Being Called (Out) by God

Moses endured many hardships as the leader of God's people in the wilderness. As a humble servant-leader, I suppose a challenge to his authority was inevitable. After hearing the 10 spies negative report of the promised land, Moses was nearly stoned to death for, in their view, leading them to be slaughtered by the land's inhabitants. After a few more direct challenges to Moses' leadership, God finally settled the matter of leadership and the priesthood once and for all by causing Aaron's rod to bud while the other eleven tribe's did not. You can read these fascinating accounts in Numbers 13-17.

Possibly the worst challenge from Moses' point of view came from his brother and sister. I wonder how this attack from Aaron and Miriam must have affected him. They were jealous of Moses' position and used his marriage to Zipporah, an Ethiopian, as the basis of an attack on his authority. "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?..." (Num 12:2) Who did this Moses think he was to assume this authority over God's people? He is not so special, he has even married a foreigner! What transpires next is possibly one of the most fearful texts in all of scripture or at least in the top ten.

"...And the Lord heard it." (Num 12:2) Uh-oh. "Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!" (Num 12:4) When I read this, I have the same feeling in my gut I used to have when my dad sent me to my room and I knew I was going to get it! I imagine that Aaron and Miriam felt quite a bit worse than that. Although Aaron and Miriam are receiving their what-fors here, the words of the Lord offer a powerful look into His relationship with Moses. "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?" (Num 12:6-8)

What an incredibly unique relationship Moses had with God. Moses enjoyed what amounted to an ongoing dialogue with God. When he inquired of the Lord, the Lord spoke to him. He was one of the very few allowed to see the form of God Himself. How much more incredible is verse 3 "[Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of earth]" Moses realized long ago his inadequacies and understood his authority came from God's call alone. Aaron and Miriam's pride and arrogance directed at Moses were actually a rebuke of God and His plan. I think I'd rather be call of God than called out by him.