his brother, and friend, and neighbour."-Exod. xxxii. 27.

How many were put to death?

About three-and-twenty thousand men.

Were the sons of Levi rewarded by God for this act of zeal in His service?

Yes. A blessing from God came upon them, according to Moses' promise; and this act of devotion to God's honour was one reason why they were chosen to be the ministers of the sanctuary.

Did the people continue to mourn for their idolatry?

Yes; especially when the Lord threatened no longer to "go up" with them to the land which He had promised them.

What sign did they give of their sorrow and penitence?

They laid aside all their ornaments.
Did the Lord abandon the people

Moses interceded for them, and Almighty God accepting his intercession promised to continue His presence.

Moses, at this time, asked a very special favour from God?

He entreated God to show him His glory. "Show me Thy glory."

What answer did God make to His servant? "Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see My face and live."

Then did He altogether refuse the prayer of Moses?

No. He revealed to Moses a portion of His exceeding marvellous glory, Moses standing in

the cleft of a rock, while the glory of God passed by.

Were the tables of the law replaced by others?

Yes. Moses went again into the mount, and remained there for forty days and forty nights, fasting. During this time God gave him a second time the ten commandments, and Moses wrote them upon two tables.

The appearance of Moses was altered when he came down from the mount?

His face shone with rays of glory, so that the people of Israel could not look upon him, since his countenance reflected the glory of God. "And when Moses came down from the Mount Sinai, he held the two tables of the testimony, and he knew not that his face was horned, (i.e., was shining and sending forth rays of light like horns) from the conversation of the Lord." Exod. xxxiv. 28.

Since the people could not look at him, how then did he converse with them?

When he first spoke to them after coming down from the mount, and declared to them the commandments of God, he spoke with his face uncovered, out of reverence to the law. Afterwards, when he went into the tabernacle to converse with God, he uncovered his face, but when he spoke to the people, he put a veil over his face.

St. Paul tells us that there was a deep meaning in this veiling of Moses's face?

He tells us that the veil on the face of Moses represented the darkness on the minds of the

Jews, in consequence of which they could not see our Lord Jesus Christ prefigured, symbolised, represented, and prophesied of, in the Old Testament. He also tells us, that this veil is taken away from the hearts of all who receive the Christian faith, and that it will, in the end, be removed from the Jews who shall be converted to Christ.

What are his words?

"But their senses were made dull. For until this present day, the self-same veil, in the reading of the Old Testament remaineth, not taken away, (because in Christ it is made void.) But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. And when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away."-2 Cor. iii. 14-16.

There was also a deep meaning in the action of Moses by which the two tables of the law written by God Himself were broken in pieces?

Yes. The breaking of the two tables signified that the law of Moses was not to continue for ever, but to be abolished and succeeded by the perfect law of Christ.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE MURMURINGS OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE ANGER OF GOD.

How long did the Israelites remain encamped before Sinai, while Moses was receiving the law?

About the space of a year. "In the second month the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the covenant. And the children of Israel marched by their troops from the desert of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Pharan."-Numb. x. 11, 12.

During their march the people began to murmur again? Why?

They were "repining at their fatigue."
Did God punish them?

Yes. He sent fire, which devoured those who were at the uttermost part of the camp. But when Moses prayed to the Lord the fire was stayed.

"Our

What was the next pretext for murmuring? Because they had no flesh meat. soul," they said, "is dry, our eyes behold nothing else but manna."

How was Moses affected by this murmuring? He was weighed down by the greatness of the responsibility. "To Moses also the thing seemed impossible." He felt unequal to govern the people alone, and he therefore asked God to give him assistance in this vast work.

Was his prayer granted?

Yes. God chose seventy men from the ancients of Israel, who were to assist Moses in the government of the people.

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And did God supply the people with meat? In His anger He sent them quails. wind going out from the Lord, taking quails up beyond the sea, brought them, and cast them into the camp for the space of one day's journey, on every side of the camp round about ; and the people rising up all that day and night and the next day, gathered together of the quails, be that did least, ten cores, and they dried them round about the camp."-Numb. xi. 31, 32.

But how was this a proof of God's anger?

Because the people devoured the quails with so much gluttony that "an exceeding great plague" broke out among them, and multitudes died.

And what name was given to the place where these people were buried?

The place was called "the graves of lust," for there they buried the people who had lusted. -Numb. xi. 34.

Mary, or Miriam, the sister of Moses, with Aaron her brother, also murmured against Moses. On what pretext?

Because he had married an Ethiopian woman. How was Mary (Miriam) punished for thus murmuring?

She was struck with leprosy. But Moses interceded for her with God, and after being put out of the camp for seven days, she was