Bible overview #3
Moses
We have covered in the last two blogs what it looks like to be in relationship with God and who the character of God is throughout the first part of Genesis. We have looked at how God planned before time to choose us as His family and to send Jesus. Adam and Eve and all their generations had the choice to trust God, walk in obedience, and seek relationship with Him—or live for themselves and walk away from God. Some even chose to worship gods of their own making. God, in His justice and love, will never let sin go unchecked. Then God chose to teach the people how to follow Him through a family that would become a great nation if they walked in faith and obedience. This is the promise, and the faith-filled man God started this with was Abraham. Throughout these stories, God never forgot His plan to send Jesus and promised Eve and Abraham that through them He would come. In this continuation, you will see how God chooses to be faithful to all His promises and to people who choose to walk with Him. He is also faithful to all people through His plan to bless them through Abraham and his descendants, and in His patience toward those who do not know Him. So, let’s dive in.
Isaac, Abraham’s promised child, also received the promise of God. Do you remember the original? Genesis 26:1–5: Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees, and my instructions.”
Isaac had twin boys. One of them, Jacob, encountered God while running from his angry brother, who wanted to kill him. In a dream, God revealed Himself to Jacob and confirmed Abraham’s promise again to him. He promised to protect him. Genesis 28:20–21: Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God.”
Even though this may not seem the best way to talk to God, He was gracious, knowing Jacob’s heart, and blessed him greatly. After many years, many children, and much wealth, Jacob returned home to mend his relationship with his brother. On his way, one night, God came to him. Jacob wrestled with Him until God blessed him, and then God changed his name to Israel. This became the name of their great nation. Israel had twelve sons. One was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. But this was part of God’s plan to save them all. During a famine, God brought them into Egypt through that son—something He had already told Abraham long before. Genesis 15:13–16: Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”
Did you catch the purpose? It was for the sake of the Amorites. God was giving them time to come to Him. He cared enough about them that He did not give Israel full possession of the promised land by wiping them out immediately. Instead, He sent His chosen nation to Egypt. They experienced four hundred years of slavery because of His love and mercy toward the Amorite people. Think about that for a moment. The next time you are suffering, don’t focus only on yourself. It might not be about you at all. God’s perspective is wider than ours. It might not be that He hates you or is causing awful things to happen. It might not even be that He doesn’t hear you. Maybe He sees other people who need something more. And maybe He sees suffering differently than we do. Look through Scripture: in most cases, He teaches through it. He is still accessible. He still hears you. And He still works miracles.
Back to the story: Israel—all twelve brothers’ families—were now in Egypt, multiplying for four hundred years, becoming slaves just as God had spoken. But God never planned for them to stay there. He rescued a boy who was going to be killed by Pharaoh. When that boy grew into a man, God came to him—not in person or a dream this time, but in a burning bush. Exodus 3:9–10: “And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Because of his doubt, God sent his brother to speak to Pharaoh. God gave Pharaoh ten chances to let the Israelites go. But in the end, Egypt was greatly punished. God performed many miracles for the Israelites. He split rivers so they could cross. He gave them unending food, and their clothes and sandals never wore out. He led them by a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud.
To teach the people how to have a personal relationship with Him, God used His relationship with Moses. Moses understood he could not lead these people on his own, so he went to God with everything he needed. He would go up on a mountain when God called him. Sometimes he set up a tent outside the camp, and God spoke with him there. Through speaking with Moses, God gave His people the Ten Commandments to show them how to honor Him and each other. When they sinned and built an idol, Moses asked God to have mercy and not wipe them out as He intended. And God listened and relented. God also wanted them to come to Him like Moses did. He invited them to listen to Him speaking to Moses at the mountain. He told them how to purify themselves so they would be ready. But they were too afraid to go. So, God gave Moses a building plan for a tent of meeting where He would dwell among them in the middle of their camp. He also gave rules for sacrifices, so they could bring Him their shame and sin instead of hiding in it like Adam and Eve. Through this, God would take their shame away and mend their relationship with Him. He also gave instructions for thanksgiving offerings and festivals to help them remember and thank Him for all He had done. This was all to teach them how to have relationship with Him and how to treat each other—and even the people in surrounding lands—in ways that pleased Him. Then He had them teach each other all His instructions and promise to obey. But He also understood they were imperfect people who could not keep all the law or avoid sin. They understood this too. God had not forgotten His plan to send Jesus as the once-for-all, pure sacrifice to wash away all sin and shame. Through these sacrifices and laws, He was showing them their need for Jesus and preparing them for His coming.
Through all the miracles and their rescue from Egypt, the whole world heard about it and feared the God of Israel. This was part of Abraham’s promise—that all nations of the world would be blessed through them. If they heard, understood, and chose to follow the God of Israel, they would be blessed. And if they saw the difference in how Israel lived, it would testify to who God is.
What characteristics of God do you see? What kind of relationship do you see God wants with you? How do you see God’s justice and love—are they separate, or does He use them together? In this season of your life, I challenge you to think deeply about these questions and consider how you should respond to them. I also encourage you to ask the Lord to help you see from His perspective and seek Him even in hard times. This is one of my favorite prayers in my own life because I believe it is essential for moving forward in the things He gives you. Please share your thoughts on these questions or anything you’ve learned. I always love hearing others’ perspectives and learning from them. And I encourage you to read these stories for yourself. Read along with me as I highlight different people and events and get the full story. The Bible overview will continue next week. Have a good week, everyone.
