MOSES: Part 2 – The Exile
INTRODUCTION
Moses, born a slave, but destined to rule over Egypt’s empire. Rescued from the river, adopted by a princess, and raised to be Pharaoh. Instead, leads a nation of slaves to freedom and changes the world. Moses – a hero for our time!
A fugitive on the run with nothing but the clothes on his back, Moses was in serious trouble. The Prince of Egypt now found himself an outcast and a pauper.
As he stumbled through the desert, kilometre after weary kilometre melted away, separating him not only from the adoptive grandfather who now hunted him but also from the people he loved – his own people, the Hebrews..
Before an unfortunate series of events branded Moses a traitor and a criminal, he was a man who had a clear vision and a plan. He saw the oppression and slavery of his people and wanted to do something to alleviate their suffering.
But his plans fell to pieces, and he found himself adrift in the desert with no plans at all. Where could he go? What could he do?
Stripped of his sense of purpose and of his identity as a member of the Egyptian royal family, the only thing Moses had left was his identity as a descendant of Abraham and a follower of Abraham’s God.
Lacking a plan, Moses wandered in the wilderness till he settled down to rest beside a well in Midian. As it happened, the well was a watering hole for a group of young sisters and some rough shepherds.
The shepherds were a bunch of bullies intent on chasing off the young women, and refusing them access to the well to water their animals.
Moses quickly rushed to the defence of the young women. Chasing off the shepherds, he rescued the sisters and helped them to water their animals.
His simple act of kindness earned him the gratitude of the girls’ father, Jethro, who was not only a generous man but a man who worshipped the same God Moses did.
Suddenly, the stateless fugitive wandering in the desert had a home and a job. But what did the future have in store for Moses? Was he destined to live his life in the wilds of Midian?
Join us this week as we continue on our incredible journey through the life of Moses, one of the greatest men to have ever lived.
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BABY RESCUED
During the reign of the Pharaohs of the 18th dynasty, the Hebrews or children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Their lives were hard, but [they] became a nightmare when Pharaoh Thutmose I issued a devastating decree.
In an attempt to cull the rising number of Hebrew slaves who, in Pharaoh’s mind, posed a serious threat to Egyptian national security, the pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile River.
Defying the Pharaoh’s decree, Jochebed, a Hebrew slave who had recently given birth to a baby boy, crafted a reed basket, covered it with pitch to make it waterproof, and hid her baby in the bullrushes on the banks of the Nile.
The baby was discovered by Pharoah Thutmose I’s daughter Hatshepsut, who read the situation in a heartbeat when she saw the child cradled in the basket. She adopted him as her own son, and handed him over to his birth mother to care for him until he was old enough to come to the palace.
Hatshepsut named the baby Moses, because she had drawn him out of the river. In fact, it is possible she believed that he was a gift from the gods she worshipped, because Egyptians venerated the Nile as a deity and the baby was brought to her by the river.
OPULENCE AND WEALTH
Moses grew up surrounded by the opulence and wealth of one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world. In fact, it’s hard for us in this modern world to grasp the extent of the wealth and power of Ancient Egypt.
One way we can fathom it is through archaeological discoveries that have uncovered the tombs of the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. One such discovery is the tomb of Tutankhamun, which was discovered in 1922.
Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten and was one of the last kings of the 18th dynasty. His tomb was one of the few chiefly intact tombs discovered in the Valley of the Kings, and was filled with thousands of precious artifacts. The tomb was a veritable cache of buried treasure.
The most significant find inside the tomb was the mummy of the young king, which was encased in a nest of three coffins. The innermost coffin was made of solid gold, while the two outer ones were wood overlaid with gold.
Over the head of the king’s mummy was a breathtaking gold portrait death-mask. An assortment of jewellery and amulets also lay on the mummified remains. The coffins and the stone sarcophagus were surrounded by four wooden shrines covered with text and overlaid with pure gold.
The rest of the tomb was filled with a wide array of furniture, chariots, weapons and statuary. All inside the tomb of a dead pharaoh – a small glimpse into the kind of lavish lifestyle that the pharaohs of Egypt led.
Archaeologists have also discovered the tomb of Thutmose III, who was co-regent with Moses’ adopted royal mother Hatshepsut. When Thutmose III’s father died he was just a toddler and his step-mother Hatshepsut ruled as co-regent.
She reigned as co-regent beside him until her death, and was the first female Pharaoh to rule over Egypt. After Hatshepsut’s death Thutmose III became sovereign of Egypt, and ruled for a period of 54 years.
Thutmose III’s tomb is one of the largest tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb has an elaborate labyrinth series of hallways that lead into the burial chamber where the rose stone sarcophagus of the king rests.
WALKING AWAY
Moses was surrounded by all of this incredible architecture and wealth. It would have taken a lot of conviction on his part to choose to walk away from it, in order to follow the God of his fathers and join a disparate group of despised slaves.
