Show Me Your Glory
Lessons from the Life of Moses
Inductive Discovery Lesson 1
M
oses: Liberator, Leader, Lawgiver, Prophet, Poet, Historian. If Moses needed a
resume, he could rightly list these qualifications. But Moses was a humble man
who would have chosen a simpler title for himself. He might have preferred his fatherin-law’s description (see Exodus 18:19) that he was “the people’s representative before
God.” As an idealistic young man, he tried to be what he thought his downtrodden
people needed. We learn early on that Moses wanted to bring help and hope to souls
who couldn’t see beyond the daily grind of life. His own efforts failed miserably, but God
didn’t give up on Moses. Eventually he discovered, as we all must, that God’s plan for
him would only be accomplished one obedient step at a time.
Because he is such an extraordinary figure in history, we assign Moses to that elite
group of larger-than-life individuals who were born for greatness. What made him a
great man worthy of life study? He had unusual beginnings, a privileged upbringing, a
remarkable calling. He was the leading man in the great Exodus that transformed a
multitude of slaves into the nation of Israel.
All of this is significant, but the source of his strength and enduring influence can be
traced back to one driving force. Moses was completely dependent upon God. Aware
of his own nothingness, he believed God and held on to His every word no matter what.
Can this be said of us? As believers, we know this is what God desires. But, truth be
told, we’d rather not be put through the paces. We are more like the Israelite
wanderers, content with daily manna if all we need do is bend down to pick it up.
Moses climbed mountains—literally and figuratively—so that he might know God
intimately and be His servant. To what lengths will you go to experience the intimacy
that Moses shared with the Great I AM?
Moses’ earthly journey is a remarkable chapter in the ongoing love story of God’s grace
and faithfulness. It allows us to glimpse what God will do for, and through, the one who
will take Him unreservedly at His Word. He had a plan for a man named Moses and He
has a plan for you. Let the journey begin.
Background
Several hundred years of silence separate the end of Joseph’s story in Genesis and the
beginning of Moses’ story in Exodus. Joseph arrived in Egypt, sold as a slave by his
own brothers, during a time designated as the 12th dynasty. The Lord blessed Joseph
who rose through the ranks to become prime minister and Egypt prospered.
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When Joseph brought his extended family to live in Egypt, the king graciously allowed
them to settle in the lush farmlands of Goshen where they could raise their families and
shepherd their flocks in peace.
With the passing of time, Joseph’s contributions were forgotten. The goodwill policy
towards Joseph’s descendents honored by each successive Pharaoh, could no longer
be taken for granted. Meanwhile, Egypt’s power was in decline.
During a period of political instability, foreign invaders with superior weapons of war
swept into Egypt and set up their own Pharaoh. Some biblical scholars believe this is
the king “who did not know Joseph” (see Exodus 1:8). All he knew was that a growing
Hebrew population was trouble waiting to happen. So he forced them into hard labor.
Eventually, the foreign invaders were driven out by Ahmose I, a native Egyptian. His
reign ushered in the 18th dynasty, a period of
international power and prosperity for Egypt. But
Ahmose I continued the pattern of abuse that was, by
now, an accepted way of life for the Hebrews. Ahmose I
passed the throne on to his son, Amenhotep I who died
without an heir. The throne then passed to Thutmose I, a commoner who had married
the king’s sister.
Thutmose I is the Pharaoh who issued the decree to kill all Hebrew baby boys. His
daughter (quite possibly the princess who adopted Moses) was Hatshepsut, one of the
few women to reign over Egypt. Even a brief exploration of Egyptian history reveals she
was a woman of strong will and high ambition. Being a woman, she could only claim
the throne by marrying her half-brother, Thutmose II (her father’s son by a concubine).
When Thutmose II died, he named his son (also the child of a concubine) as his heir.
