Moses and Jesus

I was recently on a walk near where I live. It was climbing a reasonably big hill, and, as I was halfway up, I stopped to look around, and for miles I saw fields, heather, rocks, and trees. I suddenly thought about Moses going up the mountain and, as I started to meditate on Moses, I thought about the life of Jesus too. There are similarities between them, and I went away to do some research on it.

At the time of both their births, the kings of the land ordered all baby boys under the age of two to be killed, and their parents hid them for safety (Exodus 1:22 and Matthew 2:13).

Both Moses and Jesus were not recognised by their own people as God’s chosen ones, and people tried to stone them to death (Exodus 17:4, Numbers 14:10, and John 10:31-33).

They were both rejected by the people around them.

Moses was given instructions for holy living on Mount Sinai, and Jesus taught in the sermon on the Mount about how to live holy lives.

Jesus appointed seventy of his followers, and Moses appointed seventy elders (Luke 10:1 and Numbers 11:16).

Moses fasted for forty days and nights before giving the law to the people. Jesus fasted forty days and nights in the desert resisting the devil, before starting His ministry.

Jesus fed five thousand people miraculously in the desert. Moses fed the people with manna in the desert, which the Lord provided miraculously from heaven.

Moses was adopted into a royal family. Jesus’ blood line came from royalty.

Moses was a shepherd of livestock. Jesus came to be our shepherd.

Moses went down to Egypt to lead the people out of bondage and slavery and to lead them into the promised land. Jesus came down to earth to save humanity from sin and to bring us to everlasting salvation, so that we can have a relationship with God. Wow!

There are many more comparisons showing the connection between Moses and Jesus, but there are important differences. Moses was only a human being. However, Jesus was both a human being and God. Because Jesus defeated sin, through faith in Him, we can be forgiven, receive salvation, and have relationship with Father God.

I found it interesting that, even back in the Old Testament, Moses was pointing us to Jesus Christ all along. There are many more comparisons between them throughout the Bible. Ask God to show you and speak to you as you read those scriptures. I am thankful that both Moses and Jesus did what God asked them to do, despite all the difficulties.