The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-05-28
Our Evening Sermon!


Our Evening Sermon!
81 know not the Lord, neither will let
Israel go."-EX. 81.
When the Lord appeared unto Moses,
in the land of indian, with assurances
that Moses people would be cared for in
the land of the Egyptians-or, rather,
that they would be safely delivered from
their bondage-and commanded Moses to
go TO them, and make a personal request
of King Pharaoh to permit them to go,
Moses hesitated. He knew that Pharaoh
would not consider his request, neither
did he believe his own people would have
any faith in his story that the Lord had
sent him as messenger, to bring them
out of bondage. Like all timid, hesitating
persons, Moses desired some taken by
which he could convince the people of
the genuineness of his mission. He was
not gifted with oloquence; he could not
proclaim the Divine message with that
.oratorical power which would command
attention and respect from the people.
The Lord assured Moses that he would
be mouth unto him, but in order to
make the latter more confident in his mis-
sion, the Lord sent Aaron, brother of Mo-
ses, along with him.
Moses could not bring his faith UP to
the point of implicit trust in God, and
asked for some sign by which he might
know that he was conversing with Him.
"What is that in thy hand?" "a rod"
"Cast it upon the ground" Moses cast
the rod upon the earth, and Immediately
it became serpent, from which he fled.
But the Lord commanded him to take
hold of the serpent's tail When he touch
ed the tail, the serpent again became a
rod. This was sufficiently strong mani
festation, and Moses and Aaron went in
to Egypt, appeared before Pharaoh, and
demanded the release of their people.
Naturally, the King inquired who was
this great authority whom their people
desired to go to the wilderness and wor-
ship, and in reply to their statement used
the language of the passage quoted.
Here were two men upon divine mis-
sion, having received their authority di-
rectly and personally from the Creator of
the Universe, and proclaiming the Divine
command to one who knew not the Gre
ator, and would not obey his commands.
Bitterly was the lesson of the power of
God impressed upon Pharaoh because of
his wickedness, and strong were the mani
fesiations of Gods power, in the darkness,
the disease, the vermin, which were visit
ed upon the Egyptians.
Notwithstanding all teaching to the
contrary, Pharaoh is Hci11g get, just as he
appeared at the interview with Moses
and Aaron. He has changed his appear
ance many times, but his characteristics
have never changed. For many years af-
ter his reign in Egypt, his Kingdom To-
Gated in the Southern portion of the Unit
ed States, and though the bondmen in
this case were not Israelites, he held to
them just as tenaciously, and was just as
firm in his determination not to let them
go. He knew not the Lord, though he
had his ministers and hirelings who paint
ed Lord to suit his sinful practices.
1Ic1C hOSCo dPpCdl GU ullIO Adl Gull,
demanded the release of the Israelites,
but was met by the unblushing assurance
that he knew not the Lord. Moses came,
however, as riding upon sea of smoke,
and blood, and fire, and forcibly took away
the bondmen, and led them to country
of peace and safety. Pharaoh, baffled,
beaten. was compelled to witness the vic
4<N,-x- II nv,6 rr1n Of hn Nn6
whom he knew not. Beaten and destroy
ed in this Kingdom, the evil King but
transferred his scepter to another field of
operations, and although race after race
of bondmen have been taken from him
through the grace and power of the Lord,
he is still reigning over an extensive
Kingdom. And he is more naughty and
defiant now than ever before. He is en-
| throned now upon barrel of poison, and
his bondmen are numbered by millions.
The Lord has dealt in the same vigorous
manner by Pharaoh, in all the ages since
Moses received the Divine instruction
from the burning bush. Where the two
Moses and Aaron-went into Egypt to
plead for bondmen, thousands of Gods
people now 60 into the realm of the wick
ed King, and plead for his victims.
He knows not God, neither will he let
Israel go, therefore God makes his path
way through life one of misery; one of
the most tortuOus tribulatlon. AS Pha-
raoh now sits in his saloon, or waddles
hopelessly, and almost helplessly about
the streets, the Lord heaps upon him a
worse visitation than murraiD, or frogs
or locusts, or lice, or darkness. AS Pha-
raoh will not permit his victims to leave
him and go and make sacrifices unto the
Lord. the Lord has made a sacrifice OF
Pharaoh'S flesh; it has been blighted by
disease and decay, and has become strik
ing illustration of the evils of sin. His
life-this doggery-keeping Pharaoh-is 8
round of rottenness, his breath is wheeZy
pestilence, and his looks Il nightmare
vision AS he waddles along the streets
or stands behind the bar Of his den, dis
gusting libel upon the name of man, ht
presents a characteristic picture of ont
battling with God. He knows not tht
T ord and will not release his victims