After leaving E'gypt, the great host of the Is'ra-el-ites journeyed in an easterly direction to a place called Suc'coth, where they pitched their tents. Here the LORD directed Mo'ses to remind the people of the gratitude which they owed to the One who had so miraculously delivered them from bondage in E'gypt. Ceremonies and duties in keeping with their new freedom were now announced by the Divinely appointed leader.
The Is'ra-el-ites were told that the eldest child in every family should be dedicated to God in a special manner, and that ever afterwards the first child born to a newly married couple should be set apart to God. In this way God established in Is'ra-el a perpetual memorial of His saving of the firstborn of the Is'ra-el-ites on the night when the eldest child in every E'gyp-tian family was taken by death. That eventful night would be kept alive in the memory of the chosen people of God forever. This requirement also taught the Is'ra-el-ites that the best of their earthly possessions were to be consecrated to the service of God; in offering sacrifices to Him, the people were to give the very best of whatever they had. In making this dedication of the firstborn to the LORD, a sacrifice of a lamb was to be offered as a reminder to Is'ra-el of the way in which their eldest children had been spared from the Angel of death in E'gypt.
Then Mo'ses repeated the orders which he had already given in E'gypt for the establishment of the Pass'o-ver as a ceremony to be kept for all time, and warned the Is'ra-el-ites not to overlook this duty after they were settled in the land of Ca'naan. It would be impossible for them to keep the Pass'o-ver Feast during their prolonged journey through the wilderness, but it must be renewed in Ca'naan. The people were told to explain to their children the meaning of the Pass'o-ver Feast, and to do everything in their power to keep alive in the memory of future generations their wonderful deliverance from bondage in E'gypt. Among all the children of Is'ra-el the observance of the Pass'o-ver was to mark their national birthday.
Following a brief rest at the place called Suc'coth, the Is'ra-el-ites resumed their journey toward Ca'naan. The most direct route over which they might travel was a caravan road around the northern end of an arm of the Red Sea, where there is now the Suez Canal. By taking this route they could have reached the southwest border of Ca'naan within five or six days. This route, however, would have led them through the territory held at that time by the warlike Phi-lis'tines, and it would have been impossible for Mo'ses to engage in battle while the He'brew warriors were accompanied by their wives and children, and encumbered with vast herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and large quantities of goods. The LORD also wished them to spend a year in the wilderness, where Mo'ses would be given special instructions for setting up the laws and religious rites of the nation, and for proclaiming the Divine laws which they were to observe in the Promised Land.
For these reasons the LORD directed Mo'ses to take a rather difficult and hazardous route in a southwesterly direction through the uncharted wilderness. For some two or three days the Is'ra-el-ites moved along in an uncertain course. Fully organized into five great groups arranged according to families and tribes, but without any definite idea as to where they were going, they reached the shores of an arm of the Red Sea. They were in the midst of a broken, mountainous desert, facing the Sea at a point where it was several miles wide and much too deep to be forded. They did not know where they were going, but the LORD had guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Story 40: Is'ra-el Freed By The Final Plague Upon E'gypt lll
Mo'ses also instructed the elders of Is'ra-el to establish an annual feast to be observed by all future generations as a memorial of the wonderful deliverance from E'gypt. The feast was to be called "Pass'o-ver," and we shall learn more about it in other stories.
Mo'ses had not told Pha'raoh just when the last dreadful plague was to strike the land of E'gypt, but had merely said that it would come at midnight. Days had passed since his last warning to the wicked king, so before long Pha'raoh began to think that the terrible hour would not come. Soon all E'gypt began to feel safe; weeks went by, and still there was no sign from Heaven.
Then, on the night of the 14th of the month called Ni'san, a sudden cry of anguish filled the land at midnight. The Angel of death swept over the land, smiting every family of E'gypt. The words which Mo'ses had spoken to Pha'raoh had now all come true, for not a single home escaped.
