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This is the summary of the sermon preached on June 7th，1998.

(Translated by Carolyn Kim & Naoko Sawada )

In 1870 B.C., the Egyptian kingdom was already deteriorating from

corruption　when the people called Hyxsos emigrated to Egypt.

Their leader was Jacob,also called Israel.   The Hyxsos reigned

over the Egyptians as rulers, taking　advantage of the chaos

created by natural disasters.  However, as pride　precedes

destruction, the Hyxsos lived well, bragging of old glories and

power.　　They could not keep up with the changes.  The Israelites'

conservative　power, persisting in rotten vested interests, could not

adapt to the change of　time.  Thus, they became powerless under

crisis and lost their human rights.The rightist, armed Egyptians,

who had been seeking an opportunity to　overthrow the Israelites,

easily took away their power and privileges. The　Israelites

succumbed to enslavement.　　Ironically, however, crisis and

poverty caused the population to grow.  And　as slaves, they ended

up latenting (defying??) power, which threatened the　already unstable

nationalism.  The new leaders in Egypt didn't overlook　this,

but the Pharaoh's policy backfired.  His mandate of national

purification　was aimed not only at breaking up and extinguishing

the Israelites, but also　at making them submit to him.  Consequently,

his scheme of massacre could　not　win against the human instinct

to live.  Ultimately, the king of Egypt　(resorted to ordering )

ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all baby boys.

The midwives, however, feared God and wisely ignored the order. 

The　Pharaoh then gave this order to his people.  It was a holocaust

caused by　discrimi　nation grounded on imperialism and a superiority

complex.  Even the　Pharaoh's kings, who were the nucleus of the

government, did not want to cooperate　with him.  So the plot

ended in failure and harden the people's heart.

God's aim was to establish Israel to help the Israeli people

overcome their　unyielding heart (??). It was the beginning of his

plan to bless all the　people in the world.  It was undoubtedly in

preparation to send the Saviour　1,500 years later.  He sent his

prophets to show the people how to live　according to the Bible,

so that they could realize that evil is an essential　element of

human beings.  He intended to save people from corruption,

which was　the cause of their punishment.  We should know that

God's plans are far　beyond　our thoughts.  Fear God, live

honestly and hope to be blessed by Him.

1999/08/09 02:13:21