DEVARIM

Words [of Moses]

8 And the children of Israel [Bnei Yisroel] wept for [Moshe] in the plains of Moab 30 days [Moav shloshim yom]: so the days [yamim] of weeping and mourning for [Moshe] were ended.

Record of Moses' Death

The "spirit of wisdom" possessed by Moses, being finally communicated to Joshua (Num. 27:18, 23; Deut. 34:9), we have in that fact the reasonable guarantee, that Moses' literary record would just be resumed at the point where it left off. The last chapter of Deuteronomy just begins at that point, as the first chapter of Joshua next resumes where that leaves off.

The historic books, unlike the prophets, constitute a continuous history of Jewish affairs; none of them have really any headings except the book of Nehemiah, which opens with the designation "The words of Nehemiah." The whole pentateuch formed at first but one book, divided (for convenience) into five sections, to which the Jews applied no proper names, only distinguishing them by the initial Hebrew words of each section; thus Genesis was called Bereshith, or "In the beginning;" Exodus, Veelch Shemoth, or "Now these are the names;" Leviticus, Vayyikra, or "and he called"; Numbers, Vaidhabber, or "and he spake" (or Ve-midbar, "in the wilderness," from its fifth word); and Deuteronomy, Elle haddebharim, or "these are the words."

Its formal division into five separate books, designated by Greek names (for Gen., Ex., Lev., Num., Deut., are all Greek names), is supposed to have been the work of the seventy translators of the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek language. The division into separate books is a convenience; but as a matter of fact the books as far as the end of the kings (embracing the entire history of Israel up to the Babylonian captivity), might all be run on into their 338 chapters, and their superscriptions transferred to the margin, after the manner of books that employ marginal indications of subject, or the names that figure in the course of the narrative or history.

Thrown into this, its probably original nameless form, all difficulty about the chapter recording Moses' death, simply vanishes before the idea of a continually enlarging narrative of events, officially added to as time went on. As one writer observes,

"the close connection that exists between the last section of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Joshua (comp. Deut. 34:9 with Josh. 1:1) plainly shows that chapter 34. of Deuteronomy is intended to serve as a point of transition to the book of Joshua, and that it was written by the same author as the latter." "The correct view of this chapter, therefore (says this writter) is to consider it as a real supplement."

The Christadelphian, Jun 1889

11 In all the signs and the wonders, which Yahweh sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,

"Miracles"

In scripture, the word is τερασ, teras, a wonder; and is used in sixteen texts in the New Testament, but always in connection with other words, as σημειον, s̄emeion, a sign; δυναμισ, dunamis, power; or μερισμοσ, μερισμοσ, distribution.

In Heb. 2:4, Paul introduces the four words, saying, that God bore witness to the apostolic testimony

"by signs and wonders, and various powers and distributions of holy spirit, according to his will."

Objectors to the manifestations of divine energy as "opposed to the laws of nature, and against human experience," group these indiscriminately under the word "miracles," which they regard as violations of nature's laws; so that their proposition amounts to this, namely,

"A sign, a wonder, power and distributions of holy spirit, are all contrary to the laws of nature, and against human experience!"

But in opposition to this, we venture to affirm, that these things are all in accordance with nature's laws, and in harmony with human experience in a multitude of instances. Thus,

"the lights in the firmament of the heaven are for signs"—Gen. 1:14.

The rainbow is a sign that the earth shall be no more submerged by a flood of waters—Gen. 9:2, 13. Isaiah and his sons were for signs and wonders in Israel—ch. 8:18. There is nothing in all this contrary to nature's laws or staggering to human experience; but perfectly reasonable in the bearings thereof.

But "wonders and signs" used often-times to go together. Thus, Moses was a subject of wonder in his own person. He put his hand into his bosom and when he drew it out, "it was leprous as snow;" and he put it in again, and withdrew it a second time, "and it was turned again as his other flesh;"

This was wonderful, but was it contrary to nature's laws, and human experience? Do men never have the leprosy and get cured? Yes, but not so suddenly. Truly; and the suddenness of the thing made it an especial wonder.

Its suddenness was not contrary to Moses' experience, for it happened to him; but then not as yet within the range of other people's experience; and as to human experience in general, we venture to say that it is not yet acquainted with all the wonders which are educible by the intensifying of laws already existing; many of which it is to be presumed, Human Experience, though very wise in its own conceit, has not yet discovered by its philosophisings and experiments!

Now the sudden infliction and cure of a disease (which on a larger scale was repeated in the case of Miriam, the sister of Moses) was not only a wonder, but a sign to be exhibited before Israel in Egypt, in confirmation of the truth that the God of Abraham had appeared to him, as he declared. This was what the wonder signified when performed in connexion with Moses' declaration, that the God of Abraham had appeared to him, and sent him to deliver them.

When the wonder was performed, it became an item of human experience; and apart from any declaration only signified to Moses and those who saw it, the presence of a supernatural power; the declaration of the angel at the bush, made the wonder a special sign; and every Jew that rejoices in Moses as their deliverer from Egypt, is a living witness that a sign and a wonder are reasonable, and possible things, and according to the experience of 600,000 men, who in consequence of this experience put themselves under him as their commander and prophet king.

...

"I am Yahweh (saith the Spirit) the powers (elohai) of all flesh;"—"by me they live and move and do exist"—"is there any thing too hard for me?"

Has he given laws to nature, and can he not work great wonders upon and through that nature; vastly greater than the natural mind has ever yet experienced or conceived?

Is nature subject to no other laws than are known to men? Are their knowledge and experience to be the measure of Omniscience? Can not the power that made man, raise him from the dead, give him sight, and heal him of whatever malady afflicts him, in an instant?

All these things he can do, and more than we can conceive; and upon principles it has not yet entered into the heart of man to divine.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Feb 1859