To make this study only a series of events in the life of Moses is not our purpose. While events are important, we are also interested in Moses as a man. Our study will focus not only on events but on His character. We will be looking for such things as his responsibilities, his leadership, and his manner of life. We will be looking at the makeup of one of the greatest men to ever live on this earth.
How did this fit into his ability to be a strong leader? Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, no one has ever had as much responsibility placed on his shoulders as Moses had. He is a remarkable man. This did not begin until he was eighty years old.
However, those first eighty years were used by God to prepare him for the monumental task of delivering the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and bringing them to the land God had promised Abraham many years before Moses was born. We will also see how God dealt with a rebellious nation.
We will observe the great patience and longsuffering of God throughout the life of Moses, as well as Moses’ patience. Moses is the author, so we will be getting the story straight from Moses himself and eye witness of all the miraculous events. After Abraham had settled in the land of Canaan, the Lord told Abraham the following.
It would be many years before this would take place but God has His own time table. With the birth of Moses, we will see the beginning of this promise unfold. The Pharaoh (king) of Egypt, who is not named, became fearful of the growth of the Hebrew people.
He was fearful they might become so large that they might join with some enemy of Egypt and overthrow the Egyptians, Exodus 1:9-10. A Hebrew man named Amram and his wife Jochebed, who were both of the tribe of Levi, had a son born to them. It is said he was a “fine child,” Exodus 2:2.
She determined she would attempt to hide him. What do you think being a “fine child” meant? One translation says, “She saw there was something special about him.” Another translation says she “saw the baby was unusually beautiful.”
When he reached three months, Exodus 2:2, she could no longer hide him, so she made a papyrus basket for him, coating it with tar and pitch and put him at the edge of the reeds along the bank of the Nile River, Exodus 2:3.
His sister Miriam, who was seven years older, was placed nearby to keep watch over Moses, Exodus 2:4. Think about the responsibility that was placed on this little seven- year-old girl. Moses also had a brother named Aaron, who was three years older, Exodus 6:20 / Exodus 4:14-16.
By the providence of God, the basket lodged in some reeds in a place where Pharaoh’s daughter and her maids came to bathe, Exodus 2:5. Seeing the basket, she had one of them bring it to her. She immediately recognises that the child was a male Hebrew, Exodus 2:6.
Knowing the command of her father to drown all male Hebrew babies, Exodus 1:22, why didn’t she do this or else turn him over to someone who may have been assigned the responsibility to drown Hebrew babies? The baby was crying. We are told she “was sorry for him,” Exodus 2:6.
Such an act of drowning a baby violates the conscience to no end. She could not bring herself to do such a thing. Miriam immediately reacted by running to Pharaoh’s daughter, suggesting she get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Can you imagine the feelings this seven-year-old child had when she saw what had happened? It would have taken great courage on her part to do this.
The mother of Moses was immediately brought to Pharaoh’s daughter, Exodus 2:8. She told Jochebed she would pay her for keeping the baby, Exodus 2:9. When Moses grew older, at the time children were weaned, he was taken to his new mother and became her adopted son. He was given the name Moses by his new mother, Exodus 2:10.
Moses is from the root Hebrew word, which means “drawn.” She said, “I drew him out of the water,” Exodus 2:10. So, it was the daughter of Pharaoh who gave him his name. You wonder how Pharaoh reacted when he discovered what his daughter had done
This whole episode shows the providence of God. An unknown baby ends up being the son of an Egyptian princess, which will give him access to the royal household of Pharaoh. Certainly, He would receive the finest education. He will have the finest clothing and the finest place to live in all of Egypt.
He has every advantage to grow in knowledge and wisdom. He would also attain skills in leadership by just observing how Pharaoh executed the laws of the land. Later, he would need this ability as he led the Israelites to the “Promised Land.”
Everything was against the way things turned out for Moses. Since he was under the orders of Pharaoh to drown all male Hebrew babies in the Nile, Exodus 1:22, he could have easily been detected and drowned.
Did Moses just happen to be in the right place at the right time? Was this just sheer luck? What part did providence play in this beautiful story of Moses being hidden in the bulrushes?
Do we see God setting into action His promise He had made to Abraham many years before? What is the difference between good luck and providence? Does the providence of God work in our lives today? Can you think of a specific instance where it has worked in your life?
Moses is now a grown man, forty years old. No information is given to us about what happened in those first forty years of his life. Certainly, he must have lived a comfortable life, having lived in the household of Pharaoh. He no doubt knew who his real mother was. He knew he was a Hebrew, Exodus 2:6-8.
Compared to the life of the Hebrews in Egypt, he must have had it easy. He also would have observed the cruelty of the Egyptians toward the Hebrews. This, no doubt, would have been very painful for him.
He would have learned many things that would equip him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt forty years later. It might seem strange to us that he had not married by now. He certainly could have had his pick of one or even more beautiful women.
What did he know about God at this stage of his life? Had this been instilled in him while under his mother’s care? Would this have caused problems with Pharaoh if he outwardly worshipped God while Pharaoh worshipped idols? Pharaoh had to know he was a Hebrew.
One day, he went out to where his own people were and watched them involved in hard labour, Exodus 2:11. We are told, “He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Next, he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” Exodus 2:11-13.
Two things are evident. Moses’ heart was with the Hebrews, and he was even willing to fight, even kill for them. He was also concerned about how they treated one another. He was greatly disturbed to see them fighting one another. He is rebuked by one of them, who reminded him of his killing the Egyptian, Exodus 2:14.
News travels fast. It was already out. Moses had killed an Egyptian! The news got to Pharaoh fast, and he proceeded to have Moses killed, Exodus 2:15. Moses immediately fled from Egypt, Exodus 2:15. There was no way he could stay and live.
Moses fled to the land of Midian, far enough away that Pharaoh could not reach him, Exodus 2:15. He sat down by a well to rest, Exodus 2:15. A priest of that area had seven daughters, Exodus 2:16. This would indicate he worshipped the one true God. The daughters came to draw water for their father’s sheep, Exodus 2:16.
Some shepherds drove them away from the well, but Moses stopped them and drew water for the daughters and watered the sheep, Exodus 2:17. This shows us the fairness and justice of Moses.
They reported this to their father, Reuel, Exodus 2:18-19. Moses was invited to stay with Reuel the priest, Exodus 2:20. Here is another case where it seems God had priests outside of the Hebrews, Exodus 2:18. Reuel gave Zipporah, his daughter, to Moses to be his wife, Exodus 2:21.
Moses now takes on the task of being a shepherd, which was quite a contrast from living in the household of Pharaoh, Exodus 3:1. Being a shepherd was a dirty and difficult job.
Did he long to return to Egypt and live in the luxury he had known so well? Did he long to see the family he had left behind? He seems to be perfectly content.
He will, over the next forty years, become well acquainted with the land, its watering places, and its mountains. He would have learned the best routes for travelling in the land.
He would have become acquainted with the various tribes and people who lived in this wilderness land. God was still preparing him for leading the Hebrews out of Egypt.
