Among the many figures in the Bible, few led a life as turbulent yet as marked by God's presence as Moses. From a condemned Hebrew infant he became a prince of Egypt, then a lowly shepherd in the wilderness; and finally God called him from a burning bush to lead Israel out of Egypt and to serve as mediator of the Law. The story of Moses is a story about how God chooses the weak to accomplish a great salvation.

A Baby Hidden in a Basket of Reeds

At the time of Moses' birth, Pharaoh had ordered every Hebrew baby boy to be killed. By faith his mother hid him for three months, then placed him in a basket of reeds among the rushes at the edge of the Nile. Remarkably, when Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, she found him, took pity on him, adopted him as her own son, and named him "Moses," meaning "because I drew him out of the water."

In a place that looked utterly hopeless, God had already prepared deliverance. The very child who should have died was raised in the palace of those who slaughtered his people—God's protecting hand often reaches us long before we are aware of it.

From the Palace to the Wilderness of Midian

Moses grew up in Egypt, learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. Yet at the age of forty, in a fit of anger, he killed an Egyptian who was oppressing a Hebrew. When the deed came to light, he had no choice but to flee to the wilderness of Midian. The former prince was now a stranger tending another man's flocks.

Those forty years in the wilderness were not wasted. In that barren, forgotten place, God wore away Moses' pride and self-reliance and shaped in him a humble, dependent heart, preparing him to become "the meekest man on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3).

The Call from the Burning Bush

One day, on Mount Horeb, Moses saw an astonishing sight: a bush that burned with fire yet was not consumed. When he turned aside to look, God called his name out of the bush and sent him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Feeling unworthy and slow of speech, Moses objected again and again—yet God promised that He Himself would be with him.

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.Exodus 3:14 (KJV)

"I AM THAT I AM" is the holy name God revealed to Moses. He exists in dependence on no created thing; He is the eternal, unchanging, faithful, covenant-keeping Lord. Moses could be strong not because of any strength of his own, but because the God who sent him had said, "I will be with thee."

The Ten Plagues and the Passover Lamb

Moses went to Pharaoh in the name of God and said, "Let my people go." But Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused. So through Moses' hand God sent ten plagues: from water turned to blood and swarms of frogs, to locusts and darkness, and finally the death of every firstborn in Egypt. Only over the houses of Israel, whose doorframes were marked with the blood of a lamb, did the destroying angel pass—this is the origin of the Passover, and a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who would later lay down His life for us.

The Power That Parted the Red Sea

At last Israel came out of Egypt, but Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them with his army, driving them to the shore of the Red Sea. With the sea before them and the enemy behind, the people were terrified. But Moses told them not to be afraid; only to stand still and see the salvation God would work for them that day.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.Exodus 14:21 (KJV)

The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, the waters a wall on their right hand and on their left. This is clear proof that God fights for His people Himself: He can open a path where there is no way at all.

Receiving the Law at Mount Sinai

In the third month after leaving Egypt, Israel came to the foot of Mount Sinai. God descended amid thunder, lightning, thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet, and gave Moses the Ten Commandments along with His statutes and ordinances. He made a covenant with Israel, that they would be His people, a holy nation. As mediator between God and the people, Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain, face to face with God.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.Exodus 34:6 (KJV)

Forty Years in the Wilderness, to the Edge of the Promised Land

After this, because of their unbelief, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. All along the way Moses interceded for this rebellious people, bore with them, shepherded them, and again and again turned away God's anger. At the end of his life, God brought him up to Mount Nebo to gaze across at the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. Though he himself did not enter it, he had faithfully finished the road God entrusted to him. The life of Moses teaches us this: true greatness lies not in position, but in a whole life spent following and obeying the God who calls us.

The story of Moses stretches all the way from the Nile to the shadow of the cross. May you open the Bible for yourself, read the book of Exodus, and meet this God who is "I AM" face to face. In the BiblePro app you can read chapter by chapter, comparing multiple translations side by side, or use AI search to dig deeper into the context and meaning of the text; and may you also find a local church where, together with brothers and sisters, you can worship and come to know this faithful Redeemer.

