Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-11-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson in the international Series,
for November 10, 19O1-IsraeI
Oppressed in Egypt.
mE LESSON TEXT.

dren of Israel. which came mo 14SyskS1s
every man and his household came VIII
Jacob.
2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi. and judah
3. Issachar, Zebulun. and BENJAMIN.
!. Dan, and Naphtali, Cad, and Asher:
5. And all the souls that came OUT % -
loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for jas
eph was in Egypt already.
6. And Joseph died, and all his orethrens
and all that generation.
Z. And the children of Israel were Iru il
full, and increased abundantlyr ano muir muir.
piled, and waxed exceeding mighty an"
the land was filled with them.
8. Now there arose up new kirFs over
Egypt, which knew not Joseph
g. And he said unto his people, Be0elaS
the people of the children of Israel are
more and mightier than we;
10. Come on, let US deal wisely with them
lest they multiply, and 1t come TO pass
that, when there falleth out any war, they
join also unto our enemies, and tight
against US, and so get them up out OF tho
land.
IL Therefore they did set over them task
masters to afflict them with their burdens-
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cit5eSa
Pithom and Raamses.
Il. But the more they afflicted them, the
more they multiplied and grew. And they
were grieved because of the children OF
Israel.
Is. And the Egyptians made the childreIS
of Israel to serve with rigour:
Il. And they made their lives bitter witln
hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, ana
in all manner of service in the field: al
| their service, wherein they made the ~
serve. was with rigour.
GOLDEN TEXT.-God heard theiV
grooming. and God remembered His
cOvenant.-Ex. 2;24.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The lesson will properly incfUd.s
the entire first chapter of Exodus.
The Growth of Israel Tvs. 1-O.-~
These first verses of Exodus are Ia
summary of the conditions under
which Israel grew from a family to
a people. Goshen was not very fer
tile, but fit for the pasturage of largo
focks. Here the conditions for rapid
growth were favorable, because of the
abundance of room, of air and of food,
The number 70 is not exactly accurate
at the time of Jacobs removal to
Egypt, but it is sufficiently so for
counting the number of the first gem
GRAFTON. The number that left Egypt
after the first passover was about 60O,o
600 (12:37). Thetim during which the
nation grew to this size is differently
calculated. period of 43O years is
mentioned in several passages (12:40;
Gal. 3:17; compare Gen. 1919. But
in one case it seems to be reckone6
from the covenant with Abraham, and
in the other from the entrance of
Jacob into Egypt. The Greek version
of the Old Testament inserts in Ex-
1910, the words Gin the land OF
Canaan" after the word Egypt" so
that the period covered includes also
the time when Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob lived in Canaan, and the actual
| - 81 IN, hen
215 years, or about seven generations.
To increase in that period from 20
to 600, 900 would require that in each
family an average of about seven chill
dren should grow up and marry. Such
growth would indeed be phenomenal;
and if students of Egyptian history
are right, the longer period must be
taken as correct.
The Oppression Tvs. 8-14.-Ths
''new king" of verse s was not merely
another ruler, but was a member OF
new dynasty. He is generally be-
| lieved to have been Rameses H.. who
was one of the greatest builders that
ever ruled Egypt, and a very success
full administrator. 1t was an indica-
ton of his care in administration that
he gave his attention to the rapid in.
crease of the Hebrews. The social
contempt in which shepherds were
held prevented the Hebrews from mix
ing with the Egyptians. Of course, in
that situation friction and jealousy
would be common. The result which
| the king expected was therefore quite
possible. The policy of the Hebrews,
if they could form an alliance against
Egypt, would probably be to weaken
Egypt's power and then select a neigh
boring territory for the founding of
a new government. Egypt would not
be so we'll off if they went away, as
Pharaoh knew. The slavery to which
the Hebrews were reduced was not
of individual to individual, but of peo-
pie to king. The use of forced labor
was common in Egypt; even native
Egyptians were subjected to it, and
by its means great works like the
pyra mids were built. The same meth
cd was used by Solomon in building
the temple. Hard work seldom en-
| dangers the increase of a nation. If
| Pharaoh had known how best to pre-
vent Israel's growth, he would have per-
suaded the young and vigorous people
to live in pampered idleness. IsraePs
trea tment was hard to bear, not so
much because the work taxed their
strength as because they were under
| inconsiderate and harsh taskmasters.
The ''rigour'' of verses Is and IA is
rough and abusive treatment.
Cruel Measures Tvs. 15-22).-The en-.
deavor to stop increase by the murdet
of infants was hardly more successful
than that to stop it by oppressive bur-
dens. Pharaoh found few of his PEG.
pie ready to carry out this order,
though no doubt it had some effect.
and it certainly made a male ebild'g
| life uncertain.