Character Study – Moses Part 1 – Learning Humility & Meekness

(Hebrews 11:23) By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. (Numbers 12:3) …Moses was very meek, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.

Not-so-humble Beginnings (Ex. 2: Ac. 7:23-25) Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was 40 years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel so he went out and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand, for he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand…

Shattered Pride (Ex. 2: Ac. 7:25-28)…but they did not understand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and trying to reconcile them he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

A Relationship with God (Exodus 3:1-6) Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush… So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Character Study – Moses Part 2 – The Role of Meekness in Moses’ Life

Evangelism (Isaiah 6:8-11) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate…”

Evangelism (Exodus 7:2-4) "You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Evangelism (Exodus 7:2-4) "You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Intercession (Num. 14:1-10) Israel wants a new leader to take them back to Egypt…! (Num.14:11-12) Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Intercession (Num. 14:13-16) And Moses said to the LORD: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’

Intercession (Num. 14:19) “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” (Exodus 32:32) "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."

Perseverance (Exodus 5:22-23) So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.” (Exodus 17:4) So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”

Perseverance Moses’ quest to deliver his people took 80 years! Consider: -The influence he had on his brother Aaron -The example he set for Joshua -The change he brought upon a nation

Character Study – Moses Part 3 – “A Prophet Like You”

(De. 34:10 ~ Ex. 33:11) But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, [as He] spoke to Moses… as a man speaks to his friend. (Num. 12:3) …Moses was very meek, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. (De. 18:18) “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren…”

Sacrifice (Hebrews 11:24-26) By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Sacrifice (Philippians 2:5-8) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Judgment (Exodus 32:19-20) So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.

Judgment (Mark 11:15-18) …Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Temperance (Numbers 16:2-3) and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

Temperance (Numbers 16:4-5) So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.”

Temperance (Numbers 12:1-3) Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

Character Study – Moses Moses is willing to suffer for his people, living as an example that they should follow in his steps. When he is reviled, he does not revile in return and when he suffers he does not threaten but commits himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:21, 23)