Leslie M. John
[Study through the life of Moses]
1. The birth of Moses
Exodus 2:1-4 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a
daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw
him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could
not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it
with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the
flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would
be done to him.
In the land of Egypt the children of Israelites grew in number that posed a
threat to the king of Egypt, who had already forgotten, who Joseph was. The
birth of children in large numbers, from the Patriarchs, in the land of
Egypt, caused fear in the minds of Pharaoh, who, therefore, ordered that
every male child born to Israelites be killed. The king appointed two Hebrew
midwives, namely, ‘Shiphrah’, and ‘Puah’. (Exodus 1:15 And the king of Egypt
spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and
the name of the other Puah). These midwives are ordered to kill every male
baby that takes birth to Israelites, and concede female babies to live. This
was the strategy of the king of Egypt, who hoped that such plan would
eventually pave the way for diminishing number of male children in the
houses of Israel, while the number of Egyptians would increase. However, the
midwives did not obey the king of Egypt, because they feared God. When the
king of Egypt came to know about this, he called for these two Hebrew
midwives and asked them why they did so. The midwives replied that the
children were born even before they attempted to kill them, and thus, they
escaped from the wrath of the king. In the meanwhile, a man from the tribe
of ‘Levi’ married a woman from the same tribe and had a son. When the woman
saw that the child was exceedingly good, she hid him three months. (Acts
7:20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up
in his father's house three months). Earlier Pharaoh had charged all the
people of Israel that from among the children born to them, only female
children be retained live, but all the male children be cast in to the
river. When the woman could no longer hide the baby, “…she took for him an
ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child
therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister
stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him”. Exodus 2:3-4
Amram and Jochebed were the parents of Moses. (Exodus 6:20 And Amram took
him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses:
and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven
years). He was younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. The life span of Moses
could be divided in to three equal parts of forty years each. The first
period of forty years was from his birth to his escapement from the house of
Pharaoh. The second period was from his escapement from the house of
Pharaoh, to his return to Egypt. (Acts 7:30 And when forty years were
expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of
the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush), and the third period was from his
leadership over Israelites in their deliverance from the bondage under
Egyptian king, Pharaoh, until his death upon the mount Nebo.
The life of Moses contributes to an interesting study as it stands out
unique in comparison with the life of Lord Jesus Christ. Moses had three
major roles to perform, the first of which was to be the leader of
Israelites, the second of which was to give law to the children of God, the
third of which was to mediate between them and God. Jesus came in to this
world as the way, the truth and the life, to redeem mankind from their
sinful nature, to give them beatitudes as found in Matthew Chapter 5,6 and 7
besides giving them, two great commandments, as found in Mark 12:30-31 "And
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these",
which contain the essence of all the Ten Commandments, and finally to become
a mediator between the Father in heaven, and we on the earth. Moses was the
deliverer of God’s children physically, while Jesus was the deliverer
spiritually of His people Jews, first and the Gentiles next. Hebrews 8:6 But
now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the
mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Over and above any commandment that God man with man in the Old Testament,
the New Testament covenant was the best of all that we could receive from
Jesus. The Old covenants included in them the shadows of new things to come,
which paved the way for the Old Testament saints also to be saved under the
grace just as we are saved. Old Testament law was stringent in nature, which
demanded unconditional obedience without sinning, where as the New Testament
covenant included in it obedience sincerely, which is done through the
grace. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Repentance of
sins to Jesus and accepting him as Lord, is sufficient to be saved and that
is achieved through the grace bestowed upon us by Lord Jesus Christ, who is
the only mediator between man and the Father in heaven. Jesus said, in John
5:43 "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall
come in his own name, him ye will receive", and in John 14:13 "And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son". Jesus also said, in John 10:30 "I and my Father are
one".
The way the sins are forgiven of those in Old Testament period differs a
great deal from the way the sins are forgiven of the ones in the New
Testament period. Old Testament looked toward the coming Messiah, while we
look to Jesus, who had already come, died for our sins and ascended to be
seated at the right hand of the Majesty. Although, Aaron was priest, yet he
and his children had to purify themselves first, before they could minister
to others (Exodus 29:1) where as Jesus was sinless and without any blemish.
(1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot). The righteousness is imputed on all, who believe
in Jesus and it is free through grace. Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of
God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe: for there is no difference:
Moses was called by God to deliver His people physically from the bondage of
slavery under Pharaoh. Even though his first reaction was to reject the call
of God, he finally yielded to the call of God and obeyed His call. Moses was
known for his genuine and reasonable anger certain times, common to any man,
especially in breaking the first set of tablets containing Ten Commandments,
arguing with God, when Israelites sinned, and striking the rock, when he was
supposed to speak to the rock, to fetch the water for Israelites. Similar
type of genuine and reasonable anger was seen in the Son of Man, Jesus ,
when the temple, where the Father in heaven was to be honored, was used by
merchants, to sell their merchandise. Moses was humble in all respects, and
was respected as more humble than any body on the earth. Moses was the only
one who could have a glimpse of God from the back side, as God passed by
Moses, when he prayed to show Himself.
