Sophy's Story on Exodus: Bible Talks for Boys and Girls

It was evening; supper was over and the toys had been put away. The favorite hour had come for two happy, intelligent-looking children as they climbed up alongside Mother, who, with Bible in hand, had taken her usual place on the sofa. Sophy and her little brother Arthur were always eager for one of Mother’s bedtime Bible stories.

Mother’s last story from the book of Genesis was about the death of Joseph and of how God had said He would surely visit the children of Israel and bring them again into the land of Canaan, as He had promised Abraham.

“Now, Mother,” said Sophy eagerly, “do tell us more about the children of Jacob. How long did they stay in Egypt?”

So opening her Bible to the first chapter of Exodus, Mother began:

“From the time that God gave the promises to Abraham until the children of Israel left Egypt was about four hundred and thirty years. After Joseph and all his brothers were dead, the number of their children became great and they were very strong. The good king Pharaoh died and another king arose who did not remember what Joseph had done for Egypt. When he saw that the children of Israel were getting to be so numerous he began to be afraid that if there were to be a war that they would join with the enemy against his people. In order to keep them from doing that, the king made the children of Israel his servants and set taskmasters over them to make them work and, to build cities where the king might keep his treasures.”

“What was that king’s name, Mother?” asked Arthur.

“He, also, was called Pharaoh, as all the kings of Egypt were in those days, Arthur. But he was not like the good king Pharaoh who was kind to Joseph, for he was very cruel to the children of Israel. He made them work very hard with mortar and bricks to make fine buildings for the Egyptians. However, the more unkind the Egyptians were to them, Arthur, the more they increased in number and the stronger they became.

“Then Pharaoh thought of a very wicked plan. He told the nurses to kill all the newborn boy babies but to save the girl babies. The nurses feared God though, so they saved the boy babies, too. This made Pharaoh very angry, but God blessed the nurses because they feared Him more than the king of Egypt. Now Pharaoh thought of another way to carry out his scheme. He ordered the Israelites to throw every newborn son into the river.

But there was a man of the house of Levi who married a daughter of Levi. They had a baby boy who was a beautiful baby and they just couldn’t throw him into the river. They had faith in God so were not afraid of the king’s command. What do you think they did? They hid him for three months, but after that they thought he was too big to be hidden any longer.”

“Did they ask God not to let the king find him, Mamma?” inquired Sophy.

“I dare say his parents did ask God to take care of their little son, Sophy. There is a great river in Egypt called the Nile, and quantities of bulrushes grow along its banks. The poor mother gathered some of these rushes and made a basket, which was called an ark, covered it with pitch and slime and put her little baby in it. Then she left it floating among the rushes at the edge of the river.”

“Oh, the poor baby!” exclaimed Arthur. “Wouldn’t he cry when left all alone?”

“Yes, he did, Arthur,” replied Mother. “His sister stood afar off, watching to see what would happen to him. What do you think did happen to him? I will tell you. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river. As she walked along she saw the little ark among the bulrushes, so she sent her maid to bring it to her. When she looked in and saw the baby, he was crying. She felt sorry for him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ The little baby’s sister came up to Pharaoh’s daughter and said to her, ‘Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for thee?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said, ‘Go.’ So she went and told her mother how Pharaoh’s daughter had found the baby. I think Pharaoh’s daughter thought what a nice kind nurse the mother was, though she did not know she was the baby’s real mother. She said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.’ So the mother took the child and raised him. Then she took him back to Pharaoh’s daughter. He became her son and she called him Moses because she drew him out of the water.”

“Did he live in a palace like a little prince?” Sophy asked.

“Yes, he did, and he was taught all the learning of the Egyptians for they were the most educated people of the world in those days. Moses was very clever and very strong, for he was mighty in words and in deeds. But that is all for tonight. You must go to bed now.”

The Flight of Moses, Forty Years in Midian

Chapter 2

Exodus 2:11-25

The following evening at bedtime found Sophy and Arthur again in their favorite spot on the sofa, waiting for Mother to sit down with her Bible.

“Mother,” asked Sophy, “why did Pharaoh’s daughter call Moses a Hebrew child?”

“The other nations called the children of Abraham Hebrews,” explained Mother, “because they came from the other side of the river Euphrates, and because they spoke a language which they did not understand.

“No doubt Moses’ mother told him about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and about God’s promises to them and how Pharaoh wanted to kill the boy babies, for when he grew to be a man, by faith he finally refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He said he would rather suffer with God’s people than to enjoy all the riches and pleasures of Egypt.

“Though Pharaoh’s daughter was very kind to Moses, he did not forget what he had been taught by his own mother. He believed in the true God and had faith that God would fulfill His promises to the children of Israel. When he was about forty years old he decided to visit them. He felt very sorry for them when he saw how they were treated by the Egyptians who had made them their slaves.

“One day Moses saw an Egyptian beating one of the children of Israel. He looked around to see if anyone could see him. When he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.”

“Oh, Mother,” exclaimed Arthur, “that was wicked of Moses, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Arthur, it was. I think though that Moses thought he was doing right, but he should have asked God what he should do. He thought his brethren would understand that God meant to use him to save them from the Egyptians, but they did not understand because they did not have faith in God as Moses did.

“Another day Moses saw two of the Hebrews fighting and spoke to the one who was to blame. He became very angry and said to Moses, ‘Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian?’ Moses was afraid when he realized that someone had seen him kill the Egyptian. The king finally heard about it and was very angry with Moses and tried to kill him, but Moses escaped and became a poor stranger in the land of Midian.”

“But, Mamma, since Moses was so rich and so wise, why didn’t he stay with Pharaoh’s daughter and try to make the king kind to the children of Israel?” inquired Sophy.

“It was because Moses had faith that God would save them from Pharaoh in His own way,” replied Mother. “He felt he would be happier to suffer affliction with God’s people than to have all the pleasures of Egypt.

“When Moses came to Midian, he sat down by a well. The priest of Midian had seven daughters who came to get water for their father’s flocks. The shepherds usually drove the women away but Moses interfered this time and helped them water their flocks. Moses had many things to learn of God’s ways, that it was not all by might and by power, and so God put it into his heart to wish to be a deliverer. He taught him how He had taken care of him when Pharaoh had ordered all the boy babies to be killed. He meant to make Moses His servant in little things as well as great ones.

“When the women went home, their father was surprised to see them so soon and asked the reason. They told him how an ‘Egyptian’ had helped them water their flocks. Their father had them go back to invite Moses home with them. Moses accepted the invitation to live with Jethro, the priest of Midian.

“In time Moses married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah. They had a son whom they called Gershom which means stranger, for Moses said, ‘I have been a stranger in a strange land.’

“All this time the children of Israel were at their hard work in Egypt. But after awhile this king of Egypt died. The children of Israel still sighed because of their bondage, though. God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and with Jacob. He looked upon the children of Israel and had respect for them. Though He had promised Joseph He would take them back to the land of Canaan, He had to make them feel the hard bondage of Egypt so that they might be glad to leave it altogether, and that they might wish to go to live in the promised land, to be a God-fearing people and to remember His wonderful deliverances which He wrought for them.”

Moses Called of God

Chapter 3

Exodus 3

“Tonight I shall go on with the story of Moses,” said Mother as Arthur climbed up on her knee and Sophy settled along side.

“Moses led the flock of Jethro to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God called Mount Horeb. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. Moses looked and though it continued to burn, he saw that it was not burned up. He said, ‘I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.’ When the Lord saw that he turned around to see, He called to him out of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses.’ Moses answered, ‘Here am I.’ It was the glory of God that Moses saw that looked like a flame of fire. God was speaking to him from the bush. He said to Moses, ‘Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’

“The spot was holy because God was there. He said to Moses, ‘I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Then God spoke to him out of the bush, and said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land, and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.’

“He told Moses He would send him to Pharaoh to bring His people out of the land of Egypt. This is the very thing Moses had so much wished for, forty years before, when he left Pharaoh’s daughter’s house to be used of Him to deliver the children of Israel from the Egyptians.”

“Mother, was Moses delighted when God told him that he should go to Egypt for the Israelites?” Sophy asked.

“No,” answered Mother. “Poor Moses was thinking of himself instead of the wonderful God he had to do with, for he said, ‘Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ But God said to him, ‘Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee; when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.’ Then Moses said, ‘Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’ He was the same God who had been with their fathers and He would be with them forever.

“God told Moses to go and gather the elders together and tell them all He had told him. He said the children of Israel would believe what he told them. Moses and the elders of Egypt were to go to the king of Egypt and ask him to let them come and worship God upon this mountain. He also told Moses that He knew that Pharaoh would not let them go except by His showing His mighty hand and power, compelling Pharaoh to do so.

“God also told Moses that when they did go He would give them favor in the sight of the Egyptians.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

Chapter 4

Exodus 4-5

“Last night I was telling you,” said Mother, “that God told Moses to go back to Egypt and tell the children of Israel He was going to deliver them.”

“And did Moses go at once to tell them, Mother?” questioned Sophy.

“No, he didn’t, dear. He thought that they would not believe him nor listen to him. God, who was very patient with Moses, said that He would give him two signs to show to them that they might believe that the Lord God of their fathers had really appeared to him. The Lord told Moses to cast the rod which he had in his hand on the ground. He obeyed, and the rod became a serpent. This frightened Moses causing him to flee from it. Then the Lord told Moses to put out his hand and catch the serpent by its tail. This Moses did and the serpent became a rod again. Moses called it the rod of God. This was a sign to show the people that God had power over Satan.

“Then He said to Moses, ‘Put now thine hand into thy bosom.’ Moses obeyed and when he pulled his hand out it was covered with leprosy, which is a very dreadful disease. Then He told him to put it in again. This time when he took it out again it was healed.”

“Mamma, what did that sign mean?” inquired Sophy.

“Well, leprosy is often spoken of in God’s Word as something which is like sin in our hearts. God thinks of sin as a, dreadful disease which nothing but His own power can put away. He wanted to teach the people that He would forgive all their iniquities and heal all their diseases. God told Moses that if the people would not believe him for the first sign, they would believe when they saw the second sign. However, if they did not believe either sign then he should pour some of the water from the river upon the land. It would become blood.

“Moses was still afraid, however, because you see he was thinking of himself instead of God. He said, ‘O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue.’ But the Lord said, ‘Who maketh the dumb or deaf, or the seeing or the blind? have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’ Moses answered, ‘O my Lord, send I pray Thee by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send.’

“The Lord became angry with Moses because it showed that he did not believe the Lord would do all that He was so kindly and patiently teaching him. He said to Moses, ‘Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth, and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.’”

“Mother,” interrupted Arthur, “Moses was not so brave now, like he was when he killed the Egyptian, was he?”

“No, my boy; Moses had found out that his ways were not like God’s ways nor his thoughts like God’s thoughts. He had not faith enough to leave everything to God nor to trust Him to teach him how to speak and what to say. But we shall soon see how God taught Moses to trust Him, just as He teaches little people and great people to trust Him now.

“When the Lord had finished speaking Moses went back to Jethro and asked him to let him go to see his brethren in Egypt. So he took his wife and their sons and set them upon an ass to go to Egypt. He took the rod of God in his hand. As he stopped at an inn by the way, the Lord met him and was going to kill him because he had not circumcised his son. Perhaps you remember what God said to Abraham about that. It was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham’s children that all the sons should have God’s mark on them.

