The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 51 – Section 54
SECT. LI.
ABout this time Jethro Prince of Midian (a Country lying ſouth from hence towards the Red-Sea) Father-in-law to Moſes, repaired hither to give his Son-in-law a viſit, and brought with him Zipporah his Daughter Moſe's wife, and his two Sons Gerſhom and Eliezer, which were left with him when Moſes went into Egypt. See Sect. 60. of Chap. 3. Moſes hearing of his coming, went out to meet him, and did Obeyſance to him, and kiſſed him, and bringing him into his Tent, He acquainted him with all the wonderful things the Lord had done for them. Jethro bleſſes God, and Congratulates to Moſes and the whole people of Iſrael their Deliverance out of the Egyptian Bondage; he openly declares both by word and deed his Faith and Devotion towards the God of Iſrael; Now (ſays he) I am aſſur'd the God of Iſrael is greater then all Gods, for in the thing wherein the Egyptians were proud and haughty, he was above them. And Jethro after the manner of the Patriarchs (c)Forſan obtulit non immediate ſed per ſacerdotes. Sic David ſacrificaſſe fertur, 2 Sam. 24.25. & Solomon, 1 Reg. 8.63. nempe mediantibus ſacerdotibus.offered Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices of Thanksgiving *Ex quibus maxima pars cedebat offerentibus.unto God; and Aaron and the Elders of Iſrael came to pay their Reſpects to him, and to Feaſt with him upon thoſe Sacrifices before the Lord; (d)See Deut. 12.6, 7. 1 Chron. 29.21,that is, in the fear of the Lord, and having the Lord in their eyes, and being ſenſible of the Majeſty of God appearing in the Cloudy Pillar. On the morrow after Moſes ſat to judge the people, and the people ſtood by him from Morning to Evening. Jethro obſerving this, and how the people came to Moſes to inquire of the Lord for them, both concerning religious and civil Affairs, he fairly Chides him for his wearing out himſelf with continual imployment, and the people with continual attendance, and therefore adviſes him to take a better Courſe, which he doubted not but by the bleſſing of God would be much for his own and the peoples eaſe. Be thou (ſays he) for the people God-ward; that is, in matters of greater difficulty, and importance (where there is need of one to inquire of God) there do thou ſtill imploy thy ſelf in ſeeking to the Lord for them, and in returning anſwers from the Lord to them, and ſhew them the way wherein they ſhould walk, and the work that they ſhould do. But as to other matters of leſſer moment, and eaſily to be decided, chuſe out from among the people able men, men fearing God, and men of truth and fidelity, and hating Covetouſneſs, and make ſome of them Rulers over Thouſands, others over Hundreds, others over Fifties, and others over Tens, and let them Judge the people at all ſeaſons in matters of leſs difficulty; but matters of greater moment let them bring to thee. And ſo theſe Rulers will bear ſome part of the burden with thee, and all will not lie on thy ſhoulders as now it does, and the people hereby will have their matters ſooner determined and diſpatched, without ſo long attendance, and ſo will go to their ſeveral Tents and Dwellings in peace, having their minds quieted. Moſes conſulting with the people about this Propoſal, they liked it very well, [ſee Deut. 1.13, 14.] and ſo he immediately put it in practice, ſubſtituting ſuch Governors under himſelf; ſo that every Tribune appointed to Judge over a thouſand Families, had under him ten Centurions or Judges that were over an hundred Families a piece; and every Centurion had under him two Rulers that were over fifty Families a piece; and every Ruler over fifty had under him five Rulers, which were ſet over ten (e)Parallel to this was the original Inſtitution of our Engliſh Tything-men, a word ſtill in uſe in the Weſt-Country, being an Officer to overſee ten men with their Families. This Tythingman is the ſame Officer which in other places is call'd the Petty Conſtable.Families a piece. And ſo it is like the inferour Officers gave account of thoſe under their Care to their immediate Superiors.
Deut. 1. from 9. to 19.
Exod. 18. whole Chapter.
SECT. LII.
