Part 12 (1/2)

(See c.o.x: Aryan Mythology, vol. ii. pp. 113, 116, 118.)

[47:6] See c.o.x: Aryan Mytho., ii. 112, 113.

CHAPTER VI.

THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT, AND Pa.s.sAGE THROUGH THE RED SEA.

The children of Israel, who were in bondage in Egypt, making bricks, and working in the field,[48:1] were looked upon with compa.s.sion by the Lord.[48:2] He heard their groaning, and remembered his covenant with Abraham,[48:3] with Isaac, and with Jacob. He, therefore, chose Moses (an Israelite, who had murdered an Egyptian,[48:4] and who, therefore, was obliged to flee from Egypt, as Pharaoh sought to punish him), as his servant, to carry out his plans.

Moses was at this time keeping the flock of Jeruth, his father-in-law, in the land of Midian. The angel of the Lord, or the Lord himself, appeared to him there, and said unto him:

”I am the G.o.d of thy Father, the G.o.d of Abraham, the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob. . . . I have seen the affliction of _my people_ which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their tormentors; for I know their sorrows. And I am _come down_ to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land into a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Then Moses said unto the Lord:

”Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, the G.o.d of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say unto me: What is his name? What shall I say unto them?”

Then G.o.d said unto Moses:

”I AM THAT I AM.”[48:5] ”Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”[48:6]

And G.o.d said, moreover, unto Moses:

”Go and gather the Elders of Israel together, and say unto them: the Lord G.o.d of your fathers . . . appeared unto me, saying: 'I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt. And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt . . . unto a land flowing with milk and honey.' And they shall hearken to thy voice, and thou shall come, thou and the Elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: 'the Lord G.o.d of the Hebrews hath met with us, and now let us go, we beseech thee, _three days journey in the wilderness_, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our G.o.d.'[49:1]

”_I am sure_ that the king of Egypt will _not_ let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thereof: _and after that he will let you go_. And I will give this people (the Hebrews) favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it shall come to pa.s.s, that when ye go, _ye shall not go empty_. But every woman shall _borrow_ of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment. And ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, _and ye shall spoil the Egyptians_.”[49:2]

The Lord again appeared unto Moses, in Midian, and said:

”Go, return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought thy life. And Moses took his wife, and his son, and set them upon an a.s.s, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the _rod of G.o.d_ (which the Lord had given him) in his hand.”[49:3]

Upon arriving in Egypt, Moses tells his brother Aaron, ”all the words of the Lord,” and Aaron tells all the children of Israel. Moses, who was not eloquent, but had a slow speech,[49:4] uses Aaron as his spokesman.[49:5] They then appear unto Pharaoh, and falsify, ”_according to the commands of the Lord_,” saying: ”Let us go, we pray thee, _three days' journey in the desert_, and sacrifice unto the Lord our G.o.d.”[49:6]

The Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart, so that he does not let the children of Israel go to sacrifice unto their G.o.d, in the desert.

Moses and Aaron continue interceding with him, however, and, for the purpose of showing their miraculous powers, they change their rods into serpents, the river into blood, cause a plague of frogs and lice, and a swarm of flies, &c., &c., to appear. Most of these feats were imitated by the magicians of Egypt. Finally, the first-born of Egypt are slain, when Pharaoh, after having had his heart hardened, by the Lord, over and over again, consents to let Moses and the children of Israel go to serve their G.o.d, _as they had said_, that is, for _three_ days.

The Lord having given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, they borrowed of them jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment, ”_according to the commands of the Lord_.” And they journeyed toward Succoth, there being _six hundred thousand, besides children_.[50:1]

”And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day, _in a pillar of a cloud_, to lead them the way; and by night _in a pillar of fire_, to give them light to go by day and night.”[50:2]

”And it was told the king of Egypt, that the people fled. . . .

And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him.

And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, . . . and he pursued after the children of Israel, and overtook them encamping beside the sea. . . . And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel . . . were sore afraid, and . . . (they) cried out unto the Lord. . . . And the Lord said unto Moses, . . . speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the Red Sea, and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. . . . And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,[50:3] and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; _and the waters were a wall unto them upon the right hand, and on their left_. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, _even all Pharaoh's horses, and his chariots, and his horse-men_.”

After the children of Israel had landed on the other side of the sea, the Lord said unto Moses:

”Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horse-men. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength. . . . And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horse-men, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. . . . And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant Moses.”[51:1]