“Well, and when Moses circumcised his son, the Lord let him go on. Aaron met him in the mountain of God and kissed him. After Moses told Aaron all that the Lord had said, they went into Egypt and called the oldest and wisest of the children of Israel together. They told them all the Lord had said, and did the signs before the people. The people believed and bowed their heads and worshiped for they knew that the Lord had visited them and had looked upon their afflictions.

“Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh to ask him to let them go. When they told him all that the Lord had said, he answered, ‘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.’

“They answered, ‘The God of the Hebrews hath met with us; let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.’

“The king of Egypt was very angry with Moses and Aaron, and accused them of hindering the people of Israel in their work. He said that now the people would have to go and gather the straw for themselves in the fields and that they would have to make just as many bricks each day as they did when the straw was given them. When the Egyptians beat them to make them work harder they cried to Pharaoh, but he told them they were idle and said that was why they wanted to go away to worship God.

“Now the people complained to Moses and Aaron and blamed them for the treatment they received of the Egyptians. Moses became very sorrowful and prayed to the Lord to deliver His people as He said He would.

“Tomorrow night perhaps, I shall tell you how God answered Moses, but that must be all for this time.... Goodnight, my dears,” said Mother as her two little ones slipped off to bed./

The Plagues Begin

Chapter 5

Exodus 6-7

“Mother,” asked Sophy the next evening, “when Moses prayed to the Lord, what did He tell him?”

“He said, ‘Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.’ And God spake unto Moses and said unto him, ‘I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by the name Jehovah was I not known to them.’ God told Moses also that He had heard the groanings of the children of Israel and remembered His covenant with them. He promised to take them to Himself for a people and to be their God.

“That name Jehovah showed that God had taken them to be His people, to bless them and that He was a faithful God who would never change. He wanted the people to know that they belonged to Him and that He would take them into the promised land. Moses went to the children of Israel and told them what the Lord had said, but they would not listen to him because of their sorrows and their cruel bondage.

“Then the Lord told Moses to go and tell Pharaoh all He had said but Moses thought Pharaoh would not listen to him. The Lord told him to go to Pharaoh because He had made Moses a god to him and that Aaron was to be a prophet for Moses. He also said He would send some dreadful punishment upon all the land of Egypt if Pharaoh did not let the people of Israel go. So Moses and Aaron went in to speak to Pharaoh. Aaron threw down his rod before the king and his servants and it became a serpent. Pharaoh called in his wise men who also threw down their rods. They too became serpents, but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”

“Mother,” exclaimed Arthur, “could those wicked men do that?”

“Yes,” said Mother. “The wise men did this miracle by the power of Satan to make the people think that it was not God who gave Aaron power to do it. When Pharaoh saw what happened, his heart was hardened so he would not let the people of Israel go. But if Pharaoh had not hardened his heart he would have seen that the power of God was stronger in that Aaron’s rod had swallowed up their rods.

“In the morning Moses and Aaron went out and waited until Pharaoh came down to the river. Then Aaron lifted up his rod and smote the water of the river. The beautiful river and all the ponds and lakes, and even what was in their vessels were turned into blood. There was no water to drink for one whole week. In this miracle too, though, the wise men copied Aaron and they also turned water into blood. However, they could not turn it back into water again. Again Pharaoh turned away not caring about the judgment of God.”

“Did Pharaoh know that God would certainly do what He said He would, Mother?” asked Sophy.

“No, Pharaoh told the truth when he said, ‘I know not the Lord,’ but he only showed his own foolishness by fighting against Him as he did. Pharaoh was like Satan, who tries to keep people now in the bondage of sin, for he is the god of this world. He likes to keep people’s hearts in the world just as Pharaoh kept the children of Israel in Egypt to be his slaves, instead of letting them leave it to go to worship God and to enjoy the good things of heaven which God has prepared for them that love Him, for heaven is the promised land to us.

“In this story of the way He brought His people out of Egypt and destroyed the power of Egypt’s king, God would teach us how He saves us now from a wicked world which would not have His Son in it, and how He takes us out of it now in His own way to a better country where His Son is owned. And then when the proper time has come the Lord Jesus will come and take us home to the Father’s house.”

The Plagues Continue

Chapter 6

Exodus 8-11

“How far did we get last evening?” asked Mother, as the little group were gathered again at the favorite hour.

“You told us about Aaron turning the water to blood,” responded Sophy. “But what did the Lord do then when Pharaoh did not listen?”

“He told Moses to tell Pharaoh that He would smite all the borders of Egypt with frogs since Pharaoh refused to let the people go. So Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt again and frogs came up out of the rivers and ponds over all the land. The frogs got into Pharaoh’s house, into his bed, and into the ovens and the bread pans. The magicians again did as Aaron had done and brought up more frogs.

“Now Pharaoh was sorely tried with the frogs and begged Moses to ask the Lord to remove them, promising he would let the children of Israel go this time. Moses cried to the Lord for Pharaoh. Then all the frogs died.”

“And did Pharaoh let the people go after that?” queried Arthur.

“No, Arthur,” continued Mother. “Sad to say, Pharaoh again hardened his heart and would not let the people go. So now the Lord told Moses to have Aaron stretch out his hand again and smite the dust of the earth. And what do you think happened this time? It became lice which crawled upon man and upon the animals. The wise men again tried to do the same but this time it did not work for them. They said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened, as the Lord had said, so he did not listen to them.

“Now the Lord sent swarms of flies into all the houses, and upon the people, and the very ground was covered with them. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them they could go and worship their God in Egypt. Moses told him that the Lord had commanded them to go out of Egypt to worship Him. Pharaoh told him they might go a short distance to worship if he would ask the Lord to take away the flies. Moses did so and the Lord took away the flies but Pharaoh would not let the people go this time either.”

“And did the children of Israel have flies in their houses, too, Mother?” again asked Arthur.

“No, my boy, the Lord said He would put a division between them and the Egyptians. The flies did not come into the land of Goshen where God’s people were. Now the Lord sent a dreadful disease which destroyed many of the cattle of the Egyptians but not one of the cattle belonging to the people of Israel died. Next the Lord sent sores upon all the Egyptians and upon their animals and even on the magicians. Still there was no repentance. Then He sent hail upon all the land of Egypt. There were a few people who believed the word of the Lord and put their servants and their cattle into their houses. Hail did not come upon the land of Goshen because God was with the people of Israel.

“Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, ‘I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.’ But he did not keep his word because as soon as the hail ceased, he sinned more by refusing to let the people go.

“Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these My signs before him; and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them: that ye may know that I am the Lord.’ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh as commanded and said, ‘Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’ But because Pharaoh still would not heed God’s command the next day he was told that locusts would be sent over all the land. Locusts are like large grasshoppers.

“After this, Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh’s presence. But Pharaoh’s servants became very frightened and told the king to let the men go; they said, ‘Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?’

“So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. Then he said to them, ‘Go, serve the Lord your God; but who are they that shall go?’

“Moses answered: ‘We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.’

“But Pharaoh said he would let only the men go, and he drove Moses and Aaron out from his presence. Then the Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt. Moses did so, and in the morning the locusts came up and covered the land of Egypt. They ate up all the fruit of the trees and there wasn’t any green thing left in the fields.

“Now Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste and said to them, ‘I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God that He may take away from me this death only.’ But again Pharaoh’s heart was hardened after the locusts were removed.

“Then the Lord sent darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days so that they could not see one another, but all the children of Israel had light in their houses. It was a peculiar darkness of which there never had been the like. It was said to be a thick darkness, a darkness which might even be felt. Pharaoh called Moses again and said, ‘Go ye, serve the Lord, only let your flocks and your herds be stayed, let your little ones also go with you.’ Moses answered, ‘Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither.’ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more and he refused to let the people go. He said, ‘Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more: for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.’ Moses answered, ‘Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.’”

“Did God kill Pharaoh then, Mamma?” questioned Sophy.

“No, He didn’t, but He told Moses He was going to send one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Then he would let them go.”

The Passover

Chapter 7

Exodus 12

“Tonight,” said Mother, the following evening, as Sophy and Arthur sat beside her on the sofa, “we come to one of the most important chapters in the book of Exodus. In the New Testament it is spoken of as a picture of what the Lord Jesus was to do when He came into the world as the Lamb of God.

“There are so many things in this beautiful story showing us how God in His love has taken care of us in so many ways. We can think of God’s love, His holiness, and His judgments without being afraid, because we have put our trust in the Lord Jesus. He has borne the punishment from God for our sins.

“The Lord considered what He was about to do for them so important that He told them they must tell it to their children and grandchildren. Even after they got into the land of Canaan they were to keep telling the children about it, so that they would never forget their wonderful deliverance from the judgment on the land of Egypt, and also from the sufferings that were theirs while they were slaves in Egypt. He never wanted them to turn back their hearts and long for the things of Egypt. The very first thing that He spoke to them about was that they were not even to have the same kind of a calendar, to keep account of the days and months, as the Egyptians did. It had to be a completely new beginning. They were to start all over again and take another month as the first month of the year. It was to be this very month that He would bring them out of Egypt.

“What does this remind us of? Is it not like what the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel of John? He was a very well known and respected man for what he had done for the Jews at that time. But the Lord said unto him, ‘Ye must be born again.’ All that he had done would not count before God. He must start all over again just like a newborn child, and that is what all do who put their trust in the Lord Jesus.

“The children of Israel were to listen very carefully to what the Lord told them to do on this most important day. For what He was going to have them do, was that by which they would really belong to the Lord as His own people, and they would come under His protecting care. They were not left to their own thoughts or plans as to how this was to be brought about.

“The way in which this new beginning was to be brought about, was that they were to select a lamb, one year old, and they were to keep it penned up from the tenth day until the fourteenth day. Then it was to be killed. All this makes us think of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God. His coming had been promised long before they were to be expecting Him, but they did not know the time of His coming.

“They should have been searching the Scriptures which told them of His coming, so that they would know Him when He came. But they were really very few who were looking for Him when He did come. Though they did not know when He was to come, God knew when it was to be, and He came in the fullness of time, or just at the right time according to God’s thoughts and plans.

“The lamb had to be without blemish; it could not be lame, or sick, or blind, because it was to show how the Lord Jesus was the only One who could be the Lamb of God to die on the cross for us. All others who were ever born into this world had some blemish upon them; they were afflicted with sin and could not be acceptable to God in our place.

“They were told that if a family were too small to eat a whole lamb that night, that they were to get together with another family to eat it. But they must not divide between the two houses; they all had to be in one house to eat it, and we shall soon find out why they were not allowed to each eat it in their own house.

“The lamb was to be killed and they were to take a bunch of hyssop, which is a very small moss-like plant, and dip it in the blood. They were then to sprinkle it on the outside of the door frame, at the top and on the two sides. The Lord told them that He was going to pass through the land of Egypt that night to smite all the firstborn of man and beast. But He said that when He passed through the land and saw the blood on the door posts, He would not allow the destroyer to come into that house. They were forbidden to go out of that house until the morning.

“After the blood was put outside the door of the house, those within were to eat the lamb. It had to be roasted with fire. It could not be boiled, nor could they eat of it raw. The roasting of the lamb was like the Lamb of God having to bear God’s judgment which we deserved. The judgment of God is spoken of in the Scriptures, as though it were a fire burning up that which it fell upon.

“The Lord Jesus loved us so much that He died for us that we might be saved. When they were eating the lamb, they were told to be careful not to break a bone of it. They were never told why this was forbidden. But the Apostle John in writing of the Lord’s death on the cross, tells us that the Roman soldiers could not break the legs of the Lord Jesus as they did of the two thieves who were crucified with Him.

