Exodus 3:1-15 - October 1, 2023

The burning bush scene from Exodus 3 is one of the most famous events in all of scripture. It is definitely in the top 10 - if not the top 5 - of well-known Bible stories. If it feels like it’s from a scene in a movie… that’s because it is. 

Most people are aware of the famous movie starring Charlton Heston which was released in the mid-1950s. It’s a powerful moment in scripture, which is brought to life through Award-winning special effects. At least for the time. 

But if the special effects and the devilishly handsome Moses are all we remember, then perhaps it's a good thing we take the time to read and reflect on this story together in worship, because there is so much more than what we see on the surface. 

A lot has happened since we left Jacob last week: a new name, a new life, and 12 sons - the 12 tribes of Israel. The youngest among them, Joseph, made quite an impression with his coat of many colors - or as some might say, his amazing technicolor dreamcoat.  But I promise, I’ll spare you any more movie references. (Maybe.)

But, Joseph’s brothers are jealous and sell him into slavery. He is taken to Egypt, where he ends up rising to a position of power through his dream interpretation skills. He predicts a coming famine, which saves Egypt and leads to reconciliation with his brothers and a reuniting of the family. 

Jacob’s family, known both as the Hebrews and the Israelites, grows in number and becomes a significant population in Egypt. When the book of Exodus kicks off, hundreds of years have passed and a new Pharoah has come into power - one who doesn’t remember Joesph of any of that history. This new king doesn’t like how numerous the Israelites are becoming, so he decides to either kill and/or enslave them, forcing them to make bricks in the hot sun. 

Moses, born to an Israelite family, is hidden away and sent down the river in a basket to avoid the slavery and killing that was going on. This is when Pharaoah’s daughter (yes, that same Pharoah) finds the baby and adopts Moses as her own. He is now a prince of Egypt. 

So, Moses - an Israelite by birth but an Egyptian by culture - isn’t accepted by either group and ends up leaving Egypt. After a long time, Pharaoh dies and the Israelites begin to cry out to God for help. 

Which is where we pick up for today. 

God speaks to Moses out of a burning bush that is not consumed. This marks a crucial turning point in the story. God calls upon Moses to approach the new Pharoah and lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, to which Moses says, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

This story is one of being chosen and yet, not wanting to go - which actually is like a lot of the stories in the Bible. “Who am I to go and lead this exodus?” Moses doubts God has chosen the right person for the task - which is understandable, all things considered. He wasn’t trained to lead, nor was he an expert in hostage negotiations. In his eyes, Moses lacks the qualifications: not the right skill set, not the right age, and not with so much riding on this. 

Moses avoids, argues, challenges, fretts, opposes, resists, delays, protests, doubts, evades - it’s an almost comical dodge, duck, dip, dive, and doge of God’s command. What qualifies me? In his own eyes, nothing. And here are the reasons why! 

But God answers. And how does God answer? How does God convince Moses to go? Does God give a pep talk - “Sure you can do it! Carpe Diem. Seize the day, Moses. You’re great! Better than great!” 

Nope. God doesn’t pump up Moses’ ego with an elaborate motivational speech. Rather, God simply says, “I AM with you.” God assures Moses of the divine presence. “I’ll be with you.” That is God’s answer. 

To God, that is good enough. But it’s not good enough for Moses, because he doesn’t stop there. Moses, still trying to look for a way out of this, asks, “Well who are you? What is your name?” 

I AM WHO I AM.
Or
I AM WHAT I AM
Or
I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE
Or
I HAVE BEEN WHAT I HAVE BEEN

or… any number of difficult-to-translate-into-English versions of the verb “to be.” When it comes to the name of God, any language we humans use is limited. 

As a quick aside: Lots of very thick books have been written on God’s name and what it means or how to put it into comprehensible English. The bottom line is: the way God states God’s own name leaves it able to mean lots of different things. So, to me, it seems God didn’t actually give a definitive name, but instead, gave the promise of being. The promise of presence. The promise of relationship.

So, to get back to Moses’ question: “Who are you?”, God simply responds again with “I AM the one who is with you.”   

In the end, we know that Moses goes. And not to spoil too much of the story, but Moses frees the Israelites from Egypt and leads them toward the promised land. (But more on that next week.) It seems God has an answer for everything. 

This story, like so many others in the Bible, involves God’s call, human reluctance, and yet, God has an answer for everything. But this story is like so many others not in the Bible, too - stories and callings to people and congregations now and today. We often are hesitant to put into practice those things God calls us to do. We’re reluctant, hesitant, fearful. 

God shows up in the midst of our “nowhere,” asking us to go, lead, follow, serve, shelter, love more. God keeps calling us to more - to more welcome, to more service, to more Good News shared. 

God comes and God calls us to share the news that we are free in Christ - free from the burden of having to do, free from having to be good enough, free from the questions about ourselves… free because God simply answers, “I AM with you.” That is the news we are called to share in word and deed. 

And, as we know, we have a whole lot of excuses to go along with God’s coming and calling. Despite the presence of God, we have questions and doubts about ourselves; we have difficulty speaking on behalf of a God we don’t fully understand; our skill sets may be lacking in certain areas; plus there is always the hope that God made a mistake and really intends for someone else to serve. I mean, who are we to do any of this? 

But, as always, God has an answer for everything. God tells us the same as Moses, “I AM with you.” 

But I don’t know if we can do that.
“I AM with you.”

But we’re so limited in so many ways.
“I AM with you.”

But what if…
“I AM with you.”

God, in the midst of everything - our questions and doubts about ourselves, our brokenness and sinfulness, our life and even our death - God has an answer for everything. And that consistent answer is “I AM with you. I am with you forever. I am with you, even until the end of the age.” 

God is with us. God doesn’t leave us alone. Like God bringing Aaron in to walk alongside Moses, God, too, brings us into community and companionship as we carry out our call to share the Good News of Jesus. Like God freeing the Israelites from bondage, God in Christ frees us from our bondage to sin and death. Because of God, Life finds a way. 

God is present and sustains with bread and wine. God is present and forgives through the waters of baptism. God is present and transforms us to be greater expressions of the body of Christ. God does this through one simple answer: “I AM with you.” 

God calls us; we have excuses for sure; and yet, we know, God has an answer for everything.