Reassuring, Insistent, Steadfast God on the Mountain

Continuing our journey through the Book of Exodus, taking another look at Exodus 3:1-4:17, one encounters another personality on "Horeb, the mountain of God," and this is God Himself. As we examined this passage, we discovered that Moses did not fare well. He proved to be a person doubting God, being unsubmissive to God, even being disobedient to God. God wanted to use this individual to accomplish God's purposes, but, like all of us, Moses was VERY HUMAN and VERY FLAWED and SINFUL.

IN BOLD CONTRAST, "God on the Mountain" is dependable, resilient, immovable. He knew who he was and what he intended to do. The same Bible that portrays Moses "on this or that mountain" portrays God "on this or that mountain"--not only through the Book of Exodus and the Pentateuch, but throughout the entire Bible--Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

No biblical passage in scripture relates EVERYTHING the Bible teaches about God. One must meet God slowly and in small bits as one works through biblical texts about God. Exodus 3:1-4:17 declares three significant truths about God: God REASSURES people whom God wants to use them to carry out this purposes; God INSISTS that God accomplishes what God intends to do; and God IS STEADFAST or faithful or dependable as God presents himself to humankind. One can see this by re-reading God's FIVE RESPONSES to each of Moses' excuses which we explored in a previous blog.

1. When Moses proposed the excuse: "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?", God replied: "I will be with you," and eventually you and the Israelites will worship on this mountain [Mount Horeb=Sinai]--Exodus
3:11-12. God did not counter with an ARGUMENT, but with an ASSURANCE. Arguments are abstract ideas; assurances are personal, concrete, relational realities.

2. When Moses proposed the excuse that Moses could not tell the Israelites the name of his God who appeared to him at the burning bush, God replied: my name is: "I AM WHO I AM."--Exodus 3:13-22. [Note: In a previous blog, we discussed possible interpretations of the word "Yahweh," and I will not repeat this again here. The point is: Moses' excuse is ONLY an excuse. God will be with him and will deliver the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage--see especially verses 17-22, which explains God's response to Moses in verse 13).

3. When Moses proposed the excuse that the Israelites would not believe or listen to Moses, God replied: I give you three signs, and these will convince the Israelites that Moses' message is from God: changing Moses' staff into a snake; making Moses' leprous in his cloak; and changing water into blood--Exodus 4:1-9.

4. When Moses proposed the excuse that Moses is not a good speaker, God replied: I, the Lord, enables each individual to speak or mute or deaf or seeing or blind; God can do whatever he wishes--Exodus 4:10-12.

5. When Moses proposed the excuse that Moses begged God to send someone else, God replied, now very angry: MOSES--Aaron, your brother, speaks well; so when you speak to Aaron, Aaron will relate your message to the Israelites.

Summing up this picture of God:
A. God reassured Moses that God would be with Moses and enable Moses to accomplish God's purposes.
B. God insisted that Moses say and do what God commanded him in spite of all of Moses' excuses to the contrary.
C. God is steadfast, faithful, dependable--MOSES, you can count on me today, tomorrow, and throughout your experiences in Egypt, and throughout your life.

God is the MAIN ACTOR in the Bible. ALL HUMAN BEINGS fail one way or other. God is always there, always dependable, always patient, always insistent, always understanding, always transforming our lives.

John Willis