Treasures New and Old

Christian Convictions: Leaders: A Look at Moses

-Author unknown

As we continue this series of studies, I thought it prudent in this article to remind you of the Seven Disciples’ Principles that we should remember and observe (as in guard, hold important).

Seven Principles Recap:

1) We must always strive to be like Him and understand that we can never be better than Him

2) Always remember that Christ is our Master – others may be teachers or counselors, or brethren, but He is our Master

3) The Master is coming back and will ask for an accounting

4) Hold fast to the truth, don’t stray, avoid the gray areas

5) Disciples serve one another – as our Master gave example

6) Stay in the Master’s Book

7) Be a vessel of honor

Looking at God’s Standard for Leaders:

• God does not look at leaders as we do. We want our leaders to be on the top of the pyramid, those who stand out and have charismatic qualities in order to get others to follow them.

• God has a totally different standard to measure a person and that includes leaders. He expects those who lead to first be servants. God does not look on the outward appearance, but on the inward man: 1 Samuel 16:7: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

• When the disciples were arguing between themselves who would be greatest among them, Jesus had to rebuke them for their lack of understanding how God chooses a person:

Matthew 20:25-28: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

• The prophet Isaiah said this of Jesus Himself: Matthew 12:17-21: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”

Does Moses Qualify as a Leader?

First – Moses rejected ungodly power and position in life choosing rather to suffer with his people:

• Hebrews 11:24-27: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”

Second –  Moses was humble:

• Numbers 12:3: “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”

Third – Moses was faithful to God:

• Numbers 12:7: “My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.”

• Hebrews 3:1-2: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”

• Moses was being compared to Jesus Christ in his faithfulness in the above passage in Hebrews.
  

Fourth – Moses knew when to call on God for help:

• Exodus 17:4: “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.”
  

Fifth – Moses knew how to worship God:

• Exodus 3:1-6:
  

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

• Exodus 33:7-11:
  

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again unto the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Sixth – Moses taught the people God’s truth:

• Hebrews 9:19: “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,”

• Exodus 19:7: “And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.”
  

• Deuteronomy 4:44-45: “And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel: These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt,”

Seventh – Like us, Moses was afraid of things. Consider these passages:

• Acts 7:20-22: “In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”
  

• Exodus 4:10: “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a a slow tongue.”
  

• So Moses was actually mighty in words and deeds and, yet, he told God that he was slow of speech and slow of tongue. As we read the rest of the chapter in Exodus 4, God becomes angry with Moses and allows Aaron to be his spokesman. But God would speak to Moses as to what to say and Moses would convey that to Aaron who would speak to the people. Sound familiar? A fear of man in some form exists in all of us, and Moses was no exception. I get the impression that he did not really want to go to Egypt until God convinced him otherwise.
  

Many more things we could add about Moses:

One would need to read the first five books of the Bible and different passages in the New Testament to get a complete composite picture of this great man of God. But we have chosen to select just these seven characteristics of Moses in order to build a caricature of what a godly leader might look like. He is one of many examples in the Bible that God has allowed us to see and to emulate.

We can also strive to emulate leaders like Moses and even benefit and learn from their mistakes and flaws (which Moses did indeed have). Let’s summarize what we have gleaned about Moses:

1) Are we willing to reject ungodly power and the prestige of this world in order to serve God? Are we willing to identify with God’s people first?

2) Are we humble? God does not measure us as the world does. He cannot use a proud heart, but a humble one. Note these Beatitudes that speak to various aspects of humility: Matthew 5:3-12:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

3) Are you faithful? Have you made commitments to God and carried them out? Have you purposed to live a chaste life, one pleasing to God?

4) How’s your prayer life? Do you know when to cry out to God for help, wisdom, direction, intervention, intercession, and protection? Our prayer life is how we talk to God “face to face” like Moses (only through a glass darkly.)

5) Do you know how to conduct true worship? Is your heart fully God’s? We are to worship Him in “spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). We are to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind (Luke 10:27).

6) Are you walking in God’s truth and able to share that truth with others? We are to stand on God’s truth and principles. If we are to be godly leaders, this aspect is very important.

7) Do we fear man more than we fear God? Hebrews 13:6: “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

We are called to take on the same mind of a servant like that of Moses, one of the greatest men mentioned in the Bible by God’s standards:

• John 13:12-17: “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, Verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
  

Maranatha!

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

References

Kress, J. (2021). On Being a Disciple – Seven Principles.

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