TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 15:1-21
Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? - Exodus 15:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
In an interview with Christianity Today, Matt Redman, a British worship leader and songwriter, gave a definition of worship that could have come directly from today's reading in Exodus 15: “Worship is about revelation and response.”

We know that God had already announced to Moses that the Israelites would worship Him once they left Egypt (cf. 3:12). He didn't intend their worship to be restricted to this singular occasion. Worship should be God's people's natural response, woven into the fabric of their everyday life.

Confusion and arguments often fill conversations about worship, specifically about styles of worship songs. Some people are adamant that traditional hymns are far superior to contemporary worship music; others say that they like more contemporary rhythms and melodies. From Exodus 15, we won't settle that question, but we will identify important elements for the content of our worship songs.

Notice that Moses' worship song has God as its primary subject. The song declares who God is and what God has done. The song narrates in great detail how the Israelites have been saved by God. He has defeated their enemy. His power and strength are unparalleled. The Israelites use this spectacular display of God's power to tell what He's like. It is a celebration of God's divine attributes.

This song of worship looks forward as much as it looks back. It speaks confidently about the future of the Israelites (vv. 13-18). If God has defeated the Egyptians, He'll do the same with the Canaanites and the other peoples the Israelites will face. They believe that He will fulfill His promises to them, and their worship is an expression of hope and trust.

Moses teaches us what true worship is. Worship isn't just feeling good about God and celebrating our affection for Him. Worship calls us to tell about God's character and then respond with thanksgiving, with praise, with hope.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Reading the Psalms is an important way for learning how to worship God. Over the next couple of months, read through the Psalms and keep a worship journal. Write down what is revealed about God in each Psalm. What aspects of His character are highlighted? Then record how the psalmist responds to God. Does he use words like praise, exalt, and trust? Let the vocabulary of the Psalms teach you more about worship in your personal prayer time and in your corporate worship.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 15:22-27
Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. - Psalm 102:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Around the age of two, toddlers begin insisting that they can do everything by themselves. Their eager self-sufficiency and the “I do it!” mentality lead to many tears of frustration. They want to zip their jackets alone, but they can't. They try to tie their shoes, but their little hands refuse to cooperate. If only they would just ask for help!

Often the Israelites acted like a bunch of obstinate toddlers, and it's all too easy to spend a lot of our time finger-pointing. We wonder why the Israelites were so dull-witted. God had provided for them already in miraculous ways, and wasn't that reason enough to believe in His goodness for the future? Why was every obstacle a cause for their despairing lack of faith?

If we put ourselves in their place, we might discover a little more sympathy. The Israelites had just spent three days walking in a hot, dry desert. Their provisions were spent, their children were thirsty, everyone was getting tired from the journey. They heaved a sigh of relief at the first sight of Marah—water! They dropped their provisions and ran to the water's bank, lapping the water eagerly into their hands, only to spit it out again immediately. It was bitter!

God told them outright He was testing them. Every difficulty they faced in the wilderness was an opportunity either to grow in faith or to doubt God. Moses provides an example of what they should have done—and what we should do when God brings us to places of bitter water.

We've got to call out to Him! The people of God have to have an ear for His voice. We could let ourselves drown in the discouraging realities of our lives. We could focus on our dry mouths and the bitter water and take these as evidences that somehow God doesn't see and God doesn't care. Or, we could use our suffering as a reason to depend more on God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When Moses cried out to God, God gave Him a very specific answer to the problem. We should expect no less when we pray. Remember the promise of James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Are there challenges at your workplace or your church or in your family that you don't know how to resolve? Cry out to God. Ask for His help, believing that He will answer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 16:1-36
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. - Psalm 32:8-9
TODAY IN THE WORD
In November 2006, Ed Klein, a teacher at West Philadelphia High School, was physically attacked by students during the school day. He had been making phone calls home to parents, notifying them of their children's poor behavior and performance in class. His students warned him to stop, and when he persisted, he suffered a string of attacks that culminated in a broken jaw and severe nerve damage.

Klein experienced the cruel reality of human depravity. As sinners, we don't like being told what to do. We'll challenge authority at every possible turn. At its most extreme, this spirit of rebellion can lead to violence. In today's reading, the people rebelled against Moses and inflicted verbal lashings.

