Signs of the Times for 1880
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The Signs of the Times. "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22 :12. VOLUME 6. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 11, 1880. NUMBER 10. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. stowed upon them by their senseless gods. God the magicians. Tho frogs died, and were then ISSUED WEEKLY BY THE would glorify his own name, that other nations gathered together in heaps. Here the king and might hear of his power and tremble at his mighty all Egypt had evidence which their vain philoso- Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association. acts, and that his people might be led to fully turn phy could not dispose of, that this work was not (For terms, etc., see last page.] from their idolatry to render to him pure worship. accomplished by magic, but was a judgment from Obedient to the command of God, Moses and the God of Heaven. GOD'S ANVIL. Aaron again entered the lordly halls of the king When the king was relieved of his immediate of Egypt. There, surrounded by the massive and distress, he again stubbornly refused to let Israel Panes furnace heat within me quivers, richly sculptured columns, and the gorgeousness go. Aaron, at the command of God stretched out God's breath upon the flame doth blow, And all my heart in anguish shivers, of rich hangings and adornments of silver and his hand and caused the dust of the earth to And trembles at the fiery glow; gold, and gems, before the monarch of the most become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And yet I whisper, As God will! powerful kingdom then in existence, stood these Pharaoh called upon the magicians to do the And in his hottest fire hold still. two men of the despised race, one with a rod in same with their enchantments, but they could He comes and lays my heart, all heated, his hand, come once more to deliver their request not. The work of God was thus shown to be On the hard anvil, minded so that he would let their people go. superior to the power of Satan. The magicians Into his own fair shape to beat it The king demanded a miracle. Moses and themselves acknowledged that their imitative With his great hammer, blow on blow ; Aaron had been previously directed of God how And yet I whisper, As God will! power was at an end, saying, " This is the finger And at his heaviest blows hold still. to act in case such a demand should be made, and of God." But the king was still unmoved. Aaron now took the rod and cast it down before Still another trial was made, after another ap- He takes my softened heart and beats it, the king. It became a serpent. The monarch peal to " let the people go." Flies filled the The sparks fly off at every blow; He turns it o'er and o'er and heats it, sent for his " wise men, and the sorcerers," who, houses and swarmed upon the ground, so that And lets it cool and makes it glow; at his command, " cast down every man his rod, " the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm And yet I whisper, As God will! and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swal- of flies." These were not such flies as harmlessly And in his mighty hand hold still. lowed up their rods." The only effect on the annoy us at some seasons of the year; but they Why should I murmur ? for the sorrow, king was to make him more settled and firm in were large and venomous. Their sting was very Thus only longer lived would be; his purpose than before. painful to man and beast. It had been previously Its end may come, and will, to-morrow, The magicians did not really cause their rods stated that the land of Goshen would be exempt When God has done his work for me; to become serpents, but by magic, aided by the So I say, trusting, As God will! from this visitation, which was accordingly found And, trusting to the end, hold still. great deceiver, made them appear like serpents, to be true. to counterfeit the work of God. Satan assisted Pharaoh now sent for the two brothers, and He kindles for my profit purely his servants, in order to deceive the people, and told them that he would allow the Israelites to .Affliction's glowing fiery brand, And all his heaviest blows are surely encourage them in their rebellion. Pharaoh would offer sacrifices in Egypt itself; but this offer was Inflicted by a master hand; grasp at the least evidence he could obtain to refused. Certain animals were regarded as objects So I say, praying, As God will! justify himself in resisting the work of God per- of worship by the Egyptians, and such was the And hope in him and suffer still. formed by Moses and Aaron. He told these ser- reverence in which these creatures were held that —From the German. vants of God that his magicians could do all these to slay one, even accidentally, was a crime punish- wonders. The difference between the work of able with death. Moses assured the king that it ENERAL iiRTICLES. God and that of the magicians was, one was of was impossible for them to sacrifice to God in the p God, the other of Satan. One was true, the other land of Egypt; for they might select for their of- false. fering some ono of the animals which the Egyp- THE PLAGUES ON EGYPT. Moses and his brother were next directed to tians considered sacred. BY MRS. E. G. WHITE. meet the king as he visited the river in the morn- Moses again proposed to go three days' journey ing, and standing upon its bank they were again into the wilderness. The king consented and THE Lord directed Moses to go again to the to repeat their message to him, and as proof that begged the servants of God to entreat that the children of Israel, and repeat the promise of de- God had indeed sent them, they were to stretch plague might be removed. They promised to do liverance, with a fresh assurance of divine favor. out the rod over the waters in all directions, thus this, but cautioned him against dealing deceitfully Moses went as he was commanded; but the peo- changing them into blood. It was done, and the with them. The plagae ceased at their prayer. ple were in no mood to receive him; their hearts river ran blood, and all the water in their houses But the king's heart had become hardened by his were full of bitterness, the lash was still sounding was changed to blood, the fish died, and the persistent rebellion, and he still refused to let the in their ears, the cry of anguish and distress water became. offensive to the smell. But "the people go. drowned all other sounds, and they would not magicians of Egypt did so with their enchant- listen. Moses bowed his head in humiliation and ments," changing in the same way the water ANTIQUITY OF THE SABBATH. disappointment, and again God's voice was heard drawn from wells. Still the king hardened his by him,—" Go in, speak unto Pharaoh, king of heart, and refused to yield. For seven days the THE Sabbath was instituted at creation. In Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of plague continued, the inhabitants being obliged Genesis 2 : 1-3, we read : " Thus the heavens and his land." The discouraged man replied, If the to dig wells to supply themselves with water. the earth were finished, and all the host of them. children of Israel, thine own circumcised people, Another effort at moving the king was now And on the seventh day God ended his work which will not hearken unto me, how then shall Pharaoh, made. The rod was again stretched out over the he had made; and he rested on the seventh day who is uncircumcised and an idolator, hear me ? waters, and frogs came up from the river and from all his work which he had made. And God Moses' heart seemed utterly crushed. Yet still spread over the country,—into the houses, and blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because he was kept to duty. He was told now to take bed-chambers, and ovens, and kneading-troughs. that in it he had rested from all his work which Aaron with him, and directed, " Thou shalt speak The magicians with their enchantments appeared God created and made." all that I command thee; " told to go before Pha- to bring up similar animals. The general nuisance The commandment in Exodus 20 : 8-11, begins raoh and again request " that he send the children soon became so intolerable that the king was with the word " remember," which shows that of Israel out of his land." He was informed that earnest to have it removed. But although the the Hebrews had previous knowledge of the Slb- the monarch would not give his consent until God magicians had succeeded in producing frogs, they bath; and this is also apparent from Exodus 16 : should lay his hand in judgment upon Egypt and could not remove them. When Pharaoh saw this 4, 5, 22, 23-30. bring Israel out by his almighty power. Every he was somewhat humbled, and desired Moses Now, the antiquity of the institution depends punishment which the king rejected would render and Aaron to entreat the Lord for him, that the on the space of time covered by this word " re- the next chastisement more close and severe, until plague might be stayed.