The Life of Moses – Moses The Servant of God
Jos_1:13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, …
Moses is not the only one in the Bible to be called the servant of God, but it is amazing how many times it is said of Moses. (Ex, Num, Due, Joshua, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Ch., Neh, Daniel, Mal, and Rev).
Moses was a great servant of God but we have learned that he did not start out that way. Last week we took a look at some of the changes in Moses as he grew into a great servant of God. F.B. Meyer sums it up this way.
“Thus did the bowing reed of Midian become as a rock on which the tempest expends its force in vain. The man who had left that palace in fear strode its courts as a king, and the faith that fled before the serpent-rod become strong enough to wield the thunder bolts of heaven and to bring the land of Egypt to the very brink of destruction.” F.B. Meyer
We see a different man stand at the shores of the Red Sea and boldly declare
Exo 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Moses has been molded into a man who God is now greatly using. If a man is not careful this can go to his head. There was a famous preacher in America who God gave great success in the 60’s and 70’s. He would hold seminars for other preachers because they wanted to learn from him. But at these seminars he would say that if you could not build a church of a large size, then you were not worth your salt. Many men went home discouraged. The man forgot that God has a plan for small churches as well as large ones. That it is God that adds to the church. And that God in His sovereignty chooses to use different people in different ways.
Rom_12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
If God does decide to use us in some way, it should not go to our heads. This is not just a danger for preachers. God can use you in Sunday school, or VBS, or in helping people, or giving encouragement, or in a multitude of different ways. And when He does, He should get all of the glory.
We see a wonderful example of this in Moses.
The Servant of God gives all the glory to God
The victory has been given. The people are no longer in bondage. They are on the other side of the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army has been destroyed. The next thing that happens is Moses writes a song and the people sing it.
Exo 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The song goes from verse 1 to verse 19. We will not read the whole song today. But it is all about the Lord.
Exo 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
There is no thoughts in it but of the Lord. This song was sung to Him and about Him. It was God who had triumphed. It was His hand that did the work.
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
All the honor of victory were laid at His feet. Moses is not once referred to.
This an example of how a servant of God should handle success. Give all the glory where it belongs, and that is to God. Whatever victories we have in the Lords work are due to the Lord working in circumstances and in hearts.
Moses did not let victories go to his head. He gave God all the glory with his words. But more than that. Moses gave God the glory by doing what God told him to do.
The Servant of God does what God says
The words As the LORD commanded Moses is used over and over and over again. Lev. Chapter 8 is one of the places you can go to see this repeated many times about Moses.
Lev_8:4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev_8:9 And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lev_8:13 And Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lev_8:17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lev_8:21 And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lev_8:29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses’ part; as the LORD commanded Moses.
It did not matter how many times God told Moses to climb that mountain. Moses did as the Lord commanded. It did not matter how minute the detail of the tabernacle. Moses did not let it slide or failed to put importance on it. Moses did it.
Exo_40:16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
It is a faithful and trusting person who will do all. Even the hard things. Even the things you do not understand. Moses had learned to trust God and do all without question or hesitation. This gives all the glory to God. One of the top requirements of a servant of God is to do what God says to do. Moses gave all the glory to God with his words, and with his obedience, and also with his actions.
Moses continued to serve the people.
Moses did not let victories change his attitude or his actions. He remained a servant.
There was a preacher named George in Arvada Colorado that during the 90’s built a church up to run about 2,000. He started thinking the wrong way and had people start serving him. The people would get scheduled to come to his house and cook dinner and do the dishes. That wrong attitude can happen. Moses could have taken the attitude of where would you be without me. You owe me. You would still be in bondage if it was not for my faith and obedience. If I did not listen to God you would still be getting whipped. It is time you do something for me now. But that is not the reaction of a servant of God. Let’s take a brief look at how Moses served the people.
Served by judging the people
Exo_18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Think a moment on what this was like. You get up in the morning and hear the people’s problems all the way until lunch, and then you keep hearing their problems until evening. And then tomorrow you do it again.
It was a needed service. These people had real issues that they needed advise on. We have already seen in this series how a great number of the Israelites in Egypt had stopped following God long ago. If we can say it this way, many of them were brand new Christians. They did not know the word of God. They were still steeped in the ways of Egypt.
