Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Deuteronomy 32:51 . . . because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.
LIKE MOSES, LIKE JESUS
Moses is one of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament. His life was filled with intrigue, danger, and wonders-- some beyond our comprehension! Our Lord watched over him every second of his life even in miraculous ways at times, just like He does for us! When Pharaoh decreed that the male children of the Israelites should be killed, his mother was led by the Spirit to place him in a basket and set it afloat on the Nile River. Miraculously Pharaoh's sister found him and thought one of the Egyptian gods had sent him to her and she raised him as her own. In time Moses became aware of who and what he was and left Egypt and went to Midian where he married Zipporah. While there, God spoke to him in the burning bush. He was sent back to Egypt as God's messenger and leader of the Israelites. The Lord used Moses to lead the Children of Israel through the parted Red Sea and then to Mt. Sinai, where God gave them the Ten Commandments. Moses was the writer of the Torah! We're familiar with his life.
But maybe something we're not as familiar with is that Moses was also a type or foreshadowing of Jesus and His earthly ministry. As God called Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt and bring them to the Promised Land of Canaan, Jesus delivered us from the slavery of sin and brings us to the Promised Land of eternal life! As Moses was a prophet and spoke the Word of God to the Israelites, Jesus is the Word who became flesh and lived among us. He proclaims the Words of Life!
You'd think that with all the Lord accomplished through him that Moses must've been a spiritual superman. But that's not the case. He was weak, reluctant, disobedient, prideful-- a sinner just like us! Consider the incident at Meribah Kadesh when he struck the Rock in anger. It had serious consequences. Both he and Aaron wouldn't be allowed to enter the Promised Land ("because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites . . . and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites"). We, like Moses, are sinners, but the Lord still works in us and through us to accomplish His purpose! The greatest purpose and highest love we can show is to be concerned enough about others to share with them Jesus their Savior!
