But...God?

The English language at times can be very insipid when it comes to colorful descriptions. When describing something in writing we usually try to find the perfect verb or adjective that communicates a clear meaning and intent. Although sometimes we only have a word or two to choose from therefore our meaning becomes thinned out a bit. In other languages this is not the case. Take for example the word “love”. While the English language only has one word for “love” the Greek language has four very distinct words to describe four very different aspects of love. First is “storge” refers to the tender feelings that parents naturally have for their children. Next is “eros” is an unreasoning passion and desire for something. Followed by “phileo” which simply put is a connection of friendship where there is reciprocity of affection. Last but not least is “agapao” and it’s kind of love that God has for us. It is a selfless love where someone is willing to lay their own life down for another. 

If you open up a dictionary and begin to thumb through it you will find many words that rarely get used. Then there are many others that get overused and a few words that make no grammatical sense at all. There is one three letter word that when it is inserted at the end of a long and lengthy declaration negates the entire pronouncement. It happens to be the word “but” and works like verbal acid melting away any meaning attached to the preceding sentence. But… wait there’s more.

 After God introduces Himself to Moses on Mount Horeb, He begins to reassure Moses that He has indeed seen the oppression of His people. God has heard the cries of Israel as their burdens becomes too much to carry. Because of the severe cruelty of the Egyptian taskmasters, 400 years of bondage and arduous working conditions God is ready to intervene. He explains to Moses that He is sending him to tell pharaoh to let His people go. Moses replies with his first of four “buts”. In Exodus 3:11 Moses says “But Moses said to God ‘Who I’m I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.’”

God reassures Moses that He will surely be with him as he goes into Pharaoh’s court and that he would not be alone. So Moses throws out another “but” and replies “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice;” Once again God answers Moses with a solution; a rod that will turn back and forth from a rod to a snake. Then another sign of a hand made leprous then miraculously healed.  Moses gets one more sign that of river water turning to blood when it is poured out on dry land.  Moses informs God that he doesn’t speak well, that he is slow of speech and slow of tongue. Here we have the pot telling the Potter he doesn’t like the way that he was made; that he is physically marred and God made a mistake in creating him in the first place. 

Up to this point God was being extremely tolerant of Moses but now is getting a bit frustrated. He once again reassures him that He will be with his mouth and teach him what to say. Moses blurts out his last “but” in Exodus 4:13 “But he said, ‘Oh my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send’”. God’s angry now and begins to talk to the eighty year old Moses like a father talking to his rebellious teenage son. His final answer, Ok I’ll send your brother Aaron with you.

Moses and Aaron go before the Pharaoh and said “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”  Here is the Pharaoh’s reply found in Exodus 5:2 “And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.’” As we read Pharaoh’s response to Moses you can’t help but hear familiar echoes from family and friends who are saying pretty much saying the exact same thing; But God, I don’t believe in You! Countless people in ages past and present have articulated basically the same thought…”Who is the Lord? So if you are reading this column and feel the same way as this Pharaoh, please ask God to reveal Himself to you personally. He does exist. While it might not take a rod turning into a snake, a leprous hand being healed or water turning into blood God will reveal Himself to you personally through the power of the Holy Spirit. All you have to do is ask!