The Decomposition of Moses (Ex.; 1 Cor. 10:6-8)

From the standpoint of anyone watching, it had all the markers of a tragedy in the making. Lest she be forced to put the beautiful baby to death, the young Hebrew mother tenderly placed her infant son in the small ark in the water, from which he was soon drawn by servants of the Egyptian princess as his own sister watched. Tragedy averted, and Moses, although he was raised by the Egyptians, spent his formative years in his own mother’s care. Imagine the prayers whispered over this beloved son by a now-hopeful mother who had seen the hand of God deliver her young son from certain death.

Adopted by a powerful family, educated in the ways of the world in which he matured, the now-grown Moses saw the burdens of his native people and felt compassion for them. He drew near to them and tried in his own power to deliver, but it only made things worse. Then he ran in justified fear, which probably seemed another tragedy in the making to those watching from Egypt. But God had other plans for him, and on his way to nowhere on the road out of Egypt, Moses sat down tired and exhausted by a well in Midian. He found himself content to stay and married Zipporah, a daughter of the priest and began his family. 

Years later, while shepherding, he encountered God in the midst of a burning bush and after investigating it in his curiosity, Moses reluctantly obeyed God’s command to bring His people out of Egypt. After many demonstrations of God’s power, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt as once again an angry Pharaoh chased him, trying his best to kill him. (Certain tragedy to those watching, for, surely, how could millions of people moving slowly escape the chariots of Egypt?) But God had other plans, and Moses ran into the wilderness, this time leading a host of others with him as God closed the waters over the Egyptian army trying to cross the sea.

A few months later the wanderers came to Mt. Sinai. Moses went up the mountain and was covered by a cloud (a cloud that tragically looked like consuming fire to those who watched from far below) for six days before God spoke to him. He stayed in the cloud 40 days and nights before God told him to go down to the camp where he found rebellious people worshipping an idol of their own creation as they thought Moses had been consumed by the fire on the mountain.

Moses did not run away this time or take God up on His offer to make a nation of him instead of the rebellious children of Israel. He stood and confronted the evil, and the tragedy became that many died in their sin and rebellion. Moses humbled himself before God and found grace in His sight. God knew Moses by name and showed him His passing glory. And he was consumed by the glory of God whenever he was in His presence . . . his face shining from time spent in the presence of God.

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It’s a familiar story to any who’ve spent time in church or read anything of the Bible (or to some degree even watched Hollywood’s distorted versions). The journey of Moses’ life clearly shows the hand of God upon him from birth to death (as God himself buries Moses).  In three distinct periods of his life (birth-40 in Egypt, 40-80 in Midian, 80-120 in the wilderness), God shaped Moses and called Moses and consumed Moses. 

It is this idea of Moses’ consuming that has occupied my thoughts today. It didn’t happen in a moment, but it began in one as he stood before the burning bush. Somewhere in the heat of the desert while leading a congregation of rebels in his care and learning more about God and spending time in His presence, Moses was fully consumed by the God he followed, the God he trusted, the one he came to know, the one he worshipped and whose glory he desired to see for himself knowing it would be a fearsome thing. 

Webster’s 1828 says this about consuming: wasted; burnt up; destroyed; dissipated; squandered; expended. 

I needed more, so I went to the root word, consume: “to destroy, by separating the parts of a thing by decomposition, as by fire, or eating, or devouring and annihilating the form of a substance; to cause to disappear; to waste slowly.”

The idea of being decomposed pulled at me greatly, for I often feel that decomposition is what this life, a taking apart of all the appalling things that compose all I am in my sinful state, in my flesh—a lifetime of building what shouldn’t be built, of receiving what shouldn’t be received, of accepting what shouldn’t be received, of believing what shouldn’t be believed. 

I am naturally in a state of decomposition physically (as becomes much more evident the older I get), but I also have to ask myself if I truly welcome the ongoing process of decomposition spiritually. Look at Webster’s 1828 definition of decomposition: 

Analysis; the act of separating the constituent parts of a substance, which are chimically combined, decomposition differs from mechanical division, as the latter effects no change in the properties of the body divided, whereas the parts chimically decomposed have properties very different from those of the substance itself; a second composition.

1. Analysis: Do I welcome an analysis of my spiritual state on a regular basis (daily leaning into the word for a true glimpse of who God says I am)? Ps. 139:23-24 - “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

2. Separation and Chemical decomposition: Have I pulled myself apart from the world in which I live, or have I comfortably settled into a state of existence that conforms to the image of this world? Rom. 12:1-2 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

3. Second composition:: Do I look different from the world in which I live because of who I am in Christ? Am I continuing in the process of sanctification, or have I depended on something that happened once a long time ago to be my salvation with no further work (or no little working towards) (all scripture NASB)?  

Here are some verses that speak of this second composition, the becoming:

Gal. 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

John 17:17 - “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

Rom. 6:19-22 - “I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.” 

Col. 3:16 - “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

1 Pet. 2:2-3 - “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Gal. 5:24 - “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

And then there is this caution from 1 Cor. 10, especially verses 6-8 below, that bring us back to Moses:

Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

These are strong words from Paul that remind us that the process of sanctification is ongoing. We cannot rest in the past. There should be no question when someone looks at me that I am a woman consumed by God. If there is (and there will be times when I will fail as Moses failed), I need to remember the cautions and return to the Word which can save!  Just as God took who Moses was and re-made him into something usable for His purposes, He is doing the same with me, and I too cannot wait to see His glory revealed.