Hebrews 11.29 part I
September 7th 2014
So far we have addressed Abel, and Enoch, and Noah (and the flood) and Abraham, and Sarah, and Isaac, and Jacob, and then . . .
We lfeft off talking about Joseph last week, of whom the writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”
Once Joseph was revealed by his true identity he directed his brothers to return to their father and bring him (Jacob) and all his family back to Egypt.
Accordingly Jacob and his family, to the number of threescore and ten souls, together with “all that they had,” went down to Egypt where they settled in the land of Goshen.
In time Jacob died, and in fulfilment of a promise which he had exacted, Joseph went up to Canaan to bury his father in “the field of Ephron the Hittite” (Genesis 47:29-31; 50:1-14). This was the last recorded act of Joseph, who again returned to Egypt.
And as we said last week by his wife Asenath (an Egyptian woman), Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50).
Joseph died at 110 years of age and Genesis 50:26 tells us that they embalmed him and he was put in a coffin.” It seems when their descendants many, many years later made the exodus out of Egypt that they carried Joseph’s coffin with them and after forty years of wandering buried his bones in Shechem, in a parcel of ground that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor (Joshua 24:32).
This brings us to Hebrews 11: 23 where the writer now gives us another example of a person of faith – Moses.
Interestingly, in Moses case, the author cites five instances where Moses was moved by faith and the first, though it speaks of Moses is really speaking of his parents, saying:
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Then the writer continues, and speaking of Moses faith itself says:
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
So let’s speak of Moses for a minute (like we have of all the others mentioned so far) and then we will come back to these specific verses about him.
Moses means drawn out or forth – and probably has reference to the fact that He was drawn out of the water when a babe.
As mentioned, at the invitation of Pharoah Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
It seems this migration took place about 350 years before Moses was born.
A few centuries before the Joseph story which we just covered, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia who were known as the Hyksos and it seems they took the native Egyptians, who were of the African race (Egypt is in Africa, if you didn’t know) and put them in bondage.
When Jacob and his entire family arrived (on Pharaoh AND Joseph’s request) they were accustomed to shepherding and on their arrival in Egypt they were favorably received by the king who then assigned them the “best of the land” (Goshen) in which to dwell.
It is believed that the Hyksos (or “shepherd” king) who showed favor to Joseph and his family from Jacob was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).
While in Goshen (and having been favored) the “Israelites” (as they were now called after Jacob who was renamed Israel or wrestler with God) began to “multiply exceedingly” (according to Genesis 47:27) and their “nation” began to extend to the west and south of Goshen.
In time the reign of the Hyksos came to an end but it seems as long as Joseph was alive his descendants (of Jacob) were allowed to retain their possession of Goshen undisturbed.
Once Joseph was dead the remaining Egyptians (who were probably either pure black Egyptians and or an admixture of Hyksos semi-semetic people and black native Egyptians) . . . but whomever they were they began to despise the Israelites . . . and the period of their “affliction” began. And they were “sorely oppressed.”
According to Exodus 1:7 they continued to increase in numbers and it says that the “land was filled with them.”
It seems the native Egyptians regarded the Israelites (and their growing number) with suspicion and increasingly made life harder and harder for them.
Exodus 1:8 says the in process of time “a king (probably a guy named “Seti I”) arose who knew not Joseph” and this King thought it was necessary to weaken the Nation of Israel through oppression (which we suppose was aimed at lessoning their numbers).
In time they were made public slaves, and appear to have been especially employed with building – store-cities, temples, and palaces.
Scripture also mentions a few separate occasions that in their labors the COI were made to serve with rigour (as the King James puts it).
The Hebrew word it is translated from is “pay rek” and it means breaking, so the idea is they were cruelly driven to perform.
In fact Exodus 1:13-14 says:
Their lives were made bitter with hard bondage, and “all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.”
So there wasn’t any letting up.
But instead of reducing their number the opposite occurred! Exodus 1:12 says that “the more the Egyptians afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”
It’s a fascinating fact in sociology and anthropology – burden a people and they will have babies.
It seems linked to the fact that the only solace burdened people can find is in the sack. We see it in third world countries and the like. Well it was also the case with the Nation of Israel.
The king then tried (through a secret agreement with a guild of midwives) to kill all the male children that were born.
But this brutal plan was not rigorously enforced and many male children were spared by the midwives, so that “the people multiplied” more than ever.
This baffled the King and so he issued a public proclamation – kill all the male children to death by casting them into the river (Ex 1:22). But this didn’t work either.
