June 1932
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
278
this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till he come.” And to this day, we have the service o f the Lord’s Supper which helps us to remember God’s promise, and which shows God that we believe it.
they should tell them the story o f the first Passover. Years later, just before Christ shed His blood for us, He drank the wine with His disciples and said, “As often as ye drink
ment to fall when He did not also pro vide a means o f escape from it (cf. Gen. 6:12-18; Num. 21:5-9)? Vs. 24-27. Why was a repetition o f the ordinance necessary? What explanation was to be given to the rising generation? Do you think the average child in a Chris tian home receives from his parents a clear understanding and a sufficient appre ciation o f the doctrine o f redemption by blood? Why is this paramount? Golden Text Illustration In one o f the back courts o f Paris, a fire broke out in the dead of night. The houses were built so that the higher stories overhung the foundation. A father who was sleeping with his children in the top garret was suddenly awakened by the flames and smoke. The man sprang out of bed and vaulted to the window of the opposite house. Then, placing his feet firmly against the window sill, he launched his body forward, grasped the window o f the burning house, and shouting to his eldest boy, he said, “ Now, my boy, make haste; crawl over my body.” This was done. The .second and third followed. The fourth, a little fellow, would do so only after much persuasion; but as he was passing on he heard his fa ther say, “Quick! Quick! Quick! I can not hold out much longer.” As the voices of friends were heard an nouncing his safety, the hold o f the strong man relaxed. With a heavy crash, he fell, a lifeless corpse, into the court below. So Jesus, in His own sacred body, provides a bridge whereby we may cross the chasm between us and God.—W . T. A itken . God Saving His People E xodus 12:21-28 Memory Verse: “ Teach me thy way, O Jehovah” (Psa. 86:11). Approach: Moses went back to Egypt and began his task o f persuading Pharaoh to let his people go. But Pharaoh refused to let them leave his country. So God sent plagues throughout the land to bother
JULY 24, 1932 THE DELIVERANCE A T THE RED SEA , E xodus 13 :17 to 15:21
depart from his land. But before they had fully escaped, and while they were face to face with the Red Sea over which they must pass, he changed his mind and pur sued after them, seeking to bring them back into their misery and slavery. In the same way, Satan constantly strives to bring back into his bondage the Christian who has been redeemed with the blood of Christ. This reveals the need for daily re demption by the power o f God. I. T he C ondition of I srael (10-14). The danger threatening the children of Israel was very real. Pharaoh and his army came behind them, determined to bring them back to bondage. Knowing what that meant, and being aware o f Phar aoh’s wrath, the people were sore afraid. All through these chapters, Pharaoh stands as a type of Satan. Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking to destroy all he can. Many Christians are held in his grip and rendered useless for service for the Lord, simply because they do not or will not see the way of deliverance—redemption by the power o f God. The Christian is ever in danger from Satan, even though Satan knows that he can never cause the eternal loss of any soul that has definitely trusted the Lord for salvation. Because o f the danger, and not knowing as yet the power o f God to deliver, the peo ple complained against Moses. They should have known that Moses was not to blame for their plight. They had for gotten their recent protection by the blood, and they thought only of the first law o f nature, self-preservation. They would ra ther be back in their bondage than be where they were. They reminded Moses o f the time when he first came among them, when they said, “ Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians.” They did not know their danger, or else, knowing it, they did not wish to escape from it. They appeared to be like many Christians today, who would rather submit to the bondage o f Satan than to accept the de liverance offered by God, since God’s de liverance does not seem easily obtained. The reply o f Moses should have given strength and assurance to Israel. They were told to “ fear not.” This word occurs again and again throughout the Bible. It should give the Christian assurance. “ Fear not,” because God is at hand; “ fear not,” because God is greater than all fo e s; “ fear not,” because God has promised not only to bring out o f Egypt but into Canaan, the promised land. God’s people were simply to stand and see the salvation o f the Lord, “Which,” said Moses, “he will show you today.” Moses could promise this, because “the Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Had Israel fought and strug gled against the Egyptians, she would have met defeat. But she was merely to wait for the Lord to act, and then to take the deliverance which He wrought. As Chris tians today, we are in the same case. The
Lesson Text: Exodus 14:10-16/21, 22. Golden Text: “ The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation” (E x. 15:2). ' Crossing the Red Sea I N the experiences described in our les son today, the Israelite's found them selves in a trap. Before them was the Red Sea. Behind them were the Egyptians. On each side was the desert. When one has stood upon the edge o f the fertile val
ley o f the Nile, and gazed off into that limitless expanse o f shifting sand o f the Lybian desert, he can realize how hopeless was any effort to es cape into those track less wastes. The Sa hara and the Lybian deserts are underlaid
with solid limestone. On top o f this lime stone is loose sand which varies in depth from a few inches to as much as a hun dred feet. The hot winds have blown the sand into mounds across which one can see for miles without end. It is indeed a beau tiful sight as we stand, just at sunset, be side the great pyramids of Giza and look off toward the west. The tops o f these sand dunes are shining like burnished gold. The lengthening shadows in the depres sions change their tints from blue to purple and then to violet. The small ridges in the sand, caused by the wind, stand out like embossed work on some golden plaque. As the sun sinks lower and disappears, the radiant hues fade to deep purple. A quiet hush falls over the whole scene, and the darkness o f a semi-tropical night_ settles down. It is indeed a beautiful and impres sive sight. Yet we are glad that we can return to our hotel, and not be forced to stay in that wilderness as it seemed the Is raelites must do. They were in a trap, but by the power of God, they were delivered. The Red Sea, which at that time extended much farther north than "it does now, and which was much shallower, was blown back by an east wind, sent by Jehovah, and His people passed over safely upon dry land. Outline and Exposition The children o f Israel had been re deemed by blood and were now to expe rience redemption by power. The passage from which this lesson is taken is impor tant, in that it shows not only that the blood is necessary, but that the power of God must be present if full deliverance is to be had. The blood makes the believer safe for time and eternity, the power keeps him from day to day. Hence the applica tion o f the blood is never to be repeated; that is a finished work, done once for all. But redemption by power should be the daily experience for every Christian. After that terrible night o f judgment in Egypt, in which all the first-born died, Pharaoh allowed the people o f Israel to
Pharaoh and all of his people, to see if these p u n ishm en ts would soften Phar aoh’s heart. Once it was a plague o f frogs, another time flies, an other time the cattle died, and so on, but each t i m e Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
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Lesson Story: At last God had to let a dreadful thing happen to the people of Egypt before they would let the children o f Israel go. God told Moses that on a certain night the first-born child in each Egyptian household would' die. And on that day, the children of Israel must be packed up and ready to flee. They were to have a sign on their door so that the angel o f death would not enter their house. Each family was to take a lamb and kill it and sprinkle the blood on the two side posts and on the upper door post of their house. The blood was to be the sign. And Moses said to the people that when it came to pass that they should come to the land which God had promised to them, they should keep this Passover service as a remembrance; and when their chil dren . should ask them what it meant,
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