Chapter XII: THE PASSOVER, xii. 1-28

Birthday of a nation. The calendar, 171.--"The congregation." The feast is social, 172.--The nation is based upon the family. No Egyptian house escapes, 173.--National interdependence. The Passover a sacrifice, 174.--What does the blood mean? Rationalistic theories. Harvest festivals, 175.--The unbelieving point of view: what theories of sacrifice were then current? "A sacrifice was a meal," 176.--Human sacrifices. The Passover "unhistorical." Kuenen rejects this view, 177.--Phenomena irreconcilable with it, 178-9. What is really expressed? Danger even to Jews, 179.--Salvation by grace. Not unbought, 180.--The lamb a ransom. All firstborn are forfeited. Tribe of Levi, 181.--Cash payment. Effect on Hebrew literature, 182.--Its prophetic import, 183.--The Jew must co-operate with God: must also become His guest, 184.--Sacred festivals. Lamb or kid. Four days reserved, 185.--Men are sheep. Heads of houses originally sacrifice. Transition to Levites in progress under Hezekiah, complete under Josiah, 186.--Unleavened bread. The lamb. Roast, not sodden, 187.--Complete consumption. Judgment upon gods of Egypt, 188.--The blood a token unto themselves. On their lintels, 189.--The word "pass-over," 190.--Domestic teaching, 191.--Many who ate the feast perished. Aliens might share, 192.

THE TENTH PLAGUE, xii. 29-36.

The blow falls. Pharaoh was not "firstborn": his son "sat upon his throne," 193.--The scene, 194.--The demands of Israel. St. Augustine's inference, 195.

THE EXODUS, xii. 37-42.

The route, 195.--Their cattle, a suggested explanation, 196.--"Four hundred and thirty years," 197-8.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE LAW OF THE FIRSTBORN, xiii, 1.

The consecration of the firstborn, 199.--The Levite. "They are Mine," 200.--Joy is hopeful. Tradition? 201.--Phylacteries. The ass, 202.--The Philistines. No spiritual miracle, 203.--Education, 204.

THE BONES OF JOSEPH, xiii. 19.

Joseph influenced Moses, 204.--His faith, 205.--Circumstances overcome by soul. God in the cloud, 206.--Hebrew poetry and modern, 207.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE RED SEA, xiv. 1-31.

Stopped on the march, 208.--Pharaoh presumes, 209.--The panic, 210.--Moses. Prayer and action. "Self-assertion"? 211.--The midnight march, 212.--The lost army, 213.

ON THE SHORE, xiv. 30, 31.

Impressions deepened. "They believed in Jehovah." So the faith of the apostles grew, 214.

CHAPTER XV.

THE SONG OF MOSES, xv. 1-22.

A song remembered in heaven. Its structure, 216-17.--The women join. Instruments. Dances, 218. God the Deliverer, not Moses. "My salvation," 219.--Gratitude. Anthropomorphism. "Ye are gods." "Jehovah is a Man--of war," 220-2.--The overthrow, 222.--First mention of Divine holiness, 223.--An inverted holiness, 224.--"Thou shalt bring them in," 225.

SHUR, xv. 22-27.

Disillusion. Marah, 226.--A universal danger, 227.--Prayer, and the use of means, 228.--"A statute and an ordinance." Such compacts often repeated. The offered privilege, 229.--It is still enjoyed, 230.--"The Lord for the body." Elim, 231.

CHAPTER XVI.

MURMURING FOR FOOD, xvi. 1-14.

_We_ too fear, although Divinely guarded, 232.--They would fain die satiated, 233.--Relief tries them as want does, 234.--The Sabbath. A rebuke, 235.--Moses is zealous. His "meekness," 236.--The glory appears, 237.--Quails and manna, 238.

MANNA, xvi. 15-36.

Their course of life is changed, 238.--A drug resembles manna, 239.--The supernatural follows nature, 240.--They must gather, prepare, be moderate, 241.--Nothing over and no lack. Socialistic perversion, 242.--Socialism. Christ in politics, 243-4.

SPIRITUAL MEAT, xvi. 15-36.

Manna is a type. When given, 244.--An unearthly sustenance, 245. What is spirituality? Christ the true Manna, 246.--Universal, daily, abundant, 247.--The Sabbath. The pot of manna, 248.

CHAPTER XVII.

MERIBAH, xvii. 1-7.

A greater strain. What if Israel had stood it? 249.--They murmured against Moses. The position of Aaron. An exaggerated outcry, 250.--Witnesses to the miracle. The rock in Horeb, 251.--The rod. Privilege is not acceptance, 252.

AMALEK, xvii. 8-16.

A water-raid, 252.--God's sheep must become His warriors. War, 253-4.--Joshua. The rod of God, 255.--A silent prayer. Aaron and Hur must join in it, 256.--So now. But the army must fight, 257.--"The Lord my banner." Unlike a myth, 258.

CHAPTER XVIII.

JETHRO, xviii. 1-27.

Gentiles in new aspect. Church may learn from secular wisdom, 259.--Little is said of Zipporah: Jethro's pleasure, 260.--A Gentile priest recognised. Religious festivity, 261.--Jethro's advice: its importance, 262.--Divine help does not supersede human gift, 263.

THE TYPICAL BEARINGS OF THE HISTORY.

Narrative is also allegory. Danger of arbitrary fancies. Example from Bunyan. Scriptural teaching, 264.--Some resemblances are planned: others are reappearances of same principle, 265.--So that these are evidential analogies, like Butler's, 266.--Others appear forced. "I called My Son out of Egypt" refers to Israel, 267.--But the condescending phrase promised more, and the subsequent coincidence is significant, 268. Truths cannot all be proved like Euclid's, 269.

CHAPTER XIX.

AT SINAI, xix. 1-25.

Sinai and Pentecost. The place. Ras Sufsâfeh. God speaks in nature, 270.--Moses is stopped; the people must pledge themselves. Dedication services, 271.--An appeal to gratitude, and a promise, 272.--"A peculiar treasure." "A kingdom and priests," 273.--The individual, and Church order. "On eagles' wings," 274.--Israel consents. The Lord in the cloud. Manifestations are transient, 275.--Precautions. The trumpet, 276. "The priests." A plébiscite. Contrast between Law and Gospel: Methodius, 277.--Theophanies, 278.--None like this, 279.