 chapter 10 part 2 of the making of a nation this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recording are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ben Wilford the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter 10 part 2 for the tendency to idealize national heroes is Shakespeare right in his statement that the evil that men do lives after them the good is often teared with their bones why do men is a rule idealize the dead does the primitive tendency to ancestor worship in part explain this is a tendency to idealize the men of the past beneficial in its effect upon the race what would be the effect if all the iniquity of the past were remembered the tendency to idealize national heroes is by no means confined to the Hebrews Greek Roman and English history abounds in the illustrations cite some of the more striking why are they often thought of as the sinners of the gods compare the popular conception of the first president of the United States and his character as portrayed in Forge the real George Washington the portraits of national heroes even though they are idealized is that a powerful and wholesome influence upon the nations who honor their memory the noblest ideals in East the city and generation are often thus concretely embodied in the character of some national hero compare the great heroes of Greek mythology with the early heroes of the Old Testament do these differences correspond to the distinctive characteristics of the Greek and the Hebrews are these differences due to the peculiar genius of each race or in part to the influence exerted by the ideals thus concretely presented upon each succeeding generation is it probable then in the character of Abraham the traditional father of the Hebrew race was idealized is it possible that teachers of Israel consciously or unconsciously fostered this tendency that they might in this concrete and effective way impress their great teachings upon the race if so does it increase or enhance the value and authority of these stories five the reason for migration in the early history of most countries there comes a pressure of population above only productive powers of the land as numbers increase in the hunting stage game becomes scarce and more hunting grounds are needed tribes migrate from season to season as did the American Indians and eventually some members of the tribe are likely to go forth to seek new homes later in the pastoral stages of society as the wealth of flocks and herds increases more pasture is needed and similar results follow even after agriculture is well established and commerce is well begun as in ancient Greece colonies have a like origin in the England of the 19th century Malthus and his followers toss the tendency of population to outgrow the means of substance a tendency overcome only by restraints on the growth of population or by new inventions that enable new sources of supply to be secured or that render the old ones more efficient immigration and pioneering are thus a normal outgrowth of a progressive growing people in any stage of civilization what does the statement about Abraham's wealth and cattle and silver and gold show regarding the country from which he came and the probable cause of God's direction for his removal immigrants and pioneers are usually the self-reliant and courageous who dare to endure hardships and incur risk to secure for their country and posterity the benefits of new lands and broader opportunity the trials of new and untried experiences and often of dire peril strengthens the character already strong so that the pioneers in all lands and ages have been heroes whose exploits recounted in song and story have stirred their hearts and molded the faith of their descendants through many generations in the light of later history what was a profound religious significance to his race and to the world of the migration represented by Abraham the biblical narrative does not state the exact way in which Jehovah spoke to Abraham is it possible and probable that God spoke to men in their early day as he speaks to them now through their experiences and inner consciousness in what sense was Abraham a pioneer was it for Abraham's material interest to migrate to Canaan 6 the permanent value and influence of the Abraham narratives scholars were probably never absolutely agree regarding many problems connected with Abraham some has gone so far as to question whether he was an historical character or not is the question of fundamental importance other writers declare it probable that a tribal sheik by the name of Abraham led one of the many nomad tribes that somewhere about the middle of the second millennium BC moved westward in the territory of Palestine it is probable that popular tradition has preserved certain facts regarding his life and character it is equally clear that the different groups of Israel's teachers have each interpreted his character and working keeping with their distinctive ideals each individual narrative has an independent unity and the connection between the different accounts is farmed from close some of them aim to explain the derivatives of popular names as for example Abraham Isaac and Ishmael the sanctity of certain sacred places as for example Bersheba the origin of important institutions as for example circumcision and the substitution of animal for human sacrifice and the explanation of striking physical phenomena as for example the desolate shores of the Dead Sea some of these accounts like the table of nations in Genesis 10 preserved the memory of the relationship between Israel and its neighbors they preserve also the characteristic popular record of the early migrations which brought these people to Palestine where they crystallized into the different nations that figure in the drama of Israel's history the permanent and universal value of these stories lies however in the great moral principles which they vividly and effectively illustrate the prophetic portrait of Abraham was an inspiring example to hold up before a race the characteristics of Abraham can be traced in the ideals and character of the Israelites they were unquestionably an important force in developing the prophet nation he was therefore pre-eminently a spiritual pioneer how far to these stories and especially the accounts of the covenant between the hova and Abraham embody the national and spiritual aspirations of the race are the Abraham stories of practical inspiration to the present generation what qualities in his character are essential to the all-around man of any age how far would the Abraham of the prophetic stories succeed where he living in America today would he be appreciated by a majority of our citizens our spiritual pioneers of the type of Abraham absolutely needed in every nation and generation if the human race is to progress questions for further consideration are God's purposes often contrary to man's desires ever to man's best interest what qualities must every true pioneer possess what is the ultimate basis of all true politeness who are some of the great pioneers of early American history what were their chief contributions to their nation is your own conscientious conception of your duty to be considered as God's command to you does he give any other command does a high stage of civilization in noble character or tend to degrade it subjects for further study one Abraham in late Jewish tradition Hastings dictionary the Bible one pages 16 and 17 Ginsburg the legends of the Jews one pages 185 through 308 to the geological history of the Dead Sea Valley Hastings dictionary the Bible one pages 575 through 577 encyclopedia the Bible one pages 1042 through 1046 Kent Bible geography and history pages 45 through 54 Smith history geography pages 499 through 516 three their original meaning of sacrifice study of the Old Testament for page 238 Hastings dictionary the Bible for pages 329 through 331 encyclopedia the Bible for pages 4216 through 4226 Smith religion of the Seminites pages 213 through 243 pages 252 through 440 Gordon early traditions of Genesis pages 212 through 216 for a comparison of the motives that inspire the migrations of the ancestors of the Hebrews and our pilgrim fathers Cheney European background of American history Andrew's colonial self-government end of chapter 10 recording by Ben Wilford Jackson Tennessee the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter 6 part 1 this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the making of a nation by Charles Foster Kent chapter 6 part 1 the power of ambition Jacob the persistent Genesis 28 10 through 33 20 parallel readings historical Bible 1 101 through 21 Hastings dictionary of the Bible to 526 through 535 principles of politics chapter 2 now as the boys grew Esau became a skillful hunter but Jacob was a quiet man a dweller intense and Isaac loved Esau for he had a taste for game and Rebecca loved Jacob once when Jacob was preparing his stew Esau came in from the field and he was faint therefore Esau said to Jacob let me eat quickly I pray some of that red food for I am faint therefore his name was called Edom Red but Jacob said sell me first of all your birthright and Esau replied alas I am nearly dead therefore of what use is this birthright to me and Jacob said swear to me first so he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob then Jacob gave Esau bread and stewed lentils and when he had eaten and drank he rose up and went his way this Esau despised his birthright historical Bible Charles Darwin when asked for the secret of his success said it's dogged as does it oh well for him whose will is strong he suffers but he will not suffer long he suffers but he cannot suffer wrong for him nor moves the loud worlds random mock nor all calamities hugest waves confound who seems a promontory of rock that come past round with turbulent sound in Middle Ocean meets the surging shock tempest buffeted but Citadel crowned Tennyson life is comic or pitiful as soon as the high ends of being fade out of sight and man becomes nearsighted and can only attend to what addresses the senses Emerson who rises every time he falls will sometime rise to stay one the two brothers Jacob and Esau south of the Dead Sea bounded by the rocky desert on the east and the hot barren araba on the west extends the wild picturesque range of Mount seer it is a land of lofty heights and deep almost inaccessible valleys the home of the hunter and the nomad from a few copious Springs their issue clear refreshing brooks which run rippling through the deep ravines but soon lose themselves in their hot gravelly beds a few miles further on they emerge and again disappear as they approach the borders of the hot thirsty wilderness that surrounds Mount seer on every side here in early times lived the Edomites a nomadic people who established themselves in this border land of Palestine long before the Hebrews