Moses is the son of Pharaoh. Prophet Moses - the story of a biblical legend

The great prophet-rock and for-ko-no-da-tel from-ra-il-chan pro-is-ho-dil from the ko-le-na of Le-vi-i-na. He was born in Egypt near 1570 BC and was raised to the age of fa-ra-o-na. In all his actions and actions, Mo-and-se was an instrument in the hands of the All-highest. Mo-and-hey was a man to whom God revealed the secrets of existence: the creation of the world and man . On Mount Si-nai, he received 10 of His commandments from God. By the power of God he created great signs and miracles. He lived for 120 years in the country of Mo-avit. He was buried in the valley near Beth-the-mountain, but “no one knows the place of his burial even to this day” ().

The books of the Bible tell us about the life of Mo-and-Sei - Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Kontakion of the Prophet Moses

The prophetic face with Moses and Aaron rejoices today with joy, / for the end of their prophecy has been fulfilled on us; / today the Cross shines, through which you saved us. / Through those prayers, Christ God have mercy on us.

Translation: The assembly of the prophets with Moses and Aaron today joyfully triumphs, since the result of their prophecies has been fulfilled on us: today the Cross by which we are saved shines. According to their prayers, Christ our God, have mercy on us.

One of the central events of the Old Testament is the story of Moses, the salvation of the Jewish people from the power of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Many skeptics are looking for historical evidence of the events that took place, since in the biblical account there were many miracles performed on the way to However, be that as it may, this story is quite entertaining and tells about the incredible liberation and resettlement of an entire people.

Background and birth of Moses

The birth of the future prophet was initially shrouded in mystery. Almost the only source of information about Moses was the biblical writings, since there is no direct historical evidence, there is only indirect evidence. In the year of the prophet’s birth, the ruling Pharaoh Ramses II ordered all newborn children to be drowned in the Nile, since, despite the hard work and oppression of the Jews, they continued to be fruitful and multiply. Pharaoh was afraid that one day they might side with his enemies.

That is why Moses’ mother hid him from everyone for the first three months. When this was no longer possible, she tarred the basket and placed her child there. Together with her eldest daughter, she took her to the river and left Mariam to see what happened next.

God wanted Moses and Ramses to meet. History, as mentioned above, is silent about the details. The basket was picked up by the pharaoh's daughter and brought to the palace. According to another version (which some historians adhere to), Moses belonged to the royal family and was the son of that very daughter of Pharaoh.

Be that as it may, but future prophet ended up in the palace. Miriam, who had observed whoever lifted the basket, offered Moses' own mother as a nurse. So the son returned to the family for a while.

Life of a Prophet in the Palace

After Moses grew up a little and no longer needed a nurse, his mother took the future prophet to the palace. He lived there for quite a long time, and was also adopted by the pharaoh's daughter. Moses knew what kind of person he was, he knew that he was a Jew. And although I studied along with other children royal family, but did not absorb cruelty.

The story of Moses from the Bible shows that he did not worship the many gods of Egypt, but remained faithful to the beliefs of his ancestors.

Moses loved his people and suffered every time he saw their torment, when he saw how mercilessly every Israelite was exploited. One day something happened that forced the future prophet to flee Egypt. Moses witnessed the brutal beating of one of his people. In a fit of rage, the future prophet snatched the whip from the hands of the overseer and killed him. Since no one saw what he did (as Moses thought), the body was simply buried.

After some time, Moses realized that many already knew what he had done. Pharaoh orders the arrest and death of his daughter's son. History is silent about how Moses and Ramses treated each other. Why did they decide to try him for the murder of the overseer? You can take into account different versions of what happened, however, most likely, the decisive thing was that Moses was not an Egyptian. As a result of all this, the future prophet decides to flee Egypt.

Flight from Pharaoh and the further life of Moses

According to biblical data, the future prophet headed to the land of Midian. The further history of Moses tells of his marriage to the daughter of the priest Jethro, Zipporah. Living this life, he became a shepherd and learned to live in the desert. He also had two sons.

