Being "Like Moses"

And the Lord heard it.  Numbers 12:2b

Being "Like Moses"
By Rev. William Dohle

A few years ago, back when we lived in Montana, I had one of "those conversations" with a parishoner.

"Pastor," he said over lunch that day.  "My wife and I are going to start attending the church up the street."
"Okay," I said.  "Can I ask you why?"
"Well, pastor... we need a leader like Moses.  You're not Moses, obviously, but we someone like him who will part the Red Sea and lead us out of slavery and that..."
"Okay..."

A leader like Moses... I left that conversation wondering if he really knows who Moses was and what his leadership was like.  Or whether he just wants someone who'll be a Charleton Heston figure in his life...a popular, charismatic person who'll tell him what to do and boldly go forth with hoards of people behind him.

If that's what kind of leader he wants... that's not Moses.  Not at all.

Moses was a murderer...one quality that would have been a disqualifier today if he had pursued the ministry.
Moses was a coward...he ran away.
Moses didn't want the job...he gave excuse after excuse to God.
Moses didn't know how to speak...imagine a sermon where the preacher whispered his sermon in his brother's ear and his brother relayed the message.
And... most of all...
Moses was extremely unpopular!

It's this last quality that really gets me.  Moses was unpopular.

In our day, we rate a leaders ability based on their popularity.  "People really like you, pastor," is a good sign and "people are struggling with your leadership" is a bad one.  In today's world, we decide things based on a vote or consensus of everyone.  No affirmative vote, no decision.  And, in today's world, you can be kicked out of office(any office) if enough people dislike you.

That wasn't the case in Moses' day...and for good reason too.  Moses was extremely unpopular!

Chapter 11 of Numbers talks about the people's complaints against Moses...how terrible the food was and such.  In the twelfth chapter of Numbers, Aaron and Miriam, Moses' siblings, join the people in criticizing Moses.

"Has the Lord spoken only through Moses," they said.  "Has he not spoken through us also?" (Num. 12:2

This time we're told "And the Lord heard it."

Without delay, the three of them are called out...and God speaks in defense of his servant.

"Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.
Not so with my servant Moses;
he is entrusted with all my house.
With him I speak face to face--clearly, not in riddles;
and he beholds the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" (Num. 12:6-9)

Moses and Aaron both repent...but the fact remains.  Everyone had turned against Moses.  Everyone except God!  God still stood with him even when his entire people were against him.

Moses wasn't great because he was popular....or mighty...or any of the other qualities we ascribe to our leaders today.  Moses was great because the Lord had his back!

This story gives me hope.  I struggle with popularity.  On the one hand, we serve the people and if the people need something, we need to work to fulfill that need.  On the other hand...we work for God and some decisions won't be the most popular and we have to learn to live with them.  And if someone wants us to be "like Moses" then they need to understand that Moses wasn't the best character in the world BUT Moses was loved and cherished and chosen by God.

And that's what made him great!

So the next time you see one of your leaders struggling to work for God in a world ruled by popularity, stop and tell them thanks!  Thanks for standing up for what is right, despite the cost.  Thanks for being who they are.  Thanks for doing what may not be the most popular in order to do what is right.

Lord, you chose Moses and set him apart and loved him and came to his defense.  Do the same for us that we might stand up for what is right in this world, no matter what!  Amen!