personb to make retribution for wrongs done. Thus right from the beginning after the flood there was what is called “family responsibility” which later expanded into “community responsibility” holding the entire body responsible for wrongs done by any member. This was so viewed because all jointly owned the property and their lives were bound up closely to their family head. It is noted from the Bible that these closely knit, legally responsible families prospered greatly with security and lived in much happiness wherever their family head was theocratically minded by serving Jehovah. Such ones ruled their households lovingly and wisely.—Gen. 24:1.

PROCEDURES

13. Describe how possession of land was transferred.

¹³ The patriarchs had an interesting way in which they offered and transferred possession to land. The prospective buyer would be taken to a vantage point where the seller would describe the precise boundaries and the advantages of the land being offered. After lengthy bargaining back and forth, the seller would finally recite the exact four boundaries of the land for transfer. When the buyer said, “I see,” then the deal was considered closed and a contract made.c The conveyance was made in this manner before witnesses without a literal “handing over” of the land by means of a written deed. However, written contracts also were used. At times the bargaining process itself involved quite a ceremony.—Gen. 23:3-16.

14, 15. (a) How did Jehovah conform to this custom of land transfer? Explain. (b) How did Satan? Explain.

¹⁴ Jehovah God himself conformed to this custom when he made a legal offer to Abraham of the Promised Land. At a vantage point in Canaan, God pointed out to Abraham the precise boundaries of the territory offered. But God did not permit Abraham to say, “I see,” and thus legally accept the transfer, as it was not God’s due time to grant legal possession. (Gen. 13:14, 15) However, the legal transfer was made in the year 1473 B.C., some four hundred years later, when Jehovah caused Moses “to see” or to accept legal possession on behalf of the nation of Israel just before they crossed the Jordan to take the Promised Land. “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, . . . And Jehovah showed him all the land . . . And Jehovah said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, . . . I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes.”—Deut. 34:1-4, AS; also Deut. 3:27.

¹⁵ Notice that Satan the mimic also conformed to this method of offer when he approached Jesus in the wilderness to tempt him. “Again the Devil took him [Jesus] along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him: ‘All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.’” (Matt. 4:8, 9, NW) Satan here was actually making a genuine legal offer for Jesus to consider seriously of legally accepting. Even though Jesus quickly recognized it as a legal offer yet he lost no time in utterly rejecting it by saying, “Go away, Satan!”

16, 17. (a) As judges how did the family heads determine evidence? (b) Give Bible examples.

¹⁶ In settling local family disputes the family heads served as judges. To render justice it was very necessary for them to sift out the exact evidence in the matter under dispute. According to the King James and American Standard Versions, when the evidence was clearly determined they used the expressions “to know”, “to discern” or “to acknowledge” in giving their ruling on the facts. This legal language would be similar to our time when a judge or jury sits “to find” a man guilty of crime according to the evidence submitted. When Laban accused Jacob of having stolen his teraphim Jacob legally gave Laban the right to search out the evidence as to Jacob’s innocence. Jacob said, “Before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee.”—Gen. 31:32, AS.

¹⁷ Another example is the case where family head Judah sat as a judge to hear the case of his daughter-in-law Tamar who was accused of being illegitimately with child. “And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I.” (Gen. 38:24-26, 11-20, AS) Judge Judah was forced to admit legally that he was the father of her child by the clear evidence presented that she was the supposed harlot that Judah had relationship with some time previous.

18. Why did the faithful theocratic patriarchs continue to live as temporary residents in the Promised Land?

¹⁸ There were many other customs involving birthright, the right of parents to choose the wives for their sons, responsibility when one places property in the custody of another, slavery, concubinage, redemption of slaves, and others. Several of these will be examined in the succeeding article. At this stage in the examination of patriarchal society it can be seen that it was no crude social order. Rather it was a system highly organized adapted to the nomadic life of those early family units. They dwelt in tents and wandered over the land in the care of their large flocks and herds. The faithful theocratic patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the others were content to live in the land of promise as temporary residents awaiting the time for the promised Messiah, Christ Jesus, to come as King to establish the everlasting kingdom of righteousness over the earth. “For he [Abraham] was awaiting the city having real foundations and the builder and creator of which is God.” (Heb. 11:8-10, NW) So we see there is much of particular interest for us today as to God’s dealings with his servants under the patriarchal system of organization. As God’s legal ways change not, his legal actions back there are bound to indicate similar ways for the new world system of things. So let us not despise these early days of small beginnings.—Mal. 3:6; Zech. 4:10.

Shadows Out of the Past

“For those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ.”—Col. 2:17, NW.

1. What pre-Law covenant matters are of current interest, and why?

OUT of the long dim past many shadows of twentieth-century realities stand out in silent but unmistakable testimony. These Biblical shadows of clear outline foretell activity occurring today on a global scale. While the Law covenant mediated through Moses in ancient time contained a host of prophetic shadows of good things to come, yet centuries prior thereto patriarchal law and customs also contributed their share of shadows which find their realities in our day. (Heb. 10:1, NW)