The Israelites were hard-hearted toward God and toward Moses. Again, they found themselves doubting that God would provide for them, this time for bread. They fell into a wistful and deluded nostalgia about life in Egypt. How good they had it! Their torment as slaves under an oppressive Pharaoh was conveniently forgotten. Even when God did provide the manna in the desert, it did not lead them to greater obedience. They still willfully disregarded God's instructions to keep only enough manna for each day with the exception of the sixth day. And when they were commanded to stay home on the seventh day, some still left their tents thinking by chance there just might be manna.

We've already seen how the Egyptians executed their power and authority over the Israelites: beating them into submission, dominating them by sheer physical force. But God had a new way for His people. He wasn't going to force them to obey. He was leading by “instructions” (vv. 4, 28).

Moses had a difficult job then—to make himself heard over the din of grumbling. He was dealing with people (not unlike us) whose appetite dominated all their senses. When their stomachs were growling, they somehow forgot all of the previous miracles God had performed.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Week after week as they teach from the Scriptures, our pastors are giving us a reality check, much like the Israelites needed. The Israelites had completely forgotten what Egypt had really been like. They didn't remember their slavery. All they could think about was the food they used to eat. About what circumstance in your life do you need a reality check? Pray for God's Spirit to have the freedom to expose whatever lies you're believing about that situation.

[nChrist]

Klein experienced the cruel reality of human depravity. As sinners, we don't like being told what to do. We'll challenge authority at every possible turn. At its most extreme, this spirit of rebellion can lead to violence. In today's reading, the people rebelled against Moses and inflicted verbal lashings.

I first say AMEN! to this article. The above is a GLOBAL problem currently on the increase. This GLOBAL problem is quite real. The world's greatest problem is disrespect, disobedience, and rejection of GOD. The consequences are going to grow, just as the problem grows.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 17:8-15
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!� And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!� - 1 Corinthians 12:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Ian Falconer's illustrated book, Olivia Saves the Circus, Olivia stands in front of her class to tell about her spring vacation. Always one for flair, Olivia describes how she, her mother, and her little brother went to the circus only to find all the circus performers were out sick with ear infections. She immediately fills in: she's the lion-tamer, the tight-rope walker, dog trainer, and Olivia, Queen of the Trampoline!

Sometimes we think of Moses' story as resembling Olivia's, as if his story were really a one-man show. Today's reading details how Moses was an ordinary man and relied on God and others in his assigned responsibilities from God.

This story is primarily a demonstration of the absolute necessity of God's powerful intervention in whatever crises we face. Imagine the state of mind of the Israelites at this point on their journey out of Egypt. They had met significant hardship at every place they had camped. They had encountered impossible obstacles, fierce enemies, and lack of provisions. God had miraculously and faithfully provided for them in each of these instances—and they needed Him here again desperately.

Moses explained the strategy, and it's not the either/or proposition we're tempted to follow: either pray and rely on God or act. Moses' solution was a both/and approach. Joshua, a much younger man than Moses, would command the troops on the ground. They would take up their swords and fight. And in the background we find Moses, with arms outstretched toward the God in heaven.

The battle wasn't won in a mere matter of hours. This particular battle scene features a coordinated effort on the ground by God's men to plead for His power but also to fight with His strength. God could have prevented the Amalekite attack, but instead, He took an opportunity to teach the leaders of Israel that they must rely on each other.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our key verse teaches us what kind of attitude we must have as members of the body of Christ. Even leaders with what seem to be the most valuable and visible gifts can never say they don't need others. As we serve Christ out of our particular areas of giftedness, we must rely on others and their varied gifts to enhance our efforts. How can you team up with people whose gifts and strengths differ from but complement your own?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 18:1-27
The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. - Proverbs 12:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
An executive at Oracle described his company's CEO, Larry Ellison, in these words: “The difference between God and Larry is that God doesn't believe he is Larry.” This can be an area of temptation and subsequent failure in so many leaders: they think they're indispensable and infallible. Sadly, this isolates them and amputates their connection to the wisdom of others.

Moses, by God's grace, managed to avoid these leadership errors in today's reading. He could have disregarded Jethro's unsolicited advice. Nothing in the text indicates that Moses perceived a problem in the current judicial system. He hadn't moaned to Jethro that he was overworked and exhausted. In fact, just the opposite seemed true. Moses was elated to recount to Jethro all that God had done for him and for the Israelites. His stories of God's deliverance spoke of unwavering confidence in God's protection and provision for the people.

Jethro, in confronting Moses so boldly, was taking a huge risk. They enjoyed a mutual respect with one another based upon their family ties and affection as friends. Jethro was jeopardizing this friendship by identifying flaws in Moses' leadership style. Without a hint of self-justification, Moses graciously responded to Jethro with the kind of humility that befits the best leaders. He saw in Jethro's words wisdom beyond his own.

