Moses course 1 - 08/06/2015

Evening everyone. Looking at history, restoration started giving Moses' course, which is quite long. This is to do with a national foundation for creating a national foundation received by the Messiah. So before looking at the Family Foundation and tribal foundation through Abel, Noah's family, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we saw how they established a family-level foundation. Jacob overcame his fallen nature and was able to be reconciled. However, Jacob did not actually establish a proper foundation of substance because Jesus, when the Messiah came, did not come on the foundation established by Jacob. You remember the descendants of Esau were enemies of the descendants of Jacob, and they remained enemies for almost the next 2,000 years until not long before the birth of Jesus. Their enemies were reconciled, but they weren't actually able to unite and form a substantial foundation to receive the Messiah. This was later seen in Jacob's family, particularly between Joseph and his brothers, and much more intensively between Judah and Benjamin, which comes later.

There has to be a national foundation to receive the Messiah because a foundation is to protect the Messiah. If the Messiah just comes to a family, they can easily be wiped out by unpleasant people around. Jacob's victory then brought about a family level, whereas if you look at the sort of pagan or Satanic foundation, it is already on a national and international level with the Egyptians and the Assyrian Empire. The Egyptian Pharaoh was called a god and was very authoritarian in a totalitarian kind of society. So, the Messiah being born at that time could easily be wiped out. It's important then to create a national level foundation to receive the Messiah so that he can be protected. This is the parental established foundation, which was established on a family level by Moses, by Jacob and Joseph, and finally on a worldwide level by Jesus.

So, looking at the national level foundation to see the Messiah, it has to be foundational faith. Moses is initially the central figure of this foundation of faith, and then he brings the offering, which is the Word of God, through which people listen to and practice the Word of God. They develop their own spiritual lives. It is not just Moses who has to do this; it has to be the whole Jewish people, all the Hebrews together, for this foundational faith to create a spiritual community worshipping God and studying the Word of God according to the Word of God. This foundational faith is essential for creating a society in which there is religious freedom and the rule of law. Through unity with Moses and the Hebrews, this foundation received the Messiah when the Word could become flesh.

For this foundation to receive the Messiah, it requires a mixture of divine grace and human will. Human beings have to make the foundation of faith and the foundational substance. They then have to make the foundation to receive the Messiah, and God has a role in order for Him to be able to send the Messiah. This requires both God's will and human beings contributing and working together. Remember when we looked at Joseph's story? We saw that Joseph went down into Egypt, and later on, he invited the rest of his family down to Egypt. Jacob moved down to Egypt, and they all settled there. They grew and prospered, but then arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He remembered the economic policies of Joseph, which had reduced all Egyptians to a position of slavery because the Pharaoh ended up owning everything, including the people. The only landowners in the country were the Hebrews, descendants of Jacob, because they were Joseph's relatives and could settle in a great part of the country.

You can see here that the roots of this antagonism towards the Hebrews lay in the fact that they were foreigners but also incredibly prosperous, which created envy and antagonism. The Pharaoh came along, not knowing what Joseph had done for the country, and he was scared and worried that maybe the Hebrews would take over. He had a legitimate fear that the Hebrews, being foreigners and incredibly prosperous, might take over. To address this problem, he initiated grand building projects like the great city of Ramses, paying people very well. Many people went to work building the city, including Hebrews who were well-paid for their work. Then he changed the legislation so that young people who could be in charge, the managers, could only be Egyptians, and Hebrews were not allowed to be managers anymore; they could only be workers.

What choice did the Hebrew families have if they could only be workers while Egyptians could be citizens and managers? Some of the Hebrews might have thought, 'If I want to get promoted, I obviously have to assimilate and become an Egyptian citizen.' You can imagine that some of the Hebrews thought, 'I don't want to be a Hebrew anymore; I want to remain here, progress in my career, become rich and wealthy, and get promoted.' They could do this by taking out Egyptian citizenship and swearing an oath of loyalty to the Pharaoh, worshipping the Pharaoh as if he were God. This is one of the ways in which Satan tried to break the faith and destroy the Hebrews' sense of identity. After 400 years, many Hebrews were reduced to slavery. They were subjected to degrading working conditions, and their rights were gradually removed until they were completely dependent on the state.

