Shema – Moses – The story of Pesach

During the Pesach holidays our children requested that we would read through the story of Moses. Every night we would read a few chapters to them.

Once again the word of God came to surprise us during the reading of this powerful story to reveal to us something new and unseen.

For so long we have only thought the story of Moses to be about the great deliverance of the children of Israel. One miracle after the other in which God came to demonstrate Himself as their God and set them free from the bondage that they were under. This in itself is a powerful message. But for us during this Pesach the story revealed something more. Not just a message of deliverance but also a message of calling.

God hears His people groan and remembers His covenant with them. (Ex 2:24)
Ex 3 – Moses is between the people of Midian busy attending to His father-in-law’s flock. When Moses came to Horeb the mountain of the Lord the angel of the Lord appears to Him in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush. Then Moses said I will now turn aside and see this great sight. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God Called to him from the midst of the bush.

God revealed Himself to Moses only when Moses turned His eyes to look at this burning bush, and when God saw that He turned to look and give attention He called out to Moses.
Moses, Moses and he said here I am (Ex3:4)
I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – in these words God established Who He was.
I have seen the oppression of My people and I have heard their cry, I have come down to deliver them and bring them to a good and large land. – in these words God reveals His heart and plan to Moses.

Come now therefor and I will send you – and then finally after God establishes Who He is and what His desire is He calls upon Moses to come and act in obedience and faith beyond his own fear to be an instrument of deliverance for God’s people.

Moses then asks Who am I and God answers I will be with you.

Gods calling of us has nothing to do with who we are but rather everything to do with who He is, what He wants done and whether we are willing to step beyond our fear knowing that He will go with us. Most times it is much easier to stay where we are and pretend that we did not see the burning bush. But God shows us that if we will come He will be there with us. If we will dare to listen and obey He will use us mightily.

What would have happened if Moses hadn’t turned his attention towards God and obeyed – would his life just have remained ordinary? In his listening and obeying he became a man who saw and knew God. A man who lived in abundance to experience the supernatural power of God.