The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-08-28
I,
GETTING OVER
DIFFICULTIES
BY WIN. T. Ellis.

~ Wv "a
The past casts its spell over the pres
ant. and I noticed when going through
the Suez canal and the upper reaches of
the Red sea- hat the passengers Were
talking mostly about the scenes enacted
IN this region at time OF the Exodus
rather than about the engineering won
ders OF the canal itself. The figure of
Moses doomed large over this region. AS
ono goes by rail from Suez to Cairo, he
looks out over the very scenes Witnessed
by the fleeing Children OF Israel The
htstortcity OF this event and the actual
tty OF the places is to be stressed. Some
Of us have been over a part OF the re-
Eion of the Exodus story while our friends
have trayersed ever foot OF II. There
p danger thai mani readers Of the great
Exodus narratives will say with the old
woman Of the story, well now, i knew
al those places were In the bible. but I
never thought OF them being on the
k6rth.'' "
Looking into the flight OF the Children
Df Israel from beneath Pharaoh's cruel
rod. which the death of the frst-born had
temporarily lifted. we must remember
that every year Is throwing collateral
light upon this story as men unearth n
decipher more monuments, and as they
study more deeply Into the facts n
language OF scripture.
How Many Jews Made the Flight?
"A huge and an interesting point in this
bt0ry. which looms like a pillar of fire
pm the horizon OF history. is the num-
her Of the host Of the Children Of Israel
who were delivered from Egypt. The
accepted belief has been that there were
ko00.O00 This Is built on the statement
that there were 100000 fighting men,
Taking the common average OF five per-
bons 10 a family, this immense total has
been reached. Critics have not been slow
20 point out the difficulties OF leading
such a host. and the practical impossib-
uity or sustaining them on the Sinai PEN
lnsula, The passage OF the Red sea In a
night by 100000 persons seems incred-
tble. Ea .@t. ~. .,a~
The gloating has been premature.
Scholars ara now showing by evidence
that seems incontrovertibIe that the word
Translated thousands" In this and many
passages. is also the word used for fam
lies or clans" This whole subject 10
~nIuminatingly treated in DR.. Hoskins'
book, From the Nile to Nebo." This re-
moves all difficulties at q stroke. The
word 'salaf," IL taken to mean families,
means that there were coo families who
made the Exodtts, DR.. Hoskfn's conclu-
sion Is. 1.-THE numbers OF the Children Of
Israel were somewhere about 100, 600 souls.
and these figures will be found to At in
Satisfactorily with the conditions In
Egypt before the Exodus, with the con-
ditions and possibilities through the Exc
dns itself, and supply all the require
menta for the growth and extension of
she kingdom after the Exodus"
The same authority suggests three en-
tightening Illustrations: m
1T might also be remarked here for the
sake OF those who may find a difficulty
IN lettIng so OF the exaggerated numbers
which have played q part In u mental
conceptions since cur childhood, to recall
smother fact, that 1t was not the great
numbers OF the Anabasis 10000 Creeks,
who marched UP from the coast to the
sea, nor the Mosiem Hegira departure, $50
persons), nor the great number on board
the Maylower coz souls), which made
these movements famous and momentous
Ia history, but the principles. moral and
spiritual. which led and sustained these
soldiers and pilgrims through their dan
gors and vicissitudes; so also is It true
Ia the matter OF the Exodus. its import
ance for our race lies not In its numbers,
great or small but In the message Of
Gods truth which they carried In their
breasts"
The Place Of the Crossing.
n old figure or speech that we stand
on the shoulders OF all who have lived
before us Is especially applicable TO bible
study. Fifty years nave let In a food of
hight upon the history OF the bible from
sources undreafned by. our fathers. We
now know q multitude Of archaeological
facts that show the reasons for many OF
the actions reported In the bible history
without explanation. Thus the children
Of Israel might have chosen their routes
out OF Egypt-one UP along the Mediter-
ranean shore. which Is still the directest
route from Canaan, but which would have
leo them into instant conflict with the
PhiIistines. second, the central route
through the great Egyptian wall which
was guarded by Pharaoh's troops. or the
third route below the lower end of the
wall. which, however, involved q cross
Eng OF the Red Sea. Be 1t remembered
that Moses was perfectly familiar with
this entire region. Even as the war de-
partInents OF all governments today map
outrin advance the routes OF their armies
I IN case Of war, no Moses had decided
upon the best way of delivering his hun
dred thousand compatriots, 1t was neces-
sary to get them off where they might
be disciplined, for at the moment they
were. but a fleeing horde.
Another quotation from DIR. Hosk1ns Is
In order: es4 -. .. 81
t.Taking my stand on the historicity Of
b Exodus, I am just as clear that there
EYas one one route possible for such a
mass of people, that 1t was settled abso-
intely by the water, and that, contrary
20 the common conception. 1t was along q
well known Route Of Antiquity, an old
road from Egypt to Edom, Arabia and
Mesopotamia. The route hts the docu-
ments as tAe key fits Its lock"
The Wind Of Delivery.
The ancient assurance that He hol6eth
the winds In his fist Is called to mind as
NE read that when the children Of Israel
found themselves in a cul de sac, with
Pharoah at their heels Al the waters OF
the upper end Of the Gulf of SueE in front
OF them, q great wind drove back the
nood to make the pathway Of safety for
b chosen people. 1t is u philosophy
that q guidance which has continued for
. long period viii not fail at the end. Be-
cause God has opened paths before our
feet In the past, He viii not fail Us In
the present emergency. When His guild
ance Is Followed. II is His problem, not
ours. to effect deifverance. The miracle
OF the dividing or the Red sea has both
cred many persons, most OF whom know
nothing OF the geography Of the situation.
The head waters OF the Red sea, up In
the narrow arm OF the Gulf or Snez, were
nhaIlow. The miracle vas no less a MIRA
Gle because effected by wholly natural
agencies. We must remember that 1t was
q great wind which destroyed the Span
tah Armada and saved England. Queen
1nlizabeth struck q medal bearing the In
ecription, The blew with His wind and
they were scattered The men who have