STORIES FROM THE BIBLE---4--1

                                           Moses--1

 

   The children of Israel stayed in the land of Egypt about four hundred years. And the going down to Egypt proved a great blessing to them. It saved their lives during the year of famine and need. After the year of need  were over, they found the soil in the land of Goshen, that part of Egypt where they were living, very rich, so that they could gather three or four crops every year. In Goshen they lived alone from the people of Egypt. They worshipped the Lord God, and were kept away from the idols of Egypt. And in that land, as the year went on, they grew in number until they become a great multitude.

 

   As long as Joseph lived , and for some time after, the people of Israel were treated kindly by the Egyptians, out of their love for Joseph, who had saved Egypt from suffering by famine. But after a long time another king began to lule over Egypt, who cared nothing for Joseph's people. He saw that the Israelites (as the children of Israel were called) were very many, and he feared that they would soon become greater in number and in power than Egyptians. He said to the people: " Let us rule these Israelites more strictly. They are growing too strong".

 

   Then they set harsh rule over the Israelites, and laid heavy burdens on them. They made the Israelites work hard for Egyptians, and build cities for them, and give to the Egyptians a large part of the crops from their fields. They set them at work in making brick and in building storehouses. They were so afraid that the Israelites would grow in number that they gave orders to kill all the little boys that were born to the Israelites; though their little girls might be allowed to live. But in the face of all this hate and cruelty, the people of Israel were growing in number, and becoming greater and greater.