Home » GOT 5 » BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

BACKS AGAINST THE WALL

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they had suffered for many decades, they had been treated increasingly harshly. Now there was a song in their hearts as they were free! There were smiles, lots of excitement, they had packed quickly, the adrenalin was flowing, they could not think about sleep, can you imagine their joy? There were 600,000 men plus their families so I would estimate around 2 million people. They were rejoicing after suffering under Pharoah and the Egyptian task masters, many of the men had whip marks on their bodies from the Egyptian taskmaskers. They were blooded and bruised, many had stories of friends who had died under the harsh treatment they had experienced over the years. 

Screen shot 2013-12-02 at 09.49.32

Moses was miraculously spared death as a Jewish new born male by Pharoah’s daughter who found the baby floating in a basket on the river, no doubt crying. She adopted him as her son and he was brought up in the Egyptian ways and customs and would have been a Prince, familiar with the Pharoah household. Moses would find out about his Jewish origin at some point and this caused him to feel an increasing compassion for the Israelites and the way they were being oppressed. One day he intervened when an Egyptian slave masker was beating a Jewish male and killed the task masker. Fearing for his life he fled the country and for forty years lived in the remote wilderness looking after sheep and his family.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.07.13

The Israelites in the time of Joseph [four hundred years before] were welcomed into Egypt and treated well. Joseph had been betrayed at 17 by his brothers and sold into slavery. By the age of 30 his life had changed dramatically as he had been able to interpret dreams and God was with him, blessing him. This gift from God enabled him to be removed from prison and promoted to a high position in Egypt. By the age of 30 he had risen further because of his wisdom in running the affairs of the land for Pharoah. He became the second most powerful man in Egypt, the Prime Minister. During this time his father and brothers came to him and his people were welcomed into Egypt. Joseph died at the age of 110 and the Israelites were blessed during this time and multiplied. 400 years later in the time of Moses the treatment of the Israelites was very different. They were crying out to God for deliverance and God would go and find the 80 year old in the wilderness to commission him to be the deliverer of His people.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.15.25

Screen shot 2013-12-02 at 09.50.06

Screen shot 2013-12-02 at 09.48.16

Screen shot 2013-12-02 at 09.52.08

Moses obeyed the call and went back to Egypt where he had been raised as a child to Pharoah to deliver the words, the I AM who I AM had given to him to speak. Each time Pharoah had remained hard hearted so God sent a series of plagues that would effect the Egyptian people who were suppressing God’s people the Israelites. The Israelites each time would not experience the plagues themselves, only the Egyptians. The plagues would humble Pharoah for a time & they included water turning to blood; painful boils; disease amongst livestock; large hailstones; irritating flies, annoying gnats, awful frogs, devouring locusts and suppressing darkness in the middle of the day.

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.35.54 Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.36.08

Pharoah remained hard hearted and mightily stubborn until the tenth plague that would be the last plague to humble Pharoah. This plague would be administered by the angel of death and would cause the firstborn to die in each household, including Pharoah’s palace. The Israelites would be saved by painting the blood of a pure lamb around the doorposts of their front doors and stay indoors that eerie night.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.07.49

The screams and wails that occurred must have pierced the silence of the early hours as death was found in each Egyptian home. In the middle of the night Pharoah would call Moses and tell him to lead the Israelites out from Egypt. They were to pack quickly and leave with the essential possessions they could carry.

P4190695

God humbled the mighty using His powerful hand for all to tell in the years to follow and He would lead the Israelites by an angel in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They were to follow in obedience and stop when the angel stopped. Some miles out when they faced the Red sea, Pharoah must have had second thoughts. He would send his fighting chariots with spears and swords to kill the Israelite people. 600 chariots were mustered and armed and despatched to kill. They raced after the Israelite people who were unaware of the danger chasing them. Can you imagine the sound of hundreds of horses racing towards you and the dust storm in the distance that could be seen. Fear and panic would befall on the Israelites as they faced an enemy army. Their groans and voices cried out to Moses accusing him of leading them out in the desert to face death. Moses could do nothing else other than to turn to God and pray asking for help and wisdom.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.52.43

God addressed Moses and asked him to hold his staff over the Red sea. As he did so a mighty wind would rise up to cause the waters to divide to allow a pathway to open up for the people to walk on through the sea to the other side. Meanwhile the angel would stand between the charioteers and their men and the Israelites giving light to the Israelites and darkness to the Egyptians. The fight was in God’s hands not theirs, instead they were to trust the Lord God Almighty.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It must have been terrifying to see such awesome power displayed by Almighty God.