Pharaoh's Daughter finding the child
Quite elegantly as God purposed it, Moses life span could be divided in to
three equal parts of forty years of each. In the first part of forty years,
Moses birth and his raising was in the highest place in the land of Egypt,
where the knowledge and wisdom and the deeds of Egyptians could be learnt.
In the midst of prevailing threat that his life could be taken as the king
ordered for Moses was a Hebrew, his Levite mother took care to protect his
life, by laying the child in an ark of bulrushes, daubed with slime and with
pitch and leaving it in the flags by the river banks (Exodus 2:3). Miriam
was Moses sister, who kept a close watch on what would happen to the babe
left in the flags by the river banks. Truly, God was watching the child
Moses, who would become one day the deliverer of God's people from the
bondage of slavery under the king of Egypt, in whose very house the child
would grow up learning all the deeds of Egyptians. As God's providence
worked Pharaoh's daughter went in to the stream of water to have a bath and
finds this ark bulrushes, daubed with slime and with pitch left to the care
of God in the river. She sees to her surprise a babe in that ark, and
fetches the boy to her home. As Pharaoh's daughter washed herself in the
river her maiden walked along the river. Pharaoh's sister finds compassion
on the baby boy found in the ark, and takes care of it. Miriam, who was
watching as to what would happen, comes down to Pharaoh's daughter and talks
to her, if she wanted a nurse to look after the baby. Pharaoh's daughter
agrees to the novel idea proposed by the girl and tells her to provide a
nurse for the baby boy. Clever enough the girl, who was baby boy's own
sister, rushes to her mother and calls her mother, who is also the baby
boy's mother. The mother gladly goes to Pharaoh's house and talks to
Pharaoh's daughter, who tells her that she would pay a remuneration to her
for looking after the boy. Now, not only the Hebrew boy was saved from the
danger of being killed, but he was also provided with his own mother to look
after him in the highest house of the land, where great knowledge was
available. The child thus grows under the care of his own mother and was
brought to the Pharaoh's daughter, who calls his name, "MOSES", because she
drew out the child from the water.
Similar type of events surrounding the birth of Jesus could be seen, when
King Herod ordered the killing of male children of two years of age and
under, fearing that that one of the children would one become the King and
overthrow him. Herod was very deceitful man, who conspired to kill Jesus,
who was born in Bethlehem. Three magi went out from the east to Jerusalem,
inquiring about Jesus, in order to worship him offer gifts to him. Herod
heard about these wise men, whom he told to go and come back after
worshipping him, and give him clue as to his whereabouts. Herod's plan was
indeed to know the location where Jesus was, and to kill him, because he
feared that Jesus would become the king of Jews. Herod was a new convert
Jewish religion, and was king over the land, and therefore, he did not like
any body say that Jesus would be the King of Jews. Joseph and his espoused
wife went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto
the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house
and lineage of David:) (Luke 2:1)in compliance to the decree issued by
Caesar Augustus that all world should be taxed, which necessitated every one
to move to one's own city to be enumerated. Mary was virgin yet she was with
a child through the works of Holy Spirit. Joseph knew about it, and
initially he was about to put her away in privacy, but an angel appeared to
him and said she is innocent. Luke 1:34-35 Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said
unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God. Mary brought forth her first born
child, who was called, Jesus. There was no place for them in the inn, which
resulted in the baby being born in a manger. Mary wrapped him in swaddling
clothes and laid him a manger. (Luke 2:7). An angel of the Lord, appeared to
Joseph, and told him to take the child and Mary and flee in to Egypt,
because otherwise, Herod would kill the child. This was in accordance with
the Old Testament prophecy, which says, "When Israel was a child, then I
loved him, and called my son out of Egypt". Hosea 11:1. When Herod
understood that the three wise men did not return to give information about
Jesus to him, he felt that he was insulted, and therefore, his anger raged
exceedingly high and slew all the children from two years old and under in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof. This was in fulfillment of the Old
Testament prophecy, which reads, "Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in
Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children
refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not". Jeremiah
31:15. Just as Moses, who was to deliver the children of Israel physically
from the bondage of slavery under Pharaoh, Jesus was to deliver the children
of Israel spiritually from the bondage of sin. Moses was a man, born of
Levite parents, and died just any man would, but Jesus shed his precious
blood for the remission of not only Jews, but every one in the world, that
whoso every confesses his/her sins and accept him as personal savior, will
be saved and will receive eternal life.
THIS PAGE IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR READING ONLY. Copyright © 2007 by Leslie M.
John: All rights reserved. No part of this page may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the Copyright owner, Leslie M. John.
Dear Friend,
Today is the day of Salvation. Please accept Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior, and your Lord, to enter in to the Kingdom of God.
If you confess your sins to Jesus, and express faith in your heart that he
died for you sins and rose from the dead, accept Him as your personal
savior, and acknowledge with your mouth that he is your Lord, you will also
be received in to Paradise immediately after your days on this earth.
To read more please buy the book
Redemption of Man
To buy at Amazon.com
Redemption of Man
Product Details
Paperback: 116 pages
Publisher: E-BookTime, LLC (October 10, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1598247190
ISBN-13: 978-1598247190
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches