Jonathan Edwards · 319 of 409
Pentateuch · Part 3
God’s giving Abraham an easy conquest over great kings and rulers of the principal nations of the world, as in Gen. xiv. 14., &c. is mentioned in Isa. xli. 2, 3.
Melchizedek is mentioned by name as being a great priest of the true God, and both a king and a priest, Psal. cx. 4.
God’s fixing the border of the seed of Abraham at the river Euphrates, as the history of the Pentateuch informs us that God did in his promise to Abraham, Gen. xv. 18. and afterwards from time to time to the Israelites, is referred to 2 Sam. viii. 3.
The great plentifulness of the land of Sodom is spoken of, Ezek. xvi. 49.
The great wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Ezek. xvi. 46-56. Isa. i. 10.
Their being guilty of notorious uncleanness, Ezek. xvi. 50. 1 Kings xiv. 24. and xv. 12. and xxii. 46. 2 Kings xxiii. 7.
Their being of a very proud and haughty spirit, Ezek. xvi. 49, 50. agreeable to Gen. xv. 9.
Their being very open, and barefaced, and shameless in their wickedness, Isa. iii. 9.
Their being overthrown with a very great, and terrible, and utter destruction, Isa. i. 9. and xiii. 19. Jer. xlix. 18.
Their being the subjects of sudden destruction, Lam. iv. 6.
God’s overthrowing them with fire, Amos iv. 11.
Their being overthrown with perpetual and everlasting desolation, without ever being rebuilt, or inhabited any more, Isa. xlix. 18. and l. 40. Ezek. xvi. 53, 55. Zeph. ii. 9.
Their being overthrown together with neighbouring cities, Jer. xlix. 18. and 1. 40.
The birth of Isaac, as a special gift of God to Abraham, Josh. xxiv. 3.
The birth of Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac, by a special gift of God, Josh. xxiv. 4.
Esau is mentioned under the names of both Esau and Edom, as Jacob’s brother, in the book of Obadiah, and often elsewhere.
Jacob’s taking hold of Esau’s heel when they were born, is mentioned, Hosea xii. 3.
Jacob’s being preferred before his brother by God’s , Psal. cv. 6. Isa. xli. 8. Mal. i. 2. 3.
God’s appearing to Jacob at Bethel, Hosea xii. 4.
Jacob’s fleeing into the country of Syria, and there serving for a wife, and particularly his serving there in doing the business of a shepherd or keeping sheep, Hos. xii. 12.
The two wives of Jacob, Rachel and Leah, are mentioned as those that did build the house of Israel, Ruth iv. 11.
Jacob by his strength having power with God, and having power over the angel, Hos. xii. 3, 4.
The names of the twelve sons of Jacob are mentioned in Ezek. xlviii. and very often elsewhere.
Esau’s having mount Seir given to him, Josh. xxiv. 4. agreeably to Gen. xxvi. 8.
And the name of Ishmael, and his posterity, and of the sons of Abraham by Keturah, and the sons of Lot, and the sons of Esau, are often mentioned, agreeably to the account we have of them in Genesis.
Joseph’s being sold into Egypt, and being a servant there, Psal. cv. 17.
Joseph’s being by sold into Egypt before the house of Israel, to preserve life, Psal. cv. 16, 17. agreeable to Gen. xlv. 5. and 1. 20.
Tamar’s bearing Pharez to Judah, Ruth iv. 12.
Joseph’s being bound in prison in Egypt, Psal. cv. 18. as Gen. xxxix. 2.
Joseph’s having divine revelations in prison, and his thereby foretelling future events, and those predictions coming to pass, and that being the occasion of Pharaoh’s taking him out of prison and setting him at liberty, Psal. cv. 19, 20.
And Joseph being upon this exalted over all the land of Egypt, and being made lord of Pharaoh’s house, and ruler of his substance, and being next to the king himself in power and dignity, and being Pharaoh’s vicegerent, and so having power and authority over all the princes and nobles of Egypt, Psal. cv. 21, 22.
