“A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me.” These words were spoken to the children of Israel by Moses, and the Prophet of whom he spoke was the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we have been learning lately about the life of Moses, we can see in what ways it was a prophecy, a telling beforehand, of the life of Jesus Christ on earth.

From his very birth the history of Moses was a shadow of the history of Jesus. Satan was on the watch for his coming into the world, and was ready to kill him just as soon as he should appear. He moved on Pharaoh’s heart, and made him afraid that the children of Israel would grow too many and too strong, and would fight against him. Then he tempted him to try to stop this by killing all the baby boys.

The hearts of many poor mothers were made very sad, and the lives of a great many little ones were lost through Pharaoh’s cruelty. But the angels of God were watching over Moses when his mother left him in the little ark by the river, and the Spirit of God moved the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter with pity for the beautiful child, so that she took him for her own, and gave his mother the money to take care of him.

You are already thinking, are you not, of the Child Jesus, and the wicked, cruel way in which Herod tried to destroy Him? Satan made Herod feel afraid that Jesus would try to take his place on the throne. Then he suggested to him to get rid of Jesus by slaying all the little children, so that he would be sure to kill Him. All the little children under two years old were slain, and a great cry went up from the mothers of Israel, “Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted because they were not.”

But the angels of God, who watched the cradle on the banks of the Nile, also watched the Babe in the manger in Bethlehem. An angel brought Joseph a message from God, telling him to take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, away from the wrath of Herod.

Joseph and Mary were poor, and would not, perhaps, have had the money for their journey. But all the silver and the gold in the world belongs to God, and He can do just what He wills with it. Through Pharaoh’s daughter He sent the money to Moses mother. And by the Star that appeared in the East He led the wise men to Bethlehem, with rich presents for the infant King,—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts provided for all their needs while on their journey and during their stay in Egypt.

Another thing that we noticed in the life of Moses was that his brethren “refused him;”3+ they would not believe that God had chosen him to deliver them. In this also his life was a shadow of the life of Jesus. For the Jews ill-treated Jesus, and said, “We will not have this Man to reign over us.” But this did not upset the plan of God, for He exalted Him to be a Prince and a Saviour of those who had rejected Him.

Moses spent forty years of his life as a shepherd, and was thus prepared for the time when God “led His people like a flock” through the wilderness by the hand of Moses. In this he was a shadow of the great Good Shepherd, who leads His sheep and lambs through the wilderness of this world, feeds them and shelters them, and keeps them from straying into dangerous places.

If we listen to the voice of our Shepherd and follow Him, He will lead us safely to the Promised Land where all His flock will be gathered at last, and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.

The Present Truth – March 1, 1900
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf A Deliverer