1. The Birth and Call of Moses (Exodus 1-4)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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James J. Tissot, "Pharaoh Notes the Importance of the Jewish People"
(1896-1900), watercolor, Jewish Museum, New York. The pyramids in
the background aren't accurate, however, since the largest were at
Giza, far south of Pi-Rameses.
Larger image. |
The Book of Exodus begins with a recital of the names
of the patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, who had gone to Egypt centuries before
when Joseph had been at the pinnacle of power as second to Pharaoh over all
Egypt. But now things had changed.
The family that had emigrated with 70 members (1:5) had
now become a multitude.
"The Israelites were fruitful and multiplied
greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them."
(Exodus 1:7)
I see two ongoing themes in this chapter:
- Increase and
- Oppression
The text uses the phrase "multiplied greatly" (NIV),
"were prolific" (NRSV), "increased abundantly" (KJV). The Hebrew word is
interesting -- shāraṣ, "teem, swarm,"1 the same word used to describe the swarm of frogs that overtook Egypt in the
second plague (Exodus 8:3). The Israelites were everywhere in Goshen!
This increase caused fear among the Egyptian leaders.
Since the Israelites hadn't been assimilated and didn't consider themselves
as Egyptians, Pharaoh feared that such a large group could pose an internal
security threat in time of war. Verse 12 uses the word "dread."2 If Egypt were attacked by an enemy at their front, the Israelites might use
the opportunity to (1) fight against the Egyptian army from behind and then
(2) escape from the country.
The Pharaoh, who reigned centuries after Joseph's time,
concluded that a new policy towards the Israelites was required. He would
"deal shrewdly" (NIV, NRSV) or "deal wisely" (KJV) with them strictly in the
Egyptians'self-interest.3
Instead of allowing them relative freedom as
subsistence farmers, their freedoms would be curtailed. Pharaoh began a
policy of systematic oppression and forced labor.
The oppression or affliction4 escalated as the threat the Israelites posed became more apparent, as verse
14 tells us.
- Construction projects with forced labor under slave masters.5
Their labor built the empire's storage or supply depot cities6
at Pithom and Rameses.
- Brick7 making, described in Exodus 5:7. These bricks, which built the
buildings, were made of the clay along the Nile mixed with straw and stubble
to add strength, and then joined to other bricks with mortar.8
- Field labor.
None of this was voluntary or paid labor. It was
the ancient institution of tribute or corvee that involved service for a
superior power -- a feudal lord, a king, or a foreign ruler.9 It left precious little time to till their own fields and eke out a living
for their families. Life was exceedingly bitter (1:14).
This was not a mild oppression. This was a full-out
subjugation of a people into slavery. In verse 14b, it says, "In all their
hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly."10 Harshness, severity was the rule of the day.
Harsh oppression may have kept the Israelites under
better control to prevent a rebellion, but their numbers kept increasing. To
stop this, Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill the male babies. When this
didn't work, he decreed that all boy babies be exposed as infants and left
to die.
In verse 1 we learn that Moses is a descendant of Levi,
one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Exodus 6:20 gives Moses' and Aaron's parents as Amram and Jochebed, who is his father's younger sister. The weight of Pharaoh's edict is heavy upon this couple. Jochebed sees Moses
as all mothers see their sons -- "a fine child"!12
She can't expose him, but neither can she keep him. So
she weaves a basket13 for him from the reeds,14 then waterproofs it with tar15 and pitch so that it won't leak. She obeys the letter of the law, but sends
her daughter Miriam to watch over the floating basket, deliberately placed
among the reeds16 along the Nile where one of Pharaoh's daughters was known to bathe.17
So God arranged for Moses to be raised in his earliest
years in his mother's and father's home. This way he got a clear idea who he
was -- that he was a Hebrew, a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
If the Pharaoh at the time is Rameses II (and we can't
be sure) then this daughter is one of 60 daughters. She may have lived in
one of his numerous hunting lodges scattered over the delta area.18 Harrison sees her as the adolescent offspring of one of the pharaohs by a
concubine or some lesser paramour, and not one of the chief princesses of
full royal blood.19 If so, Moses didn't necessarily grow up in the royal palace as a royal
prince, but he certainly benefited from his status as an adopted royal. In
Acts we read:
"When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's
daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated20 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action."
