He met some women at a well in Midian who were the daughters of a Midian priest, Reuel. After defending the women from some shepherds, he was invited into their father’s household to stay. Moses works for Reuel tending his sheep. Many years pass by and while tending the sheep, Moses comes across a burning bush. God appeared to Moses from the bush and revealed to Moses the plan that God had for him and the Israelites. The 40-year time span that Moses had spent in the desert tending sheep, gave him plenty of time to reflect on his life and to perfect him for the next forty years that lay ahead.
Moses had great difficulty in accepting his commission. Unresolved fears of rejection caused him to argue with God, trying to convince God that there must be another.
Aaron, his brother was brought in to assist Moses to deliver God’s messages to Pharaoh.
Moses, at the age of eighty, set off with Aaron for Egypt. God had hardened Pharaohs heart and he rejected the messages from Moses. God delivered the plagues on Egypt and each time Pharaoh would be stubborn and refuse to release God’s people. The fatal blow came when the eldest born of the Egyptian people was killed by an angel of the Lord, passing over the homes of the Israelites who had marked their door posts with the blood of a lamb.
The Exodus, meaning ‘way out’. Moses lead the people out of Egypt, protected by a pillar of cloud as a source of heat and light by night and as a guide by day. God directed Moses west of the Red Sea, where they appeared to be boxed in. Pharaoh saw this as an opportunity to seek revenge. The pressure was again on Moses by the people to apparently save them, although Moses knew that it was not by his power, but God’s power working through him. God parts the Red Sea and the Israelites pass through protected and the Egyptians are destroyed.
Moses again would bear the brunt of much complaining by the people for lack of water and food. He responds strongly and faithfully to God, strengthened by all the miracles he has witnessed. The nation arrives at Mount Sinai and God comes down to meet them. Moses receives the tablets of stone and other covenant texts however while he is away, under the guidance of Aaron the people make a golden calf and worship it. Moses pleads twice with God to spare His rebellious people. God shows mercy and compassion and an angry Moses breaks the tablets written by the finger of God, destroys the calf and separates the people who are loyal to God, slaughtering the rest of them.
Moses over saw the construction of the sacred tabernacle and the temple and all it’s fittings and fixtures. The move from Sinai to Caanan followed celebration of the Passover, the same festival that preceded the exodus from Egypt. The people were grumbling again to Moses, this time over their dissatisfaction with the Mana God had miraculously provided and a longing for the delicacies of Egypt. This took a great toll on Moses, where it climaxed in him asking God to bring an end to his life. God responded compassionately to him providing him with seventy assistants. He came under fire from his elder sister and brother, using his marriage outside his covenant people to a Cushite as an attack on his authority. God came to his defence, reinforcing the unique relationship Moses had with God. Openly punishing his sister with a leprous sickness. Moses again intercedes, pleads for his sister’s health and she is restored. A significant sign of the type of relationship he had with the Lord. Moses was involved in many incidents where the people rose up against him, only to find themselves in perilous danger. Moses would then frantically be involved in intercession to spare their ignorant lives.
Once again the people complained to Moses, this time because of lack of water. Moses is instructed to gather the people together and strike a rock with his staff to bring forth water. However, Moses anger has him stepping across the line and God punishes him by not allowing him to lead the people into the Promised Land.
Career.
The daughter of Pharaoh renamed her son Moses, which means ‘to draw out’. She nurtured, reared and educated in all the great knowledge and wisdom of the Egyptian culture. Ironically, Moses became the instrument of judgement in the very court where he grew up. He had a destiny that others could only dream about, wealth, power and prestige, as Egyptian leaders were treated as gods. However, Moses was indelibly marked by God and as he approached the age of forty, he made a decision to turn away from all the trappings and “enjoying the pleasures of sin” to live with the people of God.
Fearful of his life and suffering the rejection of the Israelites after killing a slave driver, he ended up spending the next forty years shepherding in the land of Midian. This time of isolation gave him plenty of time for prayer and reflection on his life, which readied him for the visitation of God in the burning bush. At the age of eighty he was commissioned to go retrieve his people from the land of Egypt from the oppression of the Pharaoh.
The last forty years of his life was spent in carrying out the instructions of God himself in a very personal relationship. Being the God ordained leader of a nation had many challenges. On countless occasions he would intercede on behalf of the people to see that there needs where met. Reminding God of the type of God he is, merciful, kind and gracious. Moses was highly compassionate, pleading for the lives of his ignorant people on many occasions. His career had a bitter ending, as he was denied the pleasure of seeing the great objective to its completion, the arrival of the Promised Land.
Covenant.
The book of Exodus is the story of two covenant partners, God and Israel. Moses was thrust in the middle between God and Israel. He received the law and community instructions from God and delivered them to the people. However, the first set was broken at the foot of the golden calf as Moses reacted angrily over their idolatry. God had Moses make a new tablet so that the personal hand of God could inscribe another copy. Showing us that Moses anger was justified, but the way he handled his anger was not.
