other idols of the heathens. This conduct of theirs so provoked the Lord, that he left them to themselves, and they (without his protection) made so weak a defence, that they were often taken, and carried into bondage. From this period we may date the beginning of their misery, and that confusion in their government. For now, casting off all restraint, and submission to public authority, every man did that, which seemed right in his own eyes, S. Which of the tribes fell first into idolatry? T. It is supposed that idolatry had long prevailed in some of the tribes privately, before it was publicly embraced by any; as may be collect ed from the following account. The tribe of Dan being pent up in the mountainous parts, found it necessary to extend their territories; and being encouraged by the report of their spies, whom they sent out to take a survey of the country, they detached 600 men to surprise the city Laish, and to sieze upon the territory thereunto belonging. Their rout lying through mount Ephraim, they halted at the house of Micah, where the spies before had called, and there found a private chapel adorned with the teraphim, other images, and an ephod, and supplied by a Levite, who executed the priest's office in this family; whose mother thought it too much trouble to go to Shiloh, to worship and offer sacrifices there according to the commandment, S. What is meant by ephod and teraphim? T. Some think that by the ephod here is to be understood all the garments, and the breast-plate, proper to the high-priest; and that the teraphim was two images placed upon the top of an ark, resembling the cherubim in the tabernacle: but be that as it will, it appears that the ephod and the Levite, were intended for the service of the true God; yet the graven image and teraphim belonged unto dæmons, or to the service of the devil. And thus it is thought, idolatry began in Israel, by the pride, or at least the laziness of an old woman. S. What did the Danites do upon this occasion? T. The Danites seized upon the Levite, and carried his ephod, terraphim, and other images away with them; the spies having reported that they had before enquired thereby of God concerning the success of their intended expedition, and were encouraged by his answer. S. Did they take Laish? T. Continuing their march, on the third day they came to Laish; surprised and burnt the city, destroyed the inhabitants and took pos. session of the country. In a short time after the Danites rebuilt the city, and called it Dan after the name of their father; and setting up the images they had stolen from Micah, they made the same Levite, whose name was Jonathan, their priest; and in this state of idolatrous worship they continued for near 300 years, even to the days of Samuel. S. What other sins did the Israelites fall into during this time of degeneracy, anarchy and confusion? T. They not only intermarried with the heathens, but so general was the depravity and apostacy of the Benjamites in particular, that they committed all the immorali P ties, by which these nations they had lived among had provoked the Lord; of which the following story is a pregnant proof. A Levite of mount Ephraim, whose concubine was of BethlehemJudah, being benighted in his journey home with her from her father's house, lodged with an old man in Gibeah of Benjamin. While they were at supper the Benjamites beset the house, and, like the men of Sodom, demanded the stranger to be delivered, that they might know Lim. Nor could they be dissuaded from their wicked purpose, till by consent the Levite's wife was turned out to them; whom they so abused all night, that next day she was found dead at the threshold. The husband being greatly enraged at this barbarity, took and cut her body into twelve parts, and sent one to every tribe of Israel. sensible of their fault, and therefore, before the third engagement, they humbled themselves in a proper nanner before Cod, and being encouraged by him to renew their assault, they took Gibeah by an ambuscade, slew 25,000 of the Benja jamites, and set the city on fire. It happened that 600 made their escape, and sheltered themselves in the fortress of Rimmon. S. Was not the tribe of Benjamin totally destroyed thereby? 7 The whole tribe must have perished, and their name been utterly extinguished, had not the conquerors relenting the loss of a tribe in Israel, accepted of the submission of the remnant that had fled, and provided them with wives to restore their name and families. S. How did they provide them wives? 