Rev. David Holwick C
First Baptist Church (modify section III)
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 17, 1993
Exodus 3:1-6,10-15
MOSES: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU HAVE, BUT WHO YOU KNOW
I. What it would be like to be Charleton Heston.
A. His portrayal of Moses epitomizes movie, "The Ten Commandments."
1) He has a square jaw; earth shakes when he speaks.
2) He is immovable.
3) God always backs him up.
4) In your fantasies, YOU are Charleton Heston.
B. The real Moses is disappointing in comparison.
1) He has a lot of weaknesses, and some outright failings.
2) In many ways, Moses is an "anti-hero."
II. Moses as Anti-Hero.
A. He is a reluctant leader. 4:1
1) He is the son of a slave, and has no external claim
of prominence.
a) He grew up in Pharaoh's court, but this made him a bad guy.
b) Others mocked his leadership. 2:14
2) He is unsure of his claims to leadership.
3) He fears others won't believe him or follow him. 4:1
B. He is inarticulate. 4:10
1) Most epic heroes are unfailingly eloquent.
2) Moses isn't, even AFTER God speaks to him. 4:10
a) Paul had same shortcoming - bored people to DEATH.
C. He is sinful, guilty of pride, impatience, and disobedience
when he strikes the rock at Meribah. Num 20:8-12
D. He is meek, and gives all the glory to God. Num 12:3
1) Description as "most meek man" prob. written by another.
2) His pre-marching speech focuses on God. Exod 13:3-16
3) He and others are mere spectators of God's acts.
III. Key events in Moses' life. [eliminate? Focus on anti-hero and
our limitations?]
A. His birth (basket in bullrushes) shows the precariousness of Jews.
B. Conflict: He is a man of action and champion of oppressed people.
1) Kills Egyptian who mistreats a Hebrew. Exod 2:11-15
2) Comes to aid of mistreated shepherdesses. 2:15-22
C. God calls and equips him at Sinai. 3:1-6ff
1) Burning bush dramatizes how different God is from us, but
also how He reaches out to us.
2) "I AM" - the human mind cannot comprehend God's nature.
3) Moses doesn't go on his own power.
D. God's lesson at bitter waters of Marah. 15:26
1) God is willing to save.
2) Salvation is conditional.
3) Obedience is necessary.
4) Life is a test.
E. Second encounter with God at Sinai. 33:15-23
1) God is terrifying and distant.
a) Moses hidden in cleft in the rock.
2) God changes Moses. 34:29-33
a) After talking with God on mountain, Moses' face shines.
F. Rebellion of Miriam and Aaron. Num 12
1) Shows important characteristic of Moses.
a) He is meek. Num 12:3
b) His authority is questioned.
2) Moses is in himself meek, even retiring, but bold in carrying
out God's will.
a) God spoke to him "mouth to mouth." Num 12:8
b) Moses had spiritual rapport with God.
c) He is authentic in his heroism.
G. Mount Pisgah. Deut 34:1-4
1) Moses does not experience the attainment of his quest.
2) But he does get to see it, and know that it is real.
IV. Moses as our example.
A. Many people are painfully aware of their shortcomings.
1) My efforts to get people to read in front of congregation.
2) We often use our shortcomings as excuses.
The Wall Street Journal told of a woman who sued the city of
New York.
A drunken police officer had struck and killed her 71-year-old
husband with his patrol car.
She argued that the city had deprived her of her husband's
future earnings potential.
The city argued that at age 71, he had little earnings potential.
They thought they had a pretty good defense until they realized
who was representing the woman.
Her argument about her husband's future earning power was being
advanced by Harry Lipsig.
Harry had been an attorney for a long time.
Sixty years, to be exact.
At the age of 88 he left his old law firm and started another
one.
The city settled the case for $1.25 million.
What if Harry Lipsig had said, "I'm too old to make a difference?"
#1945
B. Handicaps are no hindrance - to God.
1) We look down on retarded people.
a) Highly publicized case of abused girl.
b) Names that have been given to the mentally handicapped.
2) God made each of us, including handicaps. 4:11
a) It is not WHAT you are, but WHO you know.
b) He made us like this, and he can remake us.
c) He made us like this, and he can use us as we are.
