Hundreds of years had passed since God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. The time of the fulfilling of the promise had arrived (Acts 7:17), so God raised up Moses as a Deliverer to lead the Israelites from the land of Egypt. After God brought the ten plagues on the Egyptians, they allowed the Israelites to leave the land of Egypt and to begin their journey to the “promised land.”
The Life Of Moses
The life of Moses divides itself into three equal parts of forty years each. The first forty years were spent in Egypt, being raised as the son of the King. The next forty years were spent in the land of Midian tending sheep, where Moses had fled from the anger of the king. This lesson deals with the last forty years of his life, as leader of the children of Israel.
Events At Mt. Sinai
Having left the land of Egypt and miraculously crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai. They remained at the mount for almost a year. While here, four notable events occurred.
- God delivered to Moses the ten commandments on the table of stone.
- The people built the golden calf to be their “god”; which Moses destroyed.
- The people were numbered. (counted).
- The tabernacle (a large tent to be the center of Jewish worship) was built.
From Sinai To The Promised Land
After leaving Mt. Sinai, the Israelites headed toward the promised land. When they arrived at a place called Kadesh-Barnea, twelve spies were sent into the land to find out about it. They returned after forty days, with the report of the beauty of the land, but ten of the twelve spies forgot about the fact that God was helping them and persuaded the people they just were not able to capture the land.
Forty Years In The Wilderness
Because of their unbelief, God determined that the Israelites would be punished. They were told that they must wander in the wilderness for forty years until all of the men who did not believe Him died; then their children would go into the land. For forty years the nation of Israel were wanderers in the wilderness; God gave them bread (called manna) from heaven and often gave them water by a miracle.
Before the death of Moses, two nations on the east side of the Jordan River were defeated. Moses, as an old man, was permitted to climb to the top of Mt. Nebo, look at the promised land; then he died and God buried him. Look at the map below to see the location of the events of this lesson.
