## The Life of Moses

## Exodus 2:1-2

THE MEANING OF THE NAME:

Moses means "to draw out " or "extraction .

FAMILY BACKGROUND:

- In Exodus 2: 1-2; we read, "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi." (Ex. 2:1)
- "And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months." (Ex. 2:2)
- The "son" was born under the sentence of death by the Pharoah at that time.
- The child was placed in an ark and hidden because, "every son that is born ye shall cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22).
- The daughter of Pharaoh found the ark.
- The baby’s sister, on the river bank, suggested Jochebed, the mother of the baby, as the nurse to rear the child and care for him (Exodus 2:7 8).
- The parents of Moses are not named until Exodus 6:20. He was born to Amram and Jochebed. Amram was from the Levitical tribe, the son of Kohath .
- Moses, raised in a princely fashion, became instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, who were then the most influential people in the world.
- Being in the palace of Pharaoh for the first forty years of his life equipped Moses for what God had in mind, not the Pharaoh of Egypt.
- Even though he learned the court life, the pomp and ceremony of royalty, the arts and glory of Egypt Moses knew and remembered his origin and believed the promises which had been made to the Hebrew people by the Lord God.

WHAT THE OLD TESTAMENT SAYS ABOUT MOSES:

(1) Moses’ Life is Divided into Three 40-Year Periods:

- 40 years in the palace of Pharaoh
- 40 years in Midian on the backside of the desert
- 40 years as the deliverer of his people from Egyptian bondage

(2) After the first 40 years, Moses identified himself with Israel and he fled from Pharaoh (Exodus 2:15).

- The king (Pharaoh) of Egypt died and the children of Israel cried because of their bondage (Exodus 2:23).
- God heard their cry and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 2:24).

(3) The Call of Moses (Exodus 3).

- During the period Moses spent in Midian, out on the backside of the desert, God called and commissioned him to lead Israel out of bondage.(Exodus 3:2-10).
- God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and the bush was not consumed (verse 2).
- God always appeared in a cloud or in fire. Moses could not turn away from such a sight.
- Out of the midst of the bush, God called Moses by name (verse 4).
- God commissioned Moses to be the leader and "bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt" (verse 10).

(4) The Excuses of Moses (Exodus 3:11 through 4:13).

Moses was just like most of us. God called and Moses made excuses to Him that he couldn’t do what God said.

Note the four excuses:

1. First excuse - "Who am I, that I should go..." (3:11 ) The answer - "Certainly I will be with thee. . ." (verse 12)

2. Second excuse - "When they say to me, what is his name, what shall I say unto them?" (verse 13) The answer - God is the great "I AM."

3. Third excuse - "They will not believe me..." (Exodus 4:1 ). The answer "What is in thy hand’? " (verses 2-9)

a. God used a rod and the sign of leprosy on the hand of Moses.

b. God uses what we have.

c. The less we have, the more evident is His power.

4. Fourth excuse - "Oh Lord, I am not eloquent. I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue." (verse 10) The answer - "Who hath made man’s mouth? God and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." (verses 11 and 12)

a. Still, Moses said to God, "Send someone else" (verse 13).

b. God then selected Aaron, the brother of Moses, to speak for Moses.

c. God would use the heart and head of Moses and the tongue of Aaron.

d. The lesson is there are no excuses if God calls us to a work.

e. He will provide all we need.

(5) The Contest with Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1 through 12:51).

- After the call of God, Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt (Ex. 4:19-31)
- Then in Exodus 5:1 begins the difficult stage in the life of Moses.
- He and Aaron made the first appeal to Pharaoh for God: "let my people go."
- Pharaoh was the first agnostic, "Who is the Lord’?" (verse 2).
- He only increases the work burden of the children of Israel (Exodus 5:2 and 4-9).
- After the Lord assured Moses in chapter 6:1-8 that He would do all He had promised, He renews His commission to Moses. (Note: the seven "I wills" in verses 6-8).
- In the contest, the Pharaoh becomes fierce (chapters 7 through 11).
- We shall list only the "plagues of God" and each of these plagues was against one of the Egyptian gods:

Nature of Plague The Plague Egyptian God

Touches the comfort

1. Water into blood (Ex. 7:19-25) Osris, Nile god of the people

2. Frogs (Ex. 8:1-15) Heka, frog goddess

3. Lice (Ex. 8:16-19) Geb, earth god

4. Flies (Ex. 8:20-24) Khepara, beetle god

Touches property

5. Death of cattle (Ex. 9:1-7) Apis, cattle god

Touches their person

6. Boils (Ex. 9:8-12) Typhon, physical god

7. Hail (Ex. 9:22-35) Isis, air goddess

Renders them helpless

8. Locusts (Ex. 10:12-20) Serapis, insect god

9. Darkness (Ex. 10:21-23 Ra, sun god

Death and doom

10. Death (Ex. 11:4-7) All false gods

- The purpose of the plagues was to reveal the power and holiness or God (Exodus 9:16-17).
- To reveal God to Egypt (Exodus 7:5). [8] · Judgment upon the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12: 12).
- To honor Israel (Exodus 8:22-23).
- To live a testimony to future generations (Exodus 10:1-2).
- Moses stood firm on all the announcements for God.
- He withstood every temptation of Pharaoh.

