The life of Moses

Front matter

Gass.

Book

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Preface

The object of the writer of the Life of Coses, has been to maintain a perfectly strict delity to the sacred narrative ; and this he as reason to believe he has accomplished in great degree. He believes that there is no ingle incident in the Life of Moses which as not received appropriate consideration; and he has endeavoured to weave into the texture of the narrative all such collateral information and practical suggestion as seemed suited to the character of the readers for whose benefit it was designed. The chief difficulty which the writer has experienced, has been to bring the whole within any thing like a moderate compass. Could he have consulted his inclination, and made the work embrace a complete history of the Jewish people under the administration of Moses, it would have

IV PREFACE.

made at least three volumes of the size of the present, and then have embraced very many topics which are already treated of in the publications of the American Sunday School Union, especially in the " Biblical Antiquities." The author now commits the work to the public, with the prayer that it may be among the means of instructing and interesting a class of readers, viz. the young, in whose welfare he always has felt, and always hopes to feel, a deep and lively concern.

Philada., Aug. 9th, 1832.

THE

LIFE OF MOSES.

Chapter I

Preliminary Remarks. — Countries connected ivith the History of Moses.

There is nothing more pleasant, and there is scarcely any thing more useful, than to ascertain every thing which we can about the great men who lived upon the earth a long while before we were born. It is pleasant, because it brings before our minds a great many curious things as to the manners and customs of other people, and their habits of thinking and acting in many instances so different from our own. It is also very useful, because we may learn from their example. If they were good men we shall be benefited by observing the path they pursued, and if they were bad we shall be taught to avoid their evil courses. God's holy book, the Bible, has many instances of both kinds of men ; and the apostle Paul tells us, that " whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning."

Among the greatest men who lived in old times, was Moses, the subject of this present history. He was one of the most extraordinary characters of which we read in any book ; and he lived in a very extraordinary period, and in anextraordinary country. From his very infancy he was the subject of the most remarkable providences of God ; and through every year of his life, even to his death, every thing about him was remarkable. All this we shall show our readers in the course of this narrative ; and we hope that we shall be able to make a very interesting and useful book, because every thing we shall state about Moses will be strictly true. We shall gather it all out of the Bible, which is God's holy book, and therefore must be true. There will be a great many curious and valuable things which we shall collect from other sources, in order to explain and illustrate the history ; but for what we say of Moses we mean to take the Bible as our sole authority, and not to write one syllable which is contrary to any thing there said.

But before we enter into the history of Moses, our readers, no doubt, will wish to know something about those countries with which his history is principally connected. The whole of the life of Moses was spent in Egypt and Arabia. He never was in the Holy Land, or Palestine.

Egypt, is a country in that great division of the earth called Africa — one of the five great divisions of the globe. Africa is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Asia, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean, and on the west by the Southern and Atlantic Oceans Egypt lies in North Africa : it is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by the Red Sea and Arabia, on the south by what is now called Nubia, and on the west by Barca and a great desert. It contains about 200,000 square miles, though only about 17,000, that is-^is capable of cultivation. Egypt may be said to consist of one great valley, through which runs the river Nile, one of the most remarkable rivers in the world : no one has yet been able to find out where it rises. This river annually overflows its banks, which is the method God has provided to furnish the country on its borders with water, as little or no rain falls there.

The land of Goshen, as far as we can ascertain, was situated on the most eastern branch of the river Nile, and either bordered on, or came very near to the Mediterranean Sea ; north-east of it there was the desert of Shur, which was a part of Arabia Petrea; and then, still farther to the north-east, the land of Canaan. The river Nile did not usually overflow its bank, in all of that part which is called in Scripture Goshen, consequently it was very favourable to the Israelitcs as pasture land for their cattle ; and is on that account called " the best of the land."

The only other country connected with the history of Moses is Arabia, or rather that division of Arabia called Arabia Petrse, or the Stony Arabia. It is a country distinguished principally by the wanderings of the children of Israel, and will require some attention as we go along.

Chapter II

Brief Notice of the History of Jacob and his children.

