Plagues
Sermon series: Richly Woven
As a young boy, he was a disappointment to his father- weak, sickly... As the soldier he was supposed to become, he was worse- captured and held for ransom in his first battle. When he was returned home, he got sick again, and in his illness, had a vision of God, who was calling him to something new and powerful.
As he recovered, he renounced all his titles and possessions to answer this vision he believed was from God. In fact, he began giving away all his possessions, forgetting that they were not his, but his family’s. Finally, his father took him to court to get him to stop giving things away that weren’t his...
I remembered this story as I was preparing for week 3 in our series, “Richly Woven,” and as we hear the beginnings of the story of the Exodus: God’s rescue of the Children of Israel from slavery in the land of Egypt. Last week, we saw God beginning to work with the leader God had selected, Moses- brought up as Egyptian royalty, then an exile after he murdered an Egyptian he found beating a Hebrew, and then an a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian when he saw the burning bush, and was called to the Holy Ground of the presence of God!
We continue today with the first confrontation Moses and his brother Aaron have with the powerful Pharaoh. It’s the beginning of what I would call the “Plague Cycle” (hence the title of the sermon today), the incredible struggle that leads to unimaginable hardship for the people of Egypt and ultimate freedom for the enslaved Hebrews.
Our first reading tells us the story of Aaron’s staff, and how it becomes a snake- and when the Pharaoh’s court magicians do the same, Aaron’s staff eats them up... Pretty impressive, no doubt- but we must have context, so let me back up a bit...
As we heard last week, God calls Moses to be the one God will use to set the Children of Israel free from slavery. And I have always thought that Moses just didn’t want to do it- he had a nice life in Midian, a new wife, a child, and it would have been just too much- too risky, even, to go back to Egypt. So he does everything he can to get out of it...
Who is sending me? And for the first time in the Bible, God reveals God’s Name, something he didn’t do for Abraham, Isaac or Jacob: I am Yahweh! And this is what will happen, and God describes how he will work in freeing the Hebrews.
Moses answers with a perfectly reasonable comment: What if they say “The Lord did not appear to me...” Like, what if the vision was a bad dream- or the result of too much coffee and not enough sleep, or the spicy food from last night... like, sure, Moses, God spoke to you (which is what I would likely say...”)
But what if Moses is NOT making excuses? What if he really does feel inadequate- incompetent, and not capable to do such the incredibly difficult (and just incredible!) thing! Sure, I’m going to walk into the presence of the most powerful king in the world and tell him to let his labor supply leave, because God said so... (God? In Egypt, Pharaoh is God...)
And here is where the story turns- and don’t miss it, or you will miss the point of the first reading: The Lord said to him, “What is in your hand?” Moses said, “a rod...” and we need to stop.
It’s not just “a rod.” It is Moses’ shepherd’s staff- it is the symbol of who he has become- who he is- responsible for his family and for his flocks. It’s not just a big stick; it is Moses’ identity! So for God then to say, “Cast it on the ground,” is a BIG deal! “Throw you’re the symbol of what you do and who you are into the dust of the earth!” is what God is saying.
Another way of saying it is, “Trust completely in me for everything, and know that I will work in you and through you...”
Moses does! That’s a miracle greater than the rod turning into a snake- even greater than the burning bush: Moses responds to God’s call, and the world is never the same!
God uses the most unlikely people to change the world- people who aren’t the brightest and the best, people who are honest about their shortcomings- humble even, but people- just like you and me- who are willing to cast their rods on the ground- that is, to trust in God, and God’s promises completely- when it seems (and is!) absolutely impossible...
And now the dye is cast- even though Moses continues to claim he isn’t capable, you know the end of the story- in spite of his not being articulate and impressive (so much for Charlton Heston), he is going to Pharaoh- with his brother Aaron, to be his spokesperson- actually, God’s spokesperson...
Back to our reading- and the first verse reminds us of what is going on: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, shall be your prophet.’”
Bible historians tell us that the Exodus took place during the rule of one of the most powerful and capable of all of the Pharaohs, Ramses II. Ramses translates literally as “the son of Ra,” the most powerful of the Egyptian gods, god of the Sun!
This is not simply a fight between Moses and Pharaoh; this is a cosmic confrontation between Yahweh and Ra!
When Aaron casts his rod down, he is, like Moses (and for Moses), confessing his faith in God, and trusting God’s power to free the oppressed in the very face of the oppressor. The snake is for the Egyptian court- and when Pharaoh’s court magicians turn their staffs into snakes- essentially replicate what they think is a “trick,” Aaron’s snake eats Pharaoh’s snakes...
And, by the way, what kind of large snake eats other snakes? Cobras. And what is one of the primary symbols of Pharaoh’s divinity and power? You guessed it: the Cobra- it is on the Pharaoh’s royal crown... We could say that “God is God, and Ramses isn’t...” This is not going to go well for Pharaoh and Egypt...
Now it would be nice (and way easier) to simply stay in the text and focus on all the cool historical things I am sharing with you. But that is a misuse of the Bible, because we have it as a gift to work in our lives. It not only tells the ancient story, it speaks to you and me today! It is how we see ourselves and our lives woven into the Biblical story...
This struggle is a clear illustration between what it means to surrender to God- to be used by God, or to insist that you are God, and that you are the master of your destiny.
One lets God work- strives to do what God has called him to do, and relies on the gifts- trusts in the gifts he has been given. The other uses his considerable gifts in service to himself and the results are tragic- both for the individual and for the people around him; the people he is supposed to be serving...
