A Handful of Gleanings out of the Book of Exodus, Section 1 – Section 7
AN HANDFVLL OF GLEANINGS out of the BOOK OF EXODUS.
SECT. I. Israel afflicted in Aegypt about 120. yeares.
FROM the giving of the promise to Abraham, Gen. 12. to the deliverance out of Aegypt, and the giving of the Law, were 430 yeares, Exod. 12. 40. Gal. …. 17.
This summe of yeares divided it selfe into two equall parts, for halfe of it was spent before their going into Aegypt, and halfe of it in their being there. Two hundred and fifteene yeares were taken up before they went into Aegypt, thus: From the promise given to Abraham, to the birth of Isaac, five and twenty yeares; compare Gen. 12. 4. with Gen. 21. 5. From the birth of Is…ac to the birth of Jacob, three…core, Gen. 25. 26. from thence to their going downe into Aegypt a hundred and thirty, Gen. 27. 9. The other two hundred and fifteene yeares they spent in Aegypt, namely ninety foure, before the death of Levi the longe…liver of all the twelve Tribes, and a hundred twenty one betwixt his death and their deliverance.
For Levi and Joseph were both borne in the seven yeares of Jacobs second apprentiship, Gen. 29 & 30. Levi in the fourth, and Joseph in the seventh, so that there were three yeares betweene them: Now Joseph when his Father and brethre… came downe into Aegypt, was nine and thirty yeares old. Compare Gen. 41. 46. 51. and 45. 6. And then was Levi forty three. And Levi lived an hundred thirty and seven yeares, Exod… 6. 16. out of which those forty three being deducted which he had spent before their comming downe into Aegypt, it appeareth they were in Aegypt ninety foure yeares before his death: And those ninety foure being deducted out of the two hundred and fifteene, which they spent in that land, it appeareth also that a hundred twenty one yeares passed betwix… his death and their delivery, and till his death they felt no …ffliction, Ex…d. 1. 6, 7, 8.
SECT. II. The 88. & 89. Psalmes, penned in the time of this affliction.
THese two Psalmes, are the oldest peeces of writing that the World hath to shew, for they were penned many yeeres before the birth of Moses, by two men that felt and groaned under this bondage and affliction of Aegypt, Heman and Ethan, two Sonnes of Zerah, 1 Chron. 2. 6. In Psalme 88. Heman deploreth the distresse and misery of Israel in Egypt in most passionate measures; and therefore titles his Elegie, Gnal Mahalath Leannoth, concerning sicknesse by affliction, and accordingly he and his brethren are called the Sonnes of Mahol, 1 King. 4. 31. In Psal. 89. Ethan from the promise, Gen. 15. sings joyfully their deliverance, that the raging of the Red Sea should be ruled, vers. 9. and Rahab or Aegypt should be broken in pieces, vers. 10. and that the people should heare the joyfull sound of the Law, vers. 15.
Object. But David is named frequently in the Psalme, who was not borne of many hundreds of yeeres after Ethan was dead.
Answ. 1. This might be done Proplietically, as Samuel is thought to be named by Mosos, Psal. 99. 6. for thae Psalme according to a rule of the Hebrews, is h…ld to have beene made by him.
2. It will be found in Scripture, that when some holy men indued with the Spirit of God, have left pieces of writings behind them, indited by the Spirit, others that have lived in after times, indued with the same gift of Prophecy, have taken those ancient pieces in hand, and have flourished upon them, …s present, past, or future occasions did require. To this purpose, compare Psal. 18. & 1 Sam. 22. Obadiah, & Jer. 49. 14. & 1 Chron. 16. & Psal. 96. & 105. & 2 Pet. 2. and the Epistle of Saint Jude. So this piece of Ethan being of incomparable antiquity, and singing of the delivery from Aegypt, in after times, that it might be made fit to be sung in the Temple, it is taken in hand by some divine Pen-man, and that ground worke of his, is wrought upon, and his Song set to an higher key; namely, that whereas he treated onelyonly of the bodily deliverance from Aegypt, it is wound up so high as to reach the Spirituall delivery by Christ, and therefore David is so often named from whence he should come.
SECT. III. The words of the Hebrew Midwives not a…lye, but a glorious consession of their faith.
