Introduction: The sculpture above is of course Michelangelo’s Moses. When you see it in person, you cannot help but marvel. I remember looking at the sculpture of Michelangelo’s David, and I almost broke down, because it was so beautiful. I hesitate to even write about what moves me in my studies of Moses, because the passage I’m thinking upon is of Moses at the Burning Bush. It is surely familiar to everyone. Okay, to some.

Here’s What Intrigues Me: God uses humble means for mighty purposes.

You’ll remember how Exodus 2 ends. Basically, God says that He is aware of His people’s plight, and He’s determined to address it:

²³ During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. ²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ God saw the people of Israel—and God knew (Ex 2:23-25, ESV).

In short, God remembered, God saw, and God knew.

A Meek Man: The dramatic stage is set: God is surely going to find some Chris Hemsworth, some Stallone or Schwarzenegger, to set things to rights.

Enter Moses. Remember his calling? Here are a few examples:

• “And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (Ex 3:6b, ESV).
• “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex 3:11, ESV).
• “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you'” (Ex 4:1b, ESV).

On and on it goes, of course. Moses, so often thought of as mighty, was quite the contrary at times. He was quite often rather meek, doubtful, reluctant, and fearful.

Encouragement & Application: If you’re at all like I, I don’t like controversy. I would just as soon folks get along. But the reality is that truth divides. And God uses fallen, humble, meek men & women oftentimes to herald the most piercing of messages–whether to Pharaohs, or kings, or false shepherds, or hirelings, or presidents, or unbelieving spouses and children. It’s not we who do the saving. We’re just messengers. But we are to be faithful with the message of redemption.