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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ007112S
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00:23 Moses, Born a slave, but destined to rule over
00:28 Egypt's Empire, rescued from the river, adopted by a princess 00:33 and raised to be Pharaoh instead leads a nation of slaves to 00:40 freedom and changes the world. 00:43 Moses, a hero for our time. 00:53 [Chanting] 00:57 A fugitive on the run with nothing but the clothes 01:01 on his back, Moses was in serious trouble. 01:06 The prince of Egypt now found himself an outcast and a pauper 01:13 as he stumbled through the desert kilometer after weary 01:17 kilometer melted away separating him not only from the 01:22 adoptive grandfather who now hunted him but also from 01:26 the people he loved, his own people, the Hebrews. 01:30 Before an unfortunate series of events branded Moses 01:34 a traitor and a criminal, he was a man who had a clear vision 01:38 and a plan, he saw the oppression and slavery 01:42 of his people and wanted to do something to alleviate their 01:46 suffering but his plans fell to pieces and he found himself 01:51 adrift in the desert with no plans at all. 01:54 Where could he go? What could he do? 01:58 Stripped of his sense of purpose and of his identity as a member 02:02 of the Egyptian royal family the only thing Moses had left 02:07 was his identity as a descendant of Abraham and a follower 02:11 of Abraham's God. 02:13 Lacking a plan, Moses wandered in the wilderness till he 02:18 settled down to rest beside a well in Midian. 02:20 As it happened, the well was a watering hole for a group of 02:25 young sisters and some rough shepherds. 02:27 The shepherds were a bunch of bullies intent on chasing 02:32 off the young women and refusing them access to the well 02:36 to water their animals 02:37 Moses quickly rushed to the defense of the young women 02:41 chasing off the shepherds, he rescued the sisters and 02:46 helped them to water their animals, 02:48 his simple act of kindness earned him the gratitude 02:51 of the girl's father Jethro who was not only a generous man 02:56 but a man who worshiped the same God Moses did. 03:00 Suddenly the stageless fugitive wandering in the desert 03:04 had a home and a job. But what did the future have in store 03:09 for Moses, was he destined to live his life 03:13 in the wilds of Midian? 03:14 Join us this week as we continue on our Incredible Journey 03:19 through the life of Moses, one of the greatest men 03:23 who have ever lived. 03:55 During the reign of the Pharaohs of 18th Dynasty, the Hebrews 04:00 or children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, their lives 04:05 were hard but they became a nightmare when 04:09 Pharaoh Thutmose I issued a devastating decree. 04:13 In an attempt to cull the number rising of Hebrew slaves 04:17 who in Pharaoh's mind posed a serious threat to 04:21 Egyptian National Security. 04:23 The Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew baby boys 04:27 were to be thrown into the Nile River, 04:29 defying the Pharaoh's decree, Jochebed, a Hebrew slave 04:34 who had recently given birth to a baby boy crafted a 04:38 reed basket, covered it with pitch to make it waterproof 04:42 and hid her baby in the bulrushes on the banks of the 04:46 Nile. The baby was discovered by Pharaoh Thutmose I 04:52 daughter Hatshepsut who read the situation in a heartbeat 04:57 when she saw the child cradled in a basket, she adopted him 05:02 as her own son and handed him over to his birth mother 05:05 to care for him until he was old enough to come to the 05:09 palace. Hatshepsut named the baby Moses because she had 05:14 drawn him out of the river. 05:16 In fact it is possible she believed that he was a gift 05:20 from the gods she worshiped because Egyptians venerated 05:24 the Nile as a deity and the baby was brought to her 05:27 by the river. 05:36 Moses grew up surrounded by the opulence and wealth 05:39 of one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world. 05:43 In fact, it's hard for us in this modern world to grasp 05:47 the extent of the wealth and power of ancient Egypt. 