Every person who has been in the habit of reading the Scriptures must be acquainted with the history of Joseph. It is one of the most beautiful and touching narratives which is any where to be found, and illustrates, in a very remarkable manner, the dealings of God's providence. We can only say a few words about this history to prepare our way. By the cruelty of his brethren, Joseph was sold to some merchants who were descendants of Ishmael, therefore called Ishmaelites. They were on their way from Gilead to Egypt, bearing spicery and balm, which they traded away either for money, or for some of the luxuries of that land. These merchants sold Joseph to one of the great men of the nation, Potiphar, captain of the king's guard. Here Joseph conducted himself with the most exemplary propriety ; so, that his master loved him, and at length made him steward of his household, which was the most honourable station to which a servant could be advanced. But there is no situation which is not surrounded with dangers. The wife of Potiphar wished Joseph to be unfaithful to his master, and because he would not yield to a wicked act, she became offended, and determined on his ruin. She framed a very plausible story, every word of which was false, and thus made her husband so angry with Joseph that he put him into prison. But the very same Providence which first led him to be sold into the family of Potiphar, watched over him for good in the prison where he was cast. Here he again conducted himself with perfect propriety, and was soon, though a prisoner, made a kind of inferior officer, and enjoyed a comparative degree of comfort. It was while in prison that God enabled him to give a true interpretation to two dreams — those of the chief butler and chief baker, who were his fellow-prisoners. Every one must remember the story of the chief butler's ingratitude, who when he was released forgot Joseph. This is the way of the world. We are anxious for the services of others when we are in distress, but think no more about them when our affliction is over; and, worse than all, when we are afflicted we are willing to resort to God, and make many pious resolutions, but when our troubles pass away, our vows are forgotten. Such ingratitude to God is dreadful.

But though man forgets, God remembers. It so happened, by the will of God, that the king of Egypt had a dream, which was prophetic of the state of the country for some years to come. As no one could give the interpretation, then the chief butler remembered Joseph. He was sent for ; and his interpretation was so wonderful, and his advice so judicious, that the king thought there was no one in the land of Egypt more competent than he to manage his affairs in the difficult emergency which was coming. In this the king was wise ; for Joseph had the living God to counsel and direct him.

Under the administration of Joseph, every thing was done to prevent the dreadful effects of the famine which was coming. Ample provision was laid up in stores during the seven years of plenty ; so that when the famine came on there was no danger to be apprehended.

This famine came at the time which had been specified ; and it raged not only in Egypt, but in Canaan, where Jacob lived. Much distressed for want of food, Jacob heard that there was plenty of corn in Egypt, and he sent his sons to buy. We cannot give even an outline of the interesting circumstances which took place. Suffice it to say, after a while, Joseph made himself known to his brethren ; and as there were to be several years of famine, he determined with true filial piety to have his old father near him, so that he could supply his wants, and be a comfort to him in his declining days. How beautiful is filial piety, and how remarkably esteemed in the sight of God. " Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee," and this, which is the fifth commandment, is called by the apostle Paul, by way of distinction, the " commandment with promise." According to the wishes of Joseph, Jacob left Canaan, and travelled down to Egypt, where, as before stated, he and his family were quietly put in possession of the land of Goshen.

Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. " And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick." — Gen, xlvii. 28. He then hastened down to Goshen, and arrived just in time to receive his father's benediction, and to close his eyes. Thus died Jacob, at the age of 147 years ; and his body was taken back to Canaan, and buried in the cave of Machpelah, the family burying ground.

Joseph and his brethren then returned to Egypt. As might have been expected, they were afraid, that now as their father was dead Joseph would revenge himself for their ill treatment. But they were mistaken. Joseph feared God ; and he assured his brethren that he had no thought of any thing but kindness. He told them, that though they had treated him ill, God made it turn out for good ; as by this means their lives were saved from famine. Joseph lived to the age of 110 years, when he died. By his own order he was not to be buried in Egypt ; but taken to Canaan as soon as in the providence of God they should inherit the land promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The body of Joseph was embalmed, so that it would be preserved ; it was then put into a coffin, and kept sacredly till the period which he had alluded to arrived.

Chapter III

History of the children of Jacob, after the death of their father. — Dreadful cruelty of Pharaoh. — Birth of Moses.

