But I Don' Want Pasta.....

For whatever reason, Sunday just seemed rushed and disjointed. I am sorry about that. I think there was just a lot going on that morning and we were kind of rushed in our analysis of the passage. So, I want to offer a few more thoughts here and then we will move on next Sunday.

First, a few reminders to set this up a bit. We talked about Moses' response to the burning bush. He received a mission there, and there were three specific parts to the mission as God described it. Moses was to go to the elders of the nation of Israel and tell them that God saw their suffering and was about to act to bring them out of slavery. Second, Moses was to go to the King of Egypt and tell him to let the Jews go to the desert and and worship. Third, God gave instructions about how the families would take silver and gold with them and thus plunder the Egyptians.

As God was spelling all of this out, Moses offered several responses. I think that as we look at his responses, we see that his resistance to God's prompting, like onions and ogres, had layers. But there is a thread that runs all through his response as well. Let's check it out...

Before I start with this a want to say that I am offering this as just a pure analysis. It will sound at times a little harsh and perhaps a little negative. I want to be sure to say that, in the same circumstances, I would have reacted way worse than Moses. If the things I write here sound critical, it is because I am just looking at what was going on and not really including the whole idea that says, "Well, what would you have done if it was you?"

Moses had five layers of reaction to the burning bush incident. The first two came as questions that he asked God.

1. Who am I?

The real question here is "Why me?" Moses concept of his ability to perform the tasks was based on his own evaluation of his own ability- not what God might do with him. I understand, but the truth is that Moses was inwardly directed. He was focused on self.

2. Who are you?

I would have asked too. But I have to wonder why Moses asked. If he was beginning to picture this whole thing- going to the elders of Israel, going to Pharaoh, going to the Jews, saying all these things- he may have wanted an answer when everyone starts asking, "Where is this coming from?" I can't be sure, but I am guessing that at least part of Moses' reason for asking this question was because he was sure he was going to look pretty foolish in front of a lot of people and wanted to be able to "pass the buck". He wanted a name for who was behind this. He was pretty sure that no one would believe him, and he didn't want to look bad. At least to an extent, he was focused on self.

3. "What if they don't listen?" (4:1)

This is really the same question. This is really, "I don't think this is going to work." or "I don't trust what you already told me." Or even, "I don't believe you." And wow, was God patient with Moses. God gave him the signs of the stall and the leprous hand and the water turning to blood, (very plague like, don't you think?) Moses is still not buying it.

4. "I am not eloquent..." (4:10)

Again with the self. Still inwardly focused. Still not getting that this is about God's ability and power and not his own.

5. "Please send someone else..." (4:13)

This is really nothing but, "I don't want to." God has nullified every excuse and it boils down to this- "I don't want to." Years later Jesus would talk about how any true disciple must take up the cross of Christ and deny self. That is the very point at which Moses was standing when he was standing by the burning bush. The challenge was before him and he had to decide what to do with it.

The initial reactions of Moses are not what we would call exemplary. He was focused on himself and was resistant to what God was suggesting. But now, in 2010, when we look back on Moses, we hold him in extremely high esteem. And, I believe, so does God.

So I guess the old adage is true, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. The thing that I love about reading this kind of story is that it gives me hope. Let's see, focused on self... yea, that's me. Resistant to God's plan, um... me again. Has trouble believing that God can really do all those wonderful things we ME? Guilty. I am not so different from Moses. Moses is not so different from me.

So I think that we can take heart. We are humans full of weakness and failure. But when we manage to take God at His word and let Him do His thing, oh my. Who knows what might happen?

Just Keep Swimming...

Jon

Burning Pasta...

The lasting image in my mind from our session last Sunday is the image of the burning bush. We talked about some other things, but that image of the burning bush remains for me. There is just so much that happened there and so much that it means to us!

I could not help but come away from that passage thinking that all of us have a burning bush of some sort. Ours is not a shrubbery, (all you Monte Python fans out there, I know what you just said in your mind...), on fire in the middle of the desert. But think about it. Moses was first drawn to the bush out of curiosity. He did not even expect an encounter with God. But once he drew close to the bush, he found that he was in a place far different that what he thought. He was in a place that was set apart- holy. And it was holy because God was there. You have to wonder how many times in his years in the desert Moses may have walked past that very same bush. But this day was different. It was different because God was there.

How did you come to know God? What drew you? What made you stay? How did your life and direction change after that process? I think that for us the "burning bush" might be a series of things- people, events, encounters- that all add up to a life changing, course altering influence. And sometimes it is good for us to look back and identify those people and events and things that make our own personal burning bush.

The other enduring thought I have from Sunday is the whole matter of the questions Moses asked at the bush- "Who am I to do this?" and "Who are You? What is Your name?"

Who am I? Who are You. God's response to the questions says so much about living with Him.

We talked about how God did not really answer the "Who am I" question. Moses question was really an expression of doubt- in himself and perhaps in God. But I think that we would agree that it does not really matter how we assess ourselves or how anyone else assesses us- if God is with us, our own human frailties diminish into insignificance. Its loaves and fish. We are not enough to do anything on our own, but when God does the math and multiplies our skills times His spirit, well, there is some new math going on there- and you can't measure it with ISTEP.

And then there is the "Who are You?" question. Moses wanted to have a name- what do you call yourself? Again, God's answer says so much. The thing I keep coming back to is that by answering "I Am", God once again established Himself as the Creator- the unmoved mover, the One who needs no help. He is all present tense. I was fascinated to go to the Fellowship Center service after Sunday School and hear Justin talk about how we all have an "I was..." or "I used to be..." All of us do. We have all changed. But God doesn't. He never WAS anything. There has been no change in character, plan, or strategy. As He was in the beginning, He is now and He ever shall be.

Amen.

Just Keep Swimming...

Jon

Nomadic Pasta...

Previously on Closer Walk...

Imagine those words being spoken by Keifer Sutherlin with kind of a raspy voice... Ah the return of 24 is not far away! Ooo Rah!

Last Sunday we started our study of the book of Exodus by amassing a good amount of data from our previous experience with the book and then we began to break it down a bit. Each one of us has our own unique set of experiences that have brought us to where we are right now. And as we come together to study God's word we bring our own unique perspective. For some, the biggest thing about the book of Exodus might be the fact that it shows God's provision for His people. Someone else might say that the biggest thing for them is the way the book shows the continuity of God's plan. Others may say that in the transition from slavery, (Egypt), to the promised land, (Canaan), that we see a description of ourselves- once slave to sin- moving in the direction of the promised land.

The beauty of it is that we would all be right. God is so big and His word so all-encompassing that it seems we never come to the "end" of it.

We talked briefly about how the book can be organized into 4 periods in Israel's history. For the benefit of those not there on Sunday and for our coming discussions, let's review those:

The Period of Bondage (Chap 1-2)
The Period of Deliverance (Chap 3-12)
The Period of Discipline (Chap 12-18)
The Period of Legislation (Chap 19-40)

As we work out way through the book, we will look at events and highlights of each period.

One last thought for this weeks entry... I cannot help but notice the similarity between something that happened in the beginning of Exodus and something that happened in the beginning of Acts. Those in power in Egypt began to be afraid of the Israelites and decided to try to squash them. Chapter 1 of Exodus tells of how despite these efforts, God's people multiplied like crazy.

In Acts, we see what happened in post-crucifixion Jerusalem. The pharisees thought they had squashed this "Jesus Christ" thing, only to find that it would multiply like crazy.

The tighter they squeeze, the more God's purpose slips away.

I think that it will always be that way.

Just Keep Swimming...

Jon