An important person in the Christian books of the Old Testament is Moses. A prophet from God, on earth, he fulfilled a special mission to unite the Israeli people and free them from slavery. We delve into the holy books to restore the facts of his life.
Birth
The Holy Prophet Moses was born in Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. At that time, this country was very densely populated by Jews. Pharaoh, in order to avoid an attack from foreigners living in the country on the indigenous inhabitants, gave a harsh order to his soldiers to kill all the boys born to the Israelis. Therefore, the birth of Moses brought much suffering to his parents. His mother hid him for three months from Egyptian soldiers, but the risk of exposure was too great to leave the child forever. The woman decided on a desperate step. She made a small basket of reeds, placed a baby in it and placed it in the water, between tall plants in the hope of God's mercy. At this time, the daughter of the pharaoh was walking along the river, who, noticing a crying child, took pity on him and took him to the palace. The name "Moses" the prophet received precisely from the princess who saved him, because in Hebrew it means "saved from the water." In the palace, the saint received an excellent education and became a priest.
Formation
By virtue of his profession, Moses the prophet was sent to check the slave works that were carried out by the Jews under the strict supervision of the Egyptians. He saw all the cruelty and inhumanity of the overseers in relation to the slaves. Having witnessed how one of them brutally beat a Jewish worker, Moses attacked the offender and killed him. He had to hide from the pharaoh. For this, Moses the prophet fled to the Sinai Peninsula, where he was under the protection of the priest Jethro. In the valley, he went through many trials in order to atone for his sin, and also wrote the famous Book of Principles.
Insurrection
In the valley near Jethro, Moses received the sign of God. He saw a bush that was burning, but it did not burn. Wanting to marvel at this miracle, he approached a mysterious place and heard the voice of God, which ordered him to lead the Israeli people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land. After this event, the prophet Moses went to his homeland to talk with Pharaoh. Of course, the lord of Egypt did not even want to listen to release all Jewish slaves to freedom. Then Moses prophesied that if Pharaoh did not let the Jews go, terrible trials would fall on his state and people, and the first would be the death of every first-born on Easter. The lord stood his ground. But when the terrible prophecy of Moses came true, his opinion changed. All Jews were freed. Their long journey to Israel began.
ReturnForty years the people of Israel wandered through the wilderness with Moses. Here people were faced with ordeals. Many events have occurred over the years: the “manna of heaven”, and the wonderful spring, and the reprisals of the prophet and apostates, and the receipt of the ten commandments. After many years of wandering, the Jewish people achieved their goal and came to the promised land. Moses himself died before reaching Israel, at the age of 120 years.
Memory
The Orthodox Church honors the memory of the saint on September 17 of each year. The icon of the prophet Moses is found in almost every church, and it can also be purchased in church shops in order to facilitate the fulfillment of prayers and petitions to the great saint.