ness He will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. Only trust in God." God is his people's guide by day or by night. Serve the Lord and fear not. God will never forsake those who love him. "Fear not, O Israel; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil." (Ps. cxxi. 6, 7.) LESSON 38.-Exodus xiv. 5-9, 10, 19-23, 26–31. 5. TOLD. Some one gave the king information. FLED. Instead of returning after the three days which they required, they went on rapidly, really intending never to come back. HEART OF PHARAOH AND HIS PEOPLE WAS TURNED. Their minds were altered as to the expediency of having let the people go. They had before been anxious that they should go, but now they regretted it, because they would for ever lose their services. WHY HAVE WE DONE THIS? We have been frightened unnecessarily. We have been very foolish to give up our servants. LET ISRAEL GO. The people of Israel. FROM SERVING us. Being our slaves. The great reason why the Egyptians were displeased with themselves was, that in consequence of the departure of the Israelites, they would have to work for themselves. Their selfishness and avarice got the better of their judgment, and induced them even to forget the calamities they had endured in consequence of keeping Israel in bondage. 6. HE MADE READY. Ordered to be prepared. HIS CHARIOT. The chariot which he rode in when he went out to war. HIS PEOPLE. Under absolute monarchs, all the peo ple are liable to be called upon for military duty. He took them as soldiers. 7. CHOSEN CHARIOTS. The very best that he had. The war chariots of the Egyptians. We have some accounts of the war chariots of the ancients. Sometimes they were drawn by two, and sometimes by four horses. Each of these chariots generally carried three persons. One was to drive, and was called the charioteer: he very seldom fought. Another was employed with a shield, to defend the charioteer: and the third was the one that did the principal part of the fighting. Among some ancient nations they had scythes fastened to the axletrees of these chariots, which must have been very dreadful and destructive. SIX HUNDRED. The ancient monarchs used to have an immense number of chariots for war. We read in other parts of Scripture of the immense number of chariots employed in the wars of the people. See Judges iv. 3. 8. HARDENED THE HEART. In judgment for his wickedness, let him have his own way. PURSUED. Followed after, anxious to overtake. Took the same route. WENT OUT. From Egypt. HIGH HAND. Were fearless and unconscious of danger; rejoicing. They had departed with the permission of Pharaoh, and therefore did not expect any pursuit. 9. OVERTOOK. Came up in sight of them. ENCAMPING. To encamp, is to place tents. The meaning of the word, in the original, is in the plain. Armies usually sought the plains to pitch their tents in, and thus we have the word encamp. BESIDE PI-HAHIROTH. This word means "the mouth of the ridge." It was an opening, therefore, in the chain of mountains which line the western coast of the Red sea. There was a valley which extended itself from the wilderness of Etham to the Red sea. The road which the Israelites took is impossible to be accu tately ascertained; though, from the minuteness of the circumstances, it may be rationally conjectured. There are two roads which conduct from the part of Egypt where they were, to the Red sea. One of these roads runs through a remarkable break in the mountains, and then gets into a valley, which runs quite to the sea. This valley is called Boadeah, and is bounded on the north by a range of mountains called Attackah, and on the south by another called Gerroubee. These mountains both jut out into the sea, and form what are called promontories. The situation of the Israelites, then, was very peculiar, when Pharaoh overtook them. They were in this narrow valley. On the left hand, they had the mountain called Attackah; on the right hand, the mountain called Gerroubee; in the front, they had the Red sea, which was here twelve miles wide, and behind them they had the army of Egyptians. This was the situation in which God saw fit to bring them, that their deliverance might appear the more signally as his work. This place is called by the Arabs to this day Fiah-Beni-Israel, which means, the road of the Israel ites. BAAL-ZEPHON. The lord, or master, of the watch. This was either an idol temple, or most likely a kind of light-house. 10. SORE AFRAID. Very much alarmed. CRIED. Prayed. They did not pray in faith, or else they would not have wickedly murmured against Moses, and against God, as they immediately did. 19. THE ANGEL OF GOD. The angel who all along had accompanied them in the pillar of the cloud and of fire. See chap. xiii. 21. This angel is called the Lord. 20. CLOUD AND DARKNESS TO THEM. It prevented the Egyptians from seeing the Israelites, or coming near them. IT GAVE LIGHT BY NIGHT TO THEM. It enabled the Israelites to see just as well as if it had been day. The same pillar was dark towards the Egyptians, and light towards the Israelites. 22. A WALL. The power of God kept the waters just as if they had been a stone wall. The Red sea, at the place they crossed, was twelve miles wide. 27. RETURNED TO HIS STRENGTH. Suddenly became just as they had been before the miracle. WHEN THE MORNING APPEARED. About day-light. 31. THAT GREAT WORK. The destruction of the Egyptians. BELIEVED HIS SERVANT MOSES. Were fully persuaded that Moses was authorised of God to be their leader. REFLECTIONS. 5. Fright sometimes makes men overlook their own interests. But more frequently present advantage makes them reckless of future consequences. Sin may be pleasant for the moment, but it is sure to be bitter at last. 8. Of all the evil circumstances in which a man may be placed, the worst is when the Lord permits him to have his own way. He is then sure of ruin. 10. Want of confidence in God makes men timid. If God be for us, who can be against us? How many cry unto God in their distress, when they never go to him on any other occasion? 19. See Ps. xxxiv. 4-8. 20. There is a distinction between the friends and the foes of God, in every thing. God looks upon the one with favour, and the other with disapprobation. Be sure to be on the Lord's side, and however there may be temporary troubles, all will eventually be well. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, Open, now, the crystal fountains Lead me all my journey through. 21. God can and will bring His people through the greatest difficulties; and He will sooner work a miracle than that His word should fail. Hear what he says, Is. xliii. 1, 2. And see what he has done, Daniel iii. the whole, and vi. the whole. 23-27. The ruin of sinners is brought on by their own presumption. They are self-destroyers. 28. Every enemy of the Lord shall be destroyed; not one shall be left. Flee from the wrath to come. 31. Many will see the great work of the Lord in punishing sinners when it will be too late. "Hasten, sinner, to be wise," &c. Listen to these words: Sinner, O why so thoughtless grown? Wilt thou despise eternal love, And force thy passage to the flames? Stay, sinner! on the gospel plains: We have now concluded the scripture lessons in this volume. The Lord bless us and make us wise, for Jesus' sake. Amen. |