Moses' Life and Ministry in the Old Testament
Moses, whose name means "drawn out" or "taken out" [7], was a Levite born during the time of Israel's bondage in Egypt [1, 2]. He is a central figure in the Old Testament, known as the legislator of the Jewish people and, in a sense, the founder of the Jewish religion [2]. His life is often divided into three periods of forty years each, a division supported by Jewish tradition and consistent with his age at death [10, 14].
The first forty years of Moses' life were spent in Pharaoh's court, where he was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" and was "mighty in his words and works" [6, 9]. During this period, he developed a deep concern for his Israelite brethren, which led him to visit them [10]. After witnessing an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body [10]. When this act became known, Moses fled to Midian [9].
The second forty years of Moses' life were spent as a shepherd in Midian [9, 14]. It was during this time that God called him from a burning bush to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt [9]. At the time of this call, Moses was eighty years old [12, 15]. His brother, Aaron, who was three years older [12], was appointed by God to be Moses' interpreter, as Moses was described as "slow of speech" [8]. Aaron also played a significant role in performing many of the miracles associated with the Exodus [8].
The final forty years of Moses' life were dedicated to leading the Israelites through the wilderness [14]. This period began with the confrontation with Pharaoh, where Moses and Aaron delivered God's demands for Israel's release [8]. After the Exodus, Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai, establishing the covenant between God and Israel. He also oversaw the construction of the Tabernacle, the central place of worship for the Israelites in the wilderness. Moses frequently interceded for the people before God and served as their primary leader and judge [4, 5]. He gathered seventy elders to assist him in governing the people [5, 13].
Moses died at the age of 120 years [14]. Even at this advanced age, his "eyes were not dim, nor his natural force abated" [14]. The book of Deuteronomy concludes by highlighting Moses' unique relationship with God and the "mighty hand" and "awesome deeds" he performed in the sight of all Israel [3]. He is considered the most remarkable type of Christ in the Old Testament, serving as a prophet, savior, lawgiver, and mediator [11].
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H4872 — Levite living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness (refs: #A man from the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.1)”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Moses — (Heb. Mosheh, "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon-- Kohath-- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam-- Aaron = Elisheba-- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab-- Abihu-- Eleazar-- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom-- ”
- Deuteronomy “and in all the mighty hand, and in all the awesome deeds, which Moses did in the sight of all Israel. -- Deuteronomy 34:12”
- Numbers “Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. -- Numbers 11:30”
- Numbers “Moses went out, and told the people Yahweh’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. -- Numbers 11:24”
- Acts “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. -- Acts 7:22”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Moses — taken out; drawn forth”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Aaron — (a teacher, or lofty), the son of Amram and Jochebed, and the older brother of Moses and Miriam. (Numbers 26:59; 33:39) (B.C. 1573.) He was a Levite, and is first mentioned in (Exodus 4:14) He was appointed by Jehovah to be the interpreter, (Exodus 4:16) of his brother Moses, who was "slow of speech;" and accordingly he was not only the organ of communication with the Israelites and with Pharaoh, (Exodus 4:30; 7:2) but also the actual instrument of working most of the miracles of the Exodus. (Exodus 7:19) etc. On the way to Mount Sinai, during the battle with ”
- Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 3:1: The years of the life of Moses are remarkably divided into three forties: the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second a shepherd in Midian, the third a king in Jeshurun; so changeable is the life of men, especially the life of good men. He had now finished his second forty, when he received his commission to bring Israel out of Egypt. Note, Sometimes it is long before God calls his servants out of that work which of old he designed them for, and has been graciously preparing them for. Moses was born to be Israel's deliverer, and yet not a wo”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 7:23: In Act 7:23, Act 7:30, Act 7:36, the life of Moses is represented as embracing three periods, of forty years each; the Jewish writers say the same; and though this is not expressly stated in the Old Testament, his age at death, one hundred twenty years (Deu 34:7), agrees with it. it came into his heart to visit his brethren--his heart yearning with love to them as God's chosen people, and heaving with the consciousness of a divine vocation to set them free.”
- Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 2 (introduction): This chapter begins the story of Moses, that man of renown, famed for his intimate acquaintance with Heaven and his eminent usefulness on earth, and the most remarkable type of Christ, as a prophet, saviour, lawgiver, and mediator, in all the Old Testament. The Jews have a book among them of the life of Moses, which tells a great many stories concerning him, which we have reason to think are mere fictions; what he has recorded concerning himself is what we may rely upon, for we know that his record is true; and it is what we may be satisfied with, for ”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 7:7: And Moses was eighty years old,.... At this time, which is observed partly to show how long Israel had been afflicted in Egypt; for their great troubles and miseries began about the time of the birth of Moses, or a little before, as appears from the above history; and partly to show the patience and forbearance of God with the Egyptians, and how just and righteous were his judgments on them; with this perfectly agrees Stephen's account of the age of Moses, Act 7:23 and Aaron eighty three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh; so that they were men that had had a larg”
- Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 11:30: And Moses got him into the camp,.... From the door of the tabernacle, where he had been settling the elders in their office, and now betook himself to the camp of Israel, perhaps to look more particularly into the affair of Eldad and Medad, and settle that, and put them among the elders; for they were of them that were written, whose names were put down for elders in the paper Moses had written for that purpose, and in the summons that were given; or more generally to do public business, to exercise rule and government, with this new assistance granted him, as follo”
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 34:7: And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died,.... Which age of his may be divided into three equal periods, forty years in Pharaoh's court, forty years in Midian, and forty in the care and government of Israel, in Egypt and in the wilderness; so long he lived, though the common age of man in his time was but threescore years and ten, Psa 90:10; and what is most extraordinary is: his eyes were not dim; as Isaac's were, and men at such an age, and under, generally be: nor his natural force abated; neither the rigour of his mind nor the strength of”
- Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 7:7: Moses was fourscore years old--This advanced age was a pledge that they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise, and that under its attendant infirmities they could not have carried through the work on which they were entering had they not been supported by a divine hand.”