As a result, brothers and sisters, who are set apart for holiness, sharing in a heavenly vocational call, you must consider carefully Yeshua (Jesus), the Sent One and the High Priest of our faith affirmation. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, just like Moshe (Moses) was faithful in caring for all of God’s family. (Hebrews 3:1-2, The Newer Testament)
Comparing athletes across different generations is tricky and mostly disingenuous. Even though the evolution of golf has significantly changed the game today, we still want to know if Tiger’s career is better than Jack Nicklaus’s, or who gets to be the GOAT – Nancy Lopez or Annika?
What we do know is that these athletes accomplished amazing things in their respective eras and greatly influenced future generations of golfers.
When we consider the Biblical narrative, we can look back into the Text and make many comparisons between Moses and Jesus. These comparisons foreshadow God’s plan of redemption and build a bridge across generations.
Let’s look at several of these comparisons:
Moses was sent to the elders of Israel in Egypt to bring them out of slavery (Exodus 3, 4). God sent Jesus to bring salvation and restore relationship (John 14:6).
God gave Moses the ability to perform wonders and miracles in front of Pharoah to release the Israelites. Jesus did wonders and miracles to show his authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6).
God spoke his ten commandments to Moses, which he etched on two stone tablets (Exodus 20). Jesus directly spoke to his followers the words his Father in heaven gave him (John 17).
When the people complained against God and Moses after leaving the Red Sea, God’s anger sent fiery biting serpents. Moses made a bronze serpent and attached it to a pole. Anyone who looked upon it after being bitten by the serpents would be healed and saved (Numbers 21:4-9). Jesus hung on a cross, faced death, and was raised so that all who look upon him will be healed and saved (John 19).
Moses inquired God on behalf of the people’s hunger and thirst. God provided manna and living water out of a rock (Exodus 16, 17). Jesus said he is the true bread of life and is the living water that quenches thirst (John 6:47-31, John 4:10, 13-14).
Moses commanded the people to slaughter an unblemished lamb, sprinkle the blood on the doorposts, and eat the roasted meat so that they would be passed over when the Lord struck Egypt’s firstborns (Exodus 12). Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29) and was crucified at the same time the Passover lambs were being killed in the Temple (John 19:31). He is the last and final sacrificial Lamb.
The Bible’s written history and truth are a gift to all generations across time, revealing God’s thread of continuity from the beginning to the end.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your story written for us to consider carefully. Help me learn and deepen my faith as I study the comparisons between Moses and Jesus.