The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 47

mutilation. Amram and Jochebed, but especially Jochebed, who must have been the ma.in a.gent in the concealment, braved these penalties-did not allow their fear ot them to influence their conduct-ba.d/aith in God that be would, somehow or other, give success to their endeavours to preserve their chilcl, and either save them from punishment or reward them in another world. And it was clone to them according as they believed. The concealment of the birth was undetected for the long space of three montbs---tbe ark was placed, no one perceiving, among the flags at the edge of the river-the daughter of Pharaoh ma.de her appearance at the time expected-" had compassion" on the babe-accepted without hesitation Miriam's suggestion that she should fetch a nurse-accepted without demur or suspicion the mother as the nurse- gave him back to her ea.re for a space of nearly two years-and finally assigned the child the highest position possible, al.most that of a prince of the blood royal-allowed him to be called and considered her son-and ha.d him educated accordingly. Jocbebed's utmost hope ha.d probably been to save her child's life. God's blessing brought it to pass that she not only obtained that result, but procured him the highest social rank and the best possible cultivation of all his powers, whether of mind or body. Mothers should lay this lesson to heart, and-whatever danger threatens their children-hope for the best, plan for the best, work for the best; they may not always, like Jochebed, find a..: their plans crowned with success; but they may trust God to bless their endeavours in his own way and in his own good time, if only they be made in faith, and with due submission of their own wills to his. III. NATURAL VIRTUE ACCEPTABLE IN Gon's SIGHT. There runs through both the Old and the New Testament a continual protest against the view that God is" a respecter of persons-" in the sense of confining bis favour to those who have been brought by the appointed mode into actual covenant with him. The lesson is taught with frequent iteration, that " in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him" (.Acts x. 35). Here it is an Egyptian-Pharaoh's daughter-that is evidently regarded favourably. Elsewhere it is Rahab of Jericho, or Ruth the Moabitess, or Araunah the Jebusite, or Darius the Mede, or Cyrus the Persian, or Arta.xerxes, or the Syro-Phcenician woman, or Cornelius the centurion-all of whom a.re examples of the same universal law, which is, that God looks graciously upon all his creatures, and accept11 every sincere effort towards good that is made by any of them. In his house are "many mansions "-in his future kingdom are many gradations. No one is shut out of his kingdom by the circumstances of his birth or profession. Let a. man but seek honestly to do his will according to his lights, and persevere to the end, he will obtain acceptance, whatever the belief in which he has been brought up, and whatever his professed religion. His profession will not save him; but his love of goodness, his efforts to do what is right, his earnest cleaving to truth, and right, and virtue, will be accepted, through the merits of. Christ, and counted to him for righteousness. Man may be very far gone from his original perfect- ness; but he was made in God's image-he has an instinctive sense of right and wrong. When he refuses the evil and chooses the good-whether he be in covenant with God or out of covenant-his conduct is pleasing and acceptable for Christ's sake, who has enlightened him and sustained him, and enabled him to do his good works, and presents them to the Father and obtains for them acceptance through his merits. Pharaoh's daughter stands to us here as a type of the heathen world-a world lying in wickedness, but still snlva.ble, still on the verge of salvation-she has the approval of the writer, and of the Holy Spirit, who inspired him-she had only to continue to act compassionately, kindly-according to her lights, rightly1 and she was secure of final acceptance by him who "judges the folk righteously, and governs all the na.tio~ upon earth" (Ps. lxvii. 4). We hear much in these days of God's supposed exclusive- ness and favouritism. Scripture does not sanction any such· views. He is there presented to us as "no respecter of persons," but "a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heh. x.i. 6). Ver. 10.-§ 4. The education of Moses. Education is to fit us for the battle of life. 'l'he first and most important point is that a child be "virtuously brought up to lead a godly life." In Egypt morality was highly regarded; and some have gone so fo.r as to say that "the laws of the Egyptian religion "-in respect of morality at any rate-  28 THE BOOK OF EXODUS.