Jebusites when they surren- dered to David. At all events, he was possessor of the soil, though a conquered subject ; anil he readily fell in with the new religion, although it was an advance on that of his ancestors, for some such reasons, he read- ily sold the old homestead — the floor for fifty shekels
of si her. the farm for six hundred shekel- of gold.
IV. Mesopotamian. Terah and his sons, Abram, Na- hor, and llaran. in I'r of the Chaldees, were brought
up in this primitive religion; hut it had become cor- rupted by idolatrous excrescences, and although they belonged to the witnessing line, they became involved in the idolatry, as we read (Josh. wiv.'J i. "They sen ed other gods." To preserve yet a faithful testimony* Abraham was called out of that land when he was about seventy years old. had the covenant of Cod renewed to him. and commenced a renovated service on the hasis of the old faith, with new revelations. Abraham, after the death of his lather, removed to ( 'anaaii. leaving a residue at llaran, where he had resided five years. Thus freed Iron, all family connections, except those
under bis own control, he carried down the true religion in its purity to [saac and Jacob, with their adherents, all ruin- a- strangers in a foreign country. The an- cient religion -till received new developments of the coming Deliverer, superadded to all former revelations;
nor was it a new religion, hut a new editi if the old.
that was given to Moses. Meantime, the old religion retained, in the family of Nahor, Bome at least of the
'old corruptions. The teraphim, for exampli wished to introduce into Jacob's family. Laban called the-e his gods; the Sept. calls them idols. On what terms of religious observance Jacob lived in Laban's family we have nothing specific; hut. after the parting we find that each had his own distinct religion. Laban swear- by the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor— tie- God of their lather. Jacob appeals to the God of Abraham, ami the Fear of Isaac (Gen. xxxi, 12, 53). The memorial pillar points to him who is the Rock of Ages, while the heap of gathered stones seems to indi- cate the church'- confessi if imperishable truth-, on
which we all hold communion with one another and with God in his ordinances. How long this imperii ctly organized Church continued in Padan-aram we have no indication, hut we know that the Aramite- were no friends to Israel in the days of the kings. A very in- teresting item on the religion ol Bethuel's family is connected with the visit of Abraham's prime minister. Ihe friends of Rebekah recognise Jehovah, the cove- nant God; and they give their farewell blessing in the name of the promised Deliverer: "Let thy seed possess the -ate of those who hate him," Excepting Luther, translators have made sad work with this verse (xxiv, GO).