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Moses

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The architecture of the US Supreme Court Building in Washington DC displays Moses with the tables of stone written with the finger of God containing the law of God, which is the basis of all law.

Most people when they think of Moses, they think of him as an elderly man holding the Ten Commandments.

And while that is certainly a huge credential, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Moses’ life was extraordinary and he was outrageously accomplished.

First of all, Acts 7:22 says,

Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. (Acts 7:22)

He had a “king’s education.” Frank Damazio elaborates on that in his book,The Making of a Leader,

Moses was adopted and raised in the house of the daughter of Pharaoh, which meant he lived in the royal household. Acts 7:22 states, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” From this verse we see that Moses had all the education of the known world available while in the royal house of Pharaoh. Any university or tutoring scholar, as it were, would have deemed it a privilege to tutor the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Egypt was, at that time, one of the most productive and progressive countries of the known world, with educational achievements far above any other land. Their economic and social life, too, was highly developed. Even today, Egypt’s colossal pyramids, with their mathematical precision, confound the understanding of the most educated builders in the world. This was the environment in which Moses was raised from his youth.

This helps explain how Moses was able to write the first five books of the Old Testament. Granted, he did so under Divine Inspiration (2 Tim 3:16), but you can see how God equipped Moses with the practical tools he would need in order to document all that God would speak through him.

In addition, Moses would’ve been trained in leadership and military tactics. Josephus, who was a Jewish historian, records an incredible example of Moses’ military prowess when he was made general of the Egyptian army and conquered the Ethiopians by attacking them using a route that was considered impassable because of the abundance of poisonous snakes that littered the area. But Moses was able to successfully lead his army through that region by deploying a large collection of birds who fed on those snakes and effectively created a path that allowed his army to pass through safely.

In that same account, Josephus talks about how the Ethiopian king’s daughter fell in love with Moses in the aftermath of the battle:

Tharbis was the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians: she happened to see Moses as he led the army near the walls, and fought with great courage; and admiring the subtility of his undertakings, and believing him to be the author of the Egyptians’ success, when they had before despaired of recovering their liberty, and to be the occasion of the great danger the Ethiopians were in, when they had before boasted of their great achievements, she fell deeply in love with him; and upon the prevalency of that passion, sent to him the most faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their marriage. He thereupon accepted the offer, on condition she would procure the delivering up of the city; and gave her the assurance of an oath to take her to his wife; and that when he had once taken possession of the city, he would not break his oath to her. No sooner was the agreement made, but it took effect immediately; and when Moses had cut off the Ethiopians, he gave thanks to God, and consummated his marriage, and led the Egyptians back to their own land. (Josephus)

The Bible doesn’t say anything about Moses military career, but it does mention Moses’ Ethiopian wife (Num 12:1). So, Josephus’ account is credible and, given the fact that one day Moses would be leading a group of people that numbered over 600,000 (Ex 12:37), it makes sense that Moses would need the kind of experience you get by leading an army in order to effectively take responsibility for over half a million people.

The other part of Moses that often gets overlooked is that he left Egypt when he was 40 (Acts 7:23-30). And he didn’t leave because of having committed a misdemeanor. He killed a man (Ex 2:11), and while that’s not something to glorify, Moses was obviously someone who was capable of overpowering another person and then, when Pharaoh tried to have him killed, Moses was able to evade capture and that’s what landed him in Midian.

Moses was not a weak man physically and he was capable of taking care of himself.

By the time Moses returned to Egypt, this time to demand the release of the Israelites, he was 80 years old (Ex 7:7). That’s 40 years of tending sheep after having been trained and educated in Pharaoh’s court and enjoying all the benefits of power and privilege. How many days did he spend remembering the palace and now living in a tent? How many times did he remember having a servant fanning him to help deal with the heat, and now he spends every day out in the open desert?

That’s four decades of of assuming that your best days are behind you and however you might’ve looked in the mirror at one point and seeing something distinctive, now there’s nothing really to see.

Numbers 12:3 says:

Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. (Num 12:3)

He wasn’t humble because he didn’t have a reason to be arrogant. He was a general, he was a prince, he was capable, he was strong. He had a resume and a presence that commanded your attention.

Moses was humble because he knew God.

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Ex 33:11)

When you know the Lord, not just as a spiritual appliance or a daily discipline, but as the living God Who redeems you (Eph 2:10), Who equips you (Dt 8:18) and guides you in everything you say, think, and do (Ps 139: 16; Phil 2:13), you’re not just “grateful,” as though you’re see God as Someone Who gives your natural ability an extra push. You see Him as your One and Only Starting Point (Prov 9:10) , the sole Reason for your success (Josh 1:8; Ps 144:9-10), and the only Path that leads that leads to a life that’s truly worth living (Ps 1:3; Jn 10:10).

You don’t want to just obey Him, you want to honor Him. You don’t settle for knowing about Him, you engage in a relentless pursuit of a relationship with Him because you recognize there’s nothing and no one more worthy of your time and attention (1 Chron 29:10-13).

In the end, that’s why Moses was as accomplished as he was. That’s why he was genuinely humble and that’s why he was able to be used by God to the point where we’re still talking about his accomplishments today.

It says in Scripture that without faith it’s impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). But Faith begins with the humility that allows for an honest acknowledgement of Who it is that you’re trusting and not just a token prayer of gratitude. It’s then that surrendering your right to yourself becomes a logical response, and the faith needed to unlock the Purpose and Potential that’s built into every day of your life is now a fundamental part of the way you process yourself and the world around you.

That’s the perspective Moses had on himself and all his accomplishments and that’s the perspective we need to have as well.

Why Does it Have to be so Difficult?

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I was looking at the story about how the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea. It was a timely devotion because of the way my bride and I were rehearsing some challenges yesterday.

In the chapters leading up to the exodus, God had demonstrated His Reality in the context of several miraculous signs that were so compelling, that no one in Egypt doubted the superiority of Israel’s God. After the Passover, Pharaoh couldn’t wait to send the Israelites on their way. This wasn’t just an example of brilliant statesmanship on the part of Moses, or a series of unfortunate events that coincidentally promoted the idea of granting Israel their independence. This was the miraculous Power of God in full display and what was an impossible situation, as far as the Hebrews being subject to the most powerful empire on earth with no hope of ever being free from a life of bondage, were now leaving in the context of a total and complete victory over their former taskmasters.

But then, Pharaoh changes his mind and he goes after the Israelites. He corners them against the Red Sea and there’s nothing the Hebrews can do but just wait for Pharaoh’s chariots and spears to end their lives.

But then, God parts the Red Sea and before it’s all over, Israel will, once again, see God doing what only He can do with the result being total and complete victory.

But before the waters parted, the Hebrews go up to Moses and, rather than calmly asking that he approach the Lord and ask for some help, they are terrified and wonder out loud if the whole purpose of leaving Egypt was to simply be killed in the desert.

When Moses approaches God, the Lord responds by asking him, “Why are you crying out to me?” (Ex 14:15)

The commentary on this verse is pretty minimal. But I hear it as God asking Moses, why are you freaking out?

Perhaps that’s not the most scholarly approach. Moses wasn’t necessarily terrified, but I can’t help but think that God was pointing back to the last several months of signs and wonders and asking Israel through His conversation with Moses, “Why are you so forgetful? Do you not remember all of what’s happened recently? Do you think that I’m somehow perplexed by what’s going on now?”

We know how the story ends. The Red Sea parts, Pharaoh’s army is destroyed and Israel can’t stop cheering.

But in the very next chapter, the nation of Israel is out of water and they’re in the desert and they…

…grumble (Ex 15:24)

Here’s where I have a question.

Why is it that the Red Sea couldn’t be the last round of major obstacles. You come within a heartbeat of being totally destroyed by Pharaoh’s army, you’ve got Pharaoh in front of you, the sea behind you, you’ve got nowhere to run, there’s nothing you can do and then, God delivers you and…

…cue music, the Israelites ride off into the sunset to the Promised Land and the lights come up.

Happy Ending!

But it’s one round of major problems after another. Chapter 14, Pharaoh’s army is holding a knife to your throat. Chapter 15, you run out of water. Chapter 16, you run out of food. Chapter 17 you run out of water again and you get attacked by the Amalekites.

Why does God allow so much adversity? It’s like with every problem that gets solved, suddenly you’re looking at something else that seems even worse.

It doesn’t take much to get to a place where you feel like nothing ever really gets done. No matter how many times you cry out to the Lord, it’s like there’s nothing there and you’re just engaging in what amounts to a pointless exercise that does nothing more than give you a false sense of encouragement.

But then, after the dust settles, you realize, after looking back, that some things have changed. You’re compelled to revisit some major breakthroughs and resolutions that, at the time, were major headlines in your life and you were thanking God and celebrating His Reality!

Perhaps, it’s healthy to imagine God asking you in your moment of need, “Why are you crying out to me?”

“Have you forgotten all that I’ve done?”

“Do you remember the empty tomb?”

“Have you forgotten Who I am?”

No. No, Lord. I’ve not forgotten and You’re right. I need to take a breath and be mindful of, now just what You’ve done, but Who it is I’m talking to.

But why can we not just take care of “this” once and for all? Why do I feel compelled to come back to You with a different scenario, but, more often than not, the same problem?

Why did You let the Israelites go thirsty? Why do You let them go hungry? Yes, You provided for them, but not before they got to a place where they were desperate. Why does it have to get to a place where people are hurting before You move?

Maybe it’s because no one is asking God for help until they’ve exhausted all their resources and they’re compelled to remember, “…from whence cometh my help.” (Ps 121:1)

Or perhaps it’s because it’s only when you’re having to exercise the muscle of genuine faith, that muscle actually grows.

JD Walt in his devotional, “The Gift of Thirst,” has a great little take on this when he says…

Something about thirst creates desperation. Something about desperation focuses prayer. Something about prayers of desperation creates a context for divine breakthroughs. Something about divine breakthroughs transform nominal religion into blazing faith. Something about blazing faith changes not just one life but transforms entire communities and traverses up and down generational lines. 

God always has a point and some of the greatest breakthroughs, which are also the greatest times of growth, happen only after some of the greatest trials. A.W. Tozer once said,”It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.”

You see that in James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jas 1:2-4)

Why does it have to be so difficult? Because sometimes that’s the only way you can see Him for Who He is and be able to benefit from all that He does.