“Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3, ESV)
The world’s standards equate meekness with weakness. The passage states that Moses was the meekest person on the face of the earth. Meekness or humility is a virtue of the great servants of God. It is a virtue exemplified in our Lord himself (Philippians 2:3-6), and therefore a virtue associated with strength.
The background of this passage is that Miriam and Aaron had rebelled against Moses saying, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only though Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” Miriam and Aaron were seeking equality with Moses as leaders to the nation. This rebellion was a not only against Moses, but also against the Sovereignty of the Lord who appointed Moses to his position. The Lord had set Moses apart as one “faithful in all” the Lord’s house and He spoke with Moses clearly, “mouth to mouth” (Number 12:8).
The interesting thing about Moses’ response to this attack is that he does not defend himself. He demonstrates true meekness and humility by staying the course in his office and letting the Lord take up his defense.
This is a picture of humility and strength. The humble servant obediently follows the Lord regardless of the sacrifice and needs not vindicate himself when attacked by adversaries. He trusts that the Lord truly “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
When we are humble and seek to follow the Lord, we are often subject to attack by others. It might be anyone who does not agree with our stand for Christ. It might be someone jealous of our calling in Christ. We often take these attacks to heart and often want to go on the defense or on the counter attack. While we must stand for the truth, we need not engage in conflict with our accusers. The humble servant stands firm in the Lord, not wavering in his or her spiritual walk and leaves room for the Lord to handle the situation. Do not worry when you come under attack because of your obedience to Christ. The Lord knows the situation and He is the one who will protect and vindicate you. In this way, you demonstrate humility, which is a quality of the great servants of the Lord.
Renewing the Heart 