TUESDAY
Yesterday we started looking at Moses’ first experience with the presence of God when he meets with him at the burning bush. Today I want to focus on Moses’ response to God when he first encounters him at the burning bush.
Exodus 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Moses’ reaction to the presence of God is to hide his face. This could be either a humble act of worship or it could be a sign of his shame. In Exodus 33 Moses asks God to show him his glory. It’s in that conversation that God tells Moses no one can see his face and live (Ex. 33:20). In that event Moses sees the “back” of God and not his face. This simply means that he doesn’t see the fullness of God’s glory, but only a part of it. But that won’t happen for a while in the story. It’s more likely that Moses doesn’t know he can’t see God’s face. So I think his reaction of hiding his face from God is more shame and less a humble act of worship. Remember, at this point Moses views himself as a failed, washed up, would-be deliverer. He is a failure. His people are still enslaved in Egypt. He gave it a go in his own power, with his own means, and in his timing and failed horribly. Now, he has been baking in the desert for 40 years as a shepherd. He’s had plenty of time to replay the events of his failure over and over again as he sits with the sheep. He’s been in relative isolation and obscurity for a long time. He has likely moved on and resigned himself to living out his years as a shepherd immigrant in the desert of Midian. When we put ourselves in the place of Moses at this point in the story, not knowing how the rest of the story will play out, it’s easy to see why he responded by hiding his face. He was ashamed and this shame was the source of his fear. In my opinion, the rest of the context bears out this conclusion.
God reveals himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in verse 6. This would have reminded Moses that God’s people are still enslaved. If that isn’t enough to remind him God goes on:
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Whereas in his first attempt, Moses just gave it a go, here and now God is the one who has come to rescue his people. God is the deliverer; Moses is his servant. God is sending Moses to bring his people out of Egypt.
Let’s pause here today. Many of us can identify with Moses at this point. He is ashamed because of his failure. Shame can be the result of failure, your sin, others’ sin towards you, etc. It’s helpful to distinguish shame from guilt. Harold Senkbeil writes, “Guilt is sin committed; shame is sin suffered.” He goes on to further distinguish them by saying, “Guilt has to do with behavior, while shame is a matter of identity. Guilt is tied to the sinful things I’ve done; shame is the continuous experience of utter remorse over who I am.” (Senkbeil, Harold L.. The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart (p. 137). Lexham Press. Kindle Edition.) According to Rob Reimer, “Toxic shame is a sense that you are not lovable. That something is wrong with you.” (Reimer, Rob. Soul Care: 7 Transformational Principles for a Healthy Soul. Carpenter's Son Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
Moses’ guilt over his failure has likely progressed to shame over who he is. The rest of this scene is a beautiful picture of how to deal with shame. I know shame to be a common identity issue in the lives of God’s people. If this description of shame sounds familiar to you, please continue on with us this week and see what shame looks like and how God calls Moses out of it.
Additional Content
Reflection
Close your eyes and imagine this brief scene with me. Imagine yourself opening a door and seeing Jesus. Can you see his face? What is the expression on his face when he meets you? Is it disappointment? Is it anger? Is it indifference? If you can’t see Jesus’ face or his expression as anything but love and joy, perhaps you are dealing with some unresolved shame in your life. If you think that you are, please reach out and schedule a time to talk with me.