Progressive studies in the Bible

Preface

An intelligent age is always interested in the agencies that have produced its institutions and the agencies that conserve them. The thoughtful student o! history will readily admit that the influence of the Hebrew nation to produce twentieth century civilization has been greater than that of any other nation of antiquity. It does not require deep nor prolonged study of social science to discover that the Bible has been an important factor in shaping the civil institutions of to-day. All religions leave their mark on the customs and culture of the countries where they predominate. The Hebrew religion is no exception to the rule. It has had a more potent influence in moulding western thought than any other religion. Christianity is the legitimate outgrowth of it, and wherever Christianity has attained a dominant place, peace, prosperity and happiness are found. These considerations alone ought to give the Bible a place in the curricula of our colleges. They might be re-inforced by weighty moral and spiritual reasons.

No time is so favorable for this study as the years of college life. Study is then a business. Later years bring so many other interests and subject most men to such sharp business competition that Bible study is generally desultory and unsatisfactory. The college student, however, is free to study a subject apart from its relation to bread-winning and money-making. But the advantage of any study is in some measure dependent on earnest and hard work by the student himself. From this point of view it has been found difficult to make the study of the Bible an equivalent for one in the other departments of college work. The biblical narrative without comment is iv PREFACE.

not enough. Commentaries are numerous but they are not adapted to the ordinary student, even had he access to them, and leisure to study them. Histories of the Hebrew nation do not meet the demand. Books on Biblical Introduction and analyses of books and chapters are helpful to every Bible student, but alone do not serve as a college text book.

The present volume is an effort to meet the demand for a text book of the Bible that will make the study of it equal to any other branch in point of culture, and at the same time impart such knowledge of the Hebrew nation, its place in hisory, God's purpose in it and his method of dealing with it, as every liberally educated person ought to know. These studies were originally given as lectures to college classes and have assumed their present form largely under the inspiration of the classroom. It has been difficult to confine ourselves strictly to our original purpose, to present one fundamental phase of biblical truth. We think by adhering to this purpose confusion is avoided and a foundation laid for intelligent personal study. Much is left for the teacher in the way of comment and application, and many opportunities afiforded to explain the application of the principles of the Hebrew government to modern society. We have made no effort to discuss inspiration, authorship^ etc. Those who wish to follow this line of study can find many books on it. We have taken the Bible as it is and endeavored to learn its contents, its purpose and spirit. Although prepared primarily for college students in regular class work, the book may be used in Normal classes, under the direction of the pastor, or in special classes in Sabbath Schools.

These studies have been in preparation for some years and were originally designed for private use. It is not possible therefore to give credit to the many authors consult-

PREFACE. V

ed, and who have contributed to them. We are, however, under great obHgation to the Rev. W. J. Erdman, D.D., who read the book in manuscript and made many valuable suggestions. Special mention is also due Miss Jennie Dale, of the faculty, of Grove City College, who kindly read the proof of the entire book. We feel grateful to the many students who have taken this work under our tuition and whose appreciation has been a constant stimulus and satisfaction. And if this book shall have an influence to secure a wider and more honored place for the Bible in our colleges, and be helpful to those who study its pages either in class or in private, we shall feel amply repaid for the time and effort spent upon it.

S. D.

Grove City, Pa.

July, 1901.

Contents

Introduction; Object; Method; Divine Revelation Necessary; Inspiration; The Bible; Bible History 1 — S

I

THE CREATION; Introductory; Sources; Time; Principles of Interpretation; Bible and Science; Summary of Teaching 9—17

, II.

THE TEMPTATION; Introductory; Character of the Chapter; The Command; Necessity for the Command; Immortality Suspended on Obedience; The Sentence; Physical Death; Expulsion from the Garden; The Way of Life; Corollary 18—27

III

THE FLOOD; Epoch Marking Events; Origin of Sacrifice; The Sacrifice of Cain and Abel; Moral Effect of Cain's Sense of Alienation from God; Cain and Abel Representative Characters; Cain and Seth; Infiuence of the Spirit; Building of the Ark; Locality of the Flood; The Flood and Natural Law; Noah's Prophecy. 28 — 38

IV

THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD; Origin of Nations; The Fundamental Principle of the Hebrew Nation; Call of Abraham; Abraham's Faith; Isaac and His Family; Jacob's Character; Isaac and the Blessing; Rebecca and the Blessing; Jacob and the Blessing; Esau and the Blessing; Our Standard of Judgment; Jacob and Joseph; Supernatural Agency; The Bethel Experience; Jacob's Padan-aram life; The Angel viii CONTENTS.

