CHAPTER IV
Noah and the Deluge
The Son of Lamech.—Noah was the son of Lamech, who was a grandson of Enoch, and after him "the next great grand patriarch who held the keys of the priesthood." Lamech was ordained under the hand of Seth, the third son of Adam, who received from his father a blessing similar to the one afterwards pronounced upon Abraham, to the effect that his posterity should be the chosen of the Lord. Seth seems to have succeeded to the position held by Abel, whom Cain slew (Gen. 4:25). He is described as "a perfect man," the express likeness of his father. Noah's patriarchal ordination came from Methuselah, the father of Lamech. Noah was but ten years old when his grandfather thus blessed and ordained him.—(D. and C. 107: 42, 43, 48, 51, 52.)
"And Noah was four hundred and fifty years old, and begat Japheth; and forty-two years afterward he begat Shem of her who was the mother of Japheth; and when he was five hundred years old he begat Ham.
"And it came to pass that Noah prophesied, and taught the things of God, even as it was in the beginning.
"And the Lord said unto Noah: My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he shall know that all flesh shall die; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years; and if men do not repent, I will send in the floods upon them.
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"And the Lord ordained Noah after his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch.
"And it came to pass that Noah called upon the children of men that they should repent, but they hearkened not unto his words;
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"And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.
"And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;
"Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless they hearkened not.
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"And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth."—(Moses 8:12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22-24, 30.)
End of the World Foreshadowed.—Noah's period was prophetic of the end of the world. This is apparent from the words of the Savior, when prophesying over Jerusalem, and foretelling the end of the Jewish commonwealth, an event also typical of the final destruction of the wicked. Speaking of the social conditions that prevailed while Noah was preaching the Gospel and delivering his warning message, Jesus said:
"As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
"For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark.
"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."—(Matt. 24:3 7-39.)
Earth's Baptism of Fire.—The deluge that destroyed the wicked "with the earth" (that is, with water, representing the earth) and which God covenanted with Noah never to repeat, is to be paralleled by another deluge, in which the wicked will be consumed by fire from heaven; and as unexpectedly as came the watery flood in which our planet was once immersed, will come the fiery baptism that is destined to cleanse it from all unrighteousness and prepare it for celestial glory.
A Second Adam.—Noah, who is Gabriel, and stands next to Adam, or Michael, in the priesthood, typifies the great patriarch, in that through him and his immediate family—eight souls in all—Earth was repeopled after the flood. Hence Noah is sometimes called "the second Adam."
Japheth, Shem and Ham.—Noah's eldest son, Japheth, peopled Europe; Shem, Asia; and Ham, Africa. Noah's blessing upon Shem and Japheth, and his curse upon Ham, through Canaan, Ham's son, are thus recorded in the Hebrew scriptures:
"And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
"And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
"God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."—(Gen. 9:25-27.)
Noah's Curse Upon Canaan.—Part of the curse that fell upon Canaan was "a blackness," which came upon all his posterity, causing them to be "despised among all people" (Moses 7:8)—a blackness similar to that which had been placed upon the "seed of Cain" (Moses 7:22). The curse also deprived the Canaanites of the priesthood.—(Abraham 1:26.)
Just why a whole race had to be punished for a sin committed by one of its ancestors, is a mystery almost as great as that of the vicarious atonement, demanded by eternal justice for Adam's transgression. We may be sure, however, that right was vindicated in both cases, and revelation will eventually make the matter plain. Every effect has a cause. Canaan was not cursed, nor his posterity deprived of the priesthood, for nothing. It must be that the spirits taking those dark bodies, and passing through the experiences ordained for them, have done something to merit their fate. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This principle applies to the spirit life, no less than to the mortal life.
Shem's and Japheth's Blessing.—From Shem came Abraham, the Father of the Faithful; and from Japheth sprang the Gentiles, the founders of the most civilized and enlightened nations of modern times, including Great Britain and the United States of America. Let me add, here, that the term "Gentile" is not an opprobrious epithet, as some suppose. It comes from "Gentilis," signifying "of a nation," and is used in sacred history to designate the people that were not of Israel. Ham, through Canaan, was the progenitor of the negro race, long held in slavery in this and in other Gentile countries. The Ethiopian also served the Semite, just as Noah had predicted.
The Tents of Shem.—How Japheth has "dwelt in the tents of Shem," is partly shown by the history of Palestine, which has long been dominated by the Gentiles, particularly the Turks, who still possess it. Japheth's remarkable blessing has also been realized in the history of our own country, America, the land of Joseph, which the Gentiles now inhabit, and where, according to the Book of Mormon, they are to assist in gathering Israel and building the New Jerusalem. It is their privilege to share, if they will, in all the blessings promised to the chosen people. The Gentiles who receive the gospel, and are faithful to its requirements, shall be as the seed of Abraham (Abraham 2:9-11). "The tents of Shem" may be interpreted to mean the lands of Israel, the homes of the people of God, who are lineally descended from Shem, through Abraham.