gained a permanent foothold in the land of Canaan the name Edom is found in an inscription of a king of the 8th Egyptian dynasty in the biblical narrative Esau evidently is the traditional ancestor of the Edomites even as Jacob figures as the father of the 12 tribes one of the aims of these narratives it seems to many scholars is to explain why the Israelites the younger people who settled latest in Palestine ultimately possessed the land and conquered the Edomites the portraits of Esau and Jacob are remarkably true to the characteristics of these two rival nations they are also faithful to human nature as we find it today of these two brothers which on the whole is the more attractive which resembles his father and which his mother read the accounts of their lives Genesis 24 through 27 what noble virtues does Esau possess what was his great fault reckless men or drifters with generous impulses but with no definite purpose of whom gypsies and hobos are extreme types are found in every age and society why is it that men of the type of Esau so often in time become criminals to the man with a wrong ambition the modern tendency to idealize the character Jacob simply because he was one of the famous patriarchs is both unfortunate and misleading although he vividly typifies certain characteristics of his race the Jacob of these early prophetic accounts is portrayed with absolute fidelity and realism his thoughts are revealed even more clearly than his virtues the dominant motive in his life is ambition but it is a thoroughly selfish ambition in the light of the stories state in your own words what was the exact nature of Jacob's ambition how did it differ from that of Abraham what methods did he use to achieve his ambition were these methods justifiable what is your view of the statement the end justifies the means try to define exactly the method of determining justifiable means may Jacob's action be excused because he was acting under the direction of his mother does a man with a selfish ambition always injure others does he in the end injure himself most of all how every type of selfishness is directly opposed to a man's highest self interest Jesus continually had this large truth in mind when he declared he that findeth his life shall lose it but he that loses his life for my sake shall find it Jesus himself illustrated this principle cite other illustrations from history from your own observation or experience was Jacob even with his wrong ambition a stronger and more promising character than his brother Esau why would you rather have your son a boy of strong character with vicious tendency or a weakling with harmless virtuous inclinations three Jacob's training in the school of experience Jacob's experiences as a fugitive well illustrate the homely proverb the way of the transgressor is hard he who deceived and cheated his brother soon became the victim of deception and fraud most painful of all was the ever haunting sense of fear because of the consequences of his wrong acts that followed him even in his life as an exile and like a specter confronted him as he returned again to the scenes of his boyhood these painful experiences were probably essential to the development of Jacob's character are there any other ways in which men of this type can be led to appreciate that their ambitions are wrong was laban any more unjust or tricky in his dealing with Jacob then Jacob had been with Esau or then Jacob was with laban note the grim humor running through these stories they are the type of stories that would be especially appreciated when told by shepherds beside the campfire the most significant point in these stories is that they declare that Jehovah's care and guidance followed the selfish deceiver even as he fled the consequences of his own misdeeds why should that divine care shield him from the consequences of his misdeeds do we find such instances today how do you explain them what is the meaning of the story of Jacob's vision at Bethel what promising elements did Jehovah find in Jacob's character what practical lessons did Jacob learn during his sojourn in Aram was Jacob really a hypocrite or did he in fact fail to see any inconsistency between his trickery and meanness and his worship of Jehovah a man may be sincere in his religious worship on Sunday and yet cheat a neighbor on Monday analyze carefully the nature of his religion end of chapter 6 part 1 recording by Selena Arder the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent the invincible power of ambition and perseverance history and modern life abound in illustrations of what can be accomplished by the combination of ambition and perseverance Cyrus the king of a little upland province through a remarkable series of victories became the undisputed master of southwestern Asia and laid the foundations of the great Persian Empire Julius Caesar who transformed Rome from a republic into an empire and Napoleon the Corsican are the classic illustrations of the power of great ambition and dauntless persistency far nobler is that trackless swamps and forests of Africa and blazed the way for the conquest of the dark continent equally significant is that noble ambition coupled with heroic perseverance that has enabled settlement workers to bring light to the darkest parts of our great cities ambition without persistency is but a dream or hope observe Jacob's persistency in the biblical stories does persistency which has always been a marked characteristic of the Hebrew race largely explain the achievements of the Jews throughout the world note the apparently scientific knowledge regarding breeding of lambs by Jacob in his dealings with laban is it a fact recognized by science today if he knew this and laban did not can you justify his acts can you justify the act of the director of a corporation who uses his prior knowledge of the business of his corporation to make profit from buying or selling its stocks who loses is he a trustee for their interests what is the meaning of the strange story of Jacob's midnight struggle with the angel historical bible 1 119 through 20 what lessons did Jacob learn from this struggle would you call Jacob a truly religious man according to his light and training or were his religious professions only hypocritical may he have been sincere but have had a wrong conception of religion what is hypocrisy did Jacob's faith in Jehovah in the end prove the strongest force in his life is there any trace in his later years of the selfish ambition which earlier dominated him what are his chief interests in the latter part of his life did he become the strong and noble character that he might have been had he from the first been guided by a worthy ambition were the misfortunes that came to him in his old age do largely to his own faults reappearing in the characters of his sons five the different types of ambition in the ultimate analysis it is the man's motive which determines his character as well as his acts as he thinketh within himself so is he proverbs 23 7 man lookedeth on the outward appearance but Jehovah on the heart first Samuel 16 7 with many men the strongest motive is the desire to surpass others it not only leads them to perform certain acts but in so doing shapes their habits and character is largely the result of man's habitual way of acting Jacob grew up narrow and crafty because of the selfish dwarfing nature of his ambition at first his ambition was of a low type that of the child which desires to acquire possessions and power simply for himself in the child this impulse is perfectly natural in the normally developed individual during the years of early adolescence the years of 14 to 16 the social and altruistic impulses begin to develop and to take the place of those which are purely egoistic or selfish when the fully developed man fails as did Jacob to leave behind childish things and retains the ambitions and impulses of the child his condition is pitiable men of this type of ambition often achieve great things from the economic or political point of view economically they are of greater value to society than the drifter sometimes however they bring ruin and disaster to society as well as to themselves despots like Herod the Great and Napoleon corrupt political bosses who play into the hands of certain classes at the expense of the general public and men who employ grafting methods in business or politics belong to this class six the development of right ambitions the desire to spare one's energies is natural to man to gain wealth with the least expenditure of energy is said to be the chief economic motive most men are by nature lazy this law of inertia applies not only in the physical world but also in the intellectual moral and spiritual fields the great majority of men follow the line of least resistance in politics and morals they accept the standards of their associates unconsciously they join the great army of the drifters or followers who preserve the traditions of the past but contribute little to the future progress of the race to deliver man from the control of his natural inertia he must be touched by some strong compelling power ambition is one great force that enables most men to overcome this inertia the influences therefore which kindle ambition are among the most important which enter the life of man in the orient the mother stands in especially close relation to the son how far was Jacob's desire to surpass his brother inspired by his mother many of the world's greatest leaders trace the impulse which has led them to achieve directly to their parents and especially to their mothers the mother of trawls and john wesley is but one of the many mothers to whom the human race owes an inestimable debt of all the heritages which parents can leave their children none is greater than a worthy ambition sometimes it is the personality of a great teacher which inspires the youthful ambition and directs it in lines of worthy achievement how much of england's greatness may be traced to the quiet influence of arnold of rugby consider the unparalleled influence of socrates playdough Aristotle all primarily teachers the true pastor with the spirit of a prophet is often able to guide those with whom he comes into intimate contact to great fields of service in encouraging sophia smith to found smith college that quiet new england pastor the reverend john m green won a high place among those in america who first appreciated the importance of education of women equally great opportunities may lie before every pastor and teacher and citizen frequently it is the contact through literature or in life with men or women who have done heroic deeds or have won success in the face of great obstacles that kindles the youthful ambition and stirs the latent motives which in turn develops strong and noble characters therein lies the perennial value of the biblical narratives for many men that which arouses