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The Life of Moses
Bible Story Number One
The Israelites Become Slaves
Joseph and all his brothers died in the land of Egypt, as did all those who had lived during their lifetimes. The children of Joseph and his brothers had many children and their children had children. Soon the land of Egypt was full of Israelites.
A new king who didn't know Joseph came into power. This new ruler and his fellow Egyptians began to look on the Israelites, not as a people who had delivered their lives in a time of famine, but as outsiders who might align themselves with an enemy and take over the land of Egypt.
"Let's deal crafty with them," those in positions of leadership said to one another, " there are so many of them, if they join with our enemies and fight against us, they'll end up overcoming us and taking over our land."
Thinking that they would decrease in number under horrible living conditions, the people of Egypt put harsh taskmasters over their Hebrew workers, and forced them to do the hard, manual labor of building cities for Pharaoh. But the harder the Egyptians worked the Israelites the more children were born to them. This grieved the Egyptians so that they treated the Israelites even worse, putting them to work in the fields, as well as in all manner of dirty, back breaking construction work. So it was that the Israelites became to slaves of the Egyptians and their lives were bitter with hard bondage. In spite of their terrible living conditions, the Israelites produced more and more children.
Shiphra and Puah Risk Their Lives to Obey God
The king of Egypt called in the midwives, Shiphra, and Puah who helped the Hebrew women when they went into labor.
"When you do the work of a midwife," he told them, "if a son is born, you are to kill him, but any daughters you may let live."
The midwives knew of God and feared him. They didn't do as the king of Egypt had ordered, but let the boys live. When the king of Egypt called the midwives back before him to demand an explanation as to why the Israelites were still growing in number, the women answered, "Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. For they are vigorous and deliver their babies before we can get there."
Because Shiphra and Puah feared God and refused to do as the king of Egypt had commanded and murder the baby boys, God treated them well and gave each of them households of their own.
Seeing that the Israelites still increased in number, Pharaoh gave a heartless command to his people, "Every Israelite boy that is born you are to throw into the river!" he told them, "but every daughter let live."
Moses is Born
During these days a man from the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman. In spite of the harsh treatment of the Egyptians, children were born to them. A girl which they named, Miriam and a boy, Aaron, who was born before Pharaoh had issued his command to murder all of the baby boys born to Hebrew slaves.
How bitter sweet it must have been when their third child was born. As they held their beautiful, healthy baby they felt a parent's love and pride. Yet also a deep dread. For they knew that if the baby was discovered by the wrong person he would be taken from them and drowned in the river Nile.
For three months they managed to hide the baby. But as their son grew so did the risk of discovery.
Finally, they decided to place the baby in God's hands.
Placed in the River Nile
Using a basket that was covered with pitch to keep it from sinking, they wrapped their child carefully and with a prayer for his safety placed the baby in the basket and lay the child in the reeds that grew along the bank of the Nile.
"Stay and see what becomes of your brother," the mother instructed her daughter.
It's probable that the baby's mother knew that the daughter of Pharaoh often came to this spot in the Nile to bathe. Who better to protect her son, she no doubt reasoned, than a member of the royal family.
As Miriam watched Pharaoh's daughter and several of her attendants approached. How excited, and worried the sister must have been as the women saw the basket floating in the Nile and Pharaoh's daughter send one of her maids out into the water to fetch it to her. Would they toss the baby into the river, or would they have compassion on it and spare its life?
As Pharaoh's daughter opened the basket the baby begin to cry. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said, feeling sorry for the child.
Rushing forward the baby's sister asked breathlessly, "He is crying because he is hungry. Would you like me to go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"
"Yes, go," the woman said, accepting the girls suggestion.
So Miriam raced to her mother and told her what had happened. Eagerly the mother hurried back to the river bank and presented herself to Pharaoh's daughter.
"Take this baby and nurse it for me," she ordered, not realizing that she was giving the child back to its own mother, "I'll see that you are protected and given a wage for your work. When he is weaned bring him to me so that I may raise him as my own."
So the mother took her son back to her own family and raised him until he was no longer a baby. Then, as she had been commanded, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. The woman named her adopted child Moses, meaning rescued or drawn out. For, she said, "I drew him out of the water".
So the young child Moses, born of a Hebrew slave, became a prince of Egypt
Part Two
The Life of Moses
Bible Story Number Two
Moses Flees Egypt
When Moses was grown he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens
An Israelite by Birth
By command of Pharaoh's daughter, Moses had been sent home with his own mother to be cared for until he was no longer a baby. From his birth parents, the child learned about the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses also had the opportunity to know Aaron and Miriam, his older brother and sister. But the family knew that their time with the young child was limited. When he became old enough his mother took the child back to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son.
Raised a Prince
Raised as a young prince of Egypt, Moses was educated as becoming his royal station. In addition to his other studies the young prince learned the art of war and, according to tradition, grew up to become a strong military leader whose deeds were known and respected by many.
