Moses The life of Moses divides conveniently into three periods of forty years each. The first period ended with his flight from Egypt to Midian (Acts 1:7-29), the second with his return from Midian to liberate his people from Egyptian power (Acts 1:7-36; Exodus 7:7), and the third with his death just before Israel entered Canaan (Deuteronomy 34:7).
As the leader God chose to establish Israel as a nation, Moses had absolute rule over Israel. God spoke to the people through him (Exodus 1:3-12; Exodus 24:12; Exodus 25:22). Moses’ position was unique. No other person of his time, and no leader after him, had the face-to-face relationship with God that Moses had (Exodus 1:24-2; Exodus 33:11; Numbers 1:12-8; Deuteronomy 34:10).
Relations with Egypt
Moses was the third child of Amram and Jochabed, and belonged to the tribe of Levi. His older sister was Miriam and his older brother Aaron (Exodus 6:20; 1 Chronicles 1:6-3). Through a series of remarkable events, the young child Moses was adopted into the Egyptian royal family but grew up under the influence of his godly Israelite mother (Exodus 1:2-10; Hebrews 11:23). From his mother he learnt about the true and living God who had chosen Israel as his people, and from the Egyptians he received the best secular education available (Acts 7:22).
by the time he was forty, Moses was convinced God had chosen him to rescue Israel from Egypt. but his rash killing of an Egyptian slave-driver showed he was not yet ready for the job. To save his life he fled from Egypt to live among the Midianites, a nomadic people who inhabited a barren region that spread from the Sinai Peninsular around the Gulf of Aqabah into the western part of the Arabian Desert. by such a decisive act, Moses demonstrated his total rejection of his Egyptian status (Exodus 1:2-15; Acts 1:7-29; Hebrews 1:11-25).
In Midian Moses lived with a local chief named Jethro (or Reuel), from whom he probably learnt much about desert life and tribal administration. He married one of Jethro’s daughters, and from her had two sons (Exodus 1:2-22; Exodus 18:1-3).
During Moses’ forty years in Midian, Israel’s sufferings in Egypt increased. God’s time to deliver Israel from bondage had now come, and the person he would use as the deliverer was Moses (Exodus 1:2-25; Exodus 3:1-12). Because the Israelites had only a vague understanding of God, Moses had to explain to them the character of this one who would be their redeemer. He, the Eternal One, would prove himself able to meet every need of his people, but they had to learn to trust in him (Exodus 1:3-15; Exodus 6:2-8; See Yahweh).
In response to Moses’ complaint that the Israelites would not believe him, God gave him three signs (Exodus 1:4-9,30). In response to his excuse that he was not a good speaker, God gave him Aaron as a spokesman (Exodus 1:4-16; Exodus 7:1-2). Moses then returned to Egypt, where the elders of Israel welcomed him (Exodus 4:20,29,31).
God warned Moses that his job would be difficult and that Pharaoh would not listen to his pleas for freedom for the Israelites (Exodus 1:4-23). Pharaoh’s response to Moses’ initial meeting was to increase the Israelites’ suffering, with the result that they turned bitterly against Moses (Exodus 1:5-21). God gave Moses further assurance that Pharaoh would be defeated, but when Moses told the people, they were too disheartened to listen (Exodus 6:1,9).
Moses again put his request to Pharaoh, and again Pharaoh refused (Exodus 1:7-13). God therefore worked through Moses and Aaron to send a series of plagues upon Egypt, resulting in the overthrow of Egypt and the release of Israel (Exodus 1:7-15:21; See Pharaoh; Plague).
Israel’s lawgiver
Having crossed the Red Sea, the Israelites headed through the semi-barren countryside for Mt Sinai. They complained constantly, sometimes because they had no water (Exodus 1:15-25; Exodus 17:2-3), other times because they had no food (Exodus 1:16-3). In each case God enabled Moses to satisfy their needs. He also answered Moses’ prayer in giving victory over some raiding Amalekites (Exodus 1:17-13).
When Jethro met Moses on the journey, he quickly saw that the heavy burden of leading the people was wearing Moses out. People brought even their minor personal disputes to Moses for his judgment (Exodus 1:18). Jethro suggested that Moses share the load by appointing others to judge lesser cases, leaving Moses to judge only the more difficult ones. Moses heeded Jethro’s advice, and so took the first steps in organizing the administration of Israel (Exodus 1:18-27).
