The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Prayer Tip: A Burning Bush, a Reluctant Prophet" for Sunday, 21 2016
Daily Scripture: Exodus 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.”
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Prayer Tip:
My husband brought a song to my attention. It is titled “Difference Maker” by the Christian band NEEDTOBREATHE.Here’s a link if you want to give it a listen.
The title and the tune may sound catchy, but the lyrics make the song a sort of lament. The song says God gives us free will, so we can “find a fortune, let him ruin it with his own two hands…” The song’s irony is that having made a mess of life and talents, the singer then sings this ignorant and boastful tune: “Oh, I am a difference maker. Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him. Oh, I am the friendliest of friends of God.”
As we look at Moses’ calling this week, the song made me think about the idea of “calling” in our lives. I find myself asking: How often have we convinced ourselves that God was leading us when idolatry, perfectionism, pride or ambition were really in the driver’s seat? How can we see when we go astray? We want to make a difference in the world, but true change isn’t something we can just will. Instead, it seems to depend on a trust and willingness to follow God’s unpredictable promptings in our lives.
At a recent meeting with my congregational care ministry team, a friend told of a time recently when he had a simple sense he should call another person he knew was in need. As we told the story, we were all nodding our heads. He had clearly listened to God’s voice prompting him to show love. These God moments can seem so extraordinary—yet most of them, like this one, happen in ordinary parts of life. After he shared his story, my friend concluded with words to this effect: “I wonder if we will laugh when we are united with Christ and figure out that faithfulness rests on something as simple as being ourselves and trusting the Holy Spirit in our guts.”
We have an uncanny ability to make a mess of life while trying to figure out how to be the best at something—even being a Christian. This week, in prayer, I challenge you to confess any ways you have been looking to make meaning apart from God’s purpose for you. Ask for a renewed sense of the Spirit to rain down on your “gut,” and for a willingness to simply listen.[Rev. Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer]
“Difference Maker” by the Christian band NEEDTOBREATHE
Lyrics:
1. Yeah, isn't it amazing how a man can find himself alone
Calling through the darkness for an answer that is never known
Yeah, isn't it amazing how God can take a broken man
And let him find a fortune and then ruin it with his own two hands
And he climbs on up the hill, on the rock on which he stands
He looks back at the crowd, he looks down at his hands and he says
Chorus: I am the Difference Maker
Oh, I am the only one who speaks to Him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God
2. I am on the fence about nearly everything I've seen
And I have felt the fire get put out by too much gasoline
And we're all strangers passing through places one afternoon
Life is but a vision in a window that we're peeking through
Helpless conversation with a man who says he cares a lot
A passive confrontation about who might throw a punch or not
And we are all transgressors, we're all sinners, we're all astronauts
So if you're beating death then raise your hand, but shut up if you're not
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Sunday, August 21, 2016 – Journey in the Footsteps of Moses
“A Burning Bush, a Reluctant Prophet”
Scripture: Exodus 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.”
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“A flame of fire in the middle of a bush”
Monday, 22 August 2016
Exodus 2:23 Sometime during those many years the king of Egypt died, but the people of Isra’el still groaned under the yoke of slavery, and they cried out, and their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov. 25 God saw the people of Isra’el, and God acknowledged them.
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.
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When he became an adult, Moses showed his compassion for his fellow Hebrews (albeit in an unwise, impulsive way) by killing an Egyptian slave master. He fled to Midian, and found a home when his compassion for the weak led him to defend Reuel’s daughters from bullies at a well (Exodus 2:11-22). He stayed “a long time,” with a steady, safe (if fairly boring) job tending his father-in-law’s sheep. One fateful day God called to Moses in a burning bush that didn’t burn up.
Prayer: Lord God, sometimes when I’m in a hurry, you do not seem to be. Teach me to trust in your eternal love, even when it is hard for me to understand your eternal patience. Amen.
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“I’m sending you to Pharaoh—I will be with you”
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
Exodus 3:7 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.”
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At first Moses just seemed curious. “How can that bush be in flames, yet not burn up?” Then he took off his sandals and hid his face from God’s glorious presence. But God’s call— “I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people…out of Egypt” truly shocked Moses. His first reply was, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” Moses had grown up in Pharaoh’s court—he knew the king’s arrogance and claims to being a god. But God promised Moses, “I will be with you.”
