Moses was the great leader, lawgiver, prophet, and judge of Israel. GOD raised up Moses to lead the nation out of Egyptian bondage into the land promised centuries earlier to Abraham. Moses also was to be the mediator of GOD's law to His people. His story is told in the Books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; and he is perhaps the most significant human in the OT.
Moses' life was providentially spared as an infant. He spent his first forty years in the courts of the Pharaoh's daughter, where he undoubtedly learned many administrative, literary, and legal skills that would serve him in good stead in his years as Israel's leader and lawgiver.
Moses probably lived early in the New Kingdom era (about 1550-1200 BC).This time was the cultural and military peak of Egypt's three-thousand-year history. Moses lived within one hundred years of King Tutankhamen (about 1347-1338 BC), the boy-king whose undisturbed tomb was discovered in 1922. The magnificent objects found in that tomb are typical of the art, wealth, and workmanship amid which the young Moses lived and which was later represented in much of the artistry of the tabernacle.
As an adult, Moses was forced to flee to the Midianite wilderness in the Sinai desert. There he met his wife and spent the next forty years. There he learned practical skills that would help him in leading Israel through the wilderness. During this time, he received GOD's call at Mount Sinai to lead Israel out of Egypt. He also received the revelation of GOD's covenant name, Yahweh. Moses was a reluctant leader, but he obeyed. He confronted the Pharaoh repeatedly until he let Israel go.
Moses' tenure as Israel's leader lasted another forty years. They were years filled with GOD's impressive miracles through Moses, such as the parting of the Red (Hebrew "Reed") Sea, repeated provision of food and water, and deliverance from enemies. The high point was the year spent at Mount Sinai in the southern Sinai Peninsula during which Moses communed closely with his GOD and received the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law to deliver to Israel.
Moses was barred from entering the promised land of Canaan because of his sin at Meribah, so he was able only to view it before he died.
Despite this, the universal testimony of the Scriptures is that Moses held an unrivaled place in all of Israel's history. Theologically, the exodus out of Egypt that he helped to effect and the law that he delivered to Israel are twin towers to which the Scriptures refer again and again as key factors in GOD's dealings with humanity. Personally, we are instructed by Moses' humility and by his life of submission to GOD's will. His example of obedient faith and his roles as deliverer, lawgiver, author, prophet, and even judge all place him in the first rank of Israel's heroes.
[See also the Bible Dictionary article, "Moses"
Exod. 4:1-9 The signs given to Moses had the objective of demonstrating that GOD was with him. Many times signs or miracles are produced to prove that GOD is present, protecting his people.
Exod. 4:2 GOD takes common things, like a rod, and uses them as his extraordinary instrument. This rod served to achieve several miracles through GOD's power.
(IBD) - The rod was a staff, pole, or stick with several uses: a staff to lean on (Gen. 32:10; Exod. 4:2); a club-like weapon (Exod. 21:20; I Sam. 14:27; Psa. 23:4); an instrument of punishment (II Sam. 7:14; I Cor. 4:21); a shepherd's crook (Ezek. 20:37); a mark of authority, a scepter - such as Moses' rod (Exod. 4:20) and Aaron's rod (Num. 17:2-10); a measuring stick (Ezek. 40:3; Rev. 11:1); and a tool used to thresh grain (Is. 28:27).
Exod. 4:10 O LORD constitutes Moses' recognition that GOD has the right to give orders. Slow in speech and awkward of tongue: the protest of Moses, who wasn't considered someone persuasive or eloquent. Neither before nor since indicates that, according to him, his problem was permanent and the encounter with Jehovah hadn't changed things.
Exod. 4:12 The promise formulated here is similar to that of Matthew 10:19,20. When we don't know how to respond, GOD puts the adequate words on our lips.
