Moses Guides Israel to the Promised Land

Let My People Go
Exodus
and the
Birth of Israel
Part Three
Over Jordan
A “Lessons-To-Go” Bible Study
By Mark S. Pavlin

Let My People Go
Lesson 7
To the
Jordan
(finally)

Not all those who wander are lost
The last lesson ended with the latest rebellion of the Hebrew people
against Moses, Aaron, and Yahweh.
Moses persuades God to not annihilate them all (just the revolt
leaders) and condemn the people to 40 years of nomadic desert life
before He will allow them to enter the land He has promised them.
Moses sums this up later as follows:
....they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD
had given them. The LORD’s anger was aroused and He swore :
‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of
those who were 20 years old or more (when they came up out of
Egypt) will see the land I promised... except Caleb and Joshua (for
they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.)’ The LORD’s anger burned
against Israel; He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years,
until {all} those who had done evil... were gone. - Num. 32: 9-13

{At one point} there was no water for the people and
they assembled {to protest} against Moses and Aaron.
“Would that we had per-
ished with our brothers
before the Lord! Why
have you brought us into
this wilderness to die, and
our cattle also?
Why have you made us
come out of Egypt to
bring us to this evil place
that is no place for {the
growing of} of grain, figs,
Nor are the wanderers happy campers
grapes, or pomegranates?” And
there is no water to drink.”
Num. 20:2-5

“There is no water to drink.”
Then Moses and Aaron went...
to the entrance of the tent of
meeting and fell on their faces.
The Lord appeared to them...
saying, “Take your staff, as-
semble the people.
Then tell (or speak to) the rock
before their eyes to yield water.
Bring water out of the rock for
them and their cattle to drink.”
And Moses took the staff from before the Lord
as He commanded him. - Num. 20:6-9

“Moses and the Striking Rock”, Marc Chagall (1931)
Then Moses and Aaron
gathered the assembly
together before the rock,
and he said to them,
“Hear now, you rebels:
shall we bring water for
you out of this rock?”
Moses lifted up his hand
and struck the rock with
his staff twice and water
came out abundantly, and
the congregation drank,
and their livestock also.

Water and punishment
The Lord said to Moses
and Aaron, “Because you
did not believe in me*, to
uphold me as holy in the
eyes of the people of
Israel, therefore you shall
not bring this people into
the land that I have given
them.” - Nu. 20:10-13
Say what? What did Moses do to so offend God that
this great leader, the only one in all Israel who found
favor in God’s sight, who talked to God face-to-face,
etc. would receive what amounted to a death penalty.
*The usual explanation: Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to
it as God so order, thus signaling a lack of faith. What do you think?

The death of Aaron
The people journeyed...and came to Mount Hor on the border of Edom.
There the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Aaron shall not enter the land I
have given to the Israelites because you {NB: not Aaron} rebelled against
my command at Meribah. Let him now be gathered to his ancestors.
Take Aaron and his son Eleazar. Bring them up to Mount Hor. Strip Aaron
of his garments and put them on Eleazar. Aaron shall then die there.”
And so died Aaron, there
on... Mt. Hor. As Moses
and Eleazar came down
from the mountain the
assembled people saw
that Aaron had perished
and all wept for him 30
days. - Num. 20:22-29

Aaron’s Tomb
A mosque was built on its
summit in the 14th century.
Mount Hor is usually associated
with the mountain near Jordan,
known in Arabic as Jabal Hārūn
(Aaron's Mountain). Josephus and
Eusebius both describe its location
above the city of Petra.

More of the same (grumbling)
From Mount Hor they set out along the route to the Red Sea... The people
became impatient and spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you
brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread
and no water. And we loathe this
worthless food (referring to manna?).”
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents
among them {which} bit the people
so that many Israelites died.
- Num. 21:4-6
So we would slide quickly passed this
puzzling incident if it were not for
what Moses does to (again) mitigate
the harm and for a New Testament
verse that refers to his action.....
This passage reads like old news, a
reprise of the theme repeated for
emphasis. Again our modern eyes
read an account of the cruelty of this
Yahweh not His justice. Given that
we all grumble (a lot), do we really
want God to be so touchy?

