Not Wholly Moses
Exodus 4:1-17
So God has just told Moses that he is the guy. He's going to lead his people but Moses isn't so sure he wants the job. Sounds like a great gig...but I didn't really apply. Who else have you got?
First he says- I don't feel like my cup overfloweth with credibility. What happens when they laugh at me? These burning bush things don't happen too often- how will I convince them I'm not crazy...or lying...or both?
So God tells him to throw his staff on the ground. When he does, it becomes a snake. When he picks it back up, it's a staff again. Ta-daa.
God says- I'm giving you some crowd-pleasing credibility. They'll know that the God of their fathers is behind it all.
I guess God sensed that Moses wasn't totally convinced. So perhaps as a pre-emptive move, He tells him- put your hand in your cloak. So Moses does, and when he pulls it out- he's got leprosy.
If I'm Moses, I'm not a big fan of this proof-tactic. And when I do this, look- I'm diseased! I might be thinking- how about I give them leprosy? I could saw the Egyptian in two- how about that?
Even as I write that last little bit- it strikes me how easy it is to think of these miracles as parlour tricks. Like if Penn and Teller lived back in the day Moses and Aaron would have been out of work (except for that whole thing about Penn and Teller being atheists and all). But even if I didn't much like it- if I'm Moses I think I get the point.
Moses, they'll believe you- and just in case you're doubting- look what I can do to you. I want you to do this...and I'm able to change sticks into snakes, give you leprosy- and so much more. Still sure you want to risk getting on my bad side?
But before you mistake our relationship...put your hand back. See? The leprosy's gone. What else can I do? I can protect you- I can save you- give me some trust here- they'll believe you. And what I really want is for YOU to believe that I've got it all in control.
But in case they don't believe, God gives Moses still another option. Get some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Yeah, after you finish, I wouldn't drink too much of it- it'll turn into blood.
God's been amazingly patient up to this point. He didn't pull the old "because I said so"- He tries reasoning with Moses; He tries boosting his confidence; He tries a little fear- but when Moses still isn't sold on the idea- God has had enough.
I'm not really much of a speaker. I'm "slow of speech and tongue," Moses says. I've heard theories of Moses being a stutterer. And that would certainly explain a lot. Public speaking phobia is a real and common thing and for many it is overwhelming. A not-so-recent survey of Americans placed public speaking a greater fear than death. Maybe this is why Moses is so bold in trying to get out of it.
Lord God, I'd rather risk your displeasure than face this great fear. And while I don't know if Moses was a stutterer or just a bit awkward- it would certainly seem reasonable that in either case this would be a major task to accept.
God's reply seems similar to His resonse to Job. It's his "do you know who I am?" argument. Hey- Moses- I make mouths- I make them dumb. I'm going to tell you what to say.
Moses is desperate now- he's at the "pretty please with sugar on top" state of arguing. Please send someone else.
And amazingly, God relents. FINE! Take Aaron- just stop with the complaining. Aaron can be your mouth piece. But you'll do the miracles.
He tells Moses - "It will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him." This seems like a really odd phrase for God to use. But I guess the point is- you can use Aaron- but you're not out of the equation. I'll be coming to you only- it'll be your responsibility to be my mouth- and the people can assume that what you say came from me.
The big thing that jumps out at me in this section is the power of prayer. God changes His will for the sake of his worried child. When we express our fears to our father- He relents- He comforts- He doesn't excuse us from service, or bench us in the game- but he listens and makes it all ok.
And God leaves room for discussion- not to be manipulated- but he opens His mind and is willing to find another perfect way if it makes the path a little eaier for His children. And if He cuts Moses this much slack- He'll do the same for us.
2 comments:
It's been forever since I cracked open your blog here, man. What an effort and body of writing and thinking you've put together.
I'm struck by several things, one of which gave me chills, as I read just now.
