How many years did Moses lead the Jews in the desert? Exodus of Jews from Egypt

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In the Old Testament, in the Second Book of Moses called "Exodus", it is told how this great prophet organized the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, which took place in the second half of the 2nd century BC. e. The first five books of the Bible also belong to Moses and describe amazing stories and divine miracles for the salvation of the Jewish people.

How many years did Moses lead the Jews in the desert

The founder of the Jewish religion, a lawyer and the first Jewish prophet on earth was Moses. Many are not in vain interested in how many years Moses led the Jews in the desert. In order to understand the whole essence of what is happening, you first need to familiarize yourself with the plot of this story. Moses (biblical character) rallied all the tribes of the people of Israel and led them to the land of Canaan, promised by God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was on him that God laid this unbearable burden.

Birth of Moses

The question of how many years Moses led the Jews in the desert, it is worth understanding in great detail. The story of Moses begins withthe new king of Egypt, who did not know the prophet Joseph and his services to Egypt, worried that the people of Israel are multiplying and becoming strong, begins to treat him with particular cruelty and forces him to excessive physical labor. But the people still grew stronger and increased. And then Pharaoh ordered all newborn Jewish boys to be thrown into the river.

At this time, in one family from the tribe of Levin, a woman gave birth to a baby, she put him in a basket with a bottom treated with resin and let him go along the river. And his sister began to observe what would happen to him next.

At this time, the Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river and suddenly, hearing a baby crying in the reeds, she found a child in a basket. She took pity on him and took him to her. His sister immediately ran up to her and offered to find a nurse. Since then, his own mother became his breadwinner. Soon the boy got stronger and became the daughter of the pharaoh, like his own son. She named him Moses because she pulled him out of the water.

Moses grew up and saw how hard his brothers of Israel were working. Once he saw an Egyptian beating a poor Jew. Moses, looking around so that no one could see him, killed the Egyptian and buried his body in the sand. But soon Pharaoh found out about everything, and then Moses decided to flee from Egypt.

Escape from Egypt

So Moses ended up in the land of Midian, where he met the priest and his seven daughters, one of whom - Zipporah - became his wife. Soon their son Girsam was born.

After some time, the king of Egypt dies. PeopleIsrael cries out in misfortune, and this cry was heard by God.

One day, when Moses was tending sheep, he saw a blazing thorn bush, which for some reason did not burn down. And suddenly he heard the voice of God, which ordered Moses to go back to Egypt, save the sons of Israel from slavery and bring them out of Egypt. Moses was very frightened and began to pray to God that He would choose someone else.

He was afraid that they would not believe him, and then the Lord gave him signs. He asked to throw his rod on the ground, which immediately turned into a snake, and then forced Moses to take her by the tail so that the rod would become again. Then God made Moses put his hand in his bosom, and then it turned white and covered with leprosy. And when he again put her in her bosom, she became he althy.

Return to Egypt

God appoints brother Aaron as Moses' helper. They came to their people and showed signs so that they would believe that God wants them to serve him, and the people believed. Then Moses and his brother went to Pharaoh and asked him to let the people of Israel go, because God told them so. But Pharaoh was adamant and considered all the signs of God to be a cheap trick. His heart hardened even more.

Then God sends ten terrible plagues to Pharaoh one after another: either the water of lakes and rivers turned into blood, where the fish became dead and stinking, then the whole earth was covered with toads, then midges flew, then dog flies, then a pestilence occurred, then boils, then ice hail, then locusts, then darkness. Each time one of these plagues happened, Pharaoh relented and promised to release the people of Israel. Butwhen he received forgiveness from God, he did not keep his promises.

The exodus of the Jews from Egypt becomes almost impossible, but not for God, who subjects his people to the most terrible punishment. At midnight, the Lord struck down all the Egyptian firstborn with death. And only then did Pharaoh let the Israelites go. So Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt. The way to the promised land to Moses and Aaron was shown by the Lord day and night in the form of a pillar of fire.

Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt

Recovering from horror, the pharaoh goes after them, taking with him six hundred selected chariots. Seeing the Egyptian army approaching them, the children of Israel, who were stationed by the sea, were greatly afraid and screamed. They began to reproach Moses that it was better to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. Then Moses, at the command of the Lord, raised the rod, and the sea parted, dry land was formed. And the people of Israel went out of six hundred thousand, but the Egyptian chariots did not stop either, then the water closed again and drowned the entire enemy army.

The Israelites made their way through the waterless desert. Gradually, the water supply dried up, and people began to suffer from thirst. And suddenly they found a source, but the water in it turned out to be bitter. Then Moses threw a tree at him, and it became sweet and drinkable.

