Moses

     We have been talking about Abraham and his descendants whom God chose to give three great promises. Most of the Bible is concerned with this family. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were, in that order, father, son and grandson.

     Our last study ended with Jacob’s arrival in Egypt, where his long lost son Joseph had risen to power. He was second to King Pharaoh. The king was good to Joseph’s family. He gave them land and all they needed for a happy life in Egypt. When Jacob left Canaan for Egypt, all his sons and their families went with him. The Bible says there were 70 men besides their wives. From that small number, Jacob’s family grew to over 600,000 men besides wives and children.

     After Joseph died, a new Pharaoh (king), came to the throne. He was not kind to Joseph’s large family who continued to live in Egypt. They were called Hebrews. Pharaoh enslaved them and made them do harsh work. He took a number of steps to reduce the population of the Hebrews because he feared their growing numbers and the possibility of their joining the king’s enemies, fighting against Egypt and leaving the country. He ordered that all the Hebrew newborn sons should be cast into the river and killed.

     A Hebrew woman, who delivered a beautiful son, developed a good plan. First, she hid her son for three months. Then when she could no longer hide him, she made a waterproof basket, put the child in it and placed it in the reeds by the riverbank where Pharaoh’s daughter came to wash herself. The baby’s older sister watched from a distance to see what would happen. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent for it. What a surprise! A crying infant was inside! The princess could see it was one of the babies that her father intended to kill. The child’s sister asked, “Shall I go get a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?” The infant’s own mother was called to nurse him. The princess claimed him as her son and named him Moses. He grew up in Pharaoh’s palace.

     When Moses was eighty years old, God appointed him to lead the Hebrews (Abraham’s many, many descendants) out of Egyptian bondage and back to Canaan. Their lives had become terrible, filled with hard work and cruel taskmasters. King Pharaoh did not want the Hebrews to go anywhere. They were his unpaid work crew!

      Through Moses and his brother Aaron, God worked many great signs and wonders in the land of Egypt in order to persuade Pharaoh to free the Hebrews. Ten plagues of horrible troubles came on the Egyptians. Their water became blood, and frogs, lice, flies, and locusts swarmed the land. The Egyptians’ livestock became sick and died. The Egyptians broke out in boils. Fire, rain and hail ruined their crops. Thick darkness filled the land for three days; and finally, all the firstborn of every family was killed, man and beast, including the king’s. At last, Pharaoh said, “Go!”