I've Got Questions

 

                                                    

I've got a lot of questions. Why did Moses' father-in-law have three different names? What was his name? Reuel, Jethro, or Hobab? Wouldn't it be much simpler to call him by one name throughout the Bible? Were these aliases? Was he a criminal running from something? Three names. Really, that's a little too much! And Moses? Why choose him for such an essential job of taking the Pharaoh of Egypt to task? After all, he was on the run, a murderer, a less than eloquent speaker, and kind of a fraidy cat when it came to confrontation. Of all the places Moses could run, he chose the desert. That seems a dismal choice. To the average human, like me, all these inquiries and more seem less than sensible, but we are in good company as I am pretty sure Moses felt the same way, at least in the beginning... when he came upon a talking bush... that burned continuously. Yep, that's how a plan that shaped our destiny began. It wasn't Moses' plan, but rather One much greater. And the way that it happened, though it seemed a bit strange, was God's plan.

I imagine when Moses killed the Egyptian for beating up one of his people - a Hebrew; he realized he had crossed the line from living as a pseudo-Egyptian. (Remember the baby in the basket floating on the Nile River, who was rescued and raised by the Pharaoh's daughter in the palace? That was Moses.) Now, he was on the run. Where? I'm not sure how he decided which way to go, but I'll take it as God's providence that he ran as far as he could (300 miles, give or take a few) to distance himself from his adversaries. He was a wanted man, so what better place to go to than the desert where he could live the rest of his life hiding out, but in peace? After all, who was going to walk 300 miles in search of him? Right? Well, that's kinda right but kinda wrong! Right because he could rest from the Pharaoah's pursuit (at least for a while), but wrong because other plans had been set in place before Moses was born. As he stepped foot in Midian, his destiny continued. He got a job tending the flock of a guy with many names. (I mentioned him earlier.) For simplicity's sake, we'll go with the name Jethro, who happened to be a priest of the Midianites.

And along with the flocks came a wife for Moses. Just as things began to settle down, Moses had a dramatic encounter with God. Saying it was surprising is quite an understatement. Instead, Moses, shaken to the core, better represents what happened. In a day, Moses went from being a wanted man on the run, hiding under the guise of a hired hand, to God's chosen man for a mission that would change the course of history for His people, known as the Exodus.

I can see God's hand tracing Moses's life from an outside-looking in perspective, but I also know that doing so is much easier than experiencing God's calling, refining, and workings in our lives. That is often confusing at the least and very painful at the most.

So, I still have questions. Do I, too, have desert experiences? Times when life seems to be waiting around to happen, with no clear direction, and God appears to be sleeping or at least napping. (I know that is not true because the Bible says He never sleeps, but it feels that way sometimes.) What's the purpose of such times? Is something going to change? Will it be as dramatic as Moses' experience? I secretly hope not, but a little shake-up could be nice. What do I need to do? I don't tend sheep, so...??? Will there be an appointed place for God to speak to me? There are many more venues today besides the side of a mountain surrounded by goats.

Most importantly, how will I know it is God speaking? My feeble attempts to follow Christ began on November 10, 1980, in a definite desert experience. I still have questions, but I also have some conclusions.

• Desert periods in life serve a great purpose. They happen in the season of life when God calls us (He is actually choosing us!), instructs us through His word, and equips us for service.
• Such a season of life calls us back to revisit our covenant with God to live in a relationship of following Him as Savior and Lord, or maybe it is a time to establish a covenant with God to do this.
• It is a time for strength training, which involves revisiting the time and place when we came into a personal relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ. Such a time included relinquishing doing things in our own strength and relying on that of the only one that can save-Jesus. Those moments build spiritual muscle and remind us that we are His!
• Desert periods are sweet reminders to rely on the One who created us and knows fully well the path and purpose He has for each of us.

God said to Moses,

"So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

This charge to Moses came after much preparation, much of which Moses probably did not know was happening, and continued with even more work in His life on the journey to fulfilling His calling. And so it is with us. There may be no burning bush, and we may not part the Red Sea, but instead, we may do something equally important, maybe something grandioso or quiet without much fanfare. Either way, we recognize those desert times in our lives and remain faithful in waiting, listening, and responding to His call because the desert is often the place where His work in us begins. 

..."being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)