Chapter I: TOLD you how Jacob went away from home, and how God promised to take

care of him. He did take care of him: He led him to his uncle, and with him Jacob lived many years, and then came back with flocks of sheep and goats, camels and cows. And he had twelve sons. The best one of them was named Joseph. Jacob loved him very much, and gave him a striped dress of many colors, such as the son who is to be the heir wears in those countries. But his brothers hated and envied him, and were all the time finding fault with him.

One day, when Joseph was seventeen years old, ten of the brothers were out with their sheep, and Jacob desired Joseph to go and see what they were about. He would not tell his father how unkind they were to him, but he went; and as they saw him coming some of them were so wicked as to say that they would kill him, and never let him go home. Reuben, who was the eldest brother, tried to hinder them; but when he saw he could not stop them, he said the best way would be, not to kill him, but to let him down into a dry well just by.

There they meant to let him starve to death; and they let him down without any pity for him. Reuben meant to come by-and-by and take Joseph out of the pit and save him; but there was another brother, named Judah, who did not want to have him killed, and who saw a great party of men, with camels and asses laden with goods, going on a journey. He knew they were merchants, going to sell and buy in Egypt, and he advised the other brothers to persuade them to buy Joseph; for in those days men and women used to be bought and sold, and were called slaves.

So Joseph was drawn up out of the pit; and when the merchants saw what a fine young man he was, they paid the price for him and carried him off, away from his father and all he had ever known or cared for before. The cruel brothers kept his colored dress; and they killed a kid and stained it in the blood, and then carried it to their father, telling him they had found it. Jacob thought some wild beast had met Joseph and killed and eaten him, and he mourned and wept. His sons pretended to comfort him; but not one of them would tell him that Joseph was not dead.

QUESTIONS.

1. Whose son was Jacob? 2. How many sons had Jacob? 3. What did he set them to do? 4. Which did he love best? 5. What did he give Joseph? 6. Where did he send Joseph? 7. What did the brothers want to do? 8. Who wished to save him? 9. So what did Reuben persuade them to do? 10. What did Reuben mean to do? 11. But who came by? 12. What did the brothers do with Joseph? 13. Who persuaded them to sell him? 14. What are people called who are bought and sold? 15. What was done with his coat? 16. What did Jacob think?

SECOND READING.

"The Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand."--_Genesis 39:3._

SO we see Joseph a slave. A slave is a servant who belongs to his master, as his cows and horses do; he gets no wages, and cannot go away, but is bought and sold like cattle.

Think of poor Joseph. He was used to live as the son of a great rich prince, wearing a dress of many bright colors, with many servants, and no one to obey but his kind fond father; and living in a beautiful land, all hill and valley, where he used to feed his father's flocks. But now he was a slave in a strange land, with people speaking a language he did not know, and no one to care for him or say a good word to him, shut up in a house in a town, far away from his dear hills.

Still he had one comfort, and the best of all--God was with him. He could still pray to God, and do his duty. And he did his work well, for God helped him, and everything he did was made to prosper in his hand. Then he was trusted. His master knew that he always took care of everything, as if it was his own, and left all to him, quite sure that it would be safe.

But his wicked mistress made up a story that he had behaved ill, and he was put in prison for what he had not done. This sounds hard, but it was God's own way of bringing good to pass, and making Joseph come at last to honor. Very soon he was loved and trusted in his prison; and all he did the Lord made it to prosper.

Think about this. Try when you have anything to do--a lesson or a bit of work--to ask God to make it prosper. Then if you try your best He will help, and it will be sure to turn out well.

Then try to deserve to be trusted. That is a great thing. If you always recollect that God sees you, you will do the same when no one is with you as if all the world were watching; and that is the way to be true and just in all your dealings. If you are only good when you are looked at, you are not like Joseph, but are only doing service outwardly. You must try to live that your parents may

"Out of sight
Know all is right,
One law for darkness and for light."

QUESTIONS.

1. Whose son was Joseph? 2. How many sons had Joseph? 3. What had they done to him? 4. Why had Joseph's brothers sold him? 5. What is a slave? 6. How did Joseph behave as a slave? 7. Who comforted him? 8. How did he take care of his master's things? 9. Who made up a story against him? 10. What was done to him? 11. But who was with him still? 12. Did he always stay in prison? 13. And what did people think of him, wherever he was? 14. What is the way to be like Joseph? 15. If you are trusted to carry a message, how should you do it? 16. Who always sees you? 17. Then, even if no one is by, how should you behave?

THIRD READING.