(Acts 7:21-22)
C. Moses the Activist (Exodus 2:11-22)
Moses is now about 40 (Acts 7:23) and seems to have
adopted the arrogance of a member of the ruling class. The next incident
tells us a lot about his character.
"One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to
where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an
Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way
and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand."
(Exodus 2:11-12)
Moses, of course, wasn't seen by most as a Hebrew, but
a prince of Pharaoh's family. He has a predictable reaction when he sees his
countrymen being abused. "Beating" (NIV, NRSV), "smiting" (KJV) in verse 11
is the same Hebrew word as "killed" (NIV, NRSV), "slew" (KJV) in verse 12 -- nākâ, "smite, strike, hit, beat, slay, kill. "It can vary from a
single stroke, to a beating, to mean even "strike dead."21
Moses' response is interesting. He doesn't seek legal
justice in Pharaoh's court. Rather, "glancing this way and that," provides
his own rough but illegal justice. This suggests several things about Moses:
- He identifies himself as a Hebrew.
- He has a strong sense of basic justice.
- He is willing to take charge of a situation, a man of action. On this
occasion he is decisive, perhaps to the point of being rash. But he is not a
timid man.
- He is physically strong.
- He seems to have no sense yet of acting for God.
But he is not seen as a leader or even having
authority by his own people. Here's the take-charge leader asserting himself
again, but his authority isn't recognized. I would guess that he was
well-known among the Hebrews as "one of our people made good," but his
intervention in this quarrel doesn't seem to be appreciated. He may be a
prince in Egypt, but that doesn't win him real respect among his own people.
They question Moses' right to be either a ruler22 or judge23 over them.
Pause here for a moment. Moses is a member of the
ruling class, but not a ruler. Why? He has neither office nor influence
among those he seeks to lead. We often mistake holding a leadership position
or office as "leadership." You can impose your will if you hold an office,
perhaps, but is that leading?
John C. Maxwell, in his classic 21 Irrefutable Laws
of Leadership, asserts that leadership is influence, pure and simple.24 Many a pastor has come to a church expecting to be the congregation's
leader, only to find that the real leaders, the people who call the shots,
are a couple of the old-time members who everyone in the congregation turns
to -- even if they no longer have any official leadership role.
Moses is influential later because he has encountered
God and is able to speak with an authority and miracles that are recognized
by his peers.
Is leadership a part of a person's personal charisma or
can it be learned? There are people who are "natural leaders," of course,
who carry themselves as leaders and whose leadership is accepted by those
around them, even if they're new to a situation. But notice that Moses was
not one of these. He emerged as a leader as he was transformed by God. You
can learn to be a leader -- and if you're already a "natural leader," you can
become a better leader.
At this point, however, Moses is clearly not a "natural
leader." He has no response to his countrymen's challenge, "Who are you?" Moreover, he is suddenly frightened -- frightened enough to run25 for his life. Dear friends, there is a time for everything under heaven.
Jesus and his apostles knew when it was time for a strategic retreat also.26
You may have fled from situations in your life. But
don't think that this is the end of you as a leader. God has a way of
retooling and equipping his leaders for future tasks. God hasn't given up on
you!
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Q1. (Exodus 2:11-15a)
What do we learn about Moses' motivations, character, and leadership
ability from the incident of him killing the cruel Egyptian
taskmaster? What positive things do you see in his character? What
negative things do you discern?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1034
|
Where is Midian? Probably east of the Gulf of Aqaba or
in the eastern Sinai peninsula.27
Moses stops by a well -- doubtless near a settlement,
and a great place for this wanderer to meet people. As he is there,
shepherds -- young, beautiful shepherd girls -- are watering their father's
flock. The shepherds would lower down into the well a pot or jar, let it
fill, then pull it up and pour the water into troughs where the sheep could
drink. Now Moses watches while some male shepherds push their way in and
threaten28 the girls who got there first.
"Some shepherds came along and drove them away,
but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock." (Exodus
2:17)
Moses has just gotten in trouble trying to see justice
done in Egypt. Now he takes it upon himself to fight off these bullies. This
may mean that Moses is physically strong, but more likely it means that he
is just assertive. It's likely that these male shepherds are young -- older
children or teenagers -- and not very confident in the face of a grown man,
an Egyptian, threatening them with his staff.
Moses not only "came to their rescue," 29 but finished watering the
girls' flock himself -- a menial task you would not
expect a grown man to perform in this culture!
Now we meet a man who will be linked to Moses' future
success -- Jethro, here called Reuel. The girls' father asks them why they
didn't invite the man into their home. In our culture, it would be very
wrong for girls to invite a strange man home. But in the Middle East,
strangers are treated well -- especially strangers who assist in time of
danger. To fail to offer hospitality is a grievous social breach. The father
rebukes his daughters.
So they run back to the well to fetch the stranger and
bring him home. The father then extends the invitation and finally offers
his daughter to Moses in marriage.30
The father is identified as a "priest of Midian" (Exodus 2:16), a designation
marking him as a person of status with a
strongly religious role in the hierarchy of Midianite society.31
Moses' father-in-law is identified by several names in the Bible,32 but for the most part in Exodus, he is known by the name Jethro.
Moses' life can be roughly divided into three periods,
each about 40 years.33 Here's one way to describe his life:
|
1.
Prince of Egypt |
Proud in man's knowledge and status |
40 yrs |
|
2.
Shepherd in Midian |
Humbled and molded by God |
40 yrs |
|
3.
Leader |
Obedient servant |
40 yrs |
By the time the third phase of Moses' life begins, he
is about 80 years of age. He has been a humble shepherd for half his life,
far away from the hustle and bustle of Egyptian society and culture. For the
most part, his life has been quiet, solitary, out in the desert pastures,
except when he is home in his family's tent.
So far, the narrator has offered an
introduction to Moses' character. But now the real story of the Exodus
begins.
"23 During that long period, the king
of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their
cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard
their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with
Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about
them." (Exodus 2:23-25)
Notice three things from these verses:
- God's compassion.34
The Exodus isn't about Moses at all. It is about God's compassion and plan.
God is the main player in the story. Moses is only his servant -- a great
servant, but still only a servant.
- God's faithfulness. God has made promises to Abraham
and his descendants called covenants. He is faithful to keep his promises!
- Sustained prayer. The deliverance took place through anguished
prayer35 to God. God hears our prayers and answers them. All significant revivals
have taken place as a result of consistent, urgent prayer before God for
help. Don't give up, even if it seems like God isn't answering immediately!
Now God begins his plan in answer to the prayers of the
Israelites. He appears to Moses. Wide-ranging shepherds had probably seen
shrub fires lit by lightning strikes. But this bush wasn't consumed.36 Moses came closer to see if he could find an explanation for this
phenomenon.
Eugene Pluchart (French painter, 1809-1880), "God Appears to Moses
in Burning Bush" (1848), St. Isaac of Dalmatia Cathedral, St.
Petersburg.
Larger image. |
The narrator tells us that this was "the angel of the
LORD," who appears elsewhere in the Pentateuch. Often the "angel of the
LORD" is referred to earlier in the passage, while later in same the passage
the person speaking is identified as the LORD (Yahweh) himself.37 The angel "appears"38
here in the flame itself, not as a person. Elsewhere, God appears as a
"consuming fire," 39 and his "glory"
as a brightness that cannot be looked at with the naked eye.
The tongues of fire (flames) that appeared over the believers on the Day of
Pentecost typify the presence of God in his Holy Spirit.
God attracts Moses' attention with the flames. Now he
calls to him, with his voice coming from the burning bush. God calls40 Moses by name, and Moses answers. Then God informs him of the holiness41 of the place and instructs him to act appropriately by taking off his
sandals.42
"7 The LORD said, 'I have indeed seen
the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their
slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have
come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out
of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and
honey....'" (Exodus 3:7-8)
God's message to Moses out of the burning bush is
four-fold:
- Seeing. I have seen my people's misery and oppression.
- Hearing. I have heard their cries and prayers.
- Rescuing. I will rescue them.43
- Giving. I will bring them into a land that I will give them.
This is a wonderful promise, the fulfillment of
the covenant that God had spoken to Abraham and the patriarchs hundreds of
years previously.44
"So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to
bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10)
After stating the promise, God explains that he is
appointing45 Moses to achieve this promise. When God appoints you and gives you a
mission, you don't question -- you go!
But Moses questions God:
"Who am I, that I should go...?"This statement and others in Moses' running dispute with God in Exodus 3-4 indicate a profound humility. Later,
the Scripture explains,
"Now Moses was a very humble46 man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."
(Numbers 12:3)
Moses had experienced a kind of brokenness. As a prince
of Egypt he operated with a sense of entitlement and arrogance because of
both his place in the ruling class of society and his superior education.
But 40 years before he had fled from Egypt as a common criminal. Now he was
a lowly shepherd at age 80, watching flocks that were not even his own. "Who
am I?" asks Moses.
But his question also betrays a lack of faith. He
assumes that he must carry out this task by himself. Nothing could be
further from the truth. God says to him, "I will be with you" (Exodus
3:12a). This profound promise from God has encouraged God's people
throughout the ages.47 If we can believe that God is with us, on the basis of that faith, we can do
anything God asks of us. Nothing will be impossible to us!
"13 Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to
the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you,"
and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?' 14
God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the
Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."'" (Exodus 3:13-14)
Moses asks for God's name and is given a new revelation
of God as the Great I Am, "I AM WHO I AM." This idea of One who is always
present and eternally existent seems to be the etymological basis of God's
revealed name Yahweh, from the Hebrew verb meaning "to be." We see echoes of
it in the New Testament, as well.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,'' says the Lord
God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Revelation 1:8)
I discuss the name Yahweh in detail in another
study in this series.48
Now God gives Moses specific instructions: "Go,
assemble the elders of Israel and say to them...." (Exodus 3:16). He gives
Moses the message to give to them and to Pharaoh, as well as promises of
deliverance and a new land. But Moses still protests:
"What if they do not believe me or listen to
me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" (Exodus 4:1)
The Lord shows him how his staff can turn into a snake.
When put into his cloak, his hand becomes leprous, and is then restored.
Turning water into blood is a third sign.
Now Moses complains about lack of eloquence.49 God's answer: I will help you. Consider God's amazing promise:
"I will be with your mouth, and teach you what
you are to say." (Exodus 4:12)
God promises to take care of Moses' inadequacies in
public speaking. Even more important, he promises to coach50 him on what to say -- help with both delivery and content! And still, Moses
tries to wriggle out of the call.
Ever since God had called him, Moses had come up with a
series of excuses and "what ifs," plus another fear revealed in verse 19:
- Who am I? (3:11-12)
- What if they ask your Name? (3:13-15)
- What if they don't believe me? (4:1-9)
- But I'm not eloquent (4:10-12)
- People will kill me (4:19)
Each of these God has answered. But now, after God has
peeled back each of his excuses, Moses comes to the underlying reason: he
just doesn't want to do it! God responds with anger!51
"13 But Moses said, 'O Lord,
please send someone else to do it.'14 Then the LORD's anger burned
against Moses…." (Exodus 4:13-14a)
In spite of his anger, God provides a second way to
convince Moses to take the assignment -- his brother Aaron. As I ponder
Moses' chutzpah in resisting God, I am amazed at God's grace in spite of his
anger. God is not rigid. He is willing to work with us and find ways to fill
in for our weaknesses, so that he can use our strengths.
