Life of Moses

Theme Verse: And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (NKJV)

Moses’ life can be divided into three forty year periods. His time in the palace of Pharaoh, forty years in Midian and his final forty years leading the people of Israel out of slavery.

During the first forty years, Moses was born into a slave family from Egypt. Moses’ life was threatened when Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew male infants to be thrown into the Nile. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, hid him for three months. Until she was forced to set him adrift in a basket in the Nile River, Moses was eventually rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, who decided to adopt Moses.

During the second forty years, Moses murdered an Egyptian taskmaster and ran away to Midian so that Pharoah wouldn’t kill him. In Midian, Moses met a priest named Jethro and his future wife, Zipporah. Once Moses and Zipporah were married, they had two children named Gershom and Eliezer. During his exile in Midian, Moses became content and decided to become a shepherd. While he herded his sheep one night, Moses came across a burning bush. After getting Moses’ attention, God told Moses to go back to Egypt to free His people. After coming up with several excuses on why he shouldn’t go. Moses obeyed God and went to Egypt.

During Moses’ final forty years, he went back to Egypt and met his older brother Aaron. Together they both went to Pharaoh and told him to let the Israelites go. Initially, Pharaoh decided not to let them go. So God sent nine plagues which devastated Egypt, sadly Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites go until God sent a tenth plague which culminated the death of every firstborn in Egypt. After this happened, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go. Moses and the Israelites left Egypt and were about to cross the Red Sea when Pharaoh suddenly changed his mind and chose to chase the Israelites. God split the Red Sea in half, and the Israelites ran across the Red Sea to escape Pharaoh. Moses continued to lead the Israelites until his death.