The previous is a scenario that plays out in schools all over. Or it did when I was growing up. For some odd reason we thought it was hysterical when we would make people look for something that wasn't there to begin with. The hilarity that would ensue after the person would look was incredible! Why did we do it? I don't know, maybe it was the feeling of tricking someone, or the immaturity of our sense of of humor.
I saw the same scenario play out in the book of Exodus today. Apparently God thought it was pretty awesome to do make Moses look, only to this time it was to get his attention to something else, not just to look for something that wasn't really there.
"...the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said 'Moses, Mose!'" (Exodus 3:2-4, NASB, emphasis added)
God wanted Moses' attention. He needed Moses to lean in close and pay attention to the instruction and the direction He was about to provide to him. If Moses is anything like me, a little hyperactive, a squirrel would divert his focus until a leaf started blowing around followed by a worm crawling and then he (I) would be thinking about what flavor ICEE I want when I go to the gas station later...SQUIRREL! But this time God couldn't have Moses thinking about anything other than what He was saying. What God was about to tell Moses would direct the rest of His life!
So, he got Moses' attention...in a very dramatic way. He burned up a bush without burning up a bush! Moses HAD to figure that out! Moses was a fixer...I mean think about it. In chapter 2 he saw an Egyptian (how he was raised) battling a Hebrew (how he was born) and he killed the Egyptian...to fix the situation. Since he was a fixer he had to figure out how in the world this bush was on fire but not burning up! God knew JUST how to get his attention...and get his attention He did!
I correlate this to the church a lot of times. Sometimes we, as followers/lovers of Jesus need to do whatever we have to do to get someone's attention. Not just get them to glance and see our logo, but to FOCUS on us. Why? Because afterall, the information we need to give them about Jesus will direct the rest of their lives! It's literally an instruction of LIFE and DEATH! We, as followers, have walked the path calmly, quietly, unexpectedly with our heads down staring at the dirt road, hoping those that walk past us each and every day on this path of life, will lift their heads and ask us where we are going. TO JESUS! We would scream...TO HEAVEN! No... it's time we begin walking this path with our heads held high, our loudest praise of Jesus on our lips, and the grandest examples of His love in our actions! We must begin to do things that will cause them to "...turn aside and look..."! And when they look...BOOM! We've got their attention...and you'd better make it count!
At our church, we say all the time (which is not original with us) we will do ANYTHING short of sin to reach anyone! Not everyone likes that, appreciates that, or enjoys that...and I personally don't care! My job isn't to get the attention of the one's that are already looking! My job is to help the bushes (His followers) to get on fire but not burn up, so that others may look to figure it out and we can tell them what this Jesus guy is all about! There's an awful bunch of Hebrews out there that are in slavery to some Egyptians, and they need some bushes to tell them how to get out!
The real question in this whole thing is this... Who are YOU making look?
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