Moses had gotten himself in this predicament because of noble but misguided notions about what God had called him to do. He recognized his responsibility to represent the people before God and God before the people. What he had failed to understand was that he could share some of these responsibilities without abnegating his commission from God.

Moses not only listened to Jethro but he immediately put into effect the changes Jethro had suggested. He himself hadn't had the foresight to prepare for those problems, but God provided him with someone who did.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Who in your life is close enough to you to offer wise advice? There aren't many people with Jethro's courage who will speak without an invitation. We need to ask others to observe our decisions and to illuminate potential problems or challenges that we can't see. Like Moses, we can have pure motives and noble goals and still meet pitfalls. Pray about having one or two others with whom you can share close accountability.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 12:1-16
If God is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
Henri Nouwen has written powerfully on the subject of Christian leadership. His story was unusual in many ways. He left his prestigious professorship at an academic seminary for living and working with the mentally handicapped. And he did so as a deliberate attempt to flee what ministry had become for him: just another outlet for human ego.

Miriam and Aaron had fallen headlong into this temptation. They, along with Moses, had been called by God and used by God in this extraordinary rescue mission of the Israelite people from Egypt. But for Miriam and Aaron, being a part of the action wasn't good enough. They wanted to know and make known that they were equally as important as Moses.

All this argument about Moses' Cugotcha2e wife was really just a cover for their jealousy, as their questions in verse 2 make clear. They might have had a problem with his Cugotcha2e wife because of her ethnicity, but really it was an excuse to put Moses on trial. What was so special about him? Surely he was in no way different from them. After all, he was their baby brother! They dismissed any claims he or others might have made to his special divine privilege or authority.

What is particularly notable about this story is God's action to defend Moses. God didn't force Moses to explain his own legitimacy. Although Moses was a leader who made no apology for representing God, he was also the kind of a leader who had a reputation for authentic humility(v. 3).

If Moses' story explains anything about the nature of leadership, it reveals the criticism and attack leaders will face. Sometimes it's from the general public (as we've seen previously); more hurtful and cruel is when it emerges from within the leadership ranks. Leaders need not only courage, but they also need patience in waiting for God to rise to their defense.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God's question to Aaron and Miriam cuts us to the quick: “Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (v. 8 ). Unfounded criticism of our spiritual leaders is a grievous offense against God. And when we're quick to judge and to accuse our leaders, we need to examine why. Are we jealous of their spiritual authority? Of their intimacy with God? We need to confess these sins to God, to others to whom we've criticized our leaders, and then to our leaders themselves.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 19:1-9; Exodus 20:18-21
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 2:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Companies and individuals are increasingly turning to arbitration and mediation rather than the legal system to settle their disputes. Legal firms that provide arbitrators and private mediators often offer resolutions that are quicker and less costly than long, expensive court battles.

A mediator must skillfully navigate between two sides in a conflict. In terms of our relationship with God, we need a mediator because of our sin. We are enemies of God because of our rebellion, and we cannot approach a holy God to reconcile our severed relationship. Our key verse tells us that ultimately our mediator is Jesus Christ. As a glimpse or foretaste of what Jesus would do and be, we have the example of Moses.

In Exodus 18, Moses served as mediator of the covenant between God and the Israelites. The covenant was a sacred oath between God and His people. The terms He announced were these: He wanted to make these people His very own, and He demanded their obedience and allegiance to Him. The covenant resembles in many ways the promises of marriage. The husband and wife promise one another unconditional love and protection, and they insist upon fidelity. Moses brought these terms to the people and then secured their “signature” of verbal assent. Yes, they wanted to be God's people, and they promised Him their unconditional obedience.

In this example from Exodus 18, we see how God has always intended, in both the Old and New Testaments, to have a relationship with His people. The contrast, however, between the relationship offered in the Old Testament and that in the New is seen most clearly in our selected verses from Exodus 19. The people were rightfully frightened by God's presence. They insisted upon keeping their distance from Him. And because of this, they needed a go-between, someone with whom God would speak and who could bring the message back to them. That person was Moses.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Reading the Old Testament broadens our understanding of the New Testament. In seeing the contrast between the Old and New Covenants, we have so much for which to be thankful. Through Christ, we have an invitation to draw near to God. The writer of Hebrews calls us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence!” (4:16). The book of Hebrews is the best resource for understanding how Christ fulfilled the terms of the Old Covenant. If this is a subject that interests you, commit yourself to studying this book soon.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 32:1-14
This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. - 1 John 5:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Michael Gerson, who served as chief speechwriter in the George W. Bush administration, spoke about his responsibility to articulate the President's voice: “I've never been in a circumstance where I've been asked to write something that I didn't believe in for President Bush.” That's a model for a successful match between a speech-writer and his President.

