MOSES – 8
While Moses was studying at the school of humility in Sinai, Thutmosis III was striving to become the greatest pharaoh in Egyptian history.
I checked the dates which Thutmosis III gave at Karnak with dates for the conquest of Megiddo and they are in perfect harmony. He conquered Megiddo in 1479 B.C. three years after he murdered Hatshepsut.
This was a major victory for the pharaoh because he defeated a mighty coalition of nations on this battle field.
Bet Shan was another fortified city that Thutmosis III conquered. While visiting these sites, my thoughts went out to Moses. He could have gone down in history as the greatest pharaoh of antiquity. But he refused immoral temporary worldly greatness.
It was the year 1450 B.C. God told Moses to go back to Egypt and tell Thutmosis III: “Let my people go!” At this stage the mighty pharaoh was at Soan, the present Tanis in Egypt.
I went there and in my mind’s eye I saw Moses performing the miracles God told him to do. He was told to throw down his staff and it would become a snake. It happened right here.
Psalm 78:12 He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
If only these ruins could speak, they would repeat the words of the pharaoh when Moses conveyed God’s message: “Let My people go.” Thutmosis replied in all his haughtiness.
“…Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2.
But you know what? God cared about cruel Thutmosis III just as much as he cared about His Hebrew people. He wanted to save the pharaoh just as much as He wanted to save His people.
For various reasons I am not particularly very fond of Thutmosis III. He humiliated Moses and he persecuted God’s people. But then I have to remind myself that grace is not about fairness. Grace is illogic.
Through ten successive plagues God revealed His superiority over the Egyptian gods. For instance, they worshipped the Nile and called it Hapi. But their Nile god disappointed them and turned into blood.
They worshipped insects like beetles but during the third and fourth plagues these insects really gave them a hard time. God was calling them to worship Him, the gracious Creator who cares for people.
The people of Egypt also worshipped animals. But during the fifth plague these beasts all died.
A God of love was pleading with the Egyptians to set His people free, but they refused and hardened their hearts. Unfortunately they reaped the consequences of their choice, the curses of the ten plagues.
When Egypt rejected God’s saving love and persecuted His people she ceased to be the world’s greatest empire. We will notice the same pattern in the history of Assyria, Babylon and the rest of the ancient civilizations. May God help us to learn from their experience.
The greatest miracle of antiquity took place when God led His two million redeemed slaves through the waters of the red sea.
Every time I look at this mighty big body of water I think of how God separated the waters and allowed His people to pass through.
Please don’t miss the next presentation. We now have the exact date for the exodus. We will also make some interesting discoveries concerning the pharaoh who drowned while pursuing God’s people. You will appreciate God’s saving power just a little more after listening to this marvellous event.