Today’s Readings: Psalm 69; Exodus 32:21-34; Luke 18:31-43; Philippians 1:1-11
If you were to ask me who my favorite person from the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament is, I wouldn’t hesitate long before I would give you my answer: Moses. Most folks probably wouldn’t be too surprised by my answer since Moses is considered by many to be one of the greatest figures of the Hebrew Scriptures. After all he was the one who led the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. He (and not Charlton Heston) was also the individual who brought The Ten Commandments to the people. Tradition also credits Moses as the driving force behind the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). By most objective measures Moses has greatness stamped all over him. None of these accomplishments are the reasons I look up to Moses, however. I look up to Moses primarily because of his character. For instance, I can relate to him since – like Moses – I too am rather impulsive (remember how he got angry at the Egyptian abusing the Israelites and struck the Egyptian down in a fit of self-righteous anger). I also admire Moses for his profound sense of humility (when God called him to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of God’s people Moses initially balked because he didn’t feel up to the task). And today’s passage from Exodus gave me another reason for admiring Moses. He embodied for me what a good leader looks like. When Moses went up the mountain to be with God and the people responded to his absence by making the Golden Calf, most leaders would have responded by distancing themselves from the people and putting all of the blame on either Aaron or the people. Not Moses. In defending the people to God, Moses cried out: “And now, if you will only forgive their sin… But if not, erase me out of the book you’ve written [emphasis added]” (Exodus 32:32 from The Message). His love and concern for God’s people caused Moses to be willing to put it all on the line. What a refreshing change during this political season when most folks seem to define leadership as the ability to blame others (the Democrats/the Republicans, the President, Congress) for the current crises. So which person in Scripture do you look up to? What qualities does that person embody? Once you answer those questions, I would invite you to put the list of those qualities you admire somewhere where you can see them and make a point of working toward embodying those values yourself. Til next time…
If you were to ask me who my favorite person from the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament is, I wouldn’t hesitate long before I would give you my answer: Moses. Most folks probably wouldn’t be too surprised by my answer since Moses is considered by many to be one of the greatest figures of the Hebrew Scriptures. After all he was the one who led the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. He (and not Charlton Heston) was also the individual who brought The Ten Commandments to the people. Tradition also credits Moses as the driving force behind the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). By most objective measures Moses has greatness stamped all over him. None of these accomplishments are the reasons I look up to Moses, however. I look up to Moses primarily because of his character. For instance, I can relate to him since – like Moses – I too am rather impulsive (remember how he got angry at the Egyptian abusing the Israelites and struck the Egyptian down in a fit of self-righteous anger). I also admire Moses for his profound sense of humility (when God called him to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of God’s people Moses initially balked because he didn’t feel up to the task). And today’s passage from Exodus gave me another reason for admiring Moses. He embodied for me what a good leader looks like. When Moses went up the mountain to be with God and the people responded to his absence by making the Golden Calf, most leaders would have responded by distancing themselves from the people and putting all of the blame on either Aaron or the people. Not Moses. In defending the people to God, Moses cried out: “And now, if you will only forgive their sin… But if not, erase me out of the book you’ve written [emphasis added]” (Exodus 32:32 from The Message). His love and concern for God’s people caused Moses to be willing to put it all on the line. What a refreshing change during this political season when most folks seem to define leadership as the ability to blame others (the Democrats/the Republicans, the President, Congress) for the current crises. So which person in Scripture do you look up to? What qualities does that person embody? Once you answer those questions, I would invite you to put the list of those qualities you admire somewhere where you can see them and make a point of working toward embodying those values yourself. Til next time…
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