Moses was used to it by now–the opposition and complaints–having led a grumbling Israel out of Egypt. But this time, it was different. His beloved brother and sister were the ones rebelling against him. The pain must have stabbed deep into his heart, causing God Himself to come to his defense. In the process, the Lord called Moses his faithful servant, which many years later was echoed by the author of Hebrews. What qualities did Moses have to deserve such high praise, and what can we learn from him?

The Greek word for “faithful” refers to someone dependable and devoted to carrying out their official duties, commands, or business transactions. We’re talking about a person who is reliable and worthy of trust. Moses was given the task of leading Israel to the promised land. He wasn’t perfect, and he made mistakes along the way, but ultimately he proved his trustworthiness by bringing the Israelites safely to the border of Canaan. 

The next term, “servant,” has the added nuance of service with affection and care. It implies dignity and freedom and paints the picture of serving out of choice and fidelity. The word also presumes a close relationship between God and Moses. This bond is on full display when we see the Lord defend Moses so vehemently.

I find the example of Moses to be an inspiration as I seek to serve the Lord. He shows us that God desires our faithfulness above all else. We don’t need to be perfect and have it all together. We’ll mess up at times, but God doesn’t expect perfection. He wants us to be dependable and reliable, servants that he can trust with the tasks that he assigns to us.

What’s more, the Lord doesn’t want slaves who will obey out of fear, but he yearns for loving servants who choose to serve him out of loyalty. God longs to have the same intimacy with us that he had with Moses. Faithfulness leads to friendship with our Creator.

May we be like Moses, both a faithful servant and a friend of God.