This week’s sermon is on the burning bush theophany, and the ensuing call of Moses and his remarkable dialogue with God.  One part I’m not going to spend much time on is the set of excuses that Moses offers as he hesitates to accept the immediate call of God.  Moses questions how he can possibly be the one chosen for such a task as freeing God’s people, he wonders if the people will question his authority, if they will ask who has sent him. He argues that he is not eloquent enough to fulfill God’s mission, and finally he desperately says what he’s been thinking all along, “Lord, please send someone else.”

Moses is convinced that he doesn’t have the ability to do what God asks.

In a way, he’s right.

In fact, Moses had already attempted to intervene on the Hebrews’ behalf, and failed.  He had already experienced the limitations of his own abilities to create justice, had already had his authority rejected, many years ago. Perhaps like many of us, Moses thought of his failures before as a sign of what would happen if he tried again.  And so, he didn’t. He withdrew and was content to live as an exile in Midian rather than risk his life and fail again.

So his excuses aren’t without any basis.  But that doesn’t make them right. The major difference this time around isn’t that Moses is more eloquent or wise, it’s that this time he acts on the behalf of God.  The one fact Moses can’t get around is God’s promise, “I wil go with you.

The question isn’t “What can we do?”

The question is “What can God do with us?”

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