E. Moses Obeys God (Exodus 4:18-31)
Convinced and rebuked, Moses makes plans to returns to Egypt. On the long
trip back, the Lord explains what will happen. Pharaoh will not give in
right away, God says, but don't be afraid, this is part of a plan. God tells
him ahead of time so Moses won't be as discouraged when the deliverance
drags on and on.
The Circumcision of Moses' Son Gershom (Exodus 4:24-26)
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An incident occurs on Moses trip back to Egypt that is
difficult to understand.
"24 At a lodging place on the way,
the LORD met [Moses] and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah
took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched [Moses'] feet
with it. 'Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,' she said. 26
So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said 'bridegroom of blood,' referring to circumcision.)" (Exodus 4:24-26)
There are dozens of theories about the meaning of the
passage. What makes the most sense to me is that Moses had neglected
circumcision (of Gershom and perhaps of himself), in accordance with the
ancient rite revealed to Abraham as a sign of the Covenant (Genesis
17:9-14), and this neglect arouses God's anger. At any rate, God stops
him while they are at an overnight desert camp. Zipporah intervenes, takes a
flint knife, circumcises Gershom, and then apparently touches Moses'
genitals with it. "Feet" (regel) here is likely a euphemism for male
genitalia, as in Isaiah 7:20 (with reference to pubic hair) and in Judges
3:24 and 1 Samuel 24:3 (with reference to relieving oneself).52After this rite has been performed, God backs off from his threat to Moses.
Of course, this doesn't answer all our questions. Why
does Zipporah touch Moses' genitals with Gershom's foreskin? It's possible
that Moses himself hasn't been circumcised as a baby, or fully circumcised
as an adult. Egyptian circumcision, performed on adults, was only a partial
circumcision. Perhaps Gershom's circumcision is being vicariously
transferred to Moses by touching his penis.53And what do Zipporah's words mean: "Bridegroom of blood"? Scholars have
speculated that in Midian culture, circumcision was performed at puberty as
a premarital rite, and that Zipporah's words echo this.54But it is merely speculation. We don't really know.
The point seems to be that only those who have been
circumcised will escape God's judgment – especially God's judgment upon the
Egyptians in Egypt (Exodus 12:44-49; Joshua 5:5). When Zipporah's rite has
been completed, God allows Moses and his family to continue to Egypt.
Fortunately this obscure event isn't important to the
primary story of Moses' character and ministry.
As Moses is returning to Egypt, God calls Aaron too.
They meet at Mt. Horeb, "the mountain of God," where Moses lets Aaron know
what his part will be as divine spokesman. When they arrive in Egypt, they
go together to the leaders of God's people, the elders. Aaron knows these
men, but it is likely that Moses does not. Moses is terrified, but does what
he is told.
James J. Tissot, "Moses and Aaron Speak to the People" (1896-1900),
watercolor, Jewish Museum, New York.
Larger image. |
Notice that before the elders, Moses doesn't point to
himself, but to the Lord. His message is that God has heard the Israelites' prayers and has compassion on them. The result is faith and thankfulness on
the part of the elders, evidenced by worship. The elders' worship is
described by two words, qādad, "bow down," 52 and the Eshtafel stem of ḥāwâ,
"prostrate oneself, worship,"53 demonstrating their deep submission to Yahweh who had loved them and heard
their prayers.
God has done what Moses had doubted could happen -- that
people would really believe him and take him seriously. I can almost hear
God's thoughts echoed by his Son centuries later:
"You of little faith, why are you so
afraid?" (Matthew 8:26)
"You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31)
Moses has taken the first steps and learned some
important lessons. But what God will ask him to do in days to come builds on
this earlier reluctant obedience. Moses doesn't begin as a man of great
faith, but gradually God builds faith within him, and as he operates in that
faith, he becomes a leader whom God can use.
Prayer
Father, we have felt doubt and fear, just like Moses. Forgive us for our
unbelief. Forgive us for being so slow to obey. Build your faith in us, so
that you can use us to do mighty things that are part of your plan for us.
With confidence in your faithful work in us, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
References
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