Dragging Your Feet on Holy Ground
But Moses said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13)
Moses is a big time hero of the Bible. He is said to be the greatest prophet that Israel has ever known. It is said that he spoke to God face to face as with a friend. He was born into slavery in Egypt. He would have died as a baby due to a royal decree to drown all baby boy Israelites, but his mother hid him. When he was three months old he was set afloat upon the Nile in a basket to save him from slaughter. The daughter of Pharaoh found baby Moses and raised him as her own son in the royal palace. When Moses became a man he went out to see the terrible slavery the Hebrews were suffering. When he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. But his murder was found out and Moses fled for his life. He ended up in Midian in the Arabian peninsula. There he lived as a shepherd for 40 years. He married and had two sons. One day while herding his flock, Moses witnessed a strange sight. A bush was ablaze with fire and yet was not consumed! When he drew closer, the voice of the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
God had heard the cries of the Israelites in slavery and was now sending Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him the Lord says to let my people go! Moses doesn't respond the way we might think a hero should! In fact he tries to weasel out of it.
Moses first wonders why God is asking him. "Who am I that you ask me to go before Pharaoh?" (Ex 3:11) God responds by saying, "I will be with you."
Then Moses asks what name should hie give to the Israelites to show that he has in fact spoken to their God. (Ex 3:13) God responds, "I AM That I Am. Tell them I AM sent you." I'm sure that wasn't too reassuring. I'm sure Moses had never heard of "I AM". But then God tells Moses to use the name Yahweh (Jehovah). This will be the name by which the Israelites shall call upon the Lord, the god of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God says that He will free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and settle them in the land promised to their forefathers. And He will use Moses for this great deliverance.
But Moses again stalls. What if the Israelites don't believe me or listen to me?"(Ex 4:1) God provides for Moses signs that he might show those who doubt the authenticity of his call to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. One sign is a staff that turns into a snake and back to a staff again. Another sign is for Moses to lace his hand inside of his cloak and pull it back out white with leprosy! He would place it in and pull it out healed in an instant! God offered a third sign to turn water into blood.
In the face of these miraculous signs, you'd think that Moses would be encouraged to accept the mission God is giving him. But again he drags his feet.
But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Ex 4:10)
The Lord declares that He is the creator who gives humans mouths and tongues to speak. God will empower Moses to speak and will tell him what he needs to say. God has clearly demonstrated that He is fully capable to take a stuttering insecure fellow and give him the ability to speak with God's authority. But Moses finally says what he really thinks!
"Please, Lord, send someone else!" (Ex 4:13)
It's actually rather humorous in its ridiculousness. God was angered by Moses' continued reluctance, but again gives him reassurance. God appoints Moses' brother Aaron to speak for him. God will speak to Moses and Moses will tell Aaron what to say. Three times God tells Moses, "I will be with you." Finally Moses obeys the calling to go and tell Pharaoh the God of the Israelites says, "Let my people go!"
We can laugh at this story because we see ourselves in it. If God appeared to you, how easy would it be to keep it to yourself for fear others would think you were crazy? I think of the comedy "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carrel. He faced incredible ridicule and lost his job because of his obedience to the call to build an ark like Noah did. Not many have the courage to share what God has called them to do. Few of us are listening. But God interrupts our lives sometimes and calls us to very specific types of mission, ministry and service. Some will be applauded by our neighbors, but others will deride you. It's easy to understand why we might drag our feet when God calls.
But God is calling every one who acknowledges Christ to follow Jesus into a life of ministry, serving others with compassion, working justice and building community where all are welcomed. How you do that will differ from person to person, but the divine promise to each of us is the same as it was for the frightened and insecure Moses. "I will be with you."
And Jesus came and said to His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Moses is a big time hero of the Bible. He is said to be the greatest prophet that Israel has ever known. It is said that he spoke to God face to face as with a friend. He was born into slavery in Egypt. He would have died as a baby due to a royal decree to drown all baby boy Israelites, but his mother hid him. When he was three months old he was set afloat upon the Nile in a basket to save him from slaughter. The daughter of Pharaoh found baby Moses and raised him as her own son in the royal palace. When Moses became a man he went out to see the terrible slavery the Hebrews were suffering. When he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. But his murder was found out and Moses fled for his life. He ended up in Midian in the Arabian peninsula. There he lived as a shepherd for 40 years. He married and had two sons. One day while herding his flock, Moses witnessed a strange sight. A bush was ablaze with fire and yet was not consumed! When he drew closer, the voice of the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
God had heard the cries of the Israelites in slavery and was now sending Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him the Lord says to let my people go! Moses doesn't respond the way we might think a hero should! In fact he tries to weasel out of it.
Moses first wonders why God is asking him. "Who am I that you ask me to go before Pharaoh?" (Ex 3:11) God responds by saying, "I will be with you."
Then Moses asks what name should hie give to the Israelites to show that he has in fact spoken to their God. (Ex 3:13) God responds, "I AM That I Am. Tell them I AM sent you." I'm sure that wasn't too reassuring. I'm sure Moses had never heard of "I AM". But then God tells Moses to use the name Yahweh (Jehovah). This will be the name by which the Israelites shall call upon the Lord, the god of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God says that He will free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and settle them in the land promised to their forefathers. And He will use Moses for this great deliverance.
But Moses again stalls. What if the Israelites don't believe me or listen to me?"(Ex 4:1) God provides for Moses signs that he might show those who doubt the authenticity of his call to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. One sign is a staff that turns into a snake and back to a staff again. Another sign is for Moses to lace his hand inside of his cloak and pull it back out white with leprosy! He would place it in and pull it out healed in an instant! God offered a third sign to turn water into blood.
In the face of these miraculous signs, you'd think that Moses would be encouraged to accept the mission God is giving him. But again he drags his feet.
But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Ex 4:10)
The Lord declares that He is the creator who gives humans mouths and tongues to speak. God will empower Moses to speak and will tell him what he needs to say. God has clearly demonstrated that He is fully capable to take a stuttering insecure fellow and give him the ability to speak with God's authority. But Moses finally says what he really thinks!
"Please, Lord, send someone else!" (Ex 4:13)
It's actually rather humorous in its ridiculousness. God was angered by Moses' continued reluctance, but again gives him reassurance. God appoints Moses' brother Aaron to speak for him. God will speak to Moses and Moses will tell Aaron what to say. Three times God tells Moses, "I will be with you." Finally Moses obeys the calling to go and tell Pharaoh the God of the Israelites says, "Let my people go!"
We can laugh at this story because we see ourselves in it. If God appeared to you, how easy would it be to keep it to yourself for fear others would think you were crazy? I think of the comedy "Evan Almighty" with Steve Carrel. He faced incredible ridicule and lost his job because of his obedience to the call to build an ark like Noah did. Not many have the courage to share what God has called them to do. Few of us are listening. But God interrupts our lives sometimes and calls us to very specific types of mission, ministry and service. Some will be applauded by our neighbors, but others will deride you. It's easy to understand why we might drag our feet when God calls.
But God is calling every one who acknowledges Christ to follow Jesus into a life of ministry, serving others with compassion, working justice and building community where all are welcomed. How you do that will differ from person to person, but the divine promise to each of us is the same as it was for the frightened and insecure Moses. "I will be with you."
And Jesus came and said to His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
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