Sunday Sermonettes #109
In the quiet of the desert, a bush caught fire—yet it did not burn up. Becoming curious, Moses went near.
When God saw that he had Moses’ attention, he called out, “Moses! Moses!” Then God said, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God, who had come to speak with him through the flames.
God had an important message for Moses—about who he is, and about his plan to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. But first, God wanted Moses’ attention. And the burning bush was how he got it.
Yet something else, something far deeper, was revealed at that burning bush.
In Exodus 3, when Moses asked God what he should tell the people if they asked for the name of the God who sent him, God answered saying—”I AM WHO I AM.” The name of God speaks of the God who is—the eternal, self-existent One who does not depend on anyone or anything else.
And here is the beautiful part: the God who says “I AM” also assured Moses, “I will be with you.” Moses was not going alone.
God had seen the misery of his people. He had heard their cry. And he had come down to rescue them.
It was a message of hope. It was a promise of deliverance. It was a declaration that God was coming down to set captives free—with wonders, with signs, and with miracles.
Centuries later, Jesus took that same name—”I AM”—and applied it to himself. In Luke 4, in his Nazareth manifesto, he announced that the Spirit of God had anointed him “to set the oppressed free.” Jesus was declaring that he had come to bring freedom and deliverance.
What a blessed hope this is! You are not forgotten in your misery.
So remember the burning bush—especially when you are discouraged and downcast. God might be trying to capture your attention. Lift your eyes. Look around. You might then be able to see one of God’s attention-grabbers—for he truly cares for you.
Even now, a worship song echoes through heaven for all eternity—calling us to focus on the One who said, “I AM WHO I AM.”
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
In a changing world and shifting circumstances, when you feel overwhelmed, lift your eyes and focus on the One who is worthy of all worship and adoration and praise. When you do, you too are standing on holy ground.
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