Exod. 4:13-17 Although Moses asks GOD to command another person, he isn't released of his responsibility. GOD changes the way of communication, however. GOD will speak to Moses, who will speak to Aaron, who will in turn speak to the people. Moses is the agent of GOD, and Aaron, the voice of Moses.
Exod. 4:18-13:16 GOD's Presence with Moses in Egypt (HBH) Moses at last yielded to GOD and made his way back to Egypt with this message for Pharaoh: "Israel is my first-born son...Let my son go, so he may worship me" (4:22-23). Along the way Yahweh met Moses and threatened to kill him because he who was about to lead the circumcised people of Israel had failed to circumcise even his own son. Only the quick intervention of Zipporah saved him, for she hastily circumcised her son in obedience to the covenant requirements (4:18-26).
At the edge of the desert Moses met Aaron. Together they entered Egypt to confront the elders of Israel. AFter Moses had related all that GOD had said and done, the elders and the people heard with faith and bowed themselves before the LORD (4:27-31).
Pharaoh's question, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go?" (5:2), sets the stage for the conflict that dominates the scene through Exodus 15. Before the drama of redemption was over, Pharaoh would "know the LORD" and would yield to His powerful saving presence. But for now Pharaoh intensified the Israelites' sufferings (5:1-21)j. This led a bitter Moses to accuse Yahweh (5:22-6:1).
Yahweh renewed His pledge to be with Israel in deliverance, a pledge grounded securely in His very covenant name Yahweh (6:2-9). GOD commanded Moses to go back to Pharaoh with the promise that the Egyptian monarch would know that there was a higher authority. Moses would seem like GOD Himself to Pharaoh, and Aaron would be his prophet. By His mighty acts of judgment, GOD would make Himself known to the Egyptians (6:28-7:7).
Again and again Moses and Aaron commanded Pharaoh to let GOD's people leave Egypt to worship. Despite the signs, wonders, and plagues that revealed the mighty presence of the LORD, the king of Egypt would not relent. In round one of the conflict, the rod of Aaron became a serpent that swallowed those of the Egyptian magicians (7:8-13). Three plagues followed. The Nile was turned to blood (7:14-25), the land was filled with frogs (8:1-15), and Egypt was plagued by gnats (8:16-19). Pharaoh's own magicians could duplicate the first two feats, so he was not impressed. Pharaoh did however request that Moses and Aaron pray "to the LORD to take the frogs away" (8:8). Pharaoh was becoming acquainted with Yahweh, the GOD of Israel. The plague of gnats, the final plague of round one, exceeded the magical powers of the Egyptian magicians and led them to confess, "This is the finger of GOD" (8:19).
In round two of the conflict, the plague of flies (8:20-32) demonstrated that Yahweh was present in Egypt (8:22). In this plague, the grievous disease of the cattle (9:1-7), and the boils (9:8-12), GOD distinguished between the Egyptians who suffered GOD's judgment and the Israelites who experienced GOD's protection (8:23; 9:7,11).
Round three of the conflict likewise consists of three plagues. Before sending hail (9:13-35), the LORD asserted that He alone is the LORD of history. Yahweh had raised up Pharaoh for the express purpose of demonstrating His mighty power and proclaiming His holy name (9:16). Indeed, some of the officials of Pharaoh "feared the word of the LORD" (9:20), and Pharaoh confessed his sin (9:27). Moses' prayer to end the hail demonstrated "that the earth is the LORD's" (9:29). Pharaoh, however, again hardened his heart. Plagues of locusts (10:1-20) and thick darkness (10:21-29) followed to no avail.
The fourth and deciding round of the conflict consisted of but one final plague - the death of the firstborn of every family in Egypt. At last Pharaoh permitted Israel to leave Egypt with their flocks and herds (12:31-32). The structure of Exodus 11-13 underscores the abiding theological significance of this final plague. Here narrative language relating once-for-all saving events (11:1-10; 12:29-42; 13:17-22) alternates with instructional language applicable to the ongoing worship of Israel (12:1-28,43-13:16). The Passover celebration, the consecration of the firstborn, and the feast of unleavened bread serve as continuing reminders of what GOD did to redeem His people. The firstborn of all the families of Israel belonged to the LORD because He had spared them when He had decimated the families of Egypt (13:11-16).
