Advent Journey: December 13th
© Michael Livesay-Wright
Questions and Reflections
QUESTION: Do you know the story of Moses? In what ways was he an unlikely hero for God's people?
Similar to Joseph, Moses has a pretty wild story. He was born at a terrible time. Pharaoh was trying to kill all of the boy babies born to God's children because he was afraid they were growing too powerful. But one mother hid her baby as long as she could and then put him in a basket in the river. It was here (perhaps as the baby's mother intended) that one of the princesses found him and decided to keep him. And so Moses barely survived a very brutal time to be born and then he was raised as an Egyptian and not as an Israelite. Not only that but Moses, when he is fully grown, says, "I am not eloquent...but I am slow of speech and of tongue" (Exodus 4:10, ESV). Some even think he had a stutter. On top of all of this, Moses kills a man -- true, he was defending another Israelite, but he still committed murder. And when he tries to step in and break up a fight between two Israelites and they reject him saying, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us?" (Exodus 2:14, ESV). And, as a result of all of this he runs away and lives for a long time in the land of Midian, far away from his home and his people. But God's plan was to use Moses. God tends to choose unlikely heroes. And Moses couldn't run away from God!
QUESTION: Do you believe God hears you when you cry out to him?
Sometimes it's hard to believe this. If we are suffering or having a difficult day and we cry out to God, sometimes our situation improves, but often it does not. God is not a fairy godmother granting wishes. His perspective is much more vast than that. He sees all time and space and he knows all of the consequences that turning a pumpkin into a carriage might have (to stretch the metaphor). I imagine the Israelites working as slaves in Egypt struggled to have faith in God. Maybe they were even angry with Him. After all, years and years went by, and no matter how much they prayed, nothing changed. But God wasn't ignoring them, even though it's hard for us to understand his timing. Exodus 2:23-25 says, "During those many days... the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel -- and God knew." I love the way this is phrased. When it says that God remembered his promise to His people, it doesn't mean that God had forgotten, but it is now time for Him to rescue them. But my favorite part is when Scripture says "God saw" and "God knew." If you are suffering please know that God remembers, God sees, and God knows. He has not forgotten you. It doesn't mean that He will change your situation, and that is hard. But He sees you and He hears you.
QUESTION: Why do you think God spoke to Moses from out of a burning bush?
This is a crazy story! Moses is doing his job, working as a shepherd for his father-in-law (remember the theme of shepherd). He is in the wilderness on Horeb, the "mountain of the Lord." And all at once "the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed" (Exodus 3:2, ESV). And God speaks to Moses out of that bush -- a bush that is on fire but not harmed! Fire holds so much symbolism. It represents judgement, purity, light, sacrifice, and it is throughout Scripture a symbol of the holy presence of God. Some would say that God uses the burning bush simply to get Moses's attention, but I think there is much more symbolism than that. God is getting ready to enact justice on behalf of his people. Egypt is going to be punished for its cruelty towards the Israelites and the Israelites will be led out into the promised land by a pillar of fire and smoke (more of that comes later).
QUESTION: Did Pharaoh immediately listen and let God's people go?
Of course not. There was no way he was going to easily let go of a cheap workforce or give into the God of the Israelites he didn't even believe in. But God knew this would be the case. This didn't surprise or deter God's plans. God had plans to show his power to His people -- to show them just how much He was willing to do for them. It was not going to be pleasant for the Egyptians. Pharaoh is very stubborn, but God is far more unwavering and powerful than Pharaoh. His plans will not be frustrated.