Jethro returned home, and the Israelites moved on to Mt Sinai. They remained there for the next year (Exodus 19:1; Numbers 10:11), during which God prepared them for the life that lay ahead for them as an independent nation under his lordship.
There now had to be some recognized standard for the recently appointed officials to administer. God therefore gave the basic principles of the law in the form of ten simple commandments (Exodus 1:20-17), which were probably the principles Moses had been using as his standard all the time. The miscellaneous laws collected in the remainder of Exodus, and in the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, were based on these principles. As Moses judged the cases brought before him, the people accepted his decisions as having the authority of God. Many of these decisions became the basis of laws for the future (Exodus 18:16; Numbers 1:15-40; Numbers 27:5-11; See Law).
Mediator of the covenant
God then formally established his covenant with Israel in a ceremony at Mt Sinai. Moses, who acted as the mediator or go-between, announced God’s covenant commands to the people, and the people declared their willingness to obey. Moses sealed the covenant by blood, sprinkling half of it on the people and half of it against the altar (representing God) (Exodus 1:24-8; See Covenant). He took the leaders of the people with him up into the mountain, where they saw the glory of God, but Moses alone entered God’s presence. He remained there about six weeks and received God’s directions for the construction of the tabernacle and the institution of the priesthood (Exodus 1:24-18; Exodus 25:40).
While Moses was absent on the mountain, the Israelites built an idol. God told Moses he would destroy the nation and build it afresh, using Moses as the new ‘father’. Moses, thinking more of God’s glory than his own fame, successfully pleaded with God not to destroy the people (Exodus 1:32-14). Nevertheless, God could not ignore Israel’s sin. When he allowed a limited judgment to fall upon the people, Moses again pleaded for them, even offering to die on their behalf (Exodus 1:32-34).
In response to God’s statement that he would not go to Canaan with such a rebellious people, Moses again pleaded for them. Once more God answered Moses’ prayer, this time promising Moses his presence (Exodus 1:33-3,12). This encouraged Moses to ask even more. He asked for a greater understanding of the nature of God, and God replied by revealing to him more of his character and glory (Exodus 1:33-23). This revelation took place when Moses returned to the mountain to receive fresh copies of the law (Exodus 1:34-9). His face became so dazzling because of his meeting with God that on certain occasions he had to cover it with a cloth (Exodus 1:34-35; 2 Corinthians 1:3-18).
A patient leader
Moses’ gracious response to Israel’s disgraceful behaviour, both on the journey from Egypt and at Mt Sinai, showed that although he was a strong and decisive leader, he was not hot-headed or self-assertive. He was a humble man (Numbers 12:3), whose patience was demonstrated constantly.
After the fatal judgment on Aaron’s rebellious sons Nadab and Abihu (Numbers 1:10-2), the other two sons thought it better to burn their portion of the sacrifice in sorrow than to eat it. Their action was wrong, but it came from good motives. Moses, with understanding and sympathy, saw this and so said no more (Leviticus 1:10-20). In a later case of wilful blasphemy, and in another of deliberate disobedience to God’s law, Moses refused to act hastily. In both cases he waited for God to show him how to deal with the offenders (Leviticus 24:12; Numbers 15:34).
When Moses married a Cushite woman (his first wife had apparently died), Miriam and Aaron criticized him. The real reason for their attack, however, was their jealousy of Moses’ leadership. Though Moses made no effort to defend himself, God rebuked Miriam and Aaron. Again Moses showed his forgiving spirit by asking God’s mercy on his critics (Numbers 1:12-13). His generous nature was shown also on a previous occasion, when Joshua had wanted to protect Moses’ status as a prophet by stopping others from prophesying. Moses replied that he wished all God’s people were prophets (Numbers 1:11-29).
After the people’s refusal to accept Joshua and Caleb’s report and move ahead into Canaan, God again threatened to destroy the nation and rebuild it through Moses. Once more Moses prayed earnestly that God would forgive the people (Numbers 1:14-19). Although God did not destroy the people, he refused to allow the unbelieving adult generation to enter Canaan. Israel would therefore remain in the wilderness forty years, till the former generation had passed away and a new had grown up to replace it. Only then would Israel enter the promised land (Numbers 1:14-35).
Some time later there was a widespread rebellion against Moses and Aaron, headed by Korah, Dathan and Abiram. As usual Moses left the matter with God rather than take action to defend himself (Numbers 1:16-5). In righteous anger God threatened the rebellious nation with destruction, but again Moses prayed for them (Numbers 1:16-24,44).