their ambitions is the call of a great opportunity or responsibility note the change in general grant's life with the outbreak of the civil war the unambitious tanner becomes the untiring rigid unconquerable soldier striking illustrations of this fact are many men whose character as well as conduct after they have been called to positions of political or judicial trust is in marked contrast to their previous record a corrupt lawyer has sometimes become an upright judge the pride of office the traditions of the bench have sustained him it is the privilege and duty of each man by thoughtful deliberation and study to shape and develop his own individual ambitions that they may conform to the highest ideals and thus guide him to the noblest and most worthy achievement of what value to a man is biography informing his ambitions mentioned some biographies that you consider of the greatest help in what ways are the life and teachings of jesus of practical service in developing the ambitions of a man today questions for further consideration is it possible for a man without ambition to develop or to achieve anything really significant in your judgment what percentage of the men in your community really think out and carefully plan their lives what proportion drift or take the way shown them by others some people consider mental or moral inertia the chief force that sustains the corrupt political boss is this true what proportion of the voters in your voting district actually study and appreciate the issues in each election what proportion of church members drift into their church membership and what proportion join only after a careful study of the relative merits of the different churches what are the chief ambitions that stir men to action what was jesus's ambition paul's florence nightingale's abraham lincoln's peter cooper's jerobaldi's dwight l newtie's was there a common element in the ambition of each of these leaders of men is the realization of the ambition to serve one's fellow men limited to those who possess unique powers or opportunities subjects for further study number one the law of inheritance among the early semites hastings dictionary of the bible two four hundred seventy through four hundred seventy three kent students old testament three john's babelonian aniserian laws contracts and letters one hundred sixty one through one hundred sixty seven number two the arameans hastings dictionary of the bible one one hundred thirty eight through one hundred thirty nine encyclopedia of the bible one two hundred seventy six through two hundred eighty peter's early hebrew story forty five through forty seven one hundred fifteen through one hundred sixteen one hundred thirty three through one hundred thirty four maspero struggle of the nations one hundred twenty six number three the psychological connection between ambition habits character and public life principles of politics chapter two and three james talks to teachers chapter two end of the making of a nation the beginnings of israel's history by trawls foster kent recording by selena arder chapter seven part one of the making of a nation this is a libra vox recording all libra vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libra vox dot org the making of a nation the beginnings of israel's history by trawls foster kent chapter seven part one a successful man of affairs joseph's achievements genesis thirty seven thirty nine through forty eight fifty parallel readings history of the bible one one twenty one through one hundred fifty hastings dictionary of the bible two seven hundred seventy seven hundred seventy two emerson essay on character now israel loved joseph more than all his other children because he was the son of his old age and he had made him a long tunic with sleeves and when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his other sons they hated him and could not speak to him but johova was with joseph so that he became a prosperous man and was in the house of his master the egyptian when his master saw that johova was with him and that johova caused everything that he did to prosper in his hands joseph found favor in his eyes as he ministered to him so that he made him overseer of his house and all that he had he put in his charge and johova was with joseph and showed kindness to him and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison so that the keeper of the prison gave to joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the prison and for whatever they did he was responsible and pharaoh said to joseph see i have appointed you over all the land of egypt and pharaoh took off his signet ring from his finger and put it upon joseph's finger and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and made him ride in the second chariot which he had then they cried before him bow the knee thus he set him over all the land of egypt pharaoh also said to joseph i am pharaoh but without your consent shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of egypt historical bible for what is a man profiteth if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul matthew 1636 men at some time are masters of their fates the fault dear brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings shakespeare julius caesar act one score two nine one thirty nine i find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving to reach the port of heaven we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it but we must sail and not drift nor lie at anchor ow homes he that respects himself is safe from others he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce it is more important to make a life than to make a living ex governor russell of massachusetts the qualities essential to success the late samuel l clemons mark twain advised a young man who desired to enter business to select the firm with which he wished to be associated then ask that they give him work without mentioning the subject of compensation having secured this opportunity to demonstrate his ability and willingness to work recognition would come in due time this advice received the approval of many prominent businessmen it concretely illustrates the fact that the first essential of success is the willingness to serve it also emphasizes the necessity of being ready to do the work in accordance with the employers wishes ultimate success also requires knowledge and trained ability these however come through apprenticeship and a faithful improvement of opportunities the hebrew sages with true insight emphasize the importance of knowledge but they taught also that wisdom which is not only knowledge but the power to apply it practically in the various relations of life was far more important what other qualities are essential to the highest success is it very important that a man should have the right moral standards how do a man's habits affect his efficiency is it only the genius who is able to attain the highest success today in business and professional life do you accept george elliott's definition of genius as the capacity for unlimited work to what extent does a man's faith in god and in his fellow men determine his ability to win success how far are they essential to the attainment of the highest type of success the limitations and temptations of jesus early life the hebrew sage who uttered the prayer remove far from me falsehood and lies give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with the food that is needful for me proverbs 38 voiced a great economic as well as moral principle the men who are handicapped today in the race for success are either those who are born in homes of extreme poverty or of extreme wealth where they are unnaturally barred or shielded from the real problems and tasks of life which is probably the greater handicap to which class did joseph belong in what ways did his father show his favoritism towards joseph the hebrew word rendered in the older translations coat of many colors means literally long-sleeved tunic this garment like those worn by wealthy chinese when in native costume distinguished the rich or the nobility who were not under the necessity of engaging in manual labor the dreams which joseph told to his brothers reveal his high estimate of his own importance and were probably suggested by his father's attitude toward him they were indeed a revelation of the ambitions already stirring in the young boy's mind but joseph required closer contact with real life in order to transform his ambitions into actual achievements joseph gave his brother's cause for hatred toward him but their action in selling him to the ishmaelites was by no means justifiable nevertheless it brought to joseph the experiences and opportunities absolutely essential to the attainment of his ultimate success often would seem man's greatest misfortunes are in reality the door that opens to the new and larger opportunities in what two ways may a man meet misfortune the call of a great opportunity egypt with its marvelous natural resources its peculiar climate its irrigation which usually guarantees good crops and its versatile people has always been preeminently the land of opportunity especially was this true during the reigns of the powerful despots of the 18th dynasty when the relations between egypt and palestine were exceedingly close thus for example according to contemporary records during the reign of the great reformer king aminhotep the fourth several semites rose to positions of great authority a certain doodoo david was one of the most trusted officials of this king he is addressed by one of the egyptian governors as my lord my father another semi named yan hamu not only had control of the storehouses of grain in the eastern part of the null delta but also directed the egyptian rule of palestine the local governors of palestine refer to him in terms which suggest that his authority was almost equal to that of ferro himself this was perhaps the joseph of the biblical account is there any evidence that joseph complained because of the injustice of his brothers by loyal attention to his duties he made himself indispensable to his egyptian master a great temptation came to him in the new home what influences led him to resist this temptation analyze his probable motives in detail the great injustice which he suffered and the seeming misfortune proved in turn a new door of opportunity but this would not have been the case had not joseph forgotten his own personal wrongs and given himself to the service of his fellow prisoners was the prosperity which generally attended joseph a miraculous gift or the natural consequences of his courageous helpful spirit and his skill in making the best of every situation in modern life as in the ancient story the place usually seeks the man who is fitted to fill it the ever recurring complaint of employers is the scarcity of good men especially of men able to exercise discretion