Bible Talks: the Story of Moses the Man of God

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Up to this point attention has been drawn to Moses’ weakness and failure. Let none suppose that this is said in the smallest disrespect of Moses — not so, but for our own profit and instruction, and to guard us lest we should make the same failures with even less excuse. God has set before us the wavering of so faithful a servant with the express purpose of guiding ourselves from the same or other failures. Humility becomes us all; none can claim to be free from failure in one form or another, and must confess that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” The failure of Moses before his service began ought not to detract from our satisfaction in seeing the honored place he merited in Israel’s history. In Numbers 12:7,87My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (Numbers 12:7‑8), the Lord testifies to His servant’s faithfulness: “My servant Moses... is faithful in all Mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold.”
“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive.” verse 18. Moses did not forget that for forty years Jethro had befriended him and before leaving for Egypt he respectfully requested his release. “And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.” His testimony before Jethro commended itself and in later years Jethro sought his company again. The Lord Himself has told us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 5:1616Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16).
Moses was informed by the word of the Lord that all that sought his life were now dead, so he took, his wife and his two sons and set out for Egypt.
God was going to put honor on Moses, but there was the dishonor to Him in the house of Moses already, and God could not pass over that. Moses had failed to put upon his sons the mark of circumcision, that which typifies the mortifying of the flesh. It seems that God’s glory was forgotten in this matter, and it appears that the wife had something to do with it. We see how the Lord dealt in His own wisdom. There never is a hindrance but through flesh; there never is a difficulty brought in to distract the faithful man of God from obedience, but God accomplishes the end, only in a far more painful way, and often by the very one who obstructs it. What a safeguard then to be childlike and subject to the Lord! How many sorrows are thus escaped! It was Zipporah herself who was obliged to do what she most hated, but God held Moses responsible. Now that God was vindicated in Moses’ household, his mission could begin. Work for God in public can only rightly follow when all is well at home.
Memory Verse: “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Nahum 1:77The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (Nahum 1:7).
ML 08/25/1968