It Takes A Village – Week 2

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:1-4

Written within the pages of the book of Exodus we find one of the most complex and deep characters of the bible. His name was Moses. But Moses was not a character but an ordinary man with an extraordinary life story and history so rich and compelling that we continue to learn from him to this day.

He was born to Israelite parents who had settled in the land of Goshen. A new Pharaoh had arisen who sent a decree to slaughter all infant Hebrew sons, so Moses’ mother hid him within a rush basket and sent him down the Nile river in hopes of safety. He was discovered by the Pharaoh’s daughter and adopted into her family raised as Egyptian royalty. Shortly after reaching adulthood he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave and fled the palace to escape Pharaohs wrath. Now hiding, once again living a simple life in a city called Midian, we witness the encounter between God and Moses that would change history for generations upon generations to come.

Moses was tending his father-in-law’s flock in the fields along Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. On this mountain he encountered an angel of the Lord in the form of a burning bush. As the flames licked the tips of the bush, Moses was fascinated that the fire did not consume it. It was when God knew that Moses was paying attention that He called out to Moses giving Him instruction to return to Egypt and lead His children out of slavery.

Moses is one man who knew the emotional and spiritual depth of one’s need for community. And one can assume he struggled with understanding his identity and where he belonged between the Egyptians who raised him and his Israelite heritage. But though he was flawed and struggled in many ways, one of the deepest truths we can learn from his life is that Moses was a man who paid attention to his community and the village of souls who surrounded him. He was a leader who had to learn to communicate the commands and direction of his God to the people who submitted to his authority. Moses had taken upon his shoulders responsibilities that far outweighed his capabilities. It was his relationship with his creator that carried his character giving him one of the greatest legacies of all mankind.

Life Application:

Sometimes in life we, too, shoulder responsibilities that far outweigh our capabilities. But we were never created to do it alone. In order for us to build a legacy in our lives we must first pay attention to the village of souls that surround us. It is when we are paying attention that we the ability to witness the needs of others, our personal strengths, and the areas of our life where we may be lacking wisdom and knowledge. Christ desires for us to be efficient communicators understanding how to submit unto our God while submitting unto others. In order to learn how to do this we must first pay attention to His presence in our lives.

Father, help me to pay attention to your presence acknowledging your voice when you call out to me. Open my eyes to see and ears to hear all that surrounds me so I may be submitted unto your authority leading others in your holy and righteous way. In Jesus name, amen.