In answer to Moses' prayers, God sent bread from heaven - Manna and quail to eat. - Exodus 16 - In the Wilderness of Sin, when they again had no water, Moses performed a miracle by striking a rock, at a place called Massah (Tempted) and Meribah (Contention) and water came out of the rock. - Ex. 17:1-7 - When they reached the land of Midian, Moses' father-in-law Jethro came to meet them. He gave Moses sound advice on how to exercise his leadership and authority more efficiently by delegating responsibility to subordinate rulers who would judge the people in small cases. - Exodus 18 -
When the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses went up into the mountain for 40 days. - Ex.24:18 - The Lord appeared in a terrific storm - "thundering and lightnings, and a thick cloud." - Ex. 19:16 - Out of this momentous encounter came the covenant between the Lord and Israel, including the Ten Commandments. - Ex. 20:1-17 - In giving the Law to the Hebrew people, Moses taught the Israelites what the Lord expected of them - that they were to be a holy people separated from the pagan immorality and idolatry of their surroundings. Besides being the lawgiver, Moses was also the one through whom God presented the TABERNACLE and instructions for the holy office of the priesthood. Under God's instructions, Moses issued ordinances to cover specific situations, instituted a system of judges and hearings in civil cases, and regulated the religious and ceremonial services of worship.
When Moses delayed in coming down from Mount Sinai, the faithless people became restless. They persuaded Aaron to take their golden earrings and other articles of jewelry and to fashion a golden calf for worship. When he came down from the mountain, Moses was horrified at the idolatry and rebellion of his people. The sons of Levi were loyal to Moses, however; and he ordered them to punish the rebels. - Ex. 32:28 - Because of his anger at the golden calf, Moses cast down the two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments and broke them at the foot of the mountain. - Ex. 32:19 - After the rebellion had been put down, Moses went up into Mount Sinai again and there received the Ten Commandments a second time. - Ex. 34:1-29 -
After leaving Mount Sinai, the Israelites continued their journey toward the land of Canaan. They arrived at 'Kadesh Barnea' on the border of the Promised Land. From this site, Moses sent 12 spies, one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, into Canaan to explore the land. The spies returned with glowing reports of fruitfulness of the land. They brought back samples of its figs and pomegranates and a cluster of grapes so large that it had to be carried between two men on a pole. - Num. 13:1-25 - The majority of the spies, however, voted against the invasion of the land. Ten of them spoke fearfully of the huge inhabitants of Canaan. - Ex. 13:31-33 -
The minority report, delivered by Caleb and Joshua, urged a bold and courageous policy. By trusting the Lord, they said, the Israelites would be able to attack and overcome the land. - Num. 13:30 - But the people lost heart and rebelled, refusing to enter Canaan and clamoring for a new leader who would take them back to Egypt. - Num. 14:1-14 - To punish them for the lack of faith, God condemned all of that generation, except Caleb and Joshua, to perish in the wilderness. - Num.14:26-38 -
During these years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses' patience was continually tested by the murmurings, grumblings, and complaints of the people. At one point, Moses' patience reached its breaking point and he sinned against the Lord, in anger against the people. When the people again grumbled against Moses, saying they had no water, the Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and water would flow forth. Instead, Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Apparently because he disobeyed the Lord in this act, Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. - Num. 20:1-13 - That privilege would belong to his successor, Joshua.
When Moses had led the Israelites to the borders of Canaan, his work was done. In 'the Song of Moses' - Deut. 32:1-43 - Moses renewed the Sinai Covenant with the survivors of the wanderings, praised God, and blessed the people, tribe by tribe. - Deut. 33:1-29 - Then he climbed Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah and viewed the Promised Land from afar and died. The Hebrews never saw him again, and the circumstances of his death and burial remain shrouded in mystery. - Num. 34:1-8 - After his death, Moses continued to be viewed by Israel as a servant of the Lord. - Josh. 1:1-2 - and as the one through whom God spoke to Israel. - Josh. 1:3, 9:24, 14:2 -
For that reason, although it was truly the Law of God, the Law given at Mount Sinai was consistently called the Law of Moses. - Josh. 1:7, 4:10 - Above all, Joshua's generation remembered Moses as the man of God. - Josh. 14:6 - This high regard for Moses continued throughout Israelites history. Moses was held in high esteem by Samuel - 1Sam. 12:6-8 - the writer of 1Kings - 1Kin. 2:3 - and the Jewish people who survived in the times after the Captivity. - 1Chr. 6:49, 23:14 - The psalmist also remembered Moses as the man of God and as an example of a great man of prayer. - Ps. 99:6 - He recalled that God worked through Moses - Ps. 77:20, 103:7 - realizing that the consequence of his faithfulness to God was to suffer much on behalf of God's people. - Ps. 106:16,32 -
The prophets of the Old Testament also remembered Moses as the leader of God's people. - Is. 63:12 - as the one by whom God brought Israel out of Egypt - Micah 6:4 - and as one of the greatest of the interceders for God's people. - Jer. 15:1 - Malachi called the people to remember Moses' Law and to continue to be guided by it, until the Lord Himself should come to redeem them. - Mal. 4:4 - Jesus showed clearly, by what He taught and by how He lived, that He viewed Moses' Law as the authoritative for the people of God. - Matt. 5:17-18 - To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus expounded the things concerning Himself written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and other writings of the Old Testament. - Luke 24:27 - At the TRANSFIGURATION, Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus and talked with Him. - Matt. 17:1-4; Mark 9:2-5; Luke 9:28-33 -
In the message before the Jewish Council, Saint Stephen included a lengthy reference to how God delivered Israel by Moses and how Israel rebelled against God and against Moses' leadership. - Acts 7:17-44 - The book of Hebrews spoke in glowing terms of the faith of Moses. These and other passages demonstrate how highly Moses was esteemed by various writers of the Old and New Testament.
It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, hidden by its parents for three months; they defied the royal edict when they saw he was such a fine child. It was by faith that, when he grew to manhood, Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter and chose to be ill-treated in the company of God's people rather than to enjoy for a time the pleasures of sin. He considered that the insults offered to the Anointed were something more precious than all the treasures of Egypt, because he had his eyes fixed on the reward. It was by faith that he left Egypt and was not afraid of the king's anger; he held to his purpose like a man who could see the Invisible. It was by faith that he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood to prevent the Destroyer from touching any of the first-born sons of Israel. It was by faith they crossed the Red Sea as easily as dry land, while the Egyptians, trying to do the same, were drowned. - Heb. 11:23-29 -
The New Testament, however, shows that Moses' teaching was intended only to prepare humanity for the greater teaching and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Moses promised, Jesus fulfilled: "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received-
yes, grace in return for grace,
since, though the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. - John 1:16-17 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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