 The Making of a Nation, The Beginnings of Israel's History, by Charles Foster Kent and Jeremiah Whipple-Jinks. The Bible's Message to Modern Life, 12 Studies on the Making of a Nation, The Beginnings of Israel's History, by Charles Foster Kent, Jeremiah Whipple-Jinks, 1912. The best of allies you can procure for us is the Bible. That will bring us the reality, freedom, Garibaldi. If the common schools have found their way from the Atlantic to the Pacific, if slavery has been abolished, if the whole land has been changed from a wilderness into a garden of plenty, from ocean to ocean, if education has been fostered according to the best lights of each generation since then, if industry, frugality, sobriety are the watchwords of the nation, as I believe them to be, I say it is largely due to those first immigrants who, landing with the English Bible in their hands and their hearts, establish themselves on the shores of America. Joseph H. Choket. And as it is owned, the whole scheme of Scripture is not yet understood. So if it comes to be understood, it must be in the same way as natural knowledge is come at, by the continuance and progress of learning and liberty, and by particular persons attending to, comparing and pursuing, imitations scattered up and down it, which are overlooked and disregarded by the generality of the world. Nor is it at all incredible that a book which has been so long in the possession of mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered. Butler. Mr. Lincoln, as I saw him every morning in the carpet slippers he wore in the house in the black clothes no tailor could really make fit his gaunt bony frame, was a homely enough figure. The routine of his life was simple, too. It would have seemed a treadmill to most of us. He was an early riser. When I came on duty at eight in the morning he was often already dressed and reading in the library. There was a big table near the center of the room. There I have seen him reading many times. And the book? It was the Bible which I saw him reading while most of the households slept. William H. Cook in Harper's Magazine. The Bible has such power for teaching righteousness that even to those who come with it, with all sorts of false notions about the God of the Bible, it yet teaches righteousness and fills them with the love of it. How much more those who come to it with a true notion about the God of the Bible? Matthew Arnold. Introduction. The Rediscovery of the Bible. In the early centuries thousands turned to the Bible as drowning men to a life buoy because it offered them the only way of escape from the intolerable social and moral ills that attended the death pangs of the old heathenism. Then came the Dark Ages, with their resurgent heathenism and barbarianism, when the Bible was taken from the hands of the people. In the hour of a nation's deepest humiliation and moral depravity, John Wickliffe, with the aid of a devoted army of lay priests, gave back the Bible to the people, and in so doing laid the foundations for England's intellectual, political and moral greatness. The joy and inspiration of the Protestant reformers was the Rediscovery and popular interpretation of the Bible. In all the great forward movements of the modern centuries, the Bible has played a central role. The ultimate basis for our magnificent modern scientific and material progress is the inspiration given to the human race by the Protestant Reformation. Unfortunately, the real meaning and message of the Bible has been in part obscured during past centuries by dogmatic interpretations. The study of the Bible has also been made a solemn obligation rather than a joyous privilege. The remarkable discoveries of the present generation and its new and larger sense of power and progress have tended to turn men's attention from the contemplation of the heritage which comes to them from the past. The result is that most men know little about the Bible. They are acquainted with its chief characters such as Abraham, David and Jesus. A few are even able to give a clear cut outline of the important events of Israel's history, but they regard it simply as a history whose associations and interests belong to a bygone age. How many realize that most of the problems which Israel met and solved are similar to those which today are commanding the absorbing attention of every patriotic citizen, and that of all existing books the Old Testament makes the greatest contributions to the political and social as well as to the religious thought of the world. National expansion, taxation, centralization of authority, civic responsibility, the relation of religion to politics and to public morality were as vital and insistent problems in ancient Israel as they are in any live progressive nation today. The gradual discovery of this fact explains why here and there throughout the world the leaders in modern thought and progress are studying the Bible with new delight and enthusiasm. Not only because of its intrinsic beauty and interest, but because in it they find stated in clearest form the principles which elucidate the intricate problems of modern life. The objects of these studies. There are two distinct yet important ways of interpreting the Bible. The one is that of the scholar who knows the Bible from the linguistic, historical, and literary point of view. The other that of a man who knows life and who realizes the meaning and value of the Bible to those who are confronted by insistent social, economic, and individual problems. These studies aim to combine both methods of interpretation. Only to find the chief object of these studies are, one, to introduce the men and women of today to that which is most vital in the literature and thought of the Old Testament. Two, to interpret the often neglected Old Testament into the language of modern life simply and directly and in the light of that which is highest in the teachings of Christianity. Three, to present the constructive results of the modern historical and literary study of the Bible. Not dogmatically, but tentatively, so that the reader and student may be in a position to judge for himself regarding the conclusions that are held by a large number of biblical scholars and to estimate their practical religious value. Four, to show how closely the Old Testament is related to the life of today and how it helps to answer the pressing questions now confronting the nations. Five, to lead strong men to think through our national, social, and individual problems and to utilize fearlessly and practically the constructive results of modern method and research in the fields of both science and religion. The plan of work. These studies are planned to meet the needs of college students and adult Bible classes. Those who are able to command more time and wish to do more thorough work will find in the list of parallel readings on the first page of each study carefully selected references to the best authorities on the subject treated. For their guidance are also provided subjects for further study. When using this textbook, the student may proceed as follows. 1. Read carefully the biblical passage indicated in connection with each title, for example, in the first study, Genesis 1 and 2. 2. Read the biblical and other quotations on the first page of each study. Unless otherwise indicated, the biblical quotations are from the American revised version. They include the most important biblical passages. The other quotations embody some of the best contributions of ancient and modern riders to the subject under consideration. 3. Read and think through the material presented under each paragraph. This material is arranged under six headings for the convenience of those who wish to follow the plan of daily reading and study. Books of reference. The books suggested in connection with this course have been carefully selected in order that each person may have for his individual use a practical working library. The following should be at hand for constant reference. Kent, C.F. The historical Bible, volumes 1 and 2, contains the important biblical passages arranged in chronological order and provided with the historical, geographical, and archaeological notes required for the clear understanding. The translation is based on the oldest manuscripts and embodies the constructive results of modern biblical research. New York, $1 each. Jinx, J.W. Principles of Politics, New York, $25. Prepared to explain the principles by which the political action is governed and, thus, to aid thoughtful citizens both to gain a clear outlook on life and wisely to direct their own political activity. Aristotle, Politics. The greatest masterpiece of scientific political thought. Its different point of view will suggest many illuminating comparisons between Greek and modern political ideas and institutions and give the reader a broad basis for the appreciation of that which is essential and enduring in the statecraft of all ages. $2.50. For further parallel study the following books are suggested. Breasted J.H. History of the Ancient Egyptians Clear, Concise, and Informative, New York, $25 Bryce James The American Commonwealth, volumes 1, 2, New York, $2 each Best Commentary on American Government Cooper C.S. The Bible in Modern Life presents the point of view from which the Bible may most profitably be studied and contains valuable suggestions regarding the organization and work of college and adult classes, New York, $25. Driver, S.R. Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament, New York, $2.50. A Sane, Thoroughly Study of the Origin, History, and Contents of the Old Testament Books Goodspeed G.S., History of the Babylonians and Assyrians, New York, $25. A Comprehensive and Attractive Picture of the Life of These Ancient People Hadley A.T., Standards of Public Morality, New York, $1. A Suggestive Study of the Application of Moral Principles to the Life of Society Hastings James Dictionary of the Bible, volumes 1 through 5, New York, $6 each A Summary of the Historical, Literary, Geographical, and Archaeological Facts Which Constitute the Background of the Life and Thought of the Bible Kent C.F. The Beginnings of Hebrew History and Israel's Historical and Biographical Narratives, volumes 1 and 2 of Students' Old Testament, $2.75 each Presents in a Clear Modern Translation the Original Sources Incorporated in the Historical Books of the Old Testament, the Origin and Literary History of these Books, and the Important Parallel Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Kent C.F. Biblical Geography and History, New York, $50. A Clear Portrayal of the Physical Characteristics of Palestine and of the Potent Influences which that land has exerted throughout the ages upon its inhabitants. McFadden J.E., Messages of the Prophets and Priestly Historians, New York, $25 A Fresh and Effective Interpretation of the Historical and Spiritual Messages of the Old Testament Historical Books into the Language of Thought of Today Smith H.P., Old Testament History, New York, $2.50 A Thurow, Well Proportioned Presentation of the Unfolding of Israel's History Wilson Woodrow, Constitutional Government in the United States, $50 A Constructive Judgment of the American Constitution C. Lee J.R., Introduction to Political Science, $50 A Effective Example of the Application of the Historical Methods to Politics Chapter 1 Part 1 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 1 Part 1 Study 1, Man's Place in the World The Story of Creation, Genesis 1 and 2 Parallel Readings Kent Historical Bible, Volume 1, Pages 1-7, 231-233 Articles, Evolution, and Cosmogony in Encyclopedia Britannica or International Encyclopedia or any Standard Encyclopedia God created man in his own image. In the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1, 27-28 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him, for thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet. Psalm 8, 3-6 God clothed men with strength like his own, and made them according to his own image. He put the fear of them upon all flesh, that they should have dominion over beasts and birds, mouth and tongue, eyes and ears, and a mind with which to think he gave them. With insight and wisdom he filled their minds. Good and evil he taught them. Ben Sira, 17, 3-7, Historical Bible All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that hath been John 1.3 One Different Theories of Creation Every early people naturally asked the questions, how were things made, how were men created? First of all, who made the world? They necessarily answered them according to their own donning knowledge. The most primitive races believed that some great animal created the earth and man. In the Alaskan collection in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania there is a huge crow sitting upon the mask of a man's face. This symbolizes the crude belief of the Alaskan Indians regarding the way man was created. The early Egyptians thought that the earth and man were hatched out of an egg. In one part of Egypt it was held that the artisan God Ta broke the egg with his hammer. In another part of the land, and probably at a later date, the tradition was current that Thoth, the moon god, spoke the world into existence. The earliest Babylonian record states that, the god Marduk later reed on the face of the waters. He formed dust and poured it out beside the reed, that he might cause the gods to dwell in the dwellings of their hearts desire, he formed mankind. Later he formed the grass and the rush of the marsh in the forest. Then he created the animals and their young. The Parsi teachers held that the rival gods, Araman and or Moost, evolved themselves out of the primordial matter and then through the long ages created their attendant hierarchies of angels. The philosophers of India anticipated in some respects our modern evolutionary theory. Brahma is thought of as self-existent and eternal. He gradually condenses himself into material objects such as ether, fire, water, earth and the elements. Last of all, he manifests himself in man. The Greek philosophers were the first to attempt to describe creation as a purely physical, generative process. They taught the evolution of the more complex from the simpler forms. Plato and Aristotle believed in a transcendental deity and found in the world indications of a vital impulse toward a higher manifestation of life, man. Michelangelo, with wonderful dramatic power in his painting in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, has portrayed how lifeless clay in form of man, when touched by the finger of God by sheer vitalizing power, is transformed into a living soul. Very different yet equally impressive is the modern scientific view. The origin of matter and of life is so absolutely unknown that scientists have not as yet formulated definitive theories concerning it. Even the theories regarding the origin of the solar system are still conflicting and none is generally accepted. The old nebular hypothesis is discredited and the theory of the spiral movement of the solar matter seems to be confirmed by phenomena observable in the heavens. The one principle generally held by scientists is that, given matter and life and some creating force, our present marvelous complex universe has come into being according to laws usually called natural. These laws are so invariable that they may be considered unchanging. Even more definitely established is the so-called theory of evolution, which is based on the careful observation and comparison of countless thousands of natural phenomena. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is the history of the physical process by which all living beings have acquired the characteristics, physical, mental, moral and spiritual, which now distinguish them. It recognizes the gradual development from the simplest to the most complex forms. It is merely an attempt to describe in the light of careful observation and investigation the process of growth by which the world and the beings which inhabit it have grown into what they are. A comparison of the Hebrew account of creation with those of other races and times is extremely suggestive. 2. The Priestly Story of Creation Note that the first and second chapters of Genesis contain two distinct accounts of creation. Read Genesis 1-1-2-3. See historical Bible Volume 1 pages 231-3 for modern translation, noting its picture of conditions in the universe before the actual work of creation began. The creative power is the spirit or breath of God. The Hebrew word for spirit, ru'ah, represents the sound of the breath as it emerges from the mouth or the sound of the wind as it sighs through the trees. It is the effective symbol of a real and mighty forest that cannot be seen or touched yet produces terrific effects as when the cyclone rends the forest or transforms the sea into a mountain of billows and twists like straws the mass of wood and steel. In the Old Testament the spirit of God or the spirit of the Holy One is God working one in the material universe as in the work of creation, two in human history as when he directs the life of nations or three in the lives of men. Note the method of creation and the distinctive work of each day. The process is that of separation. It is orderly and progressive. The first three days of preparation in which one, light and darkness, two, air and water separated by the firmament, and three, land and vegetation are created, correspond to the work of the second three days in which are created, one, the heavenly bodies, two, the birds and fishes which live in the air and water, and three, land animals and men. The underlying conception of the universe is that held by most early peoples. Compare the diagram in Hastings Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 1, 503, or Kent's Student's Old Testament, Volume 1, page 52, which illustrates it. God's benign plan is revealed by the recurring words, God saw that it was good. What was the culminating act of creation? Created man in his image cannot mean with a body like that of God, for in this story God is thought of as a spirit, but rather with a God-like spirit, mind, will, and power to rule. 3. The Early Prophetic Story of Creation The opening words of the second account of creation, which begins in the fourth verse of the second chapter of Genesis, imply that the earth and the heavens have already been created. Quote, In the day that Jehovah made earth and heaven, no plant of the field was yet on the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up, for Jehovah had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground, but a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground, end quote. It is possible that here only a part of the original story is preserved. What is the order of the story of creation found in the second chapter, the method of man's creation? According to this account, the tree of life was planted in the garden that man, while he lived there, might enjoy immortality. Was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil placed in the garden to develop man's moral nature by temptation, or merely to inculcate obedience? The love between the sexes is apparently implanted in all living things, primarily for the conservation of the species, but the early prophet also recognized clearly the broader intellectual and moral aspects of the relation. Quote, It is not good for man to be alone, end quote, were the significant words of Jehovah. Hence animals, birds, and last of all women, were created to meet man's innate social needs. Man's words on seeing woman were, quote, This now is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called woman, for from man she was taken, end quote. What fundamental explanation is here given of the institution of marriage? Compare Jesus' confirmation of this teaching in Matthew 19.4-5. And he answered and said, Have ye not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? End of Chapter 1 Part 1 Chapter 1 Part 2 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 1 Part 2 4. A Comparison of the Two Accounts of Creation The account of creation found in the second chapter suggests the simple, direct ideas of a primitive people, while the account in Genesis 1 has the exact, repetitious, majestic literary style of a legal writer. Are the differences between these two accounts of creation greater than those between the parallel narratives in the Gospels? We recognize that the differences in detail between the Gospel accounts of the same event are due to the fact that no two narrators tell the same story in the same way. Are the variations between the two biblical accounts of creation to be similarly explained? A growing body of biblical scholars hold, though many differ in judgment, that the account of the first chapter of Genesis was written by a priestly writer who lived about 400 B.C. and the second account 400 years earlier by a patriotic prophetic historian. Observe that the two accounts agree in the following fundamental teachings. One, one supreme God is the Creator. Two, man is closely akin to God. Three, all else is created for man's best and noblest development. Is the primary aim of these accounts to present scientific facts or to teach religious truths? Paul says in Timothy that, quote, every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness, end, quote. Is there religious value, even as in the parables of the New Testament, entirely independent of their historical or scientific accuracy? Is there any contradiction between the