One day, he was leading the flock of Jethro out to the edge of the desert to the mountain of Horeb, Exodus 3:1. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared as a flame of fire in a bush, but the bush did not burn up, Exodus 3:2-4. God called out to him, “Do not come any closer……take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground,” Exodus 3:5.
Moses was very fearful, hiding his face. He was afraid to look at God, Exodus 3:6. God tells him he has heard the cry of the Hebrews in Egypt, Exodus 3:7-9. He wants Moses to go to Egypt and bring His people out of Egypt, Exodus 310. Moses begins to make excuses that he was not qualified to accomplish this, Exodus 3:11.
God promises to be with Moses, Exodus 3:11. Moses says they will want to know the name of God who is sending him, Exodus 3:13. God said to tell them, “I am who I am,” Exodus 3:14-15.
Moses still protested by saying he was not a good speaker, Exodus 4:10. The Lord told him he would give him his brother Aaron, who was a good speaker, Exodus 4:14-16.
God’s anger burns against Moses. It would appear at this stage that Moses did not appear to be the right man to lead Israel out of Egypt. What an awesome experience this must have been.
However, Exodus 33:1 tells us, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Moses is one of the very few men to have such an encounter with God.
God knew more about Moses’ character and ability than Moses did, thus He insisted that Moses take on this great responsibility. With assurance from God that those who had wanted to kill him were dead, Moses decides to return to Egypt, Exodus 4:18-19.
He took his wife and sons and the “staff of God” (the one that had turned into a snake) and returned to Egypt, Exodus 4:20. On the way, the Lord almost killed him for not having circumcised his sons, Exodus 4:24.
God instructs Aaron to meet Moses, Exodus 4:27. Moses then told him everything God had said to him, Exodus 4:28. This was then reported to all the elders accompanied by the signs God would use to force Pharaoh to let them go. Exodus 4:29-31.
God allowed the sufferings of the Hebrews to continue for many years before freeing them. Why? Would Moses have sought out the princess who adopted him if she were still alive? Had it not been for her, he might not be alive. The use of elders goes back far beyond the time of the church among the Hebrews.
Why were they so important? How do you think Moses felt as he approached Egypt? There were no doubt many memories. Would there have been any communication between Moses and his family after he fled?
The term “Higher Criticism” applies to supposedly Bible scholars who are highly sceptical about the Bible. They are opposed to its authors, dates, and sources for its material. They maintain that Exodus and even the entire Pentateuch were not written by Moses.
They insist that more than one person contributed stories and fiction, which, in time, was accumulated to make it appear there was but one author. It is interesting that Moses himself declares that he is the author. “Moses wrote all the words of the Lord.” Exodus 24:4.
Can you imagine how Moses and Aaron felt going before Pharaoh, one of the most powerful rulers in the world? The former Pharaoh who ruled when Moses killed the Egyptian no longer lives. Slavery was now at its highest point. The Hebrews suffered much. Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh for their first interview.
They say, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert,” Exodus 5:1. They make it plain they are only asking for only three days to offer these sacrifices to their God, Exodus 5:3.
One sees the arrogance and ignorance of Pharaoh as he claims no knowledge of their God, Exodus 5:2. Flaunting his authority, He says the people will have to provide their own hay for their bricks, Exodus 5:7.
This time, Moses will not have the voice of a humble slave. He is God’s representative. He will speak as if God were speaking. Aaron cast down his rod, which became a snake, Exodus 7:10.
The magicians did the same with their Rods, Exodus 7:11. However, Aaron’s snake swallowed their snakes, Exodus 7:12. This did not seem to have any effect on Pharaoh, Exodus 7:13-14.
God instructs them to go to the river, Exodus 7:15. It could be that they were denied access to the palace. Pharaoh would have considered the water of the Nile to be sacred. Aaron smote the sacred waters, and they became red like blood, Exodus 7:20. This was a severe calamity.
Some think the water changed colour, but was too foul to drink. God could do it either way. It affected everything, including the animals. No one could stand to drink it, Exodus 7:21. Nothing could have hurt their pride more than to have their national god, the Nile River, become obnoxious, Exodus 7:24.
These creatures were miraculously multiplied, Exodus 8:6. They were everywhere, even in their houses and in their food, Exodus 8:3. Pharaoh asked for them to entreat the Lord and take away the frogs, Exodus 8:8. The stench was terrible. Frogs were superstitious in some way to the Egyptians. The Egyptian god Pith was represented as having a frog’s head.
The word “lice” can apply to both gnats and mosquitoes, Exodus 8:16. The magicians made no attempt to reproduce them, Exodus 8:18. They were constrained to say it was the finger of God, Exodus 8:19.
Moses is again instructed to meet Pharaoh again at the river, Exodus 8:20. This time, he was threatened with swarms of flies in all the households of the Egyptians, Exodus 8:21. The employment of these winged deities must have been humiliating for the Egyptians.
Also, they could inflict severe bites. Pharaoh concedes a little by saying the Israelites could offer their sacrifice within the borders of Egypt, Exodus 8:26-28. But as soon as the flies were removed, Pharaoh was again his old stubborn self with his hardened heart, Exodus 8:32.
Then the Lord told Moses to go again to Pharaoh and demand that he release the people so they could go and worship God, Exodus 9:1. If he refuses, tell him the lord will release a terrible plague on the livestock in the field, Exodus 9:2-3. The next day, the Lord kept his pledge as all the livestock died, Exodus 9:6. Still, Pharaoh was not willing to do what the Lord required of him, Exodus 9:7.
Next, God caused a fine dust to cover the land of Egypt, Exodus 9:9. Festering boils broke out on both men and the animals, Exodus 9:10. The magicians were unable to stand before Moses and could not produce boils as they were full of them like everyone else, Exodus 9:11. These boils even affected all the animals, Exodus 9:10.
Again, Moses appears before Pharaoh and says, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me, for this time I will send the full force of my plague against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth,” Exodus 9:13-14.
He further adds he will send the worst hailstorm that had ever fallen on Egypt, Exodus 9:18. It came the next day. No one escaped who was out in the fields, not their animals, trees, the barley, or the flax, Exodus 9:23-24. It was a storm with lightning and thunder, the worst storm ever to hit Egypt, Exodus 9:24.
Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, Exodus 9:27. He even confessed he had sinned, Exodus 9:27. Moses said he would pray for the storm to end, Exodus 9:29, but he told Pharaoh he knew that Pharaoh and his officials still did not fear the Lord God, Exodus 9:30. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened again, Exodus 9:34-35.
This species of insect resembles a large spotted, red, and black, double-winged grasshopper, about three inches or less in length. This may have been the worst scourge to be brought on the land, Exodus 10:13-14. They could strip a crop in a few hours to a complete degree of desolation.
This could result in a fatal disaster for the Egyptians, as this was vital for their food, Exodus 10:14-15. Pharaoh relented to the point he was willing for the men to leave, but not the women, Exodus 10:9. The rod of Moses was raised, and an east wind brought them in, Exodus 10:13. Pharaoh, out of fear, called for Moses, even confessing his sin, Exodus 10:16-17.
