Who is the prophet Moses in Orthodoxy. Brief biography of the Old Testament prophet Moses

One of the central events of the Old Testament is the story of Moses, the salvation of the Jewish people from power 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, but this story is quite entertaining and tells of the incredible liberation and resettlement of an entire people.

The birth of the future prophet was initially shrouded in mystery. Almost the only source of information about Moses was the biblical writings, since direct historical evidence does not exist, there are only indirect ones. In the year of the prophet's birth, the ruling pharaoh Ramses II ordered all newborn children to be drowned in the Nile, because, despite the hard work and oppression of the Jews, they continued to be fruitful and multiply. Pharaoh was afraid that someday they might take the side of 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 in it. Together with her eldest daughter, she took it to the river and left Mariam to see what happens next.

God was pleased that Moses and Ramses met. History, as mentioned above, is silent about the details. The pharaoh's daughter picked up the basket and brought it 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 the pharaoh.

Whatever it was, but the future prophet was in the palace. Miriam, who was watching the one who lifted the basket, offered Moses' own mother as a wet nurse. So the son returned to the bosom of the family for a while.

The life of a prophet in the palace

After Moses grew up a little and stopped needing a nurse, his mother took the future prophet to the palace. There he lived for quite a long time, and was also adopted by the daughter of the pharaoh. Moses knew what kind he was, knew that he was a Jew. And although he studied on a par with the rest of the children royal family, but did not absorb cruelty.

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

Moses loved his people and every time he suffered when he saw their torment, when he saw how mercilessly each Israelite was exploited. One day something happened that forced the future prophet to flee from Egypt. Moses witnessed a severe 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 a while, Moses realized that many already knew what he had done. The pharaoh orders the arrest and death of his daughter's son. How Moses and Ramses treated each other, history is silent. Why did they decide to try him for the murder of the overseer? You can take into account different versions of what is happening, however, most likely, the decisive factor was that Moses was not an Egyptian. As a result of all this, the future prophet decides to flee from Egypt.

Flight from the Pharaoh and the later life of Moses

According to biblical data, the future prophet went to the land of Midian. The further history of Moses tells about his family life. He married the daughter of the priest Jethro Zipporah. Living this life, he became a shepherd, 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, had a prominent position there. However, it should still be taken into account that the only source of narration about his life is the Bible, which, like any ancient scripture, over time has acquired some kind of allegorical coating.

Divine Revelation and the Appearance of the Lord to the Prophet

Be that as it may, but bible story Moses tells that it was in Midian, when he was shepherding the flocks, that the revelation of the Lord came to him. The future prophet at that moment was eighty years old. It was at this age that on his way he met a bush of thorns, which blazed with flame, but did not burn out.

At this point, Moses was instructed that he must save the people of Israel from Egyptian rule. The Lord commanded to return to Egypt and lead his people to the promised land, freeing them from long-term slavery. However, the Almighty Father warned Moses about the difficulties on his way. In order for him to have the opportunity to overcome them, he was given the ability to work miracles. Due to the fact that Moses was tongue-tied, God commanded him to take his brother Aaron to help him.

Return of Moses to Egypt. Ten plagues

The story 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 had fled in his time. Of course, the pharaoh refused the demand to release the Israeli people, and even increased the labor service for his slaves.

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

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

Establishment of Passover and Exodus from Egypt

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

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

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

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 was formed, along which the Israelites crossed to the other side. The pharaoh who was chasing them also decided to follow the bottom of the sea. However, Moses and his people were already on the other side, and the waters of the sea closed again. So the pharaoh died.

The Covenants Moses Received at Mount Sinai

The next stopping point for the Jewish people was Mount Moses. The story from the Bible tells that on this way the fugitives saw many miracles (manna from heaven, spring water springs appearing) and strengthened 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 Universal Father and his prophet. As a result of all this, ten commandments were obtained, which became the main ones 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 in the Book of the Covenant.

Forty Years' Journey Through the Wilderness of the Israelite People

Near Mount Sinai, the Jewish people stood for about a year. Then a sign was given by the Lord 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 in the desert, sometimes living for a long time in places where conditions were more favorable. The Israelites gradually became zealous executors of the covenants that the Lord had given them.

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

Historical facts confirming biblical events

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

However, some historians are still inclined to believe that Moses is a historical figure. This is evidenced by some of the 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 is displayed more than once in the cinema, and cartoons have also been created. They tell about such heroes as Moses and Ramses, whose history is little described in the Bible. Special attention the cinematography focuses on the miracles that happened during their journey. Be that as it may, but all these films and cartoons educate morality in the younger generation and instill morality. They are also useful for adults, especially those who have lost faith in miracles.

Moses is the greatest Old Testament prophet, the founder of Judaism, who brought the Jews out of Egypt, where they were in slavery, received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and rallied the Israelite tribes into one people.

In Christianity, Moses is considered one of the most important prototypes of Christ: just as through Moses the Old Testament was revealed to the world, so through Christ - the New Testament.

The name "Moses" (in Hebrew - Moshe), presumably of Egyptian origin and means "child". According to other indications - “extracted or saved from the water” (this name was given to him by the Egyptian princess who found him on the river bank).

Four books of the Pentateuch (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) are devoted to his life and work, which make up the epic of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

Birth of Moses

According to the biblical account, Moses was born in Egypt to a Jewish family at a time when the Jews were in bondage to the Egyptians, about 1570 B.C. (according to other estimates, about 1250 B.C.). Moses' parents belonged to the tribe of Levi 1 (Ex. 2:1). His older sister was Miriam and his older brother was Aaron (the first of the Jewish high priests, the founder of the priestly caste).

1 Levi- the third son of Jacob (Israel) from his wife Leah (Gen.29:34). The descendants of the tribe of Levi are the Levites, who were responsible for the priesthood. Because of all the tribes of Israel, the Levites were the only tribe not endowed with land, they were dependent on their brethren.

As you know, the Israelites moved to Egypt during the lifetime of Jacob-Israel 2 himself (XVII century BC), fleeing from famine. They lived in the eastern Egyptian region of Goshen, bordering the Sinai Peninsula and irrigated by a tributary of the Nile River. Here they had extensive pastures for their flocks and could freely roam the country.

2 Jacob,orJacob (Israel)- the third of the biblical patriarchs, the youngest of the twin sons of the patriarch Isaac and Rebekah. From his sons came 12 tribes of the people of Israel. In rabbinical literature, Jacob is seen as a symbol of the Jewish people.

Over time, the Israelites multiplied more and more, and the more they multiplied, the more hostile the Egyptians were towards them. In the end, there were so many Jews that it began to inspire fear in the new pharaoh. He said to his people: "The tribe of Israel is multiplying and can become stronger than us. If we have a war with another state, then the Israelis can unite with our enemies." So that the tribe of Israel would not grow stronger, it was decided to turn it into slavery. The pharaohs and their officials began to oppress the Israelites like strangers, and then they began to treat them like a subjugated tribe, like masters with slaves. The Egyptians began to force the Israelites to the hardest work in favor of the state: they were forced to dig the earth, build cities, palaces and monuments for the kings, prepare clay and brick for these buildings. Special overseers were appointed who strictly monitored the execution of all these forced labors.

But no matter how oppressed the Israelites, they still continued to multiply. Then the pharaoh ordered that all newborn Israelite boys be drowned in the river, and only girls were left alive. This order was carried out with merciless severity. The people of Israel were threatened with total extermination.

In this troubled time, a son was born to Amram and Jochebed, from the tribe of Levi. He was so beautiful that light emanated from him. The father of the holy prophet Amram had a vision that spoke of the great mission of this infant and of God's favor towards him. Moses' mother Jochebed managed to hide the baby in her home for three months. However, no longer able to hide him, she left the baby in a tarred reed basket in a thicket on the banks of the Nile.

Moses being lowered by his mother into the waters of the Nile. A.V. Tyranov. 1839-42

At this time, the Pharaoh's daughter went to the river to bathe, accompanied by her attendants. Seeing a basket in the reeds, she ordered to open it. There was a tiny boy in the basket, crying. Pharaoh's daughter said, "It must be from the Hebrew children." She took pity on crying baby and on the advice of the sister of Moses Miriam, who approached her, who was observing what was happening from afar, agreed to call the Israelite nurse. Miriam brought her mother Jochebed. Thus, Moses was given to his mother, who nursed him. When the boy grew up, he was brought to Pharaoh's daughter, and she brought him up as her own son (Ex. 2:10). The daughter of the pharaoh gave him the name Moses, which means "taken out of the water."

There are suggestions that this good princess was Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thotmes I, later the famous and only female pharaoh in the history of Egypt.

Childhood and youth of Moses. Escape to the desert.

Moses spent the first 40 years of his life in Egypt, raised in the palace as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Here he received an excellent education and was initiated "into all the wisdom of Egypt", that is, into all the secrets of the religious and political worldview of Egypt. Tradition tells that he served as commander of the Egyptian army and helped the pharaoh defeat the Ethiopians who attacked him.

Although Moses grew up freely, he still never forgot his Jewish roots. Once he wished to see how his fellow tribesmen live. Seeing how the Egyptian overseer beats one of the Israelite slaves, Moses stood up for the defenseless and in a fit of rage accidentally killed the overseer. Pharaoh found out about this and wanted to punish Moses. Escape was the only way to escape. And Moses fled from Egypt to the wilderness of Sinai, which is near the Red Sea, between Egypt and Canaan. He settled in the land of Midian (Ex. 2:15), located on the Sinai Peninsula, with the priest Jethro (another name is Raguel), where he became a shepherd. Moses soon married Jethro's daughter, Zipporah, and became a member of this peaceful shepherd family. So another 40 years passed.

Calling Moses

One day Moses was tending a flock and went far into the wilderness. He approached Mount Horeb (Sinai), and there a wondrous vision appeared to him. He saw a thick thorn bush, which was engulfed in a bright flame and burned, but still did not burn.

The thorn bush or the "Burning bush" is a prototype of God-manhood and the Mother of God and symbolizes the contact of God with a created being.

