Difference between revisions of "Moses"

<p> (See [[Aaron]] ; [[Egypt; Exodus]] ) Hebrew '''''Μosheh''''' , from an Egyptian root, "son" or "brought forth," namely, out of the water. The name was also borne by an Egyptian prince, viceroy of [[Nubia]] under the 19th dynasty. In the part of the Exodus narrative which deals with Egypt, words are used purely Egyptian or common to Hebrew and Egyptian. [[Manetho]] in [[Josephus]] (contrast [[Apion]] 1:26, 28, 31) calls him '''''Οsarsiph''''' , i.e. "sword of [[Osiris]] or saved by Osiris". "The man of God" in the title Psalm 90, for as Moses gave in the Pentateuch the key note to all succeeding prophets so also to inspired psalmody in that the oldest psalm. "Jehovah's slave" (&nbsp;Numbers 12:7; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:5; &nbsp;Joshua 1:2; &nbsp;Psalms 105:26; &nbsp;Hebrews 3:5). "Jehovah's chosen" (&nbsp;Psalms 106:23). "The man of God" (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 23:14). Besides the Pentateuch, the [[Prophets]] and Psalms and New Testament (&nbsp;Acts 7:9; &nbsp;Acts 7:20-38; &nbsp;2 Timothy 3:8-9; &nbsp;Hebrews 11:20-28; &nbsp;Judges 1:9) give details concerning him. His Egyptian rearing and life occupy 40 years, his exile in the Arabian desert 40, and his leadership of Israel from Egypt to Moab 40 (&nbsp;Acts 7:23; &nbsp;Acts 7:30; &nbsp;Acts 7:36). </p> <p> Son of Amram (a later one than Kohath's father) and [[Jochebed]] (whose name, derived from Jehovah, shows the family hereditary devotion); Miriam, married to Hur, was oldest; Aaron, married to Elisheba, three years older (&nbsp;Exodus 7:7, compare &nbsp;Exodus 2:7); next Moses, youngest. (See [[Amram]] ; MIRIAM.) By Zipporah, Reuel's daughter, he had two sons: Gershom, father of Jonathan, and [[Eliezer]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 23:14-15); these took no prominent place in their tribe. A mark of genuineness; a forger would have made them prominent. Moses showed no self-seeking or nepotism. His tribe [[Levi]] was the priestly one, and naturally rallied round him in support of the truth with characteristic enthusiasm (&nbsp;Exodus 32:27-28). Born at [[Heliopolis]] (Josephus, Ap. 1:9, 6; 2:9), at the time of Israel's deepest depression, from whence the proverb, "when the tale of bricks is doubled then comes Moses." [[Magicians]] foretold to Pharaoh his birth as a destroyer; a dream announced to Amram his coming as the deliverer (Josephus, Ant. 2:9, section 2-3). </p> <p> Some prophecies probably accompanied his birth. These explain the parents' "faith" which laid hold of God's promise contained in those prophecies; the parents took his good looks as a pledge of the fulfillment. &nbsp;Hebrews 11:23, "by faith Moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper (good-looking: &nbsp;Acts 7:20, Greek 'fair to God') child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment" to slay all the males. For three months Jochebed hid him. Then she placed him in an ark of papyrus, secured with bitumen, and laid it in the "flags" ( '''''Tufi''''' , less in size than the other papyrus) by the river's brink, and went away unable to bear longer the sight. (H. F. Talbot Transact. Bibl. Archrael., i., pt. 9, translates a fragment of [[Assyrian]] mythology: "I am Sargina the great king, king of Agani. My mother gave birth to me in a secret place. She placed me in an ark of bulrushes and closed up the door with slime and pitch. She cast me into the river," etc. A curious parallel.) Miriam lingered to watch what would happen. </p> <p> Pharaoh's daughter (holding an independent position and separate household under the ancient empire; childless herself, therefore ready to adopt Moses; Thermutis according to Josephus) coming down to bathe in the sacred and life giving Nile (as it was regarded) saw the ark and sent her maidens to fetch it. The babe's tears touched her womanly heart, and on Miriam's offer to fetch a Hebrew nurse she gave the order enabling his sister to call his mother. [[Tunis]] (now San), Zoan, or [[Avaris]] near the sea was the place, where crocodiles are never found; and so the infant would run no risk in that respect. Aahmes I, the expeller of the shepherd kings, had taken it. Here best the Pharaohs could repel the attacks of Asiatic nomads and crush the Israelite serfs. "The field of Zoan" was the scene of God's miracles in Israel's behalf (&nbsp;Psalms 78:43). She adopted Moses as "her son, and trained him "in all the wisdom of the Egyptians," [[Providence]] thus qualifying him with the erudition needed for the predestined leader and instructor of Israel, and "he was mighty in words and in deeds." </p> <p> This last may hint at what Josephus states, namely, that Moses led a successful campaign against Ethiopia, and named Saba the capital Meroe (Artapanus in [[Eusebius]] 9:27), from his adopted mother Merrhis, and brought away as his wife Tharbis daughter of the [[Ethiopian]] king, who falling in love with him had shown him the way to gain the swamp surrounding the city (Josephus Ant. 2:10, section 2; compare &nbsp;Numbers 12:1). However, his marriage to the Ethiopian must have been at a later period than Josephus states, namely, after Zipporah's death in the wilderness wanderings. An inscription by Thothmes I, who reigned in Moses' early life, commemorates the "conqueror of the nine bows," i.e. Libya. A statistical tablet of Karnak (Birch says) states that Chebron and Thothmes I overran Ethiopia. Moses may have continued the war and in it wrought the "mighty deeds" ascribed to him. </p> <p> When Moses was 40 years old, in no fit of youthful enthusiasm but deliberately, Moses "chose" (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:23-28) what are the last things men choose, loss of social status as son of Pharaoh's daughter, "affliction," and "reproach." Faith made him prefer the "adoption" of the King of kings. He felt the worst of religion is better than the best of the world; if the world offers "pleasure" it is but "for a season." Contrast [[Esau]] (&nbsp;Hebrews 12:16-17). If religion brings "affliction" it too is but for a season, its pleasures are "forevermore at God's right hand" (&nbsp;Psalms 16:11). Israel's "reproach" "Christ" regards as His own (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 1:5; &nbsp;Colossians 1:24), it will soon be the true Israel's glory (&nbsp;Isaiah 25:8). "Moses had respect unto" (Greek '''''Apeblepen''''' ), or turned his eyes from all worldly considerations to fix them on, the eternal "recompense." His "going out unto his brethren when he was grown and looking on their burdens" was his open declaration of his taking his portion with the oppressed serfs on the ground of their adoption by God and inheritance of the promises. </p> <p> "It came into his heart (from God's Spirit, &nbsp;Proverbs 16:1) to visit his brethren, the children of Israel" (&nbsp;Acts 7:23). An Egyptian overseer, armed probably with one of the long heavy scourges of tough pliant [[Syrian]] wood (Chabas' "Voyage du Egyptien," 119, 136), was smiting an Hebrew, one of those with whom Moses identified himself as his "brethren." [[Giving]] way to impulsive hastiness under provocation, without regard to self when wrong was done to a brother, Moses took the law into his own hands, and slew and hid the Egyptian in the sand. [[Stephen]] (&nbsp;Acts 7:25; &nbsp;Acts 7:35) implies that Moses meant by the act to awaken in the Hebrew a thirst for the freedom and nationality which God had promised and to offer himself as their deliverer. But on his striving to reconcile two quarreling Hebrew the wrong doer, when reproved, replied: "who made thee a prince (with the power) and a judge (with the right of interfering) over us? (&nbsp;Luke 19:14, the Antitype.) Intendest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian?" </p> <p> Slavery had debased them, and Moses dispirited gave up as hopeless the enterprise which he had undertaken in too hasty and self-relying a spirit. His impetuous violence retarded instead of expedited their deliverance. He still needed 40 more years of discipline, in meek self-control and humble dependence on Jehovah, in order to qualify him for his appointed work. A proof of the genuineness of the Pentateuch is the absence of personal details which later tradition would have been sure to give. Moses' object was not a personal biography but a history of God's dealings with Israel. Pharaoh, on hearing of his killing the Egyptian overseer, "sought to slay him," a phrase implying that Moses' high position made necessary special measures to bring him under the king's power. Moses fled, leaving his exalted prospects to wait God's time and God's way. [[Epistle]] to the Hebrew (&nbsp;Hebrews 11:27) writes, "by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king." Moses "feared" (&nbsp;Exodus 2:14-15) lest by staying he should sacrifice his divinely intimated destiny to be Israel's deliverer, which was his great aim. </p> <p> But he did "not fear" the king's wrath which would be aggravated by his fleeing without Pharaoh's leave. He did "not fear the king" so as to shrink from returning at all risks when God commanded. "Faith" God saw to be the ruling motive of his flight more than fear of personal safety; "he endured as seeing (through faith) Him who is invisible" (&nbsp;Luke 12:4-5). Despondency, when commissioned at last by God to arouse the people, was his first feeling on his return, from past disappointment in not having been able to inspire Israel with those high hopes for which he had sacrificed all earthly prospects (&nbsp;Exodus 3:15; &nbsp;Exodus 4:1; &nbsp;Exodus 4:10-12). He dwells not on Pharaoh's cruelty and power, but on the hopelessness of his appeals to Israel and on his want of the "eloquence" needed to move their stubborn hearts. He fled from Egypt to southern Midian because [[Reuel]] (his name "friend of God" implies he worshipped '''''Εl''''' ) or [[Raguel]] there still maintained the worship of the true God as king-priest or '''''Imam''''' (Arabic version) before Israel's call, even as [[Melchizedek]] did at [[Jerusalem]] before Abraham's call. </p> <p> The northern people of Midian through contact with Canaan were already idolaters. Reuel's daughters, in telling of Moses' help to them in watering their flocks, called him "an Egyptian," judging from his costume and language, for he had not yet been long enough living with Israelites to be known as one; an undesigned coincidence and mark of genuineness. Moses "was content to live with Reuel" as in a congenial home, marrying Zipporah his daughter. From him probably Moses learned the traditions of Abraham's family in connection with [[Keturah]] (&nbsp;Genesis 25:2). Zipporah bore him Gershom and Eliezer whose names ("stranger," "God is my help") intimate how keenly he felt his exile (&nbsp;Exodus 18:3-4). The alliance between Israel and the Kenite Midianites continued permanently. Horab, Moses' brother-in-law, was subsequently Israel's guide through the desert. (See [[Hobab]] .) In the 40 years' retirement Moses learned that self discipline which was needed for leading a nation under such unparalleled circumstances. </p> <p> An interval of solitude is needed especially by men of fervor and vehemence; so Paul in Arabia (&nbsp;Acts 24:27; &nbsp;Galatians 1:17). He who first attempted the great undertaking without God's call, expecting success from his own powers, in the end never undertook anything without God's guidance. His hasty impetuosity of spirit in a right cause, and his abandonment of that cause as hopeless on the first rebuff, gave place to a meekness, patience, tenderness, long suffering under wearing provocation and trials from the stiff-necked people, and persevering endurance, never surpassed (&nbsp;Numbers 12:3; &nbsp;Numbers 27:16). To appreciate this meekness, e.g. under Miriam's provocation, and apparent insensibility where his own honor alone was concerned, contrast his vigorous action, holy boldness for the Lord's honor, and passionate earnestness of intercession for his people, even to the verge of unlawful excess, in self sacrifice. (See [[Miriam]] ; [[Anathema]] He would not "let God alone," "standing before God in the breach to turn away His wrath" from Israel (&nbsp;Psalms 106:23). </p> <p> His intercessions restored Miriam, stayed plagues and serpents, and procured water out of the rock (&nbsp;Exodus 32:10-11; &nbsp;Exodus 32:20-25, &nbsp;Exodus 32:31-32). His was the reverse of a phlegmatic temper, but divine grace subdued and sanctified the natural defects of a man of strong feelings and impetuous character. His entire freedom from Miriam's charge