Moses was born in the year of the world 2433. His parents lived in Egypt. Before his birth, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, being fearful of their increase, had given orders to have every male infant of the Hebrews murdered. The father and mother of Moses were Hebrews, and, like other parents, they loved their child too much to have him injured. Besides, they thought they saw something very promising in his appearance, as if he would make a great and good man, if he were rightly trained: they therefore kept him hid three months. When they could hide him no longer, his mother, Jochebed, made an ark or chest of bulrushes, and He had not lain long in this condition, when Pharaoh's daughter, coming to wash, observed the ark, and directed one of her maids to fetch it; and opening it, she found the child. She was struck with the beauty of the babe, and was affected at its weeping; for the poor child cried, being separated from its mother: supposing it to be one of the Hebrews' children, the princess resolved to bring it up as a child of her own. He was named Moses, which signifies being taken out of the water. He was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and was treated in all respects as if he were the son of the princess. After he became of age, while walking forth one day, he observed with indignation the oppression of his brethren; and seeing an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, he became so excited, that he interfered, and killed the Egyptian. Fearful of the consequences of this rash act, he As Moses led his flocks one day near to the north or west side of Mount Sinai, the Lord appeared to him in a bush, burning but not consumed. Moses was astonished at the sight, and went near to see the miracle. And the Lord spoke to him out of the bush, and told him to put off his shoes before he came any nearer, as the spot was sacred on God then declared himself to Moses to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and told him that, on account of the promise he had made, and in view of what his oppressed people suffered from the cruel Egyptians, he now intended to deliver them, and bring them into Canaan, and would make Moses the instrument of this. The Hebrews, at the command of God, and under the direction of Moses, left Egypt at last in great haste, and took their journey to the south-east. Pharaoh and his people were soon sorry that they had consented to let them go, and followed with a great army to bring The Hebrews were now afraid of the Egyptians, and not believing in God as they should have done, they exclaimed against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. Moses prayed to the Lord for deliverance. That part of the Red Sea where they now were, was not many miles broad. God told Moses to stretch his rod over it. He did so, and God caused the waters to be separated, so that a passage was made for the Hebrews through the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, being resolved to overtake the Hebrews, if possible, and carry them back to Egypt, pursued after them into the passage which the Lord had made for the Hebrews in the sea. But God knew how to preserve his people from these wicked and cruel Egyptians. He caused them to meet with difficulties in the passage, and made the way dark unto them. And when the Hebrews were all over, and the Egyptians in the channel, In order to direct them on their way through the wilderness, God caused a pillar of a cloud, or a cloud in the form of a pillar or column, On the east side of the sea, Moses and the men, and Miriam and the women of the Hebrews, sung a song of praise to God for their miraculous deliverance.—We ought to thank God when he delivers us from evil, and be afraid to sin against him as the Egyptians did. At Kadesh, the Hebrews murmured because there was no water for them and their cattle. And Moses and Aaron his brother looked The tabernacle, which was built for the worship of God in the wilderness, was finished, and Moses, at the command of God, consecrated Aaron and his sons to the office of priests, and dedicated the tabernacle with all its vessels. It was the business of the priests to take the oversight of the tabernacle and all the furniture; they slew, burnt, and poured out the blood of the sacrifices; they put the shew-bread on the golden table; they offered the incense; they blew the silver trumpets; they supplied with oil, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and other chiefs of the congregation, envying the authority of Moses and Aaron, formed a party against them. They haughtily upbraided Moses and Aaron as taking too much upon them. Moses replied that they were too arrogant to find fault with what God had ordered, and that the At the beginning of the twelfth month, Moses ascended Mount Nebo, where he obtained a view of the land of Canaan. And there Moses the servant of the Lord died; and the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plain of Moab thirty days.—May we be good and faithful like this great man. Then not only our friends, but God will love us, and when we die, he will take us home to glory. NEW AND AMUSING |