God said that he chose Moses to save the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Moses was to go to Pharaoh and demand that he release the Jews. As a sign that the time has come for a new, more complete Revelation, He proclaims His Name to Moses: "I am who I am"(Ex. 3:14) . He sends Moses to demand, on behalf of the God of Israel, that the people be released from the "house of bondage." But Moses is aware of his weakness: he is not ready for a feat, he is deprived of the gift of words, he is sure that neither Pharaoh nor the people will believe him. Only after persistently repeating the call and signs does he agree. God said that Moses had a brother in Egypt, Aaron, who, if necessary, would speak for him, and God himself would teach both of them what to do. To convince unbelievers, God gives Moses the ability to perform miracles. Immediately, by His order, Moses threw his rod (shepherd's stick) on the ground - and suddenly this rod turned into a snake. Moses caught the snake by the tail - and again a stick was in his hand. Another miracle: when Moses put his hand in his bosom and took it out, it became white from leprosy like snow, when he again put his hand in his bosom and took it out, she became healthy. “If they don’t believe this miracle, the Lord said, then you shall take water from the river and pour it out on dry land, and the water shall become blood on the dry land.”

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh

In obedience to God, Moses set out on the road. Along the way, he met his brother Aaron, whom God ordered to go out into the wilderness to meet Moses, and together they went to Egypt. Moses was already 80 years old, no one remembered him. The daughter of the former pharaoh, the adoptive mother of Moses, also died long ago.

First of all, Moses and Aaron came to the people of Israel. Aaron told his fellow tribesmen that God would lead the Jews out of slavery and give them a country flowing with milk and honey. However, they did not immediately believe him. They were afraid of the revenge of the pharaoh, they were afraid of the way through the waterless desert. Moses performed several miracles, and the people of Israel believed in him and in the fact that the hour of liberation from slavery had come. Nevertheless, the murmuring against the prophet, which began even before the exodus, broke out then repeatedly. Like Adam, who was free to submit to or reject a higher Will, the newly created people of God experienced temptations and falls.

After that, Moses and Aron appeared to Pharaoh and announced to him the will of the God of Israel, so that he would let the Jews go into the wilderness to serve this God: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast for me in the wilderness." But the pharaoh answered angrily: “Who is the Lord that I should listen to him? I don’t know the Lord and I won’t let the Israelites go”(Ex. 5:1-2)

Then Moses announced to Pharaoh that if he did not let the Israelites go, then God would send various "executions" (misfortunes, disasters) to Egypt. The king did not obey - and the threats of the messenger of God came true.

The Ten Plagues and the Establishment of the Feast of Passover

The refusal of the pharaoh to fulfill the command of God entails 10 plagues of Egypt, a series of terrible natural disasters:

However, executions only further harden the pharaoh.

Then the angry Moses came to Pharaoh for the last time and warned: “Thus says the Lord: At midnight I will pass through the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh ... to the firstborn of the slave ... and all the firstborn of cattle. It was the last most severe 10th plague (Ex. 11:1-10 - Ex. 12:1-36).

Then Moses warned the Jews to slaughter a one-year-old lamb in each family and anoint the doorposts and the door frame with its blood: according to this blood, God will distinguish the dwellings of the Jews and will not touch them. Lamb meat had to be baked on fire and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The Jews must be ready to set off immediately.

During the night, Egypt suffered a terrible disaster. “And Pharaoh arose in the night, himself and all his servants, and all Egypt; and there was a great cry in the land of Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not a dead man.

The shocked pharaoh immediately summoned Moses and Aaron to him and ordered them, along with all their people, to go into the wilderness and perform worship so that God would have mercy on the Egyptians.

Since then, the Jews every year on the 14th day of the month of Nisan (the day that falls on the full moon of the vernal equinox) make Easter holiday. The word "Passover" means "to pass by," because the Angel that struck down the firstborn passed by the Jewish houses.

From now on, Easter will mark the liberation of the People of God and their unity in the sacred meal - a prototype of the Eucharistic meal.

Exodus. Crossing the Red Sea.

That same night, all the people of Israel left Egypt forever. The Bible indicates the number of departed "600 thousand Jews" (not counting women, children and livestock). The Jews did not leave empty-handed: before fleeing, Moses ordered them to ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver items, as well as rich clothes. They also brought with them the mummy of Joseph, which Moses searched for three days while his tribesmen collected property from the Egyptians. God himself led them, being by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, so that the fugitives walked day and night until they came to the seashore.

Meanwhile, the pharaoh realized that the Jews had deceived him, and rushed after them in pursuit. Six hundred war chariots and selected Egyptian cavalry quickly overtook the fugitives. There seemed to be no escape. Jews - men, women, children, old people - crowded on the seashore, preparing for inevitable death. Only Moses was calm. At the command of God, he stretched out his hand to the sea, hit the water with his rod, and the sea parted, clearing the way. The Israelites went along the seabed, and the waters of the sea stood like a wall to their right and left.

Seeing this, the Egyptians chased the Jews along the bottom of the sea. The pharaoh's chariots were already in the middle of the sea, when the bottom suddenly became so viscous that they could hardly move. Meanwhile, the Israelis got to the opposite bank. The Egyptian soldiers realized that things were bad and decided to turn back, but it was too late: Moses again extended his hand to the sea, and it closed over the Pharaoh's army...

The passage through the Red (now Red) Sea, which took place in the face of imminent mortal danger, becomes the culmination of a saving miracle. The waters separated the saved from the "house of bondage." Therefore, the transition became a type of the sacrament of baptism. A new passage through the water is also the way to freedom, but to freedom in Christ. On the seashore, Moses and all the people, including his sister Miriam, solemnly sang a song of thanksgiving to God. “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; he threw his horse and rider into the sea…” This solemn song of the Israelites to the Lord underlies the first of the nine sacred songs that make up the canon of songs sung daily by the Orthodox Church at divine services.

According to biblical tradition, the Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years. And the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt took place, according to the calculations of Egyptologists, around 1250 BC. However, according to the traditional view, the Exodus took place in the 15th century. BC e., 480 years (~5 centuries) before the construction of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6: 1). There is a significant number alternative theories chronology of the Exodus varying degrees consistent with both religious and modern archaeological points of view.

Miracles of Moses

The road to the Promised Land ran through the harsh and vast Arabian Desert. At first, for 3 days they walked through the Shur desert and did not find water except bitter (Merah) (Ex. 15:22-26), but God sweetened this water by commanding Moses to throw a piece of some special tree into the water.

Soon, when they reached the desert of Sin, the people began to grumble from hunger, remembering Egypt, when they "sat by the boilers with meat and ate their fill of bread!" And God heard them and sent them from heaven manna from heaven(Ex. 16).

One morning, when they woke up, they saw that the whole desert was covered with something white, like frost. We started looking at: white coating turned out to be small grains, similar to hail or grass seeds. In response to the astonished exclamations, Moses said: "This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat." Adults and children rushed to rake manna and bake bread. Since then, every morning for 40 years, they found manna from heaven and ate from it.

Manna from heaven

The collection of manna took place in the morning, as by noon it melted under the rays of the sun. “The manna was like coriander seed, looking like bdolakh”(Num. 11:7). According to Talmudic literature, when eating manna, young men felt the taste of bread, old people - the taste of honey, children - the taste of butter.

In Rephidim, Moses, at the command of God, brought water out of the rock of Mount Horeb, striking it with his staff.

Here the Jews were attacked wild tribe Amalekites, but were defeated at the prayer of Moses, who during the battle prayed on the mountain, raising his hands to God (Ex. 17).

Sinai Covenant and 10 Commandments

In the 3rd month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites approached Mount Sinai and encamped against the mountain. Moses went up the mountain first, and God warned him that he would appear before the people on the third day.

And then this day came. Terrible phenomena accompanied the phenomenon in Sinai: clouds, smoke, lightning, thunder, flames, earthquakes, trumpets. This fellowship lasted 40 days, and God gave Moses two tablets - stone tables on which the Law was written.

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

2. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God. God is jealous, punishing the children for the guilt of the fathers to the third and fourth generation, who hate me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations who love Me and keep My commandments.

3. Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; work for six days and do (in them) all your works, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: do not do any work on it, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor (ox yours, not your donkey, not any) your livestock, nor the stranger that is in your dwellings; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honor your father and your mother (that you may be well and) that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6. Don't kill.

7. Do not commit adultery.

8. Don't steal.

9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, (neither his field), nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, (nor any of his cattle) anything that is with your neighbor.

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

The Decalogue (ten commandments) formed the basis of the moral code of all cultural humanity.

In addition to the Ten Commandments, God dictated laws to Moses that spoke about how the people of Israel should live. So the Children of Israel became a people - Jews.

Moses' wrath. The establishment of the tabernacle of the covenant.

Moses climbed Mount Sinai twice, staying there for 40 days. During his first absence, the people sinned terribly. The wait seemed too long to them and they demanded that Aaron make them a god who brought them out of Egypt. Frightened by their wildness, he collected golden earrings and made a golden calf, in front of which the Jews began to serve and have fun.

Descending from the mountain, Moses in anger broke the Tablets and destroyed the calf.

Moses Breaks the Tablets of the Law

Moses severely punished the people for apostasy, killing about 3 thousand people, but asked God not to punish them. God had mercy and revealed His glory to him, showing him a cleft in which he could see God from behind, because it is impossible for a man to see His face.

After that, again for 40 days, he returned to the mountain and prayed to God for the forgiveness of the people. Here, on the mountain, he received instructions on the construction of the Tabernacle, the laws of worship and the establishment of the priesthood. It is believed that in the book of Exodus the commandments are listed, on the first broken tablets, and in Deuteronomy - what was inscribed a second time. From there he returned with God's face shone with the light and was forced to hide his face under a veil so that the people would not be blinded.

Six months later, the Tabernacle was built and consecrated - a large, richly decorated tent. Inside the tabernacle stood the ark of the covenant - a wooden, gold-studded chest with images of cherubs on top. In the ark lay the tablets of the covenant brought by Moses, the golden stave with manna, and the prosperous rod of Aaron.