Another Parallel.—"As it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man." For this, his own rendering of Matt. 24:41, the Prophet Joseph finds another fulfilment thus:
"He [Jehovah] continued to him [Noah] the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory with which he blessed Adam at the beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation; therefore, all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets."—("History of the Church," Vol. IV, pp. 210, 211.)
CHAPTER V
Abraham
The House of Israel.—The Abrahamic period was signalized by the founding of the house of Israel, of which Abraham is the earthly head; Christ, or Jehovah, the God of Israel, being its heavenly head. This house was established upon the earth that the Savior of the world might have a fitting lineage through which to come, and that the Lord might have a worthy people through whom to promote his wise and benevolent purposes toward the whole human family. The Israelitish subject is reserved for fuller treatment in future pages. I shall merely point out here some of the greater events for which the dispensation of Abraham is distinguished.
The Law of Tithing—Melchizedek.—In connection with the career of the Hebrew patriarch, the first mention is made in the Bible of the law of tithing, and also of the high priest, Melchizedek, to whom Abraham gave tithes:
"And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God.
"And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all."—(Gen. 14:18-20.)
Paul refers to the same event in the following language:
"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
"To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace;
"Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
"Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils."—(Heb. 7:1-4.)
The Priesthood Renamed.—So great was he that the Priesthood was renamed for him. Before his time, it was called The Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. Its present name, the Melchizedek Priesthood, was bestowed, as we are informed, for reverential reasons, to avoid a too frequent repetition of the name of Deity.—(D. and C. 107:1-4.)
Abraham's Test.—The offering of Isaac, Abraham's son of promise, symbolized the offering, by the Eternal Father, of his Only Begotten Son, for the redemption and salvation of mankind. This crucial trial of Abraham's faith is thus related by the sacred historian:
"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold, here I am.
"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
"And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went into the place of which God had told him.
"Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
"And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
"And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son, And he said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
"And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering; so they went both of them together.
"And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
"And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
"And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
"And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
"And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."—(Gen. 22:1-13.)
Jehovah's Promise to His Friend.—Then followed the Lord's promise to the tried and proven Father of the Faithful:
"In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Ibid, 17, 18).
How that promise was fulfiled, will be shown in the concluding part of this volume.
CHAPTER VI
Moses and Aaron
"The sons of Moses, and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot, as I [the Lord] have appointed;
"And the sons of Moses and of Aaron shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, upon Mount Zion in the Lord's house, whose sons are ye; and also many whom I have called and sent forth to build up my church;
"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies;
"They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God."—(D. and C. 84:31-34.)
Israel and the Exodus.—The principal events of the Mosaic dispensation were the exodus from Egypt and the establishment of Israel as an independent nation, under the leadership of their great prophet and lawgiver, Moses. Both these events foreshadowed greater ones, namely: the world's deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, and the establishment upon earth of the Kingdom that shall stand forever.
The Passover.—The exodus was commemorated by the Feast of the Passover, instituted to perpetuate in the minds and hearts of the children of Israel their deliverance from slavery, and at the same time to foreshow the mightier redemption of which that exodus was typical. The Passover was kept as follows: On the night before the departure out of Egypt, each Israelitish household, obedient to God's command through Moses, took a lamb "without blemish," and slew it, sprinkling the blood upon the posts and lintels of their doors. It was promised that the Angel of Death, who had been sent to afflict the cruel nation for its oppression of the Lord's people, by slaying the first-born of every Egyptian household, would pass over every Israelitish dwelling upon which this blood was sprinkled. Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken, nor a fragment of it left to decay; for it was intended to symbolize the Lamb of God, whose body was not to see corruption (Ps. 16:10). Neither was any bone of him to be broken.
Symbolism Realized.—In a most remarkable manner was this symbolism realized; for when the Roman soldiers came to Calvary to remove the three bodies from the crosses erected there, they put an end to both the malefactors by breaking their legs; but finding Jesus already dead, this additional indignity was not put upon him. Pierced with five wounds, yet not a bone of him broken, the Lamb of God answered to the prophetic likeness of the paschal lamb, and was laid away in the rocky tomb, from which he came forth upon the third day, his perfectly preserved body—the tabernacle of the Holy One—glorified in immortality.
The Paschal Ceremony.—In the ceremonial of the Passover, the flesh of the lamb was roasted, and partaken of with bitter herbs and with unleavened bread, or bread hastily prepared; the former typifying the bitterness of the bondage that was about to end, and the latter the haste attendant upon the departure out of Egypt. To emphasize this fact still further, the members of the family, while partaking of the feast, then and thereafter, were clad as if for a journey.—(Exodus 12.)