"Twas dark-that dreary witching hour of night,
When restless spirits stole in mortal sight,
And grim spectres stalked their dreary round."
The whole land rose up in one mighty shout for the deliverance of Is'ra-el at once, for the people feared still greater calamities if Pha'raoh still defied the LORD. So Pha'raoh sent for Mo'ses and Aa'ron, and in the darkness of this night of grief told them to take all the Is'ra-el-ites out of the land at once. With the Is'ra-el-ites went their wives and children, their flocks and herds and all other possessions, and Pha'raoh advised the E'gyp-tians to supply them with whatever they might need for the journey.
Under the direction of Mo'ses the Is'ra-el-ites had been thoroughly organized by families and by tribes. Six hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms marched out of the land, and with the old men, women, and children, the number reached to nearly three million. The children of Is'ra-el carried with them enormous quantities of food and worldly goods, treasures of gold, silver, and jewels, and drove before them great flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
At last the children of Is'ra-el were free from the land of bondage, released by order of the king after ten successive plagues had crushed his proud, hard-hearted spirit. From the seventy souls which had migrated to this land two hundred and fifteen years before, there had now sprung up a mighty host of nearly three million. They were now strong in numbers, skilled in the arts and science of civilization, and increased in wisdom and experience to the point where they could safely begin their national history as the chosen people of God.
Although forty years of hardship took place before they finally settled in the land of Ca'naan, they were free at last from E'gypt, never to return. Long years of discipline and vital instruction from the LORD lay ahead before they would be fully prepared to set up all the national institutions of a great people, but they were on their way.
"Already she is on her august way,
And marching to her final goal."
Mo'ses had not told Pha'raoh just when the last dreadful plague was to strike the land of E'gypt, but had merely said that it would come at midnight. Days had passed since his last warning to the wicked king, so before long Pha'raoh began to think that the terrible hour would not come. Soon all E'gypt began to feel safe; weeks went by, and still there was no sign from Heaven.
Then, on the night of the 14th of the month called Ni'san, a sudden cry of anguish filled the land at midnight. The Angel of death swept over the land, smiting every family of E'gypt. The words which Mo'ses had spoken to Pha'raoh had now all come true, for not a single home escaped.
"Twas dark-that dreary witching hour of night,
When restless spirits stole in mortal sight,
And grim spectres stalked their dreary round."
The whole land rose up in one mighty shout for the deliverance of Is'ra-el at once, for the people feared still greater calamities if Pha'raoh still defied the LORD. So Pha'raoh sent for Mo'ses and Aa'ron, and in the darkness of this night of grief told them to take all the Is'ra-el-ites out of the land at once. With the Is'ra-el-ites went their wives and children, their flocks and herds and all other possessions, and Pha'raoh advised the E'gyp-tians to supply them with whatever they might need for the journey.
Under the direction of Mo'ses the Is'ra-el-ites had been thoroughly organized by families and by tribes. Six hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms marched out of the land, and with the old men, women, and children, the number reached to nearly three million. The children of Is'ra-el carried with them enormous quantities of food and worldly goods, treasures of gold, silver, and jewels, and drove before them great flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
At last the children of Is'ra-el were free from the land of bondage, released by order of the king after ten successive plagues had crushed his proud, hard-hearted spirit. From the seventy souls which had migrated to this land two hundred and fifteen years before, there had now sprung up a mighty host of nearly three million. They were now strong in numbers, skilled in the arts and science of civilization, and increased in wisdom and experience to the point where they could safely begin their national history as the chosen people of God.
Although forty years of hardship took place before they finally settled in the land of Ca'naan, they were free at last from E'gypt, never to return. Long years of discipline and vital instruction from the LORD lay ahead before they would be fully prepared to set up all the national institutions of a great people, but they were on their way.
"Already she is on her august way,
And marching to her final goal."
