Who is Moses, the prophet, lawgiver, and leader of the Israelites?

Check out these biblical facts about the Bible character Moses.

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• Moses was a Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader.
  He is among the most important prophets in Christianity.
  Moses is called the lawgiver because God physically gave the Ten Commandments to him.
  He was born in the Land of Goshen and died on Mount Nebo in Jordan.
  Jochebed was his mother, and Amram was his father.
  He had an older brother, Aaron, and an older sister, Miriam.
  Zipporah, a Midianite, was his first wife.
  The Bible also mentions that he was later married to an unnamed Cushite.
  His children were Gershom and Eliezer.
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• Moses was saved from certain death.
  During the time that Moses was born, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.
  The pharaoh worried that the growing Hebrew population would revolt and seize control.
  To control the population, Pharaoh ordered the killing of all newborn Hebrew boys.
  Moses was born several months premature.
  Jochebed hid her son Moses for several months until it became noticeable that her child was born.
  She decided to put him in a floating basket and allow him to float down the river in hopes that the royal family would find him and take care of him.
  The plan worked, as Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the Nile River when the basket floated by.
  Moses was three months old when Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses and raised him as royalty.
  He was highly educated, a warrior, and a leader among the Egyptians.

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• Moses committed murder.
  One day, Moses took a walk to where his people (the Hebrews) were working to observe what was going on.
  He saw a taskmaster beat a slave and became extremely upset.
  Moses had a quick temper, which was considered one of his flaws.
  In a fit of anger, Moses killed the Egyptian taskmaster and buried him in the sand.
  Unfortunately, witnesses saw what he had done.
  Fearing for his life, Moses quickly departed from Egypt on the lam and ended up in Midian.
  Upon arriving in Midian, he met a group of young girls tending sheep.
  The short story is that he ended up marrying Zipporah, one of the girls, and working for her father, Reuel.
  Exodus 2:11-22

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• Moses communicated with a burning bush.​
  He had a new life as a sheepherder for Reuel, the father of his wife.
  Moses was peacefully tending his father-in-law's flock when God arrived.
  There was a job that God wanted Moses to perform.
  God appeared as a burning bush at the base of Mount Horeb (the mountain of God) and laid out His plan for Moses.
  Of course, Moses, being who he was, argued with God.
  Moses was not interested in God's plan and didn't feel qualified to do what God requested.
  He argued with God!
  Can you imagine?
  
  Moses didn't want to do what God wanted.
  Moses made up many excuses, including the fact that he had a speech impediment.
  God said that Aaron, his brother, would be Moses' spokesperson.
  After the conversation with God, Moses finally agreed to be His spokesperson.
  God probably already knew the type of man He was dealing with in Moses.
  The plan was for Moses to lead the Israelite slaves out of Egypt to the promised land of milk and honey in Canaan.
  This period was known as the Great Exodus.
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• Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and to the borders of the promised land of Canaan.
  He confronted Pharaoh, who refused to "let thy people go!"
  Through Moses, God dealt out 10 plagues upon Egypt.
  The last one was the death of all firstborn males regardless of age.
  Finally, the Egyptian people revolted against the Pharaoh, and they said, "Let those people go!"
  The mass of slaves led by Moses reached the Red Sea and encamped there.
  Pharaoh changed his mind and sent all of his chariots after the slaves to bring them back.
  Moses spread his arms, causing the Red Sea to part, allowing the slaves to escape through it.
  The slaves crossed; the Egyptian chariots followed and were in the parted sea, which collapsed and killed them.

 

• Some bad things happened during the trek to the promised land of milk and honey in Canaan.
  The people constantly complained, which ultimately upset God, and God made the Israelites walk around in the desert for 40 years until all the people who complained died off.
  Korah rebelled against Moses, and God caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah and his followers.
  Moses' sister, Miriam, challenged Moses for leadership, and God gave her leprosy.
  She was healed after learning her lesson.
   

• Moses frequently became frustrated due to the misbehavior of the Israelites he was leading.
  He received the two tablets of the Ten Commandments that God gave him.
  Moses brought them down from the mountain after speaking with God.
  When he arrived at the encampment, he saw everyone worshiping a golden calf idol.
  Moses was infuriated and threw the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments to the ground, shattering them.
  This act was deeply disappointing to God.
  Moses had to return to the mountain to receive a second set of tablets.
  I can't imagine that conversation.
   

• On another occasion, the Israelites complained about being thirsty.
  God instructed Moses to go to Hajar Musa, where there would be water.
  Moses was instructed to speak to the rock there, and it would then release water.
  Again, Moses' anger got the better of him.
  When Moses arrived at the rock, he yelled, "Here's your dang water, you miserable unbelievers," and smacked the rock hard with his walking stick.
  Water gushed forth.
  Moses was commanded to communicate with the rock, not to strike it in anger.
  
  As a result of his anger management issues, God forbade Moses from entering the Promised Land.
  God allowed Moses to see Canaan from the top of Mount Nebo, but he was not allowed to enter it.
  Shortly after, Moses died there and was buried somewhere in an unknown spot in the Nebo Valley.

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