Moses was a central figure for the national restoration. He was the son of Amram and Jochebed and was second-generation Hebrew born in Egypt. His father was a descendant of Jacob and one of the religious leaders of the synagogue in Egypt. The Egyptians tried to reproduce the Hebrews into slavery, but the Hebrews kept multiplying in population. The Pharaoh then commanded all the midwives that when a Hebrew baby boy was born, they should have him put to death, trying to reduce their population. The midwives, however, refused to carry out this order because they believed their job was to help women give birth, not to murder children. They disobeyed the Pharaoh and even lied to him, saying that the Hebrew women gave birth so quickly that by the time they arrived, the babies had already been born.

Do you think it was right or wrong for them to do that? They were disobeying the Pharaoh at the risk of their lives because it was against their conscience to kill the little babies. They justified their actions by lying to the Pharaoh. Moses' mother decided she wanted to protect him, so she came up with a cunning plan. She built a wicker basket, placed him in the river near the Pharaoh's palace, and sent Miriam, Moses' sister, to keep an eye on it. When the Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe, she spotted the baby in the basket and had her maids bring it over. She was touched and adopted the baby, knowing he was a Hebrew. What do you think about her action? She disobeyed her father, the Pharaoh, following her conscience. She felt it was wrong to kill the little boy and had compassion for him, even at the risk of her life.

Moses grew up in the palace for 40 years and received the education appropriate for a prince. His midwife was actually his mother, so he was cared for by her. He must have had some sense of his true identity growing up there. He also went around among his people and developed a strong sense of justice. One day, he saw a slave driver beating a Hebrew and became very angry about this injustice. He ended up killing the slave driver. I don't think it was intentional; he probably just pushed the slave driver away, and the man fell back and died. As a result, he revealed to the Hebrews that he was on their side, showing his strong sense of justice. However, this also meant that he revealed to the palace that his true loyalty lay with the Hebrews, not the Egyptians. Once the Pharaoh realized this, Moses became a threat and had to flee.

The Hebrews should have recognized Moses as one of their own, this Hebrew who was growing up in the palace. They should have loved and respected him, listening to him and working together. They could have left Egypt in just 21 days, as the Bible indicates. Why 21 days? The number 21 signifies maturity and responsibility. When you're 21 years old, you're supposed to be mature and responsible for your actions. God wanted the people to go from Egypt to Canaan, which was supposed to be a world of freedom, where people live according to their conscience and within the law. To achieve this, people had to change their way of thinking and undergo a significant transformation, moving from a slave mindset to becoming a free people capable of taking initiative and living creative lives without a slave master standing over them. Do you think it's easy to make that transition? For many people, it seems impossible to make such a psychological, mental, spiritual, and social transition.

The way people feel and interact within their families and societies needs to change radically. This transformation is expected to occur within a short period, but I think it's unrealistic. The journey to Canaan, which represents a promised land, is a focus of this transformation. In the biblical narrative, Moses encounters conflict among the Hebrews, which illustrates the challenges of leadership and the difficulty of uniting a community. When he tries to intervene in a dispute, he is met with hostility, revealing that he is not accepted as a leader. This rejection leads him to flee Egypt, marking the beginning of a significant period in his life.

After fleeing, Moses finds himself in the wilderness of Midian, where he encounters a group of women being harassed by armed men. His strong sense of justice compels him to defend the women, and he helps them return to their father, Jethro, a priest of Midian. This act of bravery leads to Moses marrying one of Jethro's daughters and becoming a shepherd. For the next 40 years, he tends to sheep in Midian, a stark contrast to his previous life in Egypt. This period of solitude and reflection is crucial for Moses as he prepares for his future role as a leader.

During this time, God prepares to intervene in the lives of the Israelites, who have been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Despite their suffering, the Hebrews maintain their identity through practices like circumcision and observing the Sabbath. God, having witnessed their misery, chooses to reveal Himself to Moses through the burning bush. This encounter is significant as it marks the beginning of God's plan to liberate the Israelites. The burning bush, which is not consumed by fire, serves as a metaphor for God's presence—alive yet not destructive.