in positions of responsibility was it joseph skill in interpreting ferro's dreams or his wise counsel in suggesting methods of providing for the people during famine that gave him his position of high trust and authority was the policy which made ferro practical owner of all the land first instituted by joseph or was it already in force in egypt historical bible one one hundred thirty three in the thought of the prophetic narrative was joseph's fiscal system regarded as evidence of his loyalty to his master rather than of disloyalty to the interests of the people was the system suited to that stage and kind of civilization can this be cited by socialists today as a valid argument in favor of public ownership of all land if not why not three principles illustrated by joseph's life are true to all time one the only successful way to forget one's own burdens is to help bear another's two god makes all things work together for good to those that love him three he alone who improves the small opportunities will not miss the great chances of life end of chapter seven part one recording by selena arder chapter seven part two of the making of a nation this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org the making of a nation the beginnings of israel's history by trawls foster kent chapter seven part two the temptations of success modern life and especially that in america today is full of illustrations of the overwhelming temptations which come to the man who has had great success many a man has enjoyed the confidence and respect of his associates until his abilities have won for him large wealth with which apparently comes at times a misleading sense of immunity from the ordinary moral obligations the result has been that the sterling virtues which have enabled him to win success have been quickly undermined and his public and private acts have become the theme of the public press instead of being an honor he has become a disgrace to his nation joseph's sudden rise to power surpassed anything told in the arabian night's tales and yet he remained the same simple unaffected man more thoughtful for another's interests than for his own the supreme test came in his contact with his brothers who had insulted and cruelly wronged him they were completely at his mercy and he had abundant reason for ignoring the obligations of kinship did joseph hide his cup in benjamin's sack and later hold him as a hostage in order to punish his brothers or to test their honor and fidelity was this action wise did the brothers stand the test no class was regarded by the egyptians with greater scorn and contempt than the shepherds to whom they entrusted their flocks because the task of hurting sheep was regarded as too menial for an egyptian the public recognition of his shepherd kinsman therefore revealed in joseph the noblest and most courageous qualities why is such loyalty a primary obligation is it today regarded by all thoughtful men as one of the clearest evidences of a strong character can you give any modern illustrations perhaps among your acquaintances what is a snob did joseph leave undone any act which loyalty to his kinsmen could prompt is joseph's character as portrayed by the prophetic account practically perfect of the three characters abraham jacob and joseph which offers more practical suggestions to the man of today which has exerted the most powerful influence upon the ideals and conduct of the human race the standards of real success it is natural and inevitable that the various social classes of each succeeding generation should define their standards of success concretely that is by the lives and achievements of those who have done great things in certain social groups the world's champion prize fighter is the bow ideal of success among the cameras of italy that ideal is the successful blackmailer in many sections of our great cities the powerful ward boss whatever be his methods is regarded as the embodiment of success too often in america today both in the public press and in the public mind the multimillionaire is regarded as the preeminently successful man although the power to amass wealth is evidence of marked ability the homage paid to it is one of the most sinister tendencies in american life ordinarily it means that the ambitions and achievements of a jacob rather than those of a joseph are set before the youth as the supreme goal for which to strive a most hopeful element in the present situation is that many of the world's wealthiest men are proclaiming their sense of responsibility to society in ways both practical and impressive far more significant than their actual gifts is this public declaration that each man is indeed his brother's keeper and that no man has a right to use his wealth simply for his own pleasure leonidas and his fearless patriotic followers at thermopoly left an impress upon greek life and character that did not fade for centuries the spirit of robert bruce still lingers among the craigs in the heatherclad hills of scotland the patriotic devotion of garibaldi has imparted a new character to the italian race 200 million of the world's inhabitants still bear the imprint of the fiery faith and fanaticism of mohammed america is rich in its memories of the achievements of such as washington lincoln morse beecher and emerson what characters in all history seem to you the best examples of real success what men and women in the present how can the great majority of the boys and girls and the men and women of today be led to accept those higher ideals of success which are the lotus stones drawing on the race to higher achievement the methods of success the story is told of the late president garfield that in the heat of a political campaign one of his lieutenants suggested that he adopt an exceedingly questionable policy when mr. garfield objected his lieutenant replied no one will know it but i shall know was the quick reply to thine own self be true and it must follow as the night the day thou canst not then be false to any man hamlet act one score two wealth and power are worthy goals for which to strive one of the first duties of a political party is to capture the offices for without them and its power it cannot carry out the principles for which it stands the possession of wealth represents vast possibilities for service thousands of tragic experiments have demonstrated however the fallacy of the seductive doctrine that the end justifies the means the tragedy that overshadows many of the seemingly most successful men of today is the memory of the iniquitous methods and whereby they have acquired wealth or mounted to power lavish philanthropy and the beneficent use of power can never wholly blot out from the public mind or from the mind of the successful man the memory of certain questionable acts that at the time seemed essential to the realization of a great policy a keen well-informed student of modern economic conditions has asserted that no man can succeed in business life today and remain true to the teachings of jesus is this true is it true in professional life is it true in politics one of our most prominent statesmen has said that he would have found it impossible to succeed and maintain his independence if he had been compelled to earn his living he would have been compelled either to yield to the boss or quit politics who are some of the men in public life who are gaining success and yet maintaining christian principles if the ultimate ideal of real success is service is there any other way in which men may obtain success is this true of every department of human effort does this principle make it possible for every man however limited his ability and opportunities to attain real success questions for further consideration how would you define genius edison called it two percent of inspiration and 98 percent of perspiration but see james talks to teachers is the chief difference between the successful and the unsuccessful man the ability to recognize and seize opportunities would joseph's policy in dealing with pharaoh's subjects meet with public approval today could joseph have succeeded as well in a republic does joseph's land policy justify the single tax or surfdom such as joseph countenanced what place does loyalty to humble friends and kinsmen take in the making of great and noble characters would you say that the ultimate standard of all real success is service would it be wise for the state to enforce service for the public good by a heavy progressive inheritance tax what justification is there for such a modification of joseph's land policy as the single tax see george progress in poverty saligman essays on taxation 64 through 94 do you think that a man earning his own living can expect today to succeed in politics and maintain his self-respect as an independent thinker subjects for further study one the origin and literary form of the joseph narratives kent students old testament one 126 through 127 hastings dictionary of the bible two 767 through 769 smith old testament history 54 through 55 2 contemporary parallels to the joseph of the biblical narratives hastings dictionary of the bible 2 772 through 775 3 compare and contrast the achievements of joseph bismarck and cesil roads end of chapter 7 part 2 recording by selena ardor chapter 8 part 1 of the making of a nation this is a labor vile recording our labor vile recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberalvox.org recording by iron highly study 8 the training of a statesman most is in egypt in the wilderness exodus chapter 1 verse 1 and exodus chapter 7 verse 5 pair of our readings good now fj's comparative administrative law history bible part 1 pages 151 through 169 and he went out on the following day and saw two men of the hebris striving together and he said to the one who is doing the wrong why do you smite your fellow workmen but he reprimand who made you a prince and judge all for us do you intend to kill me as you killed the egyptian the mosaics was afraid and said surely the thing is known when therefore ferro heard this thing he sought to him moses but moses spread from the presence of ferro and took up his abode in the land of midian and jehovah said i have surely seen the fiction of my people that are in egypt and i have heard the cry of anguish because of their tax masters for another sorrows and i am come down to deliver them out of the power of the egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land beautiful and broad to a land flowing with milk and honey going gathered the orders of israel to gather and say to them jehovah the god of your fathers the god of abraham isaac and jacob have appeared to me san i have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in egypt and i have said i will bring you up out of the fiction of egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey they sell harkin to thy voice now so come together