Moses was like many people who made an impulsive attempt to accomplish a goal in their youth, and then gave it up to lead a life very far removed from their original dream. Moses, whose name means “to be drawn out,” was raised in luxury in Pharaoh’s palace, having been rescued from the reeds by Pharaoh’s daughter. Despite the grandeur of his surroundings, Moses knew in his heart that he was a Jew, and when he was a young man he became incensed over the treatment of his kinsmen.

The journey Moses then undertook has been made famous through thousands of years of retelling. He led his people across the Red Sea, carved out the Ten Commandments, set up judicial law, and put up with a lot of grumbling. He taught and guided the people for another forty years. Before his death he was led up to the mountain overlooking Canaan, and shown the valley where the people were to be ultimately settled.

The man whose name meant “to draw out” had fulfilled...