From the period of the death of Joseph, during a space of about 64 years, the sacred history does not give us any definite information. " It did now fall in with the plan of Moses, to describe minutely the manner in which the descendants of the patriarch Jacob spent their time in the land of Goshen, But we may readily believe, that as long as a sense of the benefits which their land had received from Joseph continued fresh in the minds of the Egyptian monarchs, his relations would at least receive equitable treatment at their hands. No truth, however, stands better attested, than that he who confers benefits upon a people at large, need not look for any lasting return of gratitude; and that which occurs every day, among the polished nations of Europe, was not unlikely to happen in a more rude and remote age of the world."*

It would appear that the apprehensions of the Egyptians were excited, lest, on account of the immense increase of the Israelites, as they were called, they might eventually take possession of the whole land. If we examine the early history of Egypt, we shall not be surprised at this, for the country had once before been subdued by a people of a pastoral character, not more than 300 years before the time of Joseph ; and it was not until after a struggle of about 30 years, that these people were driven off into Palestine, where they afterwards became known as the Philistines. It is evident, from the whole history, that the Egyptians were afraid the children of Israel * History of the Bible, by Rev. G. R. Gleg.

B would eventually turn to be their enemies; and this was the great motive which gave rise to their cruel conduct. The history tells us, that the children of Israel " increased abundantly and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty." And then, as if in the most perfectly rational way of accounting for the difficulties which occurred, the history tells us, that " there arose another king who knew not Joseph." He thought of nothing but the difficulties in which he and his people might possibly be involved ; and the following speech shows the views and policy which he entertained : — " Behold," says he, " the people of the children of Israel, are more and mightier than we ; come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." They had some reason to be afraid, for there was no kind of natural tie or connection between the Egyptians and the children of Israel — their habits were different, their occupations were different, and their religions were entirely unlike each other. One was the most gross and stupid idolatry ; the other the worship of the only living and true God. But the Egyptian king totally mistook his true policy, and yet there can be no doubt that it was a case which required very peculiarly judicious management. But what could be expected from those who had no true knowledge of God, and consequently no proper sense of justice and equity. The king and the people of Egypt supposed that there was no way of getting out of the embarrassment, and securing their own safety, but by devising some plan by which the Israelites might either be at once exterminated, or their increase entirely prevented. They did not dare to try the first plan, for the Israelites were too many. But what they were afraid to try by force, they sought to accomplish by stratagem. The history is exceedingly brief, and we are not, therefore, able to tell the preparatory steps which were taken. All we know is, that the first plan of the king which is recorded, was to reduce the Israelites to a state of slavery, and to employ them on the public works. All the time they were so engaged they were to be treated with the greatest rigour ; made to work beyond their strength. They were employed, we are told, in building treasure cities, and two of these cities are named, Pithom and Raamses. The sacred history is remarkably strong in the language which it uses to represent their wretched condition : " And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour : and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field : all their service, wherein they made them serve, tvas with rigour." —

Exod. i. 13, 14. All this was done, no doubt, under the expectation that multitudes of them would perish under the tremendous rigor of their servitude ; and probably this would have been the case, had they not been under the peculiar protection of the Most High, and by him intended to be preserved. In consequence of this we are told, that the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.

Disappointed in this plan, Pharaoh tried another. He ordered the Egyptian midwives to put every male child to death as soon as it was born ; but God touched their hearts, and instead of obeying, they evaded the order of the king. Determined, however, not to have his purpose defeated, he gave strict orders to all his people, that whenever they should ascertain that a male child was born, they were to put it to death under pain of his displeasure.

How many perished under the sanguinary orders of this Egyptian Herod, the history does not tell us. We have reason to believe the numbers were great, because God made on the Egyptians so terrible a retribution as to slay all their first born. Be this as it may, however, it is not easy to imagine the distress which this order must have occasioned, or how many fathers and mothers were compelled to see their dear little children torn from their arms and thrown into the Nile, where they would be devoured by the fishes and the crocodiles. How thankful ought every young reader to be that he lives in an age and country, where the religion of the blessed Jesus prevents all such outrages upon the feelings and the rights of humanity.

