MOSES, UNDER FIRE AND FIRED UP

By Jill Roberts and Michael Canalé

 

Michael says, with regard to Moses’ view of God,

 

“Some people think God is a star. They limit Him. But God is all the stars. You can’t pinpoint God. He is everything.”

 

How did Moses continue to work hard and smart, right after God had told him that he wouldn’t be allowed to lead Israel into the Promised Land or, for that matter, to even himself enter on any basis? What prevented Moses from nursing any regret and losing interest in serving God?

 

 As Michael said, Moses did not limit God. He knew that God was “all the stars,” and, Instead of trying to pinpoint Him, he summoned all that he knew about the magnitude of God, that He was everything, and went right on with the mission for which he had been tapped all the way back to being a baby in a basket, bobbing up and down among the reeds of the Nile.

 

Michael has compelling insights into Moses’ state of mind following his receiving the news that his feet would never walk on the Land that was promised:

 

“Moses was clearly seeing his reward as the immeasurable honor of being the one God chose to lead Israel to the edge of the land of milk and honey. This reward, in his mind, was that he got to meet with, talk to and negotiate with the God of the Universe. And not just this—   He got to do all these things as an INFLUENCER! How many times did Moses pray to God, often falling on his face, and persuade the LORD to change His announced intentions to remove the Israelites from planet Earth? Several! times.”

 

For a man who had been so reluctant at the Burning Bush, don’t you think Moses’ commission to lead the Israelites and to serve this God, had more than gained traction in the heart of Moses? We must surely draw this strong inference from what happened next.

 

Almost immediately, after God’s pronouncement, Moses began to strategize on how best to deliver the Israelites as far as Moses’ role was to be. —   To the very edge of of the Promised Land.

 

Why was there a need for a strategy? It was because there were other peoples living between the Israelites’ present location and the Promised Land. A campaign would be necessary and, as stated last week, Moses began it as diplomatically as possible. A major obstacle were the Edomites.

 

Michael points out the following with regard to any such group:

 

“In the Bible, it is extremely important not to just look at a certain people. It is more telling to go back in time and see who their Scriptural ancestors were. This will show you what to expect as to the present character of the people. With the Edomites, they descended from Esau and this quickly presents a problem.”

 

As we remember, Esau was the twin brother of Jacob, the latter of whom, was to become Israel when God changed both his name and his destiny. God did not alter Esau’s name. In God’s paradigm, Esau was not bound for glory. On the other hand, Jacob was. The father of the twelve tribes of Israel, he was a major Patriarch of Israel, and thus, God’s Chosen People.

 

When Moses looked over the multitude of Israelites he was leading to the perimeter of the Promised Land, he was seeing the direct descendants of Jacob. On the other hand, when he looked toward a people who potentially stood in the way of their journey there, he saw the direct descendants of Esau.

 

Looking out on the wilderness horizon, he knew right away what to do. He would appeal to the family relationship of their forefathers, to the brotherhood of Jacob and Esau, as troubled a relationship as this was:

 

“Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the King of Edom, saying:

‘This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardships that have come on us. Our ancestors went down into Egypt and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.”

(Numbers 20:14-16) NIV

 

What an entreaty! Moses is saying, “Look, we’re family who has seen trouble, but God, Himself, has rescued us. Hear this, God is on our side. Now, knowing this, we are going to ask a favor, and here it is:”

 

“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

(Numbers 20:16-17) NIV

 

This is Moses at his best. Banned from the Promised Land, he continued to give God his top game.

 

Once again, as Michael said, in Scripture, look to a people’s ancestors and you will have a front row seat as to their character. The King of Edom shared DNA with Esau, the twin brother God had rejected. Naturally, even Moses’ reasoning and finesse may, therefore, have fallen on deaf ears:

 

“But Edom answered:

‘You may not pass through here; If you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”

(Numbers 20:18) NIV

 

Moses’ further efforts were similarly rebuffed:

 

“Again they answered:

‘You may not pass through.”

Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.”

(Numbers 20:19 -21) NIV

 

It is fair to say, that, so did God. As we continue in the Old Testament, especially in the upcoming Books of Obadiah and Ezekiel, we will see that, while God may not act immediately to right a wrong, He has a long memory.

 

In Biblical real time, the repercussions of Edom’s denial of safe passage through their land, caused significant trouble for Moses and the Israelites.

 

The route that necessarily avoided the Edomites was a major detour. They were all the way back at the Red Sea. This now extended journey caused the Israelites to become upset, once again:

 

“But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? “

(Numbers 21:4-5) NIV

 

As Michael says,

 

“The grateful people ended up in a lump sum with the ungrateful, their parents.”

 

Where did this latest rebellion take place? It happened within view of the Red Sea, the site of God’s miraculous deliverance, the location where Moses raised his arm and staff and where the water parted from itself and the Israelites parted company with their enslavers, who parted company with their lives.

 

How are we so often cut out of exactly the same fabric as these Israelites! We grumble about one thing or another, while our greatest blessings and miracles are right in front of us. God help us to open our eyes when our parted Red Seas are within our presence, within our histories, if only we would look, if only we would remember.

 

The irony of the Israelites complaining, while on the banks of the Red Sea, was certainly not lost on God. He didn’t wait for Moses to fall on his face, once again. He reacted to the Israelites‘ complaints immediately, sending venomous snakes whose bites killed many.

 

This retribution by God had its intended effect The Israelites repented and Moses prayed for them.

 

God then remedied the situation by having Moses make a snake and put it on a bronze pole. One look at this would heal an otherwise fatal snakebite.

 

Moses…there is no end to his faithfulness or his trouble. After the Edomites refused to let the Israelites pass through, he felt a much greater sting of loss as Aaron passed on from this world. While God reiterated that, due to his rebellion with Moses at the striking of the rock incident, he would not enter the Promised Land, there can be no doubt as to Aaron’s favorable eternal disposition.

 

Passing on to that reward on Mount Hor with Moses and with Aaron’s son, Eleazar, present, Aaron’s priestly garments were removed and placed on Eleazar. The record of Scripture is that, upon learning of Aaron’s death, “…all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.” (Numbers 21:29) NIV

 

Now, Moses’ sister, Miriam, and his strong partner and brother, Aaron, were both gone. Trusting God for their eternities, Moses grew even more devoted to God and the mission He had chosen Moses to carry out.

 

Battles would follow, but God gave Moses and the Israelites victory.

 

Finally,

 

“…the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.”

(Numbers 22:1) NIV

 

What a verse this is! What a moment! After everything that had gone before, Moses and the Israelites had arrived across from the city of Jericho, itself inside the Promised Land. At first blush, it would appear that the only thing yet to cross was the Jordan River. But then, God had much preparation remaining before His Chosen People would be ready for that day of days.

 

And on whom would God be counting to lead in this last lesson? It would be faithful Moses,

 

Michael closes us out this week with words about why God felt comfortable in trusting Moses, a Moses denied entry to the Land to which he was preparing the Israelites to go.

 

“Moses was more honored to be the chosen one, God’s man to lead.  He looked beyond even the land of milk and honey. He saw his closeness to God, that he was the God-honored one of his time, and his soul was satisfied. He knew his God well, the God who is fascinating, faithful and true.”