God’s Representatives [Moses]

Moses and Aaron were God’s representatives to a bold, defiant king, and to impenitent priests, hardened in rebellion, who had allied themselves to evil angels. Pharaoh and the great men of Egypt were not ignorant in regard to the wise government of God. A bright light had been shining through the ages, pointing to God, to his righteous government, and to the claims of his law. Joseph and the children of Israel in Egypt had made known the knowledge of God. Even after the people of Israel had been brought into bondage to the Egyptians, not all were regarded as slaves. Many were placed in important positions, and these were witnesses for God.

The idolatrous priests were alarmed as they saw that a new religion was gaining ground among the Egyptians, that the influence of the Israelites was making proselytes. The Egyptian priests were cunning. They ruled through craft and hypocrisy. They made gorgeous temples, and surrounded them with consecrated groves. Their temple courts were all that art and money could make them; their architecture was magnificent. But what was there within that enclosure? In the place of the God who made the heavens and the earth, they had chosen beasts as their objects of worship. By the priests and worshipers the living God, whom Joseph had magnified, was not regarded as an object of love and favor, but of intense hatred. They were like those whom the word of God describes, who say, «Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us;» «for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.»

Satan worked zealously through the priests to honor immorality and deceit, injustice and crime, because these were in marked contrast to the life, the character, and the influence of Joseph, God’s light-bearer. At the very time when heaven’s light was shining upon them in distinct rays, Satan was at work through sorcerers and magicians, priests and rulers, to arouse in the Egyptians hatred against God. Their debased imagination was given loose rein; their gods were beasts, and the works that their own hands had made. For this reason the Israelites had to suspend their sacrificial offerings; for the Egyptians would have been filled with horror to see the animals they worshiped killed for sacrifices.

The River Nile also was an object of worship among the Egyptians. They forgot God, who, by his gracious providence, had supplied the river with its rich blessings, upon which the prosperity of the whole land of Egypt depended. They used God’s gracious gifts to please and glorify themselves. The more prosperity they received from his divine hand, the more they alienated themselves from God, and set themselves in array against him. Men made in the likeness of God worshiped the things that he had created, while they despised their Creator. Satan had been working out his own character, in substituting the creature in the place of God in the religious service and in the aspirations of the mind.

Joseph’s position of honor, connected as he was with the wisest men of Egypt, exalted the Hebrew nation; and great respect was shown them for his sake. Their men became wealthy, owners of flocks and of herds; their women wore fine linen; their weaving and embroidery in purple, and scarlet, and fine-twined linen excited envy and jealousy in the hearts of the Egyptians. The Israelites were looked upon as a people who, unless oppressed, would rule Egypt. Their industrious habits suggested to the Egyptians the idea of making them slaves. Thus not only their skill in labor, but also all their possessions, would go to enrich the crown. By this means the priests of Egypt hoped to cast contempt upon the God of Israel, and to cause their own gods to be honored and exalted.

The heir to the throne was educated and trained in idolatrous rites and ceremonies. This would make him a confirmed opponent to the God of heaven. Satan saw that he had been losing ground, and now he stirred up his powers from beneath to unite with evil men to war against truth and righteousness. The wise men of the nation labored diligently to educate the king to require not only deference but also absolute obedience to his word, to look upon himself as god, and to regard the bodies and souls of his people as under his jurisdiction. He was taught that his own impulses and desires were to be his guide. All this instruction was given to counteract the influence that Joseph had obtained by his circumspect life.

When Moses came before Pharaoh, he would have made a marked impression upon the king had it not been that Pharaoh already had some knowledge of the Hebrew faith. He would not submit his proud heart to evidence that had come distinctly before him of the ways and works of the living God. In his stubborn resistance he exclaimed, «Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.»

Light was dawning upon Pharaoh. His blunted, debased senses recognized, but would not acknowledge a God superior to the gods he had been trained to worship. Ungodly men hate the light, neither will they come to the light, but return farther and farther into the darkness of ignorance.

Through the cruel edict that the children of Israel should be slain, Satan had hoped to destroy the nation of Israel. But God in his providence had preserved Moses, and in the hour of the king’s highest triumph, there appeared before him one who had long been exiled in the land of Midian—one who had refused the throne of Egypt, «choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.» At eighty years of age Moses stood before Pharaoh in physical and mental vigor. By his side was Aaron, a noble specimen of humanity. Both came in the name of the Lord, the great I Am.

The king, educated and trained to command, not to be commanded, was now to pass through a new experience. A greater power was to be revealed from heaven. When these messengers stood before the king, who had arrogated to himself all power over the bodies and consciences of men, he was compelled to listen to God’s authoritative command: «Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-born: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born.» «Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.»

The king was filled with madness at these words. His impulse was to kill the messengers before his face. But a spell seemed to be upon him. He felt himself under the control of a power he could not understand; but in his wrath he said, «Who is the Lord? . . . I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.»

What a scene for an Egyptian court! The ambassadors of heaven—two of the despised Hebrew nation—standing before the king and his royal attendants! But these men whom Pharaoh hated were a power he could defy, but could not annihilate. He hurled every wicked denunciation and charge against the whole of the Israelitish nation, and sent messengers to increase the amount of their labor, to oppress them and break their spirit, as though it were a crime to desire to be free from a bondage that was becoming intolerable.

