Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward
Moses was the leader of the children of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness. He was the law-giver, the one who judged between the people and the one who consecrated the priesthood. To worldly eyes, he was in all intents and purposes a king. In fact, that was the gripe that Dathan and Abiram had with him when they joined Korah in his rebellion. They thought Moses had gotten too big for his britches. God, of course, showed them otherwise. One might look at all this and think, "Wow, what authority!" But look at these passages:
Num. 9:6-8 "And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”"
Num. 15:32-35 "While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the LORD said to Moses . . ."
Num. 27:1-5 "Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers.” Moses brought their case before the LORD."
Num. 36:2-5 "They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.” And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD"
Do you see the common thread in all of these passages? In each of these cases something came up for which God had not yet issued a commandment. Surely Moses, in his wisdom and in his place as trusted servant of God, could be trusted to make the judgment himself, right? Yet Moses never did this. In every case we see him going to God to ask, or waiting for God to speak. Moses never usurped God's authority, never added to what God had told him to say, never took anything away. When Moses spoke, he "commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the Lord."
Most of the religious world needs to relearn the humility and dedication of Moses.
2 John 1:9 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
Lucas Ward
Moses was the leader of the children of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness. He was the law-giver, the one who judged between the people and the one who consecrated the priesthood. To worldly eyes, he was in all intents and purposes a king. In fact, that was the gripe that Dathan and Abiram had with him when they joined Korah in his rebellion. They thought Moses had gotten too big for his britches. God, of course, showed them otherwise. One might look at all this and think, "Wow, what authority!" But look at these passages:
Num. 9:6-8 "And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD's offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”"
Num. 15:32-35 "While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the LORD said to Moses . . ."
Num. 27:1-5 "Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers.” Moses brought their case before the LORD."
Num. 36:2-5 "They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.” And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD"
Do you see the common thread in all of these passages? In each of these cases something came up for which God had not yet issued a commandment. Surely Moses, in his wisdom and in his place as trusted servant of God, could be trusted to make the judgment himself, right? Yet Moses never did this. In every case we see him going to God to ask, or waiting for God to speak. Moses never usurped God's authority, never added to what God had told him to say, never took anything away. When Moses spoke, he "commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the Lord."
Most of the religious world needs to relearn the humility and dedication of Moses.
2 John 1:9 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."
Lucas Ward
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