Make sure you have a notebook and pen on hand for writing down your thoughts as you study this lesson.

Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see that Moses was a man of action who understood that authentic Christian service flows from recognizing that our authority comes from God alone.

Key Verse

Exodus 33:11: So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

Introduction

In our previous lesson, we discovered that effective service for God requires careful preparation. But faithful service also requires action when God calls and sends us. Throughout Scripture, God consistently tells His people to go and serve.

Consider these divine commissions: “Go, gather the elders of Israel together” (Exodus 3:16). “Go and tell this people” (Isaiah 6:9). “Son of man, go” (Ezekiel 3:1). “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15).

Moses went with God’s complete authority behind him. When he asked God what name he should use when speaking to the Israelites, God replied with the powerful declaration: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14). This name revealed God’s eternal, unchanging nature and gave Moses the confidence he needed for the enormous task ahead.

But Moses still had to grow and learn throughout his years of service. No matter how long we have walked with God or served Him, we should always be learning and growing. As Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:12-13).

In this lesson, we’ll focus on Moses’ public service for God and examine four ways he demonstrated godly character in serving God’s purposes:

• Moses represented the character of God
• Moses sought the glory of God
• Moses shared the Word of God
• Moses trained others to serve God

Moses Represented the Character of God

The greatest purpose for Moses’ service was not simply to deliver Israel from Egypt. It was to reveal God more completely to His people. Through Moses’ life and leadership, the Israelites learned profound truths about who God is.

What did Moses reveal to Israel about God’s character?

• He demonstrated the sovereignty of God, showing them that the Lord rules over all creation and chose Israel as His special people (Deuteronomy 10:14-15).
• Moses revealed the glory of God when God’s presence appeared on Mount Sinai like a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17).
• He taught them about the holiness of God when Nadab and Abihu were struck down for offering unauthorized fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-7).
• Moses displayed the wrath of God against sin when divine judgment fell upon those who worshiped Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1-4).
• He showed them the justice of God, who defends the fatherless and the widow (Deuteronomy 10:18).
• Moses revealed the mercy of God when he lifted up the bronze serpent so that those who looked upon it in faith would be healed from their deadly snake bites (Numbers 21:8-9).

The first priority of anyone who serves God is to represent Him accurately to others. This is why God was so displeased with Moses when he disobeyed God’s instructions at the waters of Meribah. Instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, Moses struck it twice with his staff and took credit for the miracle, saying, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

Numbers 20:10-12: So Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

Because Moses failed to honor God as holy in the sight of the Israelites, he was not permitted to enter the Promised Land.

(Notebook Moment: In what specific ways do you represent God to the people around you? How might your words and actions either honor God or misrepresent His character to others?)

We are also called to represent God faithfully in our daily lives. This is a tremendous responsibility that should both humble us and motivate us to live with integrity. We represent God to our families through how we love, forgive, and serve one another. We represent God to our communities through our honesty, generosity, and compassion. We represent God to the world through our witness and our commitment to justice and truth.

Our lives should consistently reflect the character of our loving and merciful God:

1 John 4:7-11: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Moses Sought the Glory of God

God does not share His glory with anyone, and Moses was completely committed to seeing God’s glory revealed rather than his own reputation established. The remarkable intimacy Moses enjoyed with God is captured beautifully:

Exodus 33:18-19: Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

The glory of God is the full expression of His perfect character and attributes. We should also desire to see God’s glory revealed through our service rather than seeking honor for ourselves. This happens only when we are completely yielded to God’s will and purposes:

2 Corinthians 4:5-7: For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

When we serve God with pure motives, seeking His glory rather than our own recognition, the Holy Spirit works through us to reveal Christ to others. Paul uses Moses as an example of this principle when he explains how the glory on Moses’ face when he came down from Mount Sinai was so bright that he had to wear a veil. The people could not see God’s glory clearly because of their spiritual blindness, but the Holy Spirit removes that veil so we can see the glory of Christ:

2 Corinthians 3:16-18: But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

A life of service that is empowered by the Holy Spirit will always point people toward Christ rather than toward ourselves:

John 15:26: When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

(Notebook Moment: Can you think of times when you may have sought recognition for yourself rather than giving God the glory? How can you cultivate a heart that consistently desires God’s honor above your own?)

Moses Shared the Word of God

Every person who serves God faithfully must be committed to knowing, speaking, and living God’s Word. Moses both received God’s law and faithfully taught it to the people:

Exodus 24:12: The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

Moses was also careful to teach these commandments to the next generation:

Deuteronomy 6:6-7: These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

We see this same commitment to God’s Word in other faithful servants throughout Scripture. Ezra was devoted to studying and teaching the law of God. When he read from the Book of the Law before all the people, we read:

Nehemiah 8:2-3: So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Paul declared that he had faithfully proclaimed the complete counsel of God:

Acts 20:27: For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

This is exactly what our Bible curriculum is designed to help you accomplish. If we are going to share God’s Word with others, speak it with confidence, and live it with integrity, we must first know what God has said. We cannot give away what we do not possess. We cannot teach what we have not learned. We cannot live by principles we do not understand.

