EXPLANATIONS. multiplied-Heb., ' increased like fishes this remarkable increase is amplified by the use of different terms expressive of a similar meaning. They lived in a land of great abundance, and the duration of life greatly exceeded that to which it has since fallen. new king-some suppose he was the first of a new race of kings, and that he had gained the throne by conquest. to afflict, &c.-as a matter of policy, fearing the consequence of their increase. in brick-the making of bricks was a royal monopoly in Egypt, which accounts for the employment of criminals and cap tives in their manufacture. destroyed-by casting them into the river; this inhuman policy of destroying the dangerous class has been perpetrated in other states equally refined. hid, &c.-with the view of saving her infant from being drowned. no longer, &c.-the strength of the child's cries would lead to discovery. bulrushes-called Egyptian reeds '; boats and other small vessels were made of these plants;such vessels were coated on the outside with bitumen. to bathe-it has been supposed that her bathing was an act of devotion to the Nile, which the Egyptians venerated. mother-during these early years he probably received those instructions in true religion which guided his future life. instructed, &c.-at the proper age he was reclaimed by Pharaoh's daughter, and instructed, as the Jewish rabbins tell us, in astrology, mathematics, magic, &c. knowledge of the Egyptians-Egypt was greatly celebrated at this time for learn ing, arts, sciences, manufactures, &c. slew, &c.-as the only way, in his opinion, of concealing from the king his partiality for the Hebrew slaves. remembered, &c.-when the end of his afflictive dispensation had been answered. spokesman-Moses had complained that he was "slow of speech," therefore Aaron who could "speak well" was to be the pleader for Israel. Here then we have the head and heart of Moses and the tongue of Aaron united in this important embassy. CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS. AARON-was a great-grandson of Levi; he was born three years before the cruel decree of the king that the children of the Hebrews should be drowned. He and his sons became the first regular priests of the Israelites. Les. 23. AMRAM-was the eldest son of Kohath, and a grandson of Levi. JOCHEBED-the wife of Amram, was the sister of Kohath, and consequently the aunt of her husband. This is recorded by Moses, (Ex. vi. 20.) though such marriages afterwards strictly forbidden. were She was the mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. MIRIAM-was probably seven years older than Aaron; she was afterwards called "the prophetess," from having the gift of compos.ng hymns in praise of the divine Majesty. JETHRO doubtless the worship of the true God was observed in his family. Jethro is also called Reuel, or Raguel. QUESTIONS. Describe the altered circumstances of the Israelites in Egypt. In what works were they employed? What cruel policy was pursued for diminishing their numbers? Who were Amram and Jochebed? Who were their two eldest children? What remarkable instance of maternal love is here recorded? Narrate the history of the babe's exposure on the Nile and his deliverance. By whom was Moses first brought up? In what knowledge was he afterwards instructed? How did he show his patriotism and his sympathy for his people? Was this deed made public? Where was Moses during the next forty years! State all the particulars of his call to be the deliverer of Israel. PRECEPTIVE LESSONS. If we do good merely with the hope of being long and gratefully remembered, our "expectation shall perish." Joseph's useful services in Egypt were soon forgotten; our ruling motive" to do good" should be duty. "God is not unrighteous to forget (our) work and labour of love." We see the wonderful control which God exercises over the affairs of men exemplified in the miraculous rescue of Moses, and his adoption into the royal family of Egypt. But although called the child of Pharaoh's daughter he refused the honour," choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." We perceive the advantage of retirement as a preparation for great usefulness in the subsequent employment of Moses, by which he was trained to lead Israel through the wilderness as a shepherd guides his flock. 18. The Release of Israel Demanded. The Plagues. Exodus iv. 27-v. 23; vii. 8-xi. Aaron 'met Moses in the mount of God, and kissed him. They went and gathered together the elders of the children of Israel;13 and Aaron told them all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did 'signs in their sight. The people believed, and they bowed their heads and 'worshipped. After this Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh, and 'demanded the release of the Israelites.14 The king would not let the people go, but he made their bondage the harder; and the people of Israel were angry with Moses and Aaron. They went again, at God's command, to require Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but Pharaoh would not hearken to them. God then sent the following plagues on Egypt to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians : 1. He turned the waters of Egypt and the streams, rivers, and ponds into blood for seven days, the fish died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water. 2. He caused frogs to come up from the streams and rivers and ponds, which covered the land of Egypt, and when they died the land stank. 3. He smote the dust of the land, and it became lice upon man and upon beast throughout all the land of Egypt. 4. He sent swarms of 'flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into the houses of all his people, and the land was corrupted. 