Winners and Losers: Part 5 - MOSES

Moses: A Man Whose Faith Made Him Great

Kathy's Sunday School Lessons Written for Young Boys and Girls by Kathryn Capoccia

© Copyright Kathryn Capoccia 2001. This file may be freely copied, printed out, and distributed as long
as copyright and source statements remain intact, and that it is not sold.

In the New Testament book of Hebrews Jesus Christ is compared to various Old Testament figures such as angels, Melchizedek the king of Salem, and Moses the man who spoke “face to face” with God. The writer goes on to show how Jesus, as God Himself, as the Eternal High Priest, as the Son over all creation, is superior to any created being no matter how important. But in that comparison he lifts up Moses as being one of the great men of the past and one who was faithful- a faithful servant in all God’s house. What made Moses a great man of God? His faith and his faithfulness. As one thinks of the discussion of an “armored” saint, one who is wearing “the armor of God”, surely Moses wore the armor more faithfully than most. He was clothed in trust and obedience. We have only one place in Scripture where we see him falter, the episode at Meribah where he struck the rock for water instead of speaking to it (NUM 20:11-13), and the rest of the time he was without fault. Deuteronomy describes him this way, “Since then [his death] no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel”, DEU 34:10-12.

Let’s look at the life of this remarkable man and see what we can learn from him about the results of a life of faith.

I. Who Was He?

A. What was his name? Moses: in Hebrew this means “to draw out”; in Egyptian it means “is born”.

B. Who were his people? Jews of Egypt: he was of the tribe of Levi (EXO 2:1,2).

C. When did he live? Some scholars believe he lived @ 1400-1280 B.C.; others regard the exodus as having occurred @ 1250 B.C., which makes his dates then @ 1290- 1170 B.C..

D. Where did he live? He lived in Egypt for the 1st 40 years of his life (ACT 7:23), then in Midian for the next 40 years (EXO 2:15; ACT 7:30), and finally in the desert of Sin for the last 40 years, dying on Mt. Nebo at the age of 120 (DEU 34:5-7).

II. What Did He Do?

A. He had faith (EXO 2:11: 4; ACT 7:19-34; HEB 11:23-28)

“faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (HEB 11:1)

1. He was committed

a. he learned to believe in God

1) he was set apart (HEB 11:23)

a) he was no ordinary child (ACT 7:20; EXO 2:2)

b) he was protected

i. his parents protected him (ACT 7:20; HEB 11:23; EXO 2:2-4, 9)

ii. Pharaoh’s daughter protected him ( EXO 2:6-9; ACT 7:21)

2) he was taught the truth

“faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of Christ” (ROM 10:17)

a) he had parents who feared God and not man (EXO 2:2,3; HEB 11:23)

b) he lived with his family, nursed by his natural mother, until he was presented to Pharaoh’s daughter (probably when he was weaned at 2 or 3 years of age: EXO 2:9,10)

3) he was taught the ways of the world (ACT 7:21; EXO 2:5-10)

a) Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him into Pharaoh’s household (ACT 7:21)

b) she educated him in all Egyptian wisdom (ACT 7:22) until “he was powerful in speech and action”

b. he identified with God’s people (HEB 11:24,25; EXO 2:11)

1) he regarded the Jews as “his own people” (EXO 2:11)

2) he refused to be called “the son of Pharaoh’s daughter ( HEB 11:24)

3) he chose to be mistreated with “the people of God” (HEB 11:25)

4) he believed he was “the deliverer” born to rescue the Jews (ACT 7:25)

a) he rescued a Jew from an Egyptian (ACT 7:24; EXO 2:11,12)

b) he tried to arbitrate an argument between two Israeli (ACT 7:26-28; EXO 2:13,14)

c. he rejected the secular world

HE HAD COUNTED THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP AND, LIKE PAUL, HAD CONSIDERED THE RICHES OF THIS WORLD AS SO MUCH RUBBISH (PHI 3:8)

1) he rejected the pleasures of sin (HEB 11:25)

2) he exchanged the treasures of Egypt for disgrace with God’s people (HEB 11:26)

WHAT WERE THE TREASURES OF EGYPT?