However, in the town of Memphis, a capital city at that time, there was a man named Amram. And he had a wife named Jochebed and they had two childen – a fifteen year old daughter (around) named Miriam, and a three year old Son named Aaron.
They were Kohathites (meaning they came from Levi’s son Kohath.
In 1571 BC a male child was born into this family, whose mother Jochebed concealed in the house for three months from the civil law.
His mother concealed him in the house for three months from the knowledge of the civic authorities.
When this became too difficult Jocebed came up with a plan. She would build for this new Son an ark (a basket that would float) out of bulrushes) and set the baby and the ark near the river’s edge where she knew the daughter of the king would go to bathe.
Then she had her teenager Miriam standing by.
When the King’s daughter found the babe we read that “saw the child; and behold the child wept.”
The princess, seeing Miriam standing by, sent here to fetch a nurse. Miriam then went and retrieved her own mother, to whom the princess said:
“Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.”
This princess named the child Moses, which Exodus 2:10 means, saved from the water.”
Once the natural time for weaning the child had come, Moses was transferred from the humble abode of his father to the royal palace, where he was brought up as the adopted son of the princess.
It is thought by some scholars that Jochebed, probably accompanied him and caring for him still, which would have allowed her to whisper lessons from her heart about the nation and brethren around him.
This is conjecture but I’ve seen it in several places and so there is some consensus among scholars regarding it.
In one of the many pictures of Moses and the promised Messiah Jesus, we have Moses, just as Jesus was fully God and fully Man, being fully Hebrew and fully Egyptian.
Moses grew up amid all the grandeur and excitement of the Egyptian court, his education would doubtless be carefully attended to, and he would enjoy all the advantages of training both as to his body and his mind.
Acts 7:22 tells us that at length he became “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Ac 7:22).
At that time Egypt had two chief seats of learning (kind of the equivalent of our Universities) and it is thought that Moses probably matriculated (if we can use that word) at a place named Heliopolis.
Now being about twenty years of age it seems Moses lived over twenty more amidst Egyptian living.
It is thought that those second twenty years were spent in Egyptian military service.
There is a tradition recorded by Josephus that he took a lead in the war which was then waged between Egypt and Ethiopia, in which he gained renown as a skilful general.
Acts 7:22 adds that Moses became “mighty in deeds” and it is thought this could have reference to Josephus’s account of his life.
So let me cover the content of Hebrews 11:23 which says, rather awkwardly:
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
We know then, reading this, that the persons of faith being spoken of were Moses parents, and not Moses himself (yet).
The statement of the writer here give honor to Moses parents who were led to preserve his life by their confidence in God that He would ensure their newborn son would be safe.
It seems that they somehow believed that he was destined to some great purpose, and that as a result God would spare him, notwithstanding all the potentials for utter disaster in their plan.
The writer says that when they saw that he Moses was “a proper child.”
Looking at the Greek word translated, “proper child” in the King James it’s “asteion” and what it means is Moses was a beautiful baby.
Handsome.
Acts 7:20 says Moses was “exceeding fair,” and taking the word Asteion here in Hebrews and the phrase exceedingly fair it appears that Moses was exceptionally well put together, like a gorgeous city, as a baby.
To Jewish parents such beauty was a sign that the child would grow up to do very special things. And like it or not, it appears that this was one of the reasons his mother couldn’t follow through on the King’s commands to toss him in the Nile river.
Therefore he was “hid three months of his parents.” Exodus 2:2 says it was done by his mother Jochebed and not his parents but the writer of Hebrews probably knew that his father had to be in on the civil disobedience too.
According to Exodus 1:22 there was a command that all male children were to be tossed in the Nile as soon as they were born.
By faith, Moses was hidden away for three months until another act of faith came up and was put into effect.
The writer of Hebrews puts it this way:
“they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.”
This line brings us to an interesting question which I think is appropriate to address at this time – civil disobedience.
The topic is really quite fascinating and I have such a unique perspective of the whole matter I think it will be fun to share it with you as a teacher.
There appears to be two radical positions Christians take when it comes to obeying or disobeying the law – the first is to be absolutely compliant to the laws of the land and the second seems to suggest that Christians are not subject to the laws of the land but to the laws of God alone.
What do you think?
Before I offer my views let’s appeal to scripture. And right here we have a story that suggests that it is permissible to disobey the laws of the King’s put in place over us.
