Topical Bible: Religion: Outstanding Religious Persons: Moses

◄ Religion: Outstanding Religious Persons: Moses ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Moses stands as one of the most pivotal figures in the biblical narrative, revered as a prophet, lawgiver, and leader of the Israelites. His life and works are primarily chronicled in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses is credited with leading the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, and guiding the people through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.

Early Life and Call

Moses was born during a time of great oppression for the Israelites in Egypt. Pharaoh had decreed that all Hebrew male infants be killed, but Moses was saved by his mother, who placed him in a basket on the Nile River. He was discovered and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, growing up in the Egyptian royal household (Exodus 2:1-10).

Despite his Egyptian upbringing, Moses retained a connection to his Hebrew roots. This connection led him to kill an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, forcing Moses to flee to Midian (Exodus 2:11-15). In Midian, Moses encountered God in the form of a burning bush, where he received his divine commission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-10). God revealed His name to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14), establishing a profound theological foundation for His identity and presence.

Exodus and Leadership

Moses returned to Egypt, where he confronted Pharaoh with God's demand to let the Israelites go. Through a series of plagues, God demonstrated His power and eventually compelled Pharaoh to release the Israelites (Exodus 7-12). The crossing of the Red Sea marked a miraculous deliverance, as God parted the waters for the Israelites and then closed them upon the pursuing Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21-28).

In the wilderness, Moses served as the mediator between God and the people. At Mount Sinai, he received the Ten Commandments, which formed the core of the covenant between God and Israel (Exodus 20:1-17). Moses' role as lawgiver extended beyond the Decalogue, as he conveyed numerous laws and instructions that governed Israelite society and worship.

Challenges and Faithfulness

Moses faced numerous challenges during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. The people frequently complained and rebelled, testing Moses' leadership and patience. Despite these difficulties, Moses remained faithful to God's calling. He interceded for the people on multiple occasions, pleading for God's mercy and forgiveness (Exodus 32:11-14; Numbers 14:13-19).

One notable incident involved Moses striking a rock to bring forth water, an act that led to God's decision that Moses would not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:7-12). This event underscored the importance of obedience and trust in God's instructions.

Legacy and Death

Moses' leadership culminated in the delivery of a series of speeches and laws, known as the Book of Deuteronomy, which reiterated the covenant and prepared the Israelites for life in the Promised Land. Moses' final act was to view the land from Mount Nebo, where he died and was buried by God in an undisclosed location (Deuteronomy 34:1-6).

Moses is remembered as a servant of God, a prophet unparalleled in his intimacy with the Divine, and a leader who shaped the identity and faith of the Israelite nation. The Berean Standard Bible captures this legacy: "Since then, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10). His life and teachings continue to influence religious thought and practice, serving as a testament to faith, obedience, and the transformative power of God's call.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 3:2-22
And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O you heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 33:1
And this is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Introduction
... remembrance of events of outstanding religious importance (12 ... of Christ in outstanding
Old Testament ... Koenig, Eduard, Geschichte der Alttestamentlichen Religion. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/introduction.htm

The Epistle of Judas
... 4:7 f.) and Jewish piety as an outstanding example of ... of these unprincipled creatures
being that religion is a ... Judas views their whole religious position as a ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the epistle of judas.htm

His Unconscious Preparation for his Work
... him by what he saw of the religion of the ... To every Jewish child of a religious
disposition Jerusalem ... The outstanding qualities of Paul's intellect, which were ...
/.../stalker/the life of st paul/chapter ii his unconscious preparation.htm

The Old Testament and Modern Criticism
... are, one must own, few outstanding scholars at ... priests, the priestly type of religion
finding literary ... reflecting different stages in the religious and social ...
/.../the christian view of the old testament/chapter iii the old testament.htm

The Jewish Dispersion in the West - the Hellenists - Origin of ...
... to the religious or semi-religious Jewish Hellenistic ... know the sacred books on which
the religion and history ... and haste, we note certain outstanding facts as ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ii the jewish dispersion.htm

The Ministry in Galilee --Its Aim and Method
... to him of their substance." The outstanding wonder of ... not only of life but of
established religious ideas by ... they became the nucleus of a new religion of love ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/iii the ministry in galileeits.htm

Chapter xxii
... patriarchal religion as well as of all Israelitish religion. ... the most exalted form
of religious worship was ... to Abraham should be an outstanding one embracing ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxii.htm

The Epistle of St. James
... ii.2, v.14) or of religious observances, but he ... in God's sight a pure, unsoiled religion
expresses itself ... society were the typical and outstanding instances of ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the epistle of st james.htm

Chapter i
... to indicate the Trinity or the three persons in the ... the name is taken from the
outstanding part, a ... that the Genesis account presents a "religious advance to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter i.htm

Chapter xlix
... that no judgment is pronounced on religious conditions in ... to a totemistic state of
religion through which ... 9. A fuller description of this outstanding trait of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlix.htm