The famine that was at that time in the land of Canaan, that obliged Israel and his family to seek elsewhere for bread, is mentioned, Psal. cv. 16.
Jacob’s going down into Egypt with his family, Josh. xxiv. 7. 1 Sam. xii. 8. and Psal. cv. 24.
Their multiplying exceedingly in Egypt, till they were become more and mightier than the Egyptians, and the Egyptians dealing subtilely with them to diminish them. Psal. cv. 24, 35. agreeable to Exod. i. 9, 10.
The Egyptians first loving the Israelites, and then afterwards being turned to hate them, Psal. cv. 25.
Their being slaves in Egypt, Mic. vi. 4. Jer. ii. 20. Judg. vi. 8.
The cruelty of their bondage, its being as it were an iron furnace, (as it is called Deut. iv. 20.) is mentioned 1 Kings viii. 51. Jer. xi. 4. and Judg. vi. 9.
The particular kind of their service in handling pots, wherein they carried their mortar, and working in furnaces, in which they burnt their brick, is referred to 1 Kings viii. 51. and Jer. xi. 4. and Ps. lxviii. 13. and lxxxi. 6.
God’s taking notice of their cruel bondage and great affliction with compassion, and a fellow-feeling of their calamity, Isa. lxiii. 9. agreeably to Exod. ii. 23-25. and chap. iii. 7, 9, 16.
God’s making known himself to them in Egypt, Ezek. xx. 5. agreeable to Exod. iii. 1-6. and ver. 13-16,29-31. and chap. vi. 2-6.
God’s making himself known to them by the name of the Jehovah your God. Ezek. xx. 5. agreeable to Exod. vi. 2, 3, 6, 7. especially verse 7.
God’s promising and securing to them in Egypt to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey. Ezek. xx. 6. agreeable to Exod. iii 8, 10, 12, 14, 17. and chap. vi. 2-8. where we have an account of his swearing by his great name JEHOVAH, and I AM THAT I AM.
God’s making use of Moses, a great prophet, as the main instrument of bringing the people out of Egypt, &c. Isa. lxiii. 11, 12. Hos. xii. 13.
Aaron’s being joined with Moses in this affair. Josh. xxiv. 5. 1 Sam. xii. 6-8. Psal. lxxvii. 20. and cv. 26. Miriam’s also being joined, Mic. vi. 4.
God’s working very great wonders for his people in the time of Moses and Aaron, Psal. lxxvii. 11-14.
His working very great wonders in Egypt, Psal. lxxviii. 12, 43. and lxxxi. 5. and cv. 27. and cxxxv. 9. and cvi. 9. Josh. xxiv. 5. Great tokens and wonders upon Pharaoh and all his servants, Psal. cxxxv. 9.
God’s the people out of Egypt, Judg. vi. 8, 9. and xi. 16. 1 Sam. xii. 6-8. Psal. lxxxi. 10. and lxxiv. 2. and lxxvii. 15. and lxxviii. 42. and cxiv. 1. and cxi. 9. Jer. ii. 6, 20. and xi. 4. 1 Kings viii. 51. Jer. xvi. 4. Ezek. xx. 10. Hos. xii. 13. Amos ix. 7. Micah vi. 4. and many other places.
God’s turning the rivers and pools of Egypt into blood, so that the Egyptians could not drink the waters, and also thereby killing their fish, Psal. lxxviii. 44. and cv. 29.
The land’s bringing forth frogs in abundance, to fill even the chambers of Pharaoh, Psal. lxxviii. 45. and cv. 31.
The plague of lice is mentioned Psal. cv. 31.
The plague of the divers sorts of flies, Psal. cv. 31. and lxxxviii. 45.
God’s sending hail, and thunder, and lightning, and flaming fire with hail, to the breaking of the trees of the field and destroying their cattle, Psal. lxxxviii. 47,48. and cv. 32. agreeably to Exod. ix. 22,. &c.
