MOSES – 2
We are back in the fascinating land of Egypt. We are ready to explore the history of Moses and the Pharaohs with whom he had contact.
You are looking at an ancient canal from the time of Joseph, called Bar Jusuf. According to local tradition this was the work of Joseph during the Hyksos occupation.
Sekenenre from Thebes began a revolt against the foreign Hyksos rulers. He did not succeed but his two sons, Amoses and Khamoses did.
Walking amongst the ruins of ancient Tanis where Joseph lived and ruled, my thoughts went out to a verse in the book of Exodus:
Exodus 1:6-8 “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceeding numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, (Thutmosis I) who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
I stood at his tomb, the very first one to be built in the Valley of the Kings, and I thought about his political policy. Politicians are brilliant.
Verses 9,10 Look, he said to his people, the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
Is there any record of a pharaoh who introduced slave labour? Yes. The hieroglyphics tell us that Thutmosis I was the first pharaoh to introduce Semitic slave labour.
Archaeologists discovered his bust. While looking at him, I thought of the following Biblical statement:
Exodus 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
In desperation the parents of Moses hid him in a papyrus basket amongst the reeds on the Nile. And this is where Hatshepsut, daughter of pharaoh Thutmosis I found the baby.
The Bible says that she went for a bath in the Nile. But she did more than that. She came to worship the Nile one of the many Egyptian deities called Hapi or Uru.
When you read the account in Exodus chapter two, you notice that Moses was first reared by his own mother. Jochebeth laid a monotheistic foundation that could not be shaken by all the attractive polytheistic religion of Egypt.
When this little lad was about 12 years of age his mother kissed him for the last time and took him to the Egyptian palace.
Exodus 2:10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
His Egyptian name was Hapi Moses. Hapi stands for the Nile god and Moses means “taken out of.” When Moses wrote the book of Exodus, he deleted the first part of his name because of the heathen connotation.
While looking at the obelisks of Thutmosis I and his daughter Hatshepsut at the Karnack temple I asked myself a few questions.
How did she persuade her father to retract his death decree on all Hebrew baby boys? I could only come to one conclusion. I only have one child. And if Laurettatjie asks me a favour, I would gladly do it.
When I visited the ruins of the ancient University where Moses was educated I thought of the following verse of scripture:
Acts 7:22 “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”
Please do not miss the next episode in the life of Moses who delivered his people from slavery.
In a unique way he typifies Christ who gladly, willingly delivers us from the slavery of our selfish natures.