B"H

A Story About Moses

It is taught that when the Children of Israel were being lead through
the desert one of the kings from one of the surrounding peoples sent
an artist out to bring back a likeness of Moses. The king wanted to
know what kind of a man was leading the Children of Israel through
the desert.

The artist went out, found Moses and described the likeness.

Upon seeing it, the king was stunned and went to see for himself if
Moses really was as he was depicted by the artist. Moses was depicted
as surly and bitter-looking, as a man of spleen, certainly not a Soul
of sweetness and light.

The king, completely confused because he had heard that Moses was a
holy man, went out and aproached Moses. The king explained the story
to Moses. The king saw that Moses' *behavior* was Godly, and what he
taught the Children of Israel were the words of God, but Moses
himself was indeed a surly and bitter-looking man who did nothing to
try to radiate either kindness or "spirituality".

Moses looked at the king and said: Yes, indeed. That is my true
character. That is the way I really am.

Know this: Those who come to you in sappy sweetness do not serve The
Lord of Armies (that's right The Lord of *Armies*, not The Lord
of "Hosts" as the Name is so poorly translated). God's servants are
warriors, skilled in the arts of war, knowing the ways of subterfuge
and deceit. They have to be disingenuous in order to protect God's
flock. This is why God's beloved are called shepherds. A shepherd
must protect the flock against all attack.

Those behaving in a way which is what my mother used to call "too
sweet to be wholesome" are doing an imitation of what they think the
Godly are really like.

Beware of those whose words are too sweet and who radiate too much
light.

See also: God's Faithful Agents - The Good and the Evil

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat