(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) (Numbers 12:3)

Parenthetically, what do people say about you? What would their tagline about you say? 

(She is the Bossypants Award Winner for 2022.)
(He is a legend in his own mind.)
(Yes, I would like fries with that.)

Numbers 12:3 is no random observation. This is a title well-earned. This is a title applied by others, not a role Moses applied for himself. How does a person become humbler and kinder? What was Moses’ secret? 

There is no secret. There is, however, an observable truth. Moses spent a great deal of time in God’s presence. The more time we spend with God, the less impressed with ourselves we become. We see our faults and failures and mixed motives much more clearly in the light of his glory and grace. Moses spent so much time in God’s presence, he glowed. (See Exodus 34:29-35.) How many people do you know who glow with God’s radiance?

If you read Exodus and Numbers and pay attention, you see Moses go to his knees or lie down facedown again and again. When you have problems pop up during your day, do you speak first, or do you pray? Do you bow up with pride and power, or do you humble yourself before God and seek his wisdom and way?

In the movie True Grit, Mattie Ross and the Texas Ranger Labeouf discuss their denominational affiliations. Mattie is Cumberland Presbyterian. Labeouf is an Episcopalian. Maddie replied to this revelation with a curt, “I figured you for some kind of kneeler.”

What kind of kneeler are you? 

There have been many times in my life when I have been driven to my knees in urgent prayer. There have been a handful of times when I have been driven facedown in emergency prayer. We see Moses fall facedown twice in this chapter (verses 4 and 22). 

What was Moses doing as he lay facedown? He was praying. He sought God’s wisdom. He surrendered his will to God’s will. He presented God with the facts and let him sort out who was right, who was wrong, and what should happen next. In verse 22, Aaron joins Moses in this most humble posture of prayer. Together they sought God’s mercy and forgiveness for the entire assembly of people when only a few rebels were the problem. 

A well-known leader was talking about prayer. He is a bit of a neat freak. His clothes are always pressed and fashionable. He said he has a hard time kneeling in prayer. He talked about lying facedown in prayer. He said all he could think about was when was the last time the carpet was vacuumed. He settled on sitting in his favorite chair and writing out his prayers of confession and repentance, intercession and adoration. 

This is a good habit. This is a good prayer pattern. However, there will come times in our lives when sitting in a comfortable chair is not an option. We will not care about wrinkling our pants or when the carpet was last cleaned. We will seek God with passion and purpose. We will discover new depths of relationship with God than any we have heretofore known. 

How can avoid the Bossypants title? How can we flee from the temptation of becoming a legend in our own minds? We can see God for who he is. We can see ourselves for who we are. We can confess our sins and we can seek God’s highest and best for the difficulties and darkness driving us to our knees or laying us facedown. We can surrender all of our hopes, dreams, fears, and failures to our Sovereign God and Loving Father in heaven. 

Join Labeouf on your knees. Join Moses and Aaron on your face before God. In moments of utter abandonment of self-seeking behavior and absolute dependence on God, God does what only God can do.