Goodness (12) - Moses' Goodness (2)
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May 05, 2013 |
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 "Now the man Moses was very meek,above all the men which were upon the face of the earth… My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house." (Numbers 12:3, 7 KJV).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
When he was a prince of Egypt, Moses always felt distressed due to his people in sufferings. In the meantime, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. Out of resentment he struck down the Egyptian.
The incident became known and Moses had to flee from Egypt. It was when he was 40 years old. From then on, he tended the flock as a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian for 40 years.
In those days, shepherding was one of the lowliest of occupations in the sight of the Egyptians. Tending the flock that was deemed menial, Moses utterly demolished his sense of self-confidence and self-righteousness as a prince of Egypt. Right then, God called Moses as a leader of the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt.
What kind of goodness allowed Moses to guide the Israelites to the promised land, Canaan?
1. Moses was very meek, more than any man who was on the face of the earth
As written in Numbers 12:3 KJV, "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth," Moses was gentle enough to be deemed the meekest man on the face of the earth in his times.
Spiritual gentleness that is indicated in the Word of God refers to a tender and kind heart accompanied with virtuous deeds. This gentleness is not only a tender and comfortable heart that is soft like cotton but also generous virtue that is accompanied with proper words and decorum and dignity to lead people. A man of gentleness can have peace with everybody.
It was Moses who achieved this heart. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, there were about six hundred thousand men, but including women and children there was a total of about two million people who followed Moses. Moses suffered many hardships while he led such a great multitude of people through the tough desert travel for 40 years.
When Moses obeyed with faith, the Red Sea was parted and they walked across it as though they were on the dry land. But, as they walked through the desert three days later, they found no water at all and began to complain about Moses. Moses tolerated them, and he cried out to God for them and God performed a miracle through him by changing the bitter water of Marah into sweet water to drink.
It was not long before they began to complain again because there was no food for them to eat. (Exodus 16:3) For these ungrateful people, Moses prayed again to God to fulfill their petition. Through his prayer, God provided them with manna and quails.
When they set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, and camped in Rephidim, there was no water for them to drink. Again, they quarreled with Moses and were even about to stone him. They said, "Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
Moses cried out in prayer to God for them again. He struck the rock with his staff before the eyes of elders of the people, and then water came out of it. In that way, the Israelites complained and grumbled at even small things and they did not have true faith though Moses had guided them with the great power of God.
Moreover, they committed a great sin before God. While Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai, they molded a golden calf and worshipped it. God became furious and said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."
Moses earnestly prayed that God would turn from His burning anger and change His mind about doing harm to His people as written in Exodus 32:11-13. By his prayer, God turned His will about and did not pour out His wrath upon them.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he saw them committing the great sin. In Exodus 32:31-32 it says that he knelt down before God and prayed, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!"
The people committed such a great sin before God, but still Moses could not see the nation being destroyed. So, he asked God to forgive them with his life as collateral. It showed that Moses accomplished the highest level of goodness in which he could give his life to his enemy and fully embraced the people of Israel with that perfect goodness. That's why God the Father said he was gentler than anyone else on the earth.
2. Moses was faithful in all God's household
'Being faithful' is that you have fully carried out the God-given duties and accomplished more than your personal duties require. 'Being faithful in all God's house' here means to be faithful in every kind of work at home, at school, and at workplace or business.
To be faithful to all God's house, you must be able to sacrifice yourself without sparing your heart, your sincerity and your time. Hebrews 3:5 says, "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later."
His task, commissioned by God, was to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the land of Canaan. In many hardships, Moses never shirked his responsibility nor abandoned his task at all. He passed through every kind of hardship by faith.
He embraced the people of Israel with the heart of a father and painstakingly tried to make them the people God wanted.
But because their faith was so weak that was far from the standard God wanted, he always had to mourn and petition to God for them. He never rested, even for a moment from the day he led them out of Egypt until the day when he ended his life on the earth. He shed immeasurable tears for them, and his tearful prayers and mourning petitions for them are beyond description.
Because Moses had this kind of heart, God trusted Moses too. God performed great works of power through him. God even spoke to Moses face to face as if a man speaks to his friend, and he enjoyed deep fellowship with God as written in Numbers 12:8. Then, was Moses courageous and pompous before God because he was fully faithful to all God's house? No, he never was.
Among the first generation of the Israelites who were over 20 years old and escaped from Egypt, only two people entered the land of Canaan. It was the second generation who conquered the promised land. The second generation of the Israelites could conquer it because Moses led and taught them in faith. Nonetheless, he was always sorry before God for not reaping much more fruit.
Have you ever thought your duty was too heavy and laborious and wanted to abandon it and rest? We have to be reminded of the heart of Moses who, from the moment he led the people out of Egypt until the moment he was lifted up into Heaven by God, had never rested peacefully because of worries about the people. I hope you will remember the heart of Moses who had been faithful in all God's house, but he was still sorry before God because he did not reap more fruit, and continually push yourselves to continue your race.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will bear abundant fruit by achieving the gentleness of Moses and being faithful in all God's household everywhere you go, at home, school, workplace, and business.
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