Daily Scripture: Exodus 2:(iii) 11 One day, when Moshe was a grown man, he went out to visit his kinsmen; and he watched them struggling at forced labor. He saw an Egyptian strike a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. 12 He looked this way and that; and when he saw that no one was around, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. 13 The next day, he went out and saw two Hebrew men fighting with each other. To the one in the wrong he said, “Why are you hitting your companion?” 14 He retorted, “Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian?” Moshe became frightened. “Clearly,” he thought, “the matter has become known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he tried to have Moshe put to death. But Moshe fled from Pharaoh to live in the land of Midyan.
One day, as he was sitting by a well,
3:1 (iv) Now Moshe was tending the sheep of Yitro his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan. Leading the flock to the far side of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, to Horev. 2 The angel of Adonai appeared to him in a fire blazing from the middle of a bush. He looked and saw that although the bush was flaming with fire, yet the bush was not being burned up. 3 Moshe said, “I’m going to go over and see this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t being burned up.” 4 When Adonai saw that he had gone over to see, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moshe! Moshe!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 He said, “Don’t come any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.” Moshe covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Adonai said, “I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that country to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the place of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi. 9 Yes, the cry of the people of Isra’el has come to me, and I have seen how terribly the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Therefore, now, come; and I will send you to Pharaoh; so that you can lead my people, the descendants of Isra’el, out of Egypt.”
11 Moshe said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the people of Isra’el out of Egypt?” 12 He replied, “I will surely be with you. Your sign that I have sent you will be that when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Reflection Questions:
You don’t need great earthly success to move to significance. Moses faced two major mid-life crises. The first he created by murdering an Egyptian guard. He had to flee from Egyptian justice into the land of Midian. There, as a fugitive staying “under the radar,” he married, started a family and tended his father-in-law’s flocks. He had a secure (if not very exciting) life. Then that bush started burning…and God gave him the epic task of leading Israel to liberty.
- In the film, Evelyn says, “The difference between what we want and what we fear is the width of an eyelash.” In chapter 3:3-4, Moses could have shrugged off the burning bush—“just another desert mirage.” He showed his openness and alertness by going over to look at the bush. Only THEN did God speak to him. How can you nurture openness to God’s call, so that you do not overlook or ignore the “burning bushes” in your life?
- What was the key difference between Moses’ first effort to free Israel from tyranny, and his second? In Zechariah 4:6, God told the prophet, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” What problems are you trying to deal with through might and power? Could God be trying to suggest a different approach? Are you listening?
Today’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you set world-changing events in motion by calling an aging fugitive shepherd to challenge his world’s reigning superpower. Give me the courage and attentiveness to make the world better in whatever ways, large or small, you call me to. Amen.
Insights from Melanie Hill
Lord Jesus, you set world-changing events in motion by calling an aging fugitive shepherd to challenge his world’s reigning superpower. Give me the courage and attentiveness to make the world better in whatever ways, large or small, you call me to. Amen.
Insights from Melanie Hill
Melanie Hill is the Guest Connections Program Director at Resurrection.
Today’s GPS passage looks at the life of Moses, and specifically the difference between two major life experiences. In the first we see Moses striving for success on his own strength, and in the end running from murder charges into the wilderness. In the second we see him answer the call from a burning bush to, with God’s help, lead the Israelites out of slavery.
As I think about each of these experiences in Moses’ life I can’t help but think of the times I have reached for success, resting only on my own strength. Success is a seductive concept in American culture. We praise the winner, often above all else. We hold our sports heroes to ridiculous expectations, often willing to overlook major moral failings as long as they are winning. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think success is a bad thing. In the end, I think it’s neutral–sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Where we go astray, like Moses, is in our motives. I think we have to constantly ask ourselves a question like:
Who is getting the glory in our success? And is it really OUR success?
Why is it so important for me to be successful in this instance? How does it further God’s kingdom?
Ultimately is God more concerned with me being successful or with more people knowing Jesus?
The second instance in Moses’ life is a much better story. It’s a story of openness and the acceptance of an invitation to something much bigger. Ultimately, it’s a story of success–but not Moses’ success. It’s God’s. It’s not Moses’ name the Israelites are praising on their way out of Egypt, it’s God’s. And that’s how it should be.
Our successes should point others to Jesus. One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, puts it this way:
All earthly success will be buried with us in our graves, and nobody will be reunited with God because they knew us.
But if they know Jesus, well, that’s another story.
And it’s a better one.
We can be heroic in our subplots, but the hero of the story is the only one who can rescue a fallen world.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
____________________________
Today’s GPS passage looks at the life of Moses, and specifically the difference between two major life experiences. In the first we see Moses striving for success on his own strength, and in the end running from murder charges into the wilderness. In the second we see him answer the call from a burning bush to, with God’s help, lead the Israelites out of slavery.
As I think about each of these experiences in Moses’ life I can’t help but think of the times I have reached for success, resting only on my own strength. Success is a seductive concept in American culture. We praise the winner, often above all else. We hold our sports heroes to ridiculous expectations, often willing to overlook major moral failings as long as they are winning. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think success is a bad thing. In the end, I think it’s neutral–sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Where we go astray, like Moses, is in our motives. I think we have to constantly ask ourselves a question like:
Who is getting the glory in our success? And is it really OUR success?
Why is it so important for me to be successful in this instance? How does it further God’s kingdom?
Ultimately is God more concerned with me being successful or with more people knowing Jesus?
The second instance in Moses’ life is a much better story. It’s a story of openness and the acceptance of an invitation to something much bigger. Ultimately, it’s a story of success–but not Moses’ success. It’s God’s. It’s not Moses’ name the Israelites are praising on their way out of Egypt, it’s God’s. And that’s how it should be.
Our successes should point others to Jesus. One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, puts it this way:
All earthly success will be buried with us in our graves, and nobody will be reunited with God because they knew us.
But if they know Jesus, well, that’s another story.
And it’s a better one.
We can be heroic in our subplots, but the hero of the story is the only one who can rescue a fallen world.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
____________________________
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