Shadow and Substance.—This sacred memorial, a reminder to God's people of what he had done, and would yet do, was observed in Israel, by divine appointment, until the coming of Christ. The night before he was sacrificed, he, the great Paschal Lamb, after partaking of the ancient feast with his disciples, instituted in its stead the Lord's Supper, commanding them to observe it thenceforth. The Supper and the Passover were both designed to commemorate the Savior's atonement; but in the Passover the pointing was forward, to an event yet to come, while in the Supper the indication is backward, to an event that has already taken place. It was about the same hour of the day when the paschal lamb was offered in the temple at Jerusalem, that Christ died on Calvary, the substance and the shadow thus corresponding.
The Great Deliverer.—The lamb of the Passover symbolized the Lamb of God, the universal Deliverer, and Moses, who led the Lord's people out of Egypt, was also a type of the world's Redeemer. Jesus, whose mission the career of Moses foreshadowed, is repeatedly described in the sacred writings as "like unto Moses;" and Moses, the type of Christ, was reputedly "the meekest of men."
How Moses Obtained the Priesthood.—Moses was of the tribe of Levi, and son-in-law to Jethro, from whom he received the Priesthood.
"And Jethro received it under the hand of Caleb;
"And Caleb received it under the hand of Elihu;
"And Elihu under the hand of Jeremy;
"And Jeremy under the hand of Gad;
"And Gad under the hand of Esaias;
"And Esaias also lived in the days of Abraham, and was blessed of him—
"Which Abraham received the Priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah;
"And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers;
"And from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, who received the Priesthood by the commandments of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man."—(D. and C. 84:7-16.)
Jethro, Priest of Midian.—An account of the relations between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro the Midianite, may be found in the second, third and eighteenth chapters of Exodus. The Midianites were descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham.
The Call of Aaron.—Moses, having received the Melchizedek Priesthood, organized, by divine direction, the Lesser Priesthood, with Aaron, his brother, at its head. It was in the wilderness of Sinai, fourteen hundred and ninety-one years before the coming of the Savior. The children of Israel, in their exodus from Egypt, after the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, whose retiring waters had rolled over the heads of their enemies, were encamped at the foot of the famous eminence, ever since a sacred way-mark in the history of the Hebrew nation.
The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, "in the sight of all the people," and from the midst of thunders, lightnings and thick clouds, which caused the mountain to quake and obscured his glorious presence from the gaze of the unsanctified multitude, he summoned Moses up into the top of the Mount, and delivered unto him, among other charges, the following:
"Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazer and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.
"And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."—(Exodus 28:1-3.)
The Ten Commandments—Sacred Patterns.—The Lord also gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, which He had previously spoken in the hearing of all Israel, with other parts of the Law, afterwards embodied by the prophet in his famous code. Also the pattern of the Ark or Sanctuary, the symbol of the covenant that God had made with his people; and of the Tabernacle or holy tent where the Ark was deposited, where the priests offered sacrifice and made atonement for the sins of the nation, and where the Lord communicated by angels or by Urim and Thummim with those chosen to represent him in that sacred capacity. He instructed him minutely as to the fashioning of the priestly robes, the materials to be used in them, and the persons who should make them, likewise prescribing the manner in which these things should all be consecrated to his service.
Elders in Israel.—It seems that there were more elders than one in Israel, at the time Aaron and his sons were called to minister in the priest's office; a fact shown by the following reference to an event somewhat earlier than the one in question:
"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
"And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
"And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand; also they saw God, and did eat and drink."—(Exodus 24:9-11.)
I assume, of course, that the title "elder" had the same significance then that it has now—that it was an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood. If this be correct, and I see no reason why it should be doubted, then there were at least "seventy elders" in Israel at that time. Nay, more, for these seventy were "of the elders of Israel," one of whom, of course, was Moses, who had doubtless ordained the others. It is even probable that Aaron and his sons likewise held the Melchizedek Priesthood when they were called to act as priests; for they were among those who "saw God," which they could not have done, with safety, had they held only the Aaronic Priesthood. Aaron's call to preside over the priests, was probably similar to a call that might now be made upon a high priest to officiate as presiding bishop.
The Golden Calf.—How were Aaron and his sons, on the eve of their setting apart to these sacred honors, conducting themselves, during the absence of their leader? Forty days and nights had passed since Moses, accompanied by faithful Joshua, went up into the Mount to commune with the Almighty. Alarmed at his protracted stay, unable to account for it, and no doubt apprehensive as to their own safety without super-natural guidance, the people, not yet free from taint of contact with idolatrous Egypt, and forgetful of the covenant they had made with God on the day the Ten Commandments were thundered from the mountain top, "gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: Up, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."—(Exodus 32:1.)