“Those inside feasting on the lamb could eat without being afraid, because they knew what the Lord had said about His passing over that house. If they went out of the house, they were no longer protected by the blood. They were told that this was called the feast of the Passover.

“Along with eating the lamb they were to eat it with bitter herbs and with unleavened bread. These were not pleasant things to taste. It was not like the food of Egypt that they were used to. This was all part of the new beginning. The bitter herbs speak to us of the sufferings of the Lord upon the cross for our sins. The unleavened bread told them that they no longer belonged to Egypt, just as now those who know the Lord Jesus no longer belong to this world, and they are not to do the same things which the world does to obtain its joy here.

“They were told also about how to be dressed while they were eating the Passover. They were to be dressed for traveling, with shoes on their feet and a staff or walking stick in their hand. They were about to leave the land where they had been slaves and evil treated and were to go forth to the land of promise of which the Lord had told them.

“Then after the Passover another feast began called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted seven days, and these two are spoken of as applying to the Lord and His people now as we read in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8.

“While the children of Israel were eating the lamb and were thinking of all the wonderful promises of the Lord to them, there was sorrow and crying in the homes of the Egyptians, where the angel of the Lord was carrying out God’s sentence upon them. We are told that all the first-born died—from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on the throne even to the first-born of the captive in the prison; and all the first-born of cattle died.

“Then Pharaoh and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, rose up in the night; and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

“So Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron that night and told them to leave his people at once and to go and serve the Lord as they had wanted to do. They were to take all their flocks and herds and be gone; Pharaoh even asked Moses to bless him also. The Egyptians pressed the children of Israel to leave their land in haste for they said, ‘We be all dead men.’

“Then the children of Israel before leaving did as Moses told them, and demanded of the Egyptians, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothes; we are told that the Lord gave them favor in their sight, and they carried away the riches of the Egyptians. But this was what really belonged to them because the Egyptians had never paid them for all the work they had done while they held them in slavery.

“So they started on their journey out of Egypt carrying all their things which they were able to take along, with their clothes tied up in bundles on their shoulders. They did not have time to prepare any food to take along, so they took their dough in their kneading troughs so that they could bake cakes along the way.

“They were a very large company, six hundred thousand men, besides women and children; and then they had with them also their flocks and herds.

“The Lord had told Abram in the book of Genesis when He promised him the land for his children’s children, that his children should be a stranger in a land that was not theirs, that they would be servants to these people, and that they would afflict them four hundred years.

“The time had now come when they should leave and it was the Lord who was bringing them out. That is why it was said that this night was one to be much observed by them all, by their children and their children’s children.

“Tonight’s story was a long one,” said Mother in conclusion, “but one I hope you will never forget. Now it is late, my dears, and you must get ready for bed.”

Crossing the Red Sea

Chapter 8

Exodus 13-14

“In our last chapter,” began Mother the next evening, “the children of Israel were beginning their journey out of Egypt. But before allowing them to proceed further, the Lord gave some very special instructions to Moses, showing His claims upon them. He always wants His people to know that they do not belong to themselves but that they really and truly belong to Him.

“One thing God wanted them to always remember was that He brought them out of the house of bondage or slavery in Egypt. Then He wanted them to know that they could not have done it by their own strength, but that it was by the strength of the hand of the Lord that they were brought forth.

“They were always to remember this day that they came out in the first month of the year, which they called Abib. This was to start a new year for them. When God redeems His people, there must be a new beginning. The Lord in the New Testament has told us that we must be born again.

“The Lord told them that He was going to bring them into a land that flowed with milk and honey, which meant that everything there would be very plentiful. There were other people living in that land at the time, but they were very wicked and God was going to take the land away from them and give it to the children of Israel.

“There was one very important thing that He wanted Moses to tell them. It was that the first-born of their children belonged to Him; also the first-born of their cattle and all other beasts belonged to Him.

“Some of the first-born of their beasts could be redeemed and some could not. You will remember that when we were studying in Genesis about the animals which went into the ark, some of them were called clean and some unclean. It was the clean animals Noah used when he built the altar and made an offering unto the Lord. The cattle and sheep were called clean and the horse and the ass were unclean. Those animals which were unclean could not be eaten.

“He told Moses here that they had to redeem the first-born of an ass or they would have to kill it. Since man is a fallen creature, he is classed with the unclean animals and so the first-born child had to be redeemed also.

“They were to tell their children about all these things and how the Lord slew the first-born of those in Egypt who had not put the blood on the door.

“Now we shall think of the Israelites on their way, outside of Egypt traveling toward the land the Lord had promised to give them. Do you remember a very faithful servant of God who died and was buried in Egypt hundreds of years before; who believed that someday God would surely bring His people out of Egypt and give them the land of Canaan?”

“Was it Joseph, Mamma?” asked Sophy.

“Yes, Sophy. Joseph had made his brethren promise that they would carry up his bones when they left Egypt, and bury them in Canaan; and it tells us that Moses did so.

“Now the Lord had chosen Moses to lead them out of Egypt and they marched toward the Red Sea. He did not lead them by the short route through the land of the Philistines, because He feared they would be discouraged by the wars there. He chose to lead them through ‘the wilderness’ by the way of the Red Sea, which was a much longer route.

“The Lord Himself went before them in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Their first camp was set up by the Red Sea. Can you by faith see all their tents set up there and think how safe they must have felt since now they were slaves no longer but a free people? But, what a great surprise it was to them to suddenly see a great army of Egyptians with chariots and horsemen pursuing them! Of course, it was their enemy and how frightened they became! But Moses told them, ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.’ For God had a purpose in this and had promised to help His people. Therefore the cloud which was in front of them changed its position and now stood between the two armies thus hiding the Israelites from the eyes of the Egyptians. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the people to go forward.’”

“But wasn’t the Red Sea in front of them, Mother?” exclaimed Arthur.

“Yes, Arthur, it was; but God told Moses to lift up his rod over the sea and divide it, which he did, and the waves of the sea rose like a high wall on either side and the Israelites walked through on dry land. Their animals and all their possessions were taken across. And the Egyptians foolishly thought they could do the same, so they went in after them even to the middle of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen. But the Lord troubled the host of the Egyptians so that they had great difficulty. The wheels came off their chariots, and they said, ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.’”

“Did the Egyptians turn back then?” again questioned Arthur.

“They wished they could have, Arthur, but it was too late, for God commanded Moses to stretch his hand once more over the sea; and the water returned and drowned all the Egyptians and swallowed up their chariots and horsemen—not one was left alive.

“It is a dreadful thing not to be on God’s side, for He is a holy judge who will either save poor sinners or destroy them. This was an occasion for rejoicing for God’s people when in the morning as they stood on the banks of the Red Sea they saw their enemies dead on the seashore. So they feared the Lord and believed Him and His servant Moses.”

The Song of Redemption

Chapter 9

Exodus 15

“I was telling you last evening,” continued Mother, “of how God brought His people safely across the Red Sea. Now what would you say was more wonderful—the way God saved Israel or the way He destroyed the Egyptians?”

Both the children thought for a moment, then Sophy suggested the way God saved Israel; but the way the Egyptians were all drowned appealed more to Arthur.

“Well,” said Mother, “I think His salvation was more wonderful, because it showed His love as well as His holiness. God had made the Red Sea and put it there, and He brought the children of Israel right up to it on purpose so that He might save His own people by the very thing which was judgment to His enemies. The children of Israel were now a people set free to go on with God; all that had kept them back before were sunk like lead in the mighty waters.”

“God had first shown His love by saving them by the blood of the lamb which they sacrificed in Egypt, and then by making a way through death and judgment at the Red Sea. But this same way was death and judgment for the enemy.

“And this is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who takes away our sins and also makes a way through death and judgment by His work on the cross.

“As they stood upon the shore, and thought of all that the Lord had done for them, Moses and the people sang a song of joy and praise: ‘I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea!’ They praised the Lord for the way He had led them, and that He would lead them on still to the place where He would dwell with them.

“And the Lord accepted the song of praise which Moses and the people, both men and women, sang as they stood on the shore. Also Aaron’s sister, Miriam, led a procession of women with timbrels and dances, singing: ‘Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.’

“What a great day that was for the children of Israel! I am sure the Lord was pleased with their praises and you would think they never could be afraid or unhappy anymore. Well, they should have been content. But there were trials for them in this great wilderness and they often murmured against their leader. They traveled three days over miles and miles of sandy desert — no trees, plants, rivers, lakes — perhaps not seeing a house nor a person and they became very hot, tired and thirsty.

“The cloud went before them but they seemed to forget it was God who was in that cloud. And He did lead them to water after three days but it was bitter. They called the place Marah for Marah means bitter. When the children of Israel blamed Moses because of the bitter water, the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the water. And the water was made sweet, so the people drank it.

“This miracle was to teach the children of Israel that though there was bitterness and death in this world, as the tree floated over the bitter water and made it sweet, so God Himself would be life and sweetness to them for He said, ‘I am the Lord that healeth thee.’

“He promised to not allow any of the diseases to come upon them which had afflicted the Egyptians if they would keep His commandments and do what was right in His sight. This was a wonderful promise indeed; but we are going to learn some things about man’s unfaithfulness, as we get on with our story. Nevertheless, we shall see how faithful God is in all His dealings with His people.

“He now led them to a lovely spot in the desert called Elim. We would call it an oasis. Here they found twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; and they set up their tents there. How nice it must have been to sit under the trees again; and how refreshing that clear, cold water must have tasted out there in the hot, thirsty desert!

“But you are both getting sleepy, and this will be a good stopping-place for tonight,” said Mother at last; and her two tired children slipped off to bed.

The Sending of the Quails and the Manna

Chapter 10

Exodus 16

“We left the children of Israel last evening,” said Mother, “at Elim — under the palm trees, and beside the wells of water. It was very quiet and restful there, but no doubt they were anxious to get on their way. After leaving Elim, they traveled on until they came to the wilderness of Sin. But they had no bread and were hungry; then, sad to say, they complained to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’”

“Oh,” exclaimed Sophy, “and did they forget God and really think He would let them die of hunger?”

“Yes, Sophy, I am sure they had forgotten the goodness of the Lord and the lesson He taught them at Marah. But God did not change. He said to Moses, ‘Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’ This was because the bread gathered on the sixth day should be enough for the seventh day also. Moses and Aaron told them that in the evening they should know that it was the Lord who had brought them up out of Egypt and in the morning they should see the glory of the Lord. They also told the Israelites that their murmuring was really against God. Then the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ‘I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speak unto them saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.’

“God did give them more than bread for in the evening He sent a flock of birds called quails which flew across the camp; the people killed and ate them, for this was the meat the Lord had promised.

“In the morning the dew was on the ground all round their tents, and when the dew dried up, there lay on the sand of the wilderness a small round thing like hoarfrost. And Moses said, ‘This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.’ God told them that they must gather it every morning. Every man was to gather as much as he could eat, a measure for every man according to his family. They did so, and some gathered a little and some a great deal, and when they measured it, he that had gathered much had nothing over and he that had gathered little had enough. But they were not to keep any of it over until the morrow because God chose to give it to them each day so that they would learn to depend on Him as the One who would provide. However, some of the people disobeyed, and kept it until the next day, and it had worms in it. Moses was very angry with them. They gathered it early in the morning, before the sun was up, because when the sun was hot it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much — two measures for every person. Can you tell me why, Arthur?”

“Was it because the next day was the Sabbath?” suggested Arthur.