Wrestles with Jacob; The Ordinary Providences; Joseph's Native Character; Joseph's Dreams; God's Purpose in the Sojourn of His People in Egypt; Joseph a Transitional Character; The Permission of Evil 39—68

V

THE EXODUS; Introductory; Israel in Bondage; Moses; God's New Name; The Primary Import of the Plagues; Character of the Plagues; The First Request;; Pharaoh's Heart Hardened; The Institution of the Passover; The Passover Typical; From Egypt to Sinia; Extreme Conditions Unfavorable to Development: The Battle with the Amalekites 69 — 82

VI. .

ISRAEL AT SINAI; Retrospective; The Ten Commandments; The Intent of the Law; The Original Contract of the Hebrew Government; The Contents of the Ten Commandments; A Written Law Necessary; Advantages of a Written Law; The Character of the Law; The Mosaic Code a Development; The Hebrew Criminal Code; Laws on Treason; Idolatry, etc., Treason; Laws on Murder; Character of These Laws; Law of Assault; Hebrew Civil Code; Laws of Usury; Laws of Servitude; Land Laws; Hebrew Code Humane; Laws Adapted to the Times; The Hebrew Government; God's Relation to the Nation; National Congress; Officers Elected by the People; The Relation of the Tribes; The Levitical Code; The Tabernacle; Apartments and Furniture; An Object Lesson; The Priesthood; Origin of Sacrifice; The Revenue of the Tribe; Sacred Occasions; Hebrew Sacrifices; Origin of the Idea; Type and Symbol; Meaning of Sin Offering; Symbolism of the Sin Offering; Meaning of the Trespass Offering; Symbolism of the Trespass Offering; Sacrifices of Justified Man; The Burnt Offering; The Peace Offering; Symbolism of the Peace Offering; The Meal Offering; The Books of the Law 83—127

CONTENTS. ix

VII

THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES; Early Inhabitants of Canaan; Limits of God's Commission; Israel's East Jordanic Enemies; Balak and Balaam; Distribution of East Jordanic Territory; Conquest of Canaan Proper; Hebrew Destiny Was Providence; Crossing the Jordan; The Conquest of the Kings; The Battles; The Law Read; Command to Exterminate the Canaanites; Succession of the Judges; The Judgeship; The Government by Judges; Gideon; Private Life During the Judges 129—149

VIIT.

ESTABLISHMENT OF KINGS AND RISE OF THE PROPHETIC ORDER; The Kingdom Established; God's Attitude to the Kingdom; The Hebrew King; The Prophetic Office; Rise of the Order of Prophets; The Prophets' Work 149—159

IX

THE KINGDOM UNITED; Opportunity of the Nation; Saul and His Reign; The Character of the Man; His Work; David and His Reign; A Man After God's Own Heart; Jerusalem Made the Capital City; National Institutions; Danger Lines; Reign of Solomon; Solomon as a Man; His Foreign Policy; The Nation Under Solomon; The Temple; Disruption of the Kingdom; Biblical History; Remote Cause of the Disruption; Immediate Cause; It was from the Lord; Both Kingdoms Theocratic 161 — 184

X

ISRAEL, JEROBOAM— JEHOR AM; JUDAH, REHO- BOAM— ATHALIAH; Character of Northern Kingdom; Jeroboam's Religious Policy; His Political Policy; Influences Effecting the Development of the Two Kingdoms; The Southern Kingdom During the First Epoch; The Reign of Omri; Ahab's Reign; Reign of Ahaziah; Jehoram's Reign; Elisha and His Work 185 — 216

CONTENTS.

