seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 3:11 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(b) will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[d] 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.
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(b) will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[d] 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.
a. Exodus 3:12 The Hebrew is plural.
b. Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
c. Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14
Ever since I was a kid I have chuckled a little every time I've read these verses. The first thing that comes to mind when I read Verse 14 is "Popeye the Sailor Man". When I get my wits about me and continue to read I think of the "Wizard of Oz". My Sunday School teacher would have taken me directly to my mom if she read this. But I digress.
I have to tell myself that Moses is in a real bind here. Pharaoh said that all male babies were to be murdered at birth. Those who survived that were to be thrown in to the Nile to be drown by rats or eaten by predators. Either way, Moses can't have been a Hebrew. All those parents who were forced to give up their babies would be so upset if they knew about him. Since he was raised in the palace they considered him an Egyptian not a Jew. And on top of that the Egyptians wanted him for murder.
Moses had been hiding as a shepherd in Midia for 40 years and now a voice in a bush that won't burn out is telling him to go back and save the Jews. He tried that before, that's why he was wanted for murder.
Now God wants him to go back and face all that. This is a whole lot more serious than a cartoon. Let alone the fact that this is God talking directly to Moses.....
The blueletterbible.org site seems to fit the best this morning.
Who am I? 40 years before, Moses thought he knew who he was: he was a prince of Egypt and a Hebrew, God's chosen instrument to deliver Israel. After forty years of chasing sheep around the desert, Moses didn't have the same self-sure confidence that he once had.
God's reply is intended to take Moses' focus off of himself and on where it should be - on God. Therefore, God never answered the question "Who am I?" Instead, He reminded Moses "I will certainly be with you."
This was a great opportunity to deal with Moses' "self-esteem" problem, but God ignored the solutions we usually use regarding this "problem." Moses only had a self-esteem problem when he was too confident in his own ability to deliver Israel.
As Moses tended his flock in the wilderness, it probably seemed totally unlikely that he would lead all three million of his people to this same mountain - but God promised that this would be so, as a sign to you that I have sent you.
Rightfully, Moses sensed he needed credentials before the people of Israel. Before, he thought he had the credentials because he was a prince of Egypt. 40 years of tending sheep took away his sense of self-reliance.
God's reply is intended to take Moses' focus off of himself and on where it should be - on God. Therefore, God never answered the question "Who am I?" Instead, He reminded Moses "I will certainly be with you."
This was a great opportunity to deal with Moses' "self-esteem" problem, but God ignored the solutions we usually use regarding this "problem." Moses only had a self-esteem problem when he was too confident in his own ability to deliver Israel.
"Who is God?" was the proper question. God's identity was more important than who Moses was. When we know the God who is with us, we can step forth confidently to do His will.
After this, Moses had no right to protest further. From here his objections move from a godly lack of self-reliance to an ungodly lack of faith.
After this, Moses had no right to protest further. From here his objections move from a godly lack of self-reliance to an ungodly lack of faith.
As Moses tended his flock in the wilderness, it probably seemed totally unlikely that he would lead all three million of his people to this same mountain - but God promised that this would be so, as a sign to you that I have sent you.
Rightfully, Moses sensed he needed credentials before the people of Israel. Before, he thought he had the credentials because he was a prince of Egypt. 40 years of tending sheep took away his sense of self-reliance.
And I have to add.... the last two verses remind me a lot of my mom saying "Because I said so".