{Jesus said to Nicodemus} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilder-
ness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes
may have eternal life in him.” - Jn. 3:14-15
People came to Moses... “We
have sinned, for we spoke
against the Lord...Pray to the
Lord... take away the
serpents... So Moses prayed...
And the Lord said to Moses,
“Make a fiery serpent and set
it on a pole, and everyone
who is bitten, when he sees it,
shall live.” So Moses made a
bronze serpent and set it on a
pole. Anyone bitten... who
looked at the bronze serpent
lived. - Num. 21:6-9

The God of fierce anger
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual
immorality with Moabite women who invited them to the sacrifices to
their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before
- Num. 25:1-9
It may not seem so but this study skips many of the accounts of slaughter
committed on command of God by the Hebrews against their own people
and against other Semitic tribes. But we “get it.” God of the OT is jealous,
angered by faithlessness, vengeful and powerful. Don’t mess with Him!
these gods.... And so the anger of
the Lord burned against them.
He said to Moses, “Take all the
leaders of these people, kill them
and expose them in the light of
day... so that {My} fierce anger may
turn away from Israel.” ...Those
who died numbered 24,000.

Leadership transition
The Lord said to Moses, “Go up
this mountain of Abarim and
see the land that I have given
to Israel.
When you have seen it, you
also shall be gathered to your
ancestors, as your brother
Aaron was, because you re-
belled against my word in the
wilderness of Zin, because you
failed to uphold me as holy...
before the people.”
- Num. 27:12-14

Moses spoke to the Lord, “Let the Lord appoint a man over the
assembly... who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the
people of the Lord may not be as sheep
that have no shepherd.”
The Lord replied, “Take Joshua the son of
Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, lay your
hand on him.
Make him stand before Eleazar the priest
and all the congregation; there you shall
commission him in their sight.
- Num. 27:12-22

Moses did as the Lord commanded him.
He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and
the people, and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as
the Lord directed.
- Num. 27:12-22
“Encourage and
strengthen him, for
he will lead this
people across and
will cause them to
inherit the land that
you will see.”
- Deu. 3:26-28

Sanctuary cities
{Designate six of them:
three beyond the Jordan
and three in Canaan).
These cities of refuge are
for the people of Israel,
for the stranger and for
the sojourner among you.
- Num. 35:9-15
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them,
‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall
select cities to be cities of refuge for you.
Anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there. The cities shall
then be for you a refuge from an avenger, so that the manslayer may not
die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.’

Sanctuary cities
may return to the land of
his possession.
- Num. 35:26-28
Provision of sanctuary “cities”
was an intermediate stage
between tribal vigilantly
justice of the blood feud, and
the trial / judge / jury system
of a settled community. More
details are in Josh. 20:1-9.
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his
city of refuge to which he fled, and the avenger of blood finds him
outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood
kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.
For he {the manslayer} must remain in his city of refuge until the death
of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer

Deuteronomy
(“second law”) is
written from the
point of view and
in the voice (first
person) of Moses
and consists of
three speeches
(chap. 1:1–4:43,
4:44–29:1, &
29:2–30:20) he
delivers to the
Hebrew people
just before they
invade Canaan.
Moving on to the Book of Deuteronomy

 Chap. 1–4: The journey through the wilderness from Sinai to Kadesh
and then to Moab
 Chap. 4–11: The events at Mt. Sinai including the giving of the Ten
Commandments, warnings against serving other gods, praise of the
land promised to Israel, and urging the people to obedience.
 Chap. 12–26, the Deuteronomic code: laws governing worship, the
appointment and regulation of community and religious leaders,
social regulation, and confession of identity and loyalty.
 Chap. 27–28: Blessings and curses for those who keep/break the law.
 Chap. 29–30: Concluding discourse on the covenant in the land of
Moab; Israel is again exhorted to obedience.
 Chap. 31–34: Joshua is installed as Moses's successor, Moses delivers
the law to the Levites (priestly caste), and ascends Mount Nebo (or
Pisgah) where he dies and is buried by God.
 The narrative of these events is interrupted by two poems, the Song
of Moses and the Blessing of Moses.
Structure of Deuteronomy