God’s sending locusts to eat up all the growth of the field, Psal. lxxviii. 46. and cv. 34, 35.
The plague of darkness, Psal. cv. 28.
God’s smiting and destroying all the first-born of Egypt with the pestilence, the first-born, both of men and beasts, Psal. lxxviii. 50, 51. and cv. 36. and cxxxv. 8. and cxxxvi. 10.
The children of Israel’s going out of Egypt upon this last plague, Psal. lxxviii. 52. and cxxxvi. 11. Josh. xxiv. 5.
Their going out with silver and with gold, Psal. cv. 37.
The Egyptians’ being glad to be rid of them, Psal. cv. 38. agreeably to Exod. xii. 33.
Their being brought out with a strong hand, and an outstretched arm, Psal. cxxxvi. 12.
Their being led by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire to give them light by night, Psal. lxxviii. 14. and cv. 39. Isa. iv. 5.
Their being led into the wilderness, Psal. lxviii. 7. and lxxviii. 40, 52. and xcv. 8. and cvi. 9, 14. and cxxxvi. 16. Jer. ii. 2, 6. Ezek. xx. 10. Judg ix. 16.
The people going to the Red sea, Judg. ix. 6.
The Egyptians pursuing after the people with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea, Josh. xxiv. 6.
The people crying unto the Lord at the Red sea, Josh. xxiv. 7.
The perverseness of that generation, Psal. cvi. 6, 7. xcv. 8. and lxxviii. 8., &c. Isa. lxiii. 10. Ps. lxxxi. 11.
Their provoking God at the Red sea, Psal. cvi. 7. agreeable to Exod. xiv. 11, 12.
God’s putting darkness between Israel and the Egyptians, Josh. xxiv. 7.
God’s dividing the Red sea, and causing the people to pass through, and causing the waters to stand as an heap; his turning the sea into dry land, so that the people went through on foot dry shod, Psal. lxxviii. 13. lxvi. 6. and lxxiv. 13. lxxvii. 16, 19, 20. cxiv. 3, 4. cxxxvi. 13, 14. cvi. 8, 9. Isa. x. 26. li. 10. lxiii. 11, 12, 13. Hab. iii. 8-10, 15. Psal. lxxvii. 10-20.
God’s destroying Pharaoh and his hosts, his chariots and his horses by the Red sea, by bringing the waters upon them to cover them, so that there was not one of them left, Psal. lxxiv. 13, 14. lxxvi. 5, 6. lxxviii. 53. cxxxvi. 15. cvi. 10, 11. Isa. x. 26. li. 9, 10. and Josh. xxiv. 7.
God’s doing these things at the Red sea by the lifting up of Moses’s rod, Isa. x. 26.
God’s conquering and crushing Egypt in a forcible manner, and with mighty power, Psal. lxxxix. 10. Isa. li. 9.
God’s doing such great things for to preserve a people for the glory of his own name, and to show his mighty power, Psal. cvi. 8. agreeable to Exod. viii. 16.
The people’s singing praises at the Red sea, Psal. cvi. 12. Hos. ii. 15. Psal. lxvi. 6. cv. 43. agreeable to Exod. ix. 16.
This destruction of the Egyptians being reported and famed through the earth, Isa. xxiii. 5.
The people’s murmuring in the wilderness for want of bread, Psal. lxxviii. 17., &c. and cvi. 14.
Their soon transgressing, and provoking, after singing praises at the Red sea, by lusting and tempting God, Psal. cvi. 13, 14, 15.
The people’s dwelling in tents in the wilderness, Psal. cvi. 25.
The people’s being encamped in the wilderness, like an army, Psal. lxxviii. 28. and cvi. 16.
God’s sending the people manna, and feeding them with bread from heaven that was rained down upon them, Psal. lxxviii. 23, 24, 25. and cv. 10.