“That’s right. Moses said, ‘This is that which the Lord has said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; bake that which ye will bake today and seethe that which ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.’ This they did and it was quite good the next day. Though Moses told the people they would not find any bread on the Sabbath day, some of the people were disobedient and went to look for some anyway, and the Lord was vexed with them.

“The children of Israel called this bread, manna, which means, What is it? It looked like a small white seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses told the people, ‘This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your children’s children; that they may see wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.’ They ate manna every day for forty years until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.

“Our next story will interest you very much, I know, but it is too late to talk more now, so I shall save it for tomorrow evening,” said Mother in conclusion. “Goodnight, my dears.”

Smiting the Rock and War With Amalek

Chapter 11

Exodus 17

It was evening; Mother was putting away the last of the supper dishes, and Arthur was already in the parlor waiting impatiently for her to take her favorite seat on the sofa.

“Mother,” the little boy called out, “you told us tonight’s story was to be especially interesting. Where did the people go next and what happened?”

Presently Mother arrived and sitting down, she opened her Bible and began:

“The next place the children of Israel came to was Rephidim, and there was no water for them to drink. The people murmured against Moses and said, ‘Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?’

“Then Moses cried unto the Lord and said, ‘What shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me.’

“The Lord told Moses to go on before the people and to take the rod which he had used to smite the river in Egypt. ‘Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.’ And so in the sight of all the elders of Israel, Moses smote the rock.”

“And did the water come out?” asked Arthur eagerly.

“Indeed it did, Arthur. And it must have been a touching sight to see the old men and women and children and even the cattle come up to drink of the pure water that gushed forth from the smitten rock. They all had enough and were satisfied. We see how important it is to call upon God and trust Him daily for our needs and to thank Him for His mercies. Nevertheless Moses called the place Massah, which means ‘temptation,’ and Meribah, which means ‘strife,’ for they would not be allowed to forget how they had gotten angry with Moses, and had tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’

“This was all very sad for the Lord had done such wonderful things for them; but it is an example of our own wicked hearts, for we do forget His mercies and blessings more often than we realize. The two beautiful stories of the bread which came down from heaven and of the water which flowed from the rock remind us of the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.’

“Right after this an enemy, Amalek, one of the descendants of Esau, came to fight the people of God. Moses told Joshua to choose men to fight with Amalek. He said, ‘Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.’ Joshua did as Moses commanded and Aaron and Hur went with Moses to the top of the hill.

“Moses interceded with God for his people by holding up his hand while he prayed. When he held up his hand, Israel would win, but when he let his hand down Amalek won. But Moses’ hands got tired, so Aaron and Hur got a stone for him to sit on, and they held his hands up for him until the sun set. So Joshua conquered Amalek and all his people.

“God gave His people the victory because Moses was on the mountain praying to Him. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ God was very angry with Amalek for coming to fight against His people. Then Moses built an altar there and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi, which means, The Lord is my banner. Do you know what a banner is?”

“Oh yes,” replied Arthur. “It’s something soldiers carry when they march.”

“That’s right. A banner is a flag bearing the colors under which an army fights. Some regiments have magnificent banners, telling of battles they have won. Moses said the Lord was his banner and that under His name of Jehovah-nissi, the Lord’s army should fight against Amalek from generation to generation.

“God was again showing how He cares for His people, wasn’t He? And it is the same today, for He never forgets His own dear children. It is good to belong to God.”

Moses and Jethro

Chapter 12

Exodus 18-19

Evening came around again, and the little family group were together once more.

“Tonight,” said Mother, “I want you to think of another little family gathered together out there in the desert. Do you remember that Moses and his wife Zipporah had a little son called Gershom, born to them while he was a stranger in the land of Midian? Well, the Lord gave them another son, whom they called Eliezer. But Moses sent the little boys and their mother back to her father, Jethro, in Midian, while things were happening in the land of Egypt.

“Now Jethro had heard of all that God had done for Moses, and how He had brought His people out of Egypt, so he thought he would like to go and see Moses, and to take his wife and children back to him. So they came to where Moses was at Mount Horeb. It was where Moses saw the burning bush and was called the mount of God.

“It must have made Moses very happy to see them all again. It says, he went to meet Jethro and kissed him and he took him into his tent and told him all that the Lord had done; and then Jethro praised God and offered burnt offerings and sacrifices. Aaron and the elders came and they ate with Jethro before God.

“Jethro was not an Israelite, but he was a priest of Midian. Moses had lived in Midian forty years just before God called him to lead the people out of Egypt. Jethro must have heard from Moses about the God of Abraham and so now he comes to see Moses and his people. And when Jethro heard of the wonderful works of God concerning the Israelites, he rejoiced greatly and worshiped God with His people. The day after Jethro came Moses sat to judge the people and all day they were coming to him to tell him all their troubles, and if any had quarrels with each other Moses judged between them and told them God’s will and taught them about God. But Jethro, seeing how great a task this was, advised Moses to choose out wise and good men to help him. This Moses did and they judged all the small matters and Moses judged the greater things. Then Jethro went back to his land.

“Then the children of Israel went on with their journey. In the third month they reached Mount Sinai and encamped at its base. Both the wilderness and the mountain were called Sinai. Now God was about to do something very different for His people from what He had ever done for any other people.

“Moses went up unto God and the Lord called to him out of the mountain and said, ‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore if ye will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine and ye shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

“Then Moses called the people together and told them all these words. The people answered and said: ‘All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.’

“If they had only remembered how often since they had left Egypt that they had disobeyed, and murmured, and had wanted to turn back to Egypt, I do not think that they would have answered so quickly and promised to obey all that the Lord had said, but would have asked for His mercies instead.

“In another book, which we will read later on, the Lord said, when He heard their answer: ‘Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever.’

“And the Lord told Moses He would come in a thick cloud on the third day and by that day the people should all be dressed in clean clothing and that they should come to the mount but no nearer than the railing which was to be put around it. If they as much as touched the mountain they would die.

“This was holy ground like the place where Moses saw the burning bush, and when the trumpet sounded they stood at the foot of the mount as the Lord commanded. And Moses led them out of the camp to meet with God. And Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord came down upon the mountain in fire. The mountain trembled and all the people trembled. And God called Moses up to Him to the top of the mountain.”

“Why could Moses go up and not the people, Mamma?” asked Sophy.

“Because God in His grace was going to use him to go between Himself and His people. That is what it means to be a mediator. Moses was to be a mediator between God and the children of Israel; for God spoke to Moses and then Moses spoke to the people.

“Now God told Moses to go down again and tell the people to be very sure to not come near to the mountain lest they be consumed. But the Lord commanded Moses to return and bring Aaron with him.

“In spite of all the blessings He bestowed upon them He saw that the hearts of His people were wicked so He would now ask them to do as the law commanded them, that they might discover how disobedient and unbelieving they were. This would make them see that they could not make themselves perfect before God; and we shall see how they failed.

“Perhaps some might ask, Did not God give Adam a law? No, God warned Adam as to what would happen to him if he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but God did not ask Adam to make himself better. And God did not ask Abraham, Isaac or Jacob to do anything to make themselves better. God gave them promises they received by faith and God counted their faith to them for righteousness, that is: He accepted them because they believed in Him. God showed great mercies to their children, who were these very Israelites about whom we are learning, when He led them through the Red Sea and, in our story, in leading them day by day through the wilderness.

“You remember that God was using His servant Moses to lead and instruct His people and so He used Moses in this special duty of giving the law also.

“This was a different covenant from the one God had made with Abraham. The covenant with Abraham was that he and his children should be separate from all the other nations of the earth, and that they should have God’s mark on them as a sign that they believed in Him and to show that they obeyed God, and that He would give them an everlasting possession and be their God. But the covenant to Israel was not one of promise but a law and commandment; for God had told them that if they did this they should live, but if they broke the law they would die.

“But I do not think they realized what God had told them for they said they would do all that the law commanded before it was ever given to them.”

Mount Sinai and the Ten Commandments

Chapter 13

Exodus 20

“This evening,” continued Mother, “we will see what the commandments were which God gave Moses, those often spoken of as the Ten Commandments.”

“Oh, Mamma,” exclaimed Sophy, “I am so glad God gave us the Bible so we can hear about how great He is and how good He is to His people.”

“Yes, Sophy. Moses was back on the mountain and the Lord spoke to him out of the thick darkness and said,

‘I am the Lord thy God which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (that is an idol), or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.’

“When the people heard all the thunderings and the trumpet and saw all the lightnings and the smoking mountain, they stood afar off. They said unto Moses, ‘Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’

“Moses answered them: ‘Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.’

“So Moses drew near into the thick darkness where God was. And the Lord said, ‘Say unto the children of Israel: ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.’ He commanded them not to make idols of silver or of gold; nor an altar of cut stone, for if they lifted up a tool upon His altar it would be unholy, because God could not have anything of man’s work. The Lord said they could make an altar of earth and burn sacrifices upon it to Him in every place He chose to put His name and He would come and bless them there.”

“Did God give His law to other nations also?” inquired Sophy.

“No, if a Gentile was bought as a servant for an Israelite he had to be circumcised to become one of the family. God did not give the Gentile nations the law.”

“Why did God give the law to the children of Israel?” again asked Sophy.

“It was to show them how sinful they were. God’s law showed what sin was, and taught them what was worthy of a man as God’s creature on the earth. If they had kept it, they would have been wise and good men, fearing God and loving one another. The law told them in God’s own words what was right and what was wrong.”

“But did the children of Israel kill and steal and do all those bad things before God said they shouldn’t?” questioned Arthur.

“God saw that there were naughty feelings in the hearts of His people, that they had hearts that would go after other gods, and that would kill, and steal and wish for their neighbor’s things. So He decided to give them a law to show them how sinful they were and how holy He was.”

“Mother,” said Sophy, “did the children of Israel like to get the law?”

“Yes, I think they liked to have God ask them to do something for they were very proud. They said, ‘All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.’ But they soon learned that they could not obey the rules of the law and this did show them up to be sinners. It showed them the difference between right and wrong.”

“Does God give the law to people now who believe in Jesus?” said Sophy, pursuing the conversation.

“If we believe in Jesus, dear, God does not give us the law on tablets of stone but He writes them in our hearts. Do you know what that means, Arthur?”

“No,” replied the little boy.

“It means that God gives us a new life in Jesus and a new nature, with new thoughts and new desires. He also gives us His Holy Spirit to stay with us forever to teach us about the Lord Jesus Christ who is above and to help us walk like Him down here. So we do not have a law but a living Person, Jesus Christ, to honor and obey because we appreciate what He has done for us and we love Him and wish to be as nearly like Him as we can be.”

“Oh, Mother,” broke in Sophy. “I remember that He died to take away my naughty heart and how glad I am that I have a chance to love Him and to live for Him.”

“Yes, Sophy, ‘we love Him because He first loved us.’ He has taken us away from our enemy, Satan, just as God took the Israelites away from the wicked Egyptian ruler.

“But that must be enough for now, for Arthur is getting too sleepy to listen to more. Try and remember some of the things God has been seeking to teach us. Goodnight, my dears!”

The Tables of Stone

Chapter 14

Exodus 21-24

The story of what happened on Mount Sinai quite captured Arthur’s imagination, for Mother vividly described how the mountain burned with fire and smoke like a great furnace; then there were thunderings and lightnings, and a great earthquake that shook the mount. “And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.”

“Mother,” asked her little boy, “why did God speak to Moses in a dark cloud?”

“Because, dear, He knew that sin was there and that if the people had come near He must have destroyed them, because God is holy, and He cannot allow sin to come into His presence. So God hid Himself in darkness and told the people not to come near the Mount.

“Beside the ten main commandments which God gave Moses, He gave them many other laws which would affect the smaller things in their lives. There were laws which showed His tender care for His people. Some of the laws pertained to their servants and to their animals. God said they should be kind to widows and to the little children who had lost their fathers and mothers, and to strangers, because they themselves had once been strangers in Egypt. They were not to mingle with wicked people and were to show kindness even to their enemies for they were to be a holy people to the Lord.

“And God said, ‘Six years thou shalt sow thy land and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat.’

“That was like a sabbath and it was called the Sabbatical year, or a year of rest. And the Lord said the people should keep three feasts to Him every year: the first was the passover (you know of it), the second was the feast of harvest. This was the time to offer the first sheaf of corn to the Lord; the third was the feast of ingathering — when all the corn and fruits had been gathered in from the fields.”

“I suppose that was to thank God for giving them the nice corn and fruit,” suggested Sophy.

“Yes, Sophy, and to show that they received everything from God, and that they delighted to offer to Him the best of all they had. All the men and boys were to appear before the Lord three times every year. And the Lord gave many instructions and promises if they would obey and serve Him. The Lord said, ‘Behold I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions: for My name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak: then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. For Mine Angel shall go before thee.’”

“Did God say all those things to Moses in the thick darkness?” asked Arthur.

“Yes. And when He had finished He told Moses to come up to the Lord. Aaron and his two sons and seventy of the elders of Israel should come and worship afar off. Moses alone could come near. But the people should not come at all.

“Then Moses came and told the people what the Lord had said and they answered, All that the Lord hath said we will do. And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord in a book. And he got up early in the morning and built an altar and set up twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

“That was because Jacob had twelve sons, and the family of each son was called a tribe. And the young men offered offerings on the altar; and Moses took some of the blood of the animals and put it in basins, and the rest he sprinkled on the altar; then he took the book of the covenant, when he had written the words of the Lord and read it to the people. And they said again, All that the Lord hath said, we will do. Then Moses took the blood that was in the basin and sprinkled it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.’

“This pointed forward to our sacrifice, the Lord Jesus; for we as believers are washed in His blood.

“When Moses had done all this, he went up as the Lord told him with Aaron and his two sons, and seventy of the elders of Israel.

“Now let us read Exodus 24:10-11: ‘And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand; also they saw God and did eat and drink.’

“And God spoke to Moses again saying, ‘I will give thee tablets of stone and a law and commandments which I have written that thou mayest teach them.’”

“What did God mean by tablets of stone,” asked Arthur.

“He meant flat pieces of stone on which He wrote the Ten Commandments. So Moses took Joshua and went up to God and he told the elders to wait until they came back. He told them that if they had any troubles Aaron and Hur would help them. And as Moses went up a cloud covered the mount and the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered the mount for six days. On the seventh day God called to Moses out of the cloud; and the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a burning fire on the top of the mount in the sight of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud and he was in the mount forty days and forty nights.”

“Mother,” inquired Sophy, “what happened to Aaron? Did he wait for Moses?”

“No, Sophy,” replied Mother. “We find that Aaron returned to the camp.” And with that Mother closed her Bible for the night./

The Tabernacle, the Ark, the Mercy Seat, the Table

Chapter 15

Exodus 25

“Mother,” asked Sophy the next time they were together, “what was Moses doing those forty days that he was in the mount with God?”

“He was being instructed as to building a house for God. The Lord told him that if the children of Israel were willing, they should bring to Moses materials to be used in its making, such as gold, silver, brass, beautiful materials of blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair, rams’ skins dyed red, badgers’ skins, special kind of wood, oil, sweet spices and precious stones. The Lord said, ‘Let them make Me a sanctuary: that I may dwell among them.’

“It was to be very different from any house we have seen, since it was to be a house for God. God’s Holy Spirit put it into their hearts to wish Him to dwell with them and in His great love and mercy He was going to allow them to make a holy place for Him out of the things they offered to Him with willing hearts.

“It was to be a beautiful place; the inside was to be of gold, which is the most precious of all metals; and everything belonging to it was to be made of the most beautiful and precious things. The most wonderful thing about it was that God told Moses it was to be made according to the pattern of things in heaven which He would show to him.

“I think if we could look with our eyes upon the things as Moses did, we should see that everything up there is of God, and reflects the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. God was always teaching them about Himself in all His ways with men ever since Adam was turned out of the garden of Eden, but they were very slow to learn His holiness and His love. God was planning to someday send His Son Jesus into the world to show who God was and what His love would do for poor sinners.

“So when God called Moses up into the Mount He showed him in heaven, realities about His holiness and righteousness and about His grace to us in Christ. He then told Moses to go down and make things which would be figures of the true. But you must remember they were only figures, because God did not show the realities until the Lord Jesus had come down here and become a man, and had died to put away sin. The Lord Jesus was Himself the reality.

“Jesus was God, and He revealed God not by figures but in Himself. I hope we shall learn a great deal of reality while we are reading about the figures of things in heaven that Moses made; for God has written about them in His word on purpose to teach us about Himself and about heaven.

“God was teaching Moses about His holiness and majesty and he understood that God could not show Himself to His people except in figures or shadows.

“The first thing God told Moses to make was an ark. It was not like the ark Noah made. It was like a long square-cornered box of wood which was covered inside and outside with pure gold. It was to have a crown of gold all around it and two rings of gold on each side. There were to be two poles covered with gold to slip into the rings so that the men could carry it by the poles.”

“But what was this box for?” asked Arthur.

“It was to be God’s treasure box to hold the covenant that He was going to give to His people. The tablets of stone which God was to give them were to be put into the ark. On top of the ark, forming the lid was to be a mercy seat, made of pure gold; and at both ends the gold was to be stretched out into two cherubim as they were called. They were to be golden figures of creatures, which were to have their faces looking toward each other and toward the mercy seat. The Lord said, ‘There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.’

“The mercy seat was to be His throne in the midst of His people, where He could meet with Moses or Aaron his brother when he came as the mediator or high priest between God and His people. This reminds us of Jesus as our mediator and also our high priest. In 1 Timothy 2:5 it says, ‘For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’

“The mercy seat was made of pure gold. The ark underneath it was made of the precious shittim wood and covered all over with gold. These are figures of the perfection and righteousness and glory of God and of His beloved Son, who came down from heaven not as a pattern only of something up there but as God’s living treasure house. It is in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden for us.

“The Israelites, of course, did not understand that the ark was to teach them about Jesus; for God had not made that known then, but we can read about it in our New Testament. God told Moses only how He wished to dwell with His people, and how they were to come near to Him, and how He wished them to know more of Him. He always wanted them to know He was a holy God and that He would dwell in a most holy place and would keep safe His covenant with them; but He knew that He had to deal with them in mercy, so the ark had to be covered with the mercy seat and cherubim.

“The mercy seat was to be put on the ark, because the ark held the treasure of God’s righteousness — the tables of the covenant were to be inside it. It was also a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, who had the law hidden within His heart, and through whom all blessing comes to us. The mercy seat was the throne from which God would act in mercy; and the cherubim stretching out their wings were a figure of how the mercy of God would stretch out to His people and to the ends of the earth, because of what the Lord Jesus Christ is before God.

“We find God telling Moses about the ark, and the mercy seat, and the cherubim before he made the holy place in which He was to dwell, because God begins with what is nearest to Himself. He told Moses first about the thing He most delighted in, and that was the ark. The ark was to keep His covenant, over which was to be the seat where the blood of atonement was sprinkled, and from whence His mercy would stretch out to the people whom He meant to bless.

“The next thing God showed Moses was a pattern of the table. It was to be made of wood also, covered with gold, and made to be carried. All the dishes, spoons, covers and vessels were to be of pure gold. There were to be twelve loaves of bread always upon the table.”

“What were the loaves of bread for, Mother?” asked Arthur.

“For a remembrance, dear, of the children of Israel. God called it showbread to show that there was a loaf for each tribe of the people He loved. He said, ‘Thou shalt set upon the table showbread before Me always.’ Fresh loaves were to be placed there every Sabbath. This was to remind them that God remembered them in His holy place. It was an important work for His people, and God would honor them for being faithful in performing all that He asked of them.

“Next came the candlestick of pure gold. It was to be beaten out into six branches, three on each side of the main stem. They were to be decorated with knobs and flowers and they were to hold seven lamps filled with pure olive oil to be always lighted in the holy place. The candlestick was to stand opposite the table, and to throw its light upon it. There were also snuffers and snuff dishes of gold. And the Lord said, ‘Look that thou make them after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount.’”

“Mother,” said Sophy, “How could Moses do all this just as God had told him?”

“Sophy, dear,” replied Mother, as she closed her Bible, “only God could prepare His servant to do what He wanted him to do. And this is a lesson for us too — to let the Lord prepare us for any task He wishes us to do for Him.”

The Tabernacle, the Curtains, the Boards

Chapter 16

Exodus 26

“Last night,” said Mother, as Sophy and Arthur finished their supper, “we talked about the ark, the table, and the candlestick. Tonight we shall learn about the tabernacle itself.”

Soon the little family were gathered in the favored spot, and Mother began:

“Now the Lord had said to Moses: ‘Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet; with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them.’ The women helped with this part of the tabernacle, in spinning the cloth for the curtains. The curtains must have looked very beautiful with the cherubim richly embroidered over them. The ten curtains were to be all the same size; five were to be fastened together and the other five together. Then they were to have fifty loops of blue all down the edge of each group. Into these loops of blue were to be put studs or buttons of gold to loop them all together that it might be one tabernacle.

“The colors of the curtains, like everything else in the tabernacle were to show the glories of the Lord Jesus, each having a special meaning. The blue was the heavenly color, the purple was the royal kingly color and the scarlet was the color of earthly splendor and glory. We know that the Lord Jesus had all these glories. He was the heavenly One, He was a king, and God has given Him glory as a man, because when He was a man down here, He perfectly glorified God. When He comes into this world again, He will take His great power and reign and He will be king over His people Israel. Then they will see in Him all these glories. The cherubim which were beautifully worked on the curtains also spoke of grace and glory.

“Everything about the tabernacle was most wonderful and as Moses thought of it he must have felt what glory belonged to God’s presence, and how unsuited to Him were all the thoughts and works of men. How full his heart must have been of heavenly things when he spent forty days to learn their pattern. He learned it so well that he could come down from the mount and make everything exactly like what he had seen up there! Only the Holy Spirit could teach him the things of God.

“Then the Lord told him to make eleven curtains of goats’ hair, for the first set of coverings for the tabernacle. These were to be made longer than the curtains of the tabernacle, so as to cover them completely. Five were to be fastened together and six together, and they were to have fifty loops on each side, but they were to be joined by buttons of brass, that it might be one tent.

“The tent was to be put over the tabernacle because the tabernacle was God’s sanctuary or holy place, and everything in it was to be suited to Him. But what suited Him did not suit a sinful people, so God said the curtains of goats’ hair should be placed on the tabernacle. It was called ‘the tent of the congregation’ which means ‘the tent of the people.’ It was suited to man, as the beautiful curtains of the tabernacle were suited to God, and this was also the reason why they were looped together with buttons of brass; but the curtains of the tabernacle had buttons of gold.”

At this point Sophy wanted to know if anyone could see the beautiful curtains from the outside. “I think not, Sophy,” replied Mother.

“After this the Lord told Moses to make more coverings. Next came the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and there is no measurement given for these. They would point to the devotedness of Christ to God which was without measure — even unto death.