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Story 40: Is'ra-el Freed By The Final Plague Upon E'gypt ll
Mo'ses was given full directions by The LORD concerning the things to be done by the people in this crisis. Careful instructions were given for the preparations to be made for their departure, and the plan and conditions necessary for their deliverance from the death plague soon to sweep over the land were fully outlined.
During the course of the nine plagues sent upon E'gypt, and during the increased hardships which Pha'raoh forced upon the Is'ra-el-ites, a great many of the E'gyp-tians had lost sympathy with the king to a large extent, and some of them had begun to look with favor upon the Is'ra-el-ites. The special care which God had shown for Is'ra-el convinced many of the people that the He'brews were a chosen race, and Mo'ses had become a great religious hero in the eyes of many. The E'gyp-tians had also grown weary of their own sufferings brought on by the stubborn conduct of the king, and there was great indignation over his continued persecution of the people whom he hated to his own ruin.
Partly from sympathy for the oppressed He'brews, and partly in the hope of winning their favor and that of their God, the E'gyp-tians brought them many valuable presents. They brought them gold and silver and jewels, and all manner of other precious things. God's favor was now upon Is'ra-el in a most remarkable manner, while a stream of grace from Heaven flowed through the land:
"It did through wild and
rock-bound valleys run,
like glittering dew drops
in the morning sun."
Mo'ses and Aa'ron then went among the children of Is'ra-el in the land of Go'shen and told them what to do to escape the plague of death. Every household was to take a lamb, less than one year old and without blemish; after keeping it in the house for four days they were to kill it, and then to sprinkle the blood upon the upper door posts. This was to be a sacrificial offering to God, and for this reason the lamb to be offered must not be lame or blind or sick, or imperfect in any way.
Just as the Angel of death would strike every home in E'gypt at the same hour, so every family of Is'ra-el was to offer the sacrificial lamb at the same hour. The blood was to be sprinkled upon the door pasts with a spray of hyssop (a lovely herb which grew in rocky places) as a sign of faith and humility. When the Angel of death saw the blood upon the door posts of a home, he would pass over that house, thus sparing a family the life of its firstborn.
The Pass'o-ver lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, tokens of the bitterness from which Is'ra-el was to be redeemed, and of the sincerity of their faith and obedience. In preparing for their departure from E'gypt their hearts must be pure and upright, in perfect harmony with the law of God.
In eating the flesh of the Pass'o-ver lamb the Is'ra-el-ites were to be fully dressed and ready for a hasty flight. They were required to wear clothing strong enough for hard work and travel in the wilderness, to wear stout shoes or sandals, and to hold in their hands the staff which they used for guiding their flocks and herds. All their belongings were to be packed and ready for quick removal, and the sheep and cattle were to be gathered so that they could be driven away at once on the journey out of E'gypt.
During the course of the nine plagues sent upon E'gypt, and during the increased hardships which Pha'raoh forced upon the Is'ra-el-ites, a great many of the E'gyp-tians had lost sympathy with the king to a large extent, and some of them had begun to look with favor upon the Is'ra-el-ites. The special care which God had shown for Is'ra-el convinced many of the people that the He'brews were a chosen race, and Mo'ses had become a great religious hero in the eyes of many. The E'gyp-tians had also grown weary of their own sufferings brought on by the stubborn conduct of the king, and there was great indignation over his continued persecution of the people whom he hated to his own ruin.
Partly from sympathy for the oppressed He'brews, and partly in the hope of winning their favor and that of their God, the E'gyp-tians brought them many valuable presents. They brought them gold and silver and jewels, and all manner of other precious things. God's favor was now upon Is'ra-el in a most remarkable manner, while a stream of grace from Heaven flowed through the land:
"It did through wild and
rock-bound valleys run,
like glittering dew drops
in the morning sun."
Mo'ses and Aa'ron then went among the children of Is'ra-el in the land of Go'shen and told them what to do to escape the plague of death. Every household was to take a lamb, less than one year old and without blemish; after keeping it in the house for four days they were to kill it, and then to sprinkle the blood upon the upper door posts. This was to be a sacrificial offering to God, and for this reason the lamb to be offered must not be lame or blind or sick, or imperfect in any way.
