Meditation on Exodus 3:1-6
In the scripture, the story of Moses and the burning bush is an infamous one. There are many things one can extrapolate from the story, however, I am only going to highlight a couple of things for us to ponder together. Let us read the passage:
"1. Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. 4. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5. Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6. And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." - Exodus 3: 1-6
Before the burning bush and Yawaeh, there was the burning sand and Jethro. We enter into the story in Chapter 3 after Moses had left Egypt and married one of Jethro's (the priest of Midian) seven daughters, Zipporah. We see him tending to the sheep on the west side of the wilderness and it is here I want to interject.
Moses was an orphan, abandoned by his mother to save his life and brought into the house of Pharaoh. He always knew he wasn't of the royal house but was adopted into it. He, however, finds out that his lineage was tied to the very slaves that were serving Egypt, he could no longer stand by and watch injustice. In a fit of rage, he kills a man and flees where he runs into the situation we are about to discuss. So let us break down Moses practically for a moment. He is an orphan-hearted defunct royal who found out he was the son of a slave. He has lost all he has known and is dripping with shame over an action that has brought him depression and grief. He feels alone and unseen.
God in his goodness has him marry into a family where the father-in-law was a priest. Moses was no longer twice orphaned (once at birth and once after his action in Egypt) but adopted into a family where he could learn his identity. He must have spent hours listening to Jethro teach him about Yaweah and His people. He sat at the feet of a man who had dedicated his life to the teaching of the word and the knowledge of God. Moses learned how to love, and shepherd. He was given a trade and tools to lead his own family. Jethro saw in Moses a man of integrity needing guidance and tutelage. So he sowed into Moses.
As I meditated on this before the Lord, I was finding it harder and harder to ignore the necessity of the Jethro. Moses could have never handled or understood the burning bush without Jethro teaching him about Yawaeh. Moses could have never been able to receive instruction from the father of lights without first receiving love from a father figure in Jethro. Moses understood how to operate the moment when God encountered him in the burning bush because he had taken the instruction of Jethro. He knew that you don't ever just approach God without honor and reverence. He learned the ways of God because of Jethro. He spent 40 years shepherding under this man learning what it took to serve, become a leader (not a ruler), and transform from a proud prince to a humble shepherd.
So often when we read The Book of Exodus we focus on the results (ie the actual exodus) and not the process. Most things in the first world are results-driven ideology. However, the Bible does not teach us that, it teaches us to lean into the process of becoming. Knowing who someone is can be recognized by their results (ie fruits), but God calls us to be confident that he who began a good work will finish it (Philp. 1:6). We are taught about the failures of a generation (as we should be) so that we might not repeat them. However, in order not to repeat a failure we need to learn to process honestly before God. Hence, we look to Jethro. The fruit of Jethro's ministry was a Moses prepared and ready to encounter God and His upward call. That took 40 years...
Conclusion: We thank God for our desserts and Jethros, without which we won't have our burning bush moments. Let God take you through the slow and always painful process of healing your wounds to prepare you for the victory of your exodus. So much of modern Christian preaching is void of caring for your restoration. Whether coming out of the world, a bad season, or wrong thinking; It can be a long and painful road to recovery. The scripture teaches us that our loving God knows this and wants us to encounter Him. Yet the big encounter we want often comes after a season of learning. Remember this scripture as you process through life with your Jethro and our God: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace". - Romans 8: 5-7
Weep and rejoice, shout and laugh, be angry and sin not. The process is the prerequisite for promotion. Know the burning bush is waiting for you, but be present in the process of becoming. He is not looking for rulers He is looking for shepherds. That is the only way through…