 Chap. 1–4: The journey through the wilderness from Sinai to Kadesh
and then to Moab
 Chap. 4–11: The events at Mt. Sinai including the giving of the Ten
Commandments, warnings against serving other gods, praise of the
land promised to Israel, and urging the people to obedience.
 Chap. 12–26, the Deuteronomic code: laws governing worship, the
appointment and regulation of community and religious leaders,
social regulation, and confession of identity and loyalty.
 Chap. 27–28: Blessings and curses for those who keep/break the law.
 Chap. 29–30: Concluding discourse on the covenant in the land of
Moab; Israel is again exhorted to obedience.
 Chap. 31–34: Joshua is installed as Moses's successor, Moses delivers
the law to the Levites (priestly caste), and ascends Mount Nebo ( or
Pisgah) where he dies and is buried by God.
 The narrative of these events is interrupted by two poems, the Song
of Moses and the Blessing of Moses.
Origin of Deuteronomy
A broad scholarly consensus today holds that the
book has its origin in traditions brought to the
Southern Kingdom of Judah from Israel (the
Northern King-dom) in the wake of the Assyrian
conquest of the 8th century.
The text was subsequently adapted to a program
of nationalist reform in the time of Josiah in
the late 7th century.
It received its final form after the traumatic events
of the destruction of the Temple and the Babyl-
onian captivity in the 6th century.

The Lord said to me {Moses},
“You made your way around this
country long enough. Now turn
north....Cross the Zered Valley.”
So we crossed the valley, 38 years
after the time we left Kadesh
Barnea.... By then, that gener-
ation of men had perished from
the camp, as the Lord had sworn
to them.” - Deu. 2:3-13

Let the gruesome conquest begin
“See... This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all
the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble
and be in anguish because of you.”
Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord made
his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your
hands, as he has now done.
The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country
over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”
When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle the Lord
delivered him to us and we struck him down, together with his sons
and his whole army.
At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—
men, women and children. We left no survivors.
– Deut. 2:24-34

Bashan is next
Sihon king of the Amorites.”
Thus the Lord also gave into our
hands Og, king of Bashan.
We struck them down and left
no survivors... There was not
one of their cities that we did
not take from them. We com-
pletely destroyed them, every
man, woman, and child. The
livestock and plunder we car-
ried off for ourselves.
Next we went up along the road toward Bashan. Og, king of Bashan,
with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle.
The Lord said, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into
your hands, his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to
– Deut. 3:1-7

The conquest of
the Promised
Land begins to the
east of the Jordan
River and is por-
trayed as a march
of triumph.
Opposition is
strong but futile.
All of the inhabi-
tants are slain.
We should read
this as the com-
plete fulfillment
of God’s promise,
not as the murder
of multitudes of
helpless people.

At that time I commanded Joshua: “You have seen with
your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these
two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms
over there where you are going. Do not be afraid of them;
the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” - Deut. 3:21-22

Moses finished writing in a book the words of the law ... {repeat of Ex.
24?} he commanded the Levites who carried the Ark of the covenant of
the Lord: “Take this Book of Torah and place it beside the ark of the co-
venant of the Lord to remain as a witness against you. - Deut. 31:24-26
The Ark of the Covenant is described in Exodus 25:10-22 as a gold-covered
acacia wood chest with a lid cover bearing a “mercy seat” bracketed by two
figures (cherubim) whose wings stretched over the top. The Ark served as
Moses writes the law
the repository for the stone
tablets of the Commandments,
Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna.
When the Israelites
set up camp, they
raised the Taber-
nacle and placed
the Ark inside it.

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been
rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much
more will you rebel after I die. Assemble before me all the elders of
your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their
hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them.
For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt
and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come,
disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord
and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.” - Deu. 31:27-29
Moses writes a song
The Lord said to Moses, “Write this song and teach it to the people
of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for
me against the people of Israel.”... Moses then recited this song... in
the hearing of the whole assembly. - Deut. 31:19, 30

They abandoned the God who made them, rejected the Rock their Savior.
They made him jealous with foreign gods, angry with detestable idols.
God saw and rejected them; he was angered by his daughters and sons.
“I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.
“It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip;
Their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
The Song of Moses
They are a nation with no sense, there is no discernment in them. Their
vine comes from the vine of Sodom, from the fields of Gomorrah.
The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants
When he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.”
- Deut. 32:1-43

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice
with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in
harmony with one another. ..... Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is
possible... live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my
dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is
mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. - Ro. 12:15-19
Vengence against...who?
We have a tradition of siding with (and wanting to assist) God in
this vengeance-against-evildoers business.
But the context of the Song here makes clear that God has turned
His face away from- and intends to annihilate- His own people for
their faithlessness.
Perhaps we are thinking of Paul’s gloss on this passage? Even there
he makes it quite clear how we Christians are to act...