THEY were Hebrew Midwives, but Aegyptian Women. For Pharaoh that in an ungodly Councell had devised and concluded upon all wayes, whereby to keepe the Israelites under, would not in such a designe as this, use Israelitish women, who he knew were parties in the cause against him; but he intrusteth it with women of his owne Nation. They are named for their honour, as Mark. 14. 9. that wheresoever the Gospel or the Doctrine of Salvation should be Preached, this faith and fact of theirs should be published in memoriall of them.
The Midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Aegyptian women, for they are lively, &c. These words of theirs proceeded from the same faith, from whence had proceeded their work of charity, the childrens preservation. And so farre are they from being a lye, that they are so glorious a confession of their faith in God, that we finde not many that have gone beyond it. And the things they spake of, so farre from false, that they were most admirably and miraculously true and really done. They saw in very deede the immediate hand and helpe of God, plainely and really shewed to the Hebrew women in their labour, and that whereas other women naturally in that case are weake, fainting, and long in paine, these were strong, lively, and soone delivered. For as the strength of the promise shewed it selfe in the Males of Israel, in that, the more they were pressed under servitude, & afflicted, the more were they able for generation, vers. 2. Act. 7. 17. So did the strength of the promise shew it selfe upon the women, in that they were delivered of their children with a supernaturall and extraordinary ease and quicknesse: Therefore the Midwives boldly stand out to Pharaoh, to the venture of a Martyrdome, and plainely tell him, that since they were not in travell as other women, but lively, and strong, and had soone done, it could bee nothing but the immediate hand of God with them, which hand they are resolved they will not oppose for all his command, lest they should be found to fight against God. For this confession so resolutely and gloriously made before Pharaoh, and for their fact answerable; God made them houses, because they feared him, vers. 21. that is, married them into the Congregation of Israel, and built up Israelitish Families by them.
SECT. IV. Moses his birth, supernaturall. Exod. 2. 2.
MOSES was borne when his mother by the course of nature was past child-bearing: For if Levi begat Jochebed at an hundred yeeres old, which is hardly to be conceived, as Gen. 17. 17. yet is Jochebed within two of fourescore when she bare Moses. But it was more then probable that she was borne long before Levi was an hundred, unlesse we will have Levi to be above halfe a hundred yeares childlesse, betwlxt the birth of Merari and Jochebed: And thus the birth of Moses was one degree more miraculous, then the miraculous and supernaturall birth of the other children of the Hebrew Women, and so was his brother Aarons not much lesse wondrous. Shee then having a goodly childe, at so great an age, saw the speciall hand of God in it, and therefore labours his preservation against Pharaohs decree: for by Faith she knew he would be preserved for some speciall instrument of Gods glory, but the manner of his preservation she knew not yet.
SECT. V. Our Saviours allegation of Exod. 3. 6. in Luk. 20. 37. cleared.
MOSES in Midian, under the retirednesse of a Pastorall life, giveth himselfe unto contemplation of divine things; in one of those raptures, God himselfe appeareth visibly to him in deed; and that in a flaming fire, now he is about to performe the promise, as he appreared to Abraham when he made it? and it came to passe, when the Sunne went downe, and it was darke, behold a smoaking furnace, and a burning Lampe that passed betweene those peeces. In the same day the Lord made a Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 15. 17, 18.
The words which Christ here useth to Moses in the bush, he urgeth againe to the Jewes, whereby to evince the Resurrection, Luk. 20. 37. And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, for he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: which words indeed doe inferre the resurrection as they lie in themselves, but farre more clearely, if they be laid to, and compared with the Jewes owne doctrine and position.
Rabbi Simeon Ben Jo…hai saith, the holy blessed God nameth not his name on the righteous in their life, but after their death, as it is said, to the Saints that are in the earth, Psal. 16. 3. When are they Saints? when they are laid in the earth: For all the dayes that they live, the holy blessed God joyneth not his name to them: And why? because the holy blessed God trusteth them, not that evill affections will not make them to erre; but when they be dead, the holy blessed God nameth his name upon them: But behold we find that he nameth his name on Isaack the righteous whilst he liveth, for so he saith to Iacob, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. Rabbi Barachiah, and our Doctors: our Doctors say, He saw his dust, as it was gathered upon the Altar, and Rabbi Barachiah saith, since he was blind of his eyes, he is reputed as dead, because he was shut up in the midst of the house. Rabbi Tanch. in Gen. 28. Rabbi Menahem in Exod. 3.
