Moses might have dealt with more thumbsuckers, bellyachers, and backbiters than anyone else in Scripture. A journey from Horeb to the edge of the Promised Land that should have taken just eleven days (Deuteronomy 1:2) took forty years because of their rebellion, disbelief, and constant complaining. For four decades, he shepherded a nation that could turn on a dime from worshiping to whining, from following to full-blown mutiny. His secret? He knew when to fall on his face and pray and when to stand up and smite.
Hattie McDaniel said, “There’s only eighteen inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rear.” Moses mastered that range.
I recently unpacked this principle during my presentation at Dayspring Christian Academy’s board retreat, helping leaders discern when to show mercy and when to show resolve. And as Mike Ettore—a decorated Marine officer, President of Fidelis Leadership Group, and guest speaker for my CPBL cohort—said in our values module:
“You have to love people, but you cannot be in love with people.”
1. Murmuring: Fall on Your Face and Pray
The Israelites had a PhD in murmuring. Scripture calls them stiff-necked, mischief-makers, and chronic complainers.
- Murmuring: Grumbling about water, food, safety, and leadership (Exodus 15:24; Numbers 11:1).
- Mischief: Stirring up discontent and slander (Exodus 32:22; Numbers 14:36).
- Stiff-necked: Resistant to change or correction, even in the face of God’s clear direction (Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 9:6).
When this is the tone, it’s not yet mutiny—it’s lagging, nagging, fearful chatter. Moses’ first instinct wasn’t to police—it was to petition. He fell on his face before God, pleading for mercy over judgment.
Loving your people means praying for them before confronting them. But falling in love with your people—idolizing their approval—closes your eyes to the mission.
2. Mutiny: Stand Up and Confront
Then there are moments when the discontent hardens into rebellion—and that’s when the gloves come off. The Korah rebellion (Numbers 16) is a masterclass in this shift.
Korah wasn’t an outsider. He was a Levite—one of the chosen tribe set apart to oversee the tabernacle, assist the priests, and carry out sacred duties. He already held a position of honor and spiritual responsibility. But he wasn’t content with that calling.
Along with 250 other leaders, Korah staged an outright mutiny, cloaked in the language of inclusivity:
“The whole community is holy… Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?” (Numbers 16:3)
This dialogue wasn’t a healthy conversation about shared leadership—it was a power grab from within the leadership ranks. When the heart of the issue is mutiny, the leader’s job is not to extend endless dialogue; it’s to protect the mission and the people from collapse. Moses stood his ground, called the rebellion what it was, and let God settle it decisively. The judgment was swift and severe: the earth opened up and swallowed Korah, his household, their possessions, and even the livestock. The 250 co-conspirators were consumed by fire.
3. Loving Without Losing the Mission
Even Aaron—Moses’ brother and second-in-command—fell into this trap. Out of a desire to keep the peace and please the people while Moses was on Sinai, Aaron caved to their demands and forged the golden calf (Exodus 32). Moses came down the mountain so furious that he shattered the stone tablets carved by God’s hand. He burned the calf, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
Yet despite this colossal failure, Aaron was not removed from his position. He was corrected and restored, but allowed to continue serving.
Two crises. Two very different responses. Why? Because loving your people doesn’t mean tolerating every offense at the same level. Aaron’s failure was rooted in weakness and people-pleasing, which could be corrected. Korah’s was rooted in defiance and rebellion, which could not be left unchecked without undermining God’s appointed order.
Servant leadership—modeled by Jesus—is our aim. But servant leadership idolatry is a trap. If we let it blind us, we’ll excuse destructive behavior in the name of “being nice” or “keeping the peace,” and the mission will suffer.
4. The Litmus Test for Leaders
- Murmuring? → Fall facedown, pray, seek God’s mercy.
- Mutiny? → Stand tall, act with resolve, protect the mission.
Closing Charge
The arc of leadership swings between encouragement and correction. Sometimes it’s a pat on the back. Sometimes it’s a kick in the rear. The wisdom is in knowing which one the moment calls for.
Pray for the murmurers. Protect the mission from the mutineers. That’s how Moses endured forty years in the wilderness without letting the nonsense win.