5. He sent a grievous 'murrain upon the cattle of the Egyptians, and all their cattle died, but not one of the cattle of the Israelites died. 6. He sent boils and blains upon man and upon beast throughout all the land of Egypt. 7. He sent hail, rain, and fire on the land of Egypt, and it smote all that was in the field, both man and beast, and it smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree. 8. He sent locusts, which ate up every herb of the land that the hail had left. 9. He sent a 'thick darkness over the land for three days; the Egyptians saw not one another, neither rose any from his place; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. The Israelites were free from all the plagues. During each plague Pharaoh promised to let the Israelites go;-but after each plague was removed by the entreaty of Moses, he refused to let them go. God then threatened to destroy all the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast... EXPLANATIONS. met, &c.--here Aaron acted under divine guidance and direction. elders, &c.-heads of tribes; men, whose authority was recognised. signs-appointed by God as proofs of Moses and Aaron's divine mission. worshipped-not Moses, but the God of their fathers, who had looked upon their affliction, and had sent Moses to effect their deliverance. demanded, &c.-as the special ambassadors of Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews. blood-who can conceive the distress which would necessarily be occasioned by the conversion of the agreeable waters of the Nile into blood; especially when it is remembered that the Nile was worshipped by the Egyptians. The magicians of Egypt imitated this miracle. frogs-animals destitute of evil qualities became, from their immense numbers, the means of a fearful punishment. The magicians also imitated this miracle. lice-to a people proverbially clean in their persons, as the Egyptians were, this affliction must have been peculiarly severe. The magicians failed to imitate this miracle. flies-many suppose these flies were the large Egyptian cockroach-the sacred beetle of the people. Baal-zebub, was their god of flies. During this plague Pharaoh told the Israelites to go and worship God in their own land-Goshen. Moses refused to accept this permission. murrain-only the cattle of the Egyptians suffered from this mortality, those of the Israelites remained untouched by it. Brute-worship was common in Egypt. boils and blains-Moses flung ashes towards heaven which turned to dust, and produced boils and blains upon man, including Pharaoh's magicians, and beast. hail, &c.-rain seldom falls in Egypt, hail more rarely, thunder and lightning are also uncommon. This visitation must have caused much terror as it destroyed man, beast, herb, tree, &c. Those of the Egyptians who regarded the word of the Lord placed their cattle in safety. locusts-the voracity and destructiveness of these insects are well known in the East. After Moses had threatened this plague Pharaoh offered to let the Israelites go and serve the Lord if they would leave their children as hostages; but Moses rejected the offer, and the locusts devoured all that the hail had left. The Egyptians had an idol to pro tect them from the ravages of locusts. thick darkness, &c.-thus dense and unwholesome fogs overspread a country where the sky is ordinarily cloudless, and the people of which were worshipPharaoh pers of the sun and moon. now offered to let the Israelites go and take their children with them if they would leave their flocks and herds as security for their return; but this proposition was also rejected, as the cattle would be wanted for sacrifices. destroy, &c.-When Moses threatened the death of the firstborn Pharaoh ordered him from his presence, under pain of death. QUESTIONS. Where did Moses and Aaron meet? What was the success of their first visit to the Hebrews? How were they received when they appeared before Pharaoh? What effect had this on the people? Enumerate the plagues with which God visited Egypt. If the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th, distressed the Egyptians in their persons, how many affected their property? Which of them interfered with business public and private? Which of the plagues was directed against their worship of the Nile? Which against their worship of Baal-zebub? Which against their system of brute worship? Serapis was supposed to protect Egypt from locusts-which plague aimed at the destruction of this idolatry? Isis and Osiris were names under which the sun and moon were worshippedHow was it shown that these idols could not control the light? What system of the Egyptians did the plagues aim to destroy? PRECEPTIVE LESSONS. Here we are taught the importance of union in any momentous undertaking; Moses had his brother Aaron for his minister united to lum by the ties of nature and religion. "Two are better than one; . . . for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow." Those who engage in the public service must expect disheartening trials. It is no sign of failure if the first efforts for the liberation of the oppressed are met by increased tyranny. Slavery is a bitter evil to those who are its victims, and a fearful crime on the part of those who enslave their fellow-men. Lastly, we learn that God can embitter our choicest comforts, or take them away by a "stroke." Egypt, celebrated for its waters, its verdure, the cleanliness of its people, its pure and healthy atmosphere, and its fruitfulness, was afflicted in these respects and in others by the plagues. 19. The Passover. The Tenth Plague. The Departure. Exodus xii. 1-42. 5 Before the tenth plague was sent on Egypt, God instituted the passover; he told the Israelites14 to prepare for their departure; to kill a lamb, and sprinkle the blood on the sides of their doors; the lamb was to be 'roasted, and they were to be ready to depart when they ate of it. "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." They were also to eat unleavened bread seven days. God 'commanded the Israelites to keep the Lord's passover as a memorial, for ever; and when they should come into the land which he would give them, if their children should ask the meaning of this service, they were to say, "It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses." At midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Pharaoh then called for Moses and Aaron, and told them to depart with the children of Israel; and to take with them their flocks and herds. The Israelites 'borrowed jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment from the Egyptians. They departed from Rameses. They numbered about *600,000 men on foot, besides children; and a mixed multitude went up also with them. God had foretold to Abraham this bondage of his descendants saying, "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four-hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Genesis xv. 13, 14. "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four-hundred-and-thirty-years. And it came to pass at the end of the four-hundred-and-thirty-years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations." GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE. Rameses or Raamses-a treasure-city in Egypt which the Israelites built during their bondage; it is supposed to have been in the land of Goshen. Les. 15. EXPLANATIONS. passover-the festival of the passing over of the angel of destruction was to be celebrated on the 14th day of Abib or Nisan, which was thenceforward to be the first month of the sacred year of the Hebrews; it corresponded partly to our month of March. Nisan or Abib was previously the seventh month. a lamb-according to the rabbins the lamb was not to be less than eight days old, nor more than a year; it was also to be without blemish. sprinkle, &c.-this sensible token of the divine promise of protection and safety was typical of "the blood of sprinkling," which saves from eternal death. roasted-the most convenient mode of dressing it when time for packing their boiling utensils was a consideration. ate of it-such wild and bitter herbs as they could find were to be eaten with it in remembrance of the bitterness of their bondage in Egypt. Haste characterized all their preparations for departure. unleavened, &c.-unfermented; made only of flour and of water. Unleavened bread is called "the bread of affliction," being heavier and less palatable than leavened bread. commanded, &c.-the celebration of this wonderful deliverance in after ages by the ritual imitation of most of the circumstances of that solemn night would enable succeeding generations to realize as nearly as possible, their personal interest in it, and their connexion with it. the Lord smote, &c.-this was the last of the ten plagues, and in it God showed himself to be a God not only of power but of judgment; while the Hebrews were eating the paschal lamb, the firstborn of the Egyptians, both of man and beast were slain. rose up, &c.-the king and his people were all panic-stricken; fearful mourning ensued, Moses and Aaron were suddenly summoned-"We be all dead men was the universal cry of the Egyptians, for "the terrors of God" had at length fallen on these hardened sinners. take... their flocks, &c.-cattle seem to have been almost the only property the Israelites possessed in Egypt. borrowed, &c.-strictly speaking they received them as presents; thus the hardearned wages of these emancipated slaves were paid. They left the country laden with the wealth of the Egyptians. 600,000, &c.-men able to go to war; the entire multitude probably amounted to two millions, including women and children; an immense increase from seventy persons (Les 15.) in little more than 200 years. a mixed multitude, &c.-some perhaps willing to leave a country that had been desolated by the plagues; others out of curiosity to see the solemnities of the sacrifices; and perhaps a few out of love to the Israelites and their religion. the sojourning, &c.-See Abram went, &c. Les. 7. QUESTIONS Explain the circumstances under which the feast of the passover originated. Point out one or two of the typical observ ances of this solemn festival. Enumerate some of the directions indicating the haste with which it was first observed. Why was it necessary for succeeding generations to celebrate the event of Israel's deliverance? When did the Israelites leave Egypt? Did they depart against the will of Pharaoh and his people? What property did they take with them? What recompense did they receive from the Egyptians instead of their lawful reward for so many years' servitude? How many able-bodied men left Egypt? What was the probable number of the entire multitude? Of what parties was the mixed multitude probably composed? PRECEPTIVE LESSONS. We learn from this lesson, 1. That the wonderful deliverance of Israel was to be commemorated by a striking observance. 2. That the ceremonies of the passover feast were typical of events connected with the offering of Him who was "a lamb without blemish and without spot." 3. That the deliverance which the due observance of those ceremonies effected shows the blessed advantages of "the blood of sprinkling," to all who receive it. 4. That cruel selfishness, which grasps at the fruit of other's toil, will eventually defeat itself, if it be not the fault of those who are oppressed; and, 5: that God will surely hear "the cry of the afflicted," and "will plead their cause" by severe visitations, and, finally, when they have passed through "the furnace of affliction," will give them deliverance in the sight of their enemies. |