"Do not interpretations belong to God?"--_Gen. 40:8._

THE young son of Jacob, Joseph, had, you know, been sold by his cruel brothers, and made a slave of; and then a wicked falsehood was told about him, and he was put into prison. But wherever Joseph was he tried to do his duty, and so God blessed him; and the keeper of the prison soon found out how different he was from the others, and let him help. I suppose he helped to carry them their food and wait upon them; and he often could say a few kind good words to them.

One day two grand people came in as prisoners. One was the chief of all the bakers, who made bread for king Pharaoh; and the other was the chief of all his cup-bearers, who carried him his wine. Some wrong thing had happened, and they were both suspected of having had something to do with it, so they had been sent to prison.

WANTED TO KNOW THE DREAMS' MEANING.

One morning Joseph saw them both looking more sad than usual; and when he asked what was the matter, they said each had a dream, and they wanted to know what it meant; for the Egyptians used to think a great deal of dreams, and there were men among them who pretended to explain them. Most dreams have no meaning, but these had, and God put it into Joseph's heart to understand them.

The cup-bearer had dreamt that he saw a vine, and that it had three bunches of grapes, and that he was squeezing the juice into the king's cup as he used to do. Joseph said this meant that in three days the cup-bearer should really hand Pharaoh the cup again; and Joseph begged that when he was free, he would tell the king about himself, and get him set free.

Then the baker told his dream--that he had three baskets full of pastry and bread ready for Pharaoh, but that the birds came down and ate them up. Joseph was obliged to tell him that this meant that he would be hanged, and that the vulture and ravens would eat his flesh. So it happened. Pharaoh looked into the matter in three days' time; he caused the baker to be hung, and the cup-bearer to come back to his old place. But the cup-bearer was ungrateful, and forgot all about Joseph in his prison, trusting to him.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Joseph? 2. Where was he? 3. How came he to be in Egypt? 4. Where had he been put? 5. Had he done anything wrong? 6. Who trusted him? 7. What had he to do? 8. Who came into the prison? 9. What was the cup-bearer's dream? 10. What was the baker's dream? 11. What did Joseph say the cup-bearer's dream meant? 12. What did the baker's dream mean? 13. What happened? 14. What had Joseph asked of the cup-bearer? 15. Did he remember?

Seventh Sunday.

_JOSEPH'S BROTHERS._

FIRST READING.

"We are verily guilty concerning our brother."--_Genesis 42:21._

JOSEPH did not always stay in prison, for God gave him wisdom to tell the king of Egypt that his dreams had meant that there were going to be first seven years of very fine harvests, and then seven years would come of no harvests at all. So the king took him out of prison, and made him a great lord; and he set to work to buy the corn that was over and above what people wanted to eat in the years of plenty, that he might store it up against the years when the corn would not grow.

So when the bad harvest began, Joseph had plenty of corn, and he sold it for the king to all who wanted it. The famine was not only in Egypt, but in all the countries round; and by-and-by Joseph saw, among the people that came to buy, ten of his own brothers--the same who had sold him for a slave.

He knew them, for they still looked like shepherds; but they did not know him, for he had grown from a youth to a man, and was dressed like an Egyptian lord; and he would not seem to know them, though he wanted much to know what had become of his old father and his little brother Benjamin. He made as if he thought they were enemies, come to see if Egypt could be conquered when it was so bare of food.

Then they told him who they were; that they were all one man's sons, and that one brother they had lost; the other was left with his father, who could not bear to part with him. Joseph would not seem to believe this, and said he must keep one of them in prison, while he sent the rest back to fetch their youngest brother, or else he could not believe them.

Then, when fear and trouble came on them, they began to think how ill they had used their lost brother Joseph; and they said to each other, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother." Joseph heard them, and could hardly bear it; but still he kept to his plan. He kept Simeon a prisoner, that he might be sure of the others coming back, and sent them home to fetch Benjamin. But he would not have any of the money they had brought for the corn, and made his steward put it all back into the mouth of their sacks.

When they found this out as they went home, they were much afraid; and when they came home, their father was more afraid still. After the way they had used Joseph, he thought they had killed Simeon, and wanted to kill Benjamin. They spoke truth now, but he could not believe them; and he said he could not send Benjamin, for if mischief should befall the lad, "then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

QUESTIONS.