Prayer: Lord God, there was only one Moses. But there are many missions, large and small,
needed to help your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Show me my mission(s), and guide and strengthen me for them. Amen.
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“I Am Who I Am”—the one LORD’S name
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Exodus 3:13 Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation. (v) 16 Go, gather the leaders of Isra’el together, and say to them, ‘Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, has appeared to me and said, “I have been paying close attention to you and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said that I will lead you up out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 They will heed what you say. Then you will come, you and the leaders of Isra’el, before the king of Egypt; and you will tell him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert; so that we can sacrifice to Adonai our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so. 20 But I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that, he will let you go.
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Like most ancient peoples, the Egyptians believed in many “gods,” including the Pharaoh. Moses initial question—“What’s this God’s name?”—had a “Which one of the many are you?” ring to it. But God’s reply (“I Am Who I Am”—Hebrew YHWH) identified the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the source and ground of all life, as the only God, the sole reason that (as philosophers might say) there is “something instead of nothing.”
Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in some ways those names seem so long ago, and
almost too big to fit a regular person. But they were regular people, too—the “bigness” and enduring quality was in you. Thank you for including me in your eternal purpose. Amen.
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Moses’ excuses, the LORD’S power
Thursday, 25 August 2016
Exodus 4:1 Moshe replied, “But I’m certain they won’t believe me, and they won’t listen to what I say, because they’ll say, ‘Adonai did not appear to you.’” 2 Adonai answered him, “What is that in your hand?” and he said, “A staff.” 3 He said, “Throw it on the ground!” and he threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moshe recoiled from it. 4 Then Adonai said to Moshe, “Put your hand out and take it by the tail.” He reached out with his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 “This is so that they will believe that Adonai, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has appeared to you!”
6 Furthermore Adonai said to him, “Now put your hand inside your coat.” He put his hand in his coat; and when he took it out his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 Then God said, “Now put your hand back in your coat.” He put his hand back in his coat; and when he took it out, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. 8 “If they won’t believe you or heed the evidence of the first sign, they will be convinced by the second. 9 But if they aren’t persuaded even by both these signs and still won’t listen to what you say, then take some water from the river, and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land.”
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Even having God reveal a unique divine name didn’t completely “sell” Moses on God’s call. Next, he raised the issue that the Israelite people weren’t there with him at the burning bush. They’d have to take his word for what had happened, and Moses feared, “They might say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’” No problem—God gave him signs to show cynics the divine power at work.
Prayer: Dear God, I sometimes wish for some amazing sign of power, yet I shrug off a beautiful sunset or a stirringly joyful bird’s song as just business as usual. Open my heart to the signs of your power and love all around me. Amen.
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More excuses, same divine calling
Friday, 26 August 2016
Exodus 4:10 Moshe said to Adonai, “Oh, Adonai, I’m a terrible speaker. I always have been, and I’m no better now, even after you’ve spoken to your servant! My words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly.” 11 Adonai answered him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes a person dumb or deaf, keen-sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, Adonai? 12 Now, therefore, go; and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what to say.”
13 But he replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else — anyone you want!” 14 At this, Adonai’s anger blazed up against Moshe; he said, “Don’t you have a brother, Aharon the Levi? I know that he’s a good speaker. In fact, here he is now, coming out to meet you; and he’ll be happy to see you. 15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and his, teaching you both what to do. 16 Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God. 17 Now take this staff in your hand, because you need it to perform the signs.”
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Moses remembered well Pharaoh’s power and arrogance, and kept making excuses. In verse 13, he expressed a sort of “last resort” desperation: “Please, my LORD, just send someone else.” But God didn’t stop calling. When God said Moses’ brother Aaron was already on his way to meet Moses and help him, the chain of excuses finally came to an end.
Prayer: O God, Moses was a great man, yet throughout his story he had other people who helped and supported him. Help me to find the people I need to help me make of my life and service to you all that it can be. Amen.