First, your blog header says you hope to stir some conversation with folks you care about -- but I don't see comments posted. If that's because people like me haven't read and chewed and responded with you, and you've been going this more or less alone -- if that's all true, I'm sorry brother. Alone with our thoughts about God and life can be a great thing. A necessary thing at times. But conversations and others are vital too, and I fall down. We do. Please forgive us.
Looking at this particular posting though, I'm struck by how personal and honest your reactions to the text and the subjects are. You poke around what Moses' heart and character could have been like in interesting ways.
The idea that gave me chillbumps was your reminder that folks are more afraid of talking than dying. How true. Even for those of us trained and schooled and practiced -- those of us that actually get a kind of rush and thrill and enjoyment out of standing up to face the crowds of our life -- even the best rhetors among our ranks would rather die at times than bravely stand up and speak what is truly in our hearts to our friends, to our children, to our wives, to our mirrors, to our God. Yes, these public poll results aren't just interesting and quirky and good reason to study speech -- they strike at the heart of our human condition and weakness, especially as men, to remember and to speak the truth in the face of uncertainty, of darkness, of our own sinful efforts of our fear of rejection, criticism or stones thrown at our heads.
I don't agree with all your assertions about prayer at the end of your post though -- it's nature and power. Specifically, I don't think Moses opened God's mind in the midst of their conversation, his prayer and God's response. I see it the other way around. God opened Moses' mind (and his mouth) to the possibility of how much God was willing to do to listen to Moses, to bear with him in his struggles, to provide all the help he needed and more. I think that what happened was that Moses got to see and experience a deep, personal one-on-one conversation with his Master -- he brought his honesty, his fear, his time and heart and his conversation and attention. In response to that, God's heart and attention and power were overwhelming and real and practical. That is a lesson for me about how God meets us in prayer.
I think of the 'will of God' as something like this: for us to come to him with our honest selves, and I think, with a heart that wants to know who he is and to love him. I think he wants family, only better than what we've known as family. God's response never changes -- he gives himself, his son, even. He gives love, honest and perfect and every time. More than that, he gives that love even when we don't come to him. Before we came to him, even -- while we were still enemies -- hating him and his people -- kicking goads and braining his children with our hate and our neglect. That love, God's will, is not at the mercy of my worries. Praise God. You are quite right in that it's not indifferent to them either. Praise him again.
Yes, he does listen, but Christ-on-the-cross, Chip, he does not make it all okay.
In the end, yes. But in life? No, not completely. That lack of okayness drives us people of faith back to God with our requests, and endlessly back to God in prayer. Eventually, we pray without ceasing. That not-okay nature of this broken life keeps us crying out to God. Eventually, we seek first his kingdom. Eventually, we seek it with all our heart. And eventually, we inherit that kingdom. It is both come and coming, and it is within us. Moses stumbled by faith until death -- which, we are reminded, was death that took him before he entered the land promised to his people. He did not receive the things promised. He saw it at a distance and welcomed it. He admitted he was an alien and a stranger on earth. And I have to believe too that he admitted that things were not okay -- even with all of God's amazing provisions documented here in the old scroll. Not okay enough to stay, anyway.
He pressed onward. So do you. So do we.
Mike,
As always- your comments are thoughtful and thought-provoking.
While I do see your point, I'm not convinced that God is rigid- always unwilling to compromise or change His mind- He bargains with Abraham- regrets His creation so much He brings the flood- even this new covenant in some ways is a "new and improved" way to heaven.
I'm not supposing that God can be manipulated into our service- but His love for us is great enough that he has mercy on us.
And I think he does make things ok for us. And the cross is THE biggest way he makes things ok for us (now and later). Even if at times it's only ok eventually- our hope of that eventually makes us able to endure the now.
He may not take away our circumstances- we still may have that dead end job, that abusive father, that car wreck- but He gives us the tools to be ok in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
Paul in Phillippians is content in prison- he gets his strength from Christ. And that's what He does for us.
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