(1250–1150 BC)
The story of Moses begins with a Hebrew mother placing a baby by the reeds of the river while the Egyptian princess and her servants were out. While bathing and tending to chores by the river, a maidservant noticed a baby basket by the reeds. The maidservant asked if the princess would like to keep the child and have a midwife nurse it for her; she said “yes” and adopted the child as her own. The boy then became the honorary prince of Egypt.
Previous to this the Hebrew people were beginning to outnumber the Egyptian people and this caused great concern among the Egyptians. When the pharaoh saw that the Hebrew people were growing 92
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strong in number and in power, he ordered the execution of every Hebrew boy to decimate their numbers. The Egyptian people were growing weak and the threat of their numbers was of grave concern for him.
Since Moses’ mother had great love for him she kept for three months instead of executing him as required by law of pharaoh.
But the ChIldren of Israel were fruItful and InCreased aBundantly, MultIPlIed and grew exCeedIngly MIghty; and the land was fIlled wIth theM. now there arose a new kIng over egyPt, who dId not know JosePh. and he saId to hIs PeoPle, “look, the PeoPle of the ChIldren of Israel are More MIghtIer than we; CoMe let us deal shrewdly wIth theM, lest they MultIPly, and It haPPen, In the event of war, that they also JoIn our eneMIes and fIght agaInst us, and so go uP out of the land.”
exodus 1: 7–10 (NKJV)
As Moses grew up he was promoted to oversee the construction and day-to-day labor of the Hebrew people, along with their daily tasks. He was also a military commander for the armies of pharaoh and served as an ambassador between the Hebrew and Egyptian people. His position facilitated the ability for pharaoh to pass his orders to the Hebrew people.
After a time the work of the Hebrew people became difficult and intolerable. People were being beaten, bought, and sold. The people were not being fed or given water, and Moses was receiving tremendous pressure from both sides. Both the Egyptian and Hebrew people were growing impatient with each other and civil war was about to occur.
Moses was divided on the issue of war, as he was prince of Egypt, yet also a Hebrew at the same time.
There came a point in time when Moses came across an Egyptian beating a Hebrew for “no reason.” Moses got in a heated discussion with the Egyptian and a duel occurred with Moses being the victor.
Since Egyptian law was eye for an eye with an Egyptian citizen, Moses was in trouble. Since Moses was frustrated with the sociopolitical situation, and the threat of being wanted for murder, he decided to leave to the land of Midian.
After spending some time in the land of Midian, Moses was given revelation by God and instructed on what to do with the Hebrew people in Egypt. He was instructed to appear to them and decree that he 93
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was the divine prophet of God. He was instructed to go to the desert and worship God and tell the pharaoh that the Hebrew people are to be free to wonder the lands be free of bondage and be able to worship God. Moses was instructed to warn the pharaoh of plagues and other curses that were to come if he did obey this order. Thus the covenant between God and Moses was made for the children of Israel and the rest of the world that was under bondage from Ramses.
and god saId to Moses, “I aM who I aM.” and he saId, “thus you shall say to the ChIldren of Israel, “I aM has sent Me to you.” Moreover god saId to Moses, “thus you shall say to the ChIldren of Israel: “the lord god of your fathers, the god of aBrahaM, the god of IsaaC, and the god of JaCoB, has sent Me to you. thIs Is My naMe forever, and thIs Is My MeMorIal to all generatIons.” exodus 3:14–15 (NKJV)
and reMeMBer we gave Moses the sCrIPture and the CrIterIon.
surah 2:53 al baqarah4
we gave Moses the Book, and followed hIM uP wIth a suCCessIon of Messengers; we gave Jesus, the son of Mary, Clear sIgns and strengthened hIM wIth the holy sPIrIt. Is It that whenever there CoMes to you a Messenger wIth what ye yourselves desIre not, ye are Puffed uP wIth PrIde? soMe ye Call IMPosters, and others ye slay!
surah 2:875
Moses took this revelation and his family that he had acquired in the Midian lands and proceeded to travel back to Egypt. During this time his friend and a priest named Aaron was instructed by God to meet Moses in the wilderness. Moses told Aaron everything that he had been given by God and the instruction he received. Moses and Aaron then summoned the elders of Israel and met with them; Moses spoke all the words he was instructed to say to the elders of Israel.
