Evening star., 1919-01-25
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
ISRAEL CROSSING THE RED
SEA Exodus 14:1-15:2I.
Golden text: The Lord saved
Israel that day out OF the hand
Of the Egyptians. Exodus l4:30.
BY REV. HUGH It. STEVENSON.

lsraefs crossing of the Red Sea Is
Slae Of the few great events in his
tory. The influence Of that midnight
march is without parallel, in the an
mails OF men. 1t has impressed and
nodded the political and religious life
of humanity. When the writer heard
the songs of the English people prais-
ing God upon the streets of London
Immediately upon the announcement
of the signing of the armistice, for
the deliverance from the Hun it was
an echo Of the songs of victory with
which Moses and the people praised
the Lord because He had saved them
from the hand of the Egyptian. The
of such an epoch making character
that St John predicted that the song
OF Moses would be sung with the song
of the Lamb to the music of the hsrps
of God by the sea Of glass in eternity.
The undisciplined multitude. with
out any weapons of war. that started
forth from Egypt after eating of their
first passover was not prepared for
the encounter with the Philistines,
who Controlled the shortest and most
direct route from Egypt to the Prom
ised Land. They needed to be trained
warriors before they came into hos
tile conflict with the powerful Philis-
tines. To remove them from the dan
ger of being discouraged by military
conflicts God, who was their Path
finder, guided them until they were
in what appeared to be a perilous po-
sition, so that He could entrap Pha-
raoh and teach Israel-and through
them all nations-that Jehovah could
by His power deliver all that followed
Him in every possible emergency.
The perilous position Of the 1sraelites
aroused Pharaoh, who had commenced
to realize the economic loss to his
realm of the departure of the He
brews, to attempt to subjugate them
once more. The appearance of the
Egyptian forces filled the multitude,
who had just been freed from slavery,
planned against Moses, who proved his
faith in God by his assurances of di-
vine help and his prayer for the SAL
walton of Israel.
It is not surprising that the multi
tude was filled with fear at the ap-
proach of the implacable foe. They
appeared to be in a cul-de-sac with
cut any avenue of escape. They were
hemmed in by the mountains. facing
an open sea without any means of
whose pursuing army was pressing
upon them from the rear. In their de-
spair and distress they thought only
of the possibility of their being
slaughtered OF returned to slavery.
Moses alone thought of God. Mans
extremity has always been Jehovah's
opportunity. The first crisis that the
newborn nation faced was used of
God to reveal His character and re-
lation to Moses as well as the nation
He had called to follow him. The
pathway which He provided for Is
- al h he NIL lad - h>1
q snare that brought complete de-
struction to the daring and defiant
sEgyptian hosts
The crossing Of tho Rad sea has
been called n miracle net hecause the
eternal God broke single law of
nature, but because of the time and
how He put Els personal will into
and used the laws He made 1t is
q spiritual wonder that Moses had
faith to order the people to 60 for
ward before he could sec how the sea
was being opened and that the nation
followed his commands. History pre-
eents no more dramatic or picturesque
scene than that of the Hebrew nation
marching rapidly during the wild
night over the strange road which
God had constructed for them, by
using the powers of His creation to
drive the waters from off the surface
and make the sand firm beneath their
Heet. Their obedience and exercise of
4Aith secured their salvation and es-
tAbliShment as . nation
way Of peril to the Egyptian forceg,
who, in obedience to the binding and
naddenins power of sin, obeyed
Pharaoh's orders to follow the fee
ing 1sraelites. The changing of the
waters and the turning of the road
way into bed of quicksand halted
the rapid movements of the Egyp-
tians until they were engulfed and
utterly destroyed by the rushing re-
turn OF the waters of the sea. The
comparatively recent discovery Of the
mummy OF Menetaph II does destroy
account Of the overthrow of the
Egyptian hosts there is no statement
that Pharaoh himself was drowned.
Like William HohenzoHern he pre-
ferred to have others do his fighting.
On none OF the monuments of Egypt
can an account be found of their dis
sstrous loss and complete destruction.
The enect upon Israel is seen in their
song Of victory.
There was no song in Egypt with
the suffering and sorrows of Slavery.
Cnadwick has pointed out that. like
all great poetry, this song is best
enjoyed when 1t is neither comment
ed upon nor paraphrased but oare-
1ully read and warmly felt" Aneri-
cans ought. after the almost miracu.
lous manner in which our forces
have been transported oversee and
the sudden ending OF the struggle
for humanity, justice and freedom, be
able to study and sing this song Of
victory. Like all inspired victory
songs, 1t contains not only historical
part, but also prophetical part. that
reviews how the Lord is the source
OF their national deiiverance and also
the Judge who inficts national PEN
alties upon the nations Of the earth.
The sight of the stricken Egyp-
tfans upon the seashore made them
conscious of their liberty, assured
them Of the certainty of their OBJ
tanning the promised land and pro-
claimed q new life for them both as
individuals and a people. They rec
ognized the leadership of Moses to
be OF divine origin. They saw in
their triumph the evidence of Gods
blessing. so that they sang His
praises and dedicated their lives to
HIS service. Americans looking back
over the events of recent months can
f1nd cause for praising the Lord, who
has given us a victory in conflict with
an enemy that has opened a new
door In the history of. the world.
Having won the war let us all now
by spirit of conservation fit our
selves to secure and perpetuate the
peace. The nations glorious records
of Service for humanity in Cuba and
the return of the Chinese indemnity
after the Boxer insurrection appear
Insignificant to the deeds and gifts
made by the heroes of the nation
in the effort to win the war. In the
more difficult task to win the peace
the same spirit of conservation and
dedication to the Lord of all our
possessions Is demanded. We will be
unworthy to sing the song of vic
tory II in this hour we forget the
I'D hr haf