with the orders of israel to the king of egypt and ye shall say to him jehovah the god of the heavers have appeared to us and i'll let it go we pray thee three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to jehovah our god history bible hold on hold fast hold out patience is genius let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us dare to do our duty as we understand it lincoln part one the egyptian background of the bondage the one contemporary reference to israel that is far found in the egyptian descriptions comes from the reign of memnath path the son of ramesses is second it implies that at the time at least part of the hebrus was in the land of palestine plundered his canon with every evil ascalon is carried into captivity geyser is taken yulman is annihilated isra is desolated her seed is not palestine has become a widow for egypt all lands are united they are pacified everyone who's turbulent has been found by keymar nath path the testimony of the oldest biblical narratives regarding the sojourn of the hebrus in egypt is also in perfect accord with the picture which the contemporary egyptian descriptions give the period furthermore the egyptian historians never distinguish the different races in their midst but rather designated the foreign surplus by a common name the absence of the detailed reference to the hebrus is therefore perfectly natural it seems probable that not all but only part of the tribes which ultimately call us into the hebron nation found their way to egypt the stories regarding joseph their traditional father ephron and menace incline that these strong central tribes possibly together with the southern tribes of benjamin and judo were the chief factors in its opening scene in israe's history the biblical narratives apparently disagree regarding the duration of the sojourn in egypt the reference in cynicism chapter 15 verse 16 where some writers think comes from the northern israe group of stories and prosaic was a period of between 100 and 150 years the same duration is suggested by the priestry writer in numbers chapter 26 verses 57 through 59 the later traditions tend to extend the period it seems probable the hebrus first found their way to egypt during the reign of aminthron the fourth he reigned between 1375 and 1358 bc the older hebru chronology would make ramsey the second he reigned between 1292 and 1225 the pharaoh of the press and of all the pharaohs of this period in egypt's history the great builder and organizer ramsey the second corresponds most closely to the biblical description he it was who filled egypt from one end to the other with vast temples and other buildings which could have been reared only through the services of a huge army of serfs the excavations of the egypt expolation fund have identified the biblical pythons with certain ruins the wady tumult near the eastern terminus of the mindring road from kyro to the sues canal this probably laying the eastern boundary of the biblical land of gulfson which seems to have included the wady tumult and to have extended westward to the nile delta he were found several inscriptions bearing the egyptian name of the city patum house of the god atom the excavations also laid bare a great square brick wall with the ruins of stored chambers inside these rectangular chambers were of various sizes and surrounded by walls two or three yards in thickness contemporary inscriptions indicate that they were filled with grain from the top and were probably used for the storing the supplies to be used by the armies of ranzies the second and their aesthetic campaigns this city was founded by ranzies the second who during the first 20 years of his reign developed and colonized the territory east of the nile delta including the biblical land of gulfson a contemporary inscription also states that he founded near pithom the house of ranzies a city with the royal residence and temples thus the inferences in the first chapter of exodus regarding the historical background are in perfect accord with the facts now known from other sources regarding the reign of ranzies the second and transforming the land of gulfson into a cultivated agricultural region the nomadic keepers were naturally put to tax work by the strong-handed roar of Egypt that the Hebrews were responsive under this ceremony was naturally inevitable apparently the rebellious attitude also increased the burden which was placed upon them the memory of the kresen highscores invasion when cement the roar of Egypt by nomadic invaders from Egypt was still threatening the minds of the Egyptians they both looked down and feared the nomadic immigrants on their eastern border and the light of these facts is possible to understand the motives which influence ranzies the second quarry to oppress the Hebrews he endeavored by force labor and rigorous spinach not only to avail himself of their needed services but also to crush their spirit and by force to hold in subjection the alarmingly large serve class which was found at this time in the land of Egypt was any other procedure to be expected from it the sponic roar of that land in day part two the making of a loyal patriot the story of Moses's birth in early childhood is one of the most interesting chapters in biblical history it is full of human and dramatic interests the great crisis in Moses's early manhood came when he woke to a realization of his kinship with the despised and oppressed serfs an appreciation of the cruel injustices of which they were the helpless victims with Moses justified and resisting the gypsum tax master are numbers essential to the righteousness of a cause rep right had ranzies the second to demand forced labor from the immigrants within his border was he just fine in his method of his exciting tribute his opinions always disastrous not only to its victims but also to the government imposing it did Moses so himself a coward and fleeing from the land of Egypt naturally he went to the land of Median the wilderness to the east of Egypt and for centuries been the plates of refuge for Egyptian fugitives from about 2000 BC there comes the Egyptian story of Sinuot Egyptian prince who to save his life fled eastward past the war of the princesses which guarded the north eastern frontier of Egypt on the borders of the wilderness he found certain Bedouin herdsmen who received him hath spitibuy these sand wanderers sent him on from time to time until he reached the land of Qidam each of the Dead Sea where he remained for a year and a half later he found his way to the court of one of the local kings in central Palestine where he married and became in the time of prosperous local prince part three the school of the wilderness the story of Moses is in many ways closely parallel to that of Sinuot among the Medianite tribes that live into the south and southeast of Palestine he found refuge in generous hospitality the priest of the sub tribe of the Canites received him into his home and gave him his daughter and marriage note the care of heristic orient to idea of marriage here Moses learned the lessons that were essential for his training as a leader and deliverer of his people the Canites figure in the latter Hebrew history as worshipers of Java and are frequently associated with the Israelites after the capture of Jericho certain of them went up with the southern tribes to conquer southern Palestine judges chapter 1 verse 16 it was Jal the wife of Heber the Nick Canite judges chapter 5 verse 24 who rendered the Hebrews signal service by slaying Cicero the fleeing king of the Canites after the memorable battle beside the river Kishon many modern scholars draw the conclusion from the biblical narrative that it was from the Canites that Moses first learned of Yahweh or as the distinctive name of Israel's guide was translated by later Jewish gribes Jehovah furthermore it is suggested that gradually to the new guide who delivered the Israelites from the bindings was the reason why they proved on the whole so loyal to Jehovah this conclusion is possible and in many ways attractive but is beset with serious difficulties we know an ancient history of no other example of the people suddenly changing their religion when there have been such setting in wholesale conversions in the other times they have been either under the compulsion of the sword as in the history of Islam or under influence of a far higher religion as when Christianity has been carried into the even people on the lowest stage of civilization do the early Hebrew traditions imply that the ancestors of the Israelites were worshipers of Jehovah it is not probable that Moses fled to the nomadic minion knights not only because they were a kinsman but because they were also worshipers of Jehovah in any case Moses's life in minion tended to intensify his faith in Jehovah the title of his funding law implies that this preach ministered at some wilderness sanctuary in the light of the subsequent biblical narrative was this possibly at the sacred spring of cadets on top of the holy mountain Horab elsewhere called Sinai where kins in Hebrews breathed that Jehovah dwelt or at least manifested himself Moses in the home of the minion priests was brought into direct and constant contact with the Jehovah worship the cruel fate of his people and the painful experience in Egypt that had driven him into the wilderness prepared his mind to receive this training his quest was for a judge and strong guy able to deliver the oppressed the wilderness with its lurking foes and the ever-present dread of hunger and thirst depends his sense of need and of dependence upon the power able to guide the death's needs of men the presence of the vats and towing in plain of central as a minor still will call every life given spring God have forgiven the constant necessity a meeting the dangers of the wilderness and the defending the flocks and trusted to Moses to care developed his courage and power of leadership and action what other great leaders of Israel were trained in this same school what was the effect of the wilderness night upon the early new England pioneers and if chapter eight part one recording by Anne Hatley Norman Oklahoma chapter eight part two of the making of a nation this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by hearhis.com the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter eight part two section four Moses call to public service the solitude of the wilderness gave Moses ample opportunity for profound reflection his previous experiences made such reflection natural indeed inevitable born by the caravans over the great highway from the land of the Nile or from the desert tribe to tribe came occasional reports of the cruel injustice to which his kinsmen in Egypt were subjected in these reports he recognized the divine call to duty when perhaps at last the report came that the mighty despot of Ramses II was dead Moses like his