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