1. Where was Joseph? 2. Why was he in prison? 3. What did God make him able to tell the king? 4. How many years was there to be much corn? 5. What was to be done with the corn? 6. Who managed the buying it? 7. When was the corn wanted? 8. Who came to buy corn? 9. Who did not come? 10. Why did not Joseph's brothers know him? 11. What did he make believe to think? 12. Whom did he tell them to fetch? 13. What did he give back to them? 14. What did their father say about Benjamin's going? 15. Why was he afraid to trust them with Benjamin? 16. What is the way to be believed?

SECOND READING.

"God Almighty give you mercy before the man."--_Genesis 43:14._

JOSEPH'S brothers were soon obliged to go again and buy more corn in Egypt. Joseph had said they must bring the young brother they had told him of, or he should not believe their story; and when they said Benjamin must go, their father Jacob was greatly grieved, and showed how little he could trust them now, after the way they had behaved to Joseph. He would not have let Benjamin go at all if Judah had not promised to take the greatest care of him; and Judah could be trusted.

The story is so beautiful, and so easy to understand in the Bible, that I hardly like to tell it in my own words. Only think of Joseph's heart being so full when he saw his own dear youngest brother, that he could not stay with him for his tears, and went away to weep in his chamber! And yet he still tried the brothers. He wanted to see if they still were envious of the one their father loved best; so he made his steward hide his cup in Benjamin's sack of corn, and then go after them, and pretend to think they had stolen it.

The sons of Jacob were no thieves, and they said the steward might search their sacks. They took them down and looked, and there was the cup in Benjamin's sack!

They were all shocked; and the steward said that Benjamin must go back and be punished.

How pleased they would have been long ago if such a misfortune had happened to Joseph! But now their hearts were changed, and they were shocked and grieved.

QUESTIONS.

1. What had Joseph's brothers done to him? 2. What trouble did you hear last Sunday he was in? 3. But how did he behave? 4. And what had he come to be? 5. What had he stored up? 6. Who came to buy corn? 7. How many brothers came? 8. Which did not come? 9. Why did not Benjamin come? 10. Did the brothers know Joseph? 11. What did he tell them to do? 12. When he saw Benjamin, where did he go? 13. What did Joseph tell his steward to do? 14. What did Joseph want to see? 15. How did the brothers behave this time?

THIRD READING.

"God did send me before you to preserve life."--_Genesis 45:5._

ALL the eleven sons of Jacob turned back in grief, and fear, and dismay, when Benjamin, the youngest brother, whom Judah had promised to bring safely back to their father, was found to have the silver cup of the lord of the land in his sack. How it came there they could not guess, but they knew that their father's heart would break if they came home and left Benjamin to be a slave.

So they all came to the lord of the land; and Judah stood up before the strange, stern, princely man, and told him how much their old father loved this youngest son, and he would be sure to die if the lad did not come home safe. And then Judah begged to stay and be a slave in Egypt, instead of his brother Benjamin, for he said if mischief befell the lad his father would die, and that he could not bear to see.

But when Judah so spake, the lord of the land sent all the lookers-on away, and wept aloud, and said that he was their own brother Joseph, whom they had sold so long ago. He would not let them be afraid; he embraced them all and wept for joy, and asked for his father. Then he told them not to grieve for what had gone before; for God had turned it all to good, and made him be the means of saving all their lives, by storing up the corn in Egypt.

And now they were to go home, and tell Jacob, their father, that Joseph was still alive, and was a great and powerful man; and they were to fetch old Jacob, their father, and their wives and their children, and all they had, and come to live with Joseph in Egypt, where he would take care of them.

That was the way Joseph forgot all the ill his brothers had done to him, and forgave them, and loved them with all his heart. When the brothers came home, their father Jacob could scarcely believe such good news; but at last he said, "Joseph my son is yet alive, I will go to see him before I die."

And he came down to Egypt, and Joseph met him and fell on his neck and kissed him; and then there was joy indeed, joy as if Joseph had come back from the dead.

So Jacob lived all the rest of his life in Egypt, and was happy with his son Joseph. God had given him another name, Israel, and his sons, and their sons after them, were always called the children of Israel.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Benjamin? 2. What was found in Benjamin's sack? 3. Who put it there? 4. What was going to be done to Benjamin? 5. Who spoke for him? 6. What did Judah ask? 7. Who did the lord of the land turn out to be? 8. How came Joseph to be in Egypt? 9. Why had his brothers not known him sooner? 10. How did he treat them? 11. Whom did he send for? 12. What did Jacob say? 13. Where did Jacob go to live? 14. Why was it very kind in Joseph to help his brothers? 15. Did he give back to them the harm they had done to him? 16. How could we do like Joseph?

