The Call of Moses

Intro

It’s been a couple of weeks since we discussed some of the people we read about in the Old Testament. We left off with Joseph and how he was blessed by God in all that he did. and the story ends with the sons of Israel coming into Egypt and living there. This is where the book of Genesis ends and Exodus begins.

Now in the beginning of Exodus we see that a quite a few years have passed since Israel came into Egypt. There was now a new king of Egypt, Joseph had passed away, and the Hebrew people multiplied in Egypt.

This scared the new king of Egypt he felt that the Hebrews were too many and too mighty and so they were made into slaves that were forced to do exceedingly difficult labor. and on top of that The king commanded his people to throw any Hebrew baby boys into the Nile.

However, there was one Levite woman who’s name we aren’t told, and she gave birth to a son and hid him 3 months until she devised a plan to save him. She placed him in a basket and sent him down the Nile at the time she knew Pharaohs Daughter would be cleaning herself in the river. and just as she planned the woman found the baby and took him as her own.

She named this baby Moses. Moses grew up as an Egyptian and one day he went to see his people, the Hebrews and he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews, and Moses killed him and hid his body. However he was discovered and so he was forced to run and hide in Midian a foreign nation. There he started a family of his own.

During this time the King of Egypt died and the Hebrew people cried out to God because of their slavery, they all together pleaded with God to rescue them from their bondage to Egypt. and God heard their cries.

So one day while Moses was tending his father-in-laws flock he saw something amazing. He saw a bush and it was burning but was not consumed. and so he began to approach the bush when this happened, open your bibles to Exodus 3:2-6

Exodus 3:2–6 ESV

2 And 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. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “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.

You know sometimes when we think of God we think of him as just one of our buddies. We talk to him as if he was just one of our friends. and in a sense that’s okay because we do have a deeply personal relationship with God and we should be comfortable talking to him.

But at the same time he is the lord of the Universe the great judge who will decide our destiny.

I remember a story of a man who was speeding, he was going about 105 MPH, and that’s when he saw those flashing lights in his rear view mirror. and most of you if you’ve ever been pulled over you know the feeling, that feeling of I know this is going to be bad because i was definitely doing something that was bad.

Well the man’s car get’s impounded and he’s taken straight to the judge, now the man isn’t worried because he knows that in this county the judge is his father. surely his father will cut him some slack.

But as they took him into the courthouse he thought about it and realized that yeah the judge is his father but he is also a good and fair judge, one who is just.

When the judge, the mans father, asked his son how he pleaded he said guilty, and the Judge who was just, said the charges are $500 bail or a week in jail, and at that he struck down the gavel and the bailiff began to take him away to serve his time.

Now don’t you think we ought to have some reverence for that Judge, though he is our father, he is just and he will make his judgement appropriately. and so it makes total sense why Moses hid his face. He looks at the Lord and he is ashamed.

I remember when I was a kid I would pass notes in class, and you know when you were busted because the teacher would make eye contact with you right as you were handing over the note, and you knew you knew that the teacher was going to come back and take your note and read it to the whole class, and sure enough they did and it’s embarrassing you just want to crawl under the desk and hide because the teacher exposed what you intended to be hidden.

That’s what Moses is facing in this moment he sees God and he knows that all of his shame and wrongdoings will be laid out before him he’s looking at the God who knows every evil thing he’s ever done and he’s ashamed and can’t even look at God.

and God tells him that He’s heard the cries of Israel and he plans to intervene, read now Exodus 3:10-12

Exodus 3:10–12 ESV

10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

God calls to moses and says you will bring my people out of Egypt. and Moses can’t believe it, He says, “who am I that I should do this” remember he is ashamed in this moment he’s faced with every way he’s ever wrongdoing he’s done. and yet God is calling him to do his work. He says don’t you worry about pharoah or anything in Egypt because “I will be with you”

and Moses asks him, what will I tell them your name is? read, Exodus 3:13-15

Exodus 3:13–15 ESV

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Now I wish that there was a better way to translate “I AM WHO I AM” into English because this is what that really means. the Hebrew says “Ehyeh Aser Ehyeh” now this word “aser” is a very special Hebrew word in fact there are probably over 100 translations of this word. this word can be translated; that, who, which, what, where, because, whetever, when, until, etc.

So in other words this statement “I am who I am” could also be translated,

that

who

which

what

where

because

whatever

when

until

as

The list goes on and I wish there was a good translation because this one word covers a wide spectrum of God’s character because god is where he is, he is because he is, he is when he is, it is such a deep and meaningful name for our Lord.

Now Moses he understands the significance of this name and so here is this man who is ashamed and can’t even look at God. and God says I Am going to use you to serve my great purpose, and Moses says who am I that you would have me go to free your people. and God says it’s not about who you are because I will be with you and I Am Who I Am. And you will tell them that I Am has sent you!

