We consider three evidences of Moses’selflessness.
He was free from personal ambition. Following Israel’s great sin of worshipping the calf (and repeated later, Num. 14. 12), God made Moses a very attractive offer. To be head of his own, great and mighty, nation he needed only to refrain from interceding on Israel’s behalf. Israel did not know what had become of him, but he cared passionately what would become of them. For their sake, he had once refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; now for their sake he refused an even greater honour.
He was willing to listen to others and to accept advice from them. Jethro observed that Moses’ habit of personally judging all legal cases by himself would cause him to ‘wear (lit ‘fade’) away’. Jethro proposed that Moses delegate minor matters to other, suitably qualified, men. Moses did so.
He was free from envy. When two prophets remained in the camp, Joshua advised Moses, ‘Forbid them’. Moses reply was exemplary, ‘Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets’. He was overjoyed that God had raised up two more helpers. With no trace of envy or self-pity, he later ungrudgingly passed on his office to Joshua, Deut. 31. 7-8.
His meekness. The man who was himself free from envy became the object of envy on more than one occasion. Once that envy came from Miriam and Aaron. They soon discovered (as Israel recently had, and soon would again, Num. 11. 1; 14. 27) that God has very good hearing! Moses was as outstanding in his meekness as he was in his prophetic office, Num. 12. 3, 6-8. His righteous anger often blazed forth when God’s glory was at stake, but when it was his own, he was wonderfully silent. Yet, as Moses was jealous over God’s honour, so was God over his. Even his own sister and brother were not permitted to undervalue or slight him. When Miriam was smitten by leprosy, it was Moses who cried to the Lord for her restoration. The man who had once prayed to deliver his brother from God’s judgment, Deut. 9. 20, now did the same for his sister. The man who had been sorely wounded by her tongue, secured her healing with his.
Lord, give me victory over myself.