But since Thutmose III was a minor, his step-mother Hatshepsut became co-regent and
actually wielded the power. Thutmose III bore such strong animosity toward Hatshepsut
that when she died, he had her funeral temple defaced and destroyed all monuments to
her. Thutmose III was Pharaoh when Moses was forced to flee to Midian; he is the king
who died (see Exodus 2:23) thus allowing Moses to return. His son, Amenhotep II,
would be the Pharaoh during the Exodus.
Exodus Ch. 1-2 Read the entire passage in one sitting. If possible, read it
again from a different Bible translation. Briefly describe in your own words what
is happening.
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Write down your OBSERVATIONS
Read the section and record what you see. Use the first column to keep track of what you
find in the Bible passage. (Who? What? When? Where?) Look for clues that tell you when
and where the story is taking place. What events are recorded? Who is mentioned and what
role do they play? What choices do they make? Do they succeed or fail? How do they respond
to circumstances? What attitudes or motives do they display?
Use the second column to record information you gather from other sources. Are more
details of the story recorded somewhere else in the Bible? What else can you discover about
the people and places mentioned? You may want to look up names and places in a Bible
dictionary, map or encyclopedia.
You can also use this section to jot down your own thoughts and impressions about people and
events. Imagine the people, places and events you read about. Don’t use your imagination to
produce facts, but use it to bring those biblical facts to life.
Exodus 1:1-14
Facts from the passage:
My Research and Personal Observations:
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Exodus 1:15-22
Facts from the passage:
My Research and Personal Observations:
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Exodus 2:1-10
Facts from the passage:
My Research and Personal Observations:
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Exodus 2:11-25
Facts from the passage:
My Research and Personal Observations:
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Character Profile
Moses
This section is provided so that you can get to know Moses, the man.
Use the suggested areas on the chart below to track what you have
observed about Moses this week.
Characteristics/Personality Traits: __________________________________________
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Training/Growth: ________________________________________________________
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Obstacles/Challenges: ___________________________________________________
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Accomplishments/Failures: ________________________________________________
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Attitudes/Motives: _______________________________________________________
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Relationship with God/With Others: _________________________________________
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INTERPRETATION
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What does it mean?
Look for a spiritual lesson. Be careful not to read into the Bible an idea that is not
there. Examine each verse in light of the verses around it. To help you find a spiritual lesson,
ask questions such as,“Is there a command to obey? A promise to claim? A condition to that
promise? Is there a warning to heed? An example to follow or avoid?” Looking at a character,
ask questions such as, “How did God deal with this person? How did they respond to their
circumstances? What strengths or talents are revealed? What faults are exposed? Did they
learn from their failures? Who did they depend on? How did they influence others? What did
they accomplish?” State the lesson in one simple sentence.
APPLICATION
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How does it apply to me?
We don’t study the Bible just to gather information—we want to spiritually grow. Our heart
needs to be open to change. The only way to move truth off the pages of your Bible and
into your life is to put it into action.
To apply a spiritual lesson, we must examine ourselves and take deliberate steps
to do something with what we have learned. Ask yourself: Is this a new lesson, or does it
reinforce what I already know? What does it challenge me to do? Does it point out error in my
attitude or actions? What changes does it require? Think of how the lesson relates to you and
what specific course of action you will take. Write your application in the form of a question
to make it personal.
Exodus 1:1-14
Lesson: _______________________________________________________________
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Application: ____________________________________________________________
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Exodus 1:15-22
Lesson: _______________________________________________________________
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Application: ____________________________________________________________
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Exodus 2:1-10
Lesson: _______________________________________________________________
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Application: ____________________________________________________________
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Exodus 2:11-25
Lesson: _______________________________________________________________
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Application: ____________________________________________________________
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Summary
Write a simple sentence that summarizes what the passage is about._______________
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Give a title to the chapter that will help you personally to remember it.
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Take a Closer Look
By faith Moses, when he had grown up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.
