The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 149

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Y ers. 15-20.-Unheeded expostulation. Pha.raoh's treatment of the officers of th8' children of Israel, when they appeared before him to expostulate with him on his cruelty, betrays his consciousness of the injustice of his cause. I. AN UNJUST CAUSE BETRAYS ITSELF-L By refusal to listen to reason. The Hebrews had reason on their side, and Pharaoh had not. And because he had not, and knew it, he would not hear them. would not enter into any argument with them. This is the sure mark of a weak cause. People are usually willing enough to defend any of their doings which they think defensible. But when causes a.re indefensible, and they know this, they do not care to have the light let in upon them. "Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John iii 20). 2. By cl:uu;hing at flimsy and trumped-up pretexts. " Ye are idle ; ye a.re idle; therefore ye say," etc. (ver. 17). Phar.aoh knew as well as any that they were not idle, but it served his purpose to put forward this pretence. 3. By falling back in the end on the right of the strong hand (ver. 16). This is the tyrant's unfailing resort. ]f he cannot argue, he can compeL If he cannot justify his courses, he can fall back upon his power to enforce submission. His might is his right. Pharaoh had the power, and he meant to use it, so the Israelites might save themselves the trouble of expostu- lating. This sort of authority, resting on force, without support in righteousness or reason, is necessarily precarious. It can, in the nature of things, only last so long as the power to compel remains with it. No throne is so insecure as that propped up on bayonets. II. AN UNJUST CAUSE ADHERED TO il"'D DEFENDED--!. Reacts injurio?J,Sly upon the f'fWral natwre. The refusal to listen to expostulation was a new stage in Phara.oh's hardening. Besides fortifying his determination to brook no interference in his courses, and strengthening the cruelty of his disposition-a.new called into action by the increased oppression of the Hebrews--it necessarily reacted to deprive him of a. fresh porticn of his moral susceptibility. This is the Nemesis of sin; it leaves the sinner less susceptible with each new appeal that is resisted; it darkens while it indura.tes; not only strengthelll! him m evil courses, but increasingly disqualifies him for perceiving the truth and reasonableness of the dissuasives that a.re addressed to him. Phara.oh's harder:ing still moves in the region of ordinary morals (see on vers. 1-4). The first step in it was the recoil of his pride and wilfulness against what he knew tc be the righteous demand of Moses and Aaron. Another step is the rejection of this righteous appeal. 2. Exposes the tyrant to the .i?J,St judgment of God. 'fhe Hebrews were helpless to resist Pharaoh, hut there was .Another, whose question, "Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy ser- vants?" he would not be able so easily to set a.side. God was keeping the account, and for all these things would yet c.all him to judgment (Eccl. xi. 9; xii. 14); while the king's temporary 11ucce11S in his ways, building him up in a. pr811umptuous self- OD', v. 4.--18,) 'rHE BOOK OF EXODUS. 133