Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a
feast unto Me in the wilderness." The issue was distinctly raised: did
Israel belong to Jehovah or to the king? And Pharaoh answered, with
equal decision, "Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice? I
know not Jehovah, and what is more, I will not let Israel go."

Now, the ignorance of the king concerning Jehovah was almost or quite
blameless: the fault was in his practical refusal to inquire. Jehovah
was no concern of his: without waiting for information, he at once
decided that his grasp on his captives should not relax. And his second
fault, which led to this, was the same grinding oppression of the
helpless which for eighty years already had brought upon his nation the
guilt of blood. Crowned and national cupidity, the resolution to wring
from their slaves the last effort consistent with existence, such greed
as took offence at even the momentary pause of hope while Moses pleaded,
because "the people of the land are many, and ye make them rest from
their burdens,"--these shut their hearts against reason and religion,
and therefore God presently hardened those same hearts against natural
misgiving and dread and awe-stricken submission to His judgments.

For it was against religion also that he was unyielding. In his ample
Pantheon there was room at least for the possibility of the entrance of
the Hebrew God, and in refusing to the subject people, without
investigation, leisure for any worship, the king outraged not only
humanity, but Heaven.

The brothers proceed to declare that they have themselves met with the
deity, and there must have been many in the court who could attest at
least the sincerity of Moses; they ask for liberty to spend a day in
journeying outward and another in returning, with a day between for
their worship, and warn the king of the much greater loss to himself
which may be involved in vengeance upon refusal, either by war or
pestilence. But the contemptuous answer utterly ignores religion:
"Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their work? Get
ye unto your burdens."

And his counter-measures are taken without loss of time: "that same day"
the order goes out to exact the regular quantity of brick, but supply no
straw for binding it together. It is a pitiless mandate, and
illustrates the fact, very natural though often forgotten, that men as a
rule cannot lose sight of the religious value of their fellow-men, and
cont