Tabernacle

To prevent disputes about who should have the right to the priesthood, God commanded that a rod be taken from each of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel and placed in the tabernacle, promising that the rod would blossom in the one chosen by Him. The next day Moses found that Aaron's rod gave flowers and brought almond nuts. Then Moses laid the rod of Aaron before the ark of the covenant for preservation, as a testimony to future generations about the Divine election of Aaron and his descendants to the priesthood.

Moses' brother, Aaron, was ordained as a high priest, and other members of the tribe of Levi were ordained as priests and "Levites" (we call them deacons). Since that time, the Jews began to perform regular worship and animal sacrifices.

End of wandering. Death of Moses.

For another 40 years Moses led his people to the promised land - Canaan. At the end of the wandering, the people again became cowardly and grumbled. In punishment, God sent poisonous snakes, and when they repented, he ordered Moses to erect a copper image of a snake on a pole so that everyone who looked at him with faith would remain unharmed. The serpent ascended in the desert, according to St. Gregory of Nyssa, is the sign of the sacrament of the cross.

Despite great difficulties, the prophet Moses remained a faithful servant of the Lord God until the end of his life. He led, taught and instructed his people. He arranged their future, but he did not enter the Promised Land because of the lack of faith shown by him and his brother Aaron at the waters of Meribah in Kadesh. Moses hit the rock twice with his rod, and water flowed from the stone, although once was enough - and God, angry, announced that neither he nor his brother Aaron would enter the Promised Land.

By nature, Moses was impatient and prone to anger, but through divine training he became so humble that he became "the meekest of all people on earth." 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 from a distance the promised land - Palestine. God told him: “This is the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... I made you see it with your eyes, but you will not enter it.”

He was 120 years old, but neither his eyesight was dulled, nor his strength was exhausted. He spent 40 years in the palace of the Egyptian pharaoh, the other 40 with flocks of sheep in the land of Midian, and the last 40 in wandering at the head of the Israelite people in the Sinai desert. The Israelites honored the death of Moses with 30 days of lamentation. His grave was hidden by God, so that the people of Israel, inclined at that time to paganism, would not make a cult out of it.

After Moses, the Jewish people, spiritually renewed in the wilderness, were led by his disciple Joshua, who led the Jews to the Promised Land. For forty years of wandering, not a single person remained alive who left Egypt with Moses, and who doubted God and bowed to the golden calf at Horeb. Thus a truly new people was created, living under the law, given by God in Sinai.

Moses was also the first inspired writer. According to legend, he is the author of the books of the Bible - the Pentateuch as part of the Old Testament. Psalm 89 "The Prayer of Moses, the Man of God" is also attributed to Moses.

Then the king of Egypt began to fear that the people of Israel would unite with the enemies of Egypt and, desiring freedom, would not arm themselves against it. He assigned special overseers to the Israelites, who were charged with the duty of exhausting them with hard work. They tortured the Israelites with particular cruelty, forcing them to cultivate the land, make bricks and build cities, both for the sake of vanity and, in particular, in order to quickly exterminate the Jewish people.

But the more they became embittered against the Israelites and exhausted them, the more they multiplied: for they could not reduce the number of people whom it was pleasing to God Himself to multiply and exalt. And although the king gave a secret command to the midwives, so that they, at the very birth, would kill Jewish male babies; but those, fearing God, spared them. Then the king issued an inhuman command throughout the Egyptian land, according to which anyone who noticed a male Jewish baby was to throw him into the river (Ex., ch. 1).

At that time there lived a certain man named Amram, from the tribe of Levi, who had a wife from the same tribe, whose name was Jochebed; to this day they have had a son, Aaron, and a daughter, Miriam. At that very cruel time, when newborn Jewish babies were exterminated, their second son was born; the child was so beautiful that the mother, knowing the brutal law on the killing of all newborn Jewish babies, grieved for the baby and decided to hide him at home, which she did for three months. But then, since she could no longer hide the baby, she took a basket, pitched it, put the child in it and placed it in the reeds near the river bank. The baby's sister began to watch from a distance what would happen to him (Ex. 2:2). And the daughter of Pharaoh 3 went out to the river 4 to bathe, and her servants walked along the river bank. She saw a basket among the reeds, and sent her handmaid to take it. Opening the basket and seeing a crying baby in it, she took pity on him and said: "This is from Jewish children." The princess wanted to adopt the baby and find him a Jewish nurse. According to the legends of Joseph Flavius ​​5, many Jewish nurses were brought to the found baby, but he did not accept milk from them. Then Miriam, the sister of Moses, dared to approach Pharaoh's daughter and said to her:

“Wouldn’t it be right for me to call a Jewish nurse to you to nurse your baby?”

Pharaoh's daughter answered her, "Go," and she brought her mother to her. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her:

“Take the baby and nurse it: I will pay you for it.

Jochebed took the baby, and he clung to her, feeling his mother in her. she fed him in her house; when the child grew up, she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, who adopted him and called his name: Moses, " because, she said, I took it from the water"(the name in Egyptian means water) (Ex. 2: 7-10).

In some ancient legends 6 it is told that one day the daughter of Pharaoh brought Moses to her father, and he, playing with him, placed on his head a royal crown, on which there was a small statue of an idol; Moses, having torn off the crown from his head, threw it on the ground and trampled it under his feet. The pagan priest, who received a prediction from the Magi 7 that when a leader was born to the Israelites, Egypt would suffer many plagues, advised the Pharaoh to kill the baby so that he, having grown up, would not cause any disaster to their country. But, according to the good will and dispensation of God, others rebelled against this, saying that the baby did it not intentionally, out of ignorance. To test his infantile ignorance, hot coals were brought, and he took them and put them into his mouth, which caused his tongue to be seared and, as a result, became tongue-tied.

When Moses came of age, the daughter of the king assigned to him the most chosen wise men of Egypt to teach him all the wisdom of Egypt, and he was strong in words and deeds, surpassing his teachers in a short time and becoming the favorite of the king and all his closest dignitaries (Acts 7: 21-22). When he learned about his origin, that he was an Israelite, and knew the One God, who exists in heaven, the Creator of the universe, in whom his people believed, he began to abhor Egyptian pagan wickedness (Heb.22:24-26).

Some historians write 8 that when the Ethiopians fought against Egypt, then Moses, who had already reached adulthood, was chosen by the Egyptians as commanders and, thanks to his courage, defeated the enemies. However, the king of Egypt, instead of gratitude, hated him even more, because some of Egyptian priests in their sorcery they prophesied that Moses would bring disaster to Egypt in the future, and advised the king to kill him. Under the influence of their suggestions, the king really planned to kill Moses, but did not proceed to this immediately, not wanting to offend his daughter, and hoping to find any fault or wait for a more convenient time.

It happened that Moses went to his compatriots, the sons of Israel, and examining their hard work, he saw that an Egyptian was beating a Jew. Noticing that there was no stranger near that place, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. The next day, he went out again and, seeing two quarreling Jews, he said to the one who started the quarrel:

Why are you lying to your neighbor?

And he said:

“Who made you the chief and judge over us?” Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?

Moses, hearing this, was afraid and said to himself:

“Probably everyone knew about this case.

Pharaoh, hearing about this, wanted to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh and stopped in the land of Midian (Ex. 2:11-15).

Tired of the long journey, Moses sat down by the well. And behold, the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, 9 came to the well, tending their father's flocks. They began to fill the troughs with water to water the sheep. But the shepherds of the other flocks came and drove them away. Then Moses got up and protected the maidens, drew water for them and gave water to their sheep.

The maidens, having returned home, told their father that some Egyptian had protected them from the shepherds and had even drawn water for them and watered their sheep. Jethro hurried to invite Moses to him, took him into the house and then gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage, from whom Moses had two sons. He called the first Risam, “because,” he said, “I became a stranger in a strange land,” and the second, Eliezer, saying: “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the hand of Pharaoh” (Ex. 2:16 -22).

Later for a long time the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel groaned from their work, and their cry for the heavy yoke went up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And God looked upon the sons of men, and desired to set them free (Ex. 2:23-25).

Moses was tending sheep at Jethro, his father-in-law. One day he led the flock far into the wilderness and came to the mountain of God Horeb 10 . And then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a fiery flame from the midst of a thorn bush 11 , and Moses saw that the thorn bush was burning with fire, but was not consumed.

Moses at the Burning Bush (in Slavic thorn acacia - bush). Icon of Byzantine icons of Sinai.

Moses said:

“I’ll go and look at this great phenomenon, why doesn’t the bush burn down?”

The Lord called to him from the midst of the bush:

- Moses, Moses!

He replied:

“Here I am, Lord!”

And God said to him:

– Do not come here; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

And he added to this:

“I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

I, - the Lord said to Moses, - saw the suffering of my people in Egypt, the cry from their ministers, and I know their sorrows. And I go to deliver him from the hand of the Egyptians and bring him out of this land and bring him into a fruitful and spacious land, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Gergesites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, into a land flowing with milk and honey 12 . And behold, the cry of the children of Israel has already reached me, and I see the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. So go: I will send you to Pharaoh, and you will bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

Moses said to God:

Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

“I will be with you,” God answered him, “and here is a sign for you that I have sent you: when you bring My people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain.

Moses said to God:

“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?

“I am Jehovah 13,” God answered Moses, “so say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob 14 sent me to you. This is my name forever and the remembrance of me from generation to generation. Go, gather the elders of Israel, and tell them: The Lord God of your fathers appeared to me and said: I visited you ... And I will bring you out of the oppression of Egypt, and they will listen to you, and you will go to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him: Jehovah, the God of the Jews , called us. and so let us go into the wilderness, for a three-day journey, to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God. “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. Then I will strike Egypt with wonders, and Pharaoh will be forced to let you go.

“And if they do not believe me,” Moses objected, “and do not listen to my voice and say: The Lord has not appeared to you?

The Lord said, "What is that in your hand?

He replied: "Staff."

The Lord said, "Throw him on the ground."

Moses threw, and the staff turned into a snake. Moses ran away from him, but God commanded him to take the serpent by the tail, and the serpent again became a rod in his hands.

The Lord said:

“Here is a sign for you so that they will believe you that the Lord, the God of their fathers, has appeared to you. And if they don’t believe this, then do one more thing: put your hand in your bosom.

Moses put his hand in his bosom, then took it out, and saw that it turned white from leprosy 15 like snow. The Lord ordered to put his hand in his bosom again, and she again became healthy.

“If they don’t believe even this miracle,” said the Lord, “then take water from the river and pour it out on dry land, and the water will become blood on dry land.”

Moses again began to ask God not to send him, for he was not speechless and tongue-tied.

The Lord said:

- And who gave the mouth to man? Who makes dumb or deaf, or sighted, or blind? Am I not the Lord God? And so go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say to you.

Moses continued to refuse and asked to be sent to replace him with someone more capable. Then the Lord became angry with Moses and said:

"Don't you have a brother Aaron?" I know that he can speak for you. And now he will come out to meet you, and a meeting with you will make him happy. You will speak to him and put My words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what to do. And he will speak instead of you to the people and will be your mouth, and you will be to him instead of God. And take this rod (which was turned into a serpent) in your hand: with it you will do things 16 .

After this, Moses returned to Jethro and said to him: "I will go to Egypt to my brothers, and see if they are still alive."

“Go in peace,” answered Jethro.

And Moses went to Egypt without fear, for the king who wanted to kill him, and all those who sought his destruction, had already died. To meet Moses, at the command of God, Aaron came out, who kissed him with joy. Moses gave Aaron all the words of the Lord. When they came to Egypt, they gathered all the elders of Israel and told them all the words that the Lord spoke to Moses, and Moses did signs and wonders before their eyes. The Israelites believed them and rejoiced that God had visited the children of Israel and looked upon their suffering.

After this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him:

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast for me in the wilderness.”

But Pharaoh said:

Who is the God of Israel that I should listen to His voice? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let the Israelites go. And you, Moses and Aaron, why are you diverting the people from their work? Go, everyone, to your work.

And he immediately gave the command to the guards over the Jews to oppress them even more with hard work and not to give them henceforth straw for making bricks, which from that time on they must collect themselves, but at the same time they did not reduce the required number of bricks from them.

“Jews,” said the king, “are idle; therefore they cry: we will go, we will offer sacrifice to our God.

After this, the Jews began to be oppressed even more. Looking for material for themselves, they did not have time to prepare the number of bricks set for them every day; for this they beat the Jewish guards and did not accept any explanation from them, and they cried out against Moses and Aaron, saying: “Judge you, Lord, because you made us hated before Pharaoh and his servants and gave weapons into their hands to kill us .

Moses turned to the Lord and said:

- God! Why did you subject this people to such disaster, why did you send me? For from the time I came to Pharaoh and began to speak in Your name, he began to do worse to the people.

The Lord answered Moses:

“Now you will see what I will do with Pharaoh: with a strong hand, he will let the children of Israel go, even drive them out of his land. Say to them: I, the Lord, will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, and I will save you; heritage.

Moses told these words to the children of Israel, but they, due to their cowardice and the severity of their work, did not believe Moses. Then the Lord commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the children of Israel out of his land. Moses answered that if the children of Israel did not already listen to him, then how could Pharaoh listen to him when even his speech, Moses, was inaudible.

To this the Lord answered him:

“I appointed you as a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.” You will tell him whatever I command you, and your brother will tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. But I will allow Pharaoh to show his stubbornness in all his strength and not listen to you. For this I will stretch out My hand on Egypt and execute a terrible judgment on her by means of miraculous plagues; then all the Egyptians will know that I am God! And I will bring the children of Israel out of their midst. And if Pharaoh demands proof from you, then you tell Aaron to throw down the rod, and the rod will become a serpent.

Encouraged by God Himself, Moses and Aaron again stood before Pharaoh and his servants and did as the Lord commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh, and the staff became a serpent. Pharaoh called on the wise men of Egypt and sorcerers. and they did the same with their charms; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had foretold, and did not want to let the Jews go. Then, at the command of God, Moses and Aaron began to inflict executions on the land of Egypt 17 .

On the next day, Aaron, at the command of Moses, took his rod, struck it on the water of the river in the presence of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the water in the river turned into blood; the fish in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water from the river. The second plague was frogs 18: Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and brought out frogs from them, which penetrated into the houses, into the bedrooms, on the bed, into the oven and the kneader, and on the king, and on the servants, and on his people, and nowhere nobody was given rest. And the whole land of Egypt was covered with frogs, and when they died out at the command of Moses, the Egyptians gathered them in heaps, and the whole earth stank from the dead and rotten frogs. The third plague was on people and on cattle, on Pharaoh and his house and on his servants, and the soil of the land of Egypt became full of snipes 19 . The fourth plague was dog flies 20 . The fifth plague was a very severe plague on the cattle throughout the land of Egypt. The sixth execution was purulent inflammatory abscesses on people and cattle. The seventh plague was hail and fire between the hail 21, and that hail killed everything that was under open sky: and grass, and trees, and cattle, and people. The eighth plague was locusts and caterpillars 22 which devoured all the Egyptian vegetation. the ninth plague was a three-day darkness over all the land of Egypt, so thick that even with the fire there was no light, so that no one could see each other for three days, and no one got up from his bed during this time. The tenth and last plague was the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians.

And all these plagues, none of which did any harm to the Israelites, but only to the Egyptians, were inflicted by God through Moses and Aaron because Pharaoh did not want to let God's people go into the wilderness to serve God; for, although he promised several times to release them for fear of execution, but when the punishment weakened, he became hardened again and thus did not release them until the tenth execution. Before the tenth plague, the sons of Israel, in accordance with how Moses commanded them, begged from the Egyptians silver and gold vessels and expensive clothes, as much as they could carry with them.

Then Moses established for the children of Israel, in memory of their exodus from Egypt, the feast of Passover, according to the command of the Lord. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

- Let this month 23 be your first of the year. Tell the whole congregation of the sons of Israel that on the ninth day of this month, each family separates one lamb from their flock. The lamb must be without blemish, male, one year old. And let them keep it with you until the fourteenth day of this month. Then in the evening let them slaughter a lamb in every family. Then let him anoint both the doorpost and the crossbar with his blood in those houses in which they gather to eat the lamb. It is necessary to eat its meat not boiled in water, but baked on fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Until morning, do not leave anything from him and do not crush the bones, and what remains, burn with fire. Eat with haste, girded and shod, and with staffs in your hands. This is the Passover of the Lord 24 . I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike every firstborn among the Egyptians, from man to beast, and when I see blood on your houses, I will pass over you and will not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike. And let this day be memorable, and celebrate on this feast to the Lord in all your generations, as an eternal institution 25 .

According to the command of God, in every family of Israel, a lamb was separated and prepared for the appointed time. All the children of Israel had their doors anointed with blood and locked; no one left them until the morning. At midnight, the destroying angel passed through Egypt and struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the prisoner in prison, and all the firstborn to the cattle. The Jews had everything.

In the night Pharaoh arose, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not a dead man. Immediately Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to him and said:

“Get up, get out of the midst of my people, you and all the children of Israel, and go and serve the Lord your God, as you said; take small and large cattle. Go ahead and bless me.

The Egyptians began to urge the Israelites to get out of their land as soon as possible, because, they said, otherwise we would all die because of them.

And the people of Israel carried their dough before it was left sour; their kneaders, tied in garments, were on their shoulders, for they, compelled by the Egyptians, could not have time to prepare the brashna for the journey. They went out with silver and gold and jewels; many strangers, small and large cattle also went out with them. The number of all foot husbands, except for households and other strangers, reached 600,000 people. Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who died in Egypt, and before his death, foreseeing the future with a prophetic spirit, he cursed the children of Israel, saying: " God will visit you, and you will carry my bones out of here with you."(Gen. 50:24-25).

The Lord God went before the Israelites, shining on them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, that they might go day and night. The pillar by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from the presence of the whole people (Ex. 13:16-32).

When it was announced to the king of Egypt that the people of Israel had fled, the heart of him and his servants turned against this people, and they said: "What have we done? Why did we let the Israelites go so that they would not work for us?" Pharaoh harnessed his chariot, and took his people with him, six hundred chosen chariots and all the other Egyptian chariots, and leaders over all of them. They pursued the Israelites and overtook them when they were encamped by the sea, 26 but they could not attack them: the angel of God, who went before the camp of the sons of Israel, went behind them, entered into the middle between the camp of the Egyptians and between the camp of the children of Israel, and was cloud and darkness to some, and lighted up the night to others, and they did not come near one another. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea with a strong east wind that lasted all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters parted. The Israelites went across the sea on dry land; the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the midst of the sea. After the Israelites were led through the sea, Moses, at the command of God, stretched out his hand over the sea, and by morning the water returned to its place, and the Egyptians fled to meet the water. And the Lord drowned the Egyptians in the midst of the sea: the returning water covered the chariots and the horsemen of all the army of Pharaoh who went into the sea after them, so that not one of them remained. And the Lord on that day delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians, whom they saw dead on the seashore, so that not one of them was left. And the Lord on that day delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians, whom they saw dead on the shore of the sea, which had thrown their bodies on dry land. Then the Israelites saw in what happened the great hand that the Lord showed over the Egyptians, and the people of the Lord feared and believed Him and His servant Moses (Ex., ch. 14). Moses and the children of Israel, rejoicing and triumphant, sang a song of thanksgiving to the Lord:

– "I sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; he threw his horse and rider into the sea..."27 (Ex. 15:1-18).

And Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, having gathered the wives of Israel, led the choirs with them, taking her timbrel in her hand; they all struck the tambourines and sang the same song under her direction.

After this Moses led the Israelites from the Red Sea 29 , and they entered the wilderness of Shur 30 ; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah and found a spring there, they could not drink from it, for the water was bitter. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet 31. And Moses led the Israelites during their travels in various deserts for forty years, asking them from God everything that was necessary. When they murmured against Moses and Aaron because of food, remembering the meat that they ate in Egypt, Moses pleaded with God, and the Lord rained on them with manna and sent them full quails 32 . The Israelites ate this manna for forty years in the Arabian desert, until they entered the borders of the promised land of Canaan. When they murmured because of thirst, Moses brought water out of the stone for them: he struck the stone with his rod, and a fountain of water flowed out 33 . When the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites, Moses lifted up his hands to God in prayer, and the Israelites began to overcome and defeat the enemies, whose troops they completely destroyed with the sword 34 . And no matter how many times they angered God in the wilderness, every time Moses implored the Lord for them, who wanted to destroy them, if Moses, His chosen one, did not stand before Him to turn away His wrath, may he not destroy them!

Meanwhile, Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, hearing what God had done for Moses and the people of Israel when they went out of Egypt, took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, and his two sons, and went with them to Mount Horeb, where the Israelites camped with their tents. Moses went out to meet him and, after a mutual greeting, told him about everything that the Lord had done with Pharaoh and with all the Egyptians for Israel, and about all the difficulties that met them on the way. Jethro rejoiced when he heard about the benefits that God had shown to Israel, glorified God, who delivered his people from the power of the Egyptians, confessed before everyone that the Lord is great, more than all gods, and offered sacrifices to Him.

The next day Moses sat down to judge the people; the people stood before him from morning until evening.

Seeing this, Jethro noticed Moses that he was in vain bothering himself and the people in this way, for this work was too hard for him alone.

“Listen to my words,” said Jethro, “be a mediator for the people before God and present their deeds to God; teach the children of Israel the ordinances of God and His laws, show them His way in which they must walk, and the works that they must do; and choose for yourselves capable people, fearing God, truthful people, hating self-interest, and put them over the people as chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifty, and chiefs of tens, and clerks; let them judge the people at all times and report to you about every important matter, and judge all the small things themselves: and it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

Moses obeyed his father-in-law, after which Jethro soon took leave of him and returned to his land (Ex., ch. 18).

On the very new moon of the third month, after the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and encamped against the mountain. Moses went up to Sinai 35, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, commanding him to proclaim to the Israelites on His behalf: "You saw what I did with the Egyptians, and how I carried you, as it were on eagle wings, and brought you to Me. If If you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my chosen people before all others, and you will be with me a holy kingdom and a holy nation.

The people expressed their readiness to fulfill whatever God commands. Then the Lord commanded Moses to sanctify the people and prepare them for the third day with a two-day cleansing. On the third day, in the morning thunders were heard, lightning began to flash, and thick darkness surrounded the mountain; a trumpet sound was heard, which became stronger and stronger. All the people trembled. And Moses led him out of the camp to meet the Lord; everyone stopped at the foot of the mountain, the mountain was surrounded on all sides by a line, which was forbidden to cross under pain of death. The people saw that Mount Sinai was tossing from its very foundations, and smoke ascended from it, as if from a furnace; because the Lord descended on him in a thick cloud and in fire. Moses and Aaron, by the command of God, stood on the mountain in the sight of the people (Ex. 19:3-25).

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and that is in the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing the children for the guilt of the fathers to the third and fourth generation, who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments "Thou shalt not pronounce the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; work for six days and do [in them] all your works, and the seventh day - Sabbath to the Lord your God: you shall not do any work in it, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor [your ox, nor your donkey, nor any] your livestock, nor a stranger who in your dwellings; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and in a day the seventh rested; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, [that you may be well and] that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Dont kill. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, [neither his field,] nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, [nor any of his cattle,] anything that is your neighbor's" (Ex. 20:2-17 ; Deut. 5:5).

After this, the elders of Israel stood before Moses and said:

“Behold, God has shown us His glory, we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire… We feel that it is impossible for any mortal being to hear God who is ever-awake, as we hear, and remain alive. It is better for you to approach, and listen to everything that our God will tell you, and retell to us: we will listen and fulfill.

“Do not be afraid,” said Moses, “God is testing you, so that by placing His fear on you, He will keep you from transgressing His commandments.

Then Moses entered the darkness, marked by the near presence of Jehovah, and there he received from Him various laws relating to the ecclesiastical and civil welfare of the people of God and, descending from the mountain, conveyed everything that the Lord had said to the people and wrote it all down in a book. The next day, in the morning, Moses built an altar of earth under the mountain and placed twelve stones around it, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, and offered burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings from slain bulls and goats to God, on behalf of all the people, who promised at this time to do everything that he commanded Lord (Deut. 5:23-31; Ex. 20:18-21; 24:1-11). Then the Lord said to Moses:

“Come up to Me on the mountain and be there, and I will give you the tablets of stone 36 and the law and the commandments that I wrote for the teaching of the people.

Moses, with his helper in the work of ministry, Joshua, the son of Nun 37, went up to Sinai, and a cloud covered the mountain, and the glory of the Lord overshadowed it, and a cloud covered Sinai for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses, and he went up to the very top, where he dwelt forty days and forty nights. At this time, he received instructions on how to arrange a tabernacle or camp temple, in which the people should offer sacrifices and offer prayers to God. At the end of forty days, the Lord gave him two tablets, on which were inscribed with the finger of God all the ten commandments that the Lord spoke aloud to all the people (Ex. 24:12-18, 31; Deut. 9:9-11).

Moses Receiving the Tablets. Icon from the beginning of the 13th century. From the section Byzantine icons of Sinai.

Meanwhile, the people, seeing that Moses did not leave the mountain for a long time, gathered to Aaron and demanded that he make them a god who would go before them, "because," they said, "something happened to Moses." They brought him the golden earrings of their wives and daughters, and Aaron made for them the image of a calf of gold. The people said, "This is the god who brought us out of the land of Egypt." And the next day they offered sacrifices on the altar before the calf, they began to drink, eat and play 38 . And God was angry with them, and He told Moses that this hard-nosed people whom He had brought out of Egypt had gone astray, transgressed the commandments of God, and worshiped a false god. Moses began to pray for the people, and God heeded his intercession. Going down to the foot of the mountain, Moses and Joshua saw a calf and dancing. Moses was inflamed with anger, and throwing down the tablets, he broke them under the mountain in the sight of all the people. Then he took the calf that they had made, broke it and ground it into dust, which he poured into the stream flowing from the bark, and, to the shame of the man-made deity, forced the Israelites to drink that water. Aaron, in response to the reproaches of Moses, excused himself for the unbridled and stubbornness of the violent people, and Moses saw that the people had nothing to justify themselves with. He stood at the gate of the camp and exclaimed:

- Who remained faithful to the Lord - come to me!

And all the sons of Levi gathered to him. Moses ordered each of them to go with a sword through the camp and back, and kill anyone who met. And up to three thousand of the guilty fell (Ex. 32:1-29; Deut. 9:12-17, 21).

The next day, Moses again ascended the mountain, prostrated himself before God, and fasting for forty days and nights, pleaded for the sin of the people, saying:

- If You do not forgive their sin, then blot me out of Your book, in which you have inscribed those destined for eternal bliss.

The Lord answered that He would blot out those who sinned against Him from His book, and, commanding Moses to lead the people to the promised land, he made it clear that he would no longer accompany him with special favor. The people, having heard this threat, wept, and all put on themselves penitential garments. Moses deepened the prayers, and God returned His favor to the Israelites.

After this, Moses was honored at Sinai to see the glory of the Lord.

“My face,” the Lord said to him, “you cannot see, because a person cannot see Me and remain alive. But I will pass all My glory before you and I will proclaim the name: Jehovah... When My glory passes away, I will set you in a cleft of the rock and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed through. And when I remove My hand, you will see Me from behind, but My Face will not be visible to you.

At the same time, Moses received the command to write the words of the covenant in a book and again received the tablets, on which God again inscribed the same ten commandments that were written on the previous ones.

The contemplation of the glory of God left a mark on the face of Moses. When he came down from the mountain, Aaron and all the Israelites were afraid to approach him, seeing how his face was shining. Moses called them and told them everything that God commanded him. After this, he put a veil over his face, which he removed only when he stood before God (Ex. 32:30-33; 33:1-6, 12-23; 34:1-8, 10-18, 22-24 26-35; Deut. 9:18-19, 10:1-4; 2 Cor. 3:13).

Moses announced to the sons of Israel the will of God about the tabernacle and proceeded to build it, entrusting it to the artists indicated by God, according to the model he had seen at Sinai during his forty-day stay on it. The Israelites, on the other hand, brought generous donations of gold, silver, copper, wool, linen, leather, trees, fragrances, precious stones, and everything they could. When the tabernacle was ready and sanctified with all the accessories with anointing oil, a cloud covered it and filled the whole tabernacle, so that Moses himself could not enter it. And Moses placed inside the tabernacle the cauldron of the covenant, bound with gold 39 , in which he put the golden stave with manna 40 , the prosperous rod of Aaron 41 and the tablets of the covenant, and above the casket he placed the image of two golden cherubs 42 and arranged everything necessary for sacrifices and burnt offerings. Then Moses established holidays and new moons for the Israelites 43 and appointed priests and Levites for them, choosing the entire tribe of Levi to serve God, at His command, and placing it at the disposal of Aaron and his sons 44 .

The servant of God Moses did many other signs and wonders, he gave many cares for the Israelites, he gave them many laws and reasonable orders; all this is reported in the sacred books written by him: in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy; these books describe in detail his life and the labors that he took upon himself during his reign over the children of Israel.

When the Israelites came to Mount Amorite at Cadiz-Barnea, 45 Moses told them that the land that the Lord had given them as an inheritance was now before them; but the Israelites wished to send spies first to inspect the land, and by the command of God, Moses chose from the leaders of Israel one person from each tribe, including Joshua, to survey the land of Canaan. Returning, the messengers told that the land was rich in fruits, pastures, cattle and bees, but some of them were afraid of the inhabitants of that country, who were distinguished by extraordinary growth and strength, and advised the Israelites to return to Egypt, so as not to perish from the Amorites; But Joshua and others who urged them to go to that beautiful land, the Israelites wanted to stone them to death. But God, through the prayer of Moses, forgave the Israelites their sin, and those guilty of rebellion were stricken with sudden death (Numbers 13 and 14; Deut. 1:19-46).

On the way, the children of Israel again showed their cowardice, and began to complain and grumble against God. Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes, the stings of which were deadly, and many of the children of Israel died from them. The people humbled themselves and repented that they had sinned against God and grumbled against Moses. Then Moses prayed that the Lord would drive away the snakes from them, and the Lord said to him: "Make a snake and hang it on a pole: then, whoever is wounded, just look at him - and remain alive." Moses hung a brass image of a serpent on a pole, after which all the wounded who looked at this image with faith remained unharmed 46 .

So Moses led the people of Israel on their way to the land of Canaan, saving them with his prayers and miracles from various disasters and punishments of God.

Moses himself was determined to die outside the promised land. When the time of his death approached, the Lord foretold him of his imminent repose and said:

“Go up Mount Avarim 47, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving for the possession of the sons of Israel, and die on that mountain, and be added to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor 48, and was added to his people, because you have sinned against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah in Cadiz, in the wilderness of Sin, because you have not shown My holiness among the children of Israel; before you you will see the land that I give to the children of Israel, but you yourself will not enter there (Deut. 31:14-30; ch. 32 and 33).

Before his death, Moses blessed the children of Israel, each tribe separately, prophesying about their future destinies (Deut. 3:23-28; Numbers 27:12-23). After this, by the command of God, he went up to the mountain, and the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead to Dan, and all the land of Naphtali, and all the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, even to the West Sea and the midday country and the plain of the valley of Jericho, city ​​of palms, to Sigor 49 . And Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. His body was buried in the valley of the land of Moab opposite Beth Pegor, 50 and no one ever knew the place of his burial. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; but his vision was not dimmed, and the strength in him was not exhausted. The Israelites honored the death of Moses with thirty days of lamentation. And there was no longer among the Israelites a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, according to all the signs and wonders that he performed before the eyes of all Israel (Deut. 34: 1-12).

Through the prayers of the holy prophet Moses, may the Lord deliver us from all sorrow, and may it instill us in eternal villages, leading us out of Egypt - this troubled world! Amen.

Troparion, tone 2:

Thou prophet Moses ascended to the height of the virtues, and for this reason thou wast worthy to see the glory of God: the tablets of the grace-filled law were received, and the inscriptions of grace were carried in oneself, and the prophets were honest praise, and piety was a great sacrament.

Kontakion, tone 2:

The face of the prophet, with Moses and Aaron, is rejoicing today, as if the end of their prophecy has been fulfilled on us: today the cross shines, by whom you saved us. With those prayers, Christ God, have mercy on us. ____________________________________________________________

1 The death of Patriarch Joseph should be attributed to approximately 1923 BC. The stay of the Israelites in Egypt lasted about 398 years, starting with the resettlement of Jacob and his family there.

2 Amram, descended from the tribe of Levi (the son of the patriarch Jacob) and was the son of Kohath, the son of Levi (Ex. 6:20; Numbers 3:29; 26:58-59). Jochebed was the daughter of Levi (Ex. 6:20; Numbers 26:59).

3 i.e. daughter of the king of Egypt. The kings of Egypt were called pharaohs.

4 Here, of course, the Nile is the greatest river in the world. The length of the Nile is believed to be 6000 versts; it flows in northeast Africa, starting from Ethiopia and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

5 Josephus Flavius, Jewish historian (born 37 A.D.), author of "Antiquities of the Jews", where he relates some legends about Moses, which are not found in the sacred biblical books.

6 The legend about this is transmitted by Georgy Kedrin, a Byzantine writer of the late 11th or early 12th century, the author of the so-called. "Historical synopsis", or a collection of chronicle legends from the creation of the world to 1059 according to R. Chr.

7 In ancient times, the name Magi meant wise people who had high and extensive knowledge, especially knowledge about the secret forces of nature, heavenly bodies, sacred writings, etc. They observed natural phenomena, interpreted dreams, predicted the future; for the most part they were also priests, and enjoyed great respect at the royal courts and among the people. Such were especially the magi of Egypt.

8 Joseph Flavius ​​in "Antiquities of the Jews", book. 2, ch. ten.

9 The Midianites, or Midianites, were the descendants of Midian, the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah; it was a numerous people of different Arabian tribes, who led a nomadic lifestyle. The Midian land, where they had their main residence, was a desert area near the Elanite Gulf of the Red (Red) Sea, on its eastern side, in Arabia. As a descendant of Midian, son of Abraham, Jethro and his family were worshipers of the true God.

10 Horeb is a mountain in the Arabian desert, the western upland of the same mountain range, the eastern part of which is Sinai.

11 In Slavonic: Kupina is a thorny acacia of the Arabian Peninsula, growing especially abundantly near the mountains of Horeb and Sinai, representing small shrub with sharp spines. The burning, but not burning bush that appeared to Moses, foreshadowed by itself, according to the teachings of St. Church, the Mother of God - the Virgin, who remained incorruptible after the incarnation and the birth of the Son of God from Her.

12 By the land of Canaan, in some places, are meant the vast lands that lie in the west of Asia along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea - in particular, the land on this side of the Jordan, Phenicia and the land of the Philistines, and the country beyond the Jordan differs from the land of Canaan. In modern times, under the land of Canaan, it usually means the entire Promised Land, all the lands occupied by the Israelites on both sides of the Jordan. The land of Canaan was notable for its unusual fertility, an abundance of pastures suitable for cattle breeding, and in this sense it is called in Scripture a land flowing with milk and honey. The Canaanites are the original inhabitants of the land of Canaan, the descendants of Canaan, the son of Hamov, divided into 11 tribes, of which five: the Jews, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Gergeses and the Hittites lived in the country that the Israelites later occupied, or in the proper sense the Promised Land. The Jews, a large tribe of Canaan, dwelt in the middle of the land of Canaan and partly in the south; the Amorites, the most powerful Canaanite tribe under Moses, spread widely in the very land of Canaan, on this side of the Jordan, occupied the middle of this land and the mountain of the Amorites and spread far, both to the north and to the south; the Hittites lived in the mountainous countries near the Amorites and were also a strong and numerous tribe; the Jebusites in the time of Moses occupied southern part the promised land; The Gergesites lived in the west of the Jordan. The Perizzites were a people who belonged to the ancient, natural inhabitants of Palestine, and did not come from a Canaanite tribe; lived mainly in the middle of Palestine, or the land of Canaan.

13 Jehovah, or Jehovah in Hebrew, is one of the names of God, which expresses the originality, eternity and immutability of the Being of God.

14 Having chosen Abraham to keep the faith on earth, and having made His covenant with him, God repeated His promises to Isaac and Jacob afterwards. Hence, these patriarchs are often placed together in the Holy Scriptures, not only as the ancestors of the Jewish people, but also as the successors and keepers of the Divine covenants and promises, as great ascetics of faith and piety, and as intercessors and intercessors before God, who acquired their special faith and virtues. grace from God. Therefore, their names are repeated and mentioned in Holy Scripture and at manifestations and revelations to the people of God, and God in this sense is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

15 Leprosy is the most terrible and disgusting, contagious disease; it dominates predominantly in countries with a hot climate, especially in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Arabia, India and in general in the east. With the development of this disease, the skin becomes a disaster, then it swells, dries, becomes covered with scabs and ulcers with a disgusting smell, then the members of the body fall off, and for the most part, those affected by this disease eventually die in terrible agony.

16 For the appearance of God to Moses and the calling of the latter, see Ex., ch. 3, ch. 4, art. 1-17.

17 For the plagues of Egypt, see Ex., ch. 7-12.

18 A genus of large tailless frogs. Toads themselves are harmless and not dangerous, but very vile and disgusting; often covering the land of Egypt in myriads and filling the swamps, the channels of the Nile, fields and courtyards, and creeping into houses, bedrooms, on beds, in ovens and kneaders, they became a real ulcer for the inhabitants.

20 Dog flies are a genus of stinging flies or insects, supposedly especially harmful to dogs. But here the Hebrew word that replaces this expression means actually a mixture, a multitude, and therefore here one must understand the multitude of harmful insects in general.

21 Some understand the seventh plague as khamsin, a scorching south wind that brings whole heaps of sand to Egypt from the desert, often combined with devastating thunderstorms and at the same time strong hail. Khamsin is accompanied by terrible disasters for the inhabitants of Egypt.

22 Locust is an insect belonging to the category of jumping and herbivores. It is distinguished by its gluttony, and therefore is considered one of the most terrible scourges of God in the East. It always arrives in clouds with an east wind, devours all vegetation on its way, and nothing can resist it until the same wind drives it into the sea, where it dies. Scripture often points to locusts as a special instrument of God's wrath. - A caterpillar is one of the locust species in its larvae, before the development of its wings.

23 In Hebrew, the month of Aviv, or Nisan, corresponding to the second half of our March and the first half of April.

24 Passover - translated from Hebrew - means passing, passing something, deliverance, and hence the sacrifice of passing, deliverance. Easter is the greatest of the Old Testament Jewish holidays, established in memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. The Old Testament Easter served as a type of the redemption of the human race from sin through the suffering and death of the Divine Lamb - Christ, and was a great sacrament of faith for the Jews (Heb. 11:28).

25 For the establishment of the feast of Passover, see Ex. ch. 12 and 13, Art. 1-16.

26 At that time the Israelites were encamped at Pi-Gahiroth before Baal-zephon (Ex. 14:9). Baal-Zephon - an Egyptian city near the Red or Red Sea, according to west side its northern edge. Pi-Gahiroth - the area at the end of the northern (Hieropolitan) Gulf of the Red Sea, east of Baal-Zephon, the so-called Agirud or Agrud; now - a fortress with a source of such bitter water that even very unpretentious camels can hardly drink it.

27 Ex. 15:1-18. The words of this whole thankful, laudatory song are filled with reverent delight and bear the seal of sacred majesty. This solemn song of the Israelites to the Lord in our Orthodox Church occupies the first place among the nine sacred songs that serve as the basis of the well-known song canons, daily sung by the Church to the glory of God and His saints.

28 The tympanum is one of the oldest musical instruments, which is still in great use throughout the East, and partly in the West. This is a wooden or metal circle the width of a palm, covered with leather, along the edges of which various metal circles, rings, and tambourines are usually hung. And now, as in ancient times, this instrument is predominantly an instrument of women, who, while singing and dancing, holding it in their left hand, shake it, and strike it in time with their right hand.

29 The Red, or so-called Red, Sea is a long narrow strait of the Indian Ocean, separating the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt and Asia from Africa. The Red Sea is very deep, even at the smallest distance from the coast.

30 Sur - the desert between Palestine and Egypt, between the Gulf of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, to the southwestern border of Palestine. Now the so-called El-Jifar desert.

31 Ex. 15:22-25. Merra (translated means bitterness) is a place in the Sur Desert, on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Now this area is believed to be on the way from Ayun-Muz to Sinai in the mineral spring Govar or Gavor, where the water is so unpleasant, bitter and salty that it is considered by the nomadic Arabs to be the worst spring.

32 Ex., ch. 16. It was in the wilderness of Sin in Arabia near Sinai. - Manna - translated from Hebrew means: "What is this?", For the first time the Jews saw her descending from heaven in the form of something small, snowy, they asked each other in bewilderment: "What is this?" By manna here one cannot understand any of all natural manna known by the genus, made from small grains of a special cereal plant. It was a special wonderful food that God sent from heaven to the Israelites. Moses likens the taste of manna to the taste of flour mixed with honey or oil; she was at the same time convenient for the preparation of various victuals.

33 Ex 17:1-7. It was in Rephidim, in the desert of Arabia, by Mount Horeb. After the miraculous drawing of water from the rock, Moses called the name of the place: Massa and Meribah (i.e. "temptation and reproach"), because of the reproach of the sons of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying: "Is the Lord among us, or not?"

34 Ex. 17:8-16. The Amalekites are a nomadic people who lived in the south of Palestine in rocky Arabia, between Idumea and Egypt, in the deserts of Sin and Paran, in the north of the Sinai Peninsula.

35 Mount Sinai is actually a group of mountains, consisting of granite rocks, cut through and surrounded by steep and rough valleys; the Arabs now call it Mount Tur or Jebel-Tur-Sina; lies almost in the middle of the known branches of the Red Sea, which form the Sinai Peninsula. It consists of three mountain ranges. Mount Sin itself, at which the Israelites entered into a covenant with God and received the commandments of the law from Him, represents the highest southeastern peak of the middle ridge, while the lower, northwestern peak is Mount Horeb.

36 i.e. stone boards.

37 Joshua is the successor of Moses, the leader of Israel, who led the Jews into the promised land. His memory is September 1st.

38 It cannot, of course, be assumed that the Israelites thought of making a god out of metal and ascribed their deliverance from Egypt to him, while recently God spoke his law to them; no, they wanted to serve Jehovah (Ex. 32:5), but, contrary to the clear prohibition of God (20:4), they were carried away by the example of the pagans who worshiped deities in sensual images, the closest example of which was presented to them by the Egyptians, who worshiped the black bull Apis, depicting the deities of Osiris, and cast from metal his image. For all that, their crime was idolatry and deserved severe punishment.

39 The kivot or, from Greek, the Ark of the Covenant, the greatest shrine of the Tabernacle, was a box made of shittim wood (the best kind of cedar).

40 Stamna, translated from Greek, is a jug or a vessel in general. In this golden stave was kept part of the manna, which the Israelites ate miraculously during their forty years of wandering in the desert of Arabia.

41 The origin of this rod of Aaron is told in the book of Num. One day, a dangerous uprising broke out against Moses and Aaron, led by the Levite Korah and two Reubenites Dathan and Aviron, who were joined by 250 other leaders of the society. Korah, jealous of Aaron, himself sought the high priesthood and, together with his accomplices, began to say that the whole society is holy, and in vain did Moses and Aaron put themselves above everyone else. The guilty were punished by the judgment of God: they were swallowed up by the scattered earth; but the indignation continued, and the wrath of God struck another 14,700 people. To prevent disputes about who should have the right to the priesthood, God commanded that a rod be taken from each of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel and placed in the tabernacle, promising that the rod would blossom in the one chosen by Him. The next day Moses found that Aaron's rod gave flowers and brought almonds. Then Moses laid the rod of Aaron before the ark of the covenant for preservation, as a testimony to future generations about the Divine election of Aaron and his descendants to the priesthood.

42 The image of the cherubim in human form, but with wings, and the placement of these images over the ark of the covenant expressed that they, as the highest spiritual beings, were awarded special closeness to God, stand before His throne and reverently serve Him, delving into the mysteries of our salvation.

43 These holidays were the following: Saturdays, Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, Pentecost (established in memory of the Sinai legislation and to give thanks to God for the new fruits of the earth), the feast of trumpets, the day of cleansing, the feast of tabernacles, the new moon - the beginning of each new month, sanctified by sacrifices. In addition, special feasts for the Israelites were: the Sabbath year, or the seventh, and the jubilee, or 50th year.

44 Num. 3:5-13; 8:5-22; 1:5-53. First, Aaron and his sons received a special consecration to minister before God in the Tabernacle; after that the whole tribe of Leviino was attached to them. The priesthood proper belonged to Aaron and his sons and their offspring; the high priesthood belonged to the eldest in his family; his other descendants were priests, and others from the tribe of Levi were generally called Levites, who served at the tabernacle, performing the lowest duties: they carried the tabernacle and its accessories, guarded them, helped the priests during worship, some of them were singers and musicians, book readers and judges according to civil affairs etc.

45 Cadiz, or Cadiz-Barnea - the area on the border of the promised land, near Mount Seir, in the south of Palestine.

46 Numbers 21:4-9. The serpent ascended in the desert, according to St. Gregory of Nyssa, is the sign of the sacrament of the Cross, which the Word of God clearly teaches when it says: as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up"(John 3:14).

47 Abarim is actually a chain of mountains going against Jericho on the other side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab. Moses saw the promised land from the top of Mount Nebo; This peak was called Pisgah.

48 Mount Hor was on the border of Idumea and Palestine, near Cadiz, south of the Dead Sea. Aaron died a year before the death of Moses.

49 The country of Gilead is called the country of the Jordan, from Mount Hermon to the river Arnona. The city of Dan is in the north of Palestine and was the northern limit of the Promised Land. The land of Naphtali occupied the northernmost part of the land of Canaan. The tribe of Ephraim, during the division of the Promised Land, occupied the very middle of it. Manassiino - its northern part next to Gilead, which was later occupied by him. The tribe of Judah occupied the vastest and most important part of the land of Canaan from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea, and from the stream of Egypt to the limits of Ephraim. “By the Western Sea we mean here the Mediterranean. - Midday suffering, i.e. southern. Sigor is a city in the valley of Siddim, in the south of the Judean Desert, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Thus, Moses was shown the whole country, which, by the will of God, the Jews were to occupy.

Name: Moses

Activity: prophet, founder of Judaism, who led the Jews out of Egyptian slavery

Family status: was married

Moses: biography

The very existence of Moses is rather controversial. Long years historians and biblical scholars are discussing this topic. According to biblical scholars, Moses is the author of the Pentateuch, the first five books of Hebrew and christian bible. And historians have found some contradictions in this.

Prophet Moses is one of the central figures in the Old Testament. He saved the Jews from the oppression of the Egyptian rulers. True, historians continue to insist on their own, because there is no evidence of these events. But the personality and life of Moses certainly deserve attention, since for Christians he is a type.

In Judaism

The future prophet was born in Egypt. Moses' parents belonged to the tribe of Levi. From time immemorial, the Levites had the duties of clergy, so they did not have the right to own their own lands.

Estimated period of life: XV-XIII centuries. BC e. At that time, the people of Israel were resettled to the territory of Egypt due to famine. But the fact is that for the Egyptians they were strangers. And soon the pharaohs decided that the Jews could become dangerous for them, because they would take the side of the enemy if someone decided to attack Egypt. The rulers began to oppress the Israelites, they literally made them slaves. Jews worked in quarries, built pyramids. And soon the pharaohs decided to kill all Jewish male babies in order to stop the growth of the Israeli population.

Moses' mother Jochebed tried to hide her son for three months, and when she realized that she could no longer do this, she put the child in a papyrus basket and let it go down the Nile River. The basket with the baby was noticed by the daughter of the pharaoh, who was swimming nearby. She immediately realized that this was a Jewish child, but spared him.

The sister of Moses Mariam watched everything that happened. She told the girl that she knew a woman who could become a nurse for the boy. Thus, Moses was fed by his own mother. Later, the daughter of the pharaoh adopted the child, and he began to live in the palace, was educated. But with his mother's milk, the boy absorbed the faith of his ancestors, and was never able to worship the Egyptian gods.

It was difficult for him to see and endure the cruelty that his people were subjected to. Once he witnessed a terrible beating of an Israeli. He simply could not pass by - he snatched the whip from the warden's hands and beat him to death. And although the man believed that no one saw what happened, soon the pharaoh ordered to find his daughter's son and kill him. And Moses had to flee from Egypt.

Moses settled in the Sinai desert. He married the priest's daughter Zipporah and became a shepherd. Soon they had two sons - Girsam and Eliezer.

Every day a man was tending a flock of sheep, but one day he saw a thorn bush that burned with fire, but did not burn. Approaching the bush, Moses heard a voice that called him by name and ordered him to take off his shoes, as he was standing on holy ground. It was the voice of God. He said that Moses was destined to save the Jewish people from the oppression of the Egyptian rulers. He must go to Pharaoh and demand that the Jews be made free, and in order for the people of Israel to believe him, God gave Moses the ability to work miracles.

At that time, another pharaoh ruled Egypt, not the one from which Moses fled. Moses was not so eloquent, so he went to the palace with his older brother Aaron, who became his voice. He asked the ruler to let the Jews go to the promised lands. But the pharaoh not only did not agree, but also began to demand even more from the Israeli slaves. The Prophet did not accept his answer, he came to him with the same request more than once, but each time he was refused. And then God sent ten plagues to Egypt, the so-called biblical plagues.

First, the waters of the Nile became blood. Only for the Jews did it remain clean and drinkable. The Egyptians only managed to drink the water they bought from the Israelites. But the pharaoh considered this witchcraft, and not the punishment of God.

The second execution was the invasion of frogs. Amphibians were everywhere: on the streets, in houses, in beds, and in food. Pharaoh told Moses that he would believe that God sent this disaster to Egypt if he made the frogs disappear. And he agreed to let the Jews go. But as soon as the toads were gone, he retracted his words.

