We are going to be examining ten lesson from the life of Moses. He is a key figure in the Bible, recognized as the prophet who led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. He received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and is known for authoring the first five books of the Bible. Here are some 10 lessons from the life of Moses.
Lesson 1:
EMBRACE YOUR CALLING WITH HUMILITY Exodus 3:11, Exodus 4:10-12, Acts 7:22 The first lesson from the life of Moses is Humility. Moses’ humility shone through when God called him. Instead of boasting of his achievements or strengths, he recognized his weakness and surrendered to God’s call, despite feeling inadequate. In the New Testament, Acts reminds us of how learned Moses was but still dependent on God. We should emulate this and always remain humble in all circumstances, remembering that our strengths are blessings from God.
Lesson 2:
BOLD OBEDIENCE Exodus 7:2-5, Numbers 20:8-12, Hebrews 11:24-27 Despite Pharaoh’s hardened heart and Israelites’ stubbornness, Moses obeyed God’s commands. However, when he hit the rock instead of speaking to it as God had instructed, there were consequences. These examples remind us to obey God fully without trying to modify His instructions to suit us. Hebrews commends Moses for choosing to be mistreated along with God’s people instead of enjoying fleeting pleasure.
Lesson 3:
DEPENDENCE ON GOD Exodus 14:10-16, Exodus 33:12-15, Acts 7:36 At the Red Sea, Moses cried out to God for deliverance. When leading the Israelites, he depended on God’s presence for guidance. These incidences demonstrate how vital it is to depend on God entirely and continually seek His presence in all aspects of life. Even in Acts, we see Stephen acknowledging Moses’ dependence on God.
Lesson 4:
LEADERSHIP AND DELEGATION Exodus 18:13-24, Numbers 11:16-17, I Timothy 3:4-5 Lesson: Jethro advised Moses to delegate tasks to lessen his burden. Moses acted upon this advice by selecting seventy elders to help lead the people. This reflects wisdom in leadership. Even in the New Testament, leaders are encouraged to delegate to maintain effective leadership.
Lesson 5:
RESPECT AND HONOR GOD’S LAW Exodus 20:1-20, Exodus 34:1, Matthew 5:17-19 The fifth lesson from the life of Moses is respect. Moses received and delivered God’s laws with utmost respect and adherence, reflecting the importance of valuing and following God’s commandments. Even Jesus in Matthew emphasizes the importance of respecting God’s laws.
Lesson 6:
SEEK GOD’S FORGIVENESS Numbers 14:11-20, Deuteronomy 9:18-20, Luke 6:36 Despite God’s intention to destroy the Israelites due to their disobedience, Moses sought His mercy on their behalf. This shows the power of intercession and the importance of seeking forgiveness from God, echoed by Jesus in Luke, advocating for mercy and forgiveness.
Lesson 7:
ANTICIPATE GOD’S PROVISION Exodus 16:2-15, Exodus 17:3-7, Matthew 6:31-33 Despite the Israelites’ grumblings, God provided manna and water. These stories demonstrate the importance of anticipating God’s provision in times of need. Even Jesus echoes this in Matthew by assuring us of God’s provision. Recommended Reading:
Lesson 8:
FEAR GOD MORE THAN PEOPLE Exodus 2:11-14, Exodus 11:4-8, Acts 7:29-31 Even though Moses feared Pharaoh initially, he stood before him fearlessly to deliver God’s message. His transformation shows the importance of fearing God more than man. Even Stephen acknowledged Moses’ brave shift in Acts.
Lesson 9:
PRAYER AND FAITH Numbers 12:13, Exodus 17:11-13, Mark 11:24 Moses demonstrated strong faith through his prayers for Miriam’s healing and during the battle against the Amalekites. This exemplifies the power of prayer and faith, emphasized in Mark where Jesus speaks of believing in what we pray for.
Lesson 10:
HOPE AND FAITHFULNESS TO THE END Deut. 34:5-8, Deut 32:48-52, 2 Timothy 4:7-8 The tenth lesson from the life of Moses is faithfulness. Moses remained faithful to God to the end of his life, expecting to see God’s promise to Israel fulfilled. This is a valuable lesson on holding onto hope and being faithful. This is also evident in the New Testament as Paul speaks about fighting a good fight and finishing the race faithfully.