distinctive teachings of the Bible and modern science? Do not the Bible and science deal with two different but supplemental fields of life, the one with religion and morals, the other with the physical world? Five, man's conquest and rulership of the world. In the story of Genesis 1, man is commanded to subdue the earth and to have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth. How far has man already subdued the animals and made them serve him? How far has he conquered the so-called natural forces and learned to utilize them? Is the latter-day conquest of the air but a step in this progress? Are all inventions and developments of science in keeping with the purpose expressed in Genesis 1? Does the command imply the immediate or the gradual conquest of nature? Why? Do science and the Bible differ or agree in their answers to these questions? Six, man's responsibility as the ruler of the world. Consider the different ways in which the biblical accounts of creation state that man is akin to God. In the one account, man was created in the image of God. In the other, Jehovah formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils his own life-giving breath. In what sense is man God-like? Are all men made in the image of God? Does this story imply that every man has the right and capacity to become God-like? A high official of China, whose power of authority extends to questions of life and death, is called the father and mother of his people. If he fails in the responsibility which his authority imposes upon him and the people in consequence create a disturbance, he is severely punished, sometimes by death. Does authority always imply responsibility? Of what value to man is the conquest of the forces of nature? President Roosevelt said that he considered the conservation of the natural resources of the United States the most important question before the American people. Is this political question also a religious question? Why did God give man authority over the animal world? Does the responsibility that comes from this authority rest upon every man? One of the laws of the Boy Scouts reads, quote, A scout is kind. He is a friend to animals. He will not kill nor hurt any living creature needlessly, but will strive to save and protect all harmless life, end quote. Is this a practical application of the teaching in Genesis 1? If God's purpose is to make everything good, man's highest privilege as well as duty is to cooperate with him in realizing that purpose. Are men today as a whole growing happier and nobler? In what practical ways may a man contribute to the happiness and ennobling of his fellow men? Is your community growing better? What would be the result if you and others like yourself did your best to improve conditions? If so, how? Questions for further consideration. Is man's possession of knowledge and power the ultimate object of creation? If not, what is? Does human experience suggest that man's life on earth is, in its ultimate being, simply a school for the development of individual character and for the perfecting of the human race? Is there any other practical way in which a man can serve God except by serving his fellow man? If so, how? Subjects for further study. One, the origin and content of the Babylonian stories of creation. Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 1, 501-7. Kent, Student's Old Testament, Volume 1, 360-369. Two, the relation of the Biblical story of creation to the Babylonian. Kent, Student's Old Testament, Volume 1, 369-70. Three, the seeming conflict between the teachings of the Bible and science and the practical reconciliation. Sir Oliver Lodge, Science in Immortality, Section 1. End of Chapter 1. Study 2, Part 1 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 Stephen Rushing. The Making of a Nation, The Beginnings of Israel's History by Charles Foster Kent. Study 2, Part 1. Study 2, Man's Responsibility for his Acts. The Story of the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3. Parallel readings, History of the Bible, Volume 1, pages 37-42. Drummond, Ideal Life, Chapters on Sin. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eye, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat. And she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis, Chapter 3, Verses 6-8. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he hath been approved, he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man. But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin, and the sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death. James, Chapter 1, Verses 12-15. For the love of God is broader than the measure of man's mind, and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind. Frederick W. Faber. None could enter into life but those who were in downright earnest, and unless they left the wicked world behind them, for there was only room for body and soul, but not for body and soul and sin. John Bunyan. 1. The Nature of Sin Henry Drummond has said that sin is a little word that has wandered out of theology into life. Members of a secret organization, known as the Thugs of India, feel at times that it is their solemn duty to strangle certain of their fellow men. Do they thereby commit a sin? A parsee believes that it is wrong to light a cigar, for it is a desecration of his emblem of purity, fire. Others in the western world, for very different reasons, regard the same act as wrong. Is the lighting or smoking of a cigar a sin for these classes? Is the act necessarily wrong in itself? When a trained dog fails to obey his master, does he sin? Is man alone capable of sinning? 2. The Different Theories Regarding the Origin of Sin Many and various have been the definitions of sin and the explanations of its origin. Most primitive peoples defined it as failure to perform certain ceremonial acts, or to bring tribute to the gods. Morality and religion were rarely combined. The Hebrew people were the first to define right and wrong in terms of personal life and service. Sin, as represented in Genesis 3, was the result of individual choice. It was yielding to the common rather than the nobler impulses, to desire rather than to the sense of duty. The temptation came from within rather than from without, and the responsibility of not choosing the best rested with the individual. The explanation is as simple and as true to human experience today as in the childhood of the race. The Persian religion, on the contrary, conceived of the world as controlled by two hostile gods, with their hosts of attendant angels. One god, or Muz'd, was the embodiment of light and goodness. The other, Araman, represented darkness and evil. They traced all sin to the direct influence of Araman, and the evil spirits that attended him. During the Persian period a somewhat similar explanation of the origin of evil appeared in Jewish thought. Satan, who in the Book of Job appears to be simply the prosecuting attorney of heaven, began to be thought of as the enemy of man, until and later times all sin was traced directly or indirectly to his influence. This was the conception prevalent among the Puritans. This view tended to relieve man of personal responsibility, for he was regarded as the victim of assaults of hosts of malignant spirits. Does your knowledge of the heart of man confirm the insight of the prophet who speaks to the wonderful story of Genesis 3? 3. The origin of sin according to the story in Genesis 3 In your judgment is the story of the man and the woman in Genesis 3 a chapter from the life of a certain man and woman, or a faithful reflection of universal human experience? Most of the elements which are found in the story may likewise be traced in early Semitic traditions. The aim of the prophet who has given us the story was, according to the view of certain interpreters, to present in vivid, concrete form the origin, nature, and consequences of sin. This method of teaching was similar to that which Jesus used, for example, in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with the command not to eat it, apparently symbolizes temptation. Is temptation necessary for man's moral development? The serpent was evidently chosen because of its reputation for craft and treachery. The serpent's words represent the natural inclinations that were struggling in the mind of the woman against her sense of duty. Note that in this story the temptation did not come to man through his appetite or his curiosity or his aesthetic sense, but through his wife whom God had given him. Was the man's act in any way excusable? Strong men and women often sin through the influence of those whom they love and admire. Are they thereby excused? What natural impulses impelled the woman to disobey the divine command? Were these impulses of themselves wrong? How far did her experience reflect common human experience? What was the real nature of her act? Was it wrong or praiseworthy for her to desire knowledge? In what form did temptation come to the man in Genesis 3? Does temptation appeal in a different form to each individual? The Hebrew word for sin, which means to miss the mark placed before each individual, vividly and aptly describes the real nature of sin. The ideal placed before each individual represents his sense of what is right. If he acts contrary to that ideal or fails to strive to realize it, does he sin? End of Study 2, Part 1, Recording by Stephen Rushing of RushingAround.com Study 2, Part 2 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 Stephen Rushing. The Making of a Nation. The Beginnings of Israel's History by Charles Foster Kent. Study 2, Part 2. 