possession; once in the time of the Judges, once during the reign of the Kings; then just before the captivity of Judah; and finally at the restoration again to Palestine. It almost seems as if nothing very great or decisive, in regard to the Jews, could take place, without their being at least noticed; for it is only on great occasions, or at certain eras, that they are introduced at all. The uniformity of their character, also, during this long period, is peculiarly striking; for though the notices are brief, they are most emphatic, and not one of them contains the slightest censure. Invariably they appear before us on the side of truth, and favorable to the design of God with regard to his chosen people. Though not of the seed of Israel, they not only acquiesce in his sovereignty, but individuals among them exult in the progress of his cause. These were the Kenites or Rechabites, who sprang from the south-western Midianites.

Two households, if not three, in this little tribe will stand the most rigid scrutiny, and will reward whatever attention is bestowed upon them. They especially deserve it also, owing to the too common idea, that true religion was entirely confined to those who were the lineal descendants of Abraham by Isaac and Jacob. That the very names by which men were distinguished in ancient times often afford some index to their history is well known to every careful reader of the Scriptures. Now, the names mentioned in the first of these households are not unworthy of observation. That of the Father or head, Raguel or Reuel, signified "the shepherd or friend of God;" that of his son, Jethro, "his excellence or remains ;" and that of his grandson, Hobab, "favored or beloved."*

* Some discrepancy on the face of the sacred narrative, where these names occur, has occasioned variety of opinion; the Septuagint, using the names of Raguel and Jethro indiscriminately for the

Upon Moses coming up out of Egypt, before the giving of the law, or the institution of the Mosaic economy," Raguel being, it is supposed, now dead, Jethro appears, like another Melchizedec coming out to bless Abraham. Having heard the whole account of their deliverance, Moses and Aaron, and all the elders of Israel, come before him, while he officiates as priest, offers a burnt-offering and sacrifices to Jehovah, and they all eat bread together before the Lord. Their feasting together “before God," was a token of their entire amity, as their uniting in one sacrifice had been of unity in faith. This venerable man's advice too is tendered to Moses, approved by God, and afterwards by all the host of Israel. Adopted as it was, to him we trace "the rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, the rulers of fifties and rulers of tens :" an arrangement which to Moses in all his wanderings through the wilderness was of immense importance: indeed the rulers of thousands are supposed to have been permanent. Having thus testified his deep interest, and left behind him a standing memorial of his wisdom, this venerable saint returns to his own land. No doubt such a man took home with him the "Song of Moses," adopted every word of it as his own, and made no secret in his own country of all that had happened. Witness the fervor of his expressions on hearing the detail of Moses“Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians, and out of the hands of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the father-in-law, and, in Judges, Hobab himself being mentioned in our translation as sustaining the same relation. But, on a careful comparison of every passage, the above statement seems to me at present to have been the fact,

* See Exodus xviii. The transposition of this passage by some Biblical critics to a subsequent period, I incline to think unwarrantable and unnatural; though this would not affect the following narrative, but rather considerably strengthen it.

Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, God is above them."

Jethro's son, Hobab, was probably with him on this occasion, and whether he went home with his Father is uncertain; but if he did, that he returned again is evident; for, upon the tribes of Israel being all ready to move, we hear Moses himself entreating his company in the most earnest manner; indeed, so important was Hobab in his estimation, that he represents him as likely to serve to them " instead of eyes." In this there was no reference to the way or the spot of encampment, for the pillar of the cloud directed these, but to various important conveniences, such as water and pasturage, with which he was acquainted, or to such cases of perplexity as might arise, which were wisely left to human sagacity. To this man, Hobab, and his posterity, a most singular promise was then given by Moses, which we shall find fulfilled to the very letter for many ages. The promise was of large At first it was only, (6 we will do you good :" but when afterwards enlarged, Moses prevailed with him to proceed. "And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee-and it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee!"* This was engaging for great things indeed, for what could he say more? It almost reminds one of the Apostle John, on another occasion, when he said, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us." The truth is, that into this family Moses had married, and nothing can be more amiable than the deep interest which he now discovers in the family of his wife.†

extent.

* Numb. xxix. 32.

+ After the time of Isaac and Jacob, we find several such alliances, on which, as they could not now affect the covenant made with Abraham, the Almighty smiled, and discovered to posterity

Rejoicing, therefore, in the opportunity of finding security and repose in Canaan, and remaining with Israel in all their wanderings, of such importance is this man and his posterity, that, forty years afterwards, from the top of the rock, they are espied by Balaam among the tents of Jacob and tabernacles of Israel! "He looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said-Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock." Moses dies, but when Joshua crossed over to Jericho, they were there, and the land being once subdued, in the expressive language of Balaam, whether it referred to their past or proposed situation, assuredly now they put their nest in a rock; for "the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, in the south of Arad; and they went, and dwelt among the people."* In choosing this retreat they had not, like Lot, chosen a fruitful plain and well watered, but a wil'derness; yet even here, in process of time, one inconvenience remained, which must be removed; for they must be taken care of and preserved. They were surrounded by the Amalekites, a people still infesting the tribe of Judah, and who, for their murderous conduct and intentions to Israel in the wilderness, had been appointed to utter destruction. Here, in short, their situation seemed analogous to that of Lot in Sodom. But God knoweth well how to extricate; so he interposed on their behalf, and that even through the instrumentality of Saul. This deliverance, by such a man, was more evidently an interposition of Divine Providence in their favor, inasmuch as

how much that mother gained who came to put her trust under the shadow of his wings. The wife of Joseph was an Egyptian, and of Moses a Kenite or Midianite: the grandmother of David was a Moabitess, and other instances might perhaps be found.

⚫ Judges i. 16.

we seldom or ever read of his paying any regard to what had been recorded for the guidance of posterity. On this occasion, however, he did.

The lands or mountain-ground, including several cities, on which this people resided, had been awarded to them "as a gratuity for having abandoned their native country and joined the Israelites, sharing the hazard of the war and the troubles they encountered in the desert :"* and their singular escape was ascribed by Saul himself to their having "showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites." Such a movement might have accounted for this people being found again at a considerable distance, were we not informed that, so early as the time of the Judges, the northern parts of Canaan being cleared of all oppression from the Moabites, by the conquest and death of their king, who had established his capital at the Kenites' old abode, Jericho, the city of palm-trees-and the land having rest for eighty years-one of "the children of the Father-in-law of Moses," named Heber, "had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh"-that is Kedesh-naphtali, one of the Cities of Refuge, north of the Sea of Galilee, in the tribe of Naphtali.§ But wherever they went, to the enemies of Israel this people were ever enemies, and ready to assist in delivering them from their oppressors. Even a female branch of this, the second family to which I alluded, Jael, the wife of Heber, just mentioned, was therefore by Deborah the prophetess pronounced to be "blessed above women," and especially among her own people, or women in the tent," because she had been the death of Sisera, the general of the enemy's army.

*Josephus, lib. v. cap. 2. + Judges iv. 6.

+ 1 Samuel xv. 6.

§ Judges iv. 11, and Josh. xx. 7.