Lessons from the life of Moses.

In the eighth part of our series, Fred Wright considers the lessons we can learn from the life of Moses.

Although in Christianity Moses is generally considered as a non-writing prophet, in some Judaic circles he is credited, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, with the reception and transmission of the Torah. This includes the pre-historical sections, which he received by divine revelation. Both the external and internal evidence of the texts illustrate that Moses was accredited with these writings from the earliest of times.

Moses is considered to be the greatest of the prophets and a model for those who came later. He also pre-figured the Messiah. In Second Temple Judaism, the messianic hope was in one who would be the true prophet that Moses had spoken of (see Deut 18:18, cf. Acts 10:43). Paul often referred to the whole of the Torah as 'Moses’ (2 Cor 3:15).

The Call of Moses

Moses presents a clear picture of the prophet as an intercessor. He illustrates an intimacy with the Lord which is second only to that of Jesus.

Moses was a Levite who could trace his lineage back to Levi through Amram (Ex 6:16f). After fleeing the Egyptian court (Ex 2:15f), he dwelt in the land of the Kenites, marrying into the family of the priest Reuel/Jethro. The Kenites were a people who could also trace their descent back to Abraham (Gen 25:1-6). One can therefore assume that their religion was a continuation of pre-Egyptian Yahwism.

Moses is considered to be the greatest of the prophets and a model for those who came later.

It was during this period, while tending his father-in-law's flocks in the vast wilderness of Midian, that Moses began to develop an intimacy with God. God appeared to him in a burning bush (Ex 3:6) and revealed that he was the God of the Patriarchs and not simply the God of the Kenites.

Furthermore, he had not forgotten his people despite their slavery and wanted Moses to be the instrument of their deliverance. Moses’ initial reaction to this was one of awe quickly followed by procrastination — no doubt due to the enormity of the task that had been placed before him.

Although the Lord gave him miraculous signs to perform, Moses was concerned about not being properly equipped to present his case before the ruler of Egypt. So God commissioned his brother, Aaron the Levite, to speak on his behalf. This reminds us that although an intercessor may be called to be an instrument in one area, the Lord may use another to augment, enhance or present the fruit of their intercessory labours.

The Honour of the Name

Having received his commission, Moses was sent forth in the authority of the Holy Name which had been declared to him (Ex 3:14f). The commissioning of Moses clearly illustrates that his mission was to be undertaken in the name and power of the Lord. In the ancient Near East, possession of a holy name was believed to be a token of power. It was thought that the utterance of that name would bring forth the spirit known by that name. This spirit could then be manipulated or worked alongside. This explains the Lord's enigmatic reply to Moses.

Moses illustrates an intimacy with the Lord which is second only to that of Jesus.

Today, it is sad to observe that the names of the Lord and, particularly, the name of the Messiah — Jesus — are often regarded as words of power. They are recited as a mantra, rather than the objects of devotion and as the expression of a relationship (Ps 9:10).

The degree to which Moses understood the honour of the Name was clearly illustrated whenever Israel lapsed into idolatry. Moses' intercession, at those times, was that God would refrain from destroying his people for the sake of the honour of his Name (for example, see Num 14:5-19, cf. Ezek 36).

An interesting aside is that on one occasion the Lord stated that he knew Moses' name. Today that may seem a little trite and obvious, but at the time names were more than a simple label of identification. They were either titles of honour or descriptions of character. The comment about the Lord knowing Moses’ name simply means that God knew Moses' character. We might well ask the question today: as well as knowing God personally, are we prepared for God to know us?

A Model Intercessor

Faith was the driving force in Moses’ life (see Heb 11:23-29). It was through his faith that Moses gained the increasing certainty and confidence he needed to build his relationship with the Lord.

Moses was familiar with apparent failure. His initial approach to his people fell upon deaf ears, due to their broken spirit and cruel slavery (Ex 6:9). Meanwhile, his words were treated with disdain by Pharaoh.

Moses’ family were not the strength he could have hoped for. The people’s apostasy to the golden calf involved Aaron (Ex 32:1), while both Aaron and Miriam rebelled against Moses’ authority because of his marriage to an Ethiopian (Num 12:1). In the midst of all his tribulations Moses received wonderful strengthening from the Lord. The challenges and setbacks were all attended by reassurances from the Lord of his person and character, together with assurances about the future.