4. The Effects of Sin Upon the Wrong Doer What was the effect of their consciousness of having disobeyed upon the man and woman in the ancient story? Did they believe that they had done wrong or merely that they had incurred a penalty? Does sin tend to make cowards of men? Were the feelings of shame and the sense of estrangement in the presence of one who loved them the most tragic effect of their sin? When a child disobeys a parent or a friend wrongs a friend, is the sense of having injured a loved one the most painful consequence of sin? Was the penalty imposed on the man and woman the result of a divine judgment or the natural and inevitable effect of wrongdoing? Why did the man and woman try to excuse their disobedience? Was it natural? Was it good policy? Was it right? If not, why not? 5. God's Attitude Toward the Sinner Jehovah in the story evidently asked the man and woman a question, the answer to which he already knew, in order to give them an opportunity to confess their wrongdoing. Parents and teachers often seek to give the culprit the opportunity to confess their sin. What is the attitude of the law towards the criminal who pleads guilty? What is the reason for this attitude? A loving parent or even the state might forgive an unrepentant sinner, but the effect of the wrongdoing upon the sinner and upon others will still remain. While the man and woman remained conscious of their wrongdoing, though defiant, to abide in Jehovah's presence was for them intolerable. Are toil and pain essential to the moral development of sinners who refuse to confess their crime? Are toil and pain in themselves curses or blessings to those who have done wrong? The picture in Genesis 3 clearly implies that God's intention was not that man should suffer, but that he should enjoy perfect health and happiness. Jehovah's preparation of the coats of skin for the man and woman is convincing evidence that his love and care continued unremittingly, even for the wrongdoers. Modern psychology is making it clear that the effect of sin upon the unrepentant sinner is to increase his inclination towards sinning, but when a man in penitence for his sin has turned towards God and changed his relation to his fellow man, God becomes to him a new being with a nearness and intimacy impossible before. May the Christian believe that this new sense of nearness and love to God is met by a corresponding feeling on God's part. In the light of Christian experience is there not every reason to believe that God himself also enters into a new and joyous relationship with the man. This thought was evidently in the mind of Jesus when he declared that there was joy in heaven over one sinner that repented. 6. The effect of sin upon society Men are often heard to remark that they are willing to bear the consequences of their sin. Is it possible for any individual to experience in himself the entire result of his wrongdoing? In the Genesis story the woman's deliberate disobedience would seem to have had very direct influence upon her husband. Mankind has almost universally come to regard certain acts as wrong and to prescribe definite modes of punishment. Such decisions have come about not simply because of the effect of sin upon the individual but more especially because the sin of the individual affects society. State the different influences that determine from sin and note those which from your experience seem the strongest. Questions for further consideration Is an act that is wrong for one man necessarily a sin if committed by another? Are men's tendencies to sin due to their inheritance or to impulses which they share in common with brutes or to influences that come from their environment? In the light of this discussion formulate your own definition of sin. Is the final test of sin a man's consciousness of guilt or the ultimate effect of his act upon himself or upon society? May the woman in the Garden of Eden be regarded as the prototype of the modern scientist? Are there ways in which the scientist may sin in making his investigations? Illustrate. How about vivisection? Does sin bring moral enlightenment? Distinguish between Jesus's attitude towards sin and towards the sinner. What should be our attitude towards the sinner? If the man and woman had frankly confessed their sin, what, by implication, would have been the effect first upon themselves and second upon the attitude and action of God? Does temptation to sin, as in the case of Adam, often come in the guise of virtue? What is the value of confession to the sinner, to society? Subjects for further study 1. The Babylonian and Egyptian idea of sin Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible, Extra Volume Pages 566-567 Breasted History of Egypt Pages 173-175 Jastro Religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians Pages 313-327 2. Milton's interpretation of Genesis 3 in Paradise Lost 3. The right and wrong of the attempted surrender of West Point from the point of view of Benedict Arnold, Andre, and Washington. End of study 2. Recording by Stephen Rushing of RushingAround.com Chapter 3 Part 1 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 Tim Perkins Study 3. The Criminal and His Relation to Society The Story of Cain, Genesis, Chapter 4, Verses 1-16 Parallel readings include the historical Bible, Volume 1, Pages 42-46 Janks, The Principles of Politics, Pages 1-16 August Rams, The Criminal Now in the course of time it came to pass that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Jehovah, and Abel also brought some of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And Jehovah looked favorably upon Abel in his offering, but for Cain in his offering he had no regard. Therefore Cain was very angry and his countenance fell, and Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou angry, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, is there not acceptance? But if thou doest not well, does not sin crouch at the door? And to thee shall be its desire, but thou shouldest rule over it. Then Cain said to Abel and his brother, Let us go into the field. And while they were there in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. And when Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? He said, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper? From Genesis chapter 4 verses 3 through 9, the historical bible. And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken into adultery, and having set her in the midst they say unto Jesus, Teacher, this woman hath been taken in adultery in the very act. Now in the law Moses commanded us to sown such. What then sayest thou of her? And this they said trying him, that they might have were of to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. And when they continued asking him, he lifted himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. And they when they heard it, went out one by one, beginning from the eldest even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman where she was in the midst. And Jesus lifted himself up and said unto her, Woman, where are they? Did no man condemn me? And she said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn me. Go thy way from henceforth sin no more. John chapter 8 verses 3 through 11. Every experiment by multitudes or individuals that has essential or selfish aim will fail. Emerson. When you meet one of these men or women, be to them a divine man. Be to them thought and virtue. Let their timid aspirations find in you a friend. Let their trampled instincts be genially tempted out in your atmosphere. Let their doubts know that you have doubted, and their wonder feel that you have wondered. Emerson. But I still have a good heart and believe in myself and fellow men and the God who made us all. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1. The Meaning of the Story of Cain In Arabia and Palestine today, as in the past, a man's prosperity or misfortune is universally regarded as the evidence of divine approval or disapproval. Even Jesus' disciples on seeing a blind man by the wayside raised the question, did this man sin or his parents? Among the Arabs of the desert, the tribal mark, either tattooing or a distinctive way of cutting the hair, ensures the powerful protection of the tribe. Each tribesman is under the most sacred obligation to protect the life of a member of his tribe or to avenge, if need be, with his own lifeblood, every injury done to him. Without the tribal mark, a man becomes an outlaw. Many scholars, therefore, think that the mark placed upon Cain was not primarily a stigma proclaiming his guilt, but rather a token that protected him from violence at the hands of Jehovah's people and compelled them to avenge any wrongs that might befall him. In the light of these facts, would it not seem possible that Cain's character and conduct are the reason why his offering was not accepted? What is the meaning and purpose of Jehovah's question? Where is able thy brother? Is it probable that in the question, am I my brother's keeper, the writer intended to assert the responsibility of society for the acts of its members? In China, where today, far more than in the West, there exists the responsibility of neighbors. Those who fail to exert the proper influence over the character and conduct of a criminal neighbor often have their houses raised to the ground and the sites sown with salt. Is society responsible for producing criminals? How far am I personally responsible for my neighbor's acts? Two, the making of a criminal. Paul said, all men have sinned. Are all men, therefore, criminals? What constitutes a criminal? Was Cain a criminal before he slew his brother? Legally? Morally? Was Cain's motive in the worship of God truly religious or merely mercenary? This portrait of Cain illustrates the fact that formal religious worship does not necessarily deter a man from becoming a criminal. Sometimes men prominent in religious work become defaulters or commit other crimes. Does this story suggest the fundamental reasons why great crimes are sometimes committed by religious leaders? The motive, rather than the form, is clearly one thing absolutely essential in religious worship. Was the slaying of able to result simply of jealousy or a sudden fit of anger or of gradual deterioration of character? Compare the gradual development of the criminal instincts in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Think of the different influences tending to make criminals. Most criminals are made before they reach the age of 21. The development of the criminal is the result either of wrong education or the lack of right education. Parents, by their failure to guard carefully their children's associates and to develop them in habits of self-control, respect for the rights of others, and a sense of social and civic obligation are perhaps more than any other class responsible for the growth of criminals. And what ways does the state, through its negligence, also contribute to the making of criminals? 3. The criminal's attitude towards society Every criminal act is antisocial. Few, if any criminals, realize this fact. A superintendent of the Elmira Reformatory after years of experience said that he had never seen a criminal who felt remorse. While criminals usually regretted being caught, they always excused their crime. The criminal repudiates his social obligations, not acknowledging the fact that the basis of all society is the recognition of the rights of others. The thief often excuses his acts by asserting that society owes him a living. Is this position right, or do you agree with the following statement? The criterion of what is for the benefit of the community at large must be settled by the community itself, not by an individual. The citizen, then, may and must do what the community determines it is the best for him to do. He must stand in the forefront of battle, if so ordered. He must not do what the state forbids. He may be deprived of liberty in life, if he does. Janks. End of Chapter 3, Part 2. Recording by Tim Perkins of Sugarland, Texas Chapter 3, Part 2 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. Today's reading by Tim Perkins. The Making of a Nation The Beginnings of Israel's History by Charles Foster Kent Chapter 3, Part 2. 