But the Bible describes exactly what Moses did. Hebrews 11:24-25 says,
“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt”
Moses’ faith in the unseen invisible God of his fathers compelled him to choose a different path. Though Egypt offered him wealth, power and influence, he understood that the offering was fleeting at best.
Moses recognised that what God offered Him was eternal. Though faced with a choice between a nation of slaves and the most powerful nation on earth, he chose the former.
His choice cost him the affluence of Egypt. Perhaps even the throne.
A NEW LIFE
Leaving the royal palaces of Egypt behind, Moses started a new life for himself within the family of Jethro. He became a shepherd, living in tents, tending flocks in the rugged mountainous region near the Gulf of Aqaba.
It was in Midian that Moses married Zippora, the daughter of his generous benefactor and employer, and they had two sons. His life in Midian was a far cry from the one he had led in Egypt.
It was also in Midian that Moses, under the inspiration of divine guidance, commenced writing the first five books of the Bible.
It would be easy to dismiss Moses’ time in the wilderness as nothing more than an inconvenient interlude on the road to something greater. After all, Moses is not known for his time in the wilderness. He’s known for liberating and leading the nation of Israel.
But the truth is that Moses’ time in the wilderness shaped him into the kind of leader he needed to be, in order to lead a rag tag group of slaves out of bondage and into the land God had promised them.
While tending sheep in the wilderness Moses, learned the valuable lessons of patience and gentleness – characteristics that helped him to be the patient and wise leader who helped Israel navigate numerous crises.
GROWING SPITUALLY
But his time in the wilderness also helped him to grow spiritually. Communing with God in the rugged wilds of Midian Moses learned the important lesson of relying on divine help.
As a young Egyptian Prince, it was easy for Moses to see himself as the answer to the problems his people faced. As a man haunted by regret and fleeing his past mistakes, Moses learned about God’s mercy and grace.
Sometimes we face wilderness moments in our own lives. Times when our lives seem barren and directionless. When life seems to have lost meaning and purpose. When nothing seems to make sense or go right. But the truth is, when we give our lives to God even our most barren experiences can work out for our best good.
In Romans 8:28 the apostle Paul writes,
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
The Bible promises that all things work together for our good. Not just the moments we celebrate, but also the moments that generate the most pain and despair.
Placing your life in God’s hands guarantees that none of your pain will be wasted because there is hope even in the trials of life when we place our lives in God’s hands.
A SPECIAL MISSION
But Moses’ time in the wilderness didn’t last forever. Forty years after he first arrived God called him out of hiding and gave him a special mission. A mission that reflected the original vision he had for both himself and his people.
It was a day like a thousand others – awake at dawn and chasing after sheep. But on this day while chasing after his sheep, Moses encountered something that stopped him in his tracks.
While navigating the rocky terrain of the wilderness, Moses stumbled on a sight that caught his attention and set his pulse pounding. He saw a bush crackling with flames, but not consumed by their intense heat.
Forgetting all about his flock of sheep Moses paused to take in the sight, curious and disbelieving. How could a bush be so thoroughly engulfed in flames and yet not be burnt and charred beyond recognition?
DIVINE APPOINTMENT
While he marvelled at the sight, he heard a voice. The voice of God spoke to him from the bush. At first all Moses heard was his name being repeated, to which he responded “Here I am.”
And then God said,
“Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground…I am the God of your father; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:5)
Terrified Moses immediately complied.
“And the Lord said; I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry…so I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…come now therefore I will send you to Pharaoh…” (Exodus 3:7-10)
When Moses heard these words his terror faded to shock. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” he asked, shrinking from the enormous responsibility of such a task.
Forty years before, when he was young and a lot more self-confident, Moses was ready to take on the armies of Egypt and deliver his people in a spectacular military coup.
Age and experience had humbled him and tempered his confidence. But God persisted. As a pledge of his presence and support, God performed miracles before Moses.
First, he turned Moses’ staff into a serpent, and then back again into an inanimate piece of wood. Next, he made Moses’ hand leprous, before restoring it back to health again.
But still Moses hesitated under the weight of the responsibility. Finally, after a good deal of hesitating and excuse-making, Moses agreed to go, trusting completely in God’s provision and power to carry him and the Hebrews through the challenges that lay ahead.
On his way into Egypt God sent his brother Aaron to meet him in the wilderness. Moses was terrified of speaking before Pharaoh and as a concession God agreed to allow Aaron to act as his spokesman.
RETURNING TO EGYPT
When Moses entered Egypt a thousand memories would have come flooding into his mind. There would have been a lot he recognised, but there would also have been a lot that had changed.
So, what had taken place in Egypt during the 40 years that Moses was in the wilderness? Well, Moses’ adoptive mother Hatshepsut had reigned as co-regent for a period of time alongside her stepson Thutmose III, who was only 2 or 3 years old when he ascended the throne.
However, when Thutmose came of age, Hatshepsut continued to rule as co-regent, cementing her place as the first female Pharaoh of Egypt. In an attempt to appease the young king, she made him commander of the Egyptian armies.