In the midst of all his tribulations Moses received wonderful strengthening from the Lord.

Throughout the wilderness wanderings Moses was the only one qualified to intercede for Israel because he was the only one who was not involved in the sin of idolatry. Moses’ concern for his people was so great that he put all thoughts of personal glory aside (Ex 32:32, cf. Phil 2). In particular, he was willing to forfeit his life (cf. Paul in Romans 9:3) and did not consider personal gratification above the good of the nation (Deut 9:14).

Knowing God’s Character

Moses showed his skills of advocacy (Ex 32:11-15) by praying God’s promises back to him. Whenever he faced rebellion against either his spiritual leadership (Num 14:3) or his secular authority (Num 16:41-50), he appealed to the Lord’s honour (Name).

In response to the calamity brought about by a later revolt, the people began to realise that the one who had a personal relationship with God and kept their faith intact was the one who had authority to enter into the presence of the Lord to intercede on their behalf. This is a penetrating truth for the leadership of today who get discouraged in their standing for truth. He who prevails will overcome.

Such prayer requires an intimate knowledge of the character of God. For Moses, this knowledge came from both regular and extended times spent in his presence (Ex 33:7-11). On one occasion, Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights alone with the Lord on top of a mountain. It was during this time that he received the tablets of the Law (Ten Commandments) and the instructions for building the Tabernacle (Ex 24:12-18).

Moses knew God personally and had the distinction of being referred to as God’s friend. He was a person with whom God communicated ‘face to face’ (Ex 33:11), whereas others only knew of him (his acts).

If you know God’s character, then you should not fear for the future. Fear is a manifestation of unbelief which implies no knowledge of the character of God. God keeps his promises and never lies (Num 23:19). Irrational fear is an idol, since the fear has more influence than God’s ability to deliver.

Moses knew God personally and had the distinction of being referred to as God’s friend.

The intercessor needs to develop a personal relationship with God. Moses knew God’s character - therefore he could pray back to the Lord his own promises. A further example of this type of intercession is found in Isaiah, where the Prophet calls upon the reader to remind the Lord of his promises concerning Jerusalem (Isa 62:6-7).

Anyone who aspires to be an intercessor should attempt to develop such a relationship with God. God’s character will be discovered as one studies the Bible and spends time in his presence.

A Warning from the Life of Moses

The record of Moses’ ministry ends on a sad but apposite note. Intimacy, if one is not careful, can lead to a degree of unacceptable familiarity. When the people were camped at Rephidim, they complained about their condition because of their lack of water. They were even ready to stone Moses. Moses called out to the Lord and was commanded to strike a rock in the presence of the elders. He was to use the rod that had parted the Red Sea. This action would bring forth water (Ex 17:1-7).

Later, at Kadesh Barnea, when the people were again complaining that there was no water (Num 20:3), Moses appealed to the Lord. On this occasion, he was instructed to speak to the rock. While it is not our place to judge Moses, it seems that he committed two cardinal errors in the way that he dealt with this problem.

First, along with Aaron, he took the place of God by declaring: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (emphasis added). Secondly, he recalled the former incident and relied on his previous experience by choosing to strike the rock, rather than speak to it. The result was that neither he nor Aaron was allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num 20:9-13). This is a salutary lesson for us to take God’s instructions seriously!

Continuing our series on the question 'What is a prophet?', Edmund Heddle unpacks the idea of prophetic anointing.

No one knows the origin of the custom of anointing with oil or for how long it has been practised. It is claimed that the oldest prescription for an anointing oil dates from about 4200 BC, so it is certainly an age-old practice. Anointing is mentioned in the Scriptures over one hundred times and in all periods of biblical history.

Anointing a Pillar

Genesis 28:18 records the first occurrence in the Bible when early one morning Jacob poured oil on the stone on which he had rested his head, as he set it up as a lasting memorial of his experiences. His action gives then impression of being the normal thing to do, rather than the introduction of a new custom. By pouring oil on the stone he sanctified it, in the sense of setting it apart for God, a meaning that is common to all Biblical anointings.

Secular Anointings

The Bible in Old and New Testaments refers to various secular uses of anointing. Part of an Israelite's daily toilet was to anoint oneself with oil, thus causing their faces to shine (Psalm 104:15)! This custom was only omitted during mourning (2 Sam 12:20, 14:2).

