The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 127

would be 5ayi.ng very earnestly in his heart, "Oh that I only knew myself to be safe in this matter." Remember the terror with which, after so long a time, Jacob approached his injured brother Esau. Certainly Jacob had the bitter consciousness of wrong-doing to heighten his fears, but Moses would have equally the consciousness of danger, Nor can it be too often impressed upon us, in considering this opening stage of Moses' acquaintance with God, that while he had a profound impression as to the real and awful Being with whom be bad come in contact, the extent of his knowledge was not correspondent to the depth of his feeling. He had come into a real acquaintance with God ; but it was at first, of necessity, a. very imperfect and blundering one. The defective notions of Moses, with respect to God, find their New Testament parallel i:n the earth-born and earth-limited questions which the disciples so often addressed to Jesus. Hence, even though Moses has seen so much of God's power and promptitude in dealing with every difficulty he bas raised. he still remains uncertain whether God has taken into ~ount ~hi~ peril from the slain Egyptian. It is no easy thing to get to a real and operative conviction that God knows even the smallest transaction in the past life of every one of us.-Y. Vers. 18--31. - Facing Egypt. " And the people believed, e.nd when," etc. (Ex. iv. 31). This section of the history may be bomiletically treated under three geographical beadings, which will keep the historical development prominent without obscuring the more.I and spiritual elements. ' I. MIDIAN. From Sinai Moses returned to Mi.dian. Reuel now dead Jethro probably bis son, ~omes priest and sheikh of the tribe. [We take Jethro' to hav~ been the brother-m-la.w of Moses. See • Speaker's Commentary,' additional note on Exodus ii. 18.J In this part of the story it is of moment to observe the situation of Mi.dian-east, and perhaps also west, of the Elanitic Gulf. Hence travellers from Egypt to Midian, or vice versa, would come on the journey unto " the mount of God." Moses could not stay long in Midian. There was now pressing on him-1. The original impulse (ii 11-14), 2. The commission of the Burning Bush. 3. The intelligence that it was now safe to go. [Ver. 19 fur- nishes a convenient opportunity for noticing the Old Testament formula, on the correct understanding of which so much depends, in which God is represented to have directly said and done what be '/1ULY have done only mediately. Here, e.g., did God speak out of the air into the ear of Moses, or was the intelligence brought in the ordi- nary way, say by caravans across the desert? It is a large subject, but the following points are suggested : " God said." "God did" this or that, are to this day formulm with the .Arabs. This Oriental be.bit of the cousins of the Hebrews is the opposite of the Occidental. We suppress the name of God as much as possible ; and if constrained to refer to the Divine Being, we allude to him as" Providence" or" Heaven." The Oriental he.bit is more direct and truer ; for God is in the secondary cause, which fact some amongst ourselves ignore. The .Arabian style of to-day was the Hebrew style, and the mode of the Old Testament. In the interpretation of this formula. we must be careful not to assume always the direct or supernatural, though perhaps occasionally we shall have no other alternative. Indeed. no doubt that is so.] On the receipt of this new11 Moses paid fealty to the chief of the tribe which bad given him a home for forty years; asked permission to return; obtained it, and set out with "rod," wifo, two sons, and, no doubt, the usual service and attendants of a considerable caravan. II. THE DESEBT--ON THE ROAD. On the road, which passed through scenes of incomparable grandeur, several incidents of the first importance occun·ed. 1. A word of Divine enrowragement (vers. 21-23). Jehovah inspired his servant with courage, warned him that success would not be immediate, and gave him the exact message for Pharaoh. [Whether eJ.l this came direct from God, or grew up in the mind of Moses, in the way of meditation., under the guidance of the Spirit, must be left to the decision of each.] But something may be here said on ver. 21: "I will harden," etc. The objec- tion will occur to every one-How can God punish men for that which he himself causes or does? This "hardening" may be here considered once for all. 'fhe following considerations will have weight :-1. God is often in the Old Testament said to do what be only permit, to be done. 2. In this passage of history (Ex. iv.-xiv.) God is saici t,o harden Pharaob's heart ten times, Phraoh to harden his own three times; and the ClD, IV, 24-26.] THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 109