The Sabbath-School by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 11, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 6.

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The Sabbath-School.

By M. C. W.

Old Testament History.

CROSSING THE RED SEA.

(Lesson 8, February 23, 1889.)

1. WHEN the king of Egypt found that the Israelites had actually gone, how did he feel?

"And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" Ex. 14:5.

2. What did he do?

"And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him; and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them." Verses 6, 7.

3. Had the Lord foretold this action on the part of Pharaoh?

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon; before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so." Verses 1-4.

4. Where did Pharaoh and his army overtake the Israelites?

"But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon." Verse 9.

5. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians, how did they feel?

"And when Pharaoh 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." Verse 10.

6. How did they show their lack of faith in God?

"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." Verses 11, 12.

7. What words of courage did Moses speak?

"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 forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Verses 13, 14.

8. What did the Lord say to him?

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward; but lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." Verses 15, 16.

9. What did he say that the Egyptians would do?

"And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." Verse 17.

10. How did the Lord protect the Israelites through the night?

"And the Angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them; and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night." Verses 19, 20.

11. What way of escape did he prepare for them? Verses 21, 22, 29; Ex. 15:8.

12. When the Egyptians followed them into the sea, what did the Lord do? Ex. 14: 23-28; 15:9, 10.

13. What was it that enabled the Israelites to cross the sea?

"By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land; which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." Heb. 11:29.

14. What effect did this deliverance have upon the people of Israel?

"Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses." Ex. 14:30, 31.

15. After such exhibitions of God's power and his care for them, ought they ever to have feared again?

16. Why were all these things written?

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4.

17. What song did Moses and the children of Israel sing after their deliverance? Read Ex. 15:1-21.

18. After the seven last plagues are poured upon the wicked, what song will the delivered sing?

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Rev. 15:2, 3.

19. Repeat the substance of this song?

"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." Verses 3, 4.

NOTES.

EVERY yielding on the part of Pharaoh was from a wholly selfish motive, as subsequent events always proved. His submission was forced upon him by his afflictions. The plague of hail forced from him, "I have sinned this time; Jehovah is righteous, and I and my people are wicked;" but his supplication was only "that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail." Ex. 9:27, 28. But as soon as the affliction was removed, his proud, stubborn heart again rebelled. The plague of locusts forced from him a similar, though more intense petition; but his heart remained the same. And when at last through severe punishment, he consented to let the oppressed go free, he repented not of his sin, but of his righteousness, and said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" God's mercy mingled with his judgment ought to have taught him why; but selfishness would not permit it.

TRUE repentance under afflictions which have come in consequence of sin, cares much more about the removal of the sin, and the cleansing of the heart, than it does for the removal of the affliction. It will submit to God because of his goodness; it will seek his favor for righteousness sake; and will be faithful, though God permit the affliction to remain. David's repentance of his sin in numbering Israel, recorded in 2 Samuel 24, is an illustration of true repentance. It was his iniquity that he desired purged. And when he was given choice of judgments, he would not choose; he preferred to leave it all to God. And then, when the Lord sends the pestilence, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; . . . let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house." Godly

sorrow will ever be a true mourning for sin, and not a whining because of the consequences of sin.

THE Lord led his people by the way of the Red Sea for a threefold purpose. First, he did not wish them to meet with the warlike Philistines, as they would have done had they gone the nearer way, "lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt." Ex. 13:17. Second, by the Red Sea he would get honor upon Pharaoh and all his hosts, and have a witness to all generations that even in those things wherein their gods dealt proudly (that is, did their greatest works), Jehovah was above them. Ex. 18:11. The mightiest gods of the mightiest nation were naught to him. Third, God would once more, in a most marvelous manner, manifest his power and mercy for his people.

AND what a wonderful display of God's love and power it was! The mysterious pillar of cloud by day and fire by night led them on their journeys till they reached the Red Sea, from forty to sixty miles from their starting point. It led them to a point (not now definitely ascertainable on account of the change that has taken place in the filling up of the sea by drifting sand) where they were completely shut in by the sea, the mountains, and the pursuing Egyptian host. The living cloud arises and passes to the rear, where through that long night it remains a glorious light to Israel, a body of darkness to Egypt. It shuts from the sight of the timid slaves their tyrannical masters, and it prevents the Egyptians from destroying Israel.

GOD never leads his people to destruction. Every miracle which had been wrought thus far was an additional evidence that God would finish the work he had begun. The divine command is to "go forward." The "man of God" again stretches out that wonderful rod over the sea, not now to bring plagues, but to open a way of escape. The waters roll back before the mighty wind, and stand congealed, a wall on either side, with a dry path between. By what means the water was hardened, thickened, or congealed, we do not know. This we do know, "they stood upright as a heap." The width of the sea at the point of crossing is generally held to be from eight to twelve miles.

Now all these things "were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4. God will bring his people in the last days into places and trials where they will be left without any earthly hope, as much as was Israel by the Red Sea. In such trying positions God's command and providence will say, "Go forward." The distrustful and self-serving will say, with the same spirit as did Israel of old, "It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?" etc. Compare Ex. 14:11, 12, with Mal. 3:14, 15. All the nations of earth, even those who profess Christ's name, will be united against the remnant flock. Crosses, light, and duty will be presented; mountains and seas of difficulty will be seen to hinder; but to the faithful and obedient the mountain will become a plain (Zeph. 4:7); the sea will become dry land. Ps. 66:6.

THE opening of the Red Sea was a pledge on the part of God that every promise would be fulfilled. Moses believed this, as expressed in his song of deliverance; "Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance;" "All the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away." Ex. 15:17, 15. The Israelites doubtless felt this; but feeling is not faith. Faith is needed now. For those who possess it, mighty deeds will be wrought and none will be more precious than victory over sin. Every victory God gives us is a pledge of our ultimate triumph, if we will but continue in him.

REVELATION 15:3, 4. The song of Moses is the song of deliverance from earthly foes; the song of the Lamb is the song of triumph over all sin, and the consequences of sin. This will be the new song which none but the one hundred and forty-four thousand can learn, because no other class have ever passed through their experience. Israel, at the exode, could sing the song of deliverance from earthly foes, when there was to them no human help; but they could not sing the song of the Lamb, for nearly all that generation fell in the wilderness through unbelief. But those who get the victory over the beast and his image, not only have deliverance from earthly powers, but their garments are washed in the blood of the Lamb; their characters are perfected, even as that of their Redeemer. It is because that this is so, that God will deliver his people. The fact that those who gain the victory over the beast and his image, sing the song of Moses, is evidence that they will be completely delivered from all earthly powers. M. C. W.