Moses stretched his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered the sky and over all the land of Egypt for a period of three days, Exodus 10:21-22. Pharaoh called for Moses, saying that both men and women and even their children could go worship God, but they must leave their flocks and herds behind them, Exodus 10:24. Again, his hardened heart would not let them go, Exodus 10:27.
What is the meaning that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart? Does this mean Pharaoh was not responsible for his rejections? What was so obvious about all the plagues?
God now prepares to bring His final plague on the Egyptians. It will be the most severe of all the plagues. The hardness of Pharaoh’s heart will melt, and he will agree for the Israelites to leave Egypt with their animals. Moses informs the people of what God has revealed to him.
About midnight, God would bring about this destructive plague, Exodus 11:4. All of the firstborn in the land will die, including the animals, Exodus 11:4-7. Seemingly, it took such a severe plague to change the hardened heart of Pharaoh.
The Israelites would all escape unharmed. There would be such wailing by the Egyptians that it would pierce the air, Exodus 11:6. It would greatly affect Pharaoh since the plague would cause him to lose his firstborn, Exodus 11:4.
The present month would now become the first month on their Hebrew calendar, Exodus 12:1-2. Henceforth, this specific event would be remembered on the same date each year. Each household must take a lamb from their flock that was without blemish, Exodus 12:5. It was to be a male in its first year, Exodus 12:6.
It would be separated from the flock until the fourteenth day, Exodus 12:6. It was to be killed in the evening, corresponding to three o’clock in the afternoon our time, Exodus 12:6.
They were to take the blood of the animal and sprinkle it on the door frames of their houses, Exodus 12:7. It would serve as a notice that the Hebrews lived there, and the plague would pass over them. The firstborn of the Jews would not die.
A lamb was to be roasted by fire with nothing remaining, Exodus 12:8. Raw meat was forbidden, Exodus 12:9. They must be sure there was no blood remaining in the lamb before roasting it, Exodus 12:10. It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, Exodus 12:8. They were to eat only unleavened bread for seven days during this period, Exodus 12:19 / Exodus 13:7.
They were to eat the Passover with loose clothing girded tightly around them, Exodus 12:11. This would free their knees and legs to travel at a faster rate as they left Egypt. Their escape from Egypt was to be as swift as possible. They were also to put on their sandals, Exodus 12:11.
Pharaoh’s heart will soon harden again. His army will pursue them with horses and chariots. People at that time did not wear sandals or any other footwear in their houses. Footwear would make their escape swifter. This meal would be remembered as the “Lord’s Passover.”
If the lamb was too much for a family, then they were to share it with another family, Exodus 12:4. Josephus says that it took ten people to eat the “Passover Supper.”
Moses called for the elders, giving specific instructions. No stranger could partake, Exodus 12:43; no one was to go outside their house until morning, Exodus 12:22 / Exodus 16:19.
At midnight God smote the first-born in the land of Egypt, Exodus 12:29. God’s divine retribution was such that not an Egyptian house escaped, Exodus 12:29-30. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and ordered the people with their animals to leave Egypt, Exodus 12:31-21.
The Israelites asked the Egyptians to give them some of their gold and silver jewellery, which the Egyptians seemingly were quite willing to do anything to get the Israelites out of Egypt and get rid of any plagues, Exodus 12:35-36. The Israelites left.
There were 600,000 men, Exodus 12:37. By adding their wives and children, it is estimated they numbered 2,400.000. They had been in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years, Exodus 12:40-41.
Think for a moment. Moses has the responsibility of leading this massive number of people (over two million) along with their animals across mostly desert land.
Because of the people’s rebellion, it will take another thirty-eight years. They had already been in the desert two years when they reached Kadesh Barnea, Numbers 10:11-14:45, which was at the southern end of the “Promised Land.
In all, it will be forty years since Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, Exodus 13:19-22. Joseph had made them take an oath to take his bones with them when they left Egypt, Exodus 13:19.
The exact location of Rameses and Succoth is difficult to establish, Exodus 12:37. We know there were two routes before them. Many have assumed that they took the usual caravan route across the northern Arabian Desert. The Lord evaded the most direct route, which was due north along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
The land of the Philistines would be bypassed, removing them from any immediate hostilities, Exodus 13:17. They needed time to prepare themselves for an invasion of the Promised Land, Exodus 13:18. It would be two years before God would lead them to the southern borders of the Promised Land.
At present, they were trying to put as much distance between them and Pharaoh’s army as they could. After leaving Succoth, they camped at Etham, Exodus 13:20. Again, we are not certain where this was.
We learn that “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way. At night, they had a pillar of light,” Exodus 13:21. This would completely confuse the Egyptian army from making contact with them.
Why do you think it took ten plagues to change Pharaoh’s hardened heart? Why is God so severe with Pharaoh and the Egyptians? Why would God allow his people to suffer for such a long period of time as slaves in Egypt?
Can we understand better now why Moses did not want to get involved when God appeared to him from the burning bush? Did Moses’ forty years of experience in the palace better prepare him for leading over two million people out of Egypt to the land of Canaan?
When Pharaoh heard that the Israelites had fled into the desert, his heart was again hardened, Exodus 14:5. Realising he was losing all of his slaves (600,000 able-bodied men plus thousands of women who served in different capacities), he could not afford to lose them because of their valuable work of serving the Egyptians.
So, he calls for an army of horses, chariots, and men to pursue them, Exodus 14:5-6. It evidently did not take long for them to catch up with the Israelites since the Israelites were on foot and driving their cattle. The Egyptians were being pulled in their chariots by horses.
When the Israelites became aware that the Egyptians were close behind, they began to complain. Exodus 14:10-12. They blamed Moses for bringing them out into the desert.
They said, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” Exodus 14:11.
This is just the beginning of the many complaints Moses will hear over the next forty years during their wandering in the desert. Moses calls for the people to “stand firm” and see how the Lord will deliver them from the Egyptians, Exodus 14:13. He assures them that the “Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14.
God instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea, Exodus 14:15-16. The angel of the Lord withdrew to the rear, coming between the armies of Egypt and the Israelites, Exodus 14:19. The cloud also moved between them so there was light on the side of the Israelites and darkness on the side of the Egyptians, Exodus 14:20.
Suddenly, the waters are parted, and the angel of the Lord led them across the sea on dry ground, Exodus 14:21-22 / Exodus 14:29. When the waters parted, it could have left a slippery, muddy bottom in which they would have mired down in the silt, but the bottom was dry.
We often overlook this important condition for crossing the gulf. There was a strong east wind, which no doubt played a part in drying out the bottom of the gulf, Exodus 14:21. There was a wall of water on each side of them, Exodus 14:22 / Exodus 14:29.
The Egyptians followed the Israelites into the bottom but became mired in the mud, which was no longer hard, causing their chariot wheels to come off, Exodus 14:25.
