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army. According to Greek historians it was the boast of the Egyptians that, intheir
great works, they only employed captives and slaves, never their own people. But
Aahmes Ihad special need of Israelitish labor, since we learn from an inscription,
dating from histwenty-second year, that he was largely engaged in restoring the
temples and buildings destroyed bythe "Shepherds."
But this first measure of the Pharaohs against Israel produced the opposite result from
what hadbeen expected. So far from diminishing, their previous vast growth went on
in increased ratio, so thatthe Egyptians "were sorely afraid 9 (alarmed) because of the
children of Israel." (Exodus 1:12)Accordingly Pharaoh resorted to a second measure,
by which all male children, as they were born,were to be destroyed, probably
unknown to their parents. But the two Hebrew women, who, as wesuppose, were at
the head of "the guild" of midwives, do not seem to have communicated the
king'sorder to their subordinates. At any rate, the command was not executed.
Scripture has preservedthe names of these courageous women, and told us that their
motive was "fear of God" (in theHebrew with the article, "the God," as denoting the
living and true God). And as they were themeans of "making" or upbuilding the
houses of Israel, so God "made them houses." It is true that,when challenged by the
king. they failed to speak out their true motive; but, as St. Augustineremarks, "God
forgave the evil on account of the good, and rewarded their piety, though not.
theirdeceit."
How little indeed any merely human device could have averted the ruin of Israel,
appears from thethird measure which Pharaoh now adopted. Putting aside every
restraint, and forgetting, in hisdetermination, even his interests, the king issued a
general order to cast every Jewish male child, as itwas born, into the Nile. Whether
this command, perhaps given in anger, was not enforced for anylength of time, or the
Egyptians were unwilling permanently to lend themselves to such cruelty, or
theIsraelites found means of preserving their children from this danger, certain it is,
that, while manymust have suffered, and all needed to use the greatest precautions,
this last ruthless attempt toexterminate Israel also proved vain. Thus the two
prophecies had been fulfilled. Even under the mostadverse circumstances Israel had so
increased as to fill the Egyptians with alarm; and the "affliction"of Israel had reached
its highest point. And now the promised deliverance was also to appear. As inso many
instances, it came in what men would call the most unlikely manner.
(^)