of unduly exalting his office appears beautifully in his gentle reproof of Joshua's zeal for his honor: "enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets!" etc. (&nbsp;Numbers 11:29.) His recording his own praises (&nbsp;Numbers 12:3-7) is as much the part of the faithful servant of Jehovah, writing under His inspiration, as his recording his own demerits (&nbsp;Exodus 2:12; &nbsp;Exodus 3:11; &nbsp;Exodus 4:10-14; &nbsp;Numbers 20:10-12). Instead of vindicating himself in the case of Korah (Numbers 16) and Miriam (Numbers 12) he leaves his cause with God, and tenderly intercedes for Miriam. He is linked with Samuel in after ages as an instance of the power of intercessory prayer (&nbsp;Jeremiah 15:1). </p> <p> He might have established his dynasty over Israel, but he assumed no princely honor and sought no preeminence for his sons (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 9:13-19). The spiritual progress in Moses between his first appearance and his second is very marked. The same spirit prompted him to avenge his injured countryman, and to rescue the Midianite women from the shepherds' violence, as afterward led him to confront Pharaoh; but in the first instance he was an illustration of the truth that "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (&nbsp;James 1:20). The traditional site of his call by the divine "Angel of Jehovah" (the uncreated '''''Shekinah''''' , "the Word" of John 1, "the form like the Son of God" with Shadrach, Meshach, and [[Abednego]] in the furnace, &nbsp;Daniel 3:25) is in the valley of Shoayb or Hobab, on the northern side of jebel Musa. Moses led Jethro's flock to the W. ("the back side") of the desert or open pasture. The district of Sherim on the Red Sea, Jethro's abode, was barren; four days N.W. of it lies the Sinai region with good pasturage and water. </p> <p> He came to "the mountain of God" (Sinai, called so by anticipation of God's giving the law there) on his way toward Horeb. The altar of Catherine's convent is said to occupy the site of the (the article is in the Hebrew,: the well known) burning bush. The vision is generally made to typify Israel afflicted yet not consumed (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 4:8-10); but the flame was in the bush, not the bush in the flame; rather, Israel was the lowly acacia, the thorn bush of the desert, yet God deigned to abide in the midst of her (&nbsp;Zechariah 2:5). So Israel's Antitype, Messiah, has "all the fullness of the [[Godhead]] dwelling in Him bodily" (&nbsp;John 1:14; &nbsp;Colossians 2:9). [[Jehovah]] gave Moses two signs as credentials to assure him of his mission: the transformation of his long "rod" of authority (as on Egyptian monuments) or pastoral rod into a "serpent," the basilisk or cobra, the symbol of royal and divine power on the Pharaoh's diadem; a pledge of victory over the king and gods of Egypt (compare &nbsp;Mark 16:18; Moses' humble but wonder working crook typifies Christ's despised but allpowerful cross). ''(On Zipporah'S [See] [[Circumcision]] Of Her Son.)'' </p> <p> The hand made leprous, then restored, represents the nation of lepers (as Egyptian tradition made them, and as spiritually they had become in Egypt) with whom Moses linked himself, divinely healed through his instrumentality. No patriarch before wrought a miracle. Had the Pentateuch been mythical, it would have attributed supernatural wonders to the first fathers of the church and founders of the race. As it is, Moses first begins the new era in the history of the world with signs from God by man unknown before. To Moses' disinterested and humble pleadings of inability to speak, and desire that some other should be sent, Jehovah answers: "Aaron shall be thy spokesman ... even he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God." Aaron, when he heard of Moses leaving Midian, of his own accord went to meet him; Jehovah further directed him what way to go in order to meet him, namely, by the desert (&nbsp;Exodus 4:14; &nbsp;Exodus 4:27). The two meeting and kissing on the mountain of God typify the law and the sacrificing priesthood meeting in Christ (&nbsp;Exodus 4:27; &nbsp;Psalms 85:10). </p> <p> Nothing short of divine interposition could have enabled Moses to lead an unwarlike people of serfs out of a powerful nation like Egypt, to give them the law with their acceptance of it though so contrary to their corrupt inclinations, to keep them together for 40 years in the wilderness, and finally to lead them to their conquest of the eastern part of Canaan. Moses had neither eloquence nor military prowess (as appears &nbsp;Exodus 4:10; &nbsp;Exodus 17:8-12), qualities so needful for an ordinary popular leader. He had passed in rural life the 40 years constituting the prime of his vigor. He had seemingly long given up all hopes of being Israel's deliverer, and settled himself in Midian. Nothing but God's extraordinary call could have urged him, against his judgment, reluctantly at fourscore to resume the project of rousing a debased people which in the rigor of manhood he had been forced to give up as hopeless. Nothing but such plagues as [[Scripture]] records could have induced the most powerful monarchy then in the world to allow their unarmed serfs to pass away voluntarily. </p> <p> His first efforts only aggravated Pharaoh's oppression and Israel's bondage (&nbsp;Exodus 5:2-9). Nor could magical feats derived from Egyptian education have enabled Moses to gain his point, for he was watched and opposed by the masters of this art, who had the king and the state on their side, while Moses had not a single associate save Aaron. Yet in a few months, without Israel's drawing sword, Pharaoh and the Egyptians urge their departure, and Israel "demands" (not "borrows," '''''Shaal''''' ) as a right from their former masters, and receives, gold, silver, and jewels (&nbsp;Exodus 12:85-39). Not even does Moses lead them the way of [[Philistia]] which, as being near, wisdom would suggest, but knowing their unwarlike character avoids it; Moses guides them into a defile with mountains on either side and the Red Sea in front, from whence escape from the Egyptian disciplined pursuers, who repented of letting them go, seemed hopeless, especially as Israel consisted of spiritless men, encumbered with women and with children. </p> <p> Nothing but the miracle recorded can account for the issue; Egypt's king and splendid host perish in the waters, Israel passes through in triumph (&nbsp;Exodus 13:17; &nbsp;Exodus 14:3; &nbsp;Exodus 14:5; &nbsp;Exodus 14:9; &nbsp;Exodus 14:11-12; &nbsp;Exodus 14:14). Again Moses with undoubting assurance of success on the borders of Canaan tells Israel "go up and possess the land" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:20-21). By the people's desire spies searched the land; they reported the goodness of the land but yet more the strength and tallness of its inhabitants. The timid Israelites were daunted, and even proposed to stone the two faithful spies, to depose Moses, and choose a captain to lead them back to Egypt. Moses, instead of animating them to enter Canaan, now will neither suffer them to proceed, nor yet to return to Egypt; they must march and counter-march in the wilderness for 40 years until every adult but two shall have perished; but their little ones, who they said should be a prey, God will bring in. Only a divine direction, manifested with miracle, can account for such an unparalleled command and for its being obeyed by so disobedient a people. </p> <p> Too late they repented of their unbelieving cowardice, when Moses announced God's sentence, and in spite of Moses' warning presumed to go, but were chased by the Amalekites to Hormah (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:45-46; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 2:14; &nbsp;Numbers 14:39). The sustenance of 600,000 men besides women and children, 40 years, in a comparative desert could only be by miracle; as the Pentateuch records, they were fed with '''''Manna''''' from heaven until they ate the grain of Canaan, on the morrow after which the manna ceased (Exodus 16; &nbsp;Joshua 5:12). Graves, Pentateuch, 1:1, section 5. Aaron and Hur supported Moses in the battle with Amalek (&nbsp;Exodus 17:12); Joshua was his minister. The localities of the desert commemorate his name, "the wells of Moses," Ayun Moses on the Red Sea, jebel Musa, the mountain of Moses, and the ravine of Moses near the Catherine convent. At once the prophet (foremost and greatest, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:10-11), lawgiver, and leader of Israel, Moses typifies and resembles [[Messiah]] (&nbsp;Numbers 21:18; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:21; especially &nbsp;Deuteronomy 18:15-19, compare &nbsp;Acts 3:22; &nbsp;Acts 7:37; &nbsp;Acts 7:25; &nbsp;Acts 7:35; &nbsp;John 1:17). </p> <p> Israel's rejection of Moses prefigures their rejection of Christ. His mediatorship in giving the law answers to Christ's; also &nbsp;Exodus 17:11; &nbsp;Exodus 32:10-14; &nbsp;Exodus 32:31-34; &nbsp;Exodus 33:18-16; &nbsp;Galatians 3:19, compare &nbsp;1 Timothy 2:5. Moses was the only prophet to whom Jehovah spoke "face to face," "as a man speaketh unto his friend" (&nbsp;Exodus 33:11; &nbsp;Numbers 12:8; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:10): so at Horeb (&nbsp;Exodus 33:18-23); compare as to Christ &nbsp;John 1:18. For the contrast between "Christ the Son over His own house" and "Moses the servant faithful in all God's house" see &nbsp;Hebrews 3:1-6. Pharaoh's murder of the innocents answers to Herod's; Christ like Moses sojourned in Egypt, His 40 days' fast answers to that of Moses. Moses stands at the head of the legal dispensation, so that Israel is said to have been "baptized unto Moses" (initiated into the Mosaic covenant) as Christians are into Christ. </p> <p> Moses after the calf worship removed the temporary tabernacle (preparatory to the permanent one, subsequently described) outside the camp; and as he disappeared in this "tent of meeting" (rather than "tabernacle of congregation") the people wistfully gazed after him (&nbsp;Exodus 33:7-10). On his last descent from Sinai "his face shone"; and he put on a veil as the people "could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away," a type of the transitory dispensation which he represented, in contrast to the abiding Christian dispensation (&nbsp;Exodus 34:30; &nbsp;Exodus 34:38; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:13-14; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:7; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:11). "They were afraid to come nigh him": Alford's explanation based on the [[Septuagint]] is disproved by &nbsp;Exodus 34:30; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:7, namely, that Moses not until he had done speaking to the people put on the veil "that they might not look on the end (the fading) of his transitory glory." Paul implies, "Moses put on the veil that (God's judicial giving them up to their willful blindness: &nbsp;Isaiah 6:10; &nbsp;Acts 28:26-27) they might not look steadfastly at (Christ, &nbsp;Romans 10:4; the Spirit, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:17) the end of that (law in its mere letter) which (like Moses' glory) is done away." </p> <p> The evangelical glory of Moses' law, like the shining of Moses' face, cannot be borne by a carnal people, and therefore remains veiled to them until the Spirit takes away the veil (2 Corinthians 14-17; &nbsp;John 5:45-47). There is a coincidence between the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32; 33) and his Psalm 90; thus &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:27 compare &nbsp;Psalms 90:1; &nbsp;Psalms 32:4; &nbsp;Psalms 32:36 with &nbsp;Psalms 90:13; &nbsp;Psalms 90:16. The time of the psalm was probably toward the close of the 40 years' wandering in the desert. The people after long chastisement beg mercy (&nbsp;Psalms 90:15-17). The limitation of life to 70 or 80 years harmonizes with the dying of all that generation at about that age; 20 to 40 at the Exodus, to which the 40 in the wilderness being added make 60 to 80. Kimchi says the older rabbis ascribed Psalm 91 also to Moses Israel's exemption from Egypt's plagues, especially the death stroke on the firstborn, which surrounded but did not touch God's people, in &nbsp;Exodus 8:22; &nbsp;Exodus 10:28; &nbsp;Exodus 11:7; &nbsp;Exodus 12:23, corresponds to &nbsp;Psalms 91:3-10. </p> <p> His song in Exodus 15 abounds in incidents marked by the freshness and simplicity which we should expect from an eye-witness: he anticipates the dismay of the [[Philistines]] and [[Edomites]] through whose territories Israel's path lay to the promised land. The final song (Deuteronomy 32) and blessing (Deuteronomy 33) have the same characteristics. These songs gave atone to Israel's poetry in each succeeding age. They are the earnest of the church's final "song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb" (&nbsp;Revelation 15:3), the song which shall unite in triumph the Old Testament church and the New Testament church, after their conflicts shall have been past. Like the Antitype, his parting word was blessing (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:29; &nbsp;Luke 24:51). His exclusion from Canaan teaches symbolically the law cannot bring us into the heavenly Canaan, the antitypical Joshua must do that. Two months before his death (Numbers 31), just before his closing addresses, the successful expedition, by God's command to Moses, against Midian was undertaken. </p> <p> Preparatory to that expedition was the census and mustering of the tribes on the plains of Moab (Numbers 26). The numbers were taken according to the families, so as equitably to allot the land. Moses among his last acts wrote the law and delivered it to the priests to be put in the side of the ark for a witness against Israel (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:9-12; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:22-27) and gave a charge to Joshua. In &nbsp;Exodus 24:12 "I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and the commandment" (Hebrew), the reference is to the ten commandments on the two stone tables, the Pentateuch "law," and the ceremonial commandment. However, Knobel translated it as "the tables of stone with the law, even the commandment." His death accorded with his life. He was sentenced (for "unbelievingly not sanctifying the Lord" and "speaking unadvisedly with his lips," to the people, though told to address the rock, in a harsh unsympathetic spirit which God calls rebellion, &nbsp;Numbers 20:8-13; &nbsp;Numbers 27:14, through the people's "provocation of his spirit," his original infirmity of a hasty impetuous temper recurring) to see yet not enter the good land. </p> <p> Meekly submitting to the stroke, he thought to the last only of God's glory and Israel's good, not of self: "let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation" (&nbsp;Numbers 27:12-16). Yet how earnestly he had longed to go over into the good land appears in &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:24-27. [[Ascending]] to Nebo, a height on the western slope of the range of Pisgah, so-called from a neighboring town, he was showed by Jehovah "all [[Gilead]] unto Dan, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, all Judah, unto the Mediterranean, the S. and the plain of [[Jericho]] unto Zoar" (N. according to Tristram, rather S. of the [[Dead]] Sea); like Christ's view of the world kingdoms (&nbsp;Luke 4:5), it was supernatural, effected probably by an extraordinary intensification of Moses' powers of vision. (See [[Zoar]] .) </p> <p> Then he died there "according to the word of Jehovah," Hebrew "on the mouth of Jehovah," which the rabbis explain "by a kiss of the Lord" (&nbsp;Song of [[Solomon]] 1:2); but &nbsp;Genesis 45:21 margin supports KJV (compare &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:51.) Buried by Jehovah himself in a valley in Moab over against Bethpeor, Moses was probably translated soon after; for he afterward appears with the translated [[Elijah]] and Jesus at the transfiguration, when the law and the prophets in Moses' and Elijah's persons gave place to the Son whose servants and fore witnesses they had been: "hear ye Him" answers to "unto Him ye shall hearken" (Deuteronomy 18; &nbsp;Matthew 17:1-10; compare &nbsp;Judges 1:9). His sepulchre therefore could not be found by man. </p> <p> The term "decease," Exodus, found in &nbsp;Luke 9:31, and with the undesigned coincidence of truth repeated by Peter an eye-witness of the transfiguration (&nbsp;2 Peter 1:15), was suggested by the Exodus from Egypt, the type of Jesus' death and resurrection. Josephus (Ant. 4:8) thought God hid Moses' body lest it should be idolized. Satan (&nbsp;Hebrews 2:14) contended with Michael, that it should not be raised again on the ground of Moses' sin (&nbsp;Judges 1:9, compare &nbsp;Zechariah 3:2). "His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" before death. Israel mourned him for 30 days. The remembrance of Moses ages after shall be a reason for Jehovah's mercy awaiting Israel (&nbsp;Isaiah 63:11). </p> <p> "And had he not high honor? The hillside for his pall, To lie in state while angels wait, With stars for tapers tall; And the dark rock pines, like tossing plumes, Over his bier to wave, And God's own hand, in that lonely land To lay him in the grave." - C. F. Alexander. </p>

<p> '''Mo'ses.''' ''('' Hebrew, '''Mosheh''' . ''"Drawn",'' that is, ''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: </p> <p> Levi was the father of: Gershon, Kohath, [[Merari]] </p> <p> [[Kohath]] was the father of: Amram = Jochebed </p> <p> Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam, Aaron = Elisheba, Moses = Zipporah </p> <p> Aaron = [[Elisheba]] was the father of: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, [[Ithamar]] </p> <p> Eleazar was the father of: Phineas </p> <p> Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom, Eliezer </p> <p> Gershom was the father of: Jonathan. </p> <p> '''The history of Moses.''' Naturally. Divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, in Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation, from the general destruction, of the male children of Israel. For three months, the child was concealed in the house. Then, his mother placed him in a small boat or basket of papyrus, closed against the water by bitumen. This was placed among the aquatic vegetation, by the side of one of the canals, of the Nile. The sister lingered to watch her brother's fate. </p> <p> The Egyptian princess, who, tradition says, was a childless wife, came down to bathe in the sacred river. Her attendant slaves followed her. She saw the basket in the flags, and despatched divers, who brought it. It was opened, and the cry of the child moved the princess to compassion. She determined to rear it as her own. The sister was at hand to recommend a Hebrew nurse, the child's own mother. </p> <p> Here was the ''First Part'' of Moses' training, - a training, at home, in the true religion, in faith in God, in the promises to his nation, in the life of a saint, - a training which he never forgot, even amid the splendors and gilded sin of Pharaoh's court. The child was adopted by the princess. </p> <p> From this time, for many years, Moses must be considered as an Egyptian. In the Pentateuch, this period is a blank, but in the New Testament, he is represented as "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians," and as "mighty in words and deeds;" &nbsp;Acts 7:22; this was the ''Second Part'' of Moses' training. </p> <p> The second period of Moses' life began when he was forty years old. Seeing the sufferings of his people, Moses determined to go to them as their helper, and made his great life-choice, "choosing rather to suffer affliction, with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of [[Christ]] greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." &nbsp;Hebrews 11:25-26. </p> <p> Seeing an Israelite suffering the bastinado [A sound beating with a stick or cudgel; the blows given with a stick or staff. This name is given to a punishment in use among the Turks, of beating an offender on the soles of his feet] from an Egyptian, and thinking that they were alone, he slew the Egyptian, and buried the corpse in the sand. But the people soon showed themselves unfitted as yet to obtain their freedom, nor was Moses yet fitted to be their leader. </p> <p> He was compelled to leave Egypt, when the slaying of the Egyptian became known, and he fled to the land of Midian, in the southern and southeastern part of the Sinai peninsula. There was a famous well, ("the well,"). &nbsp;Exodus 2:15, surrounded by tanks for the watering of the flocks of the Bedouin herdsmen. By this well, the fugitive seated himself and watched the gathering of the sheep. There were the Arabian shepherds, and there were also seven maidens, whom the shepherds rudely drove away from the water. </p> <p> The chivalrous spirit, which had already broken forth in behalf of his oppressed countrymen, broke forth again in behalf of the distressed maidens. They returned unusually soon to their father, Jethro, and told him of their adventure. Moses, who up to this time had been "an Egyptian," &nbsp;Exodus 2:19, now became for a time an Arabian. He married Zipporah, daughter of his host, to whom he also became the slave and shepherd. &nbsp;Exodus 2:21; &nbsp;Exodus 3:1. </p> <p> Here, for forty years, Moses communed with God and with nature, escaping from the false ideas taught him in Egypt, and sifting out the truths that were there. This was the ''Third Process'' of his training for his work; and from this training, he learned infinitely more than from Egypt. Stanely well says, after enumerating what the Israelites derived from Egypt, that the contrast was always greater than the likeness. This process was completed when God met him on Horeb, appearing in a burning bush, and, communicating with him, appointed him to be the leader and deliverer of his people. </p> <p> Now, begins the third period of forty years in Moses' life. He meets Aaron, his next younger brother, whom God permitted to be the spokesman, and together, they return to [[Goshen]] in Egypt. From this time, the history of Moses is the history of Israel, for the next forty years. Aaron spoke and acted for Moses, and was the permanent inheritor of the sacred staff of power. But Moses was the inspiring soul behind. He is, incontestably, the chief personage of the history, in a sense in which, no one else is described before or since. He was led into a closer communion with the invisible world, than was vouchsafed to any other in the Old Testament. </p> <p> There are two main characters in which he appears - as a leader and as a prophet. </p> <p> (1) ''As A Leader,'' his life divides itself into the three epochs - the march to Sinai; the march from Sinai to Kadesh, and the conquest of the TransJordanic kingdoms. On approaching Palestine, the office of the leader becomes blended with that of the general or the conqueror. By Moses, the spies were sent to explore the country. Against his advice, took place the first disastrous battle at hormah. To his guidance is ascribed the circuitous route by which the nation approached Palestine from the east, and to his generalship, the two successful campaigns in which Sihon and [[Og]] were defeated. The narrative is told so briefly that we are in danger of forgetting that, at this last stage of his life, Moses must have been as much a conqueror and victorious soldier as was Joshua. </p> <p> (2) ''His Character As A Prophet Is,'' from the nature of the case, more distinctly brought out. He is the first, as he is the greatest example of a prophet in the Old Testament. His brother and sister were both endowed with prophetic gifts. The seventy elders, and Eldad and [[Medad]] also, all "prophesied." &nbsp;Numbers 11:25-27. But Moses rose high above all these. With him, the divine revelations were made "mouth to mouth." &nbsp;Numbers 12:8. Of the special modes of this more direct communication, four great examples are given, corresponding to four critical epochs in his historical career. </p> <p> (a) The appearance of the divine presence in the flaming acacia tree. &nbsp;Exodus 3:2-6. </p> <p> (b) In the giving of the law from Mount Sinai, the outward form of the revelation was a thick darkness as of a thunder-cloud, out of which proceeded a voice. &nbsp;Exodus 19:19; &nbsp;Exodus 20:21. On two occasions, he is described as having penetrated, within the darkness. &nbsp;Exodus 24:18; &nbsp;Exodus 34:28. </p> <p> (c) It was nearly at the close of these communications in the mountains of Sinai, that an especial revelation of God was made to him personally. &nbsp;Exodus 33:2-22; &nbsp;Exodus 34:5-7. God passed before him. </p> <p> (d) The fourth mode of divine manifestation was that which is described as beginning at this juncture, and which was maintained with more or less continuity through the rest of his career. &nbsp;Exodus 33:7. It was the communication with God in the Tabernacle, from out the pillar of cloud and fire. There