"I will make you into a great nation."

This is what God the Father said to Moses after the children of Israel "corrupted themselves" by idol worship. Exodus 32:6-8; 1 Corinthians 10:7

For this disobedience, the Lord wanted to destroy them and then make Moses into a great nation. 

The Lord also said to Moses,

Moses on Mt. Sinai with the glory of the Lord shining

"I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them.

Then I will make you into a great nation." Exodus 32:9-10 

What was Moses' response to this amazing promise from God the Father?

To summarize in modern language he said,

"Wait, don't do that. Your enemies will say that You couldn't bring Your people into the Promised Land." Exodus 32:11-13

So the Lord relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people. Exodus 32:14

ARE WE READY FOR A GREAT PROMISE?

A key takeaway from this passage of Scripture might be this --

If the Lord spoke to you or me something like what He told Moses, 

"I will make of you a great [fill in the blank]," 

how would WE handle that?

It's possible that very few of us would say as Moses did,

"No, don't hurt someone else and make me a great this or that."

The Bible says that Moses was the humblest person on earth at that time. Numbers 12:3

If Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible by inspiration of God as is commonly accepted by many, 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:10-11; 2 Peter 1:21 then that Scripture was the LORD'S VIEW of him.

As a side-thought, some might wonder how Moses could write about creation Genesis 1:1-31 because he wasn't there.

God the Father said that Moses was a unique prophet with whom He spoke face-to-face as someone does with a friend. Exodus 33:11; Numbers 12:6-8

How could Moses write about his own death and burial by the Lord Deuteronomy 34:5-8 because he wasn't alive there physically when it happened? Moses could have written about this before he died as foretold by the Lord.

Divine inspiration through revelation knowledge about the past, present, and future, and speaking or writing before or after things have occurred is partly what separates human writing from Scripture. 2 Peter 1:19-21

The Lord Jesus Christ acknowledged these scriptural qualities about what Moses wrote.

For examples --

"If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me [Jesus], because he wrote about Me." John 5:46

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself. Luke 24:27

Jesus said to them,

"These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." Luke 24:44

Now, back to the humility of Moses. Numbers 12:3

This was shown when Moses' assistant, Joshua, wanted to have him shut down two people who were prophesying. Numbers 11:24-28

But Moses replied,

"Are you jealous on my account?

I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would place His Spirit on them!" Numbers 11:29

Does it take humility to be able to turn down a promotion, even from the living God?

If we live as the Lord Jesus Christ taught, to take the lowest place Luke 14:10 and be a servant of all, Mark 9:35 THEN we could be ready IF the Father says,

"Go up higher." Proverbs 18:16; Luke 14:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10

A humble person wouldn't want harm to come to others and then be blessed instead of them. 

HOW HUMBLE ARE WE?

Here's a scenario to check on our spiritual condition.

What if the Lord says to you,

"That person isn't doing what I want. So, I will promote you into their place."

Be careful.

Would we jump at that supposedly open door?

Would we think like this?

"This is my time now. I've prepared for this. I'm ready to be turned loose."

Or would it be better to ask,

"Father, with Your help, what can I do to assist this person to do what You want so that they can be successful?

You are able to make them stand." Romans 14:4; Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:19-20

Isn't that humility in action?

We would prove to OURSELVES that our heart is in the right place 2 Corinthians 13:5 to see someone else restored and strengthened instead of us being promoted at that time. 

Isn't it best to have a delayed promotion from the Lord for us so that someone in need can be lifted up?

As Jesus said,

"I didn't come to be served but to serve, and give My life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Let's go and do likewise. Matthew 20:26-27; John 13:14-15

Your thoughts?

R. Jason