“The outside covering was to be made of badger skins. The badger is a small animal that lives in holes in the rocks away out in the country. The badger skins were not beautiful to look at, but they would protect the beautiful curtains and things inside the tabernacle from all that would be around it in the wilderness, and anything which might spoil its beauty. It reminds us of the Lord Jesus who was ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.’”

“Mother,” interrupted curious-minded Arthur, “how did the tent stay up?”

So Mother went on to explain. “The coverings were to be held up by boards of shittim wood overlaid with gold. There were to be twenty boards on each side, which were to have small pieces of wood at the bottom of each to fit into sockets of silver. This was to keep them standing up. At the end of the tabernacle there were to be six boards and the two corner boards. All of the boards were to have rings of gold upon them and bars of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, to slip into the rings to hold the boards together. The Lord had said, ‘Thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.’

“The Lord made it clear to Moses where to put all the things in the tabernacle, so it was important to make it exactly as he was told. The Lord said, ‘Thou shalt’ and he obeyed.

“Then the Lord told Moses to make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen with the cherubim worked upon it. It should be hung by hooks of gold upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold and these should stand upon four sockets of silver. The veil was to divide the tabernacle into two parts; it was to separate the “holy place” from the “most holy,” and was to be hung under the buttons which fastened the curtains together.

“I think I have told you before that there would be two rooms in the tabernacle, like a heaven inside heaven, for the tabernacle was intended to be a pattern of the heavens. The ark and the mercy seat with the cherubim were to be in the most holy place; that is, inside the veil. Outside the veil, in the holy place, were to be the table and the candlestick.

“Next there should be a hanging for the door of the tent of blue, purple and scarlet, worked with needlework and hung with hooks of gold on five pillars of wood overlaid with gold. These pillars were to stand on five sockets of brass.

“You will remember there were cherubim on the veil, and that they spoke of judgment. But those inside could look on that which spoke of judgment and not be afraid, because they were there in all the value of the blood of Jesus that had been shed for them. However, there were no cherubim on the hanging for the door, for God’s attitude now toward the sinner is grace. The Lord Jesus tells us, ‘I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.’ Those who come to God through Christ have all their fear of judgment taken from them, for they know that He has suffered in their stead.

“Now I think that will be enough for tonight,” said Mother, “for Arthur is getting sleepy, and you both need your rest.”

The Brazen Altar, the Court, the Gate

Chapter 17

Exodus 27

“What are you going to tell us about tonight?” asked Arthur, as he put away his toys. “Did Moses make any more things, like you told us about?”

“Yes, Arthur, he did,” said Mother. “He made an altar on which they would burn offerings, animals that must be killed to make it possible for a sinful people to come near to God. The shedding of blood was for the remission of sin.

“The altar was to be made of wood, square with horns on the four corners and all overlaid with brass. The pans to receive the ashes and all the vessels of the altar were to be made of brass. Poles also were to be covered with brass and put through rings on the sides of the altar, and by this means it was to be carried.

“The altar was to be just outside the tabernacle, in what was called the court. The court was an enclosure one hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and five cubits high. In English measure a cubit is about eighteen inches. It was to be made by setting up twenty pillars on each side and these set into twenty sockets of brass. On one end there were to be ten pillars and on the other end six pillars and four for the gateway. On the pillars were to be hooks of silver on which to hang curtains of fine twined linen, but for the gate they were to make a beautiful one like that for the door of the tent.

“The court with its one gate would tell us that there is but one way to approach God, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. The people would bring their offerings for sin and they would be burned upon the brazen altar, before the door: for none but the priests could go into the tabernacle.

“But this brings us to another subject, called the priesthood; and now we are going to talk about Aaron again. Do you remember when we last heard about Aaron?”

“Oh yes,” answered Sophy. “He was up in the mountain with Moses; but he got tired of waiting, so he went back to the camp.”

“That’s right. Aaron was a man and failed as other men did; but God had chosen him and his sons and they were to be separate from the rest of the people and devoted to the things of God. None but the priests could go into the tabernacle beyond the court and Aaron and his sons were to keep the lamp in the tabernacle burning always before the Lord. Moses commanded the children of Israel to bring him pure olive oil for the lamp.

“They looked different too from the common people for God Himself ordered the kind of dress they should wear for He told Moses to make holy garments, for glory and for beauty; and God gave wisdom to some of the people that they might make them for Aaron and his sons. The same colors we have heard of before were to be used; gold is for the glory of God, blue is heavenly, purple is royal and scarlet is for earthly grandeur and glory — the same as that which the colors in the curtains spoke of. And as God’s high priest, Aaron was a figure or type of the Lord Jesus who is now God’s High Priest in heaven where He is crowned with glory and honor.

“God does not have any priests like Aaron on earth now, nor does He have a tabernacle on earth now. His dwelling place is in heaven. His holy place is there. His glory never comes down on earth as it did at Mount Sinai.

“You remember that Aaron is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was made like a man but He was also God. This wicked world did not want Him here so wicked men crucified Him. In dying on the cross He became an offering for our sins and then God took Him to heaven where He acts now as our High Priest.

“Aaron could not teach the Israelites as Jesus taught the people when He was on earth, for Aaron did not know God as Jesus did. But he did keep the light burning so the people would know that God was a holy God and that He must have a High Priest to offer sacrifices for himself and for the people.”

The High Priest's Garments

Chapter 18

Exodus 28

“What I would like to tell you next,” said Mother the following evening, “is about Aaron’s clothes of glory and beauty; and even these teach us about the Lord Jesus. There were three distinct parts to his holy garments. The outside part was called an ephod. It was to be made of those lovely colors we have heard of before; gold, blue, purple and scarlet. There was a girdle about the waist. This girdle speaks of service. When Jesus was on earth we are told He took a towel and girded Himself to do a service for His disciples.

“On the shoulders of the ephod were to be two precious stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel cut into them or engraved. They could never be rubbed off. Also there was to be a breastplate of the same material as the ephod in shape of a square and set in it were to be four rows of precious stones of three in each row. What do you think was to be engraved on each stone?”

“I can guess,” exclaimed Arthur. “A name?”

“Yes, Arthur. God’s High Priest was to bear the name of each tribe upon both his shoulders and upon his heart before God. And that is just like Jesus now. It is a beautiful figure of the way the Lord Jesus carries all the burdens of His people, and at the same time loves them forever. The breastplate and the girdle of the ephod and the precious stones upon the shoulders all were to be fastened together with rings and chains of gold above and with a lace of blue beneath; because they were never to be separated from the ephod. And in the breastplate Moses was to put the Urim and the Thummim.”

“A Urim and Thummim,” pondered Arthur. “What was that, Mother?”

“The Bible does not tell us exactly, but they were something by which God would make known His mind to Aaron for they should be on Aaron’s heart before God continually. It is a figure of the Lord Jesus having us always on His heart of love and bearing us along, as it were, on His strong shoulders.

“Then there was the robe of the ephod, which was to be all of blue, and on the hem at the bottom were to be pomegranates of blue, and purple and scarlet. A pomegranate is a kind of fruit full of seeds and red juice. There were to be bells of gold between them round about — a bell, then a pomegranate, another bell and a pomegranate. The Lord said, ‘And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord and when he cometh out, that he die not.’ In this robe of heavenly color, Aaron was to go in and out before the Lord, and whenever he moved, the ringing of the bells should be heard. It was not that Aaron had to think of the bells, or to try to make them ring; but as he moved about obeying the word of the Lord and serving Him, the bells would ring and the fruit was seen on the hem of his robe.”

“Could God hear the bells ring, Mother?” asked Sophy thoughtfully.

“Yes,” replied Mother, “and the people also heard them while Aaron was inside doing his work for God. I think it tells us that while they could not see him, they would know by the sound of the bells that what he was doing was accepted before God. And this makes us think of what God the Father said to the Lord Jesus. ‘Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’

“Under the robe Aaron was to wear a coat of fine linen embroidered all over, which was a figure of the snowy whiteness and cleanness of our Lord. White linen speaks of righteousness too, and we know the Lord Jesus was righteous and holy.

“Then on his head Aaron was to wear a mitre, or high hat. It was also to be made of fine linen; and the Lord told Moses to make a plate of pure gold, and to engrave on it like a seal, the words: Holiness to the Lord; he was to put it on a blue lace on the front of the mitre that Aaron might always wear it upon his forehead, because he was to bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel should offer before the Lord, that they might be accepted.

“I think that instead of the ringing of the bells, the sound that is heard now is the sound that the Holy Spirit produces in the hearts of His people. The Lord Jesus is not now moving about like Aaron, bearing the sins of Israel before God, because He has finished His work completely and He has put away sin forever. Jesus died on the dreadful cross to do it and He has gone into heaven itself where He is in the presence of God making intercession for us. When He appeared there God sent down the Holy Spirit in His name to live in the hearts of His people in this world, to make us quite sure Jesus is up there. But He is sitting down now at God’s right hand, because He has saved us perfectly. He is waiting there until the time when He is to come back here to take His redeemed ones to be with Himself. So you see Aaron is only a very tiny figure of the Lord Jesus. Yet even in Aaron God showed His people what grand thoughts He had about them and about His own glory.

“Now I must tell you a little about Aaron’s sons.”

“Were they to be dressed like Aaron, Mother?” asked Sophy.

“No. They were to wear coats and girdles and caps, for glory and for beauty, and to have white linen clothes inside all when they came near to the altar to minister. Their clothes however, were not to be nearly as rich and beautiful as Aaron’s and they needed no breastplate. This was only for the high priest who was the type of Christ — interceding for the people as Christ does now for all believers.”

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

Chapter 19

Exodus 29-30

“Tonight I am going to tell you how God told Moses to consecrate Aaron and his four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. It was by the sacrifice of bulls and goats which, as you know, were figures of a better sacrifice to be accomplished when God’s time for it had come. And who made that better sacrifice, Arthur?” asked Mother.

“The Lord Jesus,” replied Arthur confidently.

“Yes, and this is a type of that. God told Moses to take a young bullock and two rams without spot and to put into a basket some unleavened bread and cakes mixed with oil for a meat offering. Then he was to bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle and wash them with water. He was to dress Aaron first with his coat and his blue robe of the ephod. Then came the ephod itself and the breastplate and over all the curious girdle of the ephod. On his head was put the mitre with the holy crown upon the mitre. Now Moses was to take some of the holy anointing oil and pour it on Aaron’s head.”

“Did he pour it on his head?” questioned Arthur. “Wouldn’t it run all down his clothes?”

“Yes, Arthur; I believe it did. You see Aaron was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God’s Anointed One, and the oil was a type of the Holy Spirit. Aaron’s sons were types of what believers are now in Him. I do not mean that God gives anyone the office of priest on earth now, but in Christ we are made in our hearts and spirits, priests to God and His Father, so that we can praise God by the Holy Spirit as Jesus does, even now. Some day He will take us all home to Himself. Then when He sings a song of praise, we shall sing with Him, just as Aaron and his sons offered their thank offerings together. God was well pleased with their offerings. So will He be with ours.

“After Aaron and his sons were clothed and anointed with the oil, they put their hands upon the head of the bullock which was brought to the door of the tabernacle. This was to show that the bullock was offered to the Lord instead of them. It was killed before the Lord. Moses put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with his finger, then poured all the rest at the bottom of the altar.

The fat and the insides he was to burn on the altar.”

“Was that the altar of brass that was in the court of the tabernacle, Mamma?” asked Sophy.

