Moses: Anger and What it Cost Him

33 Pages·2006·0.17 MB·English

MOSES: His
Anger And
CONTENTS
What It
Cost Him
It’s Not That Simple . . . . 2
The Power Of Anger . . . 5
TThe Moses of the Ten
Moses’ Moments
Commandments is often
Of Anger. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
thought of as a moral
Over Injustice ........8
legend, bigger than life. But the
Over Pharaoh’s Rebellion
person behind the story is a real
Against God. . . . . . . . . 11
man who according to the Bible
Over The Hebrews’
was far more like us than many
Idolatry ............16
imagine.
Over His Disappointment
In addition to his struggle
With God. . . . . . . . . . . 19
with self-doubt and reluctance,
Over The Hebrews’
Complaining . . . . . . . . 20 he had a problem with anger.
And his outbursts had serious
Lessons Moses
Needed To Learn . . . . . 22 consequences.
Solitude With God. . . . 22 Who among us does not need
to see the difference between
Humility. . . . . . . . . . . . 24
healthy anger and the smoldering
Dependence.........25
or explosive rage that can do real
Spiritual Confidence. . . 26
damage? In the following pages,
Compassion. . . . . . . . . 29
Bill Crowder, RBC Director of
Accountability. . . . . . . . 30 Church Ministries, helps us not
Faith Is The Victory....32 only to see the real Moses, but
ourselves as well.
Martin R. De Haan II
Managing Editor:David Sper Cover:Engraving by Gustave Doré (1832–1883)
Scripturequotations arefrom the New King James Version.Copyright © 1982 by Thomas
Nelson,Inc.Used by permission.All rights reserved.
©2002,2004 RBC Ministries,Grand Rapids,Michigan Printed in USA
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
“IT’S NOT THAT you to work out the details.”
SIMPLE!” Many Problems Are
Complex.Rogers’ humor
reminds us that we can’t
WWill Rogers solve the complexities of life
addressed with simplistic solutions.
Congress during
the early days of World We can’t solve
War I. At the time, there
the complexities
was great concern about
of life with
German submarines and
their stealth capabilities. simplistic
As he spoke to the nation’s solutions.
leaders, Rogers humored
them with the declaration
that he had solved the U- Human beings are
boat problem. “All you complex creatures, and
have to do,” he informed our circumstances are
them, “is boil the oceans. complex. Our problems
When the water becomes need to be understood in
unbearably hot, the context and in perspective:
submarines will come to •If all we knew of Noah
the surface, and then was his problem with
you’ll have them!” alcohol in Genesis 9,
“And how are we we would assume he
supposed to boil the was a down-and-out
ocean?” asked a loser.Yet, he was
congressman.Without described by God as a
hesitation Rogers quipped, “just man, perfect in his
“Listen, I’ve come up with generations” (Gen. 6:9).
the solution. I’ll leave it to •Ifall we knew of David
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was his adultery with of our most embarrassing
Bathsheba, we would moments are usually known
never assume that he by only a few people!
was, for the better Moses was not so
part of his life, “a man fortunate. This highly
after [God’s] own heart” educated and capable
(1 Sam. 13:14). leader had some of his
•If all we knew about
Saul of Tarsus was his
Moses had some
effort to kill Christ’s
of his lowest and
followers, we would
never expect him to most regrettable
become the writer of half moments recorded
of the New Testament.
for all time in the
The same is true of
Bible for all the
Moses. If all we knew
about him was the anger world to see.
that occasionally consumed
him, we wouldn’t see what
an important example he lowest and most regrettable
is for all of us. moments recorded for all
WeAll Struggle. time in the Bible for all the
You and I know our own world to see. As a result,
faults more than anyone those who take the time to
else. Outside the home we read his story discover a
may give the appearance man who lost his temper and
of being in control. But better judgment at critical
our spouse, children, and moments. He seems to have
closest friends often see fought a battle with anger
another side of us. How his entire life—a struggle
happy we can be that some he sometimes lost, and
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sometimes won. Yet in spite is precisely what the writer
of his personal weaknesses, of the New Testament letter
God used him to: to the Hebrews was talking
•Deliver his people from about when he said:
the bondage of slavery Let us lay aside every
in Egypt. weight, and the sin which
•Lead the people of Israel so easily ensnares us, and
to national identity. let us run with endurance
•Establish the laws and the race that is set before
structures of a brand- us (12:1).
new culture.
