For the Jews suffering under the yoke of bondage, the day of deliverance seemed to be delayed, but God, at the time appointed by Him, had in view for them a work that was to be done by an extraordinary power. Moses would not, as he had first thought, stand at the head of the army, waving banners and wearing shining armor. The people exploited and subjugated for so long were not going to win victory on their own, rising and demanding their rights. The call of Moses was the escape of Jews.
The call of Moses occurred by the will of God Himself. Before he left, Moses received his high calling and commission for his great work in a way that filled him with fear and filled with a deep sense of his weakness and unworthiness. While engaged in his duties, he saw a bush with branches, leaves, and a trunk burn to the ground without being consumed. He came closer to see the miracle when a voice spoke to him from the fire and called out.
God’s plan was to be fulfilled in a way that would cast contempt on human pride and glory. The deliverer was to go forth as a mere shepherd, with only a rod in his hand, but God made that rod mighty, delivering His people from bondage and bearing them when their enemies pursued them.
How old was Moses when God called him?
Moses was a man with a good education. Having lived in Egypt for a long time as the son of Pharaoh, he had a rich experience in negotiation techniques, even at the highest level. He could therefore have asked anything of God.
The Bible states that the prophet was 80 years old when the call of Moses occurred. He came closer to seeing the miracle when a voice spoke out of the fire. It was the voice of God. It was the One who, as the Angel of the Covenant, had revealed Himself to his forefathers in ages past. Moses’ body trembled with fear when he heard the Lord calling his name. With trembling lips, he answered, Here am I! He had been warned not to approach his Creator improperly: take off your shoes from your feet, for the place you tread is holy ground.
The biblical account tells us that Moses died at the age of one hundred and twenty, the only man God Himself buried. His tomb was somewhere in the Valley of Moab, but no one knew his location. Moses lived beyond the grave, continuing to serve his beloved God.
Who was Moses?
The call of Moses happened when he lived in Egypt during the New Dynastic Kingdom and was one of the first Jewish leaders and one of the most important figures of Judaism. He is an essential patriarch of all Abrahamic religions, those that use the Torah, the Christian Old Testament, or the Koran as sacred texts.
The great leader and lawgiver through whom God brought the Jews out of Egypt were Moses, making them a nation to serve him, and through whom he brought them near to the land he promised to their fathers. Moses came from the tribe of Levi, from the clan of Kohath, and the house of Amram.
To save her newborn male child, who was to be killed along with all the other newborn male children of the Hebrews as a result of Pharaoh’s decree, Moses’ mother placed her child in a reed basket anointed with pitch, laid him on the water’s edge in a bed of reeds, and had his sister Miriam watch over him.
Moses pitied his hard-working brothers and killed an Egyptian overseer he saw beating a Jew. And from that episode, everything changed. Many have heard how Moses led the Israelites through Egypt, but not many have reflected on his life before the Exodus.
Biography of Moses
[table id=28 /]
Biblical places from the times of Moses
- Arabian Desert- Is the Arabian Desert the place Moses went to?
- Edom- Is Edom a biblical region?
What was God’s message to Moses?
Abraham’s faith is such a model of obedience and trust in God that he is rightly called the father of all believers. We will now, by reading the episodes from the life of Moses, which we can see faith as a commitment to God.
God’s message to Moses was that God is who He is. God was conveying to him that He alone is sovereign and in control. After talking to God, Moses’ face shone when he came down from the mountain. He did not know that his face was shining because God had spoken to him. So Aaron and all the sons of Israel, seeing Moses’ face shining, were afraid to come near him.
Indeed, Moses’ life was, in its entirety, a faith response to God’s revelation. Thus we read in the Letter to the Hebrews: By faith he came out of Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the monarch; he persevered, as though he had seen Him who is unseen.
Key Verse related to Moses’ call
“When the Lord saw that Moses was coming closer, he called him from the middle of the bush and said, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Yes, here I am.” God said, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals because you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.”
How does the story of Moses end?
And when Moses came to the end of his calling, the Lord said to the dancer, Take Joshua the son of Navi, a man of the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him, and bring him before Eleazar, the priest, and before all the congregation, and tell him stories before their eyes, and give him of your glory, that all the community of the children of Israel may hear him. And Moses did so.
Afterward, Moses’ story ends in the land of Jordan when he says to his people: I will die here in this land. I will not cross the Jordan. But you will cross the Jordan and take possession of that beautiful land you see. And Moses, the servant of God, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he was buried in the valley, in the land of Moab, in front of Beth-Peor, but no one knows his grave to this day.
Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eyesight had not failed, and his strength had not grown weak. And the children of Israel mourned for Moses in the threshing floors of Moab, at Jordan, near Jericho, for 30 days, until the days of mourning and weeping for Moses were fulfilled. And Joshua, the son of Navi, was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him, and the children of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord commanded them by Moses.
Primary Takeaways
- At that time, Moses was feeding the sheep of Jethro, the priest of Midian, his father-in-law. And he went out with the flock into the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb; there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flaming candle out of a bush. And he saw that the bush burned and did not move.
- Moses received his high commission for his great work in a way that filled him with fear and a deep sense of his weakness and unworthiness. While engaged in his duties, he saw a bush with branches, leaves, and trunk, burning entirely without being consumed.
- And Moses and Aaron gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. Aaron spoke to them all the words the Lord had graciously talked to Moses, and Moses did signs before the people, and the people believed and rejoiced because the Lord had inquired of the children of Israel and seen their afflictions, and they bowed down and worshipped.
Conclusion
God will put little men in service to shame great men. Moses’ body trembled with fear when he heard the Lord calling his name. With trembling lips, he answered, Here am I, Lord.
The most important lesson is that human beings can learn from this a task that should never be forgotten, namely, to approach God with reverence. We may have the boldness to come into His presence in the name of the Lord Jesus, our righteousness and substitute, but never with that boldness of presumption as if He were on the same level as us.
If you enjoyed our article, please visit the following Quiz to test your biblical knowledge about the unknown mystery of the actual call of Moses. I just wanted to thank you for your time, and if you have any questions, please get in touch with us at office@doortoeden.com.
Quizlet about Moses’ call
[ays_quiz id=”29″]
Explanation of biblical words
[table id=84 /]
Bibliography
- Dijkstra, M. (2002). The Law of Moses: The Memory of Mosaic Religion in and after the Exile. In Yahwism after the Exile (pp. 70-98). Brill.
- Cook, J. (1999). The Law of Moses in Septuagint Proverbs. Vetus Testamentum, 49(Fasc. 4), 448-461.
- Wessel, S. (2003). THE” NOUTHESIA” AND THE LAW OF MOSES. Byzantion, 73(2), 530-542.
- Poythress, V. S. (1991). The shadow of Christ in the law of Moses (pp. 125-125). Wolgemuth & Hyatt.
- Thielman, F. (2009). Paul & the Law: A Contextual Approach. InterVarsity Press.
