Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-25

| author and perfecter OF QUIZ
faith Hebrew Xii.1-2.
Emerson says that "God once in a
hundred years or so creates a great
man. and then breaks that mold
forever" Moses, about whose per-
sonality has been focused the teach-
ines of the lessons for the quarter,
was one of Gods great men. Few
If any mortals, have surpassed the
greatest of the prophets whose ora
matte career stands out like a IoIty
mountain peak in history. Against
the dark background of Israels siaV-
cry, suffering and sorrow, the gran
deur of the heroic character OF thelr
liberator, lawgiver and leader appears
mon the pages of the scripture as
one of the great men Of the world.
God had not forgotten Israel. or
His promises, when they were called
upon to endure the experiences OF
bondage. The nation was being pre-
pared to leave the fertile fields, Whefe
for several centuries they had enjoyed
great prosperity because Of Josephs
successful efforts in saving Egypt
from the perils of the famine. To
the new dynasty, that had thrown on
the yoke Of bondage Of the shephero
Pharoahs, the presence OF the lsrae!-
ties appeared to be a peril. segregated
by language, religion and race from
the rest Of the nation, their presence
in Goshen in close proximity TO ASA
appeared to the new Egyptian rulers
to be a source Of peril, especially
when they faced the prospect of war
with Asiatic powers. They tried va"
rious methods Of persecution which
only served to increase the numbers
of the Israelites, whose cry for relief
found response in the heart OF Goa,
who called Moses to deliver his
brethren.
The Nations Emancipation.
When Israel was prepared by its
bitter experience to follow the leader
ship of a great man, God had pre-
pared His man. He called Moses TO
undertake the mission at an hour
when most men expect to retire from
the activities of life. Although he had
been born of Hebrew parentage and
saved from an untimely death by be-
ing adopted and reared in the family
of Pharaoh, Moses had for 40 years
been employed at the common task of
caring for sheep in the wilderness OF
Sinai. He had been living as an exile
there for four decades because his pa
triotism caused him to "refuse to be
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer Affections
with the people Of Cod" When he
sought to avenge the wrongs Of his
bretheren, he was forced to flee as q
| fugitive into the desert, where God
completed his preparations to become
the nations liberator.
It was part of Jehovah's program to
complete his training by the expert
ence in the solitude. The man, who
| had been trained in all learning of
| Egypt, needed to know God. Although
| he was familiar with all the arts of
| Egypt's marvellous civilization, fitted
| for executive and legislative service,
a hero in martial deeds, he lived in Sc
clusion in the mountains Of the des-
sert, married to the daughter OF
Bedouin sheik, tending the f1ocks OF
| his father-in-law for his daily bread
and a tent to cover him. The desert
discipline fitted him for his task by
enabling him to tame his impetuous
will and master his passion through
mediation upon Gods greatness and
opening his heart to hear His voice.
| While he looked back upon his life
las q. failure and hesitated to reply to
Gods call, he obeyed the command.
He. was destined to learn what ne
could do by obeying Gods orders. Men
discover their fitness by yielding them
selves up to Him. The slumber1ng
fires Of greatness manifested them
selves in his life as an original think
er, founder Of a nation and laW-glver
for all ages. He summoned his broth
er Aaron and his sister Miriam to help
him inspire all Israel with his faith
that God had heard their cry and
would deliver them by his performance
of miracles. The nation, having been
nrenared by trials, tribulation and
trouble, moved forth when they assem-
bled to observe the first passover, that
marked the beginning of their his
| tory as a nation. The children OF Ab-
raham were freed from their bondage
under the leadership Of Moses. whose
greatness grew out of his seeking 70
know and do Gods will. Israel new
err forgot the deliverance at the Red
| Sea. even though frequently there
arose a desire for the fertility of Egypt
| during their early experiences In the
| desert.
Founding a Nation.
| Our lessons have traced the efforts
exerted to WELD the various units OF
the Israelitish freedmen into unity.
They have largely covered the period
spent about Sinai. One or our lessons
covered the experiences of Moses
when the commissary department
broke down, God met the peoples ply
steal needs by providing mama. In
| this daily provision for the nation the
| Young nation should have learned
that Jehovah could save and keep
them.
| America owes much to Jethro. the
father-in-law of Moses, who saw how
that the brilliant founder was break
ing down under the strain of trying to
settle all the petty problems of in
dividual, family and tribal differences
Historians have traced back to tht
constructive criticism of this prizes
of the desert the fundamental prin
ciples Of our democracy. He devised
system Of administration of justice
that lifted the burden from Moses anf
gave him opportunity to unity the ma
ton through imparting to them law:
and q system of religious worship.
While Aaron failed to use his op
portunities to restrain and guide the
nation along the right lines. while
Moses was absent comforting with Je
hovah about the needs of the nation
along religious and legal lines, by con
senting to their request for the max