What weakness
•Lead the Israelites to
become a worshiping threatens to trip
community committed us up at critical
to a God long forgotten.
moments in
•Advise and counsel the
our lives?
entire nation.
•Lead purposefully and
effectively in the face of “The sin which so
great criticism from his easily ensnares us” is the
constituency. problem. Peter struggled
By any standard of with impulsiveness,
evaluation, Moses had an Solomon with a wandering
amazing track record. Yet, eye, and Abraham with a
along the way, he was manipulative spirit. What is
afflicted with an Achilles’ it for us?What is that easily
heel of anger.It dogged ensnaring weakness that
his steps his entire life. threatens to trip us up at
We All Are critical moments in our lives?
Vulnerable.Ibelieve the For Moses, it was
concept of an Achilles’ heel clearly anger.
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THE POWER OF not the first culture to feed
ANGER on anger and violence.
Ancient Egypt demonstrated
TToday it seems we are some of the same traits.
more exposed to anger Though considered to be the
and rage than ever
before. Domestic violence,
We are not
spousal abuse, gang wars,
the first culture
road rage, and personal
assault are growing to to feed on anger
disturbing levels. Media and violence.
reports indicate that America
has become a “society of
rage”—and the statistics most civilized and advanced
seem to back that up. society of its day, it was still
The same media aculture that achieved its
that report the violence, advancements by the violent
however, also promote it. exploitation of slave labor, a
Talk shows try to force significant portion of which
on-screen violent conflicts; were the children of Israel.
movies and television How did this come about?
shows glamorize angry For years, the Hebrew
confrontations; and population flourished in
professional sports cannot Egypt under the influence of
seem to find a way to curb Joseph, the eleventh son of
the explosive on-field Israel (Jacob). But Exodus
violence that leaves some 1:8 states that “there arose a
athletes crippled but the new king over Egypt, who
fans clamoring for more. did not know Joseph”—and
Another Time, he felt no obligation to care
Another Place.Weare for Joseph’sfamily.This
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pharaoh subjugated the racial tension rooted in the
people and enslaved them. past abuses of slavery.
From the pages and The same legacy was no
mistakes of our own history, doubt present in Egypt in
we know the tragic and both attitudes and actions:
abiding effects on a culture •Attitudes of disdain
that lives off the back of among the Egyptians for
slavery. The landmark the enslaved Hebrews,
television mini-series Roots and of anger among the
showed the demoralizing Hebrews for their
taskmasters.
•Actions of violence by
From the pages and the Egyptians to maintain
mistakes of our own control of this nation of
slaves, and of rebellion
history, we know the
among the slaves as their
tragic and abiding
lives became a weary
effects on a culture treadmill of hard labor
that lives off the and suffering.
For 400 years the
back of slavery.
Hebrews endured these
conditions of being
brutalized and treated
and dehumanizing effects as subhuman. The anger
of slavery on the America and violence that result
of the early to mid-1800s. from slaveryis tragic,
Theevening news regularly but inevitable.
illustrates the lingering When Anger
consequences of that Surfaces.It is interesting
tragedy as the United States to note that the Hebrew
continues to struggle with word for “anger” comes
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from the words for “face” out of control, our anger
and “nostrils.” Anyone can destroy us—and those
who has faced a truly angry we love.
person understands why.
When anger builds up, it
When anger
distorts our appearance, an
outward manifestation of is checked, it is
the fiery volcano within. like a refiner’s fire
Anger unchecked can eat
that tempers steel
away at the heart and affect
to make it stronger.
the character of a person
like few other emotions.
Yet, anger is not all bad.
In its healthy form, properly That brings us back to
controlled and expressed, it Moses. What did he do with
can motivate us to work for his anger?Did it temper him
needed change. Consider or consume him? When did
Jesus’ anger at the hypocrisy his rage reflect his own fear,
of the religious leaders of frustration, and impatience?
His generation, and Paul’s When did it show passion
anger at the legalism of the for the interests and
Galatians. concerns of God?
