290
The Voice in Speech and Song
God’s Care for Israel—And the Levites’ hymn, recorded by Ne-
hemiah, vividly pictures God’s care for Israel, even during these years
of rejection and banishment: “Thou in Thy manifold mercies forsook-
est them not in the wilderness; the pillar of the cloud departed not
from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire
by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest
not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their
thirst. Yea, forty years didst Thou sustain them in the wilderness ....
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Their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.”
Nehemiah
9:19-21
.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 406, 407
.
Praise in Ezra’s Day—Then from the assembled throng [during
the Feast of Trumpets in Ezra’s time after the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s
wall], as they stood with outstretched hands toward heaven, there
arose the song: “Blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted
above all blessing and praise. Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou
hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the
earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein,
and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth
Thee” [
Nehemiah 9:5, 6
]. The song of praise ended, the leaders of
the congregation related the history of Israel, showing how great had
been God’s goodness toward them, and how great their ingratitude.—
Prophets and Kings, 666
.
Songs on Journeys to Jerusalem—The journey to Jerusalem
[when Jewish families attended the feasts], in the simple, patriarchal
style, amidst the beauty of the springtime, the richness of midsum-
mer, or the ripened glory of autumn, was a delight. With offerings of
gratitude they came, from the man of white hairs to the little child,
to meet with God in His holy habitation. As they journeyed, the ex-
periences of the past, the stories that both old and young still love
so well, were recounted to the Hebrew children. The songs that had
cheered the wilderness wandering were sung. God’s commandments
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were chanted, and, bound up with the blessed influences of nature and
of kindly human association, they were forever fixed in the memory
of many a child and youth.—
Education, 42
.
Music at the Feast of Tabernacles—With sacred song and
thanksgiving the worshipers celebrated this occasion. A little be-
fore the feast was the Day of Atonement, when, after confession of