If somebody wants to be a distinctive business leader, exceptional speaker or successful investor, they typically listen to a podcast or read a book by someone who stands out in the field.
Likewise, if anyone aspires to be a more humble person, they can learn that quality from others who excel at it.
Jesus is the ultimate example.
But, you couldn’t go wrong if you also examined Moses — a B.C. (before Christ) example of humility:
Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.
Numbers 12:3
This amazing statement about Moses is an assessment of an individual who was the adopted son of a princess, a dictator-defying miracle man, and a worthy judge, who had more than one close encounter with God. Most people wandering around in his shoes sandals might be swayed by pride, popularity and self importance.
But, Moses oozed humility (plus loads of imposter syndrome) from the day God chose him to lead His people out of slavery. After begging God five times to choose someone else, he finally relented — as long as his brother could do the talking for him.
Besides being the spotlight-shunning leader of the Hebrew people, Moses was a prolific writer. The majority of Bible scholars believe that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, inspired by the Spirit of God. (II Tim 3:16).
In addition, Moses also wrote one installment in the Bible’s book of poems, prayers, hymns and meditations — Psalm #90.
I thought it was worth discovering what was on the heart of the humblest B.C. man. So, today I examined Psalm 90 to see what Moses decided was worth writing about. My impression is that Moses valued God as:
- Eternal
- A passionate creator
- Sovereign king of the universe
- Unchanging
- A listener and giver
It also seems that Moses had a proper perspective of the bigness of God and the smallness of people.
(Humble people don’t usually have trouble believing in their smallness.)
He also appeared to realize that God has a steadfast, never-ending love for people, who are His image-bearers. (Genesis 1:27)
So, consider reading Psalm 90 for yourself and hear the thoughts of this humble B.C. man!
Psalm 90: A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! 2 Before the mountains were created, before the earth was formed, you are God without beginning or end.
3 You speak, and man turns back to dust. 4 A thousand years are but as yesterday to you! They are like a single hour!5-6 We glide along the tides of time as swiftly as a racing river and vanish as quickly as a dream. We are like grass that is green in the morning but mowed down and withered before the evening shadows fall. 7 We die beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your wrath. 8 You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and see them all. 9 No wonder the years are long and heavy here beneath your wrath. All our days are filled with sighing.
10 Seventy years are given us! And some may even live to eighty. But even the best of these years are often empty and filled with pain; soon they disappear, and we are gone. 11 Who can realize the terrors of your anger? Which of us can fear you as he should?
12 Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.
13 O Jehovah, come and bless us! How long will you delay? Turn away your anger from us. 14 Satisfy us in our earliest youth with your loving-kindness, giving us constant joy to the end of our lives. 15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 16 Let us see your miracles again; let our children see glorious things, the kind you used to do, 17 and let the Lord our God favor us and give us success. May he give permanence to all we do. [Living Bible]
The above picture is from:
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
My Word Soup 