The Lord instructs Moses to stretch out his hand again, and the water flowed back in place, drowning the Egyptians, Exodus 14:26-28. The hearts of the Egyptians were hardened, and they proceeded to follow them, driving their army down to the bottom of the sea, Exodus 14:28.
This ended any further conflict with Egypt. They were no longer slaves. Getting the Israelites across the sea has to be one of the great miracles of all time. After this, it is difficult to see why they would later rebel against God many times, not trusting his protection.
Looking at the Red Sea, you will notice it has two arms extending north. The arm on the right is the Gulf of Aqaba, and the arm on the left is the Gulf of Suez. For many years, men have assumed that the Israelites crossed the Gulf of Suez (called the Red Sea in the Bible) because it was closest to the area where the Israelites had lived in Egypt.
In more recent years, there has appeared archaeological evidence which suggests that it was the Gulf of Aqaba (the right arm) where the crossing took place.
The Red Sea actually empties into the Indian Ocean. For many years, divers have searched the Gulf of Suez in vain for artefacts to verify the Biblical account of the miraculous crossing of the “Red Sea.”
In 1978, by carefully following the Biblical and historical records of the Exodus, researchers were brought to Nuweiba, a large beach on the Gulf of Aqaba located on the western shore of the Gulf in 1978. It is about eleven miles directly across this gulf to the country that is now Saudi Arabia.
It was discovered that the water is not as deep in this area as in other parts of the Gulf. Repeated dives of sixty to two hundred feet deep over this stretch of eleven miles have shown that chariot parts are scattered across the gulf bed.
Artefacts found include wheels, chariot bodies, and human and horse bones. Many of these artefacts are covered with coral. The beginning at the beach reveals it has a gentle slope leading down to the deepest part of the gulf.
After the crossing was completed, Moses broke forth in a song of triumph, Exodus 15:1-18. Miriam and the women also join the singing, Exodus 15:29-21. She takes a tambourine in her hand, followed by the women with their tambourines, Exodus 15:20. There was dancing and rejoicing.
This miraculous crossing of the Red Sea finds no equal in history. They had much to rejoice over. Surely no one wanted to return to Egypt now. Moses, no doubt, wrote this song by Divine inspiration and gave it to the people, Exodus 15:1-19. It was written to give praise to God for what he had done, providing an escape and a total destruction of the Egyptian army, Exodus 15:20-21.
When the sea opened up, do you think the Israelites were afraid to walk across the silted bottom of the gulf with a wall of water on each side? What would make you think there was no silt there?
When they found they could safely cross the sea, how should this have strengthened their faith? Why then did they murmur so much after they entered the wilderness? Had they forgotten how God rescued them from the Egyptians? Do you think Pharaoh perished in the sea with his army?
The Israelites now proceed into the desert area of Shur, Exodus 15:22. After three days of travel, they have not found water to drink, Exodus 15:22. The grumbling begins.
Arriving at a place called Marah, they found water, but it was to bitter to drink, Exodus 15:23. The grumbling probably became worse. It was against Moses because he was the one who had led them into this desert area, Exodus 15:24.
Moses seems at a loss for what to do, so he “cried out to the Lord,” Exodus 15:25. The Lord showed him a piece of wood so that when he threw it into the water, the water suddenly became sweet, Exodus 15:25. The grumbling seems to subside. Did they learn any lessons from this event? Evidently not!
It was here that the Lord tested them, Exodus 15:25. God begins to train them in dealing with hardships. He made a decree that if they would listen carefully to his voice and do the right things, Exodus 15:26, which no doubt included stopping their grumbling.
They were really against the Lord, in that it was the Lord who instructed Moses where they should go. He would not allow them to suffer any of the diseases (plagues) that He had brought upon the Egyptians, Exodus 15:26. They are on their own now. They are far removed from the Egyptians.
They must learn to be obedient to His voice. This was also a specific promise that God would be with them and would not let them be harmed. What more could they ask for than that God would keep them from harm? He expects them to return His goodness with obedience to His will.
Immediately after this, they came to a place called Elim, where they found seventy palm trees and plenty of water (a spring for each tribe) and their animals, Exodus 15:27. Why mention the palm trees?
They provided shade so they and their animals could rest from the heat of the sun. This is only a temporary relief. They must face many hardships yet to come, while at the same time trusting in God to take care of them during their hardships.
They now set out for another desert, the desert of Sin, which was between Elim and Sinai, Exodus 16:1. Now the whole community began to grumble against Moses and also Aaron.
How quickly they had forgotten God’s promise to be with them. This shows great distrust in God. God speaks to Moses. He tells him that he will “rain down bread from heaven for you,” Exodus 16:4.
They are to go out each day and gather to eat for that particular day, Exodus 16:4. Again, he is providing a teaching lesson to see how well they are willing to follow His instructions, Exodus 16:4.
On the sixth day, however, they are to provide twice as much so as to have enough for the seventh day, which will be a day of rest when no work is to be done, Exodus 16:5. Moses and Aaron now speak to the people.
Their grumbling had been against Moses and Aaron as if they were the ones who brought them into the desert. It wasn’t them, it was God. Thus, their grumbling was really against the Lord, Exodus 16:8.
As they listened to Aaron speak to them, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in a cloud, Exodus 16:10. Surely such a sight should have shocked them into realising God was the one who was leading them, but they were slow to accept that which was so obvious.
That evening, quail came and covered the complete camp, Exodus 16:3. Quail would provide them with an abundance of good meat to eat. Then the next morning, there was a layer of dew, and as it began to evaporate, there appeared in its place flakes that looked like frost on the ground, Exodus 16:14.
They asked with amazement what it was, Exodus 16:15. They had never seen anything like it before. Moses informs them that it was bread that the Lord was giving them to eat, Exodus 16:15. They called it “manna” because it tasted like wafers made with honey, Exodus 16:31. Each one was to take what was needed, Exodus 16:16.
What kind of message was the Lord sending them? Simply that he was the one leading them, not Moses and Aaron, and furthermore, he was also the provider of their food.
So, no one is going to starve and die in the desert as they claimed they would. The message God had sent to them was slow in taking root in their thinking. They will remain a rebellious people for many years to come. We can already begin to see the patience of Moses.
Most leaders would have given up by now. There was nothing less than treason in the Israelite camp, but Moses stayed the course and did not give up. There were certain restrictions regarding their gathering and eating of the manna.
They were to gather only what they needed, Exodus 16:18. They were to gather twice as much on the sixth day as they were not to work on the seventh day (Sabbath day), Exodus 16:23 / Exodus 16:26. There would be no manna on the Sabbath day, Exodus 16:26.
Neither were they to keep what they had gathered in the morning overnight to the next morning, Exodus 16:19. If they did, they found it full of maggots, and it had a bad smell, Exodus 16:20. However, some did not pay attention to the instructions and attempted to keep it overnight, Exodus 16:20.
Others went out on the Sabbath expecting to find it on the ground, but it wasn’t there, Exodus 16:27. God was displeased with their refusal to observe his laws about the bread. Exodus 16:28-29. Again, they had failed the test of faith.