Moses was called by God to speak for Him. And that commissioning required that Moses knew God and understood His character. Like all the prophets of the Bible, Moses was responsible to tell the people about God's nature and proclaim God's words. Today's reading reveals just how well Moses understood God's motivation and character.

At first glance, it might seem that Moses did a fantastic job of convincing God to change His mind. The Israelites' dissolution into idolatry had stirred God's anger, and the language of verse 10 indicates His willingness to destroy them. Moses cited a litany of reasons why God should not destroy His people because of their sin. His reasons reflected insight into who God was.

Moses remembered the reason for which God had delivered the people from Egypt: so that He would “gain glory for [himself]” (Ex. 14:4). Moses did not want to see the renown and fame, which God rightfully deserved, compromised. He didn't want to hear the nations falsely accuse God. He also reminded God of His faithful love for His people. He had confidence that God was eager to turn from anger and show love. This was exactly how God was soon to reveal Himself to Moses (Ex. 34:6).

Because Moses understood God's nature, he had confidence in approaching Him. He never persuaded God to do something outside the bounds of His character. Instead, he asked God to conform to what was already true of Him. This is an example for our approach to God in prayer.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Moses is our model for intercessory prayer. First, we must begin by recognizing God's character. For example, He does not delight in punishing evil people. “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezek. 18:23). As we pray for people who do not yet know Christ, we can call upon God's character of mercy and love to reveal Himself to them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 33:1-23
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you. . . . Because your love is better than life. - Psalm 63:1, 3
TODAY IN THE WORD
On her twenty-first birthday, Barbara Hutton inherited the $50 million Woolworth fortune. She seemed to have a glamorous life with a lavish debutante party, mansions around the globe, and the royalty of Europe as friends. But all her wealth could not buy love: her mother had committed suicide when Bar bara was four years old, and her father abandoned her. This emptiness continued throughout adulthood as she hurtled through seven loveless marriages.

Mansions, parties, and money are hollow substitutes for gifts of time, concern, and love. Even if we understand this in our human relationships, we might not always factor this into our relationship with God. We can grow complacent with the gifts He gives and forget our worship and affection for the Giver. When our prayers become a pretense for getting what we want, we've surrendered to this temptation.

Moses shows us what kind of relationship we were created to enjoy with God. His relationship with God is likened in this passage to a friendship, the first time we encounter that description in Scripture. Moses relied on open communication with God. He often left the camp for the Tent of Meeting at times when he needed answers to questions, consolation in discouragement, or simply wanted to offer worship and thanks.

Imagine, then, Moses' horror at the idea that God would withhold His presence from the people. He hadn't reneged on His promises. He would still lead them to the Promised Land. The gifts would be theirs, but because of their sin, He was no longer promising to go before them and with them. That had been Moses' confidence in undertaking this mission (cf. Ex. 3:12)!

Moses demonstrated an authentic love for God. It meant that He preferred God to any of the gifts that He could give. He would rather have God's presence then freedom and luxury in a land without Him. God heard and answered Moses' prayer, granting mercy to the Israelites.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Nichole Nordeman, in her song, “Gratitude,” sings about loving God no matter what He chooses to give us. “We'll give thanks to You / With gratitude / For lessons learned in how to thirst for You / How to bless the very sun that warms our face / If You never send us rain.” Have you ever been disappointed by what God hasn't given you? Can you be satisfied with His presence alone? And if He has blessed you with many good gifts, will you remember to thank Him and reaffirm your love for Him?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 14:1-19
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. - Joshua 1:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some governments, such as the ones in Great Britain and Israel, allow for members of parliament to call for a vote of no-confidence in their leaders. This referendum on the leader of the ruling party can force a change in power in the middle of a political term if there is dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

Moses was up for a vote of no-confidence in our reading from today. But what's most shocking is that the vote had been proposed by members of his own “party,” leaders of the Israelites. The twelve-member delegation, chosen in Numbers 13 and representative of the top leaders of each of the twelve Israelite tribes, was most likely composed of men who Moses trusted. The scouts were commissioned to explore the Promised Land and bring back information that would help to form their strategy for invading and occupying the land. Their job was an important one, and as Moses himself stayed behind, he would not have entrusted these responsibilities to just anyone. We've seen the criteria used to select the men to whom Moses had delegated judicial authority (Ex. 18:21). We know that special times of worship were the privilege of Israelite leaders (Ex. 24:1). Given this, we can conclude that the men chosen to spy in Canaan had a reputation of faith and courage.

