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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 for ever, and this my title for all generations. (Exodus 3:1-15)
God is holy. God is pure. In fact, the entire realm of God is sacred. This is revealed to Moses on that day he is busy watching the flock of his father-in-law. As he nears Horeb, known also as the mountain of God, he sees a peculiar sight, a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire. He nears it to check it out and hears God's voice calling him by name. That gets his attention as it would ours. Whenever someone we don't know calls us by name, it makes us stop to listen. Then God presents His holiness by asking Moses to removed his sandals as the ground he was standing on was holy. Then God reveals the history that Moses would know: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." By now God has Moses's full attention and has him full of fear. But God then reveals the purpose of His visit with Moses, and it was to call him into service as the one who would deliver God's people from the Egyptians and would lead them into a Promised Land. Moses questions God's ability to choose the right person for this work. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" God assures Moses of His ability to be with Moses and to help him in his task. Moses asks for more information especially God's name. In the same way God got Moses by knowing Moses' name, Moses wants to know God's name. And God reveals His Holy Name: I Am Who I Am.
Two things we should know from this passage. We serve and believe in an involved God. And we serve and believe in a God who equips us for the task at hand. Bonus thing about God: God never leaves us. No matters the task or situation, if God has called us, He will equip us and deliver us victorious over the task. Nothing or no one should hold us back.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless and protect this dear reader as this is being read. Remind us of what You have called us to, and equip us for doing that and greater things for You. Holy is Your Name, and we should share it with others. We pray in Christ Jesus' holy name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
