Israelites in Egypt.

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And

be 'as the stars of heaven for multitude.' yet, in the 215 years which had passed since his call, his descendants (besides Joseph and his family who were already in Egypt) were only seventy persons. But in the second period of 215 years (making up the 430 years of the 'sojourning' of his seed) this seventy persons (or rather seventyfive, with Joseph and his family) were so wonderfully multiplied, that at the end of the whole period there were 600,000 fighting men. Observe the expressions which are used to describe this great and miraculous increase. The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.' The same words are used in the account of the Creation.1 And thus

the blessing, by which the world was at first filled with the animated creatures of God, seems to have been specially realised in the multiplication of His own people in Egypt. And yet it might have seemed likely (humanly speaking) that the seed of Abraham would have come to an end in Egypt; for when the first generation had passed away, and a new king was now upon the throne, no little alarm was felt at the great increase of the Israelites, who seemed likely to outnumber the natives; and the new Pharaoh took measures to stop this miraculous increase, not only by cruel

1 Gen. i. 20, 28.

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Pharaoh's Order.

usage in making the lives of the Israelites bitter with hard bondage,' and compelling them to serve with rigour in brick and mortar; but also (as appears at the close of this chapter) by commanding their midwives to murder the male children at their birth. The midwives disobeyed this cruel command, (which we may compare with the murder of the male children at Bethlehem by Herod, in the vain hope of killing the new-born King of Israel,) and were rewarded by God for disobeying the horrible command. A charge was "then given by Pharaoh to his people in general to cast the male children of the Hebrews into the river Nile.

We are told, however, 'The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.' And we may reflect,—

I. How vain it is to fight against God's will and purpose; and also how He very often brings His purposes to pass, by means, or at a time, very different from what would have seemed likely in human calculations; as here, it would have seemed likely that Abraham's seed would 'increase and multiply' during the first 215 years of peace and freedom from interruption, rather than in the last 215 years of cruel usage. He thus teaches us to look, not to what is humanly probable, but to His unfailing Word and overruling Providence.

1 Ver. 12.

Increase of Israelites in Egypt.

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2. We may reflect that God's people in this world is often a despised and persecuted people; a people suspected of evil influences, and dangerous objects and designs. And any prosperity which God may give them, is looked upon with an evil eye. But God does not fail to comfort and uphold them under this trial, and the world cannot take away the peace in which He keeps them, for,—

3. In this wonderful increase of the Israelites in Egypt after the death of Joseph, we should see a figure of the more wonderful increase of the Christian Church after the death of Jesus, who was like the corn of wheat, which died and brought forth fruit by its death, which soon filled the face of the world. The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church. The prayer for Rebekah, the type of the Church, has been answered.' She is become 'the mother of thousands of millions.' May the vine that was brought out of Egypt thus flourish in ever-increasing fruitfulness, even unto the end of time.

1 Gen. xxiv. 60.

EXODUS, ii. 1-10.

1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

The Birth of Moses.

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10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

MAN'S extremity is still found to be God's opportunity; and we here see how, when all was outwardly hopeless, a Deliverer was raised, and trained to bring the Hebrews out of their bitter misery. Moses was the third child of Amram and Jochebed, born after Miriam and Aaron. There was, perhaps, something in the exceeding 'goodliness' of his form and features which led his parents to believe in his being intended for some great purpose; or they were, perhaps, warned by God that this was indeed the fact. It is said that, 'by faith' he was 'hid for three months,'1 and his parents were not afraid of the king's commandment.' And then, probably acting under divine direction, they placed him in an ark or cradle of bulrushes, and committed him to the river. These bulrushes were probably the papyrus which grows in the Nile, and was used in making baskets and boats; and used also for paper, which thence derives its name. As Noah was saved in an ark, and Moses in a frail ark of bulrushes, so are we saved from perishing in the ark of Christ's Church. The very word 'ark' seems thus to be connected with salvation.

I Heb. xi. 23.