Just as the Angel of death would strike every home in E'gypt at the same hour, so every family of Is'ra-el was to offer the sacrificial lamb at the same hour. The blood was to be sprinkled upon the door pasts with a spray of hyssop (a lovely herb which grew in rocky places) as a sign of faith and humility. When the Angel of death saw the blood upon the door posts of a home, he would pass over that house, thus sparing a family the life of its firstborn.
The Pass'o-ver lamb was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, tokens of the bitterness from which Is'ra-el was to be redeemed, and of the sincerity of their faith and obedience. In preparing for their departure from E'gypt their hearts must be pure and upright, in perfect harmony with the law of God.
In eating the flesh of the Pass'o-ver lamb the Is'ra-el-ites were to be fully dressed and ready for a hasty flight. They were required to wear clothing strong enough for hard work and travel in the wilderness, to wear stout shoes or sandals, and to hold in their hands the staff which they used for guiding their flocks and herds. All their belongings were to be packed and ready for quick removal, and the sheep and cattle were to be gathered so that they could be driven away at once on the journey out of E'gypt.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Story 40: Is'ra-el Freed By The Final Plague Upon E'gypt l
After Pha'raoh had made his threat against the life of Mo'ses, the prophet of God lingered for a short time with the king in order to tell him what course the LORD would now follow. During these tragic moments in the presence of the great king, The LORD spoke secretly to Mo'ses. He said that this was to be the last meeting between Pha'raoh and Mo'ses, and that He would visit the land with a final plague which would force the cruel king to let the Is'ra-el-ites leave his country.
Mo'ses said to Pha'raoh: "The LORD'S mercy has now reached its limit. For weeks and months He has been patient, showing mercy time after time. True, He has brought calamities of increasing severity upon the land, but has offered to show mercy whenever you obey His command and let Is'ra-el depart. While His patience with you has been exhausted, He still has further means of punishment. There shall be one more curse sent upon the land which shall bring you to your knees. About midnight, within a few days, the LORD will send the Angel of death throughout the land of E'gypt, and the oldest child in every home shall suddenly die; there shall also be taken the oldest of all the cattle and sheep and other animals still left from previous plagues."
The last plague upon E'gypt was to be so terrible that not even the hard-hearted Pha'raoh could fail to be moved by it. Without being ill, the oldest child in every family and in every home was to be taken by death. The Pha'raohs of E'gypt had slain the male children of Is'ra-el during a long period of persecution, and now the LORD was to cause the death of the firstborn in every E'gyp-tian home. This fatal blow was to reach every family, the highest as well as the lowest. The royal prince who expected to take Pha'raoh's place upon the throne was doomed to sudden death, and the oldest child in the home of the lowest peasant was to suffer the same fate. From the palace to the dungeon, from the splendid home of the rich to the tent of the poorest of the land-through every family in E'gypt this plague was to travel; and at the stroke of midnight all through the land death would come to every firstborn child.
Mo'ses then went on to say to Pha'raoh , "But against the children of Is'ra-el shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know that the LORD doth put a difference between the E'gyp-tians and Is'ra-el." God's chosen people were to be sheltered by the protecting wings of the Great God of Heaven and of earth. The pestilence which was to walk through the darkness of the night should not come near them. While the oldest child of the wicked lay still in death, all the children of the good would be unharmed. At the time when the lamentations of the E'gyp-tians were rending the midnight air of the whole country, the hearts of the righteous would be filled with peace, hope, and joy.
But Pha'raoh remained stubborn and unrelenting, and Mo'ses left him to carry out the instructions of God in preparing all Is'ra-el for the great tragedy that was to befall the E'gyp-tians, and for the birth of an Is'ra-el-ite nation. The children of Is'ra-el had been spared from the nine previous calamities inflicted upon the people of E'gypt, but there were certain Divine instructions which they must carefully follow if they were to escape this final plague. Is'ra-el was facing an extremely important crisis, a supreme moment in the history of their formation as a free, united people, and great issues depended upon the promptness and wisdom with which they obeyed the LORD'S command.
