16. Legislation not in the Law Books

been carried out, and in regard to the book of the covenant there was doubt less a natural feeling at the time that the document to which the people had sworn obedience should not be tampered with or touched. The priests' manual, however, might well have been enlarged by the introduction of pertinent material. The laws in Num. xv. relating to the constituents of the meal-offerings, to the loaf of the first-fruits, and to the burnt sacrifices for certain sins (probably sins of omission and thus a supplement to Lev. iv.-v. 13), and the festival calendar of Num. xxviii. and xxix., enumerating the public sacrifices proper for each season, might fittingly have been given a place. in the manual. The reason why they were not inserted in the priests' handbook is not apparent. The amendment to the passover law, providing for its celebration at another date by those who were disqualified from partaking of it on the regular day (Num. ix. 1-14), might have been introduced after Lev. xxiii. 8; but to have done so would have marred the symmetry of the section. A logical place is not readily found in the priests' manual for the law of jealousy (Num. v. 1-31), a civil judicial matter in which the test was applied by the priest, or for the law of the Nazirite (Num. vi. 1-21), which included the presentation of the Nazirite before the priest and the offering of sacrifice; and, of course, there was no call to put in the priests' handbook the conditions which determined the validity of vows taken by women (Num. xxx.).

17. The Legislation and Specific Needs

upon him were essential. During the thirty-eight years since the covenant was concluded at Sinai the weakness of the communal bands that held the tribes in union, and the tendency of the people to violate the terms of the covenant, had been frequently in evidence. Moses had often heard murmuring against God, a questioning of his goodness and his power, and he had been witness of their lack of faith at critical moments (Ex. xv. 24 etc.; Num. xiv. 4-12). He had seen the proneness of the people to fall away from the spiritual worship of Yahweh and bow down before images, contrary to the second article of the constitution; and worse yet, to turn aside from the pure and en nobling worship of the holy God to the abominable, licentious rites of heathenism (Ex. xxxii.; Num. xxv.). He had seen will-worship on the part of the priests and the indifference of these ministers at the tabernacle to the law of the sanctuary (Lev. x. 1). He had found personal ambition and tribal jealousy growing into conspiracy and open rebellion against both the civil ruler and the ecclesiastical authorities (Num. xvi.); and the prospect of mate rial good leading to contentment with present con ditions, to selfish choice, and for a time perhaps to forgetfulness of duty (Num. xxxii.). Moses knew, and all knew, that he had been the main force that had inspired the people for the great undertaking, that he was the most potent influence that was making for righteousness, and that he was the greatest representative of Yahweh among them. It was natural that the old man, the father of his people, should be unwilling to release the reins of government to other hands without making a final effort to save his children from disaster and to secure the permanence of the institutions which in the providence of God he had founded. It was natural that the aged leader should wish to speak a farewell word to his people, and that he who bad so long borne the nation on his heart should desire to tell them how to act in the new circumstances. And God bade him speak.