is another form of Moses' prophetic gift, namely, the poetical form of composition, which characterizes the Jewish prophecy generally. These poetical utterances are - </p> <p> i. "The song which Moses and the children of Israel sung," (after the passage of the Red Sea). &nbsp;Exodus 15:1-19. </p> <p> ii. A fragment of the war-song against Amalek. &nbsp;Exodus 17:16. </p> <p> iii. A fragment of lyrical burst of indignation. &nbsp;Exodus 32:18. </p> <p> iv. The fragments of war-songs, probably from either him or his immediate prophetic followers, in &nbsp;Numbers 21:14-15; &nbsp;Numbers 21:27-30, preserved in the "book of the wars of [[Jehovah]] ," &nbsp;Numbers 21:14, and the address to the well. &nbsp;Numbers 21:16-18. </p> <p> v. The song of Moses, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:1-43, setting forth the greatness and the failings of Israel. </p> <p> vi. The blessing of Moses on the tribes, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:1-29. </p> <p> vii. The 90th Psalm, "A prayer of Moses, the man of God." The title, like all the titles of the psalms, is of doubtful authority, and the psalm has often been referred to a later author. </p> <p> '''Character.''' - The prophetic office of Moses can only be fully considered in connection with his whole character and appearance. &nbsp;Hosea 12:13. He was, in a sense peculiar to himself, the founder and representative of his people; and in accordance, with this complete identification of himself with his nation, is the only strong personal trait which we are able to gather from his history. &nbsp;Numbers 12:3. The word "meek" is hardly an adequate reading of the Hebrew term, which should be rather "much enduring." It represents what we should now designate by the word "disinterested." </p> <p> All that is told of him indicates a withdrawal of himself, a preference of the cause of his nation to his own interests, which makes him the most complete example of Jewish patriotism. (He was especially a man of prayer and of faith, of wisdom, courage and patience). In exact conformity with his life is the account of his end. </p> <p> The book of Deuteronomy describes, and is, the long last farewell of the prophet to his people. This takes place on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year of the wanderings, in the plains of Moab. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:5. Moses is described as 120 years of age, but with his sight and his freshness of strength unabated. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:7. Joshua is appointed his successor. The law is written out and ordered to be deposited in the ark. Deuteronomy 31. The song and the blessing of the tribes conclude the farewell. Deuteronomy 32; Deuteronomy 33. </p> <p> And then comes the mysterious close. He is told that he is to [[See]] the good land beyond the Jordan, but not to possess it himself. He ascends the mount of Pisgah and stands on Nebo, one of its summits, and surveys the four great masses of Palestine west of the Jordan, so far as it can be discerned from that height. The view has passesd into a proverb for all nations. </p> <p> "So Moses, the servant of [[Jehovah]] , died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of [[Jehovah]] . And he buried him in a 'ravine' in the land of Moab, 'before' Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days." &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:6; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:8. </p> <p> This is all that is said in the sacred record. (This burial was thus hidden probably - </p> <p> (1) To preserve his grave from idolatrous worship or superstitious reverence; and </p> <p> (2) Because it may be that God did not intend to leave his body to corruption, but to prepare it, as he did the body of Elijah, so that Moses could, in his spiritual body, meet [[Christ]] , together with Elijah, on the mount of transfiguration). </p> <p> Moses is spoken of as a likeness of [[Christ]] ; and as this is a point of view which has been almost lost in the Church, compared with the more familiar comparisons of [[Christ]] to Adam, David, Joshua, and yet, has as firm a basis in fact, as any of them, it may be well to draw it out in detail. </p> <p> (1) Moses is, as it would seem, the only character, of the Old Testament, to whom [[Christ]] expressly likens himself: "Moses wrote of me." &nbsp;John 5:46. It suggests three main points of likeness: </p> <p> (a) [[Christ]] was, like Moses, the great prophet of the people - the last, as Moses was the first. </p> <p> (b) [[Christ]] , like Moses, is a lawgiver: "Him shall ye hear." </p> <p> (c) [[Christ]] , like Moses, was a prophet out of the midst of the nation, "from their brethren." As Moses was the entire representative of his people, feeling for them more than for himself, absorbed in their interests, hopes and fears, so, with reverence, be it said, was [[Christ]] . </p> <p> (2) In &nbsp;Hebrews 3:1-19; &nbsp;Hebrews 12:24-29; &nbsp;Acts 7:37, [[Christ]] is described, though more obscurely, as the Moses of the new dispensation - as the apostle or messenger or mediator of God to the people - as the controller and leader of the flock or household of God. </p> <p> (3) The details of their lives are sometimes, though not often, compared. &nbsp;Acts 7:24-28; &nbsp;Acts 7:35. In &nbsp;Judges 1:9, is an allusion to an altercation between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses. It probably refers to a lost apocryphal book, mentioned by Origen, called the "Ascension" or "Assumption of Moses." Respecting the books of Moses, ''See '' '''Pentateuch, The''' ''.'' </p>

<p> Son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, brother of Aaron and Miriam. He was born after the mandate by the king that all male children of the Hebrews were to be killed, but his parents by faith hid him three months, and when he could no longer be hidden he was put in an ark of bulrushes and placed among the reeds in the river. Being found there by Pharaoh's daughter he was named by her MOSES, signifying 'drawn out,' and adopted as her son, being nursed for her by his own mother. He became learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was mighty in words and deeds. </p> <p> When forty years of age he visited his brethren, and seeing one ill-used he defended him, and slew the Egyptian; but the next day, on seeing two of the Israelites contending, he reminded them that they were brethren, and would have judged between them; but the wrong-doer repulsed him, and asked whether he would kill him as he had killed the Egyptian. Moses, finding that his deed was known, feared the wrath of the king, and fled from Egypt. He had acted with zeal, but without divine direction, and had thereforeto become a fugitive for forty years (being the <i> second </i> period of forty years of his life, as the forty years in the wilderness was the <i> third </i> ). In the land of Midian he married Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, by whom he had two sons. </p> <p> At the end of the forty years God spoke to him out of the burning bush, telling him to go and deliver Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians. He who had once used an arm of flesh is now conscious of his own nothingness, but learns that God would be with him. He is to make known to the people the name of Jehovah, and to attest his mission, as sent by the God of their fathers, by doing certain signs in their sight. </p> <p> No trace of timidity is apparent in his dealings with Pharaoh, he boldly requests him to let the people go into the wilderness to sacrifice to Jehovah; but Pharaoh refused and made the burdens of the Israelites greater. Ten plagues followed, when the Egyptians themselves, on the death of all their firstborn, were anxious for them to depart. </p> <p> God constantly spoke to Moses and gave him instructions in all things. Though Aaron was the elder brother, Moses had the place of leader and apostle. He conducted them out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea. He led the song of triumph when they saw their enemies dead on the sea shore. The N.T. declares that it was by faith he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. He forsook Egypt, not now fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. &nbsp;Hebrews 11:24-27 . </p> <p> Moses needed such faith, for the murmurings and rebellion of the people were great, and they charged him with causing their trials: why had <i> he </i> brought them out to perish in the wilderness? When God's anger was kindled against them, he pleaded for them. When God spake of consuming all the people, and making a great nation of Moses, he besought God to turn from His anger, urging what a reproach it would be forthe Egyptians to say that He had led them out only to slay them; and he reminded God of what He had sworn to His servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He thus acted as intercessor with God for the people. &nbsp;Exodus 32:7-13 . </p> <p> When Miriam and Aaron complained of Moses because he had married an Ethiopian woman, and said, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?" it does not appear that Moses rebuked them; but on that very occasion it is recorded, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." God had, however, heard them, and He defended Moses, and declared, He "is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches." &nbsp;Numbers 12:1-8 . </p> <p> When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their company rose against Moses and Aaron, 'he fell on his face,' and left the matter in God's hands. "Even to-morrow the Lord will show who are his and who is holy;" and they were all consumed. &nbsp;Numbers 16:1-35 . God also called Moses up into the mount, dictated to him the law, gave him the ten commandments written on stone by the finger of God, and showed him the pattern of the tabernacle. He was the mediator, that is, he received all communications from God for the people. He was also called 'King in Jeshurun' (or Israel), &nbsp;Deuteronomy 33:5; and was a prophet of a unique type. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:10 . </p> <p> In one instance Moses failed. When without water, God told him to take the rod (namely, that of priesthood), and <i> speak </i> to the rock, and water would come forth. Moses took "the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him," and with Aaron said unto the people, "Hear now, ye rebels; must <i> we </i> fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly." Moses then had to hear the voice of God saying "Because ye believed me not, to sanctify <i> me </i> in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." It was called the water of Meribah, that is 'strife.' &nbsp; Numbers 20:7-13 . After this Moses besought the Lord saying "I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon." But the Lord told him to speak no more to Him of that matter. He was to go up to the top of Pisgah, and view the land. There the Lord showed him all the land: after which he died in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knew where. He "was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:25-27; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:1-7 . </p> <p> In the N.T. it is said respecting the body of Moses that Michael, the archangel, contended with the devil about it, the object of Satan probably being to make his tomb to be regarded as a holy place, to which the people would go for blessing, as people do still to the tombs of saints. &nbsp;Jude 9 . </p> <p> The law having been given through Moses, his name is often used where the law is alluded to; and Moses is mentioned by the Apostle John when contrasting the dispensations of the law and the gospel: "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." &nbsp;John 1:17 . The fact of the two dispensations being entirely different furnishes the reason why Moses was not allowed to enter into Canaan. That being a type of the heavenly blessings of Christianity, it would not have agreed with Moses, as the dispenser of the law, leading the Israelites into the land: that must be done by [[Joshua]] type of Christ risen. Moses had his proper line of service, and was greatly honoured of God. He was faithful in that service amid great discouragements and trials; he was faithful in all God's house. On the mount of transfiguration Moses still represented the law, as [[Elias]] did the prophets. </p> <p> That Moses was the writer of the first five books of the O.T., called the Pentateuch, there are many proofs in scripture; such as "have ye not read in the book of Moses?" &nbsp;Mark 12:26; "If they hear not Moses and the prophets," &nbsp;Luke 16:31; &nbsp;Luke 24:27; "When Moses is read," &nbsp;2 Corinthians 3:15 . Of course the section where his death is recorded was added by a later hand. When the inspiration of scripture is fully held, God is known as the author of His word, and it becomes a secondary question <i> who </i> was the instrument that God used to write down what He wished to be recorded. Respecting some of the books of scripture we know not who wrote them; but that in no way touches their inspiration. It is plain, however, from the above and other passages that Moses was the writer of the Pentateuch, which is often called "the law of Moses." </p>