4. The Ways in Which Society Deals with the Criminal Cain's punishment was banishment rather than imprisonment. What was the fate that Cain specially feared? Cain and Abel in the original story, some writers believe, represented tribes. See the historical Bible, Part 1, Page 44. Among nomadic peoples in the early East, as today, the punishment of murder was left to the family or tribe of the murdered man. Was this just or effective? The same crude method of avenging wrongs is found in the vendetta of Italy and the family feuds in certain sparsely settled regions in the United States. The survival of this institution is today one of the greatest obstacles to civilization in those regions. Why? In most criminal legislation, the chief emphasis is placed on punishment. For example, thieves are punished with imprisonment. Why? A radical change in public opinion is now taking place. The prevailing method of dealing with crimes advocated by penologists today is the protection of society if possible by the reform of the criminal. Does this method protect society effectually? Why is it that criminals generally prefer a definite term in prison rather than an indefinite sentence with the possibility of release in less than half the time? Which method of treatment is best in the end for the wrongdoer? It is important to distinguish clearly between the private and official attitude toward the criminal, as individuals who cannot know the motives. We should heed the maxim of Jesus. Judge not. As public officials whose duty it is to protect society, we are under obligation to deal firmly and effectively with the criminal. What would probably have been the result had Cain confessed his crime? God was far more lenient even with the unrepentant Cain than were his fellow men. Did God however remit Cain's sentence? Cain said, I shall become a fugitive and a wanderer on the face of the earth. Was this sense of being an outcast the most painful element in Cain's punishment? All crime thus, in a sense, brings its own punishment. If in placing upon Cain a tribal mark, thereby protecting him from being killed, God apparently aimed to give him an opportunity to reform. The clear implication is that the divine love and care still follow him. That love and that care never cease toward even the most depraved. Compare Jesus' attitude toward the criminal, as illustrated in his ministry, and especially in his dealing with the woman taken into adultery. His forgiveness of the woman's sin did not cancel the social results, but gave her a new basis for right living in the future. She realized that someone believed in her. Is this one of the most important influences today in assisting weak men and in redeeming criminals? Henry Drummond, when asked the secret of his success with men, said, I love men. 5. How to deal with criminals The purpose of criminal legislation and administration is clearly the protection of society. The criminals are punished not for the mere sake of the punishment or for vengeance, but to deter them from further crime or to serve as a warning to others. Only on this account can punishment be justified. To prove an effective warning, the punishment for crime should be certain, prompt, and just. For these reasons, effective lease, upright judges, and fair methods of procedure are absolutely essential. Efforts should be made not to influence the courts by public opinion, and the pernicious prejudgment of cases by popular newspapers should be discounted. The surest method of stopping a criminal's dangerous activity is to reform him to give him a new and absorbing interest. Experience at our best reformatories shows that with the indeterminate sentence, a very large majority of young criminals can be transformed into safe and useful citizens. This method is both cheaper and more effective than direct punishment for fixed terms. 6. The prevention of crime The best method of dealing with crime is that of prevention. The work of protecting society against crime should begin with arousing parents to the sense of their responsibilities and by training them thoroughly in the duties of parenthood. Philanthropic agencies, the church, the schools, the state, may do much by both training, character, and by removing temptation. The maintenance of good economic conditions, provisions for wholesome amusements, improved sanitation all tend to remove pernicious influences and strengthen the power of resistance to temptation. The public press and the theater, which are at times exceedingly harmful agencies, may and should be transformed into active moral forces. In furthering all these reform measures and preventative movements, each individual has a personal responsibility and, as an active citizen, he may render most important service. The home, the school, the church, and the state all touch the individual on every side and create and together control the influences that make or unmake character. Questions for further consideration What was the effect of King's anger upon his own life? Gladstone said, I do not have time to hate anybody. In what way do anger and hatred hamper one's greatest usefulness? Do you believe in the modern theories regarding the effect of jealousy and hatred upon the body? Is capital punishment at times a necessity? What is the most effective argument, which can be used to restore honor and manhood to a criminal? Is there any particular agency at work in your community to assist men who have committed crimes? Is the chief object of punishment to avenge the wrong, to punish the criminal, to deter others from committing similar crimes, or to reclaim the wrongdoer? Subjects for further study 1. The effect of the Semitic law of blood revenge upon A. the criminal, B. society, and C. possible criminals, Kent, Israel's law and legal precedents, page 91 and 114 to 116. 2. Smith, Religion of the Semites, pages 72 and 420 2. Mrs. Ballington Booth's work for released prisoners, after prison, what? 3. The practical effects of the indeterminate sentence, reports of the Prison Reform Association 4. Influence of contract prison labor American magazine 1912 Issues from January, February, March, and April End of Chapter 3 Recorded by Tim Perkins of Sugarland, Texas Chapter 4 Part 1 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 Joseph Finkberg The Making of a Nation The Beginning of Israel's History by Charles Foster Kent Chapter 4 Part 1 Study 4 The Survival of the Fittest The Story of the Great Flood Genesis Chapter 6-8 Parallel readings, Historical Bible, Volume 1, pages 52-65 Darwin, Origin of the Species Wallace Darwinism 3 William Dawson, Modern Ideas of Evolution Article, Evolution in Leading and Cyclopedias When Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every purpose in the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, it was a source of regret that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart. Therefore Jehovah said, I will destroy from the face of the ground man whom I have created, for I regret that I have made mankind. Then Jehovah said to Noah, Enter thou and all thy house into the ark, for thee I have found righteous before me in this generation. Then Jehovah destroyed everything that existed upon the face of the earth, both man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heaven so that they were destroyed from the earth and Noah only was left and they who were with him in the ark. Genesis chapter 6 verses 5 to 8, chapter 7 verses 1, 5 and 23 historical Bible and without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing with God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him. By faith Noah being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews chapter 11 verses 6 and 7. Rare is the man who can look back over his life and not confess at least to himself that the things which have made him most a man are the very things from which he tried with all his soul to escape. If we would attain happiness, we must first attain helpfulness, but stay, no age was aired degenerate, unless men held it at too cheap a rate, for in our likeness still we shape our fate. Lowell 1 the two Biblical accounts of the flood Careful readers of Genesis chapter 6 to 9 have long recognized certain difficulties in interpreting the narrative as it now stands. Thus for example in chapter 6 verse 20 Noah is commanded to take into the ark two of every kind of beast and bird, but in chapter 7 verses 2 and 3 he is commanded to take in seven of all the clean beasts and birds. According to chapter 7 verses 4 and 12 the flood came as the result of a 40 days rain, but according to chapter 7 verse 11 it was because the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. Again according to chapter 7 17 the flood continued on the earth 40 days while according to chapter 7 verse 24 its duration was 150 days. These fundamental variations and the presence of duplicate versions of the same incidents point some writers think to two originally distinct accounts of the flood which have been closely woven together by the final editor of the book of Genesis. When these two accounts are disentangled they are each practically complete and apparently represent variant versions of the same flood story. See historical bible volume 1 pages 53-56 for these two parallel accounts. The one known as the prophetic version was written these writers believe about 650 BC. It has the flowing vivid picturesque literary style and the point of view of the prophetic teacher. In this account the number seven prevails. Seven of each clean beast and bird are taken into the ark to provide food for Noah and his family. Seven days the waters rose and at intervals of seven days he sent out a raven and a dove. The flood from its beginning to the time when Noah disembarked continued 68 days. At the end when he had determined by sending out birds that the waters had subsided he went forth from the ark and reared an altar and offered sacrifice to Jehovah of every clean beast and bird. The other and more detailed account is apparently the sequel of the late priestly narratives found in Genesis 1 and 5. The style is that of a legal writer formal exact and repetitious. In this account only two of each kind of beast and bird are taken into the ark. The flood lasts for over a year and is universal covering even the tops of the highest mountains. No animals are sacrificed for according to the priestly writer this custom was first instituted by Moses. When