The Great Leader, EVEN greater servant

Through the eyes of Samuel (Age 13)

Moses was best known as the leader who brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Thanks to the soundtrack from Disney’s Prince of Egypt, Moses’ famous line was sung by many children “Let my people go!” For me, the impression of Moses was that he was a friend of God. “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”, Exodus 33:11

What would it be like to speak to God as if speaking to a friend? I often ponder this while reading the story of Moses. But that was me and even though I often share with my kids my thoughts, their thoughts are still their own. So when my eldest, Samuel, chose to study Moses, I secretly hoped that he would pick up the part when Moses walked closely with God. He didn’t. I was slightly disappointed but after reading his comments and his take on Moses parting the Red Sea, I realised that he didn’t choose this part of the story just because it was the famous Disney cartoon, he was truly impressed by the story of Moses not as an awesome hero but as the great servant of God who let Him lead. And as a mum, I learnt my lesson too, I cannot push my experience with God’s word on my son. He needs to experience God by himself and his story — his very own story — will in time be for God’s glory too — just like Moses.

So here it is, without mum’s edit, the story of Moses through Samuel’s eyes.

Q&A with Samuel

Describe Moses in three words

Moses was assertive, godly and kind.

Why did you choose the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea? 

I chose the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea because it shows that God can do wonderful and powerful things. We shouldn’t be afraid of anything because we know that God can drown our problems if we have faith and ask him for help, just like how God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites. 

What have you learned from Moses’ life that you can put into applications right now

After studying and reading the crossing of the Red Sea, one thing caught my attention. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians coming towards them, they were immediately afraid. They began to blame it on Moses. But Moses said “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, he shall see them again no more forever.” The Israelites gained nothing from complaining to Moses. They should’ve trusted in God and prayed to him. When I have a task at school and I feel like I can’t do it all by myself, I ignore God and don’t ask him for help. Instead, I go around asking other people, “How am I supposed to do this?” I don’t even ask for help from other people, I just complain that it’s too hard, like the Israelites. But when I read the story of the Red Sea, I decided that now I will not only pray to God for help, but I will also ask others to help me understand the task. 

What do you think was the biggest challenge Moses faced in his life? 

I think the hardest challenge in Moses’ life was when Moses thought that he couldn’t save the Israelites. 

When Moses fled Egypt, he became a shepherd. While he was tending to his sheep, he saw a burning bush that would not be consumed. The Lord spoke to Moses from that bush and said, “Moses, Moses.” Moses replied to the bush, “Here am I.” The Lord told him to take off his sandals, for he was on Holy ground. God wanted Moses to go to set the Israelites free, but Moses felt that his words would not persuade Pharaoh and that he wasn’t good enough. But God said that he would be with him, and God showed him signs to show Pharaoh. So Moses agreed to do it. 

How do you think Moses felt when the Israelites asked him to take them back to die in Egypt?

Angry, disappointed and sad.

What would you ask Moses when you see him in heaven? 

When I see Moses in heaven, I would have many questions. But the most important one I would ask him would be, ‘How did you put up with the Israelites complaining all the time.’ Many times when Moses was with the Israelites, the Israelites would start grumbling that they didn’t have meat or enough water. But they were lucky enough to be out of Egypt. 

This is the last post in the characters study by generation Z series. Thank you for following along with me. If you have any questions for Samuel, please leave your comments down below. We will start a new series in the next blog post. This time we will take you along with us as we embark on a church renovation project. I pray that our writings have been a blessing to you and hope to see you again in the next post.

Blessings,

El