Chaplain Moses: What Chaplains Can Learn from Moses

Chaplain Moses

Kenneth W. Cook

What Chaplains Can Learn from Moses

ISBN 978-1-63961-879-8 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63961-880-4 (digital)

Copyright © 2021 by Kenneth W. Cook

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Some accounts of individuals have been modified to ensure the identity of the person cannot be discovered.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Moses, My Hero

Moses Was a Chaplain

Moses Had to Know Who He Was

Moses Had to Know Who God Was

Moses Communicated with God

Moses Had to Discover His Role

Moses Did Not Feel Qualified

Moses Faced Opposition from Those in Power (Egyptians)

Moses Worked with Peers Who Did Not Share His Vision (Israelite Leaders)

Moses Served People Who Did Not Trust Him (Israelite People)

Moses Experienced Changes

Moses Struggled with Uncertainty

Moses Faced Shortages of Resources

Moses Coped with Overwhelming Demands

Moses Dealt with Delays

Moses Accepted Disappointment

Moses Learned to Take Care of Himself

Moses Believed in a Future He Would Not See

Moses and Jesus

The Future of Chaplaincy

Some Personal Reflections

Endnotes

Acknowledgments

Iwant to thank the following people who have contributed their insights:

Chaplain Richard Dayringer, for believing that I could become an effective chaplain.

Chaplain (COL) Matthew McGowan, for urging me to take the long view and not resign from the Army Reserve when busily pursuing my doctorate.

Rev. Dan Scott, my pastor, for visiting me at every setting I served except one. His availability to listen to me for twenty-five years helped me find perspective. He thoroughly grasped the value of chaplain ministry.

Lynn Cook Dobbs and Julie Cook Faught, for checking grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Randy Cook, for extensive suggestions regarding the transitions and flow.

Tim Cook, for the drawings of Moses’ face.

Mike Dobbs, for proofreading.

Martha Cook, for deciphering my scrawl and typing numerous revisions. Most of all, I appreciate her encouragement.

Introduction: Moses, My Hero

Moses, My Hero

Moses is my hero. I discovered a deep appreciation of Moses through a song I heard in the 1970s. The song called Moses was composed by Ken Medema and sung by him at Carson Newman College. The singing was inspiring, and the words were relevant.

The words are courtesy of Word Music Inc.¹

Moses

Old Moses, way back there in the wilderness. Saw some smoke, came to the bush, and the bush was burning. God said, Take off your shoes, Moses, you’re on holy ground. Moses, I’ve chosen you to be my man. Moses, way down in Egypt’s land. Moses, I’ve chosen you to work for me. Moses, I’ve chosen you to set my people free.

"Not me, Lord! Don’t you know I can’t talk so good? I stutter all the time. Do you know my brother, Aaron? He can sing like an angel, talk like a preacher. Not me, Lord! I can’t talk so good, and another thing, how will they know that I’ve been here with you? How will they know what you’ve sent me to do?

Don’t you know in Egypt they want little Moses’ head? Don’t you know in Egypt they want little Moses dead? Don’t you know they’ll never hear a single word I say? Maybe you better get your dirty work done another way. Not me, Lord!"

What’s in your hand, Moses?

It’s just a rod.

Throw it down, Moses.

You mean like on the ground?

Yes, I said throw it down, Moses.

Lord, don’t take my rod away from me. Don’t you know it’s my only security? Don’t you know when you live here all alone a man’s gotta have something he can call his own. Not me, Lord!

Throw it down, Moses!

But, Lord, I…

Throw it down, Moses

Moses threw the rod on the ground and the rod became a hissing snake.

Well Moses started running! Well maybe you’d run! Well maybe I’d run.

He was running from a hot rod. Running from a hissing snake. Running scared of what God’s gonna do. Running scared he’ll get ahold of you.

And the Lord said, Stop! Pick it up by the tail.

Lord, you have not been here very long. Lord, you’ve got the whole thing wrong. Don’t you know that you never pick up a hissing snake by his…

Pick it up Moses!

Oh, God, it’s a rod again! It’s a rod again!

Do you know what it means, Moses? The rod of Moses became the rod of God. With the rod of God, strike the rock and the water will come. With the rod of God part the waters of the sea. With the rod of God you can strike old Pharaoh dead. With the rod of God you can set the people free. Do you know what I’m trying to say, Moses?

What do you hold in your hand this day? To whom or to what are you bound? Are you willing to give it to God right now? Give it up! Let it go! Throw it down!

Medema’s depiction of the burning bush event when God confronted Moses identified four critical issues. Ministers must consider these same issues when planning a career in chaplaincy. Issues from the song included surrender to God’s will, God’s power to make things happen in unexpected ways, the use of personal skills already present, and awareness that God will continue to guide and direct.

Surrendering to God was a necessary first step in the process. Surrendering usually portrays a negative, unwelcome event as when a soldier is captured. Another side of surrender can be seen. Voluntarily giving up something, even something highly valued, is a form of surrender. Moses gave up the solitary, maybe peaceful life of a shepherd. He strongly resisted this surrender but eventually relented. Doing what God wanted rather than what Moses wanted set the stage for following God’s leadership. He turned his life and his work over to God. For the rest of his life, Moses strived to do what God wanted him to do. This focus became his primary motivation.

God demonstrated His dynamic power through a bush burned but not consumed. Moses quickly recognized that he would not have the power, skills, insights, energy, and other attributes to accomplish this mission. God’s power would make the difference. Moses, having seen his rod change, gained strong confidence that God could act in unexpected ways.

A rod was an important possession to every man in Moses’ time. Rods were the essential tool for shepherds. The shepherd’s rod and staff enabled him to control, guide, and protect the sheep. A rod symbolized power and authority. Moses’ rod would become instrumental in future events, such as striking a rock with the rod to get water at Mount Horeb (Exodus 17:3–-6).

Moses witnessed the power of God and became fully convinced of God’s actions. He had no idea of the numerous additional ways God’s power would be displayed in the future. He could not have anticipated the plagues, the Red Sea, the manna, or other momentous events, but he believed God would be with him. God’s call continued to be vitally present in Moses’ awareness. He never forgot his call. God sought out Moses, not the other way around. A demand, not a suggestion, was God’s instruction to go forth and set the people free.

Reading and reflecting on the life of Moses, I soon realized