Holy Ground

25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matt 16:25-26)

Moses was raised by Pharaoh's daughter - a man between two cultures. He was a Hebrew, but he was raised in privilege among the Egyptians. However, he was not deceived about his identity. When he witnessed an overseer mistreating a Hebrew slave, Moses struck the man, killing him. The next day, when Moses saw two Hebrew men fighting, Moses broke up the fight, and one of the men asked if Moses planned to kill him too. Fearing Pharaoh's wrath, Moses ran away to Midian, only to defend, from abusive shepherds, the daughters of a Midianite priest named Jethro who then took Moses in and gave him one of his daughters, Zipporah, to marry.

In the 3rd chapter of Exodus, while tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Moses encounters a bush that's on fire but not consumed. As Moses approaches the burning bush, God speaks:

5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5)

At the realization that it's God who's speaking to him, Moses hides his face in fear. God recounts the struggles of the Hebrew people, and informs Moses the he will be the one to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt.

Moses is not convinced.

He has questions: why me, who do I say is sending me, what if they don't believe me?

God assures Moses that God is present, personal, and powerful.

Present

12 And God said, “I will be with you." (Ex. 3:12a)

Personal

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” (Ex. 3:14)

Powerful

After giving Moses two signs to perform:

8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.” (Ex. 4:8-9)

Even now, God speaks, calling us out of safety to liberate those in bondage - transforming ordinary places into holy ground.