The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-08
Sunday STUDY.
THE GREAT PLAGUE.

The International Sunday school lesson
for Dec g. is found in Exodus XII, l-l9
and is devoted to the last plague VISITED
W net1le Egyptians, that their first porn
must die.
There were ten plaques In all, nine OIL
which had passed when Moses had tho
interview with Pharaoh recorded in the
lesson. The first was a. defiling of the
sacred river Nile, on whose consistency
and purity the comfort of Egypt depends.
The frogs of the second plague were
loathSome and noisy; the gnats or mos
quitoes (rather than "lice) OF the tnaIo
plague were annoying on account OF their
sting; the flies Of the fourth came IN I'M
mense swarms, so that they interfered
with health as well as with comfort. The
fifth plague was an epidemic among cat
tie, which destroyed many. of the beasts;
while the boils of the sixth plague broke
out upon both man and beast, and may
have been some eruptive disease re-
senlbling smallpox in some of it's symp-
tens, though it is not described as very
dangerous to life. The two plaques fol-
lowing injured the agriculture. which Is
Egypt's chief reliance. The hail was
destructive to cattle and early crops.
while the locusts completed the work OF
destruction The darkness may have
been due to strong wind bringing up
dusty cloud from the desert. such storms
are not unknown in Egypt. The plaques
were sent to show that Jehovah Is great
er than all the gods Of Egypt.
The plaques were direct blows at the
many deities of Egypt, their main object
being to show that the God of the Israel
ties was their superior. Thus the ME
was worshiped as divine; its being turned
into blood was to make its WorsmpperS
turn from it with loathing. The frog was
regarded as a symbol Of regeneration.
1r-iry Of n
female deity, was worshiped in Southern
Egypt There is a representation Of Setf,
the father of Rameses H., offering Two
vases of wine to frog enShrined IN
small chapel with the subscription, "The
Sovereign Lady of Both Worlds. In the
third plague the dust of the land was
smitten, and the Nile soil was adored
under the title of Sch, who was regarded
as the father of gods. The air, worshiped
as Shu, was next attacked, being made to
bring forth swarms of flies. Even Ra,
their sun-god, was made to hide his face.
In shifting the frstborn of animals, the
Lord struck down every one of the great
host of animals selected to represent the
various gods.
The Pharaoh of the exodus was Meren-
ptah or Mineptah. Pharaoh, or Pir-ao,
means 'sgreat house, or ''high gate
and answers to our word king" lie
was about twenty years younger than
Moses, Mineptah had been taught to re-
gard his lightest fancy as the law which
all must obey. That he should be re.
ouired to do the least trifle against his
pleasure was uncomfortable. The first de-
mand on Pharaoh was reasonable, but
would be granted only if Pharaoh recog-
nized the authority of Jehovah. 1t was
not intended to deceive him, but only TO
test him. The first result of the demand
was not merely contemptuous refusai
but an increase of 1sraePS burden. The
last warning to Pharaoh, was given by
Moses under Gods assurance that the
end was at hand. The jewels which TIE
Hebrews were to get were not to ne
BORROWED" in our modern sense of the
word, but asked for. The gifts would
only partly made UP for the years pass
ed by the Hebrews in hard labor without
pay. In spite of Moses declaration 70
Pharaoh in 1929, he seems to have taken
to him warning of the last plague.
K Oriental families give more distinction
to the eldest son than Is common in
America, not only in the distribution OF
property, but also by way of love ana
honor The plague touching all classes
of society, and even cattle, was therefore
the most terrible that could be conceived.
Moses ''hot anger against Pharaoh was
justified as was the similar wrath of
Jesus against the Pharisees (Matt. Xxii1.),
by long and obstinate opposition to the
messages of God. In verse 10 occurs that
standing puzzle, the words, 1.-THE LORD
hardened Pharaoh's heart To the He
brew writer, to whom everything that
happened was an act of God, these words
are precisely similar to the words,
Pharaoh hardened his heart" The Lord
had determined to free Israel; Pharaoh,
might yield or resist. The lesson teaches:
/. God demands for his people every
where freedom of worship.
2. God so delights in mercy that He
warns many times before he destructive.
ly smites.
3. II is best to be upon Gods side; it
is fearful thing to be opposed to Him.
RIGHT USE OF ABILITY.
The Christian Endeavor topic for Dec.
s is found in Matthew vi, 1916. The les
son is a portion of the Lords prayer, and
the thought in connection Herewith is
the right use of ability
This world has much of wasted good
ness. Multitudes abhor villainy and
approve of virtue when they are repre-
sentcd on the theatrical stage or in the
popular romance who never would at
tempt in any practical effort to lessen
the villainy rampant in their own COM
nlunity or make any strenuous attempt
after virtue in their own practice if it
meant the crushing of some pleasure
able vice.
Ability is not to be falsely used Salt
las the ability to preserve and to sea-
son; but if salt, by being exposed or
falsely united with foreign substances,
loses its SAVIOR it is good for nothing
hut to be cast out 1t loses it's ability
to preserve or to season, and is worth
less. A false use Of ability is also
70 plo
lied to ruin by misusing the special
abilities that God has given them.
The pathway of life is strewn with
the wrecks of talent men,
They have misued or abused the talents
that God has given them, and God has
eXacted an awful penalty from them
Let none who is blessed with ability fol-
low in their footsteps. The genius is not
exempt from the laws of God. His SUI