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be suspended for ever on the palace-walls of heaven, as a glittering bauble, no more to
make proof of its temper?" (Quoted by Fairbairn on Typology).
Let us not repine therefore at the trials of the way, but believe that when the harvest
comes we shall reap in this connection, exactly as we have sown.
#41. Moses and Christ; rejected at first,
but afterwards received (Exod. 2: - 4:).
pp. 132 - 135
We saw, in our last paper, the great dispensational fact that Israel's bondage was a
necessary part of the Divine purpose, both with regard to themselves and with regard to
the nations.
"Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards: YET affliction cometh not forth of
the dust, NEITHER doth trouble spring out of the ground" (Job 5: 6, 7).
Affliction and trouble are within the providence of God; they come from above.
Egypt was no fit abiding-place for the chosen people; affliction and distress came upon
them, to make them the more ready to respond to the command to leave the house of
bondage and go forth to the land of promise.
"Arise and depart hence, for this is not your rest, because it is polluted" (Micah 2: 10).
Before the cry of oppressed Israel ascended up to heaven, the deliverer was prepared
who should be the manifest answer to their prayer. The seventh from Adam was Enoch
(Jude 14). He walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Scripture draws
attention to the fact that Enoch was the seventh from Adam, and it is evident that we are
to consider this as of typical importance. Moses was the seventh from Abraham.
(1) Abraham, (2) Isaac, (3) Jacob, (4) Levi, (5) Kohath, (6) Amram, (7) Moses. This
fact seems to indicate that Moses also will be an outstanding figure in the development of
the purpose of God. The same numerical character may be seen in the case of Abraham.
Abraham was the seventh from Eber, who gave his name to the Hebrews--"Abram the
Hebrew" (Gen. 14: 13).
The faith of the parents of Moses finds a place in the list of overcomers in Heb. 11:
This led to the adoption of Moses by Pharaoh's daughter, and is a remarkable example of
the marvellous way in which the Lord makes "the wrath of man to praise Him". "When
Moses was grown" (Exod. 2: 11), or, as Acts 7: 23, 24 tells us:--
"When he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the
children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged
him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian."
Stephen, when he uttered these words, was "full of the Holy Ghost", and his face as it
had been "the face of an angel". This must guide us when we read in Exod. 2: 12:--