Chapter 12. — Miracles of the Old Testament.

CHAPTER 12. — MIRACLES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

HAVING proved, in our preceding chapters, the genuineness and authenticity of the Scriptures, it necessarily follows that the accounts of the miracles therein recorded must be received as a faithful history of facts as they transpired; and having farther shown that miracles are susceptible of satisfactory proof from human testimony, and that, when thus proved, they are direct and conclusive evidence of the divine mission of him who performs them, and of the truth of the doctrines for the confirmation of which they are wrought, it yet remains (to render the argument from this source complete) that we examine the miracles of Scripture to see if they sustain the character of real, unquestionable miracles, and if the testimony by which the actual performance of them is proved is satisfactory and conclusive.

The two points, then, to be specially noted, in regard to what we deem miraculous in Scripture, are, the character of the works themselves, and the evidence by which their actual occurrence is established. If it appear that those things in Scripture termed miraculous are not real and genuine miracles, but merely extraordinary and marvelous events which might have been produced by mere natural causes, without any immediate divine interposition, or that there is a radical defect in the evidence sustaining the facts themselves, in either case the Christian argument founded on miracles cannot be reliable and satisfactory; but, on the other hand, should it be manifest that the events in question are real and indisputable miracles, and that the evidence confirming them is clear, ample, and conclusive, then it follows that our argument from miracles rests on a firm and sure basis. We call attention, first, to the miracles of the Old Testament. It is only important that we advert to some of the more conspicuous of these, nor will it be requisite to go into any minute investigation of them. We think that the real miraculous character of these events, and the fullness and irresistibility of the testimony in favor of their truth, stand forth so palpably upon the face of the record, that it is scarcely possible for an unprejudiced mind to admit the history and dispute the miracle.

Let us glance, then, in the first place, at the “ten plagues” brought upon Egypt by the hand of Moses. At the bidding of Jehovah, Aaron, under the direction of Moses, stretched forth the consecrated rod upon the waters of Egypt — upon the streams, the rivers, the ponds, and pools of water, throughout all the land — and instantly they crimsoned into blood. Again the rod was stretched forth, and the whole land was covered with frogs — they teemed in the rivers, crowded into the houses, clambered upon the beds, and even the kneading-troughs and ovens were polluted by their presence. Again the rod was stretched out, and the very dust of the earth was transformed into “lice,” and both man and beast throughout all the land were tormented with this hateful vermin. Again, the land was cursed with the swarms of flies or hornets — they crowded upon Pharaoh, and upon his servants, and upon all the Egyptians, filling their houses, and covering the very earth. Again, the murrain is sent upon the cattle, upon the oxen, upon the horses, upon the asses, and upon the sheep of the Egyptians, smiting them with death, on a specific day and hour. Again, at the sprinkling of the ashes of the furnace toward heaven by the hand of Moses, in the sight of Pharaoh, they became small dust, settling everywhere upon man and beast among the Egyptians, and breaking forth into boils and blains. Again Moses, at the command of God, stretched forth the rod, and a storm of mingled hail and fire ran along the ground, rending the trees, smiting the herbs, and spreading destruction to both man and beast that were found in the field among the Egyptians. And next came the plague of locusts, darkening the land, destroying the fruit, and every herb and green thing left by the hail; then the three days of “darkness that might be felt;” and last of all came the destruction of the first-born of man and beast among the Egyptians, by the destroying angel.

Now, we ask, can there be a doubt that a real miracle was manifest in each of these plagues? They came by previous announcement — no visible natural cause, except the stretching forth of the rod, was present in connection with them — they appeared instantly, and at a pre-announced time — they fell upon all the Egyptians, while every Israelite with all that he possessed was preserved and escaped. These wonders were so palpable, that they could not have escaped the notice of any, or been misunderstood in their character. They were witnessed by the whole nation of Egypt, and by all the people of Israel. The Passover was instituted at the time, to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites; and it is as clear as any thing can be, that had the Mosaic account of these things not been true, the Israelites never could have been induced to accredit the Mosaic record as a revelation from Heaven. Two nations — the Egyptians and the Israelites — were witnesses of all these mighty wonders. Had the record of facts, as given by Moses, not been true, these whole nations of Egyptians and Israelites must have known that the account given by Moses was a cheat, and their testimony would have been recorded against it; but the books of Moses were received from the very first as a revelation from God, by that very people who must have known whether these things which they recorded were true or false. Hence we conclude that the Mosaic miracles were real; and they fully establish the divine legation of Moses, and the truth of his writings.