One knows that without God’s love, presence and power, he could do very little, if anything. Moses knows his own weaknesses- Moses knows that God knows his weaknesses, and yet, God has promised to use him anyway!
Ramses thinks he is god, and that there are no negative consequences to his actions; he can do what he chooses to do. He believes that his talents, his wealth and power are intrinsic to his being- that they’re his, because of what and who he is. Taking advantage of others- oppressing the Hebrews is his right...
It is a pretty clear distinction- and there’s obviously a right choice and a wrong choice. And we can all think of people like Pharaoh, who thought this way- other famous dictators, from Hitler, Stalin or Mao... Or folks like Bernie Madoff, or Sigmund Freud, Ayn Rand or others who believed with all their hardened hearts that all they had and were, they deserved; that they had no responsibility or call to serve others.
Would that it were that simple; that black and white. Truth be told, each of us has the same struggle, often on a daily basis: do I do what God wants, or do I do what I want? Is God God, or am I God? Sometimes we do what God wants, and there is enormous satisfaction. And other times, we do what we want- what we think will make us happy at that given moment (do I buy that thing that I can’t afford? Do I pursue that attractive person, even though I’m married?) There’s a myriad of bad choices out there, and there can be hell to pay- for us, and for the people we love when we choose them.
I wonder sometimes why God lets us do that, but then I remember that without the choice, we would be puppets, automatons... and God wants us to love him freely.
And I wonder about that “hardened heart” thing- why does God do that to Pharaoh- but in this instance, as the story goes, it hastens the conclusion- Pharaoh is not likely to change, and he hits bottom faster than he otherwise would have...
That brings us to our second lesson. In the first reading, we have the beginning of the plague cycle; in the second, we have the beginning of the end- the story of the Passover.
Pharaoh’s refusal to stop the oppression of the Hebrews, his refusal to let them go into freedom has resulted in plagues through the land, and finally, the death of the first born of all of Egypt. (Do you see the symmetry? The story begins with the death of the first born Hebrew boys...) Innocent people are devastated by his behavior. (there is no rejoicing on the part of the Israelites: in the Passover Seder, they drip salt water, as tears of sorrow for their fellow human beings!
Pharaoh cannot do what God can do- he cannot save his people. But God can and does, through the sacrifice of a lamb, and covering of blood on the doorways of the Hebrews...
Does that sound familiar to you? “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” cried John the Baptist when he saw Jesus... And in the night before he was betrayed, Jesus evoked the memory of Moses:
Jesus and his disciples remembered the final plague and the freedom of the Jewish people, as they celebrated Passover together. But in this meal, the bread is Jesus, the wine is Jesus- body and blood for the forgiveness of sins...
And in his sacrifice on the cross, and in his resurrection on the third day, Jesus puts himself between you and me and all the terror of our sin- the terror of our death. That’s what we remember/taste/see in communion that we’re about to receive... It’s Jesus in the bread and wine! It is Jesus you take into your body- and it is the Living Jesus you take into the world to serve in his Name!
A few minutes ago I said that we can do what God wants or we can do what we want- and I left you there. Let’s be honest: on our own, there’s no way we can consistently do what God wants...
But let’s go back to the story one more time: Moses is brought into God’s presence. He is not seeking God, God finds him. And he can respond, or he can walk away. But his response is just that- a response: he did not initiate the conversation! And when he casts his rod to the ground and then picks it up again; when he commits to following God, God’s presence and power are there for him forever, and God uses him to change the world!
That’s true for each of you, today as well: God has reached out to you in Jesus- in his life, death and resurrection. In Christ, God offers you forgiveness for the bad choices you have made, and can help you reach out and both ask forgiveness of the people you have hurt and to offer it to the people who have hurt you... Jesus doesn’t change the harm that has been done; but He offers a place to begin again.
Like Moses, you did not initiate the conversation; Jesus did! And you can respond, or you can walk away. Jesus is inviting you to cast your rod, your life, whatever that rod may be for you, to the ground, and then to pick it up made new and follow him.
Like that young man whose father took him to court to stop giving away things that weren’t his. Francis- that was his name- agreed immediately to stop- took his clothes off, put on a burlap robe, and with a group of friends started an order that ultimately bore his name. During his life, he preached about poverty and care to the richest and most powerful people of the day, including the Pope, Innocent III. He and his friends practiced what they preached, and cared for the poor and the needy. Francis also preached to the animals, and blessed them, and that is why today, his feast day, we will be blessing the pets to all who come at 4pm. God used Francis of Assisi to change the world!
Like God used the small businessman I know who calls his company “God’s Company,” and who with his wife and children have adopted a small business in India that offers life changing employment to women who are divorced or widowed, and who without that work, would likely starve! God has used my friends to change the world!
And the size of your commitment determines how much God can use you. That we see in the Bible, through history and in our own lives all over the place. Please remember, this is not about having God love you more; this is about loving God more and seeing God at work through you in the world!
I want you to think about your own commitment- as we sing our next hymn, rejoicing in what God has done for you and me in Jesus- the Lamb. And as you come for communion, to receive that Lamb in the bread and the wine, think about your commitment: How much do you want to receive forgiveness and the strength to start again? How much would you like God to strengthen you, so you can be the person you know God wants you to be in your home, your workplace, your school, or wherever you spend most of your time? How much would you like God to use you to change the world- your world- for the better?
This is one of those times where you get to decide: the more you respond, commit, the more you are promised you will see God at work in you. Together, let’s take that step- let’s cast that rod- and let God be God in our lives and in our world, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