Eighth Sunday.

_THE CALL OF MOSES._

FIRST READING.

"I have surely seen the affliction of My people."--_Exodus 3:7._

YOU heard how Joseph brought his father and brothers and their children to live in Egypt. Their children's children went on living there for many years, till they had come to be a great people, and were called the children of Israel; but then the King of Egypt grew cruel to them. He made them work very hard to make bricks and build towns for him; and what was still worse, he ordered that whenever a little boy was born to the children of Israel, he should be thrown into the river and drowned.

One mother hid her little baby for three months, and when she could not hide him any longer, she put him into a little cradle of bulrushes covered over with pitch, to keep the water out, and let the cradle float on the river, leaving the little boy's sister to watch him. Presently a lady, no other than the daughter of the cruel king, came down to bathe in the river. She saw the little cradle, and had it brought to her. The little baby was crying, and the lady pitied him and took him home, to bring up for her own child. She wanted a nurse for him, and his sister fetched his own mother, and she became his nurse.

His name was Moses, and we hear about him in the Lesson to-day. He was not living with the king's daughter now. The king had grown angry with him because he cared for his own people, and he had had to flee away and keep sheep in the wilderness.

And there he saw a great wonder. He saw a flame of fire in a bush, and yet the bush was not burnt. And God's voice spoke to him out of the fire that did not burn, and told him that the troubles of His people, the children of Israel, were to come to an end. God would save them from the cruel Egyptians; and Moses himself was to go and lead them out, and bring them to the good land that God had promised that Abraham's children should have for their own. Moses was to go and tell the King of Egypt that it was God's will that they should go. Moses was afraid at first, but God promised to help him.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Moses? 2. Where was he put when he was a baby? 3. Why was he put on the river? 4. Who had said the little boys were to be drowned? 5. Whose babies were they that were to be drowned? 6. What other cruel things did the King of Egypt do to the children of Israel? 7. Who were called the children of Israel? 8. What became of Moses in his bulrush cradle? 9. Who brought him up? 10. Did he stay with the king's daughter? 11. Whom did he care for? 12. What wonder did Moses see? 13. Who spoke to him? 14. What was God going to do for His people? 15. What land would he give them?

SECOND READING.

"And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord?"--_Exodus 5:2._

MOSES and his brother Aaron went and told Pharaoh God's message, that the people of Israel were to go away and worship Him. But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." And he was more cruel to the children of Israel; he made them work harder and harder, and had them beaten if they did not do all the work that was set them.

They had to make bricks of clay mixed with straw; and, to punish them, Pharaoh said that they should have no straw given to them for their work, but that they must find it for themselves; and yet he required of them just as many bricks as they had had to make before. Then they cried out and were angry, and fancied Moses had brought all this trouble on them, by asking for them to go. They were very miserable, and said they wished they had never listened to Moses, for he had only made them worse off instead of better.

Aaron was a better speaker than Moses, and God had said he should help him, and that, when God told Moses anything, Aaron should speak it to the people. So the two brothers stood telling the Israelites to bear it a little longer, and then it would be all well and over, and they would get away from making the bricks in Egypt to the beautiful country.

They could not remember it themselves, but some of their fathers' grandfathers had been little boys when they came, and could tell them that it was a country not all flat, with only one river in it, like Egypt, but full of steep hills and green valleys, with bright streams running along in them, and thick woods on some of the slopes, and others laid out in gardens and vineyards. There were so many cows in the pastures, and in the wild rocks and hollow trees so many bees' nests, that it was called a land flowing with milk and honey.

Should not the Israelites have liked to hear of such a place as this? But no, they were too dull to care. They thought more of whether they should get a leek or a melon to eat at supper, than of all the lovely land far away. Do you know, people are very like that when they care for _now_ more than _by-and-by_. If we want just what pleases us to-day, instead of caring for what will be good for us as we grow older, we are just like the Israelites, who would not attend to Moses or to God.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Pharaoh? 2. Who were the children of Israel? 3. Who had been sent to call them? 4. What did Pharaoh say to Moses? 5. How did he use the Israelites? 6. What would he not give them? 7. Who was Moses' brother? 8. What was Aaron to do for Moses? 9. Who spoke to Moses? 10. Who told the people what God said to Moses? 11. What kind of place did God promise? 12. What did Moses say it flowed with? 13. Why? 14. Did the Israelites care? 15. Why not? 16. When are we like them? 17. Which should we care for most, _now_ or _by-and-by_?

THIRD READING.