Some sources claim that before marrying, Moses lived for some time with the Saracens and had a prominent position there. However, it should still be taken into account that the only source of the narrative about his life is the Bible, which, like any ancient scripture, over time acquired a certain allegorical touch.

Divine revelation and the appearance of the Lord to the prophet

Be that as it may, the biblical story about Moses tells that it was in the land of Midian, when he was tending flocks, that the Lord was revealed to him. The future prophet was eighty years old at this time. It was at this age that he encountered a thorn bush on his way, which blazed with flames but did not burn.

At this point, Moses was instructed that he must save the people of Israel from Egyptian power. The Lord commanded to return to Egypt and take his people to the promised land, freeing them from long-term slavery. However, the Almighty Father warned Moses about difficulties on his way. So that he had the opportunity to overcome them, he was given the ability to perform miracles. Because Moses was tongue-tied, God ordered his brother Aaron to help him.

Return of Moses to Egypt. Ten Plagues

His history as a herald of God's will began on the day he appeared before the Pharaoh who ruled Egypt at that time. This was a different ruler, not the one from whom Moses fled at one time. Of course, Pharaoh refused the demand to release the Israeli people, and even increased the labor obligation for his slaves.

Moses and Ramses, whose history is more obscure than researchers would like, clashed in a confrontation. The prophet did not accept the first defeat; he came to the ruler several more times and ultimately said that God’s punishment would fall on the Egyptian land. And so it happened. By the will of God, ten plagues occurred that fell on Egypt and its inhabitants. After each of them, the ruler called on his sorcerers, but they found Moses’ magic more skillful. After each misfortune, Pharaoh agreed to let the people of Israel go, but each time he changed his mind. Only after the tenth did Jewish slaves become free.

Of course, the story of Moses did not end there. The Prophet still had years of travel ahead of him, as well as confrontation with the unbelief of his fellow tribesmen, until they all reached the Promised Land.

The establishment of Passover and the exodus from Egypt

Before the last execution which befell the Egyptian people, Moses warned the people of Israel about it. This was the killing of the firstborn in every family. However, the forewarned Israelites anointed their door with the blood of a lamb no older than one year, and the punishment passed them by.

On the same night the celebration of the first Easter took place. The story of Moses in the Bible tells of the rituals that preceded it. The slaughtered lamb had to be roasted whole. Then eat while standing, with the whole family gathered. After this event, the people of Israel left the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, in fear, even asked to do this quickly, seeing what happened at night.

The fugitives came out at first dawn. The sign of God's will was a pillar, which was fiery at night and cloudy during the day. It is believed that this particular Easter eventually transformed into the one we know now. The liberation of the Jewish people from slavery symbolized exactly this.

Another miracle that happened almost immediately after leaving Egypt was the crossing of the Red Sea. At the command of the Lord, the waters parted and dry land formed, along which the Israelites crossed to the other side. The pharaoh who chased them also decided to follow along the bottom of the sea. However, Moses and his people were already on the other side, and the waters of the sea closed again. This is how Pharaoh died.

The covenants that Moses received on Mount Sinai

The next stop for the Jewish people was Mount Moses. The story from the Bible tells that on this path the fugitives saw many miracles (manna from heaven, springs of spring water appearing) and became stronger in their faith. Ultimately, after a three-month journey, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai.

Leaving the people at its foot, Moses himself climbed to the top for the instructions of the Lord. There a dialogue took place between the Father of All and his prophet. As a result of all this, the Ten Commandments were received, which became basic for the people of Israel, which became the basis of legislation. Commandments were also received that covered civil and religious life. All this was written down in the Book of the Covenant.

The Israelite People's Forty-Year Desert Journey

The Jewish people stood nearby for about a year. Then the Lord gave a sign that we needed to move on. The story of Moses as a prophet continued. He continued to bear the burden of mediating between his people and the Lord. For forty years they wandered through the desert, sometimes living for a long time in places where conditions were more favorable. The Israelites gradually became zealous fulfillers of the covenants that the Lord gave them.

Of course, there were outrages. Not everyone was comfortable with such long journeys. However, as the story of Moses from the Bible testifies, the people of Israel still reached the Promised Land. However, the prophet himself never reached it. Moses had a revelation that another leader would lead them further. He died at the age of 120, but no one ever found out where it happened, since his death was a secret.

