Moses

From MormonWiki

Moses was the prophet of the Lord who led the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Through him the "Law of Carnal Commandments" was given, emphasizing obedience, repentance, and sacrifice. The principle account of Moses' life and mission is found in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. The scriptures also provide more information regarding Moses in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Book of Moses (in the Pearl of Great Price).

The Jews revere Moses as the Lawgiver, as the Mosaic Law is the basis of Jewish ethics and belief. Islam also reveres Moses, and his mission is faithfully recounted in the Qur'an. Christians revere Moses as a prophet and lawgiver, but many Christians erroneously feel the Mosaic law was an old law of vengeance, done away with by Christ. (See Law of Moses.) Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have information about Moses, revealed through revelation and written in the Pearl of Great Price, which describes his greatness as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

Nile River © Intellectual Reserve. Mormons believe the story of Moses as it is recounted in the Bible. More information about Moses and his greatness as a seer and leader is available in the Pearl of Great Price

Who was Moses?

There were but seventy people who migrated with Jacob (Israel) to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. In Egypt, the House of Jacob was given land and sustenance through Joseph, the eldest son of Rachel and Jacob, who was at that time second in power only to Pharaoh. As the years went by, the Israelite population burgeoned. A pharaoh came into power who "knew not Joseph," and the Egyptians became fearful that the Israelites would ally with their enemies and rebel against them. The Egyptians began to oppress and enslave the Israelites, to the point that a pharaoh, probably Horemheb, issued an edict that all male babies born to Israelites were to be slain:

And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive (Exodus 1:22).

At the risk of their lives, Hebrew midwives saved the children alive, and a few intrepid Israelite parents were able to hide their infants from the Egyptian taskmasters. Thus it was with Amram, a Levite, and his wife Yocheved. They already had two children, Miriam and Aaron, who were born before the edict, but after they had hidden their third child for three months, they dared not hide him any longer. Yocheved fashioned a tiny ark out of bullrushes and set the child adrift in the shallow waters of the Nile. Miriam wandered along the bank, observing its progress. The ark with the child inside it was discovered by a daughter of Pharaoh. She adopted the child as her own, and she called him "Moses," which could be Hebrew for "drawn out of," or Egyptian for "son." Miriam was nearby and recommended Yocheved as a nursemaid for the infant, which suggestion the daughter of Pharaoh found acceptable.

Casual readers of the Biblical account accept it at face value, but even ancient writers have wondered why Egyptian royalty, who considered the Hebrews vermin, would take in a Hebrew child. The Qur'an explains that the daughters of Pharaoh were leprous and were immediately healed when they looked upon the radiant child, and that an uneasy peace existed between Pharaoh and Moses (Musa, in Arabic). Others speculate that the "daughter of Pharaoh" was a daughter of the Semitic pharaoh Akhenaten, called "heretic," because he believed in one god. She may have been inclined by her heritage to take in the babe, and if she were barren, even pretend he was her own child. Moses was raised, by whatever means, in the royal courts of Egypt as an Egyptian prince.

Many writings describe Moses as a beautiful baby and handsome, even stunning adult. The Bible says "he was a goodly child" (Exodus 2:2). According to Jewish Midrashic writings, Moses as an adult "exercised an attraction upon all that saw him, for he was slender like a palm-tree, his countenance shone as the morning sun, and his strength was equal to a lion's."¹ Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian who became a Roman citizen and compiled a history of the Jews, describes the military might and genius of Moses as an adult, conquering the militarily superior tribes of Cush in Ethiopia.² The apostle Stephen said, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds" (Acts 7:22).

Stephen says that when Moses was forty years old "it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian" (Acts 7:23, 24). The act became known, and Moses fled for his life from the wrath of Pharaoh. Moses fled to Midian and was taken in by Jethro, a prince and priest of Midian. Moses married Zipporah, daughter of Jethro, and fathered two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. It was from Jethro that Moses received the Melchizedek Priesthood:

And the sons of Moses, according to the Holy Priesthood which he received under the hand of his father-in-law, Jethro;

And Jethro received it under the hand of Caleb (Doctrine and Covenants 84:6, 7).

According to the Bible, Midian was the fourth son of Abraham and his concubine, Keturah. In order to protect Isaac, his birthright son, Abraham sent his sons by Keturah to live in the east, and the area of Midian at the time of the Exodus covered part of the Sinai desert and land southeast of the Dead Sea into Arabia. The priesthood of Abraham evidently continued among this people for awhile.

Moses lived as a shepherd in Midian for forty years, so he was eighty years old when he was called of God to be a prophet to the suffering Children of Israel. The Biblical account tells of Moses encountering a burning bush:

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed (Exodus 3:2).

The Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price also has an account of the burning bush:

And he also gave me commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me (Moses 1:17).

The difference in the two verses is profound—in the Pearl of Great Price version, the Lord instructs Moses to call on Him in the name of Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that all the ancient prophets preached of Christ as the Messiah to come, and that references to Him have been deleted from the ancient texts. The Book of Mormon says the Law of Moses typifies of Christ:

Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses (referring to Book of Mormon peoples); for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them.

Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come (Alma 25: 15-16).

The Biblical account shows how Moses resisted the call from God. Moses claimed to be slow of speech (probably because he spoke little Hebrew), so Aaron was assigned to him as a spokesman. In the Pearl of Great Price, there is an account of Moses' marvelous visions:

And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God.

And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.

And behold, the glory of the Lord was upon Moses, so that Moses stood in the presence of God, and talked with him face to face. And the Lord God said unto Moses: For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me.

And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten (Moses 1:27, 28, 31-33).

Moses as a Restorer

Sometimes a prophet is called to be the head of a new dispensation. Such a prophet was Moses. When a new dispensation is organized, the Lord reveals the gospel anew, so a dispensation (except for the dispensation of Adam) is a restoration of gospel knowledge. The gospel is revealed in a measure fitting to the preparedness of the people. The Children of Israel had been sojourning in Egypt for over four hundred years. There is no written record of prophets who may have preached among them. They had surely been influenced by their juxtaposition to the "fleshpots of Egypt." Idol worship was all around them. Perhaps they had kept their faith and beliefs, but had dwindled in knowledge. Moses was called as their teacher and trainer. But more than that, his assignment was to create for the Lord a nation of priests. Therefore, the Lord had in mind to create a nation (with civil law and social contracts), as well as a congregation of the faithful. Unity and order were paramount.

So Moses was called to a huge undertaking. He had to usher in a new gospel dispensation by restoring knowledge and priesthood keys. He had to unify the Israelites and convince them to follow him into a vast, barren desert, hoping to attain a promised land none of them had ever seen. According to Jewish legend, many Israelites stayed behind, preferring the known to the unknown, not having the faith to venture forth. Others relied on the miracles performed by Moses before Pharaoh—the faithful Israelites were always untouched by the curses on the Egyptians. The Nile turned to blood, but somehow, the Israelites had fresh water.

Moses as the restorer was a type for the Messiah to come.

And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness (1 Nephi 22: 20-21).

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you (Acts 3: 22).

Mormons believe Moses was a type of Jesus Christ and sought to bring his people into the presence of God

Moses as Lawgiver

Since the Lord wanted to create of the Children of Israel a nation of priests, He desired to bestow upon them all the blessings and responsibilities of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood. But again and again, the Israelites failed to live up to the expectations of the Lord. They desired Moses to be an intercessor between them and God, and chose not to see His face. The Lord wanted them all to have the spirit of prophecy, the gift of the Holy Ghost. He wanted them to be righteous enough to endure His presence. This is called "entering into His rest."

Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;

But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his danger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;

And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;

Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb (Doctrine and Covenants 84:23-27).

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:10, 11, 19).

While Moses was communing with God on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites fell back on their traditions from Egypt. Thus, the Lord withdrew from them the higher law and the right to the higher priesthood. Though Moses held the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Israelites qualified only for the lesser Priesthood, the Aaronic Priesthood (See Law of Moses).

The law given to Moses on Mt. Sinai included the Ten Commandments; the Law of Carnal Commandments, which included 613 positive and negative commands; and the oral law. The oral law was later codified by Jewish scribes. The law includes not only religious, but civil and court law, laws of fair business dealings, and protective laws for widows and the poor. The Law of Moses became a foundation, not only for the gospel, but for the law of enlightened nations up to the present day.

Jewish tradition holds that the law was written by the finger of God. A verse of scripture in the Book of Mormon is a quote from Joseph who was sold into Egypt. In it Joseph prophecies of Moses and the giving of the law:

And the Lord hath said: I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him (2 Nephi 3:17).

The Exodus as an Event and as a Type

The holy convocation of the Passover was ordained and explained by the Lord just before the Exodus began. The Lord emphasized certain messages of the miraculous escape from Egypt, all meant to typify of the mission and atonement of the Only Begotten. The Passover symbols center around redemption and deliverance, with Moses playing the role of the deliverer. The Israelites left the womb of Egypt, were delivered through water (the Red Sea), into a wilderness of testing, to inherit the promised land. The image of deliverance from Egypt through the Red Sea is birth and baptism; the image of the wilderness of testing is life on this earth; and the promised land is the celestial reward. Thus, the Exodus is a type of the Plan of Salvation. The symbols of the Passover—the bread of life, the cup of joy, the blood of the Lamb—all symbolize Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Christ is the deliverer. Redemption comes through Him.

Events in the wilderness were also types of Christ—drawing water from the rock, the healing of bitter waters, manna from heaven, and the serpent on the staff, to name but a few.

The Role of Moses after his Death

Moses did not die as a normal man dies. In the Book of Mormon, an aging prophet named Alma walks off into the wilderness and is never heard from again:

Behold, this we know, that he [Alma] was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause we know nothing concerning his death and burial.

Moses may have been translated, that is, taken to heaven without tasting death. He appeared as a translated being on the Mount of Transfiguration:

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Moses was resurrected with others of the Lord's most righteous upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a resurrected being, he visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple:

After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed (Doctrine and Covenants 110:11, 12).

References

• ¹Midrash:Sh'mot Rabbah
• ²Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 2.10-11.

External Links

• Old Testament prophets