the flood subsides however a covenant is concluded and is sealed by the rainbow in accordance with which man's commission to rule over all other living things is renewed and divine permission is given to each to eat their flesh of animals provided only that men carefully abstain from eating the blood. This later account is dated by this group of modern biblical scholars about 400 BC. 2. The corresponding Babylonian flood stories closely parallel to these two variant biblical accounts of the flood are the two Babylonian versions which have fortunately been almost wholly recovered. The older Babylonian account is found in the 11th tablet of the Gilgamesh epic which comes from the library of Ashur Bani Pal. This great conqueror lived contemporaneously with Manasseh during whose reign Assyrian influence was paramount in the kingdom of Judah. In his quest for healing and immortality Gilgamesh reached the abode of the Babylonian hero of the flood. In response to Gilgamesh's question as to how he a mortal attained immortality the Babylonian knower recounts the story of the flood. It was brought about by the Babylonian guards in order to destroy the city of Shuripak situated on the banks of the Euphrates. The guard Eya gave the warning to his worshipper the hero of the flood and commanded him construct a house build a ship leave goods look after life forsake possessions and save life cause all kinds of living things to go up into the ship the ship which thou shall build exact shall be its dimensions its breadth shall equal its length on the great deep launch it I understand and said to Eya my lord behold my lord what thou has commanded I have reverently received and will carry out a detailed account then follows of the building of the ark its dimensions were 120 cubits in each direction it was built in six stories each of which was divided into nine parts plentiful provisions were next carried on board and a great feast was held to commemorate the completion of the ark after carrying on board his treasures of silver and gold he adds all the living creatures of all kinds I loaded on it I brought on board my family and household cattle of the field beasts of the field the craftsmen all of them I brought on board in the evening at the command of the guards shamash the rains began to descend then the Babylonian Noah entered the ship closed the door and entrusted the great house with its contents to the captain the description of the tempest that follows is exceedingly vivid and picturesque when the first light of dawn shone forth there rose from the horizon a dark cloud within which Adad thundered Naboo and Maduk marched at the front the heralds passed over mountains and land Negal tore out the ship's mast Ninib advanced following up the attack the spirits of earth raised torches with their sheen they lighted up the world adad's tempest reached to heaven and all light was changed to darkness so great was the havoc wrought by the storm that the guards bowed down sat there weeping close pressed together were their lips for six days and nights the storm raged but on the seventh day it subsided and the flood began to abate of the race of mortals however every voice was hushed at last the ship approached the mountain nizia which lay on the northern horizon as viewed from the Tigris Euphrates valley hear the ship grounded then when the seventh day arrived I sent forth the dove and let it loose the dove went forth but came back because it found no resting place it returned then I sent a swallow but it came back because it found no resting place it returned then I sent forth a raven and let it loose the raven went forth and saw that the waters had decreased it fed it waited it croaked but did not return then I sent forth everything in all directions and offered a sacrifice I made an offering of incense on the highest peak of the mountain seven and seven bowls I placed there and over them I poured out kalamos cedar wood and fragrant herbs the guards inhaled the odor the guards inhaled the sweet odor the guards gathered like flies above the sacrifice at the intercession of Ea the Babylonian Noah and his wife were granted immortality and permitted to dwell in the distance at the confluence of the streams a later version of the same Babylonian flood story is quoted by Eusebius from the writings of the Chaldean priest Berosus who lived about the fourth century BC according to this version the guard Cronus appeared in a dream to Zisothros the hero who like Noah in the priestly account was the last of the 10 ancient Babylonian kings at the command of the guard he built a great ship 15 stadia long and two in width into this he took not only his family and provisions but quadrupeds and birds of all kinds when the flood began to recede he sent out a bird which quickly returned after a few days he sent forth another bird which returned with mud on its feet when the third bird failed to return he took off the cover of the ship and found that it had stranded on a mountain of Armenia the mountain in the biblical account is identified with Mount Ararat disembarking the Babylonian Noah kissed the earth and after building an altar offered a sacrifice to the guards thus the variation between the older and later Babylonian accounts of the flood correspond in general to those that have been already noted in the biblical versions which biblical account does the earliest Babylonian narrative resemble most closely in what detail do they agree are these coincidences merely accidental or do they point possibly to a common tradition how far do the later biblical and Babylonian accounts agree what is the significance of these points of agreement three history of the biblical flood stories on the basis of the preceding comparisons some writers attempt to trace tentatively the history of the flood tradition current among the peoples of southwestern Asia a fragment of the Babylonian flood story coming from at least as early as 2000 BC has recently been discovered the probability is that the tradition goes back to the earliest beginnings of Babylonian history the setting of the biblical account of the flood is also the Tigris Euphrates Valley rather than Palestine the description of the construction of the ark in Genesis chapter 6 verses 14 to 16 is not only closely parallel to that found in the Babylonian account but the method the smearing of the ark within and without with bitumen is peculiar to the Tigris Euphrates Valley many scholars believe therefore that Babylonia was the original home of the biblical flood story its exact origin however is not so certain many of its details were doubtless suggested by the annual floods and fogs which inundate the famous valley and recall the primeval chaos so vividly pictured in the corresponding Babylonian story of the creation it may have been based on the remembrances of a great local inundation possibly due to the subsidence of great areas of land in the earliest Hebrew records there is no trace of this tradition although it may have been known to the Aramaean ancestors of the Hebrews the literary evidence however suggests that it was first brought to Palestine by the Assyrians during the reactionary reign of Manasseh Assyrian customs and Babylonian ideas which these conquerors had inherited inundated Judah even in the temple of Jerusalem the Babylonians guards the host of heaven were worshipped by certain of the Hebrews the few literary inscriptions which come from this period those found in the mound at Giza are written in the Assyrian script and contain the names of Assyrian officials later when the Jewish exiles were carried to Babylonia they naturally came into contact again with the Babylonian account of the flood but in its later form as the comparisons already instituted clearly indicate it is thus possible these scholars believe to trace in outline at least the literary history of the Semitic flood story in its various transformations through a period of nearly two thousand years end of chapter four part one chapter four 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 the making of a nation the beginning of Israel's history by Charles Foster Kent chapter four part two four aim of the biblical writers in recounting the flood story the practical question which at once suggests itself is what place or right is this ancient Semitic tradition if such it is among the biblical narratives at best the historical data which it preserves are exceedingly small and of doubtful value is it possible that the prophetic and priestly historians found these stories on the lips of the people and sought in this heroic way to divest them of their polytheistic form and in certain respects immoral implications a minute comparison of the Babylonian biblical accounts indicates that this may perhaps be precisely what has been done but the majestic just guard of the biblical narratives is far removed from the capricious intriguing guards of the Babylonian tradition who hang like flies over the battlements of heaven stupefied with terror because of the destruction which they had wrought each of the biblical narrators seems to be seeking also by means of these illustrations to teach certain universal moral and religious truths in this respect the two variant biblical narratives are in perfect agreement the destruction of mankind came not as the fear of an arbitrary deity but because of the purpose which God had before him in the work of creation and because that purpose was good men by their sins and willful failure to observe his benign laws worth porting that purpose hence in accord with the just laws of the universe their destruction was unavoidable and it came even as effect follows cause on the other hand these ancient teachers taught with inimitable skill that God would not destroy that which was worthy of preservation in each of the accounts the character of Noah stands in striking contrast with those of his contemporaries the story is told is not merely an illustration of the truth that righteousness brings it's just reward but of the profound principle that it is the morally fit who survive in both of the versions Noah in a very true sense represents the beginning of a new creation he is the traditional father of a better race to him are given the promises which God was eager to realize in the life of humanity in the poetic fancy of the ancient east even the resplendent rainbow which proclaimed the return of the sun after the storm was truly interpreted as evidence of God's fatherly love and care for his children in the light of these profound religious teachings may anyone reasonably question the right of these stories to a place in the Bible did not Jesus himself frequently use illustrations drawn from the earlier history or from nature to make clear his teachings