Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-01

zen. The weary years OF oppression. dur
wN.ch many wetl-nigh lost hope were
a 10 come Ia an end. God had not
Deeh indifferent To the cry OF affection as
'he people Sro2ned under the task masters
anu re had determined to deliver them He
~ou'u orihs them out Of Egypt, where they
, ,'au oeeh so long In bondage. He would
pant them In land OF plenty then occ,,-
pied by the Canaanites the Uittites tha
Amorites, the PerzZites. the Invites and
the JeDusites. Six nations should be made
~ suirehder thelr lands and make room for
the CHOSEN people This Divine purpose has
induced the approach to Moses The decIa-
raton must have seemed a pledge of the
Impossible. A nation of slaves. liberated,
exalted,
COMMISSION oversees Q and 1m-nu.
why was the Lords purpose made known
to Moses? Could not the Almighty execute
His plan without divulging II first to a
mortal? While with Him there were forces
adequate to such mighty undertaking His
wisdom determined to employ human
agent In every great measure man Is the
instrument and God the actor. This man
Moses Is to be commissioned TO execute the
DIVINE VIII. II will send thee to Pharaoh
that thou mayest bring forth my people I"
He was to be first a Representatives at tho
Egyptian court and then leader OF Israel
a diplomat and captain. Moses had been
IN training all these years for this service
he had been for five or six Years under
the sole care Of his mother, by whom he
must have learned the language history
anu HopeS VI HIS race. lie had been in the
Egyptian schools. acquiring the learning Of
the foremost nation OF antiquity acts
vii:22). He had been for many years at
court. engaged in various duties and learn
ing many or the principles of government
and probably the arts OF war. He had been
grieved by the affiction of his people (Ex.
MD He had been forty years in retire
ment communing with his own soul He
was the man for the hour.
PROMISE oversees II and l9-As a
rule a great man distrusts his ability This
Is partly due to humility. but chiefly It
arises out of consideration of the magni-
which the superficial man 10 unable to re-
gard Moses was reluctant to accept what
God had offered him. Who am To- he
queried q Sam, xviii:1S). What talents or
authority have I for this trust? The great
apostle to the Gentiles had similar misgiv-
Ing e Cor. xt:6). Such man needs as
surance Of help either from men or from
God or from both. Accordingly. two prom
Gods presence. which Moses ever after
claimed as his support (Ex., xxxii:15). 1t
was the same promise that gave heart to
the apostles Matt, xxviii:2D in all their
frst-that Israel after deliverance from
Egypt should be brought to worship in that
same mountain. there to experience larger
measures of the Divine favor.s
CONCLUSION-It is in vain for us to
speculate concerning the method of the FORE
going appearances and revelations. Some
are disposed to take the account as literal,
while others think that strong impressions
were made upon the mind of Moses so that
he was in trance state. BY whichever
process. 1t is evident that he believed him.
self called to this great mission. 1t has
always been In every important move
ment for the good of man. Some leader has
been raised up who felt that he was divinely
commissioned. 1t was so with Abraham,
with Noah. with Paul, with Wesley. with
Luther, with Fox. A cause must be in
carnated. A soul must be moved by a
heavenly impulse. Men trust and follow
such leaders. The centuries wait for their
coming. And when at last they appear
forces gather about them and circumstances
are shaped to make way for their achieve
ments. A few men Of lofty ideals and
strong convictions have been the saviors Of
their people, the beacon lights In the dark
ness and the storm.