3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

The Truth of the Bible

... not by their own sword,

"THY RIGHT HAND and THINE ARM, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them."

It is said that the Jewish blood is rich in genius; that the Jewish race is of immortal vigour, and so on. You find the Jews taking up with the Talmud and not with the Bible. Why? For the same reason that they loved the false prophets and put the true prophets to death. The prophets of the Bible speak like Moses.

In what respect do they resemble him? Look at his farewell speech, and just compare it with the farewell speech of any other patriot, and then try and suppose for a moment that Moses is speaking only as a human leader, aiming at popularity. If Moses did not act as he did because God sent him, he acted out of his own head and for his own objects.

Assume for a moment that that was the case. Imagine him for a moment speaking in the style which you find in the 31st chapter of Deuteronomy. In the 16th verse it is written:

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them."

Having been apprised of his approaching decease, he makes a few remarks which I will read, that you may try and realise them on the supposition that his case was a merely human case.—(verse 25.)

"Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying. Take this book of the law and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck: Behold, while I am yet alive with you this day; ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."

How did Moses know that? It came to pass most strictly. No wonder the Jews did not like Moses and the prophets. They all spoke in this same strain. The nation is not complimented. There are no human principles of action inculcated or recognised throughout these writings.

The Christadelphian, Mar 1876