XI

ISRAEL, HOUSE OF JEHU; JUDAH, JOASH— UZZIAH; The Period of the Prophets; Principles of Interpretation; Hazael Usurps the Throne of Syria; Jehu's Reign; Reigns of Jehoahaz; Jehoash; Reforms of Jehoida; Reign of Joash; Reign of Amaziah of Judah; The Book of Joel; Twofold Significance of Prophecy; Reign of Jeroboam II.; Reign of Uzziah of Judah; Book of Jonah; Jonah and His Work; Prophecy of of Amos; The Prophet's Call; Introduction of His Theme; Israel's Criterion of Morals; No Escape from Judgment; The Nation Was Religious; The Visions 217 — 248

XII

DECLINE AND FALL OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM: Fall of Northern Kingdom; The Prophecy of Hosea; Application; The Hebrew Prophet Subject to Law; The Lesson of the Northern Kingdom 249 — 259

XIII

DECLINE AND FALL OF THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM; Isaiah and His Times; First Period of His Prophecy; Its Relation to the Times and Man; Political Background; The League of Ahaz with Assyria; The Outlook of Ahaz and Isaiah; Political Setting; Historical Setting of Chapters 10, 11, 12; Judah's False Conception of God; Political Setting of Remainder of the Book; Isaiah's Contemporaries; Prophecy of Nahum; Reign of Manasseh; Reign of Josiah; Reign of Jehoiakim; Prophecies of Zephaniah; Prophecy of Habakkuk; Fall of Nineveh; Prophecy of Jeremiah; The Book; Reigns of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah; Jeremiah After the Fall of Jerusalem 260 — 296

XIV

THE PERIOD OF THE EXILE; Babylonia; The Hebrew Captives; Fall of Babylon; The Prophets of the Captivity; Ezekiel; Prophecy of Daniel; Purpose of the Book of Daniel; Contents; Daniel's Visions . . 297 314

CONTENTS. xi

XV

THE JEWISH NATION AFTER THE RETURN; The Return; The Persian History of the Period; The Prophecy of Haggai; The Prophecy of Zechariah; The Reign of Darius; The Jews During the Reign of Darius I.; The Book of Esther; Ezra and His Works; Ezra's Reforms; The Prophecy of Malachi; The Jewish Prophets 317—330

XVI

ISRAEL BETWEEN MALACHI AND MATTHEW; A Period of Origins; Alexander; Effect of the Alexandrian Conquest on the Jews; Palestine Under the Ptolemies; Palestine Under the Seleucidae; The Maccabees; Jewish Parties; Palestine Under the Romans; Christ The Culmination of the Hebrew Economy 331 — 341

Introduction

Object. — In beginning the study of a subject so wide as the divine economy in its felation to man, a clear conception of the object of the study and the method to be pursued is important. (i) The Bible contains the deepest problems of life ; (2) the history of the world is meaningless apart from the divinely inspired revelation of man's place in nature and his eternal destiny; (3) the religion of the Bible is the only one that has given a persistent upv.-ard trend to society; (4) therefore, it deserves to be studied as a means to intellectual culture, for the information it contains and as a source of religious stimulus.

The thought around which the facts of the divine economy group themselves is, that an infinitely wise, loving and just God was educating a race in truth and righteousness. This assumes : (a) A holy God, (b) man as unholy, but whose free agency must be respected at all times, (c) a means for man's acquittal from death through the person of a substitute and (d) his sanctification through the influence of the Spirit. The problem, then, that our study ought to solve is, how induce in man a feeling of guilt, a sense of need and a willingness to accept the substitute and to co-operate in the plan.

Nature is the thought of God, but the science of nature is man^s knowledge of it systematized. Redemption is the thought of God^ but the science of redemption is man's knowledge of it systematized. In the one, the knowledge is within the domain of human investigation and reason; in the other, the knowledge is to be found in the books of the Old and New Testaments.

Our endeavor, therefore, shall be to systematize Biblical truth, so that we may see the wisdom and unity and progress in God's plan for man's restoration to divine favor.

We hope to follow the steps of the divine author of it as they appear in the inspired narrative of its development.

The Method. — One method of study of the Old Testament makes the revelation of Christ the center of biblical truth, and to discover Christ in it the end of biblical study. Everything is made typical of the person and work of Christ. In the deliverances of God's people from their enemies, the great deliverance from sin is set forth. Joshua, David, the sacrifices, etc., are types of Christ. Literature along this line is wide and excellent. It is this phase of Revelation that furnishes themes for so much of our pulpit and platform teaching of the Bible. And it is wisest under the circumstances. No one loses in his own spiritual life by making the whole of inspired truth to revolve around a crucified Christ.

