2008.05.11 Receiving God’s Call
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-4:17
Last week, our monthly guest speaker was Pastor Rebecca Buckley. She shared with us an insightful message about how Moses was an outsider—an outsider to the Egyptians, to the Hebrews and to the Midianites. Moses was an outsider who was, in fact, becoming an “insider”—an insider who would be perfectly suited to go into Egypt and free God’s people from slavery and lead them through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.
Moses’ life is testimony to the truth of Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
God was working for Moses’ good, because Moses was going to be called according to God’s purpose, and today we are going to examine what that call was.
But first, let’s think a moment about call. We don’t often use the word “call” outside of the church, but the question of call is one with which we all wrestle—whether you are Christian or not.
We’re in the month of May. What is the most frequently asked question for graduating high school seniors? What college are you going to? It’s an innocent, fact-finding question, but it is the start of a lifelong journey around the question of call. Four months from now, the FAQ will be What’s your major? Some people take longer than others to figure this out, but by college graduation, everyone has something to put on their degree. So then the FAQ becomes So what are you going to do?
It is a simple question, but it actually takes two forms. One is “what are you going to do?” Get a job, go to grad school, get married? The other form that this question takes is “what are you called to do?” Meaning, how are you going to engage the world? How are you going to use your talents? How are you going to make your life meaningful? In the church, we would ask: Where is God calling you? What does God need you to do?
Several of us in this sanctuary today can testify that the answer to “what are you called to do?” is not easy to figure out. And even when we do figure out an answer, things can and do change. One advantage that we have, though is Moses. We have his story. We know that despite how hard his early years were, he eventually became one of Israel’s most respected leaders and is one of our heroes of faith.
We know the entirety of Moses’ life, and it is living proof that, as Rick Warren wrote, “You are not an accident.” God created each one of us for a good purpose. We are not accidents. There is much hope in knowing this, which is why the words from the prophet Jeremiah can be found printed on nearly every object imaginable (mugs, t-shirts, pens, you name it):
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Yet Moses did not have all of this wisdom when he was confronted by God’s call. And frankly, even though the knowledge and the hope is available to us, we don’t always make the connection or even remember. So let’s look at God’s call to Moses and how Moses responded:
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."
Exodus 3:1-3
Most of us have heard of the burning bush; it’s the part of Moses’ call story that we remember best. But it’s really a minor part of the story. Consider how movie previews function—they are designed to bring you in, to create more interest, and they give you a glimpse of what is to come. That’s the burning bush. A preview.
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 3:4-5
The bush was a preview. The main attraction? The main attraction was God. God was there. God was present. Not only is God speaking to Moses through the bush, but he is there. The ground on which Moses now stands is holy because God is there. Moses hides his face out of fear—not fear of being injured but the fear of respect, the fear of holiness. He recognized that in the presence of the Holy of Holies, in the presence of God our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, Moses could not look, should not look into God’s face. And he answers, “Here I am.”
There is a really beautiful hymn titled with these same three words: Here I am. We’ve sung that hymn in this ministry, and it is almost a sure bet that for any ordination service you ever attend, that song will be sung. The words in the chorus of this hymn go like this:
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord. If you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
It is a great song that expresses faithful and courageous obedience to following God’s call. But actually, this hymn is NOT based on Moses’ call. It is based on the prophet Isaiah’s call. Because Moses—well, Moses’ reaction was not quite so inspiring. Although his initial reaction was one of reverence and awe—and appropriately so, the rest of Moses’ call narrative was not so much “I will go Lord.” It was more like.. well, it was more like what a “normal” person might do.
So when we left off, Moses was hiding his face. Then
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey… 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:7-8a, 10
God has SEEN, HEARD and IS CONCERNED (other translations say that God KNOWS)—God has seen, heard and knows that his people are suffering. So he has COME DOWN to rescue them. It’s like Superman or Batman or Iron Man—the Hebrews are in trouble, so God Almighty has COME DOWN to rescue them. Just like when we’re sitting in the movie theatres, cheering on the superhero, Moses is listening to God, saying, “Yeah, you go, God! Rescue those Hebrews!”
Then we get to Verse 10. God says: “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Whoa. Hit the brakes. What?!?
In eloquent language, what has happened in verse 10 can be described this way:
“In one brief utterance, the grand intention of God has become a specific human responsibility, human obligation and human vocation.”
-Walter Brueggemann
In coarser language, Moses just got rocked. What in the world?! Moses is no dummy. He knows how Egypt works. He knows how the Hebrews are slaves. He knows the danger and virtual impossibility of what God is talking about—freeing the Hebrews from Egypt? And you want me to do what?
