Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Exodus 3:1–12
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.” (NRSV)

Reflection
As I reread this memorable passage from the book of Exodus, a distinct memory came to my mind. I can still hear the voice of my Hebrew Scriptures professor as he passionately pointed out how verbs drive the story of God’s people. This is clearly the case in the interaction of Moses and the Holy One in today’s verses.

After getting Moses’ attention—and ours—in the burning bush, God’s voice continues with a series of compelling phrases centered around the verbs. The divine voice proclaims, “I have observed . . . I have heard . . . I know . . . I have come down to deliver my people and to bring them up.” Then when Moses questions God, he receives a very active promise: “I will be with you.” The verbs reveal an increasing level of divine involvement, a crescendo of activity.

We worship and serve a God who is active in the experience of God’s people, past, present, and into the future. Our call is to discern God’s activity in our midst and to join ourselves in partnership with the Holy One through spirited service.

Prayer
Ever active God, I thank you for all the ways you enter our lives and work in and through us. Grant us faithful attentiveness to discern your beckoning presence and the trust to say “yes” as we follow Jesus our Christ. Amen.

Written by Jeffrey Doane, Parish Associate for Older Adults

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email