Now, we do have to consider context. The real question is do the laws of God trump the laws of the land (or the King) in the life of a Christian?
I would strongly suggest that they do. But we have to be careful on how we justify civil disobedience using the name of God, right?
In this case, there was no law given (Moses, the one saved by and through the civil disobedience would bring the law, right?)
But we do know that killing was looked down upon (going all the way back to Abel) and that God did write His laws upon their hearts.
So Jochebed and Amram were commanded by the Civil law to kill their Son and they said, “not gonna do it.”
At the same time, we have Paul plainly say in Romans 13:1-
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. {ordained: or, ordered}
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Similarly, Paul wrote in Titus 3:1:
“Put them (believers) in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.”
And Peter wrote in 1st Peter 2:13-14
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
What are we to say in light of these somewhat conflicting biblical stances?
I would suggest that Christians are not in any position to disobey the laws of the land with one exception.
If the laws of the land make us pay exorbitant taxes we pay them. If we are not allowed to carry Bibles we don’t.
But the exception to this rule is this – IF the laws of the land prohibit obeying the clear commands of God (by the way, carrying scripture is NOT a clear command of God) then I would suggest that Christians openly break such laws but do NOT resist the punishments inflicted for such disobedience.
This is in harmony, for instance, with the early church believers being fed to the lions for their faith.
They did not resist the punishment for professing their faith – they professed in the face of it, and then willingly submitted to the punishment for breaking the law.
So let’s say that a law is enacted in our day and age where we are commanded (like people have been commanded in China and parts of India) to put all infant females to death at birth.
I believe that a Christian would readily say, this is against the law of God and I will not do it.
But we would never rise up and fight and resist those put in governance over us because of it. We would simply refuse to comply and in Jesus name suffer the consequences.
Getting back to the writer of Hebrews point, however, we can see that it was an act of faith that led Jochebed to disobey the King, and that she trusted that God would provide a way out of what seemed like an impossible situation.
We note similarities between the story of Jochebed and her infant and Abraham and Isaac, and Noah etc.
The parents were faced with a very difficult situation. They acted (didn’t they) and once they acted they allowed God to work things out.
This is the same formula to every one of these stories of faith.
Back to Moses. It seems that after the termination of the war in Ethiopia, Moses returned to the Egyptian court, where he might reasonably have expected to be loaded with honors and enriched with wealth and then lived his life out in luxury.
We don’t know this for sure but it seems like beneath the smooth circumstances of his life there lived some sort of “a secret discontent or secret ambition in Moses heart.
Exodus 2:11 tells us
“And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.”
Acts gives us even greater insight to what drove Moses in this, saying:
Acts 7:23-24 “And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian.”
That is an interesting way to put it – that it came into His heart. I would be willing to believe that Moses probably always had a heart for “his brethren,” and he was merely ready to investigate their well being (due to the moving of God in Him) when he actually sojourned out to observe them.
So he resolved to make himself acquainted with the condition of his countrymen, and “went out unto his brethren, and looked upon their burdens” (Exodus 2:11).
This tour revealed to him the cruel oppression and bondage under which they labored and it seemed to impress upon Him a duty to help them.
It is in respect to this change of heart where the writer of Hebrews says:
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
So we can see from these verses that generally speaking, Moses left his secure position as a chosen member of the Egyptian court and to not only become a true Hebrew in word and deed but to lead the nation in rebellion against Egypt.
This is how the account in Exodus describes the events:
Exodus 2:11-15 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Later we learn that Moses was led by God to find a new home with the family of Reuel and he remained with them for forty years where apparently God was training him for his life’s great work.
When he was around 80 years of age an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush and commissioned him to go down to Egypt and “bring forth the children of Israel” out of bondage.
We know this too is a tremendous picture of the Messiah leading all out of lives of bondage to sin and into a relationship with Him.
At first Moses was unwilling to go, but at length he was obedient to the heavenly vision, and left the land of Midian.
According to Exodus 4:27-31 he was met by Aaron and the elders of Israel on his way in and the arduous nature of what they were going to attempt to do – in both rescuing the nation from Egypt AND then leading them to the promised land unfolded.
I will not cover the events of them wandering in the wilderness. But simply say that after an eventful journey to and fro therein, we discover the nation of Israel encamped in the plains of Moab and ready to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land.
At this point Moses addresses the assembled elders (De 1:1-4; 5:1-26:19; 27:11-30:20), and gives the people his last counsels.