<p> [[Moses]] ( ''Mo'Zez'' ), ''From The Water,'' i.e., ''Drawn From The Water.'' The prophet and legislator of the Hebrews and the son of Amram and Jochebed, and of the tribe of Levi, the son of Jacob. &nbsp;Exodus 2:1; &nbsp;Exodus 2:10; &nbsp;Exodus 6:16-20; &nbsp;Joshua 1:1-2; &nbsp;Joshua 1:15; &nbsp;1 Kings 8:53; &nbsp;1 Kings 8:56; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 1:3; &nbsp;Daniel 9:11; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:5; &nbsp;Psalms 90:1-17 : title; &nbsp;Ezra 3:2. He was born in Egypt, about b.c. 1571. In his infancy, because of the cruel edict of Pharaoh, he was hid in a boat-cradle in the Nile; but was found and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh. He was educated at the Egyptian court, and "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." &nbsp;Exodus 2:1-10; &nbsp;Acts 7:20-22. When Moses had grown up, he resolved to deliver his people. Having slain an Egyptian, however, he fled into the land of Midian, where he was a shepherd chief. Among the Midians, the Minni, who we now know were a cultured and literary people, God further prepared him to be the deliverer of his chosen people. By a succession of miracles, which God wrought by his hand, Moses brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, and through the wilderness, unto the borders of Canaan. See Sinai. He was only allowed to behold, not to enter the Promised Land. Having accomplished his mission and attained to the age of 120 years, with the faculties of mind and body unimpaired, the legislator transferred his authority to Joshua; and, ascending the summit of Pisgah, he gazed on the magnificent prospect of the "goodly Land." There he died, and "the Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knoweth of Ms sepulchre unto this day." &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:1-7. God buried Moses. It was fitting, therefore, that he too should write his epitaph. "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all that mighty land, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel." &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:10-12. </p>

<p> ''''' mō´zez ''''' , ''''' mō´ziz ''''' ( משׁה , <i> ''''' mōsheh ''''' </i> ; Egyptian <i> ''''' mēs ''''' </i> , "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Μωυσῆ ( ρ Ο2 ςπ ), <i> ''''' Mōusḗ ''''' </i> ( <i> ''''' s ''''' </i> )). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. </p> <p> I. [[Life]] </p> <p> 1. Son of Levi </p> <p> 2. Foundling Prince </p> <p> 3. Friend of the People </p> <p> 4. [[Refuge]] in Midian </p> <p> 5. Leader of Israel </p> <p> II. Work And Character </p> <p> 1. The Author </p> <p> 2. The Lawgiver </p> <p> 3. The Prophet </p> <p> [[Literature]] </p> <p> The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes. </p> <p> It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned [[Stade]] and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen, Robertson Smith, and Driver, while finding many flaws in the story, make much generally of the historicity of the narrative. </p> <p> The critical analysis of the Pentateuch divides this life-story of Moses into three main parts, J, E, and P, with a fourth, D, made up mainly from the others. Also some small portions here and there are given to R, especially the account of Aaron's part in the plagues of Egypt, where his presence in a J-document is very troublesome for the analytical theory. It is unnecessary to encumber this biography with constant cross-references to the strange story of Moses pieced together out of the rearranged fragments into which the critical analysis of the Pentateuch breaks up the narrative. It is recognized that there are difficulties in the story of Moses. In what ancient life-story are there not difficulties? If we can conceive of the ancients being obliged to ponder over a modern life-story, we can easily believe that they would have still more difficulty with it. But it seems to very many that the critical analysis creates more difficulties in the narrative than it relieves. It is a little thing to explain by such analysis some apparent discrepancy between two laws or two events or two similar incidents which we do not clearly understand. It is a far greater thing so to confuse, by rearranging, a beautiful, well-articulated biography that it becomes disconnected - indeed, in parts, scarcely makes sense. </p> <p> The biographical narrative of the Hebrew national hero, Moses, is a continuous thread of history in the Pentateuch. That story in all its simplicity and symmetry, but with acknowledgment of its difficulties as they arise, is here to be followed. </p> I. Life. <p> The recorded story of Moses' life falls naturally into five rather unequal parts: </p> <p> <b> 1. Son of Levi </b> </p> <p> "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi" &nbsp;Exodus 2:1 . The son of Levi born of that union became the greatest man among mere men in the whole history of the world. How far he was removed in genealogy from Levi it is impossible to know. The genealogical lists &nbsp;Genesis 46:11; &nbsp;Exodus 6:16-20; &nbsp;Numbers 3:14-28; &nbsp;Numbers 26:57-59; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:1-3 show only 4 generations from Levi to Moses, while the account given of the numbers of Israel at the exodus &nbsp; Exodus 12:37; &nbsp;Exodus 38:26; &nbsp;Numbers 1:46; &nbsp;Numbers 11:21 imperatively demand at least 10 or 12 generations. The males alone of the sons of Kohath "from a month old and upward" numbered at Sinai 8,600 &nbsp; Numbers 3:27-28 . It is evident that the extract from the genealogy here, as in many other places (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 23:15; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 26:24; &nbsp;Ezra 7:1-5; &nbsp;Ezra 8:1-2; compare &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:3-14; Mt 1:1-17; Lk 3:23-38) is not complete, but follows the common method of giving important heads of families. The statement concerning Jochebed: "And she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister" &nbsp;Numbers 26:59 really creates no difficulty, as it is likewise said of Zilpah, after the mention of her grandsons, "And these she bare unto Jacob" (&nbsp; Genesis 46:17-18; compare &nbsp;Genesis 46:24-25 ). </p> <p> The names of the immediate father and mother of Moses are not certainly known. The mother "saw him that he was a goodly child" &nbsp;Exodus 2:2 . So they defied the commandment of the king &nbsp;Exodus 1:22 , and for 3 months hid him instead of throwing him into the river. </p> <p> <b> 2. Foundling Prince </b> </p> <p> The time soon came when it was impossible longer to hide the child (Josephus, <i> Ant. </i> , II, ix, 3-6). The mother resolved upon a plan which was at once a pathetic imitation of obedience to the commandment of the king, an adroit appeal to womanly sympathy, and, if it succeeded, a subtle scheme to bring the cruelty of the king home to his own attention. Her faith succeeded. She took an ark of bulrushes (&nbsp; Exodus 2:3-4; compare [[Ark Of Bulrushes]] ), daubed it with bitumen mixed with the sticky slime of the river, placed in this floating vessel the child of her love and faith, and put it into the river at a place among the sedge in the shallow water where the royal ladies from the palace would be likely to come down to bathe. A sister, probably Miriam, stood afar off to watch &nbsp;Exodus 2:3-4 . The daughter of Pharaoh came down with her great ladies to the river &nbsp;Exodus 2:5-10 . The princess saw the ark among the sedge and sent a maid to fetch it. The expectation of the mother was not disappointed. The womanly sympathy of the princess was touched. She resolved to save this child by adopting him. Through the intervention of the watching sister, he was given to his own mother to be nursed &nbsp;Exodus 2:7-9 . "And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son" &nbsp;Exodus 2:10 . Thus, he would receive her family name. </p> <p> [[Royal]] family names in Egypt then were usually compounded of some expression of reverence or faith or submission and the name of a god, e.g. "loved of," "chosen of," "born of," Thoth, Ptah, Ra or Amon. At this period of Egyptian history, "born of" (Egyptian <i> ''''' mēs ''''' </i> , "drawn out") was joined sometimes to Ah, the name of the moon-god, making Ahmes, or Thoth, the scribe-god, so Thothmes, but usually with Ra, the sun-god, giving Rames, usually anglicized Rameses or Ramoses. </p> <p> It was the time of the Ramesside dynasty, and the king on the throne was Rameses II. Thus the foundling adopted by Pharaoh's daughter would have the family name Mes or Moses. That it would be joined in the Egyptian to the name of the sungod Ra is practically certain. His name at court would be Ramoses. But to the oriental mind a name must mean something. The usual meaning of this royal name was that the child was "born of" a princess through the intervention of the god Ra. But this child was not "born of" the princess, so falling back upon the primary meaning of the word, "drawn out," she said, "because I drew him out of the water" &nbsp;Exodus 2:10 . Thus, Moses received his name. Pharaoh's daughter may have been the eldest daughter of Rameses II, but more probably was the daughter and eldest child of Seti Merenptah I, and sister of the king on the throne. She would be lineal heir to the crown but debarred by her sex. Instead, she bore the title "Pharaoh's Daughter," and, according to Egyptian custom, retained the right to the crown for her first-born son. A not improbable tradition (Josephus, <i> Ant. </i> , II, ix, 7) relates that she had no natural son, and Moses thus became heir to the throne, not with the right to supplant the reigning Pharaoh, but to supersede any of his sons. </p> <p> Very little is known of Moses' youth and early manhood at the court of Pharaoh. He would certainly be educated as a prince, whose right it probably was to be initiated into the mysteries. Thus he was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" &nbsp;Acts 7:22 , included in which, according to many Egyptologists, was the doctrine of one [[Supreme]] God. </p> <p> Many curious things, whose value is doubtful, are told of Moses by Josephus and other ancient writers (Josephus, <i> Ant. </i> , II, ix, 3; <i> Apion </i> , I, 31; compare <i> Smith, Dictionary of the Bible </i> ; for Mohammedan legends, see Palmer, <i> The Desert of the Exodus </i> , Appendix; for rabbinical legends, see <i> Jewish Encyclopedia </i> ). Some of these traditions are not incredible but lack authentication. Others are absurd. Egyptologists have searched with very indifferent success for some notice of the great Hebrew at the Egyptian court. </p> <p> <b> 3. Friend of the People </b> </p> <p> But the faith of which the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks &nbsp;Hebrews 11:23-28 was at work. Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter" &nbsp; Exodus 2:11-14; &nbsp;Acts 7:24 . Whether he did so in word, by definite renunciation, or by his espousal of the cause of the slave against the oppressive policy of Pharaoh is of little importance. In either case he became practically a traitor, and greatly imperiled his throne rights and probably his civil rights as well. During some intervention to ameliorate the condition of the state slaves, an altercation arose and he slew an Egyptian &nbsp;Exodus 2:11-12 . Thus, his constructive treason became an overt act. [[Discovering]] through the ungrateful reproaches of his own kinsmen &nbsp;Acts 7:25 that his act was known, he quickly made decision, "choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God," casting in his lot with slaves of the empire, rather than "to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season," amid the riotous living of the young princes at the Egyptian court; "accounting the reproach of Christ" his humiliation, being accounted a nobody ("Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?") As "greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" &nbsp; Hebrews 11:25-26; &nbsp;Acts 7:25-28 . He thought to be a nobody and do right better than to be a tyrant and rule Egypt. </p> <p> <b> 4. Refuge in Midian </b> </p> <p> Moses fled, "not fearing the wrath of the king" &nbsp;Hebrews 11:27 , not cringing before it or submitting to it, but defying it and braving all that it could bring upon him, degradation from his high position, deprivation of the privileges and comforts of the Egyptian court. He went out a poor wanderer &nbsp;Exodus 2:15 . We are told nothing of the escape and the journey, how he eluded the vigilance of the court guards and of the frontier-line of sentinels. The friend of slaves is strangely safe while within their territory. At last he reached the Sinaitic province of the empire and hid himself away among its mountain fastnesses &nbsp;Exodus 2:15 . The romance of the well and the shepherdesses and the grateful father and the future wife is all quite in accord with the simplicity of desert life &nbsp;Exodus 2:16-22 . The "Egyptian" saw the rude, selfish herdsmen of the desert imposing upon the helpless shepherd girls, and, partly by the authority of a manly man, partly, doubtless, by the authority of his Egyptian appearance in an age when "Egypt" was a word with which to frighten men in all that part of the world, he compelled them to give way. The "Egyptian" was called, thanked, given a home and eventually a wife. There in Midian, while the anguish of Israel continued under the taskmaster's lash, and the weakening of Israel's strength by the destruction of the male children went on, with what more or less rigor we know not, Moses was left by Providence to mellow and mature, that the haughty, impetuous prince, "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians," might be transformed into the wise, well-poised, masterful leader, statesman, lawgiver, poet and prophet. God usually prepares His great ones in the countryside or about some of the quiet places of earth, farthest away from the busy haunts of men and nearest to the "secret place of the Most High." David keeping his father's flocks, Elijah on the mountain slopes of Gilead, the [[Baptist]] in the wilderness of Judaea, Jesus in the shop of a [[Galilean]] carpenter; so Moses a shepherd in the Bedouin country, in the "waste, howling wilderness." </p> <p> <b> 5. Leader of Israel </b> </p> (1) The [[Commission]] <p> One day Moses led the flocks to "the back of the wilderness" (&nbsp;Exodus 3:1-12; see [[Burning Bush]] ). Moses received his commission, the most appalling commission ever given to a mere man &nbsp;Exodus 3:10 - a commission to a solitary man, and he a refugee - to go back home and deliver his kinsmen from a dreadful slavery at the hand of the most powerful nation on earth. Let not those who halt and stumble over the little difficulties of most ordinary lives think hardly of the faltering of Moses' faith before such a task &nbsp; Exodus 3:11-13; &nbsp;Exodus 4:1 , &nbsp;Exodus 4:10-13 . "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, [[I Am]] hath sent me unto you" &nbsp;Exodus 3:14 , was the encouragement God gave him. He gave him also Aaron for a spokesman &nbsp;Exodus 4:14-16 , the return to the Mount of God as a sign &nbsp;Exodus 3:12 , and the rod of power for working wonders &nbsp;Exodus 4:17 . </p> <p> One of the curious necessities into which the critical analysis drives its advocates is the opinion concerning Aaron that "he scarcely seems to have been a brother and almost equal partner of Moses, perhaps not even a priest" (Bennett, <i> Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible </i> (five volumes), III, 441). Interesting and curious speculations have been instituted concerning the way in which Israel and especially Pharaoh were to understand the message, "I Am hath sent me unto you" (&nbsp;Exodus 3:13-14; compare &nbsp;Exodus 6:3 ). They were evidently expected to understand this message. Were they to so do by translating or by transliterating it into Egyptian? Some day Egyptologists may be able to answer positively, but not yet. </p> <p> With the signs for identification &nbsp;Exodus 4:1-10 , Moses was ready for his mission. He went down from the "holy ground" to obey the high summons and fulfil the great commission &nbsp;Exodus 4:18-23 . After the perplexing controversy with his wife, a controversy of stormy ending &nbsp;Exodus 4:24-26 , he seems to have left his family to his father-in-law's care while he went to respond to the call of God &nbsp;Exodus 18:6 . He met Aaron, his brother, at the Mount of God &nbsp;Exodus 4:27-28 , and together they returned to Egypt to collect the elders of Israel &nbsp;Exodus 4:29-31 , who were easily won over to the scheme of emancipation. Was ever a slave people not ready to listen to plans for freedom? </p> (2) The [[Conflict]] with Pharaoh <p> The next move was the bold request to the king to allow the people to go into the wilderness to hold a feast unto Yahweh &nbsp;Exodus 5:1 . How did Moses gain admittance past the jealous guards of an Egyptian court to the presence of the Pharaoh himself? And why was not the former traitorous refugee at once arrested? [[Egyptology]] affords a not too distinct answer. Rameses Ii was dead &nbsp;Exodus 4:19; Merenptah Ii was on the throne with an insecure tenure, for the times were troublous. Did some remember the "son of Pharaoh's daughter" who, had he remained loyal, would have been the Pharaoh? Probably so. Thus he would gain admittance, and thus, too, in the precarious condition of the throne, it might well not be safe to molest him. The original form of the request made to the king, with some slight modification, was continued throughout &nbsp;Exodus 8:27; &nbsp;Exodus 10:9 , though God promised that the Egyptians should thrust them out altogether when the end should come, and it was so &nbsp;Exodus 11:1; &nbsp;Exodus 12:31 , &nbsp;Exodus 12:33 , &nbsp;Exodus 12:39 . Yet Pharaoh remembered the form of their request and bestirred himself when it was reported that they had indeed gone "from serving" them &nbsp;Exodus 14:5 . The request for temporary departure upon which the contest was made put Pharaoh's call to duty in the easiest form and thus, also, his obstinacy appears as the greater heinousness. Then came the challenge of Pharaoh in his contemptuous demand, "Who is Yahweh?" &nbsp;Exodus 5:2 , and Moses' prompt acceptance of the challenge, in the beginning of the long series of plagues (see [[Plagues]] ) (&nbsp;Exodus 8:1 ff; &nbsp; Exodus 12:29-36; &nbsp;Exodus 14:31 ). Pharaoh, having made the issue, was justly required to afford full presentation of it. So Pharaoh's heart was "hardened" (&nbsp;Exodus 4:21; &nbsp;Exodus 7:3 , &nbsp;Exodus 7:13; &nbsp;Exodus 9:12 , &nbsp;Exodus 9:35; &nbsp;Exodus 10:1; &nbsp;Exodus 14:8; see [[Plagues]] ) until the vindication of Yahweh as God of all the earth was complete. This proving of Yahweh was so conducted that the gods of Egypt were shown to be of no avail against Him, but that He is God of all the earth, and until the faith of the people of Israel was confirmed &nbsp;Exodus 14:31 . </p> (3) [[Institution]] of the Passover <p> It was now time for the next step in revelation &nbsp;Exodus 12; &nbsp;13:1-16 . At the burning bush God had declared His purpose to be a saviour, not a destroyer. In this contest in Egypt, His absolute sovereignty was being established; and now the method of deliverance by Him, that He might not be a destroyer, was to be revealed. Moses called together the elders &nbsp;Exodus 12:21-28 and instituted the Passover feast. As God always in revelation chooses the known and the familiar - the tree, the bow, circumcision, baptism, and the Supper - by which to convey the unknown, so the Passover was a combination of the household feast with the widespread idea of safety through blood-sacrifice, which, however it may have come into the world, was not new at that time. Some think there is evidence of an old Semitic festival at that season which was utilized for the institution of the Passover. </p> <p> The lamb was chosen and its use was kept up &nbsp;Exodus 12:3-6 . On the appointed night it was killed and "roasted with fire" and eaten with bitter herbs &nbsp;Exodus 12:8 , while they all stood ready girded, with their shoes on their feet and their staff in hand &nbsp;Exodus 12:11 . They ate in safety and in hope, because the blood of the lamb was on the door &nbsp;Exodus 12:23 . That night the firstborn of Egypt were slain. Among the Egyptians "there was not a house where there was not one dead" &nbsp;Exodus 12:30 , from the house of the maid-servant, who sat with her handmill before her, to the palace of the king that "sat on the throne," and even among the cattle in the pasture. If the plague was employed as the agency of the angel of Yahweh, as some think, its peculiarity is that it takes the strongest and the best and culminates in one great stunning blow and then immediately subsides (see [[Plagues]] ). Who can tell the horror of that night when the Israelites were thrust out of the terror-stricken land &nbsp;Exodus 12:39 ? </p> <p> As they went out, they "asked," after the fashion of departing servants in the East, and God gave them favor in the sight of the over-awed Egyptians that they lavished gifts upon them in extravagance. Thus "they despoiled the Egyptians" &nbsp;Exodus 12:36 . "Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people" &nbsp;Exodus 11:3; &nbsp;Exodus 12:35-36 . </p> (4) The Exodus <p> "At the end of 430 years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt" &nbsp;Exodus 12:41 . The great oppressor was Rameses II, and the culmination and the revolution came, most probably, in connection with the building of [[Pithom]] and Raamses, as these are the works of Israel mentioned in the Bible narrative &nbsp;Exodus 1:11 . Rameses said that he built Pithom at the "mouth of the east" (Budge, <i> History of Exodus </i> , V, 123). All efforts to overthrow that statement have failed and for the present, at least, it must stand. Israel built Pithom, Rameses built Pithom; there is a synchronism that cannot in the present knowledge of Egyptian history even be doubted, much less separated. The troublous times which came to Egypt with the beginning of the reign of Merenptah Ii afforded the psychological moment for the return of the "son of Pharaoh's daughter" and his access to the royal court. The presence and power of Yahweh vindicated His claim to be the Lord of all the earth, and Merenptah let the children of Israel go. </p> <p> A little later when Israel turned back from the border of Khar (Palestine) into the wilderness and disappeared, and Merenptah's affairs were somewhat settled in the empire, he set up the usual boastful tablet claiming as his own many of the victories of his royal ancestors, added a few which he himself could truly boast, and inserted, near the end, an exultation over Israel's discomfiture, accounting himself as having finally won the victory: </p> <p> "Tehennu is devastation, Kheta peace, the Canaan the prisoner of all ills; </p> <p> "Asgalon led out, taken with Gezer, Yenoamam made naught; </p> <p> "The People of Israel is ruined, his posterity is not; Khar is become as the widows of Egypt." </p> <p> The synchronisms of this period are well established and must stand until, if it should ever be, other facts of Egyptian history shall be obtained to change them. Yet it is impossible to determine with certainty the precise event from which the descent into Egypt should be reckoned, or to fix the date Bc of Moses, Rameses and Merenptah, and the building of Pithom, and so, likewise, the date of the exodus and of all the patriarchal movements. The ancients were more concerned about the order of events, their perspective and their synchronisms than about any epochal date. For the present we must be content with these chronological uncertainties. Astronomical science may sometimes fix the epochal dates for these events; otherwise there is little likelihood that they will ever be known. </p> <p> They went out from [[Succoth]] (Egyptian "Thuku," Budge, <i> History of Egypt </i> , V, 122,129), carrying the bones of Joseph with them as he had commanded &nbsp; Exodus 13:19; &nbsp;Genesis 50:25 . The northeast route was the direct way to the promised land, but it was guarded. Pithom itself was built at "the mouth of the East," as a part of the great frontier defenses (Budge, op. cit., V, 123). The "wall" on this frontier was well guarded Exo 14, and attempts