Exod. 4:18 Moses has become Jethro's son-in-law, and as an obedient son, had to ask permission to leave that place.
Exod. 4:19 On finding out about Pharaoh's death, Moses felt free to return to Egypt. This event in Moses' life has its parallel in the life of Jesus; after the death of Herod (the Great), Jesus could return to Israel from Egypt (Matt. 2:19-21).
Exod. 4:22 All mankind is GOD's creation, but Israel holds a special place, and is concerned with the achievement of a special mission within the divine plan. Being GOD's firstborn has a sense of special belonging, not only as someone favored, but as people who have been given a unique responsibility.
Exodus 4:24-26 This is a difficult and obscure passage. Apparently, Moses neglected to circumcise his sons. Circumcision is something that served as a sign of GOD's covenant with his people and had been instituted by GOD himself (Gen. 17:10-14). Not realizing this rite could have been due to the repugnance that his wife felt for this practice, or as a way of adhering to the Midian rite, which required males to be circumcised at puberty. But as head of the family, Moses should have carried out this ceremony when his son was eight days old. As he is about to become the deliverer of Israel, GOD isn't pleased and uses Zipporah to do what Moses should have done. (See the note for Genesis 17:10.
Exodus 4:26 The significance of a husband of blood possible makes a reference to Zipporah's indignation for having had to circumcise Moses' sin.
Exod. 4:30 The signs gave validity to Moses' calling and made the people believe. Inclining their heads was a sign of respect.
Exod. 5:1 Moses could present himself before Pharaoh because he had been adopted by the daughter of the previous Pharaoh. Even when a new king had occupied the throne, it was customary to respect the descendants of the fallen Pharaoh. Another possibility that the history of Egypt suggests has to do with the fact that a Pharaoh, Rameses II, received all who wished to see him. During festivals, the communities interrupted their activities to pay tribute, on specified occasions, to certain deities. It was normally a joyful time, dedicated to eating and worshiping some god. Celebrate a feast is the third form used to identify the purpose of the liberation of Israel (see 3:12,18).
Exod. 5:2 Who is Jehovah that I should hear his voice?: Pharaoh was considered divine. Thus it took work to believe that the GOD of a slave people, although he may have existed, could represent a danger to him, while that GOD and his people remained captives.
Exod. 5:3 Pharaoh's rights over the Hebrew slaves were valid only while they remained on Egyptian ground. By leaving the region they would become free men and have no reason to return.
Exod. 5:10 Archaeological excavations have shown the existence of differences in the buildings of NE Egypt; while most were high, less straw was used.
Exod. 5:14 The foremen (KJV-taskmasters) were Hebrew supervisors. Apparently, their privileged condition was maintained only when they were in Pharaoh's service. Perhaps that is the reason they tried to discredit Moses and Aaron (v.21).
Exod. 6:3 GOD Almighty, the translation of the Hebrew El-Shadai, is the "sufficient GOD", the "All powerful", which means that he is the GOD from whom all blessings and all power flow.
Exod. 6:4 The covenant was an agreement between two parties, normally one superior to the other. It contained some permanent stipulations, made by each one of them, which was ratified by a ritual ceremony, like that of circumcision (Gen. 17:10,11), passing between the divided bodies of animals (Jer. 34:18), or sharing a special meal (Gen. 31:54).
Exod. 6:14-25 This genealogy places Moses and Aaron as descendants of Levi and members of that tribe of the Hebrew people. They finally acquire relief when GOD calls this tribe to the priesthood.
Exod. 6:26 Armies refers here to the family clans.
Exod. 6:30 See the note for 4:10.
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