THE MOSES PROTOTYPE: 20 reasons Moses was such a great leader and loved by God
MOSES PROVIDES US WITH OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WE CAN MODEL IN OUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES
“Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody; and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.” Dwight L. Moody
One reason the Bible is called the living Word of God is because the lessons, message and stories last for all of eternity. The people and experiences serve as a guiding light for how we can approach matters in our own lives.
We can especially glean a ton of wisdom from Moses because the Bible tells us very specifically what made him extraordinary.
“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3
Other translations of scripture use the word “meek” instead of humble, but it’s not meek and humble as we use it often today.
In Biblical Hebrew, the word anav essentially means “afflicted, lowly, depressed” and “to suffer wrong and not retaliate.” What it’s saying is Moses was heartsick more than any other man because of the incredible burdens he carried for God’s people. He truly cared and loved the Father and was willing to follow the Lord with all his heart, even when it meant loving difficult people.
About a month ago, I was just journaling and spending time in worship when the Lord downloaded the below message to me. I planned to just keep it in my private journal, but over the last couple days, my notebook keeps flipping to that page.
I take that to mean that the Lord needs these words to reach some people.
As I shared when I started this blog, I am not a Bible scholar whatsoever, but I do spend a ton of time with the Father. My greatest prayer in this season of life is to become bolder and share more of the direct teachings that God gives me.
I especially pray for all the “Moses” of the world. It’s an incredibly difficult calling and burden to carry that can be isolating and lonely, but it also comes with great reward.
Please know just how much the Father loves you. None of us will ever be Moses or come close to his heart, but we can still glean some majestic lessons from his life.
THE MOSES PROTOTYPE
Have you ever met someone who seems normal and regular like everyone else — then you find out their real story? You learn they have endured long-suffering and still stand strong as a leader and always praise God through the trials. The hardships and sufferings of children, family and community keeps them up at night. People tell them to just let it go, but they simply can’t. The Lord has given them a burden and they ache for others until the matter is settled. They are compassionate with a beautiful heart, but also bold and not afraid to stand up for injustice. However, even when someone does them wrong, they still want goodness and mercy to happen for the person. They can perceive God well and understand what He’s communicating even when it might seem odd to others. They have a very specific and unique calling on their life that’s hard for others (and even themselves) to sometimes identify. This has caused them a ton of rejection and misunderstanding in life. This person just does and goes where the Lord calls them. God is central to their life always. This person has a Moses mantle on their life and God loves them dearly. They are unique and special and truly a gift to this world.
Although none of us will ever be like Moses, God can still teach us many important lessons that made Moses beautiful in the eyes of our Savior. Perhaps, you are a Moses called to the world in the modern day.
GOD LOVED MOSES AND CALLED HIM TO BE A GREAT LEADER BECAUSE:
1. Others-centered; meek and humble.
2. Was self-aware and knew of his shortcomings. Moses told God that he was not eloquent and a great speaker. The Lord chose Moses anyway and Moses still had to push through self-doubt and believe in what he could not see. This is called faith.
3. Long before he was called, Moses served faithfully wherever God placed him. He went from living in the palace to chasing after sheep, and he willingly journeyed through every step with God.
4. Moses walked over 40 years in obscure service to God, devoted to even the smallest things.
5. He had been purified, tested and afflicted over and over and still understood that God had a purpose for it all.
6. Moses walked in righteousness and purity. He was not perfect at all, but he longed to chase the Father’s heart. He didn’t compromise his beliefs and was not afraid to stand up against adversity.
7. He understood that he was a teacher and leader and accepted his role, even when it wasn’t always convenient for him.
8. He absolutely despised any worldly or earthly idols.
9. Moses had been equipped with a very unique calling and answered the call even though he truly felt under-qualified.
10. Moses stood for racial equality and even married outside his race (Numbers 12:1)
11. He knew whatever talents he had belonged to the Lord.
12. Each day he emptied his own pride out so that his heart was full of God.
13. Moses honored and served God in the small things, even with animals, before the Lord called him to lead the people.
14. Moses was willing to serve even though he didn’t know exactly what God planned and what it would involve. In Exodus 3, Moses sees the burning bush and when the Lord calls him to the bush, Moses simply says: “Here I am.” He was so attuned with God and looked at things with spiritual eyes, that he could perceive the unordinary enough to know when God was speaking.
15. He had an issue with his temper at times, but it derived from a place of frustration. Moses found a way to reel it in and he matured greatly in life. He grew frustrated with the people and even lacked faith at times and didn’t always follow God’s message perfectly. However, Moses always understood the Lord was just and fair. Whatever God decided was always the right decision.
16. Moses was courageous, balanced, rational and a great listener. He also delegated responsibilities and worked well with a team. Most of all though, he was kind and compassionate. He always led with his heart. Having someone with a loving heart towards people can be an incredible gift to any corporation, business, or organization even in the modern age. It’s a rare quality and those who possess compassion with a keen business sense make extraordinary leaders.
17. Moses had a willingness to devote his life to helping others and this made him dearly loved by God. He was not afraid to carry the burden for people and his heart was never focused on self, but extended outwards to caring for people like beloved sheep.
18. Moses was both eager and open to the Lord’s directions, no matter how unusual and outlandish they might seem at times.
19. He feared God with holy reverence and ultimate respect.
20. Moses loved God. What does it mean for us to truly love and respect God?
We find the answer in 1 John 5:3: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments.”
From facing Pharaoh to stretching his rod over the Red Sea to dealing with years of suffering in the wilderness — Moses simply obeyed.
Exodus 40:16 tells us: “He just did so.”
People with Moses’ characteristics just obey and follow God without always understanding the reason. They are in direct communication with the Father and don’t need an explanation. Moses was passionate about pursuing the will of our Father and loved other people more than himself. He was caring, humble and bold.
Being meek and humble doesn’t mean you don’t recognize your qualities and gifts. However, it does mean that you know with certainty none of it came from you. It was all God-given and you are simply the messenger and a vessel for Christ to use however He pleases. God is the giver of all gifts and “Moses” prototypes will fully understand this.
I shared this quote up top, but it’s worth sharing again…
