Hearing God’s Call

June 7, 2009

Background Scripture: Exodus 2:23 – 3:12
Lesson Passage: Exodus 3:1 – 12

This quarter’s lessons focus on the children of Israel from the time of their deliverance from Egypt to their preparation to inhabit the land of Canaan forty years later. This history provides a spiritual metaphor of the church’s deliverance from the world and its preparation for the rapture. The first four lessons are from the book of Exodus. Our lesson today brings Moses to the front and center as God’s chosen person to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses had lived his life in two phases. For the first forty years, he was reared in Pharaoh’s house as a prince in Egypt. Moses, however, never forgot his roots as a Hebrew. After witnessing a Hebrew slave being badly treated by an Egyptian overseer, Moses took matters into his own hands and killed the Egyptian and hid his body. The very next day Moses learned that some secrets are not secrets at all. When he tried to settle an argument between two Hebrews, one of them told him that he was not in authority over them and reminded him that he was guilty of murdering the Egyptian. Moses ran for his life away from Egypt and into the second phase of his life in the desert of Midian. The second phase of his life was spent in a much more humble situation. He was given the task of caring for another man’s flock out in the desert for forty years. Today’s lesson centers on the end of the second phase of Moses’ life. At the age of eighty years, God made contact with Moses. The voice of God spoke to Moses from a burning bush. God informed Moses that the children of Israel were in sorrow and he was going to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and place them in the land of Canaan in fulfillment of his covenant with their forefathers. It is not clear from the scripture whether Moses had time to think about this and feel relieved for his kindred because God also revealed to Moses how he intended to deliver them. God was sending Moses back to Egypt after forty years as a fugitive to confront Pharaoh and bring Israel out of Egypt. Unlike the forty year old man who thought he could protect the Hebrews from the Egyptians, at the age of eighty, Moses’ thoughts were very different. His response to God indicates that he felt inadequate for such a task. God assured Moses that he would not go alone but God would accompany him and after the task is completed, Moses would worship the Lord at the very mountain where his first conversation with God took place. Moses desired the Hebrews’ deliverance forty years ago but learned that he was unable to do it on his own. God was now calling him to put his trust in him and not in his own strength. God assured Moses that he would be successful and spoke about future events that would take place afterwards. Moses heard God’s call—but still he doubted if he was the right one to respond. At the age of forty years, Moses seemed to be governed by emotions and reason. At the age of eighty years, it seems as though life experiences had taught him to be skeptical and content. God will sometimes call us from our skepticism and contentment to do his will in spite of whatever experiences we have had in life. We, like Moses, must hear God’s call.

Robert C. Hudson
June 1, 2009