Moses was the first leader of Israel as a nation. God used Moses at a very important time in the history of his people. He was the prophet who received the law and mediated God's covenant (special agreement) with Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:3–6). He was also the first known writer of Scripture.
Moses was the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. He was born in Egypt during a dangerous time (Exodus 1:15–2:2). The Egyptian pharaoh, fearing a rebellion, ordered all Hebrew boys to be killed at birth. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, trusted God and placed her baby in a reed basket on the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter discovered him and raised him as her own child in the palace (Exodus 2:3–10).
We do not know much about the early life of Moses. Jewish tradition says he learned administration and military skills in Pharaoh's household. When he was about forty years old, he killed an Egyptian to save a Hebrew slave and then fled to Midian (Exodus 2:11–15; see also Acts 7:23–29). There, he saved young women from harassment while they watered their flocks. Their father, Jethro, invited Moses to his home. Moses married one of the women, Zipporah, and started a family while caring for his father-in-law's flocks.
About forty years later, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. He told Moses to return to Egypt to free his people from slavery (Exodus 3:1–4:17). Moses hesitated because he feared the Israelites would not accept him as their leader. So God revealed his covenant name, Yahweh, to Moses and chose Aaron to speak for Moses.
Moses and Aaron traveled to Egypt and confronted Pharaoh. Pharaoh stubbornly refused the demand from Moses to free the Israelite slaves. Moses announced a series of plagues, which eventually convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. After they left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and chased them to the Red Sea. God helped the Israelites cross safely by dividing the waters. The Egyptian army was destroyed when the waters closed over them.
Moses led Israel to Mount Sinai, where he had met God at the burning bush. God revealed himself to Moses again on that mountain, giving him the law, including the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–23:19). He also gave him instructions for building the tabernacle. When Moses came down from the mountain, he found the people had abandoned the true God by worshiping a gold calf (Exodus 32). Moses broke the two tablets of the law and gathered the Levites to punish some offenders with death. After praying for the people, he received a new copy of the law and led them in building the tabernacle.
Moses led a complaining, rebellious, and distrustful group through the wilderness. Even his own brother and sister questioned his leadership, using his marriage to a Cushite woman as an excuse (Numbers 12). Moses responded with great humility, and God confirmed that Moses was his spokesperson and trusted friend.
Moses was a great man, but he was not perfect. When the people tested his patience by complaining about the lack of water, Moses did not follow God's instructions. He struck a rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:1–13). His actions did not show God's holiness, and he suggested that he brought the water by his own power (Numbers 20:10; compare Psalms 106:32–33). As a result, God did not allow him to enter the promised land.
Before he died, Moses gave a final sermon, which we know as the book of Deuteronomy. The first generation of Israelites who left Egypt had died in the wilderness. Moses spoke to a new generation. He renewed the covenant with them, reminded them of its terms, and encouraged them to obey it and serve only the Lord.
After delivering this sermon and before Israel entered Canaan, Moses climbed Pisgah Peak on Mount Nebo, where he died. “Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). Only Jesus surpassed Moses as a mediator between God and humans (Acts 3:17–26; Hebrews 3).
Moses is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other person from the Old Testament. He appeared at the transfiguration (when the appearance of Jesus was changed to show his glory). The New Testament emphasizes his role as a lawgiver and uses his experiences to show what life under the new covenant is like. Like Moses, Jesus was saved as a baby from a ruler's evil plans (Matthew 2:13–18). Jesus gave a new law in his Sermon on the Mount that mirrors the law given at Sinai (see Matthew 5–7). It shows Jesus as the true interpreter of God's will. The letter to the Hebrews compares Christ with Moses. Paul's letter to the Galatians and the Gospel of John contrast the law of Moses with a believer's new relationship with God (see John 1:17; Galatians 3:1–5; Hebrews 3:5–6; 9:11–10:18).
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 2:1–22; 3:1–19:25; 20:19–21; 24:1–18; 31:18; 32:1–34:35; 39:42–43; 40:16; Leviticus 8:1–36; 10:1–20; 24:10–23; Numbers 7:1–11, 89; 9:1–14; 10:29–14:45; 15:32–36; 16:1–17:13; 20:1–29; 21:4–9; 25:1–5; 27:1–23; 31:1–32:33; 33:1–2; Deuteronomy 1:1–5; 31:1–34:12; 1 Chronicles 23:13–17; Psalms 77:20; 90:1–17; 103:7; 105:26–27; 106:32–33; Mark 9:2–13; Acts 7:17–44; 1 Corinthians 10:1–14; 2 Corinthians 3:7–18; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 3:1–19; 8:5; 9:19–22; 11:23–28; 12:18–29