patriarchs and prophets-第198章
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OF THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT IS CITED AS PLACING THEM UNDER SPECIAL
OBLIGATION TO SHOW KINDNESS TO THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS： 〃THOU SHALT NOT
PERVERT THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER； NOR OF THE FATHERLESS； NOR TAKE A
WIDOW'S RAIMENT TO PLEDGE： BUT THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A BONDMAN
IN EGYPT； AND THE LORD THY GOD REDEEMED THEE THENCE： THEREFORE I COMMAND
THEE TO DO THIS THING。〃
758
NOTE 2。 PAGE 272。 THAT THE PLAGUES WERE DESIGNED TO DESTROY THE CONFIDENCE
OF THE EGYPTIANS IN THE POWER AND PROTECTION OF THEIR IDOLS； AND EVEN MADE
THEIR GODS TO APPEAR AS CRUEL TORMENTORS OF THEIR WORSHIPERS； CAN BE SEEN
FROM A STUDY OF THE EGYPTIAN RELIGION。 A FEW EXAMPLES MAY SERVE TO
ILLUSTRATE THIS FACT。
THE FIRST PLAGUE； TURNING THE WATER OF THE RIVER NILE AND OF ALL CANALS INTO
BLOOD （EXODUS 7：19）； WAS DIRECTED AGAINST THE SOURCE OF EGYPT'S VERY
EXISTENCE。 THE RIVER NILE WAS REGARDED WITH RELIGIOUS REVERENCE； AND AT
SEVERAL PLACES SACRIFICES WERE OFFERED TO THE NILE AS TO A GOD。
THE SECOND PLAGUE BROUGHT FROGS OVER EGYPT。 EXODUS 8：6。 FROGS WERE HELD
SACRED BY THE EGYPTIANS； AND ONE OF THEIR DEITIES； HEQA； WAS A FROG…HEADED
GODDESS THOUGHT TO POSSESS CREATIVE POWER。 WHEN THE FROGS； AS THE RESULT OF
MOSES' COMMAND； MULTIPLIED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY FILLED THE LAND FROM ONE
END TO THE OTHER； THE EGYPTIANS MAY HAVE WONDERED WHY HEQA WAS TORMENTING
HER ARDENT WORSHIPERS INSTEAD OF PROTECTING THEM。 IN THIS WAY THE EGYPTIANS
WERE NOT ONLY PUNISHED BY THE SECOND PLAGUE； BUT WITNESSED ALSO CONTEMPT
HEAPED UPON THEM； AS THEY SUPPOSED； BY ONE OF THEIR GODS （EXODUS 9：3）； OF
WHICH MANY REPRESENTED POWERFUL GODS IN THE EGYPTIANS PANTHEON。 TO MENTION
ONLY A FEW； WE FIND THAT THE APIS BULL WAS DEDICATED TO PTAH； THE FATHER OF
ALL THE GODS； THE COW WAS SACRED TO HATHOR； ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY WORSHIPED
OF ALL FEMALE DEITIES OF THE NILE COUNTRY； WHILE THE RAM REPRESENTED SEVERAL
GODS LIKE KHNEMU； AND THE RAM…HEADED AMEN； WHO WAS EGYPT'S CHIEF GOD IN THE
NEW EMPIRE PERIOD。 HENCE； THE DISEASE WHICH SLEW THE ANIMALS DEDICATED TO
THEIR DEITIES REVEALED TO THE EGYPTIANS THE IMPOTENCE OF THEIR GODS IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF THE DESPISED HEBREWS。
THE NINTH PLAGUE （EXODUS 10：21） DEALT A HEAVY BLOW TO ONE OF THE GREATEST
GODS OF EGYPT； THE SUN OF GOD RA； WHO HAD BEEN CONTINUOUSLY WORSHIPED FROM
THE EARLIEST TIMES OF THAT COUNTRY'S KNOWN HISTORY。 IN A LAND WHICH HARDLY
EVER SAW CLOUDS IN THE SKY； THE SUN WAS RECOGNIZED AS A NEVER…FAILING POWER
WHICH PROVIDED WARMTH； LIGHT； LIFE； AND GROWTH TO THE WHOLE WORLD。 EVERY
EGYPTIAN KING CONSIDERED HIMSELF AS A 〃SON OF RA；〃 AND CARRIED THIS
EXPRESSION IN HIS TITULARY。 WHEN AMEN OF THEBES BECAME CHIEF GOD OF EGYPT
