Rev. George Miller
Oct 1, 2023
Exodus 3:1-15
Two weeks ago we celebrated a wedding with Jesus at a time when family
was most important.
Last week we entered the world of “Chisme”, hot lively gossip about the ancestors
of our faith family.
Today, family and gossip combine as we see Moses at the pivotal moment of
our faith’s foundation.
Today we learn who we are AND who God is.
Everything has led to this moment.
To keep you up to date with the chisme of our multi-generational faith
family, Moses is the biological son of Amram and Jochebed, relatives of Levi,
the son of Jacob, who is the grandson of Abraham.
AND since you are in the know about the family gossip, you know
that Abraham is the one that God made a promise to- a promise of land, of
family, and blessing all the families of the world.
So here we have Moses, kin of Levi, son of Jacob, grandson of Abraham. He’s out doing his thing, watching over the flocks
when he has this most unusual experience.
Before his eyes is a bush on fire.
He hears a voice “Remove your chanclas, this place is holy.”
It’s as if Moses has entered the house of God, and God is saying “Don’t track
in any dirt, and don’t let out any of my cool air!”
As Moses hides his face in fear, God explains what’s going on. “I see the pain of my people. I hear their cries. I see how they are being oppressed and know they
suffer. I have come to set them free and
bring them from a place of pain to a place of purpose.”
Right here God has revealed sooo much to Moses- that God cares about the Israelite
immigrants; God is aware that those in power are causing needless oppression.
Right here we learn that God sees, hears, knows the pain of the people. God sees, hears, knows the pain of the powerless. God sees, hears, knows the pain of the family
he made a promise to.
So God reveals a plan to Moses- Moses will go to the head of Egypt to
free the people. But, according to the
family gossip, Moses is not too keen on this idea.
Moses says “Uhhh...oooh...mmm… Not sure about this. What if go to my relatives and they ask for
your name? You know how family can be, especially
Cousin Moesha.”
God says “Tell them my name is I AM WHO I AM, and tell that Moesha that I
am the God of your ancestors Jacob and Abraham.”
This story is so beautiful and almost deceptive because it features one
man on a mountain surrounded by sheep, but it’s not just about one man, it’s
about a whole entire family, a whole entire nation, the whole entire world.
This story is about God, who God is, how God acts, and how God continues to
work out the promises made to Abraham.
A promise of place, a promise of people, a promise of blessing. And the awareness that because we are part of
this faith family, we are also recipients of the promise.
Moses may be one man on a mountain, but he is standing there because of
all the ancestors who came before, and he is standing there for the sake of all
the ancestors who will come after.
With his bare feet standing on sacred ground, his eyes seeing the glory
of God, he gets to hear the Lord speak the magnificent name “I AM WHO I AM.”
In other words, it’s as if God is saying “I AM the one who called out to
Abraham and told him to get up and Go.”
This is God saying “I AM the One at the Oaks of Mamre who made Sarah laugh.”
This is God saying “I Am the One Jacob prayed to when he was afraid of Esau.”
This is God saying “I AM the one who watched over Joseph and filled him
with dreams.”
This is God saying to Moses “I AM the one who will give you the right
words to say to Pharaoh.”
“I AM the one to lead you, your brother, your sister, all your cousins,
aunts, uncles and extended family into freedom.”
Moses may be standing on the
mountain, but he is not standing alone.
All who came before, and all who come after are beside him.
We are part of that crowd, we are part of the witnesses. We are part of the privilege, and we are part
of the promises that God has made.
Amen.
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