Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-19

tor and leader Of Israel is not recorded,
but the fact is shown by the names he
bestowed upon the two sons born in the
wilderness, Gershon, Il am stranger in
a strange land" and Eliezer, 1.-The God of
my father was my help
God had overruled the affairs of the
life of Moses so that when the hour
of Israel's freedom, that had been fore
told, arrived the providential preparation
All that he needed was the consciousness
of a divine call that would endow him
with the confidence and courage of faith,
SO that he could go forth upon his
mission to do the will and work Of the
Almighty. The desert had spoken to
him, as 1t does to all who follow life
alone in it's solitude; but one day as he
sought to investigate the phenomena of
nature presented by the burning bush
there came to him a revelation of God
that changed his life. recalled him to
Egypt and made Moses one of the great
est men in all history.
X
Revelation.
Our lesson shows us the environment of
Moses when he received the vision of
God. In the southern end of the Sinatic
peninsular, where the scholarly and
spiritually-minded shepherd for forty
years has cared for sneep. although no
occupation could have been lower in
the sight of his former Egyptian asso-
ciateS, the mountains are crowded to-
gether with bewildering confusion; some
of them rise to 5000 feet"
The great central group among these
mountain peaks is Horeb, one of whose
lofty heights is Sinai, the mount of God.
Among the valleys of these mountains
are many fertile places, where with the
approach of the summer season the shep-
herds find the best pasture for their
hocks along the mountains fertile slopes.
1t was while Moses was watching over
the f1ocks near Horeb that he received
the revelation that marks an epoch in
the history Of Israel and the whole HUI
man race.
Every student of nature is brought
face to face with mysteries that are only
solved when he understands its message
concerning God. Moses saw bush
burning with fire, vet not consumed and
he deliberately sought to unravel the
phenomena OF nature. II curiosity should
lead us to try and penetrate reverently
the manifestations of life that attract
us. we, too, would find nature a gateway
to the divine Creator and Sustainer of all
Life. The burning acacia surprised. but
the voice of God startled Moses, who
quickly answered the call and obeyed
the orders of the Almighty. If we should
humble ourselves more, God would exalt
us oftener by giving us visions of His
presence. program and power.
The soul that had been filled with a
passion for his people. who were political
prisoners under Egyptian oppression
that had reduced their social, commercial
and religious standing until they were
bankrupt slaves who had degenerated in
their faith, could easily understand that
their religious failure explained why they
suffered but he had wondered, as all
men do in trouble, whether God would
hear the cries of the oppressed. The
death of the pharaoh Of the oppression
signalized the hour when the God of
Israel heard their groaning." remem-
bered his covenant. looked upon them,
saw their sufferings. knew their sorrow
and was ready to deliver.
The heart of the great man lying
prone, unsandaled. before the flaming
acacia tree, afraid to look upon the face
of God lest he should perish. beat faster
as the words of the Lord came to him.
meaning 1t told him, as IL has all ages
since. that the secret of strength for
Gods people in their suffering is their
dwelling deep in Him and His abiding
in them Israel had not been destroyed
nv its sufferings because the covenant
ing Cod shared them with it. He shares
TODAY all the struggles. sorroWs and suf-
fer.nes of His people. If We could realize
His presence with US we would rejoice IN
the presence Of the Holy Spirit walking
along by our side comforting us In all or
orr trials, recalling US to service and
oyercorning our reluctance to obey Gods
viii by carrying out our commission.
x X
Commission.
The rejoicing of Moses over the fact
that God proposed to deliver Israel |
quickly changed when he heard the plan |
TO annoint him to do this work. Many |
~ OH MAQf4F,A