"Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight -- why the bush does not burn up."
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Ex. 3:1-5)
One has to love Moses' curiosity. Did he react any differently than we might? I don't believe so. He was going to simply check out why a bush could burn from within and not be consumed by the fire. That is honest curiosity, isn't it? Curiousity overcame any moment of fear or judgement and Moses found an encounter that changed his personal life and the life of his people forever.
For a good part of my childhood, we removed our shoes when we came into the house. Although quite common across the world (it has been suggested as much as 80% of the world's population remove outdoor shoes before entering a private home), this custom gets away from many Americans.
Beyond merely soiling the floors of the home (especially in a region with frequent rain and subsequent mud), there is a custom of humility and honor present in removing one's shoes. When I visit homes that practice this, I instantly feel more welcomed and a part of the home itself.
For Moses that day, he'd been tending the flock near Horeb, perhaps for some time when an angel of the Lord appeared in the bush. I wonder if Moses had seen that bush before (pre-ignition)? Was it recognized? It easily could have been a bush he'd seen many times before. Familiarity might explain Moses' innocence in approaching with his sandals on. He'd likely been there before -- only this time, things were different; much different!
What made the space sacred that day was not the fire in the bush, it was the presence of the Lord. Once the reality of things hit his awareness, Moses hid his face, "because he was afraid to look at God" (3:6). That space would be forever changed in the life of Moses. What did he experience the next time he saw the bush? Was he tempted to take the bush with him? No... in leading the Israelites out of slavery, he went with the One who was in the bush. He didn't need the bush itself, only the God present in the bush!
The Arrowhead Water Bottling Company owns a series of wells in the mountains of So. California. On a little private hike while attending a conference center located close to those wells, I had a particularly clarifying experience with God at the well simply named "#1." The well, though clearly remembered as the sight of my encounter is not nearly as important to me as the encounter itself. The ground around the well and the rock I sat upon has little to do with the sacred part of the experience. The sacred element was being in the presence of God and that He cared enough to meet me there.
Do you have a sacred space? Too often in seeking God we concern ourselves with finding the "space" rather than finding the One who is willing to occupy the space. Our behavior is more as if Moses had been looking for an enflamed bush rather than merely being open and willing to hear from God when He appeared. Perhaps our "pre-ignited" spaces are too tight or too restrictive for God's presence? It would serve us well to merely welcome His presence wherever He may choose to arrive.
Are you concentrating more on looking for a sacred place or on looking for the One who makes all space sacred?
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Ex. 3:1-5)
One has to love Moses' curiosity. Did he react any differently than we might? I don't believe so. He was going to simply check out why a bush could burn from within and not be consumed by the fire. That is honest curiosity, isn't it? Curiousity overcame any moment of fear or judgement and Moses found an encounter that changed his personal life and the life of his people forever.
For a good part of my childhood, we removed our shoes when we came into the house. Although quite common across the world (it has been suggested as much as 80% of the world's population remove outdoor shoes before entering a private home), this custom gets away from many Americans.
Beyond merely soiling the floors of the home (especially in a region with frequent rain and subsequent mud), there is a custom of humility and honor present in removing one's shoes. When I visit homes that practice this, I instantly feel more welcomed and a part of the home itself.For Moses that day, he'd been tending the flock near Horeb, perhaps for some time when an angel of the Lord appeared in the bush. I wonder if Moses had seen that bush before (pre-ignition)? Was it recognized? It easily could have been a bush he'd seen many times before. Familiarity might explain Moses' innocence in approaching with his sandals on. He'd likely been there before -- only this time, things were different; much different!
What made the space sacred that day was not the fire in the bush, it was the presence of the Lord. Once the reality of things hit his awareness, Moses hid his face, "because he was afraid to look at God" (3:6). That space would be forever changed in the life of Moses. What did he experience the next time he saw the bush? Was he tempted to take the bush with him? No... in leading the Israelites out of slavery, he went with the One who was in the bush. He didn't need the bush itself, only the God present in the bush!
The Arrowhead Water Bottling Company owns a series of wells in the mountains of So. California. On a little private hike while attending a conference center located close to those wells, I had a particularly clarifying experience with God at the well simply named "#1." The well, though clearly remembered as the sight of my encounter is not nearly as important to me as the encounter itself. The ground around the well and the rock I sat upon has little to do with the sacred part of the experience. The sacred element was being in the presence of God and that He cared enough to meet me there.
Do you have a sacred space? Too often in seeking God we concern ourselves with finding the "space" rather than finding the One who is willing to occupy the space. Our behavior is more as if Moses had been looking for an enflamed bush rather than merely being open and willing to hear from God when He appeared. Perhaps our "pre-ignited" spaces are too tight or too restrictive for God's presence? It would serve us well to merely welcome His presence wherever He may choose to arrive.
Are you concentrating more on looking for a sacred place or on looking for the One who makes all space sacred?
3 comments:
I've often wondered how long Moses stood there watching the bush burn before he realized, "This thing isn't burning up". It seems like it would take a while.
I'm too busy for that. That bush would have to burn for a couple of days before it would attract my attention enough to get me to pull aside.
That's a sad commentary about my life; but it's probably true.
I've wondered if my obsessive/compulsive tendencies would get the best of me and I'd grab for the fire extinguisher!
Yikes!
Removing shoes is an excellent custom. I have a dedicated a blog to this subject.
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