The anointing of the heads of guests was a courtesy that Simon the Pharisee neglected when he entertained Jesus to a meal. It is significant from the words used in Greek that whereas Simon did not get around to anointing Jesus with common olive oil, the sinful woman was not content with anything less that an expensively perfumed oil to pour on Jesus' feet.

In biblical times, anointing with oil was a daily activity, with uses ranging from personal vanity to social courtesy, to medicine."

The third use of oil was a medicinal one, in the story of the Good Samaritan, who poured on oil and wine (Luke 10:34, also Isa 1:6, Eze 16:9). From the story of the women at the Garden Tomb, we see it was a custom to anoint the bodies of the dead (Mark 16:1).

Priest's Anointing

Turning to the biblical accounts of sacred anointings, we note that priests were anointed into office by the pouring on of oil. In the Pentateuch there are some thirty references to anointings; all of these refer to the anointing of the High Priest and his sons, the tabernacle and its furniture (Ex 40:9-15). This act was in fact their ordination and accreditation, giving them authority to minister to both God and man (Lev 8:12).

Priests were anointed into office, giving them authority to minister to both God and man."

Special Formula Oil

The oil used in their consecration had to be made to a special prescription laid down by God himself. (Ex 30:32). The four spices were liquid myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, aromatic cane and cassia. These were to be blended with olive oil by a perfumer. Two of these spices were rare and only obtainable from India and the Far-East.

This was to be the oil used for anointing the priests and the kings of Israel down the generations. It was forbidden to use this oil on the bodies of ordinary men (Ex 30:32) and it was forbidden to make up any oil to the same formula, on pain of exclusion from the people of God. This special oil was kept in a holy place (1 Kings 1:39) and in the care of the son of the High Priest (Num 4:16).

The oil used in the priestly anointing was made of a unique formula, written by God himself and forbidden for use on ordinary men."

Such careful regulations made this oil special and therefore an appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit, throughout Scripture typified by oil and which cannot be poured out on those who are unredeemed.

Aaron's Anointing

Looking back over the centuries, the writer of Psalm 133 describes the precious oil poured on Aaron's head in such abundance that it ran down on to his beard and the collar of his robes (v2). So generously is the Spirit poured out, bringing the fragrance of Christ, the blessing of life and the brotherly unity of all who share the divine anointing.

In connection with his anointing, a gold plate was placed on Aaron's turban. The Hebrew word for this gold diadem is closely connected with the word for the Nazirite vow of separation (Num 6:21). By his anointing the High Priest was forbidden to leave the sanctuary and was not permitted to come into contact with the dead, even to attend the funeral of a close relative. All of this teaches us that alongside blessings of the divine anointing, stringent demands of holy separation are imposed on all upon whom the holy oil has been poured.

As with the priestly oil, so the Holy Spirit is poured out generously on believers, bringing the fragrance of Christ, brotherly unity and the blessing of life- but also the call to be holy and separate for the Lord."

Anointing of Kings

In the historical books of the Old Testament (Judges through 2 Chronicles), there are more than fifty references to anointing, and all but few are concerned with the coronation of kings. Saul and David, Absalom and Solomon and others after them received the 'coronation' of holy anointing oil. Very little is said about placing a crown on their heads, the vitally important thing was the anointing they received.

Holy anointing oil was also used at the coronation of kings; what mattered wasn't the crown placed on their heads, but the anointing they received."

This anointing resulted in their being described as 'the Lord's Anointed'. This term, which occurs a dozen times in the Book of Psalms, has an original reference to the kings of Israel and in a fuller, prophetic sense to the Messiah.

Kings were anointed over an area or kingdom (1 Sam 15:17); David was first anointed king over Lawrence OP / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 / see Photo CreditsJudah (2 Sam 2:4), and subsequently over Israel as a whole (2 Sam 5:3). Early on he had received a prospective anointing as the God-appointed successor to King Saul, whilst still a young lad (though no mention was made then of the territory over which he was to reign). Then, during the waiting period whilst Saul was still king, that David on two occasions had the opportunity to kill him. But this David refused to do because Saul was 'the Lord's Anointed' (1 Sam 24:6, 26:9-11).

