Exodus 3:16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
Again, I wonder what Moses was thinking as he heard these words, knowing that he already tried to establish himself as the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and was soundly rebuffed. Does it even occur to him that he failed that first time because he was acting under his own power and strength and not God’s?
Exodus 3:17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
I absolutely get where he might be coming from. He took that first failure as a no. He thought he wasn’t the one to set the Israelites free, so he slunk into the countryside and lived a little life, head down, working hard, doing what needed doing…and growing stronger in the ways God needed him so that he could free the Israelites. But I don’t think he sees this progression.
Exodus 3:18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’
Precious Savior, I totally understand if Moses got into his own head when he was rebuffed as the one to lead the Israelites out of Egypt all those years ago. It’s hard to fail that spectacularly and take a chance a second time. Help us, all of us, to get out of Your way, to quit second guessing what You are calling us to, and to act boldly for You. Amen.
Exodus 3:19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.
Have a blessed day.