A beautiful exchange
Pamela Kennedy
July 17, 2024
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Exodus 3: 11-20 (NRSVA)
11 But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ 12 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.’
13 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?’ 14 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.”’ 15 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.
16 Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” 18 They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.” 19 I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go.
I love the way Moses reacts to the Lord’s commission. Of all the people in all the world…why me? This is the beginning of such a beautiful exchange as Moses shares his questions and his self-doubt with his Lord who loves him. It can be easy to jump straight to the grand actions taken by Moses in the name of the Lord – the man coming down from Sinai whose face shone – and forget the vulnerability and weakness that lay behind his ministry. Moses shared everything with Him. In response we see the Lord stooping to tend to Moses’ questions and weakness. And the Lord shares more with Moses and builds him up. What a tender encounter. We can come to God in our weakness because He is good and we can trust Him. In our weakness we know His strengthening.
Prayer:
Abba, Father
Thank You for Your love. You will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smouldering wick. You see me and know me completely.
Just as Moses did, I take time to talk with You now…
Amen
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