is it not evidence of superlative teaching skill to use that which is familiar and therefore of interest to those taught in order to inculcate the deeper moral and religious truths of life 5 survival of the fittest in the natural world it is interesting and illuminating to note how the ancient Hebrew prophets in their religious teaching forecast the discoveries and scientific methods of our day this was because they had grasped universal principles since the memorable evening in July 1858 in which the views of Darwin and Wallace on the principles of variation and selection in the natural world were sent to the Linnaean society in London the leading scientists have laid great stress upon the doctrine of the survival of the fittest as the true explanation of progress in the natural world it was apparently made clear by Darwin unsupported by sufficient evidence that any being if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself under the complex and somewhat varying conditions of life will have a better chance of surviving and thus be naturally selected this principle since that day has been thoroughly worked out in practically all the important fields of both the plant and animal world moreover the doctrine of evolution dependent upon this principle has exerted so great an influence upon the process of investigation and thinking in all fields of activity that the resulting change in method has amounted to a revolution the principle is applied not only in the field of biology but also in the realm of astronomy where we studied the evolutions of worlds and in psychology history social science where we speak of the development of human trades and of the growth of economic political and social institutions it is necessary to remember in applying such a brief statement of a principle that the words are used in a highly technical sense the word fittest by no means need imply the best from the point of view of beauty or strength or usefulness in nature nor does it necessarily mean in reference to society best from the point of view of morals or a higher civilization rather the fittest means the being best adapted to the conditions under which it is living or to its environment as a matter of fact it is the general opinion that in practically all fields this principle works towards progress in the highest and best sense but it is always a matter for specific study as well as of great scientific interest and importance to determine where and how the variation and the corresponding selections tend to promote the morally good especially is this true in the study of society where we should endeavor to see whether or not the fittest means also the highest from the moral and religious point of view the story of the flood gives us a most interesting example of the way in which the ancient Hebrews looked upon such a process of selection in the moral and religious world and taught it as a divine principle it is therefore one of the most suggestive and interesting of the writings of the early Israelites six the survival of the fittest in social and political life from our modern point of view the ancient Hebrew writers had a far deeper knowledge of moral and religious questions than of natural science they had a far keener sense of what was socially beneficial than of what was scientifically true however we may estimate their knowledge of geology and biology we must grant that their beliefs regarding the good and ill effects of human action have in them much that is universally true even though we may not follow them throughout in their theories of divine wrath and immediate earthly punishment of the wicked but is it not true almost invariably if we look at social questions of every kind in a comprehensive way that the survival of the fittest means the survival of the morally best that the religion which endures is of the highest type business success in the long run is so strongly based upon mutual confidence and trust that especially in these later days of credit organization the dishonest man or even the tricky man cannot prosper long a sales manager of a prominent institution said lately that the chief difficulty that he had with his men was to make them always tell the truth for the sake of making an important sale they were often inclined to misrepresent his goods but nothing he added will so surely kill all business as misrepresentation even a gambling bookmaker on the racetracks in new york before such work was forbidden by law is said to have proudly claimed that absolute justice and honesty towards his customers was essential to his success and had therefore become the rule of his life although it is sometimes said that the man who guides his life by the maxim honesty is the best policy is in reality not honest at heart it must nevertheless be granted that in business the survival of the fittest means the survival of the most honest businessman it may perhaps have been true in the days of Machiavelli that cruelty and treachery would aid the unscrupulous petty despot of italy to secure and at times to maintain his duke them but certainly in modern days when in all civilized countries permanently prosperous government is based ultimately upon the will of the people the successful ruler can no longer be treacherous and cruel even among our so-called spoils politicians and corrupt bosses who hold their position by playing upon the selfishness of their followers and the ignorance and apathy of the public there must be rigid faithfulness to promises and at any rate the appearance of promoting the public welfare otherwise their term of power is short if we look back through the history of modern times we shall find that the statesmen who rank high among the successful rulers of their countries are men of unselfish patriotism and almost invariably men of personal uprightness and morality and usually of deep religious feeling think over the names of the great men of the united states and note their characters pick out the leading statesmen of the last half century in england germany and italy do they not all stand for unselfish patriotic purpose in their actions and in character for individual honor and integrity the same is true in our social intercourse brilliancy of intellect however important in many fields of activity counts for relatively little in home and social life if not accompanied by graciousness of manner kindness of heart uprightness of character it may sometimes seem that the brilliant rascal succeeds that the unscrupulous businessman becomes rich and that the hypocrite prospers through his hypocrisy if all society were made up of men of these low moral types would such cases perhaps be more often found than now in a society of hypocrites would the fittest for survival be the most skillful deceiver or even there would the adage there must be honor among thieves hold when it came to permanent organization but whatever your answer society fortunately is not made up of hypocrites or rascals of any kind with all the weakness of human nature found in every society the growing success of the rule of the people throughout the world proves that fundamentally men and women are honest and true generally common human nature is for the right almost universally if a mooted question touching morals can be put simply and squarely before the people they will see and choose the right fortunate it is for the world that the lessons taught by the early Hebrew writers regarding the survival of the moral and upright are true and that good sense and religion both agree that in the long run honor and virtue and righteousness not only pay the individual but are essential to the prosperity of a nation questions for further consideration had most primitive peoples a tradition regarding the flood how do you explain the striking points of similarity between the flood stories of peoples far removed from each other is there geological evidence that the earth during human history has been completely inundated what do you mean by a calamity is it a mere accident or an essential factor in the realization of the divine purpose in human history are appalling calamities like floods and earthquakes the result of the working out of natural laws are they on mitigated evils were the floods in china and the plagues in india which destroyed millions of lives seemingly essential to the welfare of the surviving inhabitants of those overpopulated lands what were the effects of the chicago fire and the san francisco earthquake upon these cities how far was the development of the modern commission form of city government one of the direct results of the galveston flood to what extent is the modern progress in sanitation due to natural calamities what calamities is a great calamity often necessary to arouse the inhabitants of a city or nation to the development of their resources and to the realization of their highest possibilities what illustrations can you cite how do changes in the environment of men affect the moral quality of their acts how do circumstances affect the kind of act that will be successful during the chinese revolution of 1912 in peking and nanking looting leaders of mobs and plundering soldiers when captured were promptly decapitated without trial was such an act right was it necessary what conditions would justify such an act in the united states would the same act would the same act tend equally to preserve the government in both countries subjects for further study one flood stories among primitive peoples worcester genesis pages 361 to 373 hastings dictionary of the bible volume two pages 18 to 22 extra volume pages 181 to 182 encyclopedia britannica two the scientific basis of the biblical account of the flood rile early narratives of genesis pages 112 to 113 davis genesis and semitic traditions pages 130 to 131 driver genesis pages 82 to 83 and 99 solace age of the earth page 316 and succeeding pages three compare the treatment accorded their rivals and competitors for power in their various fields by the following persons solemn says our bogey the late empress dowager of china to see bismarck the great political leaders of today in great britain and the united states and the modern combinations of capital known as trusts book of the kings one machiavelli the prince duglas europe and the far east chapter 17 did these different methods under the special circumstances result in the survival of the fittest the fittest morally end of chapter four recorded by joseph finkberg chapter nine part one of the making of a nation this is a lever box recording all lever box recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit leverbox.org recording by ben wilford the making of a nation the beginning of israel's history by charles foster kent chapter nine part one study five the