Moses responded to God's call in two ways. His first or initial response was that of objection as he tried to resist taking up the task given to him. However, he accepted and took up the task that God had given after a long encounter with him.

Reasons for Moses Objection to God's Call or his Negative Response

Moses was a fugitive after having killed an Egyptian slave-dri ver. Therefore, being a criminal, he knew that going back to Egypt would put his life in danger.

Moses was also afraid that everyone had known that he had killed an Egyptian before escaping to Midian land (Exodus 2: 13-14).

The Egyptian king had tried to have Moses killed for his crime of killing an Egyptian before he escaped to the Midian land. Therefore, it was possible that he could have feared prosecution and execution (Exodus 2: 15-16).

Besides, Moses was aware of the military strength of the Egyptian forces, which he knew that he could not face them single-handedly above all without any arm.

God appeared to Moses in a very strange and mysterious way. He saw that the bush was on fire but it was not being burnt. This was rather a puzzling experience that could have left Moses in a state of dilemma.

Moses grew up among the Egyptians who worshipped many gods. This meant that he was not certain of the God appearing to him and he proved his ignorance by asking the name of the God sending him to the Israelites.

Besides, God's vision had taken such a long time that the people were now not used to hearing about.

Moses knew that he was a sinner before God after having killed an Egyptian. Therefore, he could have feared to work with God because of his sinfulness.

Moses reasoned that he was nobody to go and confront the Egyptian king about the liberation of the Israelites from their misery (Exodus 3: 11).

Moses claimed ignorance of the name of the God calling and using him to liberate to the Israelites from their slavery conditions.

The name "I am who I am" as God disclosed to Moses was strange and difficult for him to interpret and explain to Israelites (Exodus 3:14).

Besides, God revealed to Moses that the Egyptian king would not allow the Israelites to leave unless he was forced to do so. This presented a huge task ahead of Moses thus this could have created fear to him.

Moses had the feeling Israelites would not believe in him and listen to what he could tell them. He wondered what he was going to tell them if they would deny that he had not appeared to him (Exodus 4: 1).

Moses argued that he was a poor speaker, slow and hesitant. This implied that it would be such an uphill task for him to convince the Egyptian king about the release of the Israelites (Exodus 4: 10).

Moses was tied by his marriage to Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, which unfortunately God did not mention during their encounter.

Reasons for Moses' Acceptance of or Positive Response to his Call

After a long encounter with God, Moses finally agreed to go back to Egypt and rescue the Israelites from their misery. This was probably because of the following reasons.

God identified himself to Moses as the God of his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses response to this identity by covering his face because of fearing to look at God suggests that he recognized him (Exodus 3:5).

Moses shared the same feeling with God about the cruel and harsh treatment of the Israelites. He had killed an Egyptian for having killed a fellow Hebrew before taking refuge. Therefore, when God revealed that He wanted his people out of such misery, it complemented His earlier effort (Exodus 2:11-12 and 3:7-10).

God had also assured Moses that He would be with him in the process of liberating the Israelites from their Egyptian slavery (Exodus 3: 12).

God assured Moses that he decided to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt, where they were being treated cruelly and take them to the rich and fertile land (Exodus 3: 17).

Besides, God assured Moses that the Israelites would listen to what he was going to tell them considering it was about their liberation (Exodus 3: 18).

God used a command language to send Moses to the leaders of Israel and the king of Egypt;

"Then you must go with the leaders of Israel" Therefore, he could have feared to disobey the commands of God (Exodus 3: 18).

God promised Moses that he would use His power and punish the Egyptians by doing terrifying things in order for them to let go the Israelites (Exodus 3: 20).

God assured Moses that He would make the Egyptians respect him so his people would not leave empty-handed (Exodus 3 :21).

God gave Moses the power to perform miracles. He had witnessed his stick turned into a snake and his hand diseased and healthy again to prove to the Israelites that God had appeared to him (Exodus 4: 3-7).

God promised that He would help Moses to speak and tell him what to say to His people and to the Egyptian king (Exodus 4: 12).

Moses realized that God had become angry with him when he raised the fourth objection. Therefore, it is possible that he could have feared to keep on annoying God (Exodus 14:14).

Moses was convinced by God's assurance that his own brother, Aaron would help him as his spokes person. All he had to do was to tell Aaron what he wanted him to say (Exodus 4: 14).

Besides, God promised to help both Moses and Aaron to speak and guide them in what to do assuring him that he would become like Him while in Egypt (Exodus 4:15-16).

Moses could have realized that God was determined to use him. He had given him answers for all his excuses that he could not argue any longer.

God assured Moses that all those who wanted to have him killed had already died. Therefore, his life was safe from any danger.

REASONS FOR THE CALL OF MOSES

God wanted Moses to go and liberate the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt where they were being treated cruelly.

He wanted Moses and the people of Israel to worship Him after they had been set free from their slave masters (Exodus 3:12).

God intended to fulfill the promises He had made to Israel's ancestor, Abraham that He would have many descendants who would be slaves in the foreign land but would raise someone to set them free.

God wanted to prove His holiness as He commanded Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on a holy ground.

God wanted to demonstrate His omnipotence both to the Israelites and the Egyptians. He gave Moses the power to perform miracles and promised to use his power on the Egyptians,

God wanted to show his love for people of Israel. Because of love for them, He decided to bring them out of Egypt, where they were being treated cruelly and take them to a rich and fertile land.

God wanted to see that justice was done to the people of Israel. His revelation to Moses that He had seen how cruelly his people were being treated that He had now heard them cry out showed His desire for fairness in human relationship.

God intended to show that He could use anybody irrespective of his or her background for His purpose. He appeared to Moses who was a sinner for he had killed an Egyptian to use him to rescue His people from their slavery.

He wanted to prove His omnipresence for He promised Moses that He would be with him while in Egypt and that the people would worship Him where he was being called after leaving Egypt.

The call of Moses was intend to show the universal nature of God. His control was not only on the people of Israel but also on the Egyptians whom He promised to punish for having treated His people harshly.

God intended to prove that Israel was His firstborn son. He chose and made them His own people (Exodus 4:22-23).

The call of Moses was intended to prove Israel as a theocratic nation. He kept on referring to them as His chosen people that He had decided to take them to a rich and fertile land.

God wanted to show that He was a historical God for He identified himself to Moses as being the God of His ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

By calling Moses, God was pursuing His salvation plan for humanity which He had started in Abraham.

Revision Questions

1. Account for the burning bush incidence in Exodus 3

2. Justify God's revelation to Moses in Exodus 3

Lessons Christians learn from Moses’ call

• Christians should be ready to meet God any where

• Christian should serve God with holiness

• Christian's should worship only God

• Christians should help those in misery out of their situations

• Christians should repent of their sins

• Christians should treat each other with fairness

• Christians are called upon to love each other

• Christians should seek clarification for the task

• Christians should fulfill their promises

• Christians should respond positively to God's call

• Christians are urged to trust in the Lord

• Christians should pray for protection from God

• Christians should be merciful to one another

• Christians should help each other in their work

• Christians should remain calm when serving God