Sometimes a Bible passage just hits me as powerful and mind-blowing. Today, I want to share one such idea that relates to Moses, God, and humility. Check this out:
(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) [Numbers 12:3]
The Good
God provides us through divine inspiration commentary on the character of Moses. This is incredible. Moses – more humble than anyone else on earth. That’s a bunch of humility. Here, the word recognizes His dependence upon the Lord.
As an example, think about Moses’ appearance before the burning bush. Moses remarked, “But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'” (Exodus 3:11). Moses knew that he could not do it alone. He needed the Lord’s help. God told him, “I will go with you” (Exodus 3:12).
The context of the statement regarding Moses’ humility is interesting here. This comment fits right between the story of Aaron and Miriam complaining about Moses out of jealousy and God’s intervention into the situation. God did not allow them to complain without His notice. God called them to accountability and disciplined them promptly (Numbers 12:6-13).
As an interesting side-note here: the most humble leader still has those who occasionally complain about him or her.
The Bad.
God’s testimony: Moses was the most humble.
Moses’ story: He responds out of pride and strikes the rock (Numbers 20:1-13).
It challenges my thinking as I consider Moses’ story. God says that Moses is the most humble; yet, Moses still sins and faces discipline. There are many challenges for me. Let me state them briefly:
- Humility does not mean sinless.
- God compliments Moses even though Moses is not perfect (very similar to David).
- Even on our best day, we must be aware of the temptation to move from a heart of humility to pride.
Let me share a quick example. One of the men I believed to be the most humble I had ever known proved to struggle on a particular day. In fact, most people would say how humble he was. He was known for his humility. On this particular day, I was asked to introduce him. I had prepared a few bullet-point remarks; one of which was related to his humility. Just before walking to the podium, he handed me a list of accomplishments to share with the assembled crowd. I just simply put my list in my pocket. His list didn’t have humble on it.It challenges my thinking as I consider Moses' story. God says that Moses is the most humble; yet, Moses still sins and faces discipline. There are many challenges for me. Share on X
The Ugly
God’s perspective: Moses was the most humble.
Moses’ story: Moses was imperfect, at best, even though he was humble.
Moses’ struggle: Moses’ biggest problem was his heart.
In reality, he struggled like every other person. His attitudes, words, and behavior all flowed out of his heart like the rest of us. Is it possible to see any greater or uglier example of this than at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:1-35)? Moses enjoyed 40 days of uninterrupted communication with God. He received from God the Ten Commandments. He understood the law. Literally, Moses had the Ten Commandments in his hands; the very commandments written by the finger of God and given to Moses.
40 days in deep intimacy with God… Still Moses responds in anger. This is interesting and challenging to say the least.In reality, Moses struggled like every other person. His attitudes, words, and behavior all flowed out of his heart like the rest of us. Share on X
The Challenge
Moses is the standout. Of course Christ is the only perfect example of true humility (cf., Phil 2:1-10).
You? Me?
We better strive to walk as humbly as we can with our Lord. That’s my challenge for today.
What would The Good look like in my life and your life today?
What would The Bad and The Ugly also look like?
May Christ be honored as we all seek to cling to Him as we walk through our day.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together