CHAPTER III.

MOSES FLIES FROM EGYPT.

MOSES was brought up at the court of Pharaoh, where he continued to live until he was forty years old. But though he was thus separated from his brethren, he never ceased to love them; and while living in the midst of pomp and luxury, and regarded with respect and honour as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, he thought with sorrow of his oppressed countrymen, who were in the mean time treated with the greatest rigor and cruelty by the Egyptians. The Egyptian people were equally guilty with their king in enslaving the Israelites they joined him in his injustice and tyranny; otherwise Pharaoh could not have oppressed them, as the authority of the kings of Egypt was limited, and they were obliged to consult the wishes of their people. It is necessary to observe this, because the people were punished by the plagues for their own cruelty to the Israelites: and it will be seen that as soon as the people were terrified, and earnestly desired the Israelites to depart out of their land, Pharaoh let them go.

When Moses was forty years old, he determined to leave Pharaoh's court, to go and visit

his afflicted brethren. He did not forget or despise his brethren because they were in affliction, but sought to be of use to them and comfort them; and we ought to imitate him in cherishing these kind feelings, though we cannot show our regard in the same way.

When Moses went to visit the Israelites, they were working under their hard task-masters: and he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew: "he avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian." And when he had slain him, he hid his body in the sand. "He supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them but they understood not."*

“And when he went out the second day, Behold two men of the Hebrews strove together; and he said to him that did the wrong, "Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? Sirs, ye are brethren, why do ye wrong one to another?" But the Hebrew replied, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? and dost thou intend to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian?"

Then Moses was afraid, for he knew that if Pharaoh heard of his having killed the Egyptian, his life would be in danger; and as his countrymen showed so bad a spirit, and would not hearken to him, he could do them no good. No sooner did Pharaoh hear of what Moses had done, than he sought to slay him, on which he

*Acts vii. 22-28.

fled, and escaping out of Egypt, took refuge in the land of Midian.

The land of Midian lies on the east of the Red Sea, on the borders of Arabia and Palestine. The country consists of vast sandy plains, interspersed with tracts of green pasture ground, where flocks of sheep and goats feed, belonging to the wandering tribes which inhabit those deserts. The Midianites who lived in this part, were remotely descended from Abraham; and, therefore, probably worshipped the One true God. The people were shepherds, and their wealth, like that of the patriarchs, consisted in their flocks and herds. As they were obliged to seek pasturage for their cattle, they could not long remain stationary, but wandered about; always taking care to be near a well of water.

The wells, in this hot country, were of great value. There were not many of them, and the cattle required a regular supply of water. The shepherds who took care of the flocks of their different masters, often used to dispute and fight at the wells, each trying to draw water for his own cattle, and keep the others away; and in modern times, the Arabs, who live in these deserts, frequently go to war to secure the possession of a valuable well. This will explain what happened to Moses when he fled into the land of Midian.

Moses sat down by the side of a well; and, whilst he was there, the daughters of Jethro (or Reuel) a prince and priest of Midian, came to

water their father's flock. They drew water from the well; but when they had filled the troughs ready for the sheep to drink, some shepherds with their flocks came up, and being the stronger, unjustly drove the daughters of Jethro away. But Moses stood up and helped the daughters of Jethro, and watered their flock.

When Jethro heard of what Moses had done, he sent and invited him to stay with him. And Moses went and dwelt with Jethro. And Moses married Zipporah the daugther of Jethro; and he had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. And he continued to live for forty years in Midian, keeping the sheep of his father-in-law, and leading the peaceful life of a shepherd.

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CHAPTER IV.

THE BURNING BUSH.

DURING the forty years which Moses lived in Midian, the Israelites were suffering under the cruel oppression of the Egyptians. But they cried to God in their affliction, and he graciously heard their prayers, and sent Moses to deliver them from their hard bondage.

Moses was appointed to deliver the Israelites in the following manner. He had driven the flocks of Jethro into the neighbourhood of Mount Horeb. "And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked; and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."

"And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses; and he said, Here am I. And he said, draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy