In the covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai, where the "Ten Commandments" were given, Moses founded the religious community known as Israel. As the interpreter of these covenant laws, he was the organizer of the community's religious and civil traditions. His story is told in the Old Testament - in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Moses' life is divided into three major periods: (1) The Forty Years In Egypt, (2) The Forty Years In The Land Of Midian, (3) The Forty Years In The Wilderness.
(1) - The Hebrew people had been in slavery in Egypt in some 400 years. This was in accord with God's words to Abraham that his seed or descendants, would be in foreign land in affliction for 400 years. - Gen. 15:13 - At the end of this time, God began to set His people free from their bondage by bringing Moses to birth. He was a child of the captive Hebrews, but one whom the Lord would use to deliver Israel from her oppressors. Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, had given orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live. The Hebrew slaves had been reproducing so fast that the king felt threatened by a potential revolt against his authority. To save the infant Moses, his mother made a little vessel of papyrus water proofed with asphalt and pitch. She placed Moses in the vessel, floating among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River.
By God's providence, Moses - the child of a Hebrew slave - was found and adopted by an Egyptian princess, the daughter of the Pharaoh himself. He was reared in the royal court as a prince of the Egyptians: "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds." - Acts 7:22 - At the same time, the Lord determined that Moses should be taught in the earliest years by his own mother. This meant that he was founded in the faith of his fathers, although he was reared as an Egyptian. - Ex. 2:1-10 -
One day Moses became angry at an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave; he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. - Ex. 2:12 - When this became known, however, he feared for his own life and fled from Egypt to the land of Midian. Moses was 40 years old when this occurred. - Acts 7:23-29 -
(2) - Moses' exile of about 40 years was spent in the land of Midian (mostly in northwest Arabia) in the desert between Egypt and Canaan. In Midian Moses became a shepherd and eventually the son-in-law of Jethro, a Midianite priest. Jethro gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. - Ex. 18:3-4; Acts 7:29 - During his years as a shepherd, Moses became familiar with the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula, learning much about survival in the desert. He also learned patience and much about leading sheep. All of these skills prepared him to be the shepherd of the Israelites in later years when he led them out of Egypt and through the Wilderness of Sinai. Near the end of his 40 years sojourn in the land of Midian, Moses experienced a dramatic call to ministry. This call was given at the 'Burning Bush' in the wilderness near the mountain of Sinai. The Lord revealed to Moses His intention to deliver Israel from Egyptian captivity into a 'land flowing with milk and honey' which He had promised centuries before to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord assured Moses that He would be with him, and that by God's presence, he would be able to lead the people out of Egypt.
God spoke to Moses from the midst of a burning bush, but Moses doubted that it was God who spoke. He asked for a sign. Instantly, his rod, which he cast on the ground, became a serpent. - Ex. 4:3 - In spite of the assurance of this miraculous sign, Moses was still hesitant to take on this task. He pleaded that he was 'slow of speech and slow of stutterer or a stammerer. God countered Moses' hesitation by appointing his brother, Aaron to be his spokesman. Moses would be God's direct representative, and Aaron would be his mouthpiece and interpreter to the people of Israel. Finally, Moses accepted this commission from God and returned to Egypt for a confrontation with Pharaoh.
Soon after his return, Moses stirred the Hebrews to revolt and demanded of Pharaoh, 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.' - Ex. 5:1 - But Pharaoh rejected the demand of the God of whom Moses and Aaron spoke: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go?.' - Ex. 5:2 - He showed his contempt of this God of the Hebrews by increasing the oppression of the slaves. - Ex. 5:5-14 - As a result, the people grumbled against Moses. - Ex. 5:20-21 - But Moses did not waver in his mission. He warned Pharaoh of the consequences that would fall on his kingdom if he should refuse to let the people of Israel go. Then followed a stubborn battle of wills with Pharaoh hardening his heart and stiffening his neck against God's commands. Ten terrible plagues were visited upon the land of Egypt, the tenth plague being the climax of horrors. - Ex. 7:14 to 12:30 -
The ultimate test of God's power to set the people free was the slaying of the firstborn of all Egypt, on the night of the PASSOVER feast of Israel. - Ex. 11:1 to 12:30 - that night Moses began to lead the slaves to freedom, as God killed the firstborn of Egypt and spared the firstborn of Israel through the sprinkling of the blood of the Passover lamb. This pointed to the day when God's own Lamb would come into the world to deliver, by His own blood, all of those who put their trust in Him, setting them free from sin and death.
Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. - 1Peter 1:18-20 -
After the Hebrews left, Pharaoh's forces pursued them to the Red Sea, threatening to destroy them before they could cross. A PILLAR OF CLOUD AND FIRE, however, stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians, protecting the Israelites until they could escape. When Moses stretched his hand over the sea, the waters were divided and the Israelites passed to the other side. When the Egyptians attempted to follow, Moses again stretched his hand over the sea, and the waters closed over the Egyptian army. - Ex. 14:19-31 -
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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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