me11ns, "you have my leave-I do not oppose time, and repeated so frequently in cha. , ii.- your going." xiv., has given offence to many. Men, it is Ver. 19.-And the Lord se.id unto Moses so.id, harden their own hearts against God; God in Millian, Go, return. It would seem that does not actively interfere to harden the heart Moses was still reluctant, and WIIB delaying of anyone. And this is so far true, that a hie de,!larture, even after he hnd obtained special interference of God on the occasion, in- Jethros leave to go. Perhaps he was making volving a supernatural hardening of Pharaoh's it an excUBe to himself for not setting out that heart, is not to be thought of. But among the if he returned he might still saffer death on natural punishments which God has attached account of the offence which he.d driven him to sin, would seem to be the hardening of tho into exile. To remove this last impediment, entire nature of the roan who sins. If men God ossnred him that " all the men were dee.d " do not like to retain God in their knowledge, who had sought his Iiie." God gives them up to a reprobate mind " (Rom. Ver. 20.-His sons. Gershom, already i. 28) ; if they resist the Spirit, he " takes mentioned ( eh. ii. 22), and Eliezer ( eh. xviii. his holy Spirit from them " (Ps. Ii. 11) ; if 4), who was probably an infant Set them they sin against light he withdraws the upon an e.sa. Literally, "the ass," i.e. the light; if they sti.fle their natural affections of one ass that belonged to him. The word kindness, compassion and the like, it is a law might best be translated "hia ass." When of his providence that those affections shall Moses is said to have "set them upon" the wither and decay. This seems to be the animal, we need not understand" all of them." "hardening of the heart" here intended-not Probably Zipporah and her baby rode, while an abnormal and miraculous interferenee with Gershom walked with his father. Though the soul of Pharaoh, but the natural effect horses were known in Egypt before this, they upon his soal under God's moral government conld not be used in the Sinaitic peninsula, of those acui which he wilfully and wrongfully and the employment of an ass by Moses is committed. thoroughly appropriate. Returned. I.e. " set Ver. 22.-Thou ehalt say unto Pharaoh, out to return." Took the rod of God in his Israel is my son. This would be addxes3ing hand. This is of course the " rod " of ver. 2, Pharaoh in language familiar to him. Each which he.d become " the rod of God" by the Egyptian monarch of this period was accns- lllll'acle of vers. 3 and 4, and which God he.d tomed to style himself, "son of the Sun," and ;:ommanded him to take to Egypt (ver. 17). to claim and expect the constant favour and Vers. 21-23.-And the Lord said, eto. Now protection of his divine parent. It was also that Moses he.d at last given up his own will quite within the range of Egyptian ideas that and entered on the path of obedience, God com- God should declare himself by word of mouth forted him with a fresh revelation, and gave to his special favourites, and give directions him fresh instructions as to what exactly he as to their actions. (See ' Records of the Past,' was to say to Pharaoh. The statements of vol. iv. p. 43.) My flrstbom. Not only" as ver. 21 are not new, being anticipated in dear to me as to a father his firstbom" (Ka- eh. ili. 19-20 ; bnt the directions in vers. 22- lisch), but the only nation that I have adopted, 23 are wholly new, and point to the greatest and taken into covenant, so as to be unto me of o.ll the wacles wrought in Egypt-the " a peculiar people above all the nations that death of the firstbom. are npon the earth" (Deut. xiv. 2). Israel's Ver. 21.-All those wonders. The miracles sonship is here mentioned for the fust time. wrought in Egypt are called nijhl!l6th, "mar- Ver. 23.-I will slay thy son, even thy vels," m6phl!thim, "portents, and 'othoth, firstbom. For the fulfilment of the throat, "signs." Mophethim, the word here used see eh. xii. 29. Moses did not utter it till all signifies something out of the ordinary course other arguments were exhausted, and he knew of nature, and corresponds to the Greek -ripa-ra. that he was having his last interview with the and the Le.tin portenta. It is a different monarch ( eh. x. 29 ; x.i. 4, 5). In this reserve word from that used in eh. iii. 20. In " all and in the whole series of his dealings with those wonders" are included, not only the the Egyptian king, we must regard him as three signs of eh. iv. 3-9, but the whole series simply carrying oat the special directions of lllll'e.cles afterwards wrought in Egypt, and which, after his return to Egypt, he continu- glanced at in eh. iii. 20. I will harden his ally received from the Almighty. (See eh. heart. This expression, here used for the first vi. 11; vii. 9, 15 19: viii. 1, 5, 16, 20, etc.)
HOMILETICS. Ver. 19.-Thefact of having a mission does not release a man from social obligations. Direct communications with Jehovah, appointment to a great and glorious mission, with the power of working miracles, might have rendered many a. man neglectful of ordinary obligations, might have seemed to place him above the nece~sity of asking anyone'e 104 'l'RE BOOK OF EXODUS. on. rv. 19-28.