“Go and gather the elders of the Israelites, and tell them, The Lord , the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have observed you and what is being done to you in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of your affliction in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. They will listen to you. Then you and the elders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The Lord , the God of the Hebrews, has come to meet us. So now, let us go a three days’ journey in the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord , our God. Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless his hand is forced. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wondrous deeds I will do in its midst. After that he will let you go. I will even make the Egyptians so well-disposed toward this people that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Every woman will ask her neighbor and the resident alien in her house for silver and gold articles and for clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians (Ex. 3:16-22).”
Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in Pharaoh’s household (Ex. 2:1-10). However, Moses is now in exile (Ex. 2:11-22). Moses is told by the voice from the burning bush of an improbable scenario that will happen when he returns to Egypt. God tells Moses that the elders will accept His plan; Pharaoh will refuse to let the Israelites go; there will be a battle between the God of the Israelites and Pharaoh’s gods; God will win; Pharaoh’s army will be defeated, and the Egyptians will give the Israelites clothing and jewelry to take with them when they leave; “No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you working such deeds for those who wait for him (Is. 64:3).” God has introduced himself to Moses and told him what will happen. Moses’ faith in God now has to grow so that God’s plan can be executed through him; “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God (Heb. 11:1,3).”
Almighty God, we cannot conceive what you have in store for us if we listen to your voice and obey your commandments. Help us to accept the trials that increase our faith and the setbacks that cultivate perseverance. Grant us the grace to trust in your providence with the sure and certain hope that your will is best for us. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Reference:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
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