EGYPT AT THIS TIME WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF HER POLITICAL POWER AND WEALTH- VAST BUILDING PROJECTS WERE BEING UNDERTAKEN: THE TOMBS OF THE PHARAOHS WERE BEING CONSTRUCTED: GOLD WAS THE FASHIONABLE METAL OF THE RICH: THE UPPER AND LOWER EGYPTS AND NUBIA WERE RULED BY ONE KING: A STANDING ARMY SERVED PHARAOH: AN ELABORATE WORSHIP SYSTEM WAS IN PLACE. AS A MEMBER OF PHARAOH’S HOUSEHOLD MOSES WOULD HAVE HAD ACCESS TO FABULOUS WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE.

3) he maintained a heavenly perspective (HEB 11:26,27)

a) he was looking ahead to his reward (HEB 11:26)

b) he saw Him who is invisible (HEB 11:27)

2. He was commissioned (EXO 3,4; ACT 7:30-34)

a. God called him into service

1) He gave him irresistible grace

a) He called to him from a burning bush (EXO 3:4)

b) He identified Himself as God and holy (EXO 3:5,6)

i. Moses reacted with trembling (ACT 7:32)

ii. Moses would not look at God (ACT 7:32)

2) He gave him an irresistible task (EXO 3:10; ACT 7:34,35) “to be both a ruler and deliverer” for the people of Israel

b. God gave him authority

WHY?

“NOW THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY HUMBLE, MORE THAN ANY MAN WHO WAS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH (NUM 12:3); “HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL EXALT YOU (JAM 4:10).

1) God gave him authority to speak before Pharaoh (EXO 3:10)

a) He prophesied sacrifice at Horeb as authentication (EXO 3:12)

b) He revealed the Name of God as authentication (EXO 3:13-15)

c) He promised rejection from Pharaoh (EXO 3:19)

2) God gave him authority to speak before his people (EXO 3:16)

a) He promised acceptance among the elders (EXO 3:18)

b) He gave Moses authenticating miracles (EXO 4:2-9)

c) He promised Moses help in convincing the people (EXO 4:12,15,16)

i. He said He would help Moses speak

ii. He said he would give Aaron as a helper

3) God said he would be a “deliverer” to his people (ACT 7:35)

3. He was compliant

a. he made preparations to leave Midian and obey God (EXO 4:18)

1) he received permission to go from Jethro, his father-in-law (EXO 4:19)

2) he mounted his wife and sons on donkeys and began the journey to Egypt with the staff of God in his hand (EXO 4:20)

3) his son was circumcised on the way to Egypt (in obedience to God’s command to Abraham: EXO 4:24-26)

a) an angel of the LORD met Moses on the road and sought to kill him because he had disobeyed God in regard to circumcision (EXO 4:24)

b) Zipporah circumcised her son for Moses (EXO 4:25)

b. he met Aaron in the wilderness as instructed (EXO 4:27-29)

c. he sent his family back to the care of Jethro (EXO 18:2)

d. he journeyed to Egypt (EXO 4:29)

B. He was faithful (EXO- DEU; ACT 7:35- 38) “He was faithful as a servant in all God’s house”

1. He was faithful as a prophet

a. he carried God’s word to Israel (EXO 4:29-31)

1) the people believed

. 2) the people worshipped God

b. he carried God’s word to Pharaoh (EXO 5-12)

1) Pharaoh rejected God’s word

a) he persecuted Israel (EXO 5:6-9)

i. he increased their work load (EXO 5:6-13)

ii. he beat the Hebrew taskmasters (EXO 5:14)

b) God judged Egypt and Pharaoh with 10 plagues

2) Pharaoh assented to God’s command (EXO 12:31,32)

a) the people left in haste as prophesied (EXO
12:34)

b) the people plundered the Egyptians (EXO 12:36)

c. he spoke God’s word to the people in the desert (ACT 7:38)

d. he wrote God’s words for the people (DEU 31:9)

1) he wrote down the book of the covenant and sprinkled it with blood (EXO 24:6,7; HEB9:19)

2) he wrote the 2nd ten commandments on tablets of stone (EXO 34:27,28)

3) he wrote and deposited a written copy of the Law with the priests for them to enforce (DEU 31:9-13)

4) he charged the priests to read the Law to the people periodically (DEU 31:9-11)

WHAT HAD HE WRITTEN?

