Summary: ~ Moses was the greatest prophet, leader and teacher that Judaism has ever known. - Notice, I said "Judaism" - which was a while after Abraham's time.

#15 ~Moses ~ pt.2~ SS Heb.11:23-29 9-14-14

Today we'll continue in our study of Hebrews 11: the hall of faith chapter.

We've been talking about the people that are mentioned in this chapter as we come to them, talking about their faith in the things of God; all of these had great faith, their in the "catalog of the faithful." -- And as we'll see later others of great faith are not mentioned by name.

Last we talked about Moses and today we'll say some more about him.

~ Moses was the greatest prophet, leader and teacher that Judaism has ever known. - Notice, I said "Judaism" - which was a while after Abraham's time.

~ Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of all prophets.

>Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:

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~ Moses is described as the only person who ever knew God face-to-face.

>Deut. 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,--

~~ And we're told that God spoke mouth-to-mouth with Moses.

> Num. 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, --

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According to Tracey R Rich, a Jewish historian and writer:

~ Moses was born on the 7th of Adar -- (The twelfth month of the Jewish year, occurring in our February/March, in the year 2368 BC.) -- Whether that's accurate or not I don't know.

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@ ~ Unlike the heroes of many other ancient cultures, Moses did not have a miraculous birth. -- Amram married Jochebed, both was Levites, and she conceived, and she gave birth to Moses in Ex. 2:1-2.

@ ~ Moses is the name given to him by Pharaoh's daughter.

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~ The name "Moses" means "taken out," because Moses was taken out of the river. -- The Nile river.

~ During the years that the Hebrew woman Jochebed raised up Moses (his real mother) for the Pharaohs daughter, she instilled in Moses knowledge of his heritage, and a love of his people that could not be erased by the 40 years he spent in the court of Pharaoh. -- Moses was 120 years old at the time that he died (Deut. 34:7).

~~ 3 x 40~ 40 is the number of testing and trial.

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I want to say a little about Moses parents, Amram and Jochcebed.

@~ Jochebed is regarded as one of the great Hebrew matriarchs of the Old Testament. -- Her name means gThe LORD is glorious.h

~ Her parents were Melcha (her mother) and Levi, and they had four children: Gershon, Kohath, Merari, and Jochebed.

~ Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, was sixty-four years old when Melcha his wife gave birth to Jochebed. -- Jochebed grew into womanhood with many godly qualities, including selflessness, devotion to her family, and a deep and abiding love and commitment to God.

-- Apparently these were the qualities Amram was looking for in a wife, so he married Jochebed, and they had 3 children that we're told of.

~ Miriam was the oldest of the 3, Aaron was next, and he was about 3 years older than Moses. --- Jochebed's third child, Moses, became known as the patriarch and savior of the Israelites. --- All three of her children became famous spiritual pillars for the Hebrews.

Miriam was a prophetess;

> Exodus 15: 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, --

Aaron was the 1st. high priest. -- God said to Moses in;

>Exodus 40:13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priestfs office.

Moses of course was the mediator between God and Israel, and he would be the deliverer, the one that God would use to deliver His people Israel.

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~According to Num.26:59 Jochebed was born to Levi when he lived in Egypt.

@> Numbers 26:59 And the name of Amramfs wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: --

@~Listen, I want us to notice that here in Num.26:59 we're told that Jochebed was the daughter of Levi. -- Levi was the 3rd son of Jacob and Leah.

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@~ We're also told that Jochebed is also called Amram's father's sister. --

@>Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his fatherfs sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

~~ Amram was the son of Kohath, who was a son of Levi. -- This would make Jochebed the aunt of Amram her husband. -- Marriages with aunts and nieces were not unlawful before the giving of the law by Moses; they were very common throughout the East.

@~ This kind of marriage between relatives was later forbidden by the law of Moses.

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~There were three family clans within the tribe of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, but it was only Kohath who supplied the Aaronic priests.

~ The entire tribe of Levi was set aside to perform certain duties in connection with the portable Tabernacle, and later the stationary Temple. --- But only the son's of Aaron were priest. - Aaron had 4 sons; they served as priest with Aaron their father the high priest. -- Eleazar and Ithamar and Nadab and Abihu were their names.

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~ I tell you dear heart, being a priest was serious business, two of Aarons sons were killed by taking their position as priest lightly.