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Moses went back to the land of Egypt
Saturday, 27 August 2016
Exodus 4:(vi) 18 Moshe left, returned to Yitro his father-in-law and said to him, “I beg you to let me go and return to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see if they are still alive.” Yitro said to Moshe, “Go in peace.” 19 Adonai said to Moshe in Midyan, “Go on back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moshe took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. Moshe took God’s staff in his hand. 21 Adonai said to Moshe, “When you get back to Egypt, make sure that you do before Pharaoh every one of the wonders I have enabled you to do. Nevertheless, I am going to make him hardhearted, and he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you are to tell Pharaoh: ‘Adonai says, “Isra’el is my firstborn son. 23 I have told you to let my son go in order to worship me, but you have refused to let him go. Well, then, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”
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It’s interesting that Moses did not tell his father-in-law, “I’m taking your grandchildren and daughter to Egypt to challenge Pharaoh’s power.” Remember the videos in last week’s sermon of Egypt’s pyramids and huge temples? (If you missed them, click here for the pyramids, and here for the temples.) In this extraordinary story, an 80-year-old shepherd set out with just his family, one donkey and a shepherd’s rod to oppose and overcome that great empire. But the shepherd’s rod was “from God.” God went with him—and that single fact radically shifted the odds that seemed so stacked against Moses’ mission.
Prayer: O God, I try to imagine how exposed Moses must have felt taking his family (and almost nothing else) with him to Egypt. But somehow he was eternally safe, because you were with him. Heighten my awareness that you are with me, too, today and every day. Amen.
Family Activity: Gather your family in a comfortable setting outside of your home such as the mall or a restaurant. Invite your family to be loud and talkative while trying to listen to the sounds around them. Then invite them to be quiet and still while listening to the sounds around. Talk
about and listen to what each person heard each time. Discuss under what circumstances it was easier to listen to the surrounding sounds. Connect this with how we listen to God. How do we best hear God? Is it when we are rushing around, full of activity and constantly talking? Or is it when we pause to be still, read our Bibles, pray and worship? As a family, build some time into your schedules to listening more intentionally to God and one another. Ask God to help you be
better listeners.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Praise for: The 70th wedding anniversary of Jim and Elsie Pickett, 8/19
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
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Download a printable version of this week's GPS.
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Prayer Tip:
My husband brought a song to my attention. It is titled “Difference Maker” by the Christian band NEEDTOBREATHE.Here’s a link if you want to give it a listen.
The title and the tune may sound catchy, but the lyrics make the song a sort of lament. The song says God gives us free will, so we can “find a fortune, let him ruin it with his own two hands…” The song’s irony is that having made a mess of life and talents, the singer then sings this ignorant and boastful tune: “Oh, I am a difference maker. Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him. Oh, I am the friendliest of friends of God.”
As we look at Moses’ calling this week, the song made me think about the idea of “calling” in our lives. I find myself asking: How often have we convinced ourselves that God was leading us when idolatry, perfectionism, pride or ambition were really in the driver’s seat? How can we see when we go astray? We want to make a difference in the world, but true change isn’t something we can just will. Instead, it seems to depend on a trust and willingness to follow God’s unpredictable promptings in our lives.
At a recent meeting with my congregational care ministry team, a friend told of a time recently when he had a simple sense he should call another person he knew was in need. As we told the story, we were all nodding our heads. He had clearly listened to God’s voice prompting him to show love. These God moments can seem so extraordinary—yet most of them, like this one, happen in ordinary parts of life. After he shared his story, my friend concluded with words to this effect: “I wonder if we will laugh when we are united with Christ and figure out that faithfulness rests on something as simple as being ourselves and trusting the Holy Spirit in our guts.”
We have an uncanny ability to make a mess of life while trying to figure out how to be the best at something—even being a Christian. This week, in prayer, I challenge you to confess any ways you have been looking to make meaning apart from God’s purpose for you. Ask for a renewed sense of the Spirit to rain down on your “gut,” and for a willingness to simply listen.[Rev. Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer]
“Difference Maker” by the Christian band NEEDTOBREATHE
Lyrics:
1. Yeah, isn't it amazing how a man can find himself alone
Calling through the darkness for an answer that is never known
Yeah, isn't it amazing how God can take a broken man
And let him find a fortune and then ruin it with his own two hands
And he climbs on up the hill, on the rock on which he stands
He looks back at the crowd, he looks down at his hands and he says
Chorus: I am the Difference Maker
Oh, I am the only one who speaks to Him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God
2. I am on the fence about nearly everything I've seen
And I have felt the fire get put out by too much gasoline
And we're all strangers passing through places one afternoon
Life is but a vision in a window that we're peeking through
Helpless conversation with a man who says he cares a lot
A passive confrontation about who might throw a punch or not
And we are all transgressors, we're all sinners, we're all astronauts
So if you're beating death then raise your hand, but shut up if you're not
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Sunday, August 21, 2016 – Journey in the Footsteps of Moses
“A Burning Bush, a Reluctant Prophet”
Scripture: Exodus 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.”
