Reflecting on Moses
Forming character and culture in the family and business
For the remaining weeks of the year, I invite you to study aspects of the life of Moses with me. He is perhaps the most famous Old Testament character, combining the roles of prophet, lawgiver, and leader. More than anyone, he formed the character of the Hebrew people. His life and dealings with the Israelites are described in four whole (and long!) books of the Bible – Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. So the deep dive I’ve taken with others like Jacob and Esau, David, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson, won’t work as well here.
(Actually, it might work. But going week by week through those four books could take as many years as Moses wandered in the desert. I’m certain we’ll all be ready to move on much sooner.)
Moses’ life is rich with opportunities to learn and reflect. From the circumstances of his upbringing as a Hebrew in Pharaoh’s house, to his life in a foreign land after killing an Egyptian, his return to Egypt to free the Israelites, his repeated dealings with Pharaoh, including the Passover and the ten plagues, his interaction with God around the Ten Commandments, his leadership of his community in good times and bad, and his journey to the promised land…it’s the history and formation of a people from over 3,000 years ago who are part of our lives today.
My approach this time is to study how Moses deals with certain situations. I’ll begin by looking at how he responds to God’s multiple calls to lead the Israelites. I’ll reflect on how he handles relationships and conflict. I will also consider Moses during that 40-year period of wandering, as times of struggle are so important in the formation of our character. And I’ll end with some reflections about his gift of the law.
My goal in these short reflections is to ponder the intersection of faith, family, and family business. In that context, as we begin to dive in to parts of Moses’ life, think about this question:
Who in the history of your family played a significant role in the formation of your family’s culture and guiding principles, or in the establishment of your family’s character or identity?