(6) The Passover (Exodus 12)

- God provided a way of escape through me Passover.
- Finally Pharaoh tells Moses to go (Exodus 12:29-32).
- In the face of the judgment of death, God provided a way out for His people.
- The Passover has important words, "When I see the blood, l will pass over you."
- Christ is our Passover (I Co. 5:7).

(7) Moses led Israel across the Red Sea (chapters 13-14).

- Notice that the Lord appeared in a cloud by day, and fire by night, to lead them.
- The song of the redeemed is in chapter 15. Note especially verse 26.
- "And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee." (Exo 15:26)

(8) The Lord God provided manna and quail for 40 years (Exodus 16:4, 13, 35).

- They were in the wilderness, wandering around.
- The Lord instituted me Sabbath (Exodus 16:23; 26-30).

(9) The Smitten Rock (Exodus 17:1.7).

- Moses struck the rock in obedience (later he strikes the rock in disobedience cf Nu. 20:7-13.
- Note I Corinthians 10:4 "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

10) To Moses, the Law was Given (Exodus 19-24).

1. Commandments - governing moral life chapters 19 and 20. Jesus includes all of these in Matthew 22:37-39.

2. Judgments - governing social life (chapters 21-22).

3. Ordinances - governing religious life (chapter 24).

4. The law was given, and did not take away the Abrahamic Covenant.

5. Note Galatians3:17-18 "And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

6. Note: Gal. 3:19-24 Also Romans 7:7: "What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

(11) God Gave to Moses the Pattern for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25 through 40).

(a) The pattern for the tabernacle is in chapters 25-31.

(b) Aaron and the people made a golden idol and Israel again slipped into idolatry and immorality.

- Moses interceded for them, but as he came down from Mt. Sinai, he saw the calf of gold and he was angry: so angry he broke the two stones containing the law.
- Moses interceded again for his people and then ascended back up Sinai.
- He descended, carrying a new copy of the law, and "his face did shine so that the people could not look upon him."
- He had been with God and it was visible (chapters 32-34).

(c) Moses finally instructed me people to build and assemble the tabernacle.

- The people gave more man enough to finish the tabernacle, the place where God could dwell with His people (chapters 35-40).
- The tabernacle pointed to and was a symbol of Christ and His atoning work on the cross.

(12) Moses Never Went into the Promised Land. cf Nu. 27:18-23

- Joshua was selected to be his successor and it was Joshua who led Israel back into Canaan.
- Only 70 Israelites had gone down into Egypt. After 400 years, it is estimated that more than two million (600,000 men, plus women and children) came out of Egypt.
- Note: De. 34:10 "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,"
- "And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan." (Deu 31:2)

WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS ABOUT MOSES:

(1) Stephen, tells us a great deal about Moses. cf Acts 7:22-46

(2) Jesus ascribes the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) to Moses in Luke 24:44

(3) Look up John 3:14, and compare with Numbers 21:8-9

(4) Jesus compares the bread given in the wilderness with the Bread of Life. cf Jn. 6:31-35

(5 ) In Hebrews 3:1-19, we see that Christ is our High Priest. He, God’s Son, is better than the servant, Moses. Note: v5-6

"And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

(6) In Hebrews 11:23-29, five times we read "by faith."

- "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" (Heb 11:25)
- "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." (Heb 11:26)
- "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Heb 11:27)
- Who was the "invisible" one? He was Jesus Christ, as you see in verse 26. Moses had faith in the "seed of woman."

THE LESSONS WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS LESSON:

1. God selects and elects those who are to be His leaders in every generation.

2. The Lord will sometime place us on the "backside of the desert" to teach us His will and patience.

3. The Lord calls all of us, who have accepted Him, to a place of service, regardless of how smart or great.

4. All of us, in our carnal nature, will offer excuses to the Lord just as Moses did when he was called.

5. In God’s own time, He always has a way out for His people. Remember the ten plagues?

6. The Lord provides only what we need; all we need to do is His work.