What follows is a series of Moses’ doubts and resistances to God’s call. They can best be understood by recognizing that each of Moses’ objections looks to a past reality and every response that God gives moves Moses to a new future.
Exodus 3:11 – 4:17
MOSES:Who am I?
GOD :I am with you.
MOSES: What if they ask me your name?
GOD: I am who I am.
MOSES: What if they don’t believe me?
GOD: 3 signs
MOSES: I am not eloquent.
GOD: I will help you.
MOSES: Please send someone else!
GOD: Aaron will be your mouth but you are the leader.
Moses’ first protest: Who am I? We already have the benefit of knowing that God has been working for the good of Moses; that Moses is The One who has been called for God’s purpose for this moment.
But when you are confronted by a call, even when you’re just considering a call, the call can look really big. And when you don’t have all of the information, if you don’t know what’s going to happen, how things are going to turn out, it’s overwhelming. Who am I to do this?
God’s answer: I am with you. Notice—it’s not about Moses. It is, and always will be, about God. What God is doing. God’s just asking you to come.
Moses’ second protest: What if they ask me your name? Moses knows that pulling the Hebrews out of Egypt will require the Hebrews’ acceptance of Moses’ authority. Moses already knows that he’s talking to the The Big G, God. But how does he convince the Hebrews of that?
God’s answer: I am who I am. Oh. Okay. That clears things up.. Right. Then God goes on to explain further. The scripture says:
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. n This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.' "
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, `The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Exodus 3:14-15
The “I AM” name tells Moses almost nothing, but with the next statement, we recognize that Moses, and the Hebrews, already know who God is: the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses’ knowledge of God is not increased by God’s answer (I AM WHO I AM). Because it is the past—who God has been—that informs the present crisis—God’s people crying out—in order to envision the new future—God will save. This God (old) is the same God (now) who will bring you out of Egypt (new).
This God that you have known already, whom you continue to worship, who has shown himself faithful will continue, in faithfulness, to call you to new things.
Moses’ 3rd protest: What if they don’t believe me? The translation says “what if,” but the Hebrew text is straightforward: “They will not trust me. They will not listen to my voice.”
If any of you is a worrier—or perhaps, like me, you’re married to a worrier—you know that as anxiety increases, so do the “what ifs.” What if this happens, what if that doesn’t happen. And if the anxiety is high enough, the “what if”s morph into absolutes. They are not going to listen to me. They aren’t going to like me. I’m going to fail.
This is no small task that God is calling Moses to do. God has presented an awesome vision—the Hebrews, Moses’ kinfolk, have been slaves in Egypt for nearly 400 hundred years. Now Moses is being told to go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. There are just way too many hurdles.
God’s response was to give Moses 3 signs that he could use. One is Moses’ staff turning into a snake and back, and another is Moses’ hand become diseased and healed. The 3rd sign is that Moses will turn the water of the Nile into blood.
This doesn’t seem to satisfy Moses because there is a 4th protest: I am not eloquent.
God’s response is essentially, “Hello? I’m GOD, remember? Now GO; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses finally gets to what he is really thinking and feeling with his 5th protest: “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Moses’ resistance to God’s call is exasperating—we know that he can do it, but hindsight is 20-20, and when in the same position, how often have we said to God, “Please send someone else.” I don’t want to do it. I’m too busy to do it. I’m too scared to do it. Whatever the reason, it comes to the same plea: “Please send someone else.”
God is angry, but he moves to Plan B. Okay. So your brother Aaron can speak well, so he will speak as if he were your mouth. BUT—BUT you’re not off the hook Moses.
14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."
Exodus 4:14-17
I will help both of you speak and will teach you. Aaron is to you as a mouth; You are to him as a god. Aaron is not the someone else that Moses asked for. Aaron will help, but Moses is still the one who is the call bearer. He will be the authority. He is the one God is calling, and he will be the leader with whom God works to save God’s people. And Moses goes.
After all of those protests, Moses finally recognizes the truth: God has issued a call, and that call has come to him. He can resist the call, but to what end?
“A calling, though we glamorize it, is not glamorous. It is a response to a summons. It is a kind of surrender. It is a willingness to die to the past and move to the future. C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘To follow the [call] does not mean happiness but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow.’”
-J.Ortberg in “God’s Call Waiting,” Leadership Spring 2008
Moses clearly heard the call, and he put up a good fight. But in the end, he recognized that God’s intention was to save his people, to save the Hebrews.
