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T h e
K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
June 1932
God had a plan. Before the eyes o f the surprised people, the waters divided, and the children of Israel walked through on dry land. They not only had dry land to walk on, but before them went a cloud moving along in the direction which they should take, a guide to show them the way. As the children o f Israel hurried along, they looked back and saw the Egyptians following—but not for long. The waters returned, and the Egyptians and their chariots and horses were drowned in the sea. Surely, then, the children o f Israel must have known that God would take care o f them on their journey, and that Moses was His appointed leader! They did know this, and they were glad. The Lord has promised that He will not forsake His people. He did not forsake the children of Israel, neither will He forsake His people today. Golden Text Illustration A poor laborer named Halletza, who had left Hungary to prepare a home for his wife and child, came to this country, work ed hard, and finally saved enough to pay for the child’s passage, the mother having died. A ticket was tied about the child’s neck, with a tag on which was the father’s name and address and a request for Chris tians to care for the boy. The men shared their meals with him, the women made room for him beside their own children, and at night, Vhen he cried, they rocked him to sleep. In this way, he crossed the Alps, passed through Italy, and boarded a steamer for New York. On the steamer, somebody was always ready to feed him or put him to sleep. The cabin passengers made up a purse for him, and the women in the steerage washed and mended his clothes. When he reached New York, he was placed on a train, and a kind soul telegraphed his father. That evening, a poor working man caught the boy in his arms, and with tears rolling down his cheeks, carried him home. The Heavenly Father is longing for those who are out in the world away from Him. —Y oung P eople ’ s W eekly . used as a substitute for bread. It is not ground into meal or baked into cakes as was the manna o f the Scripture. While manna provided a rather monot onous fare, it was sufficient for every physical need. The Arabs o f today are living proof o f how little is necessary to sustain life. On our expedition to the cities o f the plain south o f the Dead Sea, we were accompanied by about sixteen na tives who looked after the horses, mules, and camping equipment. All that they had to eat was dry bread made from whole wheat, water, and salt. Occasion ally they got some eggs or goats’ milk from the dwellers in that region, but in any case their fare was exceedingly simple. They seemed satisfied with these rations, and were able to do a fair amount o f work with the strength derived from them. The Israelites, however, had been in Egypt. They had become accustomed to living on the fat o f the land. This pro vided for them an abundance o f food, for the soil o f Egypt is unusually fertile. Some
BLACKBOARD LESSON OUR, MIGHTY GOD j u s t J u dg e EXALTED EXCELLENCY
more we struggle, the more defeat we meet. But when we acknowledge our weakness, and cast ourselves wholly upon the Lord, then He gains the victory for us. Striving for victory puts us on a par with the man o f Romans seven, always defeated; but simply trusting in the Lord transports us into the realm o f the man o f Romans eight, always rejoicing in de liverance. II. T he I nstruction from the L ord (IS, 16). There is a time to pray, and there is a time to act. In the present instance, Moses was praying, when he should have been acting. True, he was to hearken to the Lord, but after that, he was to do as he was told. There is no use continuing to pray when we have the mind o f the Lord concerning any particular matter. The Christian must learn this great truth, if he would be freed from Satan’s power. The instruction Moses received was most startling. He was told to hold out his rod over the Red Sea, and he was assured that the waters would be divided so that the people could pass through as upon dry land. Moses might well have questioned that he heard aright, or that there was any power which could so con trol the forces o f nature as to make water stand in a solid wall without a visible sup port. This was something beyond all hu man experience. But evidently Moses was a man who believed that what God had promised He was able to perform. He be lieved that God was above nature and in control o f all the forces o f nature, and that, even though such a thing as this had never occurred before in his experience, there was no reason why it should not hap pen at this time. Just because a thing looks impossible is no reason that it will never occur. It required faith to believe that God would do just what He had said, and Moses was a man o f faith. He could ask, “ Is anything too hard for the Lord?” and answer his own question in the words of Job, “ I know thou canst do all things.” The Christian who will take his stand with Moses in this way is the Christian who will experience constant deliverance from the world, the flesh, and the devil. III. T he D eliverance of the P eople (21, 22). The Lord performed the miracle just as He said He would. The waters were driven back by a strong east wind until the bed of the Red Sea was laid bare and dry, and upon this strange pathway the chil dren o f Israel went dry shod through the walls o f water, which the “ Egyptians es saying to do, were drowned.” When Israel had safely passed through (and we must note that all passed through, the young as well as the old ), the Lord removed His re straining power, and the waters returned again to their natural state, just when the Egyptians were in the midst o f the sea. The whole lesson is one for teaching sim ple reliance upon the word o f God. Such reliance makes the fulfillment o f that word possible. Lesson Questions Vs. 10-14. Why did Pharaoh pursue the people? When the children o f Israel saw their predicament, what did they say to Moses? Did he reprove them, or encour age them to show greater faith ? What was to be God’s part in the deliverance? Is rael’s ? Vs. IS, 16. Is there ever a time when
HALLOWED HEAD OMNIPOTENT ONE VALIANT VICTOR, ALMIGHTY ADVOCATE HOLY HOLY HOLY
continued praying will avail nothing ? Why did not God act independently o f His ser vant, Moses, in the deliverance o f His people? What other instances o f this di vine principle can-you give ? Vs. 21, 22. Upon what was the miracle contingent ? Walking Through the Sea E xodus 14:9, 10, 13-16, 21, 22 Memory Verse: “This is my God, and I will praise him” (Ex. IS :2). Approach: At last the children o f Israel were started on their journey to the prom ised land. But their troubles were not ended yet, for no sooner had Pharaoh given his consent to their leaving, and they
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had gotten well on their way, than they looked around and found the Egyptians marching after them. They were afraid, for Pharaoh had broken his word. L e s s o n S t o r y : Then it was that Mo ses proved that he was a good leader, for he stood before the peo
ple and put courage into their hearts by saying, “ Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation o f the Lord, which he will shew to you today.” Now the people were frightened because they could see nothing but the sea in front o f them and Pharaoh’s army back o f them. There seemed to be no way o f escape. But
JULY 31, 1932 THE GIVING OF THE MANNA E xodus 16:1-36
Lesson Text: Exodus 16:1-5, 14, 15, 35. Golden Text: “ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and com- eth down from the Father of lights” (Jas. 1:17). Manna and Melons T he manna with which the Israelites were supplied was beyond question a miraculous provision of God. It was in no way a natural product. However, there are several substances which may be found in the desert regions today, which are sometimes called by the same name. Some kinds of trees emit a sort o f gum, or
resin, w h i c h f a l l s from the leaves to the sticks and dead leaves upon the ground be neath. It must be ga thered early in the day, or it will be melt ed by the sun. It is used by the Arabs to be eaten with t h e i r bread, but it is. not
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