But the method followed in this study endeavors to discover the process of education by which God led his people to a fuller knowledge of himself and his purpose in man. Our efforts, therefore, shall be to determine the specific application of the providences of God to the person or the times effected by them and the purport and influence of the civil and religious polity of the Hebrew nation.

A Divine Revelation Necessary. — But the question might arise here, was a divine revelation necessary to this education? Idolatry is the natural religion of fallen man. The idols around which these religions center are the embodiments of man's own capabilities and aspirations. Water does not rise higher than its source, and no idol can be greater or purer or wiser than the mind which conceived it and endowed it with its attributes. The history of these systems of idol worship reveals the fact that in most cases there has been a sad degeneracy in the moral characteristics of the idol. The idol at first was the concrete expression of the purest and best of human thought and aspiration, but it was soon given a character more in keeping with the degraded sentiments of its worshippers. Thus idolatry soon breaks down with vicious practices all it has done toward man's elevation. There is nothing in the thought of a pure and holy God to attract the sinner so long as he feels that God is offended with him. It is only when man sees the rainbow of reconciliation around the throne of infinite justice that he begins to seek God. The true religion of Jehovah therefore must include such a revelation of God as will satisfy the mind and conscience of the worshipper. The basal fact in it is the atonement of Christ. Since this far transcends human capacity the alternative is hopeless loss or a divine revelation.

Inspiration. — Since man cannot evolve from his own nature that which is spotlessly pure and infallibly correct, the whole superstructure of the Christian faith stands or falls with the doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures. It is not within the limits of our purpose to discuss the different theories of inspiration or even to prove that the Bible is inspired. We proceed on the belief that it is inspired. What of revelation lies beyond the boundary line of man's own investigation is infinitely wise and infallibly true. What of it lies within the limits of history has been chosen from the great mass of historic events with infinite wisdom in the light of the end to be accomplished and recorded with infallible accuracy. The inspiration, however, is in the choice of the matter without any indorsement of the morals of the event recorded. The Bible is a history of God's education of the Hebrew nation to worship him in spirit and in truth. It is highly important to the student that data be given from which a correct estimate may be formed of the mental and moral status of the nation at the time the lesson was given, else its application would not appear. Thus to secure the correct view-point, the ordinary tradition of any time may be admitted to the biblical narrative, without in any way subscribing to its truth.

The Bible. — The Greek word canon primarily means standard, and by usage came to denote an authorized list. It was easy to fix the word to the list of books recognized by the church to be the inspired rule of faith and practice. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, except parts of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezra, where the Aramaic language was used. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made about 200 B. C. The Vulgate is the Latin translation made in the fifth century. The time covered by the Old Testament is about 3,600 years, or from 4004 to 400 B. C. It contains thirty-nine books and the writing of it covers a period of almost 1,000 years, from about 1400 to 400 B. C. Jewish tradition ascribes the editing and arranging of the books to Ezra the Scribe. The Jewish Bible was divided into twenty-two books, but the two books of Samuel were one; the two of Kings, one; the two of Chronicles, one; the twelve Minor Prophets, one; Ezra was joined to Nehemiah; Ruth to Judges, and the Lamentations to Jeremiah. These constitute a structural and spiritual unity which destructive criticism has never harmed and persecution has never affected save to increase its power and deepen its influence.

The Old Testament is a varied collection of History, Poetry, and Prophecy. The book of Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon have esspecial reference to the development of the individual along the lines of truth and purity in thought and action. Much of God's power and wisdom and goodness, his justice and mercy appears in them as the ground upon which God proceeds in the spiritual culture of his people.

They are emphatically devotional and didactic. They have only an indirect reference to God's scheme for the restoration of the human family, and without depreciating their importance in the least we do not include them in this study.

Bible History. — The history given in the Bible differs from ordinary historical writings in that it is purely religious in its purpose. It can be explained on no other hypothesis. Thoughtful students concede religion to be the most potent factor in national development. Its influence often lies below the surface,, and is not noticed in the glamour of great achievements. Nevertheless it may have originated and furnished impetus and direction to the movement. In this sense, biblical history is more philosophical than other histories, for its point and purpose is to reveal the relation of the personal and civil life of the Hebrews to the religion of Jehovah. He who reads the Bible to satisfy curiosity in regard to early civilizations must be disappointed, and he who reads it to bolster any preconceived notions of the genesis and development of the world will not be rewarded largely. It can only be satisfying to the student who apprehends its purpose and therefore relates it to man as a sinner and to God as a gracious Father and Savior.

