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DAUGHTER； NOR THY MANSERVANT； NOR THY MAIDSERVANT； NOR THINE OX； NOR THINE
ASS； NOR ANY OF THY CATTLE； NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES； THAT
THY MANSERVANT AND THY MAIDSERVANT MAY REST AS WELL AS THOU。 AND REMEMBER
THAT THOU WAST A SERVANT IN THE LAND OF EGYPT； AND THAT THE LORD THY GOD
BROUGHT THEE OUT THENCE THROUGH A MIGHTY HAND AND BY A STRETCHED…OUT ARM：
THEREFORE THE LORD THY GOD COMMANDED THEE TO KEEP THE SABBATH DAY。〃 IN
EXODUS 5：5 WE LEARN THAT MOSES AND AARON MADE THE PEOPLE 〃REST FROM THEIR
BURDENS。〃
FROM THESE FACTS WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT THE SABBATH WAS ONE OF THE THINGS IN
WHICH THEY COULD NOT SERVE THE LORD IN EGYPT； AND WHEN MOSES AND AARON CAME
WITH THE MESSAGE OF GOD （EXODUS 4：29…31）； THEY ATTEMPTED A REFORM； WHICH
ONLY INCREASED THE OPPRESSION。 THE ISRAELITES WERE DELIVERED THAT THEY MIGHT
OBSERVE THE STATUTES OF THE LORD； INCLUDING THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT； AND THIS
PLACED UPON THEM AN ADDITIONAL OBLIGATION TO KEEP THE SABBATH STRICTLY； AS
WELL AS TO KEEP ALL THE COMMANDMENTS。 THUS IN DEUTERONOMY 24：17； 18 THE FACT
OF THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT IS CITED AS PLACING THEM UNDER SPECIAL
OBLIGATION TO SHOW KINDNESS TO THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS： 〃THOU SHALT NOT
PERVERT THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER； NOR OF THE FATHERLESS； NOR TAKE A
WIDOW'S RAIMENT TO PLEDGE： BUT THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A BONDMAN
IN EGYPT； AND THE LORD THY GOD REDEEMED THEE THENCE： THEREFORE I COMMAND
THEE TO DO THIS THING。〃
758
NOTE 2。 PAGE 272。 THAT THE PLAGUES WERE DESIGNED TO DESTROY THE CONFIDENCE
OF THE EGYPTIANS IN THE POWER AND PROTECTION OF THEIR IDOLS； AND EVEN MADE
THEIR GODS TO APPEAR AS CRUEL TORMENTORS OF THEIR WORSHIPERS； CAN BE SEEN
FROM A STUDY OF THE EGYPTIAN RELIGION。 A FEW EXAMPLES MAY SERVE TO
ILLUSTRATE THIS FACT。
THE FIRST PLAGUE； TURNING THE WATER OF THE RIVER NILE AND OF ALL CANALS INTO
BLOOD （EXODUS 7：19）； WAS DIRECTED AGAINST THE SOURCE OF EGYPT'S VERY
EXISTENCE。 THE RIVER NILE WAS REGARDED WITH RELIGIOUS REVERENCE； AND AT
SEVERAL PLACES SACRIFICES WERE OFFERED TO THE NILE AS TO A GOD。
THE SECOND PLAGUE BROUGHT FROGS OVER EGYPT。 EXODUS 8：6。 FROGS WERE HELD
SACRED BY THE EGYPTIANS； AND ONE OF THEIR DEITIES； HEQA； WAS A FROG…HEADED
GODDESS THOUGHT TO POSSESS CREATIVE POWER。 WHEN THE FROGS； AS THE RESULT OF
MOSES' COMMAND； MULTIPLIED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY FILLED THE LAND FROM ONE
END TO THE OTHER； THE EGYPTIANS MAY HAVE WONDERED WHY HEQA WAS TORMENTING
HER ARDENT WORSHIPERS INSTEAD OF PROTECTING THEM。 IN THIS WAY THE EGYPTIANS
WERE NOT ONLY PUNISHED BY THE SECOND PLAGUE； BUT WITNESSED ALSO CONTEMPT
HEAPED UPON THEM； AS THEY SUPPOSED； BY ONE OF THEIR GODS （EXODUS 9：3）； OF
WHICH MANY REPRESENTED POWERFUL GODS IN THE EGYPTIANS PANTHEON。 TO MENTION
ONLY A FEW； WE FIND THAT THE APIS BULL WAS DEDICATED TO PTAH； THE FATHER OF
ALL THE GODS； THE COW WAS SACRED TO HATHOR； ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY WORSHIPED
OF ALL FEMALE DEITIES OF THE NILE COUNTRY； WHILE THE RAM REPRESENTED SEVERAL
GODS LIKE KHNEMU； AND THE RAM…HEADED AMEN； WHO WAS EGYPT'S CHIEF GOD IN THE
NEW EMPIRE PERIOD。 HENCE； THE DISEASE WHICH SLEW THE ANIMALS DEDICATED TO
THEIR DEITIES REVEALED TO THE EGYPTIANS THE IMPOTENCE OF THEIR GODS IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF THE DESPISED HEBREWS。
THE NINTH PLAGUE （EXODUS 10：21） DEALT A HEAVY BLOW TO ONE OF THE GREATEST
GODS OF EGYPT； THE SUN OF GOD RA； WHO HAD BEEN CONTINUOUSLY WORSHIPED FROM
THE EARLIEST TIMES OF THAT COUNTRY'S KNOWN HISTORY。 IN A LAND WHICH HARDLY
EVER SAW CLOUDS IN THE SKY； THE SUN WAS RECOGNIZED AS A NEVER…FAILING POWER
