Exodus 1:6

ISRAEL IN EGYPT. -- Exodus 1:6-14.

GOLDEN TEXT. -- He increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. -- Psalms 105:24. TIME. --This lesson begins with the death of Joseph, which is supposed to have taken place B. C. 1635. PLACE. --Egypt. HELPFUL READINGS. -- Genesis 50:1-26ded only one thing--love. I-5; Psalms 105:16-25. LESSON ANALYSIS. --1. The Growth of Israel; 2. The King who Knew not Joseph; 3. Israel in Bondage.

INTRODUCTION.

EXODUS means. departure; the book of Exodus describes the departure of Israel from Egypt. It comprehends the history of Israel for. period variously estimated by chronologists at from one hundred and forty-five to over three hundred years, beginning with the death of Joseph. It describes the life of the Israelites in Egypt and their miraculous deliverance by the hand of Moses; their entrance into the wilderness of Sinai; the promulgation of the law, and the building of the tabernacle. Its authorship by Moses is distinctly asserted by Moses himself (Exodus 24:4), as well as by our Lord (Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37). Besides, the thorough knowledge it exhibits of the institutions and usages of the ancient Egyptians, and the minute geographical details of the journey to Sinai, establish in the clearest manner the authenticity of this book. The very titles of the first two books in the Bible remind us that the history of man is little more than the narrative of his entrance into the world and his exit from it.

This lesson introduces another change in the wonderful history of the most wonderful people known in the history of the world. The race first appears to view in the person of Abraham in Central Asia; it migrates to Palestine on the Mediterranean coast: from thence, as we have seen, it is transferred to Egypt in Africa; after. season of great favor and prosperity evil days come, and. vigorous effort is made to extirpate it from the face of the earth. The present lesson gives an account of the beginning of the evil days.

I. THE GROWTH OF ISRAEL.

6. And Joseph died.

After attaining to the age of one hundred and ten years, during eighty of which he was ruler in Egypt. Of his sepulcher nothing is here said; but we learn elsewhere that his remains, as well as those of his brethren, were carried out of Egypt and buried in Shechem in the land of Canaan (Exodus 13:19; Acts 7:16).-- Bush.

And all his brethren.

Perhaps all Jacob's sons died much about the same time; for there was not more than seven years' difference in age between the eldest and the youngest of them except Benjamin; and when death comes into. family sometimes it makes. full end in. little time; when Joseph, the stay of the family, died, the rest went off apace.-- Henry.

And all that generation.

As some of those who descended with Jacob were mere infants, more than half of the two hundred and ten years would have elapsed before their decease. This would bring us w-23wenty years of the birth of Moses, if we accept the shorter period assigned for the residence of Israel in Egypt. Generations, as well as men, die and disappear. These words describe the lot of our race. But while the generation died, Israel lived.. new generation pushed into the place of the old. Men may be mortal, but the race is immortal.