When news came to him that Saul was dead, David discovered that his informant had dealt the final blow and for such a crime he was immediately put to death (2 Sam 1:14-16)- so heinous did David regard the crime of taking the life of the Lord's Anointed. From the anointings of kings we see the dignity and authority bestowed on them by the sacred anointing they had received. We should also note that charismatic gifts also resulted from the same anointing (1 Sam 10:6-13, 16:13).

Kingly anointing bestowed dignity and authority, and often resulted in charismatic gifts."

Were Prophets Anointed?

In spite of the fact that a number of Bible dictionaries state that priests, kings and prophets were anointed, there is no record in Scripture of any prophet ever being anointed with oil. It is true that Elijah was ordered to anoint Elisha as his successor in the prophetic office. But it was Elijah's mantle, rather than any oil, that came down on Elisha (1 Kings 19:16-19).

Alan Cole in his commentary on Exodus (p203) says: "the word (anointing) is used only in a metaphysical sense of the appointment of prophets". Psalm 105:15 describes the patriarchs as prophets, and God calls them 'my anointed ones', yet there is no suggestion that they had ever been anointed with oil. The prophet's anointing was and always will be 'with the Holy Spirit'; of which in the anointing of priests and kings the oil was the symbol.

Prophetic anointing was and always will be with the Holy Spirit."

Christ the Anointed

Jesus is 'the Anointed One'; priest, king and prophet, and for this we call him 'Christ', from the Greek word 'christos' meaning anointed. We also call him 'Messiah' or Messias, the Latin form of the Hebrew word 'mashiach', also meaning 'the anointed'. Isaiah's prophecy had been fulfilled in him and he could say: the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me' (Isa 61:1). It is important to notice that Jesus was not anointed 'by' the Spirit, but 'with' the Spirit. J Elder Cumming in his 'Through the Eternal Spirit' (p154) says:

The thought conveyed in these passages is that the anointing is the Holy Spirit himself. It is not that he is the agent in giving it, nor that he gives something that belongs to him which he makes over in the sense of a blessing or power. It is that he comes to be the anointing oil. Jesus of Nazareth was anointed not by him, but with him. The anointing is not a blessing, a gift such as grace, peace or power, but is a person, the Holy Spirit himself...

Peter explained to the Roman Centurion Cornelius that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, that he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Jesus' earthly ministry was made possible by his having been anointed with the Holy Spirit.

This anointing of Jesus had taken place immediately after his baptism by John in the Jordan, when the Spirit descended like a dove (Mark 1:9-10). The tempter immediately challenged this anointing, but Jesus stood firm against him and so returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14).

The Christian Anointing

There is no anointing for the believer to claim before he can rightly use the name 'Christian' (Greek christianos), meaning follower of Christ the anointed one. As Aaron and his sons were unfit to minister until the holy oil had been poured upon them, so Christians are unfit to discharge their office as priests, prophets and kings until they are anointed with the Holy Spirit, of whom the holy oil was the type.

Christians are unfit to discharge their office without the Holy Spirit, of whom the holy oil was a type. When we accept God's gift of the Spirit by faith, we receive an abiding anointing."

According to Paul's words to the church at Corinth (2 Cor 1:21), and John's letter (1 John 2:20, 27), Christians have been anointed, and the tense of the verbs they use indicates that this anointing is something which happens once and for all: it refers to a definite moment in the life of the disciple. It would seem, therefore, that the habit, prevalent in some circles, of referring to 'an anointing coming upon me time and time again' obscures the fact that what we receive when we by faith accept God's gift of the Spirit (Luke 11:13, Gal 3:14) is an abiding anointing.

Part of the answer to the question 'What is a prophet?' must be this: a prophet is someone who is aware that the Spirit has been poured out upon him and as a result he is enabled and impelled to speak the words of God. Without that experience, no man could ever be a prophet.

Meaning of Anointing

• To be set apart from unholy things;
• To be given authority to act as a crowned king;
• To be able to speak God's words and have those words confirmed by charismatic gifts;
• To spread abroad the fragrance of Christ;
• To be a unifying influence, and
• To promote spiritual life and vitality.

These are the characteristics of those prophets who have received the abiding anointing of the Holy Spirit himself.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 1, No 5, 1985.