Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/176

 He alone  is  eternal. All else  has  been  made  by  Him  and  has  a beginning.

2. God  is  unchanging.  His  command: Thou  shalt  bring  My  people out of  Egypt,  could  not  be  altered  by  any  hesitations  or  objections  on the  part  of  Moses.

3. God  is  omniscient.  “I  have  seen  the  affliction  of  My  people, and heard  their  cry.”  — “Do  these  signs,  and  they  will  believe."

4. God  is  almighty. “Who  made  the  dumb  and  the  deaf;  the seeing and  the  blind? Did not  I?”  God’s  power  was  also  proved  by the  miracles  of  the  rod  &amp;c.

5. God  is  holy.  “The  Lord  was  angry  with  Moses”,  i.e.  He showed  His  displeasure  with  Moses  for  having  so  little  confidence,  and for making  so  many  objections.

6. God  is  merciful.  “I  will  deliver  them  out  of  the  hands  of  the Egyptians.”

7. God  is  faithful.  He  fulfilled  that  which  He  promised  to  Jacob: “I will  bring  thee  and  thy  seed  back  from  Egypt.”

The object  of  miracles.  Moses  was  the  first  of  those  sent  by  God, who received  the  power  of  working  miracles;  and,  as  we  are  told,  the object of  these  miracles  was  that  the  children  of  Israel  might  believe. How much  more,  then,  ought  we  to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  who  worked so many  more,  and  much  greater  miracles,  than  Moses! The difference between our  Lord’s  miracles  and  those  of  Moses  is  this  that  Moses wrought them  by  the  power  of  God,  and  our  Lord  by  His  own  power.

Humility and  confidence  in  God.  One  of  Moses’  most  prominent virtues was  a sincere  humility. He held  himself  to  be  neither  capable nor worthy  of  the  great  task  allotted  to  him  by  God. But it  was  just on account  of  his  humility  that  God  chose  him  to  be  the  leader  of  His chosen people,  for  He  “exalteth  the  humble,  and  abaseth  the  proud”. Moses, however,  failed,  by  giving  way  to  so  many  hesitations. After God had  said:  “I  will  be  with  thee”,  he  ought  to  have  said,  as  St  Paul did: "I  can  do  all  things  in  Him  who  strengthened  me”  (Phil.  4,  13). Instead  of  that,  he  made  more  and  more  objections,  and  on  account of  this  Almighty  God  reproached  and  blamed  him.  At  last,  however, he  obeyed  God’s  commands,  and  full  of  confidence  he  accomplished his  appointed  task  splendidly.  True  humility  distrusts  itself,  but  trusts all  the  more  in  God.

You are  not  called  on  to  take  off  your  shoes when you  enter  a church; but  you  are  called  on  to  leave  all worldly thoughts  outside. You are  not  obliged  to  cover  your eyes, but  you  ought  to  hold  them  in  check,  and  be  recollected, and not  look  about  you  curiously.