I. CAUSE OF REMOVAL FROM CANAAN.

1. Selling of Joseph. — The sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph into bondage in order to satisfy their spirit of envy and revenge; but God overruled the event for good, and by the selling of Joseph the chosen family was brought into Egypt and delivered from famine (Gen. 45:5-7).

2. The Famine. — The great famine that came upon the land forced the family of Israel to seek sustenance elsewhere, and by Joseph's wisdom and forethought they were brought into the land of Egypt (Gen. 46:1 —47:12).

II. LIFE IN EGYPT.

1. Period of Prosperity. — Joseph gave to his father and brethren the land of Goshen, the most fertile spot in all the land, and Joseph nourished them and they grew to be a great and powerful people (Ex. 1:7).

2. Period of Oppression. — After Joseph and all his generation had died, there arose a ruler who knew not Joseph, and he began to oppress the children of Israel, fearing that they would become a mighty nation and overthrow the Egyptian government. The Egyptians attempted to check the increase of the Israelites, first by severe bondage and then by destroying the male children; but God blessed the children of Israel and caused them to increase greatly (Ex. 1:8-22).

III. THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF THEIR STAY IN EGYPT.

1. Preservation of the Race.— There were frequent famines in Canaan and the tribes were constantly at war, so the Israelites could have scarcely grown to be such a large nation had they remained in Canaan, while the warm climate and abundant crops in Egypt were conducive to rapid increase.

2. Education of the People.— The Egyptians were the most highly cultured nation of that age, and although socially the Israelites were kept apart from them, they learned much from them. At the end of their 230 years' stay in Egypt they had an organized government with a leader who had received a most thorough education (Acts 7:22). They were no longer shepherds, but farmers, and had reached a higher stage of literature. They had a written language (Ex. 24:7).

3. Protection of their Religion.— In Canaan they were continually surrounded by heathen tribes who would have corrupted their morals and their religion by the constant intermingling of their idolaters. In Egypt they were prevented from mingling with the natives on account of the caste system, and thus they were not led away from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of idols.

IV. THE PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE.

1. The Preparation of a Leader.

(1) Home Training.— No one but an Israelite could have been the deliverer leader and lawgiver of Israel. Moses was an Israelite and belonged to the priestly tribe of Levi (Ex. 2:1, 2). His parents were full of faith (Heb. 11:23) and trained him to be a true Israelite (Ex. 2:3-10).

(2) Royal Culture.— He became a member of Pharaoh's royal household and was reared as his own son (Ex. 2:10). This gave him the opportunity to become acquainted with court life and enabled him to intercede for his people.

(3) Wilderness Experience.— He spent forty years in the very wilderness through which he led Israel, thus giving him a thorough knowledge of the land and a wide experience of the hardships and disadvantages of life in the wilderness.

(4) The Call of God.— When Moses was at Mt. Sinai God spoke to him and gave him his credentials as the deliverer of the Chosen Nation. His vision of the burning bush prepared him also to accept the call after his preparation in Egypt and the wilderness.

2. The Preparation of Israel.— The Israelites might have had no desire to leave Egypt had they always been prosperous, but when oppression and suffering came they were made willing to leave Egypt and go to the Land of Promise, where they might accomplish the design God had for the people. At first they were unwilling to accept Moses as their deliverer; but when he returned from the forty years' stay in the wilderness, and showed the credentials he had received at Mt. Sinai, they accepted him as their deliverer (Ex. 4:1-31).

3. The Preparation of Pharaoh. — At first Pharaoh was unwilling to grant Israel a leave of absence; but after the ten plagues were brought upon the Egyptians he was filled with confidence that the hand of Jehovah was with Israel and against Egypt. The ten plagues were (1) river turned to blood, (2) frogs, (3) lice, (4) flies, (5) murrain, (6) boils, (7) hail, (8) locusts, (9) darkness, and (10) death (Ex. 7:19- 12:33).

QUESTIONS.

• Why were the Israelites brought into Egypt?

• How did Joseph become the savior of his people?

• When did Jacob learn that Joseph was in Egypt?

• Did his brothers know him when they first met him?

• Describe the possessions Israel received in Egypt.

• Why were the Israelites oppressed?

• What efforts were made to check the growth of the Nation?

• What was the purpose of Israel's stay in Egypt?

• What home training had Moses?

• What privileges did he have in Egypt for culture?

• What culture did he receive in the Wilderness?

• Where was he called to be the Deliverer?

• Describe his vision at the Burning Bush.

• Why was Israel to leave Egypt?

• Why was Pharaoh not willing to let Israel go?

• Name the ten plagues.

REVIEW.

I. Cause of Removal from Canaan.

1. Selling of Joseph.

2. The Famine.

II. Life in Egypt.

1. Period of Prosperity.

2, Period of Oppression.

III. The Divine Purpose of Their Stay in Egypt,

1. Preservation of the Race.

2. Education of the People.

3. Protection of their Religion.

IV. The Preparation for Departure.

1. The Preparation of a Leader:

(1) Home Training,

(2) Royal Culture,

(3) Wilderness Experience,

(4) The Call of God.

2. The Preparation of Israel-Oppression, Credentials.

3. The Preparation of Pharaoh —Ten Plagues.