Because of the revelation that Moses shared with Aaron, Aaron had great authority in the eyes of God and acted as a priest to the chil-4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
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dren of Israel. Later that week, Moses and Aaron went to the pharaoh and decreed all that he was instructed by God. He asked the pharaoh to let the people go to the desert and worship their God; the pharaoh grew angry at this and gave the people more work on top of their daily chores, demanding the same quotas.
and you shall lay on theM the quota of BrICks whICh they Made Before. you shall not reduCe It. for they are Idle; therefore they Cry out, sayIng, “let us go and saCrIfICe to our god.” exodus 5: 8 (NKJV)
Moses was distraught as he did what the Lord instructed, and the Hebrew people were being punished as a result. Their labors increased and their quotas remained the same, the bondage became great for the people. Moses became angered and was insulted that he came to do the work of the Lord and was treated that badly by pharaoh again. The Hebrew and Egyptian people were beginning to get angry with him now, so Moses and Aaron approached the pharaoh again.
This time Moses was angered and so was God; he approached the pharaoh and decreed that the people shall go to the desert and worship their God.
and the lord sPoke to Moses, “go to the Pharaoh and say to hIM.
‘thus says the lord: “let My PeoPle go that they May serve Me.” exodus 8:1 (NKJV)
Moses warned the pharaoh of Egypt against the plagues and other disasters that would fill the land if they did not let the Hebrew people free. The pharaoh was stubborn in his ways and the kingdom encountered plagues which threatened the people as a whole. The pharaoh’s heart was hard and he had a hate for Moses and the Hebrew people that grew with every passing day. Since the Lord knew that the pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and he would not heed the advice of God, plagues began to occur. Plagues of all sorts arose—locusts (bugs), frog infestations, fly infestations, and disease spreading between humans and cattle across the land. Still even with these wonders, the pharaoh was still hard of heart and refused to allow the Hebrew people to worship God.
thus says the lord god of the heBrews: “let My PeoPle go, that they May serve Me. for at thIs tIMe I wIll send My Plagues to your 95
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very heart, and on your servants and on your PeoPle, that you May know that there Is none lIke Me In all the earth.” exodus 9: 13–14 (NKJV)
During many of the meetings with the pharaoh, he called for the sorcerers to come and perform miracles before them to prove that Moses was not divine and in fact like a sorcerer. When Moses was in the land of Midian, he was instructed to take his rod and perform miracles before the pharaoh. The sorcerers tried to perform illusions and match the miracles performed by Moses, but none could. Over time the sorcerers even told pharaoh that these are the works of the finger of God, but still the pharaoh had a hardened heart.
we Put Into Moses’ MInd By InsPIratIon: “throw (now) thy rod”: and Behold! It swallows uP straIghtway all the falsehoods whICh they fake! thus the truth was ConfIrMed. and all that they dId was Made of no effeCt. so the great ones were vanquIshed there and then, and were Made to look sMall. But the sorCerers fell down Prostrate In adoratIon. sayIng: “we BelIeve In the lord of the worlds. the lord of Moses and aaron.”
surah 7: 117–122 al a’raf6
The Holy Spirit is in all living things and the spirit of God is found in everything material. The Holy Spirit is the energy surrounding the universe and consisting and constantly emitting the frequencies of existence. This existence later creates the world that we live in every day.
This existence is governed by the Holy Spirit and God which surrounds us all and is found in everything. There is an ability and method to get in touch or at one with this entity. Moses had a contact with the creator or Holy Spirit far greater than anyone of his living time. Remember that although he could not speak well, that did not mean he could not write and he was extremely intelligent.
The pharaoh continued to be of hardened heart and the hardships on the land of Egypt and the Egyptian people continued to grow. Over time Moses continued to see the pharaoh, and the curses continued on the land. Crops began failing, locusts and frogs filled the land, and plagues of boils on men and cattle occurred. Eventually over time the pharaoh’s kingdom began to suffer too much and the pharaoh agreed to let the people leave the land to worship their God.