When the sea had been divided, they were to walk on the seabed with a wall of water on either side, what an amazing sight that must have been! Can you imagine their hearts beating, filled with a mixture of anxiety and joy, fear and wonder. When the Israelites had crossed the angel allowed the charioteers to race after them but once within the walls of water God caused the water to flow over them drowning them all. This must have been one of the most dramatic displays of God’s awesome power seen on the earth.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.20.22

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.30.06

The date for this was probably 1446 BC

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.29.50

The Israelites would be in the desert lands for 40 years till they would be led into the Promised Land conquering many cities on route including Jericho. The battles were repeatedly won as they listened to God and obeyed Him. Jericho was overrun under the leadership of Joshua without having to shoot one arrow and would defy the wisdom of man.

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.29.03

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.26.41

You can read about Moses in the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers in the Bible. We know he was a humble man of prayer, who was given huge responsibility to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He was God’s chosen prophet of the time and had a walk with God that was quite special. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Elijah, Daniel, Isaiah, Ruth, John the Baptist, Peter, John, James & Paul all had very close relationships too, and of course there were many more.

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.23.33

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.27.32

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.28.25

Moses encouraged the teaching of the commandments to the Israelite children by their families, a very important system that has been sadly neglected by many living today. This was to encourage the next generation to fear the Lord, respect the laws & live in a way that was pleasing to God. The Bible says, ‘That the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.’

Moses prophesied that God would send a prophet like himself from among the Israelites. 1400 years later this would be ultimately fulfilled by the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, approximately 6 BC. Jesus would from the age of his early thirties be led from village to village in public ministry that would astound everyone. He spoke with wisdom and authority and demonstrated the power of God through astounding miracles, healings & deliverances that had not been witnessed before.

‘God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.’ Acts 7:37 & Deuteronomy 18:15 & 18

Picture 13

This would be ultimately fulfilled approximately 14oo years later when Jesus started his public ministry in Israel, accompanied by signs and wonders, healings, deliverance ministry and outstanding miracles like feeding the 5000; stilling the storm, walking on water; causing the wine to flow at the wedding of Cana; healing the deaf, blind, dumb and raising three people from their death.

born-to-die

The Christ was born to die, to suffer, to be the sin offering for mankind before the Holy God. Jesus would willingly lay his life down on the cross to fulfill many prophecies of Scripture in the Old Testament written hundreds of years beforehand. King David wrote about the cross in detail in Psalm 22 and Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah chapter 53 [these were written 700 years before Christ would fulfill them].

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 19.34.30

Moses talked with God face to face. He was a humble man and a man of prayer. He listened to God and got to know the Lord Almighty like few other people. He was a physically well man up to his death. Moses was a leader and a prophet. He had a brother called Aaron and a wise father in law, called Jethro. Moses was not an eloquent speaker.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 01.14.36

Screen shot 2013-11-30 at 23.25.54

Moses would die at 120 years, no one would ever find his body as the Bible says God buried him.

Moses relied on God to grant him wisdom and guidance to lead the people onwards towards the land He promised to give them. Moses would have a unique relationship with Almighty God and would talk to God face to face unlike anyone else on the earth. He came down from the mountain where he was with God with his face shining. Moses found the Israelite people were stubborn and rebellious, quick to grumble & criticize God. Many years later, Moses would see the promised land but Joshua his successor would lead the people into the promised land. Moses would die at 120 years, no one would ever find his body as the Bible says God buried him.

P4140195

Many years later Jesus went up the mountainside with the disciples called Peter, James and John. Jesus was transfigured on the mountain side and became like brilliant light & two men Moses and Elijah were speaking with him, talking to him about the cross he would bear in Jerusalem in the coming days and the resurrection that would take place as the Scriptures had prophesied. This reveals to me that Moses and Elijah, the two great Old Testament prophets, were alive in their eternal bodies.

Screen shot 2013-12-01 at 00.41.11

Kevin recently presented this Old Testament account to 30 plus children at Topplesfield primary school where he had been invited to lead the hour long school club. This included games and activities, action songs on the theme. Kevin also presents this story in a shortened form for school Collective Acts of Worship.

This article is written, designed & illustrated by Kevin Moore, Face2Face Educational Trust

kevinmoore758@btinternet.com

Screen shot 2012-10-15 at 19.21.29

 

Save

Save