WHICH PROVIDED WARMTH； LIGHT； LIFE； AND GROWTH TO THE WHOLE WORLD。 EVERY
EGYPTIAN KING CONSIDERED HIMSELF AS A 〃SON OF RA；〃 AND CARRIED THIS
EXPRESSION IN HIS TITULARY。 WHEN AMEN OF THEBES BECAME CHIEF GOD OF EGYPT
DURING THE EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY； THE POWER OF THE SUN…GOD RA WAS RECOGNIZED AS
SO GREAT THAT A COMPROMISE WAS MADE BY COMBINING AMEN AND RA TO MAKE ONE GOD
AMEN…RA。 A FEW YEARS AFTER THE EXODUS； WHEN IKHNATON INTRODUCED A
SHORT…LIVED MONOTHEISM； THE ONLY GOD RETAINED WAS ATON； THE SUN DISK。 SEEING
HOW ENTRENCHED SUNWORSHIP WAS IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE EGYPTIANS； AND
HOW HIGHLY THE SUN GOD RA； AMEN…RA； OR ATON WAS REVERED； WE CAN UNDERSTAND
WHY THE PLAGUE DIRECTED AGAINST THE GOD WAS BROUGHT UPON EGYPT TOWARD THE
CULMINATION OF THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS AND HIS EGYPTIAN
ADVERSARIES。
759
ALSO THE TENTH PLAGUE； THE SLAUGHTERING OF THE FIRST…BORN （EXODUS 12：29）；
WAS STRIKING AT LEAST ONE GOD； AND THAT WAS THE KING； WHO WAS CONSIDERED TO
BE HORUS； THE SON OF OSIRIS。 AS THE RULER OF THE NILE COUNTRY； HE WAS
ADDRESSED BY HIS SUBJECTS AS 〃THE GOOD GOD。〃 HENCE； THE LAST PLAGUE CROWNED
THE ACTIONS WROUGHT BY THE MIRACLE…WORKING POWER OF THE HEBREW GOD。 SO FAR
GODS CONTROLLING THE FORCES OF NATURE OR ANIMALS HAD BEEN DISGRACED； BUT NOW
A GOD LIVING IN A VISIBLE FORM AMONG THE EGYPTIANS WAS ALSO HUMILIATED BY
THE DESPISED GOD OF THE HEBREWS SLAVES； OF WHOM THE PROUD PHARAOH ONCE HAD
SAID； 〃WHO IS THE LORD； THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE TO LET ISRAEL GO？ I
KNOW NOT THE LORD； NEITHER WILL I LET ISRAEL GO。〃 EXODUS 5：2。
NOTE 3。 PAGE 282。 IN GENESIS 15：13 WE READ THAT THE LORD SAID TO ABRAHAM；
〃KNOW OF A SURETY THAT THY SEED SHALL BE A STRANGER IN A LAND THAT IS NOT
THEIRS； AND SHALL SERVE THEM： AND THEY SHALL AFFLICT THEM FOUR HUNDRED
YEARS。〃 THIS TEXT RAISES THE QUESTIONS WHETHER THE 400 YEARS REFER TO THE
TIME OF AFFLICTION OR SOJOURNING； OR BOTH； AND WHAT THE RELATION OF THE 400
YEARS IS TO THE 430 YEARS OF EXODUS 12：40； 41； AND GALATIANS 3：16； 17。
THE STATEMENT IN EXODUS 12：40； THAT 〃THE SOJOURNING OF THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL； WHO DWELT IN EGYPT； WAS FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS；〃 GIVES THE
IMPRESSION THAT THE ISRAELITES； FROM JACOB'S ENTRY INTO EGYPT TO THE EXODUS；
ACTUALLY SPENT 430 YEARS IN THE COUNTRY OF THE NILE。 THAT THIS IMPRESSION
CANNOT BE CORRECT IS OBVIOUS FROM PAUL'S INSPIRED INTERPRETATION PRESENTED
IN GALATIANS 3：16； 17； WHERE THE 430 YEARS ARE SAID TO COVER THE PERIOD
BEGINNING WHEN GOD MADE HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM UNTIL THE LAW WAS
PROMULGATED AT SINAI。 PAUL SEEMS TO REFER TO THE FIRST PROMISE MADE BY GOD
TO ABRAHAM WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO LEAVE HARAN。 GENESIS 12：1…3。 AT THAT TIME
THE 430 YEARS BEGAN； WHEN ABRAHAM WAS SEVENTY…FIVE YEARS OLD （CHAPTER 12：4）；
WHILE THE 400 YEARS OF THE PROPHECY OF GENESIS 15：13 BEGAN THIRTY YEARS
LATER； WHEN ABRAHAM WAS 105 AND HIS SON ISAAC FIVE YEARS OLD （CHAPTER 21：5）。
AT THAT TIME ISHMAEL； WHO 〃WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH PERSECUTED HIM ＇ISAAC＇
THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE SPIRIT〃 （GALATIANS 4：29； GENESIS 21：9…11）； BEGINNING
A TIME OF AFFLICTION OF ABRAHAM'S SEED WHICH INTERMITTENTLY WOULD BE
CONTINUED UNTIL THE TIME OF THE EXODUS。 ISAAC HAD NOT ONLY TROUBLES WITH HIS
HALF BROTHER ISHMAEL； BUT ALSO WITH THE PHILISTINES （GENESIS 26：15； 20； 21）；
JACOB FLED FOR HIS LIFE FROM ESAU （GENESIS 27：
41…43）； AND LATER FROM LABAN （GENESIS 31：21）； AND THEN WAS AGAIN IN
JEOPARDY FROM ESAU （GENESIS 32：8）； JOSEPH WAS SOLD INTO SLAVERY BY HIS
BRETHREN （GENESIS 37：28）； AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE OPPRESSED BY THE
EGYPTIANS FOR MANY DECADES （EXO