Mo'ses said to Pha'raoh: "The LORD'S mercy has now reached its limit. For weeks and months He has been patient, showing mercy time after time. True, He has brought calamities of increasing severity upon the land, but has offered to show mercy whenever you obey His command and let Is'ra-el depart. While His patience with you has been exhausted, He still has further means of punishment. There shall be one more curse sent upon the land which shall bring you to your knees. About midnight, within a few days, the LORD will send the Angel of death throughout the land of E'gypt, and the oldest child in every home shall suddenly die; there shall also be taken the oldest of all the cattle and sheep and other animals still left from previous plagues."
The last plague upon E'gypt was to be so terrible that not even the hard-hearted Pha'raoh could fail to be moved by it. Without being ill, the oldest child in every family and in every home was to be taken by death. The Pha'raohs of E'gypt had slain the male children of Is'ra-el during a long period of persecution, and now the LORD was to cause the death of the firstborn in every E'gyp-tian home. This fatal blow was to reach every family, the highest as well as the lowest. The royal prince who expected to take Pha'raoh's place upon the throne was doomed to sudden death, and the oldest child in the home of the lowest peasant was to suffer the same fate. From the palace to the dungeon, from the splendid home of the rich to the tent of the poorest of the land-through every family in E'gypt this plague was to travel; and at the stroke of midnight all through the land death would come to every firstborn child.
Mo'ses then went on to say to Pha'raoh , "But against the children of Is'ra-el shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know that the LORD doth put a difference between the E'gyp-tians and Is'ra-el." God's chosen people were to be sheltered by the protecting wings of the Great God of Heaven and of earth. The pestilence which was to walk through the darkness of the night should not come near them. While the oldest child of the wicked lay still in death, all the children of the good would be unharmed. At the time when the lamentations of the E'gyp-tians were rending the midnight air of the whole country, the hearts of the righteous would be filled with peace, hope, and joy.
But Pha'raoh remained stubborn and unrelenting, and Mo'ses left him to carry out the instructions of God in preparing all Is'ra-el for the great tragedy that was to befall the E'gyp-tians, and for the birth of an Is'ra-el-ite nation. The children of Is'ra-el had been spared from the nine previous calamities inflicted upon the people of E'gypt, but there were certain Divine instructions which they must carefully follow if they were to escape this final plague. Is'ra-el was facing an extremely important crisis, a supreme moment in the history of their formation as a free, united people, and great issues depended upon the promptness and wisdom with which they obeyed the LORD'S command.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness lll
Once again Pha'raoh was smitten with terror, and once again he pretended deep repentance. This time he called for Mo'ses and said to him: "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once; and entreat the LORD that He will take away from me this death." Again it was a desire to have the punishment removed, rather than sincere regret for his sins, which caused Pha'raoh to ask for mercy. He asked for pardon, but not for purity, and the one cannot be had from God without the other.
Mo'ses went out from the presence of Pha'raoh, and prayed unto the LORD. At once a mighty wind swept the locusts from the land, but Pha'raoh hardened his heart once again, and refused to let the Is'ra-el-ites go. Then, without any further warning, the LORD sent upon E'gypt a season of intense darkness covering the whole land. It was so dark that the E'gyp-tians could not see one another, nor could they even leave their homes.
This plague struck at the very heart of E'gyp-tian idolatry, for they worshiped the sun under the name of Osiris. To have the chief of their gods fail them was a curse which filled the hearts of the E'gyp-tians with terror. We are not told what natural forces were used in performing this miracle, but we do know that there was light in the houses of the Is'ra-el-ites in the land of Go'shen. They did not have to sit in darkness, as did the E'gyp-tians, but were free to come and go and as they chose.