"I will redeem you with a stretched out arm."--_Exodus 6:6._

THE Israelites were very unhappy, for Pharaoh was very cruel to them, and they thought it all Moses' fault. But Moses told them that they would be saved, and that God was going to show them His power, so that they might always remember what He had done for them, and how He punished Pharaoh, who would not obey Him.

Then God made His power to be known; so that Pharaoh and the children of Israel might both learn who is the great Lord of heaven and earth, who must be obeyed. First, Moses stretched out his rod, and all the water in the river turned into blood. For seven days it was all one red dreadful stream of blood; and when Moses held out his rod again it turned back into pure water. But Pharaoh hardened his heart again, and would not let the people go.

Then God sent a multitude of frogs, that came into all the houses and bed-rooms, and on the tables and everywhere. Pharaoh could not bear to have these creatures everywhere, and said if the frogs would but go away he would let the children of Israel go. Moses prayed to God, and all the frogs died; but Pharaoh only hardened his heart again, and would not let the people go.

Next, God sent lice, disgusting unclean creatures, most horrible to the Egyptians, who could not bear anything dirty; but Pharaoh did not care. Then came swarms of flies, buzzing, stinging, and tormenting; and Pharaoh said he would allow the Israelites to go, so the flies were taken away; but no sooner were they gone than he went back again to his obstinacy, and would not let the people go.

He was trying to fight against God, and so came these terrible miseries on him. If people will not do better after being punished, worse and worse is sure to come on them.

QUESTIONS.

1. How did God punish Pharaoh? 2. What four plagues have I told you of to-day? 3. Why did these dreadful things happen? 4. Did Pharaoh care for them? 5. Why did he not mind them? 6. What happens to those who do not mind being punished?

Ninth Sunday.

_THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT._

FIRST READING.

"There is none like Me in all the earth."--_Exodus 9:14._

YOU remember that when God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, it was to tell him that he should lead the children of Israel away from the people in Egypt, who were so unkind to them.

But Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, said that they should not go; he could not spare them, and he did not care for God's message to him. Then God punished Pharaoh that he might let them go. Ten times God punished him, and you hear about three of the punishments to-day.

First, how the sheep and cows, that the Egyptians worshipped like gods, fell sick and died, but still Pharaoh did not care; then how the people all had sores and boils that made them very ill, but still Pharaoh did not care; and then how there was a terrible storm, thunder and lightning, and rain and hail--such big hailstones as killed the men and cattle that were out in the fields, and lightning that struck them, and wind that broke every tree in the field.

No wonder that Pharaoh was frightened, and begged that the storm might cease, and said that then he would let the Israelites go. So Moses prayed to God, and the thunder left off, there was no more hail, and it was all still again. But when the thunder was over Pharaoh grew wicked again, and left off caring, and said the Israelites should not go. And thus God went on being angry with him, till at last he came to a terrible end.

I am afraid some children are a little like Pharaoh when they get sulky, and say "I won't," and if they are punished, still they won't--they think nobody shall force them, and they make themselves hard that they may not do what they are told. It is very sad, for this hardness is very wrong, and you see how angry God was with this king for being obstinate. Pray to God to help you not to harden your heart, but to teach you to obey. And do not forget and do the same thing again when the punishment is over, or it will have done you no good, and you will have to be punished worse next time.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God desire Pharaoh to do? 2. Who spoke God's words to Pharaoh? 3. But what did Pharaoh say? 4. Who was Pharaoh? 5. Who was Moses? 6. What was done to Pharaoh? 7. Did he mind? 8. Tell me the three plagues we hear of to-day. 9. How many plagues were there in all? 10. What happened in the thunder-storm? 11. What did Pharaoh say when he was frightened? 12. So what left off? 13. But did he let the people go? 14. What fault in some children is the same as Pharaoh's? 15. What ought they do? 16. Who can help them to fight their obstinate temper? 17. But how must they get God's help?

SECOND READING.

"The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go."--_Exodus 10:20._

WORSE troubles are sure to come when people have not taken warning by what was sent them before. Pharaoh had not minded seven dreadful plagues, so now God sent another. He sent locusts. These were creatures like great grasshoppers. They came in swarms and clouds, and ate up every green leaf and blade of grass, and made all the earth brown and the trees dry sticks, so that there was nothing left for man or beast to eat. Then Pharaoh gave way a little, and said he would let the men go, but that their wives and children must stay; and he would not hear a word more, but had Moses and Aaron driven out from before him.