Their betrayal wounded Moses. Of the twelve men who returned, only Joshua and Caleb brought back a positive report. The other ten inspired fear in the hearts of the Israelites. Yes, the land was bountiful, but they denied the possibility for victory. They had, along with Moses, seen all the miracles God had performed on behalf of the Israelites, but they did not choose to believe that God would intervene here.

Fear and lack of faith is a prelude to rebellion. If leaders are to lead well, as Moses did, they must be strong and courageous, just as our key verse reminds us!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We must not allow fear into our lives. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [fear], but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Fear germinates when we spend more time looking at our circumstances and less time considering God's promises. When we fear, we essentially doubt God. And doubting God is treating Him with contempt. This is no minor infraction. It's a serious spiritual pitfall that will lead us into disobedience.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:3-18
And we . . . are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory. - 2 Corinthians 3:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
Visitors to Rome can see Michelangelo's famous sculpture of Moses. Strangely, Moses is a horned figure! Michelangelo read the Vulgate, a translation of Scripture from Hebrew to Latin by Jerome. He mistranslated the Hebrew word for “radiant face,” rendering it as horns.

Since the Vulgate, we have more accurate translations of the Bible and we know that the effects of God's presence on Moses didn't stimulate the growth of horns. Rather, Moses' face betrayed the luminous brilliance of the glory of God. Having just spent forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai with God, Moses was physically transformed by his experience.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3, helps us understand the importance of this text from Exodus. He shows us the hope that we have under the New Covenant with Christ as contrasted by the Old Covenant. Moses was a foretaste of what everyone who believes and follows Christ can look forward to. None of us is ever meant to be the same once we come into God's presence, something we're invited to do regularly because of the access that Jesus has provided us.

In Moses' day, he alone was called into intimate contact with God. No other Israelites were invited to a private audience with God. And it was Moses alone who was transfigured by intimacy with God. However, his glory was fading. It diminished with every descending step from the mountain.

Compare this to the glory that we, as believers under the New Covenant, are promised. Through Christ, we can now all come into God's presence and all be transformed by that glory. The New Cov-enant, whose locus is internal, rather than external, brings a glory that does not fade. And we aren't forced to veil our faces as Moses was. The picture of a radiant Moses descending Mount Sinai portrays what every believer is to be in our dark world: the light of God's love and truth in the enveloping darkness.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Read Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:12-18, and Ephesians 5:8-14. How does each of these passages inform our understanding of what it means to be “light” in a dark world? Consider the darkness of your neighborhood, your workplace, maybe even of your own family. In what ways can you reflect God's glory in those places? Are you being transformed into the likeness of God's character, becoming more loving, more truthful, more gentle, more faithful?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 16:1-40
Among those who approach me I will show myself holy. - Leviticus 10:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book, God in the Wasteland, David Wells laments, “It is one of the defining marks of our time that God is now weightless. I do not mean by this that he is ethereal, but rather that he has become unimportant. He rests on the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable.”

The “weightlessness” of God in our age is like the refusal of the Israelites to treat God as holy, recorded here in Numbers 16. What was apparently a showdown between rival leaders for Moses' and Aaron's positions—a conspiracy motivated by self-ish ambition and pride—was at its core a rejection of God's authority.

By the time we get to Numbers 16, the Israelites had already received revelation regarding the construction of the tabernacle and the duties of the Levites and priests. Korah and other descendants of Kohath were given important responsibilities in the tabernacle. They were assigned the task of transporting on their shoulders holy articles used in the rituals of worship and sacrifice (cf. Num. 7:9). They were not, however, direct descendants of Aaron and could not, therefore, assume priestly duties such as offering the sacrifices or burning incense to the Lord.

Despite God's explicit instructions, they rebelled. And Moses was clear to say to them that they were not rebelling against human leadership but against God Himself. They had no fear of God, no regard for His holiness. If they had, they would never have had the audacity to offer incense to the Lord as Moses proposed.

We've so often seen Moses in an intercessory role when God threatens judgment against His people. Time and time again he pleaded with God to overlook sin and show mercy, and he did so even later in this chapter. However, with Korah and the other dissidents, Moses prayed for God's judgment upon them. His anger didn't result from feeling personally offended or accused. He recognized that what was at stake was regarding God as holy.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In many places of the Bible, including the Psalms and the prophetic books, we hear the people of God cry out for judgment against evildoers. Psalm 109 is one such example. When we read words like, “May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow,” we're forced to wonder if such ideas should really be in the Bible. What Moses' example teaches us today is that when God's holy character and reputation are threatened, we can and should pray for God to judge and oppose such evil.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Numbers 20:2-13
Not many of you should presume to be teachers . . . we who teach will be judged more strictly. - James 3:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal produced a firestorm of criticism. Many Americans wanted to see the former President held responsible. Whether it's a culpable president or CEO, people want to see justice served.

The Bible sets up a strict standard for its leaders. Even as our key verse warns, we shouldn't be hasty in aspiring to leadership positions within the church, for in such roles, we will be held to more stringent standards of accountability.

Moses is one such example. His work was beset with a constant barrage of criticism and opposition. He had to lead an unruly people who chronically fell into despair and doubt. It didn't seem to matter what miracles God performed on their behalf. It never inspired sufficient faith for the next challenge. And when God threatened to utterly destroy them, Moses pleaded for their acquittal. He demonstrated a relentless commitment to these people.

In today's reading, however, all the anger and frustration built up over almost forty years of wandering in the desert caught up with Moses. The Israelites find themselves again without water, not a new scenario for them (cf. Exodus 17). God had already proven that He could provide for the needs of His people.

Moses and Aaron certainly didn't doubt God's provision. Once the grumbling started, they headed for the Tent of Meeting. They had the faith to believe that, as He had before, God had the answer yet again.

But Moses and Aaron committed an egregious error before God, one that likely seems minor to us. Rather than speaking to the rock to bring forth the water, Moses struck the rock with his staff. God charged Moses and Aaron with a failure to trust and honor Him. The punishment was radically severe: neither Moses nor Aaron would be permitted to enter the Promised Land.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Was God's punishment of Moses and Aaron unnecessarily harsh? Believing that God's ways are always true and just, we recognize that God saw this as an appropriate measure of discipline. We need to pray for our leaders who are held to this strict accountability of which the Bible speaks. We must pray for their perseverance, their obedience, their courage, and their unwavering trust in God. Perhaps our prayers and encouragement are just what they need when their discouragement or anger could lead them into sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Numbers 27:12-23
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
In many countries, the transfer of power is neither regular nor peaceful. Military coups, civil wars, or dictators who refuse to leave office contribute to unstable or violent conditions. We should not take for granted the peaceful transfer in the United States; every four years in January, the occupant of the White House greets the newly elected President and then graciously leaves.

As the time approached for Moses' death, the transfer of power was peaceful. Joshua was commissioned as Moses' successor by the command of God. He had been referred to often in Scripture as Moses' assistant. He had been at Moses' side at the most crucial times of the Exodus. He had privileges that no one other than Moses had, specifically those that allowed him access to the presence of God. He had met with God at the Tent of Meeting. He ascended with Moses to the top of Mount Sinai. Moses had the confidence to lead the Israelites based on the assurance that God was with him, and this guarantee was now given to Joshua. Joshua had also proven his capacity for leadership. He successfully led the military effort against the Amalekites. He had also shown courage when the twelve spies returned from their exploratory mission to the Promised Land. He and Caleb were the only ones with the faith to believe that God's power trumped the giants in the land. He had seen God act miraculously to bring them out of Egypt, and he believed that God had the power to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land.

These were qualifications that Joshua needed to lead the people. Deuteronomy 31 reiterates that God, not Moses and not Joshua, was ultimately the leader of the Israelites. He was the one going before them, the one who ensured their victory.

But Moses recognized that the people were a hapless bunch of lost sheep, and they needed a shepherd. So God invested His authority in Joshua, just as He had in Moses.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we are in positions of leadership, one of our most important jobs is to train the next generation of leaders. We need to be investing ourselves intentionally in those promising leaders of tomorrow. Like Moses, we can do this by extending an invitation to come alongside us in the work of ministry that we do. We can also delegate certain responsibilities to others now, while we can yet oversee and guide them. Finally, we can commission them publicly for leadership, conveying our confidence in their call and capacities.