The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-05-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for May rs, 1904
IsraeI in E0vpt-Erodus q, Ia


GOLDEN TExT-Our help Ia in the name Of
the Lord -Ps. 1p4: g.
THE BOOK OF ExoDUs.-Exodus means de
parture, and the book is SO named because the
exodus or departure of the Israelites is its
main feature. For the author date, etc, see
the Book of Genesis, lesson !, first quarter
TIME. The time of this lesson extends from
the time Of Joseph, B. G. 1885, to the birth Of
Moses, B. c. l571-64 years, according to COM
mon chronology; or TO B. G 1875, the date Of
Moses birth according to many others
PLACE - Egypt particularly the land Of
Goshen.
CHRoNoI oGY.-There is O general agreement
Of the Bibl e with the chronology derived from
the monuments. But IL must be understood
that all the dates applied to the Egyptian dyn-
asties are very uncertain and indefinite. The
general order is clear, but the exact dates are
unknown. The dates given In all the best
books in Egypt are tentative only, and vary
greatly among themselves. There is no GER
tain chronology in the Bible or in history till
about b. c. 1000
DURATION OF THE BONDAGE IN EGYPT
We have two measures by which to ascertain
the duration Of the bondage The first is the
four hundred and eighty years of I Kings GIL
second Is the four hundred and thirty years of
Ex. l2:40 and Gal 31L
OD In Kings 6:l, it is stated that the build
ing of the temple, in the fourth year Of Solo
mon, was the four hundred and eightieth
Solomon was about b. c. 1912 Add the four
hundred and eighty years Qeaving of one year,
because neither the fourth nor the four hundred
and eightieth were full years. and we have
B. G. 1891 as the date of the exodus. The bond
age is the preceding four hundred and
thirty years, extending from b. c. l49l to 1921
the date of Abraham's call from Chaldea, to
enter upon the long, homeless period of himself
and descendants. of which two hundred and
fifteen years were spent in Egypt
(2) In Elk l2:4o A. and Gal 3:H, the dura
tion Of the bondage is given as four hundred
and thirty years. The common chronology as
we have seen, makes it extend from the call of
Abraham to the exodus, onehalf Of 1t, or two
hundred and fifteen years, being spent in
Egypt. and the other half IN the wanderings Of
Abraham, Isaac and jacob as pilgrims and
strangers. In favor of this view, St Paul says
in Gal 3:l7, that from the covenant (or call Of
with Abraham to the giving of the law (less than
q year after the exodus) was four hundred and
thirty years But in Gen. 1913, IA, 1t is said
that they should be strangers in strange
land, and be afflicted four hundred
years, and nearly the same is said in Ex.
l2:4O But, in very truth, the children of Israel
were strangers in a strange land from the time
that Abraham left his home for the promised
land, and during that whole period Of four hun
dred and thirty years to the exodus they were
nowhere rulers in the land So in EX 12: 40
it is said that the sojourning OF the children
dred and thirty years But 1t does not say that
the soiourning was all in Egypt but this people
who lived in Egypt had been sojourners for
four hundred and thirty years
On the other hand, many think that the four
hundred and thirty years were all spent in
Egypt and must date from Jacobs immigration
into Egypt This method necessitates one Of
two changes. Either we must put the date Of
Jacobs coming to Egypt some two hundred
years earlier than the common chronology
O7O6) TO B. C. 1900, which makes room for the
four hundred and eighty years, but confuses
the previous dates; or, starting with b. G. l706,
the common date Of Jacobs immigration,
brings the exodus TO little beyond B. c. 1900
In this case there must be some error in the
four hundred and eighty years Of Kings 81,
and great diffi Guilty in the numbers given in
Judges. The principal reason for this view is
that it gives abundant time for the increase Of
the Israelites from sixty-eight men to the
100000 Of the exodus (see below in w.
ISRAEL IN EGYPT.
The Immigrants Into Egypt.-Vs. l.
9. By series of strange providences,
and for the purpose of developing and
training them into people who could
embody the kingdom of God on earth,
Jacob and his sons had come into
Egypt. The names are given here of
the heads of the tribes or families. 1t
is to be noticed that they came every
man and his household, which fact is
of some Importance in computing the
time needful for their increase to 6OO,-
900 men who went out from Egypt in
the exodus Mum. 1:46). A hint as to
the numbers of the households may be
gained from the fact that in Abraham's
household there were at least 91S men
who could bear arms (Gen. IA: 14).
"The servants were reckoned as part
OF the household, and were admitted to
the covenant and recognized as Israel
ties Gen. II: 2O. Todd. The seventy
souls are given in detail in Gen. 46. OF
these sixty-eight are men. Their wives
and daughters were additional. This
fact also is to be taken into account in
the calculation in regard to the in
crease.
9. And Joseph died, B. C. 1885, aged
one hundred and ten years. For sew
enteen years he lived at home, in Heb
ron; ten years he was a slave in Egypt,
three years in prison, and eighty years
he was rulerin Egypt. He lived to see
his great-grandchildre (Gen. 5O:23).
His body was embalmed, and kept in
Egypt till the Israelites went out a
great nation, when it was taken to the
land of Canaan and buried in Shechem,
near Mounts Ebal and Gerizim (Ex.
l3:19.
The Numbers of the Israelites.
When the Israelites left Egypt
they numbered about 100000 men
Mum. 1:4e), which implies popula-
tion of about two million. From Jacob
% Joshua was eleven generations, ac-
cording to Chron. Z: 1927. The third
generation, Ephraim, was born before
Jacob came to Egypt in 17O6. For the
remaining eight generations, very