September 17

Exodus xiv.—15. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

16. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

17. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

19. And the Angel of God which went before the camp of Israel removed, and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

20. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night.

21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them, to the midst of the sea, even all

Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24. And it came to pass, that in the morning-watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.

25. And took off their chariot-wheels, that they drove them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them: there remained not so much as one of them.

29. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

30. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.

31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

The point at which the Israelites crossed the Red Sea was probably near the neck of the Gulf of Suez, which then extended a mile or two farther to the north. Moses had taken the shortest route to the desert, intending to go around the head of the gulf; but Pharaoh, having recovered from his fright, was in hot pursuit, with spearmen, chariots of war, and horsemen, — such an array as is always depicted in the Egyptian drawings and sculptures of battle scenes. Moses was completely hemmed in, — mountains to the north, the sea in front, the enemy coming up behind from the west and north. A

mighty cry went up from that host of terror-stricken fugitives unto the Lord; and, in face of seeming impossibilities, the answer came, "Go forward." To doubt then was to perish. He who holds the winds and waves in his hand used the powers of Nature as the ministers of his salvation. The majestic pillar of cloud and fire changed front: it was light — as it ever will be light — where God would have his people go; it was darkness and destruction — as it ever must be — when his justice shall frown or flame upon his enemies.

APPROPRIATE HIMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 80, 155, 191.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock! thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. For the goodly inheritance of this land, for plenty and prosperity, for freedom and order, for union and peace, for schools and churches, for thy holy day and thy holy word, we render thee, O Lord! most hearty thanks. Oh! keep this people ever faithful to thee, the God of our fathers; and do thou, O Lord! remember us in mercy.

Alas! how have we sinned against thee in profaning thy sabbaths, in disregarding thy Word, in boasting our own might and trusting our own riches, in seeking and loving this world! Oh! save our land from corruption and crime, and forgetfulness of God.

Incline our hearts, O Lord! to cleave to thy testimonies, and to be faithful witnesses for thy truth. May we of this household ever be upon the Lord's side! May all our friends be the friends of God! May our whole land be filled with righteousness! Finally bring us into thy heavenly kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.