THEOSISPaterius of Brescia
It is often easier to influence those with inflated egos to act righteously when we assert that their virtues will ultimately serve our interests better than their own, and when we advocate for ourselves rather than for them. Wise individuals frequently choose to embrace goodness when they perceive that such a change will benefit others. This is illustrated by Moses, who, led by God through the wilderness and guided by the heavenly pillar, called upon Hobab, his relative, as he prepared to bring him from among the Gentiles into the fold of the Almighty.
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Moses proclaimed, "We are going to the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you; come with us, we will do you good, for the Lord has spoken good things of Israel." Yet, when Hobab responded, "I will not go; I will go to my own land and to my own country," Moses urged him not to abandon them, highlighting Hobab's invaluable knowledge of their encampments in the wilderness. Moses was not unaware of their journey; rather, he was endowed with prophetic insight due to his intimate communion with God, receiving guidance from the external pillar and the internal presence of the divine. It is crucial to recognize that this visionary, addressing the proud listener, sought a reward for his own call to lead, inviting Hobab to take on a role as a guide in their pilgrimage. In doing so, the once-arrogant listener became increasingly devoted to the counsel that was encouraging him toward goodness, convinced of his necessity in the journey, and believing himself to be guiding Moses, he willingly adhered to the wisdom being shared with him.