Bondage of Israel. Moses' early History.

The children of Jacob's sons increased greatly in Egypt. A new king, also called Pharaoh, ruled over Egypt, but he knew not Joseph. He oppressed the Israelites with a cruel bondage, and made them work like slaves in making bricks. The children of Israel increased so much, that the king ordered their male infants to be destroyed. Just before this decree Aaron was born. His father and mother, Amram and Jochebed, were of the tribe of Levi.

The parents of Aaron had another son born. His mother hid him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes, on the brink of the river Nile. The king's daughter came to the river to bathe; she found the child, and called his name Moses. Miriam, the sister of Moses, who was watching afar off to see what would become of him, was told to call a nurse for the child, and she fetched his mother.

Moses was instructed in all the knowledge of the Egyptians. At forty years of age he saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite; and he slew the Egyptian. The next day he saw two Hebrews quarrelling, and he reproved him that did the wrong. He replied to Moses, "Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday." Moses was then afraid to stay in Egypt because the deed

PERIOD III.]

MOSES APPOINTED DELIVERER.

he had committed was known. He fled into Midian, where he fed the flocks of Jethro, a priest, forty years. He married Zipporah, Jethro's daughter.

God knew of the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt; and he remembered his promise to give them the land of Canaan. He appeared to Moses, in a burning bush, on Mount Horeb, and there appointed him to go into Egypt, and demand the release of the Israelites. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was appointed to be spokesman to the people and to Pharaoh, whenever they should appear before him, because Moses was slow of speech. Moses was commanded to take his rod with him wherewith he should do signs.

Nile-the principal river of Egypt, which overflows its banks at certain seasons, and thus waters and enriches the surrounding country; a figurative allusion to which is made by Jeremiah, the prophet. The chief cities, towns, and villages of Egypt are built along the banks of this river. In Genesis and Exodus it is called "the river," in Isaiah and Jeremiah it is spoken of as the "Sihor."

Horeb desert,' 'solitude,' a celebrated mountain of Arabia to the west of Sinai. On Horeb, when Moses fed the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law, God commissioned him to go and deliver the Israelites from bondage.

LESSON 18.

EXODUS ix. 27-xi.

The Release of Israel Demanded. The Plagues.

Moses met his brother in the mount of God, and kissed him. They went to the elders of the children of Israel; and Aaron told them all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did signs in their sight. The people believed, and bowed their heads, and worshipped. After this Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh, and demanded the release of the Israelites. The king would not let the people go, but he made their bondage 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 Is

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT.

[1597-1451 B.C.

raelites 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 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 on man and 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 on the cattle of the Egyptians, and their cattle died, but not one of the cattle of the Israelites died. 6. He sent boils and blains on man and 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 entreaties of Moses, he refused to let them go. God then threatened to destroy all the first-born of Egypt, both of man and beast.

PERIOD III.]

LESSON 19.

THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED.

EXODUS xii. 1-39.

The Passover. The Tenth Plague. The Departure. Before the tenth plague was sent on Egypt, God instituted the Passover; he told the Israelites 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. They were also to eat unleavened bread seven days. God said he would smite all the first-born in Egypt, but he would pass over the doors of the Israelites, when he saw the blood of the lamb upon them. God commanded the Israelites to keep the Lord's passover every year; 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." And at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born 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 gold, and jewels of silver, and raiment from the Egyptians. They departed from Rameses in Goshen. They numbered about 600,000 men on foot, besides children. The period which elapsed from the time of the call of Abraham to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt was fourhundred-and-thirty years. God had foretold this bondage of his descendants to Abraham.

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.

THE PILLAR OF CLOUD AND OF FIRE.

[1597-1451 B.C.

From this place the Israelites departed, when they left Egypt, after the death of the first-born.

LESSON 20.

EXODUS xii. 40-xiv.

The Pursuit, Pharaoh's Host Drowned.

After God had given further instructions relative to the keeping of the Passover, he commanded the Israelites to sanctify their firstborn unto him, as a memorial of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him from Egypt. And the Lord went before the people by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light.

The Egyptians repented that they had let the Israelites go, and Pharaoh and his host pursued them. They overtook them, encamping by the Red Sea, beside Pi-hahiroth. And when Pharaoh and his host of chariots drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord; and they said unto Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." And Moses said unto the people, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for shall hold your peace." and you,

ye

By the command of God, Moses was to lift up his rod over the sea, and the water would divide, that the Israelites might pass through the sea. The angel of the Lord then went behind the camp of the Israelites; the cloud also removed from before their