Then the LORD said to him,
“This is the land I promised
on oath to Abraham, etc.
when I said, ‘I will give it to
your descendants.’ I have let
you see it... but you will not
cross over into it.”
Moses climbed Mount Nebo... across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him
the whole land—from Gilead to Dan... all the land of Judah as far as the
Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region... - Deu. 34:1-4

The death of Moses
Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said.
He buried him... but to this day no one knows where. Moses was 120
years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.
No prophet has since risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew
face to face, who did the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in
Egypt... For no one has... performed the awesome deeds that Moses
did in the sight of all Israel. - Deut. 34:10-12
The Israelites
grieved for
Moses in the
plains of Moab
30 days, until the
time of weeping
and mourning
was over.
- Deut. 34:5-8

Moses in Islamic tradition
Moses is mentioned often in the Koran. Many of the episodes of his life are
related in detail. These include his birth and the ruse through which he was
brought up at Pharaoh’s court, his dispute with the Egyptian whom he killed
with a blow, his escape to Median, his marriage to Jethro's daughter, his and
Aaron's mission to Pharaoh,
the miracles they were
granted, his escape with the
children of Israel from Egypt,
his speaking to Allah, his
striking the rock, his anger at
his people's relapsing into
worshiping the golden calf,
and many of the episodes
that happened to him and his
people while they wandered
in the desert before his
death.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain and see the land that I
have given to Israel. When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered
to your ancestors...
Take Joshua the son of Nun... Make him stand before Eleazar the priest
and all the congregation; there you shall commission him in their sight.
And Moses did as the Lord
commanded him.
- Num. 27:12-22
“Encourage and strengthen
him, for he will lead this
people across and will cause
them to inherit the land that
you will see.” - Deut. 3:26-28

The Promise from God, now to Joshua
After the death of Moses... the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, “Moses
my servant is dead. Now, get ready, you and these people, to cross the
Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, the Israelites.
I will give you every place where you
set your foot, as I promised Moses.
Your territory will extend from the
desert to Lebanon, and from the
Euphrates to the Mediterranean Sea in
the west. No one will be able to stand
against you all the days of your life.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I
will never leave you nor forsake you. Be
strong and courageous, because you will lead
these people to inherit the land I swore to
their ancestors to give them.” - Josh. 1:1-6

Let My People Go
End of Lesson 7
“Moses Shown The Promised Land”
Benjamin West (1801)

Let My People Go!
Lesson 8
Over the Jordan
And now the exciting conclusion of...
This is the   Jordan River today

From the last lesson: Joshua takes charge
After the death of Moses... the Lord said to Joshua son
of Nun, “... get ready, you and these people, to cross the
Jordan River into the land I am about to give {you}.
I will give you every place where you set foot,
as I promised Moses. Your territory will ex-
tend from the desert to Lebanon, and from
the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea.
As I was with Moses, so I will
be with you. I will never leave
you nor forsake you. Be
strong and courageous....”
No one will be able to stand against you....
- Josh. 1:1-6

And Joshua commanded the
officers of the people, "Prepare
your provisions, for in three
days you are to pass over this
Jordan to go in to take
possession of the land that the
LORD is giving you to possess.....
Remember the words of Moses... 'The LORD your God is providing
you a place of rest and will give you this land.‘ Your wives, your little
ones, and your livestock shall remain {here} but all the men of valor
among you shall pass over....“ - Josh. 1:10-14
Passover #2

And {the people} answered
Joshua, "All that you have com-
manded us we will do, and
wherever you send us we will go.
Just as we obeyed Moses in all
things, so we will obey you.
May the LORD your God be with
you, as he was with Moses!
Whoever rebels against your
commandment and disobeys
your words, whatever you com-
mand him, shall be put to
death." - Josh. 1:14-18
With Moses #2

