REFLECTION 4: JESUS VERSUS MOSES: WHO WOULD WIN AN ARM WRESTLING MATCH?

"For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore....  And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling."  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant..." Hebrews 13:18-24

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

These verses above show something drastically different between Moses' vision of approaching God and Jesus' vision of approaching God.  Moses' mountain is dark, threatening and frightening.  Jesus' mountain is welcoming, accessible and vibrant with life. Same God, but two grossly different perceptions of Him. These two mountains still exist today in every man, like two huge arms wrestling for supremacy within our hearts.

 

Ridiculous you say!  Jesus would never arm wrestle Moses.  I have news for you.   They arm wrestle every day in your thoughts.  The incredible thing is that your faith determines who wins.  If you let Moses and the law strong-arm your thinking, then you will walk in the ministry of intimidation, accusation and condemnation (2Corinthians 3:9).  But, if you trust in the strong arm and Spirit of Jesus to renew your mind, you will walk in grace, mercy and forgiveness.

When I say Moses, I refer not so much to Moses the man as to Moses the symbol and founder of a particular way of being, a particular way of relating to God, a particular way of approaching God, a particular way of thinking about God, a particular way called the Law of Moses.  In other words, Moses is the personification of the Old Testament approach to God. 

If Jesus is the New Covenant personification of "the way" into blessing, truth and life (John 14:6), then Moses is the Old Covenant personification of "the way" into cursing, wrath, and death.  I know this is a strong statement but it is a crucial New Testament truth.  Even though the law of Moses promised it could lead to blessing, it could not deliver because, as James 2:10 tells us, if anyone violates the law in ANY way, they are guilty of failing the whole law in EVERY way.  Since Scripture is clear that no man can keep the law entire (Galatians 3:10-11), then Moses' law becomes a huge death trap. 

      

Moses had some great qualities, but he was not a Holy Ghost filled New Covenant believer.  Something was deeply lacking in Moses, as it was in every Old Testament believer.  They all lived by their OWN righteousness and NOT by the righteousness which is of God (Romans 10:3). 

Jesus now imparts His very own righteousness to live within us by the Holy Spirit.  Thus, we as New Covenant believers have continual inner access to live BY THE FAITH OF JESUS HIMSELF (Galatians 2:20).  We no longer have to strive living by our own efforts, works and understanding.  Jesus wants us to rest in his finished work and to receive His greatest gift of all---His very divine nature to dwell within us and guide us in all our ways.  Praise God we are no longer under the law of self-righteousness but we are under the grace of Christ-righteousness.  "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:18. 

Moses had a problem.  He could not get a 360 degree view of God's goodness. When Moses attempted to see the Lord's goodness, he could only see it from behind and at a distance (Exodus 33:18-23). Why?  What was the issue here?  If you only see someone’s character from behind and at a distance, it can be rightly questioned how well you really know that person.  The problem with Moses is that he did not have a full frontal view of God's goodness revealed only in Jesus Christ, so he could not process and manifest the true nature of God accurately and without distortion. Moses would often fill in the gaps of what he didn't know about God's nature with his own wrath and suppositions.

Moses lacked Christ-righteousness and thus lacked the ability to see God in pure form.  Moses may have been the best man in the land in his own righteousness, but that was still as filthy rags compared to the righteousness which is of God.  Moses had a huge ANGER problem (Numbers 20:1-12; Exodus 2:11-14), which ultimately poisoned his ability to faithfully translate God's character to the people. 

In fact, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of this very reason---he misrepresented the nature of God.  Numbers 20:1-12 tells the story.  God instructed Moses to speak to a desert rock, supernaturally commanding it to gush out water for His parched people.  What a miracle of love God sought to display for His people! 

But Moses then wrongly mixed God's word with his own frustration and anger at the people.  Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses violently struck the rock with his rod, thus giving the people the impression that God Himself was angry and disgusted with them. The water did gush, but in a spirit of terror rather than the spirit of awe and love God intended.  No wonder the people feared God's temper so! 

