The Horse
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There is a fine description of a war-horse in the book of Job-a book which some think
horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid
as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and
rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and
is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against
him; the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and
rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the
trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and
the shouting."
In the fifth chapter of Judges you will find this verse. "Then were the horse-hoofs
broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones." And it
seems likely from this, that it was not the custom to shoe horses in those days, so
that their hoofs were more easily broken.
They had horses in Egypt in very ancient times, as you will find if you read the first
part of the book of Exodus. You will see there how the children of Israel escaped from
Egypt, after they had been kept in hard bondage a great many years; and how when
they had gone only a short distance, the wicked king Pharaoh went after them to try to
children; they had nothing to ride on, and had their flocks and herds with them, so that
they could not go very fast. They took the course which God directed, and it brought
them to the Red Sea, where there were neither boats nor bridges for them to go over.
Just then they heard that Pharaoh and his army were coming after them. Some came in
chariots of war, and of these there were six hundred drawn by horses; and a great
many more came on horseback. Now what could these people do? If they went on, they
would be drowned; and if they went back, or stayed where they were, they would fall
into the hands of the Egyptians. God told them not to be afraid, for he would take care
of them; so he divided the waters of the sea, and made a dry road for them to go
through, while the water stood up like a wall on each side of them. Then the Egyptians
followed on, and God let the waters flow down upon them, so that they were all
drowned. Think what a sight it must have been, when the chariots, and horses, and
men, were all surrounded by that great, mighty water, and then sunk down one after
another, so that they could be seen no more. The children of Israel sang a psalm of
praise after God had saved them in this wonderful manner, and these words are a part
of it: "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea."
In one of the last chapters in the Old Testament you will find these words, "In that
day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD." This
speaks of a time which has not yet come, but for which christians are looking, when
this world will not be wicked as it now is; but when every thing, even the bells of the
horses, shall be holy unto the Lord.
horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid
as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and
rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and
is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against
him; the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and
rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the
trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and
the shouting."
In the fifth chapter of Judges you will find this verse. "Then were the horse-hoofs
broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones." And it
seems likely from this, that it was not the custom to shoe horses in those days, so
that their hoofs were more easily broken.
They had horses in Egypt in very ancient times, as you will find if you read the first
part of the book of Exodus. You will see there how the children of Israel escaped from
Egypt, after they had been kept in hard bondage a great many years; and how when
they had gone only a short distance, the wicked king Pharaoh went after them to try to
children; they had nothing to ride on, and had their flocks and herds with them, so that
they could not go very fast. They took the course which God directed, and it brought
them to the Red Sea, where there were neither boats nor bridges for them to go over.
Just then they heard that Pharaoh and his army were coming after them. Some came in
chariots of war, and of these there were six hundred drawn by horses; and a great
many more came on horseback. Now what could these people do? If they went on, they
would be drowned; and if they went back, or stayed where they were, they would fall
into the hands of the Egyptians. God told them not to be afraid, for he would take care
of them; so he divided the waters of the sea, and made a dry road for them to go
through, while the water stood up like a wall on each side of them. Then the Egyptians
followed on, and God let the waters flow down upon them, so that they were all
drowned. Think what a sight it must have been, when the chariots, and horses, and
men, were all surrounded by that great, mighty water, and then sunk down one after
another, so that they could be seen no more. The children of Israel sang a psalm of
praise after God had saved them in this wonderful manner, and these words are a part
of it: "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea."
In one of the last chapters in the Old Testament you will find these words, "In that
day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD." This
speaks of a time which has not yet come, but for which christians are looking, when
this world will not be wicked as it now is; but when every thing, even the bells of the
horses, shall be holy unto the Lord.
