After having the strength, courage and understanding to “forsake” his very existence as the “son of Pharoah’s daughter”, there came a time when Moses was full of self-doubt and weakness.

Of course, God brought him to this place through a series of circumstances which, over the years, changed his power-house character into one of meekness and humility. The Moses that we witness opening the Red Sea and commanding water to pour forth out of solid rock, was actually a very humble man.

When Miriam and Aaron became envious of Moses’ position and power, they came against him in order to elevate themselves in their pride of their own accomplishments. This was very foolish because they were met with opposition from God Himself:

“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? (Numbers 12:1-2)

“And the LORD heard it.” (Numbers 12:2)

OUCH!

“And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:5-6)

In other words, Miriam and Aaron were like the “prophets” … God communicated with them through dreams and visions. And what they “heard”, they spoke forth to the congregation.

But…

“My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:7-8)

“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.” (Numbers 12:9)

So, the Lord witnessed their pride and arrogance and they paid the consequences.

But the Lord had a totally different witness of Moses. The above story starts with:

“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) 

And you can witness this Christ-like character by reading the rest of Numbers Chapter 12.

But Moses’s relationship with the Lord wasn’t built in a day. It was forged over many years.

In fact, Moses’s first direct encounter with God began because he was just being inquisitive about something he saw happening off in the distance:

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law (very humble career, don’t you think?), the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” (Exodus 3:1)

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2)

“And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” (Exodus 3:3)

Oh! That Christians would take time to just “turn aside” from their daily plans and schemes and seek God!

“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” (Exodus 3:4)

Isn’t that interesting!

The Lord waited to see Moses’s reaction before calling unto him!

“God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.” (Psalms53:2)

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (2Chronicles 16:9)

Now that God had Moses’s attention and saw that he had a heart to hear and obey, He presented him with his “calling”.

As a side note, that word “calling” is bandied about a lot within Christian circles. And many Christians seek after it as though it is an object that they can obtain by just continually pounding on God’s door.

But it doesn’t work that way. God’s “will” for our life will be revealed unto us according to HIS time and purposes … not ours!

But are we paying attention? Are we focused on the “fiery bush” or are we focused more on “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying”?

Let’s return to Moses. God said to him:

“…behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10)

At this point, most Christians would start jumping up and down and yelling, “Yippee … I’ve finally gotten this great work to do in the Lord! So, everybody get out of my way; because, me and God are going to stomp on the devil! And all of those around me are going to see how great I am in the kingdom of God!”

Yeah … just like Miriam and Aaron!

But Moses had already put aside such foolishness and vain imaginations. He replied to God:

“Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)

Ahhh … there’s that humility and meekness!

But the Lord encouraged him:

“Certainly I will be with thee…” (Exodus 3:12)

In other words, Moses would be going forth in the Lord’s power and strength … not his own!

But in the midst of this tremendous and wonderful occasion, Moses had a BIG QUESTION:

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13)

And God had a very simple, yet very profound answer which Christians need to take to heart:

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)

WOW!

With all the feverish running around that Christians do, trying their best to “kick up the dust for Jesus” by laying hands on everyone they meet and prophesying great sounding words over them, can they really say in all truthfulness:

“I AM hath sent me unto you”?

If they can’t, then all of their supposed works in the Lord are just birthed from presumptuous and self-made desires to “be somebody” in the Kingdom of God!

No matter how good our intentions in the Lord are in terms of doing great and mighty things, it just doesn’t work that way!

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” (Romans 9:14)

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)

“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

Therefore, it behooves us as followers of Christ to become intimately acquainted with our merciful Lord instead of always seeking to GET something from Him like a “calling” or “ministry”!

Don’t forget … He is the great “I AM” … regardless of how familiar we may treat Him or assume that He is with us … HE IS!

So, if we’ll meet our Father face-to-face on a daily basis, staring into the “burning bush” of His magnificent love, then we will no longer seek a “calling” for ourselves; but on the contrary, we will all be SENT forth by the Holy Ghost within us … our hearts full of His love and mercy … continuously walking in the power and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ wherever our feet shall tread!

In other words, no matter where we are, or whatever we are doing or whoever we are with…

“There shall no man be able to stand before (us): for the LORD (our) God shall lay the fear of (us) and the dread of (us) upon all the land that (we) shall tread upon, as he hath said…” (Deuteronomy 11:25)

“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon … I (have) given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” (Joshua 1:3)

When we can walk in the assurance and confidence of that promise and with the “sending forth” of the Holy Ghost, then we will be able to know within ourselves and demonstrate to the world: “I AM hath sent me unto you!”

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