Makes you wonder how many other times what Moses shared as the word of God was partially tinged with his own wrath.  This sin can't be overemphasized for it is what kept Moses OUT OF THE PROMISED LAND INHERITANCE.  "And the Lord spake  unto Moses and Aaron, BECAUSE YE BELIEVED ME NOT, TO SANCTIFY ME IN THE EYES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, therefore YE SHALL NOT BRING THIS CONGREGATION INTO THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN THEM." Numbers 20:12. 

 

Consider the following amazing statements about Moses' Law:  "by Jesus everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:39
"the law is not of faith..." Galatians 3:12
"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Corinthians 15:56
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse..." Galatians 3:10
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law..." Galatians 3:13
"But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just              shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11
"the law worketh wrath..." Romans 4:15

These verses show that Moses' law had the same problem Moses did---ANGER.  The law works wrath.  Wrath works hatred.  Hatred works cursing.  Cursing brings all forms of sin and death.  Had Moses properly translated the law in tone and spirit, without wrath in other words, do you know what would have been written on those tablets Moses came down the mountain holding in both arms?  Two words---JESUS CHRIST!  Jesus is the pitch perfect tone and spirit of the law. Jesus fulfills the law as the pure manifestation of it.  Moses' law is not the LOGOS of God.  Jesus is the LOGOS.  Moses' law is a distorted translation of Jesus Christ----distorted by Moses' unholy anger and partial belief. 

 

Moses' law produces Moses' mountain described in Hebrews 13 above.  It is a dark place where wrath and fear rule.  God's image is so distorted here that He seems monstrous and bipolar, saving men one moment, only to kill them the next.  This so pervaded the Old Testament that they actually believed they would die if they saw God face to face.  They thought they must be super-sanctified BEFORE they were worthy to see God.  Sounds pious until the silliness of this thought sinks in. 

WE DON'T SEE GOD WHEN WE HAVE MADE OURSELVES HOLY ENOUGH ACCORDING TO MOSES' LAW.  RATHER, LOOKING AT GOD FIRST IN FAITH IS THE ONLY WAY TO THEN BECOME HOLY. 2 Corinthians 3:18 verifies this.  God longs for all people to ascend Mount Zion to see Him in all His glory.  He hides nothing from His children.  His goodness awaits to bless you with a thousand charms.

Don't touch Moses' dark mountain with the thoughts of your heart. Let Jesus' strong arm put all thoughts of anger, condemnation and wrath down flat on the table.  Jesus' mountain, Jesus' vision, Jesus' goodness, Jesus' love----all is better, stronger, sweeter, higher and deeper than anything and everything found in Moses' law.

When I went through my dark crisis last year, I let bitterness toward and from others move my heart to Moses' dark mountain.  Here I could live in wrath and hate and revenge.  I could call on God's anger to smite down my enemies and make myself sound the victim, rather than the chief sinner which I was.  I desperately needed forgiveness, but I wanted to hate more.  I know Moses' mountain all to well.

But in Jesus name, I am now cleaving to the arm of the Lord and to His mountain of goodness.  But for me to camp out on Mount Zion, I have to take my enemies with me.  I can't let my heart have ill will and leave them back on Moses' mount. Even if they haven't yet ascended Mount Zion themselves, if I keep tender thoughts of blessing and goodwill toward them in my heart, this can release angelic resources to assist them to find Mount Zion for themselves.  Plus it keeps my heart pure and free from wrath.  I can't really ascend Mount Zion if I harbor anger toward my enemies. 

God loves us all on this mountain.  God has forgiveness waiting for all on this glorious mountain.  Isaiah asked, “Who has known the arm of the Lord?" The answer depends on where your faith focuses in this great arm wrestling match within. 

   

Put your faith in Jesus' arm to defeat Moses' arm in this wrestling match.  The victor in arm wrestling matches is said to go "over the top" when he slams his opponent's arm down flat on the table in defeat.  Are you ready to go "over the top" with Mount Zion and slam flat Moses' mountain of wrath, fear, darkness and despair.  Let "YES AND AMEN" be our daily answer to this challenge!