bcon with tbo terrible spectacle presented t.o them. It wa.s not for Pharaoh only t.o take hoed to this river of blood; the intimation was for them also. But they clun", as privileged men almost always do cling, to their position and influence. Not only "was Pharaoh's kingdom in danger, but their standing as the professed agents of supernatural powers. 'l'hey wont on, vainly contending against this new manifestation of power, though surely in their hearts they must have folt it was destined to prevail. And thoir conduct v.>as made worse by the fa.et that they were pursuing it in the midst of general suffering. Y. 'l'HE J:KTERVAL TO THE NEXT l'LAGUE. What W!\S this interval for? Surely to give Pharaoh time-time to consider the miracle in all its bearings, and get over the rashness and pride which prompted his first thoughts of continued resistance. We know not if, during these seven days, the river slowly returned to its natural state. Perhaps there was no sharp dividing line between the plagues ; one may have come on as another faded away. Seven days, then, were given to Pharaoh to change his mind;. but it is Yery hard for a man, even in seven days, to say ho has been utterly wrong. And then there is the success of these magicians to keep him astray. Yet what was there in them to give satisfaction? It seemed they could do the same thing whidi Moses was doing, nz. change water into blood. 1/ only they rould kave changed blood into water again, then they might have been of some use and comfort to Pharaoh.-Y. Ver. 14-25. The water turned into blood. I. THE PUNISHMENT. There were two elements in it. 1. The deprivation: water, one of the most essential of all God's gifts, w~ suddenly made useless. 2. The horror. Had all the water of Egypt suddenly disappeared. the punishment had been in.finitely less. Instead of water, there was blood and corruption. 3. lt was a jud.,"ffient on Egypt's idolatry. The things we set in God's stead will be ma.de an abomination and a horror to us. 4. It was the revelation of Egypt's guilt; beneath these waters the babes of Israel had sunk in their hopeless struwe with death. The abused gifts of God w.ill be removed, but the horror of their abuse will abide. I. THE ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT Goo's AGENCY IN T.HE CALAMITY. 'l'he magicians could increase the pla.,<TUe, and therefore it was not from -the hand of God I The same argument is used still to prevent misfortune being considered as a chastisement and warning.from God. Men can see in it chance only, or man's hand, not the Lord's. III. PRARAOH's DOGGED REFUSAL TO OBEY. He " turned and went into his house" (ver. 23). This would prolong his punishment, but could.not conquer God. Instead of bowing to God's word. we may shut ourselves in with our sin, but we only bind jud.,oment upon us, and tempt God to inflict a heavier blow.-U.
EXPOSITION. Vers. 22, 23.-0n the occurrence of the and test, and examine their pretended miracle second sign and first plague, the magicians which consequently pa.ssed muster, though it were again consulted ; and, by means which may have been no more than a trick. it is impos;ible to do more than conjecture, Pharaoh, however, suffered himself to be con- they produced a seeming transformation into vinced, and " turned and went into his house,' blood of a certain quantity of water The without paying any attention to the marvel inquiry, whence they procured the water, is wrought (ver. 23). llDSwered by ver. 24. That they actu.e.lly turned Ver. 22.-The magioians of Egypt did so. water into blood is scarcely &BSerted in the They could not do what Moses and .Aaron had vague "did so" of ver. 22. Perhaps they had done--stretch out, tha.t is, a rod over the Nile, recourse -to sleight of hand, and me.de a sub- and turn it and all its branches, and ponds, rtitution, like modem conjurors; perhaps they and pools, into blood, for this was already merely turned the water of a red colour. All done. They could only show their skill upon some small quantity of water in a cup or other t.iult wa.s necessary wa.s to convince Pharaoh vessel. No doubt they produced some apparent twit they were able to do what Moses and change, which was accepted by Pharaoh as an Aaron h.e.d done--there was no one to watch, equiv!l,lent to what had been effected by the OJI, Vil. 22-25.] 'l'IIE BOOK OF EXODUS. 177
Isrnclito chiefs, but which mu.~t he.ve fallen po.lace. 11' either did he set his heart to this far ehort of it. Pho.r11oh would not ho e. severe also. A bett.er tr&ll81o.tion is thllt of Boot.h- critic. royd-" Nor did he Io.y even this to heart." Ver. 23.-Pharaoh tumed-i.e. 11 returned" In the expre.ssion " even this " there is an -quitted the river-bank, satisfied with what o.llosion to the previous neglect of the first tho magicians had done, e.nd went be.ck to the sign ( ver 13).
HOMILETICS. Vcrs. 22, 23.-The power of SaUJ/T/, ts with al,l deceivableness. Satan himself, and wicked men, his instruments, are especially strong in the power of deception. Satan deceived Eve (1 'l'im. ii. 14). The lying spirit deceived Ahab (1 Kings xxii. 22). Rebekah and Jacob together deceived Isaac. Gehazi deceived Nao.man. Bad men aro clever and plausible, and keensighted, and painstaking, and careful-they lay their plans skilfully, ancl carry them out boldly, and are usually successful. The magicians had not only their own credit at stake, but also that of the priests, who were in league with them. They would not be very scrupulous what means they used, so that they could persuade the Pharaoh that whatever Moses and Aaron could do, they could do : and they succeeded. The " father of lies" no doubt suggested to them some clever method of seeming to perform the same sort of miracle as the Israelitish leaders had performed- they adopted it, and cheated the eyes of the beholders. When men wished to nip the religion of Christ in the bud, they called its Founder " that deceiver" (Matt. xxvii. 63). Deceit is a device of Satan. ln nothing are the powers of light and darkness more contrasted than in the simpleness, the straightforward sincerity that characterises the former, and the crookedness, the tortuousness, the insincerity that goes with the latter. He who is "the Way" and "the Life," is also "the Truth." All who would have fellowship with him must "walk in truth."