The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-07-06

forth out of Egypt
Yea spoke up one holder than the
rest, and who had been among the
chief opponents of Moses before the
departure from Egypt, lis not this the
word that we did tell thee in Egypt.
saying: Let us alone, that We may
serve the Egyptians?' For it had
been better for us to serve the Egyp
tians, than that we should die in the
| wilderness"
Shouts of approval greeted this
speech. and ii was plain to see by the
angry looks upon the faces Of the peo'
pie that they we're ready to openly re-
bel again, could they find a leader
bold and able enough to lead them in
the present distress.
But whittier could they flee? Who
was there who was wise enough to find
them q way of escape from the ap-
| preaching army of the dreaded Phar-
aoh? Before them was the wide
spreading sea! On either hand were
the towering rocks! And behind
them drawing nearer and nearer was
their powerful enemy. The lines OF the
chaTiots could be seen as they wound
down along the rocky course into the
narrow valley, where the frightened
Hebrews were gathered.
Moses lifted his eyes in mute appeal
to the cloudy pillar lowering over
them. Would God fail them? Nay, had
He not promised? Had He not told OF
this very thing, saying that He would
destroy Pharaoh and his army? Reas-
sured by the thought, he looked out
upon the assembled people with new
courage, then shouted. so that the Lead
ers and chief men of the people all
about him could hear:
Fear ye not, stand still, and ses
the salvation of the Lord, which He
will show you to-day; for the Egyp-
tians whom We have seen to-day ye
shall see them again no more forever"
The people listened i~ncredulously,
while they kept their eyes upon the
soldiers drawing nearer and nearer
But who will destroy our enemy,
who come upon us with sword and
spear and mighty horse and chariot?"
demanded the n who had before
spoken against Moses, pointing to the
approaching army.
And by way of answer Moses pointed
towards the cloud above them. Some
minutes he stood in silence, until there
stole over the people an awed silence.
THE Lord shall fight for you, and ye
shall hold your peace" he cried at
last.
Then there came a voice from the
cloud, as though by way of answer,
saying:
Wherefore criest thou unto me?
Speak INTO the children Of Israel that
they 60 forward. But lift thou up thy
rod, and stretch out thine hand over
the sea, and divide it; and the children
of Israel shall go on dry ground
through the midst of the sea. And |,
behold, | will harden the hearts of the
Egyptians, and they shall follow them;
and | will get me honor upon Pharaoh
and upon all his host, upon his chari-
OTIS and upon his horsemen. And the
Egyptians shall know that I am the
Lord, when | have gotten me honor
upon Pharaoh, upon his charlots and
upon his horsemen."
The voice ceased. A reverent silence
brooded owe the people, But as soon
as the rumble Of Pharaoh's chariots
bore in upon their ears again the old
fear returned, and they began to cry:
"Pharaoh's soldiers are upon us!
And the water is before us ready to
swallow up ourselves and our little
ones and our cattle!"
But the Lord has bid us go for
ward, and has said He would divide
the waters and lead US over. on dry
land" cried Moses and the lead
ers about him .
For an instant they felt treasured,
but as they turned again and saw
Pharaoh's army was now almost ready
to fall upon them, they again cried out
in their great fear.
1t was then that a miraculous thing
happened. The Cloud began to move
back towards the advancing columns
of soldiers, and as the Hebrew peo-
pie beheld wonderingly they noted
that the evening twilight was deepen
ed to midnight darkness on the side
of the Cloud towards the Egyptians,
so that they were shut out from their
view, but on the side Of the Cloud to-
wards the Hebrews it glowed with a
glorious light, so that all through the
night they had light in the camp and
were able to prepare for the journey
the morrow.
And before the light had begun to
break in the east and while yet the
darkness brooded over the camp OF the
80 that they feared to stir,
the people under the leadership of
Moses and Aaron and their elders and
leaders were started on the way to-
wards the water.
There a strange sight greeted them.
hlNhSh INV IILhol VI llC pth . IA4lOW |
pathway led on the bea Of the sand,
and on either side there reared forbid
ding walls Of water, which looked as
though ready to sweep inward and en-
gulf all that lay in its path. Into this
passageway Moses and Aaron
fearlessly walked, and the people, who
had drawn back In fearsomeness, now
took fresh courage and followed as
they saw their leaders advance to the
center Of the pathway. There they
stopped while all the people with their
little ones and their 1ocks and herds
passed over.
Again the sound of the rumbling
chariots fell upon the ears of the flee
ing people, and they looked back as
tbou ranpbnd tho pppnaJfa hnply apJ