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Highways.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 12

Roads for public use. Num. 20:19¹⁹And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. (Numbers 20:19). Deut. 2:27²⁷Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left. (Deuteronomy 2:27).

Called the king's highway. Num. 20:17¹⁷Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. (Numbers 20:17).

Marked out by heaps of stones. Jer. 31:21²¹Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. (Jeremiah 31:21).

Generally broad. Judg. 20:32, 45³²And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways. (Judges 20:32)
⁴⁵And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. (Judges 20:45). Matt. 7:13¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13).

Generally straight. 1 Sam. 6:12¹²And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. (1 Samuel 6:12). Isa. 40:3³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3).

Made to all cities of refuge. Deut. 19:2, 3²Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. ³Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. (Deuteronomy 19:2‑3).

Often made in deserts. Isa. 40:3³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3).

INFESTED WITH

Serpents. Gen. 49:17¹⁷Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. (Genesis 49:17).

Wild beasts. 1 Kin. 13:24, with Isa. 35:9⁹No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: (Isaiah 35:9).

Robbers. Jer. 3:2²Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:2). Luke 10:30-33³⁰And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ³³But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, (Luke 10:30‑33).

Beggars sat by sides of. Matt. 20:30³⁰And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. (Matthew 20:30). Mar. 10:46.

Often obstructed. Jer. 18:15¹⁵Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; (Jeremiah 18:15).

All obstructions removed from, before persons of distinction. Isa. 40:3³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3). 4, with Matt. 3:3³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:3).

By-paths more secure in times of danger. Judg. 5:6⁶In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. (Judges 5:6).

Desolation of, threatened as a punishment. Lev. 26:22²²I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. (Leviticus 26:22). Isa. 33:8⁸The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. (Isaiah 33:8).

ILLUSTRATIVE

Of Christ. John 14:6⁶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6).

Of the way of holiness. Isa. 35:8⁸And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. (Isaiah 35:8).

Of facilities for the restoration of the Jews. Isa. 11:16¹⁶And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11:16). Isa. 62:10¹⁰Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. (Isaiah 62:10).

(Made in the deserts,) of facilities for the spread of the gospel. Isa. 40:3³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3). Isa. 43:19¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19).

(Narrow,) of the way to life. Matt. 7:14¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14).

(Broad,) of the way to destruction. Matt. 7:13¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13).

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The New Topical Textbook

• High Places.

• High Priest, the.

• Highways.

• Holiness of God, the.

• Holy Ghost, the Comforter, the.

• Holy Ghost, the, Is God.

• Holy Ghost, the Personality of.

• Holy Ghost, the Teacher, the.

• Holy of Holies.

• Horse, the.

• Hospitality.

• Human Nature of Christ, the.

• Humility of Christ, the.

• Hyke or Upper Garment.

• Hypocrites.

• Idleness and Sloth.

• Ignorance of God.