Chapter 15.
HOW MOSES WAS DISPLEASED AT THIS, AND FORETOLD THAT GOD WAS
ANGRY AND THAT THEY SHOULD CONTINUE IN THE WILDERNESS FOR FORTY YEARS AND
NOT, DURING THAT TIME, EITHER RETURN INTO EGYPT OR TAKE POSSESSION OF CANAAN.FJAJ 3.99
1. MOSES came now boldly to the multitude, and informed them that God
was moved at their abuse of him, and would inflict punishment upon them,
not indeed such as they deserved for their sins, but such as parents inflict
on their children, in order to their correction
For, he said, that when
he was in the tabernacle, and was bewailing with ears that destruction
which was coming upon them God put him in mind what things he had done
for them, and what benefits they had received from him, and yet how ungrateful
they had been to him that just now they had been induced, through the timorousness
of the spies, to think that their words were truer than his own promise
to them; and that on this account, though he would not indeed destroy them
all, nor utterly exterminate their nation, which he had honored more than
any other part of mankind, yet he would not permit them to take possession
of the land of Canaan, nor enjoy its happiness; but would make them wander
in the wilderness, and live without a fixed habitation, and without a city,
for forty years together, as a punishment for this their transgression;
but that he had promised to give that land to our children, and that he
would make them the possessors of those good things which, by your ungoverned
passions, you have deprived yourselves of.FJAJ 3.100
2. When Moses had discoursed thus to them according to the direction
of God, the multitude, grieved, and were in affliction; and entreated Most
to procure their reconciliation to God, and to permit them no longer
to wander in the wilderness, but bestow cities upon them
But he replied,
that God would not admit of any such trial, for that God was not moved
to this determination from any human levity or anger, but that he had judicially
condemned them to that punishment
Now we are not to disbelieve that Moses,
who was but a single person, pacified so many ten thousands when they werre
in anger, and converted them to a mildness temper; for God was with him,
and prepared way to his persuasions of the multitude; and as they had often
been disobedient, they were now sensible that such disobedience was disadvantageous
to them and that they had still thereby fallen into calamities.FJAJ 3.101
3. But this man was admirable for his virtue, and powerful in making
men give credit to what he delivered, not only during the time of his natural
life, but even there is still no one of the Hebrews who does not act even
now as if Moses were present, and ready to punish him if he should do any
thing that is indecent; nay, there is no one but is obedient to what laws
he ordained, although they might be concealed in their transgressions.
There are also many other demonstrations that his power was more than human,
for still some there have been, who have come from the parts beyond Euphrates,
a journey of four months, through many dangers, and at great expenses,
in honor of our temple; and yet, when they had offered their oblations,
could not partake of their own sacrifices, because Moses had forbidden
it, by somewhat in the law that did not permit them, or somewhat that had
befallen them, which our ancient customs made inconsistent therewith; some
of these did not sacrifice at all, and others left their sacrifices in
an imperfect condition; many were not able, even at first, so much as to
enter the temple, but went their ways in this as preferring a submission
to the laws of Moses before the fulfilling of their own inclinations, they
had no fear upon them that anybody could convict them, but only out of
a reverence to their own conscience
Thus this legislation, which appeared
to be divine, made this man to be esteemed as one superior to his own nature.
Nay, further, a little before the beginning of this war, when Claudius
was emperor of the Romans, and Ismael was our high priest, and when so
great a famine (27)
See Antiq, B. XX. ch. 2. sect, 6. and Acts 11:28.
was come upon us, that one tenth deal [of wheat] was sold for four drachmae,
and when no less than seventy cori of flour were brought into the temple,
at the feast of unleavened bread, (these cori are thirty-one Sicilian,
but forty-one Athenian medimni,) not one of the priests was so hardy as
to eat one crumb of it, even while so great a distress was upon the land;
and this out of a dread of the law, and of that wrath which God retains
against acts of wickedness, even when no one can accuse the actors
Whence
we are not to wonder at what was then done, while to this very day the
writings left by Moses have so great a force, that even those that hate
us do confess, that he who established this settlement was God, and that
it was by the means of Moses, and of his virtue; but as to these matters,
let every one take them as he thinks fit.FJAJ 3.102