6 Ibid
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then Pharaoh Called to Moses and saId, “go, serve the lord; only let your floCks and your herds Be kePt BaCk. let your lIttle ones go wIth you.”
exodus 10:24 (NKJV)
Once the pharaoh allowed the children of Israel to go worship their God, Moses also asked if they can take their cattle and livestock with them to worship their Lord. Pharaoh became of hardened heart once more and did not allow the Hebrew people to take their livestock with them. Moses and the pharaoh got into an argument and the pharaoh threatened the life of Moses and Aaron. Then the pharaoh said to him,
“get away froM Me! take heed to yourself and see My faCe no More! for In the day you see My faCe you shall dIe!” exodus 10:28 (NKJV)
After the pharaoh decreed this, Moses became angered and threatened the life of every Egyptian and Hebrew that would not allow his people to exodus from oppression. The statement that pharaoh made was considered to be an act of war and this led to the establishment of the Passover. Since the armies and people of the pharaoh were weakened from the plagues and curses that filled the land, the Hebrew people were now in a position to exodus from the land of Egypt. Moses planned for the exodus to take place during the night when the moon was at its peak, as the desert is greatly illuminated by the moon.
When the pharaoh allowed the Hebrew people to pray in the desert, they began planning and preparing for the exodus as they went to pray.
They began to cut lumber and create a dam like structure along the sea. Pharaoh knew that this was happening as building and timbering a dam would take a significant amount of work and people. Pharaoh’s empire was weakening and he could not deny their worshiping their God and going out to the desert, which is why he denied the flocks and herds to leave with them; pharaoh knew that they were not planning on coming back.
After the dam was built, he went and told Pharaoh that he is taking all the people out to pray this time. The people did actually go out and pray, feast, and work. A dam was previously constructed for irrigation and salt collection along the Red Sea. Salt was used in the preservation 97
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of meats, and has been used as a spice and preservative for millenni-ums. The dams were built to hold off the tide for longer mining hours and salt recovery. I believe Moses was sent a vision by God on how to conquer the pharaoh, and defeat his armies. Plagues and miraculous phenomena of nature helped destroy and weaken the hold of the pharaoh’s dominion over the people.
Moses was now in a position to organize and gather all the people for a permanent exodus from Egypt. The Passover established a feast as a front for the Hebrew people to prepare for exodus. The idea was to prepare a midnight feast in the celebration of God and to pray for a successful exodus. The pharaoh previously declared war with Moses and Aaron, threatening their lives if they were to come back and see him.
Moses ordered that every family who supported the exodus to put the blood of a lamb along the inside of their tent posts to mark their support; those that did not comply supported the Egyptians and would be destroyed.
and they shall take soMe of the Blood and Put It on the two doorPosts and on the lIntel of the houses where they eat It.
exodus 12:7 (NKJV)
Other evidence that suggests the Passover was created as a front to prepare for the exodus is the fact that Moses ordered the feast to take place with the people dressed for exodus. While they were roasting the lambs as a symbolic gesture to the lord, families were preparing to follow Moses out of Egypt.
and thus you shall eat It; wIth a Belt on your waIst, your sandals on your feet, and your staff In your hand. so shall you eat In haste. It Is the lord’s Passover.
exodus 12:11(NKJV)
As the feasts were going on, Moses gathered all the Hebrew warriors and proceeded to check the houses that were marked with the blood of the lamb. It is said that all the firstborn of Egypt were slain that night, but remember that it was the firstborn of every family that was required to serve in the military. Moses and the warriors killed all the Egyptian firstborn in the kingdom and all those who did not mark the blood of the lamb in the doorway.
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for the lord wIll Pass through to strIke the egyPtIans; and when he sees the Blood on the two doorPosts, the lord wIll Pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to CoMe Into your houses to strIke you.
exodus 12: 23 (NKJV)
Moses had amazing power and alliances throughout the surrounding lands; remember that as well as being the prince of Egypt, he was a warrior, general, master builder, and scholar. These political alliances formed huge pockets of control over the people, both militarily and politically.