God had Moses place some of the manna in a jar, Exodus 16:33-34. It would be placed in the Ark of the Covenant, on which rested the Mercy Seat. Later on, it was kept in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle. By the time of David, most articles in the Ark were missing.
How do we account for their weak faith, often followed by a great miracle? Do you think their daily diet was satisfying? As they recalled their days in Egypt, were they as well off as they claimed they were in Egypt? Why did Moses lead the people into such desolate places, or was it Moses who led them?
The Israelites now set out for a place called Rephidim, but there was no water to drink there, Exodus 17:1. As previously, they began to grumble against Moses, accusing him of bringing them out into the wilderness so they would perish, Exodus 17:2-3. They are even ready to stone him, Exodus 17:4.
Moses asks why do you quarrel with me? Why do you continue to put the Lord to a test? Exodus 17:2. Surely, they could remember God had provided them with an abundance of water, plus meat and bread.
Moses calls upon God, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me,” Exodus 17:4. Moses is instructed to go on ahead of them, taking with him his staff and some of the elders, Exodus 17:5. Their murmurings must have cut deeply into the feelings of Moses.
He is doing what God has asked him to do, and that was to bring them out of Egypt. Almost every mile of the way, they had complained. It is a wonder he didn’t walk away, refusing to lead them anymore. Only his extraordinary meekness kept him from lashing back at the crowd.
Arriving at a rock in “Horeb”, he was to strike the rock and water would come out for the people to drink, Exodus 17:6. God stood before him this time, Exodus 17:6.
This must have been to encourage Moses not to give up because of their complaining. Their actions again were really testing God whether or not he was among them.
They probably reasoned that when there was no water, was this a sign God had left them, or was He really among them? We marvel at the patience of God as he dealt with those rebellious people. So again, God showed that he loved the people in spite of their weak faith.
If God would show such favour to those who doubted and were weak in faith, how much more would He do for those who love Him and are faithful to keep His word?
The water that flowed from the rock was called “honey and oil,” Deuteronomy 32:13, because the Lord made it doubly pleasant to the people’s taste. Again, God demonstrates his love for his people. He will not let them starve for a lack of water. For some reason, they could never get the point.
While encamped at Rephidim, the Amalekites came and attacked them, Exodus 17:8. This is Israel’s first battle. They had little choice but to fight. It became a fight for survival.
When called upon to enter the land God had promised, they refused to go on the basis that the people of Canaan were greater, some of them being giants, and their cities were walled, Numbers 14:3.
Thus, they would not go as God had commanded them through Moses to go and take the land. Now the tables are turned. They are the ones being attacked; to survive, they had no alternative but to fight the Amalekites. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. Moses, now at an advanced age, takes on an additional position of delivering Israel from their enemy.
He becomes their Commander-in-Chief. He gives a command to Joshua to choose some of the men and go out and fight the Amalekites, Exodus 17:10. Joshua was a man Moses could trust and knew that he would get the job done.
He was one of the optimistic spies who said they could go up and take the land. Moses, as their commander, will stand on top of a hill the next day and will have the staff of God in his hands.
It seems the attack on Israel was rather swift and may have been from the rear, so that it was totally unexpected. Without hesitation, Joshua acts quickly so that they can engage their enemy in battle, Exodus 17:10. Joshua probably was up all night enlisting the best men he could find, men who would be able to hold their own in battle.
They had been slaves in the past. They were not professional soldiers. Joshua no doubt proved himself an able leader and warrior. We must keep in mind that many of these men knew one another back in Egypt. Joshua, no doubt, was careful to select strong and brave men who would not be driven away by fear.
The Commander-in-Chief, Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, stood on a hill to observe the battle, Exodus 17:10. This was possibly to offer encouragement to the men who were in combat, but the real purpose was that as long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites were winning. But if he tired and lowered his hands, then the Amalekites would start winning, Exodus 17:11.
So, Aaron and Hur stood on each side of Moses, raising his hands so that Moses’ hands remained steady until sunset, Exodus 17:12. Thus, Joshua was able to defeat the Amalekites, Exodus 17:13. It is interesting that this battle was fought with swords, Exodus 17:13.
The Israelites were not swordsmen, but because God was with them, they were able to win the battle. They had to know they really did not have the military strength or ability to win this battle by themselves. They had to know that God was with them, and as they looked to the top of the hill where Moses stood, they were inspired.
They would recall that Moses used the same staff he had used when he stretched it out over the Red Sea, and the waters parted, Exodus 14:16. Moses would raise his staff and as long as he could. He would hold it up, but his arms soon became tired, and in time they would drop, Exodus 17:12. When his arms tired, he was then assisted by Aaron and Hur, Exodus 17:12.
When the Israelites would see the staff held high, they seemed to fight much harder, overcoming the Amalekites. Some think that Hur was Moses’ brother-in-law, the husband of Miriam.
The Israelites were ill-prepared for a battle with their swords. Where did their strength really come from? What did the holding up of Moses’ hands have to do with the success of the Israelites? When called upon to enter the promised land, they were afraid and refused to go. What did their victory over the Amalekites say to them?
Exodus 19 deals with the visit of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses (Some have argued his brother-in-law), Exodus 19:1-4. Jethro arrived at the place where Moses and the people had camped, Exodus 19:5.
He had with him Moses’ wife and two sons, Exodus 19:5. No doubt Moses was glad to have his wife and sons back with him. It had probably been a full year since he last saw them.
Due to the danger involved in Moses’ dealings with Pharaoh, he had sent them back to Jethro, where they would be safe, Exodus 19:6. Jethro was amazed at the news of how God had delivered the Israelites from bondage, Exodus 19:9-11.
He confessed his faith in Jehovah and offered burnt offerings and sacrifices, Exodus 19:12. He said, “Blessed be Jehovah who hath delivered you out of the hand of Pharaoh,” Exodus 19:10. He obviously was a true believer in God and served as a priest of the Most High God.
By contrast, look at the Israelites who murmured and complained after they left Egypt. Jethro was a descendant of Abraham but not an Israelite. This shows there were priests like Melchizedek living then.
Jethro had observed Moses as he dealt with the many problems the people had, which would come under the heading of Administration. Moses had explained to him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws, Exodus 19:15-16. Moses’ father-in-law replied as follows.
This was good advice to Moses, Exodus 19:23-24. Moses was trying to lead over two million people through the desert and get them to work together in peace and harmony.
It would take some time to implement Jethro’s plan. Notice Jethro told Moses to select faithful men who could render fair judgment, Exodus 19:25. Age does not always mean a person is wise or can render good and fair judgment.
Therefore, Moses must “select faithful men” from among all the men, Exodus 19:25. Jethro advises further, “If you do this, all these people shall go to their own place in peace,” Exodus 19:23. It is obvious that Jethro was fond of Moses and pleased that he had led the people out of Egyptian bondage.
