The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 183

enhRnces, the value of this evidence that most of the miracles of Scripturo are not merely credentials of the revelation, but constitutive parts of it. See this truth wrought out in the chapter on "The Function of Miracle in Revelation" in Dr. Alex. Bruce's boolt, • The Chief End of Revelation.' This able writer, however, is unnecessarily vehement in his polemic against the view that miracles are also wrought in p1·oof of revelation; especially ru; in the latter part of his discussion he really admits all that the advocates of the so-called "traditional" view would think worth contending for. "Take a.way miracle from a revelation of grace, and the revelation can hardly be known for what it is. . . . \Yith the miracles retained as an essential part of the story, a gracious purpose towards a chosen people is indubitable; without them, it is very doubtful indeed.... Retain the miracles, and the gracious purpose is stringently proved, and the contrary opinion excluded as untenable. The miracles and the purpose thus stand or fall together. 'l'o certify beyond all doubt, a gracious purpose, miracle is necessary" (pp. 175--17i). In the cas; before us, the evidential function must be allowed to be the leading one. 3. Pharaoh's reque.~t for the miracle. It is a significant circumstance that whereas on the previous occasion (chap. v. 1--5) Pharaoh made no request for a sign, he IISks for one at this second iuten-:iew. The unexpected reappearance of these two men, renewing their former demand, and doing so with even more emphasis and decision than at first, must have produced a startling effect upon him. 'l'ruth, to a certain extent, carries its own credentials with it. There must have been that in the manner and speech, of these grave and aged men (ver. 7) which repelled the hypothesis that they were impostors. Probably Pharaoh had never been quite sure that their mission was mere pretence. A secret fear of the God whose worshippers he knew he was maltreating may have mingled with his thoughts, and kept him in vague uneasiness. He may thus have been more disturbed by the former demand than he cared to allow, and now thought it prudent to satisfy himself further. Professed disbelief in the Bible is in the same way often accompanied by a. lurking suspicion that there is more in its teaching than is admitted. Ill. lTs EFFECT UPON THE MONARCH. 1. He permitted himself to be imposed on by the counterfeit of the magicians. Their imitation of the miracle furnished him with a plausible excuse for ascribing the work to magic. It gave him a. pretext for unbelief. He wished one, and he got it. He ignored the strong points in the evidence, and fixed on the partial resem bla.nce to the miracle in the feats of his tricksters. '!'here were at least three circumstances which should have ma.de him pause, and, if not convinced, ask for further proof. (1) The miracle of Moses and Aaron was not done by enchantments. ,2) The men who did the wonder themselves asserted that it was wrought by Divine power. (3) The superiority of their power to that of the magicians was evinced by Aaron's rod swallowing up the rods of the others. And seeing that the miracle of God's messeno-ers was real, while that of the magicians was (so far as we can judge) but a juggler'~ trick, there were probably numer9us other circW?sta.nces of diff~renc~ between them, on which, bad Pharaoh been anxious to a.scerta.m the truth, his mmd would naturally have rested. But Phara.oh's mind was not honest. He wished to disbelieve, and he did it. 2. He refused the request. He hardened himself, i.e. the unwillingness of his heart to look at the truth, now that it had got something to stay itself upon, solidified into a. fixed, hard determination to resist the demand made upon him. Note- (1) God tries men's dispositions by furnishing them with evidenGe which, while abundantly sufficient to convince minds that are honest, leaves numerous loopholes of eHca.pe to those indisposed to receive it. (2) It is the easiest thing in the world, if one wants to do it, to find pretexts for unbelief. We are far from asserting that all doubt is dishonest, but it~ unquestionable that under the cloak of honest intellectual inquiry a. great deal that is not honest is frequently concealed. To a. mind unwilling to be convinced, there is nothing easier than to evade evidence. Specious counter-arguments are never far to seek. Any specious reply to Christian books, any naturalistic hypothesis, any flimsy parallel, will serve the purpose. The text directs attention to the method of false parallels-a favourite one with modem sceptics. Parallels are hunted up between Christianity and the ethnic religions. Superficial resemblances in ethics, doctrine and ritual, are laid hold upon and magnified. Christ is compared with Buddha and Confuciu.s, or his miracles are put in comparison with the ecclesiastical miracles of the middle ages. And thus his religion is supposed to be reduced to the naturalistic level. The defeat of all such attempts is shadowed forth in the miracle before us.-J. 0. orr. vn, 8--13.] THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 169