Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-09-05
GETTING OVER
DIFFICULTIES
BY VIM. T. Ellis.

ent, and noticed when going through
the Suez canal and the upper reaches of
the Red sea that the passengers were
taking mostly about the scenes enacted
IN this region at the time Of the Exodus
rather h about the engineering Won
ders Of the canal itself. The figure Of
Moses doomed large over this region. Az
one goes by rail from Suez to Cairo, he
looks out over the very scenes witnessed
by the fleeing Children of Israel. The
historicity Of this event and the actual
1ty OF the places is to be stressed. Some
OF us nave been over a part Of the re-
gion of the Exodus story while our friends
have traversed every foot of 1T. There
Is danger that many readers of the great
EXODUS narrative will say with the old
woman of the story. "Well now, I knew
all those places were in the bible, but I
never thought of them being on the
earth.'
Looking into the flight of the Children
OIL Israel from beneath Pharaoh's cruel
rod, which the death of the first-born had
temporarily lifted, W. must remember
that every year is, throwing collateral
Ugh upon this story as men unearth and
declpher more monuments, and as they
study more deeply Into the facts and
language of scripture.
How Many Jews Made the Fliaht2
A huge and an Interesting point In this
eNNAy, "AAS.A AooAas like b plllar OF fire
on the horizon of history, is the num-
Der of the host of the Children of Israel
who We're delivered from Egypt. The
accepted belief has been thai there were
100000. This is built on the statement
that there were 100000 fighting men.
Taking the common average Of five per-
sons to a family. this immense total has
been reached. Critics nave not been slow
to point out the difficulties of leading
such a host, and tho practical Impossible
illty OF sustaining them on the Sinai PEN
1nsuIa. The passage of the Red sea in a
night by 100000 persons seems incred-
ible.
The gloating has been premature.
Scholars are now showing by evidence
that seems i-ncontrovertible tina the word
translated Thousands" in this and many
passages, is also the word used for ..fam-
lies or "clans." This whole subject is
illuminatingly treated in DIR. Hoskins'
book. From the Nile to Nebo." This re-
moves all difficulties at q stroke. The
word "alaf," II taken to mean families,
means that there were GOO families who
made the Exodus. DIR. Hoskin's conclu-
sion is, The numbers of the Children of
Israel were somewhere about 100, 600 souls,
and these figures will be found to fit In
satisfactorily with the conditions in
Egypt before the Exodus. with the con-
ditlons and possibilities through the Exo-
dus itself, and supply all the require
ments for the growth and extension Of
the kingdom after the Exodus"
The same authority suggests three en-
tightening Illustrations:
ut might also be remarked here for the
sake of those who may find a difficulty
in letting go of the exaggerated numbers
which have played a part in our mental
conceptions since our childhood, to recall
another fact, that 1t was not the great
numbers Of the Anabasis 10000 Greeks),
who marched up from the coast to the
sea, nor the Moslem Hegira departure, $50
persons), nor the great humble on board
the Mayfower (1O2 souls), which made
these movements famous and momentous
in history, but the principles, moral and
spiritual, which led and sustained these
soldiers and pilgrims through their dan
gers and vicissitudes; so also is it true
in the matter Of the Exodus, it's import
ance for our race lies not in it's numbers,
great or small, but in the message of
Gods truth which they carried in their
breasts"
Tho Place Of the Crossing.
The old figure Of speech that we stand
on the shoulders Of all who have lived
before us is especially applicable to bible
study. Fifty years have let in a food of
light upon the history of the bible from
sources undreamed by u fathers. We
now know a 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
led them fnto instant conflict with the
Philistines; second, the central route
through the great Egyptian wall which
was guarded by Pharaoh's troops, or the
fhfvr7f Nn1lfa ho1nw tho 1hV1yoN npad nF tho
wall. which, however, involved O cross
Ing of the Red Sea. Be 1t remembered
that Moses was perfectly familiar with
this entire region. Even as the war de-
partments Of all governments today map
out in advance the routes of their armies
in case of war. so Moses had decided
upoh the best way of delivering his hun
bred 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 DR.. Hoskins Is
In order:
Taking my stand on the hiatoricity of
the Exodus, L am just as clear that there
was one one route possible for such a
mass of people. that 1t was settled abso-
lutely by the water, and that contrary
to the common conception. 1t was along g
well known out of Antiquity, an old
road from Egypt to Edom, Arabia and
Mesopotamia. The route fits the docu-
ments as the key fits its LOCK-"
The Wind Of Delivery.
The ancient assurance that 'lde holdeth
the winds in his ist'' Is called to mind as
we read that when the children Of Israel
found themselves in a cul de s@c. with
Pharaoh at their heels and the waters OF
the upper end OF the Gulf Of Suez in front
of them. a great wind drove bach. the
flood to make the pathway OF safety for
the chosen people. 1t is sound philosophy
that a guidance which has continued fDr
- fon~ pn~8od nil not foil OF thu ond Rf~