Articles
Humble Servants
One characteristic of the faithful disciple and servant of the Lord is that of humility; over and over throughout God's word — Old Testament and New — is the teaching that God's people should not think too highly of themselves, that they should elevate God above self and even others above self, and that through this humility we may be exalted by God.
In God's word, we find one man who was described as “very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3) — something we should all aspire to be. [Can you aspire to be lowly?] What we will consider today is the life of Moses and how he came to be called the most humble man on the earth, and how we can follow in his example.
The Context. The context of this statement about Moses must be considered when examining his life and seeing how he was defined by humility. On first glance, we might think about the fact Moses is the supposed writer of the first five books of the Bible [including the one in which that statement is found], and we might then think that he can't be very humble if he is writing this about himself! But we should consider the context.
The story in which this statement was inserted was one that somewhat explains the purpose of it being found at this particular place in Scripture. The situation was one where Aaron and Miriam, the brother and sister of Moses, “spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman” (Num. 12:1), and then said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (Num. 12:2). The situation we find is one where two who had not been chosen by God to be the spokesman as Moses had were complaining about their place, and all based on what might be understood as prejudice or bigotry. What should be noted is that they rose up against the prophet of God and sought a position and influence God did not give them.
It is in this context that we find the statement inserted [whether by Moses or another writer, it is divinely inspired], “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3). The statement is placed here not for mere information purposes, but to contrast the attitude of Moses with those who had risen up against Him. The mention of the humility of Moses is a side note [in many translations, it is in parentheses] to the arrogance and lack of humility found in Aaron and Miriam.
With that said about the context of that description, let us now consider what true humility is, as seen in the life of Moses.
What Humility Is NOT. Sometimes, we can better understand what something is by contrasting it with what it is NOT; I believe this would be good in this case, also. It is NOT:
Denying one's ability. Sometimes, men confuse one who is simply self-effacing with one who is truly humble. Humility is not the practice of denying one has an ability that he really has! A professional football player who leads the league in touchdowns cannot stand before a reporter who asks about his talent and deny he has any talent; it is obvious to all he does and what he is demonstrating is not humility at all. Moses, when called by God to go to Egypt and bring out His people, first said to God, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exod. 4:10). But Scripture says in another place, “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). At this point, Moses was not demonstrating humility; he was only making excuses.
Weakness. Some translations of this text say, “Now the man Moses was very meek” [ESV, KJV]. Sometimes, the word meek is seen as a word synonymous with weak; not so! Though Moses was described as humble, I don't believe anyone could honestly call him weak. This is the same Moses who came down from the mountain and threw down the tablets with the Ten Commandments, and then commanded the idol be burned up and the ashes mixed in water and made the people to drink it. Jesus, who said of Himself that He was meek and lowly, fashioned a whip and drove out the moneychangers from the temple. Neither of these men could honestly be called weak, yet they were humble!
What Humility IS. With this understood, let us consider what is meant by true humility.
Power under control. The matter of Moses and his humility should be understood only when considered in light of the position he was in at the time this statement was made: the prophet of God, specifically chosen by Him and sent to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. He had spoken to Pharaoh — the most powerful ruler in the earth at that time — and demanded he let God's people go. Of course, we know that his power derived from God, but that does not lessen the point, but only enhances it! He had great power at his disposal, yet when he was faced with rebellion from his own siblings, he did not lash out at them and demand punishment.
In another example, we find Abraham exercised self-control in not using his power and position to demand Lot leave (Gen. 13). Moses exercised self-control in not using his power when it would have been to his advantage (Num. 12). Jesus exercised self-control in not using His power and authority in not seeking an escape from His coming trial and crucifixion. We should not forget the words of Paul regarding this, when he said of Jesus, “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). All of these cases are demonstrations of true humility in that none were seeking to elevate themselves or make demands when they could have done so.
Selflessness. By definition, humility is the mindset that does not think of one's own importance; it is a willingness to set aside self for the moments when it will be for the greater good or for the benefit of others. In the text under consideration, Moses was willing to hear the complaints against him because he understood that this wasn't all about him; it was about God. Jesus was willing to perform the ultimate selfless act in giving Himself to die for others — even His enemies — because he understood that it was for the benefit of mankind. Humility is anything but weak!
Letting God speak. Moses demonstrated humility in that he did not feel compelled to answer when Aaron and Miriam spoke against him, but allowed God to speak. But this is not a new practice for Moses! When he met with Pharaoh, Moses spoke God's words — not his own. When standing before the most powerful man in the civilized world at the time, Moses said, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews” (Exod. 10:3).
As disciples and followers of God today, we must follow the example of Moses and how he exhibited humility by allowing God's word to be the first word, the last word, and the only word. Let God's word be lifted up, and ours — and every man's — be set aside. Humility is key! —— Steven Harper
