Exodus 3:1-12
1Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 4When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” __________________________________
Have you ever been asked to negotiate a project for which you felt unqualified? If the boss said, “I will be with you,” could you refuse? Moses, born a Hebrew slave and raised as an Egyptian prince, found himself in this predicament when he was living as an alien in Midian after murdering an Egyptian. Well into middle age, he was a shepherd for his father-in-law.
Moses did not see a mission from God coming. He only wanted to know why a bush that was on fire didn’t burn up. When God’s voice spoke from the bush he was afraid. God was sending Moses to Pharaoh to bring God’s people out of bondage in Egypt, into “the country of the Canaanites,” where several tribes of people had lived for generations. What could go wrong? Moses felt inadequate. The kicker: proof that this directive was from God wouldn’t come until all the Israelites were out of Egypt.
The story of Moses is taught in Sunday School. Might it still have lessons for us today? Here are a few:
1) Trust God to be with you.
2) Be open to surprises from God.
3) Be willing to investigate when something provokes your curiosity.
4) Don’t let fear stop you from taking on a task from God.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for Bible stories that we never outgrow. Help us to see you and hear you at unexpected times and places. Give us the courage to work with you, and help us to trust you. Amen
—Anita Platt