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“A flame of fire in the middle of a bush”
Monday, 22 August 2016
Exodus 2:23 Sometime during those many years the king of Egypt died, but the people of Isra’el still groaned under the yoke of slavery, and they cried out, and their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov. 25 God saw the people of Isra’el, and God acknowledged them.
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.
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When he became an adult, Moses showed his compassion for his fellow Hebrews (albeit in an unwise, impulsive way) by killing an Egyptian slave master. He fled to Midian, and found a home when his compassion for the weak led him to defend Reuel’s daughters from bullies at a well (Exodus 2:11-22). He stayed “a long time,” with a steady, safe (if fairly boring) job tending his father-in-law’s sheep. One fateful day God called to Moses in a burning bush that didn’t burn up.
- “God looked at the Israelites, and God understood” (Exodus 2:25). Yet God felt Israel’s suffering as soon as Pharaoh began afflicting them. God didn’t just wake up after 80 or 100 years of cruelty and think, “Hey—why’s he hurting my people?” Much later, Peter wrote about the mystery of God’s timing: “With the Lord a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise” (2 Peter 3:8-9). Can you trust that God is aware of whatever worries you’re facing? How can you learn to trust God even when help seems to take a long time to arrive?
- “Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.” What are some important ways in today’s world that you can show reverence and respect for the God of the universe as you come into God’s presence in worship, in prayer or in other ways? Do you think showing reverence and respect dulls the edge of the message of God’s love for you, or do the two realities fit together well?
Prayer: Lord God, sometimes when I’m in a hurry, you do not seem to be. Teach me to trust in your eternal love, even when it is hard for me to understand your eternal patience. Amen.
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“I’m sending you to Pharaoh—I will be with you”
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
Exodus 3:7 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.”
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At first Moses just seemed curious. “How can that bush be in flames, yet not burn up?” Then he took off his sandals and hid his face from God’s glorious presence. But God’s call— “I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people…out of Egypt” truly shocked Moses. His first reply was, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh?” Moses had grown up in Pharaoh’s court—he knew the king’s arrogance and claims to being a god. But God promised Moses, “I will be with you.”
- Moses didn’t feel strong enough, or important enough, to carry out God’s astonishing call. Go as one man, with no army at all, and demand that Pharaoh let most of his slave labor force go just because God told him to? How did God respond in verse 12? What limits do you see on your ability to live for God? How (if at all) does it change your view of those limits if you believe God will be with you?
- Moses, raised in a palace, had spent years following a flock of sheep or goats around in the desert. Do you suppose he ever thought, during those long years, “I guess this is all God has for me”? In what ways was his realization that, on his own, he wasn’t anywhere near strong or important enough to carry out the divine commission a key part of what made him an instrument God could use?
Prayer: Lord God, there was only one Moses. But there are many missions, large and small,
needed to help your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Show me my mission(s), and guide and strengthen me for them. Amen.
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“I Am Who I Am”—the one LORD’S name
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Exodus 3:13 Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation. (v) 16 Go, gather the leaders of Isra’el together, and say to them, ‘Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, has appeared to me and said, “I have been paying close attention to you and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said that I will lead you up out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 They will heed what you say. Then you will come, you and the leaders of Isra’el, before the king of Egypt; and you will tell him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert; so that we can sacrifice to Adonai our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so. 20 But I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that, he will let you go.
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Like most ancient peoples, the Egyptians believed in many “gods,” including the Pharaoh. Moses initial question—“What’s this God’s name?”—had a “Which one of the many are you?” ring to it. But God’s reply (“I Am Who I Am”—Hebrew YHWH) identified the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the source and ground of all life, as the only God, the sole reason that (as philosophers might say) there is “something instead of nothing.”
- Most modern English translations (e.g. the Common English Bible, New International Version and New Revised Standard Version) print the Hebrew YHWH as LORD, using the capital letters to signal the divine name’s uniqueness. The other common term, Elohim, was more generic,and is usually translated “God.” Learn how your preferred English Bible handles this—it will deepen and enrich your understanding of many Old Testament stories.
