Moses (drawn out) was the Hebrew prophet who delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and who was their leader and lawgiver during their years of wandering in the wilderness. He was the son of Amram and Jochebed (Exod. 6:18, 20; Num. 26:58-59), the grandson of Kohath, the great-grandson of Levi, and the brother of Aaron and Miriam.

Moses was a leader so inspired by GOD that he was able to build a united nation from a race of oppressed and weary slaves. In the covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were given, he 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:

The Forty Years in Egypt. The Hebrew people had been in slavery in Egypt for some 400 years. This was in accord with GOD's words to Abraham that his seed, or descendants, would be in a 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 the 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 waterproofed 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, Mosees - 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 L,small>ORD determined that Moses should be taught in his earliest years by his own mother. This meant that he was founded in the faith of his father, although he was reared as an Egyptian (Exod. 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 (Exod. 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).

The Forty Years in the Land of Midian. 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 (Exod. 2:21); and she bore two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exod. 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-year 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 LOD 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.

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 (Exod. 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 tongue" (Exod. 4:10), perhaps implying that he was a 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 Pharoah, "Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness" (Exod. 5:1). But Pharaoh rejected the demand of this unknown 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" (Exod. 5:2). He showed his contempt of this GOD of the Hebrews by increasing the oppression of the slaves (Exod. 5:5-14). As a result, the people grumbled against Moses (Exod. 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 (Exod. 7:14-12:30), the tenth plague being the climax of horrors.

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 (Exod. 11:1-12:30). That night Moses began to lead the slaves to freedom, as GOD killed the first born 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 (I Pet. 1:19).

After the Hebrews left, Pharaoh's forces pursued them to the Red Sea (some scholars say the Sea of Reeds), 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 excape. 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 (Exod. 14:19-31).

The Forty Years in the Wilderness. Moses led the people toward Mount Sinai, in obedience to the word of GOD spoken to him at the burning bush (Exod. 3:1-12). During the long journey through the desert, the people began to murmur because of the trials of freedom, forgetting the terrible trials of Egyptian bondage. Through it all, Moses was patient, understanding both the harshness of the desert and the blessings of GOD's provision for them.

In the Wilderness of Shur the people murmured against Moses because the waters of Marah were bitter. The LORD showed Moses a tree. When Moses cast the tree into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Exod. 15:22-25). 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 (Exod. 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 (Exod. 24:18). The LORD appeared in a terrific storm - "thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud" (Exod. 19:16). Out of this momentous encounter came the covenant between the LORD and Israel, including the Ten Commandments (Exod. 10:1-17).

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 (Exod. 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 (Exod. 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 (Exod. 34:1,29).

After leaving Mt. 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 the 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 (Exod. 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 aable 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. 14:1-4). To punish them for their 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 the 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 Israaelite history. Moses was held in high esteem by Samuel (I Sam. 12:6,8), the writer of I Kings (I Ki. 2:3), and the Jewish people who survived in the times after the Captivity (I Shron. 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 (Mic. 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 authoritative for the people of GOD (Matt. 5:17-18). To the two disciples on the road to Emmus, Jesus expounded the things concerning Himself written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the 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 his message before the Jewish Council, Stephen included a lengthy reference to how GOD delivered Israel by Moses and how Israel rebelled against GOD and against Moses' leadership (Acts 7:20-44).

The writer of the Book of Hebrews spoke in glowing terms of the faith of Moses (Heb. 11:24-29). These and other passages demonstrate how highly Moses was esteemed by various writers of the Old and New Testaments.

The New Testament, however, shows that Moses' teaching was intended only to prepare humanity for the greater teaching and work of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16-3:31). What Moses promised, Jesus fulfilled: "For the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17)>

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