GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH US
Exodus 3:1-15
Rev. Paul Wrightman 8/13/23
RECENTLY WE ENGAGED WITH THE STORY
OF JABOB'S SIMULTANEOUSLY WRESTLING
WITH HIMSELF AND WITH GOD.
WE SAW HOW THIS ALL-NIGHT ENCOUNTER
WAS THE PIVOTAL TURNING POINT IN JACOB'S LIFE.
SPEAKING IN BROARD BRUSH STROKES,
WAS CAN SAY THAT BEFORE THIS EVENT
JACOB HAD DEFINED HIMSELF AS BEING
SELFISH, RUTHLESS, AND MANIPULATIVE.
DURING THIS EVENT JACOB FINALLY OPENS UP
AND ALLOWS GOD TO TOUCH HIM DEEPLY,
SO DEEPLY, IN FACT, THAT AFTER THIS ENCOUNTER
JACOB IS ON THE ROAD OF BECOMING A PERSON
WITH REAL MATURITY, DEPTH, AND WISDOM.
BEFORE WE CONNECT WITH TODAY'S TEXT,
IN WHICH WE FIND MOSES BEING
CHALLENGED TO 'GROW UP,' SO TO SPEAK,
AFTER HIS OWN PARTICULARLY INTENSE
CONFRONTATION WITH GOD,
WE NEED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT JOSEPH,
SON OF JACOB AND HIS FAVORITE WIFE, RACHEL.
EVEN THOUGH JACOB MATURES CONSIDERABLY
AFTER HIS WRESTLING MATCH WITH GOD,
HE DOES NOT MATURE TO THE EXTENT
OF PUTTING A STOP TO
THE DYSFUNCTIONALITY OF HIS FAMILY
IN TERMS OF PLAYING FAVORITES
WITH HIS CHILDREN.
MOST OF US REMEMBER FROM SUNDAY SCHOOL
THE CYCLE OF STORIES ABOUT JOSEPH,
JACOB'S OFT-PROCLAIMED PREFERRED CHILD.
WE RECALL JACOB'S SINGLING OUT JOSEPH
WITH AN EXPENSIVE COAT OF MANY COLORS,
HOW HIS BROTHERS, ENRAGED WITH JEALOUSY,
THROW JOSEPH INTO A PIT,
WHERE HE IS DISCOVERED BY A BAND
OF MIDIANITES, AND SOLD AS A SLAVE IN EGYPT.
JOSEPH HAS MANY ADVENTURES IN EGYPT,
ULTIMATELY BECOMING SECOND IN COMMAND
TO PHARAOH, AND EVENTUALLY
BECOMING RECONCILED WITH HIS BROTHERS.
JOSEPH'S GREATEST EXPLOIT
WAS TO CORRECTLY INTERPRET PHAROAH'S DREAM
PREDICTING AN UPCOMING SEVERE FAMINE.
UNDER JOSEPH'S COMMAND
EXCESS GRAIN WAS STORED FOR SEVEN YEARS
TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING SEVEN YEARS
OF FAMINE.
LET’S FAST-FORWARD NOW.
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS HAVE PASSED
FROM JOSEPH TO MOSES.
THE ISRAELITES ARE NOWTHE SLAVES
OF THE EGYPTIANS.
THE EGYPTIANS ARE PRACTICING
A FORM OF GENOCIDE AGAINST THE ISRAELITES,
PHARAOH HAVING ORDERED ALL NEWLY BORN
MALE HEBREW INFANTS TO BE TOSSED
INTO THE RIVER NILE AND ALLOWED TO DROWN.
WE KNOW THE STORY OF HOW MOSES' PARENTS
PLACE HIM IN AN FLOATING BASKET,
HOW THE MINATURE ARK IS DISCOVERED
BY PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER,
HOW MOSES IS BROUGHT UP AS PRINCE
IN THE ROYAL COURT,
HOW HE EVENTUALLY DISCOVERS HIS HEBREW IDENTITY,
KILLS AN EGYPTIAN TASKMASTER HE FINDS
BRUTALIZING ONE OF HIS OWN HEBREW PEOPLE,
AND IS FORCED TO FLEE FOR HIS LIFE
TO THE LAND OF MIDIAN --
AGAIN A TOUCH OF BIBLICAL IRONY,
FOR IT WAS THE MIDIANITES,
WHO FOUR HUNDRED YEARS EARLIER,
HAD SOLD JOSEPH INTO SLAVERY IN EGYPT.