How alarming and unbearable must have been those three days of dense and perpetual darkness! The tradition of the Jews that the devil and his angels were given a wider range and greater liberty for working mischief than usual during those three dreadful days is probably true. "God cast upon them the fierceness of His anger: Wrath, and indignation, and trouble; A band of angels of evil."
In spite of the stern judgments brought upon him, Pha'raoh would not give in to the LORD'S will. He continued to defy the servants of God, and sought again to make a compromise that would enable him to keep the wealth brought to him by the enslaved He'brews. Calling for Mo'ses, he told him that all the Is'ra-el-ites might go into the wilderness to worship, provided that they did not go very far, and that they should leave all their herds and flocks in E'gypt. By keeping the property of the He'brews, who had not suffered any loss during the plagues, there would be a supply of food for the hungry E'gyp-tians, and the Is'ra-el-ites would finally have to return to their bondage.
But this selfish offer was rejected as promptly as all others made by Pha'raoh. The king became angry, and drove Mo'ses from his presence with the threat that if he ever saw his face again he would have him slain. Mo'ses then went among the people of God to prepare for their departure from E'gypt following the plague that was soon to come.
Mo'ses went out from the presence of Pha'raoh, and prayed unto the LORD. At once a mighty wind swept the locusts from the land, but Pha'raoh hardened his heart once again, and refused to let the Is'ra-el-ites go. Then, without any further warning, the LORD sent upon E'gypt a season of intense darkness covering the whole land. It was so dark that the E'gyp-tians could not see one another, nor could they even leave their homes.
This plague struck at the very heart of E'gyp-tian idolatry, for they worshiped the sun under the name of Osiris. To have the chief of their gods fail them was a curse which filled the hearts of the E'gyp-tians with terror. We are not told what natural forces were used in performing this miracle, but we do know that there was light in the houses of the Is'ra-el-ites in the land of Go'shen. They did not have to sit in darkness, as did the E'gyp-tians, but were free to come and go and as they chose.
How alarming and unbearable must have been those three days of dense and perpetual darkness! The tradition of the Jews that the devil and his angels were given a wider range and greater liberty for working mischief than usual during those three dreadful days is probably true. "God cast upon them the fierceness of His anger: Wrath, and indignation, and trouble; A band of angels of evil."
In spite of the stern judgments brought upon him, Pha'raoh would not give in to the LORD'S will. He continued to defy the servants of God, and sought again to make a compromise that would enable him to keep the wealth brought to him by the enslaved He'brews. Calling for Mo'ses, he told him that all the Is'ra-el-ites might go into the wilderness to worship, provided that they did not go very far, and that they should leave all their herds and flocks in E'gypt. By keeping the property of the He'brews, who had not suffered any loss during the plagues, there would be a supply of food for the hungry E'gyp-tians, and the Is'ra-el-ites would finally have to return to their bondage.
But this selfish offer was rejected as promptly as all others made by Pha'raoh. The king became angry, and drove Mo'ses from his presence with the threat that if he ever saw his face again he would have him slain. Mo'ses then went among the people of God to prepare for their departure from E'gypt following the plague that was soon to come.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness ll
In the message to be delivered to Pha'raoh this time, the LORD set forth His purpose in visiting the land of E'gypt with such terrible proof of His Supreme Power. He wished to make clear to the king and to all future generations that the power of God rules all the elements of nature. The rivers, the dust of the ground, the atmosphere, the thunder and lightning and hail, the waters of the earth, and the fire had all served His Supreme Power in the previous plagues.
The LORD God of Heaven intended also to prove to Pha'raoh and all succeeding generations that He was able to overcome sa'tan and all his agencies in the world. The magicians were the cunning instruments of the devil in E'gypt, but they had been completely thwarted by the plagues inflicted upon Pha'raoh and his people. God is able to deliver man from the power of sa'tan, overcome his evil designs in the world, and destroy all his wicked works.