God’s revealing his holy to the people as we have an account in the 16th. of Exod. Ezek. xx. 12. Neh. ix. 14.
God’s giving the people waters plentifully to supply the whole congregation out of the rock of Meribah, by striking the rock and causing the waters to gush out, Psal. lxxviii. 15, 16, 20. lxxxi. 7. and cv. 4. and cxiv. 8.
Amalek’s coming forth in a hostile manner against Israel in the way when he came up from Egypt, 1 Sam. xv. 2.
What Jethro the priest of Midian said and did, that we have an account of Exod. xviii. is referred to 1 Sam. xv. 6.
God’s entering into with the people at mount Sinai, or Horeb, after they came out of Egypt, and giving the law and statutes, and judgments there, 1 Kings viii. 9. Psal. lxxvi. 8. Ezek. xx. 10, 11. Mal. iv. 4.
God’s giving the law by a very terrible and awful voice from heaven, Psal. lxxvi. 8.
God’s appearing there with extraordinary manifestations of his majesty and glory in the heavens and in the earth, with an exceeding shining brightness and beams of glory, attended with the utmost danger of being struck dead in a moment, as by a pestilence, to those that , Hab. iii. 3, 4, 5.
The earth trembling, and the mountains quaking exceedingly at that time, Judg. v. 4, 5. Hab. iii. 6, 7, 10. Psal. cxiv. 4. and lxviii. 8.
And particularly mount Sinai shaking, Judg. v. 5. Psal. xlviii. 8.
The people’s making a molten calf at mount Sinai, and worshipping that as the representation of the God of Israel, Psal. cvi. 19, 20. Ezek. xx. 8.
God’s saying on that occasion that he would destroy the people, but Moses standing before him as an for them, to turn away God’s anger, on which God spared them, Psal. cvi. 23.
Moses’s putting the two tables of stone into the ark at mount Sinai, when he made a with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt, 1 Kings viii. 9.
The people lusting for flesh, and tempting God by asking meat for their lust, Psal. lxxviii. 17, 18, 19.
God’s wrath on that occasion, Psal. xxviii. 21., &c.
God’s giving the people quails in answer to their desire, in vast abundance, which were brought by a wind which God caused to blow, and let fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations, Psal. lxxviii. 26., &c. and cv. 4. cvi. 15.
The wrath of God’s coming upon them while the meat was yet in their mouths, and suddenly slaying them with a great plague, Psal. lxxviii. 30, 31., and cvi. 15.
The people not believing, for all God’s wondrous works that they had seen, despising the pleasant land, and not believing his promise, that he would bring them into it, and murmuring at the report of the spies, and being for turning back again into Egypt, Psal. lxxviii. 32., &c. ver. 41. and cvi. 24, 25.
God appearing on that occasion as though he would pour out his fury and consume the whole congregation, but yet spared them for his mercies’ sake, lest the Egyptians and other nations should hear of it, and should take occasion from to reproach the name of God, Ezek. xx. 13, 14, 17.
God’s swearing in wrath on that occasion concerning that froward and perverse generation, that they should not enter into his rest, but that he would destroy them in the wilderness, because they had seen God’s miracles, but yet exceedingly provoked him, and often tempted him, Psal. xcv. 8-11. and cvi. 26. Ezek. xx. 15, 16.
God’s promising Caleb the land whereunto he went, Judg. i. 20.
Korah and his company envying Moses and Aaron in the camp, and the earth’s opening her mouth and swallowing up Dathan and Abiram, and their company, and a fire from the Lord consuming others of them, Psal. cvi. 16., &c.
What Moses said to the Levites about their inheritance, Numb. xviii. 20., &c. referred to “But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.”
The people’s angering Moses at the water of strife, provoking his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes, Psal. cvi. 32, 33.
Israel’s sending messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land,” and the king of Edom’s refusing to hearken thereto, Judg. xi. 17.
