Moses

Moses was the leader God chose to bring the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. His story is set in the 13th century BCE, during Egypt’s late New Kingdom period. Moses was born to a Hebrew family when Pharaoh had ordered Hebrew baby boys to be killed. His mother placed him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile, where Pharaoh’s daughter found him and raised him. As an adult, Moses fled Egypt and became a shepherd in Midian. Years later, God called him to return to Egypt and lead his people to freedom.

While Moses watched sheep near Mount Horeb, he saw a bush that burned without being consumed. God spoke to him there and gave him his mission. Moses was afraid, but God promised to help him, and Aaron, his brother, went with him. Pharaoh repeatedly refused to release the Israelites, so Egypt suffered ten plagues. After the first Passover, Pharaoh finally let the people go. He soon chased them with his army, but God opened a path through the sea. The Israelites crossed on dry ground and escaped. In the Sinai wilderness, God provided food and water. At Mount Sinai, Moses received the Ten Commandments and other instructions for Israel. These events are told mainly in Exodus 1 through 40. Moses’ later years of wilderness leadership appear in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Moses’ story teaches children that God hears people who are suffering, keeps his promises, and can use someone who feels frightened or unready. Moses made mistakes, but he learned to trust God and serve others with courage. Midian lay east of the Gulf of Aqaba, while the exact location of Mount Sinai is still debated. After forty years in the wilderness, Moses saw the land of Canaan from Mount Nebo, east of the Jordan River, but he did not enter it. Deuteronomy 34 tells of his death. Joshua then became Israel’s leader and brought the people across the Jordan, continuing the story in the book of Joshua.