SECT. VI. The power of Miracles, Habbak. 3. 2. & Acts 19. 2. explained.
THe gift of Prophecie or Foretelling things to come had beene in the Church since the fall of Adam, and now are Miracles added because of unbeliefe: For observe that when Moses saith, Behold they will not beleeve, the Lord immediatly answer, What is that in thine hand? This double facultie being given here to Moses the first Prophet of the Church of Israel, it also descended to a succession of Prophets in that Congregation from time to time. But with this excellent gift it was also given Moses himselfe to know, and so likewise them that did succeed, that they had this double power not from themselves, but from another: Moses his stammering tongue taught himselfe and them so much for Prophecie, and his leprous hand taught so much for Miracles. This succession of Prophets began from Samuel and ended in the death of Christ, Acts 3. 24. Not that there were not Prophets betwixt Moses and Samuel, but because they were not expressed by name, as also because vision in that space of time was exceeding rare, 1 Sam. 3. 1.
Now from the beginning of the rule of Samuel to the beginning of the captivitie in Babel, were foure hundred and ninetie yeares; and from the end of that captivitie to the end of Christs life upon earth, were foure hundred and ninetie yeares more. The seventie yeares of captivitie betweene, which were the seventh part of either of these two Numbers, that lay on either side; are called by Habbakkuk, The middest of yeares, namely from the beginning of Prophecie in Samuel to the sealing of Prophecy in the death of Christ. Revive thy worke in the midst of the yeares, in the midst of the yeares make knowne. Then was it justly to be feared that the spirit of Prophecy would quite have ceased from Israel when they were captived among the Heathen. This made the Prophet to pray so earnestly, that God would preserve alive, or revive his worke of Miracles in the middest of yeares, and in those times of captivitie, that he would make knowne things to come by that gift of Prophecy. And he was heard in what he prayed for, and his supplication tooke effect, in the most propheticke and powerfull Spirit of Daniel.
The Jewes had an old maxime, that after the death of Zacharie, Malachi and those last Prophets, the Spirit of God departed from Israel and went up. So that from thence forward, prediction of future things and working of miracles were rarities among them. To this aimed the answer of those holy ones, Acts 19. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost. Not … they doubted of such a person in the Trinitie, but that whereas they had learned in their Schooles, that the holy Ghost departed away after the death of Malachi, they had never yet heard, whether he was restored againe in his gifts of Prophecie and Miracles till now or no.
SECT. VII. The two first Miracles, Exod. 4.
1. THe turning of Moses rod into a Serpent, did utterly disclaime any power of the Devill in these wonders which he was to worke, which power onelyonly the Magicians wrought by: For as a Serpent was the fittest Embleme of the Devill, as Gen. 3. and Revel. 12. 9. So was it a signe that Moses did not these Miracles by the power of the Devill, but had a power over and beyond him, when he can thus deale with the Serpent at his pleasure, as to make his rod a Serpent, and the Serpent a rod as hee seeth good.
Yet is it worth the observing, that he is commanded to take it by the taile, vers. 9. for to meddle with the Serpents head belonged not to Moses, but to Christ that spake to him out of the bush, as Gen. 3. 15.
His rod at Sinai is said to be turned into Nabash, a common and ordinary Snake or Serpent; but when hee casts it downe before Phara…h, it becommeth Tannin, Chap. 7. 10. a Serpent of the greatest dimensions, belike a Crocodile, which beast the Egyptians adored, and to whose jawes they had exposed the poore Hebrew Infants in the River.
2. His leprous hand disclaimed also any power of Moses his owne in these wonders which he wrought, for it was not possible that so great things should bee done by that impure and uncleane hand, but by a greater.
3. Both of these Miracles which were the first that were done by any Prophet in the world, did more specially referre to the Miracles of that great Prophet that should come into the world, by whose power these Miracles were done by Moses at this time. For as it belonged to him onelyonly to cast out the power of the Devill out of the soule, and to heale the soule of the leprosie of sin, so was it reserved for him first, to cast out the Devill out of the body, and to heale the leprosie of the body. For though the Prophets from Moses to Christ had the gift of doing Miracles, and performed wonders many of them in an high degree, yet could never any of them or any other cast out a Devill or heale a Leper till the great Prophet came. Elisha indeed directed Naaman how he should be healed, but he neither touched him nor came out to him at all, that he might shew that it was not his power, but such cures were reserved for Christ to come.