latter successor Isaiah Isaiah chapter six saw that the moment had come for decision and action it looks to many scholars as if three originally distinct versions of Moses call have been welded together in the narrative of Exodus 3 4 and 6 each differs in regard to detail history bible one history bible one page 161 through 165 according to the early Judean prophetic account Jehovah spoke audibly to Moses from the flaming thorn bush in the northern Israelite version the moment of decision came to him as he stood with his flock on the sacred mountain horrib like Isaiah in his memorable vision of Jehovah's presence the inner consciousness of God and the compelling sense of duty led him to cry out here am I likewise in the late priestly story God's presence and character were so deeply impressed upon him that he seemed to bear an audible voice according to the view of those who accept this interpretation even though the latter priest believed and taught that God was spirit not like man clothed in flesh and blood thus the different groups of Hebrew narratives in their characteristic way record the essential facts in Moses call to public service each has preserved certain important elements in that call and the late editor has done well to combine them even as Isaiah caught his supreme vision of Jehovah and of duty in the temple so to Moses the prophetic call probably came on the lofty heights of the mountain in which he in common with the Kenanites believed God dwelt the wilderness with its flaming bush spoke to him God's message recent writers have felt and forcibly interpreted the fascination and the message of the desert and plain none more vividly than the Welsh writer Rose Comeo in describing the experience of one of his rough self-reliant cowboy heroes two days ago he was riding back alone in the afternoon from an unsuccessful search after strayed horses and suddenly all in the lifting of a hoof the weird prairie had gleamed into eerie life had dropped the veil and spoken to him while the breeze stopped and the sun soot still for a flash and waiting for his answer and he his heart in a grip of ice the frozen flesh a crawl with terror upon his loosened bones white lipped and wide eyed with frantic fear uttered a yell of horror as he dashed the spurs into his panic stricken horse in a mad endeavor to escape from the awful presence that filled all earth and sky from edge to edge of vision then almost in the same flash the unearthly light died out of the dim prairie the veil swept across into place again and he managed to check his wild flight and look upon him his empty lips were gibbering without a sound escaping them and his very heart shivered with cold for all the brassy heat of the day but the breeze was wandering on again under the great sun the prairie spread dim to the southwest and tawny to the northeast only between his own loose knees the horse trembled in every limb and mumbled the bit with dry mouth all was as before in earth and sky apparently but not in his own self it was as if his spirit stood apart from him putting questions which he could not answer and demanding judgment upon problems which he dare not reason out then he remembered what this thing was which had happened the prairie had spoken to him as sooner or later it spoke to most men that wrote it it was a something well known amongst them but known without words and as by a subtle instinct for no man who had experienced it ever spoke willingly about it afterwards only the man would be changed some began to be more reckless as if a dumb blasphemy rankled hidden in their breasts others coming with greater strength perhaps to the ordeal became quieter looking squarely at any danger as they faced it but continuing ahead as though quietly confident that nothing happened saved as the gods ordained the motive power in all of moses latter work was that transforming vivid sense of johova's presence that came to him on the barren mountain peak also fundamental to his call was the recognition of the crying need of his disorganized oppressed kinsmen in egypt this appeal to all the instincts begotten by his shepherd training for they were a shepherdless flock in the midst of wolves through the ages the inhabitants of the park stony wilderness had looked with hungry eyes upon the tree clad hills and green fields of palestine the early traditions of his ancestors also glorified this paradise of the wilderness wanderer and led moses to look to it as the haven of refuge to which he might lead his helpless kinsmen vividly and concretely the ancient narrative tales of the struggle in the mind of moses between his own defidence and consciousness of his limitations on the one side and on the other his sense of duty and the realization of johova's power to accomplish what seemed to man miraculous was moses inner experience like that of the other great hebrew prophets who like that of jesus does every man who undertakes a great service for humanity today pass through a somewhat similar struggle how about grant on leaving his home at galena illinois lincoln at the great crisis of his life section five the education of public opinion like every man who catches a vision of a great need and undertakes to meet it moses had to educate public opinion whatever the form of government may be whether monarchy or democracy it must ultimately rest upon the will of the people and the shaping of that will is often a statesman's task in a democracy the expression of the people's will is readily determined at every election although in many cases owing to the number of issues this result is not clearly seen in a despotism like egypt there is no ready expression of a people's will however great their sufferings they must endure until they feel that the evils of revolt are less than the evils of oppression then by means of revolution they carry out their will in what ways did the exodus resemble in what ways differ from a revolution compare moses with washington or samuel adams as leader of a revolution during the last few years in china there has been great dissatisfaction on the part of many millions of the people with the rule of the monchou dynasty it was nevertheless for many years the people's will rather to endure the evils of a corrupt government than to take the risk of war at length however after years of propaganda by skillful leaders war appeared to them the lesser evil and their will was carried out by force of arms the government in this direct way was forced to recognize the will of the people and to grant their requests a statesman considers not merely his own views regarding the best methods of governing his country or of gaining special ends but he must carefully consider also what plans can in practice be carried out in all free governments only those policies can be put into effect that meet the approval of the people and one of the greatest gifts of a statesman is the ability to ascertain with few mistakes how far his proposed policies meet the public will and how he can so put his plans before the people as to convince them of their benefits in the latter days of the egyptian bondage the israelites made frequent complaint of the oppression of the pharaohs bemoaning their fate as serfs but for many years after their sufferings had become severe they had not yet been roused to a determination to throw off the yoke of the oppressor even when moses first attempted to rouse them to make a struggle for freedom he could not breathe into them his own bold spirit what measures did moses take to incite the israelites to action what measures did he take to convince pharaoh of his duty toward the israelites did he present his case truthfully was he justified in the measures taken at length not from the acts of the israelites but from the plagues that afflicted the egyptians and the insistent demand of moses coupled with the belief that the plagues were sent on account of divine displeasure as a punishment for unjust oppression the hebrews were enabled to escape what is the contemporary egyptian testimony regarding the plagues history bible one pages 176 through 177 do the earliest hebrew records imply that these were miracles or natural calamities peculiar to the land of egypt the statesmanship of moses led him to seize the opportune time for freeing his people from bondage only the influence of the religious sentiments among his people and their belief in jehovah together with the religious awe felt by the egyptian rulers enabled him to take advantage of the circumstances so that he could rescue his people in most countries religion is a powerful influence often made use of by rulers sometimes for good sometimes for ill to direct the action of their subjects the greek church in russia has for many decades been perhaps the most important weapon by which the russian czars have kept their people in peaceful submission if china loses her mongolian provinces it will be because the religious leaders of mongolia are controlling their people can you give in the united states an example of a people largely dominated by the religious motive which controls most of the affairs of their everyday life how far was the religious motive responsible for the settlement and upbuilding of the new england colonies how far and in what ways may a statesman today appeal to the moral and religious feelings of the people in order to promote national and international welfare section six the training of modern statesman in training administrative officers in the leading countries of europe and in the united states emphasis is laid upon a knowledge of history of constitutional administrative and international law politics economics diplomacy and any other subjects that may fall within the scope of action of the special official when however a lawmaker or a high administrative official deals at first hand with a great population it is extremely important that he be so experienced and so fitted by temperament that he may know his people he must see how far he can go without arousing too much opposition even in promoting good measures it is often essential not to go too fast if he is to succeed every statesman of modern times as well of those of bygone days must have the interest of the people genuinely at heart if he is to be in the best sense of the word successful what did moses seek for his people liberty prosperity religious freedom confucius the great chinese sage from his study of human nature and of government five centuries before christ had learned that the rule of justice in the state promoted prosperity at length a young ruler made him his prime minister the result of his wise and just measures was to bring into his country so large a number of immigrants who preferred to live in a country where justice reigned that the prosperity aroused the envy and hostility of the neighboring states in consequence measures were taken to put an end to this just rule which was