The Big Story: God Calls Moses

Moses had settled into the life of a nomadic shepherd in Midian.  He had married Zipporah, one of Jethro's daughters, and spent his days tending Jethro's sheep.  He tried and failed to be a deliverer of his people (see Ex. 2:11ff), and Egypt had become a distant, bitter memory.

Then, one day, something happened that changed not only his life, but also world history.  While he was tending sheep near Horeb, the mountain of God, he saw a bush that appeared to burn, yet not to burn up!

When he went to investigate it, God spoke to him from the bush.  He told Moses that he had seen the oppression of his people and was going to do something about it.  He told Moses that he wanted to use him to deliver the Israelites!

Moses was stunned, and struggled with this call.  He offered excuse after excuse, and God answered each one!  Finally, Moses said, "Send someone else!"  Moses didn't want to go.  Who could blame him?  Pharaoh was one of the most powerful rulers in the world, and he wasn't going to let the Israelites go easily.  Besides, he had already tried and failed!

But God wouldn't take no for an answer, ordering Moses to go and to use Aaron as his public spokesperson.

This is the longest account of God's call to someone in the Bible.  It's long for many reasons, but one of them is to emphasize its importance.  Moses was key to the exodus.  The exodus was key to the identity of God's people.  From God's people would come Jesus, and from Jesus would come redemption and eternal life.

In effect, God called Moses to deliver Israel and us.

God calls us as well.  I don't know anyone who encountered God in a burning bush.  Most encounter him through the Holy Spirit working in their lives.  Nonetheless, God calls us to join him in his mission to save the world.  Like Moses, the mission can take us down a rocky road. But it leads to life and blessing for us and others!