Historical facts confirming biblical events

Moses, whose life story we know only from biblical accounts, is a significant figure. However, is there official data that confirms his existence as a historical figure? Some people think all this is just a beautiful legend, which was invented.

However, some historians are still inclined to believe that Moses is a historical figure. This is evidenced by some information contained in the biblical story (slaves in Egypt, the birth of Moses). Thus, we can say that this is far from a fictional story, and all these miracles actually happened in those distant times.

It should be noted that today this event has been depicted more than once in cinema, and cartoons have also been created. They tell about heroes such as Moses and Ramses, whose history is little described in the Bible. Special attention the cinema focuses on the miracles that happened during their journey. Be that as it may, all these films and cartoons educate and instill morality in the younger generation. They are also useful for adults, especially those who have lost faith in miracles.

One of the central events of the Old Testament is the story of Moses, the salvation of the Jewish people from the power of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Many skeptics are looking for historical evidence of the events that took place, since in the biblical account there were many miracles performed on the way to the Promised Land. However, be that as it may, this story is quite entertaining and tells about the incredible liberation and resettlement of an entire people.

Be that as it may, the future prophet ended up in the palace. Miriam, who had observed whoever lifted the basket, offered Moses' own mother as a nurse. So the son returned to the family for a while.

Life of a Prophet in the Palace

After Moses grew up a little and no longer needed a nurse, his mother took the future prophet to the palace. He lived there for quite a long time, and was also adopted by the pharaoh's daughter. Moses knew what kind of person he was, he knew that he was a Jew. And although he studied along with the rest of the children of the royal family, he did not absorb cruelty.

The story of Moses from the Bible shows that he did not worship the many gods of Egypt, but remained faithful to the beliefs of his ancestors.

Flight from Pharaoh and the further life of Moses

According to biblical data, the future prophet headed to the land of Midian. The further history of Moses tells of his family life. He married the daughter of the priest Jethro, Zipporah. Living this life, he became a shepherd and learned to live in the desert. He also had two sons.

Divine revelation and the appearance of the Lord to the prophet

Return of Moses to Egypt. Ten Plagues

The history of the prophet Moses, as a herald of God's will, began on the day when he appeared before the Pharaoh, who ruled at that time in Egypt. This was a different ruler, not the one from whom Moses fled at one time. Of course, Pharaoh refused the demand to release the Israeli people, and even increased the labor obligation for his slaves.

The establishment of Passover and the exodus from Egypt

Before the last plague that befell the Egyptian people, Moses warned the people of Israel about it. This was the killing of the firstborn in every family. However, the forewarned Israelites anointed their door with the blood of a lamb no older than one year, and the punishment passed them by.

The covenants that Moses received on Mount Sinai

The Israelite People's Forty-Year Desert Journey

The Jewish people stood near Mount Sinai for about a year. Then the Lord gave a sign that we needed to move on. The story of Moses as a prophet continued. He continued to bear the burden of mediating between his people and the Lord. For forty years they wandered through the desert, sometimes living for a long time in places where conditions were more favorable. The Israelites gradually became zealous fulfillers of the covenants that the Lord gave them.

Historical facts confirming biblical events

Moses, whose life story we know only from biblical accounts, is a significant figure. However, is there official data that confirms his existence as a historical figure? Some consider all this just a beautiful legend that was invented.

It should be noted that today this event has been depicted more than once in cinema, and cartoons have also been created. They tell about heroes such as Moses and Ramses, whose history is little described in the Bible. Particular attention in the cinema is paid to the miracles that happened during their journey. Be that as it may, all these films and cartoons educate and instill morality in the younger generation. They are also useful for adults, especially those who have lost faith in miracles.

God sends us all to each other!
And, thank God, God has many of us...
Boris Pasternak

Old world

Old Testament history, in addition to a literal reading, also requires a special understanding and interpretation, for it is literally filled with symbols, prototypes and predictions.

When Moses was born, the Israelites lived in Egypt - they moved there during the lifetime of Jacob-Israel himself, fleeing famine.