Then God bade Moses to hold up his hand to Heaven. And darkness came on. It was dark all day--and with "darkness that might be felt;" not like night, but such black darkness that no fire or candle could give light, and no one dared to move about; but the Egyptians lay still in their places, full of horror and terror, for three whole days. But all the time it was light among the Israelites--the sun rose and set as usual; and thus God showed that they were His people.

Then Pharaoh said that he would let them go--men, women and children, only he must keep all their cattle; and when Moses, speaking God's words, said that the cattle must go too, and not a hoof be left behind, Pharaoh made his heart hard again, and drove out Moses, saying the people should not go, and that Moses should never see his face again.

And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more."

So ended the last hope for Pharaoh. He was never to have another chance of bending his will and doing as God told him. Oh, let us take care not to be like him!

QUESTIONS.

1. How many plagues of Egypt were there? 2. Tell me which had happened? 3. What are the two plagues of this lesson? 4. What are locusts? 5. What harm do locusts do? 6. Who did Pharaoh say might go? 7. Whom would he not let go? 8. What plague came then? 9. What made the darkness so horrible? 10. How long did it last? 11. Who were not in the dark? 12. What did Pharaoh say then? 13. What did he want to keep back? 14. And how did he then change? 15. What did he say to Moses? 16. How did Moses answer?

THIRD READING.

"He smote all the first-born in Egypt."--_Psalm 78:51._

AFTER the nine sad plagues that had come upon the Egyptians--the blood for water, the frogs, the lice, the flies, the cattle plague, the boils, the hail, the locusts, the darkness--there was to be still one plague more, the last and worst. That would make the Egyptians let the people of Israel go, so they must be ready.

There should be a terrible night. God's holy angel would pass over the whole land of Egypt that night, and in each house of the Egyptians he would slay the eldest son of the family. No one would be spared: Pharaoh's eldest son, the young prince, and the very poorest person's son. They had killed the little Israelite babies, so God would punish them by killing their children. None of the Israelites should lose their children; only there was one thing for them to do.

They were that night to sup on a lamb, and, with some of the blood of the lamb, they were to make a mark on the door-post. Where that mark was the angel would pass over and do no one any hurt; but the people would be blest and set free, because they believed God, and did as He bade them.

QUESTIONS.

1. How many plagues of Egypt were there? 2. Say them over. 3. What were they all for? 4. Who would not let them go? 5. What was the last plague? 6. Who were to die? 7. Why did the Egyptians deserve to lose their children? 8. Who would slay them? 9. Whom would the angel spare? 10. How were the Israelites to mark their houses? 11. With what blood? 12. What were they to do with the lamb?

Tenth Sunday.

_THE PASSOVER._

FIRST READING.

"There was not a house in which there was not one dead."--_Exodus 12:30._

THIS is our own gladdest Sunday in all the year, and we read of the Israelites being glad too--glad upon the very Sunday that answered to this, thousands of years ago. On this Sunday, of all those thousands of years, there has been joy and gladness and thanking God. And why? It was because all the troubles in Egypt were over, and God brought the Israelites out safe.

There was one thing they had to do first, though; Moses bade them do it, as God commanded him. Every family was to take a lamb, and it was to be killed and roasted whole in the evening, and some of its blood was to be marked upon the door-post of the house, and then all the family were to stand round the table, all ready dressed for a journey, and eat it as fast as they could, late at night.

And while all the families, fathers and mothers and children, stood up eating the lamb in this strange way, there came a great shout and cry. God had sent His angel to punish the cruel Egyptians; and every house where there was no mark of blood on the door-post had some one dead in it, and that dead person was the eldest or first-born son.

There was a great cry, for there was death everywhere, from the son of Pharaoh who sat on his throne down to the child of the poorest slave; and even the first-born cattle died too, because the Egyptians used to worship them; but wherever there was the blood on the door-post the angel passed over, and the eldest son was safe. Then cruel King Pharaoh was sorry and afraid at last, and said that the people who brought such trouble on him should go where they liked.

QUESTIONS.

1. Why are we glad to-day? 2. Why were the Israelites glad to-day? 3. Where were the Israelites living? 4. What hard work had they to do? 5. Who said they should come out? 6. Who would not let them go? 7. What did God tell the Israelites to eat? 8. How were they to be dressed while they ate it? 9. What were they to do with the blood? 10. Who was going to pass over the land that night? 11. What did the angel do where he did not see any blood on the door-post? 12. Who were frightened then? 13. What did the Egyptians wish then?

SECOND READING.

