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The Life of Moses

Once Moses was weaned, traditionally between 3 or 4 years old, his mother took him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. God used these women to do what they were good at and what their culture especially honored in women: preserving and raising a child. They each played a foundational role in preparing Moses to liberate a nation.

Moses grew up as a young Egyptian leader. He began to witness the mistreatment of his people, the Israelites, at the hands of Egyptian soldiers. He took the liberation of his people into his own hands and murdered an Egyptian soldier who was mistreating an Israelite and hid his body in the sand. When he realized his countrymen had seen the murder, he feared for his life and fled to the land of Midian in the desert.

Moses settled in the land of Midian and married Zipporah, Jethro's daughter. While tending Jethro’s flock, the Lord appeared to Moses through a burning bush and called him to lead the people of Israel out of bondage.

He doubted his ability and pleaded with the Lord to send someone else. But God insisted Moses was the right man for the job. So he returned to Egypt and asked Pharaoh to release the people of Israel, but Pharaoh refused to free them.

In return, the Lord told Moses he would send plagues to Egypt. Moses warned Pharaoh, but Pharaoh hardened his heart toward God. God sent the plagues of blood in the water, gnats in the sky, flies, the death of livestock, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally, the death of the firstborn.

After these plagues and the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son, he agreed to let the people of Israel begin the exodus out of Egypt and into the desert. The people of Israel were finally free and wandered in the desert for 40 years until they reached the Promised Land (Exodus 16-40).

Even though Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land, he was the instrumental leader who led the people out of bondage and to the edge of the land promised to Abraham.