Obedient to their wishes, and perhaps fearful of consequences if he refused, Aaron took of their golden earrings and made for them a molten calf, after the Egyptian god Apis, and having finished it, and built an altar before it, he proclaimed: "These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." He also announced "a feast to the Lord" in its honor on the morrow.
"Who's on the Lord's Side?"—In this sensuous and blasphemous worship the Israelites were engaged, when Moses came down from the Mount. The shouts of revelry had reached his ears far up the height, insomuch that Joshua, who was still with him, suggested "a noise of war in the camp." Moses, however, recognized the sound of singing. He had been warned by the Lord of what was taking place, and on coming nearer the whole revolting truth burst upon him. The golden god on high—the people, chosen Israel, feasting and dancing before it in their nakedness! Such was the soul-sickening spectacle presented to his gaze. In his hands he held the "tables of the testimony"—the divine decalogue, written by the finger of God. Before his eyes was being violated the very first of those ten commandments. His righteous anger knew no bounds. Casting from him the stone tablets, which shattered as they fell, he burst like a storm upon the guilt-stricken idolators. Demolishing their idol, grinding it to powder, and scattering it to the winds and waters, he called for all who were "on the Lord's side" to rally round him.
Expiation for Idolatry.—The sons of Levi responded to a man. Moses, directed by the Lord, commanded them to take their swords and go in and out from gate to gate, and slay every man his son, brother and neighbor; that they might consecrate themselves before the Lord, and make atonement for the great sin that had been committed. The stern behest was obeyed, and there fell that day in Israel about three thousand male souls.
Organization and Consecration.—The expiation complete, Moses proceeded to organize the priesthood, as he had been directed, and also to construct the tabernacle and the ark according to the pattern that God had shown him. The garments of the priests and the appurtenances of the sanctuary were fashioned to conform with the divine instruction, and Aaron and his sons, the ark, the tabernacle, and everything connected with the sacred ceremonial, were then sanctified and dedicated, with solemn and impressive ceremonies, to the service of the God of Israel.
The Levites.—Prior to the false worship of Apis, the Lord had chosen unto himself the firstborn males of every household in Israel, as a parallel act to the destruction of the firstborn throughout the land of Egypt, and had sanctified and set them apart for some peculiar purpose. He now altered his original design, and taking the tribe of Levi, instead, made of them the sacerdotal class of the nation. This selection was no doubt a recognition and a reward for the zeal they had displayed in wiping out the stain of idolatry from Israel.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him."
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"And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel."
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"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel, instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be mine;
"Because all the firstborn are mine, for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast; mine they shall be; I am the Lord."
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"And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord), instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites, instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel."
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"And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and three score and thirteen, of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites:
"Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them; the shekel is twenty gerahs.
"And thou shalt give the money wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.
"And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites.
"And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses."—(Numbers 3.)
Thus were the Levites given as "a gift for the Lord," to have charge of the tabernacle and the sanctuary—though not to officiate there as did the priests—and to "do the service of the congregation." So that Aaron, who was now high priest, or bishop over the lesser priesthood, had under him, not only his sons, in the priests' quorum, but also a great body of Levites (were they not as teachers and deacons?) to officiate in the minor quorums. Hence the origin of the term Levitical, as applied to this priesthood.
Slain for Offering Strange Fire.—Soon after this organization and selection, Nadab and Abihu were slain by the Lord for "offering strange fire" before him, or officiating when he "commanded them not," and Eleazer, Aaron's third son, then took the senior's place. He was made "chief over the chief of the Levites," having oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary. Thus, while Eleazer presided over the Levites, Aaron presided over both priests and Levites; Moses, by virtue of his superior calling, retaining the controlling power or presidency over the whole.
The Law and the Testimony.—Eleven months and twenty days the Israelites had sojourned in Sinai. During this period they had celebrated their second Passover, or feast of unleavened bread. Two other annual feasts they were commanded to keep, namely the feast of Pentecost, or the promulgation of the law, and the feast of Tabernacles, or tents, commemorating their sojourn in the wilderness. The laws of Moses were now promulged and codified; the tables of the testimony, having been renewed, were placed, with other sacred relics, in the ark for safe keeping; and the sublime system of heaven-revealed religion was set in motion.
On to Canaan!—The civil and military wings of this nomadic power, springing as if by magic from an unorganized rabble, without laws, institutions, or prescribed method of worship, into a compact and powerful nation, were now in full equipment and discipline. "On to Canaan!" was the national cry. And so, on the twentieth day of their second year, or about May 20, 1490 B. C., the Camp of Israel struck their tents, and guided by the cloud and pillar of God, which had been with them since the memorable night when the fetters of two centuries were stricken off and the power of Egypt submerged, they began their march through the Sinaitic desert toward the wilderness of Paran.