Lesson no. 3: With great power comes great accountability
As humble and submissive Moses was to God’s commandments, he was still human and bound to commit mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes of Moses is his rebellious act against God in Kadesh.
The Israelite people were hard-headed and had proven to be naturally hostile against the commandments of God. Because of this, God told them that they will wander in the wilderness for 40 years. When the right time comes, they arrived at the land called Kadesh, the same place where the Israelites rebelled against God 40 years ago.
These four decades have been very difficult for Moses as the leader of the Israelites. Now, the Israelites have not changed even after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. They gathered together and complained to Moses that they had no water.
We will never come to a point in our life that we are too perfect, and we don’t have anything to learn.
After so many years of enduring the rebellious and stiff-necked attitude of the Israelites, Moses finally had it. He was fed up with their habitual complaining to the point that he went down to the children of Israel’s level.
According to the Book of Numbers chapter 20 and verse 8, when the children of Israel needed water, God gave a very specific and easy instruction to Moses. God commanded Moses to simply take the rod, gather the assembly, and speak to the rock so the people will see. However, Moses, at this time, did not follow the specific instructions of God. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock not once, but twice!
This incident costed Moses his chance of entering the Promised Land. God said to him and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to honor Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (Numbers 20:12).
God is very particular with the instructions and warnings He gives to His people. It is not that Moses did not have faith that God was able to bring water out, but he might not have believed the seriousness of God’s instructions. He might have thought that his closeness to God and his position gave him some leeway.
We must realize that those who are in leadership position are held in a stricter accountability. It doesn’t mean that if you are a leader, you don’t miss it once in a while in following God’s instructions but leaders especially in the church, family, and community are expected to set the right example for everyone else to follow.
Because Moses let his anger and emotion got the best of him, he became a bad example to the congregation of God. This should also tell us something: we are never too old to be tested. We will never come to a point in our life that we are too perfect and we don’t have anything to learn. No matter who you are and no matter what position you are in, no one is exempted in obeying God’s commandments. Therefore, we must all learn the BIG THREE WORDS IN GOD’S KINGDOM – AND THAT IS “ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS”!
Lessons no. 4: Choose the treasures of heaven rather than the treasures of this world
Though born as a slave, Moses was wrapped with a garment that only royalties use from the day he was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter. He grew up in the royal palace of Egypt and become one of the mightiest men in the land. He instantly gained all the riches he could ever wish for and a comfortable life that any slave would dream of.
With all these earthly pleasures and treasures, Hebrews 11:24-27 has this to say about Moses: “It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king’s daughter. He preferred to SUFFER WITH GOD’S PEOPLE rather than to enjoy sin for a little while. He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward. It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back” (BBE).
Moses knew that there is more to life than meets the eye. He used his eyes of faith to recognize that the true treasures are not found on earth, but in heaven.
Jesus Christ commands Christians today:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19).
WE MUST ASK OURSELVES: What occupies our life today? Is it about money-making? Are we so obsessed with earning a living that we forget what truly matters in our lives? How easy it is for us to be fooled by the riches of this world.
Jesus asked us a very important question that we must all ponder upon in Matthew 16:26;
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul”
As Christians, our worth is not found in physical success. Our worth is found in the eyes of God. We need to contend for the presence of God 24/7.
We need to remember that we will all one day stand before the judgment seat of God. He will not ask us about how much money we have in the bank or what model of car we drive. He will not ask us how beautiful our house is. On that day, He will judge us according to our works and whether we have really made God our top priority.
So be like Moses. Though he has the chance to a comfortable life, he chose to suffer for the glory of God. Therefore, lay treasures in heaven, not on earth.
Lesson no. 5: Develop a personal relationship with God
Like any other faithful men and women, Moses had a very close relationship with God. We need to realize that it is impossible to be faithful to God if we don’t have a close relationship with Him. Faith will start with establishing an intimate relationship with God.
There are at least two verses that testify the closeness of Moses to God: “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11)
Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.
Imagine if the same words would be used to describe ourselves. It would really be incredible. Yet, we see that Moses remained humble, even when he had gained all in Egypt – which is something that made him even closer to God.
Like in the life of Moses, God is interested more than anything else to be closer to each and every one of us. God initiates the relationship as in John 6:44 which says; “44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is up to us how we will respond to His calling.
Once we answer God’s calling, we need to nourish and enrich our spiritual relationship with God. Jesus commanded us in Matthew 22:37; “You shall love the LORD your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind”
In order for us to really develop a strong relationship with God, we are expected to TOTALLY surrender our lives to Him – 100%. This means with every ounce of our being. We need to be ready to follow the perfect will of God in our lives.
When we develop a close relationship with God, all things will fall into its right place.
Like a man courting a lady, we need to be strongly interested in knowing God. Our relationship with God will never grow without spending time with Him. We can spend time with God through prayer and Bible study. We talk to God through prayer and God talks to us through His Holy Spirit to our spirit man or as we study the Bible. We also need to occasionally fast to further move closer to God. (See my message about “fasting” online)
The most important things in this life are really not physical things, but it is our spiritual relationship with God. This will surely make our life worth living for. At the end of the day, nothing else will matter but how close have we grown closer to God.
Conclusion
Moses’ life teaches us vital lessons that will not only benefit us physically but also spiritually. Pray to God that He will grant you wisdom and the courage to apply these lessons in your everyday life.
Click on the links below to see our recent posts on demand…
