EXODUS 4
I could have titled this post: God kicks butt at Twister.
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." That funny little proverb could describe God in this chapter of Exodus. He has come on a mission to enlist Moses — the man who became His great friend — to go down to Egypt and bring the Israelites out of slavery. However, it appears that Moses isn’t going to go without a fight.
Photo © Unsplash/Matthew Kane
At the end of chapter 3, Moses says, "Well, what if they want to know who sent me?" And God answers his question.
Then Moses says, "Yeah, but what if they don’t believe that You sent me?" And God shows him some really cool magic tricks to perform that will help to get the Israelites’ (and Pharaoh’s) attention.
Then Moses says, "Yeah, but You know I can’t really speak all that well." And God promises to help him say everything he needs to say.
Then Moses says, "Yeah, but basically Lord, I’m not going to go. Please send someone else." So after God’s "anger burned against Moses," God suggests that Moses team up with his brother Aaron to confront Pharaoh. Moses reluctantly agrees.
Photo © Unsplash/Federico Beccari
Wow! How flexible is our God?! He wants a job done, but He’s not willing to force Moses to do it. He just doesn’t work that way. Instead, He proves that He is willing to bend over backwards in twenty different positions in order to make us comfortable.
So, the next time you’re tempted to think of God as some rigid, inflexible, unyielding deity, think of the story of Moses and remember... God is the original Elastic. He stretches.