The lives of two children illustrate this.
The parents of the first child were somewhat mismatched.
His father was unemployed with no formal schooling.
His mother was a teacher.
This child, born in Port Huron, Michigan, enrolled in school
two years late due to scarlet fever and respiratory infections.
He was going deaf.
His emotional health was poor - he was stubborn, aloof, and
showed very little emotion.
He was withdrawn from school after three months because school
officials considered him backward, estimating his I.Q. at 81.
He liked mechanics.
He also liked to play with fire and burned down his father's barn.
He showed some manual dexterity, but used very poor grammar.
But he did want to be a scientist or a railroad mechanic.
The second child showed not much more promise either.
This child was born of an alcoholic father.
As a child she was sickly, bedridden, and often hospitalized.
She was considered erratic and withdrawn.
She would bite her nails and had numerous phobias.
She wore a backbrace from a spinal defect and would constantly
seek attention from people.
She was a daydreamer with no vocational goals, although she
expressed a desire to help the elderly and the poor.
Who were these two children?
The boy from Port Huron moved to New Jersey and became one of
the world's greatest inventors - Thomas A. Edison.
And the awkward and sickly young girl became a champion of the
oppressed -- Eleanor Roosevelt.
They had their handicaps, but never focused on them.
#1944
C. Anyone can know God.
1) We may not have a burning bush, but we have the Bible.
a) Salvation is clearer to us than to Moses himself.
b) It is simple enough for a child to understand, but
deep enough to keep us searching.
2) Moses faded, we don't have to. 2 Cor 3:7
a) Our transformation should be a continuing experience.
b) Too many freeze in the "baby mode."
The Literature of the Bible, by Leland Ryken, pp 81-92.
=======================================================
I. Epic of the Exodus.
A. Principles of epics.
1) Episodic plot unified around hero who is political leader.
2) Has a strong didactic impulse.
3) Much supernatural imput.
4) Many are structured as a quest.
B. Exodus is anti-epic.
1) Traditional epic values are inverted.
a) Moses is a humble man.
b) The people continually complain. (10 times)
c) It is commentary on our own moral tendencies and
2) Instead of praise of men, glory of God is substituted.
a) Humans are depicted as sinful and frail.
b) Human warriors are passive spectators of God's acts.
3) Spiritual conflict more important than human warfare.
II. Moses as anti-epic hero.
A. He is a reluctant leader.
1) He is unsure of his claims to leadership.
a) He fears others won't believe him or follow him. 4:1
2) He is the son of a slave, and has no external claim
of prominence.
B. He is inarticulate. 4:10
1) Most epic heroes are unfailingly eloquent.
C. He is meek.
1) He gives God all the credit in his marching speech. 13:3-16
D. He is sinful, being guilty of pride, impatience, and disobed-
ience when he strikes the rock at Meribah. Num 20:2-13
III. Moses the man.
A. Archetype of death-rebirth in basket in bullrushes.
B. He is a man of decisive action and champion of oppressed people.
1) Kills Egyptian who mistreats a Hebrew. Exod 2:11-15
2) Comes to aid of mistreated shepherdesses. 2:15-22
C. God's call and equipping of Moses. 3-4
1) Burning bush dramatizes both God's immanence and his
transcendent holiness.
2) Goal of epic quest is clearly set forth as the "promised land."
IV. The Exodus.
A. Bitter waters of Marah reveal that:
1) God is willing to save.
2) Salvation is conditional.
3) Obedience is necessary.
4) Life is a test.
B. Experience at Sinai is an encounter with God.
1) God is terrifying and distant.
a) Moses hidden in cleft in the rock.
2) God changes Moses.
a) After talking with God on mountain, Moses' face shines.
1> (NT comparison. 2 Cor 3:7ff)
C. Rebellion of Miriam and Aaron.
1) Shows important characteristic of Moses.
a) He is meek. Num 12:3
b) His authority is questioned.
2) Moses is in himself meek, even retiring, but bold in carrying
out God's will.
a) God spoke to him "mouth to mouth." Num 12:8
b) Moses had spiritula rapport with God.
c) He is authentic in his heroism.
D. Mount Pisgah. Deut 32-34
1) Moses does not experience the attainment of his quest.