Nevertheless, the Israelites remained strangers among the Egyptians. And after some time, after the change of the pharaoh dynasty, local rulers began to suspect a hidden danger in the presence of the Israelis in the country. Moreover, the people of Israel have increased not only quantitatively, but also their specific gravity in the life of Egypt constantly increased. And then the moment came when the concerns and fears of the Egyptians regarding aliens grew into actions consistent with this understanding.

The pharaohs began to oppress the Israeli people, dooming them to hard labor in quarries, building pyramids and cities. One of the Egyptian rulers issued a cruel decree: to kill all male babies born in Jewish families in order to destroy the tribe of Abraham.

This entire created world belongs to God. But after the Fall, man began to live by his own mind, his own feelings, moving further and further away from God, replacing Him with various idols. But God chooses one from all the peoples of the earth in order to use his example to show how the relationship between God and man develops. After all, it was the Israelites who had to keep faith in one God and prepare themselves and the world for the coming of the Savior.

Rescued from the water

Once in a Jewish family of descendants of Levi (one of Joseph's brothers), a boy was born, and his mother for a long time hid it, fearing that the baby would be killed. But when it became impossible to hide it any longer, she wove a basket of reeds, tarred it, put her baby there and launched the basket along the waters of the Nile.

Not far from that place, the daughter of Pharaoh was bathing. Seeing the basket, she ordered it to be fished out of the water and, opening it, found a baby in it. Pharaoh's daughter took this baby to her and began to raise him, giving him the name Moses, which translated means “taken out of the water” (Ex. 2.10).

People often ask: why does God allow so much evil in this world? Theologians usually answer: He respects human freedom too much to prevent a person from doing evil. Could He make Jewish babies unsinkable? Could. But then Pharaoh would have ordered them to be executed in a different way... No, God acts more subtly and better: He can even turn evil into good. If Moses had not set off on his voyage, he would have remained an unknown slave. But he grew up at court, acquired skills and knowledge that would be useful to him later, when he freed and led his people, saving many thousands of unborn babies from slavery.

Moses was brought up at the court of Pharaoh as an Egyptian aristocrat, but he was fed milk by his own mother, who was invited to the house of Pharaoh’s daughter as a nurse, for Moses’ sister, seeing that he was taken out of the water in a basket by the Egyptian princess, offered the princess services to care for the child to his mother.

Moses grew up in the house of Pharaoh, but he knew that he belonged to the people of Israel. One day, when he was already mature and strong, an event occurred that had very significant consequences.

Seeing the overseer beating one of his fellow tribesmen, Moses stood up for the defenseless and, as a result, killed the Egyptian. And thus he placed himself outside of society and outside the law. The only way to escape was to escape. And Moses leaves Egypt. He settles in the Sinai desert, and there, on Mount Horeb, his meeting with God takes place.

Voice from the thorn bush

God said He chose Moses to save the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Moses had to go to Pharaoh and demand that he release the Jews. From a burning and unburning bush, burning bush Moses receives a command to return to Egypt and lead the people of Israel out of captivity. Hearing this, Moses asked: “Behold, I will come to the children of Israel and say to them: “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” And they will say to me: “What is His name?” What should I tell them?

And then God for the first time revealed his name, saying that his name is Yahweh (“Existing One,” “He Who Is”). God also said that in order to convince unbelievers, He gave Moses the ability to perform miracles. Immediately, by His order, Moses threw his rod (shepherd's stick) to the ground - and suddenly this rod turned into a snake. Moses caught the snake by the tail - and again there was a stick in his hand.

Moses returns to Egypt and appears before Pharaoh, asking him to let the people go. But Pharaoh does not agree, because he does not want to lose his many slaves. And then God brings plagues on Egypt. The country is plunged into darkness solar eclipse, then she is struck by a terrible epidemic, then she becomes the prey of insects, which in the Bible are called “dog flies” (Ex. 8.21)

But none of these tests could frighten the pharaoh.

