Exodus 3:1-15 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, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, 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; 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.”
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?” 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.'” 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.”
Reflection What is burning inside you today? The cries of the millions of Ukrainians being driven into exile if not killed? The fear of the Russian people oppressed by their Stalin-esque president? The prospect of a madman deploying weapons of mass destruction? Shall we pause and wonder how God's fire might be speaking to us? Are we willing to listen to the cries of the people and let the course of our lives be changed? Are we willing to step out of our comfortable ruts, planting our heads in our hearts and acting decisively to alleviate the misery of God’s people today?
It may surprise you that that most scholars agree, Moses, a prophet important in Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Ba’hai, is not an historical figure. Which begs the question, “What is the purpose of this mythic tale?” Let me suggest this is a spiritual journey story, a story that can help us navigate the lonely, arid and volatile desert we find ourselves navigating today.
The wind blows, the dust moves, the smell of creosote tantalizes and out of the corner of his eye Moses notices something he cannot explain, a bush that is burning but not consumed. How can this be? The desert represents Moses’ interior journey; seeking understanding in the inhospitable vastness of the desert. Here we join Moses following the mystery of a burning bush from his head into his heart to discern if it is real or a mirage.
“Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great (amazing (CJB), marvelous (JSB), remarkable (NAB)) sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’” Confronted by something that made no sense to him, Moses stops what he is doing, turns aside and allows himself to stay with the unsettling experience, a non-consuming fire. This is the way our spiritual journeys progress. In the presence of mystery we turn our heads to our hearts, making ourselves available to discern God’s (The Mystery's) real presence in our lives.
It seems God was waiting to discover how Moses would respond to the fire before proceeding; “When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ Moses responds ‘Here I am.’” God and Moses enter into conversation, and by implication, relationship. Moses’ willingness to engage the mysterious fire by turning his head to his heart opens the way for him to be in relationship with God.
God says,“Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground,” then proceeds to identify God’s own self, “’I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” As Moses approaches, God establishes parameters for their relationship, providing Moses with a way to participate in the revelatory event. Removing his sandals Moses embodies the holiness of this encounter.
What does the tale of Moses talking to a burning bush have to do with us? That depends entirely on how we choose to engage it. If we read this scripture briskly noting, ‘I’ve heard this story a million times,” we can walk right past the mystery, no effect. There is every reason to believe that Moses could have done just that.
Being a shepherd Moses had a job to do and could easily have justified sticking to his job and continuing on his way. No story. But, when Moses experiences the burning bush (in other words, feels the fire of wonder inside) he pauses to ponder the mystery. Paying attention to the incomprehensible mystery Moses is available to encounter, experience and answer God’s call .
What is burning inside you today? The cries of the millions of Ukrainians being driven into exile if not killed? The fear of the Russian people oppressed by their Stalin-esque president? The prospect of a madman deploying weapons of mass destruction? Shall we pause and wonder how God's fire might be speaking to us? Are we willing to listen to the cries of the people and let the course of your life be changed? Are we willing to step out of your comfortable ruts, planting your head in our heart and acting decisively to alleviate the misery of God’s people today?
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