Moses had served as a shepherd for Jethro for forty years after he fled from Egypt. No doubt he had gained much wisdom from his father-in-law in all those years. It was a happy reunion for them to be together and for Moses to have his family back.
Three months after leaving Egypt (some argue forty-five days), Moses and the Israelites came to the wilderness of Sinai, where they encamped, Exodus 19:1-2. Here will transpire one of the most awesome experiences of their lifetime. It begins in Exodus 19.
It could rank in importance as second to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Here, Moses will come face-to-face with God. Subsequently, the Israelites will hear the voice of God. Here, the Old Testament Law will be given to the people.
God calls Moses out of the wilderness to come up to the top of Mount Zion, where he will meet with God, Exodus 19:3. God tells Moses he is to say to the Israelites God has said to you, “You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagles’ wings, brought you unto myself,” Exodus 19:4. This is a tender and beautiful metaphor signifying God’s love and protection for His people.
God further tells Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession,” Exodus 19:5. Moses goes back and calls the people together, Exodus 19:7.
When they hear what God had declared they responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said,” Exodus 19:8. Moses brings their answer back to the Lord, Exodus 19:8.
God tells Moses he would come to him in a “thick cloud,” Exodus 19:9. This meant His presence would be there, but he would not be visible to Moses or any of the people. The people are to sanctify themselves for this meeting with God, Exodus 19:10-11, another sign of respect for God.
He set bounds for the people at the bottom of the mountain, which they were not to cross, Exodus 19:12. They were not to go up to the mountain or even touch the border of it, Exodus 19:12. This is to show reverent respect for God.
On the third morning, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud covered the mountain and a very loud trumpet was heard, Exodus 19:16. All the people trembled, Exodus 19:16. Then Moses leads them out to meet God, Exodus 19:17. The Lord warns Moses to remind the people to stay away from the boundary line, Exodus 19:23.
Moses is allowed to go down and get Aaron to accompany him part of the way as Aaron did not go completely to the top of the mount, Exodus 19:24. This would be an experience only for Moses to meet with God.
What an awesome experience it had been for the people to witness the mountain covered with a dark cloud, to hear the thunder and see the lightning and fire, to hear the blast of the trumpet and to see the mountain tremble violently, Exodus 19:18. They evidently heard the voice of God as He spoke to Moses, Numbers 7:89. They would never forget what they had witnessed.
How do you see Jethro fitting into God’s plan to deliver and make a nation out of the Israelites? Do you think the people up to this point appreciated what God had done for them? Why do you think God appeared in a dark cloud and the people were not permitted to see him?
It is not the design of this study to discuss in detail all the laws given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, Exodus 20-31. Rather, we want to put ourselves in the sandals of Moses and see what it was like to be on that mountain, hearing the voice of God speak to him each day.
It seems evident that Joshua accompanied Moses part of the way and then waited those forty days until Moses was ready to come down, Exodus 24:13. Then Joshua accompanied Moses the rest of the way down the mountain, Exodus 24:13.
We know this because Joshua was not in the camp when the golden calf event occurred. He is just as surprised as Moses was when they saw what was happening, Exodus 32:17.
Arriving at the top of the mountain, God spoke to Moses and the “finger of God” wrote the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) on two tablets of stone on both sides of the stones, Exodus 31:18. The Decalogue seems to fall into two divisions.
The Jews say that the “duties to God”, Exodus 34:1-5, were written on one tablet while the “duties to man,” Exodus 34:6-10, were written on the second tablet. Jesus unequivocally names God as the author, Matthew 15:4.
The rest of the laws were no doubt delivered verbally by God to Moses. Later, Moses would write with the help of inspiration from the Holy Spirit the remaining laws.
However, these laws were not to be permanent. It was a covenant between God and the Israelites. Jesus would take it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, Colossians 2:14. It would be replaced by a new covenant, which we call the New Testament and applies to all men and not just to the Israelites.
Were the Ten Commandments new? Except for the fourth, the answer is no. It has always been wrong (sinful) to murder, to practice idolatry, to commit adultery, etc. The first mention of the Sabbath is in Exodus 16:23.
Those who violated it were not rebuked. It would not go into effect until the Decalogue went into effect after Moses descended from Mount Sinai. The Sabbath was not observed by the Israelites in Egypt.
God did not stop with the Decalogue, Exodus 20; He moved on to give instructions pertaining to the rights of the people and their relationships with one another. He gives instructions regarding the Tabernacle and the sacrifices, Exodus 25-31.
He gives instructions to the priests and their garments, Exodus 28. It ends with these words: “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God, Exodus 31:18.
Exodus 32 tells us what transpired while Moses had been away. He had been gone for forty days. The people became restless. It is said that they “Gathered themselves together unto Aaron,” Exodus 32:1. A better rendering would be that they gathered themselves, “Against Aaron.” It was a belligerent and demanding mob that descended upon Aaron.
They wanted a gold calf that they could worship. They said no one knew what had happened to Moses, can’t be all true, Exodus 32:1. They saw enough miraculous evidence to prove that Moses had gone up on the mountain to meet with God.
Aaron tells them to break off their golden earrings from their wives and children, Exodus 32:2. It appears that all the people wore gold rings in their ears, an idolatrous practice they had picked up in Egypt, from the Egyptians. A great amount was collected, Exodus 32:3.
There were at least two million people who gave four million earrings that weighed one-quarter oz each. This would be 83,000 lbs. Aaron, of all people, melted the gold and shaped it into a gold calf, and it was solid gold, Exodus 32:4. Aaron tells them, “Here is your God,” Exodus 32:4.
How can we explain Aaron’s action? Where did the idea of a gold calf come from anyway? It seems that since they had lived in Egypt for so many years, they had adopted the idolatry of the Egyptians. Even if Moses had been gone for a long period of time, how could they forget how God had delivered them from the Egyptians?
It is obvious that Aaron was weak and would not defy the demands of the people. We are told that the people offered burnt offerings, Exodus 32:6. They sat down to eat, drink, and rose up to play, Exodus 32:6. In 1 Corinthians 10:7-8, Paul makes it plain that their “play” was a sexual orgy.
It is difficult to believe that they would be involved in such evil things. Within the very shadow of Mount Sinai, where the law was being delivered to Moses, Israel was at the foot of the mount, involved in the worst kind of paganism. God’s anger would wax hot against the people.
We are told the Lord relented and did not bring disaster on the people, Exodus 32:13. Moses descends from the mountain with the two tablets of stone, one in each hand, Exodus 32:15. Joshua, who is with Moses, hears the noise coming from the camp. He thinks it is the sound of war, Exodus 32:17.
Moses approaches the camp and sees the calf and the dancing, Exodus 32:19. Moses is enraged. He threw the tablets down, breaking them, Exodus 32:19. He took the gold calf, melted it, then ground it into powder and spread it out over the water and made the people drink it, Exodus 32:20.
Moses’ anger is vented toward Aaron. He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” Exodus 32:21. Aaron makes it appear that it was all the people’s actions to be blamed, Exodus 32:22-24. Moses does not accept his excuse.