DURING THE EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY； THE POWER OF THE SUN…GOD RA WAS RECOGNIZED AS
SO GREAT THAT A COMPROMISE WAS MADE BY COMBINING AMEN AND RA TO MAKE ONE GOD
AMEN…RA。 A FEW YEARS AFTER THE EXODUS； WHEN IKHNATON INTRODUCED A
SHORT…LIVED MONOTHEISM； THE ONLY GOD RETAINED WAS ATON； THE SUN DISK。 SEEING
HOW ENTRENCHED SUNWORSHIP WAS IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE EGYPTIANS； AND
HOW HIGHLY THE SUN GOD RA； AMEN…RA； OR ATON WAS REVERED； WE CAN UNDERSTAND
WHY THE PLAGUE DIRECTED AGAINST THE GOD WAS BROUGHT UPON EGYPT TOWARD THE
CULMINATION OF THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS AND HIS EGYPTIAN
ADVERSARIES。
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ALSO THE TENTH PLAGUE； THE SLAUGHTERING OF THE FIRST…BORN （EXODUS 12：29）；
WAS STRIKING AT LEAST ONE GOD； AND THAT WAS THE KING； WHO WAS CONSIDERED TO
BE HORUS； THE SON OF OSIRIS。 AS THE RULER OF THE NILE COUNTRY； HE WAS
ADDRESSED BY HIS SUBJECTS AS 〃THE GOOD GOD。〃 HENCE； THE LAST PLAGUE CROWNED
THE ACTIONS WROUGHT BY THE MIRACLE…WORKING POWER OF THE HEBREW GOD。 SO FAR
GODS CONTROLLING THE FORCES OF NATURE OR ANIMALS HAD BEEN DISGRACED； BUT NOW
A GOD LIVING IN A VISIBLE FORM AMONG THE EGYPTIANS WAS ALSO HUMILIATED BY
THE DESPISED GOD OF THE HEBREWS SLAVES； OF WHOM THE PROUD PHARAOH ONCE HAD
SAID； 〃WHO IS THE LORD； THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE TO LET ISRAEL GO？ I
KNOW NOT THE LORD； NEITHER WILL I LET ISRAEL GO。〃 EXODUS 5：2。
NOTE 3。 PAGE 282。 IN GENESIS 15：13 WE READ THAT THE LORD SAID TO ABRAHAM；
〃KNOW OF A SURETY THAT THY SEED SHALL BE A STRANGER IN A LAND THAT IS NOT
THEIRS； AND SHALL SERVE THEM： AND THEY SHALL AFFLICT THEM FOUR HUNDRED
YEARS。〃 THIS TEXT RAISES THE QUESTIONS WHETHER THE 400 YEARS REFER TO THE
TIME OF AFFLICTION OR SOJOURNING； OR BOTH； AND WHAT THE RELATION OF THE 400
YEARS IS TO THE 430 YEARS OF EXODUS 12：40； 41； AND GALATIANS 3：16； 17。
THE STATEMENT IN EXODUS 12：40； THAT 〃THE SOJOURNING OF THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL； WHO DWELT IN EGYPT； WAS FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS；〃 GIVES THE
IMPRESSION THAT THE ISRAELITES； FROM JACOB'S ENTRY INTO EGYPT TO THE EXODUS；
ACTUALLY SPENT 430 YEARS IN THE COUNTRY OF THE NILE。 THAT THIS IMPRESSION
CANNOT BE CORRECT IS OBVIOUS FROM PAUL'S INSPIRED INTERPRETATION PRESENTED
IN GALATIANS 3：16； 17； WHERE THE 430 YEARS ARE SAID TO COVER THE PERIOD
BEGINNING WHEN GOD MADE HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM UNTIL THE LAW WAS
PROMULGATED AT SINAI。 PAUL SEEMS TO REFER TO THE FIRST PROMISE MADE BY GOD
TO ABRAHAM WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO LEAVE HARAN。 GENESIS 12：1…3。 AT THAT TIME
THE 430 YEARS BEGAN； WHEN ABRAHAM WAS SEVENTY…FIVE YEARS OLD （CHAPTER 12：4）；
WHILE THE 400 YEARS OF THE PROPHECY OF GENESIS 15：13 BEGAN THIRTY YEARS
LATER； WHEN ABRAHAM WAS 105 AND HIS SON ISAAC FIVE YEARS OLD （CHAPTER 21：5）。
AT THAT TIME ISHMAEL； WHO 〃WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH PERSECUTED HIM ＇ISAAC＇
THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE SPIRIT〃 （GALATIANS 4：29； GENESIS 21：9…11）； BEGINNING
A TIME OF AFFLICTION OF ABRAHAM'S SEED WHICH INTERMITTENTLY WOULD BE
CONTINUED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE EXODUS。 ISAAC HAD NOT ONLY TROUBLES WITH HIS
HALF BROTHER ISHMAEL； BUT ALSO WITH THE PHILISTINES （GENESIS 26：15； 20； 21）；
JACOB FLED FOR HIS LIFE FROM ESAU （GENESIS 27：
41…43）； AND LATER FROM LABAN （GENESIS 31：21）； AND THEN WAS AGAIN IN
JEOPARDY FROM ESAU （GENESIS 32：8）； JOSEPH WAS SOLD INTO SLAVERY BY HIS
BRETHREN （GENESIS 37：28）； AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE OPPRESSED BY THE
EGYPTIANS FOR MANY DECADES （EXODUS 1：14）。
THE TIME FROM ABRAHAM'S CALL TO JACOB'S ENTRY INTO EGYPT WAS 215 YEARS；
BEING THE TOTAL OF （1） TWENTY…FIVE YEARS LYING BETWEEN ABRAHAM'S CALL AND
THE BIRTH OF ISAAC （GENESIS 12：4； 21：5）； （2） SIXTY YEARS LYING
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BETWEEN ISAAC'S BIRTH AND JACOB'S BIRTH （GENESIS 25：26）； AND （3） THE AGE OF
JACOB AT THE TIME OF HIS MIGRATION INTO EGYPT （GENESIS 47：9）。 THIS LEAVES
THE REMAINING 215 YEARS OF THE 430 AS THE ACTUAL TIME THE HEBREWS SPENT IN
EGYPT。 HENCE THE 430 YEARS OF EXODUS 12：40 INCLUDES THE SOJOURN OF THE
PATRIARCHS IN CANAAN AS WELL AS THEIR STAY IN EGYPT。 SINCE IN THE TIME OF
MOSES； PALESTINE WAS PART OF THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE； IT IS NOT STRANGE TO FIND
AN AUTHOR OF THAT PERIOD INCLUDING CANAAN IN THE TERM 〃EGYPT。〃 THE
TRANSLATORS OF THE SEPTUAGINT； KNOWING THAT THE 430 YEARS INCLUDED THE
SOJOURN OF THE PATRIARCHS IN CANAAN； MADE THIS POINT CLEAR IN THEIR
RENDERING OF THIS PASSAGE： 〃AND THE SOJOURNING OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL；
WHILE THEY SOJOURNED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT AND THE LAND OF CANAAN； WAS FOUR
HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS。〃 AN ADDITIONAL CORROBORATION OF THE INTERPRETATION
OF THE 430 YEARS GIVEN ABOVE IS FOUND IN THE PROPHECY THAT THE FOURTH
GENERATION OF THOSE WHO HAD ENTERED EGYPT WOULD LEAVE IT （GENESIS 15：16）；
AND ITS RECORDED FULFILLMENT IN EXODUS 6：16…20。
NOTE 4。 PAGE 316。 THE ISRAELITES； IN THEIR ADORATION OF THE GOLDEN CALF；
PROFESSED TO BE WORSHIPING GOD。 THUS AARON； WHEN INAUGURATING THE WORSHIP OF
THE IDOL； PROCLAIMED； 〃TOMORROW IS A FEAST UNTO JEHOVAH。〃 THEY PROPOSED TO
WORSHIP GOD； AS THE EGYPTIANS WORSHIPED OSIRIS； UNDER THE SEMBLANCE OF THE
IMAGE。 BUT GOD COULD NOT ACCEPT THE SERVICE。 THOUGH OFFERED IN HIS NAME； THE
SUN…GOD； AND NOT JEHOVAH； WAS THE REAL OBJECT OF THEIR ADORATION。
THE WORSHIP OF APIS WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH THE GROSSEST LICENTIOUSNESS； AND
THE SCRIPTURE RECORD INDICATES THAT THE CALF WORSHIP BY THE ISRAELITES WAS
ATTENDED WITH ALL THE LICENSE USUAL IN HEATHEN WORSHIP。 WE READ： 〃THEY ROSE
UP EARLY ON THE MORROW； AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS； AND BROUGHT PEACE
OFFERINGS； AND THE PEOP
