Moses

Moses is born in Egypt during Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants. His mother Jochebed hides him for three months, then places him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter discovers him, has compassion, and adopts him as her son. Moses' sister Miriam arranges for their mother to nurse him.

Moses is raised in the Egyptian palace, educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and becomes mighty in words and deeds. Though living as Egyptian royalty, he identifies with his Hebrew people. At forty years old, he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and kills the Egyptian, burying him in the sand.

When Pharaoh learns of the killing, Moses flees for his life to Midian. At a well, he defends Jethro's seven daughters from shepherds and waters their flock. Jethro welcomes him, and Moses marries Zipporah. He spends forty years as a shepherd in the wilderness, learning humility and dependence on God.

While tending sheep near Mount Horeb, Moses sees a bush burning but not consumed. God speaks from the bush, revealing His name 'I AM WHO I AM' and commissioning Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt. Despite five objections, God promises to be with him and gives him miraculous signs: his staff becomes a serpent, his hand becomes leprous and is healed.

Moses returns to Egypt with his brother Aaron as his spokesman. They gather the elders of Israel and perform the signs God gave them. The people believe and worship when they hear that God has seen their affliction. Moses and Aaron then confront Pharaoh, demanding that he let God's people go.

When Pharaoh refuses to release Israel, God sends ten devastating plagues through Moses: water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness for three days, and finally the death of all firstborn. Each plague demonstrates God's power over Egypt's gods and Pharaoh's hardened heart.

God institutes the Passover: each household must sacrifice a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts so the destroyer will pass over them. At midnight, all Egyptian firstborn die. Pharaoh finally releases Israel. Over 600,000 men plus women and children leave Egypt, taking plunder from the Egyptians after 430 years of sojourn.

Pharaoh pursues Israel with his army, trapping them at the Red Sea. Moses stretches out his staff, and God divides the waters. Israel crosses on dry ground with walls of water on each side. When the Egyptians follow, the waters return and destroy Pharaoh's entire army. Moses and Israel sing a song of triumph to the Lord.

In the wilderness, the people grumble about food and water. At Marah, God makes bitter water sweet. God provides manna from heaven daily and quail in abundance. At Rephidim, Moses strikes the rock at Horeb and water flows out. God miraculously sustains over two million people in the barren desert.

The Amalekites attack Israel at Rephidim. Moses sends Joshua to fight while he stands on a hill holding up the staff of God. When Moses' hands are raised, Israel prevails; when lowered, Amalek prevails. Aaron and Hur support his hands until sunset, and Joshua defeats Amalek. God declares perpetual war against Amalek.

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, visits bringing Moses' wife and sons. Seeing Moses judge the people from morning to evening, Jethro advises him to delegate by appointing capable men as judges over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Moses heeds this wise counsel, establishing a system of shared leadership.

Three months after leaving Egypt, Israel camps before Mount Sinai. God descends on the mountain in fire, smoke, and thunder. The people tremble at His presence. God speaks the Ten Commandments directly to the people, then gives Moses the Book of the Covenant. The people agree: 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do.'

Moses ascends Mount Sinai into the cloud of God's glory for forty days and nights. God gives him detailed instructions for the tabernacle, priesthood, and worship. He writes the law on two stone tablets with His own finger. Moses neither eats nor drinks during this time of intimate communion with God.

While Moses is on the mountain, the people pressure Aaron to make gods for them. He fashions a golden calf, and they worship it with revelry. Moses descends, sees the idolatry, and in anger smashes the tablets. He burns the calf, grinds it to powder, and makes the people drink it. About 3,000 die in judgment.

God threatens to destroy Israel and start over with Moses, but Moses intercedes passionately. He appeals to God's honor among the nations and His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God relents. Moses even offers to be blotted out of God's book if it would save the people. His intercession reveals his selfless love.

Moses asks to see God's glory. God places him in a cleft of the rock and covers him while His glory passes by. Moses sees God's back but not His face. God proclaims His name: 'The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.' Moses' face shines so brightly he must wear a veil.

Under Moses' direction and filled with God's Spirit, Bezalel and Oholiab lead the construction of the tabernacle according to the pattern shown on the mountain. The people give so generously they must be restrained. When completed, the cloud of God's glory fills the tabernacle, and God's presence dwells among His people.

After nearly a year at Sinai receiving God's law, Israel departs following the cloud. Moses asks his brother-in-law Hobab to guide them as he knows the wilderness. The ark of the covenant goes before them. Whenever the ark sets out, Moses says, 'Arise, O Lord, let your enemies be scattered.'

