Of HO ERKOMENOS it is written, "Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him." "Even so, Come, YAHVEH JESUS," may we be prepared to add.* * See further, on this interesting subject, "Yahveh Christ," by Alex. McWhorter. D CHAPTER II. THE PASSOVER. "But where on the lintel the red blood would deepen, The land of their bondage, their shame, their disgrace." THE first thing which was necessary in order that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob might make it manifest to the children of Israel that He would henceforth be known among them as Jehovah, was their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was, we are informed, while Moses was keeping his flocks at Horeb that the Almighty God made Himself known to him as "I AM THAT I AM," and commissioned him to tell the Hebrews that the God of their fathers had selected him to be the leader of His people from the land of Egypt to Canaan. Moses was directed further to visit Pharaoh, and ask permission for the children of Israel to go three days' journey into the wilderness to worship their God. He was encouraged to proceed in a work of such magni tude by the two miracles of the serpent-rod and the leprous hand, in conjunction with the assurance that if such miracles should fail to convince Pharaoh and the Egyptians that Jehovah had sent him, other miraculous signs and plagues should follow. As Moses was not eloquent, his brother Aaron was chosen by Jehovah to be the speaker. In accordance with instructions received, Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and requested that their brethren might be permitted to go three days' journey into the wilderness. The proud king however not only contemptuously refused to grant such a favour by saying, "I know not the LORD (Jehovah), neither will I let Israel go" (Exod. v. 2), but added to the burdens of the people by compelling them to collect straw with which they made their tallies of bricks. "Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they be idle: therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God" (Exod. v. 7, 8). Moses, feeling somewhat diffident, shrank from appearing again before Pharaoh, but in answer to his reiterated objections fresh assurances of Jehovah's presence and protection were guaranteed. The two brethren again entered Pharaoh's presence, when Aaron's rod was transformed into a serpent; after which, in consequence of the king's heart being more hardened than it had been, the threatened plagues were brought upon him and his people in the following order. 1. All water in vessels, pools, and rivers was turned to blood for seven days; and all fish died (Exod. vii. 19-25). 2. The streams, rivers, and ponds brought forth swarms of frogs (Exod. viii. 1-7). 3. The dust of the land was turned to lice (Exod. viii. 16-19). 4. All Egypt except Goshen swarmed with flies (Exod. viii. 20–24). 5. A deadly murrain attacked the Egyptians' cattle, but left the Israelites' herds untouched (Exod. ix. 1–7). 6. Ashes, flung towards heaven by Moses, returned as dust and produced boils and blains upon man and beast (Exod. ix. 8-12). 7. Hail and fire, such as had never before been seen in Egypt, destroyed man, beast, herb, tree, barley, and flax (Exod. ix. 17-32). 8. Locusts were afterwards sent which devoured all that the hail and fire had left (Exod. x. 3-15). But these and also the darkness 9. Which afterwards overspread the land of Egypt, excepting Goshen,-failed to prevail with Pharaoh so as to gain his permission for the children of Israel to depart out of his coasts (Exod. x. 21–23). It was in consequence of Pharaoh still hardening his heart and refusing to let the children of Israel depart that Jehovah said unto Moses, "Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt" (Exod. xi. 1). "About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD (Jehovah) doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel (Exod. xi. 4-7). In order that the Israelites might escape the terrible plague which Jehovah was about to bring upon the Egyptians, and that it might be seen that He had put a difference between them, Moses was commanded to speak unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, “In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house; and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb" (Exod. xii. 3, 4). The lamb was to be of the first year, from the sheep or goats, and without blemish. It was to be chosen and set apart on the tenth day of the month, and killed and eaten on the evening of the fourteenth. From that time the month Abib was to be called the first month of the year, though previously |