Moses: Miracle Worker, Prophet, Covenant-Bearer

Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt to be with Joseph, and there they multiplied greatly in number. Eventually, Israel died and Joseph and his brothers’ generation died (Ex 1:6, 7). But because of their great numbers, the Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites and forced them into slavery (Ex 1:8-14). This fulfilled God’s prophecy to Abraham, that his descendents would be enslaved in a foreign land (Ge 15:13). But, through Moses, God would free them and bring them out of Egypt to receive the land that God promised to give to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Now in order to put an end to the growth of Israel, the Egyptians ordered that every newborn Hebrew son should be put to death (Ex 1:15-22). But by faith, a woman of Israel hid her baby in a basket along side the Nile River so that he would not be killed. Afterward, Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile with her maidens and saw the basket. She opened it and the baby was crying, and she had pity on him. Moses’ sister was nearby and asked Pharaoh’s daughter if she would like a nurse to feed the boy for her. She agreed and the boy’s sister went and got Moses’ mother to be the nurse. Pharaoh’s daughter then took the boy to be her son. She called him Moses because she took him out of the water (Ex 2:1-10).

When Moses grew older, he decided to look into the circumstances of his people, the Jews. So as he was out walking, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When this was found out, Pharaoh tried to kill Moses. So Moses fl ed to the land of Midian and became a shepherd (Ex 2:11-22).

After many days, the king of Egypt died and the sons of Israel were crying out because of their slavery. Then God began to fulfi ll His promise to Abraham, to free his descendants at the appointed time (Ge 15:14). He was going to use Moses to do it. While Moses was out pasturing fl ocks, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush. Yet, the bush was not being destroyed by the blazing fi re. Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up” (Ex 3:3). From the burning bush, God told Moses that He was going to bring Israel out of Egypt. God’s promise would be fulfi lled to bring Abraham’s descendants into the Promised Land (Ex 3:4-8). God said to Moses, “Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt” (Ex 3:10). But God knew that Pharaoh would not want to let Israel go out of Egypt. So He said, “I will stretch out My hand, and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go” (Ex 3:20). But Moses was slow to agree to do what the Lord told him to do, so God encouraged him greatly. Still, Moses did not want to be sent (Ex 4:13). Then God got angry with Moses. After this, Moses obeyed God and went (Ex 4:14-31).

Moses: Miracle Worker, Prophet, Covenant-Bearer

.... more about this in the Bible Study on the Old Testament