And then the Lord sent midges to the Egyptians. Insects climbed into the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Here, the sorcerers began to assure the pharaoh that this was a punishment from God. But he was adamant.

And then God brought down on them the fourth plague - dog flies. Most likely, gadflies were hiding under this name. They stung people and cattle, giving no rest.

Soon the cattle of the Egyptians began to die, while nothing happened to the Jews with animals. Of course, Pharaoh already understood that God was protecting the Israelites, but he again refused to give the people freedom.

And then the bodies of the Egyptians began to become covered with terrible ulcers and abscesses, their bodies itched and festered. The ruler was seriously frightened, but God did not want him to let the Jews go out of fear, so he sent down a fiery hail on Egypt.

The eighth punishment of the Lord was the invasion of locusts, they ate all the greenery on their way, not a single blade of grass remained on the land of Egypt.

And soon a thick darkness descended on the country, not a single source of light dispelled this darkness. Therefore, the Egyptians had to navigate by touch. But the darkness grew denser every day, and it became more and more difficult to move, until it became completely impossible. Pharaoh again called Moses to the palace, he promised to let his people go, but only if the Jews leave their cattle. The Prophet did not agree to this and promised that the tenth plague would be the most terrible.

In one night, all the first-born in Egyptian families died. So that punishment would not befall the Israeli babies, God ordered that each Jewish family slaughter a lamb, and the doorposts in the houses were smeared with its blood. After such a terrible disaster, Pharaoh released Moses and his people.

This event came to be referred to by the Hebrew word Pesach, which means "passing through." After all, the wrath of God "bypassed" all the houses. Pesach, or Passover, is the day the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian captivity. The slaughtered lamb was to be baked and eaten standing in the family circle. It is believed that over time this Easter was transformed into the one that people know now.

On the way from Egypt, another miracle happened - the waters of the Red Sea parted before the Jews. They walked along the bottom, and so they managed to cross to the other side. But Pharaoh did not expect that the Jews would be given this path so easily, so he set off in pursuit. He also followed the bottom of the sea. But as soon as the people of Moses were on the shore, the water closed again, burying both the pharaoh and his army in the abyss.

After a three-month journey, people found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses climbed to its top to receive guidance from God. The dialogue with God lasted 40 days, and it was accompanied by terrible lightning, thunder and fire. God gave the prophet two stone tablets, on which the main commandments were written.

At this time, the people sinned - they created the Golden Calf, which people began to worship. Going down and seeing this, Moses broke both the tablets and the Bull. He immediately returned to the top and for 40 days atoned for the sins of the Jewish people.

The Ten Commandments became the law of God for people. Having accepted the commandments, the Jewish people promised to keep them, thus a sacred Covenant was concluded between God and the Jews, in which the Lord promised to be merciful to the Jews, and they, in turn, are obliged to live correctly.

In Christianity

The story of the life of the prophet Moses in all three religions is the same: a Jewish foundling, raised in the family of an Egyptian pharaoh, frees his people and receives the Ten Commandments from God. True, in Judaism, the name of Moses sounds differently - Moshe. Also, sometimes Jews call the prophet Moshe Rabbeinu, which means "our teacher."

In Christianity, the famous prophet is revered as one of the main types of Jesus Christ. By analogy with how in Judaism God gives people the Old Testament through Moses, so Christ brings to Earth New Testament.

Also, an important episode in all branches of Christianity is the appearance of Moses in a pair with the prophet Elijah before Jesus on Mount Tabor during the Transfiguration. BUT Orthodox Church included the icon of Moses in the official Russian iconostasis and appointed September 17 as the day of memory of the great prophet.

In Islam

In Islam, the prophet also has a different name - Musa. This was great prophet who spoke to Allah as to a common man. And in Sinai, Allah sent down to Musa the holy scripture - Taurat. In the Quran, the name of the prophet is mentioned more than once, his story is given as a lesson and example.

Real facts

Moses is believed to be the author of the Pentateuch, the five volumes of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. For many years, until the seventeenth century, no one dared to doubt this. But over time, historians found more and more inconsistencies in the presentation. For example, the last part describes the death of Moses, and this contradicts the fact that he wrote the books himself. There are also many repetitions in the books - the same events are interpreted in different ways. Historians believe that there were several authors of the Pentateuch, since in various parts there are different terminologies.

Unfortunately, no material evidence of the existence of the prophet was found in Egypt. There were no mentions of Moses either in written sources or in archaeological finds.

For hundreds of years, his personality has become overgrown with legends and myths, there are constant disputes around the life of Moses and the "Pentateuch", but so far no religion has abandoned the "Ten God's commandments", which the prophet once introduced to his people.

Death

For forty years Moses led the people through the wilderness, and his life ended on the threshold of the promised land. God commanded him to climb Mount Nebo. And from the top Moses saw Palestine. He lay down to rest, but it was not sleep that came to him, but death.

The place of his burial was hidden by God so that the people would not start a pilgrimage to the grave of the prophet. As a result, Moses died at the age of 120. For 40 years he lived in the palace of the pharaoh, for another 40 he lived in the desert and worked as a shepherd, and for the last 40 he led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses' brother Aaron did not reach Palestine either; he died at the age of 123 due to a lack of faith in God. As a result, the follower of Moses, Joshua, brought the Jews to the promised land.

Memory

• 1482 - fresco "The Will and Death of Moses", Luca Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gatta
• 1505 - Painting "The Trial of Moses by Fire", Giorgione
• 1515 - Marble statue of Moses,
• 1610 - Paintings "Moses with the commandments", Reni Guido
• 1614 - Painting "Moses in front of a burning bush", Domenico Fetti
• 1659 - Painting "Moses Breaking the Tablets of the Covenant",
• 1791 - Fountain in Bern "Moses"

• 1842 - Painting "Moses lowered by his mother into the waters of the Nile", Alexei Tyranov
• 1862 - Painting "The Finding of Moses", Frederick Goodall
• 1863 - Painting "Moses pours water from the rock",
• 1891 - Painting "Jews Crossing the Red Sea",
• 1939 - The book "Moses and monotheism",
• 1956 - Film "The Ten Commandments", Cecile DeMille
• 1998 - Cartoon "Prince of Egypt", Brenda Chapman
• 2014 - Film "Exodus: Kings and Gods",

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

old world

The Old Testament history, in addition to a literal reading, also implies 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 life of Jacob-Israel himself, fleeing from hunger.

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

The pharaohs began to oppress the people of Israel, 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 wipe out the tribe of Abraham.

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

Rescued from the water

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

Not far from that place, the daughter of the pharaoh was bathing. Seeing the basket, she ordered to fish it out of the water and, opening it, found a baby in it. The daughter of Pharaoh took this baby to her and began to raise him, giving him the name Moses, which 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 man from doing evil. Could He make Jewish babies unsinkable? Could. But then the 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 gone on his voyage, he would have remained an obscure slave. But he grew up at court, acquired the skills and knowledge that will be useful to him later, when he frees and leads his people, delivering many thousands of unborn babies from slavery.

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

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

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

Voice from the thorn bush

God said that he chose Moses to save the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Moses was to go to Pharaoh and demand that he release the Jews. From a burning and unburned bush, a burning bush, Moses is commanded to return to Egypt and lead the people of Israel out of captivity. Hearing this, Moses asked: “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, for the first time, God revealed his name, saying that his name is Yahweh (“Existing”, “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) on the ground - and suddenly this rod turned into a snake. Moses caught the snake by the tail - and again a stick was in his hand.

Moses returns to Egypt and appears before Pharaoh, asking him to let the people go. But the pharaoh does not agree, because he does not want to lose his numerous slaves. And then God brings plagues upon Egypt. The country is plunged into darkness solar eclipse, then it is struck by a terrible epidemic, then it becomes the prey of insects, which in the Bible are called "dog flies" (Ex. 8. 21)

But none of these trials was able to frighten the pharaoh.

And then God punishes Pharaoh and the Egyptians in a special way. He punishes every firstborn baby in Egyptian families. But, so that the babies 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 jambs and lintels of the doors in the houses should be marked with its blood.

The Bible tells how the angel of God, who pays vengeance, passed through the cities and villages of Egypt, bringing death to the firstborn in dwellings, the walls of which were not sprinkled with the blood of lambs. This Egyptian plague so shocked Pharaoh that he let the people of Israel go.

This event began to be called the Hebrew word "Pesach", which means "passage", for the wrath of God bypassed the marked houses. The Jewish Pesach, or Passover, is the celebration of the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity.

God's Covenant with Moses

The historical experience of peoples has shown that one domestic law not enough to improve human morality.

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

At the foot of Sinai, Moses revealed to the people that God freed Israel for this purpose and brought them out of the land of Egypt in order to conclude an eternal alliance, 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 nation.

“If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my inheritance among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you will be with me a kingdom of priests and a holy people.” (Ex. 19:5-6)

This is how the people of God are born.

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

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

Terrible phenomena accompanied the phenomenon in Sinai: clouds, smoke, lightning, thunder, flames, earthquakes, trumpets. This fellowship lasted forty days, and God handed over to Moses two tablets - stone tables on which the Law was written.

“And Moses said to the people: Do not be afraid; God (to you) has come to test you and to have his fear before your face, so that you do not sin. (Ex. 19, 22)
And God spoke (to Moses) all these words, saying:

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God. God is jealous, punishing the children for the guilt of the fathers to the third and fourth generation, who hate me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; work for six days and do (in them) all your works, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: do not do any work on it, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor (ox yours, not your donkey, not any) your livestock, nor the stranger that is in your dwellings; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother (that you may be well and) that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. Dont kill.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, (neither his field), nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, (nor any of his cattle), anything that is with your neighbor. (Ex. 20, 1-17).

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

The 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 instructed 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 training he became so humble that he became "the meekest of all people on earth" (Numbers 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 Moses:

“This is the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your seed”; 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 the 120-year-old Moses "was not dulled, and the strength in him was not exhausted" (Deut. 34:7). The body of Moses is forever hidden from people, "no one knows the place of his burial even to this day," says the Holy Scripture (Deut. 34:6).

Alexander A.Sokolovsky