ot continuously, but from time to time, as they were
communicated to him. In this way the historical notices which are woven
into them--the matter of the golden calf, Exodus, ch. 32, the death of
Nadab and Abihu, Leviticus, ch. 10, the blasphemy of Shelomith's son,
Leviticus, ch. 24, and the numerous incidents recorded in the book of
Numbers--all these narratives find a perfectly natural explanation. Some
of these incidents--as, for example, the blasphemy of Shelomith's
son--come in abruptly, without any connection in the context; and their
position can be accounted for only upon the assumption that they were
recorded as they happened. In this peculiar feature of the Mosaic code
before Deuteronomy, we have at once a proof that Moses was the writer,
and that the historical notices connected with it were also recorded by
him. The result at which we arrive is that the whole record from God's
appearance to Moses and his mission to Pharaoh has Moses himself for its
author. The authorship of the preceding part of the Pentateuch will be
considered separately.

9. The above result in reference to that part of the law which precedes
Deuteronomy, is confirmed by the _testimony of the New Testament_. In
disputing with the Sadducees, our Lord appealed to the writings of
Moses, which they acknowledged: "Now that the dead are raised, even
Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Luke 20:37. It was by
recording the words of God, as given in Exodus 3:6, that Moses called
the Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The apostle Paul, again,
referring to Lev. 18:5, says: "Moses describeth"--literally,
_writeth_--"the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them." Rom. 10:5. Here also belong
certain passages that speak of precepts in "the law of Moses," as Luke
2:22-24, where the reference is to various precepts in Exodus,
Leviticus, and Numbers--Exod. 13:2; 22:29; 34:19; Lev. 12:2, seq.; Numb.
3:13; 8:17; 18:15--John 7:22, 23, where the reference is to Lev. 12:2;
for with the New Testament writers "the law of Moses" means the law
written by Moses. In like manner we find references in the Old Testament
to the books of the law of Moses that precede Deuteronomy--2 Chron.
23:18 compared with Numb. 28:2, seq.; 2 Chron. 24:6 compared with Exod.
30:12, seq.; Ezra 3:2-5 compared with Numb. 28:2, seq., and 29:12, seq.;
Neh.