MOSES PREDICTS THE PARALLEL BETWEEN HIMSELF AND CHRIST
Moses as he was passing along the Law to Israel told them God would someday send a Prophet like himself to save the nation. Just as Moses was the human savior of Israel from slavery so would Jesus Christ be that future Prophet to save us from the slavery to sin. Furthermore, that future Prophet would be the gateway to all salvation. We must follow Him as Moses wrote.
Deuteronomy 18:14 NKJV 14 "For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.
The pagan nations being removed by the Israelite's at God command, were involved in all kinds of occultist evils and child sacrifices. Moses told them to be pure in their worship and that God would send a Prophet like him to finish the process.
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 NKJV 15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, ...17 "And the LORD said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. 18 'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
Moses again stated that all who wished to be saved would have to believe in this future Prophet.
Deuteronomy 18:19 NKJV 19 'And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.
One of the first sermons in the new covenant era was given by The Apostle Peter was about this parallel between Christ and Moses.
Acts 3:22-23 NKJV 22 "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 'And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'
Peter is also telling all of us that Jesus Christ is the only avenue to salvation. Eventually all the world will learn this truth and most will be saved in the next life. Stephen also warned the people regarding a special Prophet like Moses that they must obey.
Acts 7:37-52 NKJV 37 "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' 38 "This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai,...51 "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,
Stephen said you murdered Jesus the Prophet Moses said was to come and now you must repent. Some did repent but most did not at that time. But we need to accept it now for this is our chance for salvation and the opportunity to be in the best resurrection. Note Rev 20: 5-6 and ;
Hebrews 2:3 NKJV 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
MOSES WAS SENT TO FREE ISRAEL AND JESUS TO FREE ALL MANKIND
A number of parallels exist between Jesus and Moses. The most consequential revolves around the law of God. Moses established Israel and the law physically and Jesus came to finish the process. Christ is giving us the helper we carnal people need to begin to obey the law truly or spiritually.
Romans 8:3-5 NKJV 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
The Ten Commandments are the spiritual heart of the Laws of God. A true believer must try to obey them in the Spirit as Jesus taught in Mathew Five, The Sermon on the Mount. Those who simplistically discard the writings of Moses are making a huge mistake. We are no longer in a theocracy so some things can only be applied in the spirit or principle behind the law. But one needs to be careful to not disrespect anything God dictated to Moses.
Romans 8:9 NKJV 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Moses gave us the law as God's scribe and Christ gives us the Holy Spirit to help us obey it in spirit and truth.
THE BIRTH OF BOTH MOSES AND JESUS FACE THE SAME DEMONIC THREATS
The rulers of Egypt came to fear the potential power of the people of God. Herod and the religious leaders of Jesus' nation began to fear this predicted Messiah ( Christ) as well.
Exodus 1:9 NKJV 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
Satan did NOT want either of these saviors of the people to survive.
Matthew 2:16 NKJV 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
Pharaoh fearing in the same evil manner followed the very same actions. Both prophets were marked for death by Satan but naturally God is stronger.
Exodus 1:22 NKJV 22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
Note that all the people of Egypt were complicit in this horrible crime and both prophets were saved in the land of Egypt. Remember God's plan cannot be thwarted, have faith no matter how dark things get. Moses mother had faith that her child would survive. She acted on that faith and was rewarded.
Exodus 2:2-3 NKJV 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.
We must show our faith by our actions. Believers have their part to play in our salvation though the credit goes to God for He plays the crucial role through Jesus our savior.
WHY WAS MOSES CHOSEN TO LEAD THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Several reasons are indicated in the book of Exodus for Moses having the qualities needed to lead. First Moses had the courage to fight evil. He seems to have instinctively been intolerant of bullying and injustice.
Exodus 2:11-12 NKJV 11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Moses was strong and militarily trained in Egyptian warfare. But this still took courage for the risk were great. When most people encounter evil they are afraid to confront it but not Moses. Moses had moral courage. This is a rare trait.
Exodus 2:13-14 NKJV 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?" 14 Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!"
Often no good deeds goes unpunished. Moses was not appreciated. Another attribute Moses had that we believe made him a great leader was his background preparation. He was well educated and did not have the mind of a slave. The lack of the slave mentality and being in one sense, an outsider would allow him to better lead the Israelite's. He was not demoralized by slavery as many of them had become. Moses is a man of action as well as prayer. Moses had both courage and constraints.
Exodus 2:16-17 NKJV 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
For the third time Moses does not tolerate evil. This time he simply stands up in defense of the women and that is enough. Previously he killed in defense of a man and spoke out against bullying and violence. Now he also intervened for non-Israelite's and women all of which is quite noble.
In part two of this podcast on the 3rd of January we will look at some remaining lessons from Moses. We have quite an adventure waiting for us 2020.
