Murderer and coward. Hebrews 11:24-28

We often ignore the ‘bad’ in Bible heroes. Perhaps instead, we need to remember who they are as a whole person and how God used them despite our sinful-nature.

We remember Moses as a (the?) leader of the Israelites. He is a great man of faith (Hebrews 11:24-28). It seems so convenient to forget that he was a murderer. We forget that he was such a coward, that even with all his faith, God had to make another man the spokesperson of Israel. Moses denied God of His desire for Moses to be His mouthpiece.

God forgave Moses his sins, murder being the chief that we mention here. God saw beyond his upbringing in Pharaoh’s home. God told Moses that He was bigger than any impediment.

Moses understood people: he ran from judgement after the murder, he anticipated that the Israelites would question him as God’s choice. The people had a memory like an elephant and Moses anticipated an uphill battle. We recall the past, the person we knew or heard about, back then. God called Moses into the present and future – into the person that God knew he could be. God saw the heart of Moses.

How often have I ignored or minimized changes in a person? How many people am I ‘friends’ with on social media, but really the image I have of them is of a person in another time. We have all hopefully grown. I know I have. Moses certainly had, but I wonder how many at that time who recalled better what Moses had done instead of what he was doing. I’d like to open myself to the possibility that God has changed us all, into different and better, that is, more Christ-like people. God saw the heart, and I don’t want to be any different; with Him I’ll try.