“Oh Lord, please send somebody else to do it!”
Moses said that. To God. Immediately after God invited Him to be part of something amazing, Moses begs God to choose somebody else – someone more qualified, someone more capable, someone more powerful. Anyone but him.
I admit, I think Moses is a pansy. God showed up in a miraculous way, establishing Himself as all-powerful. He lays out the problem and reveals His heart to Moses. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” Then, in no uncertain terms, He invites Moses to be a part of what He is about to do. And Moses, the baby, looks around for someone else.
But when I look at my response to God’s invitation, I see a little bit of Moses in the mirror. Moses wasn’t expecting God to come knocking. He was just doing his thing, watching his flocks and living a content life. He hadn’t had an encounter like that before, nor did he have any reason to expect one. He hadn’t been hanging around, praying that God would use him to deliver God’s people. Sure, maybe he would rather see them delivered than not, but what did that have to do with him?
And then God shows up in a fiery display, and Moses is confronted with a huge decision. Do I live my life the way I’ve been living it, or do I accept God’s invitation to change the world?
It seems like such an easy decision, but if it’s so easy, why did Moses – and why do I – look at God with fear in our eyes and say, “Please send somebodyelse to do it!”
Moses at the burning bush is one of my all time favorite texts. It takes down every excuse I put up for not wanting to be the one to go. I’ll have to send you my sermon notes if you’re interested.