The Promised LandSample

Imagine hearing complaints, settling disputes, and giving advice all day, every day. Sounds pretty terrible, right? Maybe you don’t have to imagine, depending on what you do for work or if you are raising kids who are particularly good at pushing each other’s buttons.

This nonstop relational problem-solving is what Moses experienced when he and the Hebrew people began their wandering in the wilderness. Ironically, Moses probably thought his most challenging job was behind him, considering he and his brother Aaron had already aided God in plaguing the Egyptians, convincing Pharaoh to set the enslaved Hebrews free, and parting a sea to get to safety.

Instead of catching his breath, Moses found himself constantly answering questions such as when certain foods could be eaten and how to handle a stomach-turning foot growth. This certainly wasn’t glamorous or restful, and it also wasn’t sustainable.

It took Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, less than a day on his visit to see the writing on the wall, asking Moses, “Why are you trying to do all this alone…This is not good! You’re going to wear yourself out - and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.” (Exodus 18:14; 17-18). Jethro encouraged Moses to delegate to other trustworthy and faithful leaders so he could stop carrying all of the responsibility alone. Moses took his wise advice.

Moses wasn’t the only one who had to learn not to overwork or constantly carry a burden. The Hebrews had been enslaved in Egypt for 430 years! All they knew, generation after generation, was to work from morning until night with no days off. It’s no wonder one of the first commandments God gave to them was to rest from their work one full day each week in the same way God rested after creating the world.

If they were to worship the One true God, all Hebrews, whether in leadership or not, needed to establish a new pace of life to make room for rest.

We live in a world today that wears busyness like a badge of honor and makes us feel weak for pausing our work or asking for help. Be encouraged today that God actually commands us to worship by slowing down, resting, and no longer believing we have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.