ON the 20th day of the ſecond month of the ſecond year, after their coming out of Egypt, the Cloudy-Pillar ariſing from off the Tabernacle, and going in the forefront of their Camp, the Iſraelites removed from Sinai (where they had ſtaid in that their 12th ſtation a whole year(f)They came into the Wilderneſs of Sinai in the beginning of the third month of the firſt year, ſee Deut. 1.6, 7, 8. and Sect. 13. of Ch. 4th. within 13 days, ſee Exod. 19.1.) towards the Wilderneſs of Paran. (g)In this Wilderneſs they journied a long time, and in ſeveral places of it pitched their Tents.They marched in ſuch order and array as God had appointed by the direction of Moſes. Their Camp was divided into four Squadrons, every Squadron conſiſting of three Tribes. In the Van marched the Tribe of Judah with its aſſociate Tribes, Iſſachar and Zebulon under their reſpective Commanders of Thouſands, and Hundreds with a Standard having the figure of a Lion. Immediately after them, marched the Gerſhonites and Merarites, who had the charge of the outward Tabernacle. They marched formoſt of all the Levites, that ſo they might be ready when the Army ſtayed to ſet up the Tabernacle againſt the Ark and the other holy things came, that were carried by the Kohathites. The Tribe of Reuben led the ſecond Squadron (in like manner) with its aſſociate Tribes Simeon and Gad with a Standard bearing the figure of a man, as the Jewiſh Writers tell us. Next to this Standard, and ſo in the middle of the Camp marched the Kohathites bearing the Ark and the moſt holy Ʋtenſils of the Tabernacle on their ſhoulders. The Tribe of Ephraim led the third Squadron with their aſſociate Tribes Manaſſeh and Benjamin, with a Standard bearing the figure of an Ox. The Tribe of Dan with their aſſociate Tribes Aſher and Naphtali made up the fourth Squadron, and brought up the Rear with a Standard bearing the figure of an Eagle. The Army being thus ſet in Order, and ready to march, Moſes deſires Jethro *Called alſo Hobab, ſee Sect. 56. of Ch. 3.his Father-in-law to go along with them, telling him, They would do him good, and no hurt, for God had promiſed to be gracious unto them, and to own them for his people; But Jethro refuſed to go, telling him, He would return to his own Country. Moſes preſſes him again to go with them, telling him, He might be in ſtead of Eyes to them in that howling Wilderneſs, thorow which they were to march; that is, his prudent Counſel (of which they had newly had experience) might very much advantage them, eſpecially in things not particularly directed by God. And if he would pleaſe to go along with them, what goodneſs and bounty the Lord ſhould ſhew to them, he ſhould ſhare in and partake of. But it ſeems he refuſed to go along with them, being deſirous to return to his own Countrey, ſee Exod. 18.27. However either He or ſome of his Family returned afterwards unto the Iſraelites; For his Poſterity in after-times dwelt among the Iſraelites in the Land of Canaan, as we may ſee Judg. 1.16. and Judg. 4.11, 17. and 1 Sam. 15.6.
Numb. Ch. 10. from 11. to 33.
SECT. LIII.
MOſes and the Children of Iſrael now depart from the Mount of the Lord, viz. from Sinai and Horeb, where He had appear'd ſo Eminently to them, and given them his Law; and the Ark (h)Profecta eſt in conſpectu eorum, i. e. arca in mediis caſtris a ſacerdotibus geſtata verſabatur in oculis omnium. Malvenda. Pro uno reputantur arca & columna, cum arca ſemper ſub Columna procederet. Bochart.went before them, or in their ſight, and the Cloudy-Pillar over that, for three days together, (when they marched) to find out a fit place for them to pitch their Tents in. And when the Cloud was lifted up, and the four Squadrons, with the Ark, ſet forward and marched, Moſes ſaid, Ariſe, O Lord, and let thine Enemies be ſcattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when the Ark reſted according to the direction of the Cloud, he ſaid, Return, (i)Revertere reſpondet foreign ſurge. Nam qui ſurgit quaſi abiturus ſurgit. Certo Nubes cum ſe attolleret abire videbatur. Dr.O Lord, unto the many thouſands of Iſrael; that is, Return I pray thee and remain among thy people, for in thy preſence their chief joy and ſafety conſiſt, ſee Exod. 33.14, 15, 16.
Numb. 10. from the 33. to the end.
SECT. LIV.
THe people being now wearied with their three days march, it ſeems ſome that were in the rear of the Camp began to murmur that they were forced to ſo long and tedious marches; whereupon the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt them, and He either poured down fire upon them from Heaven, or cauſed it to break forth upon them from the Earth, and it conſumed many of them [ſee Pſal. 78.21.] The Iſraelites not knowing what to do, run to Moſes, having a great opinion of his holineſs, and eſpecial intereſt in the favour of God, and intreat him to intercede with the Lord for them; which he accordingly does, and ſo the fire ceaſed. The place where this Judgment was executed, was hereupon called Taberah, ſignifying a burning, becauſe the fire of the Lord here brake out upon them, and conſumed many among them.
Numb. Ch. 11. from 1. to 4.