Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

1.

words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people, as God ordered, v. 16. And the people received them and their message with a suitable disposition, and believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, had thus appeared to them, and promised to deliver them, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped, in token of their gratitude and readiness to comply with all the requirements of the Lord.

WE

REFLECTIONS.

E are here encouraged to trust in God to furnish us for the work to which he calls us: as he is able to strengthen the faith and enliven the obedience of his servants. Let us not be discouraged from his service, by a sense of our own weakness. A modest selfdiffidence is allowable and commendable; but when it carries us so far as to neglect our duty, and distrust God, it is criminal. God made man's mouth, and gave him capacity. The consideration of this is a great comfort to private christians, when they are called to lead the devotions of their families, or more private religious societies; and is also a great comfort to ministers, amidst the imperfections of their speech and address. He can give us a mouth and wisdom. God will take it ill if we are backward to speak and act for him, when we have so good a master to serve, so kind a mediator, so many precious promises, and such glorious rewards. If our hearts are sincere, his spirit will help our infirmities: and then, though our address should be mean, and our language not eloquent, we may trust in him to give his blessing, who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings can perfect praise.

2. God's children may depend upon it that he will defend their cause, and protect them in every circumstance; for, as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Israel is my son; I will not suffer him to be abused or oppressed. God regards his children amidst all their sorrows; he remembers their relation to him; and will, sooner or later, appear for their deliverance.

3. Those who are employed for God, and are in conspicuous stations, should manage themselves and their families wisely. God's anger against Moses for neglecting his duty, should teach ministers and heads of families to remove every thing that may be offensive to him, and to practise diligently what he requires; not to set a bad example, or give encouragement to sin. It is a melancholy thing, when the wives of such hang heavy on the interest of religion, and hinder the regular observance of divine institutions. Let heads of families, therefore, learn to rule their own houses well.

4. Learn with what temper we should receive the promises of deliverance in the gospel, v. 31. And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. Thus let us express our gratitude to God, that he hath visited and redeemed his people; be ready to follow his directions, and behave worthy the favours which he intends to bestow upon us. Let us bless the Lord, who hath showed us light and mercy, and meet him in the way of righteousness and obedience.

CHAP. V. 1, to the end. CHAP. VI. 1.

Moses having delivered his message to Israel, waits upon Pharaoh. We have here the reception which Pharaoh gave the message from God; the further hardships the people endured; and their remonstrances to Pharaoh and Moses.

1

A

*

ND afterward Moses and Aaron, and the elders of Israel with them, as they were commanded, ch. iii. went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness, 2 that is, a feast upon asacrifice. And Pharaoh made a most impious and insolent reply, and said, Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither 3 will I let Israel go. And they said, This is no scheme or contrivance of our own, for the God of the Hebrews hath met with us, hath appeared to us and given us a command to do so; therefore let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword; lest he be angry and destroy us, and then you will lose the benefit of our labour.† 4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens, you among the rest, though you take upon 5 you to represent others. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye make them rest from their burdens, and therefore I sustain great damage by these your impertinent applications.

• Pharaoh thought he was some titular, or local god of Israel, and concluded, that since he was not able to prevent their being in subjection to Egypt, there was no danger to be apprehended from him. This was an impious speech, even upon his own principles, for the heathens thought it a necessary duty to treat the gods of their neighbours with great rev.

erence.

It might also intimate, that as God would punish them if they did not go, so he would also punish Pharaoh if he did not suffer them to go. There is a decency and spirit in this address, beyond what commentators have taken notice of, but it had po good effect. Ff

VOL. I.

6

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the task masters of the people, and their officers, Israelites who were employed un7der the task masters, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore, to mingle with the clay, or rather, to burn the bricks with: let them go and gather straw S for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did them; ye shall not diminmake heretofore, ye shall lay upon ish [aught] thereof: for they [be] idle, they have not work enough, and their minds wander; therefore they cry, saying, 9 Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words, and what these men say unto them. And the task masters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith PhaGo ye, get ye straw where 11 raoh, I will not give you straw. ye can find it yet not aught of your work shall be dimin12 ished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all 13 the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And

10

the task masters hasted [them,] saying, Fulfil your works, 14 [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's task masters had set over them, were beaten, [and] demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?

