The Call of God by Clarence Santee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 16, 1913

The Call of God

By Clarence Santee

From Egypt to Canaan—No. 3

The Call of God

CLARENCE SANTEE

“Moses was fitted to take preeminence among the great of the earth, to shine in the courts of its most glorious kingdom, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual greatness distinguishes him above the great men of all ages. As historian, poet, philosopher, general of armies, and legislator, he stands without a peer.”—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” page 246.

Such a man, when forty years of age, turned his back upon worldly greatness, and sought the solitude of the wilderness. While caring for his flock, he wrote the book of Job, as we have seen in past studies. See “Education,” page 159. There also he wrote the book of Genesis. See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” page 251, par. 2.

When forty years had passed, and he felt sure that his time for leading Israel had gone by, the Lord called him to do that very work. Moses now feels no confidence in self. How different from the time that, without the call of God, he slew the Egyptian who oppressed the Israelite. Now, an angel calls him to the work, and in his distrust of self, he earnestly pleads with God to send some other. Ex. 3: 11; 4: 13. “Here his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away.”—Id., page 251.

Having finally consented, when assured of God’s abiding presence and care, he returned to Egypt. With Aaron, he gathered the elders of Israel and gave to them the message of God. Ex. 4: 29, 30. The elders believed the message, and a revival of spiritual life was undertaken before Moses went in before Pharaoh. One of the sins into which Israel had fallen was Sabbath-breaking. In grievous bondage they had been denied the right to keep the Sabbath. This is evident from the first accusation with which Pharaoh met Moses: “And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.” Ex. 5: 5. The Egyptian translation reads, “Ye do make them to keep Sabbath.” A more rigorous law was then enacted compelling Israel to labor on that day. The Septuagint Version reads, “And Pharaoh said, . . . Let us not then give them rest from their work.”

While God had set his hand for the deliverance of his people, there were many who were unwilling to break away from the customs of Egypt. The bondage of sin held them willing captives. These weakened those who were preparing in faith to go forward. “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?” Ex. 14: 12.

How many to-day, under the cruel bondage of sin, oppressed, and with nothing but death toward which to look, will say, “Let us alone”? Friend, if your heart has become hard, indifferent, or unfeeling, in God’s strength break the chain that binds you. The wilderness journey may call for faith, the way may at times be rough, but with the pillar of cloud before you, uncertainty is taken away, and with sure feet you will quickly rest in the Canaan that is on the other side. There is no path to it but through the wilderness of temptation. Had we not hesitated and loitered by the way, we should ere this have been across and the rest would have been realized. See “Great Controversy,” page 458, par. 1.

From day to day as Moses and Aaron went in before the king, he hardened his heart more and more until there was no remedy. The last day of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt had come, to be followed by the midnight death scene in all the dwellings of the Egyptians. Moses had made his last visit to that proud court which for many years had been his home. The king who had thought to yield to him the crown, the foster-mother who had loved him and whom he had dearly loved, were both long since dead, and no link remained to bind him to that plague-ridden land of death. As he passed from the presence of Pharaoh, with his last warning rejected, the Spirit of God ceased its work for that king, who was left alone to perish a few days later in the waters of the Red Sea. Ex. 15: 19.

For that last, ever-to-be-remembered night in Egypt, a striking ceremony was instituted. The Israelites were to take a lamb and kill it “between the two evenings” (Ex. 12: 6, margin; Num. 28: 4, margin), or between the hours of three and six o’clock. As darkness came on, they were to take “a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood,” and strike the lintel and the two side posts of the door with the blood, and the flesh of the lamb was to be eaten in that night. The angel who destroyed the first-born was to pass by, or “pass over,” the houses where the blood was seen, and the first-born would be safe. Ex. 12: 6-13, 21, 22. With this Passover supper, they were to eat “bitter herbs.” Verse 8. This was not only a memorial of their bitter servitude, but the loved ones who could not be prevailed upon to leave Egypt were remembered in this significant way. There is nothing more sad, no memory more bitter, than the memory of loved ones who have turned away from the path of life, and decided to trust their future happiness and peace to the Egyptian darkness of this world. The bitter herbs were mingled with the flesh of the lamb. The memory of loved ones, forever absent, will not be forgotten, even when the heart overflows with the love of the one who gave all to save us. As the door was touched with the blood, so the Lord will touch the door of the heart of all

who willingly heed his knocking (Rev. 3: 20), and the destroying angel will acknowledge the sign, and the inmates will be safe.

At midnight the first-born in every Egyptian home died. A cry went up from all the land of Egypt, and they urged Israel to depart. Ex. 12: 33. Many whose hearts were still in Egypt, yet who dared not remain, went out with them,—a “mixed multitude” (Num. 11: 4), who had no tangible idea of the value of liberty or Canaan, yet who feared the consequences if they remained. These were always the sources of perplexity and trouble to the truly faithful. None but the true Israel entered Canaan. The mixed multitude perished in that wilderness; but somehow their descendants still exist. They also will perish on this side, in the wilderness. None but the true Israel will enter the heavenly Canaan. The mixed multitude were noted back there only by their complaints at every advance, whether in diet, organization and leadership, or the necessary hardships by the way. Moses led the children of Israel by way of the Red Sea, although another way was much nearer. Ex. 13: 17. Their faith was too weak to implicitly trust in God, so he had to lead them where they would not be turned back by war.

Loma Linda, Cal.