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From Eternity Past
As the years rolled on, his prayers for Israel ascended by day and
by night. Here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the
book of Genesis. The long years spent amid the desert solitudes were
rich in blessing to the world in all ages.
The Time for Freedom Comes!
“In process of time ... the king of Egypt died: and the children of
Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry
came up unto God... . And God looked upon the children of Israel,
and God had respect unto them.” The time for deliverance had come.
God’s purpose was to be accomplished in a manner to pour con-
tempt on human pride. The deliverer was to go forth as a humble
shepherd, with only a rod in his hand, but God would make that rod
the symbol of His power.
Leading his flocks one day near Horeb, “the mountain of God,”
Moses saw a bush in flames, yet not consumed. He drew near, when a
voice from out of the flame called him by name. With trembling lips
he answered, “Here am I.” He was warned not to approach irreverently:
“Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest
is holy ground... . I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for
he was afraid to look upon God.”
As Moses waited in awe before God, the words continued: “I have
surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have
heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
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and to bring them up out of the land unto a good land and a large, unto
a land flowing with milk and honey... . Come now therefore, and I will
send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the
children of Israel out of Egypt.”
Amazed and terrified, Moses drew back, saying, “Who am I, that I
should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of
Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses thought of the blindness, ignorance, and unbelief of his
people. Many were almost destitute of a knowledge of God. “Behold,”
he said, “when I ... shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath
sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what