Stories of the Saints Digging Deeper Moses Pt I

Interesting Random Facts (that you never learned in Sunday School)

Read Genesis 15:12-16. According to this the Israelites would be oppressed 400 years. It ended up being 430. From Joseph to the new king is about 200 years. Israel enters with 70 people and leaves with approximately 600,000 men, not including women and children. Pharaoh means Great House, and is a title (like Queen Elizabeth), not a name. From Exodus 6:20 we learn that Moses parents were Aunt and Nephew. The word for basket is used only one other place in the Bible: to describe Noahs ark. To the Egyptians the river was holy. A baby floating on it out of nowhere was looked on as a gift from the gods. (Consider what was happening to baby Hebrew males at the time!) The name Moses sounds like a Hebrew word meaning to draw out. Moses is taken by Pharaohs daughter and grew up as/in royalty. The Midian priest, Reuel, and Jethro are all the same man. Reuel means Fearer of God and Jethro means his Excellency. Like David, Moses leaves being a shepherd to become a shepherd of his people. What does Jesus call Himself? I am the Good Shepherd The angel of the Lord is God, as we saw in the wrestling match with Jacob/Israel. Pharaoh believed he was, and was believed to be, divine. Pharaohs headdress is topped with a cobra. Moses first miracle? Turning a staff into a snake! 4. Nine times the Bible says that Pharaohs heart is the result of God. Nine times the Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. What does Romans 1:24-28 say about the heart and free will of people? The Plagues Walk through the chapters on the plagues, and fill out this chart by placing a check under each item per plague. A Couple Notes: Most of these plagues were a direct attack against a false god of the Egyptians, who had temples, sacrifices, priests for each god. It is also interesting what the magicians say and do about these plagues (which is nothing!). Pharaoh was thought to be a god, as well as his sons were godsconsider the final plague against that information!! Goshen was the place where the Israelites lived.

A Couple Last Notes: 1. Check out the last plague and Exodus 12:12 2. Notice there were three groups of three plagues, and that each grouping was prefaced by a warning to Pharaoh (on plagues 1,4,7) as he went to the Nile, which they believed to be holy.

Digging Deeper
1. Read Psalm 105. What words suggest the faithfulness of God in keeping His covenant promises? What does the psalmist suggest our response to God should be? 2. Read Exodus 4:24. Seems a littlestrange! Why did Zipporah have to do this? Would Moses have been able to lead Gods people if he could not even keep the commandment (and the covenant) for his own household? 3. What does Moses tell Pharaoh that God has commanded them to go out into the desert to do (Exodus 3:18)? What reason do we have for this in Exodus 8:26? What was Pharaohs response?
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