EthniClay
"Expressions of God's Grace"
Modelling Clay Figurines
Artwork & Photography by Grace Wiebe - © Grace Wiebe, EthniClay™, 2006
BURNING BUSH: CommissionED - Figurine, Note Cards
The story of Moses and the burning bush, which, at God's initiative, took place near Mt. Horeb - the mountain of God - symbolizes various things, such as: God being holy; In His timing, God sometimes uses supernatural manifestations of His Presence to speak to us about something significant - and to reveal Himself to us in unique ways which our hearts can relate to; some say the bush represents suffering, or our weakness and God's supernatural ability to overshadow our weakness with His strength, and others that it represents the Tree of Life. It also represents God who is a Consuming Fire - and this is something He certainly does in our lives by 'burning up' our 'old nature' while HIS LIFE in us remains, etc., to name a few.
In this particular encounter we see God drawing Moses into a personal and intimate relationship with Himself in a deeper way than he had known Him before that.
Interestingly, it was at the end of the 40 years in the desert while he was tending the flock for his uncle, and before the 40 years in the desert with the Israelites, that this landmark encounter took place! It was before his next new season in life. Imagine how, before this event, he may have waited, wondered and prayed about what God had in mind for him in his future as he tended the flocks?! I wonder if he felt God had 'put him on the shelf', especially since it was a criminal act of murder which got him there to begin with?
It seems God often uses '40-year time periods' to complete certain seasons in the life of a person or nation in Scripture, and those seasons are often ended by a landmark event signifying the change of season and a new commissioning/re-positioning for the next season. So it was for Moses in this experience at the burning bush. It was in this experience of revealing Himself (and His purposes/plans) further to Moses, that He was commissioned / re-positioned into his next assignment (another 40 years in the wilderness leading the people of Israel) which his current wilderness experience had been crucial in preparing him for.
What was the commission? Basically the same kind of commission we seem to get when He commissions us: Exodus 3:4 "I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' (NIV) God blesses us and then desires to bless others through us to help bring release from their 'Egypts' as He increasingly releases us from ours.
You may have been waiting for years in your wilderness, wondering if God has forgotten about you there...You may be closer to your 'burning bush' experience than you are aware! May God indeed reveal Himself to you in ways which draw you into even deeper fellowship with Him as you await His commissioning for His next season for you!