- For people who’d been slaves for many years, it was important to remember their heritage— “the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.” It’s your heritage, too. The apostle Paul wrote that “if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants” (Galatians 3:29). Re-read this dramatic passage, focusing on what it tells you about the LORD you serve, the LORD who redeemed and guides you.
Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in some ways those names seem so long ago, and
almost too big to fit a regular person. But they were regular people, too—the “bigness” and enduring quality was in you. Thank you for including me in your eternal purpose. Amen.
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Moses’ excuses, the LORD’S power
Thursday, 25 August 2016
Exodus 4:1 Moshe replied, “But I’m certain they won’t believe me, and they won’t listen to what I say, because they’ll say, ‘Adonai did not appear to you.’” 2 Adonai answered him, “What is that in your hand?” and he said, “A staff.” 3 He said, “Throw it on the ground!” and he threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moshe recoiled from it. 4 Then Adonai said to Moshe, “Put your hand out and take it by the tail.” He reached out with his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 “This is so that they will believe that Adonai, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has appeared to you!”
6 Furthermore Adonai said to him, “Now put your hand inside your coat.” He put his hand in his coat; and when he took it out his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 Then God said, “Now put your hand back in your coat.” He put his hand back in his coat; and when he took it out, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. 8 “If they won’t believe you or heed the evidence of the first sign, they will be convinced by the second. 9 But if they aren’t persuaded even by both these signs and still won’t listen to what you say, then take some water from the river, and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land.”
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Even having God reveal a unique divine name didn’t completely “sell” Moses on God’s call. Next, he raised the issue that the Israelite people weren’t there with him at the burning bush. They’d have to take his word for what had happened, and Moses feared, “They might say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’” No problem—God gave him signs to show cynics the divine power at work.
- As Moses struggled with God’s call, God didn’t give Moses 10,000 soldiers, or even a spearproof chariot. Instead, God asked, “What’s that in your hand?” He used what Moses already had. (On Saturday, we’ll read that when Moses left for Egypt, he took that staff with him.) What’s in your hand? What abilities, experiences or connections do you have that God can use, if you make them available?
- Notice that God didn’t start with visible, hard-to-explain signs. Sometimes we think, “If God would just dazzle me with some sign of power, then I could believe.” But Scripture often told stories that show people who saw signs, yet still refused to believe (including Pharaoh, as we’ll see—and notably in Jesus’ life). What, now or earlier in your life, caused you to hold back from believing? How did you make the inner shift to becoming willing to believe?
Prayer: Dear God, I sometimes wish for some amazing sign of power, yet I shrug off a beautiful sunset or a stirringly joyful bird’s song as just business as usual. Open my heart to the signs of your power and love all around me. Amen.
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More excuses, same divine calling
Friday, 26 August 2016
Exodus 4:10 Moshe said to Adonai, “Oh, Adonai, I’m a terrible speaker. I always have been, and I’m no better now, even after you’ve spoken to your servant! My words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly.” 11 Adonai answered him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes a person dumb or deaf, keen-sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, Adonai? 12 Now, therefore, go; and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what to say.”
13 But he replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else — anyone you want!” 14 At this, Adonai’s anger blazed up against Moshe; he said, “Don’t you have a brother, Aharon the Levi? I know that he’s a good speaker. In fact, here he is now, coming out to meet you; and he’ll be happy to see you. 15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and his, teaching you both what to do. 16 Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God. 17 Now take this staff in your hand, because you need it to perform the signs.”
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Moses remembered well Pharaoh’s power and arrogance, and kept making excuses. In verse 13, he expressed a sort of “last resort” desperation: “Please, my LORD, just send someone else.” But God didn’t stop calling. When God said Moses’ brother Aaron was already on his way to meet Moses and help him, the chain of excuses finally came to an end.
- Review in this week’s readings (Exodus 3:11 – 4:13) all of the reasons Moses offered for not doing what God was calling him to do. With how many, if any, of them do you resonate? The thing Moses didn’t do was walk away from the conversation. Are you willing to keep listening, and pushing back if you must, until God is able to use you in your home, workplace, neighborhood or somewhere else that you sense God calling you to?
- Most strengths come with some kind of trade-off, some area in which we are not as strong. Those who study and write about strengths note that seldom does anyone have all the abilities needed for important tasks. In what parts of life could you benefit from having an “Aaron”—one or more people whose gifts lie in areas where you are not as strong? How can you work with God to find those people?