Again, look at the dividing of the Red Sea at the stretching forth of the rod of Moses, and the water standing like walls on each side while the Israelites passed over, and again flowing together just in time to overwhelm with death the pursuing hosts of Pharaoh! See the wonderful interpositions of God in behalf of his people in the wilderness — the miraculous supply of manna, falling in sufficient quantity for use on each day of the week, except the Sabbath, and a double portion on Friday for the supply of that day and the Sabbath also, and then the ceasing of the manna the day when it was no longer needed, and the fact that it was never known before or since! Look at the flinty rock smitten by the rod of Moses, sending forth an abundant stream of water in the face of all Israel! See the brazen-serpent elevated upon the pole, in view of all the tents of the multitude, and each one that had been bitten by the fiery-flying serpent, upon looking upon the serpent of brass, instantly healed of the poison! See the dividing of the waters of the Jordan, and all the people passing over on dry ground! Look at all these things, and say, Were they not real miracles? They occurred in the face of the whole nation — they were events that admitted of no deception with those who witnessed them, nor could the lapse of a few years render the remembrance of them indistinct. Now, we ask, could the Jewish people have been made to believe these things, either in that or any succeeding age, had they not been true? and, not believing them, could they have been induced to receive, as a revelation from Heaven, the books containing what they knew to be a tissue of palpable falsehoods? The events to which we have referred were evidently real miracles. No power but that which can control all nature, and suspend or supersede its laws at pleasure, can cover a whole country for three days together with the thickest darkness, and, at the same time, favor all of a specified class in the same region with “light in their dwellings”’ Nor could a whole people who had witnessed such an event be misled as to the facts. Equally impossible it would be to persuade them that they had witnessed them when they had not, or that they had not witnessed them when they had. These miracles are all palpable and unmistakable in their character: they clearly and satisfactorily prove the truth of that which they were performed to establish; and such is the character of the testimony by which they have been confirmed, that we can only reject it by surrendering ourselves to the reign of almost universal skepticism. If we reject the accounts of the Mosaic miracles, we must, to be consistent with our selves, reject all authentic history. As to the grand design or object of these miracles in Egypt, it seems to have been threefold: first, to condemn the idolatrous worship of Egypt; secondly, to impart to the Egyptians a knowledge of the true God; thirdly, to show that Moses was acting under a divine commission.

How, then, do we find these plagues to pour contempt upon the principal objects of Egyptian adoration! The Nile was the most popular divinity of the Egyptians, and, as if to present a striking contrast between its imbecility and the mighty power of Jehovah, the first judgment is poured upon its sacred waters. The frog was one of their sacred animals, and it too, under the divine edict, was turned against them, and made an instrument of their punishment. In the plague of “flies” we see another manifestation of the contempt here poured upon the system of Egyptian idolatry. This insect was also an object of Egyptian idolatrous worship, and the popular idol, Baalzebub, was styled “lord of the gad-fly.” The murrain upon the cattle was also well calculated to teach them how insignificant was their god Apis (the ox) in the hands of Jehovah. In the terrible plague of “hail and fire,” the principal divinities of the Egyptians — water, air, and fire — in the hand of Jehovah, are made to combine their influence to terrify and punish those who so stupidly worshiped and trusted in them for protection. In the plague of “darkness,” the Egyptians were taught that another of their chief divinities — the sun — could render them no assistance or comfort when Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, saw proper to shroud his beams in a mantle of darkness. These miracles were all performed through the instrumentality of Moses, but by the avowed authority of Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews. Hence we may see how admirably they were adapted to their intended purpose — to consign to contempt the Egyptian idolatry, to promote the knowledge of the true God, and to furnish the divine credentials of Moses.