Last week, I finished an in-depth study of Genesis. Next up, naturally, is a deep-dive into Exodus. Both books are written by the same human author, but Moses did not appear in Genesis because the events depicted happened before he was born; it was only by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that he was able to pen so many details. When you come to Exodus, however, Moses’ birth is the first major event depicted, and from then on he becomes the central figure in the book, as well as in the remaining books of the Pentateuch. Without going into detail about Moses’ life (not yet anyway; those devos are coming, I’m sure), just consider the man in general, and what a bundle of little contradictions he was…
Moses was impulsive, killing a man without any regard for the consequences (Exodus 2)…and yet, he was also incredibly patient, pleading with God on behalf of the spoiled, faithless people he led out of Egypt (Numbers 14), earning the distinction of being the meekest man ever to live (Numbers 12)…And yet, he was also fierce in his temperament, such when he destroyed the original ten commandments in the middle of a tirade against Israel for their idolatry (Exodus 32)….and yet he was incredibly merciful, such as when he pleaded with God to spare the people after they complained about his leadership (Numbers 21).
In short, Moses was “real.” That’s what he was. He was a real human being who lived a real human life. His life was extraordinary, no doubt, but the man himself was flesh and blood, prone to mood swings, mistakes, and a myriad of self-contradictions, just like all of us. He was flawed, but loyal to God.
That’s about all any of us can hope to be.
~Matthew