The Life of Moses

Today I am reflecting on the life of Moses. I am preparing curriculum for the next quarter in my class and I have been reading through Numbers and Deuteronomy. Numbers and Deuteronomy are two of my favorite books – because they give such great insight and narrative to my favorite Bible character not named Jesus. Here is what I love about Moses: the man is fallible enough for me to identify with him, yet Godly enough for me to strive to be like him. I want desperately to have Moses appear here in 2005 so I can go get a cup of coffee and just talk with him for a long time.

Moses life breaks down into three 40 year periods. The first 40 years he was living in Egypt as Pharaoh’s grandson, the second 40 years, he was a shepherd in the desert, and the last 40 he led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, into the wilderness to the edge of the Promised Land.

I grew up going to Church and going to Sunday school every week. I learned a lot about Moses in Sunday school – how he was put into a basket as a baby and floated down the river and was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. I heard lots and lots of stories about he plagues, Passover, crossing the Red Sea, the 10 Commandments and Mt. Sinai – I learned a lot about Moses – but there is so much more!

Let me share one of my favorite stories and my reflections on it:

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you, I the LORD make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams. Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house.
With him I speak face to face—clearly, not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed. When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam and saw that she was leprous. Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us for a sin that we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like one stillborn, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb.” And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her.” But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days; and the people did not set out on the march until Miriam had been brought in again. After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. (Numbers 12, NRSV).

Reflections:
• Aaron and Miriam are clearly angry at Moses for marrying a Cushite, but there also seems to be a deal of jealousy mixed in. I think they feel like Moses gets all the credit – and the LORD speaks through “us” also.
• Verse three has always struck me: “Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Wow, what an amazing statement! This is one of those statements that make me strive to be like Moses. The man is humble and that fact is about to be played out a few verses later.
• God hears the complaining, and calls these three to a little meeting and says basically – when there are prophets I speak to them in visions and dreams, but I speak to Moses face to face – be careful who you complain about. Then God struck Miriam with a skin disease.
• Aaron gets freaked out and pleads with Moses not to be punished. Here is where I see Moses humility: Moses intercedes for Miriam (who had just been complaining about him) and asks for her healing. I am struck by Moses in this story because as Aaron and Miriam complain against Moses several things are going on:
o The complaints are an attack on Moses’ credibility as a leader.
o The complaints are hurtful because they come from Moses’ own family, those closest to him.
o The complaints are personal, because they are mixed with envy and jealousy.
o The complaints are unfounded – there is no cause for complaint against Moses.
• With all those things stacked up, if I were Moses, I would be hurt, angry, confused, etc. And Moses may have experienced all those things as well, but as opportunity for Moses’ reprisal arises – Moses seeks healing instead of retribution. Awesome, may God grant me a measure of Moses’ humility and grace.