The children of Israel were ready to despair. The tyranny already practised toward them seemed almost beyond endurance, and they charged the Heaven-sent messengers with being the cause of the increased indignities practised upon them by their oppressors. But Moses and Aaron stood under the broad shield of Omnipotence. They were not silenced by the threats of Pharaoh or the reproaches of their own people. They had the word of God to communicate to the king of Egypt. Mrs. E. G. White. ( Concluded next week .) —

Now the great controversy was fully entered upon; for months the warfare between the Prince of Life and the prince of darkness was carried on. The same work which Satan began in heaven he carried on upon the earth,—the powers of darkness warring against the mandate of Jehovah, the king of Egypt in controversy with the Monarch of heaven.

The great I am was about to make himself known to the nation, and by his works prove that the gods they worshiped were vanity, and the ministering priests of these idols a lie. The Egyptian nation was to have evidence that God will not be insulted or defied, or permit his law to be trampled upon with impunity by unholy feet The Lord by his power might have swept out of existence the rulers of Egypt who were confirmed in their idolatry; but God’s ways are not man’s ways. He gave each plague time to do its work and to impress the Egyptians, to let them see that there is a supreme Ruler to whom every created thing must bow. The Lord gave time for his work to be recognized and his power to be felt for the benefit of the Hebrew nation, and also to bring the Egyptians to repentance, and cause them to acknowledge the God whom Satan, through his masterly efforts, was making them forget.

Had not a portion of the Egyptians seen the folly of their worship of such gods, had they not repented, the whole nation would have been wiped out of existence. But Egypt had been the asylum for Israel. Here Joseph’s piety and Heaven-given wisdom had been discerned, admired, and exalted. Here God had been honored by the treatment of those who were faithful and true to him. And the Lord, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, moved slowly, giving them time, by submission to his will, to save themselves and their property from complete ruin. Many acknowledged the unseen God of Israel as the universal Monarch. Those who did repent, preserved a portion of their substance, their flocks and their herds. The humble and obedient were men of influence, who had been greatly benefited by the life and example of Joseph, and through him had obtained a knowledge of God and his works.

The contest between the king of Egypt and the Lord of heaven came to the knowledge of all Egypt; for the works of God covered so much time that none were in ignorance. The Lord gave a respite after every plague, in which abundant opportunity was given for repentance, and for obedience to the command, «Let my people go.»

While the stubborn heart of Pharaoh grew less and less impressible, the great men of the nation became alarmed. They could see that this stubborn resistance must end, or only national ruin awaited them. His counselors urged Pharaoh to yield to the demand of God and save Egypt. In their wrath they inquired, «How long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?»

But it was not until Pharaoh looked upon the dead form of his first-born that he dared no longer to resist God. Then he hastened the Israelites out of his country, both them and their substance. But notwithstanding God had wrought in the controversy by his matchless power, Pharaoh repented of this step, and with his men of war hasted after the fleeing Israelites to bring them back, and, venturing to enter the path that had been provided for the escape of God’s people, he and his host perished in the Red Sea.

The sin of the Egyptians was that they had refused the light which God had so graciously sent to them through Joseph. While many accepted that light, of many more it could be said, God is not in all their thoughts. And the message sent to testify to them of God’s displeasure was, «Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.» Christ died for every soul in Egypt, and every soul was to have the light. The righteous were not to be excluded from the wicked, but kept by the power of God from receiving the mold and spot of the transgressor.

The Lord could say, I stretch my scepter from east to west, and from north to south; and all is mine. Satan and his host dispute the ownership of Christ; but his seal is upon everything that he has made. How easily he can blot out cities and nations, we shall know not long hence. He could call worlds into existence. He speaks, and thousands of angels stand before him. Moses and Aaron were sustained by his assuring presence, and had a hand been put forth to harm them, the messengers of God, the holy angels, would have protected them, and palsied the power of Satan.

Just in proportion to the magnitude of resistance and the obstacles presented to the work of God, the faith of every believer will be honored, and power be imparted to his workers to surmount and overcome them. How could God, in his awful majesty and truth and justice, appear vindicated before his adversaries if Satan and his angels were to prevail in the battle? They think to match themselves against Christ, and say, We prevail, and God durst not exercise his power upon us to punish us. But there will come a time when God’s long-suffering forbearance will be exhausted.

Then there will be an engagement between the Prince of Light and the prince of darkness, as in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. A prevailing energy from beneath was at work then. Satan was seeking to hold God’s people in bondage to an idolatrous nation, to their rites and customs, and make of none effect the promise of God to Abraham. The armies of heaven surrounded Moses and Aaron, who were active agents in the hands of God, while the Prince of Life carried the burden of the warfare.

In rescuing the children of promise from the oppressive power of Satan, Christ was to show that notwithstanding the unchangeable attributes of God, sinners who have insulted God may be taken back to his favor, if they return to their loyalty, and yet his honor be kept without a mar. It would be made manifest that truth and justice are the habitation of his throne, and the law of Jehovah would be magnified.

There was not an angel but desired to look into the mystery of man’s redemption, through all the difficulties which seemed to surround it. All heaven saw the great and wonderful plan, so large as to compass the whole earth, and so deeply laid that the strength of satanic agencies could not prevail against it.

The mind may speculate upon this, and fail to comprehend it; for the great matter to be decided in the conflict was not merely between God and man; every creature that God had created was involved in the conflict. The unfallen worlds saw that the character of God could be vindicated only through this trial and conflict of the two forces. The attributes of God must be made to appear. Of the stability of his government there must be no question. And the Son of God himself proposed to carry forward the work to the end, to gain the victory over the prince of darkness and over all his allies. «Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.» Mrs. E. G. White. —