Preached in Theater in The Text: Exodus. ¹¹ The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  ¹³ But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”  ¹⁴ Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. ¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. ¹⁶ He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. ¹⁷ But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.”

The Story of the burning Bush is one of the most recognized in the bible.  The story of runaway Moses walking along minding his business and then being told by God out of an inflamed but not consumed bush to GO and Free the Hebrews from there enslavement in Egypt. Moses complains and worries and God sends Aaron and Moses to Pharaoh to do sighs, eventually bring Plagues and delivers the Hebrews from enslavement.   And our passage to day comes from Smack in the middle of all that, Moses’ fear and questions at the moments at the bush. Moses’ question of God about is Call Moses’ attempts to plead with God.  

Oh Moses, I do sympathies him. I think that his big scary calling at the bush is one that we might have thought about somewhere along out path. But Why…  Why is a calling so scary? Is calling scary because is it fear of the unknown? Post graduation, Summer internships, CPE?  Blind faith is a hard pill to swallow. Is it not feeling worthy? A “no man or words am  I” thing? Is it that other people might think you’re crazy? Did that guy really think that God talked to him out of a bush? Or is it the idea of failing,… what if I can’t get the people out? What if Pharaoh kills me? What if the people are so broken they can’t hear the words that God is trying to tell them? What if I am one of those ministers that drive people away from the church, What if I fail them… what if I fail God…and loses sight of what I’m doing?

 I think at some point we have all be able to relate to this burning bush moment with God and Moses. He’s terrified. And why wouldn’t he be? He is standing in a place that is holy ground being told to go and face the empire. The man who is thought to be a god here on earth? And say to that man, “Sorry dude, I know all of these people look up to you. But really my God is bigger, my God is badder, and my God is gona whoop up all over you, if you don’t let us go and worship our God.  And by the way, let me just stroll up into your house, and make a mockery of what you think is divine, with serpent and water turned to blood. And then demand that you let your economic foundation of people go with me. Would that be alright?” 

Maybe that’s not what our calling looks like, and maybe we have memorized the words of God the words of I will-be-there.. and who is it that puts a mouth in human beings? Is it not I the creator? … maybe we try and remember just to have faith and Know that God is with us. In a commentary I found the author harshly criticism Moses saying “Moses pitiful excuses disregards is own status as creature” he goes on to say that Moses is “not autonomous or abandoned in his difficult calling”  Although I agree that Moses is not Autonomous or abandoned, I do think pitiful is a little harsh.  

From day one this class has focused on two things, what is the way out? And these are the names? What are the names in this passage? … God, Moshe, and Aaron.  

 Have you ever noticed that Aaron gets kind of shafted in this exchange. The story dose not tell us that God appears to Aaron in a bush, that God Asks Aaron if he wouldn’t mind being a spokesmen, God doesn’t let Aaron wine and complain and ask for someone else to go. God just tells Aaron later in our story to go, meet his brother. Then Moses has the burden of dropping that bomb on him. BTW… I need you to run a few errands with me. Really? Not cool!

Maybe God was done listing to the complaining. But I think it’s interesting. What God says to Moses about Aaron, the timing of it all. Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite. Is God making a point here? See Moses, I can make people who are good speakers, and example A: Aaron. OR Is God making a suggestion? Is there not your brother? I know can speak. Take him with you. I know a lot of translations make this statement a question or suggestion from God.

But Fox translates it as statement not a question. Dose that matter? What if Aaron was a part of the plan all along? Is that so hard to believe? I think that Aaron was part of the plan to begin with. I think that God Knew… God Knew that once out of Egypt, the people were going to need a priest, he was in the plan to be involved. The Levite, the Priest or the one who gives a word and makes sacrifices in the desert. God spoke to Aaron and told him to go meet Moses. Couldn’t that have been the plan all along; God obviously Knew that Aaron was going to come out to meet Moses. God says at the bush, “and here, he is even coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.”

Why is it that we sometimes feel that Aaron was a second thought?   And doesn’t Aaron have a key role? Mouthpiece….I think that although at first Aaron is asked to be a mouthpiece, I don’t know that that’s all that Aaron is asked to do. But I truly feel that Aaron had another job, I think Aaron’s job was show Moses.

Show Moses how to speak. We are told that one of the best ways to become a better preacher is to watch other preachers. Could it be that Moses could be doing that as well? Watching Aaron, learning from Aaron. Maybe Moses just needs to see what public speaking looks like?

 And I bet it goes both ways, I bet Aaron need to learn from Moshe how to be a leader, how to perform the signs that God show Moses. SO that Aaron can later become the priest, the chef priest in the desert. Not but two chapters after this when our story is in Egypt; Moshe is speaking to the people and not doing signs, and Aaron is doing signs but not speaking to the people. ..Fascinating…Don’t get me wrong, It’s not they aren’t doing their assigned jobs. I think they each have specific roles in freeing the Hebrews I think they are called to teach each other, Much like how we have friends in the ministry that teach and who we teach. Moshe and Aaron are doing that as well but, still do what God has asked them to do.

Gods response to Moses demand “ God! Please send someone else” is “ is there not Aaron your brother” ……God doesn’t let Moses off the hook, and Aaron is not let off the hook either. But isn’t it interesting that God’s response to Please God send someone else. The response is I’m not sending you alone.  

Maybe that was the fear that drove all of Moses questions. God was speaking to the fear that was real and just under the surface. Don’t make me do this on my own. I can’t do this…I…don’t have the words… they won’t believe ME… singular language cloaks this passage… and God responds with NOT JUST YOU.

 A friend of mine told me once “the calling is Great… but the Great thing is that you’re not the only one called” I think that maybe that’s what we should do with this passage.       

Step out of out singular language; make it not about me and God. Or what God wants from me, instead what God wants for the people..Maybe it’s not about you… Maybe it’s not about Moses…God uses Moses to do great things, but Moses had to get out of his own head. He needed to see what someone else was doing this too. Moses is not the only one called in this story. God has his hands all over what’s happing.

The call is not about Moses, it’s not about whether he can speak, it’s not about performing signs, it’s not about WHO is being called. It’s about WHO needs to be saved. It’s NOT about who is safe and need to go back in, It is about who has not been safe all along.

SO God sends Aaron to Moses. So that Moses can learn to speak, to learn to lead, to learn to work together with someone to  Free the people from bondage…..

May you find someone to tech you, may you find someone along your path that is called to this work as well. May you find an Aaron, to speak for you when you are to afraid. May you be a blessing to them and show them something new about God. May they keep you from being blinded by your own fear, so that you can help others find the freedom that God desires for Gods people. Amen.