Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

happiness of the universe.
God had forgiven the people for greater transgressions, but He
could not deal with sin in the leaders the same way He did in those
who were led. He had honored Moses above every other person on
earth. The fact that he had been blessed with such great light and
knowledge made his sin more serious. Past faithfulness will not
make up for one wrong act. Greater light and privileges given to
someone only make failure less excusable and the resulting
punishment heavier.
Moses' sin was a common one. The psalmist says that "he
spoke rashly with his lips" (Psalm 106:33). To human judgment this
may seem a small thing, but if God dealt so severely with this sin in
His most faithful and honored servant, He will not excuse it in
others. The spirit of self-exaltation, the tendency to condemn our
fellow believers, is not pleasing to God. The more important one's
position, the greater the need to cultivate patience and humility.
If those in positions of responsibility take to themselves the
glory that is due to God, Satan has gained a victory. Every impulse
of our nature and leaning of the heart needs to be under the control
of the Spirit of God moment by moment. Therefore however great
our light, however much we may enjoy God's favor, we should
always walk humbly before the Lord, pleading in faith that God will
control every impulse.
The burdens placed on Moses were very great. Few people will
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