Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-07-27
God Feeds Israel in
the Wilderness
Sunday School Lessen Tor july 1907
Specially Prepared FOR This Paper


LESSON TEXT.-Exodus 1sI-l5. Mem
DRY verse e.
GOLDEN TENT am the living
bread which came down from heaven
John 6:5i.
Time.-Acccrding 70 the common chro-
nology the crossing OF the Red Sea was
about the first OF April. 3. G. 1891. Pro
lessor Bccchcr regards this early date as
probably the correct one. near the be-
ginning OK the fifteenth century. B. c."
Many scholars regard TIE date "a about
1900 y. g, and some as late "a 100 Il. G.
There Is great uncertainty as 20 the eN-
act time. This lesson belongs about
month after the last regular lesson.
PLACE.-'Thc northern part OF the Will
derness OF Sin. a long plain bordering the
Gulf OF Suez on the east.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Six hundred thousand men. besides
children and mixed multitude, had
escaped from Egypt and its slavery.
crossed the Red sea. and were now be-
ginning their journey 90 Palestine. 1t
took them 80 years. although It could
as easily have been accomplished in
40 weeks.
Three routes were possible Cd The
Philistia road tho northern road
around tie Mediterranean. This they
avoided. because 70 woulS lead them
through the warlikc tribe Of Palestine
CD The Way of Shur.' directly east
They rejected this. because it trav-
ersed the worst Of the desert. 90
Therefore they were guided 20 take
the lower road running southcasterly
along the eastern shore Of the Red
sea.
V. 3. Would to God we had died
d. d. in the land Of Egypt" like the first
born of the Egyptians. The couhast
as TO fertility between the wilderness
and Egypt was very great. But they
forgot their suHerings from slavery
there and the wonderful deliverances
from God. They did not appreciate
their freedom. their spiritual training
and privileges. and all that would lead
70 a higher life.
Note Cd that they might have been
sure that God would provide them
with food. Would be have done such
wonders on the field OF zoan and at
the Red sea. If he meant them 20 die
IN the wilderness? They only needed
20 look up TO God and on what ne had
done TO strengthen their faith They
were like Christian I'm Doubling Cas-
tie. who forgot that he had in his
bosom the key Of deiiverancc.
"a friend OF mine was once wander
ing in thick fog. lie could not sec
a step behind or before. and his soul
was filled with gloomy thoughts. OF
sudden he looked upward. and To-
. h. oh F..fr
was walking through a thick fog that
reached only a few feet above his
head. SO in all our troubles: we have
only TO look up. aud we can see Gods
kindness through them. Amos r.
Wells
Note (2) God was only waiting till
they had learned their lesson OF faith.
They put material comfort before spir-
itual life. Gods way was 20 have
them seek first the character which
would prepare them for their Promised
Land
V. u. "At even ye shall eat flesh.
the flesh Of ". l3) quails which came
up" from the Arabian gulf OF the Red
sea, across which they fly in the
spring IN great numbers. and are
often so faugued after their passage,
and fly SO low as 90 become an easy
prey wherever they alight Bush. Il
have myself found the ground IN Al
geria. in the month OF April. covered
with quails for an extent OF many
acres at daybreak where on the pre-
ceding afternoon there had not been
one. "-Tristram. The quails. as ap-
pears by the subsequent narrative.
were supplied. not regularly. but only
on rare occasions; in fact $50 far as
appears). only here in the wilderness
Of Sin, and at Kibroth-Hattaavah In
the wilderness Of Paran (Num. 1871
sd.
The gift Of the quails came through
natural means, Ike most OF their food
and ours. All our daily food is the gift
Of God. however much We may work
for it ourselves. II forever points US
to God and claims our thanks
This kind OF miracle, we believe. our
Father is constantly working for his
children. God has made nature Ike
vast machine. and gone away and