Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? (Genesis 3:1-15)
Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15; 4:10-17 (NRSV)
2:23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
3:1 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. 2 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. 3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 4 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.” 5 Then h e said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 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. 7 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, 8 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, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” 13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors 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.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.
4:10 But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. 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 what you shall do. 16 He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. 17 Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
October 1, 2017 Sermon Notes
Several generations have passed in the history of the Hebrew people since last week’s story. Last week we read about Jacob’s surprise encounter with God in the wilderness while he was fleeing for his life after upsetting his brother by stealing Esau’s birthright. The remainder of the book of Genesis tells the story of Jacob’s sons, especially his favorite, Joseph. During the tumultuous life of Joseph, Jacob’s offspring find themselves living in Egypt as the invited guests of the Pharaoh. Things go well at first, but unfortunately that situation does not last forever.
The book of Exodus picks up long after that king has died and the Hebrew people find themselves reduced to living as slaves in the nation that once welcomed them with open arms. As if the oppression of slavery were not bad enough, the new Pharaoh decides that the Hebrews are a threat to the very existence of Egypt. Genocide was the only option. All Hebrew boys are to be thrown into the Nile. Moses, the book’s main character, proves to be a critical exception to this ghastly decree.
Through a complicated plot involving two midwives, his sister, his mother, and the Pharoah’s daughter, Moses grows up as an adopted child of the king. This background gives him an insider’s understanding of Pharoah’s court and will prove invaluable when God’s calling for his life is finally revealed.
Before that plan is made known, however, Moses finds himself living as an outlaw in the desert because he had defended a Hebrew slave from an Egyptian overseer. While on the run, he married a Midianite woman named Zipporah and found work taking care of her father’s flocks. It was not the world that he had experienced while growing up in the court of the king, but life in the desert was also the perfect training ground for what God was about to him to do.
An encounter with a burning bush
Moses’ life took an abrupt turn when he encountered a bush burning in the wilderness. Unlike every other fire he had ever witnessed, this time the bush was not consumed by the flames. Momentarily turning away from his sheep, Moses had an up close and personal encounter with the God of his ancestors. The voice of God told him to take off his shoes and explained to him that his life was about to experience an abrupt change of direction. He was going to be the one to free God’s people from bondage. He was going to lead them from slavery to freedom in the promised land.
Because Moses was not a stupid man he responded to God’s call the same way that most of would have. He tried to bargain his way out of it. He knew firsthand how vengeful Pharaoh could be. More than most, he knew what the Hebrew people would be up against. He tried to come up with excuses. He claimed to not be able to speak. He claimed that the people would not respect him. He even demanded to know God’s name in a vain attempt to gain control over God’s identity.
In the end, God overruled every objection. Moses was provided with support in the person of his brother Aaron, a staff that would show God’s power, and the pointed reminder that God’s identity was far beyond Moses’ comprehension. That powerful and mysterious God promised to go with Moses every step of the way. Moses would never face Pharaoh on his own. Together they would lead the people to freedom as God’s chosen people.
We bargain with God too
God’s refusal to give up on Moses is why this story has so much relevance for us today. Because we know exactly what we are up against, we often try to wiggle our way out of God’s call for our lives. Even if we have not a personal encounter with a talking shrub, it is rare that we do not know what we are supposed to do in any given situation. It is far more likely that we are scared, lazy, or distracted. We try to flee from what we are supposed to be doing and try to come up with reasons why God should send someone else. This happens on both the personal level and on the congregational level.
As a church we sometimes tell ourselves that we are not as big as other congregations. Other churches have more money, people, or resources. Why would anyone pay attention to a group like us? It is comfortable staying in the shadows. We enjoy being Dexter’s best kept secret. Surely God will be able to send someone else to bring liberation to the oppressed of the world.
The reality is that none of these excuses worked for Moses. They will not work for us either. We have been given a job to do. We are called upon to help free people from slavery to sin and death. Pharaoh needs to be put on notice. We are the people whom God has tasked at this time and in this place. Like Moses, we have the unique background necessary to do this particular job.
Like Moses, we will be given the support that we need. We will never be alone. Like Moses, we do not have to speak for ourselves. God’s Son Jesus Christ has spoken for us through his ministry, death and resurrection. More than a name, he has brought the mysteries of heaven to earth. He has also given us the promise of the Holy Spirit who will support us and perform amazing signs on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
We are the people whom God has called. We have a job to do. Christ will speak for us. Let us get to work offering freedom to his people.
