Now here we go again. please tell me you are reading this, I don’t want to think I am wasting my time. Mind you its good for me too, so its never a waste of time, and I get just as much out of all this as you will. Its very brief, but you will know the bible before I am done. Or at least the main focus, of course you will read it yourself someday and see there is so much more. In the bible it says that anyone that reads the word of God is blessed, that so makes me feel so good. I'm blessed, but actually I was long before I read that, lol. just makes it better…. Soooooooooooooo where were we .. oh yea.. Moses.
Now life goes on, for many years like hundreds of years. Josephs family and their decedents had been enslaved in Egypt for more than 400 years actually, God chooses an unlikely candidate to lead his beloved people to freedom and into the Promised Land. Moses. Moses was a baby of one of the faithful, his mother was a believer, she put her little baby in a basket and let him go with a prayer (God’s plan) and he gets picked up by the Pharoah’s daughter. She raised him as her own til he was about 40 years old. Moses was raised like a prince, but he hated the way they were treating the slaves and in his anger he killed a man. Once they found out about this, he was on the run, for 40 years. At this time the slaves were gaining power (having lots and lots of babies) and the King didn't like this. He was a different King then the one of Josephs time, and he used the people as slaves. They cried out day and night to God to help them, and he heard their cries. That is when Moses was chosen. Moses was elected to lead them all to freedom. Moses while he was away, found a wife and was living his life looking after his family tending to sheep, now you have heard of the burning bush. Well that is how it all started with Moses. He was out on a hill tending the sheep when he saw a bush, it was on fire... burning, but wasn't burning, glowing but not being destroyed. It was God, about to talk to him and give him a huge job. something he didn't want to do. He wanted Moses to go back to Egypt and save his people. Moses didn't think he was good for the job because he hated talking in front of people, so God hooked him up with his brother Aaron to help him out, and off they go to see the King to get him to let the people go. Of course Pharoah denied his request. He needed them for his own good, and you also have to understand that the people of Pharoah did not worship the True God. They had there own man made Gods. So they weren’t about to listen to Moses. But God has the power and these are the plaques he forced on the unbelievers.
Moses requested to let his people go ...and here is what happened.
The First Plague
All of the water in Egypt - right from water already in buckets and jars, to ponds, canals, streams, even the Nile River - turned to blood. Then all of the fish of the river died, causing a terrible stench.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Second Plague
Frogs miraculously multiplied in number, so many that the land was infested with the normally aquatic creatures. Even people's houses had them inside.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Third Plague
Vast swarms of gnats (lice) tormented people and animals. Of course only those of the unbelievers.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Fourth Plague
Vast swarms of flies through the land, spreading disease.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Fifth Plague
Disease on the livestock - horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats - but those of the Israelites (Moses people) were unharmed.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Sixth Plague
Festering boils on people and animals through the land.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Seventh Plague
Powerful hail storms that destroyed the standing crops. The hail stones were so big that any people or animals caught outside in the storm were killed.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Eighth Plague
Locusts in such great numbers that the ground was covered with them. They devoured everything that survived the hail storm.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Ninth Plague
Darkness over the entire land for three days - but the Israelites had light in Goshen.
Moses requested to let his people go
The Tenth Plague
Death of the firstborn. The Passover. The final plague killed all firstborn children, except those of the Israelites (the believers, Moses people) who were instructed to put the blood of a lamb on their doors. This would protect them.
Along with the instruction to apply the Passover lamb’s blood to their doorposts and lintels, God instituted a commemorative meal: fire-roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. The Lord told the Israelites to “observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever”, even when in a foreign land.
To this day, Jews all over the world celebrate the Passover in obedience to this command. Passover and the story of the exodus have great significance for Christians also, as Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, including the symbolism of the Passover. Jesus is our Passover. He was killed at Passover time, and the Last Supper was a Passover meal. By (spiritually) applying His blood to our lives by faith, we trust Christ to save us from death. The Israelites who, in faith, applied the blood of the Paschal lamb to their homes become a model for us. It was not the Israelites’ ancestry or good standing or amiable nature that saved them; it was only the blood of the lamb that made them exempt from death
After plundering the entire nation of its silver and gold jewelry and clothing (the Egyptians gave everything to them, the Israelites left Egypt, following God as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. By the time the Israelites came to the Red Sea, Pharaoh had changed his mind and was pursuing them. God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites escaped. They came to Mount Sinai where God entered into a covenant with the people to be their God. Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God.
Which were..
1. You shall have no other gods before Me. God and only God!
2. You shall not make idols. Like worshiping animals, plants the sun the moon, the earth.. and so on.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. You know this one well,lol. OMG is a very bad thing.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Lie
10. You shall not covet. Want what everyone else has..
There are actually 613 commandments in the old testament, but these 10 pretty much sum them all up. As you can see here, God does not like unbelievers. God’s desire has always been to have fellowship with mankind, but our sin prevented that. He gave the Law to set a standard of holiness—and, at the same time, to show that we could never meet that standard on our own. That’s why Jesus Christ had to come - more on that later.
While at Mount Sinai, God gave further instructions to Moses concerning sacrifices, offerings and worship, ceremonial cleanliness as well as feasts and Holy days. God's desire was for his people to be holy. He required a response of submission and obedience from the people. The whole time these people were wandering around the desert God fed them. He fed them with something called Manna, it was on the ground every morning when they got up and there was enough for one day, twice as much on Friday so that they could rest on Saturday. Every single day he fed them. Their cloths did not wear, out or their shoes. Ever!
After a year had passed at Mount Sinai, God led the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land where they sent out spies. The spies reported that while the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, there were also significant adversaries present (big huge men) . The people complained against God, Moses and Aaron, they had become a group of constant complainers! God then sentenced the Israelites to years of wandering in the desert until that generation of unbelieving adults had died.
After 40 years in the desert, Moses retold the story (of what had happened) to the new generation of Israelites and reminded them of the commandments and requirements God had given them. Moses then went up Mount Nebo where God allowed him to see the Promised Land, saying that this was the land he had promised to give to Abraham. Moses died without entering the land.
Here is one of my paintings..
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