Bible Stories: Moses Exodus

A central figure in Judaism is Moses, a great prophet and teacher who led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and helped them form a special relationship with God. Moses is also important to other religions because of his role in communicating God’s laws, known as the Ten Commandments.

Some of the things we find out about Moses make him an interesting character.

We discover that he owes a lot to women. He would not be alive had five women not defied male authority to allow him to exist. The women are two midwives, his mother, his sister and Pharaoh's daughter.

He is also a displaced person. He is the son of a Hebrew slave who grows up in an Egyptian palace so he never really fits in anywhere. Probably because of his accent and his bearing, he's not seen immediately as a natural Hebrew. He doesn't really fit well within the Egyptian camp, and he's also treated as a kind of royal prince. He also has a stammer and is a murderer and he has gone on the run.

We can see that God chooses people not for their problematic nature, but because of the potential which He sees in them.

Reverend John Bell, a leader in the Iona Community and minister of the Church of Scotland

The character of Moses is explored in terms of a murderer, messenger, mumbler, marcher, mediator and minister.

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