The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-11-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson in the International Series
for November 40. 1D01-Israel
Oppresssd in Egypt.
THE LESSON TEXT.
EXODUS l:1-14)

THE LESSON TEXT.
EXODUS 1:1-14)
I. Now these are the names of the chill
dren of Israel, which came into EGYPT;
every man and his household CAME with
Jacob.
2. Reuben, Simeon. Levi, and judah.
3. Issachar. Zebulun, and Benjamin.
4. Dan. and Naphtali, Cad. and Asher.
8. And all the souls that came out OF the
loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for JOS
eph was in Egypt already.
g. And Joseph died, and all his brethren.
and all that generation.
Z. And the children OF Israel were fruit
full, and increased abundantly, and multi
piled. and waxed exceeding mighty; and
the land was Allied with them.
s. Now there arose up a new king over
Egypt which knew not Joseph.
o. And he said unto his people. Behold,
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 II come to pass.
that. when there falleth out any war. they
Join also unto our enemies. and hght
against us, and SO get them UP out of the
land.
IL. Therefore they did set over them task
masters to afiiict them with their burdens.
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities,
Pithom and Raamses.
II. But the more they afflicted them, the
more they multiplied and grew. And they
were grieve6 because OF the children Of
Israel
1s. And the Egyptians made the children
Of Israel to serve with rigour:
IA. And they made their lives bitter with
hard bondage, in mortar. and In brick, and
In all manner OF service In the field: all
their service, wherein they made them
serve, was with rigour.
GOLDEN TExT.-GOd heard their
groaninE, and God remembered His
cOvenant.-Ex. 2t2%.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The lesson will properly include
the entire first chapter Of Exodus.
The Growth of Israel Tvs. TO-
These first verses Of Exodus are
summary of the conditions under
which Israel grew from q family to
a people. Goshen was not very fer
tile, but 6t for the pasturage OF large
hocks. 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 IL is sufficiently so for
counting the number of the first gen.
Grafton. The number that left Egypt
after the first passover was about 60O,-
600 (12:37). The time during which the
nation grew to this size is differently
calculated. A period of 430 years is
mentioned in several passages (12:40;
Gal. 3:17; compare Gen. 1919. But
in one case il seems to be reckoned
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 Elk.
12:40, the words sin 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
residence of Israel in Egypt was about
215 years, or about seven generations.
To increase in that period from 20
to 100000 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. s-14).-The
new king of verse s was not merely
ruler, but was a member of 4
a new dynasty. He is generally be-
lieved to have been Rameses H.. who
was one of the greatest builders that
ever ruled Egypt. and very success
fnI adm c tndino-
tion of his care in administration that
he gave his attention to the rapid in
crease of the Hebrews. The social
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 neigh
boring territory for the founding of
a new government. Egypt would not
be so well of II 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
pyramids were built. The same meth!
cd was used by Solomon in building
the temple. Hard work seldom en-
dangers the increase of nation. If
Pharaoh had known how best to pre-
vent Israel's growth, he would have per-
suaded the young and vigorous pe ople
to live in pampered idleness. Israers
treatment was hard to bear, not so
much because the work taxed their
strength as because they were under
and harsh taskmasters.
The "rigour" of verses 10 and IA Is
rough and abusive treatment.
Cruel Measures Tvs. 1929 The en-
desvor to stop increase by the murder
OF infants was hardly more succe essful
than that TO stop 1t by oppressive bur-
dens. Pharaoh found few of his peo-
pie ready to carry out this order,
though no doubt it had some effect.
and 1t certainly made Q male ehild's
life uncertain.