Series · Bible CharactersPart 10 of 45
In this series
  1. 1Adam: The First Man, Formed from Dust and Bearing God's Image
  2. 2Eve: Mother of All Living, and Hope Planted in the Midst of Judgment
  3. 3Noah: The Righteous Man Who Walked with God and Built the Ark by Faith
  4. 4Abraham: The Father of Faith, Whose Journey Began by Leaving Home
  5. 5Sarah: Mother of Nations Who Spent a Lifetime Waiting on God's Promise
  6. 6Isaac: The Child of Promise and a Lifetime of Quiet Faith
  7. 7Rebekah: How a Girl Drawing Water at a Well Became Isaac's Wife
  8. 8Jacob: The Grasper Who Became Israel
  9. 9Joseph: How the Brother Who Was Sold Became a Savior
  10. 10Moses: From a Baby on the Nile to the Prophet Who Led Israel
  11. 11Aaron: Israel's First High Priest and the Mediator Who Atoned for the People
  12. 12Miriam: The Prophetess Who Watched by the River and Sang with a Timbrel
  13. 13Joshua: The Faithful Servant Who Took Up Moses' Mantle
  14. 14Caleb: The Warrior Who Wholly Followed the Lord
  15. 15Deborah: The Prophetess and Leader Who Rose in the Age of the Judges
  16. 16Gideon: The "Mighty Man of Valour" Hiding in a Winepress
  17. 17Samson: The Strong Man's Weakness and the Grace of God
  18. 18Ruth: How a Foreign Widow Entered the Family Line of David and Jesus
  19. 19Hannah: The Mother Who Prayed in the Temple
  20. 20Samuel: The Prophet Born of Prayer and Israel's Last Judge
  21. 21King Saul: The Glory and Fall of Israel's First King
  22. 22Jonathan: The Prince Who Gave Himself in Loyal, Self-Giving Love
  23. 23Solomon: The King Who Asked God for Wisdom, and the Warning of His Later Years
  24. 24Elijah: The Prophet Who Stood Bold Before Kings and Was Tenderly Cared For by God
  25. 25The Prophet Who Asked for a Double Portion: The Everyday Miracles of Elisha
  26. 26Hezekiah: The Reformer King Who Tore Down Idols and Trusted the LORD Alone
  27. 27Isaiah: Seeing the Lord's Glory and Saying 「Here am I; send me」
  28. 28Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet: Faithful to the End in a Hard-Hearted Age
  29. 29Josiah: The Boy King Who Took the Throne at Eight and Found the Book of the Law
  30. 30Ezra the Scribe: A Heart Set to Seek the Law of the LORD
  31. 31Nehemiah: The Praying Warrior Who Rebuilt from the Ruins
  32. 32Who Was Mordecai? A Faithful Jew in the Land of Exile
  33. 33Job: The Suffering Righteous Man, and Trusting God in Affliction
  34. 34Daniel: A Captive in a Foreign Land, Faithful to the End
  35. 35John the Baptist: The Voice in the Wilderness Who Prepared the Way
  36. 36Mary: A Young Woman Who Answered Grace with Obedience
  37. 37Nicodemus: The Man Who Came by Night — A Quiet Journey from Curiosity to Faith
  38. 38Peter: From Fisherman to Rock, a Failure Held Fast by Grace
  39. 39Andrew: The Disciple Who Brought People to Jesus
  40. 40John the Apostle: The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved
  41. 41Thomas: From Honest Doubt to Falling Down in Worship
  42. 42Mary Magdalene: Set Free by the Lord, the First Witness to His Resurrection
  43. 43Barnabas: The Man They Called the 「Son of Encouragement」
  44. 44Timothy: Paul's True Son in the Faith
  45. 45Lydia: Europe's First Believer, an Open Heart and an Open Home

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