Bible character overview - Moses

Moses, whose name means “Drawn out” or “Delivered,” was born in Egypt. During this period, a new king of Egypt, fearing the growing number of Israelites, oppressed them severely. Despite their suffering, the Israelites continued to multiply. To control the population, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. When they defied his orders, Pharaoh decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys should be thrown into the Nile River.

During this time, a Levite woman gave birth to a son and, seeing that he was "a beautiful child," she hid him for three months. When she could no longer conceal him, she crafted a basket from bulrushes and placed the baby in it, setting it afloat on the Nile. The basket drifted to where Pharaoh's daughter was bathing. Upon discovering the baby and feeling compassion for him, she adopted him as her own son, naming him Moses.

Moses returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh, demanding, "Let my people go." Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal only worsened the Israelites' conditions, causing them to resent Moses and Aaron. Despite their grievances, God reassured Moses of Israel's eventual deliverance and instructed him to approach Pharaoh again.

Moses and Aaron delivered God’s message, but Pharaoh remained obstinate. This resistance led to the onset of the ten plagues, each worsening the Egyptians’ suffering:

1. Water Turning to Blood: The Nile and all water sources turned to blood.
2. Frogs: Frogs overran the land.
3. Lice: Lice infested people and animals.
4. Flies: Swarms of flies plagued the Egyptians.
5. Livestock Pestilence: A deadly disease that killed Egyptian livestock.
6. Boils: Painful boils afflicted the Egyptians and their animals.
7. Hail: Severe hailstorms destroyed crops and livestock.
8. Locusts: Locusts consumed the remaining crops.
9. Darkness: A deep darkness covered Egypt for three days.
10. Death of the Firstborn: Every firstborn son in Egypt died, including Pharaoh's own son.

For the final plague, God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and spread its blood on their doorposts. This act would spare them from the plague of the firstborn. The Israelites followed these instructions, and when the Angel of the Lord passed over Egypt, every household with lamb's blood on the doorposts was spared. This devastating plague finally broke Pharaoh's resolve, leading him to order Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt with the Israelites.

After receiving the Ten Commandments, Moses was given detailed instructions by God to build the Tabernacle, a portable sanctuary where God's presence would dwell among the Israelites. Alongside this, he was instructed to make the Ark of the Covenant, which would house the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments.

However, during Moses' extended absence on Mount Sinai, the Israelites grew impatient and pressured Aaron, Moses' brother, to create a physical representation of God that they could worship. Aaron complied and forged a golden calf, which the people began to worship with revelry and idolatry. When Moses descended from the mountain and saw the idolatry, he was infuriated. He threw down and smashed the original stone tablets and burned the golden calf, mixing its ashes with water and making the people drink it. Moses later made two new tablets to replace the ones he had broken and continued leading the Israelites.

The journey to the Promised Land, which God had promised to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:1, was filled with challenges. In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan. When the spies returned, ten of them reported that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, but they also described its inhabitants as giants who made the Israelites feel like mere grasshoppers in comparison. Only Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, encouraged the people to trust in God and take the land, while the majority's report instilled fear and doubt among the people.

The Israelites' lack of faith and refusal to enter the Promised Land led to severe consequences. As a result, they were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years, a period during which that generation would die off, and a new generation would arise.

In Numbers 20, Moses disobeyed God by striking a rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as instructed. Because of this disobedience, God decreed that Moses would not enter the Promised Land. Moses eventually died on Mount Nebo, from where he viewed the Promised Land but did not enter it. The leadership of the Israelites was then passed on to Joshua, who would lead them into the land that had been promised to their ancestors.