Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

section for each sabbath; which was the reason of their dividing the law into fifty-four sections at first. Each section was subdivided into seven parts for so many readers, for there were generally seven readers on every sabbath. A Priest was the first reader, next a Levite, if any of these orders were present; after that any Scribe, Rabbi, or person of distinction, till the seven respective divisions were finished. The book being opened, or rather the roll or volume being unfolded, the reader, after having offered some short prayers over it, in which the people joined by way of responses, began the section for the day, and read the first part of it, then the other readers arose and read the whole of it. When Antiochus Epiphanes conquered the Jews, about the year 168 before the Christian Æra, he prohibited the law to be publicly read in the synagogues, on pain of death; the Jews divided the prophets into the same number of sections, which were termed haphtoroth, from patar, he dismissed, let loose, opened: for though the law was dismissed from their synagogues, and was closed to them by the edict of this persecuting king; yet the other parts of the sacred writings, not being under the interdict, were left open: and therefore, that they might not be wholly deprived of the word of God, they read them in their synagogues in place of the law. The Jews, when they recovered, under the Asmoneans, their liberty, and the free exercise of their religion, resumed the reading of the law, and continued the use of the prophetic sections, reading them conjointly with those of the law. To the first division and mode of reading the law, there is a reference in Acts xv, 21. To the second division and conjoint reading of the Law and the Prophets, we also

find a reference in Acts xiii, 15; Luke iv, 16, &c. It was from this custom of the Jews, that the primitive Christians adopted theirs, of reading a lesson every sabbath-day out of the Old and New Testaments; and on this ancient and primitive custom, the practice of the Anglican church was founded, in reading a lesson or chapter out of the Old and New Testaments, and certain portions of the Epistles and Gospels every Sunday in the year. When the Scriptures were read, it was customary for the officiating minister to stand up, and to sit down when he preached or delivered practical instruction to the audience. This is evident from the manner of our Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth on the sabbath-day. Luke iv, 16--22; see also Matt. v, 1; xiii, 1.

It was also customary in foreign countries, when there were synagogues established, for the presidents of the synagogue to request any stranger that might be present, if he would impart any instruction or exhortation to the people. This token of respect shown to strangers, appears from the following passage in Acts xiii, 14, 15. When Paul and his companions, on their arrival at Antioch in Pisidia, went into the Jewish synagogue on the sabbath-day, and sat down after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Upon which Paul stood up, and, beckoning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience."

After the sermon or exhortation, some thanksgivings or doxologies were offered, and the service of the synagogue always began and ended with the following

prayer, which they generally appended to all their prayers; "Hallowed be his great name in the world, which he has created according to his good pleasure; and may his kingdom be established. May we behold his redemption spring up and flourish. May his Messiah suddenly appear in our days, and in the days of all the house of Israel, to deliver his people.* At the afternoon service of the synagogue, the 84th Psalm from the 5th verse, and the 145th were sung.†

[ocr errors]

IV. The three great annual Festivals of the Israelites.

AT the three grand annual festivals, viz. the feast of the passover, the feast of pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles, all the males of the twelve tribes of Israel were obliged to appear before the Lord God at Jerusalem, to rejoice before the Lord for all their deliverances and mercies. Deut. xvi, 11--16. And when all the men throughout the land attended at these, they were assured by Jehovah that during their absence 66 no man should desire their land." Exod. xxxiv, 24. This

* The terms in this prayer have a great similarity to those of that most perfect model emphatically called the Lord's Prayer. Our Lord is supposed designedly to have made use of several expressions from the Jewish precatory forms.

Dr. Prideaux has given a very ample and interesting detail of the synagogue worship in his Con. part i, b. vi, under the year 444, vol. i, pp. 446-457, 17th Ed.-Sce Beausobre in Bp. Watson's Tracts, vol. iii, pp. 166--169.

Anniversaries of this kind were observed in all nations: for instance, the Olympiads. And many such anniversaries by being punctually and regularly observed, became Chronological Epochs.

was a most remarkable instance of the sovereign power and particular providence of God, in controlling even the desires of their enemies, and in working a special miracle for the protection of his people three times every year! It is no where recorded that the surrounding nations ever attempted to invade their country at those times, when none were left to protect it but women and children. So that while all the men of Israel went up to Jerusalem to keep the Lord's ordinances, their land, their houses, and families, were kept in safety, and no enemy ever attempted to annoy them! What a convincing proof of the divine origin of their religion! and what a standard evidence of the truth of divine revelation, which will for ever defy all the deists in the world to surmount."

*

1. The Passover was celebrated to commemorate the wonderful deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. 2. The feast of Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the passover, to commemorate the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai.

3. The feast of Tabernacles, called also the feast of in-gathering, was celebrated about the fifteenth of the month Tisri, to commemorate the Israelites dwelling in tents for forty years during their sojournings in the desert.

These three great festivals lasted seven or eight successive days, and always fell in their respective months without interfering with the labours of the field.

The design of these festivals or anniversaries was to unite the Jews among themselves, and to promote

See Shuckford's Con. vol. iii, pp. 403--410, 4th Ed.

mutual love, benevolence, and friendship, by teaching them to esteem each other as brethren and fellowcitizens, and that as one church, they might unite as one congregation in solemn worship. The Psalmist seems to allude to this in Ps. cxxii, 3, 4, where he says, "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord." And as no Israelite was to present himself before the Lord, empty, that is, without some offering, (Exod. xxxiv, 24; Deut. xvi, 16, 17.) ample provision was thus made for the support of the service and ministers of the sanctuary. On these festivals, although the men were only required to attend ; it appears from 1 Sam. i, 3, 7; Luke ii, 41, that women might go, if they chose, at least at the passover. They were accustomed to travel up to Jerusalem in large companies, for the greater security against the attacks of robbers on the road: the men of the same city, town, or district, forming one company. They carried provisions with them, and tents for their lodging at night. Among such a company it was that Joseph and Mary sought Jesus. Luke ii, 44.* The Psalmist probably

*The present mode of travelling in the East is nearly similar to this. Such companies are now called caravans, and in many places there are buildings fitted up for their accommodation, called caravanserais. This mode of the Israelites' travelling to and from the sanctuary, explains the reason why Joseph and Mary could make a day's journey without discovering before night, that Jesus was not in the "company." During the day, the travellers might probably intermingle with their friends and acquaintance, but in the evening, when they were about to encamp, every one would join the family to which he belonged. As Jesus then did not appear when it was growing late, his parents first sought him, where they supposed he would most probably be, among his relations and acquaintance; and not finding him, returned to Jerusalem. Campbell's Transl. Luke ii, 44.

C

1

« AnteriorContinuar »