In his own past, Moses already had demonstrated that he had a passion for justice and a heart of God’s people. He murdered the Egyptian because the Egyptian was beating a Hebrew. He experienced rejection from his own people because he tried to intervene when he saw two Hebrews fighting. Moses’ heart was where God’s heart was: I have SEEN, I have HEARD, I KNOW that my people are suffering.
So despite all of his protests, Moses heard the call and could not have been happy had he not followed. Because he wanted the same thing that God wanted, and here was God, saying “I will be with you. I will help you. It is YOU, Moses, that I am calling to go.”
As I mentioned before, the question of “what are you called to do?”, “what is God calling you to do?” is a difficult and challenging question. It comes up when we are graduating from college or from grad school. It can come up when we feel like we’re stuck or when a mid-life crisis hits. It can come when we’re laid off or a life-altering event occurs. What is God calling you to do?
On more than one occasion, my friends and I, in a time of confusion, have commented on how we would very much appreciate having something as clear as a burning bush and God’s very presence coming to tell us exactly what it is that God is calling us to do. But when you pause and consider Moses’ reaction, which I find to be very human, you have to think.. well, do I want a burning bush? Maybe not so much..
Because the call was an awesome one. A tremendous one. So God answered all 5 of Moses’ protests. I am with you. I am God. Here are 3 signs. I will help you. Aaron will help you. But honestly, I think that beyond the five answers, the one very clear answer that Moses received was that God came down to rescue his people, and Moses was The One to do the job.
God had already been working in Moses’ life to prepare him for this call. So that when Moses received the call, as huge as it was, he was ready for the challenge. Deep down, he must known it—because Moses’ heart was beating in the same rhythm as God’s heart. Once Moses’ heard the specific call, there could be no happiness in not following, in giving up the chance to do God’s work with people whom they both loved, in a situation that they both knew had to be stopped.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God works in our lives for our good. We have been called by God, which means that what we have lived, what we have learned, is for our good now and for to what God wants to do. Like Moses, the call that God gives to you will be one that resonates with your heart. A call from God is an invitation to pursue what God already has been forming and growing within you. We may react like Moses, but in the end, may we embrace God’s call with open arms, knowing that there will be no happiness in not following.
(Pastor SKA)
Last week, our monthly guest speaker was Pastor Rebecca Buckley. She shared with us an insightful message about how Moses was an outsider—an outsider to the Egyptians, to the Hebrews and to the Midianites. Moses was an outsider who was, in fact, becoming an “insider”—an insider who would be perfectly suited to go into Egypt and free God’s people from slavery and lead them through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.
Moses’ life is testimony to the truth of Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
God was working for Moses’ good, because Moses was going to be called according to God’s purpose, and today we are going to examine what that call was.
But first, let’s think a moment about call. We don’t often use the word “call” outside of the church, but the question of call is one with which we all wrestle—whether you are Christian or not.
We’re in the month of May. What is the most frequently asked question for graduating high school seniors? What college are you going to? It’s an innocent, fact-finding question, but it is the start of a lifelong journey around the question of call. Four months from now, the FAQ will be What’s your major? Some people take longer than others to figure this out, but by college graduation, everyone has something to put on their degree. So then the FAQ becomes So what are you going to do?
It is a simple question, but it actually takes two forms. One is “what are you going to do?” Get a job, go to grad school, get married? The other form that this question takes is “what are you called to do?” Meaning, how are you going to engage the world? How are you going to use your talents? How are you going to make your life meaningful? In the church, we would ask: Where is God calling you? What does God need you to do?
Several of us in this sanctuary today can testify that the answer to “what are you called to do?” is not easy to figure out. And even when we do figure out an answer, things can and do change. One advantage that we have, though is Moses. We have his story. We know that despite how hard his early years were, he eventually became one of Israel’s most respected leaders and is one of our heroes of faith.
We know the entirety of Moses’ life, and it is living proof that, as Rick Warren wrote, “You are not an accident.” God created each one of us for a good purpose. We are not accidents. There is much hope in knowing this, which is why the words from the prophet Jeremiah can be found printed on nearly every object imaginable (mugs, t-shirts, pens, you name it):
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Yet Moses did not have all of this wisdom when he was confronted by God’s call. And frankly, even though the knowledge and the hope is available to us, we don’t always make the connection or even remember. So let’s look at God’s call to Moses and how Moses responded:
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up."