People's wrath

After a while, the people of Israel fell upon Moses with anger that they did not have enough bread and meat. Moses reassured them, assured them that in the evening they would eat meat, and in the morning they would be satisfied with bread. By evening, quails flew in, which could be caught with hands. And in the morning the manna fellheavenly, like frost, she lay on the surface of the earth. It tasted like a cake with honey. Manna became their constant food, sent by the Lord, which they ate until the very end of their long journey.

In the next test phase, they did not have water, and again they fell upon Moses with angry speeches. And Moses, by the will of God, struck the rock with his rod, and water came out of it.

A few days later, the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites. Moses told his loyal servant Jesus to choose strong men and fight, and he himself began to pray on a high hill, raising his hands to heaven, as soon as his hands fell, the enemies began to win. Then two Israelites began to support the hands of Moses, and the Amalekites were defeated.

Mount Sinai. Commandments

The people of Israel continued on their way and stopped near Mount Sinai. It was the third month of his wanderings. God sent Moses to the top of the mountain and told His people to prepare to meet Him, to be clean and wash their clothes. On the third day there were lightnings and thunders, and a great sound of trumpets was heard. Moses and the people received the Ten Commandments from the mouth of God, and now they had to live by them.

The first one says: Serve the one True God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Second: do not create an idol for yourself.

Third: Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Fourth: do not work on Saturdays, butglorify the name of the Lord.

Fifth: honor your parents, so that you will be well and the days of your life on earth will last.

Sixth: Thou sh alt not kill.

The seventh commandment: do not commit adultery.

Eighth: do not steal.

Ninth: Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Tenth: do not desire anything of your neighbor, neither his house, nor his wife, nor his fields, nor his male or female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey.

The Lord called Moses to Mount Sinai and talked with him for a long time, at the end of the conversation he handed him two stone tablets with commandments. Moses spent forty days on the mountain, and God taught him how to correctly carry out His orders, how to build a camp tabernacle and serve his God in it.

Golden Calf

Moses was gone for a long time, and the Israelites could not stand it, and doubted that God was favorable to Moses. And then they began to ask Aaron to return to the pagan gods. Then he ordered all the women to remove their gold jewelry and bring it to him. From this gold, he poured a calf, and, like a god, they made sacrifices to him, and then they arranged a feast and sacred dances.

When Moses saw with his own eyes all this wicked feast, he became very angry, threw down the tablets with revelations. And they crashed against the rock. Then he ground the golden calf into powder and poured it into the river. Many repented that day, and those who did not were killed, and there were three thousand of them.

Then Moses returned again to Mount Sinai to appear before God and ask Him to forgive the people of Israel. The magnanimous God had mercy and againgave Moses the tablets of revelation and the ten commandments. Moses spent a whole year with the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Having built the tabernacle, they began to serve their God. But now God commands to go on a journey to the land of Canaan, but already without Him, and sets an Angel before them.

Curse of God

After a long journey, they finally saw the promised land. And then Moses ordered to gather twelve people to send them to reconnaissance. Forty days later they returned and told that the land of Canaan is fertile and densely populated, but also has a strong army and powerful fortifications, so it is simply impossible to conquer it, and for the people of Israel it will be certain death. Hearing this, the people almost stoned Moses and decided to look for a new leader instead of him, and then they even wanted to return to Egypt.

And the Lord was more angry than ever with the people of Israel, who do not believe him with all his signs. Of those twelve spies, he left only Joshua, Nun and Caleb, who were ready to do the will of the Lord at any moment, and the rest died.

The Lord of Israel at first wanted to destroy the people of Israel with a plague, but then, through the intercession of Moses, he forced him to wander for forty years in the deserts, until those who grumbled, from twenty years old and above, died out, and allowed only their children to see the promised land their fathers.

Canaanite

Moses led the Jewish people in the desert for 40 years. Throughout the years of hardship and hardship, the Israelites repeatedly reproached and scolded Moses and murmured against the Lord himself. Forty years later, a new generation has grown up,more adapted to wandering and harsh life.

And then the day came when Moses led them into the land of Canaan to conquer it. Having reached its borders, they settled down near the Jordan River. Moses was at that time one hundred and twenty years old, he felt that his end was near. Rising to the very top of the mountain, he saw the promised land, and in complete solitude he reposed before God. Now the duty to lead the people to the promised land God has placed on Joshua, the son of Nun.

Israel no longer had a prophet like Moses. And it didn’t matter to everyone how many years Moses led the Jews in the desert. Now they mourned the death of the prophet for thirty days, and then, having crossed the Jordan, they began to fight for the land of Canaan and, in the end, conquered it after a few years. Their dreams of the promised land came true.