Ten Plagues of Egypt
155
observance of the Sabbath had come to the notice of their oppressors.
The king, thoroughly roused, suspected the Israelites of a design
to revolt from his service. He would see that no time was left them for
dangerous scheming. And he at once adopted measures to tighten their
bonds and crush their independent spirit. The most common building
material was sun-dried brick; and the manufacture of brick employed
great numbers of the bondmen. Cut straw being intermixed with the
clay to hold it together, large quantities were required. The king now
directed that no more straw be furnished; the laborers must find it for
themselves, while the same amount of brick should be exacted.
The Egyptian taskmasters appointed Hebrew officers to oversee
the work. When the requirement of the king was put in force, the
people scattered to gather stubble instead of straw; but they found it
impossible to accomplish the usual amount of labor. For this failure
the Hebrew officers were cruelly beaten.
These officers went to the king with their grievances. Their re-
monstrance was met by Pharaoh with a taunt: “Ye are idle, ye are
idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.” They
were ordered back to their work; their burdens were in no case to be
lightened. Returning, they met Moses and Aaron, and cried out to
them, “The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our
savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his
servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.”
[178]
Moses was distressed. The sufferings of the people had been
increased. All over the land a cry of despair went up from old and
young. All united in charging upon him the disastrous change in their
condition. In bitterness of soul he went before God. “Lord, wherefore
hast Thou so evil entreated this people? Why is it that Thou hast sent
me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath done
evil to this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all.”
The answer was, “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh:
for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand
shall he drive them out of his land.”
The elders of Israel endeavored to sustain the sinking faith of
their brethren by repeating the promises made to their fathers and the
prophetic words of Joseph foretelling their deliverance from Egypt.
Some would listen and believe. Others refused to hope. The Egyptians,