|
A GOD LIKE NO OTHER
~ Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 ~
(The New Living Translation)
In-person service at
at Second Baptist Church
in Griffith Hall!
William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
| |
Sunday, September 3, 2023 | |
|
1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am 5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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 upon God. 7And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; 13And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. 15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Exodus 3:1-15
Introduction
Moses (c. 1400 BCE) is considered one of the most acclaimed faith leaders in world history. Moses is claimed by the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai as an important prophet of God and the founder of monotheistic belief. The story of Moses is told in the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers, but he continues to be referenced throughout the Bible and is the prophet most often cited in the New Testament. In the Quran he also plays an important role and, again, is the most often cited religious figure who is mentioned 115 times as opposed to Muhammed who is referred to by name only four times in the text. As in the Bible, in the Quran Moses is a figure who alternately stands for divine or human understanding. (Ancient History Encyclopedia).
You remember the circumstances of his birth. He was born at a time when his life was threatened from birth. His mother ingeniously made a plan to save her child. She gave him up to preserve his life. He was reared in the lap of luxury, the seat of power and prestige.
Exodus 3 speaks of our Bible hero Moses, the little boy who was found floating in the river by Pharaoh's daughter, who felt compassion for him and brought him into the palace where he grew up. Then, when he became older, he found himself in some difficulty and the Pharaoh turned against him, and when they sought to kill him he retreated into the desert. And there he was in an early stage of retirement, kind of. In Egypt, his people, the Hebrews, were under unbelievable oppression and bondage from the Egyptians. They were being killed and murdered on a regular basis. They were cheap slave labor.
It was apparent that Moses was concerned about the plight of his people and the brutality and cruelty of the oppression they were experiencing. It seems apparent that he was wondering what could be done.
The passage opens saying while Moses was tending his father-in-law Jethro's sheep in the land of Midian, he led his flock beyond the wilderness. Moses saw a baffling sight on Mount Horeb. A bush was on fire, but it did not burn up. Moses went over to the burning bush to investigate, and the voice of God called to him. God explained that God had seen the misery of the Hebrews who were in Egypt, where they were being held as slaves. God had come down from heaven to rescue them. He chose Moses to carry out that task. Moses was terrified. He told God he was not capable of such a huge undertaking. God assured Moses that He would be with him.
However, Moses became a fugitive after he was made aware that what he thought he did in secret was observed by someone. Exodus 2:11-12 says, “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” It is seemingly clear that Moses disliked the oppressive treatment of his people.
13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Exodus 2:13-15
Consider what it means to have to escape from what threatens your life.
| |
Monday, September 4, 2023 | |
|
Moses flees to Midian for forty years, married Zipporah, the daughter of Midianite priest Jethro (also known as Reuel).
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." But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I am has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations. Exodus 3:1-15
The way the scene unfolds invites us to see ourselves in the situation of our lives. Moses is by himself without the companionship of another human being at this time, attending to his responsibility of feeding his father-in-law's sheep. It is alone that we have our greatest spiritual experiences. It is why we are continuing with our responsibility that we have a life changing, mind blowing, insightful experience.
Moses leads the flock beyond the wilderness. Wilderness connotes barrenness / emptiness / scarcity. You have to get beyond the place where you are to see what lies in store for your future. Barrenness, bewilderment, bitterness and blight. Imagine if he had not gone beyond where he has gone before. He would have been stuck in the same situation.
Consider what it means that while we are going about our normal
routine to live, we can have a life changing, mind blowing and
insightful experience about the reality of the Lord’s presence.
| |
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 | |
|
Next, we are told that Moses' attention was arrested by what he saw. It is what we see that causes us pause to explore and ponder what's happening? What does it mean?
It was at this moment that God called to him out of the bush. In that moment our attention is arrested as we perceive the presence of the Lord.
What gets your attention and causes you pause to investigate further? He went farther than he generally goes and found what required further investigation which led to an extraordinarily unforgettable experience. When you go farther, you will be led to go further to explore the possibilities that are beaconing to you - come on.
What did Moses discover? I am glad you asked. Get this: Moses discovered a God unlike any other.
I. God is present and draws us beyond the wilderness of our lives and speaks a word of assurance.
"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."
Moses, whose eye is caught by the visible miracle, moves in for a closer inspection only to be seized by the larger miracle of the nature of this Deity. The command to Moses that he remove his sandals serves to remind him (and to remind us, as well)
that the real wonder here is not that of a shrub that refuses to be burned up, but that of a God unlike any other. Yet a new surprise follows: Moses' awe is immediately brought up short by a second declaration from the God-of-the-bush. This is no mountain jinni, no spirit of the rocks and sand. The terrible God-of-the-bush is also the familiar God of the Hebrews' ancestors. The Unknown One is none other than the One who clearly showed abundant compassion to the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancestors who predate him.
What a word. God is concerned about your circumstances. God cares about you in your situation. God knows what you are going through. God is committed to freeing you from captivity.
This past August 23 observed the sixtieth year of the March on Washington for Civil Rights. From 1619 to the present, the God unlike any other has been made aware in our lives through the middle passage, (the Maafa), racism, through discrimination, demonization, devaluation, denigration through systemic structures of subjugation and segregation.