The one occasion on which Moses lost his temper with the people was at Meribah. by his rash words and disobedient actions he misrepresented God before the people and brought God’s judgment upon himself. Because of his position of leadership, the cost of his failure was high. God punished him by not allowing him to enter Canaan (Numbers 1:20-13; Psalms 1:106-33).
Later events
About forty years after Israel left Egypt, the new generation prepared to enter Canaan. During a long detour that Israel was forced to make around Edom, Aaron died (Numbers 1:20-29). As the people of Israel moved north, they conquered large areas of good land east of Jordan, with the result that two and a half tribes asked to settle there instead of in Canaan. This at first worried Moses, because it seemed they were repeating the unbelief of their forefathers. He showed that he was fair and reasonable by agreeing to the two and a half tribes’ proposal to help conquer Canaan first and then return to settle east (Numbers 1:32-8,20).
When sexual immorality and foreign religious practices threatened Israel at this time, Moses took decisive action (Numbers 1:31-54). He also conducted a census, for the double purpose of determining Israel’s military strength for the attack on Canaan and making arrangements for the division of the land (Numbers 1:26-2,54).
Moses showed no bitterness at being refused entry into the land, but was concerned only that Israel have a godly leader (Numbers 1:27-17; cf. Deuteronomy 1:3-28). That leader was to be Joshua, though Joshua would not have the absolute authority that Moses had. Civil and religious leadership were to be separated. Joshua would not, like Moses, speak with God face to face, but would receive God’s instructions through the high priest (Numbers 1:27-21; cf. Deuteronomy 1:31-8,14,23; Deuteronomy 34:9-12).
During the remaining weeks before he died, Moses repeated the law for the sake of the new generation that had grown up since the first giving of the law at Sinai. This teaching, recorded in the book of Deuteronomy, was in the style of the preacher rather than the lawgiver. It was an exposition of the law rather than a straight repetition (Deuteronomy 1:10-22; See Deuteronomy).
Moses was a prophet, one who brought God’s message to the people of his time, and this was well demonstrated in his final messages to his people (Deuteronomy 18:18; cf. 6:1-9). He wanted the people to remind themselves constantly of the law’s requirements by memorizing a song he had written for them (Deuteronomy 31:30; Deuteronomy 32:44-46) and by conducting periodic readings of the law (Deuteronomy 1:31-12).
Shortly before he died, Moses announced his prophetic blessings on the various tribes of Israel (Deuteronomy 1:33-29). According to the permission God had given him earlier, Moses then climbed the peak (Pisgah) of Mt Nebo in the Abarim Range to view the magnificent land his people were to possess. He died at the age of 120 and was buried in the territory east of Jordan (Deuteronomy 1:34-8).
Moses’ writings
Throughout his time as Israel’s leader, Moses was busy as a writer. When Israel escaped from Egypt, he wrote a song celebrating the overthrow of the enemy at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1), and he recorded Israel’s subsequent conflict with Amalek (Exodus 17:14). In the initial covenant ceremony at Sinai, he wrote God’s commandments in a book (Exodus 24:4), and added further writings when the covenant was renewed a few weeks later (Exodus 34:27). He kept a full record of the stages of Israel’s journey from Egypt to Canaan (Numbers 1:33-2).
When he repeated and expounded the law for the new generation that was about to enter Canaan, Moses recorded his teaching in a book, which was then kept safely inside the tabernacle (Deuteronomy 31:9,Deuteronomy 31:24-25). At this time he also wrote a song (Deuteronomy 31:22,30). Another song credited to him has been collected in the book of Psalms (Ps 90).
From the time of Israel’s settlement in Canaan, people regarded Moses as the writer of the law (Joshua 8:31; 2 Chronicles 34:14; Nehemiah 8:1; Mark 12:19,26). Over the years it became common practice to use the name ‘Moses’ as a title for Israel’s law in general (Luke 5:14; Acts 6:11,13; Acts 15:1), and as an overall title for the first five books of the Bible (Luke 16:31; Luke 24:27; John 1:5-47; Acts 15:21; Acts 26:22; Acts 28:23; See Pentateuch). In fact, Moses symbolized all that the old covenant represented in the purposes of God. His greatness in Israel was unchallenged.
Great though Moses was, he was but a servant in God’s vast household. He fulfilled his duty by helping to prepare the way for one who was God’s Son and the world’s Saviour (Mark 1:9-8; Hebrews 1:3-6).