felt to be so detrimental to other kings unwilling to adopt the same just means finally the wise confucius was treacherously driven from his post not however until he had proved that the councils of justice and religion were those best suited to the welfare of the state this is a common experience in all lands and ages but perhaps nowhere else has the lesson been so frequently and so thoroughly taught as in the history of the Hebrews that the most essential factor in a statesman's training is the acceptance of the principles of justice and righteousness in other words quote god is the most important factor in human progress in quote questions for further consideration is it the duty of a government in order to promote the welfare of its people to set aside at times the personal convenience even the personal welfare of individuals or of certain classes if an inheritance tax falls heavily upon the heirs of a rich man ought the state to collect it on what grounds is a state justified in withholding liberty from criminals from children many of our states compel citizens to work in repairing country roads is this temporary peonage how do you justify a state in compelling citizens to risk their lives in war in what circumstances would a state be justified in compelling its citizens to labor did circumstances justify Pharaoh why were he and his kingdom punished is it ever right for an individual to raise his hand against a recognized and established authority or when there is an established government should an individual ever attempt to punish crime or avenge personal wrong we're our revolutionary forefathers right in resisting the demands of King George are numbers essential to the rightness of a cause in what ways does God today call men to do an important task do you consider Lincoln a man raised up by God for a purpose and called by him to service if so how did the call come was Moses call similar should a clergyman have a definite call to his life work does every man have such a call if he but interprets rightly his experiences a working girl had seen the story of Moses at a movie picture show afterwards she commented as follows our walking delegate is a regular Moses he said to the factory boss you let my people go in what respect is the labor struggle today similar to that in Egypt under Moses subjects for further study one the Egyptian system of education breasted history of the ancient Egyptians 92 through 94 395 history of Egypt 98 through 100 mass peril dawn of civilization 288 airmen life of the ancient Egyptians 328 to 368 to origin of the Jehovah religion booty religion of Israel one through 38 Gordon early traditions of Genesis 106 to 110 Hastings dictionary the bible extra volume 626 through 627 3 the practical training for statesmanship of Augustus Gladstone and Lincoln Plutarch lives of the emperors morally life of Gladstone a good biographical dictionary brown the message of the modern pulpit four compare the government of Egypt under Pharaoh with that in China in the days of Confucius and with that of Greece in the days of the siege of Troy Homer Iliad and Odyssey life of Confucius end of chapter eight chapter nine part one of the making of a nation this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter nine part one the origin and growth of law Moses's work as judge and prophet Exodus 18 one through 27 33 5 through 11 parallel references historical bible 1 198 through 203 principles of politics chapter 6 main ancient law Jehovah spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend Exodus 33 11 and Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people rulers of thousands rulers of hundreds rulers of fifties and rulers of tens and they judge the people at all seasons the hard cases they brought unto Moses but every small matter they judge themselves Exodus 18 25 26 love is the fulfilling of the law saint paul now this is the law of the jungle as old and as true as the sky and the wolf that shall keep it may prosper but the wolf that shall break it must die as the creeper that girdles the tree trunk the law runneth forward and back for the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack now these are the laws of the jungle and many and mighty are they but the head and the hoof of the law and the haunch and the bump is obey kippling nothing is that errors from law tenison in vain we call old notions fudge and bend conventions to our dealing the ten commandments will not budge and stealing still continues stealing lowl if chosen men could never be alone in deep mid-silence open-doored with god no greatness ever had been dreamed or done these roots bear up dominion knowledge will these twain are strong but stronger yet the third obedience tis the great taproot that still knit round the rock of duty is not stirred though heaven loose tempests spin their utmost skill lowl the washers of the shroud the needs that give rise to law kippling's law of the jungle in which he lays down the principles by which the wolf packs secured united action in its hunting names the rules that apply almost universally to peoples in the savage stage of society according to the researches of the best anthropologists savages live in very loosely organized groups with no permanent ruler no regular family law each separate group has its totem its general rules with reference to the marriage relation to hunting and fishing shelter and protection practically there are no regular laws the rules fixed by custom deal primarily with the marriage relation and with the securing of food and shelter they are largely negative if a member of the group has met with a misfortune in a certain bypass or from eating certain food or in other ways in a certain bypass or from eating certain food or in other ways by the action of the leader of his group that path or that food becomes taboo and from that time on it is forbidden the rules seem generally to be largely the product of instinct or of experience without any law making and they are enforced almost as instinctively by the common consent of the people the growth of customary law as this loosely associated group condenses into the tribe all the members of which regard themselves as descended from a common ancestor the organization becomes much more definite under a patriarchal ruler soon through his activities these almost instinctive habits guided by rules assume the nature of customs that have a sanction often of religion practically always of enforcement through the patriarch no better illustration of the crystallization of customs into laws can be found than that given in exodus 18 1 through 27 historical bible 1 198 through 202 moses sat all day long as judge to decide cases for the people until his practical minded father-in-law jethro seeing the waste of time and energy of the ruler upon whom the welfare of the tribe depended proposed a wise plan he advised that instead of rendering decisions regarding each individual case moses should formulate the principles and leave their applications to minor judges appointed by himself as rulers over thousands and over hundreds and fifties and tens in modern days the lawmaking body is distinct from the judicial is there any reason why the judge should not be the maker of the law he interprets doubtless many of the customs thus formulated by moses had come down through the preceding ages from the Babylonian and common somatic ancestors of the Hebrews the most striking example of the premosaic formulation of custom into law under the sanction of the deity is found in the so-called code of Hammurabi which comes from about 1900 bc at the top of the steely which records these laws this enlightened king depicted himself in a bar relief as receiving them from the sun god shamash Hammurabi looked upon himself as a shepherd chosen by the gods to care for his people it was his duty to see that the great should not oppress the weak to counsel the widow and orphan to render judgment and decide the decisions of the land and to sucker the injured in order that by the command of shamash the judge supreme of heaven and earth justice might shine in the land many of the principles laid down by him are also found among the laws attributed to moses which were afterward codified in the early decalogues at times though rarely among the Hebrews we may study custom in the making as when in a new situation a ruler renders a decision which henceforth becomes a law thus david dividing the spoil after his victory over the amalekites established a precedent that henceforth had binding force upon his followers first samuel 30 but in the majority of such cases the ruler even when he establishes new precedents represents himself as simply interpreting ancient custom as society becomes more and more complex and the interests of individuals in classes in society clash besides the judges we find legislatures making new rules in the form of law in the earlier communities practically all law relates to the preservation of life and of the tribe later as the tribe enters the pastoral state private property is established and laws for its care are made still later with the development of a higher civilization and with the individual conscience stimulating men to care for the welfare not merely of their family but of their nation legislation considers primarily the welfare of society yet as one of our great judges has lately explained in practically all stages of society whenever the population becomes numerous and business is so developed that we may recognize different classes in a community legislation has been primarily in the interests of a ruling class often at the expense of the other classes this principle is illustrated by certain of the later Jewish ceremonial laws that brought to the priests a large income at the expense of the people many laws in Europe and in the united states today have been made clearly in the interests of certain classes in society can you think of some the authority underlying all law back of all laws and rules as the fundamental consideration whether consciously expressed in laws or carried out instinctively lies the welfare of society among the wolves the pack that is best disciplined by the strongest and most successful leader is the one that survives in the earlier savage groups the rules which guided united action grew up as a result of successful experience in securing food and warding off enemies among them the less disciplined the less intelligently directed groups perish through his fear of the unknown stimulated by the terrible indications of nature's laws when poison and pestilence and storms and floods do their deadly work the savage feels the presence of unknown forces that he calls gods and he thus gives to his rules of action the sanction of divinity and as society develops through the pastoral agricultural and industrial stages into the tribe and state with the development of religion and