Exodus 3

Exodus 3

In starting Exodus 3 we quickly see that the text says that Moses was speaking with the angel of the Lord, yet later in the chapter we will discover that he is speaking with the Lord. This distinction raises many questions, questions that I will not deal with here. Check out my paper on “The Angel of the Lord” for some further discussion on this topic. But what I do find applicable right away is Moses’ awareness that something was at work around him. He sees this bush burning, and yet the bush was not being consumed. Now was Moses thinking, “I bet this is God at work?” I would guess that he was not, but we really do not know. The point is that God is always at work around us, and many times we get too busy with our daily routines to see what He is up to. We must learn that our lives are incomplete without God, and we cannot leave Him out. Find God at work today, and join Him. This is a daily challenge for all of us, but it is what the Christian life is all about.

In this particular situation, God calls Moses to a great task, to deliver His people from their oppression. Never think that just because your task does not seem as important or big as Moses’ that it is not important. God uses all of us in different ways, and we are not all meant to be a leader of a great group of people as Moses. Sometimes God just needs us to be the friend of someone who is hurting, showing them God’s love. Any task that God gives us is important, and we cannot compare it with others. But also remember that Moses did not want the task God had given Him. God had this plan to deliver His people after hearing their cries. He knew who He was going to use, but Moses wanted no part in it. So many of us fall into this category: the size of the task is not the issue, but the drive to do it is. I know I have done this in the past, knowing what God had planned for me but neglecting to follow through. God has proven that He is faithful, and we can see time and time again in Scripture that He does not leave His children. If He has called us to a particular task, then He will also see us through. Again, we must not be afraid to find and join God at work.

Many times our reaction to God’s call is a series of excuses, and this was true for Moses as well. He knew that God had called him to a great task, but he had no intention of following through, so he made up several excuses. But no matter what Moses threw God’s way, God always had a counter. He also had a series of promises for Moses. Moses was trying to get out of the task, but God was giving him more reasons to actually follow through with the task. If you read the end of Exodus 3, you will notice that the rest of the story of Exodus is in this chapter. God plainly states that they WILL return to the Promised Land. He tells Moses that he WILL go back to Egypt for this particular task. He even tells Moses that the Egyptians WILL be stubborn and that He will send a series of wonders to make Pharaoh let them leave. He also promises great prosperity as they begin their journey. It is hard to follow God’s plan for our lives. God never promised that it would be an easy road, and He did not promise an easy road for Moses either. But He did promise Moses success. How that success comes may vary, but God’s purposes will always be fulfilled. So we are left with a choice. Are we going to set back and let life pass us by, or are we going to follow God’s commands and join Him at work?

Matt