The story of Moses is one of the best known in the Bible, and tells how God chose and prepared an ordinary man to lead his people, freeing them from slavery in Egypt. Chapters 1 through 4 of the Book of Exodus describe the events leading up to Moses’ call and his preparation for the role he would play in Israel’s history.
Exodus 1: The Oppression of the Israelites in Egypt
The book of Exodus begins with a description of the situation of the Israelites in Egypt, who were slaves and were being oppressed by Pharaoh. Pharaoh ordered all the Hebrew boys to be killed, but the Hebrew midwives Shifra and Puah disobeyed the order. So Pharaoh ordered all the Hebrew boys to be thrown into the river.
Exodus 2: The Birth and Childhood of Moses
In the midst of this oppressive context, Moses is born, the son of a Hebrew family. To save his life, his mother places him in a basket and places him in the Nile River, where he is found by the pharaoh’s daughter, who adopts and raises him as her own son. Moses grows up in the Pharaoh’s palace, but knows of his Hebrew roots.
Exodus 3: The Call of Moses
When Moses was already an adult, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew and ended up killing the Egyptian. When Pharaoh discovers what has happened, Moses flees into the desert. It is there that he has an encounter with God, who calls him to lead the Israelites. God reveals himself to Moses in the form of a bush that is on fire but is not consumed by the fire. God tells Moses that he is the one chosen to free his people from slavery in Egypt.
Exodus 4: The Preparation of Moses
Moses is initially hesitant to accept God’s call, but eventually agrees to lead his people. God gives him signs and wonders to prove that he has the power to deliver the people of Israel. God also teaches him how to perform miracles, how to turn his staff into a snake and his hand into a leper.
Questions and answers
1. Why did God choose Moses to lead his people?
God chose Moses because he believed that Moses was the right person to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt. Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s palace and knew both Egyptian and Hebrew cultures, which made him capable of leading the people of Israel back to their promised land.
2. Why did Moses hesitate to accept God’s call?
Moses hesitated to accept God’s call because he felt unprepared to lead his people. He feared that the Israelites would not believe him or that he would not be able to deliver them from slavery.
3. How did God prepare Moses to lead the Israelites?
God prepared Moses in many ways, giving him signs and wonders to prove that he had the power to deliver the people of Israel and teaching him how to perform miracles. He also gave Moses a companion, his brother Aaron, to help him in the task of leadership.
Conclusion
Moses’ story is one of the most important in the Bible, and teaches us about the importance of trusting God and accepting the challenges he puts before us. Moses was chosen by God to lead his people, and despite his hesitations, he ended up accepting the call and becoming one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel. His story is an example for all of us of how God can use ordinary people to accomplish great things.
Aprofunde seus conhecimentos
397. How does sin proliferate?
584. Why do we say “our” Father?
518. How is justice and solidarity among nations brought about?
254. Who brought to fulfillment those prefigurations?
137. Why are the missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit inseparable?
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
How does the story of Rich and Lazarus warn us about the consequences of greed? (Luke 16:19-31)
What can we learn about the theology of suffering from the story of Job described in Job 1:1-22?
What is the story of Uzziah and how was he punished for disobeying God?
What does “giving thanks in all circumstances” mean in 1 Thessalonians 5:18?
What is the message of Isaiah’s heavenly vision of the Lord’s glory revealed in Isaiah 40:1-31?
How are God’s justice and mercy revealed in Isaiah? (Isaiah 58:1-14)