It was in that most distressing posture of affairs, the history of which has been briefly given, when the subject of our biography came into being. There was a certain man of the tribe of Levi named Amram ; — the tribe of Levi were so called because they were the descendants of Levi, the third son of Jacob, by his first wife Leah. This Amram had been married a good while before, to a woman of the same tribe, named Jochebed ; and at the time when this dreadful order was given had two children living ; one was a daughter, named Miriam, and the other was a son, named Aaron. As is generally supposed, it was two or three years after the last cruel order of the king, that the wife of Amram had another child, which proved to be a boy. It appears from several passages of Scripture, JExod. ii. 2, Acts vii. 20, Heb. xi. 23, that this child was of very remarkable beauty of features, and elegance of form. As was perfectly natural, his poor mother tried to hide his birth as long as she was able ; and she succeeded in concealing him for three months. But when she could not longer hide him, she had nothing else to do than either to give him up to the executioner, or to expose him herb2 self to be swept away by the river. What a dreadful alternative. In this predicament she chose the latter course, preferring to trust his life to the protection of God, and thus run the risk of his preservation, to the dreadful certainty of his destruction if she gave him up to the servants of the kin£. Her conduct in this is to be viewed in no ordinary light, for Paul tells us, in the 1.1th chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, that she was actuated by a principle of faith. An impression was wrought upon her mind that he would be saved ; and she took the means which she supposed most likely to accomplish her desires. The event was according to her anticipations, and the interesting incident with which we shall commence the next chapter, brings us to the more particular history of Moses.

Chapter IV

Perils of Moses's Infancy. — Wonderful preservation and remarkable elevation.

[From before Christ 1571 down to 1531]

This little boy who was born during this most disastrous period of the Israelitish history, was destined, in the providence of God, to pass through the most remarkable vicissi-

THE LIFE OF M0SE9. 19

tudes. His very infancy was encompassed by dangers, which nothing but the most marked interpositions of divine Providence could possibly have averted. For three months after his birth his mother contrived either to conceal the fact, or to conceal him from the investigations made by the people, or the officers of Pharaoh. And it is more than intimated by the apostle Paul, that it was at great personal risk ; for he tells us, as an evidence of hex faith, that " she was not afraid of the king's commandment ;" which seems to be tolerably decisive evidence, that by hiding him she became liable to the punishment of death for her disobedience to the king's command.

The time soon came, however, when she could conceal him no longer. She ascertained that all her efforts would now prove vain, and that if she did not resort to some extraordinary expedient, the child would be cast into the river. In this most distressing state of mind what could she do ? We have no doubt that her first resort was to prayer for the divine direction ; and this is the only resort of the afflicted — from this they derive comfort, strength and hope. In her extremity God, indeed, appears to have directed her ; and, " hoping against hope," she mournfully commenced the preparation. She first made what the Sacred History calls an ark, probably a little boat, just large enough to bear the weight of the child without sinking. This little boat was made of bulrushes. The bulrush was a kind of reed or cane, called papyrus, which grew upon the banks of the Nile in great abundance, and was exceedingly light, and from the bark of which was formed a material on which to write. From this word our term paper is derived. Of this light substance, which would so easily float, the mother made her little boat ; and to construct it perfectly water tight, she covered it both within and without with slime and pitch. This slime and pitch is supposed to mean that substance which is now generally known under the name bitumen, of which there are several kinds. That which is called naptha swims on water, it being considerably lighter. A little boat made of the bark of the cane and covered with bitumen would not only be water tight, but of very remarkable lightness. Into this light vessel, when she could no longer avoid it, the mother put her darling child. She took every means in her power to insure its safety, and then committed it in faith to God. This is the true spirit of dependance upon God. We must employ the means which He has provided, and then submit all to His wise and sovereign disposal.

After having made this little boat, and put her son within it, this afflicted mother proceeded to the banks of the river Nile to hide the child, where she thought no enemy would think of looking for him. She deposited the boat among the " flags " which grew on the banks of the river. These flags are of the same species with the reeds or rushes of which the boat was built. They grow in immense numbers oh the banks of the Nile, and sometimes rise to the height of 30 or 40 feet. There are two reasons which may have led the mother of the child to place him here. In the first place, as the " flags " or reeds were growing in great numbers, a little ark if placed among them would be less likely to be discovered; and, in the second place, a river always runs less rapidly where it has the kind of obstruction which reeds oppose to its progress. Here, therefore, there was less danger of the ark being carried away. But, after all, these precautions would have amounted to nothing, if God had not seen fit, for the accomplishment of his own wise designs, to take care of this little helpless infant. After this was done, this tender mother was compelled to leave it and return ; for had she staid to watch the issue of her plans, it would at once have excited the attention of the cruel officers, and have directed them to the place of its concealment. She went home with a heavy, though certainly not with a desponding heart, for we have reason to believe that she trusted in the Lord, and looked for some manifestation of his mercy in behalf of the child of her faith and prayers. She did not,