While Thutmose III was actively working on expanding the Egyptian empire, Hatshepsut remained in Egypt and governed the affairs of state. During his lifetime Thutmose III conducted 17 military campaigns in Canaan alone.
Now, one scholarly perspective on Thutmose III numerous campaigns into Canaan is that he may have been searching for someone he knew. Though there are no conclusive answers to this question, could it be that Thutmose III was looking for Moses, the fugitive prince?
It’s certainly an interesting idea to consider. But whatever the case may have been, Thutmose III was familiar with Canaan and the surrounding region.
When Moses came back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites under God’s direction, his adoptive mother Hatshepsut was dead and Thutmose III was Pharaoh.
Thutmose III reigned from 1504 BC to 1450 BC, and is widely considered by scholars to have been a military genius, given the number of military campaigns he engaged in during the years of his co-regency with Hatshepsut.
In fact, Thutmose III is often referred to as the Napoleon of Egypt, conquering 350 cities in the space of just 30 years. Much of Thutmose III’s military exploits, including his campaigns in Canaan, are recorded on the walls of the Temple of Karnak.
NO WARM WELCOME
The Egypt that Moses was introduced to after a 40-year absence in the wilderness was an international superpower, so it’s no surprise then that Thutmose III was less than agreeable to Moses’ demand to set the Hebrews free. In fact, he was strongly opposed to the idea.
When Moses and Aaron faced the warrior Pharaoh and presented the command of God, Thutmose III bristled. Exodus 5:2 records Pharaoh’s initial response.
“And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”
God had already warned Moses that he would not be welcomed by the Egyptian monarch and God’s predictions proved to be accurate. Thutmose III obstinately refused to acknowledge God, and in so doing he brought death and destruction over his whole empire.
But God encouraged Moses to continue with his mission no matter how bleak the circumstances seemed.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land’” (Exodus 6:1)
DESTRUCTIVE PLAGUES
What followed was a parade of destructive plagues that struck at the very heart of Egyptian ideology. Like most empires of the ancient world, Egyptian life revolved around their religious beliefs.
Every facet of Egyptian life, from birth to death, from the flooding of the Nile, to the growth of their crops were regulated by a pantheon of gods, most of whom took on the forms of animals.
The plagues of Egypt struck at the heart of Egyptian religion, demonstrating to the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh in particular that their gods were inferior to the God of the Hebrews, their slaves.
The Nile was worshipped as a god, but the God of the Hebrews demonstrated his power over the Nile by turning it and all other water sources in Egypt, to blood.
The Egyptians worshipped the natural world in many aspects, but the God of the Hebrews demonstrated his power over nature by causing plagues to fall upon the Egyptians in the form of natural disasters.
Frogs overran Egypt in a scourge. Ironically, Egyptians worshipped frogs. Then came lice, flies, disease on their cattle, and painful boils.
Then huge hailstone; swarms of locusts; and total darkness over the land. Egypt was brought to its knees, and still Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go.
With every plague, Pharoah relented and made empty promises. He pleaded with Moses to pray to God and ask that he restrain the plague. But the moment the plague lifted Pharaoh’s heart hardened.
Pharoah refused to acknowledge the superiority and authority of the God of the Hebrews. His pride just wouldn’t yield.
Then the final plague was announced. This plague would be more devastating than any other that had gone before it, and it would reveal something that both Egyptians and Hebrews needed to understand: God’s plan of salvation.
The final plague was absolutely devastating. It was the death plague, and involved the death of all the first born in Egypt. The only way to save their lives was to take the blood of a slain lamb and smear it on the lintel and door posts of a home.
All the Hebrews were commanded by God through Moses to do this, and they were also commanded to prepare to leave Egypt. Prior to their departure they were to eat the flesh of the lamb they had killed, together with unleavened cakes.
THE PASSOVER
When the day came, every Hebrew household sacrificed a lamb and then painted the blood on the lintel and doorposts of their homes. Then they went inside and waited for the angel of death to pass over them.
It was here, in Egypt that the first Passover was celebrated. That night the angel of death visited Egypt. Exodus 12:29 describes what happened that night in these words,
“And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.”
The heart-rending cries of grief rang throughout Egypt. But in the land of Goshen under the protection of the lamb’s blood not a single firstborn died.
The lesson is powerful in its simplicity. That first Passover lamb represented Jesus, the Messiah, and his sacrifice for us on the cross.
Because of the blood of the lamb on that first Passover countless lives were saved. Because of the blood of Jesus, countless people can have hope for salvation and eternity.
In order for the Hebrews to truly escape the angel of death on that fateful night in Goshen, they had to exercise their faith in God. Their faith led to action, and their faith and action combined saved their lives and the lives of their children.
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If you’ve enjoyed our journey to ancient Egypt during the time of the plagues, and our reflections on the meaning of the Passover, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to the Almighty God of the Bible, and ask for His blessing on us and our families.
Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for your love, guidance and protection. We thank you for Jesus, our Passover Lamb, through whom we have salvation and eternal life. Please bless us and our families. We ask in Jesus name, Amen.