You see that man who was taken to court for speeding and charged as guilty, his father after striking down the gavel then stood up took up his robe and walked down to his son and wrote him a check equivalent to his bail. The Lord isn’t concerned with what you’ve done but rather how he can use you now. God doesn’t call Moses a murderer or a coward he says you are going to be my messenger.

and Yet Moses still resist the call of God. He says they’re not going to believe that I saw you. And God says they will believe you because I will do great things through you. and then he gave Moses three signs, the first was to throw down his staff and when he did so it became a serpent and then when he would grab it again by the tail it would turn back into a staff,

He then told Moses to put his hand in his cloak and when he pulled it out his hand was leprous white as snow and when he repeated the process his hand went back to normal.

and then he told him, “if they still wont believe you take some water from the Nile and pour it on dry ground and I will turn it to blood.”

and after God showed him how to preform these signs this is what Moses says, read Exodus 4:10-17

Exodus 4:10–17 ESV

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

To think after all these signs that the Lord gave to Moses, after God assured Moses that he would be with him through it all Moses still doubted because he didn’t feel like he was really capable to carry out God’s will. He says I don’t speak very well I’m slow in speech and tongue.

Now let me ask you; The Hebrews are in a horrible situation where they are forced to work as slaves and given demanding labor, and so they cry out to God and God sends a man to preform signs and wonders, and he opens his mouth and says,

“I Am has sent me to rescue you”

Now I don’t think that they are going to care much if he has a speech impediment or what his past is like and why do you think that is? Because he is currently walking with the power of God.

I’ve met people like this, they come to know God and they confess their faith and are baptized and they claim this is my God. But they’re scared to read their bible, they’re scared to go to church because they know that if they do God is going to convict them to change the way they live their lives.

God is going to call them to do something that they don’t feel capable of doing. Moses was just a guy, he was a shepherd certainly not a glamorous job. and God overlooked the fact that he murdered the Egyptian, he overlooked that he tried to hide it, all because he saw something in Moses that he could use to benefit his ultimate plan.

and so these people I know they tell me I do believe in God but I’ve done to many bad things that I can’t face him. Or they’ll tell me I believe but I don’t think that God wants anything to do with me. I even know some who are in the church who say I believe and I want to do God’s will but I’m scared.

God’s going to ask normal people to do abnormal things. He called Moses a shepherd to face Pharoah and lead an entire nation out of Egypt. He called Noah to spend years building an Ark for a flood that Noah had to trust was going to come. God calls us to do his will not our will.

But we get so caught up in our jobs in our belongings in our relationships that we can’t possibly bring ourselves to go out and do God’s will. Yeah I know that their are tons of Homeless people in Williamsport but if I stop and take time to talk with them or share some food with them what if they deny me or hurt me or worse ask more from me. I just can’t take that risk.

But what does God say to Moses do this because I will be with you? we look around the world we see the things happening in America and we sit back and kick up the legs on our recliner and change the channel. God is calling us to be the change. We are to be the light and to many churches and too many Christians have sat idly by while the world falls into chaos.

You can say, “Well that’s not my problem” but that is not the attitude of Christians who desire to see God’s will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. We need to be willing to stand up and make the change. Be willing to do something that is abnormal because God calls us to be abnormal.

Moses was scared and he was ashamed and yet God called him to do something wonderful and he said I will be with you I will work signs and wonders through you.

Raise your hand if you are a born again Christian hear today.

Did you know that God’s spirit is within you at all times. Literally God’s power dwells within you. He blesses you with power and authority to share his gospel with others. and he strengthens us and gives us his words when we do it. Look what God said to Moses Exodus 4:10-12

Exodus 4:10–12 ESV

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

God gave us our mouths let’s use them to serve him.

I know this may be extreme and not everyone here may have the gift of teaching and preaching and some of you may not have the gift of serving but you have a gift and God wants to use that gift. I know that you all are good at something I’ve seen many of your gifts and I praise God how I’ve seen you use them to serve this congregation.

And I know that their is always more to do more work to be done, more ways that we can serve God and I don’t want to make you feel ashamed like Moses did I’m not trying to tell you that you’re awful and not doing enough. I’m trying to say God is ready to call you to do more. He has a bigger plan for you and your gifts. God don’t care how old you may be, Moses was 80 years old when God spoke to him in the burning bush. God don’t care how well you speak or how much money you have. He wants to use what you’ve got and you’ve all got something!

And it wont be until Christians in America as a unified body of Christ start listing to God’s calling that we will finally begin to see change and see God bless America again.

Let’s pray.