HE WROTE THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, CALLED THE PENTATEUCH.

2. He was faithful as a deliverer

a. he delivered them from Egypt

1) he persevered

a) against Pharaoh

b) against his own people

c) against time (it took perhaps as long as 6 months)

2) he kept the Passover (HEB 11:28)

3) he took Joseph’s bones as a symbol of the promised land and to obey Joseph’s request (EXO 13:19)

b. he brought them across the Red Sea

1) he encouraged the Israelis to have faith (EXO 14:13,14)

2) he prayed for deliverance (EXO 14:15)

a) God instructed Moses in the use of the staff over the Sea (EXO 14:16)

b) God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he would pursue Israel (EXO 14:17,18)

c) the pillar of cloud blocked Pharaoh’s path (EXO 14:20)

d) God threw Pharaoh’s army into confusion (EXO 14:24,25)

3) he used the “staff of God”

a) to cause the waters to divide (EXO 14:21,22)

b) to cause the waters to drown Pharaoh’s army (EXO 14:26)

c. he defeated Amalek (EXO 17)

1) he appointed Joshua as military general (EXO 17:9)

2) he held his hands up to encourage Israel and so ensured victory (EXO 17:10-12)

3. He was faithful as a guide

a. he followed God’s lead

1) he was obedient to follow

a) he followed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (EXO 13:21,22)

b) he followed whenever the pillars led the way (EXO 40:36,37)

b. he lead the people over known territory (he had wandered Midian with Jethro’s flocks for 40 years: EXO 3:1; ACT 7:30)

3. He was faithful as a ruler (ACT 7:35)

a. he did wonders and miraculous signs (ACT 7:36)

b. he lead the people

1) judicially

a) he organized a system of judges to settle disputes (EXO 18:13-26)

b) he judged difficult cases (EXO 18:26)

2) spiritually

a) he ministered to the people

i. he prophesied and recorded God’s words

ii. he anointed Aaron and his sons as priests

iii. he interceded for the people

iv. he punished idolatry

v. he oversaw construction of the Tabernacle

vi. he oversaw the institution of the Passover (NUM 9)

b) he modeled godliness

i. he reflected the glory of God

ii. he displayed faith

3) politically

a) he accepted his responsibilities (EXO 3, 4:1-18)

b) he did not surrender his office

i. the rebellion of the golden calf (EXO 32)

ii. Aaron and Miriam’s rebellion (NUM 12)

iii. the rebellion at the border of Canaan (the spies report and the fight against Amalek: NUM 14)

iv. Korah, Dathan, Abiram and 250 elder’s rebellion (NUM 16)

c) he fulfilled his office until he died (DEU 4-34)

i. he instructed the people in the Law

ii. he warned of idolatry and apostasy

iii. he appointed Joshua to succeed him

iv. he pronounced a blessing upon the people

WHY WAS HE FAITHFUL?

HE WAS ALWAYS AWARE THAT HE WAS SERVING GOD, THAT WHAT HE DID WAS A REFLECTION UPON GOD, AND THAT GOD WOULD REWARD HIM FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS.

III. What Can We Learn From Him?

A. We need to make a firm commitment to obey God in order to withstand the trials and temptations we encounter.

B. If we humble ourselves under God’s hand He is free to use us as He will: this may mean giving us great responsibility and/or honor.

C. If we earnestly seek God’s face in prayer He will give us intimate fellowship with Him.

D. If we are faithful God will give us grace to overcome all trials and will reward us in heaven.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Kathy Capoccia's Sunday School Lessons for Young Adults" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
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