“Moses, The Meekest Of Men”

Originally Posted August 5, 2021

Meekness is often considered a weakness….”wishy washy…going along with anything, Casper Milk Toast….”. A better definition is “strength under control” …. “allowing God to defend you”. 

Moses was called the meekest man on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12:3) In today’s reading the brother and sister of Moses tried to push him around….complaining that “hey, God speaks thru us also…he’s not so hot”. They learned immediately that God defends the meek who trust in him. Almighty God spoke quickly and clearly about the greatness of Moses. Of Moses the Lord said, “ throughout my house he bears my trust… face to face I speak to him, plainly and not in riddles… the presence of the Lord he beholds.” (Numbers 12:1-13)  

God then put Aaron and Miriam in their place afflicting Miriam with snow-white leprosy. Don’t mess with the Lord’s anointed. When the meek allow their God to defend them, they are defended indeed. 

Moses was a great man. After that magnificent honoring by God himself and that drastic punishment against his complainers, Moses next shows his kindness, humility and love. Seeing Miriam’s leprosy, Moses cries to the Lord, “Please not this! Pray, heal her.” After all of this, including their sin against him, Moses goes to bat for them. His love has not wavered. Wow, what a man of God…what a great man….Moses , the meekest man on the face of the earth. 

Today, the culture lines up to tear down our heroes, trying to find a flaw to focus on…. no one is safe. We need to be careful to not become the latest critic of today’s men and women seeking to do God’s will or the saints and holy people of old. Smugly we can make snide comments about the saints…. “what about ole Peter’s impulsiveness … jumping out of the boat and then sinking…chuckle, chuckle, he should have thought that thru a bit more…snicker, snicker.” Sitting on my fat +#%$?, I can become the classic Monday morning quarterback. Who canonized me? Last time I looked, I still don’t have a chapter in Butler’s Lives of the Saints.

I always liked Charlton Heston as Moses in the epic movie, The Ten Commandments”, but ole Chuck seemed a bit miscast; he doesn’t seem that meek and he spoke with a powerful voice whereas the real Moses apparently had some trouble speaking. Regardless of that we can learn that it’s a lot better having God defend us than trying to defend ourselves. Let’s ask the Lord to help us grow in meekness. And Moses, please pray for us.