For the month of May we turn our hearts to motherhood. As we approach Mother’s Day, we bring you this devotional as an encouragement to be strengthened in faithfulness, trusting in the Lord and His provision, as we see in His servant Moses.
Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now.” (Nm 11:10-15, NIV)
Had you thought about Moses having to mother the people of Israel? What a job he was given! Any mother realizes that the job is too big for anyone to do alone. Moses would rather die than bear such a burden by himself. But of course he did not have to do it alone. The Lord helped him.
Yet Moses suffered. While he was praying and fasting on the mountain, terrible things happened down in the camp. There was a riot. An idolatrous cult had been formed around a golden calf which his own brother had made. In fury he smashed the stone tablets, ground the calf to a powder, and made the people drink it. Moses, the man responsible before God for this chosen tribe, has been called the most plagued of men. It was struggle from beginning to end. The people would promise obedience, and disobey. They started things and didn’t finish. When they met difficulties, they pouted and said God didn’t love them. They forgot His gracious signs and miracles of mercy. The pillar of cloud and fire, steady sign of the divine presence protecting and guiding them, they ignored. They had no idea of the greatness of their leader. They were blind, unmanageable, “stiff-necked,” faithless, lazy. When even God said “Let me destroy them!” it was Moses who took their part and stood his ground. But the test became so great that his faith failed. He disobeyed in striking the rock when he was told only to speak to it, and for this he was barred from ever entering the Promised Land.
To me, one of the most remarkable proofs of his earnestness in carrying out the charge is his continued obedience, day by day, after he had been told he would never be allowed into Canaan. It was like Job’s, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Jb 13:15, KJV). Moses was saying, “Though He punish me, yet will I obey Him.”
Isn’t it wonderful that Moses, that most plagued of men, was one of the two who appeared on the mountain to Jesus, who was very soon to take up His own bitter cross for the sake of His people? May all who bear responsibility and/or authority find strength and encouragement in Moses’ endurance and faithfulness
**Excerpt originally published in the September/October 1994 Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter.