Day 4 Exodus 3:1-15; Moses and the burning bush
Moses has been tending sheep for forty years, not even his own sheep, but years before he had known the calling of God on his life. Now that calling is coming to fruition. God called his name, “Moses, Moses.” God is personal and knows our name. He calls out to Moses by name as he does many others. Moses responds that he is here, but God says do not come closer to the burning bush for the ground is holy.
Encountering the living God is a holy moment. Jacob wrestled, but Moses is to listen. He is scared because God has identified himself by name. Encountering God is scary because God is huge and holy and powerful.
The Lord shares with Moses his concern and compassion for the misery of his people in Egypt because of their slave drivers. Today God comes to us sharing his care and compassion for those enslaved by sin and death and the devil. As he sent Moses to rescue them and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey, so he sends us to rescue people and bring them up to Christ, to a paradise free from sin and death.
But Moses hesitates in fear and insecurity. “Who am I,” he asks. “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” God’s answer does not assure Moses that he can do it, but rather shifts focus from Moses to God. He answers that he will be with him. So today in the Great Commission Jesus promises us (Matt 28:18-20) that he will be with us always as we make disciples of all nations.
Moses raises another objection. What if the people ask of God, ‘what is his name?’ We, too, can worry over what people will ask us. The Lord responds, “I AM WHO I AM.” The “I AM” has sent you. That settles it all. God who is life and being itself, the ever- self-existent One is the one sending. This is true for us today. We are sent by the great I AM.
So we can move ahead to multiply for Christ because we know he is with us and we know who he really is, the I AM. May the Lord dispel our fears; may he shift our focus from ourselves and our strength to him and his limitless strength.
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