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THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES |
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by
Doug Ward |
When we pray the words, "Hallowed be your name,"
we are voicing our desire that everyone would come to acknowledge the God of
Israel as King of the Universe. We are also praying that we would be proper
representatives of God in order to play some part, if possible, in bringing
about this result.
To
better comprehend what it means to be our Father's representatives, it is
helpful to study the life of Moses. Along with his brother Aaron, Moses
appeared before the powerful Pharaoh of Egypt as an envoy of God (Exod 7:1-2). Leading the fledgling nation of Israel, he
continually had to weigh the impact of his actions on public perceptions of God.
There is therefore much to learn from Moses' successes-and his one major
failure-in hallowing God's name.
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Confronting
Crises |
Moses faced a major crisis just a few months after Israel's
departure from Egypt. While he was receiving instruction from God on Mt. Sinai,
the people quickly fell into idolatry, constructing and worshiping a golden
calf (Exod 32:1-8).
At
this point God offered to destroy the rebellious Israelites and begin a new
nation through Moses: "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn
hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great
nation of you" (v. 10).
Moses
must have been shocked and dismayed at Israel's apostasy, but he did not accept
the offer. Giving highest priority to God's reputation among the nations, he
begged forgiveness for his people, appealing to the Abrahamic
covenant (vv. 11-14).
Here
we would be misreading the text to suppose that God had lost control and Moses
was forced to "calm him down." Indeed, the Torah elsewhere states
that God, for the sake of his reputation, would never destroy his people (Deut
32:26-27). If God's intention had been to wipe out Israel, he would not have
invited input from Moses. Instead, the offer to Moses served two purposes: (1)
It emphasized the gravity of Israel's offense; and (2) it tested Moses,
providing an opportunity for Israel's leader to rise to the occasion and
demonstrate his strength of character. Moses passed the test with flying
colors, showing his desire to further the divine plan and sanctify the name of
the Lord.
A
year later a second crisis erupted. After spies sent to gather information
about the land of Canaan brought back a negative report, the fearful Israelites
openly rebelled, threatening to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt (Num
14:1-4). God then repeated his earlier offer to Moses: "I will strike them
with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation
greater and mightier than they" (v.12).
Israel
was camped just days away from the Promised Land, and Moses was deeply
disappointed that his countrymen lacked the faith to move forward and claim the
blessings awaiting them there. Even so, he again thought first of God's
standing in the eyes of the world (vv. 13-16). Moses continued to intercede for
the Israelites, modeling the patience and mercy that he knew were essential
characteristics of God's nature (vv. 17-19). Those who witnessed Moses' actions
then, and those who have heard or read about them through the centuries since,
have received a powerful testimony to God's goodness and steadfast love. God's
name was hallowed through the selfless leadership of Moses.
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Failure
and Faithfulness |
Israel was sentenced to wander in the wilderness for forty years
(vv. 26-35). By the end of this period, Moses must have had high hopes for the
new generation of Israelites that had grown to maturity during the intervening
years. He had invested much effort in their training.
So
it was disheartening for Moses to see the second generation begin to repeat
some of the sins of their parents. The people's demands for water (Num 20:2-5)
were reminiscent of complaints he had heard forty years earlier (Exod 17:1-7). "Here we go again," he may have
thought. Had the older generation, including his sister Miriam (Num 20:1), died
in vain?
In
fact, the younger generation was different. The grain, figs and pomegranates
that they craved (Num 20:5) were the fruits of the Promised Land (Num 13:23;
Deut 8:8). Rather than being afraid to travel to Canaan, this generation was
impatient to get there. God in this situation did not deem Israel to be worthy
of severe punishment. He directed Moses to speak to a rock, from which water
would then flow (v. 7).
Moses,
however, delivered a harsh reprimand to the people and struck the rock twice
instead of speaking to it (vv. 10-11). He failed to hallow God's name (v. 12)
by (1) not giving God credit for the miracle; and (2) giving an inappropriately
stern rebuke rather than the patient response God had authorized. For this
failure Moses and Aaron were denied the opportunity to lead the nation into the
Promised Land.
As
the fortieth year progressed, Moses prayed that God would reverse his judgment,
but God declined to do so (Deut 3:23-29). Moses' angry response to the younger
generation's complaints may indicate a failure to connect with that generation.
At age one hundred and twenty, he may have lacked the patience necessary to
oversee the conquest of Canaan.1
But
Moses does not seem to have spent time brooding over his failure. During the
final months of his life, he conveyed to his people the rich body of
instruction recorded in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses' final discourse
compellingly communicates the righteousness and wisdom of God (see Deut 4:4-8).
He continued teaching until his death, causing God's name to be sanctified once
again.
Although
we may not be heads of state, as Moses was, our examples do make a difference.
Others are watching our actions. Our good deeds can make a positive impression,
and our sins can create stumbling blocks. We will fail sometimes, but it is
important not to be defeated by our failures. Each day brings a new opportunity
to sanctify God's name. Remember the instruction of Jesus: "Let your light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:16).
1On
this point see the discussion by Mosheh
Lichtenstein in Moses: Envoy of
God, Envoy of His People, KTAV
Publishing, Jersey City, 2008.
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 25 Jul 2015, 10:02.