the growing sense of right and of responsibility to one's fellow men this religious sanction of the law still abides in the earlier days the sanction was due to fear of the vengeance of the gods in later society it is the sense of right and justice and love for one's fellow men springing from the firm belief in the divine creation and direction of the universe and in God's care for men but as this sense of fear or right or justice or love associated with a being felt to be divine is not universal in as much as many members of society are found ready to act selfishly taking the law into their own hands force is needed in all stages of society to put the rules and laws into effect with every law as Austin says must go a penalty but as society grows more and more humane the sense of obligation of each individual for the welfare of his fellows grows until in the best society laws are made and obeyed by most citizens not from a sense of fear of punishment but mainly out of goodwill to others a sense of justice prevails and the sanction of law becomes not so much fear of the penalty imposed as the moral and religious sense of the individual and of society why for example do you obey the law against stealing end of chapter 17 recording by Selena Arter chapter nine part two of the making of a nation this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox dot org the making of a nation the beginnings of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter nine part two Moses is relation to the Old Testament laws the Hebrew laws given in the Old Testament are generally known as the laws of Moses and the assumption of many readers in earlier years has been that the different codes were practically formulated by Moses himself the subsequent study of the Old Testament long ago suggested to many that this view may be mistaken the oldest records of his work and the fact that as creator of the Hebrew nation after the exodus and as leader and prophet be rendered important judicial decisions have well justified the belief that he was the real founder of what is called the mosaic law as stated in exodus 18 he did actually formulate the principles by which decisions were made by the rulers whom he appointed over thousands and over hundreds fifties and tens he may have even put into form the principles found in the earliest decalogues more over as the Israelites in their later history were led to formulate new rules of action they base these upon the principles of justice religion and civil equality found in the earlier decalogues while the specific rules of living must have changed materially as the Israelites changed their habits of living from those of wanderers in the wilderness to those adapted to their early settlements in Canaan and afterward to the settled conditions under the monarchy they would still base their laws upon these earlier principles hence it was not on natural to ascribe the origin of these laws to Moses nor is it today inaccurate to speak of them as the mosaic code even though they may have been put into their present form at different periods remote from one another and by rulers prophets and priests whose occupations and attitude toward life were widely different back of practically all these laws are the fundamental beliefs that the Israelites are the people chosen of God that to him they owe allegiance and that from him they derive in principle at least the laws under which they live the development of modern law not merely the Hebrews but practically all ancient nations ascribe the origin of their laws either to a deity or to some great ancestral hero as already noted the code of Hammurabi is represented as having been given to him directly by the god Shamash in the early days of Greek history the laws of Solon and Draco were formulated in India we find the laws of Manu in China the teachings of Confucius and so on throughout all of the great nations in some instances doubtless many of the laws were actually formulated under the direction of the person to whom they are ascribed but in many others as perhaps in the case of the mosaic code there was some great judge or king under whose direction certain principles were laid down in simple laws or precedents established and as a result all later developments were ascribed to him in modern times when legislative bodies are found in limited monarchies as well as in republics the methods of legislation are necessarily different although chosen bodies of men come together to legislate for the benefit of society as represented by the state there is still a normal tendency for the ruling class to feel that it is to a great extent the state and it does not forget its own needs this class legislation was doubtless existent to a certain extent even when the laws supposed to be of divine origin were formulated by prophets and priests for the real public character of the laws was dependent primarily upon the unselfish beliefs social and religious of the writers whether kings or priests no one is able to free himself entirely from the influence of class prejudice like the legislatures the courts even are also the product of their times though naturally conservative no law can long exactly fit changing conditions the judge must adapt a law made by one generation to the needs of the next in so doing he bends it to suit his times and to further the welfare of his state if aeroplanes carrying goods from pennsylvania to new york over the state of new jersey let them fall and damage the property of a resident of new jersey can our courts invoke the interstate commerce law made before aeroplanes were invented and yet there has been throughout the individual history of each nation a gradual improvement in the living conditions of the masses of people even in the tribal state as it proved more profitable to preserve a worker than to kill him captives in war were not slain but enslaved as society became more settled the custom of personally avenging one's wrong by slaying an enemy was modified cities of refuge were established where innocent victims might escape the avengers all down through the ages there has been a growing tendency to adapt the punishment to the crime to temper justice with mercy to realize that the aim of all law is not vengeance or punishment but the promotion of the best interests of society through the wise administration of justice the attitude of the citizens toward the law among savages as has been said there is no formulation of law there is the instinct of the individual to preserve his own life and there are rules that must be followed if the people are to survive as has been truly said the love of justice is simply in the majority of men the fear of suffering injustice the instinct of preservation and sheer necessity compel the people almost unconsciously to follow the rules of their leader in most patriarchal societies the fear of the god of the tribe the overpowering influence of custom and the unswerving directness of the punishment of the man who violates it tend to prevent the development of individuality and of independent thinking and the normal attitude of practically every person is to obey the customs and the laws although often those laws leave to the individual a range of action not found in later civilized states but as the sense of right and justice and the desire to promote the public welfare grow individualism grows also each individual thrown upon his own resources learns to think and question and judge in democratic states he learns to take upon himself the responsibility for his acts and at length the view becomes prevalent that law exists for the benefit of society the individual in judging himself and his attitude towards society feels that the law must be obeyed because obedience promotes the public even when he believes that a law is unwise or even unjust he hesitates to violate it not only because he might be punished therefore but primarily because it has become wrong according to his conscience to violate a law that has been adopted by the representatives of his fellow citizens as just and beneficial thus the individual in later even more than in earlier times obeys the laws not merely from selfish but from social and religious motives questions for further consideration can you name any modern laws that you think have been framed in the interest of a special social class do you think that the people of today are re-creant in their respect for or adherence to law what do you consider to be the value of such institutions as those at West Point and Annapolis in their influence on the enforcement of law and discipline when we speak of government of the people by the people and for the people whom exactly do we mean by people does the word have the same meaning in each of these phrases is it ever right to violate a law of the land some people contend that an individual ought to break a human law provided that it is contrary to divine law what is divine law who decides shall the individual decide or is that the duty of the community or of the clergy was it right for the abolitionists to violate the provisions of the fugitive slave law were this handful of men able and conscientious as they were as likely to be right regarding the welfare of society as the large majority of citizens whose representatives had enacted the fugitive slave law if a person believes our tariff laws to be unjust is it right for him to smuggle goods under what circumstances if any is it one's duty to disobey a law of the state with the fact that an individual believed it his duty to violate the law justify a judge in declining to punish him thorough decline to pay a tax that he believed unjust and accepted his punishment declaring that if he paid the penalty he might thus arouse public sentiment and secure the repeal of the law was John Brown justified in attempting illegally to free slaves by force of arms in Great Britain the House of Lords one of the law making bodies is also the highest court of appeal although the judicial business is mostly done by law lords specially appointed for that purpose ought the same men to make and interpret the law why subjects for further study one origin and growth of Hebrew law Hastings Dictionary of the Bible three sixty four through sixty seven Encyclopedia of the Bible three two thousand seven hundred fourteen through eight Kent Israel's laws and legal precedents four eight through fifteen two growth of primitive law main ancient law one hundred nine through one hundred sixty five Wilson the state one through twenty nine three judicial decisions as a factor in the development of modern law principles of politics chapter six ransom majority rule and the judiciary four compare the moral ideals of the Decalogue with those of present-day socialist cross the essentials of socialism walling socialism as it is spargo elements of socialism end of chapter nine part two recording by Selena Arder