And then God punishes Pharaoh and the Egyptians in a special way. He punishes every firstborn child in Egyptian families. But so that the children of Israel, who were supposed to leave Egypt, would not perish, God commanded that in every Jewish family a lamb should be slaughtered and the doorposts and lintels in the houses should be marked with its blood.

The Bible tells how an angel of God, taking vengeance, passed through the cities and villages of Egypt, bringing death to the firstborn in dwellings whose walls were not sprinkled with the blood of lambs. This Egyptian execution shocked Pharaoh so much that he released the people of Israel.

This event came to be called the Hebrew word “Passover,” which translated means “passing,” because the wrath of God bypassed the marked houses. Jewish Passover, or Passover, is the holiday of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian captivity.

God's Covenant with Moses

The historical experience of peoples has shown that internal law alone is not enough to improve human morality.

And in Israel, the voice of the internal law of man was drowned out by the cry of human passions, therefore the Lord corrects the people and adds an external law to the internal law, which we call positive, or revealed.

At the foot of Sinai, Moses revealed to the people that God had freed Israel for this purpose and brought them out of the land of Egypt in order to conclude an eternal union, or Covenant, with them. However, this time the Covenant is not made with one person, or with a small group of believers, but with a whole people.

“If you obey My voice and keep My Covenant, then you will be My possession above all nations, for all the earth is Mine, and you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19.5-6)

This is how the birth of the people of God occurs.

From the seed of Abraham come the first sprouts of the Old Testament Church, which is the ancestor of the Universal Church. From now on, the history of religion will no longer be only the history of longing, longing, search, but it becomes the history of the Testament, i.e. union between Creator and man

God does not reveal what the calling of the people will be, through which, as He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, but He demands from the people faith, fidelity and truth.

The phenomenon in Sinai was accompanied by terrible phenomena: clouds, smoke, lightning, thunder, flames, earthquakes, and the sound of a trumpet. This communication lasted forty days, and God gave Moses two tablets - stone tables on which the Law was written.

“And Moses said to the people, Fear not; God came (to you) to test you and so that the fear of Him might be before you, so that you would not sin.” (Ex. 19, 22)
“And God spoke (to Moses) all these words, saying:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; Let you have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I am the Lord your God. God is jealous, punishing the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; six days thou shalt work, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor yours, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor the stranger who is in your gates; For in six days the Lord created heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, and rested on the seventh day; Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.
Honor your father and your mother, (so that it may go well with you and) that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Dont kill.
Don't commit adultery.
Don't steal.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, (nor his field), nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, (nor any of his livestock), nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Ex.20, 1-17).

The law that was given to ancient Israel by God had several purposes. Firstly, he claimed public order and justice. Secondly, he singled out the Jewish people as a special religious community professing monotheism. Third, he had to produce internal change in man, to morally improve man, to bring man closer to God through instilling in man love for God. Finally, the law of the Old Testament prepared humanity for the adoption of the Christian faith in the future.

Fate of Moses

Despite the great difficulties of the prophet Moses, He remained a faithful servant of the Lord God (Yahweh) until the end of his life. He led, taught and mentored his people. He arranged their future, but did not enter the Promised Land. Aaron, the brother of the prophet Moses, also did not enter these lands because of the sins he had committed. By nature, Moses was impatient and prone to anger, but through Divine education he became so humble that he became “the meekest of all people on earth” (Num. 12:3).

In all his deeds and thoughts, he was guided by faith in the Almighty. In a sense, the fate of Moses is similar to the fate of the Old Testament itself, which through the desert of paganism brought the people of Israel to the New Testament and froze on its threshold. Moses died at the end of forty years of wandering on the top of Mount Nebo, from which he could see the promised land, Palestine.

And the Lord said to him to Moses:

“This is the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: “To your seed I will give it.” I let you see it with your eyes, but you will not enter it.” And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.” (Deut. 34:1–5). The vision of 120-year-old Moses “did not become dull, neither did his strength fail” (Deut. 34:7). The body of Moses is forever hidden from people, “no one knows the place of his burial even to this day,” it says Holy Scripture(Deut. 34:6).
Alexander A. Sokolovsky

Who the prophet Moses is can be found out from the Bible. His life story is set out in the Old Testament. According to Scripture, this is the central actor events that determined the fate of the Jewish people as God's chosen people.