So Moses served. It was long tiring work. No doubt even emotionally draining. And the next day he served. And you do not hear Moses complaining about it.
His father in law noticed that it was too much a load, and the load was lightened. But the reason was not because this was an unneeded service. It was greatly needed.
And even though the load was lightened, this was an area that Moses continued to serve in. And fitting with the heart of a servant. Moses took all the hard cases.
Exo_18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Another mark of a servant of God is that you do what is needed. Even if it is hard or unpleasant.
Served by teaching the people
God has always chosen as one of His methods of teaching people, a servant who will simply repeat what God said.
Exo_24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
God also uses the writing of His word so people can learn.
Exo_24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
God used servants like Moses to write His words down so that we could have them today. I am thankful for that. I can sit down and read the Word and learn every day of the week. But we need both. We need to read the Word and we need to hear the Word preached.
Lev_8:4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev_8:5 And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.
And when you read Ex, Lev, Num, and Due, you will see that Moses did a lot of preaching. One of the reasons for this is God loves preaching. He blessing preaching.
1Co_1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1Co_1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Preaching and teaching the Word of God takes time. It takes energy. It takes prayer. It takes spending time with God. You see all of these in the life of Moses. He spent much time and effort serving the people by giving them the Word of God. And he did not use gimmicks or light shows. Moses did not add to God’s Word and he did not take away from it. He did not sugar coat it. As a servant He just faithfully gave them what God said.
Moses served by praying for the people.
You see this over and over again. In Exodus chapter 17 Moses is very old and you still see him caring about the welfare of the people and praying. In those days lifting your hand up toward heaven was something they did often when praying. Not always. The people are in a battle. And Moses lifts up the rod. A way of asking God to help with the battle.
Exo_17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
Exo_17:10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Exo_17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Exo_17:12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Moses cared so much that he held his hands up until he could not hold them up any longer. Two men helped Moses keep his hands up. Notice it does not say they took all the burden of holding Moses hands up. Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands. No doubt Moses was still exerting all he could to keep his hands up. And thanks to these men he did. It would have been a long day. Moses would have been exhausted. The pain in his arms must have burned. But the people needed him to serve by asking God for help.
This is the heart of a servant. He puts the needs of the people over his own personal comfort.
Let’s look at another one of the many times that Moses served the people in prayer. Some of the people are in rebellion again. They did it over and over again. Either in complaining, or accusing, or as in this case challenging the authority of Moses
Num_16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
Num_16:4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
This was a direct assault upon Moses’ authority. Against his leadership. It had to sting. After all that Moses had done. But you see no delay in his reaction. Moses immediately falls upon his face in prayer. He did not even take time to respond to them. Moses knew what was coming and he was praying for mercy. Mercy for those who were attacking him.
Here again you see a servant puts those he serves above his feelings or his needs. We need to understand that those we serve for God are sinners. They will hurt us from time to time. And I am not just talking about the preacher. Every member of a church is to be using his or her God given gifts to benefit the other members of the body. That is being a servant. Every one of us is to be a servant.
Face it. Some of the nice things you do for others benefit is not going to be received well. Or appreciated. And yes they might do something against you. We need to have the heart of Moses and keep serving. Keep caring. And fall on our face in prayer asking God for mercy. And like Moses with no delay. Moses did not say, I will pray for them after dinner tonight.
Serving God is hard work.
It was physical Work. Moses had to climb the mountain and then come down and then up again and do it some more.
Exo_19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Exo_19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Exo_19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
Exo_19:25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
There are many times you see where God asked Moses to get up early and get working.
Exo 34:4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
God expects His servants to work.
Serving God takes time.
Exo_24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Exo_24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Exo_24:15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
Exo_24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exo_24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
This is not the only time that Moses spent 40 days with God. And you also see Moses talking to God and praying to God and spending time with God on a daily basis.
Spending a lot of time with God is another mark of a servant of God. We cannot expect blessings upon our service for Him if we do not spend time with Him.
Conclusion
Moses was called the servant of God.
He gave God all the glory for the results.
He served by obeying what God said to do.
He served by teaching the people, by judging the people, and by praying for the people.
Moses gave his time, and hard work, for the sake of others.
He put the needs of those he served above his own feelings. He was attacked and attacked again, but he just kept on serving. Kept on caring. Kept on doing.
Exo_40:16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
May this be said of us.