At what point does history begin? Name the six great events in early Bible history? How is the fact of a deluge attested? What was the moral cause of the flood? What was its extent? What was its purpose in the plan of God? What new spirit took possession of men soon after the flood? To what results did this lead? What was the relation of this fact to the confusion of tongues? What evidences of these migrations are found? What were the four great centers of national life in the Oriental world? What was the most important journey, in its results, in all history? What three causes are given for this migration? What was especially the religious motive of this journey? How long did A'bra-ham's descendants remain in Pal'es-tine? In what part of the country did they live? What were their relations with the native peoples in Pal'es-tine? What is meant by "the sojourn"? What was its immediate cause? What four providential results came to Is'ra-el through this sojourn? How long was the time of the sojourn? How were the Is'ra-el-ites protected from corruption through this sojourn? What was the effect of the sojourn upon their civilization? FOURTH STUDY The Wandering in the Wilderness PART ONE I. =Preliminary Events.= As preparatory to the wilderness stage in the history of Is'ra-el certain events and processes are to be noted. 1. =The Oppression of the Is'ra-el-ites= (Exod. I. 8-13). If the Is'ra-el-ites had been prosperous and happy in E'gypt they would have remained there, and the destiny of the chosen people would have been forgotten. Therefore, when E'gypt had given to Is'ra-el all that it could the wrath of man was made to praise God; and by suffering the Is'ra-el-ites were made willing to leave the land of their sojourn and seek the land of promise. The nest was stirred up, and the young eaglet was compelled to fly (Deut. 32. 11, 12). The Pha'raoh of the oppression is generally identified with Ram'e-ses II, who was reigning about B. C. 1320. 2. =The Training of Mo'ses.= Therein was another element of preparation. No common man could have wrought the great work of liberation, of legislation, and of training which Is'ra-el needed. 3. =The Ten Plagues.= But if it was needful to make the Is'ra-el-ites willing to depart it was also needful to make the E-gyp'tian king and his people willing to let them depart; and this was accomplished by the plagues which fell upon E'gypt, showing Is'ra-el as under God's peculiar care and the gods of E'gypt powerless to protect their people. 4. =The Passover= (Exod. 12. 21-28). This service represented three ideas: 1.) It was the springtide festival. 2.) It commemorated the sudden departure from E'gypt, when there was not even time to "raise the bread" before leaving (Exod. 12. 34-39). 3.) It was an impressive prophecy of Christ, the slain Lamb of God (Exod. 12. 21, 22).