Consider what it means that the God of your ancestors observes your
misery, hears your crying, knows your suffering, and comes to
deliver you in your situation as a God like no other.
| |
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 | |
|
II. God engages us in what God is going to do.
But then, the challenge! Moses is openly astonished that what this compassionate, justice-loving God-of-the-bush intends to do is to be done by none other than Moses himself. "So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt" (v. 10). To Moses' mind such a plan of action must have presented at least two difficulties, but he verbalizes only one of them. If you are a consuming God who is
not consumed, why not take care of it yourself? Moses must have wondered.
Still, he gives voice only to the more uncomfortable question: "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites our of Egypt?" (v. 11). God's response to Moses' understandable reservation is, of course, to say that Moses will not be by himself.
Moses, who himself knew what it meant to protect and defend others, would resonate to this aspect of God's personality, because Moses, of all people, knew that caring for others was expensive and hurtful (note Exodus 2:11-22). And so it would have been with great joy that Moses heard God's declaration, "I have observed the misery of my people; I have heard their cry; I have come down to deliver them." The God-of-the-incredible-bush cared about Israel, and about justice, and about protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. And that made all the difference.
The Poverty and Justice Bible has infinite possibilities concerning the accurate application of scripture to our lives. "Our country is not yet on the side of truth and justice for all. The twenty-first century demands nonviolent agitation and protest to move us, the people of faith, more toward the politics of compassion, an economy of justice, and a salvation work similar to what Moses and Jesus began. The righteousness of God must eradicate poverty. The nonviolence of Jesus can vanquish the rush to violence." (American Bible Society, 1995).
Poverty and justice - yes! The Bible speaks about these issues. Has our society forgotten what the Bible says? It's no coincidence that in the Scriptures poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times!
Additionally, Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, says one of the first activities was finding every verse of scripture about the poor, wealth and poverty, and social justice. More than 2,000 texts were found and cut out of an old Bible which left a Bible full of holes. Poor and poverty appear 446 times in 384 separate verses; wealth can be found 1,453 times in 1,273 verses; justice, in contrast, appears 1,576 times in the Old and New Testament in 1,379 separate verses. (Sojourners magazine / Hole-y Bible Gets a Digital Makeover by Jack Palmer, communications assistant at Sojourners).
By the numbers alone, it's obvious that justice is a pretty big deal to God. Justice is mentioned twice as many times as "love" or "heaven" -- and seven times more often than "hell." The focus of our nurturing should include poverty concerns and justice issues as well as the spiritual dimensions of our Christian nature. Imagine, taking
what is obviously important to God and making it a priority in the practice of our faith.
Participating and being involved with what is important to God is the best way to practice our faith. The Bible is clear that we are to love the Lord with all our heart,
mind, soul and strength and we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Simply put, in the language of the golden rule, treat others like you want to be treated. (Mathew 7:12)
Consider what it means that the Lord engages your involvement in
what the Lord is going to do to change your life and world.
| |
Thursday, September 7, 2023 | |
|
III. God said, I will be with you, and the [experience of the burning bush] will be a sign for you that I have sent you. [Thus,] when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain [in commemoration of the encounter with God here in the burning bush].
No one is a witness to this sign but the solitary Moses, yet its meaning will be in his heart in the days to come when he stands before Pharaoh. He has been commissioned to lead his people out of bondage by none other than the terrible God-of-the-bush, the faithful God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I AM WHO I AM. When faced with such a commission from such a Being, not even the trembling Moses could say no. Like many faithful people since (cf. Jeremiah 20:9), Moses' instincts for comfort and safety are brushed aside by the terrible presence of the living God, a God whose call to service he could not bring himself to ignore.
Consider what it means that the Lord is with you as you
participate in what God is doing in your life and world.
| |
Friday, September 8, 2023 | |
|
Conclusion
Scott Langston, in an e-newsletter for public school teachers by Society of Biblical Literature, makes the following observation about the Exodus.
While the Exodus story has been used by Americans in a variety of causes, three in particular - the American Revolution (1776-1783), the Civil War (1861-1865) and the modern Civil Rights Movement (1940's-1970's)-cites how people of faith interacted with the Exodus story (declaring independence from Great Britain, used by whites and blacks, North and South with slavery and state's rights exploding in the Civil War, and finally the Civil Rights Movement as evidence by the speeches of the modern Civil Rights Movement (1940’s - 1970’s). (http:www.sblsite.org/educational/teachingbible.aspx)
The practice of faith should be consistent with what evidently is important to God.
Our lives are reflections of the graciousness, generosity, and grace of God. The God depicted in the Bible is like no other God, for this God enters into a relationship, maintains and sustains it, and is engaged in the fabric of the lives of humanity.
A God who identifies with the oppressed. A God unlike any other.
Consider what it means to see in the Exodus the story of our
wilderness sojourn from barrenness to fruitfulness, from captivity
to liberation, from bondage to freedom.
| |
Saturday, September 9, 2023 | |
|
A God Like No Other.
- God notices the affliction of people.
- God engages us to participate in being delivered from affliction.
- God promises to be with us through the challenge of deliverance.
- What Moses discovers is that God is concerned, cares and comes to do something.
What a special, sacred moment!
Jesus said that "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus came as the expressed image of the God who is concerned, who cares,
and who is committed to be with us in all of life's changing scenes. Jesus came and gave His life.
I have decided to follow Jesus; / I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus; / No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; / My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; / No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? / Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.
Consider what it means to follow Jesus in fulfilling the purpose
of your life as a follower of him as your Lord and Savior.
| | | | |