Bible history falls easily into five parts:

Part I. Early History Of The Hebrew Nation

(i) The world^s history as related to the origin of nations. (2) The Patriarchal administration.

I.

THE CREATION.

Introductory. — Genesis is a very important book. It records the beginnings of all the moral agencies which have brought weal or woe to the human race in all time. The complex fabric of society as we find it to-day, with the good and the bad, the happiness and the wretchedness woven as a woof-thread into the warp of human attainment until the thoughtful optimist is almost pessimist and the pessimist almost optimist is but the development of agencies and principles, the germs of which appear in the book of Genesis. The conflict of moral forces in so far as it relates to the human family begins here, and neither history nor science gives us any other intelligent account of it. The Bible student does well w^ho lingers on Genesis until he sees clearly the purpose of the divine author of revelation and discovers the principles on which God's method of education rests. These principles are deep as human nature and as far-reaching as human destiny. They originate in God and come to the surface in man because he is made in the image of God.

Sources. — Different theories are held in regard to the source of Moses' information concerning the facts recorded in Genesis. Some hold that they are the product of divine revelation, that, somehow, whether in vision or trance, the story of these early times was revealed to him, either dogmatically or in panoramic display. Others believe that Moses compiled the book from the mass of tradition and legend extant in his day. This theory does not exclude the divine agency.

Much foreign rubbish and gro^s exaggeration would vitiate this history, as it was rehearsed by uninspired men through many centuries. The writer must be as truly inspired to sift the true from the false as to originate the true. It does not lessen, in the least, the necessity of God's relation to the book to say that he modified extant traditions to conform them to the truth, and used such of them as were essential to his purpose.

The story of creation when compared with man-made theories of the same event is easily $een to bear the divine stamp. In that it antedates all human experience, it must at some time have been the product of a special revelation. It matters not whether Adam or Moses was the human agent. In our day book-making has largely supplanted oral transmission, but in those early ages it was not so, Families did then preserve with great care both history and tradition. The long life of the patriarchs was peculiarly favorable to this method. It is by no means unreasonable to assume that many of the ideas in Genesis were naturally attainable in the time of the author.

Time Covered by Genesis. — From creation to the settlement of Jacob's family in Egypt was about 2,300 years, 4004-1706, or more than is covered by all the remainder of the Old Testament.

ANALYSIS.

I. Ante-Diluvian period. Chaps. 1-5.

II. Post-Diluvian period. Chaps. 6-9:18. III. Patriarchal period. Chaps. 9:19-50.

Creation. Chaps. 1-2. — The first chapter should include the first three verses of the second chapter. They are needed to complete the story of creation. The remainder of the second chapter includes a sweeping recapitulation of the first chapter as introductory to the continued account of the creation of man and his location in the garden. The

Hebrew words used to express the idea to create or to make are bara, asak, yatsar, yalad. Bara is never used when referring to human agency and is used forty-eight times of God, occurring three times in the first chapter of Genesis.

I. Creation of matter and vegetable Ufe (introduced by bara).

1. The universe preparatory to the pre-Adamic

history of the earth. I :i.

2. Condition of the earth previous to first day.

1 :2.

3. Creation of Hght. 1:3-5.

4. Creation of firmament, i :6-8.

5. Creation of dry land and vegetation, i :9-i3.

6. Creation of sun, moon and stars. 1:14-19. II. Creation of animal life (bara used). 1:20-25.

III. Creation of man (bara used). 1 126-28.

IV. Man placed at the head of creation. 1:29:31. V. God's rest day. 2 : 1-3.

VI. Review of creation to introduce the more personal history of man in his relation to God. 2:4-7.

VII. Location of man in the garden. 2 :8-i6. VIII. A restriction placed on man. 2:17.

IX. Creation of woman. 2 :i8-25.

Principles of Interpretation. — i. The purpose of the Bi- "ble is to give to the world, for the edification of the reader -of any time, God's revelation of himself.