"It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover."--_Exodus 12:27._

WHEN the King of Egypt said the Israelites might go they were all up and dressed, quite ready and only waiting, and off they set. No more making of bricks, no more slaving for the Egyptians, no more drowning of babies! They were free! and God was going to lead them to the beautiful country that long ago He had said He would give them.

And so, to put them in mind how they were saved from the Egyptians, God bade them on the same day in each year to kill a lamb and roast it, and put the blood on the door-post, and eat the lamb all standing round the table, dressed as if they were going for a journey, that they might never forget how God had made them free. This was called the Passover, because the angel passed over the houses where the blood was marked over the door. And God came in a pillar of cloud to show them the way they should go.

Our blessed Lord was crucified when He had come to the Feast of the Passover many years after. You know He was like a lamb, He was so pure and gentle; and His Blood saves us, as that lamb's blood did the Israelites, and sets us free from the power of the devil. So we still keep the feast of being set free, on this happy Easter Sunday, when we recollect that Christ was slain for our sins, but that He rose again from the dead, and liveth for evermore.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did Pharaoh say that the Israelites might do? 2. What made him let them go at last? 3. Who were set free? 4. What were the Israelites to do every year? 5. What was this eating the lamb called? 6. Why was it called the Passover? 7. Why were the Israelites glad? 8. Who set us free? 9. What did our Lord do as on this day? 10. In what is He like a lamb? 11. So what did we say in the Easter Anthem to-day? 12. How did God lead them?

THIRD READING.

"The children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."--_Exodus 14:16._

ALL the Egyptians were weeping over their dead first-born sons, and the Israelites were set free, and going gladly out and away from their hard masters.

But Pharaoh's hard heart turned again, and he got all his chariots and horsemen together, and went after the children of Israel to drive them back to Egypt. And when he came in sight of them, there they were all upon the shore of the sea called the Red Sea. They could not go on, for the sea was straight before them; they could not go back, for the Egyptians were behind. They were sore afraid. But God spoke to Moses and told him not to fear. They had only to stand still and see how God would save them.

And God Himself showed that He was with them, for the pillar of cloud went behind them, instead of before, and made it dark to the Egyptians, but gave light by night to the Israelites: so the Egyptians could not get near them all night.

Then God bade Moses stretch out his rod over the sea. And then there was a great wonder. The waves of the sea parted, and stood up on each side in a heap, and in between there was a wide open space, where the children of Israel might walk safely dry-shod, through the very midst of the sea. Through it they went, men, women, and children, through the depths of the sea, with the waves standing still on each side of them.

Pharaoh saw that they were all gone over. He chose to follow after them. But when his host was in the midst, the sea returned in its strength again and came down on the Egyptians, and every one of them was drowned--"they sank like lead in the mighty waters"--and the Israelites were freed from their enemies, quite away from all their trouble and all their slavery; and they sang hymns of joy to God, who had been so good to them and now had set them free.

And we read about them being set free because this is the great Easter Day when we give thanks to our Blessed Lord for having set us free.

QUESTIONS.

1. What last plague had come on Egypt? 2. Who had set off to leave Egypt? 3. But what did Pharaoh do? 4. What was before the Israelites? 5. What was behind? 6. Where did the pillar of cloud go? 7. How were the Egyptians cut off from them? 8. What wonder did God work? 9. Where did the Israelites go over? 10. Who came after them? 11. What became of the Egyptians? 12. Who were free? 13. Who had made them free?

Eleventh Sunday.

_THE GAINSAYING OF KORAH._

FIRST READING.

"The Lord will show who are His and who is holy."--_Numbers 16:5._

WHEN the Israelites came out of Egypt they had a long journey to go, through a dreary, lonely wilderness. Moses and his brother Aaron led them; and God took care of them, and fed them, and kept them safe.

But there were some wicked men, named Dathan and Abiram, who were tired of the wilderness, and were angry at having Moses for their leader and master, though God had made him lead them, and had done so much for them. They said they were as good as Moses, and that he should not be their prince. They did not care for God having spoken by him.

Their end was so very dreadful that I can hardly tell it to you. God would not let them rise up against His servant Moses; and when they would not listen nor repent He made the earth open under their feet, and they went down alive, and were swallowed up in the pit before the eyes of all the other Israelites; and so they died the most terrible death anyone ever died. It was because they set themselves up against Moses, whom God had placed over them, that He was so angry with them.

