I hate your New Moon Festivals
    and all others as well.
They are a heavy burden
    I am tired of carrying.

¹⁵ “No matter how much you pray,
I won’t listen.
    You are too violent.
¹⁶ Wash yourselves clean!
I am disgusted
    with your filthy deeds.
Stop doing wrong
¹⁷     and learn to live right.
See that justice is done.
Defend widows and orphans
    and help those in need.”^[e

Let Us Be Israel, the Chosen People of God

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
February 9, 1958

Although Jacob had formed a family in Haran and moved forth victoriously, there was yet another hill to cross: namely, the battle with the angel on the banks of the Jabbok River. The descendants of Jacob did not know this. In other words, the descendants of Jacob had to go into Egypt and endure a nationwide trial in the bosom of the Pharaoh for four hundred years. At this time, Moses appeared. By winning the hearts of the Israelites, he stepped forward bearing the responsibility of restoring the land of Canaan, promised to Jacob in ancient times.

The Israelites had to prepare a nationwide victorious foothold in Egypt resembling the victorious foothold of Israel Jacob had created in his time. In other words, in spite of being utterly exhausted, the Israelites had to establish a victorious foothold like that gained from the battle with the angel on the banks of the Jabbok River in enemy territory. They could not establish this. The Israelites forgot they were standing in a position to pass through the heavenly trial process on a nationwide level.

In order to regain the hearts of the people, Heaven set up Moses and made him prepare for forty years in the palace of the Pharaoh representing the people. He also had to go through a forty year course of a shepherd’s life in Midian. Because the Israelites in Egypt were not able to attain the blessing that Jacob, the ancestor of the chosen people, had attained in ancient times on the banks of the Jabbok River, Moses had to leave for the wilderness to walk a nationwide level course in order to regain their hearts.

In the same manner as Jacob went into the wilderness of Haran after receiving the blessing meant for Esau, Moses came to bear the responsibility to re-establish the blessing from God representing the Israelites. As such, upon seeing the people fighting amongst themselves, unable to unify, Moses expressed resentment. Upon seeing the race being subjected to unjust treatment by aliens, he came to fight at the risk of his life against that foreign nation.

The Israelites were to fight against Egypt by following Moses. Instead, they chased him out. This is similar to when Jacob left his homeland after receiving God’s blessing. Jacob left the family of blessing and went to a satanic family, Moses also left the people of blessing in Egypt and started off on a forty year wilderness course in Midian. Moses’ leaving for the wilderness in this manner was not a matter that pertained only to Moses, one individual.

Why could Moses not avoid a path like this? It was because the victorious foothold Jacob had achieved representing God’s Shim Jung had disappeared. Moses felt more keenly than anybody the responsibility to prepare this foothold again on a nationwide level. Moses prayed ardently for the sake of the Israelites, who were experiencing toil and moil in the bosom of an enemy. He prayed more than anyone. You should feel Moses’ Shim Jung to the marrow. He never forgot the Israelites in their course of toil and moil, not even for one day, not even for one moment.

Although he led a miserable and lonely life as a shepherd in the wilderness, Moses forgot about his miserable conditions. Thinking of the Israelites toiling under mistreatment by their enemies in Egypt, Moses shed tears of sympathy. You must know this. Moses’ lonely state of affairs and his Shim Jung touched Heaven deeply. Because Moses was concerned for the sake of Heaven and appeared as a representative concerned for the chosen people, God called Moses again and dispatched him to the palace of the Pharaoh.

This is just like Jacob’s course when he went with all his belongings to see Esau after toiling for twenty- one years at the house of Laban in fear of Esau. You should understand that Moses walked a difficult course like that of Jacob.

By setting up Aaron and Miriam, who represented the word, and by showing the works of three great wonders, Moses stepped out to look for the palace of the Pharaoh where Heaven commanded him to go.

What happened then? God did not provide a smooth path for Moses. Instead, someone tried to kill him as he retired to rest. Again, this is a course similar to that of Jacob. Moses had to go through the circumstances of Jacob wrestling with an angel on the banks of the Jabbok River, impervious to his own injury. Moses was put in that same situation by God. You should know that after going over this kind of trial without a hitch, Moses met the chosen Israelites again and built the altar of Israel on the nationwide level, representing God and the people.