MOSES IS NOW A SHEPHERD,
TENDING HIS FATHER -IN-LAW'S SHEEP,
WHEN HE HAS THE LIFE-CHANGING
ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
DESCRIBED IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING.
MT. HOREB IS SIMPLY ANOTHER NAME
FOR MT. SINAI.
IT IS ON THE SLOPES OF THIS MOUNTAIN
THAT MOSES IS CONFRONTED BY GOD
IN THE FORM OF A BUSH WHICH BURNS
BUT IS NOT CONSUMED IN ITS BURNING.
SUCH A SINGULAR SIGHT OF COURSE
CAPTURES MOSES' ATTENTION.
BUT IT ALSO MAKES A SIGNIFICANT
THEOLOGICAL POINT.
MOSES IS ABOUT TO BE "SET ON FIRE" BY GOD,
SO TO SPEAK,
AND LIKE THE BURNING BUSH,
MOSES WILL NOT BE CONSUMED IN THE PROCESS.
INSTEAD, MOSES WILL BE LIBERATED
BY ACCEPTING HIS GOD-GIVEN VOCATION,
LIBERATED TO BECOME, IN TURN, A LIBERATOR.
THE HAUNTING LYRICS OF THE BEATLES’ SONG
"BLACKBIRD," CAN APPLY NOT ONLY
TO THE BROKEN MOSES,
BUT TO THE MOSES' BROKEN PEOPLE,
THE HEBREWS.
THEY CAN BE HEARD AS A PROFOUND ECHO
OF MOSES' HEALING AND THE HEALING
OF MOSES' PEOPLE:
"BLACKBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT
TAKE THESE BROKEN WINGS AND LEARN TO FLY
ALL YOUR LIFE
YOU WERE ONLY WAITING
FOR THIS MOMENT TO ARISE."
AFTER GOD GETS MOSES' ATTENTION,
GOD CALLS MOSES BY NAME.
AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE
ANOTHER MAJOR PRINCIPLE
OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.
IN PAST SERMONS WE HAVE MET
THE PRINCIPLE OF ACCOMMODATION,
WHERE GOD IS UNDERSTOOD TO CONDESCEND
TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN HISTORICAL,
CULTURAL, AND PERSONAL LIMITATIONS.
WE HAVE MET THE PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY,
WHEREBY GOD'S LOVING AND FORGIVING NATURE
IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE ABSOLUTELY CONSISTENT
AND UNCHANGING:
GOD'S NATURE DOES NOT CHANGE;
IT IS OUR HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
OF GOD'S NATURE THAT CHANGES.
WE HAVE MET THE PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPMENT,
WHEREBY OUR HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
OF GOD'S NATURE TENDS, IN SPITE OF
OCCASIONAL GIANT STEPS BACKWARDS,
TO MATURE AND TO BECOME MORE PROFOUND
OVER TIME.
TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE
THE PRINCIPLE OF PERSONAL APPLICATION,
WHICH MEANS THAT SCRIPTURE ENCOURAGES US
TO APPLY TO OURSELVES THE LESSONS LEARNED
AND THE VOCATIONS EMBRACED
BY ALL THE MAJOR CHARACTERS DESCRIBED
IN THE BIBLE.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE ARE PERSONALLY INVITED
TO BECOME PART OF THE ON-GOING STORY
THAT THE BIBLE BEGAN.
SO WHEN GOD CALLS MOSES BY NAME,
WE ARE NOT SIMPLY TO HEAR
GOD CALLING MOSES BY NAME,
AND LEAVE IT AT THAT,
WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO HEAR GOD CALLING
EACH OF US BY NAME,
EMPOWERING US AS INDIVIDUALS,
AND EMPOWERING US AS A CHURCH
FOR THE UNIQUE TASKS
FOR WHICH GOD HAS SINGLED US OUT.