pioneers influence upon a nation's ideals abraham the traditional father of his race genesis chapter 12 verses one through eight chapters 13 verses one through 13 chapter 16 chapter 18 chapter 19 chapter 21 verse seven chapter 22 verses one through 19 parallel readings history of the bible one pages 73 through 94 principles of politics pages 160 through 175 jahovah said to abraham go forth from that country and from that kindred and from thy father's house to the land that i will show thee that i will make thee a great nation and i will surely bless thee and make thy name great so that thou shall be a blessing i will also bless them that bless thee and him that curses the i will curse so that all the families of the earth shall ask for themselves a blessing like dine on so abraham went forth as jahovah had commanded him genesis chapter 12 verses one through four history of the bible by faith abraham when he was called obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise as in a land not his own dwelling in tents with isaac and jacob the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for the city which hath foundation whose builder and maker is god he bruised chapter 11 verses eight through 10 he that find this his life shall lose it and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it matthew chapter 10 verse 39 one the prophetic stories about abraham many biblical scholars claim that the data point to variant versions of the different stories about abraham thus for example there are two accounts of his deceptions regarding sarah one in chapter 12 verses nine through chapter 13 verses one and the other in chapter 20 verses one through 17 the oldest version of the story they believe is found in chapter 26 verses one through 14 and is told not of abraham but of isek whose character it fits far more consistently similarly there are three accounts of the covenant with abimelech genesis chapter 21 verses 22 through 31 chapter 21 verses 25 through 34 and chapter 26 verses 15 through 33 the two accounts of the expulsion of hagar and the birth of ishmael in genesis chapter 16 verses one through 16 and chapter 21 verses one through 20 different rather widely in details in one account hagar is expelled and ishmael is born after the birth of isek and then the other before that event do these variant versions indicates that they were drawn from different groups of narratives the differences in detail are in generally closely parallel to those which the new testament student finds in the different accounts of the same events or teaching in the life of jesus they suggest too many that the author of the book of genesis was eager to preserve each and every story regarding abraham instead however of preserving intact the different groups of stories as in the case of the gospels they have been combined with great skill sometimes as in the case of the expulsion of hagar the two versions are introduced at different points in the life of the patriarch more commonly the two or more versions are closely interwoven giving a composite narrative that closely resembles tetanus diateseron which was one continuous narrative of the life and teaching of jesus based on quotations from each of the four gospels fortunately if this theory is right the group of stories most fully quoted and therefore best preserved is the early judin prophetic narratives when these are separated from the later parallels they give a marvelously complete and consistent portrait of abraham two the meaning of the early prophetic stories about abraham reads the prophetic stories regarding abraham history of the bible one pages 73 74 79 through 81 84 through 87 90 through 92 are these stories to be regarded simply as chapters from the bibliography of the early ancestors of the hebrus or like the story of the garden of eden do they have a deeper a more universal moral and religious significance back of the story of abraham's call and settlement in kaylan clearly lies the historic fact that the ancestors of the hebrus as nomads migrated from the land of abraham to seek for themselves and their descendants a permanent home in the land of canaan abraham whose name in hebrus means exalted father or as it was later interpreted father of a multitude naturally represents this historic movement but the story of his call and settlement in canaan has a larger meaning and value is simply and vividly illustrates the eternal truth that one god guides those who will be guided to he reveals himself alone to those who seek a revelation three his revelations came along the path of duty are confined to no place or land four for those who will be led by him god has in store a noble destiny five blessed are the peacemakers for they should be called the children of god six blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth thus this marvelous story presents certain of the noblest fruits of israel's spiritual experiences incidentally it also deals with the relationship between the hebrus and their neighbors the moabites across the jordan and the dead sea for a lot in these earlier stories stands as a traditional ancestor of the moabites and ammonites it is evident that like the opening narratives of genesis this story aimed to explain the existing conditions as well as to illustrate the deeper truths of life similarly the story of the expulsion of hagar it is thought aims primarily to explain the origins of israel's foes the nomadic ishma lights who live south of canaan in the inscriptions of the assyrian king sena syarip hagar ronu is the name of an armenian tribe a tribe bearing a similar name is also mentioned in the south arabian inscriptions the hagar of the story is a typical daughter of the desert when she became the mother of a child the highest honor that could come to a semitic woman she could not resist a temptation to taunt sarah in keeping with early semitic custom sarah had full authority to demand the expulsion of hagar for in the eye of the law the slave wife was her property the tradition of the revelation to hagar also represented the popular explanation of the sanctity of the famous desert shrine bir la haro like most of the prophetic stories this narrative teaches deeper moral lessons chief among these is a broad truth that the sphere of god's care and blessings was by no means limited to israel to the outcast and needy he ever comes with his message of counsel and promise was abraham right or wrong in yielding to sarah's wish was sarah right or wrong in her attitude towards hagar was hagar's triumphal attitude towards sarah natural was it right in the story of the destruction of sodom lot appears as essential figure his choice of the fertile plain of the jordan had brought him into close contact with his inhabitants the canaanites abandoning his nomadic life he had become a citizen of the corrupt city of sodom when at last jahovah had determined to destroy the city because of his wickedness abraham persistently interceded that it be spared its wickedness proved however too great for pardon lot who true to his nomad training hospitally received the divine messengers was finally persuaded to flee from the city and thus escaped the overwhelming destruction that felt upon it what was the possible origin of this story history of the bible one page 87 what are the important religious teachings of this story were great calamities in the past usually the result of wickedness are they today do people so interpret the destruction of san francisco and mesina the great epidemic of color and hamburg in 1892 was clearly result of a gross neglect of sanitary precautions in regard to the water supply at that date the color of germ had not been clearly identified and there was some doubt regarding the means by which the disease was spread was sanitary neglect then as much of a sin as it would be now may we properly say that the pestilence was a calamity visit on that city as a punishment for his sins of neglect wanted the prophets preserve the story of the sacrifices of isek compare the parallel teachers in mica chapter six verses six to eight with what shall i come before jahovah bow myself before the god on high shall i come before him with burnt offerings with calves a year old will jahovah be pleased with thousands of rams with myrids of streams of oil shall i give him my first born for my guilt the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul which is the most important teaching of the story the importance of an unquestioning faith and obedience or the needlessness of human sacrifice does god ever command any person to do anything that the person thinks wrong three the prophetic portrait of abraham in the so-called later priestly stories regarding abraham see especially genesis chapter 17 he is portrayed as a devoted servant of the law chiefly intent upon observing the simple ceremonial institutions revealed to him in that primitive age with him the later priests associated the origin of the distinctive rite of circumcision in genesis 14 abraham is pictured as a valiant warrior who espoused the cause of the week and won a great victory over the united armies of the eastern kings like a knight of the olden times he restored to capture spoiled to the city that had been robbed and gave a liberal portion to the priest king mechizadek who appears to have been regarded in later jewish tradition as the forward runner of the jerusalem priesthood in the still later jewish traditions of which many had been preserved he is pictured sometimes in an invincible warrior before whom even the great cities the Damascus fell sometimes as an ardent foe of idolatry the incarnation of the spirit of later Judaism or else he is thought of as having been born to heaven on a fiery chariot where he receives to his bosom the faithful of his race thus each succeeding generation or group of writers made abraham as a traditional father of their race the embodiment of their highest ideals the abraham of the early prophetic narratives however is a remarkably consistent character he exemplifies that which is noblest in israel's early ideals how is abraham's faith illustrated in the prophetic stories considered in the preceding paragraphs his unsuffocateness and generosity his courtly hospitality was his politeness to strangers simply due to his training in the traditions of the desert or was it the expression of his natural impulses was abraham's devoted interest in the future of his descendants a noble quality how are his devotion and obedience to god illustrated in the light of this study describe the abraham of the prophetic narratives is it a perfect character that is thus portrayed is it the product of a primitive state of society or of a high civilization end of chapter nine recording by ben wilford of jackson tennessee