The people’s compassing or going round the land of Edom, going along through the wilderness, Judg. xi. 18. agreeable to Numb. xxi. 4. and Deut. ii. 1-8.
The people’s passing through a great and terrible wilderness, a land of pits, and of great drought, a waste and desolate country, Jer. ii. 2, 6. Hos. xiii. 5.
The people compassing the land of Moab, and coming by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitching on the other side of Arnon, because Arnon was the border of Moab, Judg. xi. 18. exactly agreeable to the history of the Pentateuch, Numb. xxi. 11, 13. and xxii. 36.
The people not being suffered to pass through the land of Moab, Judg. xi. 17, 18.
Israel’s sending messengers from their camp in the borders of Moab to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, “Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land,” and Sihon refusing, but upon this, gathering all his people together, and coming to Jahaz to fight against Israel, Judg. xi. 18, 19, 20.
God’s delivering Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and Israel’s possessing their land from Arnon, even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan, dwelling in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that belonged to Sihon, exactly agreeable to the history, Judg. xi. 21-26. Josh. xxiv. 8. Psal. cxxv. 10, 11. cxxxvi. 17-22.
And afterwards smiting Og, the king of Bashan, and possessing his land, Josh. xxiv. 8. Psal. cxxxv. 10, 11. and cxxxvi. 17-22.
But that Balak, the king of Moab, durst not venture, after he had seen this, to go put against Israel, and never engaged them in battle, until Israel went against them, Judg. xi. 25, 26. agreeable to Numb. xxii. 2. and the consequent history.
Balak’s stirring Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse the people, and God’s turning the curse into a blessing, while Israel abode in Shittim, Josh. xxiv. 9, 10. Mic. vi. 5.
Israel’s sinning by joining themselves to Baal Peor, and eating the sacrifices of their gods, and God’s being provoked, and executing wrath on the congregation for this sin, and Phineas’s executing judgment on this occasion, that was counted to him for unto all generations for evermore, Psal. cvi. 28-31.
The war of Israel with Balak, and their victory, Josh. xxiv. 9, 10.
The people’s long sojourning in the wilderness, Josh. xxiv. 7. and Isa. lxiii. 9.
God’s speaking from time to time to Moses and Aaron from a pillar of cloud, Psal. xcix. 6, 7.
Moses’s faithfulness in his office, Psal. xcix. 7. agreeable to Num. xii. 7. Their great perverseness, hardness of heart of that generation, and their frequent rebellions, and provoking, and vexing God’s Spirit, and tempting of him in the wilderness, even for forty years, Psal. lxxviii. throughout, especially ver. 40, 41. and lxxxi. 11, 12. and xcv. 8-11. Isa. lxiii. 10. Ezek. xx. 13.
God’s repeated and continual judgments against them, wasting them by a great mortality that pursued and destroyed with great manifestations of divine wrath. Psal. xc. Isa. lxiii. 10.
God’s often pardoning and sparing the people, so as to forbear to destroy the whole congregation at Moses’s , but yet not without giving great manifestations of his wrath towards their sins, taking vengeance of their inventions, as Moses ground their calf to powder, Psal. lxxviii. 38., &c. and xcix.
THE PEOPLE’S PROMISING TIME AFTER TIME TO WHEN SMITTEN WITH TERRIBLE JUDGMENTS, BUT YET TURNING AGAIN QUICKLY TO SIN, NOT BEING STEDFAST IN GOD’S , PSAL. LXXVIII. 31-37.
God’s showing great favour to the young generation, Jeremiah xxxi. 2.
God’s entering into a second time with that young generation, Jer. ii. 2, 3. Ezek. xx. 18, 19, 20.