Remember God has set people over us: there are our fathers and mothers, and our clergymen and teachers; and it is our duty to obey them, as He tells us in the Fifth Commandment. If we are proud and saucy it is very wrong of us. It is not likely that we should be so dreadfully punished in this life as Dathan and Abiram were; but their horrible death should make us remember that God is very angry with those that will not try to obey those that have the rule over them, and set themselves up to be bold and proud, and to say they do not care.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is the Fifth Commandment? 2. What is the explanation of it in the Duty to our Neighbor? 3. Who was set over the Israelites by God? 4. Where had he brought them from? 5. Where was he leading them to? 6. How should they have behaved to him? 7. What bad men were there among them? 8. Whom did they not care for? 9. What did they say? 10. Why was it very wicked of Dathan and Abiram not to obey Moses? 11. What terrible end did they come to? 12. Why was God angry with Dathan and Abiram? 13. What makes Him angry? 14. Whom did you say He had set over you? 15. Then how must you behave to your parents and clergymen and teachers?

SECOND READING.

"And seek ye the priesthood also?"--_Numbers 16:10._

WHEN God gave the Commandments upon Mount Sinai, He chose that Aaron, Moses' brother, and his sons should be His priests. A priest had to offer up the sacrifices to God, and to burn incense to Him. Incense is made of dried plants and gums that have a sweet smell when they are burnt.

The priests had brazen urns with holes at the top, and chains to hold them by, and when the smoke of the incense went up it was just as our prayers rise up to God in heaven. There were other people called Levites, who had to take care of the holy things that were used in God's service, but only the priests might offer sacrifices or incense.

Now one of these Levites, named Korah, wanted to do more. He was angry, and said everybody was holy, and that Aaron took too much on himself. Now it was not Aaron who made himself priest, but God had made him so. Therefore it was wrong in Korah; but there were two hundred and fifty men whom he persuaded to come and get censers, and offer incense to the Lord as if they had been priests. But because they did it in pride and self-will God was angry with them, and His fire burst out and scorched them all to death! It was only the men themselves that died, not their wives or children; and Korah's family after him were better than he was, and used to sing God's praises in the Psalms.

But they always recollected that no one who was not a priest might offer sacrifice or burn incense before God.

QUESTIONS.

1. What had a priest to do? 2. What was a sacrifice? 3. What was incense? 4. What was it burnt in? 5. Who only might offer sacrifice and incense? 6. Who was the right priest? 7. How came Aaron to be priest? 8. Who wanted to offer incense? 9. What did Korah say? 10. How many came with him? 11. What did they try to do? 12. What happened to the two hundred and fifty? 13. Why were they punished? 14. What became of Korah's children? 15. Who are our priests? 16. How were they made priests? 17. What may they alone do?

THIRD READING.

"The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds."--_Numbers 17:8._

THE high-priest, whom God chose, had to offer sacrifices to Him. That was, the priest slew a lamb, or a goat, or a bullock, by the altar, and gave it to God. It was to show that the Son of God would come and die to take away sin. Now He has come and died, we have left off killing creatures in sacrifice, and only make remembrance over again of His sacrifice in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The high-priest used to wear a beautiful dress. He had a mitre on his head, with a gold plate on it, and the words, "Holiness unto the Lord;" and he had a blue, red, and white robe, embroidered with gold, and round the hem little gold bells and pomegranates. He had a curious scarf called an ephod, and a beautiful breast-plate made of twelve precious stones, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel engraven on it.

God said He would show who should be His priest. So He bade Moses desire the chief man in each tribe to bring a dry rod or staff, and lay them up all night in the Holy Place. The one whose rod began to grow as if it was still on the tree should be the high-priest. When the twelve men went to look in the morning, eleven rods were dry sticks still, but one had put out green leaves and pink buds, and white blushing flowers, like almond blossoms. It was Aaron's rod; and this was the way God let the children of Israel know that Aaron and his sons, and grandsons after him, were always to be priests.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was a priest? 2. What had he to do? 3. What was a sacrifice? 4. How was it offered? 5. What creatures were killed? 6. Where were they put? 7. What was this to make the children of Israel think of? 8. Why don't we kill sacrifices now? 9. Who has been sacrificed? 10. What did the high-priest wear on his head? 11. What color was his dress? 12. How was it edged? 13. What was on his breast? 14. What did God say He would show? 15. What were twelve men to bring? 16. Where were the rods put? 17. What was to show who should be priest? 18. What were the eleven rods like in the morning? 19. But how did one look? 20. Whose was it? 21. What, then, was Aaron to be?

Twelfth Sunday.

_ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS._

FIRST READING.

"Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God."--_Deut. 6:16._