Be Humble Like Moses

Be Humble Like Moses                                 March 9, 2025

Numbers 12:3 describes Moses in this way “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.”  The word humble comes from the Hebrew word “anav” which primarily expresses a quality of humility or meekness. It is often used to describe individuals who are gentle, lowly in spirit, and submissive to God’s will. It is often associated with a righteous character, who has a heart that is open to God’s guidance and correction.  Humility was a valued trait in ancient Israelite culture, the humble person recognized their dependence on God, humility was seen as a strength and an important characteristic which helped an individual to get along with others and be receptive to God’s wisdom.  Humility is often contrasted with pride, Proverbs 11:2 states it this way, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”  Moses was perhaps one of the most important leaders in the history of the Israelites.  He was chosen by God to liberate His chosen people from the bondage of slavery at the hands of the Egyptians.  He led and guided the Israelites in the desert until God was ready to give them the promised land.  He received the Ten Commandments from God which essentially established how God expected His people to conduct themselves.  Moses was a mediator between God and God’s people.  God gave Moses a tremendous amount of responsibility and It would have been easy for him to become so proud.  However, Moses did what God expected him to do with humility.

Not only does humility bring wisdom, Proverbs 22:4 tells us that riches, honor, and long life come with humility and the fear of God:.  Our world today would lead us to believe these things are only achievable by our own doing.  When I look around I see people relentlessly pursuing these things.  I think I have been guilty of this as well.  Unfortunately, without God, their efforts are simply in vain (Psalm 127:1).  Just as humility was a valued trait in the ancient Israelite world, I think it is just as important today and we should aim to live humble lives as well.

Paul highlights for us that our Savior is the greatest example we have of humility.  Christ emptied Himself, took on the nature of a servant and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross.  Furthermore, Paul instructs us that in our relationships with others we must have this same mindset (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus stressed the importance of humility in much of His teaching.  Specifically He emphasized the need for childlike humility and innocence in order for one to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:13-16).  As believers we are urged to show humility in our relationships with others.  Humility helps us to live the lives we were called to live in Christ and allows us to have unity and peace with the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-4).

Peter teaches us to adopt a humble attitude.  He instructs us to clothe ourselves with humility and to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand.  He additionally tells us that God shows favour to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6).  Humility is necessary if we are to encourage and serve one another with love.

When I am successful it is easy to allow pride to creep in and convince me that it was “I” who made me successful and not God working through me.  In our modern world, humility is frequently seen as a weakness.  The scriptures clearly reveal that humility is necessary for us to have a proper relationship with God, harmonious relationships with others and required for one to grow in the grace of God.  Humility is all about us recognizing that all we have is from God and that we need to fully submit to His will.  Approaching God with humility is necessary in all aspects of our walk including prayer, worship, and our  relationships with others.  I often have to remind myself that humility is a strength, that I need to resist the urge to be prideful and instead clothe myself with humility, just as Moses did.  Let us all strive to be like Moses and live our lives with humility, fully trusting in our heavenly Father.                  Kevin Pickles