Gods Sabbath

AN E DUCATION IN G OD ’ S W AYS

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depended on their obeying the divine counsels with faithful ex actitude. God had only to communicate the specific details to the people through Moses, with the requirement that they unques tioningly obey them. In His desire to save the powerful pharaoh of Egypt and through him the whole nation, God sent Moses and Aaron with a message to him. If the pharaoh would obey and open his heart to the divine light, God could have rescued the Egyptians from the dark pit of ruin into which they were rapidly heading. But the proud monarch refused the only light that could have changed the fate of this nation entangled in idol worship. Each refusal separated Egypt further from God’s protection. He could not save them from the results of their own choosing, and one plague followed another. (See Exodus chapters 7 to 12.) By contrast, through faith and obedience, Israel remained un der God’s protection and did not suffer the devastating effects of the plagues which fell on Egypt. Any Egyptian who chose to join Israel was likewise protected. In order to avoid the death-dealing stroke of the last plague, the Israelites were called to show their faith in their Creator to protect them. The plan devised by the heavenly Problem Solver was explained in simple steps. Firstly, every male had to be cir cumcised. Then a lamb was to be selected, slain, and the blood sprinkled on the two side posts and the lintel of their doors. On the night specified, the whole roasted lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread while the Israelites stood girt for travel. During this time, the plague was taking the lives of Egypt’s firstborn. There is no record of any Israelite who did not join in the plan exactly as God gave it. This was just as well, for to have introduced any human options would have frustrated the di vine effort and caused a major setback. Instead, the result was a masterpiece of deliverance. Not one Israelite was injured or killed. The Egyptians offered no resistance to their departure, but rather, heaped gifts of high value on them (see Exodus 11 and 12). What a contrast this is to other great liberations in history where men have been the plan makers. Those involved usually struggled for years with great loss of life and property on both sides.