Israel Pursued

And when Pharaoh drew nig-h, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them. — Exodus xiv. 10.

Protesting against the habit of spiritualizing things in Scripture we may yet without violating the spirit of our vule, show some analogies between the flight of Israel from Egypt and the progress of the sinner from the captivity of the devil. In both cases we have a debased condition of mankind a powerful enemy, a pursuing foe, a perilous road, a human ministry, and an omnipotent and gracious Redeemer.

I. The state or Israel in Egypt was a state oe THE UTMOST ABASEMENT. The children of Israel were in a state of slavery: there was not a free man amongst them: every one of them feared the eye and the stroke of a cruel taskmaster. No hour could they claim as their own j nor could they lay their hand upon any possession and claim a right in it; not a man in the land of Egypt but could point the finger of scorn at the captives. Loss of liberty is loss of manhood. The political condition of Israel is but a dim type of the spiritual condition of mankind. Every sinner is a slave. The wicked man serves a cruel master. He is watched on every hand; all his movements are understood; every desire or aspiration after liberty is turned into an occasion of augmented suffering. Wickedness reduces the volume and quality of manhood. Every bad thought and every wicked deed is so much taken from the completeness and dignity of human nature.

II. The enemy op Israel was poweeful. There was no struggle upon equal terms. Israel was under the foot of Pharaoh, and could only turn at the expense of inexpressible suffering. One word of remonstrance from Israel would have brought down the heavy hand of the oppressor. So with the great enemy of man. His resources are all but inexhaustible. He is not confined to one series of temptations. The diabolic genius in luring and seducing men to evil dispositions and courses is fertile beyond all parallel. He assaults us through the flesh; he insinuates ruinous ideas into the mind; he secretly touches the very fountains of life. He can touch our nature with a light liancl or he can smite us with tremendous force. A^^ien it suits his purpose he can whisper in persuasive tones and anon he can thunder his commands and his threats until we obey through intolerable fear.

III. Israel was pursued,, — so is the redeemed MAN. This is confirmed by every experience yet, strange to sayj it is often forgotten in our estimates of human character and progress. It is too frequently expected that when a man forsakes his evil ways, he will at once become an exemplary saint. The mocker is ready with his cruel taunt if the man who but yesterday left the land of darkness should hesitate or stumble for a moment. It is forgotten that the devil relinquishes his hold reluctantly. Years upon years after our conversion to Grod we are conscious of the presence of the old nature; there are sudden uprisings of forces which we supposed to be extinct; and again and again there is a breath of poison in the air which tells us that our footsteps are tracked, and that the enemy is not far behind. We should be gentle with one another, because though we are moving in the right direction, yet we suffer from the old weakness, and often tremble lest the foe should get an advantage over us.

IV. There is an omnipotent and geacious Redeemer — not only omnipotent but gracious. We could not be led and trained in the better life by mere stress of 2:)oiverj — there must be beauty as well as strength — grace in addition to energy. See how this is illustrated in the case of Israel from the 13th verse to the end of the chapter. Israel was exhausted so that contention could not have been the solution of the difficulty in which they were placed. What then was to be done? This! — ‘^ Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord ‘^! This was precisely the exhortation needed by injured and weary men. They could not have responded to a call to arms but they could stand still while the Lord fought for them. See how beautifully the case of another difficulty was met: the angel of the Lord had hitherto gone before the camp of Israel to show the way of march, but now that Pharaoh and his chariots were closer in their rear, the angel of the Lord removed and went behind the camp of Israel, and the pillar of cloud also removed and stood behind the children of God. A double object was thus served: the pillar was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to the camp of Israel. The comfort of Israel was the terror of the Egyptians, — for “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.”

It is so with the followers of the good to-day: to them God is love; to those who pursue or do wickedly our God is a consuming fire. In the course of our Christian experience we are often called upon simply to stand si ill. Herein is shown the tender grace of the living Redeemer. We are weak, we are weary and there is no more strength left in us; at that point he says. Waiting shall be accounted as serving, and standing still as the progress of triumphant strength.

Israel was not self-redeemed; nor are we; Jesus Christ is the angel of our redemption, — trusting to His leadership, neither mountain nor sea shall keep us back from the Canaan of God.