Exodus 3:1-10
I. Turn Aside (1-3).
How often in our busy lives does God try to get our attention and we don’t even notice? God’s call to a task can come to us at any time. This is why it is so important that we have a quiet time each day when we can listen to God. We need His direction and guidance about how to live and what to do. God can also speak to us in a worship experience, a conversation with a friend or a circumstance at work. We need to be attuned to the Spirit so we can hear Him when He speaks.
II. Listen Carefully (4-5).
We not only need to listen when God speaks but we need to pay close attention to what He says. Moses responded to God’s call with his full attention. We need to listen to God’s instruction and study His Word carefully if we are to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership correctly. Moses not only hears God’s call but he responds to it with obedience. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us and we must listen carefully to discover that plan.
III. Purify Yourself (6-7).
Moses is instructed to take off his shoes because he is on Holy Ground. Removing his shoes shows respect for God’s purity. (These 3 sub points are derived from a sermon preached by Jack Hayford at a Promise Keepers meeting in Atlanta in 1996).
a. Step out of the stains of your past.
Our shoes represent where we have traveled and what we have done. This includes all the dirt we have walked through. When we come in to God’s presence we need to remove all the stains of our sins. We do this by confessing our sin to God, throwing ourselves on His mercy and allowing Him to wash our sins away.
b. Taking off the works of our hands.
During this time most men made their own sandals. When we encounter God we are reminded that even our best efforts do not deserve to be in His presence.
c. Walk Carefully.
Anyone who has ever walked through a house barefoot in the dark has learned that you must be careful of where you step. This is especially true if you have small children to leave little cars or Barbie shoes lying around. When we have our shoes on we are not as careful where we step. When we encounter God not only do we deal with the sin of the past but we are also more concerned with purity of our lives today.
IV. Watch what God Does (8).
We must remember that God does not just send us off to fulfill our assigned task but that He is the one who actually does the work. “So I have come down to deliver them.” God works in, with and through us to accomplish His purpose. He does not send us out alone to do the work. He reminds Moses, “I will certainly be with you” (12). When we turn aside and listen to God’s call, purifying ourselves then He will work through us to do more than we could ever imagine.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Old Testament and Hebrew, and Master of Divinity (MDiv), Bible/Biblical Studies.
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