Listen, I’m not trying to badmouth Paul, but Moses should have won the Bible Character Craziness tournament by a landslide. Here’s why: (Disclaimer: None of these reasons have been vetted by Tim Ayers)
- He led the Israelites out of Egypt. God’s people would not have found the Promised Land and continued His Kingdom if Moses hadn’t led them out of Egypt. Not only did he do that, but he sent plagues on the Egyptians, parted the Red Sea, and followed God’s cloud of fire. The most important part of this to me is that later in the Old Testament when God reminds His people who He is to them, He always says, “I am the God who brought you out of Egypt.” From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God uses this as His identifier to His people. And Moses did that!
- God gave Himself a name to Moses. Exodus 3:14 is the first time God gives Himself a name, and He tells Moses to go share that with His people. He calls Himself “I AM” or “YHWH.” This was a huge step in God building a relationship with His people and bringing them back to Himself.
- Moses was faithful and resilient. When Moses started leading the Israelites out of Egypt, there were several times they almost revolted against Moses. They were hungry, tired and unsure where they were going and what kind of God was leading them. But every time the people were angry, Moses responded by crying and falling on his face before the Lord. Moses could have easily gotten a power trip and attempt to handle the situations alone, but he always turned to the Lord.
- God talked to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave him the Ten Commandments. It’s a crazy big deal that Moses was in the presence of God and did not die. That’s unheard of. His face shined brightly because of it, but Moses never died. He also had the responsibility of giving his people the Ten Commandments, which at that time were the cornerstone of having a relationship with God. Moses even pleaded with God to change his mind, and God did it. Exodus 33:11 literally says, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” WHAT?!? God and Moses were essentially BFFs.
- Moses’ people made the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant is God’s dwelling place throughout the Old Testament. If people touched it, they would immediately die. The Ark of the Covenant continued throughout generations of God’s people, and it can all be tied to Moses.
So there ya go, people. I know Paul is sometimes seen as the “Father of modern-day Christianity,” and I guess that’s important, too. But none of it would have started without Moses’ faithfulness to God and perseverance in leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses’ action of liberating the Israelites was a mini version of what Christ did for us on the cross – liberation.
In conclusion, I demand a recount!!!