As you work through these lessons, you are building a foundation that will enable you to serve God more effectively throughout your life. Whether you are teaching your children at home, encouraging fellow believers in your church, or sharing the gospel with unbelievers in your community, your effectiveness will depend largely on how well you understand God’s Word.

The psalmist declares the blessing that comes to those who treasure God’s Word:

Psalm 119:11: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

When God’s truth fills our minds and hearts, it transforms how we think, speak, and act in every situation we encounter.

Moses Trained Others to Serve God

Moses demonstrated wisdom in serving God by understanding three essential principles of effective leadership: delegating responsibilities, addressing challenges to his authority, and training the next generation.

Delegating Responsibilities

Moses discovered that he needed faithful helpers to support him in serving God’s people effectively. During the battle with the Amalekites, Moses held up his hands in prayer, and as long as his hands were raised, Israel prevailed in the battle. But when his hands grew tired and dropped, the Amalekites began to win. Aaron and Hur recognized the problem and supported Moses’ arms until the battle was won:

Exodus 17:11-12: As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

Initially, Moses tried to handle all the people’s disputes and problems by himself, working from morning until evening every day. His father-in-law Jethro wisely pointed out that this approach was unhealthy and unsustainable:

Exodus 18:17-18: Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”

Jethro advised Moses to select capable, trustworthy men who could handle the smaller matters, bringing only the most difficult cases to Moses himself.

This principle applies to all of us who serve God. He has given different gifts to each member of the body of Christ, and these gifts should be used to build up the entire church. When the early church faced similar challenges, the apostles appointed deacons to handle practical matters so they could focus on prayer and teaching God’s Word:

Acts 6:3-4: Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Paul instructed Titus to establish leaders in local churches:

Titus 1:5: The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

God often works through teams rather than isolated individuals. Moses’ sister Miriam played a crucial role in God’s plan from the very beginning. As a young girl, she courageously watched over baby Moses when he was hidden in the basket among the reeds and boldly approached Pharaoh’s daughter to suggest a Hebrew woman to nurse the child:

Exodus 2:7-8: Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.

Later, Miriam served alongside Moses and Aaron as a leader of Israel. After the crossing of the Red Sea, she led the women in a victory celebration, playing the timbrel and singing:

Exodus 15:20-21: Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and rider he has hurled into the sea.”

God recognized her contribution to His people:

Micah 6:4: I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.

Addressing Challenges to Authority

However, both Miriam and Aaron needed correction when they challenged Moses’ unique authority as God’s chosen leader. When they criticized Moses for marrying a Cushite woman and claimed that God spoke through them just as much as through Moses, God defended Moses and afflicted Miriam with leprosy until she repented:

Numbers 12:1-2: Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

This incident teaches us that while God uses many people in His service, He establishes specific lines of authority that must be respected.

(Notebook Moment: How can you better support and encourage others who are serving God alongside you? What gifts has God given you that could be used to strengthen your local church or Christian community?)

Moses learned to address rebellion against godly authority decisively. When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a revolt against Moses’ leadership, Moses recognized that their rebellion was ultimately against God Himself, not just against him personally:

Numbers 16:3: They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Moses called upon God to vindicate His chosen servant, and the earth opened up and swallowed the rebels.

Training the Next Generation

Moses also understood the importance of investing in the next generation of servants. He carefully trained Joshua to be his successor:

Deuteronomy 34:9: Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

God has designed ministry and service to continue from generation to generation. We see this pattern throughout Scripture, from Moses to Joshua, from Elijah to Elisha, from Jesus to His disciples, and from Paul to Timothy.

Jesus modeled this approach perfectly during His earthly ministry:

Acts 4:13: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Paul instructed Timothy to continue this pattern:

2 Timothy 2:2: And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Conclusion

Moses prophesied that God would raise up another prophet like himself who would speak God’s words to the people:

Deuteronomy 18:18: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

This greater prophet was Jesus Christ. Everything that was true about Moses’ faithful service finds its perfect fulfillment in Christ:

Moses	Jesus Christ
Represented God’s character faithfully	“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9)
Sought God’s glory in his ministry	“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4)
Delivered God’s Word to the people	“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them” (John 17:8)
Trained followers to continue God’s work	“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18)

As followers of Christ, we must follow this same pattern in our service to God. We are called to represent God’s character faithfully in our daily lives, to seek His glory rather than our own recognition, to know and share His Word with others, and to invest our lives in training those who will serve Him after us.

The God who called Moses to serve His people has called each of us to serve Him as well. Whether your sphere of influence is your family, your workplace, your neighborhood, or your church, God wants to use your life to accomplish His purposes. Like Moses, we can serve with confidence because our authority comes not from ourselves but from the God who has called us to represent Him in this world.

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