The Meekness of Moses

In the book of Numbers we read this parenthetical description about Moses: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).  This was evident in Moses’s response to his initial call to the ministry: “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10).  Unlike most modern leaders, he was quick to acknowledge before the Lord his weakness and his feelings of inadequacy.  Though he was one who was ultimately given great power to lead the vast throng of the children of Israel, he humbly recognized his place before the Lord. 

               The meekness of Moses was likely founded in his understanding of eternal truths.  In his great vision given to him by the Lord he was permitted to see the grandeur of God and the glory of his creations.  He saw the Lord face to face and heard His voice declare: “Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years.”  He then saw a part of these endless creations: “And Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered.”  All of this caused him to feel that his own small existence and abilities were of little significance compared to God’s greatness: “He said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. But now mine own eyes have beheld God” (Moses 1:8, 10-11).  This understanding of his own nothingness when compared to God must have helped him remain meek even when he accomplished mighty miracles through God’s power.  He knew where real power came from. 

               We also see the meekness of Moses in one instance in his life after the children of Israel were led out of bondage.  When Jethro, his father-in-law, came and visited Moses and the camp of Israel, he observed this behavior of Moses: “Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.”  Moses was spending all day—presumably day after day—hearing the issues of the people.  He described to Jethro: “When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”  He was not an arrogant leader who didn’t have time for the lowly among the people; rather, he was willing to give up the majority of his time to serve them in the best way he knew how.  Surely that in an of itself was a manifestation of his meekness and love.  But he also exhibited great meekness in the way that he responded to Jethro’s subsequent counsel: “The thing that thou doest is not good…. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee.”  Jethro told Moses that he should create a more organized system with various levels of leaders who could help to judge the people and teach them so that Moses did not have to do it all himself.  We read that “Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said” (Exodus 18:13, 16-19, 24).  Moses could have easily been irked by the fact that his father-in-law was telling him what to do—wasn’t he the Lord’s anointed and prophet called to the lead the people?  But Moses was meek, and he listened to the wise counsel he was given.  Surely if Moses was this humble before the Lord and other men—he who performed great miracles in Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and spoke face to face with God—then how much more need have each of us to likewise cultivate lives of meekness.