THE title of Mrs. Eddy's book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," has been a stumblingblock to those steeped in false theology, who have refused to interpret the Word of God except along the fixed lines laid down by ecclesiastical authorities. To-day, the enlightened thought of the world is arousing itself to the truth of the declaration made many years ago by Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health (p. 320), "The one important interpretation of Scripture is the spiritual." We all know there are many metaphors in the Bible used to illustrate spiritual truth. Remembering this, one may find a wonderfully rich lesson in the real meaning of Urim and Thummim, the two stones which were worn in the breastplate of the high priest, and which until recently had puzzled many as to their true significance.
In any interpretation of the Scriptures, literal or spiritual, it must be remembered that the children of Israel had lived as virtual slaves for many years in the midst of heathen civilizations. The idolatrous rites and ceremonies believed and participated in by their taskmasters were familiar to them. It was, therefore, but natural and logical that Moses, confronted with the gigantic task of leading this nation of lifelong serfs through the wilderness, and foreseeing the absolute necessity of presenting to them the great truths of God in terms which they might readily grasp and understand, should adopt and adapt rites with which they were familiar, and should strive to infuse into the empty forms of such rites something of the real essence of true worship.
Divination had for years been an apparently effective means in the hands of the priestly class for influencing the thoughts and acts of their devotees; and as small stones might conveniently be carried about by the priests, the use of these was an easy and quick method of consulting the oracle regarding the wishes of the various deities. It was thus the custom to learn the pleasure of the gods by consulting the stones carried by the priests. If the white stone were drawn, the omen was propitious; if the dark, the outcome was doubtful. This method of learning the will of the gods was known to the Israelites; and while the more orthodox of them would hardly believe in the finality of such information, it was natural that their priest should have some corresponding material method of learning the divine will.
