LESSONS FROM THE BURNING BUSH

As we know, the life of Moses is one of the most revered in the whole of Scripture.  However, Moses did not always do what God wanted the way He wanted it done.  As you know, the Bible teaches that Moses, though a child of Hebrew slaves in the land of Egypt, was peculiarly and powerfully preserved by the grace of God.  His mother abandoned him to the river in a basket covered with pitch.  Pharaoh's daughter discovered the child and took him home to be raised in the finest of the royal palace.  God even arranged it that his birth mother would be hired to nurse the baby as he grew. Talk about God providing! 

However, most scholars hold to the view that Moses learned of the traditions of the Hebrews at the feet of his mother and the customs of the Egyptians at the feet of Pharaoh's daughter.  If these assumptions are accurate, we can begin to understand why Moses might think of himself as the great deliverer the Hebrew people had been hoping for.  This could explain why he attempted to take matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave.

By the time Moses encountered the Burning Bush (Exodus 3), Moses is banished and broken man, who has spent forty years on the backside of the desert, learning how to be a shepherd.  Realizing that the man he wanted to use was now ready, God uses that bush to call Moses.

This is one of the most powerful and glorious passages in the whole of the Bible.  In these verses rest the promises and hopes for the Hebrew people which exist even today.  God is calling Moses to lead the people out of the land of bondage.

Let's now focus on Moses' reaction to this incredible event?  Does he rejoice in finally getting a handle on his purpose in life?  No!  Instead, he questions God.  That's right!  He questions God's identity.  He questions God's ability to get the job done.  He questions God's choice in choosing him.  In short, Moses is questioning the adequacy of God to do and be that which he claims to do and be.

Now, before we sneer at our man Moses, let's take a careful look at our own lives and let's ask ourselves some serious questions, such as, "Do I believe God is adequate to do and be what he claims to do and be?"  Do I believe in the adequacy of God.

I have heard it said that when descending the Grand Canyon, a person sometimes has to travel on narrow ledges that have only enough room for a mule to get a foothold. The path is little more than a ribbon that runs along the edges of the towering walls that overlook vertical drop-offs that descend hundreds of feet into the valley below. When one must make use of these stony paths, the safest thing to do is to let the mule find its own way.  Apparently, the slightest touch on the bridle may so disturb the animal that both rider and mule could slip and fall to certain death.  To ride this mule, you must believe the mule to be adequate for the task.  This is similar to the life of a believer.  When we believe in the adequacy of God's forgiveness, power, and integrity to his Word, we do not see the needs to take the reigns of our own lives and try to do it our way.  Many a child of God has found that trusting in their own idea of what is good for them is more dangerous than trusting in God's adequacy. When the child of God gives in to doubts, discouragement and despair, and tries to manage his life on the basis of what he thinks, he falls.  Yet, when we let go of the reigns of control and choose to trust the adequacy of God, it is then, we find the safety of his presence.

This is the lesson of the burning bush.  Don't question the adequacy of God.  He knows what he is doing and He is able to provide for those willing to heed his call.  God does not punish us for our questions, but there is a limit.  When continued questions become an excuse for delay, God is again adequate.  He is adequate to see through that ploy.

The lesson of the burning bush comes down to this:  Are we going to obey Him or not!  There is no excuse not to but our stubborn will.  Furthermore, continued questioning of God, beyond honest inquiry, ends up questioning the adequacy of God.  There is nothing but trouble at the end of that road.