Name  three  things  that  you  know  about  Moses.  

Ric Trent, Local Lay Speaker, UMC Bible Reading: Exodus 3 & 4 NRSV [edited]

10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”

Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 10 But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

12 Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.”

Ric Trent, Local Lay Speaker, UMC Bible Reading: Exodus 3 & 4 NRSV [edited]

HOLY  MOSES!  1.  Important  Context  2.  Who  was  Moses  as  a  person?  

3.  What  was  his  significance?  

4.How  can  we  become  be>er                        

Chris?ans  today,  because  of    

Moses?  

Important  Context  •  Prior  to  Exodus  there  were  no  scriptures,    

 no  Commandments,  no  moral  codes  •  The  world  was  in  a  spiritual    

 and  moral  dark  age  

Important  Context  Continued  • Common  prac?ce  was:  

• Child  sacrifice  • Ritual  pros?tu?on  • Radical  revenge  • Lawlessness  • Might  makes  right  

Important  Context  Continued  •  All  wri?ng  about  leaders  was  hyperbolic,    

 no  faults  •  Virtually  no  value  in    

 individuals  especially  those  with      physical  challenges  

Who  was  Moses  the  person?  • Put  in  Nile  in  a  basket  as  an  infant  c.  1390  BC  • Rescued  by  Pharaoh's  daughter  • Named  Mo-­‐uses  “water”,  “deliver”.  

• His  mother  was  hired  as  a  wet  nurse  &  nanny  

• As  a  young  man,  killed  Egyp?an  overseer  

• Flees  to  Midian  to  escape  death  penalty  

• Lives  with  Jethro’s  tribe,  becomes  a  shepherd  

•  Had  his  first  prophe?c  experience  on      Mt.  Horeb  (Mt.  Sinai)  

•  Met  GOD,  learned  HIS  name,  told  to  return      to  Egypt  and  free  the  Israelites  

•  Refused  and  argued  because  of  his  fear  of      speaking  in  front  of  people    

What  was  his  signiCicance?    •  We  are  here  today  because  of  Moses  •  There  were  hundreds  of  decision  points  that  

could  have  changed  the  whole  world  •  He  formed  Israel  and  sustained  Judaism  •  He  led  the  Israelites  out  of  Egyp?an  bondage  •  Overcame  his  terror  of  leadership  and  joined  

with  his  brother  Aaron  to  lead  the  Exodus  •  Encountered  tremendous  challenges              from  all  sides  

Exodus  Map  

•  Exodus  was  the  central  event  in  Jewish      history  and  Moses  was  the  key  figure  

•  Moses  wrote  the  Pentateuch  and  all  of  the      laws  were  called  Mosaic  Laws  

•  In  613  AD,  Rabbinical  Judaism  codified      Mosaic  Law  into  the  Mitzvot  

•  By  1000  AD  the  en?re  Torah  was  a>ributed      to  Moses  

•  His  leadership  and  courage  set  up  the      necessary  circumstances  to      begin  the  count  down  to  Jesus  

What  can  we  learn  from  Moses?  

•  EVEN  Moses  felt  unequipped  to      do  GOD’S  bidding  

•  It  took  him  120  years  and  he  s?ll      didn’t  get  it  exactly  right…    But  he  changed  the  world  

•  Walk  toward  your  fear,      even  if  your  walk  takes  40  years  

•  Small  steps  toward  GOD’S  love      can  have  a  huge  impact  on  our  future  

                                                                                                                                                                                   

       

   

Ric Trent, Local Lay Speaker, UMC Bible Reading: Exodus 3 & 4 NRSV [edited]