Moses had the responsibility of up holding the covenant, bringing down punishment on certain people and even reminding God of his role in the covenant relationship. Moses would compassionately plead on behalf of the perpetrators to lessen their condemnation from God. Even to the extent to put himself at risk from God’s wrath itself. But as always, God would show the age-old compassion, mercy and grace He has always shown to those who are loyal and faithful to Him.
Theology.
The theology of Exodus is rooted in servant-hood and Moses was the epitome of that. Moses could be described as the ‘man of selfless dedication’. Always thinking of the consequences to his people and if those consequences were not pleasant, disregarding self he would plead with God to show mercy and compassion.
This selfless dedication was not a birthright, but a learnt technique that happens on reflection of ones principles and revelation from God that happens of great stretches of time. The perfect environment for such a transformation would have been the time spent in the desert. “Such experiences come to us all…we strike... we stagger… disappointment
fear… we flee… we are hidden in the secret of God’s presence… our vision clears…
Our self-life dies down… our spirit drinks of the river of God… faith strengthens… we manifest His power and thus at last we emerge to be His hand to lead an Exodus”.
(Meyer, 1953:31)
Apologetics.
Moses probably lived in the early New Kingdom era, perhaps within 100 years of King Tutankhamen, about 1347-1338 BC, the boy king whose undisturbed tomb was found in 1922. The magnificent objects found in the tomb are typical of the art, wealth and workmanship amid which the young Moses lived and which latter ties in with the artistry of the tabernacle and fittings of the temple. (Holman, 1992:140)
The universal testimony of the Scriptures shows us that Moses held an unrivalled place in all of Israel’s history. He even appeared to Jesus on the mount in the transfiguration.
Showing the validity and the importance of the life of Moses. (Mat 17:3)
Application.
I have learnt a great deal from the study of the character Moses. God shows how he uses imperfect people he doesn’t wait until they are perfect before he uses them. He uses them in confidence that they will be perfected with use. God has incredible foresight, using people’s weaknesses or sins for his own purposes. He used Pharaoh to show all people that he made a distinction between His chosen people and the Egyptians. In similar vain he used Moses anger to change the course of events in Moses life. The striking down of the Egyptian slave-driver was just the catalyst needed to thrust Moses out into the wilderness, where God could mould him into the man he needed to free and lead His people.
In a similar vain, what sin in our life is God using to break us on the cornerstone of Christ so that he may rebuild us up into the person He has destined for us to be. “It doesn’t matter how great the pressure is; what really matters is where the pressure lies. Whether it comes between you and God or presses you nearer His heart.” (Taylor, 1955:107)
Hypothesis.
After studying the life of Moses, I concluded that the writer didn’t portray this man so that all of us reading it would get discouraged and say “Ah, what’s the use? I could never be like this man!” The exact opposite happened, I found myself excited at my prospects and overjoyed to the point of tears that God could be so gracious with such imperfect and sinful minded people.
Moses developed a mind that was centred on God and because of this he was able to complete great acts that allowed God to perform miracles through him. This great focus enabled him to overcome his feelings that would say it can’t be done, or it’s pointless to continue. This focus enabled him to leave the familiar and go do the will of God. It enabled him to do the unusual, his faith silenced the critics all he heard were the nurturing words of God, “you can do it”.
Bibliography
Christian Outreach Centre, School of Ministries. 1998. Study Guide - Introduction to the Old Testament and Ministry PC-100. Brisbane: Christian Outreach Centre.
Elwell, Walter A. ed., Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company) 1989 CDROM
Hayford, Jack W. 1995. Hayford’s bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Henry, Mathew. 1991. Commentary on the Whole Bible. Hendrickson Publishers Inc.
Holman 1992. Holman Bible Handbook. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
Holy Bible, New King James Version.
Mears, Henrietta C. 1966. What the bible is all about. Ventura, California. Gospel Light Publications.
Meyer, F.B. 1953. Moses, The servant of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Nelson T. 1996. Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Strong, James 1999. The New Strong’s Concise Concordance. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Swindol, Charles R. 1999. MOSES (Biblical Leader). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Taylor, Howard 1955. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. London: China Inland Mission
Vine, W. E. 1999. Vine’s concise Dictionary of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Topical Study
Anger; Verb. Old Testament Source: Vine’s Concise Dictionary. 1999
Charah (2734) “to get angry, be angry”.
Anger; Noun. Old Testament
Charon (2740) “burning anger”
Scripture Reference: Verse Quote: Organisational Idea:
Ex 4:14 the a. of the Lord was kindled Why?
Ex 11:8 out from Pharaoh in great a. Why?
Ex 32:19 Moses a. waxed hot, and he cast Why?
Ex 32:22 Let not the a. of my Lord wax hot Who?
Num 11:1 and his a. was kindled How?
1. Who gets angry?
- God (Ex 4:14)
- Moses (Ex 32:22)
- What do we get from anger?
- Murder (Ex 2:12)
- Broken Tablets written by the hand of God (Ex 32:19)
- Where does anger come from?
- It is part of our sin nature handed down from Adam (Gen 3:6)
- Why do we get angry?
- When things don’t go the way we plan (Ex 32:7)
6. How do we get angry?
- We lose self control (Num 20:10)
