Today, we resume our thinking about Moses’ legacy. Last week’s blog focused on why he was considered the greatest Old Testament prophet. https://www.cosdavis.com/moses-legacy/ . But he was more than a great prophet; he was a key figure, a vital link in God’s promise to bring our Savior into the world through the nation of Israel.
Moses, Deliverer and Law-giver
God called Abraham to be the father of the nation of Israel. But God chose Moses to liberate the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and to establish them as a nation with the unique purpose of settling the Promised Land and ultimately bringing Jesus into the world. Before Moses’ appearance on the scene, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were recipients of God’s promise, but their descendants languished in slavery for hundreds of years. Under Moses’ leadership, God freed the slaves and chose them to be His “special people” and a nation of priests. Exodus 19:1-8. https://www.cosdavis.com/the-promise-and-gods-plan-for-israel/. While Abraham was the progenitor of Israel, Moses was the one through whom the Commandments and civil laws came, giving them their unique identity as the covenant people of God.
It is difficult to imagine how vast the influence of the Ten Commandments has been on the world. Moses was uniquely involved, trusted by God to faithfully deliver the Commandments to His chosen people. The Commandments have endured for millennia and are foundational to our civil law and the bedrock of the guidelines that prescribe ethical/moral behavior upon which our nation was founded.
Like Abraham, Moses played an important role in God’s plan to save us from the power and penalty of sin. The Commandments came from God to us through Moses. Was their purpose to make us right with God? No. Paul explains in Romans 7-8 that the Law is the moral standard God requires for righteousness, but something we cannot achieve. The Law exposes our sin and shortcomings, condemning us to spiritual death. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law and took the penalty for our sins on the cross, and guaranteed eternal life through His resurrection from the dead.
Did Moses leave a greater legacy than Abraham? Both were men of faith, each given a unique role in God’s plan. Each trusted God and fulfilled the role he was given. Which do you think had the greater legacy?
Is our legacy determined by how much we do? How much we give? Or is it determined by what we do with what we have been given?
Why was Moses able to leave such an influential legacy?
The answer to this question brings hope and possibilities to each of us. We can leave a legacy to our families and others that can have a generational impact. What we do, how we decide to live, and the choices we make now can inspire and influence generations that may never know our names or anything about us.
For example, I’m writing this blog on my mother’s birthday; she would have been 106 years old today. Her love for the Bible has had a profound, lasting effect on me and all I do. When there were questions about right or wrong, Mom went to the Bible for direction. Her worldview was based on Scripture. She was important to me and a powerful example of how important the Bible is for living right. This legacy that Mom passed to me has been passed to my children and on to many who never knew Mom. Perhaps you, and others who read my blogs, books, or have heard me speak, are encouraged in your faith because Mom left me a legacy about the importance of the Bible in daily living.
Mom was not a great Bible hero like Abraham or Moses, but she had what it took to leave an important legacy to her son. Like Moses, Abraham, and others who left a lasting, positive legacy, she had the Hebrews-chapter-eleven kind of faith that took God at His word, trusted His promises, and “looked for a city whose builder and Maker is God.”
How does God “measure” our legacy?
Most of us are “common” people who don’t make the headlines for great accomplishments, generous gifts, scientific breakthroughs, or wealth. When your life on earth is over, how will God look upon your legacy? I think that should be what concerns us most about our legacy, don’t you?
Will He compare us to Moses, Abraham, Paul, or any other famous believer? The Bible teaches us this will not be the case. God made us unique individuals with will, choice, talents, personalities, and gifts to honor Him. According to Romans 14: 10,12, we are individually accountable to God for the legacy we have created with what God has given us. “Why do you judge your brother? …For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. So then each one of us shall give an account of himself to God.”
Don’t compare yourself to others; celebrate their accomplishment and praise God for them. But remember it’s your life and legacy you are responsible for. Will your values and actions stand God’s judgment?