“Don’t Worry”

I’ve often been struck by the title given to Moses as the meekest man on earth…. meek not meaning ”milk-toast”, but simply trusting that God has your back.  Moses didn’t defend himself, he trusted God to defend him. 

While there are a number of passages that support this truth, there is one that really shows how the Lord was taking care of Moses. It’s the time that his brother Aaron and sister Miriam tried to undermine Moses and grab some of the spotlight. “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses … they complained, “Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks? Does he not speak through us also?” (Num. 12:1-13)

Well, the Lord was listening and was not happy that anyone was trying to undermine his man. The Lord didn’t mince words as he brought the hammer down on Aaron & Miriam. Listen to this:  “And the Lord heard this. Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth. So at once the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the meeting tent.” And the three of them went. Then the Lord came down in the column of cloud, and standing at the entrance of the tent, called Aaron and Miriam. When both came forward, he said, “Now listen to the words of the Lord: Should there be a prophet among you,/ in visions will I reveal myself to him,/ in dreams will I speak to him;/ not so with my servant Moses!/ 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. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?” (ibid)

The Lord was not going to allow his dear son Moses to get pushed around. God first spoke about what a great man Moses was and how he “bears the Lord’s trust….. and how God speaks to him “face to face”…. and how he beholds the presence of the Lord. The Lord was not happy that Moses was being disrespected. “So angry was the Lord against them that when he departed, and the cloud withdrew from the tent, there was Miriam, a snow-white leper! (Ibid)

While Miriam was turned into a snow-white leper, I’m sure that Aaron’s hair probably turned white or fell out. Yet Moses, being such a kind and humble man, interceded for both of them and they were returned to their regular state. 

I love this passage because it shows how fiercely God loves and protects his sons and daughters. In this case of Moses, it happened pretty quickly. In most other cases, it seems to take more time…sometimes a long time. But the key is that God fiercely defends all his children. God didn’t just have Moses’ back, he has our back. 

So, let’s be confident that in the perfect time and place the Lord will fiercely defend each of us. We are especially counting on this at the moment of death when he pronounces “this is my servant who bears my trust…. well done good and faithful servant enter in to the joy of you master”. Wow what good news.