HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 22-30.-771e Manna and the Sabbath.-!. THE FACT OF MANN A BEING GIVEN ON SIX DAYS AND JS"OT ON THE SEVENTH, lJ3 A PROOF OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE SABBATH. It would'certainly seem from this passaie that the Israelites had not. up to this time been very good Sabbath keepers; that if they knew of any special distinction attaching to the seventh day, they had no very strict ideas as to its observance; that i_ts sa~ctity was but little reco!!Ilised by them. It could scarcely have been otherwise with a 1ieople just escaped "rro?1 ~ lo~g and degrading bon~ge. _It does not follow, ho~e".er, that this was the first mst1tut10n of the Sabbath. !here 1s every reason for behovmg the contrary. That God had the Sabbath in vi?w in the arrangem?nts m?-<1e, a~d t!1e laws laid down abo:i.t the manna, every one ad.ants. The only quest10n which anses 1s, wlwther these 'arran"ements were modelled on the basis of a divisi0n of time already <:xisLill" or whether" this was absolutely the first indication to mankind of a weekly day of ;~st. 1. Presumptively-this latter alternative seellll! improbabl?. I~ is incredible that so important an institution as the Sabbat~ shoul~ be mtroduced m tlus casual, 1:111- anuouuce<l way-should be taken for granted Ill certain outward arrangements relatm~ t.o a clifforent matl.<!r, and then, when curiosity has been excited by thc8o armngc, \cnts, CH. XVI, 22-30.) THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 65
should be first made known by the side-door of an explanation of the uovd injunctions. Such a case of the existence of an important institution being assumed before the law which gives it existence has been either promulgated or heard of, is without precedent or parallel in history. It seems plain that whether Israel knew of the existing Sabbath or not, God did, and framed his arrangements in view of it. The inference is that the religious observance of the seventh day had been sanctioned by old tradition, but had fallen largely into desuetude. 2. On Biblical, grounds- it seems certain that the Sabbath is of older date than the sojourn in the wilder- ness. We need not review all the evidence which points in the direction of a primeval institution of the Sabbath. It is sufficient to instance the primary text upon the subject (Gen. ii. 1--4), which speaks with a voice as plain as could well be wished to those who are willing to hear. 3. Historically-it has been recently proved that the Sabbath was known in ancient Assyria and Babylonia, long before the days of Moses. No Orientalist will any longer question, in face of the evidence furnished by the recently deciphered cuneiform tablets, that a Sabbath was observed in Assyria in the days of Sardanapalus, and for ages previously. But the ancient Accadian records, which go as far back as 2000 B.c., and many of which have been deciphered by the aid of competent Assyrian translators, show that a Sabbath was observed in the very earliest time. The very name "Sabattu," with the meaning "a day of rest for the heart," has been found in the old Accadian tongue (see "Records ot the Past," vol. iii. p. 143; "Assyrian Discoveries," by George Smith; the .Academy, Nov. 1875). Special points in these researches will need confirmation, but on the whole, the early and wide-spread observance of the Sabbath must be held as established. In the light of Oriental discovery, it will soon be regarded as an anachronism to speak of prolepsis in connection with Gen. ii. 1--4; or to urge the view that the Sabbath is a purely Judaic institution, and originated with Moses. II. THE RULE FOR GATHERING A DOUBLE SUPPLY OF MANNA ON THE SIXTH DAY, .-\ND LAYING llY FOR THE SEVENTH, TAUGHT THE LESSON OF A PROPER RESPECT FOR TR.F SABBATH. It taught-1. ·That the Sabbath was to be kept free from unnecessary work. 2. That in order to leave the Sabbath clear, as a day of rest, work was tc be forwarded on week days. 3. That God has a respect for his own ordinance. III. BY GRANTING THIS DOUBLE SUPPLY ON THE SIXTH DAY, AND SECURL-;G ITS PP.E- BERVATION ON THE SEVENTH, Goo TAUGHT THAT ms BLESSING RESTS UPON THE SABD.\TH, AND THAT HIS PEOPLE WILL BE NO LOSERS BY KEEPING IT. IV. Goo's CARE THUS EARLY TO BE-ESTABLISH THE ORDINANCE OF THE SABBATll IN ISRAEL, SHOWS THE lMPOBTANCE OF THE INSTITUTION AS BEARING ON HEALTH, MOR.\LS, AND RELIGION. It must be reckoned a noteworthy circumstance that, in ammging the affairs of Israel, with a view to the recovery of his people from the low and demoralised condition, physically, morally, and spiritually, into which they had fallen, and with a view to their elevation to a state of prosperous national existence, God's first step, eveu before the law was given from Sinai, was to put on a proper foundation, the observance of the Sabbath. V. Goo's DISPLEASURE AT THE BREACH OF Tms LAW BY THE PEOPLE WHO \\"fill"! OUT TO GATHER ON THE SABBATH, SHOWS HIS ZEAL FOB THE HONOUR OF THE COMMA.NDMEXT (vers. 27-29). The thing chiefly condemned, no doubt, was the spirit of disobedience, which showed itself in more ways than one(cf. ver. 20). But is it not plainly reckoned a special aggravation of the offence of these would-be gatherers, that they so defi:.i.ntly set at nought God's ordinance of a day of rest? Docs God show a like zeal for the observ- auce of any purely ceremonial precept?~. 0.
Vers. 16-36.-The manna----'T'egulations for the gathering and using of it. I. Tm: J!:Fn:cTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF IT IS PROVIDED FOR. The responsibilities and oppur- tuuitics of the family relation, which had been touche,l upon in the institution of tli,• Passover, are here touched upon again. Each head of a household h~d to see that tlic daily supply was gathered for his family. Thus God shows that he 1s not only atten- tive for that great nation which now, as a whole, is so clearly dependent un his providing, so visibly cut off from secondary grounds of confidence, but also has his eye ou tho under-providers. What he is to all the children of men, he experts rartl,ly paronts to be in their measure and opportunity. Earthly parents, cYcn tlw11;,:h evil, aru 56 THE DOOK OF EXODUS. [en. xv1. 10-30.