7. The Israelites, at the beginning S. What was the consequence of of the war, had sworn to put all to this transaction? T. An extraordinary meeting of the heads of each tribe was convened at Mizpeh, who came to a resolution to bring the offenders to punishment, and in order to that sent messengers to them, to demand the men who had committed this outrage.The Benjamites not only refused to comply with their demand, but mustered all their forecs, being 26,000 men only, to defend these criminals; and engaged the other tribes, and in two several battles, slew 40,000 of them. The defeat of the Israclites was owing to their having put a greater confidence in the goodness of their cause and superiority of their Kambers, which consisted of 400,000 men, than in the assistance of God. These repeated defeats made them the sword, that would not join them on this occasion against the Benjamites; and finding upon enquiry, that the people of Jbesh Gilead had neglected to come, they dispatched 12,000 men, with orders to put man, woman and child to the sword, except such virgins as were marriageable; and these, who amounted in all to four-hundred, were given to four hundred of those Benjamites — The other two hundred that remained unprovided for at this time were permitted and advised to seize and carry off two-hundred virgins from a public festival that was appointed to be held at Shiloh. S. Did the Canaanites take no advantage of these civil dissensions among the Israelites? T. It does not appear that they stirred on this occasion; but the Israelites were so weakened in this war, that Chusan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, invaded them, and obtained an easy conquest, and made those especially that lived on the east of Jordan, tributaries to him. S. How long were the Israelites under this tribute? 7. Eight years; at the expiration of which time, they having repented and besought the Lord's help, God in his mercy heard their complaints, and inspired Othniel, Caleb's son-in-law, to take upon him the government, and fight their battles; and he delivered them from their subjection to the king of Mesopotamia; and settled the Israelites in a state of peace and tranquility which lasted 40 years. S. Did the Israelites continue in their obedience to God after the death of Othniel? T. No; they returned again to open idolatry and God, to chastise them for their apostacy, stirred up Eglon king of Moab, with the people of Ammon and Amalek his neighbours, to invade and subdue the Israelites on the east of Jordan and to cross Jordan and lay the city of Jericho and the territories thereof under tribute. S. How long did the Israelites remain tributaries to Eglon ? T. Eighteen years; but, upon their humiliation and repentance, God raised up and commissioned Ehud, out of the diminished tribe of Benjamin, a man left-handed, to deliver them; who being employed to carry the customary present to the king from the Israe. lites, pretended a message also from God to him, and was admitted to a private audience; at which he took the advantage of the king's being alone, and stal bed him with a two edged dagger, and made of undiscovered. On his return, Ehud asserbled the Israelites, and acquainted them with his adventure and pursuing the advantage which the consternation of the Moabites gave him, he fell upon them, and slew about 10,000. Haying thus subdued Moab, the eastern part of the land of Canaan enjoyed a settled peace of 80 years. S. Did not the other part of Ca. naan enjoy peace at the same time? 7: No for the Philistines, who dwelt upon the same shore of the Mediterranean sea, infetsed the western part, till they were at length repulsed with great loss by Shamgar, the third judge of Israel, who, with an ox-goad only, slew 600 of them. In the northern parts, the Israelites on their returning afterwards to their wicked ways, were so harrassed by Jabin king of Canaan, who fixed his imperial seat at Hazor, and who had 900 chariots armed with iron, besides a powerful army, under the con mand of Sisera, an experienced general, that for 20 years together they could not so much as pass the commen roads upon their ordinary occasions; neither could they dwell safely in their villages, nor go out to draw water without being attacked by his ar. chers; till God, finding that the Israelites were bro't to a true sense of their iniquities, raised up Deborah a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth to deliver them from this severe servitude. S. How was this deliverance effected? T. Deborah was directed by God to send for Barack, the son of Abinoam, a brave young prince, of the tribe of Naphthali, to command the forces. And it is not improbable that she was directed to share the gover: ment with him; and if so, these two may be accounted the fourth judge in Israel. by a woman, from whose power & authority he might think there was S. Did Barak willingly accept of no reason to apprehend any danger. the commission from Deborah ? 