Chapter 22—Moses
This chapter is based on
Exodus 1
to
Exodus 4
.
The people of Egypt, in order to supply themselves with food
during the famine, had sold to the crown their cattle and lands, and
had finally bound themselves to perpetual serfdom. Joseph wisely
provided for their release; he permitted them to become royal tenants,
holding their lands of the king, and paying an annual tribute of one
fifth of the products of their labor.
But the children of Jacob were not under the necessity of making
such conditions. On account of the service that Joseph had rendered
the Egyptian nation, they were not only granted a part of the country
as a home, but were exempted from taxation, and liberally supplied
with food during the continuance of the famine. The king publicly
acknowledged that it was through the merciful interposition of the
God of Joseph that Egypt enjoyed plenty while other nations were
perishing from famine. He saw, too, that Joseph’s management had
greatly enriched the kingdom, and his gratitude surrounded the family
of Jacob with royal favor.
But as time rolled on, the great man to whom Egypt owed so much,
and the generation blessed by his labors, passed to the grave. And
“there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” Not
that he was ignorant of Joseph’s services to the nation, but he wished
to make no recognition of them, and, so far as possible, to bury them
in oblivion. “And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the
children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal
wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when
there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight
against us, and so get them up out of the land.”
The Israelites had already become very numerous; they “were fruit-
ful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding
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mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Under Joseph’s fostering
care, and the favor of the king who was then ruling, they had spread
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