He is called the God-Seer because he communicated directly with God. It was to Moses, according to the biblical legend, that the Lord handed the tablets - stone slabs on which the Ten Commandments were carved, which later became the basis of Christian morality.

Prophet Moses the Seer of God - a short life

The biography of this extraordinary man, who lived several thousand years ago, is of great interest to this day both for professional researchers of biblical history and for ordinary people who become acquainted with the Holy Scriptures.

This is what the saint’s biography briefly retold looks like.

Birth of Moses

Having come to power in the prophet's homeland, Egypt, where Jews lived at that time, Pharaoh Ramses II, whom historians give an extremely harsh description, feared that in the event of war, foreigners would betray him and go over to the side of his opponents. Pharaoh began to pursue a policy of genocide, forcing the Israelis to do hard work, and also ordered the killing of all newborn boys in Jewish families.

This order came into force on the eve of the birth of Moses, who became the third child in the family of Amram and his wife Jochebed - the future prophet had a brother Aaron and a sister Miriam.

Childhood and youth

His parents managed to hide the fact of his birth. Realizing that it would be impossible to do this much longer, and in order to save the baby, the parents put the baby in a basket and hid it in the thickets of papyrus off the banks of the Nile. The Pharaoh's daughter, who came with her maids to the river bank, accidentally found the basket. Knowing about her father's order, the princess understood who the child was, but, struck by the beauty of the baby, she decided to take the child into her upbringing.

The baby did not want to take the breast of any nurse, then Mariam, Moses’ sister, came up and offered to find a nurse for the baby. She became the boy's own mother. The woman then brought the boy to the palace as the adopted son of the pharaoh's daughter. He lived there until he became an adult. However, the young man knew about his origins and never worshiped the Egyptian gods.

Escape to the Desert

Once he saw an Egyptian beating a Jew, and, defending his fellow tribesman, accidentally killed the attacker. Fleeing from persecution Foster-son The princess flees through the desert to the land of Midian, finds shelter in the house of the priest of this people and becomes the husband of his daughter.

How many years did the prophet need to mature physically and spiritually for the main feat of his life - leading the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery? During the flight from Egypt, Moses turned forty, and he lived the same amount of time in Midian, so by the time of the exodus he was already 80.

Calling Moses by God

Once, when the saint was tending his father-in-law's sheep near Mount Horeb, the Lord appeared in the form of one who was burning, but not consumed. thorn bush. When the shepherd tried to approach and take a closer look at this miracle, he heard the voice of God ordering him not to approach. The voice called on the saint to return to Egypt to lead the Jews out of captivity.

In order to strengthen the spirit of the prophet, God made the rod (shepherd's crook) in the prophet's hand turn into a snake. The Lord warned his chosen one to be prepared for difficulties, since the embittered Pharaoh would not agree to release the Jews. Since the prophet had a speech impediment, the Lord sent Brother Aaron with him.

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh

Pharaoh was no longer the same ruler from whom the future prophet ran away forty years ago. In response to Moses' demand to give the Jews the opportunity to leave Egypt, Pharaoh only laughed and increased the labor obligation of his slaves.

But Moses did not leave the king alone, demanding freedom for his fellow tribesmen.

Having received another refusal, he threatened Pharaoh with terrible punishments from God. Pharaoh did not believe it, but the threat became a reality: the Lord, by the hand of Moses, began to send “plagues,” i.e., punishments, against the Egyptians.

Ten Plagues

First, as the legend says, the punishment became blood, when all the water in the Nile and other reservoirs turned into blood, “stank” (rotten), and it became impossible to drink. At the same time, in Jewish homes it remained clean and transparent. The Egyptians were forced to buy drinking water from their slaves.

But Pharaoh did not believe that this was God’s punishment, but attributed the damage to the water to witchcraft. He called for help from his sorcerers, who also managed to transform what he had bought from the Jews. clean water into the blood.

Second The Egyptian execution was an invasion of toads (frogs) that came out of the water and filled the entire earth, crawling into the houses of the Egyptians. Toads were everywhere - on the floor and on the walls, in the bed and dishes. The witchcraft of the Egyptian priests, who tried to rid the country of toads, led to an even greater increase in their number.

Pharaoh began to ask Moses to pray for him before the Lord, so that He would return the frogs back to the rivers, promising to release the Jews. The request was fulfilled, but the ruler broke his word and did not release the prophet’s fellow tribesmen.

Third the execution was an invasion of midges that covered the surface of the earth, attacking people and livestock.

This time the Magi themselves, realizing their powerlessness, recognized this punishment as the finger of God and called on the ruler to agree to the demand of the leader of the Jews, but Pharaoh again refused.

Fourth was the punishment of “dog flies” - insects that combined the persistence of flies and the aggressiveness of dogs. It was a type of gadfly that pierced the skin of people and animals, leaving behind bleeding wounds. And no one could hide from them anywhere.

Only the area of Goshen, where the Israelis lived compactly, was free from dog flies. Thus, the Creator showed that all these disasters are not just an “ecological catastrophe”, but the Lord’s punishment, which is selective in nature.

Fifth the execution was a cattle pestilence that affected domestic animals throughout Egypt. Only the cattle in the Jewish barns survived.

Sixth plague“Moses and Aaron, taking a handful of soot in their hands, threw it in front of Pharaoh, after which the ruler himself and all his subjects, as well as their animals, were covered with sores and boils. Frightened, Pharaoh decided to let the Jews go, but again changed his mind.

Seventh the execution was a hail of fire, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Pharaoh again began to ask God for mercy for Egypt, again promising to let the Jews leave freely, and did not keep his word.

Eighth execution - the wind brought clouds of locusts from the desert, which destroyed all the green growth on earth, not only cultivated plants, but also regular grass. The same story repeated itself - first the ruler calls on God's mercy, promising to fulfill the demands of Moses and Aaron, then forgets about his promises.

WITH ninth With the execution, darkness fell over the country, which neither candles nor torches could dispel. The darkness was so thick and dense that you could touch it with your hands.

Tenth and the last Egyptian execution was the death of the first-born in all Egyptian families, from the heir to the pharaoh's throne, to the first-born of the prisoner in prison. The firstborn of all the Egyptians' domestic animals also perished.

This happened over the course of just one night. And all the children and animals of the Israelites were alive and unharmed, since God, through the prophet, ordered the Jews to smear the doorposts of their houses with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that the Angel - the executor of God's punishment - would not enter inside.

Establishment of Easter holiday

After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally allowed the Jews, led by Moses and Aaron, to leave Egypt. In memory of this event, the Jews established a special holiday - Pesach, Exodus, or Jewish Passover, which became the prototype of the Christian one.

On Passover, every Jewish family has a meal at which lamb meat prepared in a special way is served, in memory of the sacrificial lamb whose blood was smeared on the doorposts of Jewish houses.

Exodus of Moses from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea

After the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, He ordered the Jews to go to the land of Canaan. The shortest way there lay through the territory occupied by the warlike tribe of the Philistines, but the Jews, weakened by captivity and hard work, could not overcome it.

The Slavic translation of the Bible says that the prophet led the people to the Red Sea, but which sea is meant is not immediately clear. The fact is that the Slavs called the Red Sea, which is a narrow bay of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea.

Having come to his senses after all the disasters he had experienced, the pharaoh, whose pride was wounded by the fact that he had to give in, equipped his war chariots and chased after those who had left, wanting to take revenge for the humiliation. Finding themselves sandwiched between the ruler's army and the sea waters, the Jews prepared for death.

God did not leave them here either: He sent a wind that parted the waters, exposing the seabed in the narrowest place, and all the people, led by the prophet, walked along it to the other shore. The memory of this transition has been preserved to this day not only in the Holy Scriptures, but also in the legends and parables of the Israelis.

Seeing how easily Moses and his people crossed the deep sea, Pharaoh set off after him, hoping to also “slip through.” But the heavy chariots got stuck in the wet sea sand, and as soon as the last Israelite set foot on the opposite shore, the wind changed, the waters returned to their place, and Pharaoh’s army perished.

