Singing in Israel’s Experience
291
their sins, the people were declared to be at peace with Heaven. Thus
the way was prepared for the rejoicing of the feast. “O give thanks
unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever” (
Psalm
106:1
) rose triumphantly, while all kinds of music, mingled with shouts
of hosanna, accompanied the united singing.
The temple was the center of the universal joy. Here was the pomp
of the sacrificial ceremonies. Here, ranged on either side of the white
marble steps of the sacred building, the choir of Levites led the service
of song. The multitude of worshipers, waving their branches of palm
and myrtle, took up the strain, and echoed the chorus; and again the
melody was caught up by voices near and afar off, till the encircling
hills were vocal with praise.
At night the temple and its court blazed with artificial light. The
music, the waving of palm branches, the glad hosannas, the great
concourse of people, over whom the light streamed from the hanging
lamps, the array of the priests, and the majesty of the ceremonies,
combined to make a scene that deeply impressed the beholders. But
the most impressive ceremony of the feast, one that called forth greatest
[456]
rejoicing, was one commemorating an event in the wilderness sojourn.
At the first dawn of day, the priests sounded a long, shrill blast
upon their silver trumpets, and the answering trumpets, and the glad
shouts of the people from their booths, echoing over hill and valley,
welcomed the festal day. Then the priest dipped from the flowing
waters of the Kedron a flagon of water, and, lifting it on high, while
the trumpets were sounding, he ascended the broad steps of the temple,
keeping time with the music with slow and measured tread, chanting
meanwhile, “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.”
Psalm
122:2
.
He bore the flagon to the altar, which occupied a central position
in the court of the priests. Here were two silver basins, with a priest
standing at each one. The flagon of water was poured into one, and
a flagon of wine into the other; and the contents of both flowed into
a pipe which communicated with the Kedron, and was conducted to
the Dead Sea. This display of the consecrated water represented the
fountain that at the command of God had gushed from the rock to
quench the thirst of the children of Israel. Then the jubilant strains
rang forth, “The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song”; “therefore