might be made to stop them. So they went not "by the way of the land of the Philistines ... lest peradventure the people repent when they see war" &nbsp;Exodus 13:17 . The Lord Himself took the leadership and went ahead of the host of Israel in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night &nbsp;Exodus 13:21 . He led them by "the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea" &nbsp;Exodus 13:18 . They pitched before Pi-hahiroth, over against Baal-zephon between [[Migdol]] and the sea &nbsp;Exodus 14:2 . Not one of these places has been positively identified. But the Journeys before and after the crossing, the time, and the configuration of the land and the coast-line of the sea, together with all the necessities imposed by the narrative, are best met by a crossing near the modern town of [[Suez]] (Naville, <i> Route of the Exodus </i> ; Palmer, <i> The Desert of the Exodus </i> ), where <i> ''''' Ras ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ‛Ataka ''''' </i> comes down to the sea, upon whose heights a <i> ''''' migdhōl ''''' </i> or "watch-tower," as the southern outpost of the eastern line of Egyptian defenses, would most probably be erected. </p> <p> Word was carried from the frontier to Pharaoh, probably at Tanis, that the Israelites had "fled" &nbsp;Exodus 14:5 , had taken the impassioned thrusting out by the frenzied people of Egypt in good faith and had gone never to return. Pharaoh took immediate steps to arrest and bring back the fugitives. The troops at hand &nbsp;Exodus 14:6 and the chariot corps, including 600 "chosen chariots," were sent at once in pursuit, Pharaoh going out in person at least to start the expedition &nbsp; Exodus 14:6-7 . The Israelites seemed to be "entangled in the land," and, since "the wilderness (had) shut them in" &nbsp;Exodus 4:3 , must easily fall a prey to the Egyptian army. The Israelites, terror-stricken, cried to Moses. God answered and commanded the pillar of cloud to turn back from its place before the host of Israel and stand between them and the approaching Egyptians, so that while the Egyptians were in the darkness Israel had the light &nbsp;Exodus 14:19-20 . </p> <p> The mountain came down on their right, the sea on the left to meet the foot of the mountain in front of them; the Egyptians were hastening on after them and the pillar of cloud and fire was their rearward. Moses with the rod of God stood at the head of the fleeing host. Then God wrought. Moses stretched out the rod of God over the sea and "Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night" &nbsp;Exodus 14:16-21 . A pathway was before them and the sea on the right hand, and on the left was a "wall unto them," and they passed through &nbsp;Exodus 14:21-22 . Such heaping up of the waters by the wind is well known and sometimes amounts to 7 or 8 ft. in Lake Erie (Wright, <i> Scientific Confirmations of the Old Testament </i> , 106). No clearer statement could possibly be made of the means used and of the miraculous timing of God's providence with the obedience of the people to His command to Moses. </p> <p> The host of Israel passed over on the hard, sandy bottom of the sea. The Egyptians coming up in the dark and finding it impossible to tell exactly where the coastline had been on this beach, and where the point of safety would lie when the wind should abate and the tide come in again, impetuously rushed on after the fleeing slaves. In the morning, Yahweh looked forth and troubled the Egyptians "and took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily" &nbsp;Exodus 14:24-25 . The wind had abated, the tide was returning and the infiltration that goes before the tide made the beach like a quicksand. The Egyptians found that they had gone too far and tried to escape &nbsp;Exodus 14:27 , but it was too late. The rushing tide caught them &nbsp;Exodus 14:28 . When the day had come, "horse and rider" were but the subject of a minstrel's song of triumph Exo 15:1-19; &nbsp;Psalm 106:9-12 which Miriam led with her timbrel &nbsp; Exodus 15:20 . The Bible does not say, and there is no reason to believe, that Pharaoh led the Egyptian hosts in person further than at the setting off and for the giving of general direction to the campaign &nbsp;Exodus 15:4 . Pharaoh and his host were overthrown in the Red Sea &nbsp;Psalm 136:15 . So Napoleon and his host were overthrown at Waterloo, but Napoleon lived to die at St. Helena. And Merenptah lived to erect his boastful inscription concerning the failure of Israel, when turned back from Kadesh-barnea, and their disappearance in the wilderness of Paran. His mummy, identified by the lamented Professor Groff, lies among the royal mummies in the [[Cairo]] Museum. Thus at the Red Sea was wrought the final victory of Yahweh over Pharaoh; and the people believed &nbsp;Exodus 14:31 . </p> (5) [[Special]] Providences <p> Now proceeded that long course of special providences, miraculous timing of events, and multiplying of natural agencies which began with the crossing of the Red Sea and ended only when they "did eat of the fruit of the land" &nbsp;Joshua 5:12 . God promised freedom from the diseases of the Egyptians &nbsp;Exodus 15:26 at the bitter waters of Marah, on the condition of obedience. Moses was directed to a tree, the wood of which should counteract the alkaline character of the water &nbsp; Exodus 15:23-25 . A little later they were at Elim ( <i> ''''' Wâdy ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Gharandel ''''' </i> , in present-day geography), where were "twelve springs of water and three score and ten palm trees" &nbsp;Exodus 15:27 . The enumeration of the trees signifies nothing but their scarcity, and is understood by everyone who has traveled in that desert and counted, again and again, every little clump of trees that has appeared. The course of least resistance here is to turn a little to the right and come out again at the Red Sea in order to pass around the point of the plateau into the wilderness of Sin. This is the course travel takes now, and it took the same course then &nbsp;Exodus 16:1 . Here Israel murmured &nbsp;Exodus 16:2 , and every traveler who crosses this blistering, dusty, wearisome, hungry wilderness joins in the murmuring, and wishes, at least a little, that he had stayed in the land of Egypt &nbsp;Exodus 16:3 . Provisions brought from Egypt were about exhausted and the land supplied but little. [[Judging]] from the complaints of the people about the barrenness of the land, it was not much different then from what it is now &nbsp;Numbers 20:1-6 . Now special providential provision began. "At even ... the quails came up, and covered the camp," and in the morning, after the dew, the manna was found (Exo 16:4-36; see [[Manna]]; [[Quails]] ). </p> <p> At Rephidim was the first of the instances when Moses was called upon to help the people to some water. He smote the rock with the rod of God, and there came forth an abundant supply of water &nbsp;Exodus 17:1-6 . There is plenty of water in the wady near this point now. The Amalekites, considering the events immediately following, had probably shut the Israelites off from the springs, so God opened some hidden source in the mountain side. "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel" &nbsp;Exodus 17:8 . Whether the hand which Moses lifted up during the battle was his own hand or a symbolical hand &nbsp;Exodus 17:9-12 , thought to have been carried in battle then, as sometimes even yet by the Bedouin, is of no importance. It was in either case a hand stretched up to God in prayer and allegiance, and the battle with Amalek, then as now, fluctuates according as the hand is lifted up or lowered &nbsp;Exodus 17:8-16 . </p> <p> Here Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, met him and brought his wife and children to him (&nbsp;Exodus 18:5-6; compare &nbsp;Numbers 10:29 ). A sacrificial feast was held with the distinguished guest &nbsp;Exodus 18:7-12 . In the wise counsel of this great desert-priest we see one of the many natural sources of supply for Moses' legal lore and statesmanship. A suggestion of Jethro gave rise to one of the wisest and most far-reaching elements in the civil institutions of Israel, the elaborate system of civil courts &nbsp;Exodus 18:13-26 . </p> (6) [[Receiving]] the Law <p> At Sinai Moses reached the pinnacle of his career, though perhaps not the pinnacle of his faith. (For a discussion of the location of Sinai, see Sinai; [[Exodus]] .) It is useless to speculate about the nature of the flames in the theophany by fire at Sinai. Some say there was a thunderstorm ( <i> Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible </i> (five volumes)); others think a volcanic eruption. The time, the stages of the journey, the description of the way, the topography of this place, especially its admirable adaptability to be the cathedral of Yahweh upon earth, and, above all, the collocation of all the events of the narrative along this route to this spot and to no other - all these exercise an overwhelming influence upon one (compare Palmer, <i> The Desert of the Exodus </i> ). If they do not conclusively prove, they convincingly persuade, that here the greatest event between [[Creation]] and [[Calvary]] took place </p> <p> Here the people assembled. "And Mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked," and above appeared the glory of God. [[Bounds]] were set about the mountain to keep the people back &nbsp;Exodus 19:12-13 . God was upon the mountain: "Under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness" &nbsp;Exodus 19:16-19; &nbsp;Exodus 24:10 . 16-17, "and God spake all these words" Exo 20:1-17. Back over the summit of the plain between these two mountain ridges in front, the people fled in terror to the place "afar off" &nbsp;Exodus 20:18 , and somewhere about the foot of this mountain a little later the tabernacle of grace was set up &nbsp;Exodus 40:17 . At this place the affairs of Moses mounted up to such a pinnacle of greatness in the religious history of the world as none other among men has attained unto. He gave formal announcement of the perfect law of God as a rule of life, and the redeeming mercy of God as the hope through repentance for a world of sinners that "fall short." Other men have sought God and taught men to seek God, some by the works of the Law and some by the way of propitiation, but where else in the history of the world has any one man caught sight of both great truths and given them out? </p> <p> Moses gathered the people together to make the covenant &nbsp;Exodus 24:1-8 , and the nobles of Israel ate a covenant meal there before God &nbsp;Exodus 24:11 . God called Moses again to the mountain with the elders of Israel &nbsp;Exodus 24:12 . There Moses was with God, fasting 40 days &nbsp;Exodus 34:28 . Joshua probably accompanied Moses into the mount &nbsp;Exodus 24:13 . There God gave directions concerning the plan of the tabernacle: "See ... that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount" (&nbsp;Hebrews 8:5-12 , summing up &nbsp;Exodus 25:40; &nbsp;Exodus 26:30; &nbsp;Exodus 27:8 ). This was the statement of the architect to the builder. We can only learn what the pattern was by studying the tabernacle (see Tabernacle ). It was an Egyptian plan (compare <i> Bible Student </i> , January, 1902). While Moses was engaged in his study of the things of the tabernacle on the mount, the people grew restless and appealed to Aaron &nbsp;Exodus 32:1 . In weakness Aaron yielded to them and made them a golden calf and they said, "These are thy gods, [[[[O]] I]]  srael, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (&nbsp;Exodus 32:2-6; compare Calf , [[Golden]] ). This was probably, like the later calf-worship at [[Bethel]] and Dan, ancient Semitic bull-worship and a violation of the second commandment &nbsp;Exodus 20:5; compare <i> Bible Student </i> , August, 1902). The judgment of God was swift and terrible 32:7-35, and Levi was made the Divine agent &nbsp;Exodus 32:25-29 . Here first the "tent of meeting" comes into prominence as the official headquarters of the leader of Israel &nbsp;Exodus 33:7-11 . [[Henceforth]] independent and distinct from the tabernacle, though on account of the similarity of names liable to be confused with that building, it holds its place and purpose all through the wanderings to the plain of Moab by Jordan &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:14 . Moses is given a vision of God to strengthen his own faith &nbsp;Exodus 33:12-23; 34:1-35. On his return from communion with God, he had such glory within that it shone out through his face to the