The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-01-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Especially Prepared For Readers Of
The Republican.

Especially Prepared For Readers OIL
The Republican.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10.
The Passover. Exodus 11-l:I2:36. Read
Chapters Clio.
He brought forth His people with
JOY. Psalm 1O5:43.
u. S. WRIGHT.
THE BIRTH OF A NATION.
That mass of disspirited slaves, op-
pressed and beaten, should suddenly be
reused from sullen subsection to nation
al consciousness is one of the wonders
of history. To change the submissive
ness of the beast into the spirit of the
human was the task of Moses as he
came back to the land of his failure.
First the leaders were gathered to-
gether and the heartening message of
the wilderness given to them alone.
When they caught fire they became the
organizers that carried Goals to the
heart hearths of all the tribes and the
inert mass that he'd been beaten into a
common consciousness felt the breath
Of new life thru every part. The or
gained leaders presented their claims
and rights as men before the Pharaoh
and asked for a religious privilege.
They were refused and new burdens ad-
ded. This was not strike but the spirit
of the workers must be steadily lifted
out of its feeling of powerlessness. Per-
sistent agitation and education was
kept up among the men and in the
face OF untold difficulty the organza-
ton held together and grew in perfect
ness. The public opinion OF Egypt was
slowly turned until it finally demanded
the release of these bondsmen of the
years. The history of the war between
the States affords US an idea of the
slow process ending in blood that
stretched out in the life of Egypt be-
fore these workers were released. The
fight to redeem the land from drink
gives another view of the same thing
and the labor movement adds a third.
The elements are alike, education, agi-
tation, organization. achievement.
THE STRUGGLE.
Those early chapters tell the story of
the struggle for release in epic form.
Ten great disasters visited Egypt, each
a natural event but forming a cumuat-
ing series that finally broke the spirit
of resistance while they reused the will
to freedom in the Hebrews. The po-
lated Nile bred frogs whose rottlng
bodies gave birth to lice, flies, disease
among the cattle which spread among
the people. Hail and thunder swept
the grain ready to be harvested, To-
Gusts ate every green thing remaining
while sand storm made night at noon.
These events stretched thru many
months and brought the land to the
verge of ruin while the rulers hesitated
to change their system of forced labor.
But on all sides there was growing up
conviction that these plaques were con-
nected with the oppression of slavery.
The question raised by Moses was kept
constantly in their minds with each re-
curing event until it brought the final
release. 1t was doing something no
less vital for the Hebrews. 1t happen
ed with them as it did with the French
and English during the retreat from
Mons. AS cleared eyed nurse tells
the story the early wounded were IN
utter despair. The dumb silence of de-
feat held them IN its thrall. Hope was
dead. AS the days wore on and the
disaster widened and the tide of fleeing
wounded deepened there came sudden
change that was everywhere felt and
the numbers multiplied they died or
suffered with an exaltation entirely
new. Souls numb before were now
elate. Inquiring for the cause of this
tremendous alteration of spirit when all
physical facts were against it she was
told again and again the wonderful
story of the ANGELS of Mons" that had
been seen fighting with them against
the Germans. Explain it as we will the
altered spirit is an outstanding fact of
that desperate retreat and those men
were feeling the stretched out arm of
God and were gripped by the conviction
that He cared and was with them in
their struggle. 1t was precisely the
same thing that came to these He
brews thru those thought-compelling
natural disaster to their oyerlords.
Jehovah was with them and with souls
elate they too prepared for the final
hour.
The COVENANT.
The sacrificed lamb was as old as the
race but it took on new meaning as
Moses linked it with the Passover.
Death stalked abroad thru all the land