Miracles that Moses performs

In the desert, people did not have enough food, and in the evenings, during rest periods, they began to grumble, remembering that in Egypt they always had meat. Suddenly flocks of quails descended from the sky, covering the entire camp, and by morning dew fell. After the moisture evaporated, something resembling cereal remained on the ground, which the Israelis called manna.

The food tasted like wheat cake with honey. This miracle was repeated every morning throughout the journey.

Then the people began to suffer from thirst, and again reproaches fell on the leader - why did he take them out of Egypt, where there was always plenty of water. Then, with God's help, the prophet extracted water from the stone. At the same time, angry with the people and losing his temper, he transgressed the will of God for the only time in his entire life - instead of calling out to the rock, he hit it with his staff.

When a spring gushed out from there, people began to believe that it was not the Lord, but Moses himself who gave them water. This act of the prophet became the reason why the saint did not enter the promised land.

The next test was the battle with the Amalekites. The Israelites fought against them under the command of Joshua, and the prophet watched the progress of the battle, standing on a hill with a rod in his hands. When he raised his hands, the Israelis gained the upper hand, and when he lowered them, they retreated.

To ensure victory for the tribesmen in the battle, which lasted from dawn to sunset, Aaron and one of his assistants, Hor, supported the tired hands of the prophet. After the victory, God told the prophet to record this event in a book.

Sinai Covenant and 10 Commandments

Three months after the exodus from Egypt, the Jews approached Mount Sinai. God warned the saint that here He would come down to the people. In preparation for the meeting, Israelis must wash themselves, change into clean clothes and, while fasting, abstain from the marital bed.

On the appointed day, amid thunder and lightning, a dark cloud appeared over the top of the mountain and a rumble was heard, reminiscent of the sound of a trumpet. The whole mountain shook, and the people were very afraid - they realized that it was the voice of God speaking to Moses.

The Lord ordered the prophet to ascend the mountain. The leader of the Israelites began to rise, but the people remained below. When the prophet stood before the face of God, He handed him the tablets.

The Wrath of Moses

The leader was absent for 40 days, and everyone began to consider him dead. At the request of the people, Aaron created an idol - a golden calf, similar to the Egyptian idols, which people began to worship, thereby violating the main commandments of God.

The returning prophet in anger destroyed the idol and broke the tablets of the covenant. His despair knew no bounds - he understood that the Lord could turn away from the Israelis who had committed such a grave sin as apostasy.

The prophet returned to Mount Sinai and began to pray to God for the forgiveness of his fellow tribesmen. If He does not want to forgive the Israelites, then the saint is ready to share responsibility with them - let Him cross out his name from His book.

Through the fervent prayer of Moses, which lasted 40 days, the Lord restored His covenant with the chosen people. He confirmed all his promises, and also ordered new tablets to be made and the 10 commandments written on them.

Having accomplished his feat of prayer, the prophet descended from Sinai. His face shone so brightly after communicating with the Lord that he had to cover it with a veil so as not to blind the Israelites.

Construction and dedication of the Tabernacle

Soon after receiving the tablets, the Lord gave the Jews instructions to build a Tabernacle - a camp church. The tablets were placed in the ark and brought into the Tabernacle.

The place where it was installed was covered with a cloud, which became a visible sign of God's presence. When the cloud rose up, it was a sign that it was time for the people to move on.

End of wandering. Death of Moses

Israelis continued to express outrage at the various reasons, saddening the prophet and provoking the wrath of God, who determined that the Jews would wander in the desert for 40 years until those who became troublemakers and did not believe in divine providence passed away.

Finally, this period ended - people approached the borders of the promised land. God took Moses to Mount Nebo and showed it to him. After this, Moses blessed his people by turning over the reins of government to Joshua. Soon after this he died.

Conclusion

Accurate information about how long Moses lived has not been preserved in history. Judging by the information given in the Holy Scriptures, the years of Moses' life are about 120 years.

The Moab Valley is mentioned as the place where he was buried, but his grave remains unknown. Memorial Day of the Prophet Moses is celebrated Orthodox Church September 17, new style.