The History of Moses and the Israelites—

continued.

WHEN Moses was grown up, he kept to the worship of the true GoD and GOD loved Moses, and told him he should bring the people of Israel out of Egypt; and that they should go and possess the land of Canaan, and become a great nation, as GoD had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and GoD commanded Moses to tell the people of Israel, that he would certainly deliver them from their cruel bondage.

GOD also commanded Moses to take his brother Aaron with him, and go to Pharaoh, and tell him, that the people of Israel must go to sacrifice to GOD in the wilderness.

Moses and Aaron did as the LORD GOD commanded; but Pharaoh was in a great rage, and said, he did not fear the LORD GOD, and the people should not go. So the LORD GOD wrought very wonderful things, and sent many plagues, to make Pharaoh and the people of Egypt fear him; and the LORD GOD, at last, killed all their eldest sons in one night. Pharaoh then let the Israelites go: but soon after they gone, he said they should not serve the LORD GOD, they should serve him so he got his army together and went after them,

were

to the

borders of the Red Sea; but the LORD GOD caused the waters of the Red Sea to divide, so that the Israelites went through the midst of the sea, on dry land, at Pihahiroth; and as soon as the Egyptians went after them, the LORD GOD brought the waters back again, and drowned them all: and the people of Israel got safe to the other side, and pursued their journey.

The History of Moses and the Israelites-
continued.

WHEN the LORD God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, he took them for his own people, and appointed Moses to be their leader. And the LORD GOD caused a cloudy pillar to go before the people, to show them which way he chose they should go. Sometimes the people followed the advice of Moses, but very often they were ill-humoured, though God did wonders for them. Twice, when they were very thirsty, and could not get water, the LORD caused a fountain to flow from a stony rock. The LORD also rained manna from heaven for them every day, to serve them for bread and at length they came safely to a mountain called Mount Sinai and GOD called to Moses to come up

to the top of the mountain, and there the LORD spake the words of the Ten Commandments, in the hearing of the people. These commandments the LORD afterwards wrote upon two tables of stone, and gave them to Moses. When Moses came down from the mountain, his face shone so bright, that the people could not look at him; and it is for this reason Moses is always drawn with rays darting from each side of his head.

When Jacob left Canaan to go into the land of Egypt, his whole family of sons and grandsons, with Joseph and his sons, amounted to no more than threescore and ten when the Israelites were numbered in the wilderness, two` years after they left Egypt, there were many thousands of them; for the LORD fulfilled his promises that he would multiply them greatly.

A short account of the Tabernacle, and the
Priest and Sacrifices.

WHEN GOD had given Moses the commandments and other laws, he told him to make a Tabernacle, which was a sort of tent, for public worship; and the LORD gave Moses instructions how to make it. The LORD also

commanded him to make an altar for burnt sacrifices, and many other things; and directed him what kinds of things to offer upon the altar. The LORD also commanded Moses to anoint Aaron, his brother, to be the High Priest, and Aaron's sons to be priests under him; and directed Moses to have holy garments made for Aaron and his sons. The LORD also commanded Moses to set apart the whole tribe of Levi for the service of the Tabernacle; all which Moses did, as the LORD commanded.

And when the Tabernacle was set up, and the priests sanctified, and every thing set in order, and the sacrifices offered, the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle, which was a token to the people that the LORD GOD approved of all that was done.

The principal thing that was kept in the Tabernacle, was the Ark of the Covenant-a small chest, covered with gold; the lid of which was called the Mercy Seat. In this Ark were deposited the two Tables of the Law, written by the LORD GOD himself. Over the Tabernacle, while the people of Israel were journeying through the wilderness, was the pillar of the cloud: when the LORD caused the pillar to remove, the people knew that they were to go

on; when it stopped, they knew that they were to set up the Tabernacle, and to pitch their tents and a very beautiful sight it was to behold the camp of Israel, with the Tabernacle in the midst of it. And the people of Israel were the greatest nation upon earth, for they were the chosen people of the LORD.

The History of the Rebellion of the People of Israel.

If the people of Israel had been faithful and obedient to the LORD, he would have suffered them to go directly to the land of Canaan, and take possession of it; but though the LORD wrought so many miracles for them, as soon as they were in any difficulty, they murmured against him; and on one occasion, they rebelled against the LORD, and proposed to choose a captain for themselves, and go back to Egypt.

On account of their wickedness and ingratitude, the LORD said that all the men who came out of Egypt, excepting Joshua and Caleb, who were faithful, should die in the wilderness, and not enter into the promised land: but that the next generation, the children of the men who rebelled, should take possession of Canaan.