Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

"And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

"If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me.

"But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

"And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

"And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

"They, and all that appertained to them, went down. alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

"And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

"And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

"The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

"And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

"To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that

no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

"But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.

"And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation; and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

"And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

"Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.

"And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

"And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

"Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

"And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed."

NOTES.-Korah was a Levite, so he thought he had as good right to be a priest as Aaron. Dathan and Abiram "belonged to the family of Reuben, Jacob's eldest son, so they thought they had more right to be rulers than Moses, who came from the third son. Censers were vessels in which incense was burnt. Appertain means belong.

QUESTIONS.

Of what tribe was Korah? What was his rebellion? How did God settle it? What happened to the 250 men with censers? What was done with the censers? To what tribe did Dathan and Abiram belong? Why did they murmur against Moses? What new thing happened? How were those three men killed? Who were killed with them? Why did the people murmur next day? What happened to them? How was the plague stayed?

CHAPTER XCVII.

MIRACLES IN THE WILDERNESS (continued).

2. THE CONSUMING FIRE AT TABERAH.

"When the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled: and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost part of the camp.

"And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.

"And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them" (Num. xi. 1-3).

3. MIRIAM'S LEPROSY.

"Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

"And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

"And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

"And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

"And He said, Hear now my words: If there be a

prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

"My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

"With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

"And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and He departed.

"And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

"And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

"Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.

"And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her O God, I beseech thee.

now,

"And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

"And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again" (Num. xii. 1-15).

QUESTIONS.

What caused the fire at Taberah? What does Taberah mean? How was the fire stayed? Who was Miriam? What do you know about her before this? Why did she murmur? Who was the Ethiopian woman?" By whom else did Miriam say God spoke? What was Moses' character? How did he shew it? Where did God call these three to Him? What did He say to them? From what did He speak? What did He do to Miriam? Why would she be "as one dead?" How was she cured? How long was she kept outside the camp?

He led me through the wilderness,
Along a lonely way;

He soothed me with His tenderness,
And fed me day by day.

Oh, better far the wilderness
And desert way to me,
If wandering in its loneliness
I should be nearer Thee.

The Dove on the Cross.

CHAPTER XCVIII.

MIRACLES UNDER JOSHUA.

THESE three miracles in Joshua's time are all connected with the invasion of Canaan.

1. THE DIVIDING OF THE JORDAN.

"And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

"And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest),

"That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down towards the Sea of the Plain, even the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericho.

"And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean