Slices
Prepare
Reflect on the words of this hymn: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! … / Only Thou art holy; / There is none beside thee, / Perfect in power, in love and purity’ (Reginald Heber, 1783–1826).
Bible passage
Moses and the burning bush
3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.’
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’
And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’
5 ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ 6 Then he said, ‘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.’
11 But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’
12 And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’
Explore
Last week we read that God is faithful and knows and loves his people. In today’s reading, we see a different part of God’s character.
Moses finds himself by ‘the mountain of God’ (v 1), and it is here that God appears to him as an angel in a burning bush (v 2). He is a God who defies description, other than that he is who he is (see v 14), and that his name will be remembered throughout all generations (see v 15). This God is so holy, so utterly awesome and pure, that Moses must not come too close and hides his face (v 6). How do you naturally relate to God? Is repentance before a holy God part of your regular prayer life?
Despite God’s perfection, he sees his people’s affliction and promises blessing and deliverance (vs 7,8). He gives Moses a personal assignment and promises to be with him for the journey (vs 10–12). Praise him that he is a holy God who comes close to deliver and bless his people!
Respond
Use this prayer to reflect: ‘Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent … Renew a right spirit within us, and restore us to the joy of your salvation. Amen.’*
*Church of England, Common Worship Daily Prayers
Deeper Bible study
Make a list of your strengths, skills, abilities and resources. How, and how well, have you been using these for the growth and glory of God’s kingdom?
Moved with compassion by his people’s plight (v 7), God resolves to act: ‘I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians’ (v 8). At Horeb, the mountain of God (v 1), the Lord calls and commissions Moses – the deliverer he has so carefully safeguarded and prepared for this moment – to participate in this rescue mission (v 10). Exiled from Egypt, and now an old man of 80,1 it is hardly surprising that Moses wonders, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ (v 11). It’s been said that ‘God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called.’ The call of Moses is sandwiched between a proclamation of who God is – an utterly holy God, who covenanted with the patriarchs (vs 5,6) – and the promise of his abiding presence (v 12). It is on the strength of this proclamation and promise that Moses is qualified and empowered for this great commission.
‘God so loved the world’ that, centuries later, he sent his Son on the greatest of all rescue missions, to save a lost humanity.2 On another occasion, on another mountain, this new Moses – whose name is Jesus – entrusts his disciples with the task of carrying on his rescue mission.3 Here is another great commission that is sandwiched between a proclamation of authority and a promise of presence.
In every generation, our world stands in need of rescue. In every generation, hopeless people cry out in desperate need of God’s help. And in every generation, God calls and commissions his people to proclaim his good news and to ‘go and make disciples’.4 In what ways have you heard this call in your life? How are you responding? What makes you hesitant? What keeps you hopeful?
Heavenly Father, every day, show me ways in which I can be a more eager and effective instrument in bringing your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
1 Exod 7:7 2 John 3:16,17 3 Matt 28:16–20 4 Matt 28:19
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 1,2; Psalms 11,12
Pray for Scripture Union
A number of schools have asked Trevor Ranger of Local Mission Partner Synergy for prerecorded assembly videos or live online assemblies. This year’s theme is ‘What is God like?’ and will explore the nature and character of God. Pray that these assemblies will engage the children.
