Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you of their bondage: and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments.

And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a GoD: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your GOD, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear, to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage; I am the LORD.

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircum cised lips?

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel 'out of the land of Egypt.

And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh : and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

But

But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

And the Egyptians shall know, that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The attention which was at first paid to Moses and Aaron, by the Elders of Israel, strengthened their faith, and encouraged them to go to the king of Egypt.

Before we make any remarks on the character of Pharaoh, it will be proper to observe, that there are degrees of wickedness, and that presumptuous sin, which proceeds from wickedness of spirit, and consists in reproaching the LORD, despising His word, and wilfully breaking His commandments, is its last stage. Presumptuous sin is in Scripture called the great offence†• A presumptuous sinner is justly regarded of GoD as an outcast from the race of mankind; for he is at enmity with GoD and man; and having broken the first law of nature, by refusing obedience to the CREATOR, he can have no claim to any privileges as a creature.

It is remarked by the Royal Psalmist†, that the LORD made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The dispensations of His Providence, therefore, towards these his chosen people, demand our attentive consideration. We find, from different sages of Scripture, (which will be noticed in their turn)

Nun. xv. 30, 31.

+ Ps. xix. 13.

Ps. ciii. 7.

pas

that the way of the LORD with presumptuous sinners, is either to strike them dead by some signal judgment, or "to withdraw His grace, and give them 66 up to a reprobate mind, or a mind void of judgment," and make them unwilling instruments of shewing forth to the world the greatness of that power which they defy.

Pharaoh was a sinner of this description: he had resigned his heart to ambition and avarice, which led him first to injustice and cruelty, and then to a presumptuous defiance of the GREAT CREATOR of the universe.

When Moses and Aaron entered into the presence of Pharaoh, and delivered, in a solemn manner, a message from the LORD GOD, he refused to listen to them, pretending that he knew of no such Being as the LORD GOD, and disclaimed His authority. This was an act of presumptuous defiance; and it behoved the LORD to maintain his own honour.

Pharaoh's not knowing the LORD was no excuse for him his very ignorance was a sin, because his own reason would have taught him, that there must be a SUPREME BEING; and if he had not been totally devoid of piety, he would at least have paid attention to the persons who professed to be the immediate ministers of the SUPREME BRING; and he would have feared to treat with rigour those whom the LORD styled his people; on the contrary, the haughty tyrant resolved to increase his cruelties to the Israelites on this very account, and commanded even the messengers of the LORD to submit to his yoke.

The task imposed on those among the Israelites, who were styled officers, was particularly hard; for they were required to enforce on their brethren the severities of the cruel monarch. The answer which Pharaoh made to these unhappy men, when they applied to him for redress, shews that he had no clemency in his nature. Rom. i, 28.

The

The situation of the officers was truly distressing: they were enjoined to perform and exact impossibilities. They had not yet experienced the wonderful goodness of the LORD: they had no Scriptures to support their faith, by relations of what had been done for others under the like circumstances: we cannot then wonder that they should fall into despondency, when they found their case worse, instead of better, for the interference of Moses and Aaron. This trial was so great, as to stagger the faith even of Moses himself: he could not, by his own reason, discover why the LORD should do evil to the people He had promised to deliver; or why he should delay their relief, when every human means failed. To revive his hope, the Lond graciously vouch.w safed to inform Moses, what He designed to do, in order to accomplish the purpose He had before declared: and that Moses might not doubt His power to effect it, the LORD reminded him of the excellency and perfection of His Divine nature, enumerating the several titles by which He had formerly been known to the patriarchs.

The name JEHOVAH is synonymous with LORD, and the original word is frequently so translated in our version of the Old Testament; it can belong to none but Gon Himself; for it imports, not only eternal existence, but omnipotent power, and unchangeable truth. By this title, the DIVINE IMAGE of GOD was distin guished from false deities in the family of Seth; and by this He revealed Himself to Abraham and Jacob..

That Moses might not be disheartened by the opposi tion of Pharaoh, GoD intimated to him, that the proud king would make great resistance; but that he should finally be subdued. As a farther encouragement Moses was assured, that God remembered his covenant, and attended to the distresses of His chosen people.

What could be more comfortable to the Israelites, than the words which God dictated to Moses to speak unto them? They contained every thing that their hearts could wish, yet the people derived no consolation from them: harassed with continual labour, and overwhelmed with grief for their accumulated misfortunes, they had no leisure to consider the authenticity of the message which Moses delivered to them. He had as yet done no act to engage their confidence; and the things which He promised to them, were such as had never been done for any nation. In consideration of these circumstances, we may presume, GOD pardoned their unbelief; for we do not read that He expressed any displeasure at their murmur. ings.

As Moses had found on a former occasion, as well as in addressing the Israelites, the want of persuasive eloquence, it was natural for him to fear a second repulse from the king of Egypt.

It is observable, that in giving a charge to Moses and Aaron, the LORD assigned to each of them a distinct province: Moses was to be the immediate representative of JEHOVAH, invested with authority to demand the obedience of Pharaoh; and Aaron to be his prophet, or subordinate minister. The LORD Himself engaged to perform signs and wonders.

From the expression I have made thee a GOD to Pharaoh, we may understand, that every petition which this, obdurate king might have occasion to offer for respite, from time to time, should be made to Moses, as the LORD Himself disdained to hearken to him. That Moses and Aaron might not suppose GoD required of them more than they were able to perform, the LORD acquainted them that they would have nothing to do but to speak and act as He should from time to time direct; and that

they