Training for Life - Pt 6

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “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. (Exodus 3:1-6 ESV).

Our reading today is one that is familiar to everyone who have been exposed to the stories of the Old Testament. Moses is called by God to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. As familiar as it might be, we often miss the truth tucked into the first verse in favor of the miraculous events that follow. Note that Moses was in “the west side of the wilderness” (v. 1). He was a long way from home. It is so important to recognize all of us are in our own “wilderness.” We are not at home. God has far greater intentions for His children. I’ve been fortunate to travel through nearly every state in America and many foreign countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. I’ve learned that traveling far from home is an opportunity to learn lots of things. The things you miss teach you what is important to you. Unfamiliar experiences teach you that your familiar way of life isn’t the only way to live. Your anxiety in new settings teaches you how flexible, or not, you really are. The joy of hearing your native tongue spoken by a stranger in a foreign land teaches you the beauty of things you once took for granted. In our reading for today we see Moses living in a foreign land, learning some important things. It is another part of his “training for life.” Back in Egypt he had made terrible mistakes, and he had to run for his life. His escape had taken him to the land of Midian. He certainly couldn’t consider himself an Egyptian anymore; in fact, some might argue he couldn’t consider himself a Hebrew either. He was a man without a country in many ways. He had come to identify himself as “a foreigner in a foreign land.” The lesson is the same all of us learn when our lives are turned upside down: We are not in control. The illusion of the self-managed life is just that — an illusion. God alone is forever. He alone is faithful. Only God is constant. When Moses would be sent back to Egypt, he would need to remember that lesson. We have the same lesson to learn today. We are not home! And that is a good thing!