“Come along fellas. We need to eat the top of the mountain and work down. Most of you know that.” Moses looked back. The sheep were following him up the trail.
They settled into a high meadow with good grass. The sheep were soon content as they chewed their meal.
A crackling sound caught his attention. Moses squinted up the slope and saw a bush on fire.
He tilted his head. “I’ve seen bushes burn here before, but, where’s the smoke? That can’t be right.”
He walked toward the bush to get a better look.
“Moses. Moses.”
He stopped and looked around. “Yes, I’m here.”
The fire spoke again. “Remove your sandals. The ground you’re standing on is holy ground.”
Moses quickly slid his feet out of his footwear.
“I am the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Moses raised his cloak up to cover his face. How dare he look at God and expect to live.
“I’ve seen the mistreatment of My people in Egypt. I’ve come to deliver them out of their bondage and return them to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You will be My leader for this task.”
Moses stifled a chuckle. “Why me?”
“I will be with you to guide you.”
“When I come to them who shall I say sent me? What is Your name?”
“I AM who I AM. Tell them I AM has sent you, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It’s time to bring them back to the promised land. Go to the elders of Israel. Tell them to go to Pharaoh and ask for three days to come and worship me. He will not let you go until he sees My power at the cost of his first born. Then you shall ask of your neighbors and they will give you gold, silver and all of their valuables to get rid of you.”
Moses turned to glimpse a bit of the fire. “But, what if the elders don’t believe me. Is there some proof that You spoke to me?”
“What is that in your hand?”
“It’s my walking stick. I use it to guide the sheep sometimes.”
“Drop it on the ground.”
When he did it immediately became a snake. He jumped back.
“Pick it up by the tail.”
Moses approached the snake and grabbed its tail fully expecting it to turn and bite him. Instead it became his staff again. He carefully inspected the top of it. No tongue or eyes were visible.
“If that’s not enough then put your hand in your tunic.
When he did a numbness covered his hand. When he pulled it out it was white like the sheep.
“Now put it back.”
As the hand went into his clothing the numbness left. He pulled it out and made a fist before he straightened his fingers.
“If those aren’t enough you are to dip some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground. When you do it will become blood on the land.”
Moses’s head dropped forward. “But, I’ve never been good with the Hebrew language. I struggle with finding the right words. Please, send someone else.”
“Who made man’s mouth and gave him a language? Your brother, Aaron is on his way here now. Tell him what we talked about. He can speak to the people. You can speak to Pharaoh. I will guide both of you as to what to say.”
When the crackling stopped Moses looked at the bush. Nothing on it looked the least bit charred. Moses made plans to return the sheep to his father-in-law and return to Egypt.
Aaron met him halfway down the mountain.
********
This ranks up there with one of the most bizarre ways God ever got anyone’s attention.
Ever since then some folks have been looking for their own bush to find God in.
The problem with that approach is they’re looking at the wrong part of this whole ordeal.
God didn’t speak from the bush. God spoke from the fire.
The light from heaven came down to announce the rescue of His people and return them to the land promised to their ancestors.
Moses was chosen to lead this exodus. He tried once before in his own strength.
God now gave the go ahead to Moses with the promise of God’s power to carry it off.
With God timing is everything. Move too soon and you’ll fail. Wait on God and you’ll succeed.
The preparations were well made. Moses knew Egyptian. Aaron knew Hebrew. Together God had a team to carry this massive undertaking off.
Too many people have misapplied this passage to teach Moses was full of excuses of why he wasn’t the man for the job.
There was only one time Moses suggested that and that was after he realized God was right. Then he also realized nobody could lead a couple million people out of the most powerful nation at that time without an all out war.
No, Moses had plenty of time to think this all out since he fled Egypt to save his own life.
My question to you is: are you ready to do your part to lead people to the promised land?
Jesus called us to be a light in the darkness.
The promised land is eternity with God in heaven after we die.
We don’t need a magic stick, a changing hand or water that turns into blood.
We need our testimony of how God changed our own life into something new.
One person at a time is all we’re called on to deliver from bondage.
Jesus’s blood is the detergent that will clean the filthiest life into wool-like white.
The Holy Spirit is the one who ultimately speaks to a person’s heart to see the need of a savior.
It’s our job to give the Spirit something to work with.
Start with your immediate family, then co-workers.
God is calling you to build his kingdom.
Don’t keep making excuses.
I’ll see you later. Wade
