The Challenge Of God's Call-3 Series

The CHALLENGE OF GOD's CALL-III—Exodus 3:1-22

Assistance/Availability/Discovering/Significance

Attention:

Helicopter Pilot’s licence—

A tourist with more money than she had sense, went to the Bahamas where she went to a flight school, insisting she wanted to learn to fly that day. After flashing some major bucks his way, the instructor agreed to instruct her on how to pilot the helicopter solo by radio.

He took her out, showed her how to start it & gave her the basics & sent her on her way.

After she climbed 1000 feet, she radioed in. "I'm doing great! I love it!

The view is so beautiful, & I'm starting to get the hang of this."

After 2000 feet, she radioed again, saying how easy it was becoming to fly.

The instructor watched her climb over 3000 feet, & was beginning to worry that she hadn't radioed in.

A few minutes later, he watched in horror as she crashed about half a mile away. He ran over & pulled her from the wreckage.

When he asked what happened, she said, "I don't know! Everything was going fine, but as I got higher, I was starting to get cold.

I can't remember anything after I turned off the big fan!”

The 'wanna be pilot' faced a true Challenge in Answering the Call to being a pilot.

We all face a true Challenge in Answering God's Call.

Exodus records the significance of God’s call to Moses.

Answering God’s call presents a significant challenge.

To What does God’s call present a challenge?

16 challenges of/to God’s call.

We found earlier that,

God’s call presents a challenge to...

1. Our OCCUPATION(:1)

2. Our OBSERVATION(:2-3)

3. Our AVAILABILITY(:4)

4—God’s call presents a challenge to...

Our APPROACH(:5)

Explanation:(:5)

:5—“Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

There is a difference between God & ourselves, yet we are made in God’s image(Gen. 1:26-27). God is holy...& we are to be holy as He is(Lev. 19:2; ).

Lev. 19:1, 2—“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, & say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

Lev. 20:26—“ ‘And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, & have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”

God then informs Moses that he is not to “draw near” the bush(?& environs?) with his “sandals” upon his “feet” due to the “holiness” of the very “ground” under his feet. God’s holiness demands an approach in cleanness, whereas “sandals”/shoes assume contact with dirt/dust/the world/sin etc.).

“With them the removal of the shoes is a confession of personal defilement & conscious unworthiness to stand in the presence of unspotted holiness.”—JFB

A presumed custom in those days, was the removal of one’s sandals when in the presence of a superior. Minimally, it was a sign of humility. Beyond that it was a personal recognition of God’s majesty/glory.

Many modern cultures(as well as individuals) associate the removal of one’s shoes at the door in this manner. How much more-so, being in the presence of God Almighty!

The “ground” is “holy” because God/YHWH is there & God is “holy.” Man is not “holy”(apart from being declared such by God) & thereby that cognizance should compel one to not only recognize, but to also respect God’s holiness.

“Draw near/Come near/Come closer”(See :20—“Midst”)—brq kaw-rab’—Qal Imperfect—1) To come near, approach, enter into, draw near. Strong—a primitive root; To approach(causatively--Bring near) for whatever purpose.

“This Place/Hither”—Adverb—1) Here, hither. Strong—from the article [see halh haw-leh-aw'; from the primitive form of the article [hal]; To the distance, i.e. far away; also (of time)--Thus far]; Hither.

“Take...off”—lvn naw-shal'—1) To slip off, drop off, clear away, draw off. Strong—a primitive root; To pluck off, i.e. Divest, eject or drop. Used 7X.

“Sandals”—len nah'-al—1) Sandal, shoe. Strong—from len naw-al’]; properly--A sandal tongue; by extension--A sandal or slipper(sometimes as a symbol of occupancy, a refusal to marry, or of something valueless).

“Feet”——

“Place”(See :8)—Mwqm maw-kowm'—1) Standing place, place. Strong—properly--A standing, i.e. A spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind).

“Stand”—dme aw-mad’—Qal Participle(unbroken continuity) Active—1) To stand, remain, endure, take one's stand. Strong—a primitive root; To stand, in various relations(literal & figurative, intransitive & transitive).

“Holy”—vdq ko'-desh—1) Apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness. Strong—A sacred place or thing; rarely abstract--Sanctity.

“Ground”—hmda ad-aw-maw'—1) Ground, land—1a) Ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance), 1b) Piece of ground, a specific plot of land, 1c) Earth substance (for building or constructing), 1d) Ground as earth's visible surface, 1e) Land, territory, country, 1f) Whole inhabited earth, 1g) City in Naphtali. Strong—from Mda aw-dam’[To show blood(in the face), i.e. Flush or turn rosy]; Soil(from its general redness).