Thoughts for the Day

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, 'I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then he said, 'Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' He said further, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land; a land flowing with milk and honey... So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Iraelites, out of Egypt.' But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' He said, 'I will be with you'.

(New Revised Standard Version)

*Picture: A tile from Jerusalem.

Thoughts

The story of Moses and the burning bush is full of symbols, some of which we have met before. Moses left his people the Hebrews in Egypt, and returned to his wife's people. We see him looking after his father-in-law's sheep in the wilderness. Here he comes across the mountain of Horeb, (probably Mount Sinai). Mountains in the ancient world were symbols for the dwelling place of God, and here Moses meets an angel of the Lord, another symbol for God. Then there is a burning bush that is not consumed Fire is another common biblical symbol for God's presence.

Moses is told to remove his sandals. Taking off one's shoes is a sign of reverence when entering a place of worship, but it's also a gesture in many cultures of entering a home. So Moses, who has been rejected by his own people and the Egyptians, and who says in the previous chapter 'I have been an alien in a foreign land,' has found his home with the God of his ancestors. At first, Moses resists the call from God. 'Who am I?' he asks? He is told 'I will be with you'. It doesn't matter that he doesn't have the skills or qualifications for the job, God will be with him!'

When God calls us to do a job, we can say "I can't do that, I don't have the ability or knowledge!" But we need to trust in God, knowing He will always be there to guide us.

Sunday 30th August, follow up thoughts

Heavenly Father,
You frequently call us
to work in your world,
and often we make excuses
not to do the job.
Help us to trust
that with Your help
we can answer your call.
Amen.