Exodus 3:1-3
Most of us have heard of the burning bush; it’s the part of Moses’ call story that we remember best. But it’s really a minor part of the story. Consider how movie previews function—they are designed to bring you in, to create more interest, and they give you a glimpse of what is to come. That’s the burning bush. A preview.
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Exodus 3:4-5
The bush was a preview. The main attraction? The main attraction was God. God was there. God was present. Not only is God speaking to Moses through the bush, but he is there. The ground on which Moses now stands is holy because God is there. Moses hides his face out of fear—not fear of being injured but the fear of respect, the fear of holiness. He recognized that in the presence of the Holy of Holies, in the presence of God our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, Moses could not look, should not look into God’s face. And he answers, “Here I am.”
There is a really beautiful hymn titled with these same three words: Here I am. We’ve sung that hymn in this ministry, and it is almost a sure bet that for any ordination service you ever attend, that song will be sung. The words in the chorus of this hymn go like this:
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord. If you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
It is a great song that expresses faithful and courageous obedience to following God’s call. But actually, this hymn is NOT based on Moses’ call. It is based on the prophet Isaiah’s call. Because Moses—well, Moses’ reaction was not quite so inspiring. Although his initial reaction was one of reverence and awe—and appropriately so, the rest of Moses’ call narrative was not so much “I will go Lord.” It was more like.. well, it was more like what a “normal” person might do.
So when we left off, Moses was hiding his face. Then
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey… 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:7-8a, 10
God has SEEN, HEARD and IS CONCERNED (other translations say that God KNOWS)—God has seen, heard and knows that his people are suffering. So he has COME DOWN to rescue them. It’s like Superman or Batman or Iron Man—the Hebrews are in trouble, so God Almighty has COME DOWN to rescue them. Just like when we’re sitting in the movie theatres, cheering on the superhero, Moses is listening to God, saying, “Yeah, you go, God! Rescue those Hebrews!”
Then we get to Verse 10. God says: “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Whoa. Hit the brakes. What?!?
In eloquent language, what has happened in verse 10 can be described this way:
“In one brief utterance, the grand intention of God has become a specific human responsibility, human obligation and human vocation.”
-Walter Brueggemann
In coarser language, Moses just got rocked. What in the world?! Moses is no dummy. He knows how Egypt works. He knows how the Hebrews are slaves. He knows the danger and virtual impossibility of what God is talking about—freeing the Hebrews from Egypt? And you want me to do what?
What follows is a series of Moses’ doubts and resistances to God’s call. They can best be understood by recognizing that each of Moses’ objections looks to a past reality and every response that God gives moves Moses to a new future.
Exodus 3:11 – 4:17
MOSES:Who am I?
GOD :I am with you.
MOSES: What if they ask me your name?
GOD: I am who I am.
MOSES: What if they don’t believe me?
GOD: 3 signs
MOSES: I am not eloquent.
GOD: I will help you.
MOSES: Please send someone else!
GOD: Aaron will be your mouth but you are the leader.
Moses’ first protest: Who am I? We already have the benefit of knowing that God has been working for the good of Moses; that Moses is The One who has been called for God’s purpose for this moment.
But when you are confronted by a call, even when you’re just considering a call, the call can look really big. And when you don’t have all of the information, if you don’t know what’s going to happen, how things are going to turn out, it’s overwhelming. Who am I to do this?
God’s answer: I am with you. Notice—it’s not about Moses. It is, and always will be, about God. What God is doing. God’s just asking you to come.
Moses’ second protest: What if they ask me your name? Moses knows that pulling the Hebrews out of Egypt will require the Hebrews’ acceptance of Moses’ authority. Moses already knows that he’s talking to the The Big G, God. But how does he convince the Hebrews of that?
God’s answer: I am who I am. Oh. Okay. That clears things up.. Right. Then God goes on to explain further. The scripture says:
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. n This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.' "
15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, `The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Exodus 3:14-15
The “I AM” name tells Moses almost nothing, but with the next statement, we recognize that Moses, and the Hebrews, already know who God is: the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses’ knowledge of God is not increased by God’s answer (I AM WHO I AM). Because it is the past—who God has been—that informs the present crisis—God’s people crying out—in order to envision the new future—God will save. This God (old) is the same God (now) who will bring you out of Egypt (new).
This God that you have known already, whom you continue to worship, who has shown himself faithful will continue, in faithfulness, to call you to new things.
Moses’ 3rd protest: What if they don’t believe me? The translation says “what if,” but the Hebrew text is straightforward: “They will not trust me. They will not listen to my voice.”
If any of you is a worrier—or perhaps, like me, you’re married to a worrier—you know that as anxiety increases, so do the “what ifs.” What if this happens, what if that doesn’t happen. And if the anxiety is high enough, the “what if”s morph into absolutes. They are not going to listen to me. They aren’t going to like me. I’m going to fail.
This is no small task that God is calling Moses to do. God has presented an awesome vision—the Hebrews, Moses’ kinfolk, have been slaves in Egypt for nearly 400 hundred years. Now Moses is being told to go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. There are just way too many hurdles.
God’s response was to give Moses 3 signs that he could use. One is Moses’ staff turning into a snake and back, and another is Moses’ hand become diseased and healed. The 3rd sign is that Moses will turn the water of the Nile into blood.
This doesn’t seem to satisfy Moses because there is a 4th protest: I am not eloquent.
God’s response is essentially, “Hello? I’m GOD, remember? Now GO; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses finally gets to what he is really thinking and feeling with his 5th protest: “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Moses’ resistance to God’s call is exasperating—we know that he can do it, but hindsight is 20-20, and when in the same position, how often have we said to God, “Please send someone else.” I don’t want to do it. I’m too busy to do it. I’m too scared to do it. Whatever the reason, it comes to the same plea: “Please send someone else.”
God is angry, but he moves to Plan B. Okay. So your brother Aaron can speak well, so he will speak as if he were your mouth. BUT—BUT you’re not off the hook Moses.
14 Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."
Exodus 4:14-17
I will help both of you speak and will teach you. Aaron is to you as a mouth; You are to him as a god. Aaron is not the someone else that Moses asked for. Aaron will help, but Moses is still the one who is the call bearer. He will be the authority. He is the one God is calling, and he will be the leader with whom God works to save God’s people. And Moses goes.
After all of those protests, Moses finally recognizes the truth: God has issued a call, and that call has come to him. He can resist the call, but to what end?
“A calling, though we glamorize it, is not glamorous. It is a response to a summons. It is a kind of surrender. It is a willingness to die to the past and move to the future. C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘To follow the [call] does not mean happiness but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow.’”
-J.Ortberg in “God’s Call Waiting,” Leadership Spring 2008
Moses clearly heard the call, and he put up a good fight. But in the end, he recognized that God’s intention was to save his people, to save the Hebrews.
In his own past, Moses already had demonstrated that he had a passion for justice and a heart of God’s people. He murdered the Egyptian because the Egyptian was beating a Hebrew. He experienced rejection from his own people because he tried to intervene when he saw two Hebrews fighting. Moses’ heart was where God’s heart was: I have SEEN, I have HEARD, I KNOW that my people are suffering.
So despite all of his protests, Moses heard the call and could not have been happy had he not followed. Because he wanted the same thing that God wanted, and here was God, saying “I will be with you. I will help you. It is YOU, Moses, that I am calling to go.”
As I mentioned before, the question of “what are you called to do?”, “what is God calling you to do?” is a difficult and challenging question. It comes up when we are graduating from college or from grad school. It can come up when we feel like we’re stuck or when a mid-life crisis hits. It can come when we’re laid off or a life-altering event occurs. What is God calling you to do?
On more than one occasion, my friends and I, in a time of confusion, have commented on how we would very much appreciate having something as clear as a burning bush and God’s very presence coming to tell us exactly what it is that God is calling us to do. But when you pause and consider Moses’ reaction, which I find to be very human, you have to think.. well, do I want a burning bush? Maybe not so much..
Because the call was an awesome one. A tremendous one. So God answered all 5 of Moses’ protests. I am with you. I am God. Here are 3 signs. I will help you. Aaron will help you. But honestly, I think that beyond the five answers, the one very clear answer that Moses received was that God came down to rescue his people, and Moses was The One to do the job.
God had already been working in Moses’ life to prepare him for this call. So that when Moses received the call, as huge as it was, he was ready for the challenge. Deep down, he must known it—because Moses’ heart was beating in the same rhythm as God’s heart. Once Moses’ heard the specific call, there could be no happiness in not following, in giving up the chance to do God’s work with people whom they both loved, in a situation that they both knew had to be stopped.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God works in our lives for our good. We have been called by God, which means that what we have lived, what we have learned, is for our good now and for to what God wants to do. Like Moses, the call that God gives to you will be one that resonates with your heart. A call from God is an invitation to pursue what God already has been forming and growing within you. We may react like Moses, but in the end, may we embrace God’s call with open arms, knowing that there will be no happiness in not following.
(Pastor SKA)
posted by New Hope Presbyterian Church @ 9:44 PM
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