379 
previous prophecy. Then, Moses, who records the several 
prophecies respecting this, records also their fulfilment. And 
with reference to the nation , his record of fulfilment is not 
only in general terms, speaking of it as “ a great and popu- 
lous nation/* (c as the stars of heaven in multitude ; ** — not 
only in round numbers, perhaps grounded, as reports of killed 
and wounded after a battle are, on some rough estimate ; but 
it is given with the most remarkable fulness, variety, and 
exactness of detail of two numberings taken at the opening 
and the close of a period of thirty-eight years. 
3. Let us look first at two or three of the prophecies. With 
reference, doubtless, to the more remote as well as to the 
nearer future, Jehovah promised Abraham to make of him 
“ a great nation/* and to make his seed “ as the sand of the 
sea/* “ as the dust of the earth/* and “ as the stars of heaven 
for multitude.** But, with distinct reference to the nearer 
future, He speaks thus of Abraham*s seed in the line of 
Isaac and Jacob: “Know, of a surety that thy seed shall be 
a sti anger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them 
and they shall afflict them 400 years. And also that nation whom 
they shall serve, will I judge : and afterwards shall they come 
out with great substance. .And thou shalt go to thy fathers 
in peace ; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the 
fourth generation they shall come hither again.** * 
4. To Jacob the general promise is repeated : “ I will make 
thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for 
multitude.**! And on his way into Egypt he is encouraged 
by the assurance : “1 am God, the God of thy fathers ; fear 
not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a 
great nation.** J 
A How on a comparison of these two more particular pro- 
mises, the following points are clear. 1. It was in Egypt that 
the seed of Abraham was to become a great nation. 2. It was 
from Egypt, then, that they were to come out with great 
substance. 3. Consequently, it was there that they were to 
serve and be afflicted. 4. It was from Canaan that they were 
to go down into Egypt, and it was to Canaan that from thence 
they were to return ; and in Canaan — “ a country not theirs ** 
Isaac and Jacob, the seed of Abraham, at the time of the 
utterance of the prophecy to Jacob, had been living as 
strangers and pilgrims for nearly 200 years. The period 
therefore, during which they were to be “ strangers in a 
land which was not theirs/* cannot be conterminous with that 
of their servitude and affliction. The 400 years of the pro- 
*' Gen. xv. 13, 14, 16. f Gen. xxxii. 12. J Gen. xlvi 3 