 Length of 156 miles*, much of it well below sea level
 Flow is N  S into the Sea of Galilee then out to the Dead Sea
 The West Bank (Israel) lies west; the Golan Heights & Jordan, east
*compare: TN’s Cumberland (688), Tennessee (652) and Clinch (300) rivers

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as
spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho. - Josh. 2:1
Instead of getting on with the invasion, Joshua orders a reconnaissance
mission. In secret. He tells the men to especially assess the strength of
the walled city of Jericho immediately opposite where they are camped.
The story that follows is odd since (1) God is going to do the fighting so
why spy out the ground? (2) The spies don’t speak the local language so
they are sure to be captured; (3) their secret mission is hardly a secret.
But, hey, the story isn’t really about the spies anyway.
Preparation for the invasion
All the people in the region doubtless know the Israelites are just across
the river and that they are a serious threat (they just slaughtered two
entire tribes) and are preparing to invade.

Joshua sent two men... as
spies... They went and
came to the house of a
prostitute whose name
was Rahab and they took
lodgings there.
{But someone betrayed
them} to the king of
Jericho, saying “Behold,
men of Israel have come
here to search out the
land.”
The king {of Jericho} sent
{this urgent demand} to
Rahab: - Josh. 2:1-2

{The king ordered} “Bring out the men who came to you, who
entered your house, for they have come to search out our land.”
{Rahab} replied, “It is true that men came to me but I did not know
where they were from. The city gate was about to close, so the men
left in haste. I don’t know where they went.
But if you pursue them quickly, you will surely overtake them.”
- Josh. 2:2-3

{In defiance of her own
king’s orders} Rahab
had taken them up to
the roof and hidden
them in stalks of flax....
Before the men lay
down {to sleep}, she
came to them and said,
“I know that the Lord
has given you the land.
The fear of you has
fallen upon us....
For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before
you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the kings
beyond the Jordan... Our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left
in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the
heavens above and on the earth beneath. - Josh. 2:4-11

She instructed them, “Go into the hills or you will encounter your
pursuers. Hide there three days until they return to the city. Then
you can find your way {back to your encampment}.”
The men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not
tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we
will deal kindly and faithfully with you....
Tie this scarlet cord in
the window through
which you let us down
and gather into your
house your father and
mother, your brothers,
and all your household
{and you will be spared}
– Josh. 2:17-19

“But if you tell anyone
what we are doing here...
{then the deal is off!}
Rahab agreed, saying,
“Let it be as you say.”
With that, she let them
down by a rope through
the window, for her house
was built into the city wall.
And {right away} she tied
the scarlet cord in the
window.
- Josh. 2:20-21

Then the two came down
from the hills, passed over
{the Jordan} and came to
Joshua.
They told him all that had
happened to them.
“Truly the Lord has given
all the land into our hands.
All the people there are
melting in fear because
of us.” (not because of God?)
They departed and went into the hills...
- Josh. 2:22-24
Their pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.

Yet Rahab is seen as a heroine in the OT and in
some books about women in the Bible. Why?
To the two men who had been spies Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's
house and {save} the woman and all {her household}, as you swore to
her.” So the men went in {to Jericho} and brought out Rahab and her
father and mother and brothers and all her household... and put them
outside the camp of Israel. - Josh. 6:22-23
The conclusion of the affair
Jewish tradition raised Rahab in honor so
much so that some said she married Joshua.
What do you think? Why does the OT feature a story in which the main
character is immoral, a liar, and a traitor who
explicitly says she is out to save her own skin?
But another tradition led to the genealogy
recorded in the Gospel of Matthew...

Judah the father of Perez...... and Salmon
the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the
father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father
of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.....
- Mt. 1:5-6
To the two men who had been spies Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's
house and {save} the woman and all {her household}, as you swore to
her.” So the men went in {to Jericho} and brought out Rahab and her
father and mother and brothers and all her household... and put them
outside the camp of Israel. - Josh. 6:22-23
The conclusion of the affair
Since both Rahab and Ruth are non-Israelites,
King David was born with a genetic make-up
that was at least 14% non-Israelite.