When God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses questions his own identity and capability. He feels unworthy and doubts that the people will believe him. This self-doubt is common among leaders, especially those chosen by God. Moses' reluctance highlights a theme in biblical narratives where God often chooses individuals who feel inadequate for the task at hand. God reassures Moses that He will be with him, but Moses still struggles with his sense of purpose and the challenge ahead.

Moses' questions to God reflect a deeper inquiry into identity and divine nature. When God reveals His name as 'I Am Who I Am,' it signifies His eternal and unchanging nature. This revelation is not just about God's power but also about His personal relationship with the Israelites. God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing a connection with Moses and the people. This personal aspect of God is crucial as it reassures Moses of God's commitment to His people and their suffering.

As Moses grapples with his mission, he expresses concern that the Israelites will not believe him. This doubt is a significant barrier for any leader. God responds by providing Moses with signs and miracles to demonstrate His power. However, Moses' feelings of inadequacy persist, illustrating the internal struggles leaders face. The narrative emphasizes that true leadership often involves vulnerability and reliance on divine support, rather than self-confidence alone.

The last thing you want to do when God calls you is to feel unworthy or inadequate. This is a common experience among those whom God calls, like Jeremiah. Unlike aspiring politicians who are full of themselves and eager for power, those called by God often feel the weight of their inadequacies. For instance, when God called Moses, He provided him with signs to reassure him. God instructed Moses to throw down his rod, which turned into a snake, and then to pick it up by the tail, turning it back into a rod. This act symbolised the restoration of Adam, illustrating the power of God to transform and restore.

God also instructed Moses to put his hand in his bosom, which became leprous when he took it out, only to be restored when he placed it back in again. This represented the corruption and restoration of humanity. The third miracle involved taking water from the Nile and turning it into blood, symbolising the transformation from death to life. However, Moses only performed the first and third miracles; he never performed the second. This was seen as a consequence of his disbelief, as he doubted that the people would believe him.

Moses expressed his concerns about his eloquence, stating that he was slow of speech and feared that no one would pay attention to him. This situation is reminiscent of King George VI, who struggled with a stutter and did not want to be king. Despite his challenges, he had to represent the nation and deliver speeches. God reassured Moses, saying He would be his mouth and teach him what to say. Yet, Moses still pleaded for someone else to take on the task, feeling inadequate at the age of 80 and having been out of Egypt for 40 years.

God's anger burned against Moses, but He offered a solution by mentioning his brother Aaron, who was a good speaker. God instructed Moses to work with Aaron and Miriam, highlighting the importance of support and collaboration. Throughout his life, Moses relied heavily on Aaron and Miriam, each bringing their unique qualities to the leadership. After Miriam's death, Moses faced significant challenges without her guidance, demonstrating the importance of having a supportive community.

As Moses journeyed to Egypt, an interesting incident occurred. On the way, God sought to kill him, which raises questions about God's intentions. Zipporah, Moses' wife, circumcised their son with a flint and touched Moses' feet with the foreskin, declaring him a 'bridegroom of blood.' This act was significant, as it represented the covenant between God and His people, and the necessity of circumcision as a mark of identity and belonging to God.

God does not grant grace without conditions; He often tests individuals to prevent accusations from Satan. In Moses' case, the miracles he received were accompanied by a test to ensure he and his family were united and could overcome challenges. This principle applies broadly, as leaders are often tested to prove their qualifications and capabilities. Just as a company president might ensure their successor is competent, God tests His chosen leaders to confirm their readiness for responsibility.

The act of circumcision is deeply symbolic, representing a change of lineage and identity. It signifies belonging to God and the removal of the blood of death. Zipporah's circumcision of their son affirmed their family's identity as part of the Hebrew people, united by blood and faith. This act was not just about Moses; it was about establishing a covenant with God and ensuring their family's commitment to the God of Israel. The next part of this narrative will involve Moses' confrontation with the Hebrew leaders in Egypt, which we will discuss next week.