The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians….So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:7-8, 10, NIV)
God is looking for someone to serve him…someone to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. In Exodus 3, he met Moses at the burning bush and outlined his plan. God recruited Moses.
Why Moses? There are a couple of reasons, I think. 1) The job requires someone who can handle the logistics of a great migration of people – food, water, supply chain management, enemies around every bend. A “beaver” perhaps. 2) He needs someone who is a gifted leader and teacher and administrator – after all, they’re going to start a new nation. There will be new laws that need to be shared with the nation. The people would need to be inspired and influenced. He might even have to get tough with them. 3) And this person needs to be someone who is passionate about freeing the Hebrews from slavery. We know this was the case with Moses who was in hiding in the wilderness because he already fought against the Egyptian oppression of the Hebrews.
So based on personality, gifting, and passion, it’s easy to see that Moses is the man! Well, it’s easy for US to see. Moses wasn’t too sure. Moses asked God to find someone else. He had to overcome his own insecurity, fear, feelings of inadequacy, and reluctance.
Moses’ response to God’s call wasn’t ideal…but it was very human. In fact, these are the same obstacles WE must overcome when God calls us.
In our Growth Track, we’ve discovered our personality, gifting, and passion. But none of these matter much if we’re too fearful or insecure to use them. God wants us to overcome the things that stand in the way, so we can influence our world for Jesus.
Let’s talk about how on Sunday. See you then!