“Yes, dear. That was for a burnt offering. All the rest of the bullock was to be carried outside the camp, alone and away from everybody, to be burned there for a sin offering. This was because of their own sins, and the sins of the people.

“Next, Moses was to take a ram, and after they had put their hands on its head, it was to be killed and all of it was to be burned as a sweet savor to the Lord. For the offering had been made for the people’s sins in the sacrifice of the bullock.

“Then the second ram was to be killed. Moses was to take some of its blood and with his finger put some on the right ears of Aaron and his sons, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet and the rest of the blood he should sprinkle on the altar; also some of the blood off the altar he should take with some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his sons and upon their garments.”

Both Sophy and Arthur thought this a very strange thing to do, but Mother went on to explain.

“You see, children, God must use His own ways to make His people understand Him. It was to teach them holiness in their behavior. Now Moses was to take part of the ram and the meat offering that was in the basket and put it into the hands of Aaron and his sons to wave it for a wave offering before the Lord. This was to show that they were satisfied with the sacrifices which the Lord had asked of them. Then Moses took the offering out of their hands and burned it for a sweet smelling savor to the Lord.”

“Why did Moses put it into their hands, Mamma?” asked Sophy.

“Well, this wave offering, Sophy, was a figure of the Lord Jesus and it was as if the Lord consecrated His priests by His filling their hands with that which would speak of Himself. This was, as was explained, to show God that they were satisfied with Himself.

“Moses also was to wave an offering before the Lord. This was to be the breast of the ram — Aaron’s consecration. Then Aaron and his sons were to eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that was in the baskets, before the door of the tabernacle.

“Only the priests could eat of the offering and what was left must be burned. Moses was to consecrate Aaron and his sons for seven days and everyday he was to offer a bullock for a sin offering, and to cleanse the altar and anoint it to sanctify it, for the Lord said the altar should be most holy, and whatever touched it should be holy.

“Once they were consecrated, Aaron and his sons always remained priests. Their beautiful garments were to go to their sons when they died, and they were to be consecrated in them in the same way.

“And now Moses was told by the Lord what He wished the priests to offer: two lambs every day upon the altar, one every morning, and one every evening, with flour, and oil and wine. It was to be burned at the door of the tabernacle, for a sweet savor to the Lord, because the Lord told Moses that was where He would meet them to speak to them.

“The Lord also said: ‘There I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar; I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me in the priest’s office. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and I will be their God, and they shall know that I am their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.’

“Arthur, did God dwell among the people when they were still in Egypt?” asked Mother.

The little boy thought for a moment, and then replied, “I don’t think so, Mother, but I’m not sure.”

“No,” Mother explained. “He could not dwell in Egypt where His people were slaves to the wicked king. But He did keep a watchful eye upon them for His servant Abraham’s sake. In the place where He would choose to put His name there, He would dwell with them and bless them.

“Next He told Moses to make a small altar of shittim wood, covered with gold and with a crown of gold all around it and rings of gold, and poles of shittim wood covered with gold to carry it by. He should put the golden altar before the veil, which separated the holy from the most holy place. Aaron was to burn sweet incense on the golden altar each morning when he went in to trim the lamps, and also in the evening when he returned to light the lamps — so that incense was always burning before the Lord.

“The sweet incense spoke of the sweetness and perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every thought, feeling and act of our Lord while on earth went up to God like a cloud of incense. God delighted in it. When we know the Lord Jesus we can delight in Him, too, and our own love, worship and praise will go up to Him like incense. It was only a priest who could burn incense on the golden altar to make intercession for God’s people, and it is only those believers whose hearts are full of the goodness of the Lord Jesus who can offer worship and praise to God now.

“The next thing the Lord told Moses to do was to count the children of Israel. Every man, rich or poor, over twenty years of age was to give a piece of silver money, called a half shekel, to the Lord for a ransom for his soul. The rich man should not give more, and the poor man should not give less. It was called atonement or ransom money, and it was to be kept for the service of the tabernacle.

“You remember that God said the boards of the tabernacle were to stand on sockets of silver. Well, most of the ransom money was used for these sockets, and the hooks and pillars round the court of the tabernacle were also made from it. Silver speaks of redemption, and every ransomed sinner is purchased at the same cost. Each believer now stands before God on the ground of redemption, and the purchase price was the blood of Jesus.

“In closing let us sing that hymn we often sing at the gospel meeting.

“On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.”

The Golden Calf

Chapter 20

Exodus 30:17-32

“The next thing God told Moses to make was a laver of brass, a sort of large basin, which was to be placed in the court between the tabernacle and the altar. Here Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and their feet whenever they went into the tabernacle or near the altar to offer sacrifice to the Lord: for their service must be holy and their walk holy.

“They were to wash their hands and feet in order to come near to God. It was an act which showed that they could not come near to God as priests if their hands were not clean to do holy service and their feet to walk in holy ways. Sophy, did you ever hear of the Lord Jesus washing His disciples’ feet when He was going away from them?”

“Yes, Mother,” answered Sophy, “but what was that for?”

“Well, dear, it was because He knew what a wicked world it was where they were to walk. He told them they could not have any part with Him if He did not wash their feet.”

“And did He wash their hands, too, Mother?”

“No, He didn’t. The Lord Jesus meant to show them their walk would need daily cleansing: but that He Himself had finished the work He came to do by being the one great sacrifice for sin. No more would their hands need to offer the sacrifices of bulls and goats, which sacrifices were another type of the Lord Jesus in His death for us.

“It is His work, not ours; if we sin we may confess our sins to Him and that is like having our feet washed. We are not happy when we sin but when we confess our sins He makes us happy again.

“The Lord also gave Moses directions about making the holy anointing oil to anoint the tabernacle and everything belonging to it. The children of Israel were never to make any like it nor put it upon a stranger (Aaron and his sons were the only ones to be anointed), because it was intended to be a figure of God’s Holy Spirit. He told Moses that it should be made with incense of sweet spices some of which were to be beaten small and laid up before the Lord in the most holy place. It was to be holy to the Lord.

“Moses was not to make this himself. The Lord chose Bezaleel, of the tribe of Judah, whom He filled with the spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship to work with gold, silver, and brass. He taught him how to cut precious stones and to carve timber, too. God showed Moses how to make these figures of the true things which were in heaven. He chose other men to help Bezaleel, among whom was Aholiab of the tribe of Dan.

“These men loved God, and I think that is one of the reasons God chose them and gave them wisdom to serve Him. And now, you remember that God had spoken a great deal to Moses upon Mount Sinai.

“When He had finished speaking to Moses upon Mount Sinai, the Lord gave him the two tablets of stone on which was the law, written with the finger of God. You also remember that Aaron became impatient waiting for Moses and went down to the people.

“When Moses came down with the tablets of stone, he heard music and saw the people dancing in the camp. But it was not for God, but they were dancing around a golden calf.”

“A golden calf?” exclaimed Arthur. “Where did they get that, Mother?”

“Well, Arthur, you remember that the children of Israel were troubled because Moses was gone so long. They did not have faith for themselves and did not understand why Moses did not come back. The people came to Aaron and told him to make gods to go before them. Aaron was afraid of them so told them to break off their earrings and bring them to melt and make into a golden calf. He said, ‘These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’ The people offered sacrifices to it and sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

“This was very wicked and sad, for you remember that the first two commandments that God wrote on tablets of stone were that they should have no other god but the living God and that they should not make a graven image. Before they had even received it from Moses they had broken the first commandment.

“God knew what the people were thinking and doing for He knows everything. He knows all our ways, too, doesn’t He? We should be happy to have it so.

“He had said to Moses, ‘Go, get thee down: for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto.’

“God called the people, ‘Moses’ people’ instead of His own because they had forsaken Him. However, Moses would not let God give them up, so he still called them God’s people. Though they were very wicked, he loved them because of all God had done for them. He did not want to be made great himself. He thought of all he had learned in the mount about God’s thoughts and love for them and it made him feel that they were very dear to God in spite of all their wretchedness. So Moses prayed to the Lord, his God: ‘Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people.’ Moses reminded Him of all His promises to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Israel. The Lord did repent of the evil which He thought to do to His people.

“And God listened to his prayer, and blessed His servant who cared more for God’s glory than for his own. When he came down to the camp he thought of what was due to the holy God whose great name had been dishonored. When he had finished speaking to God, he turned and went down with the two tablets of stone in his hand. They were written on both sides. They were the work of God and the writing was of God.

“Moses was very angry with the people so he threw down the tablets of stone and broke them before the eyes of the people.”

“O dear,” interrupted Arthur. “What did Moses do that for?”

“I think Moses was right,” said Mother, “for it showed that he knew God’s mind about His law and about the people’s sin. He cared more for God’s honor and holiness.

“But I see you are both yawning; perhaps I shall try and explain that more to you tomorrow evening. You can think about it in the meantime. Now it is bedtime, and you must get your sleep.”

Moses Pleads With God for His People

Chapter 21

Exodus 32:19-33:23

During the following day both Sophy and Arthur had often wondered why it was Moses had broken the tablets of stone and the end of the day found them both anxious to know more about it.

“Mother,” began Arthur, “you promised you would tell us more about why Moses threw the tablets of stone on the ground and broke them. Now do please go on.”

So Mother resumed her story.

“It was because the children of Israel had broken that law and Moses was very angry and grieved at the dishonor done to God’s holy name. I think also that God put it into his heart to break the tablets of stone in mercy to His people, because if he had brought them into the camp in the midst of their sin, God would have found it necessary to destroy them. Moses saw the mountain on fire, and knowing how angry God was he thought he would not bring the law into the sinful camp to condemn them utterly. So he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder and put it in the water from the brook that flowed out of the mountain. Then he made the children of Israel drink it that they might taste the bitterness of sin.

“He said to Aaron, ‘What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?’ Aaron said, ‘They said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what has become of him.’ When Moses saw that the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies, he commanded them, saying, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me.’ All the sons of Levi went outside the camp to Moses. He said unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses and they killed about three thousand men that day.”

“Oh, Mother!” exclaimed Arthur sadly. “Did they kill their own friends?”

“I’m afraid so, Arthur, for in this way Moses made them prove that they cared more for God’s glory than for their nearest relatives. He said to the sons of Levi, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.’ To the people Moses said, ‘Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord: peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.’

“He went up to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin — and if not, blot me, I pray Thee out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’ This was putting himself in their place before God. But the Lord said, ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, Mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.’

“Then the Lord sent plagues upon the people, but because of His great mercy and the prayer of Moses, He forgave Aaron.

“Then God said to Moses, ‘Depart and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it.’ He told Moses He would send an angel before him to drive out the enemies and would bring them ‘unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way.’

“When the people heard this sad news they mourned, and did not put on their ornaments. The Lord had said unto Moses, ‘Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up in the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.’ The children of Israel took off their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

“Then Moses took a tent and set it up outside the camp, a long way off. He called it the tent of the congregation and everyone who sought the Lord went outside the camp to the tent. Moses went out to the tent and all the people stood at the doors of their tents and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent.

“I think the people thought of Moses now as the mediator going in to speak to God for them, for as soon as he entered the tent, the pillar of cloud came down and stood at the door where the Lord talked with Moses. When all the people saw the cloud, they rose up and worshipped every man at his tent door.

“How good it is to see that the people worshipped their own true God again! And it was there the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man would speak to his friend. Then Moses went back into the camp and his servant Joshua stayed in the tent.