2. By far the greater part of this revelation is in the form of concrete, objective, providential illustration. This embraces the historic part of the Bible.

3. The remaining part is either psalm or proverb or 5Uch a revelation as transcends human experience and is given in dogmatic form. This includes the story of creation as first given to man, the moral law, etc.

4. The divine wisdom has put this objective and dogmatic teaching on record in such a way that the student of any degree of intellectual attainment or culture can get the same conception of God from the record, as the events recorded were designed to teach those who first received them or experienced them.

The Bible and Science. — The hot contention that has been waged between the theologian and the scientist is perfectly natural; nor is it to be deplored. Science is more exact and biblical interpretation surer when they have been compelled to fight their way into popular acceptance. These conflicts have been even sharper, if possible, since Darwin's "Origin of Species" gave such a mighty stimulus to investigation along biological lines. But the ground of difference is entirely man-made. It does not exist in the subjects. The world is coming to recognize this fact, and hence we hear less in these days of attempts to oppose one to the other or to harmonize them. Truth in both fields is now being sifted from the false by critical testing iff-^their respective fields. It is not strange, however, that the Christian student did oppose the tenets of science when skeptical investigators pushed them to the farthest and most ridiculous extremes with the vain boast that they would forever destroy faith in the Bible and the Bible's God. Respectable scientists do not now assert that the beauti/ul adjustments of the material universe, which have in them such evident adaptation to a wise end, are the purposeless products of properties which inhere in matter. Such a position can be held only by him who has devoted all his energy to minute study of the natural phenomena of a single field. His sensibilities must have been stifled until atheism is the natural sentiment. A wider view will render his position untenable even to himself. Herbert Spencer posits an unknowable or transcendental force in nature and independent of matter as the efficient cause of every upv^^ard step in the process of evolution. Had his spiritual sensibilities been as strong as his scientific knowledge was wide and his philosophic speculation profound, he would have written an intelligent and loving God, instead of transcendental force. His integration of matter and concomitant dissipation of motion would have been the divine energy working out systematically a wise and allembracing scheme. The ten years that Prof. Clififord gave educated men to renounce belief in God are passed, and believers in God are multiplied. John Morley no longer prints the name of God with a small initial letter, and John Romanes, at first an aggressive atheist, before the close of his brief life embraced the doctrines of Jesus Christ.

The Christian mind is predisposed to believe both sci- ^ ence and the Bible^ and therefore, an effort is made to wheel them into line with each other. So long as there is an attempt to make the Bible authority on science there will be a conflict between them. When their true relation is recognized there can be none.

If the first chapter of Genesis is forced to explain crea- "^ tion from a scientific point of view, it is to say the least not a good explanation; but if it is understood to teach the great doctrines of God's relation to the world and to man, a more grandly sublime passage is not found in any literature. It is perfectly adapted to its purpose.

The Bible touches on scientific subjects only to illus- * trate or to impress some moral or spiritual truth. It, therefore, wisely uses the language of appearance. Science may shift her position on some phenomenon of nature a dozen times, yet the same language will describe it to the mass of men. In this way the Bible is a book for all time and is adapted to all grades of culture and scientific advancement. The Bible and science agree very often, but it is simply a coincidence, where the language of appearance and scientific language are the same.

Sometimes illustrations from nature and emphasized teachings may reflect light on the intellectual status of the people addressed. In these instances the language of appearance may not be used. God^s words to Job would imply that he knew more about astronomy than we are disposed to admit when he says^ '"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38:31. The belief in Job's knowledge is supported by his own words in 2(y'.y\ ''He stretcheth out the north over the empty place and hangeth the world upon nothing." These exceptions are not numerous. They remain dark places in the Bible until science explains them.

We are, therefore, not called upon to make the first chapter of Genesis square with all that science may say on the development of our system and the life that inhabits the earth. We are not called upon to assume a cosmic light tO' support vegetation until the sun and moon were created. In a word, we are niot forced to make the first chapter of Genesis a chronological epitome of the days of creation. It does not deal at length with those parts of the universe of no ordinary interest to man. The creation of angels is not mentioned; the creation of the devil and his fall are not given, although such an account would have been a great satisfaction to human curiosity; the moon is assigned the second place among the heavenly bodies simply because it is second in importance to the race.