Exodus 3 Recall Notice

The context for this message is a congregation of people who have been in the Church for some time, most of them since birth. This message attempts to use the auto manufacturer’s recall notice as a metaphor for God calling Moses to service.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the process he created you and me. In fact, every human being is descended from the original man and woman who came from the Lord’s hands.

But just because we are descended from Adam and Eve doesn’t mean we have our lives all together, does it? No, the sad fact is that we are also people descended from the first man and woman who fell into sin. Their sin messed up the lives of all those who are their descendants. That includes us.

 Not a very inspiring thought for the day is it. Not a very uplifting thought. In fact, you’re probably thinking if that is what he is going to talk about this morning, I should have stayed home! Well, even though this is starting out less than ideally, I hope that you will stick with me for a bit longer as we see what else is true today. For what I have just been telling you is the truth. It’s the truth, not quite the whole truth, and it’s nothing but the truth so help me God. So, the issue for us today is, what is God doing about the fact that we are less than we were when we came from his hands? The answer to that arises from what we read about this morning from the book of Exodus.

For what we have going on here is something that I think you may be somewhat familiar with yourself. From time to time, automakers are convinced by weight of evidence that something about their cars does not meet their original specifications. There is something that has been breaking down, or failing to perform, as it should.

So the company initiates what is called a recall. In a recall, the auto owner receives a notification that something has come to the attention of the manufacturer and they desire to repair the problem at no cost to you the owner. You just have to show up at the dealership with your car and the recall notice. Now, this is not to say that everything about the car is bad, but there is something about it that is not functioning properly. And that is what the good folks at Mr Goodwrench are going to repair.

 Well, in Exodus three we have God coming to Moses and he is issuing a recall notice.

 It’s a recall to Moses who has made it his policy to not perform as he was supposed to when he came from the hand of his maker. In the first two chapters, we have the stories of how Moses came to be born to a Hebrew couple and then gets raised in Pharaoh’s court as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Then, how when he gets to be forty years old, he goes out to visit some of the Hebrews, gets in trouble with some Egyptians and then with the Hebrews and so he runs for his life. Now he is taking his father-in-law’s sheep to the far side of the desert. As he does so, what those who were the original readers would have heard Moses saying is, I went as far away as I could find to get away from God and my people.

Meanwhile, the slavery of the Hebrews has continued to be a difficult thing and in fact has grown harsher and harsher. God has designated Moses to be the leader of his people to get them out of slavery, but Moses has run away. God has orchestrated his early life so that everything about Moses’ early life has been getting him ready for this calling in his life, but Moses has decided on a different course of action. Getting away from it all.

Now he’s 80 years of age and he knows that it won’t be long until he can settle back into a lazy retirement. That is when God has to take the initiative and being the manufacturer of this man called Moses, being the one who designed him to perform in just a certain way, God has to issue a recall notice on this 80 year old. But how do you get an 80-year-old guy who is pretty well set in his ways to listen? God chooses a unique way to get Moses attention. He sets a bush on fire.

Poet Elizabeth Barett Browning wrote these lines: all the earth is crammed with God, and every bush is aflame with his presence, but only those who see take off their shoes,  

 So God sets a bush on fire And that gets the attention of Moses just because it was so unusual. There in the land behind the wilderness, the desert bushes would at times simply begin to flame from the dry heat. But whenever that happened, they would also go out very quickly. This bush simply burned. And Moses goes over to check it out.

Now if he were going to try to avoid God, this was not the right thing to do. But Moses had this one moment of being intrigued by this sight. And as he walks up to the bush to see what was going on, he hears his name being called. It’s God delivering the recall notice to Moses. Moses, Moses! Take off your shoes; you’re on holy ground! So Moses, I’ve got a job for you to do. I’ve come down to set my people free. I have seen their trouble and I’m going to set them free. And by the way, you are going to be the one who speaks to Pharaoh for me.

Moses immediately knows that he is damaged goods. He asks his first question of God, but who am I that anyone should listen to me? God says, that’s no problem, I will be with you!

Thanks a lot Lord, but who are you?

John Calvin says that true religion is the knowledge of God and the knowledge of oneself. Moses tries to show God that he has neither one. He is not the one who can go for God. He doesn’t know himself and he certainly doesn’t know this God! God then gives him a definition of himself. I am who I am or it could also be translated, I will be who I will be. Moses, just throw your lot in with me and I’ll be God and you’ll be my servant. It’ll be a match made in heaven!

In the next chapter, Moses continues to argue with God; they won’t believe me. I can’t talk very good. Just send someone else! Moses! I’m issuing a recall on your life! I’m the one who made you to be who you are. Now go!

And so he went.

Today, in the heart of each one of us, there lurks a reluctant Moses. God has laid his claim on us in his son Jesus. He has structured our life to this point and he has done it with a very clear purpose in his mind. And in God’s mind there is a purpose for why you are alive today. And no matter how old you are, God is eager to have you be recalled into service. That is why he made you! And no matter if you think there are all sorts of things wrong with you, God the manufacturer of your life is issuing a recall notice to you today! You may be 8 years old, or you may be 80 years old, God has a purpose for your life.

 And if you think you can just retire to the backside of the wilderness and enjoy your life away from God, then you made a big mistake coming here this morning. For in Jesus Christ, God has laid hold of the claim to you and your life. God has taken hold of you and will not be satisfied until you agree to follow his will for your life. You are being recalled right now.

If we go back to the poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning  and add in the next line we hear this,  “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush aflame with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit ’round and pluck blackberries.”

What do you see in your life today?

Novelist Marcel Proust wrote, it is not new landscapes we need, but new eyes to see what we have! God is issuing a recall to you. He’s calling you to take off your shoes for the ground on which you are standing is holy ground. It has been made holy by the shed blood of Jesus and now the whole creation is crammed with heaven and every common bush is aflame with God, but only the one who sees takes off their shoes, the rest sit round and eat blackberries. Please don’t give him a bunch of excuses like Moses did. Instead, see that God calls you to your life task that he has given you. And do it in his power for he will be with you wherever you go. He will be what he will be.