Heroes of the Faith Series

Moses – The Great Deliverer

So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

 (Exodus 34:30)

Moses is unquestionably one of the most notable and exciting heroes of the Bible. He is probably best known for his burning-bush encounter with God, his intense head-to-head contest with Pharaoh, leading the Israelites across the Red Sea, and bringing the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai to deliver God’s law to His people.

Moses was a courageous prophet and the one whom God chose to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Moses was selected to be the leader of a rebellious group of people, and in spite of his initial hesitancy, God used him mightily to change the course of history and set the stage for the nation of Israel to enter the Promised Land.

Learn It! Moses learned exactly what God intended to do for the nation of Israel directly from God Himself. From the call at the burning bush to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, to His trips up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, Moses had close, personal encounters with God where He learned from our Creator first-hand.

Speak It! It seems ironic that the man God chose to be His spokesman was so slow to respond to the call. Moses is sometimes referred to as the "reluctant messenger" because of his many initial excuses, one of which was the argument that he was not eloquent of speech. God's anger was kindled against Moses, and it turned out that Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses (Exodus 4:30). However, Moses eventually became God’s spokesman to the children of Israel, leading them and judging them throughout 40 years of wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.

Live It! One of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament is the parting of the Red Sea. And it was Moses who stood in front of his people and boldly stretched out his hand over the sea, first to divide the waters (Exodus 14:21-22 ), and then after passing to the other side, he stretched out his hand once again and the sea engulfed the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. (Exodus 14:28). Moses lived out His faith time and time again as the leader and intercessor for the Israelites.


Moses was a great hero of the faith as he devotedly responded to God’s call and entered into a dynamic and fervent personal relationship with Him. He was the one used to deliver God’s chosen people. But perhaps the greatest test of Moses’ heroic character was when he passionately intervened for the Israelites and pleaded with God not to pour out His wrath upon them. Moses was even willing to give up his own eternal life for them if God wouldn’t forgive their sin (Exodus 32:31-32).

Discussion Question: What is more important in our pursuit of God's will in our lives – being 'qualified' or 'available'?

Memory Verse: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

Prayer: Father, teach me to continually surrender my life and my will to you so that I may be available to respond to Your call.

All quotations from Scripture are taken from the New King James Version.
Devotional written by Mark Rasche
Illustration by Jonathan Chong


Keep visiting our site for more future “Heroes of the Faith” devotionals!

Click Here for "Closer Walk" - Essentials of the Faith!