Moses' story

Our readings shift to Exodus, today: chpts. 1, 2, 3.

The opening of Exodus frames the problem and foretells the solution.
Exodus 1 opens many years down the road from the ending of Genesis.

"Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died...,
Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt."

The Israelites are no longer identified as a favored group because of Joseph, they are now a perceived threat to the Egyptians, and so they are subjected to slavery.

As chapter 2 opens the story shifts to the birth of Moses. Protected by Pharaoh's daughter the story quickly shifts to when he is an adult, and he mistakenly thinks the way to help his people is to kill off the Egyptian oppression. It only leaves him fleeing to the desert of Midian...the place where he will eventually lead his nation. There he lives as a shepherd, marries, and has children. He settles down and puts his Egyptian past behind him. The book of Acts tells us (probably in round numbers) that Moses grew up in Pharaoh's court and lived in privilege for 40 years, and then after fleeing to the desert, he lived there for 40 years. He is near 80, 2/3 the way through his life when the plot shifts.

"During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God."

One day Moses is doing his normal work, shepherding, and God manifests his presence to him. The angel of the Lord appears in a burning bush that does not burn up and Moses goes to check it out:

"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."

The response of God is indicative of Moses' future as a King/Priest to the nation of Israel:

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 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."

God, who is holy, acts on the covenant promises of his people. God is a covenant God, making and delivering on the promises of salvation to his people. Read the text and note the many times God invokes the promises made to Israel's fathers in acting to deliver them. When Moses wonders out loud why the Israelites would listen to him - a fair question when we realize he's been gone for 40 years - God responds in covenant language:

"God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' "This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation."

The language is worth slowly meditating on. This is the revelation of "Yahweh" - "I am that I am" - the name the Israelites would not speak aloud
out of reverence for his holiness. He is God - Elohim - the great and awesome God, King of the Universe. He is lord - Adonai - the very presence of compassion and care in the suffering of his people.

Exodus opens with a forgotten people, and Moses flees as a forgotten man; but God does not forget. Peace.

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