Moses charges him with having brought a great sin upon the people, Exodus 32:21. Aaron had lost complete control of the people. The NIV says, “Aaron let them get out of control,” Exodus 32:25. The AV has, “Aaron had made them naked.” He should have stood up to them and rebuked them for their evil intentions.
Three thousand men were slain, Exodus 32:28. Why these particular men? These were still naked after their orgy that had taken place in the camp. Aaron was responsible to a great extent for this sinful event in that he did not offer resistance.
Moses spoke to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin,” Exodus 32:30. He goes and says to the Lord. “O what a great sin these people have committed!…. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written,” Exodus 32:31-32.
Moses is instructed to go back and resume leadership of the people, Exodus 32:34. The Lord struck the people with a plague because of their sin afterwards, Exodus 32:35. Few of us would have had the patience Moses had. It is a wonder he did not give up. Probably most of us would have given up.
Moses asked God who would help him lead the people out of Sinai. God tells him He Himself will do this. Moses asked that he be able to see God in His glory, Exodus 33:18-20. There now takes place one of the most mysterious and solemn scenes in the entire Bible.
Moses is shown more than any other person had ever seen. However, God would not allow all of Moses’ requests to be answered. He could not do this and live, Exodus 33:19-20. No human has ever been able to actually see God, for His glory would bring death to them.
God will place Moses in the cleft of a rock so that when His glory passes by, God would cover Moses with His hand, and after passing, God would remove his hand, and Moses would see his back but not His face, Exodus 33:21-23. Moses now at least knew God’s presence would be with him as he led the Israelites to the Promised Land.
Moses is commanded to hew two more stones and bring them to the top of the mountain, Exodus 34:1. God will again write the Ten Commandments. Again, He accepts the Israelites as His people.
So, Moses takes the stones up the mountain where again he seeks the favour of God, Exodus 34:4. Moses bows down before God. God said, “I am making a covenant with you,” Exodus 34:10. The people will see wonders never done before. They are again warned to abstain from any form of idolatry, Exodus 34:13-14.
Exodus 35-40 give an account of the construction of the Tabernacle. There were those who were skilled in various trades, which they used to produce the material to be used in the Tabernacle.
God used the skills of certain ones to build the Tabernacle exactly as he wanted it to be. It was a tent that could be taken down and moved from one place to another. The furniture could also be transported in a special way so that their hands never touched the sacred pieces of furniture.
When Moses came down from the mountain with the two stone tablets, his face radiated (shone) so bright that the people were afraid to come near him, Exodus 34:29-30. Some of God’s glory must have been transferred onto Moses.
He had to put a veil over his face while in the presence of the people, Exodus 34:33. However, he would have removed the veil when he went into the Tent of Meeting to meet with God, Exodus 34:34.
On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year (after leaving Egypt), the people moved out to the desert of Paran, Numbers 10:11-28. This was done because the Lord commanded them to move away from Mount Sinai. It is not long before the people complained about their hardships.
They have not changed much in spite of the fact that the Lord had taken them back. Fire came down from the Lord and burned, consuming some of them at the outskirts of the camp, Numbers 11:1. They are the same people as before Sinai.
Now they complain about their food. If they only had some fish and other foods they had in Egypt, Numbers 11:4. Now Moses begins to complain to God that He had placed the burden of leading the people on his shoulders, Numbers 11:11-14.
God had Moses bring in seventy elders to help him bear the burden, Numbers 11:16. Moses still complains. How difficult it must have been for Moses to wake up every morning to the moaning and groaning of these stiff-necked people.
No doubt there were many nights he did not sleep. Yet we are told that “Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth,” Numbers 12:3. This is why he kept going, no doubt.
Miriam and Aaron begin to be critical of Moses because he had married a Cushite woman, Numbers 12:1. They also seem to express some jealousy. Had not God spoken to them also? God severely rebukes them, Numbers 12:2.
Miriam is suddenly leprous, Numbers 12:10. Aaron pleads for forgiveness, Numbers 12:10-11. Miriam now has to live outside the camp for seven days because, Numbers 12:11-15, under the Levitical law, she was unclean, Leviticus 13:46.
Arriving at the desert of Paran, Numbers 12:16, God instructs Moses to send men to spy (explore) the land of Canaan, Numbers 13:1, the promised land he had promised to the descendants of Abraham.
They were to find out how good the land (soil) was! They were to find out about the towns and whether they were walled! They were to bring back some of the fruits, Numbers 13:17-20,
They were gone for forty days, Numbers 12:25. They brought back a branch of grapes that took two men to bring suspended on a pole, Numbers 13:23 / Numbers 13:27. They reported the land did flow with milk and honey, but the people lived in fortified cities, Numbers 13:27-28.
They even saw giants living there, Numbers 13:28. They were too powerful for them to overcome. They said Israel seemed like grasshoppers compared to them, Numbers 13:33.
Joshua and Caleb give an entirely different report, Numbers 13:30-31. Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it,” Numbers 13:30.
That night, the people began to wail and cry out, Numbers 14:1. They grumbled against Moses (as usual). They said, “If we had (only) died in Egypt or in the desert. Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall upon the sword?” Numbers 14:2-3.
They wanted to find someone else to be their leader besides Moses to lead them back to Egypt, Numbers 14:4. Joshua and Caleb spoke out, declaring the land was a good land, and the Lord would lead them into this land that flowed with milk and honey, Numbers 14:6-8.
They pleaded with the people not to rebel against the Lord, Numbers 14:9, but “The whole assembly talked about stoning them,” Numbers 14:10. The Lord’s response to the people was as follows.
Moses now appeals to God.
The Lord then brings judgment against the people. They will spend forty years in the desert, one year for each of the forty days the spies were gone, Numbers 14:34. Caleb and Joshua are the exceptions. This applied to everyone twenty years and up, Numbers 14:29.
They will see the land and will live in it. God said they were a “wicked community, which had banded together against me,” Numbers 14:35. God said that their rebellion was against him rather than against Moses, Numbers 14:11.
After leaving Egypt, the Israelites spent about a year reaching Mount Sinai. After another year, they moved on to Kadesh Barnea on the southern border of the Promised Land, Numbers 13:26.
Because they refused to invade the land, God turned them back into the wilderness. God said that their punishment would be one year for each day the spies were in Canaan, a total of forty years, Numbers 14:34.
Everyone twenty years and older would perish in the wilderness, Deuteronomy 2:14. “By then, the entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.
The Lord’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp, Deuteronomy 2:14-15. It is believed the camp itself was twelve miles square. What a sight this must have been. Their wanderings were a total disaster.
The priests were now organised to perform their work at the Tabernacle. However, corruption soon enters the Priesthood. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, took their censers, put fire in them, and added incense, Leviticus 10:1.
Because they offered unauthorised fire contrary to the command of the Lord. God sent fire down upon them, and they were consumed, Leviticus 10:2. It was necessary in the beginning for God to teach an important lesson. God must be respected and honoured by complete obedience to His laws.
