10 Amazing Things You Should Know About Moses
Guest Post by Heroes Bible Trivia
Everybody loves Moses!
It is just so mind-blowing to think how a mortal man could encounter big miracles throughout his lifetime!
From the burning bush to the ten plagues, red sea, bread from heaven, and many more divinely directed experiences, one could only be amazed at how God can use his simple men for his great cause!
The Bible says, “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy, 34:10, ESV).
Amazingly, although the life of Moses happened centuries back, there are still many things that we can learn from his example nowadays!
In this article, we will know ten amazing things you should know about Moses!
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He survived one of the great child massacres in the Bible.
We all know that Satan had always been eager to attack God’s children. One of the great child massacres in the Bible was during Moses’ birth.
It was the time when a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. Fearing that the Israelites may betray them, he afflicted them with heavy burdens.
The Egyptians enslaved the people of Israel. Yet, the more they are pressed with hard work, the more they increase!
And so Pharaoh commanded all the newborn Hebrew males to be killed!
Amazingly, God gave Moses’ parents wisdom to hide him and place him in a basket to be cradled by the Nile river.
The Bible says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23,ESV).
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He was a potential candidate to succeed Pharaoh.
Moses, as Pharaoh’s daughter, had been trained and educated for rulership. In Egypt’s court, Moses received the highest civil and military training.
Acts 7:22 says, “And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.”
However, in Hebrews 11: 24, it is mentioned that “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”
It is implied here that Moses had a prospect of inheriting immense treasures in Egypt. Possibly, even inheriting Pharaoh’s throne.
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He had to relearn things in the wilderness for forty years.
Acts 7:40 says, “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.”
Despite Moses’ high academic background, the Lord made Moses a unique educational program. Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he was trained as a shepherd of the flock to be a shepherd of men later.
During his forty years of wilderness experience, God filtered Moses’ character. The grandeur and indulgences of Egypt must have caused an impact on Moses’ character.
However, as he meditated while grazing his pasture, the Lord was his instructor. In the solitude of the mountains, he learned to value hard work, trust, patience, humility, and obedience.
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His wife, Zipphorah, was a believer of God.
The Bible gives us some information about Moses’ wife, Zipporah.
One, she is the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian (Exodus 2:21; 3:1). And two, she is the mother of Gershom (Exodus 2:22) and Eliezer (Exodus 18:4).
If we trace Zipporah’s lineage, we will learn that the Midianites descended from Abraham through his third wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:1). Thus, many scholars believe that she was also a believer of God.
As a matter of fact, when the Lord sought to kill Moses for failing to heed the Lord’s command to circumcise his children, “Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me’ (Exodus 4: 25,ESV).
This situation tells us that Zipporah understood the importance of circumcision as a sign of God’s covenant between Him and the children of Abraham.
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He had a speech defect.
Moses wasn’t a perfect man. Ironically, a good leader is often expected to be a good communicator. However, Moses was the opposite!
When the Lord appeared to Moses through the burning bush, the Lord gave Him instructions to lead the exodus of Israel.
Yet, with hesitations, he said, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue” (Exodus 4:10, ESV).
The Lord rebuked him and said, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Exodus 4: 11, 12, ESV).
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He was the meekest man on earth.
“Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3, ESV).
Meekness can also be characterized as being humble, considerate, and not being overly impressed by one’s self-importance.
If we understand the context of the aforementioned text, this was uttered as a defense from Miriam and Aaron’s complaints against God’s servant.
But Moses never harbored ill feelings towards his sibling. Instead, he even prayed for them (Numbers 12:13).
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For forty years, He interceded between God and Israel.
We all know that the Israelites took the longer route in reaching the Promised Land. Throughout the forty years of their wilderness experience, Moses interceded many times between God and His people.
Some of the most striking instances were:
- Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
- The Golden Calf Worship (Exodus 32)
- Aaron and Miriam Rebellion (Numbers 12: 1-14)
- The People’s Rebellion After Hearing the Spies’ Report (Numbers 14)
Ideally, Israel’s leaders should stand as an intercessor between God and the people. We could think of various leaders who led the people astray through their example. In comparison, numerous leaders were also successful in leading God’s people to repentance.
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He came from the priestly tribe.
In the Bible, spiritual leadership comes as a responsibility of the firstborn. However, we could remember that when Moses received the Ten Commandments in Mt. Sinai, the Israelites made and worshiped a golden calf. The only tribe on the Lord’s side was Levi’s (Exodus 32: 1-29).
Amazingly, even before Levi’s tribe was chosen as the spiritual leader of Israel, Aaron and Moses, who were descendants of Levi, were already initially tasked to play that part.
Exodus 6:13-27 traces Aaron and Moses’ roots to Levi. While Numbers 26: 59 particularly states, “The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.”
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He was not perfect.
Moses, just like most of us, wasn’t perfect. We could even note some instances in the Bible when he made mistakes (E.g., Killing the Egyptian, failing to circumcise his children, and striking the rock at Meribah).
Yet despite this, the Bible says that
“There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34: 10-12).
This is an amazing lesson for us. Moses’ faith and obedience allowed him to experience all these. Like what Jesus taught, if we have faith like a mustard seed, we can move mountains (Luke 17:6).
In Moses’ case, it was the Red Sea!
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He died at a good old age (120) but he was totally healthy.
Amazingly, when Moses died, he was still totally healthy!
Deuteronomy 34: 7 tells us that “Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word unabated as “being at full strength or force.”
Although this may be a wonder for some, we know that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
After all, Moses ate food from heaven, had a thorough exercise of coming up and down the mountain, and even experienced standing in the presence of the King of Kings!
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