“Moses then said unto the Lord, ‘See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in My sight. Now therefore, I pray Thee if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people.’ The Lord answered Moses, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’

“When Moses still wondered if he had found grace in God’s sight he told Him not to carry them up unless His presence really would go with them. But God assured him with these words: ‘I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight and I know thee by name.’

“Moses must have been very thankful to find the Lord so good to him again, and His goodness made Moses wish to know Him still more for he said, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.’ And the Lord said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.’ But God told Moses He could not allow him to see His face but told him where to stand while His glory passed by. He also told him that when He had passed by, He would remove His hand so Moses could see His back parts, though he could not see His face. A sinner could not see the face of God and live; but after He has passed by, we see the beauty of His ways. It is all different now since the Lord Jesus has come and died upon the cross; now those who are redeemed by His precious blood look back and rejoice in the love, the mercy and the goodness of God shown to them.”

Moses on the Mount Again

Chapter 22

Exodus 34

“I was telling you last night,” said Mother the next evening, as the children sat beside her, “of how Moses talked with God. He said to God, ‘Show me now Thy glory.’”

“Why did Moses say that, Mother?” asked Sophy.

“I think it was because he felt that everything of man was utterly ruined and hopeless, and his heart turned to the glory of God as something that was above all the ruin and all the sin. God rewarded him for wishing to know Him, by letting him see what no other man had seen. Moses had learned a great deal about God during those forty days that he was in the Mount, and he had seen the lovely pattern of the mercy seat above the ark with the cherubim stretching out their wings on high. It had taught him that there was mercy in the heart of God for him to count on, so Moses felt encouraged to go to Him to plead for His people. He had perhaps also learned in the golden altar of incense that God would hear intercession for a people who could not have been able to speak to Him at all if God had not opened this way.”

“And did God show Himself to Moses?”

“Yes, He did. He said to Moses, ‘Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables that thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to Me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount: neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.’

“Moses went up early in the morning and took the two tablets of stone in his hand. The Lord came down in a cloud and stood with him there, proclaiming the name of the Lord. As He passed before him He said, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.’ Moses made haste, bowed his head and worshipped.

“I believe the proclamation from God’s own mouth, of His mercy and righteousness filled his heart with reverence. Our God is the same today. He does not pass by sin but He is merciful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Because He is merciful, Moses had still more confidence to ask great things from God. Moses counts himself as one of the stiff-necked people and entreats the Lord again to go with the people. The very reason that the Lord had said He would not go with them is the reason Moses pleads to show that they needed God all the more, because they were so evil and wretched in themselves.

“I think Moses had courage to ask God to go with them, because he had learned that God was merciful. God told him that He would make a covenant with him and the people of Israel and that He would do such wonderful things that all the people among whom Moses dwelt would know that it was a work of the Lord. He said He would drive out all the nations too. But He warned Moses not to make a covenant with any of these nations. He said to him, ‘Ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves, for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.’

“God called Himself a jealous God because He does not want His people to love anyone or anything more than they love Him. It is wonderful to read of God’s telling a poor wretched people, who had just been dancing before an idol that He was jealous of their love; that He should care to be loved by such foolish hearts as theirs. And that is equally true of us today too. He commended His love to us by loving us first, for it was while we were still sinners that He sent His Son to die for us. This new covenant that God gave Moses after he had prayed for the people was not the same as the first one God gave him. The first was a covenant of law but this covenant told that God was merciful and gracious and that He had accepted the mediator. It was by this covenant that they entered the promised land.

“The Lord repeated to Moses all He had told him before about keeping the feasts and about the firstborn being given to Him. He told them also about the men and boys appearing before Him three times every year with their firstfruits in their hands. Then the Lord commanded Moses to write down the words of His covenant but He Himself wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone as He had done before.

“Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights without anything to eat or drink all that time.”

“Oh, Mother!” exclaimed Arthur. “How could Moses go without anything to eat or drink for so long?”

“God kept him alive, Arthur, and he was so occupied with God and with His Word that he wanted nothing else. While God talked with Moses his face shone like a bright light, but he himself did not know it. When he came down from the mount, Aaron and all the children of Israel saw that his face shone and they were afraid to come near him; so Moses put a veil upon his face when he talked with them. But when he went in to speak to the Lord, he removed the veil.

“Then Aaron and the people came to Moses who told them all that the Lord had said to him.”

“What was it that made Moses’ face shine?” questioned Arthur wonderingly.

“It shone because he was looking at the glory of God. Just as something held in the sunshine reflects the light of the sun, so the light of the glory of God is above the brightness of the sun.

“The children of Israel were afraid of the glory because it brought God to them and they could not bear His holy presence. They felt as Adam did, when he hid himself in the trees of the garden because he heard the voice of God. There was nothing in their hearts that liked the glory of God, so they wished to keep away from it. It was claiming holiness and obedience, and the children of Adam do not like to be holy and obedient. If they had had the faith in God that Moses had, they would have been glad to look at the glory as he was. They would have said that all that God gave them came from that glory; that the love that sent the manna down from heaven every day had also made promises about the good land to which they were going. They would have known too that Someone other than Moses would come out of the glory of God; and who was that?”

“Do you mean the Lord Jesus?” answered Sophy thoughtfully.

“Yes, dear. He who came to save His people from their sins came out of the glory of God that He might take away fear out of their hearts and that He might teach them that the God of glory loved poor sinners. If we were to look to that bright glory now we should see a Saviour in it and we too should be able to say, what by faith all the children of God can say, that is, that there is a Man in the bright glory of God who put all our sins away. Isn’t that wonderful?

“But I think this will be a good stopping-place for tonight. Perhaps we can sing that little hymn you both love so well.”

I have a Saviour, a precious Saviour,
Who died on Calvary’s cross for me;
And now He’s risen, gone back to heaven,
Some day He’s coming back for me.
And while I’m waiting, I’ll try to please Him
In everything I do and say;
And when I see Him, oh how I’ll praise Him,
For washing all my sins away.

The Tabernacle Finished and Set up

Chapter 23

Exodus 35-40

Another day had come and gone; and it was evening again. Sophy was helping Arthur finish a log cabin he was putting together on the floor. Presently Mother appeared from the kitchen, with her Bible in hand, and as she sat down on the comfortable old sofa the two children left their play and joined her.

“Tonight,” began Mother, “I think, will be our last story from the book of Exodus. And what a wonderful book it is — every page points us on to Jesus, yon lovely Man in the glory!

“Now Moses gathered together all the children of Israel and told them what the Lord had said that they were to do. They were to work six days but the seventh day was to be a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. This was to be a holy day and whoever worked on that day would be put to death.

“Then he told them all about the tabernacle that the Lord had shown him in the Mount, and about the holy garments for Aaron and his sons. He said that if there were any willing hearts they should bring offerings for the work of the tabernacle. When they had heard all these things they went out from the presence of Moses.

“They were so happy to be able to help that they brought their bracelets, their earrings, and rings, jewels of gold and other things, too. And the women who could spin made pieces of blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen. Some women spun goats’ hair for the covering of the tabernacle. The rulers brought precious stones, and oil and sweet spices. The men whom the Lord had given wisdom to do all kinds of work came, and when Moses gave them the offerings of the children of Israel, they began the work of the tabernacle.

“But what are you thinking about, Sophy?”

“Oh, I was just thinking, Mother,” replied Sophy thoughtfully, “how nice it must have been to see them working together and making all those beautiful things!”

“It surely must have been, Sophy. And, the children of Israel gave so heartily that the workmen had now too much for the work. They told Moses about it so he had to tell the people not to bring any more. When it was all finished Moses looked at it all and said they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. Moses blessed them for it. The Lord had given them the needed wisdom to perform everything and to make all the beautiful hangings.

“Then the Lord told Moses he should set up the tent of the tabernacle of the congregation on the first day of the first month. He set up all the beautiful boards of shittim wood, fastened them into their silver sockets, and spread curtains over them. Next he put the covering of goats’ hair, the rams’ skins dyed red, and the badgers’ skins over all.

“And then he put all the beautiful things inside the tabernacle. The very first thing was the ark with the mercy seat and the cherubim above it. Then Moses hung up the veil which was to hide the ark and the mercy seat and to divide the holy place from the most holy place. Outside the veil Moses put the golden altar, and burned some sweet-smelling incense upon it. Next came the table with the twelve loaves of bread upon it. He put the candlestick over against the table and lighted the seven lamps.”

“I think it must have been bright and pretty in there when he lit the lamps, Mother,” suggested Arthur.

“Indeed, it was, Arthur. Then Moses set up the curtain, which was to be the door into the tabernacle and outside he put the altar of brass for a burnt offering and offered upon it the offerings that the Lord had commanded. Moses put the laver near it and put some water in it for himself and Aaron and his sons to wash in. You see they washed their hands and their feet whenever they went into the tabernacle, or when they came near to sacrifice at the altar. Next Moses set up the pillars of the court; the sockets were made of brass, the hooks were of silver; he hung the curtains upon them. Then he hung up the curtain before the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

“When the work was finished a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to go into the tabernacle because of the glory of the Lord.

“This pillar of cloud was the same cloud that showed them the way; it was the same cloud that had stood between them and the Egyptians at the Red Sea. The cloud of the glory of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the children of Israel. While the cloud rested on the tabernacle, they rested in their tents. As soon as the cloud was taken up, they went on their journey.

“Moses did not go up to the mount anymore because now he could go to speak to God in the tabernacle. Everyone could not go into the tabernacle though. Aaron and his sons, because they were priests, were allowed to go in to the holy place every day to trim the lamps, and to burn incense on the golden altar.”

“Then, where did the people worship God?” asked Sophy.

“They worshipped God in the court of the tabernacle. Whoever wished to offer a sacrifice to God, brought it to the door of the tabernacle, and there upon the brazen altar, the priest burned it for an offering of a sweet savor to the Lord.

“Now, we have come to the end of the second book in the Bible. It is called Exodus which means ‘the way out.’

“God called His people out of Egypt, that He might show out all His power and goodness to them. What a wonderful sight it must have been to see all the twelve tribes passing through the wilderness! It was wonderful too to see them in their tents according to their families encamped around God’s dwelling place. They had been led out of Egypt and now in the wilderness they were given a way to enter God’s dwelling place through the lovely curtain which formed the door of the court.

“Now the door of the court was different from the rest of the court. The curtains of the court were made of white linen, but the one for the door was of blue, purple and scarlet, and fine needlework, the same as the door of the tabernacle. It was for this reason that the door was especially a figure of Christ. Jesus says in John’s Gospel, ‘I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,’ and also, ‘I am the way; the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.’

“I think we have seen in our talks about this beautiful book of Exodus that the Lord Jesus Christ is the way out of Egypt and the way in to God, and that His name is the only name given under heaven whereby we can be saved.

“That is the end,” said Mother at last; “and now may God bless these precious truths from His Word to your dear young hearts. If you seek to please Him in your young lives, He has promised that His Word will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. One day soon the blessed Saviour is coming to take all those who love Him away from this earth to heaven, to be forever with Himself. And I do trust that my dear Sophy and Arthur will be with Him then.

“Let us sing that hymn you like to sing at Sunday School:

We know there’s a bright and glorious home,
Away in the heavens high,
Where all the redeemed shall with Jesus dwell:
But will you be there and I?
In robes of white o’er the street of gold,
Beneath a cloudless sky,
They’ll walk in the light of their Father’s smile:
But will you be there and I?
If you take the loving Saviour now,
Who for sinners once did die,
When He gathers His own in that bright home,
Then you’ll be there and I.”