Lessons From Moses: God Uses Imperfect People
Moses was born in Egypt during a time when Pharaoh had ordered all Hebrew baby boys to be killed. Meanwhile, God had a purpose for Moses’ life, and he spared him. Today, we’ll examine ten lessons from Moses and see how these truths apply to our lives.
We’ll start with a quick recap of Moses’ life before seeing how these events can help build our faith and trust in God.
Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you trust God and grow closer to him.
Lessons From Moses
After his birth, Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed, managed to hide him for about three months. When they could no longer conceal him, Jochebed placed him in a papyrus basket coated with pitch and set it among the reeds in the Nile. Entrusting her child to God, she prayed for him to spare Moses.
Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses and, unable to have children, decided to adopt Moses. Through an act of God’s divine provision, Moses’ sister Miriam arranged for Jochebed to nurse Moses until he was weaned.
Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household, raised as the son of the princess. He was educated and surrounded by wealth.
At some point, Moses learned that he was born a Hebrew, part of an enslaved group of people living in Egypt.
Sensitive to his heritage, Moses watched the way the Egyptians mistreated the Hebrews. One day, he witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. In anger, Moses murdered the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.
The next day, when he tried to intervene between two quarreling Hebrews, one of the men exposed Moses. He had seen the murder.
Fearful, Moses fled to Midian. He became a shepherd and married a woman named Zipporah, starting a family and living a quiet life.
Meanwhile, God was preparing Moses.
God Calls Moses
One day, while tending sheep, Moses saw a bush that was burning without being consumed. God revealed himself as Yahweh, “I Am.” He also commissioned Moses to return to Egypt and lead the Hebrew people out of slavery.
Moses resisted, citing his inability to speak well, but God promised to go with him.
Returning to Egypt with his brother Aaron, Moses approached Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Hebrews. Pharaoh repeatedly resisted, resulting in plagues, signs, and wonders from God. When Pharaoh finally relented, after the final plague that killed the firstborn son of every non-Hebrew family, Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt.
They crossed the Red Sea and watched as the Egyptian army was swallowed up by the sea behind them.
After making camp at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses met with God face-to-face on the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, the Hebrew people repeatedly disobeyed God, worshiped idols, and grumbled.
As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years instead of entering the Promised Land in the 11 days the journey should have taken!
Sadly, Moses never entered the Promised Land. He died on Mount Nebo, gazing at the land God had promised.
Lessons From Moses
This was a quick recap of Moses’ story, leaving out many details, but it helps us understand the background of the lessons we can learn from Moses. Here are 10 lessons from Moses that still apply to us today.
1. Our weaknesses don’t disqualify us from being used by God.
Moses was not an eloquent speaker. When God approached him, commissioning him to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Moses was full of excuses.
At the top of his list, he noted that he was not a skilled speaker. Some scholars believe he had a stutter or speech impediment.
In response, God allowed Moses’ brother Aaron to help him speak. God also reminded Moses that he would be with him.
This is a reminder that God works through willing people. We don’t have to be perfect. Our weaknesses are the perfect backdrop for God to work through us.
2. Our past mistakes don’t cancel our calling.
Moses was a murderer. He fled Egypt as a fugitive.
Nevertheless, God used him to lead millions of people to freedom.
No matter how dark our past mistakes might be, we are never disqualified from being used by God.
3. Leadership can be lonely.
As Moses led the Hebrews through the wilderness, they repeatedly grumbled. They declared that they should have stayed in Egypt where the food was better.
Moses faced rebellion and criticism for 40 years as he led the people through the wilderness.
This reminds us that leadership has a cost. At times, the people we are trying to help will misunderstand and turn against us. Meanwhile, God calls us to press forward, continuing to serve those whom he has entrusted to us.
4. Good leaders know how to delegate tasks.
Over time, Moses faced burnout. His father-in-law, Jethro, suggested he appoint judges to help him handle disputes and lead the people.
This decision lifted the weight of leadership from Moses’ shoulders and delegated the role to others.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it is an indication of healthy leadership.
More Lessons From Moses and His Leadership
5. We cannot lead others where we have not first traveled with God.
Moses regularly spent time alone with God in a special tent called the Tent of Meeting. There, he met with God face-to-face. From this close relationship, Moses offered spiritual leadership to the people who followed him through the wilderness.
Jesus set a similar example, regularly going to quiet places alone to seek God.
Spiritual intimacy with God must precede spiritual influence over others. If we want to help others go deeper with God, we must first go deep ourselves.
6. Partial obedience is disobedience.
God wants us to follow him wholly.
As Moses led the people through the wilderness, they ran out of water more than once. At one point, Moses struck a rock instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. He did not explicitly follow God’s instructions.
This might have seemed like a small matter, but it had a lasting impact. Because Moses did not fully obey God, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
When God leads us, we need to fully obey him. Partial obedience is direct disobedience.
7. True strength is dependent on God.
Moses made mistakes, but if we look at the overall canvas of his life, we see a man who was dependent on God.
True strength is teachable, humble, and deeply dependent on God for direction and daily provision.
8. Faithfulness is measured by obedience, not results.
God calls us to be good stewards of the tasks he sets in front of us. This means we do our best and leave the results to God.
Moses did the best he could do, but he never entered the Promised Land.
We can invest our best efforts and never see the results we hope for. When this happens, we can embrace the peace of knowing that we were faithful. The outcomes were never ours to control.
9. God designed us to function in community, not alone.
Moses’ life repeatedly revealed the importance of having a support system.
Aaron spoke for Moses. Aaron and Hur upheld Moses’ arms when they grew weak in the battle against the Amalekites. The judges helped Moses make decisions. Jethro offered wise advice. Joshua learned from Moses as he prepared to step into the leadership role.
We are not meant to do God’s work alone. We all need other people to support us.
10. Every act of obedience makes a difference.
Moses never entered the Promised Land, but he made an impact on the generation who eventually did step into the land.
We might never know the impact our actions make, but if we are faithful, God will use our faithfulness to impact future generations.
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Read here for 10 lessons from Moses that apply to us today. #leadership #faith #BibleStudy Share on XIf these lessons from Moses blessed you, I invite you to explore our library of family devotionals and free devotional books below. May you experience God’s powerful presence in your life!
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