Everybody Wants the Burning Bush

...and everybody thinks they aren't like Moses

If you’re a Christian, at some point you’ve probably wanted the burning bush (Exodus 3 & 4). You’ve wanted that undeniable divine intervention in your life where God appears in an unmistakable way and tells you exactly what to do and/or what he is doing. You wish that God’s voice didn’t just come across in an indescribable way or in ways that make you second guess. You want it audible. You want God to speak direct. You want God to literally burst forth onto the scene.

You’ve wanted that.

You’ve wanted Moses’ story. Kind of. But not really.

Why not really? Because you think you’re better than Moses.

Have you ever noticed Moses’ reaction to the thing that we always want? His initial response is “Who am I?” (3:11). Fair question. He’s not the logical first round draft pick for this job.

Second question: “Who are you? What is your name?” (paraphrase - 3:13). Again, not a terrible question. Until this point in history, there is no personal name for God.

Third question: “What if they think I’m nuts and won’t believe me?” (4:1). Probably a fair question. Moses has been gone from Egypt for a very long time. He killed a guy. He ran and hid. And suddenly, he’s going to return after decades of running away from God’s people. Furthermore, God’s revelation here does sound pretty unbelievable considering the context and circumstances they find themselves in.

Fourth question (really more of a statement): “Me talk bad. Me can’t do thing God want me do.” (definitely not a paraphrase of 4:10). This could be a factual point, but now Moses seems to moving into excuse territory.

Let’s pause there. Perhaps the bigger point isn’t in Moses’ questions (or objections, depending how you’re looking at it), but God’s responses. There’s the initial miracle of the bush itself, but then God uses miracles in his response. He reveals not just the generalized future, but also the more immediate future in a detailed way. He tells Moses his personal name. He promises to be with Moses through it all. He promises success. And he not only listens to Moses, he responds as only a gracious, merciful, sovereign Father can do.

That’s what want. We want to ask all the questions and have God respond in these ways. Then we will be completely obedient and closer to God than ever before.

Right?

The fifth response of Moses says it all: “Please, Lord, send someone else” (actual ESV reading of 4:13).

Moses had witnessed the audible voice of God. He’d witnessed no less than four miracles with promises of more in the immediate future. He was the first person to know God’s name. He’d been chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He would later write the first five books of the Bible and would be one of the most well known men of the Bible, a man of faith so well known that even unbelievers know of him.

And his response was “Send someone else.”

You want the burning bush; I want the burning bush - because we believe that we are not like Moses. I’m not saying that you couldn’t respond differently; I’m saying that we all believe that the burning bush would make the difference because we would react in faith. Maybe that experience would change your world, but it didn’t for Moses. And I don’t believe myself to be even in the same ballpark as Moses. I would be just as fearful, just as questioning, making just as many excuses, and probably telling God to send someone else under a false blanket of humility.

Look deep into your heart and mind. What do you actually desire?

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus says of the rich man:

“‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house—because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won’t also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:27-31).

At your core, do you want the signs or do you want the Father? Do you want to experience miracles, or do you want to experience God? Do you want to hear God’s voice, or do you want God to say the things you want to hear?

Do you desire the burning bush, or the God that made it burn?