ODJ: far from home

January 5, 2014 

READ: Exodus 3:1-15 

Moses . . . led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God (v.1).

On the day I graduated from university, my sister was on a trip in the same city with her school class. She wanted to celebrate with me and—fortunately—a chaperone was willing to drive her north to my university. But as they drove away from the hotel, they headed south. Obviously neither of them had a strong inner compass. For it was quite a while later—after they entered a scenic area—that they knew something was amiss.

Moses was once in a wilderness far from home. The wilderness can be a place where you lose your bearings, a place where you walk in circles with no clear sense of direction. In the wilderness, sometimes you don’t know where you are or where you should go.

The Scriptures say that Moses was “on the far side of the wilderness” (Exodus 3:1 NIV). The NRSV translation states that Moses was “beyond the wilderness”. As any person who has been on a business trip far from home will tell you, it’s not easy to be away from where you would like to be.

The interesting thing is that Moses seemed quite content with his situation. He was looking for fresh grass for his flock, not for God. God, however, was looking for Moses. He searches for all of us.

While out in the middle of the desert, Moses came upon Mount Sinai—the very mountain where, years later, God in His shining glory would pass over him. This was the mountain where God would present the words of the Law. But on this day, He came to a shepherd alone with his sheep. God found Moses in the wild and called out his name, “Moses! Moses!” (v.4).

God will find you. Listen as He calls your name. —Winn Collier

› Genesis 7:1-24

MORE
Read through Exodus 3:1-15 again. What is Moses’ response to God’s appearance and instructions? What fears are signalled by Moses’ reaction? 
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Where is your wilderness? Do you notice any signs that God is seeking you?