WHY GOD WANTED TO KILL MOSES AND OTHER SILENT MEN

Warning, this is not about the patriarchy debate. I am simply pointing out something I noticed in Scripture. Yes, women are involved, but, it is all about your point of view.

According to the Bible, God created everything else before man, and then woman came after man, because God decided Adam needed companionship. We can see the same dynamic with Abraham too.

God spoke to both of them directly, giving them instructions about what was to come. For Adam, he was given dominion over everything on earth with just one restriction, don’t eat from the tree. Abraham was promised to be father of all nations.

In the midst of all God’s promises coming to be for these two men, their conversations with God were questioned by the women in their lives. I agree with a lady friend who said, “the women had to step up and act because of silent men.”

Various versions of Genesis state that when Eve was being tempted, “Adam was with her”. In Abraham’s case, he stayed silent when Haggai was offered to him by Sarah. He could have stood his ground, claimed that God spoke to him and chose not to accept. Yeah, this can be a conversation for another day.

My point is, both men had clear instructions and a clear picture of what was to come as a result of God’s plans, but they still allowed other people to influence their decisions. It was especially easier for this external influence to take effect when it came at the men indirectly.

Eve did not make the covenant with God, in fact the instructions went out before she was formed! It was Abraham alone who was asked to go outside his tent and look up in the sky for his ‘Father of Nations’ promise.

This part I take up as a personal challenge: Adam’s response to God was, “It is this woman who you gave to me.” Yes, it may have been Eve who offered the apple to him, but he had his own free will, and he had information that Eve didn’t. 

In 2019, I am challenging myself to stay in tune with God’s voice. It is my responsibility to guard God’s promises to me from outside voices. God’s promises are what keep us sane when things are falling apart. When we stumble away, he finds ways to redeem us and brings us back onto the right path. Other people’s versions of who you should be, where you should be, based on your education, age or connections shouldn’t determine the path your life takes.

From the two Bible stories mentioned and many others, the men walked with God so that it would be difficult for the enemy to get at them directly, so the enemy went through the people close to them. If they had spoken up and continuously shared God’s vision for them with the women in their life, they may have had a better chance.

This, to me, means that we shouldn’t be shy to share our vision with others, regardless of how silly it may seem, because this is how we onboard helpers and protect ourselves from doubters and outside derailment.

Moses had a great relationship with God, he was hearing his voice and having conversations with him. I just discovered that when God asked Moses to go back to Egypt to rescue his people, and Moses would give excuses about why he wasn’t the right person for the job, God wanted to kill him. Inakaa alikuwa na ufala sana, because he was hearing God’s voice and not taking action.

Zipporah (Moses’ wife), saved the day when she circumcised her son to save Moses’ life. She did not talk with God but knew what the Israelite law said, and knew that Moses was neglecting it, and that God was angry.

Long story short, hearing and knowing your purpose is not enough, you have to act on it. Actions make all the difference.