When anger is checked, Tounravel some of
it is like a refiner’sfire that the complexities of Moses’
tempers steel to make it personality, we will take two
stronger.When it is quick passes through his
unchecked, it is as life. First, we’ll consider his
destructive as the wildfires apparent tendency toward
that seasonally flare up in anger. Then we’ll consider
the hillside chaparral of the lessons he learned—the
Southern California. When hard way.
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MOSES’ people. While Moses was
MOMENTS following the clear direction
OF ANGER of God, his anger would
occasionally flare up and
MMoses was a overtake the moment. We
natural leader need to see these episodes
even though he of anger, and recognize
didn’t always think so (Ex. them for what they were.
3:11; 4:10). He was blessed
with numerous gifts:
•Good looks (Ex. 2:2; While Moses was
Acts 7:20) following the clear
•Intelligence (Acts 7:22)
direction of God,
•Unparalleled opportunity
his anger would
(Acts 7:22)
•Eloquence (Acts 7:22) occasionally flare
•Leadership ability up and overtake
(Acts 7:22)
the moment.
That’s quite a résumé.
Yet, to whom much is given,
much will be required. Even
in the best of circumstances Moses’ Anger Over
this is true—and Moses Injustice (Ex.2).At age
was not in the best of 40, Moses made a critical
circumstances. While choice: He determined not
trying to use his God-given to be identified with the life
capacity for leadership, of privilege in which he had
hewas at the same time been reared but with the
seeking to control the enslaved Hebrews whose
seething fire of anger in his blood and heritage he
belly over the plight of his shared (Acts 7:21; Heb.
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11:24). This would be an that he became “mighty
amazing choice under any in words and deeds.”
condition, but it becomes Imagine the acclaim and
even more dramatic when honor that came from
you see what Moses left these achievements. Yet,
behind: incredibly, Moses walked
•Wealth.Hegrew up away from it all and became
amid the grandeur and aslave. Why?The writer of
excitement of Pharaoh’s Hebrews said that he made
court and could have two critical value judgments:
continued to live in Choosing rather to suffer
material comfort. affliction with the people
•Education.He had of God than to enjoy the
become “learned in all passing pleasures of sin,
the wisdom of the esteeming the reproach of
Egyptians” and could Christ greater riches than
have received all the the treasures in Egypt; for
benefits of being a he looked to the reward.
nationally respected By faith he forsook Egypt,
orator(Acts 7:22). not fearing the wrath of
•Fame.For 20 years the king; for he endured
he had been a highly as seeing Him who is
successful military invisible (Heb. 11:25-27).
leader.Josephus, the Interestingly,this New
Jewish historian, says Testament perspective
that he was a skilled describes Moses’ healthy
general who brought response to someone else’s
Egypt a stunning anger. This passage tells us
victory in a war that Moses was not afraid
against Ethiopia. to face the anger of the
Nowonder Acts 7:22 says self-absorbed Pharaoh
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who raised Moses in his of his own flesh and blood.
own house. Among those who
To remain in Pharaoh’s worship material success,
court would have brought such a choice would evoke
Moses wealth and social ridicule, mockery, and a
privilege, but only for a sanity check. Yet this was
short while. Given insight Moses at his best.He made
by God, Moses saw what the right choice. Even
was critical in decision- though he could not have
making—the need to look understood all that he was
beyond the moment and see choosing at the time, he left
the result of the decision. the posh environment of
While not cowering
before the rage of Pharaoh,
The healthy anger
Moses saw beyond the
moment. We can probably that Moses must
assume that he must have have felt in behalf of
felt some healthy anger his enslaved relatives
as he observed the
ended up getting
mistreatment of the
him in trouble.
enslaved people of Israel.
What we do know
is that God gave Moses the
wisdom to see that choosing imperial Egypt to suffer with
the immediate pleasures of those who needed his help.
adoption as Pharaoh’s Ironically,however,the
grandson (material wealth, healthy anger that Moses
education, fame) did not must have felt in behalf of
deserve to be compared his enslaved relatives ended
with the lasting honor of up getting him in trouble. A
standing up to the plight life-changing event occurred
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