A further purpose of God in these continued plagues was to show His Power, over all false religions and heathen worship in this great nation. The E'gyp-tians believed that the Nile was the birthplace of gods, but from this river had come the plague of water turnt into blood, and the frogs which had infested the land. To the E'gyp-tians the frog was a sacred object of worship, but now the ugly creatures had plagued the entire country. Many domestic animals had been worshiped by the E'gyp-tians, but now they had been suddenly destroyed by a great plague.
Having explained the purposes of God in sending the plagues, Mo'ses then told Pha'raoh that unless he released the Is'ra-el-ites at once the LORD would send a mighty army of locusts to devour every herb and plant left from the previous plagues. Some of the servants of the king were now fully convinced of the Supreme Power of God, and the authority of His servants, Mo'ses and Aa'ron, so they advised the king to let the Is'ra-el-ites depart.
Pha'raoh then proposed to Mo'ses that the men of the He'brews go out into the wilderness to worship as requested, but that the women and children be left behind in E'gypt. Mo'ses fearlessly refused to accept this condition, and told Pha'raoh that unless he permitted the He'brews to leave the land with their wives and children and servants, and with all their flocks and herds, he must suffer again for disobedience to the known will of God.
Upon the refusal of Pha'raoh to grant this request, Mo'ses waved his hand over the land of E'gypt. The whole country was suddenly overrun with great hordes of locusts, which swept before them all the plants and trees which had escaped the plague of hail. The locusts had always been dreaded by the E'gyp-tians, and in this plague they came upon the land in countless numbers. The wheat and rye was just budding forth when the hail and rain swept over the land, and was, therefore, not destroyed. But in the plague of locusts these two important sources of food for the people were completely ruined, and the whole country became a barren, desolate plain.
The LORD God of Heaven intended also to prove to Pha'raoh and all succeeding generations that He was able to overcome sa'tan and all his agencies in the world. The magicians were the cunning instruments of the devil in E'gypt, but they had been completely thwarted by the plagues inflicted upon Pha'raoh and his people. God is able to deliver man from the power of sa'tan, overcome his evil designs in the world, and destroy all his wicked works.
A further purpose of God in these continued plagues was to show His Power, over all false religions and heathen worship in this great nation. The E'gyp-tians believed that the Nile was the birthplace of gods, but from this river had come the plague of water turnt into blood, and the frogs which had infested the land. To the E'gyp-tians the frog was a sacred object of worship, but now the ugly creatures had plagued the entire country. Many domestic animals had been worshiped by the E'gyp-tians, but now they had been suddenly destroyed by a great plague.
Having explained the purposes of God in sending the plagues, Mo'ses then told Pha'raoh that unless he released the Is'ra-el-ites at once the LORD would send a mighty army of locusts to devour every herb and plant left from the previous plagues. Some of the servants of the king were now fully convinced of the Supreme Power of God, and the authority of His servants, Mo'ses and Aa'ron, so they advised the king to let the Is'ra-el-ites depart.
Pha'raoh then proposed to Mo'ses that the men of the He'brews go out into the wilderness to worship as requested, but that the women and children be left behind in E'gypt. Mo'ses fearlessly refused to accept this condition, and told Pha'raoh that unless he permitted the He'brews to leave the land with their wives and children and servants, and with all their flocks and herds, he must suffer again for disobedience to the known will of God.
Upon the refusal of Pha'raoh to grant this request, Mo'ses waved his hand over the land of E'gypt. The whole country was suddenly overrun with great hordes of locusts, which swept before them all the plants and trees which had escaped the plague of hail. The locusts had always been dreaded by the E'gyp-tians, and in this plague they came upon the land in countless numbers. The wheat and rye was just budding forth when the hail and rain swept over the land, and was, therefore, not destroyed. But in the plague of locusts these two important sources of food for the people were completely ruined, and the whole country became a barren, desolate plain.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness l
The LORD knew that Pha'raoh was not speaking the truth when he promised to let the Is'ra-el-ites go, but He told Mo'ses to deal kindly with any acts which seemed to show repentance on the part of the king. He had already shown great mercy and forgiveness toward Pha'raoh, and did not let him pay the penalty for his evil ways until the last possible offer of mercy had been scorned.