He then delivers “the great song” (De 32:1-52 and after blessing the tribes he ascends to “the mountain of Nebo “to the top of Pisgah,” where he “surveys the land.
Deuteronomy 34 says: (And)
“Jehovah shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, and the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar”
And there Moses died, being one hundred and twenty years old, according to the word of the Lord, and was buried by the Lord “in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor” (Ex 34:6).
The people mourned for him during thirty days.
He was distinguished for his meekness, and patience and firmness, and “he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”
Deuteronomy 34:10-12 says:
“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 hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel”
His name occurs frequently in the Psalms and Prophets as “the chief of the prophets.”
In the New Testament he is referred to as the representative of the law and as a type of Christ (Joh 1:17; 2Co 3:13-18; Heb 3:5,6).
Interestingly, Moses is the only character in the Old Testament to whom Christ likens himself (and this is seen by comparing what Moses said about the Messiah, and what Jesus says in John 5:46, and Acts 7:37)
Hebrew 3:1-19 speaks of him as does Jude 1:9 where the writer mentions a contention that Michael the archangel and the devil had over Moses’ body.
We have several comparisons or pictures of how Moses pictures Christ, which include:
(See handout)
And next week we will hit the verse by verse explanation of what the writer wants us to know about him.
Q and A?
When we look at the lives of Moses and Jesus, we see a lot of similarities. Given the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-18 this is to be expected, because there Moses foretells the coming of Jesus. The similarities are primarily spiritual in nature. In Luke 24:27, Jesus makes it clear that Moses pointed to Him.
1. At the time of Moses, Israel suffered under foreign domination, it was a nation of slaves under the power of Egypt, with Pharaoh at the head, which despotic decrees promulgated: heavy forced labor (Ex. 1:11, 14; 5:6-9).
At the time of Christ, Israel again suffered under foreign domination, it was a nation of slaves (Cf. Neh. 9:36 v) under the power of the Romans, the emperor at the head (emphasized by Luke), and the Edomite King Herod (emphasized by Matthew). Israel was subject to the despotic decrees of August: the “registration” was a public statement and resulted in heavy taxes (Luke 2:1).
2. Jochebed put her child in a very special ‘cradle’: an ark of bulrushes, because the child didn’t have a place in society, a young woman stayed close to the basket: Miriam (Greek: Maria) (Ex. 2:3 v).
Mary put her child in a very special “cradle”: a crib, ie a manger for animals, because there was no room in the inn for the child, the young Mary (Hebrew Miriam) was in the manger (Luke 2:7, 16).
3. Moses did great miracles (Ex. 7-14, Deut. 34:10-12),
Jesus did greater miracles than Moses. He said: “If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin.” (John 15:24).
4. God gave Moses the bread from heaven (Ex. 16:8, 15);
God gave Jesus as bread from heaven (John 6:32-35).
5. The law was given through Moses (Ex. 24:12);
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
6. The covenant of Moses was initiated with animal blood (Ex. 24:6-8)
that of Christ with His own blood (Matt. 26:28; Luc. 22:20). See also Heb. 9:18-23.
7. The transfiguration on the mountain of Moses (Ex. 34:29,35)
and of Jesus (Matthew 17:2)
8. Nationality, Moses was an Israelite (Ex. 2:1,2)
like Jesus in the flesh (Matthew 1:1-17)
9. Moses rescued Israel from captivity and slavery of Egypt (Ex. 3-4; Hand. 7:20-39),
Jesus saved the world from the bondage and slavery of sin (Matt. 20:28; Eph. 2:1-8, Rom. 3:28, 4:6)
10. Moses’ mission from God was confirmed by the miracles that Moses did.
So was Jesus’ mission confirmed by miracles (Matthew 11:4,5).
It is also noteworthy to see that Moses was the first in the Old Testament to perform miracles, Jesus is the first in the New Testament to perform miracles. John the Baptist performed no miracles.
11. Moses stretched out his hand over the water and the Lord made the sea divergence by a strong east wind. (Ex. 14:21)
The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Matt. 8:27)
12. Israel did not understand that when the king of Egypt died, their chains were strengthened, and they asked God why. (Ex.2: 23)
Jesus’ disciples did not understand why the Messiah had to go to the cross. (Matthew 16:21-23, Acts. 1:3-7)
13. The people were ready to stone Moses. (Ex. 17:4)
Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:59)
14. Moses took twelve men separate from the people. (Deuteronomy 1:23)
Jesus did the same, And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him. (Mark 3:14)
15. Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel. (Numbers 11:15)
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also. (Luke 10:1)
16. When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.” (Ex. 32:1)
Where is the promise of his coming? (2 Pet. 3:4)
17. Moses his servant (Psalm 105:26).
My servant Jesus (Matt. 12:18).
