Moses

Now after Joseph saved his clan

According to God’s gracious plan

Four hundred silent years went by

And Israel grew in Egypt’s eye

Then Pharaoh feared this cuckoo race

Would overcome and rule his place

So just like Joseph years before

The Israelites were slaves and poor

This Pharaoh dreamt up evil ploys

To murder Hebrew baby boys

Go throw your lads into the Nile

Demanded the old crocodile

One day his daughter for her needs

Went to the Nile and in the reeds

A baby in a woven ark

Provoked compassion’s tender spark

Out from the water he was brought

She named him Moses for she thought

It sounded such a clever name

She did not know he would gain fame

For under Pharaoh’s very nose

A saviour for God’s people rose

Rescued now by Pharaoh’s daughter

He’d bury Pharaoh in the water

For forty years this Hebrew kid

In Egypt’s royal court was hid

This son of slaves in princely dress

Was harbouring a deep distress

For hiding two identities

Erupted into enmity

And Moses an Egyptian slew

Into the desert wastes he flew

Now in the desert mountains steep

Where Moses kept a flock of sheep

The Lord appeared in bush aflame

Revealed the glory of his Name

My people’s anguish I have seen

I have come down, I will redeem

Go tell this Pharaoh to set free

My people who must worship me

So Moses went to Pharaoh’s court

And gave the message from the Lord

But Pharaoh’s heart was not impressed

The slaves with harsher work oppressed

The Hebrew slaves were discontent

With baking bricks without cement

What have you done? The people cried

Our labour has intensified

I AM the Lord, I keep my word

My people’s cries and prayers I’ve heard

My promises to Abraham

I will fulfil, that’s who I AM

The Hebrews were so bowed with pain

They could not listen to this claim

The heart of Pharaoh hard with pride

The pleas of Moses flat denied

The stage was set, the battle drawn

Then Moses, Aaron came at dawn

The holy Nile they turned to blood

A crimson tide would Egypt flood

But Pharaoh’s heart like rock, you see

Refused to set God’s people free

Not frogs, not flies, not gnats, not hail

Nor plagues of locusts turned him pale

Until at last the Lord God sent

A dreadful warning to repent

Release my son to worship me

My son or yours, it has to be!

While Pharaoh writhed upon the fence

God’s people worked on their defence

Flat bread and lamb and bitter herbs

Blood on the lintel judgment curbs

That night in Pharaoh’s house at first

Then every home in Egypt cursed

For every first-born son was slain

All Egypt writhed in grief and pain

Send Israel out! Arose the shout

They must go free, without a doubt

With gifts of gold that very night

God’s people left their slavish plight

Now at the desert’s edge they found

The sea they could not get around

Then Pharaoh changed his mind, gave chase

And Israel grumbled in that place

But God replied, you need not fear

This army that you see right here

Is heading for an early bath

I have a plan to make you laugh

God’s Holy Angel went behind

The camp of Israel and confined

The men of Egypt to the night

While Israel wondered with delight

As Moses stretched his arms up high

An east wind blew the waters dry

They walked the path right through the sea

Thus Moses gave them liberty

When all had crossed to safety’s side

The Angel moved and Egypt spied

The route right through the cloven sea

We’ll teach this people not to flee

But Pharaoh’s men began to drown

When Moses let his arms come down

A song and dance by Miriam

Was sung by every Hebrew clan

The fickle liberated race

Began to grumble in that place

For in the desert terrible

They found no water drinkable

Can God who made the sea-bed dry

Bring bread and water from the sky?

The good Lord heard the people wail

And stuffed their mouths with bread and quail

And when they ate of heaven’s food

They grumbled and were very rude

In Egypt there were graves enough

Why bring us here our lives to snuff?

Take in your hand the staff that cleft

The sea in half to right and left

And strike the rock and from its side

A stream of water I’ll provide

With thirst and hunger satisfied

They settled down, but woe betide!

Amalekites provoked a fight

So Moses climbed to gain some height

And raised his staff to God in prayer

Which made them flee in deep despair

Then Jethro came with good advice

To delegate or pay the price

Now Moses led them to the place

He saw the flaming bush of grace

But now the mountain was alight

The people trembled at the sight

We dare not hear the words direct

You go, then tell us what’s correct

So up and down the holy mount

Went Moses more than one can count

The Lord to Moses face to face

Revealed his plan of saving grace

The Lord unveiled the legal code

The Law by God’s own hand bestowed

Ten ways to live the righteous life

To live in peace and not in strife

And when they broke God’s holy Law

A sacrifice would then restore

The Ten Commandments:

No other gods is number one

No images of beast or sun

Respect God’s name is number three

One day per week from work keep free

Respect your parents, number five

Don’t take a life which I provide

Hold marriage as a sacred bond

Don’t steal another’s things held fond

Declare the truth and tell no lies

On what’s not yours don’t cast your eyes

Even as the law was given

The people down below had striven

To fashion out a calf of gold

And worshipped it in frenzy bold

Moses enraged by what he saw

He smashed the tablets of the Law

Their faithlessness provoked his ire

He burnt the golden calf with fire

Then once again he climbed the mount

To intercede on their account

And get replacements for the Law

The Tabernacle’s plans and all

The laws on how to live as priests

And laws for greatest and the least

On holidays and clothes and food

On living life as people should

And at the centre of the camp

The Holy Place with constant lamp

Behind the curtain out of view

The ark contained the tablets new

They sent out spies before they fought

But lost their nerve with their report

For forty years they roamed about

The price of giving in to doubt

Now Moses’ anger flared once more

No water made the people sore

God told him to approach the rock

Just speak and water for the flock

Will flow and meet their every need

But Moses struck and God decreed

You have not held my name in awe

To Canaan I have closed your door

When Israel came to Jordan’s bank

Then Edom, Moab, Ammon shrank

They called on Balaam who could curse

And offered him a handsome purse

As Balaam rode his donkey stalled

And spoke to Balaam quite appalled

What God has blessed cannot be cursed

His covenant can’t be reversed

The time to enter Canaan’s land

Had come according to God’s plan

Then Moses preached a sermon long

Reminded them of right and wrong

The Promised Land God had prepared

Among the tribes of Israel shared

Their legal rights of residence

Depended on obedience

Then Moses called them to review

God’s covenant and then renew

Their promises to keep the Law

We shall! Amen! The people swore

One final mountain Moses climbed

God showed him all the land sublime

But Moses’ visa was denied

God buried him on Moab’s side