Moses had their bodies removed outside the camp, Leviticus 10:4. “So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered,” Leviticus 10:5.
Korah, a descendant of Levi, along with two hundred and fifty other men who were well-known leaders, came to Moses and Aaron, Numbers 16:1-2. They said the entire community was holy, and the Lord was with them, Numbers 16:3. They wanted to know, “Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” Numbers 16:3.
Moses warns Korah and his followers that God would reveal the true leader of the people, Numbers 16:4-5. The end result was that two hundred and fifty of the men who had rebelled were swallowed up into the ground, Numbers 26:10.
The very next day, the entire camp grumbled against Moses and Aaron. They said, “You have killed the Lord’s people,” Numbers 16:41. Moses had Aaron take his censer, put incense in it with fire and make atonement for them, Numbers 16:46-47.
However, the plague had already started before Aaron could reach the mob. By their standing between the living and the dead, the plague stopped, Numbers 16:48-49. However, 14,700 had already died from the plague, Numbers 16:49, in addition to the two hundred and fifty who rebelled with Korah, Numbers 16:35.
After thirty-eight years, they begin to set their faces toward Canaan. They are almost at the place where they began their wanderings. Here Miriam dies, Numbers 20:1. She was the sister of Moses and Aaron, Exodus 2:1 / Exodus 6:20. She had to be over one hundred and twenty years old, as she was older than Moses.
She had watched when Moses was placed in the little ark among the bulrushes, Exodus 2:4. She had been a leader among the women. She took her tambourine and went out to sing the praises of God, leading the other women. However, she had murmured against Moses, Numbers 12:1-16, and would not be allowed to enter Canaan, Numbers 14:30.
Again, there was no water for the people. As usual, they gathered themselves against Moses and Aaron, Numbers 20:1. Here was the same old complaint, “Why did you bring us and our cattle out here in this wilderness, Numbers 20:2-4.
Moses and Aaron approach the Lord, Numbers 20:6. Moses is to take the rod and speak to a rock before the people, and it would give them water,” Numbers 20:8. We are told the following.
Moses and Aaron do not seem to complain. Only two of the original people who left Egypt, Caleb, and Joshua and all who were under twenty years old at the time when the Lord drove the people back into the wilderness, will enter the Promised Land, Numbers 14:30.
Now, travelling along the route to the Gulf of Aqaba, the people grew impatient. They speak out against God and Moses. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines, or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” Numbers 21:4-5/ Numbers 20:5.
The Lord sent venomous snakes among them, Numbers 21:6. Many died as a result of their bites, Numbers 21:6. The people recognised their sin and asked Moses to have God take the snakes away, Numbers 21:7.
God told Moses to make a snake, put it on a pole so that by looking at it anyone bitten can live, Numbers 21:8. Moses made a bronze snake, Numbers 21:9. By looking at it, they would not die from any snake bite, Numbers 21:9. They never came to trust God for his deliverance from the Egyptians, thus they suffered and died.
We are told that “Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor,” Numbers 33:38-39. We read this with some sadness.
Outside the golden calf incident, Aaron had been a faithful servant. God chose him to become the first High Priest, says a lot about his character, Exodus 28:1. He was Moses’ right arm, standing firm beside Moses as they stood before Pharaoh and the rebellion of the Israelites, but he, too, was not permitted to pass into the Promised Land because of sin. This reminds us that a person can be a good person and still miss heaven because of neglecting something essential.
Both Miriam and Aaron have died. Only Moses remains. After striking the rock and failing to give God the credit for the water that flowed from it, Numbers 20:1-13, Moses knew he would not be permitted to enter the land God had promised the Israelites.
In an address to Israel, he said, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan,” Deuteronomy 31:1-2.
Although he was one hundred years old, physically, Deuteronomy 34:7, he still had the physical strength and eyesight to have led the people over the Jordan River, even to conquer the land.
There is no resentment in his words. He accepts God’s punishment without resentment. He assures them that God himself will precede them and will destroy those nations that were before them, Deuteronomy 31:3.
They will take possession of the land, but their armies will have the responsibility of driving out and destroying the people before settling the land, Deuteronomy 31:3. Later, he is commanded by God to go. Up on Mount Nebo. Evidently, he was to go alone.
From this vantage spot, Moses could see everything from east to west and from north to south. In other words, the entire land promised by God to Israel, Deuteronomy 34:4.
The western sea would be the Mediterranean Sea. What a scene this must have been. The land then would have been filled with green trees and green pastures, much different from how it appears today.
The ravages of invading armies through the years have destroyed much of its original beauty. For example, when invaded from the north in about 69 A.D., the Roman army under the Roman General Titus destroyed much of the green growth, and the fertile land was ravaged.
He ordered the trees to be cut down, which would have included all the fruit-bearing trees. Salt was sown in the ground so no crops would grow. Much has been restored today, but the land today is not like it was in the time of Moses.
The reason for his being denied the privilege of entering the land was his failure to give God the credit when drawing water from a rock. Don’t you know he wished he had been more careful in choosing his words when he addressed the people before striking the rock? There had to be some feelings of sadness.
He had worked so diligently to get the people into the promised land. He had endured all kinds of slander and accusations. He was almost there, but in a weak moment, he did not “uphold God’s holiness” (glory), Numbers 20:12.
To fail to uphold the Lord’s holiness was a failure to give God the glory and credit for what He had done. Instead, Moses had taken the credit for himself and Aaron.
It would be on Mount Nebo that he would die, Deuteronomy 34:8. He had reached the age of one hundred and twenty, although the average age at that time was probably lower, around seventy to eighty.
Even though he was one hundred and twenty physically and his eyesight was still good, he was still strong and could have led the people into the land. At best, it is a sad scene.
There is an interesting passage in Jude 9 that refers to Moses’ body. “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, The Lord rebuke you!”
We would like to know more about this dispute over the body of Moses, but we have nothing further stated about this event. Moses’ life was dedicated to being a servant of the Lord.
A wonderful tribute is paid to Moses in Deuteronomy 34:10-12.
The people grieved for Moses for a period of thirty days. They remained in the plains of Moab during this time. It seems the custom for grieving lasted thirty days, Deuteronomy 34:7. A new leader will succeed Moses and become the leader of the Children of Israel; his name is Joshua, Deuteronomy 34:9.
What do you think was the greatest act that God performed for the Children of Israel? How would you answer the sceptic’s argument that Israel crossed only the sea of reeds, which at that time was north of the Sea of Suez but is now a part of the Canal? They argue that the wind blew the waters from around the reeds so that all they had to do was wade across. Do you think we as Christians murmur too much?
Aaron knew Moses had gone up to the top of the Mount to meet with God when the people rebelled at Mt. Sinai. Why then would he give in and fashion the golden calf?
It seems in Bible times it was difficult for people to surrender their idols. In the case of the Israelites, why was it so difficult for them to give up their idols when the evidence was conclusive that there was but one true God? With so many miracles performed by God, how could the people turn so quickly to idols again?