05:51 One way we can fathom it is through archeological discoveries 05:56 that have uncovered the tombs of the Pharaohs in 06:00 The Valley of the Kings. 06:01 One such discovery is the tomb of Tutankhamun which was 06:07 discovered in 1922. Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaton 06:12 and was one of the last kings of the 18th Dynasty. 06:16 His tomb was one of the few chiefly intact tombs 06:20 discovered in The Valley of the Kings and was filled with 06:23 thousands of precious artifacts. 06:25 The tomb was a veritable cache of buried treasure. 06:30 The most significant find inside the tomb was the mummy 06:34 of the young king which was encased in a nest of 06:37 three coffins. The innermost coffin was made of solid gold, 06:42 while the two outer ones were wood overlaid with gold. 06:46 Over the head of the kings mummy was a breathtaking 06:50 gold portrait Death Mask, an assortment of jewelry 06:55 and amulets also laid on the mummified remains. 06:58 The coffins and the stone sarcophagus were surrounded 07:03 by four wooden shrines covered with text and overlaid 07:07 with pure gold. The rest of the tomb was filled with a 07:12 wide array of furniture, chariots, weapons, and statuary 07:17 all inside the tomb of a dead pharaoh. 07:21 A small glimpse into the kind of lavish lifestyle that the 07:26 Pharaoh's of Egypt led.. 07:27 Archeologists have also discovered the tomb of 07:31 Thutmose III who was co-regent with Moses' adopted royal mother 07:36 Hatshepsut. When Thutmose the third's father died 07:40 he was just a toddler and his step-mother Hatshepsut 07:44 ruled as co-regent. She reigned as co-regent but beside him 07:49 until her death and was the first female to rule over Egypt. 07:54 After Hatshepsut's death Thutmose the third became 07:58 sovereign over Egypt and ruled for a period of 54 years. 08:02 Thutmose the third's tomb is one of the largest tombs 08:06 in The Valley of the Kings, the tomb has an elaborate 08:10 labyrinth series of hallways that lead into the 08:13 burial chamber where the rose stone sarcophagus of the king 08:17 rests. Moses was surrounded by all of this 08:22 incredible architecture and wealth 08:24 and it would have taken a lot of conviction 08:27 on his part to choose to walk away from it in order 08:31 to follow the god of his fathers and join a desperate group of 08:35 despised slaves. 08:37 But the Bible describes exactly what Moses did, 08:41 Hebrews 11: 24, 25 says... 09:07 Moses' faith in the unseen invisible God of his father's 09:12 compelled him to choose a different path. 09:15 Though Egypt offered him wealth, power, and influence, 09:19 he understood that the offering was fleeting at best, 09:24 Moses recognized that what God offered him was eternal. 09:30 Though faced with a choice of a nation of slaves 09:33 and the most powerful nation on earth, he chose the former 09:38 his choice cost him the affluence of Egypt 09:41 perhaps even the throne. 09:51 Leaving the royal palaces of Egypt behind, 09:54 Moses started a new nomadic life for himself 09:57 within the family of Jethro. 10:00 He became a shepherd living in tents, tending flocks 10:04 in the rugged mountainous region near the Gulf of Aqaba. 10:08 It was in Midian that Moses married Zipporah 10:11 the daughter of his generous benefactor and employer 10:15 and they had two sons. His life in Midian was a far cry from 10:20 the one he had led in Egypt. It was also in Midian that Moses 10:24 under the inspiration of divine guidance commenced writing 10:29 the first five books of the Bible. 10:31 It would be easy to dismiss Moses' time in the wilderness 10:36 as nothing more than an inconvenient interlude 10:40 on the road to something greater. 10:42 After all, Moses is not known for his time in the wilderness 10:46 he's known for liberating and leading the nation of Israel. 10:50 But the truth is that Moses' time in the wilderness 10:55 shaped him into the kind of leader he needed to be 10:59 in order to lead a rag-tag group of slaves out of bondage 11:04 and into the land God had promised them. 11:06 While tending sheep in the wilderness Moses learned 11:10 the valuable lessons of patience and gentleness. 11:14 Characteristics that helped him to be the patient and wise 11:18 leader who helped Israel navigate numerous crises. 11:28 But his time in the wilderness also helped him to grow 11:32 spiritually communing with God in the wilds of Midian, 11:37 Moses learned the important lesson of relying on divine help. 11:41 As a young Egyptian prince it was easy for Moses to see 11:47 himself as the answer to the problems these people faced. 11:50 As a man haunted by regret fleeing his past mistakes 11:56 Moses learned about God's mercy and grace. 11:59 Sometimes we face wilderness moments in our own lives 12:04 times when our lives seem barren and directionless when life 12:09 seems to have lost meaning and purpose, 12:11 when nothing seems to make sense or go right. 12:15 But the truth is, when we give our lives to God, 12:19 even our most barren experiences can work out for our best good. 12:24 In Romans 8:28 the Apostle Paul writes... 12:39 The Bible promises that all things work together for our good 12:44 not just the moments we celebrate but also the moments 12:48 that generate the most pain and despair. 12:51 Placing your life in God's hands guarantees that not 12:56 none of your pain will be wasted because there is hope 12:59 even in the trials of life when we place our lives 13:03 in God's hands. 13:05 But Moses' time in the wilderness didn't last forever 13:09 forty years after he first arrived, God called him 13:13 out of hiding and gave him a special mission. 13:16 A mission that reflected the original vision he had 13:20 for both himself and his people. 13:22 It was a day like a thousand others, awake at dawn 13:27 and chasing after sheep, but on this day while 13:31 chasing after his sheep, Moses encountered something 13:35 that stopped him in his tracks. 13:37 While navigating the rocky terrain of the wilderness 13:42 Moses stumbled on a site that caught his attention 13:46 and set his pulse pounding. 13:48 He saw a bush crackling with flames but not consumed 13:52 by their intense heat, forgetting all about his 13:56 flock of sheep Moses paused to take in the sight 13:59 curious and disbelieving. How could a bush be 14:03 so thoroughly engulfed in flames and yet not be burnt 14:07 and charred beyond recognition? 14:09 While he marveled at the site, he heard a voice 14:14 the voice of God spoke to him from the bush. 14:17 At first all Moses heard was his name being repeated 14:22 to which he responded, here I am, and then God said. 14:27 Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet 14:33 for the place where you stand is holy ground. 14:36 I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, 14:40 the God of Isaac and the God or Jacob. 14:44 Terrified Moses immediately complied... 15:07 When Moses heard these words, his terror faded to shock. 15:20 He asked, shrinking from the enormous responsibility 15:23 of such a task. 15:25 Forty years before when he was young and a lot more 15:29 self-confident Moses was ready to take on the armies of Egypt 15:35 and deliver his people in a spectacular military coup. 15:39 Age and experience had humbled him and tempered his confidence 15:44 but God persisted. As a pledge of his presence and support, 15:49 God performed miracles before Moses. 15:53 First, He turned Moses' staff into a serpent, a snake, 15:58 and then back again into an inanimate piece of wood. 16:02 Next, He made Moses' hand leprous before restoring it 16:07 back to health again. 16:08 But still Moses hesitated under the weight of the responsibility. 16:13 Finally after a good deal of hesitating and excuse-making 16:18 Moses agreed to go trusting completely in God's provision 16:24 and power to carry him and the Hebrews through the 16:27 challenges that lay ahead. 16:29 On his way into Egypt God sent his brother Aaron 16:34 to meet him in the wilderness. Moses was terrified of speaking 16:39 before Pharaoh and so as a concession God agreed 16:44 to allow Aaron to act as his spokesman. 17:00 When Moses entered Egypt a thousand memories 17:04 would have come flooding into his mind 17:06 there would have been a lot that he recognized 17:09 but there also would have been a lot that had changed. 17:11 So, what had taken place in Egypt during the 40 years 17:16 that Moses was in the wilderness? 17:18 Well, Moses's adoptive mother Hatshepsut had reigned as 17:23 go-regent for a period of time alongside her stepson Thutmose III 17:27 who was only two or three years old when he ascended the throne. 17:32 However when Thutmose came of age, Hatshepsut continued 17:37 to rule as co-regent cementing her place as the first female 17:41 Pharaoh of Egypt. And in an attempt to appease the young king 17:46 she made him commander of the Egyptian armies. 17:49 While Thutmose III was actively working on expanding 17:54 the Egyptian Empire, Hatshepsut remained in Egypt and governed 17:59 the affairs of state. 18:00 During his lifetime Thutmose III conducted 17 military campaigns 18:06 in Canaan alone. 18:08 Now, one scholarly perspective on Thutmose III's numerous 18:13 campaigns into Canaan is that he may have been 18:16 searching for someone he knew. 18:18 Though there are no conclusive answers to this question, 18:22 could it be that Thutmose III was looking for Moses the fugitive 18:28 prince? It's certainly an interesting idea to consider, 18:32 but whatever the case may have been, Thutmose III 18:37 was familiar with Canaan and the surrounding region. 18:40 When Moses came back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites 18:44 under God's direction his adoptive mother Hatshepsut 18:48 was dead and Thutmose III was Pharaoh. 18:52 Thutmose III reigned from 1504 to 1450 BC. 18:58 and is widely considered by scholars to have been 19:02 the military genius given the number of military campaigns 19:05 he engaged in during the years of his co-regency 19:09 with Hatshepsut. 19:10 In fact Thutmose III is often referred to as the 19:16 Napoleon of Egypt conquering 350 cities in the space of just 19:21 30 years. Much of Thutmose's military exploits including his 19:27 campaigns in Canaan are recorded on the walls of the 19:30 Temple of Karnak. 19:33 The Egypt that Moses was introduced to after a 40-year 19:40 absence in the wilderness was an International Super Power. 19:44 So it's no surprise then that Thutmose III was 19:49 less than agreeable to Moses' demand to set the Hebrews free 19:53 in fact he was strongly opposed to the idea. 19:57 When Moses and Aaron faced the warrior Pharaoh 20:01 and presented the command of God, Thutmose III bristled. 20:06 Exodus 5:2 records Pharaoh's initial response... 20:23 God had already warned Moses that he would not be welcomed 20:28 by the Egyptian monarch and God's predictions certainly 20:33 proved to be accurate. 20:35 Thutmose III obstinately refused to acknowledge God 20:40 and in so doing, he brought death and destruction 20:43 over his whole empire. 20:45 But God encouraged Moses to continue with his mission 20:49 no matter how bleak the circumstances seemed. 21:06 What followed was a parade of destructive plagues 21:11 that struck at the very heart of Egyptian ideology. 21:14 Like most empires of the ancient world Egyptian life 21:19 revolved around their religious beliefs. 21:22 Every facet of Egyptian life from birth to death 21:26 from the flooding of the Nile, to the growth of their crops 21:30 were regulated by a Pantheon of God's most of whom 21:34 took on the forms of animals. 21:39 The plagues of Egypt struck at the very heart of 21:43 Egyptian religion demonstrating 21:44 to the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh 21:48 in particular that their gods' were inferior to the 21:52 God of the Hebrews, their slaves. 21:55 The Nile was worshipped as a god, but the God of the Hebrews 21:59 demonstrated His power over the Nile by turning it 22:03 and all other water sources in Egypt to blood. 22:07 The Egyptian worshipped the world in many aspects 22:16 but the God of the Hebrews demonstrated His power 22:19 over nature by causing plagues to fall upon the Egyptians 22:23 in the form of natural disasters. 22:26 Frogs overran Egypt in a scourge, 22:30 ironically Egyptians worshipped frogs, then came lice, 22:35 flies, disease on the cattle, and painful boils, 22:40 then huge hailstones, swarms of locusts, and total darkness 22:45 that covered the land. 22:47 Egypt was brought to its knees and still Pharaoh 22:52 refused to let the Hebrews go. 22:55 With every plague Pharaoh relented and made 23:01 empty promises, he pleaded with Moses to pray to God 23:04 and asked that he restrain the plague, but the moment 23:08 the plague lifted Pharaoh's heart hardened. 23:11 Pharaoh refused to acknowledge the superiority and authority 23:16 of the God of the Hebrews, his pride just wouldn't yield. 23:20 Then the final plague was announced, 23:24 this plague would be more devastating than any other 23:28 that'd gone before it and it would reveal something 23:31 that both Egyptian and Hebrews needed to understand, 23:35 God's plan of salvation. 23:38 The final plague was absolutely devastating, 23:41 it was the death plague and involve the death of all 23:45 the firstborn in Egypt. 23:47 The only way to avoid it and save their lives was to take 23:51 the blood of a slain lamb and smear it on the lentil and 23:55 doorpost of a home. All the Hebrews were commanded 23:59 by God through Moses to do this, 24:01 and they were also commanded to prepare to leave Egypt. 24:05 Prior to their departure they were to eat the flesh of 24:10 the lamb they had killed together with unleavened cakes. 24:13 When the day came, every Hebrew household 24:17 sacrificed a lamb and then painted the blood on the 24:21 lentil and doorposts of their homes 24:23 then they went inside and waited for the angel of death 24:28 to pass over them. 24:33 It was here in Egypt that the first Passover was celebrated 24:38 that night the angel of death visited Egypt. Exodus 12:29 24:44 describes what happened that night in these words. 24:55 The heartrending cries of grief rang out through Egypt 25:02 but in the land of Goshen under the protection of the 25:05 Lamb's blood, not a single firstborn died. 25:08 The lesson is powerful in it's simplicity, 25:12 the first Passover lamb represented Jesus the Messiah 25:17 and His sacrifice for us on the cross. 25:19 Because of the blood of the lamb on that first Passover 25:24 countless lives were saved. 25:26 Because of the blood of Jesus countless people can have hope 25:31 for salvation and eternity. 25:33 In order for the Hebrews to truly escape the angel of death 25:38 on the fateful night in Goshen, they had to exercise their faith 25:43 in God, their faith led to action and their faith and 25:47 action combined, saved their lives and the lives of their 25:50 children. 25:54 If you'd like to find out more about Moses and other 25:59 Patriarch's in the Bible, then I'd like to recommend a 26:03 free gift we have for all out Incredible Journey viewers today 26:07 it's the book Patriarchs & Prophets, this outstanding book 26:12 is our gift to you and is absolutely free, 26:15 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:19 So, make the most of this wonderful opportunity 26:23 to receive your free gift today. 26:26 Phone or text 0436.333.555 in Australia, or 020.422.2042 26:37 in New Zealand, or 770.800.0266 in the United States 26:43 or visit our website tij.tv or simply scan the QR Code 26:50 on your screen and we'll send you today's free offer 26:53 totally free of charge and with no obligations. 26:56 You can also write to us at GPO Box 274 Sydney NSW 2001 27:03 Australia, or PO Box 76673 in Manikau Auckland 27:09 2241 New Zealand, or PO Box 888717 Atlanta, Georgia 27:16 30356 USA. You can also email us at info@tij.tv, don't delay 27:25 call or text us now. 27:30 If you've enjoyed our journey to ancient Egypt 27:33 during the time of the plagues, and our reflections on 27:36 the meaning of the Passover, then be sure to join us again 27:40 next week when we will share another of life's journey's 27:44 together. Until then, let's pray to the Almighty God of the Bible 27:49 and ask for His blessing on us and our family. 27:52 Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love 27:57 guidance and protection. We thank you for Jesus 28:00 our Passover Lamb to whom we have salvation and 28:04 eternal life. Please bless us and our families, 28:08 we ask in Jesus' name. Amen! |
Revised 2025-02-12