*

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with 16 thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick : and, behold, thy servants [are] 17 beaten; but the fault [is] in thine own people. But he said, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle therefore ye say, Let us go, [and] do sacrifice to the LORD. This was a bitter sarcasm; when their hearts were broken with the extremities of their labours, they 18 are taxed with idleness. He then ratifies the command; Go therefore now, [and] work; for there shall no straw be given you, 19 yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see [that] they [were] in evil [case,] after it was said, Ye shall not minish [aught] from your bricks of your daily task.

20

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, waiting to know what success they had met with, as they came' 21 forth from Pharaoh : And they said unto them, in a violent passion, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because you' have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us; you have been the cause of increasing our burdens

In those days the meanest of the people had access to their prince; and their busin ness now was to know whether it was his order or net.

22

and punishment.

They began to suspect their divine commission, and used God's messengers in this cruel and outrageous

manner.

And Moses returned unto the LORD; he betook himself to some retired place, where he might pour out and present his own, and the people's distress unto God, and said, with too much heat, Lord, wherefore hast thou [so] evil entreated this people? 23 why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all, as thou hast promised.

[ocr errors]

CHAP. VI. Then the LORD, pitying the warmth and weakness of his servant, said unto Moses, As thou canst make nothing of Pharaoh, I will take him in hand, and humble this proud prince; now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh : for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land; he who now so insolently refuses to let them go, shall even be glad to drive them out of his land, because of the terrible judgments which I shall inflict upon him.

[ocr errors]

REFLECTIONS.

E may observe that those who do not know God are the persons who refuse to obey him, v. 2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. "While men are ignorant of God, and neglect his service, they say this, if not in words, yet by their actions. It is a sad thing to be ignorant of God: the more we know of him, the more we shall love him, and more cheerfully and steadily obey him.

2. The displeasure of God must be expected, where the known duties of his service are omitted. If we neglect his worship in public, in our families, or in secret, he will be displeased, and we must expect to meet the tokens of his anger. God is jealous of his honour, and will not suffer his creatures to neglect his work. The best security for his favour, is to walk in all his statutes and ordinances blameless.

3. God often brings his people into extremities, that he may magnify his mercy in their extraordinary deliverance. PersecuThus God tions are often most extreme, when liberty is near. manifests his power and justice over his enemies, and his favour and mercy to his friends. Deliverance is nearest when difficulties are greatest, for then their desires of deliverance are most earnest, and they put the greatest value upon it.

4. It is no new thing for worldly minded men to charge relig don with idleness; Ye are idle. Luther tells us, he once heard a great man say, 'They must needs be idle fellows who are so

much taken up with the business of religion.' Any thing seems proper work to a carnal mind, but God's service; nothing is superfluous to them, but religious duties; though true religion will make a man diligent in his business. Industry is a duty which we owe to God, to our families, and to the public; and religious duties should be so timed as not to interfere with worldly business; and this may easily be done but any time that is separated for religious purposes, is apt to be reckoned lost time by men of the world. Yet let such remember, that if a man be ever so diligent in worldly business, if he rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of sorrows, and at the same time neglect religion, he will be condemned at last as a slothful servant.

5. How ready are men in affliction to quarrel with their best friends! Moses and Aaron promised the Israelites deliverance, but, because it did not come at the time they expected, they were insulted and abused by them. Persons in affliction often censure their best friends; but let us guard against this temper. Israel never needed the pity and prayers of Moses and Aaron so much, as when they were quarrelling with them and reproaching them.

6. Those whom God calls to public services must seek their comfort in him, when things wear a discouraging aspect among those to whom they are sent. The officers insulted Moses, and Moses returned to the Lord, when disappointed in his attempts of service. Thus should ministers and christian parents do; lay the case before God, plead before him their sincere, thougli feeble endeavours: plead his promises, and then they may hope that in his good time things will take a more favourable turn. However, though they labour in vain, and spend their strength for nought, this is their comfort, that their work is with the Lord, and their judgment with their God.

CHAP. VI, 2, to the end.

God renews his promises to Israel by Moses; and encourages him in his addresses to them and to Pharaoh.

A

ND God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, and displayed to them my great power, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them; that is, he had displayed his Almighty power, but not his immutability and faithfulness to his promises, which the word Jehovah principally signifies. He had promised many things to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and now they shall see them accomplished, and perceive the name Jehovah was fully answered in all its import. See Isaiah lii.

« EdellinenJatka »