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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
in our devotions. W hat He says to us is of far g reater importance th a n w hat we say to him. MONDAY, March 24. Ex. 1:6-14. Pharoah Oppresses Israel The oppression of Israel by Pharoah is accounted for by th e statem en t “ There rose up a new king which knew not Joseph.” Much of th e evil th a t men do may be explained by the fact th a t they do no t know God. This in no wise excuses them since they are responsible for knowledge th a t they m ight have had. Jesus mentioned what may be considered a t least as an exten uating circum stance when he prayed for his m urderers, “F a th e r forgive them for they know no t w hat they do.” The covenant w ith Abraham embraced th e sojourn in Egypt w ith its prosperity and its adversity. The oppression was a necessary p a rt of the education of the nation. God was stirrin g up th e ir nest. They m ight have been content to remain by th e flesh-pots of Egypt and they m ight have forgotten th e ir high destiny. The oppression led to th e ir uprooting and was th e main factor in th e new b irth of th e nation. The early church m ight have settled down in Jerusalem in complacency and ease, forgetful of th e ir g reat commission. When God allowed Satan to send a blast of perse cution again st them which scattered them th ro u g h o u t, th e Roman Empire, they w ent everywhere preaching the Word. TUESDAY, March 25. Ex. 15:1-11. Israel Delivered from Egypt M idnight was God’s chosen hour to deliver his chosen people from Egyptian bondage. God directed tfcat a strang e sign should m ark th e door of each house ¿of, the oppressed people. The blood of a slain and spotless lamb was to be applied above and on each side of the door. When th e destroying angel passed by a t m idnight, the blood declared th a t judgm en t had already fallen upon a provided sub stitu te by which, th e house was sheltered and the inm ates saved. God has undertaken th e deliverance of man from a worse th a n Egyptian bondage. He has sent H is holy and spotless Son into the world tp die upon th e cross as the Lamb of God. He bore th e ju st penalty of sin th e re when H is precious blood was shed. Any man whoever he be or whatever he may have done, th e mo m ent he takes refuge beneath th a t
blood, is set free from judgm en t to come, from th e power and oppression of sin and from all the malice of the devil. WEDNESDAY, March 26. Ex. 16:13- 21 . Israel Fed in the Wilderness Israel was su p e rn a tu ra lly ' sustained in th e w ilderness for th e space of forty years. The b arren desert could not yield a blade of grass nor a drop of w ater. They could ta rry nowhere to till th e soil. They d ran k of th a t rock th a t followed them and th a t rock was .Christ. The same hand th a t fed the five thousand by th e sea of Gallilee w ith the five loaves and two fishes and th a t fed th e four thousand w ith seven loaves and a few fishes, w rought a far g reater m iracle in feeding two million people every day for fo rty years out of nothing a t all. “Thou openest thy hand, they are filled w ith good.” Psa. 104:28. We may tak e our daily bread from the same bountiful hand, w hat ever th e source of its supply. We may th a n k the Giver of every good and per fect g ift for th e needful health and streng th to earn our daily bread and for th e opportunity to use the streng th He gives. I t comes from Him as tru ly as if it were b rough t by ravens, 1 K ings 22:6, or rained down like angels’ food from heaven. Psalm 78:25. THURSDAY, March 27. Ex. 20:1-17. Israel Taught at Sinai Israel as a nation had to be ta u g h t and trained. Israel was ta u g h t at Sinai and train ed in the w ilderness. The law reveals the ch aracter and expresses the will of the law-giver. The law demanded holiness because God was holy. The en tire Mosaic code was a course of practical instruction in the science and a r t of holiness. I t sought to carry the idea of pu rity from the physical to the- moral realm . The method adopted was the only one pos sible to secure th is resu lt. Its success can be appreciated by a comparison of th e Old and New Testam ents. The New is in the Old concealed. The Old is in th e New revealed. Teaching involves learning and train ing requires practice. “ If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them .” FRIDAY, March 28. Jo sh u a 1:1-9. Joshua the New Leader The first chapter of Jo shua has been recommended as a cure for despond-
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