terror of the multitude, an adumbration of that other and more glorious transfiguration at which Moses should also appear, and that reflection of it which is sometimes seen in the life of many godly persons &nbsp;Matthew 17:1-13; &nbsp;Mark 9:2-10; &nbsp;Luke 9:28-36 . </p> <p> Rationalistic attempts to account for the phenomena at Sinai have been frequent, but usually along certain lines. The favorite hypothesis is that of volcanic action. God has often used natural agencies in His revelation and in His miracles, and there is no necessary obstacle to His doing so here. But there are two seemingly insuperable difficulties in the way of this naturalistic explanation: one, that since geologic time this has not been a volcanic region; the other, that volcanic eruptions are not conducive to literary inspiration. It is almost impossible to get a sane account from the beholders of an eruption, much less has it a tendency to result in the greatest literature, the most perfect code of laws and the profoundest statesmanship in the world. The human mind can easily believe that God could so speak from Sinai and direct the preparation of such works of wisdom as the Book of the Covenant. Not many will be able to think that Moses could do so during a volcanic eruption at Sinai. For it must be kept in mind that the historical character of the narrative at this point, and the Mosaic authorship of the Book of the Covenant, are generally admitted by those who put forward this naturalistic explanation. </p> (7) Uncertainties of History <p> From this time on to the end of Moses' life, the materials are scant, there are long stretches of silence, and a biographer may well hesitate. The tabernacle was set up at the foot of the "mountain of the law" &nbsp;Exodus 40:17-19 , and the world from that day to this has been able to find a mercy-seat at the foot of the mountain of the law. Nadab and [[Abihu]] presumptuously offered strange fire and were smitten &nbsp;Leviticus 10:1-7 . The people were numbered (&nbsp;Numbers 1:1 ff). The Passover was kept &nbsp; Numbers 9:1-5 . </p> (8) [[Journey]] to Canaan Resumed <p> The journey to Canaan began again &nbsp;Numbers 10:11-13 . From this time until near the close of the life of Moses the events associated with his name belong for the most part to the story of the wanderings in the wilderness and other subjects, rather than to a biography of Moses. (compare Wanderings; Aaron; Miriam; [[Joshua]]; Caleb; [[Brazen Serpent]] , etc.). The subjects and references are as follows: </p> <p> The March Num (&nbsp;Numbers 2:10-18; &nbsp;Numbers 9:15-23 ) </p> <p> The [[Complaining]] (&nbsp;Numbers 11:1-3 ) </p> <p> The [[Lusting]] (&nbsp;Numbers 11:4-6 , 18-35) </p> <p> The Prophets (&nbsp;Numbers 11:16 ) </p> <p> [[Leprosy]] of Miriam (&nbsp;Numbers 12:1-16 </p> (9) The [[Border]] of the Land <p> Kadesh-barnea (&nbsp;Numbers 13:3-26 ) </p> <p> The [[Spies]] (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:22; &nbsp;Numbers 13:2 , &nbsp;Numbers 13:21; &nbsp;Numbers 23:27-28 -33; 14:1-38) </p> <p> The Plagues (&nbsp;Numbers 14:36-37 , &nbsp;Numbers 14:40-45 </p> (10) The Wanderings <p> Korah, Dathan and Abiram (&nbsp;Numbers 16:1-35 ) </p> <p> The Plague (&nbsp;Numbers 16:41-50; &nbsp;Numbers 17:1-13 ) </p> <p> Death of Miriam (&nbsp;Numbers 20:1 ) </p> <p> Sin of Moses and Aaron (&nbsp;Numbers 20:2-13; &nbsp;Psalm 106:32 ) </p> <p> Unfriendliness of Edom (&nbsp;Numbers 20:14-21 ) </p> <p> Death of Aaron (&nbsp;Numbers 20:22-29 ) </p> <p> [[Arad]] (&nbsp;Numbers 21:1-3 ) </p> <p> [[Compassing]] of Edom (&nbsp;Numbers 21:4 ) </p> <p> [[Murmuring]] (&nbsp;Numbers 21:5-7 ) </p> <p> Brazen [[Serpent]] (&nbsp;Numbers 21:8-9; &nbsp;John 3:14 </p> (11) Edom <p> The Jordan (&nbsp;Numbers 21:10-20 ) </p> <p> Sihon (&nbsp;Numbers 21:21-32 ) </p> <p> Og (&nbsp;Numbers 21:33-35 ) </p> <p> [[Balak]] and Balaam (&nbsp;Numbers 22:4; &nbsp;Numbers 24:25 ) </p> <p> [[Pollution]] of the People (&nbsp;Numbers 25:6-15 ) </p> <p> [[Numbering]] of the People (&nbsp;Numbers 26 ) </p> <p> Joshua Chosen (&nbsp;Numbers 27:15-23 ) </p> <p> Midianites [[Punished]] (&nbsp;Numbers 31 ) </p> (12) Tribes East of Jordan <p> (&nbsp;Numbers 32 ) </p> (13) Moses' Final Acts <p> Moses was now ready for the final instruction of the people. They were assembled and a great farewell address was given &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1-30:20 . Joshua was formally inducted into office &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:1-8 , and to the priests was delivered a written copy of this last announcement of the Law now adapted to the progress made during 40 years (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:9-13; compare &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:24-29 ). Moses then called Joshua into the tabernacle for a final charge &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:14-23 , gave to the assembled elders of the people "the words of this song" &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:30; 32:1-43 and blessed the people Deut 33. And then Moses, who "by faith" had triumphed in Egypt, had been the great revelator at Sinai, had turned back to walk with the people of little faith for 40 years, reached the greatest triumph of his faith, when, from the top of Nebo, the towering pinnacle of Pisgah, he lifted up his eyes to the goodly land of promise and gave way to Joshua to lead the people in &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:1-12 . And there Moses died and was buried, "but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day" &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:5-6 , "and Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died" &nbsp;Deuteronomy 34:7 . </p> <p> This biography of Moses is the binding-thread of the Pentateuch from the beginning of Exodus to the end of Deuteronomy, without disastrous breaks or disturbing repetitions. There are, indeed, silences, but they occur where nothing great or important in the narrative is to be expected. And there are, in the eyes of some, repetitions, so-called doublets, but they do not seem to be any more real than may be expected in any biography that is only incidental to the main purpose of the writer. No man can break apart this narrative of the books without putting into confusion this life-story; the one cannot be treated as independent of the other; any more than the narrative of the English [[Commonwealth]] and the story of Cromwell, or the story of the American [[Revolution]] and the career of Washington. </p> <p> Later references to Moses as leader, lawgiver and prophet run all through the Bible; only the most important will be mentioned: &nbsp;Joshua 8:30-35; &nbsp;Joshua 24:5; &nbsp;1 Samuel 12:6-8; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 23:14-17; &nbsp;Psalm 77:20; &nbsp;Psalm 99:6; 105; 106; &nbsp;Isaiah 63:11-12; &nbsp;Jeremiah 15:1; &nbsp;Daniel 9:11-13; &nbsp;Hosea 12:13; &nbsp;Micah 6:4; &nbsp;Malachi 4:4 . </p> <p> The place held by Moses in the New Testament is as unique as in the Old Testament, though far less prominent. Indeed, he holds the same place, though presented in a different light. In the Old Testament he is the type of the Prophet to be raised up "like unto" him. It is the time of types, and Moses, the type, is most conspicuous. In the New Testament the Prophet "like unto Moses" has come. He now stands out the greatest One in human history, while Moses, the type, fades away in the shadow. It is thus he appears in Christ's remarkable reference to him: "He wrote of me" &nbsp;John 5:46 . The principal thing which Moses wrote specifically of Christ is this passage: "Yahweh thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 18:15 , &nbsp;Deuteronomy 18:18 ). Again in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which is the formal passing over from the types of the Old Testament to the fulfilment in the New Testament, Jesus is made to stand out as the Moses of the new dispensation Heb 3; 12. 24-29. Other most important New Testament references to Moses are &nbsp;Matthew 17:3; &nbsp;Mark 9:4; &nbsp;Luke 9:30; &nbsp;John 1:17 , &nbsp;John 1:45; &nbsp;John 3:14; &nbsp;Romans 5:14; &nbsp;Judges 1:9; &nbsp;Revelation 15:3 . </p> II. Work and Character <p> So little is known of the private life of Moses that his personal character can scarcely be separated from the part which he bore in public affairs. It is the work he wrought for Israel and for mankind which fixes his place among the great ones of earth. The life which we have just sketched as the life of the leader of Israel is also the life of the author, the lawgiver, and the prophet. </p> <p> <b> 1. The Author </b> </p> <p> It is not within the province of this article to discuss in full the great critical controversies concerning the authorship of Moses which have been summed up against him thus: "It is doubtful whether we can regard Moses as an author in the literary sense" ( <i> Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible </i> (five volumes), III, 446; see Pentateuch; [[Deuteronomy]] ). It will only be in place here to present a brief statement of the evidence in the case for Moses. There is no longer any question concerning the literary character of the age in which Moses lived. That Moses might have written is indisputable. But did he write, and how much? What evidence bears at these points? </p> (1) "Moses wrote" <p> The idea of writing or of writings is found 60 times in the Pentateuch It is definitely recorded in writing purporting to be by Moses. 7 times that Moses wrote or was commanded to write &nbsp;Exodus 17:14; &nbsp;Exodus 34:27; &nbsp;Exodus 39:30; &nbsp;Numbers 17:2-3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 10:4; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:24 and frequently of others in his times &nbsp; Deuteronomy 6:9; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 27:3; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 31:19; &nbsp;Joshua 8:32 . Joshua at the great convocation at [[Shechem]] for the taking of the covenant wrote "these words in the book of the law of God" &nbsp;Joshua 24:26 . Thus is declared the existence of such a book but 25 years after the death of Moses (compare <i> Bible Student </i> , 1901, 269-74). It is thus clearly asserted by the Scriptures as a fact that Moses in the wilderness a little after the exodus was "writing" "books." </p> (2) Moses' [[Library]] <p> There are many library marks in the Pentateuch, even in those portions which by nearly all, even the most radical, critics are allowed to be probably the writings of Moses. The Pentateuch as a whole has such library marks all over it. </p> <p> On the one hand this is entirely consistent with the known literary character of the age in which Moses lived. One who was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" might have had in his possession Egyptian records. And the author of this article is of that class to whom Professor [[Clay]] refers, who believe "that Hebraic (or Amoraic) literature, as well as Aramaic, has a great antiquity prior to the 1st millennium BC" (Clay, <i> Amurru </i> , 32). </p> <p> On the other hand, the use of a library to the extent indicated by the abiding marks upon the Pentateuch does not in the least militate against the claim of Moses for authorship of the same. The real library marks, aside from the passages which are assigned by the critics to go with them, are far less numerous and narrower in scope than in Gibbon or in Kurtz. The use of a library no more necessarily endangers authorship in the one case than in the other. </p> (3) The Moses-Tradition <p> A tradition from the beginning universally held, and for a long time and without inherent absurdity, has very great weight. Such has been the Moses-tradition of authorship. Since Moses is believed to have been such a person living in such an age and under such circumstances as might suitably provide the situation and the occasion for such historical records, so that common sense does not question whether he could have written "a" Pentateuch, but only whether he did write "the" Pentateuch which we have, it is easier to believe the tradition concerning his authorship than to believe that such a tradition arose with nothing so known concerning his ability and circumstances. But such a tradition did arise concerning Moses. It existed in the days of Josiah. Without it, by no possibility could the people have been persuaded to receive with authority a book purporting to be by him. The question of the truthfulness of the claim of actually finding the Book of the Law altogether aside, there must ha </p>