Hebrews 11:24-25
Moses had a decision to make. He could settle on the comfortable future assured him
as a prince of Egypt, or he could fully embrace his heritage as a Hebrew. From a
human standpoint, Egypt was the obvious choice. After all, someday he might be in a
position to relieve the affliction of his people and restore them back to the respect they
enjoyed during Joseph’s day. Was a complete break with his Egyptian ties really
necessary? If so, why? Give some thought to the choice Moses made and what we
can learn from his example.
What’s faith got to do with it?
The writer of Hebrews tells us that the deciding factor in Moses’ choice was faith. The
seeds of that faith were planted in the first years of his life, by his parents. By the grace
of God, their legacy of faith stayed with young Moses as he grew up in the court of
Pharaoh.
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The Bible tells us very little about Moses’ parents, but this we know: they were people of
faith. The idolatry and oppression of Egypt took its toll on the children of Israel, but
some families still followed the God of their ancient father, Abraham. Moses was born
into a family that lived by faith.
What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen.” Think about that. Not only does this tell us what faith is,
it tells us how faith responds. In spite of helpless or hopeless situations, faith takes
action and trusts God will work His plan.
Faith allowed Moses’ mother, Jochebed, to overcome the fear of what could happen to
a family that defied Pharaoh’s edict. Faith steeled her resolve and calmed her mother’s
heart to set that precious basket into the crocodile-infested Nile. Faith bound up her
torn emotions when the day came for Moses to leave her care for life in the palace.
It has been said that we make our choices—and then our choices make us. Consider
some of the people we have read about in Exodus Ch. 1-2. What do their choices say
about them?
Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-16, 22) _____________________________________________
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The Midwives (Exodus 1:17, 21) ___________________________________________
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When faith is the deciding factor in our choices, what can we be confident of? Read
Hebrews 11:6 and answer in your own words.
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Now back to our question about the decision Moses made. Was a complete break with
his Egyptian ties really necessary? Read and consider what the following scriptures say
about the company we keep and the choices we make.
Psalm 1:1-6 ____________________________________________________________
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Proverbs 1:10-19 _______________________________________________________
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1 Corinthians 15:33 ______________________________________________________
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When God reveals an area of life (a habit, a pursuit, a relationship) where a complete
break is necessary:
Why is it beneficial to obey? _______________________________________________
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Why is it dangerous to ignore? _____________________________________________
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Faith or Impulse?
Moses understood what following his convictions would cost him. He faced a crisis of
decision even before his rash killing of the Egyptian set the terms of his abrupt
departure. That part of the story prevents us from imagining Moses always made good
choices. It reminds us that we live with the consequences of our choices, whether good
or bad.
It would be a long road for Moses, but the benefit of hindsight let’s us see the vital
connection between knowing God’s will and trusting God’s timing. That’s a hard lesson
to learn; and once learned, it’s still a hard lesson to live!
Do you ever find yourself trying to help God out or hurry Him along? When it feels like
the wheels aren’t moving, we’re tempted to press down on the pedal. As we have seen
from Hebrews 11:1, faith takes action and trusts God to work His plan. On the contrary,
impulse reacts now and hopes God will bless it later. Faith or impulse? The choice is
ours.
The next time you’re tempted to take matters into your own hands, go ahead and act—
but act on God’s Word. What do the following scriptures tell you to do?
Psalm 46:10 ___________________________________________________________
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Isaiah 41:10 ___________________________________________________________
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Philippians 4:6-7 ________________________________________________________
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What aspect of faith do you personally find more challenging: knowing God’s will or
trusting God’s timing? Briefly share your thoughts.
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Something to Think About . . .
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.
-Jim Elliot-
God’s Word Bearing Fruit
For you, personally, what has been the most important lesson from this
study? How will you put what you have discovered into practice?
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Message Notes: _______________________________________________________
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Prayer Requests: ______________________________________________________
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©2006 Leah Case, All Rights Reserved
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