Scripture: Exodus 3:1-8a, 9-12 (NRSV)
Moses 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. There 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. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When 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.”Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He 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.
Then 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, and 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. . . The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He 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.”
Context:
Moses–who is the original “water baby”–had been raised in Egypt by the Pharaoh’s daughter. When he was forty years of age, he fled to Midian after being seen killing an Egyptian. He found a home there, marrying and having a son. He was tending the flock of his father-in-law in what must have seemed a dead-end job, when God moved surprising and unexpectedly in his life.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever felt yourself a failure and believed that God has no use for you?
- Do you believe that you are too old (or too young) to be useful in God’s purpose?
- Where, when, and how does God get your attention?
- How long does it take for God to wear down your defenses?
- What is the one thing that God is calling you to do in order to be a faithful servant?
Prayer:
Almighty God, help us to see, to hear, and to accept your call and claim upon our lives. Help us to move past our reluctance to respond in faithfulness. Amen.
Tags: Burning Bush, Call, Moses
