Moses the Leader No One Wanted
The life and ministry of Moses will shed much light on the personal struggles and accomplishments of the great leader. Through his life there will be a window to see how his faith, obedience and disobedience affected him and the whole nation of Israel. Even though Moses was one of the greatest leaders of Hebrew history, maybe even the world, his life shows us that the God of the universe the one true God, is, was and always will be in control.
From the very beginning of his life we see excitement and danger. Moses was born during a time that the Pharaoh was killing the first born of all Hebrew male children. The Pharaoh was killing the first born males because the Hebrews had multiplied to such a great number in their time in Egypt. After the birth of Moses his mother hid him and kept him in the house for the first three months of his life. She finally made a floating basket of bulrushes and some kind of tar or pitch and
placed the baby in the basket near some reeds close to where the royal women of Pharaoh’s family bathed in the Nile River. His mother was careful to tell Miriam his sister to watch over him and when the daughter of Pharaoh found the baby, she heard his cries and immediately became emotional and had to have him. Miriam stepped out and said that she knew a Hebrew woman that could nurse the child. By this provision of God allowing Miriam to tell the princess that she could find a Hebrew mother to care for the babe, God was providing much needed care by his own family even his very mother that gave birth to him. He was able to learn Hebrew and Egyptian ways because of this time with his family. He would come to understand leadership and eventually have the abilities to relate and present himself before the powerful Egyptians and the lowly Hebrews.
He then grew into a young man and was educated in the ways of the Egyptians but still had a heart for his people. One day a Hebrew slave was being beaten by an Egyptian guard and the heart of Moses was moved, he became angry and killed the Egyptian and tried hiding the man in the sand but was found out and ran from the Pharaoh who was going to kill him. He fled to the land of Midian and was married to the daughter of Jethro the priest of Midian, he was there as a shepherd for forty years able to grow spiritually and reflect on all things up until that point in time while learning to walk with God. The previous pharaoh had died that Moses fled from and the new Pharaoh did not know Joseph who had been held in high esteem and the children of Israel began to cry to the Lord because of their bondage. God did not forget His covenant with Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. One day while in the desert tending to the flock the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a fire in the midst of a bush but not burning it. He was told not to look and to come no closer because he was Holy ground of the Lord God Almighty. God told him to go to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh that he is to take the children of Israel out of bondage. “He said who am I to do that, to carry out such a task and stand before Pharaoh”?(Exodus 3:11) God said that He would be with Moses and to not fear, tell the children of Israel that I AM sent you to deliver them from their slavery.
He did as told by God and God hardened the Pharaohs heart and brought forth many plagues and curses and the last and final one was the death of the first born. The children of Israel were told to put sacrificial blood of a lamb over the door of their homes so the angel of death would Passover the homes. Pharaohs’ first born son was killed during this plague God allowed this to soften Pharaohs’ heart. This was when the Israelites were able to leave but all under the plan of God and not any other. This brings us to the crossing of the Red Sea one of the greatest miracles ever. God also provided a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for protection and direction. The pharaoh became angry after the Israelites were gone and falling into the trap that God intended he sent out his army after them. God told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea and the Lord parted the water and when they were on the other side he did the same under the instruction of the Lord and brought the waters back onto the army. This was God’s love and Moses obedience being demonstrated and the people of Israel feared and trusted the Lord and also believed Moses His servant.
Moses led the people thru the desert for forty years and God even sent Manna down from heaven for food when the children of Israel began to grumble. God always protected and provided for the people all the while bringing their hearts back to Him. God used Moses so much and he was a such good servant even interceding for the people when they turned back to worship false gods and idols. Moses was given the Ten Commandments and found the children of Israel worshiping idols. He broke the tablets that the commandments were on because of righteous anger and still interceded for them and God found mercy on them thru the interceding of Moses. He then had to receive another covenant of tablets after this.
Even though he was a man of God always trusting and usually obeying he was still human. He struck a rock for water when God had told him to so that the people would have water in the desert and then again when he was not instructed to because of the grumbling and complaining of the people, instead of obeying God. Because of this God did not allow him to enter the Promised Land. Moses knew that there was no sense in arguing or complaining to God because he sinned, he chose to disobey God, it was his fault. He was a man of valor, honor, meekness and strength all the way until his death. Even though he made mistakes he was used greatly by God because he listened and trusted and when he was wrong he owned up to it. He was so special to our God of Israel that God took his body and buried him in a tomb that no one knows of to this day.
In conclusion we learn that God can and will use anyone who has a heart for Him. God knows our hearts and our intentions even if we don’t see or have any idea. We see that Moses was a man of mistakes and sin just like any human being in this world today. God has to mold us and send us through the fire for His greater plan. Just like Moses we may have to go through many years and maybe even many heart aches, mistakes and long years of slow time to get to the place God wants us in order to use us. No matter what we have to remember that our sin will be dealt with, just as it was in the life of Moses and the children of Israel. It is always about Yahweh not us and we see that all throughout the life of one of the greatest leaders in the world.
God’s plan has not changed, we as humans have to remember to keep our eyes on Yahweh and seek His face and He will reveal His will to us over time that fits perfectly into His great plan.
