The unfolding drama, that is the life of Moses, continues into Exodus 2-4 with the call of Moses. Moses grew into a man in Pharaoh’s house. Then one day, Moses, after witnessing the murder of a Hebrew man out in the field, took it upon himself to murder the murderer thus becoming a murderer himself. He thought no one saw him but the next day Pharaoh found out and Moses fled into the desert so he would not be killed. While in the desert, he took a wife and became a sheepherder for the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro. For many years (till he was 80yrs old) Moses wandered through the desert without any inclination that his life would have any other meaning or purpose.
When Moses was nearly eighty years old he was watching over his flock and he saw a mysterious bush burning but not being consumed. He went closer to take a look. As he drew nearer, God himself called to Moses out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Moses was stricken with fear and took off his shoes and bowed himself before the Lord.
God called Moses for a special mission but Moses himself felt inadequate for the job. The end of Exodus 3 and the beginning of 4 record for us an almost humorous exchange of words between God and Moses. God condescends to Moses insecurities and assures him that He will be with him and give him success. He even turns Moses rod into a snake and back again as well as his hand to leprosy and back as much to convince Moses than anyone else. Though reluctant, Moses accepted the mission along with His brother Aaron.
The story of the call of Moses is a wonderful illustration of God’s sovereign grace. Here was a man with God’s grace on him form the beginning: rescued from death in the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter; raised in Pharaoh’s house as a son; one who felt a great burden for his kinsmen who labored under the oppressive hand of the Egyptians; who stood in the presence of God and was not consumed; then a murder who was toiling away his years as a sheepherder. But now, a man called by God in his old age for a very special mission. A mission to set the captives free.
Like Moses, God has called all Christians for a special mission. A mission that has been the theme of redemptive history from the early chapters of Genesis, to redeem a people back to himself for his glory. There is no clearer command than Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is our mission and God’s promise. We must go and make disciples. Like Moses, we may feel that we are inadequate for the mission but, like Moses, we have the promise that God will be with us.
Last week we looked at Romans 8:28 and here is the rest of thought that completes the picture for us: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The thing that Moses and we fail to understand is that it’s not about us. It’s about God. It’s about his will being done for His glory, not ours. We have no reason to feel inadequate or fearful because God is for us and He is empowering us for mission to spread the good news about what Jesus did. The Lord has equipped each one (whether mute, deaf, seeing, blind, etc.) to fulfill His calling. If we suffer for the sake of the Gospel then so be it. “Count it all Joy!” In so doing, we suffer alongside of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If God can use Moses’ “stick” than He can surely use us! Go, on mission!
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