Deuteronomy 3

The history lesson is almost complete, but it ends on a dark note. Moses pleads with God to be able to enter the promised land, but he will not, and we get an extra bit to the story here. Yes, Moses disobeyed (Numbers 20:10-12), but he believes there is more to it than that: “but Yahweh was angry with me because of you.” We might be tempted to write this off as Moses’ bitterness over what happened to him, but, since the Spirit inspired the Word, there must be some truth to it. At the very least, Moses allowed his frustration to drive him to do something improper. Now, while his reaction is not their fault, there is a reminder here that leadership is difficult, and that the behavior and actions of those we lead affect us. We would also do well to remember that Moses is the head of the nation. Just as all sinned in Adam, and those who are saved are made alive in Christ, so Moses is a representative at this point. Since he bears the burden of responsibility, so he bears the burden of judgment as well.

Thought for the day: Although we may desire more responsibility in certain areas of life, we would do well to remember that there are additional consequences for that leadership.

James 3:1 (WEB) “Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgement.”