Bushes And Bare Feet

BUSHES AND BARE FEET

EXODUS 3:1-6

WHEN YOU FIRST THINK ABOUT IT, YOU THINK THAT THE ACCOUNT OF MOSES AND THE BURNING BUSH IS A PECULAIR PASSAGE TO DEAL WITH THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS. THE TWO THOUGH AND OTHERS LIKE IT HAVE A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC.

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT GOD REVEALING HIMSELF TO MAN, AND IT DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN IN CHURCH. IT CAN HAPPEN AT A BURNING BUSH, IN A LION-FILLED DEN, IN THE BELLY OF A GREAT FISH, OR IN A LOWLY STABLE. EACH PLACE BECOMES A HOLY PLACE WHEN GOD IS REVEALED.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE IN COMMON. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WERE CONFRONTED WITH THE HOLINESS OF GOD. ALL CHRISTIANS WILL HAVE SOME FORM OF BURNING BUSH EXPERIENCE IN THEIR LIVES. SOME WILL HAVE SEVERAL AS WE COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.

WHEN WE CONSIDER THE BURNING BUSH EXPERIENCE, ONE MUST BE OVERWEALMED BY THE BOUNDLESS HOLINESS OF GOD. MOSES WAS TOLD TO REMOVE HIS SANDALS FOR THE VERY GROUND THAT HE WAS WALKING ON WAS HOLY.

THE REMOVING OF SANDALS WAS DONE WHEN IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMEONE SUPERIOR, AND AS AN ACT OF SERVANTHOOD, THUS MOSES’ ACTIONS WERE DONE AS AN ACT OF REVERENCE.

IT IS HARD TO GRASP THE AWESOMENESS OF THE OCCASION. MOSES FIRST SEES THE BURNING BUSH AND COMES TO INVESTIGATE IT. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT IS THAT WE ARE NOT TOLD MUCH ABOUT THE BURNING BUSH ITSELF.

WE DON’T KNOW HOW BID IT WAS. WE DON’T KNOW OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE DAY. WE ARE TOLD THAT IT DID NOT GO OUT AS MOSES WENT TO IT, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THE REASONS MOSES WENT TO CHECK THE BURNING BUSH OUT.

THE LAST THING HE WOULD BE EXPECTING WOULD BE A VISIT FROM GOD. IT HAD NOT HAPPENED TO HIM BEFORE IN THIS MANNER, WHY SHOULD HE EXPECT IT NOW?

PERHAPS THE SIZE OF THE BLAZE MADE MOSES WONDER IF IT WERE A WILD FIRE OUT OF CONTROL. HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS A GROUP OF MEN GATHERED THERE. WOULD THEY TRY TO STEAL THE SHEEP? MOSES WAS AN ABLE-BODIED MAN, AFTER ALL HE KILLED AN EGYPTIAN GUARD WHICH FORCED HIS EXILE FROM EGYPT TO WHERE HE NOW WAS, AND HE KILLED HIM WITH HIS BARE HANDS.

IF THERE WERE MEN THERE, AND IF THEY WERE UP TO NO GOOD, MOSES WOULD SURELY GIVE THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. THE THIEVES WOULD GAIN NO SHEEP WITHOUT FIRST GOING THROUGH HIM.

WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE BUSH HE SAW NOBODY AND SO HE MAY HAVE THEN BELIEVED THAT THE FIRE STARTED BY NATURAL MEANS. IT WOULD BE AT THIS POINT THAT MOSES MIGHT REALIZE THAT HE WAS DEALING WITH SOMETHING BIGGER THAN JUST A FIRE. HE WOULD NOTICE THAT IN THE TIME IT TOOK HIM TO GET TO THE FIRE, THE BUSH HADN’T BEEN CONSUMED BY THE FIRE AND GONE OUT.

WHAT WAS HAPPENING HE DID NOT KNOW, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT WAS PECULIAR.

GOD WILL AT TIMES DO THE SAME THING FOR US. WE MAY BE LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TO AN ISSUE, OR WE MAY BE WAITING FOR GOD TO MOVE, AND WE MAY NOT SEE THE CIRCUMSTANCES FALLING INTO PLACE, WHEN SUDDENLY WE WILL SEE THE FIRE, AND HEAR OUR NAME CALLED, AND WE ARE SUMMONED INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR A HOLY ENCOUNTER.

T.T. CRABTREE STATES:

“SOMEWHERE A BUSH IS BURNING FOR EVERYONE. GOD IS CONTINUALLY INVADING HUMAN LIFE TO MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN AND TO REVEAL HIS WILL FOR THE INVARIABLE PURPOSE OF EVOKING A RESPONSE IN HUMAN HEARTS. GOD DAILY BESTRIDES THE PATHS OF PEOPLE, HE ARRANGES THEIR STARTLED ATTENTION WITH HIS PRESENCE AND SEEKS TO LEAD THEM BY HIS LONG-SUFFERING TO REPENTANCE.”

THIS PASSAGE ALLOWS US TO SEE TWO FUNDAMENTAL FACTS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION THAT IS CENTRAL TO CHRISTMAS:

1. THE REVELATION OF GOD TO HUMANITY

2. HUMANITY’S RESPONSE TO SUCH A REVELATION

POINT ONE: THE REVELATION OF GOD TO HUMANITY:

SUBPOINT ONE: GOD DOES REVEAL HIMSELF IN NATURE.

PSALM 19:1-2:

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD; THE SKIES PROCLAIM THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. 2 DAY AFTER DAY THEY POUR FORTH SPEECH; NIGHT AFTER NIGHT THEY REVEAL KNOWLEDGE.

ROMANS 1:20: FOR SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOD’S INVISIBLE QUALITIES—HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE—HAVE BEEN CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD FROM WHAT HAS BEEN MADE, SO THAT PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE

HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ENJOY THE BEAUTY GOD HAS CREATED IN THIS WORLD. BUT LETS NOT FORGET HIS POWER AS WELL. HE CERTAINLY DISPLAYED IT HERE ON TUESDAY. THINK OF THE JOY AND BEAUTY OF SEEING AN INFANT FOR THE FIRST TIME, OR A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE. I MARVELLED AS LESLIE AND I DROVE ALONGSIDE THE MIGHTY NIAGARA RIVER AS WE CAME CLOSE TO THE FALLS.