Prayer: O God, Moses was a great man, yet throughout his story he had other people who helped and supported him. Help me to find the people I need to help me make of my life and service to you all that it can be. Amen.
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Moses went back to the land of Egypt
Saturday, 27 August 2016
Exodus 4:(vi) 18 Moshe left, returned to Yitro his father-in-law and said to him, “I beg you to let me go and return to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see if they are still alive.” Yitro said to Moshe, “Go in peace.” 19 Adonai said to Moshe in Midyan, “Go on back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moshe took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. Moshe took God’s staff in his hand. 21 Adonai said to Moshe, “When you get back to Egypt, make sure that you do before Pharaoh every one of the wonders I have enabled you to do. Nevertheless, I am going to make him hardhearted, and he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you are to tell Pharaoh: ‘Adonai says, “Isra’el is my firstborn son. 23 I have told you to let my son go in order to worship me, but you have refused to let him go. Well, then, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”
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It’s interesting that Moses did not tell his father-in-law, “I’m taking your grandchildren and daughter to Egypt to challenge Pharaoh’s power.” Remember the videos in last week’s sermon of Egypt’s pyramids and huge temples? (If you missed them, click here for the pyramids, and here for the temples.) In this extraordinary story, an 80-year-old shepherd set out with just his family, one donkey and a shepherd’s rod to oppose and overcome that great empire. But the shepherd’s rod was “from God.” God went with him—and that single fact radically shifted the odds that seemed so stacked against Moses’ mission.
- In Exodus 3:19, God told Moses, “I know that Egypt’s king won’t let you go unless he’s forced to do it.” In today’s reading, we find a phrase that troubles many people, when God says, “I’ll make him stubborn.” We’ll examine this more closely next week. But realize that Pharaoh was NOT willing to release the Israelites before Moses ever appeared before him. What God did through Moses made Pharaoh’s stubbornness dramatically visible, but God did not have to make the Egyptian ruler stubborn. Pharaoh had already made those choices. How about you? If you stubbornly resist something you believe God is calling you to do, is your stubbornness your responsibility, or God’s? How can you open your heart to become more willing to follow God’s leading?
Prayer: O God, I try to imagine how exposed Moses must have felt taking his family (and almost nothing else) with him to Egypt. But somehow he was eternally safe, because you were with him. Heighten my awareness that you are with me, too, today and every day. Amen.
Family Activity: Gather your family in a comfortable setting outside of your home such as the mall or a restaurant. Invite your family to be loud and talkative while trying to listen to the sounds around them. Then invite them to be quiet and still while listening to the sounds around. Talk
about and listen to what each person heard each time. Discuss under what circumstances it was easier to listen to the surrounding sounds. Connect this with how we listen to God. How do we best hear God? Is it when we are rushing around, full of activity and constantly talking? Or is it when we pause to be still, read our Bibles, pray and worship? As a family, build some time into your schedules to listening more intentionally to God and one another. Ask God to help you be
better listeners.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Praise for: The 70th wedding anniversary of Jim and Elsie Pickett, 8/19
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
- Allison and family on the death of her husband Bob Allison, 8/14
- Diana Vetter and family on the death of her mother Lila Brelsford, 8/14
- Terry Gwin and Candice Gwin on the death of their brother Steven A. Smithers, 8/12
- Josh Malcolm and family on the death of his wife Jennifer Malcolm, 8/11
- Phil and Barbara Johnson and family on the death of their daughter Jennifer Malcolm, 8/11
- Reve’ Butler and family on the death of her sister Julia Gnuse, 8/11
- Gaye Hosier and family on the death of her brother Clinton Hower, 8/11
- Nancy Lines and family on the death of her mother Luetta “Lou” Lines, 8/10
- Sherrelyn Smith and family on the death of her brother David Smith, 8/10
- Beverly Vansandt and family on the death of her father Bobby Stem, 8/9
- Ted Wolfe and family on the death of his mother Margurite Bauer Wolfe, 8/9
- Bill Lane and family on the death of his mother Dorothy Jane Lane, 8/6
- Karen Thompson and family on the death of her brother Vernon Brewer, 8/4
- Anne Schultz and family on the death of her sister Dolores Kampka, 8/2
- Judy Sylte and family on the death of her cousin Charles “Russ” Gardner, 8/1
Join us for worship today - click here for information on worship times and locations. If you are not in the Kansas City area, you can take part in our worship via live Web stream at rezonline.org.
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