7. He demurred till Deborah consented to go along with him. And then she reproaching his diffidence, told him that it would not be to his honor, for Sisera should fall into the hands of a woman. S. Why do you call Deborah a prophetess ? T. The words prophet and prophetess, are words of different significations, both in the Old Testament and the New sometimes they denote persons extraordinarily inspired of God, and endued with a power of working miracles, and of foretelling things to come; and sometimes they are used for persons endued with special, though not miraculous gifts, or graces, for the better understanding and explaining the word of God; and of this sort were the sons of the prophets, or such as were brought up in the schools of the prophets. Now as to the prophetess Deborah she is not recorded to have done any miraculous work, so that it is sufficient to allow her this title, on account of her eminent koliness, prudence, and knowledge of the holy scriptures, by which she was singularly qualified to judge the people, or to determine causes and controversies among them, according to the word of God. For though Jabin oppressed them sorely, yet it was rather by rigorous taxations than by breaking their laws, which he still suffered to be administered by their own officers and of this he might take the less notice, because the supreme judicature was exercised : S. Did Deborah and Barak conspire so secretly as not to be discovered! T. Barak departed from Deborah, and soon assembled ten thousand volunteers out of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphthali; but, as soon as Sisera heard of their encampment on mount Tabor, he, with hasty marches arrived with a considerable army, and 900 chariots, and encamped at the foot of the S. What became of Sisera? T. Sisera finding it impossible to rally his forces, now broken and dispersed, quitted his chariot, and was making his escape on foot; when Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, one of his master's allies, seeing him coming, went out to meet him, and invited him into her tent: upon her kind invitation he went in, and after refreshing himself, lay down to rest; but as soon as he was asleep, Jael drove a tent nail with a hammer through his temples, pinned him to the ground, and cut off his head: in this condition she delivered him to Barak, as he passed that way in pursuit of him. By which victory the the north part of Canaan enjoyed perfect peace and liberty for forty years. S. Where was mount Tabor? T. Tabor is a very remarkable mountain in Galilee, not far from Kadesh, in the tribe of Zebulun, and in the confines of Issachar and Naphtali. It has its name from its eminence, rising up in the midst of a wide campaign country, called the valley, or great plain of Jezreel. It has a plain area at the top, fertile and delicious, of an oval form, about two furlongs in length, and one in breadth; so that it was most commedious for the rendezvous of Barak's army, both because it stood upon the borders of so many different tribes, and was not accessible by the enemies horse and chariots. The area was most convenient to marshal and discipline his army; and it was formerly environed with walls, trenches and other fortifications. It is on this mountain that the ancients be. lieved our Saviour was transfigur. ed in the presence of Peter, James and John. S. Where was Sisera, when he heard of Barak's encampment on mount Tabor? T. At Harosheth of the Gentiles, a place situated upon the lake Semechon, in Upper Galilee. S. What do you relate of the rivēr Kishon? T. It rises out of mount Tabor, and passing westward along the valley of Jezreel, now the plain of Esdraelon, it empties itself into the Mediterranean sea. It receives several torrents from the mountains, which must make it swell exceedingly upon sudden rains; which, if we may believe Josephus, was the case on the day of this battle. The armies, says he, were no sooner engaged, but there arose a violent wind, with a most impetuous tempest of hail and rain. S Who was Heber, Jael's hus band, in league with Jabin ? T. He was a Kenite, settled in the tribe of Naphtali, and descended from Hobab, the son of Jethro. He was called a Kenite, because he originally descended from those people who dwelt westward of the Deadsea, and extended themselves far into Arabia Petræa. God had promised the lands of the Kenites to the posterity of Abraham; yet, in consideration of Jethro, all that submited to the Israelites were permitted to live in their own country: and though the descendants of Hobab followed the Israelites and were proselytes, and worshipped the true God, according to the Mosaic law; yet being strangers by birth, and so not pretending to any right or title to the land of Canaan, they accounted it to be the best policy for them, in those S. Why is it called of the Gen- troublesome times to observe a neu trality, and to maintain peace, as well as they could, both with the Israelites and Canaanites. Thus it happened, that there was a peace with king Jabin and the house of Heber, and that Sisera, in his distress, fled to Heber's tent for protection, and |