When the people were in great doubt and did not believe that water and salvation would be upon them, Moses found and guided them to success and domination. It is said that Moses found water running in the mountains with the instruction God; this allowed the people of Israel to experience nourishment and fresh water in their exodus when their doubt in faith was at an all time high.
only In tIMe of need does god reveal Itself.
Pharaoh after realizing by the guards that the Hebrew slaves had left gathered his army and pursued the Hebrew people. While the pharaoh was coming across the dam barrier built by the slaves, he viewed Moses and his people reaching the other side of the sea. Being angered at being deceived and forced to submit to the will of God (miracles, plagues, etc.), Pharaoh pursued Moses in a stupid rage (according to Moses’ plan), racing his top horsemen and chariot warriors toward them.
As they were crossing the sea, the Hebrew slaves released the dam in a plan to destroy Pharaoh’s army. It is also said that the sea divided in two for Moses; however, the dam concept is also a plausible theory. Remember that miracles can happen, and Moses had divine abilities, initiating curses and plagues. The plan worked and the pharaoh’s horsemen were defeated; the remainder of the pharaoh’s army was forced to retreat back to Egypt or spend hours crossing around the river. This paved the way of the Hebrew exodus to Mount Sinai, and their dominance over the Ammonites and Hittites that led to the eventual governance of the Holy Land.
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Moses then forged a community which was later to become what is known as Israel and Judea. In his exodus, however, he was heavily criticized for his action to leave Egypt, and the starvation of his people.
Moses’ faith carried him through these troubled times and he stumbled upon an oasis in the desert. It is there that he delivered his sermons and delivered the Ten Commandments to his people. He collected and distributed rations among his people, as well as settled large scale disputes among the member of his civilizations.
The proclamation by God to Moses to inscribe the law for his people was written on tablets and where the supreme law of the land for the Hebrews for 1,000 years and is still considered holy scripture even today. The modern laws of societies today can still be considered to have originated from the Ten Commandments, which originated from the law of Abraham.
Lawlessness was spreading among his people and Moses imposed the rule of his laws with scripture, and most of the time it was of verbal rule. Moses was the supreme consult for the Hebrew people. These great journeys, military feats, and peaceful times were quite the legacy to leave amongst his people. Moses led his people to prosper and was a religious high man and priest until his death.
He then anointed Joshua as the heir to the throne of Israel. Joshua later ruled, and King Saul, King David, and King Solomon also ruled later in this time. After the time of Moses and Joshua, judges were anointed over the people for trade and ruling of the law. They also administered ceremonies in the name of the Lord according to Moses and the tradition of the people prior to this. These are the creators of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim (along with parts of the Tanak).
These laws have evolved up until the time of Rabbi Judah in the year approximately 60 AD.
Written Judaism, with the first writings being the Ten Commandments can be traced to the disciples of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses.
The scripture of Abraham dates back to the trading and distributing of goods among the Hebrew and Egyptian people. Remember that although Abraham had many temples and palaces to refer to, he had control of a large amount of trade in the markets. He traded in other goods, as well as in cattle and livestock; he traded wine and other liver-ies (oil, incense, lamps) that the people of the time requested.
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Remember that Egyptian law suppressed the Hebrew people only after the time of Joseph, when he became a largely influential figure in Egyptian history and wanted to distribute the wealth among the Hebrew and Egyptian people. Ramses II implied that he could offer better tributes and offerings to the people. Over time, the Egyptian hierarchy forgot the Hebrew alliance and began to extend strict rule over their people.
After the exodus was executed and the people were lacking faith, Moses went to look for a proper settlement to establish. When returning he found that the people began to take to worshiping the carved image of a golden calf. Moses after being given the miracles of God was furious at this desecration and blasphemy of the image of God.
those who took the Calf for worshIP wIll Indeed Be overwhelMed wIth wrath froM theIr lord, and wIth shaMe In thIs lIfe: thus we reCoMPense those who Invent falsehoods.
surah 7: 152 al a’raf7
The deviation from the worship of one God, to the worship of the calf and other mythological hierarchies was the reason for the Ten Commandments. The people needed law and a reason for living. They required ceremonies and other purpose for their life, along with reason for being and reason for existence. The people were easily manipulated and many times would deviate and begin such idol worship (calf); it is hard to believe, however, this did occur.