What saved her? “Faith”? “Works”? (or street smarts?)
You see that a person is justified
by works and not by faith alone.
And in the same way was not also
Rahab the prostitute justified by
works when she received the
messengers and sent them out
by another way?
For as the body apart from the
spirit is dead, so also faith apart
from works is dead.
- Jam. 2:24-25
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she
welcomed the spies, was not killed with those
who were disobedient. - Heb. 11:31

Aside: not the same Rahab
Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of the Lord; awake, as in
days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who
cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? - Is. 51:9
O LORD God of hosts, who
is as mighty as you...? You
rule the raging of the
sea; when its waves rise,
you still them. You crushed
Rahab like a carcass; you
scattered your enemies
with your mighty arm.
- Ps. 89:8-10

Ready, set, go
Officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as
you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord being carried by the Levitical
priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. - Josh. 3:2-3
The Lord said to Joshua, “ Command the priests who bear the ark, ‘When
you come to the brink of the Jordan, stand still.’” - Josh. 3:7-8
As soon as... the feet
of the priests bearing
the ark {touched} the
brink of the river,
waters coming
down{stream} rose in
a heap...{and} those
flowing down toward
the Salt Sea were
completely cut off.
- Josh. 3:14-16

The Exodus adventure ends as it began with a miraculous parting
of waters. This dramatic device emphasizes that the entire
journey, start to finish is a Divine enterprise. There is, however, a
profoundly unsettling asymmetry in the two crossings.
“Joshua Passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant”
Benjamin West (1800)

... in the second, Israel is the army intending to annihilate the
peoples of Canaan in front of them, who cannot flee to safety.
In the first instance, the people who are forged into the nation of
Israel in the desert are fleeing an army intending to destroy them...
Reading theologically, however, we see that just as God
“cleansed” the earth of evil with the waters of the Flood in
Noah’s time, He is now to cleanse the Land of Promise.
What was pagan Canaan can now become holy Israel, a new
creation under a new Covenant and governed by a new Law.

Pass over (with emphasis)
And the people passed over {the
river} opposite Jericho.
Now the priests bearing the ark
of the covenant of the Lord stood
firmly on dry ground in the midst
of the Jordan....
...while all Israel was passing over
on dry ground until all the nation
finished passing over the Jordan.
- Josh. 3:16-17
The people passed over in haste.
And when all the people had
finished passing over, the ark of
the Lord and the priests passed
over (within sight of) the people.
- Josh. 4:11

Stones.....
When all the nation finished passing over, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take
12 men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them...
... to take 12 stones from the middle
of the river, from the very place
where the priests' feet stood.
Bring them over and lay them
down in the place where you
camp tonight.” -Josh. 4:1-3

Stones are....
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed, a man
from each tribe, and he gave them this order:
“Pass on before the ark of the
Lord your God into the midst
of the Jordan, and take up each
of you a stone upon his
shoulder... that this may be a
sign among you. - Josh. 4:4-6

Stones are the sign
When your children ask in times to come, ‘What do those stones
mean?’, then you shall tell them how the waters of Jordan
were cut off before the ark of the Lord.
So these stones shall be to
the people of Israel a mem-
orial forever. - Josh. 4:6-7

What is your sign?
When your children ask...
What in your “camp” (i.e. your house)
is a sign of God’s faithfulness?
A photo? A painting? A plaque?
A figurine? A keepsake? A Bible?
A ring? A scarf? A necklace?
A prayer? A song? A poem?
Of what event
does it remind
you?

And so the Exodus ends
and the history of Israel
in the land of promise
begins
The account examined in this set of
lessons is a memorable story of the
origins of the Jewish people in which
Yahweh/God is the major and power-
ful actor but Moses, His faithful,
long-suffering servant, is the real
focus of the stories. He is the visible,
cool-under-pressure leader of the
Hebrew people, the “Father” of the
nation of Israel.

