Untitled article by Clarence Santee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1913

From Egypt to Canaan—No. 2

By Clarence Santee

Time of Deliverance Near

THE king of Egypt was not alone in his efforts to thwart the purposes of God as expressed in his promise that Israel should leave Egypt and again enter the land of Canaan. Gen. 15: 16; 50:24. Satan, who is a diligent student of the Scriptures, knowing that the time was drawing near when God's promise would be fulfilled, united with the king to hold the Israelites in bondage and to destroy them. In fact, Satan was the one who moved the king to destroy the male children, as recorded in Ex. 1:22: "Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive."

"Satan was the mover in this matter. He knew that a deliverer was to be raised up among the Israelites; and by leading the king to destroy their children he hoped to defeat the divine purpose."—"Patriarchs and Prophets," page 242.

Josephus states it in this way: "While the affairs of the Hebrews were in this condition, there was this occasion offered itself to the Egyptians, which made them more solicitous for the extinction of our nation: One of those sacred scribes who are very sagacious in foretelling future events (an ancient MS. says it was Jannes and Jambres who foretold this. See 2 Tim. 3:8), truly told the king that about this time there would a child be born to the Israelites, who, if he were reared, would bring the Egyptian dominion low, and would raise the Israelites; that he would excel all men in virtue, and obtain a glory that would be remembered through all ages. Which thing was so feared by the king, that, according to this man's opinion, he commanded that they should cast every male child which was born to the Israelites, into the river, and destroy it."—"Antiquities," book 2, chap. 9, sec. 2.

The Israelites themselves were looking for a deliverer; and though enduring bitter servitude, there were a few faithful children of God among them who understood the promises of God, and who were expecting deliverance. God has said: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. In all ages since the fall of man, the large number have turned away from strictly following the Lord, and the few have been led by the unerring voice of his Spirit. At one time, out of the many thousands of Israel, only two hundred were mentioned as having "understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." 1 Chron. 12:32.

The Jews have the tradition that an angel made known to the father of Moses the work that this son was to do. It reads: "For that child, out of dread of whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite children to destruction, shall be this child of thine, and be concealed from those who watch to destroy him: and when he is brought up in a surprising way, he shall deliver the Hebrew nation from the distress they are under from the Egyptians. . . . When the vision had informed him of these things, Amram awaked and told it to Jochebed, who was his wife."—Id., secs. 3, 4.

Later, the parents evidently told this to Moses as a charge from the Lord. Stephen, speaking of this, records that when Moses helped the oppressed Israelites, "he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them." Acts 7:25.

Under the trying conditions recorded above, Moses was born. His mother hid him for three months. He was then placed in an ark of bulrushes and laid among the flags at the river's brink. The daughter of Pharaoh found him there, and, having compassion on the little one and on the poor mother who had taken this way to save him, she adopted the little Hebrew child, and his own mother was chosen to nurse him until he should be of suitable age to be taken into the home of Pharaoh. Ex. 2:1-10. In this way God's word was fulfilled which says, "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee." Ps. 76:10. The child whom Pharaoh desired to destroy above all others, had he known him, was the one brought up in his own home, and educated at his own expense.

While Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22), he did not forget the lessons of childhood so faithfully taught by a slave mother. While the father, who was driven to his tasks, prayed, the mother, bending over their little one, told him the story of Adam and his fall, of Enoch, of Noah, of the results of sin at the flood, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of the promises made to them, of the word of God to Abraham foretelling the sojourn in Egypt, of Joseph's and Pharaoh's dreams, of the prophecy that God would take them out of Egypt, and of how God had revealed that Moses was the one through whom this deliverance should come. A wonderful story! It was the word of God, and it became a shield to him, which all the worldly grandeur, riches, and outward show of Egypt could not, in after years, cause to be forgotten. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Heb. 11:25, 26.

Who can say that his choice was not a wise one? Would you have chosen as he did? Are you making that choice? What you are doing is the best evidence of what you would have done.

Moses was not yet prepared for the great task to which the Lord had called him. While identifying himself with the downtrodden Hebrews, he held the mistaken idea that through human wisdom and the power of the sword, the Israelites must be delivered. The education and influence of Egypt had left their mold, and other years were required to learn the lesson of the power of faith in entire consecration and self-surrender. For this schooling he must leave Egypt, and in the wilderness learn with the helpless flock, and the association of such men as Jethro and Job. That the lesson was well learned is attested by his writing the book of experience which he received from the mouth of Job. "The earliest as well as the most sublime of poetic utterances known to man are found in the Scriptures. Before the oldest of the world's poets had sung, the shepherd of Midian recorded those words of God to Job."—"Education," page 159. Of this period it is also said, "Here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the book of Genesis."—"Patriarchs and Prophets," page 251.

Moses needed patience, forbearance, resignation, and trust. Whom could God have chosen to better teach these Christian graces than the man Job, of whom God could say, "There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man"? Job 1:8.

In these surroundings Moses was trained for duty, and the time for action had come.

Loma Linda, Cal.