He that can observe the facts of the history of the Pentateuch after this manner mentioned and referred to in the writings of the several ages of the Israelitish nation, and not believe that they had all along a great and standing record of these things, and this very history, can swallow the greatest absurdity. If they had not had this history among them, or one that exactly agrees with it, it would have been morally impossible, but that amongst this vast number of citations and references, with so great a multitude of particularities and circumstances mentioned by so many different writers in different ages, there must have been a great many inconsistencies with the history, and a great many inconsistencies one with another; and it would have puzzled and confounded the skill of any writer who should have attempted to form a history afterwards that should every where without jarring so harmonize with such various manifold citations, and rehearsals, and references so interspersed in, and dispersed through, all those writings of several ages; and unless these writers had such a record to be their common guide, it could not have been otherwise than utterly impossible.
It was impossible that this vast number of events, with so many circumstances, with names of persons and places, and minute incidents, should be so particularly and exactly known, and the knowledge of them so fully, and distinctly, and without confusion or loss, kept up for so many ages, and be so often mentioned in so particular a manner, without error or inconsistency through so many ages, without a written record. How soon does an oral tradition committed to a multitude vary, and put on a thousand shapes, and mix, and jumble, and grow into confusion! Here appears in fact to have been an exact consistent knowledge and memory of things kept up, and that shows that there was in fact a standing record; and the comparing of the records of the Pentateuch with these innumerable citations and references, shows that this was in fact that identical record.
The facts of this history are very often rehearsed just in the same order and mariner as they are in the history of the Pentateuch; and in many places there is a rehearsal of the facts of very great parts, and sometimes a kind of abridgment of the bigger part of the history, as Josh. xxiv. Psal. lxxviii. and cv. and cvi. and cxxxvi. Ezek. xx. 5-23. And we sometimes find the facts of former parts of the history of Genesis joined with the story of the children of Israel’s out of Egypt, and travels in the wilderness, as introductory to it, and sometimes even beginning with the story of the creation, in like manner as it is in the Pentateuch, and after the captivity, in Nehem. ix.
These events are commonly mentioned after such a manner as plainly supposes that a full account of them was already in being, and well known and established, as in those words, Though Noah, Daniel, and Job stood before me. It supposes the history of those men extant and well known among the people, and so in these words, We should have been like Sodom and like unto Gomorrah. It is supposed that the history of the destruction of those cities was what the people were well acquainted with. So those words, Psal. lxxviii. 40. “How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert,” plainly supposes a history extant, that gives a particular account of those things. It is after the manner of a reference to a history. So it is very often elsewhere, as Ruth iv. 11. “The Lord make this woman that is come into thine house like Rachel, and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel” So Josh. xiii. 33. “But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance, the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them;” the words are mentioned plainly after the manner of a citation. So Judg. i. 20. “And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said.” Psal. cx. “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek:” it supposes an extant account of Melchizedek. See also 2 Sam. viii. 3. Isa. xiii. 19. Jer. xlix. 18. and 1. 40. Ezek. xvi. 46-56. Amos iv. 11. Zech. ii. 9. Isa. xli. 1-8. and li. 1, 2, 9, 10. Micah vi. 5. and very many other places there are that show the same thing, which it would be tedious to mention.
And sometimes these historical events are mentioned so much in the words of the history of the Pentateuch, as could not be without a written history to be a guide; as particularly Jephthah’s rehearsal, Judges xi. 15-28.
That the children of Israel had a great standing record among them of those facts that they looked upon sacred and holy, is evident from Psal. cxi. 4. The psalmist, speaking of these works, says thatGod had made his wonderful works to be remembered . They are those works of which we have an account in the Pentateuch, as is manifest from ver. 7, 9. The words in the original that are translated, he hath made to be remembered, are Greek or Hebrew he hath made a record. The word signifies memorial or record. The word recorder,2 Sam. viii. 16. 1 Kings iv. 3. 2 Kings xviii. 18. Isa. xxxvi. 3, 22. and other places, is Greek or Hebrew which is a word of the same root; the words Zeker and Mazkir are just in the same manner akin to one another, as the English words recorder and record.
