By Andrew Bolton of Leicester, England

Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…
So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

I love the story of Moses. It is a story of exodus of a people from terrible poverty—slavery—to Zion.

When Pharoah ordered all the baby boys killed as they are born, baby Moses is saved by five women acting with courageous disobedience. One of the women is Pharoah’s daughter who rescues Moses floating down the Nile in a basket. She adopts him and thus protects him from her father. Miriam, Moses’ sister who had been watching, gets permission for Moses to be nursed by his real mother. Moses is educated as an Egyptian prince, but really is the son of Hebrew slaves.

As a young man Moses murders an Egyptian guard who was beating a Hebrew slave and must flee into exile, becoming a shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro. In his old age he encounters God in the burning bush where God reveals that God is the God of his father, as well as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses is both terrified and yet home spiritually.

God’s purpose now becomes clear: “I have observed the misery of my people… I have heard their cry… Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them and to bring them to a good land flowing with milk and honey…” (Exodus 3:7–9).

Moses is tasked with going to Pharoah. “Who am I to go to Pharoah?” asks Moses with trepidation, but he eventually and reluctantly goes.

Exodus is the journey to Zion. Jesus stands full square in the Exodus tradition as written in Luke 4:18–19. Are you on the road to Zion?

Prayer Phrase

“Bear one another’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2).

Spiritual Hunger

Jesus discerned hungers of body and spirit, and he fed them through a physical, verbal, spiritual ministry of presence. In a time of listening prayer, ask God to help you discern physical or spiritual hungers of people in your congregation, community, and global family. Invite the Spirit to move you to one hospitable act that “feeds” someone’s hunger today.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.