Why did Moses Write the Torah?
Part Two of Genesis: History According to God
It was a strange and fascinating sight, even to a former prince of the most advanced empire in the known world. Yet, in spite of all the opulence and wonders of science Moses had observed, he had never seen a bush serve as a candle. What’s more, this bush wasn’t burning up.
An effective writer has a thematic purpose to his or her writing. This is true for all writers, those in modern times and in the distant past. It was true for Moses. So, what was his purpose?
The story of the “burning bush” answers this question most clearly. In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses from the mysterious burning bush and gives him a mission: “I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
This charge didn’t excite Moses as one might expect. After all, what could he – a disgraced former prince and fugitive from justice – possibly have to say to Pharaoh? Moreover, how could he even convince the Hebrews to listen? Moses was, at this point, nothing more than a simple and aging shepherd.
Moses needed some authority to approach the Hebrews and Pharaoh. Obviously, he was talking to the most awesome and ultimate source of authority he had ever known. Yet how could he convey this experience to others? Moses asked God what name he should report to the children of Israel. The reply was simple and profound: “I AM THAT I AM.” That Moses should tell the children of Israel that “I AM” sent him to them. Moses’ task then was to convince the people that he spoke for God and to impress upon the minds of the people the supremacy and authority of God.
The cynical (usually agnostic) interpretation of this motive would be that Moses was positioning himself as a theocratic demagogue. By contrast, the popular interpretation of these events is that Moses was not power-hungry, but completely sincere.
Other than an antisupernatural and/or atheist bias, there is no reason to question Moses' integrity or sincerity. If Moses wanted power, it would have made more since to develop a trade network or forge some kind of tribal nation once removed from Egypt. Instead, Moses escaped into obscurity as a simple shepherd. According to the Bible, he remained in obscure exile for forty years and returned to Egypt only upon God's call. If he did this for selfish reasons, he most certainly grew to regret it, if the Torah account of his trials as a leader are in any way accurate.
Moses' purpose in upholding God as the basis for his (Moses') leadership and as the ultimate authority over all Israel, however, is unquestionably the primary motive ifor authoring the Torah. This is seen clearly in the first commandment. When Moses brought down the Law from Mount Sinai, the first commandment declares: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
This was Moses’ purpose. His mission. To proclaim the authority and supremacy of God to the people of Israel and to, in turn, act as God’s primary spokesperson to the children of Israel. The Torah must be read in this context, for it is the theme of its author.