So the history of these facts is called God’s report, (as it is in the original,) Hab. iii. 2. “I have heard thy report, and was afraid.” What that report was, appears from what follows: it was the report of those works there mentioned: which works he, in this verse, prays God to revive. But in the 15th and 16th verses. the prophet more plainly tells us what that report was that made him afraid, viz. the account of God’s marching through the Red sea, with the other great works of God, mentioned in the foregoing part of the chapter.
And that this great record that the writers of the Old Testament cited so often, was contained in the book of the law, may be argued from the manner in which these facts are sometimes mentioned. The psalmist, in the introduction which he makes to his rehearsal of the story of the Pentateuch in the 78th Psalm, calls that story by the name of law, ver. 1. and the precepts and history are united in the notice he here takes of them, and mentions the history as what God had commanded the memory of to be carefully kept up as the proper enforcement of the precepts, ver. 7. with the foregoing verse. And being given of God as an enforcement of the precepts of the law, is as properly looked upon as a part of the law, as the prophecies and other arguments made use of in Deuteronomy, and other parts of the law. So the history is introduced in such a manner in the 105th Psalm, speaking in the introduction of the and law which God established with the people, ver. 5, 8, 9, 10. that makes it naturally to be supposed that the history he rehearses is taken out of the book of the law. The wonderful works and precepts of the law are spoken of together, as in like manner to be remembered; ver. 5. “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” So these wonderful works are repeatedly mentioned or referred to together, Psal. cxi. And so again they are in the introduction to the rehearsal we have of this history in the 106th Psalm, as in ver. 2, 3. So the law and the historical facts are mentioned together, Psal. ciii. 7. as being both alike of divine revelation. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” We find the precepts and history cited together, mixed, and blended in the 81st Psalm, as they are in the Pentateuch.
It appears from profane history to have been the manner of the nations of old to keep the ancient histories of their nation, and their genealogies, and the genealogies and acts of their gods, in their temples, where they were committed to the care of their priests as sacred things. This, in all probability, was in imitation of the example of the Israelites in keeping the Mosaic history which Moses committed to the care of the priests, to be laid up in the sanctuary as a sacred thing; and the ancient records of the neighbouring heathens, particularly of the Phoenicians, show the priests of the Jews had such a history in keeping giving an account of the creation of the world, &c. even so long ago as the days of the Judges. This appears from Sanchoniathon’s history, wherein he mentions many of the same facts, and confesses that he had them from a certain priest of the god Iao. The ancient writers do make mention of Moses as the writer of the things contained in the former part of the book of Genesis. [See instances, Miscoll. No. 1012 and 1014, at the place marked thus (||) in the margin. See also ff. No. 429, at the same mark, and 432.]
Again: Another argument that will invincibly prove that the history of the Pentateuch, as well as the precepts, was of old, from the beginning, contained in the book of the law, that sacred book which the children of Israel had among them laid up in the sanctuary from the days of Moses, is this, viz. that it is certain that the book which the Jews had among them, when they first returned from the Babylonish captivity, which they called the book of the law, and the law of Moses, and made use of as their law, as the same book of the law that their nation had all along as their great and standing record and rule, and as such had kept in the sanctuary of old, was that very Pentateuch which we now have, containing both the history and the precepts. This was the book of the law that Ezra made use of, and that Ezra and the Levites that were with him did so publicly and solemnly read and explain to the people, as we have account, Neh. viii. and which was laid up in the second temple in the same manner as the book of the law of Moses had been in the first. That this book was the same with the Pentateuch that we now have, is exceeding manifest from the genealogies and historical references in the first book of Chronicles, that was written on occasion of all Israel being reckoned by genealogies after they came out of the captivity. See 1 Chron. ix. 1. None that read those genealogies and historical references will make himself so ridiculous as to question whether these were not taken from the very history that we have in the Pentateuch, and an history that the Jews had among them as the ancient, great, and established records of their nation.