Wednesday, July 19, 2023
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Sitting beside the burning bush
Moses, tending his father-in-law’s flocks, saw a bush burning, but not consumed. “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight!”
We spent many hours mowing farm weeds, and also cutting them down with a variety of hoes, machetes and hooks. Mostly we wanted to conquer thistles and cockleburs, at least for ourselves. The cattle and hogs didn’t like them either, but they never were much help trampling them down. More accepting than our dad, John and I, they just walked a different way to get to the water tanks, feed troughs, barn and hog houses.
Quite a community we all made. I imagine Moses would have fit right in. His willingness at his age to do the rough farm work must have been an inspiration to old Jethro, who was blessed with seven daughters. So when Moses comes back from his regular day in the fields with stars in his eyes, shaken down and pressed together into the core of his being, Jethro sits up on his cushion, looks at him again, and begins to open his mouth to speak.
Moses speaks first. “Father, I saw a burning bush today, and it talked to me.”
Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Jethro leaned back on his cushion. He waited. He looked at Moses and cocked his head.
“God spoke to me out of the bush and said I must return to Egypt, to tell Pharaoh to let the people go.”
The Egyptians are oppressing the children of Israel, and now I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people out of Egypt.
Moses’ wife Zipporah held a glass of wine out to Moses. “Drink this, husband. Before your wild ideas find any more words.”
“The pharaoh is my brother. Maybe he would listen to me. My people have become his slaves and are being whipped every day!”
Jethro spoke at last. “Let’s talk about this again in the morning,” he said at first. But Moses’ face seemed so set and his words became more and more certain as he spoke.
“God didn’t give me a choice. He told me I was the man for this job, and that my brother Aaron would help me. You haven’t met Aaron. He’s just like me.”
“We will be hard-pressed here without you, Moses. We have built up our farm so it would feed you and your family as well as the rest of us.” Jethro paused.
“But God will provide. All of us know that is true.”
I remember Dad asking me if I planned to be a farmer, and milk cows like he did. He knew I would say no, I think, and I did say no. Soon after that he set up the auction where all his Holstein milk cows would be sold. Like Moses, I felt guilty then because I was leaving him.
John didn’t leave, but stayed. I have never sensed that he regretted that decision, but I also haven’t asked him. Perhaps he, like Moses, was torn. But he, unlike Moses, decided to stay.
And neither John nor I had a burning bush experience. At least neither of us has ever said so.
(Exodus 3, Psalm 103, Matthew 11)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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