> Leviticus 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

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~ It was the important duty of the Levites and the Levitical priests, who would live throughout the land among the other tribes, to instruct the people in the law.

~ The Levites' "set apart" status is demonstrated by their taking the place of the firstborn of Israel who by right belonged to God, as we're about to read.

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>Num.3:40-41 And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

41And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; (the other tribes) and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.

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>Exodus 13:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

@@>11-15 And it shall be when (not if) the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, (womb) and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORDfS.

@@ 13And every firstling of an ass (donkey) thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

@@The donkey was the only unclean animal that could be saved; the 1st born of ever clean animal "sheep-goats-cattle" had to be sacrificed. -- Donkeys were important because they were the basic means of transportation. -- Their more sure footed than horses.

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@@14And it shall be when (not if but when) thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? (To do with the 1st. born) that thou shalt say unto him, "By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

@@15And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore (he explains) I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, (womb) being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem."

Listen, even as God claimed the lives of all first-born human beings and animals in Egypt in the Passover, God placed a similar claim upon Israel.

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Listen, the Levites should be seen as a tribe that was below the priestly group of Aaronic priests but still distinct from other Israelites.

Although they were all Levites.

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Let's get back to Moses.

~ Listen, Mosesf life is divided into three distinct forty years segments: forty years in Egypt in the household of Pharaoh, -- and then forty years in the land of Midian tending sheep --- and forty years leading the Israelite nation on a journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in Canaan.

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Let's read today's text. -- Heb.11:23-27, in these verses there are 5 different divisions.

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Heb.11:23-29 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the kingfs commandment. -- The 1stdivision.

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24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaohfs daughter;

25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

~ We're told here that there are pleasures in sin.--

@There is pleasure in SIN but it's not going to last, --- there was a great probability that Moses would one day be king of Egypt, be Pharaoh.

Let me remind us that - "Pharaoh" is a title, same as President, - Prime Minister.

@ 26Esteeming (counting) the reproach (insults) of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: -

~ The reproach of Christ: -- some one might ask. -- How did Moses know about Christ? --- Let's remember that his parents taught him for the 1st. 40 years to do with the things of God. -- We think of the verse in --

> Proverbs 22: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

~~ Gen. 3:15 is the 1st mention of the coming Messiah:

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

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The word Messiah comes from a Hebrew term that means ganointed one.h--- Its Greek counterpart is Christos, from which the word Christ comes.

~ From what I have read -- The O.T. was written in Hebrew except a small part of Daniel which was written in Aramaic. -- also from what I have read all the N.T. in Greek.

~ Messiah was one of the titles used by early Christians to describe who Jesus was.

~ When Jesus ask Peter who he said He was Peter said;

@> Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, (anointed One) the Son of the living God.

@ > John 4:25 The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. -- notice both titles.

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26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:

-- for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. -- The 2nd division.

recompence -- means, the kind of pay back we will receive, be it good or bad.

> Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

~ Moses knew that the treasures of Egypt were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward.

~Moses probably didnft know it at the time, but the persecution he suffered for his choice of servant hood to God and His people, put him in the company of Jesus. - Who also suffered to set men free.

-- Moses knew that some day the Messiah would come and was willing to bear reproach on His behalf.

Moses talking to the Israelites said; --

> Deut. 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

~ So this is a proof text that Moses knew and believed that the Messiah would come. -- So he chose to suffer the reproach of Christ.

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27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. -- The 3rd division.

~ God was invisible: but he saw him by faith, he could not see God with his natural eyes, but seeing Him by faith he found Him a present help.

~ In his eye of faith he saw Christ, saw the Messiah.

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28Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest HE that destroyed the firstborn (of Egypt) should touch them. (The Israelites) - The 4th division.

Exodus 12:12- 23

> 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

> 23For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

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29By faith they (Israelites) passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying (attempting) to do were drowned. -- 5th division.

~ This attempt of the Egyptians was the very peak of unbelief that the world could possible ever know.

~ They had seen all the mighty works which God had done in behalf of His people among them; --- all of Egypt was almost consumed with the 10 plagues and judgments that were sent on them; and yet now, seeing this another great work of God in opening the sea for His people from their pursuit, they would make an attempt to follow after God's people.

~ It is one of the biggest examples of blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, that is recorded in the entire Bible.

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