Moses

Portrait of Moses

Raised in the courts of Pharaoh yet called by God from the burning bush, Moses became the instrument through whom the Lord delivered His people from Egyptian bondage and established them as a covenant nation at Sinai. As prophet and lawgiver he received the commandments, mediated the covenant, and interceded for the Israelites throughout their wilderness wanderings toward the promised land. Traditionally credited with writing the first five books of Scripture, Moses occupies a central place in the redemptive narrative as the one who revealed God's law and foreshadowed the greater Deliverer to come.

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Books written: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Read Through Moses's Writings

187 chapters total

Genesis

1 The Creation 2 The Garden of Eden 3 The Fall of Man 4 Cain and Abel 5 The Descendants of Adam 6 The Wickedness of Man 7 The Great Flood 8 The Waters Recede 9 God's Covenant with Noah 10 The Table of Nations 11 The Tower of Babel 12 The Call of Abram 13 Abram and Lot Separate 14 Abram Rescues Lot 15 God's Covenant with Abram 16 Hagar and Ishmael 17 The Covenant of Circumcision 18 Three Visitors 19 Destruction of Sodom 20 Abraham and Abimelech 21 The Birth of Isaac 22 The Binding of Isaac 23 The Death of Sarah 24 A Wife for Isaac 25 The Birth of Esau and Jacob 26 Isaac and Abimelech 27 Jacob Steals the Blessing 28 Jacob's Ladder 29 Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel 30 Jacob's Children 31 Jacob Flees from Laban 32 Jacob Wrestles with God 33 Jacob Meets Esau 34 The Defilement of Dinah 35 God Renews the Covenant 36 The Descendants of Esau 37 Joseph's Dreams 38 Judah and Tamar 39 Joseph in Potiphar's House 40 The Cupbearer and the Baker 41 Pharaoh's Dreams 42 Joseph's Brothers in Egypt 43 The Second Journey to Egypt 44 The Silver Cup 45 Joseph Reveals Himself 46 Jacob Goes to Egypt 47 Jacob's Family in Goshen 48 Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh 49 Jacob Blesses His Sons 50 The Death of Joseph

Exodus

1 Israel's Oppression in Egypt 2 The Birth of Moses 3 The Burning Bush 4 Moses Returns to Egypt 5 Bricks Without Straw 6 God's Promise of Deliverance 7 The First Plague: Water to Blood 8 Plagues of Frogs, Gnats, and Flies 9 Plagues on Livestock, Boils, and Hail 10 Plagues of Locusts and Darkness 11 The Final Plague Announced 12 The Passover and Exodus 13 Consecration of the Firstborn 14 Crossing the Red Sea 15 The Song of Moses 16 Manna and Quail 17 Water from the Rock 18 Jethro's Advice 19 Israel at Mount Sinai 20 The Ten Commandments 21 Laws About Servants 22 Laws of Restitution 23 Laws of Justice and Mercy 24 The Covenant Confirmed 25 Offerings for the Tabernacle 26 The Tabernacle 27 The Altar and Courtyard 28 The Priestly Garments 29 Consecration of the Priests 30 The Altar of Incense 31 Bezalel and Oholiab 32 The Golden Calf 33 Moses and the Glory of God 34 The New Tablets 35 Sabbath Regulations and Offerings 36 Building the Tabernacle 37 The Ark and Table 38 The Altar and Basin 39 The Priestly Garments Made 40 Setting Up the Tabernacle

Leviticus

1 The Burnt Offering 2 The Grain Offering 3 The Peace Offering 4 The Sin Offering 5 The Guilt Offering 6 Regulations for Offerings 7 Further Offering Regulations 8 Ordination of Aaron and Sons 9 Aaron's First Sacrifices 10 The Death of Nadab and Abihu 11 Clean and Unclean Animals 12 Purification After Childbirth 13 Laws About Skin Diseases 14 Cleansing from Skin Diseases 15 Bodily Discharges 16 The Day of Atonement 17 The Sacredness of Blood 18 Unlawful Sexual Relations 19 Laws of Holiness 20 Punishments for Sin 21 Rules for Priests 22 Acceptable Sacrifices 23 The Appointed Feasts 24 The Lampstand and Bread 25 The Sabbath Year and Jubilee 26 Blessings and Curses 27 Vows and Dedications

Numbers

1 The First Census 2 Arrangement of the Camp 3 The Levites 4 Duties of the Levites 5 Purity in the Camp 6 The Nazirite Vow 7 Offerings of the Leaders 8 Setting Up the Lamps 9 The Second Passover 10 The Silver Trumpets 11 Complaints and Quail 12 Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses 13 The Twelve Spies 14 The People Rebel 15 Supplementary Offerings 16 Korah's Rebellion 17 Aaron's Staff Buds 18 Duties of Priests and Levites 19 The Red Heifer 20 Water from the Rock at Meribah 21 The Bronze Serpent 22 Balaam and His Donkey 23 Balaam's First Oracles 24 Balaam's Final Oracles 25 Moab Seduces Israel 26 The Second Census 27 The Daughters of Zelophehad 28 Daily and Weekly Offerings 29 Offerings at the Feasts 30 Vows of Women 31 Vengeance on Midian 32 Tribes East of the Jordan 33 Stages of Israel's Journey 34 Boundaries of the Land 35 Cities of Refuge 36 Inheritance of Women

Deuteronomy

1 Moses Recounts Israel's History 2 Wanderings in the Wilderness 3 Defeat of Og King of Bashan 4 Obedience Commanded 5 The Ten Commandments Restated 6 Love the Lord Your God 7 Driving Out the Nations 8 Remember the Lord 9 The Golden Calf Recalled 10 New Tablets of Stone 11 Love and Obey the Lord 12 One Place of Worship 13 Warning Against Idolatry 14 Clean and Unclean Food 15 The Year of Release 16 The Three Annual Feasts 17 Law of the King 18 The Coming Prophet 19 Cities of Refuge 20 Rules of Warfare 21 Various Laws 22 Laws of Purity and Marriage 23 Exclusion from the Assembly 24 Laws of Divorce and Justice 25 Various Laws of Fairness 26 Firstfruits and Tithes 27 The Altar on Mount Ebal 28 Blessings and Curses 29 Renewal of the Covenant 30 Prosperity After Repentance 31 Joshua Commissioned 32 The Song of Moses 33 Moses Blesses the Tribes 34 The Death of Moses

Key Passages

The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-17

A1nd God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbourโ€™s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbourโ€™s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbourโ€™s.

The Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

H4ear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Creation Account

Genesis 1:1-5

I1n the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.