 The introduction of Moses in the first chapters of Exodus marks a new
beginning in the Bible’s account of the history of Israel
 The 1st (with Abraham, Isaac, etc. is extended through Moses to a loosely-
knit group of 12 tribes with a strong sense of kinship
 The emphasis is on the development of a common administration, a
solemn covenant with Yahweh, and a code of law (Torah) that gives the
nation its structure, without which it cannot survive
 Moses dominates the narrative through the remainder of the Pentateuch
(along with a God portrayed as often angry and vengeful)
 His portrait is nothing like a stereotypical ancient warrior/leader
 He is separated at birth from the community he is to lead, raised Egyptian
then lives for 40 years as a Midianite: he never quite belongs;
 He is not a warrior (as is Joshua), does not speak well (as does Aaron) and
does not receive “visions” in a trance (as does a shaman)
 Receives his mission by Yahweh Himself, witnessed by no one, to which he
only reluctantly agrees, and for which he has few qualifications.
Moses is the focus

Stranger to all, to the end
The death of Moses (Deut. 34) illustrates how
“apart” he was even from Israel:
(1) He is not allowed to enter, live, die or be
buried in the land first promised to Israel
already back in patriarchal days,
(2) Which contradicts the expectations, that as
God’s great promise would be fulfilled for His
people, Moses would lead and participate;
(3) Moses is buried (apparently, by God) outside
of the land, in secret, across the Jordan River
in Moab, a region often at odds with Israel;
(4) Scripture tries to explain this by a series of
incomplete and obscure reasons (recall the
incident of the water from the rock in Num. 20).

In Jewish tradition, Moses
is accorded what amounts
to veneration, as Christians
might accord a saint.
Was Moses, then, a god or
a son of God?
After all, in Greece, the
great heroes of the past
were held to be biological
children either of a human
woman and a male god or
of a goddess and a man.
And, as mentioned in this
class, the Pharaoh of Egypt
and, later, the Emperor of
Rome were worshipped as
divine.

No!
Jews never confused the
messenger (Moses) with
the Author of the message
(God).
Despite even the OT
declaring that "there has
not arisen a prophet since
like Moses" (Deu. 34:10),
no Jewish thinker ever held
that he was anything other
than a man.
Christians, however, see in
him a “type” (a foreshad-
ower) of Christ.
How might that be?

Significance
Moses, often representing Torah, was indeed a “sign” and a witness to
the people of God then and in Jesus’ day. Consider...
 “Moses” occurs 110 times in the OT outside the Pentateuch...
 ...and 80 times in the New Testament (10 x in one Gospel, Luke)
 He stands with Jesus and Elijah on the mountain of Transfiguration
“Behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”
– Lk. 9:30
 He was referred to by Abraham in the parable Jesus told of Lazarus
and the Rich Man. “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them hear them.” - Lk.16:29
 He figures in Jesus’ thoughts as he walks to Emmaus the day of his
Resurrection. “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, {Jesus}
interpreted in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
- Lk. 24:27

Significance
“No one has ascended into
heaven except he who descended
from heaven, the Son of Man.
And as Moses lifted up the ser-
pent in the wilderness, so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in him may
have eternal life.”
- Jn. 3:14-15
Recall that he is featured in the
verse introducing John 3:16
Moses, as Abraham before him and Jesus after him, has a unique
relationship with God, an uncomplicated and unshakable faith,
and a wonderful ease in conversation with the Divine.

And {God} said, “Hear me!
If there is a prophet among
you, I make myself known
to him in a vision, I speak
with him in a dream.
Not so with my servant
Moses.
He is faithful in all my
house. With him I speak
mouth to mouth, clearly,
and not in riddles, and he
beholds the form of the
LORD.
- Num. 12:1-8

Much of the Pentateuch records the laws that governed secular and
religious life of Judah after the fall of Israel and, in particular after the
Babylonian Captivity during which (likely) the stories about Moses
received final (canonical) shape.
Exodus: one last thought
The account is curiously unflatter-
ing to the Israelites, perhaps be-
cause the writers were all too
familiar with Israel’s woeful history
and wanted to make clear to their
contemporaries that being in
Covenant was a gift of God, not a
birthright.
It required serious dedication and
conscious effort to understand,
love, and follow His commands.
Hard work! Was then; still is today.

Let My People Go
End of Lesson 8

Let My People Go
The end of
PART THREE
This concludes the study of the
Exodus and the birth of the nation of Israel
but many other challenging “Lessons-To-Go”
Scripture studies are available on SlideShare
Direct comments and questions to me
(Mark Pavlin) at msp.291@charter.net

Moses Guides Israel to the Promised Land

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