So, as promised
yesterday, today’s reading has a lot to do with sacrifices and we have said
plenty about them. Most of what I said
yesterday could be repeated today for it applies just as equally to this
chapter as to the last.
Devotion and Submission and Leadership
Just like yesterday,
rather than talking about sacrifices I am going to take a part of the Bible and
go very deeply within the passage. I’m
going to speak again about the last verse in this passage. Moses told all of the people the things about
God and then he did just as the Lord told him to do.
Let’s take both parts
of that passage in turn. Moses said
everything that he knew to the people.
Moses communicated the wisdom of the Lord to the people. Moses was the teaching leader that God
desired. I think that is an important
aspect for us to remember. God has
called us to be public proclaimers of our faith. We are to be God’s mouthpiece. When we aren’t proclaiming our faith, we
aren’t being very good Christian leaders.
The second part of
this passage is that Moses did what he was expected to do. God told Moses to lead the people and remind
the people of their responsibilities in worship. Moses did that. Moses demonstrated good leadership. Moses demonstrated proper guidance. Moses was a good role model.
But Moses was more
than that. Moses was trustworthy. Moses was demonstrating to God that Moses was
His servant. In many respects, that’s
what I really like about this passage.
Moses was God’s servant, and Moses demonstrates this by doing what God
asks. Moses demonstrates this by
submitting to God.
There is a part of me
that really wishes Moses had spoken to the rock instead of striking it with the
staff. I really like Moses. The man did so many good things and in so
many ways from my perspective he “deserved” to get into the Promised Land. I really wish he had been able to get in –
even though I know in my mind he would have had to die sooner or later and
seeing the Promised Land is really unimportant when compared to the promise of
life with God eternally.
Thus, as I finish up
this reflection upon Moses, I am reminded of something very important. Regardless of what happened here on this
earth, Moses is no doubt with God and easily counted among the righteous. So in a sense he did get to see the Promised
Land – just maybe not the Promised Land here on this earth. In the greater scheme of things, that’s
really what matters. I am coming to a
great new understanding of Moses as I have spent the last 3 ½ months with him
in God’s Word. I hope you have enjoyed
these stories and have come to a greater understanding of what he brought to
the table from a leadership perspective as well as from a compassionate man of
God.
In Moses we can truly
see a man who was occasionally flawed.
He was a man who had a greater burden of leadership upon his
shoulders. But he was a man who was
genuinely interested in the things of God way more than he was interested in
the things of man. He was submitted to
God – as it really should be.
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Good post john (as always!). I think on the promised land thing (the earthly one), we see a great example of the need for a savior. Even moses, as good as he was, was enable to earn or deserve it. Sure, the rock, but the murder too.
ReplyDeleteIm a firm believer the point of the ot is that we can't do it on our own, and this is just one place it is obvious. While I desire to be, I will never be the man moses was- which isn't to sell myself short but to acknowledge my personal need for a savior.
Tom
Absolutely great point about the murder. I had totally forgotten that point - unfortunately in my desire to see the best in Moses I forgot his dark beginning. So at the very least, thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we need a savior. I think that's one of the more difficult things for us/the world to continue to accept. Unfortunately I continue to find myself like the Hebrew people. I know it, but I don't always live it out. Like you, I think that is one of the most important lessons the OT can tell us.