I know that I shall inherit it?' Therefore did I say to him, 'Thy seed
shall be a stranger.' But it is well-known and manifest before Me
that they were 'strangers' from the day of Isaac's birth, and.
reckoning thence, the period of four hundred years has elapsed,
and thou hast no right to keep My children in bondage any longer."
[28]

THE SEA DIVIDED

God spake to Moses, saying, "Why dost thou stand here praying?
My children's prayer has anticipated thine. For thee there is naught
to do but lift up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and
divide it." Moses replied: "Thou commandest me to divide the sea,
and lay bare the dry ground in the midst of it, and yet Thou didst
Thyself make it a perpetual decree, that the sand shall be placed
for the bound of the sea." And again God spake to Moses: "Thou
has not read the beginning of the Torah. I, yea, I, did speak, 'Let
the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,
and let the dry land appear,' and at that time I made the condition
that the waters shall divide before Israel. [29] Take the rod that I
gave unto thee, and go to the sea upon Mine errand, and speak
thus: 'I am the messenger sent by the Creator of the world!
Uncover thy paths, O sea, for My children, that they may go
through the midst of thee on dry ground.'"

Moses spoke to the sea as God had bidden him, but it replied, "I
will not do according to thy words, for thou are only a man born of
woman, and, besides, I am three days older than thou, O man, for I
was brought forth on the third day of creation, and thou on the
sixth." Moses lost no time, but carried back to God the words the