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Thoughts from Exodus 3: Unlikely Hero and Plan
By daniel | January 18, 2007
Last post, we looked at how to read the Exodus story. Today I'm adding to your background, and once again, more on how to read the story. We've talked about anticipating what God might do next, but I'd like to mention why today. Why do I care enough about this story to really be eager about what God is going to do? The answer to this is that we need to read it as the intended audience would have. Intended audience: Nation of Israel many years later. Why do they care about this? This is their identity. This is who they were!
So: You are an Israelite for purposes of reading Exodus. The defining moment in the history of your people and their God is here in story form. What happens here will define who God is and who you are, period.
Back to the story, we've waited patiently through the first few chapters, waiting for God to act. Now in Chapter 3, He does, but in a very unexpected way. He shows up, in a bush, to a 60-70-ish year old Hebrew-raised-Egyptian outcast/failed hero. Lovely. We're left thinking, what is He thinking? Who is this Moses guy, and of what use is he towards what God has said He's doing — that is, rescuing this enslaved nation?
Then God lays down the plan. Moses, the old Egyptian refugee, is going to go gather the elders of Israel, and tell Pharaoh (most powerful man in the world) to do something he clearly would not want to do. God expects (hint: knows) that Pharoah will do what Pharoah wants, not what Moses and Israel and God wants. So God tells Moses what's next: God will perform miracles and signs and wonders against Egypt to convince them to allow Israel to depart, even giving Israel all their goodies on the way out.
This is an incredible plan, and it would take a very very big God to do. To be continued…
Topics: The Word |
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