The soul of man is so constituted that the continued rejection of the mercies of God leaves it less ready to yield to them. The abuse of Divine Grace has a hardening effect upon man's moral nature. Pha'raoh had paid no attention to repeated offers of mercy, and had not learnt wisdom from continued acts of Divine Justice. But he was not yet wholly forsaken by God, and still further opportunities were given him to prove that his repentance was genuine.
Mo'ses and Aa'ron had called upon Him before and after each plague, and He had shown mercy toward him whenever it was asked. Under the influence of these repeated acts of grace the heart of the king must either melt into genuine repentance or harden into an even more obstinate state. To say that God hardened Pha'raoh's heart means only that the LORD continued to test the king until it was clear that he definitely preferred the ways of evil to those of good. The Lord did not force Pha'raoh to choose either course, He merely left him in freedom to follow the desires of his own heart
"Till, like a frozen mass, his heart was chilled,
Its upward movement stayed, and conscience stilled."
Mo'ses was generous and forbearing toward the wicked king in his confessions of guilt, in his acknowledgment of the righteousness of God, and in his request for pardon. Nevertheless, Mo'ses reminded the king that he had little confidence in the truth of his words, and fearlessly told him that his repentance was not real. He promised, however, to ask the LORD to put an end to the rain and hail and lightning. Mo'ses then went outside the city, raised his hands toward Heaven in a prayer to God, and the terrible storm ceased at once.
Once again Pha'raoh failed to keep his promise. He took back his permission for the Is'ra-el-ites to leave E'gypt, and turnt against the LORD as wickedly as before.
Now that the seventh plague had failed to produce any real change in the attitude of Pha'raoh toward the requests of Mo'ses and Aa'ron, the LORD sent his servants to deliver a strong message to the king, and to announce that a much greater plague was coming.
The soul of man is so constituted that the continued rejection of the mercies of God leaves it less ready to yield to them. The abuse of Divine Grace has a hardening effect upon man's moral nature. Pha'raoh had paid no attention to repeated offers of mercy, and had not learnt wisdom from continued acts of Divine Justice. But he was not yet wholly forsaken by God, and still further opportunities were given him to prove that his repentance was genuine.
Mo'ses and Aa'ron had called upon Him before and after each plague, and He had shown mercy toward him whenever it was asked. Under the influence of these repeated acts of grace the heart of the king must either melt into genuine repentance or harden into an even more obstinate state. To say that God hardened Pha'raoh's heart means only that the LORD continued to test the king until it was clear that he definitely preferred the ways of evil to those of good. The Lord did not force Pha'raoh to choose either course, He merely left him in freedom to follow the desires of his own heart
"Till, like a frozen mass, his heart was chilled,
Its upward movement stayed, and conscience stilled."
Mo'ses was generous and forbearing toward the wicked king in his confessions of guilt, in his acknowledgment of the righteousness of God, and in his request for pardon. Nevertheless, Mo'ses reminded the king that he had little confidence in the truth of his words, and fearlessly told him that his repentance was not real. He promised, however, to ask the LORD to put an end to the rain and hail and lightning. Mo'ses then went outside the city, raised his hands toward Heaven in a prayer to God, and the terrible storm ceased at once.
Once again Pha'raoh failed to keep his promise. He took back his permission for the Is'ra-el-ites to leave E'gypt, and turnt against the LORD as wickedly as before.
Now that the seventh plague had failed to produce any real change in the attitude of Pha'raoh toward the requests of Mo'ses and Aa'ron, the LORD sent his servants to deliver a strong message to the king, and to announce that a much greater plague was coming.
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