The people complain about their hardships and about the manna, remembering Egypt's food. Moses is overwhelmed and cries out to God that the burden is too heavy. God provides seventy elders to share leadership and sends quail in abundance. But while the meat is still in their teeth, a plague strikes for their craving.

Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because of his Cushite wife and question his unique authority. God suddenly summons all three to the tent of meeting. He declares that Moses alone speaks with Him mouth to mouth, not in riddles. Miriam is struck with leprosy. Moses intercedes, and after seven days outside the camp, she is healed.

From Kadesh-barnea, Moses sends twelve spies into Canaan for forty days. They return with grapes so large two men must carry them. Ten spies give a fearful report of giants and fortified cities. Only Joshua and Caleb urge faith. The people weep, want to return to Egypt, and even threaten to stone Moses.

God threatens to strike the people with pestilence, but Moses intercedes again. God pardons but declares that all adults who saw His signs in Egypt will die in the wilderness—one year for each day the spies explored. Only Joshua and Caleb will enter the land. The entire generation will wander forty years until they perish.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lead 250 leaders in rebellion, challenging Moses and Aaron's authority. Moses proposes a test: let each bring incense before the Lord. The earth opens and swallows Korah's household alive; fire consumes the 250. The next day, more people complain, and a plague kills 14,700 before Aaron's intercession stops it.

To confirm Aaron's priesthood, Moses places a staff from each tribe in the tabernacle. The next morning, Aaron's rod alone has sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds overnight. This miraculous sign demonstrates God's choice of Aaron's line for the priesthood. The rod is kept as a testimony.

Israel returns to Kadesh in the fortieth year. There Miriam dies and is buried. She who watched over Moses as a baby in his basket, who led the women in song after crossing the Red Sea, completes her journey in the wilderness. There is no water for the congregation, and they quarrel with Moses.

When the people contend for water, God tells Moses to speak to the rock. But Moses, angry at their rebellion, strikes the rock twice saying, 'Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?' Water flows abundantly, but God tells Moses he will not enter the Promised Land because he did not honor God's holiness before the people.

At Mount Hor on the border of Edom, God tells Moses that Aaron will die because of their rebellion at Meribah. Moses brings Aaron and his son Eleazar up the mountain. He removes Aaron's priestly garments and puts them on Eleazar. Aaron dies on the mountaintop, and Israel mourns thirty days.

The people speak against God and Moses, complaining about the manna. God sends venomous serpents that bite many, and people die. When they repent, God tells Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone bitten who looks at it will live. This becomes a type of Christ lifted up on the cross for salvation.

Israel defeats Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, taking their lands east of the Jordan. These victories demonstrate God's power and give the new generation confidence. Moses assigns this territory to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, on condition they help conquer Canaan.

Balak king of Moab hires Balaam to curse Israel. Though Balaam tries, God puts blessings in his mouth instead. Three times Balaam blesses Israel and prophesies: 'A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.' Unable to curse them, Balaam later advises seducing Israel through Moabite women.

Following Balaam's counsel, Moabite women seduce Israelite men into sexual immorality and worship of Baal of Peor. A plague kills 24,000 until Phinehas the priest stops it by executing an Israelite man and Midianite woman together. God commends Phinehas' zeal and grants him a covenant of perpetual priesthood.

Moses takes a new census of all men twenty years and older who can serve in war. The total is 601,730—slightly less than at Sinai. Of the first generation, only Moses, Joshua, and Caleb remain alive. God instructs how to divide the land by lot among the tribes according to their numbers.

God tells Moses to commission Joshua as his successor before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation. Moses lays his hands on Joshua, transferring some of his authority. Joshua, who has been Moses' assistant since youth and one of the faithful spies, will lead Israel into the Promised Land.

On the plains of Moab, Moses delivers three great sermons recorded in Deuteronomy. He recounts Israel's history, repeats and expands the law, and calls the people to covenant faithfulness. He proclaims the Shema: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.'

Moses writes a prophetic song as a witness against Israel. It recounts God's faithfulness, predicts Israel's unfaithfulness and judgment, but ends with God's vindication and mercy. Moses teaches this song to all Israel so they will remember God's ways. He also blesses each tribe before his death.

God tells Moses to ascend Mount Nebo in Moab to view the Promised Land he cannot enter. From Pisgah's peak, Moses sees all the land: Gilead to Dan, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah to the Mediterranean, the Negev, and Jericho's valley. He sees what God promised Abraham centuries before.

Moses, servant of the Lord, dies in Moab at 120 years old. His eye is undimmed and his vigor unabated. God Himself buries Moses in an unknown location in the valley of Moab. Israel mourns thirty days. No prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face and performed such signs and wonders.