Excusinator Maximus Meets Graciator Deo

EXCUSINATOR MAXIMUS MEETS GRACIATOR DEO

EXODUS 3:1-4:17

“Moses! Moses!”

Those were the words being called out from a burning bush. This man Moses was being called by name in the desert from a bush that was burning, but was not being burned up. It was not being burned up because an angel of the Lord was in the bush causing the miraculous event. The fire indicated the holy presence of God. What a miracle! What an extraordinary event! “Moses! Moses!” were not the only words being called out from the bush.

God also said:

READ EXODUS 3:6-10

"I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

What a call to service! The God of the Universe is calling Moses, the boy set adrift in a basket when he was a baby, to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. The God of Israel is calling Moses, the man who fled Egypt because of murder, to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. What is God calling Moses to do?

God is calling Moses to go to Egypt and command the Pharaoh (king) to release his nation of slaves.

God is calling Moses to lead that nation of slaves to freedom in a new land.

God is calling Moses to lead God’s people into a new way of living based on His law.

God is calling Moses to spend the rest of his life leading God’s people.

We might think that when Moses was called to serve God that he jumped in with both feet to serve God and do as He commanded. He did not. Moses was in the presence of the voice of God burning commands into his heart and Moses balked at serving God. I find his unwillingness completely amazing. Moses is in the presence of the Holy God and through the course of his calling gives excuse after excuse why he could not and should not and did not want to do as God was calling Him.

Moses lays out 5 excuses over the course of his conversation with God why he cannot serve. Now, to be honest, I feel like these excuses are pretty good, but in the end, God does not accept excuses when it comes to calling us to serve. He didn’t accept Moses’ excuses and He does not accept ours.

I. I AM NOBODY (3:11)

In response to the call of God, Moses excused himself because he felt that he was nobody.

READ EXODUS 3:11

“But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Moses is thinking that there is no way he could accomplish what God had laid out before him. Moses did spend the first 40 years of his life in Egypt, but he fled in disgrace and never wanted to go back. Moses had spent the last 40 years after Egypt being a shepherd and living a simple life. He had a wife. He had family responsibilities to his sons. His life was not one of a national leader, but a simple desert dwelling shepherd that focused on family. Moses knew he was not the person for the job.

God did not accept this excuse for one reason. God shares with Moses very simply in verse 12.

READ EXODUS 3:12

"I will be with you.”

Moses needed to understand the same thing that we do. When it comes to the calling in our lives to serve God, it has very little to do with us. Moses was right… he ain’t nobody. God was right… He is Who matters. The presence of God in our lives enables us to serve God in the way that He has called us. The presence of God gives us direction in decisions and strength to step forward and the presence of God nullifies any doubts we have about ourselves.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE