2. Another result was National Unity. When the Israelites left Egypt they were twelve unorganized tribes, without a distinct national life. Forty years in the wilderness, meeting adversities together, fighting enemies, marching as one host, made them a nation. They emerged from the wilderness a distinct people, with one hope and aim, with patriotic self-respect, ready to take their place among the nations of the earth.
3. Individual Liberty. They had just been set free from the tyranny of the most complete governmental machine on the face of the earth. In Egypt the man was nothing, the state was every thing. The Israelite system was an absolute contrast to the Egyptian. For four centuries after the Exodus the Israelites lived with almost no government, each man doing what was right in his own eyes. They were the freest people on earth, far more so than the Greeks or the Romans during their republican epochs. Moses trained them not to look to the government for their care, but to be a self-reliant people, able to take care of themselves. If they had passed this initial stage of their history surrounded by kingdoms they would have become a kingdom. But they learned their first lessons of national life in the wilderness, untrammeled by environment and under a wise leader, who sought to train up a nation of kings instead of a kingdom.
4. Military Training. We trace in the history of those forty years a great advance in military discipline. After crossing the Red Sea Moses did not care to lead them by the direct route to Canaan, lest they should "see war" (Exod. 13. 17, 18). Attacked by the Amalekites soon after the Exodus, the Israelites were almost helpless (Exod. 17. 8-16; Deut. 25. 17-19). A year later they were the easy prey of the Canaanites at Hormah (Num. 14. 40-45). Forty years after they crossed the Jordan and entered Canaan, a drilled and trained host, a conquering army. This discipline and spirit of conquest they gained under Moses and Joshua in the wilderness.
5. Religious Education. This was the greatest of all the benefits gained in the wilderness. They were brought back from the idolatries of Egypt to the faith of their fathers. They received God's law, the system of worship, and the ritual which brought them by its services into a knowledge of God. Moreover, their experience of God's care taught them to trust in Jehovah, who had chosen them for his own people. Even though the mass of the people might worship idols, there was always from this time an Israel of the heart that sought and obeyed God.
Blackboard Outline.
I. Eve. le. Wan. 1. Opp. Isr.
2. Tra. Mos. 1.) Bir. 2.) Edu. 3.) Cho. 4.) Tra. 5.) Cal.
3. Ten Pla. 1.) Bl. 2.) Fr. 3.) Li. 4.) Fl. 5.) Mur. 6.) Boi. 7.) Hai. 8.) Loc. 9.) Dar. 10.) Dea. fir. bo.
4. Pass.
5. Exod.
II. Wil. Wan. 1. Seas. 1.) M. S. 2.) R. S. [G, S., G. A.] 3.) D. S.
2. Des. 1.) D. Sh. 2.) D. Par. 3.) D. Eth. 4.) D. Si. 5.) D. Zi.
3. Lan. 1.) Gos. 2.) Mid. 3.) Ed. 4.) Mo. 5.) Can.
4. Mts. 1.) Mt. Sin. 2.) Mt. H. 3.) Mt. Neb.
5. Pla. 1.) Ram. 2.) B.-zep. 3.) Mar. 4.) El. 5.) Rep. 6.) Kad.-bar 7.) Jah.
III. Jour. and Even. Jour. 1. Ram.—R. S., Ev. 1.) Cr. R. S.
Jour. 2. R. S.—Mt. Sin. 2.) Wat. Mar. 3.) Rep. Am. 4.) Giv. L. 5.) Wor. gol. cal.
Jour. 3. Mt. Sin.—Kad.-bar. 6.) Sen. Sp. 7.) Del. Hor.
Jour. 4. Kad.-bar.—Des. Par.—Ret. 8.) Wat. roc. Kad. 9.) Rep. Ar.
Jour. 5. Kad.-bar.—Ed.—Riv. Jor. 10.) Bra. Ser. 11.) Vic. ov. Amo. 12.) Dea. Mos.
IV. Res. Wan. 1. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. Tra. 5. Rel. Ed.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.
Name five events which were preparatory to the wandering.
What made the Israelites willing to leave Egypt?
How was their leader trained for his mission?
What were the ten plagues upon the Egyptians?
What three ideas were connected with the Passover?
What is meant by the Exodus?
What are the three seas of the map illustrating the wandering?
Name five deserts of this region.
In which desert were the most years passed?
What were the two deserts on the shore of the Red Sea?
Where was the desert of Zin?
Which desert was between Egypt and Palestine?
Name and locate five lands of this region.
Which land was nearest to Egypt?
Which land was on the eastern arm of the Red Sea?
Which land lay east of the Dead Sea?
Which land was south of the Dead Sea?
Name three mountains in this region.
What event look place on each of these mountains?
Name two places between Egypt and the Red Sea.
Name three places on the route between the Red Sea, and an event at each place.
What place was south of Canaan and near it?
What events occurred at this place?
What two places were battlefields?
State the route of the first journey.
What was the great event of this journey?
What was the second journey?
What four events are named with this journey?
What was the third journey?
What two events took place with this journey?
What was the longest journey?
Name four places of this journey.
Name two events near its close.
What was the last journey?
What events took place at this time?
Where was the last encampment of the Israelites?
What institutions originated during this period?
What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people?
How did it give them liberty?
What was the influence in military affairs?
What were its results upon the religion of the people?
Subjects for Special Papers.
The Pharaoh of the Oppression.
Mount Sinai.
The Greatness of Moses.
The Mosaic Legislation.
The Site of Kadesh-barnea.
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness.