Coconut
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- Feb 17, 2005
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Moses was in 'the backside of the desert', says the King James Bible. (Exodus 3:1) I'd steer clear of that expression, but there might have been times when Moses was tempted to use it. The desert drop-out stood before the burning bush a broken man, haunted by his inadequacy. (Exodus 4:10-14) He was so long in the tooth ivory hunters must have started asking after his health. And excuses! When God called him, this word-masher's comeback was packed with more 'buts' than a church pew on Easter morning. As he tried to stammer home his point he even had the audacity to imply that his deficiencies were bigger than God. What's a stutter to the One who fashions mouths? What's a mental block to the Maker of minds?
Poor old tongue-twister - one foot in the grave, and the other in his mouth. Yet it was Moses the word-slurping geriatric, not Moses the headstrong royal, who was on the brink of greatness.
Forty years earlier, fresh from his Egyptian education, strong in body, high in status and political pull, he was keen to help God's people. But heaven had no use for a budding superstar. Heaven was waiting for a bumbling sheep-minder.
Viewed from the final side of the grave, everything tackled in one's own strength fizzles. (Compare John 15:5) Only through God could Moses' splash in time ripple for all eternity. Perhaps it took the full forty years for this realisation to become an unshakeable conviction, but it was worth the wait. It became the secret of Moses' strength, ridding him of the arrogant independence that would otherwise have fouled his service. He was the meekest man on earth. (Numbers 12:3 ff) This precious quality is adorned with exquisite promises.
'The meek will he guide ...
The meek will he teach his way.' (Psalm 25:9)
'The meek will increase their joy in the Lord.' (Isaiah 29:19)
'The meek will inherit the earth.' (Matthew 5:5)
Humility - joyous dependence upon the Lord - is the road to honour. (Proverbs 15:33 b; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6-7) The glitter at the end of other roads is a mirage. (Luke 14:11; Proverbs 16:25)
There was a young man with rashes;
All that he touched turned to ashes.
Yet marigolds, azaleas,
Lily bulbs, and dahlias,
All grew in those wonderful ashes.
(If you wrote poetry like this, you'd be humble, too.)
The issue of pride and humility is a deathtrap strewn with confusion and false concepts. Let's clear this minefield before anyone else is hurt. We'll begin with the analogy of a lamb in Bible times.
There's a pride that says, 'I can find better pasture than the Shepherd. I'll always find water. I can handle bears, and lions are probably a myth invented by the Shepherd so he can dominate me.'
Few of us are in danger of such stupidity. Our danger is the independent spirit that says, 'I adore my wonderful Shepherd, but that grass over the rise looks particularly juicy. I'll just wander over. I'm growing up. I've been out of sight before and everything went fine. If a lion comes I'm sure I can bleat loud enough and the Shepherd can run fast enough ...'
There's an attitude masquerading as humility that beats itself miserable. 'I'm dumb. I'm ugly. I'm hopeless.' Give no room to this imposter. But there's a humility that rejoices in the certainty that the Shepherd knows best. Having abandoned faith in itself or in luck, it puts all its hope in the Shepherd, believing that to leave him out of sight for a second is to flirt with disaster. This virtue hugs the Shepherd, delighting in his every whisper, feasting on his goodness. Sometimes humility is led over rocky terrain but ultimately it enjoys the best pasture and the highest security. Not only is it not mauled by predators, it produces the best wool and the best offspring. It sometimes staggers up hills to stay with its Shepherd but it frolics in the warmth of the Shepherd's love.
Glory to God!
Don't miss the rest! . . .
The Quest For Fulfilment
http://net-burst.net/book/c1.htm
© Copyright, Grantley Morris, 1985-1996. No part of these writings may be sold, and no part may copied in whole without citing this entire paragraph.
Poor old tongue-twister - one foot in the grave, and the other in his mouth. Yet it was Moses the word-slurping geriatric, not Moses the headstrong royal, who was on the brink of greatness.
Forty years earlier, fresh from his Egyptian education, strong in body, high in status and political pull, he was keen to help God's people. But heaven had no use for a budding superstar. Heaven was waiting for a bumbling sheep-minder.
Viewed from the final side of the grave, everything tackled in one's own strength fizzles. (Compare John 15:5) Only through God could Moses' splash in time ripple for all eternity. Perhaps it took the full forty years for this realisation to become an unshakeable conviction, but it was worth the wait. It became the secret of Moses' strength, ridding him of the arrogant independence that would otherwise have fouled his service. He was the meekest man on earth. (Numbers 12:3 ff) This precious quality is adorned with exquisite promises.
'The meek will he guide ...
The meek will he teach his way.' (Psalm 25:9)
'The meek will increase their joy in the Lord.' (Isaiah 29:19)
'The meek will inherit the earth.' (Matthew 5:5)
Humility - joyous dependence upon the Lord - is the road to honour. (Proverbs 15:33 b; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6-7) The glitter at the end of other roads is a mirage. (Luke 14:11; Proverbs 16:25)
There was a young man with rashes;
All that he touched turned to ashes.
Yet marigolds, azaleas,
Lily bulbs, and dahlias,
All grew in those wonderful ashes.
(If you wrote poetry like this, you'd be humble, too.)
The issue of pride and humility is a deathtrap strewn with confusion and false concepts. Let's clear this minefield before anyone else is hurt. We'll begin with the analogy of a lamb in Bible times.
There's a pride that says, 'I can find better pasture than the Shepherd. I'll always find water. I can handle bears, and lions are probably a myth invented by the Shepherd so he can dominate me.'
Few of us are in danger of such stupidity. Our danger is the independent spirit that says, 'I adore my wonderful Shepherd, but that grass over the rise looks particularly juicy. I'll just wander over. I'm growing up. I've been out of sight before and everything went fine. If a lion comes I'm sure I can bleat loud enough and the Shepherd can run fast enough ...'
There's an attitude masquerading as humility that beats itself miserable. 'I'm dumb. I'm ugly. I'm hopeless.' Give no room to this imposter. But there's a humility that rejoices in the certainty that the Shepherd knows best. Having abandoned faith in itself or in luck, it puts all its hope in the Shepherd, believing that to leave him out of sight for a second is to flirt with disaster. This virtue hugs the Shepherd, delighting in his every whisper, feasting on his goodness. Sometimes humility is led over rocky terrain but ultimately it enjoys the best pasture and the highest security. Not only is it not mauled by predators, it produces the best wool and the best offspring. It sometimes staggers up hills to stay with its Shepherd but it frolics in the warmth of the Shepherd's love.
Glory to God!
Don't miss the rest! . . .
The Quest For Fulfilment
http://net-burst.net/book/c1.htm
© Copyright, Grantley Morris, 1985-1996. No part of these writings may be sold, and no part may copied in whole without citing this entire paragraph.
