31 Days of Brave: Honest

Gentle Reader,

Growing up with Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, I came to love the story of Moses early in life. (Yes, I know that the movie is flawed). I loved all the color and pageantry of the Egyptian court as imagined by Hollywood of the 1950s. I loved Yul Brynner’s “princely lock.” My heart was stirred by the unfairness of the Hebrew’s enslavement. Why should they have had to toil for the Egyptians? What did they do to deserve that?

What I loved most was Moses’ encounter with God on the mountain. The famous “burning bush” episode. There Moses is, minding his own business, looking after the sheep. And God reaches out to him. God reaches out. That’s phenomenal. The Lord of all creation chose this man, this man who participated in the oppression of his own people, who committed murder, who ran from justice, who hid among sheep, who by his own admission couldn’t string together enough words to make a decent sentence, to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.

I’m resisting the urge to relate the entire Exodus narrative to you. Just go and read it for yourself. If you’re not hooked, then go check your pulse.

Moses and God go through a lot together. One day, God is like, “You know what, Moses? I’m done. I’ll give you and the people this Promised Land, but I’m not going with you.”

Moses won’t have it.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” – Exodus 33:12-13 (NKJV)

Moses has the nerve to remind God of His promises. He even tells God that it’s pointless to give them the Promised Land if God won’t go with them (vs. 15-16)!

I see bravery in that. Moses knows that he can’t lead these people without God. He’s totally honest about his abilities.

Bravery is honest.

  For all of the posts in the 31 Days: Brave series, go here.