Moses was the prophet God sent to deliver the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt.
Moses, though an Israelite was raised in the Egyptian palace after being dumped at the river bank by his parent and picked up by pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her own son.
He grew up to witness the injustice being faced by the Israelites in this foreign land and committed murder against the Egyptian side in an attempt to defend some Israelites. This caused him to flee Egypt in fear of his life.
He was later called upon by God to be a prophet and messenger that will convey his messages and deliver his people from captivity.
“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth”
NUMBERS 12:3
Arguably Israel’s greatest prophet, Moses left behind one of the strongest legacies in the Bible. As God’s anointed leader, he led the people from Egypt to the Promised Land, appointed priests and judges, created a place of worship, delivered God’s law, wrote the first five books of the Bible, and frequently interceded on behalf of the people. With this exceptional résumé, it’s easy to envy a character like Moses.
Who wouldn’t want to accomplish so much?
For Moses, though, the road to each accomplishment included a great many difficult and rocky places as it twisted and turned. After becoming a fugitive from Pharaoh’s court, Moses scratched out a living in the desert of Midian as a shepherd for forty years (Exodus 3).
Once commissioned by God, Moses then risked his life by bringing bad news and judgment to Pharaoh (Exodus 4–12). And though God gave him the task of confronting Pharaoh, Moses lacked natural speaking ability and needed to rely on his brother, Aaron, to be his mouthpiece (see Exodus 4:10).
Securing the freedom of the Hebrew people led to more difficulty for Moses. Instead of being heralded as a hero, he became the object of the Israelites’ complaints and rebellion (see examples in Exodus 15–17; Numbers 14, 16).
In spite of all his illustrious achievements as God’s appointed leader, Moses was not perfect. As a consequence for Moses’ disobedience (Numbers 20), God did not allow him to cross into the land. Instead, God graciously allowed Moses to view the Promised Land that God had reserved for His people (Deuteronomy 34).
Moses’ life illustrated that the price of leadership is often loneliness.
During the difficult times of leading the people through the wilderness, Moses faced opposition from those who should have been his closest allies. Leadership is difficult and lonely work. What leaders need to experience your support?