SO AS WE PROCEED THROUGH THE REST
OF TODAY'S BIBLICAL NARRATIVE,
I INVITE YOU TO HEAR IT ON TWO LEVELS,
AS ADDRESSED TO MOSES,
AND AS ADDRESSED TO YOU.
AFTER GETTING MOSES' ATTENTION,
GOD IDENTIFIES GODSELF,
"I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER,
THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC,
AND THE GOD OF JACOB."
THIS IDENTIFICATION IS INTENDED
TO TAKE AWAY ANY FEAR ON MOSES' PART,
AND TO REMIND HIM THAT BOTH HE AND GOD
ARE STANDING IN CONTINUITY
WITH ABRAHAM AND SARAH, ISAAC AND REBECCA,
JACOB AND RACHEL.
GOD PROCEEDS TO SHARE WITH MOSES
FOUR TRULY AWESOME FACTS ABOUT GODSELF:
GOD TELLS MOSES,
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MISERY
OF THE ENSLAVED HEBREWS,
"I HAVE OBSERVED,
I HAVE HEARD,
I KNOW,
AND I HAVE COME DOWN." (REPEAT)
USING THE INTERPRETIVE PRINCIPLE
OF PERSONAL APPLICATION,
WE ARE GIVEN PERMISSION TO APPLY
THESE AWESOME CHARACTER TRAITS
OF GOD TO OUR OWN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.
WHEN WE ARE ENSLAVED BY OUR ADDICTIONS,
CHAINED TO OUR ILLNESSES,
CAUGHT UP IN OUR CO-DEPENDENCIES,
MIRED IN RELATIONAL HASSLES,
WE CAN HEAR GOD LOVINGLY COMMUNICATING
TO US,
I HAVE SEEN,
I HAVE HEARD,
I KNOW,
AND I HAVE COME DOWN.
ALL THESE REALITIES ARE IMPLICIT
IN GOD'S SUMMARY STATEMENT TO MOSES
"I WILL BE WITH YOU."
THIS LITTLE PREPOSITION WITH
IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST THEOLOGICAL WORD
IN THE VOCABULARY OF JUDAISM
AND CHRISTIANITY.
IT MAKES BOTH THESE GREAT FAITH TRATITIONS
INTENSELY PERSONAL
IN TERMS OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING
OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND PEOPLE.
"I WILL BE WITH YOU."
JUST AS GOD PROMISED TO BE WITH MOSES
IN MOSES' VOCATION TO TAKE ON PHARAOH;
GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH COMMUNITY CHURCH IN OUR VOCATION TO TAKE ON,
AMONG OTHER THINGS
THE OPPRESSION OF HOMELESSNESS.
GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH COMMUNITY CHURCH
IN OUR VOCATION TO WELCOME AND AFFIRM
ALL PERSONS, ESPECIALLY PERSONS
WHO HAVE BEEN EXILED TO THE MARGINS
IN TERMS OF SOCIAL STATUS
OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH COMMUNITY CHURCH
IN OUR VOCATION TO CONCENTRATE ON
THE ORIGINAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS
IN TERMS OF UNCEASING COMPASSION,
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,
AND CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE.
AND GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH US,
NOT JUST AS A COMMUNITY,
BUT AS INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY:
TO BE WITH US IN ALL OF OUR PERSONAL
CHALLENGES AND STRUGGLES,
TO BE WITH US IN ALL OF OUR
TRIUMPHS AND JOYS.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER
GOD TELLS MOSES THAT GOD HAS SEEN,
HEARD, KNOWN, AND COME DOWN,
GIVING MOSES THE EXPECTATION
THAT GOD WILL BE THE ONE
TO TAKE ON THE EGYPTIANS,
GOD TURNS THE TABLE ON MOSES
AND ANNOUNCES TO HIM:
"SO COME, I WILL SEND YOU TO PHARAOH
TO BRING MY PEOPLE,
THE ISRAELITES, OUT OF EGYPT."
THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF MOSES' MOUTH
TO THIS PROCLAMATION OF GOD ARE:
"WHO AM I THAT I SHOULD GO TO PHARAOH,
AND BRING THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT?"
IT IS IN RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION
THAT GOD TELLS MOSES
THAT GOD WILL BE WITH HIM.
GOD'S PROMISED PRESENCE IS NOT ENOUGH
FOR MOSES, HOWEVER,
AND HE TRIES TO GET OFF THE HOOK
BY COMPLAINING THAT THE ISRAELITES
WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD IS REALLY WITH HIM
UNLESS HE CAN REVEAL TO THEM
GOD'S PERSONAL NAME.
AT THIS POINT GOD REVEALS GOD'S FAMOUS NAME
TO MOSES, "I AM WHO I AM,"
WHICH AS THE JEWISH SCHOLAR
MARTIN BUBER CONTENDS,
IS REALLY NO REVELATION AT ALL,
BUT GOD'S DEFINITIVE REJECTION
OF ALL ATTEMPTS TO USE GOD'S NAME
IN MAGICAL WAYS;
MAGICAL WAYS
WHICH WERE QUITE PREVALENT AT THAT TIME,
AND, UNFORTUNATELY STILL ARE IN OUR TIME.
SO GOD -- I BELIEVE ALMOST JOKINGLY --
REPLIES TO MOSES WHEN HE ASKS
THE DIVINE NAME HE IS TO REVEAL
TO THE ISRAELITES:
TELL THEM "I AM" HAS SENT ME TO YOU.
MOSES MUST HAVE BEEN HORRIFIED AT THIS JOKE,
KNOWING WHAT KIND OF VIOLENT RESPONSE
THE OBTUSE STATEMENT
"I AM HAS SENT ME TO YOU,"
WOULD HAVE PROVOKED IN THE PEOPLE;
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LAUGHED OUT OF TOWN
OR STONED ON THE SPOT.
SO GOD, HAVING MADE THE POINT
THAT HIS PERSONAL NAME
IS NOT TO BE MESSED WITH --
THAT GOD WILL BE WHO GOD WILL BE,
AS SOME OTHER TRANSLATIONS HAVE IT --
QUICKLY GOES ON TO GIVE MOSES PERMISSION
TO USE THE WELL-KNOWN NAME FROM THE PAST:
"THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO THE ISRAELITES,
'THE LORD, THE GOD OF YOUR ANCESTORS,
THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC,
AND THE GOD OF JACOB, HAS SENT ME TO YOU."
AMAZINGLY, AND PERHAPS YET ANOTHER POINT
WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH MOSES, IS THAT
MOSES COMES UP WITH THREE MORE EXCUSES
CONCERNING WHY HE IS NOT THE RIGHT PERSON
FOR THE JOB.
TO EACH OF THESE EXCUSES GOD PROMISES
NO MAGICAL SOLUTION,
BUT MERELY OFFERS VARIATIONS ON THE THEME
THAT GOD WILL BE WITH HIM.
LIKE MOSES, THIS IS THE ONLY RESPONSE
THAT GOD WILL GIVE US
TO ALL OUR OBJECTIONS
THAT WE ARE NOT THE RIGHT PERSON
OR THE RIGHT CHURCH
FOR THE JOB AT HAND.
AND YET, WHEN WE PAUSE TO REFLECT ON IT,
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE PROMISE
GOD HAS GIVEN US:
TO BE UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY WITH US,
BOTH AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CHURCH.
WITH THIS REALITY OF EMMANUEL,
THE NAME OF JESUS MEANING -- YOU GUESSED IT --
"GOD-WITH-US,"
WE TOO CAN BE HEALED AND MADE WHOLE
LIKE THE BLACKBIRD IN THIS MORNING'S FEATURED SONG:
BLACKBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT
TAKE THESE BROKEN WINGS AND LEARN TO FLY
ALL YOUR LIFE
YOU WERE ONLY WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT
TO ARISE
YOU WERE ONLY WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT
TO ARISE
YOU WERE ONLY WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT
TO ARISE.
AMEN.