Moses and Jesus - The Weight of a Shepherd

Tissot, Jesus Feeding 5000

For many years I have known that Moses is a prefigure of Jesus, but it has been a challenge for me to see him in that role. The Binding of Isaac and the story of Joseph both evoke clearer images of the cross in my mind. Daniel was saved from the pit, Jonah from the belly of the whale after three days in the depths. It is only in this reading of Numbers that I begin to see the cross which Moses bore. It was the daily weight of carrying souls. The burden was so great that at least once, he asked the Lord to die. (Numbers 11:12-15)

I want to take up some reflections which Vivien offered in response to my last post.

Amy, the parallel you find between the Pentateuch and the Gospels is so interesting and accurate, I believe. I wonder if the following parallels could be part of the mirroring:
Moses could not stand the burden of bearing two million souls, their "sorrows and fears, their discontent and jealousy. Does this remind you of Jesus' burden to carry the sins of the world? Could the wanderings of the Israelites mirror Jesus' journey and ministry through the land? Both Moses and Jesus hold a promise of something to come, something better, as in the Promised Land and the Second Coming or Heaven?

When I read these words, the marvel of Jesus’ love hits me in a new way - as does the price which Moses paid. The entire book of Numbers is something of a tragedy, and a testament to the power of intercession. In this regard, it has opened my eyes to the depth of Jesus’ compassion and long-suffering. It has also made me more aware of the urgent need for spirit-filled leadership at all levels, and the fact that leadership, practiced well, is a cross.

In the book of Numbers, the people of Israel repeatedly fail to see the wonder of God’s work in them because of their fear, their cravings and their jealousy. They do not marvel at God’s presence among them in the form of fire and cloud as a sign of their choosing. Rather, they accuse the LORD of hating them and taking them in the desert to die. They provoke Moses to distress, so the LORD answers by giving Moses help in the form of 70 spirit-filled leaders. Then Miriam and Aaron grow jealous of Moses. Why should Moses be exalted, they ask, when the LORD also speaks through them? Thus begins a pattern of jealousy and rebellion which threatens the entire nation. It is primarily through Moses’ intercession that the people are saved.

The LORD punishes Miriam’s insolence with a week of leprosy. Aaron, on the other hand, reaps what he has sown. The Levites rise up against Aaron and question why he alone should be high priest. That is when the LORD makes Aaron’s staff bud. The priests who rise up against Aaron are then struck with a plague and Aaron intercedes, standing between the living and the dead with his censer burning, begging for mercy. The LORD hears Aaron’s prayer, and then reminds him of the weight of the leadership he has been given. “Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood.” -Lev. 18:1. This is a sober reminder that the honor of priesthood comes with a heavy price. It is a price which Jesus bore in full on the cross. And it is a role He still serves in heaven, standing between life and death on behalf of people who are yet His enemies.

The Levite revolt happened in the midst of an even bigger rebellion. Korah, Kohath and Dathan rose against Moses with 250 other noble men, saying “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” They go on to accuse Moses and the LORD of taking them out of a “land flowing with milk and honey” to die in the desert. Ouch! The LORD’s anger burns against the rebels. The ground opens and swallows them. This is the one instance where Moses does not intercede. He is too hurt by their words.

But in my mind, the low point in Numbers occurs two chapters earlier. It is such a betrayal that the LORD threatens to wipe out the entire nation and start over with Moses. In chapter 14, the spies have come back from the land of Canaan. They report that it is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey! The fruit of the land is like nothing they have ever seen. But ten out of the twelve spies are afraid they cannot fight the inhabitants of the land. They do not believe that the LORD who gives them daily bread and satisfies their thirst from a rock can defeat their enemies. It is the ultimate betrayal. God’s people reject His promise. They despise their inheritance. They doubt the goodness and the power of the God who has not ceased to do wonders among them!

It is here that Moses intercedes as only an intimate friend can. He invokes the name of the LORD that only he knows.  And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying,  ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. - Numbers 14: 17-19

And the LORD hears Moses, thankful, I believe, that there is one who knows Him.

But there is no one who knows the Father like the Son! There is no one for whom it is more true that “the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.” (Romans 15:3) There is no prophet who has been dishonored more than Jesus. And Jesus was not just a prophet. He was God Incarnate! Soldiers spat on His face! His own people accused Him of having a demon! His own priests put him in the hands of a foreign power for execution. And yet, He forgave until the end. He offered Himself as both sacrifice and the high priest. He remained gentle. And He came back to his friends! Even those who had betrayed Him. He loves us like no one else. And he is one of us, like Moses was one of the people.

Vivien’s question raises a terrifying thought in my mind. What if we as a Church are as reluctant as the Israelites to enter the Promised Land? What if we are full of doubts about God’'s ability to care for us in times of tribulation? Are we unwilling to enter spiritual battle? Are we afraid for our lives? Or are we lukewarm about our inheritance? Are we content to live in the wilderness forever? Even worse, are we tempted to return to our slavery?

Reading Numbers, I find myself sobered. I do not want to have a fearful or complaining spirit. I do not want to grieve the LORD by despising my inheritance. I want to pray for spirit-filled leaders. I want to take up my cross, as both a follower and leader, and run after Jesus, our Good Shepherd.