Moses Seeks Revenge
But Moses never forgot that he had been born an Israelite. As he matured he became more concerned with the treatment his kinsman were receiving at the hands of the harsh Egyptian taskmasters. The Bible doesn't tell us if Moses checked to see how his fellow Israelites were getting along on a regular bases. We do know that once while he was out viewing their living conditions he saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew slave. Moses grew angry at the harsh treatment, and, when he thought no one was looking, he struck the Egyptian and killed him. Then Moses hid the body in the sand.
The Secret Becomes Known
The next day Moses went back out to the workplace and found two Hebrew men fighting with each other. Feeling that it was wrong for the two kinsmen to be fighting he approached the man who was the aggressor and asked him, "Why are you hitting your brother?"
The man responded angrily, "Who made you our judge? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?"
When Moses realized that his secret was out he grew fearful for his own life. Sure enough, when Pharaoh heard that Moses had killed an Egyptian in defense of an Israelite slave he became angry and demanded his step-son be slain.
Moses Leaves Egypt
Moses fled for his life, heading into the mountainous land of Midian.
In the land there lived an important man, a priest of Midia, named Reuel who had seven daughters who tended their father's flock. As Moses sat by a well Reuel's daughters came to drawn water for their father's flock. Moses watched as some mean shepherds approached and drove them away before the animals could drink.
Moses was a strong young man of forty who had been raised to fight and win battles for his Pharaoh, but he was also a man who hated injustice. He came to the women's defense and saved them from the shepherds. Then he helped them water their father's flocks.
When the girls returned to their father's house earlier than usual their father asked how it was that they had finished watering the flock so early.
"An Egyptian, who saved us from some wicked shepherds, also drew water enough for us and our flock," they told him.
"Well, where is he?" Reuel asked, "Why have you left the man? Call him, that he can eat with us."
Moses Finds a New Home
Reuel was impressed with Moses, an extremely intelligent and educated young man who, for some reason, had fled Egypt. He offered the young man a job helping to tend the flocks. Moses was happy to accept, for he felt he would be safer and happier in the fields tending sheep than he would be wandering from place to place, or trying to return to Egypt.
Moses Gets a Wife
Reuel's daughter Zipporah became Moses' wife.
When they had a son Moses called his name Gershom, which means foreigner, for he said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land."
Israel Still Suffers
Time passed. Back in Egypt, the king had died. But the new ruler who had taken his place hated the Israelites just as much as had his predecessor, and the children of Israel continued to suffer. God saw the harsh treatment and heard the cries of the people. God was soon to send them a savior.
Part Three
The Life of Moses
Bible Story Number Three
The Burning Bush
Behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed
Moses continued to live in the land of Midian working as a shepherd for forty years. Then, one day while Moses was out with the flock, he came to Mount Horeb. As he looked up he saw a strange sight. In the distance a bush seemed to be on fire. Yet the bush didn't burn up, nor did the fire die down any.
Consumed with curiosity Moses said, "I must go see this great wonder and learn why the bush continues to burn without burning up."
As Moses approached the area where the strange bush grew God called to him from out of the middle of the bush. "Moses, Moses!"
Moses must have been shocked to hear his name spoken, but he responded quickly, "I am here."
"Don't come so near. Take off your shoes, for the place where you stand is holy ground." God explained. The ground, of course, was holy because the presence of God was there, not because the land, of itself, was holy. "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." the voice went on to explain.
When Moses heard this he became frightened and hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
"I have seen the persecution of my people in the land of Egypt and have heard their cry as they suffer under the hand of the cruel Egyptian taskmasters. I know the pain and anguish my people are going through, and have come down to deliver them. I will bring them out of the land of Egypt and lead them to a good land. A land symbolically flowing with milk and honey. The land which I promised to their father Abraham.
"I am sending you, Moses, to Pharaoh, so that you can bring my people, the children of Israel, out from Egypt."
Moses was not the haughty young man he had been in his earlier years. "Who am I, Lord," he asked, "that you should choose me to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
"I will be with you, Moses." God promised, "In fact, once you have brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, you will serve me upon this very mountain."
But Moses wanted to know, "And when those in Israel ask who sent me, what am I to tell them?"
"You will tell them 'I AM' has sent me," God answered, "Tell the elders how I appeared to you in the burning bush and say, 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. He told me, "I have seen what the Egyptians are doing to you and I will bring you out of the land of affliction into a land that flows with milk and honey."' The elders will listen to what you say and you'll be brought before the king of Egypt. Then you will tell him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us, and now let us go three days journey into the wilderness and offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.'"
"I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go; I will have to show My mighty hand. I will destroy all of Egypt with my miracles before pharaoh will let you go. But I will see to it that the Egyptians load you down with jewelry, fine clothes and silver and gold before you leave."
"But the people won't believe me," Moses protested, "they'll say 'God never appeared to you.'"
"Throw down that shepherd's staff you have in your hand." God commanded. Moses threw it on the ground and it became a large snake. Moses ran from it but God ordered, "Catch it by the tail." Moses obeyed and the snake became a rod again.