The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-07
THE sUNDAY-sCHOOL LESSON.
Dec. 8, 1901; Moses and Pharaoh-
Exodus III, Ito.
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Exodus III, l-lO.
Michael Angeles Moses has been called the
crown of modern sculpture. II So IL Is an ITO"
crown ParadoxicaI? Yes! But the marVei Is
that marble could be wrought into sucn a shape
terrible in its unyieldingness. Angeles Moses
is veritable laundering Jupiter once seen
the awesome impression cannot be shaken on
The artists genius triumphed when he cut out
Of the block this ideal Of imperious leadership
whose glance is as II 1t passed over an entire
plain fun of people and ruled them. POPE
Julius II expected to hitch this statue 10 ms
triumphal tomb. which was TO stand Tour squa'e
in the nave OF St Peters Cathedral Instead
he got only a slab In the floor Inc slsdh'io
plan. as often happens in mortuary matters
dwindled into merely a commemorative torilo III
s Pietro in Vincoli II seems almost irony 10
see the pitifu figure of the Pope looking down
from the lid of his empty sarcophagus upon this
sunerb statue. which makes everything about 1t
fade into nothingless. In that presence one
can think only of Moses. Pope and even artist
are forgotten for the while. The statue Is III
every respect worthy of the greatest might'est
popular leader who ever raised nation from
servitude to reliance its own strength.
The eye does not know where TO rest In TINS
masterpiece OF sculpture since the time OF the
Greeks. The figure is seated in the central nlcne'
with long flowing beard descending 10 the
which blaze as it were. with the light of the
burning bush, with majesty of anger which
makes one tremble as Of a passionate Delng
drunken with fire. All that is positive, and all
that is negative in him is equally Dreadful II
IL rise up ii seems as If he would snout
forth laws which human intellect could
fathom His voice like that of the gods OF
Homer, would thunder forth in tones too awful
for the ear of man to support. Yes! there is
Ignc In no
Michael Angelo. Nor is his countenance soft
ened by the twilight OF sadness which is steal
ing from his forehead over his eyes. The Greeks
could not have endured glance from such
Moses and the artist would certainly have been
blamed, because he has thrown no softening
touch over his gigantic picture. That which we
have is the archetype of a terrible and quite un-
approachable sublmity (GregoroviusD
AS one stands in the religious light. unusually
dim, of st. Peter in chains, another statue
seems 70 rise out of the gloom. Over against
the Moses of Angelo the Pharaoh of
Egypt the proud, untimely monarch of the
mightiest empire of that age. Invincible
legions, trained councillors, high executives,
great vizers, an innumerable retinue-all are
at his beck. The wisdom and power of the
world are concentrated in him. Moses and
Pharaoh One pitted against the other. A bat
tie of giants is impending. The duel of the
of race Of slaves, without political afnliation,
arms. or resources Of any kind. 1t is enough to
say the other is Pharaoh. What made
Moses dauntless and omnipotent that he
felt he had a divine vocation. His cry was the
which Peter the Hermit raised centuries
afterward in slumberng Europe: The Lord
Wills it,! Moses had what all genuine world
leaders have-nspiration. That what nerved
him to toss his gauntlet at Pharaoh's feet.
/ oh I'd
inveterate. Consent would involve humliat ton
in the eyes Of his subjects. and, what more.
in the eyes of rival and enviOus monarchs. As
a matter of statecraft il seemed out OF the
question. Emancipation of those million slaves
would also be the destruction at one blow of
both capital and revenue incredible .
Under the circumstances nothing but such a
series Of terrible, affective provisions as are
here described signs and wonders" could
have broken the iron will Of Rameses. As it
was, he had the hardihood TO stout it out
against them for ten months-and on an aver
age a month. But at last heart and flesh
failed him. II seems he OF such a decisive
character that he could not be negative in any
thing, in the form Of his submission to the
inevitable In the language of quaint Scripture
He thrust them hence altogether" The
battle of giants The tyrant was de-
feated; and again, in archaic Bible phrase
Moses was very great"
THE TEACHERS LANTERN
| The gains of good leadership are incalcuIable
A captain in thought. industry or government
/ is above all price. National leaders like ma
tional songs, cannot be bought; they are Gods
gifts-born, not made These make the sue
cession OF truest royalty. Moses stands bril-
liantly among the foremost. The Dor
rowing Of gold and silver jewels from the
Egyptians by the Jews presents problem in
casustry To say that borrow" is mistrans-
iation for ask hardly gives loophole enough
Back Of this the question should be asked. Was
this a direct supernatural command of God of
which we hav@ literal record. did the people
feel IL TO be right TO make reprsals upon their
]