Conference Notes

The life of Moses has something for everyone. The Bible gives us information about his life from a very young age, through middle age, and up to his death at the age of 120. He was a foster child. He was an immigrant. He knew what it was to spend long periods of time alone as a shepherd, and he knew what it was to lead perhaps two million people through the desert.

Why are his parents' names not given in Exodus 2? They only appear later in chapter 6. Perhaps it illustrates that his parents were not prominent or notable in any way. They were just ordinary people who wanted to have a godly home. All of us can share in that desire.

The parents saw more than just a beautiful baby. They saw that he was "beautiful to God," as some translations have in Acts 7:20. They wanted him to be great for God. This is the attitude Christian parents should have, too.

We can see the preserving hand of God. God allowed Pharaoh's daughter to find the ark and to have a tender heart towards the baby boy. She accepted Miriam's offer to bring a nurse for Moses, and thus Moses' parents actually received wages to care for him-- a provision for the family as well.

The influence of godly women is also seen in Timothy's life. His mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures as a child (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:15).

Pharaoh's daughter said, "Nurse him for me" (2:9). But the next comment is simply that Moses' mother "nursed him"-- not specifically for Pharaoh's daughter. We don't have to raise our children with the goal of becoming great in this world.

At the age of 40, Moses was now "great" (some translations of Hebrews 11:24). Probably the Egyptians expected he was now ready to do great things in their culture. Instead, we see Moses refusing and choosing certain things. He did not attempt to use his worldly position to accomplish spiritual things. His spiritual maturity is evident.

Moses refused to pursue great status and power. What would we give up for God?

Moses made an assessment of his options, and he evaluated accurately. Sin's pleasure is temporary; and the true riches are to align with God's leader (whom the New Testament identifies as Jesus Christ; Hebrews 11:25-26), despite the reproach of that stand.

We can live in the presence of spiritual activities without necessarily making them our own. In 1 Corinthians 10:3-4, everyone of that time ate and drank spiritual food and water-- yet many did not please God, because they did not have faith. This is the key-- faith, not just a sense of duty.

At this point, the people had already heard the Ten Commandments and promised to do all that God would say. Moses had gone up into the mountain alone to hear more from God. Meanwhile, Aaron responded to the complaints of the people by making a golden calf and calling it the god who delivered them from Egypt. Moses must respond to this wicked situation.

Yet Moses maintains that this is still God's people (32:11-12)! He does not take possession as if they are his.

The first two of the Ten Commandments were, "Have no other gods before Me," and, "Do not make any engraved image." By worshipping this golden calf, they were breaking the very first commandments they had heard from the Lord.

Moses is being sent down to help the people who cannot help themselves. They needed someone to bring them back to God. Jesus Christ did this, too.

Moses prayed. But he also came down from the mountain. On the basis of God's word (the stone tablets) he acts. Yet he breaks them before entering the camp, as if breaking a contract the people had already signed and broken.

When Moses turned from God while on the mountain, it was a good action, because he turned in order to carry out God's purposes. He was on par with God's thoughts about the situation.

He also makes the people taste the bitterness of sin by grinding the idol to powder, mixing it with water, and making the people drink it. Similarly, the priest would eat part of the sin offering when someone brought one (Leviticus 6:26), as if the priest also needed to be reminded how terrible sin was in his own heart.

Aaron had served with Moses, yet he is the one who led the people into sin. He was carried along by the demands of the people. Do we succumb to outside pressure that way? "The fear of man brings a snare" (Proverbs 29:25). Aaron's position of influence caused many to sin.

Aaron may have enjoyed the attention of the people being on him rather than Moses. This attitude, along with the idolatry, could illustrate potential failings in us all. However, we know he must have repented, because God can't use someone living with unconfessed sin. It might be that in Exodus 32:26 he came to Moses with the other children of Levi.

The next day Moses said he would "perhaps" be able to make an atonement for them (verse 30). Was he unsure about this? No, but he realized how depraved the sin had been and knew that judgment was not over.

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses reflects on God's faithfulness and His promises. At the age of 120 years, Moses is more encouraged than Jacob, who at the end of his life said, "Few and evil have been the days of my life" (Genesis 47:9). Instead of evil memories, we can appreciate Moses' calm confidence as he talks to the people, to Joshua, and to the priests and elders.

Moses is the first in the Bible to be called a "man of God" (Deuteronomy 33:1). He has a wonderful attitude of peace as he considers the ways of God. He also prepares a new leader so that a God-honoring transition can take place.

Moses shares God's faithfulness, and it was from personal experience.

Joshua's history shows his progression. He had fought against Amalek (Exodus 17), which is an example of fighting against the desires of our own flesh. He knew the importance of prayer on the mountaintop (Exodus 17). He was always found in Moses' presence, even when that meant a tent outside the main camp (Exodus 33). He was willing to learn when that was his role.

Moses made a point of identifying the next leader in the presence of all the people. Often there is failure because of failed leadership, and Moses wanted all the people to know that God had marked out Joshua for future service.

Moses' words of encouragement to Joshua in 31:7-8 are very much like the words of God Himself in the book of Joshua (1:5-9). When we speak, we also ought to have the words of God Himself ("the oracles of God," 1 Peter 4:11).

This instruction was the book of Deuteronomy itself, which recounts the ways of God with the people as they were delivered from Egypt and traveled through the wilderness. This would establish them to live for God in their inherited land. They would need spiritual intelligence to enjoy the Lord and what He had given them, just as we do.

We live in a time when we don't read the word of God as we used to and as we should. We are instructed to read it aloud to others (31:11), and we are to hear it and learn it (31:12-13). Teaching the Scriptures and studying them ourselves are key aspects of our spiritual lives.