18. Moses, the prophet (Deut. 18:15-18).
The Prophet Jesus (Luke 7: 16, Jn. 6: 14).
19. Moses was a priest(Ps. 99:6), for an illustration see Leviticus 8, especially verses 15.16 and 19:23.
Jesus is a priest (Hebrews 7:24, 9:14).
20. Moses was a shepherd (Exodus 3:1).
Jesus is a shepherd (John 10:11, 14).
21. Moses was a mediator (Ex. 33:8,9).
Jesus is a mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).
22. Moses was an intercessor (Numbers 21:7).
Jesus was an intercessor (Romans 8:34).
23. Moses was a judge (Ex. 18:13).
Jesus is a judge (John 5:27, Matt. 25:31-46, 2 Cor. 5:10).
24. As a small child, his life was in danger, when the reigning king, the Pharaoh had given orders, to throw all newborn boys in the Nile, (Exodus 1:22).
This makes us think of when Herod saw that He was deceived by the Magi, he kindled fierce wrath and sent orders to Bethlehem and the whole area that all the boys two years old and under were to be killed. (Matt. 2:16)
25. Moses spent his early years in Egypt.
Same goes for Jesus: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, (Matthew 2:13-14). So was fulfilled what the prophet had said: Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Hosea 11:1).
26. Both had compassion with the people of Israel and were willing to give themselves for the people.
27. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Heb. 11:24-26)
This was a foreshadowing of Him who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6-7)
Like Moses, Jesus willingly laid down wealth, glory and a royal palace.
28. Both were rejected by their brethren. “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? (Acts 7:26-27).
This is sad, but sadder still is, he came to His own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)
We see frequently in the Bible that brethren do not listen, for example in the case of Joseph. With Joseph however, it was directed against him personally (Gen. 37:4), with Moses his brothers were hostile to his mission. Joseph was personally hated Moses officially refused: “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us” The same happened with Jesus, Israel said: We will not have this king over us (Luke 19:14).
29. Away from his own country, we read of Moses, where he sat down at a well (Exodus 2:16).
The only time we read that Jesus sits down at a well, He is beyond Israel’s borders, in Samaria (John 4:4, 6).
30. Moses before his real mission / ministry began, spent years in seclusion. Who would thought that, somewhere in the desert, such a high honor would fall upon him.
So it was with the Son of God. Before Jesus began his public ministry, He was in seclusion at Nazareth. Who would have thought that He would bring salvation.
31. Moses was called to deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt: Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Ex. 3:10).
Jesus was sent into this world to the lost to seek and to save (Luke 19:10).
32. Moses fulfilled his God-given mission and led Israel from the house of bondage: “This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. (Acts 7:35).
Jesus affirms If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36).
33. Noteworthy is the foreshadowing of baptism by Moses, Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Obedient Christians are baptized (Matt. 16:16; 28:19).
34. The authority of Moses was challenged in Numbers 16:3;
of Jesus in Matthew 21:23.
35. Both Moses (Ex. 5:22, 8:12, 9:33, 14:15, 15:25, 17:4) and Jesus
were men of prayer (eg Gethsemane in Matt. 26:36-46). Especially in the Gospel of Luke the emphasis is on Jesus as a man of prayer.
36. Moses profides water for the people in Numbers 20:11
Jesus does the same in John 4:14 and 7:37.
37. Fasting in both Exodus 34:28 and Matthew 4:2.
38. Praying for forgiveness for Israel in Numbers 14:19 And Luke 23:34.
39. Both have washed their brothers with water. Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. (Lev. 8:6).
Who can miss the resemblance to John 13:5: Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
40. Accomplishing the mission God had given, Moses finished the work (Ex. 40:33).
A similar statement we hear from Jesus, I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. (John 17:4).
41. Their death was for the good of God’s people, Moses took the blame for their sakes (Psalm 106:32) They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that Moses was troubled for their sakes; .
The resemblance to Jesus can not be missed (Isaiah 53:4-6).
42. Both knew that the people had to be led if they were no longer on earth. In Deuteronomy 31:23 Moses set Joshua as his successor.
Jesus gives the promise of the Holy Spirit to lead the church (John 14:16,18).
