He's been arguing with God, questioning his own abilities, and generally dragging his feet about returning to Egypt. But finally, finally, he relents. "Okay," he says, in essence, "I'll go. But…"
But there are conditions.
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Moses's acceptance wasn't exactly unconditional. He wanted assurances. He needed guarantees. He needed God to promise that all his wishes would be fulfilled.
And guess what? God, in his infinite patience (and perhaps knowing just how stubborn Moses could be), agreed! He granted Moses pretty much everything he asked for… with a couple of very significant exceptions.
What were those exceptions? Well, immortality was off the table. No eternal life for Moses just yet. And, perhaps even more poignantly, he wouldn't be allowed to enter the Holy Land. Think about that for a moment. After leading his people for so long, enduring so much hardship, he wouldn't get to cross that final threshold with them. Ouch.
But there's more to the story. Moses also harbored a very real fear. Remember Dathan and Abiram? These were the guys Moses had run afoul of back in Egypt, the reason he had to flee in the first place. He was worried they'd still be out for revenge.
God, knowing Moses's heart, reassured him. He told him that Dathan and Abiram were no longer a threat. They had, in essence, fallen on hard times. They were now "poor and insignificant men," stripped of their power to do him harm. Imagine the relief Moses must have felt!
This little detail is so interesting because it shows us a very human side of Moses. He’s not just a stoic prophet; he’s a man with fears, with past traumas, with very real concerns about his own safety. And God, in his wisdom, addresses those concerns directly.
So, what can we learn from this? Maybe it's that even the greatest leaders have their vulnerabilities. Maybe it's that sometimes, we need reassurance before we can take that leap of faith. Or maybe it's simply a reminder that even our enemies can lose their power over us. Whatever it is, it's a powerful glimpse into the complex relationship between God and Moses, a relationship that continues to resonate with us today.