THE LIFE OF MOSES.

however, leave her little one in this dangerous predicament without having some one to watch the issue. His little sister Miriam, who is supposed to have been about eight or ten years of age, was placed to observe all that happened. Even she did nof dare to go very near, but, as the history tells us, "stood afar off," so that, though she could see where the ark was, she might not be suspected.

It is a wise saying, and a wonderfully true one, that " man's extremity is God's opportunity." What now occurred showed that the whole matter had been ordered and arranged by the hand of God. The ark had lain but a little while floating among the reeds, when directed by the providence of God, the daughter of king Pharaoh, attended by her

THE UFE OF MOSES. 23

maidens, came down from her father's royal palace to bathe in the river. In countries where the weather is always hot, as it is in Egypt, bathing is one of the greatest luxuries that can be enjoyed ; and in those early days the great people were more accustomed to bathe in the rivers than they are at present. We do not know from the Bible the name of Pharsoh's daughter, but we are told elsewhere that it was Thermuthis. While she was bathing, hsr maids amused themselves by walking along the banks ; but she herself appears first to have seen the little ark among the reeds. No sooner had she seen it than she sent one of her maids to bring it ; and when it was brought slie opened it. No doubt she was surprised vhen she found that it contained a little child ; and the sacred history tells us that the " babe vept, and that she had compassion on him." This was natural. Who could see a little helpless child thus exposed to danger without the feeling of compassion ? surely, no one of the female sex. The stern executioner of her lather might, indeed, have torn the child from the protection of the ark, and have cast it off into the middle of the Nile ; but the heart of the king's daughter was melted into compassion, and the first remark which she made was, " This is one of the Hebrew's children." She knew what her father had commanded. She knew that it was to evade this order that even a mother was forced to leave her child thus exposed, and God softened her heart, so that she determined that this one at least should not be destroyed.

But the child was too young for her to take away : what could she do ? Now see the hand of God's overruling providence. When Miriam saw the maid of the king's daughter take up the ark and carry it to her mistress, she ran down to the place, and no sooner did she hear the king's daughter say, " This is one of the Hebrew children," than she said, " shall I go and call thee one of the Hebrew womei, that she may nurse the child for thee ?" She was told to go ; and she very soon brought the mother of the little boy. Into her hands Pharaoh's daughter committed the precious trust, saying, " Take this child, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." And the mother took the child away and nursed it. Thus, by a series of the most wonderful dispensations, this little boy, but a few hours before exposed on the waters, amon^ the reeds of the Nile, in a simple ark of bulrushes, was rescued from the perils of his situation, and committed, by the daughter of the king, to the arms of his own mother. It is likely, though this we offer merely as a conjecture, that the daughter of Pharaoh was so struck with the horrible cruelty of her father, that she induced him to repeal the command which he had given for the destruction of the Hebrew children. This dreadful decree, we are persuaded, could not have continued long in force, as we read, that when the Hebrews left Egypt, which was only forty years after, there was an immense number of children among them. Let all this be as it may, one thing is certain — under the protection of the king's daughter, this little boy was no longer in danger. We are told that he grew ; and although it is not recorded how old he was, yet probably as soon as he was weaned, he was taken by his mother to the palace of the king, and there given into the hands of his daughter. From that time she adopted him ; and he thus, according to the custom of the times, became her son,, enjoying all the benefits and privileges which would have belonged to him if he had actually been her own child. In order to commemorate the remarkable occurrence of his preservation, she called his name Moses, " because," she said, " I drew him out of the water ;" the Hebrew word for Moses being derived from a verb which signifies " to draw out," and which word is only used in Scripture in reference to the act of drawing out of water. This is the first place in the Bible in which the name of Moses is mentioned. It is not the first time in which it is mentioned in our history, for we have frequently called him by that name that we might be understood. We shall now always use his name, as we continue his | wonderful and interesting history.