See: A Call to Stand on Holy Ground [MM: I think this is an early draft of that sermon.]

Encounter with God on a Desert

November 15, 1998

Wollaston 6 pm

Exodus 3:1- 10

Picture a broad vista – high shot – vast panorama of barren desert valley between two mountain ranges on each side. Sparse bushes here and there as far as the eye can see. Tiny specks moving below - - a shepherd and scattered flock of sheep. Not another living thing in sight.

In that vast emptiness of desert - - we zoom in and see a deeply tanned handsome Beduin-looking sort of man. Far from any other human being, let alone any civilization - - one of the world’s most important events is about to take place:

A bush begins to burn. So ??

It keeps burning . . And burning . . . The man looks.

It burns but is not burned up. The man turns aside to see.

THE EXODUS STORY IS BEGINNING:

GOD MEETS ONE LONE MAN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BARREN DESERT

After more than 3,000 years this story has tremendous significance. For it tells in language deeper than words can express, to those who will listen, something about what happens when we come into living contact with God. The story is important because it tells something of THE WONDER OF GOD REACHING TO A HUMAN BEING.

[All Moses could do was "draw near"...not generate the experience; also extreme reverence of Jews for this name "YWHW" and LORD in our OT...]

Rudolph Otto, a respected German scholar, used three Latin adjectives to describe encounters with God in the Bible in general, and this Burning Bush story in particular. Those three words are tremendum, and mysterium, and fascinans.

Tremendum

(Roughly “awe”.)

Otto used the word tremendum to express three aspects of a divine human encounter. First, he said was (1) A sense of awe. It is, in his words, "a quite specific kind of emotional response, wholly distinct from that of being afraid, though it so far resembles it that the analogy of fear may be used to throw light upon its nature." The Scripture says "Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God." Later, when God had brought all the people to this place again they, too, were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance.

But there is more. Tremendum means also (2) an overpowering, a majesty a majestic distance realizing the infinite difference between the ineffable God and our mortal humanity. The prophet Habakkuk said: "I hear, and I tremble within; my lips quiver at the sound. Rottenness enters my bones, and my steps tremble beneath me." Daniel said, "My strength left me, and my complexion grew pale, and I retained no strength." Both these men stated later that they felt greatly beloved and yet they were shaken physically and mentally and spiritually.

Finally tremendum has elements of what can only be described as (3) sheer "energy." The "energy" is sometimes represented in fantastic ways Ezekiel's wheels within wheels the four living creatures of Revelation even the picture of the living Savior in Revelation chapter one (words like Psalm 29: 5 9)

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire,
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voices of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

To some extent I fear we have lost a capacity for awe. But AWE is not all that happens when it is GOD that calls to us: There was a second word

Mysterium

(Roughly: “Mystery!”)

Encounters with God can never be really described. And they cannot be duplicated or summoned up at will. We are uncomfortable with what we cannot explain or control. God is always MORE than we can understand– OTHER than can be described.

When the Bible tells about people coming into contact with God it never confuses Him, the I-AM-THAT-I-AM, with the physical setting AND IT NEVER gives any glory to the humans involved. God is not in the whirlwinds or the fire or in the burning bush or even in the mountain or the tablets of stone. Moses does not fast and pray until God has to do as Moses says. There is always mystery involved when the great God reaches out to communicate with people.

One might say God has a big problem. How does he get near to us without on the one hand consuming us with his energy, and on the other hand convince us that He really is interested in us if we will listen and respond in humility and faith. There will always be mystery.

[Finally and wonderfully there is another aspect:]

Fascinans

(A translation could be “fascination” or “dazzling attraction.”)

There is a tremendous attraction within the human heart for the holiness of God. For God is white hot passionate caring LOVE. To think that someone just simply downright LOVES you is just about the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Love" of some kind or other is the dynamic that drives most of the dramas and novels of the world the concept of loving and being loved. But no love can compare with the purity and intensity of the LOVE that emanates from an encounter with God.

Awe. Mystery. Great fascination! Moses somehow knew something of all three. He covers his face. He certainly does not understand. But what is this? What is the I AM THAT I AM finally saying to Moses? Out here on a barren desert THIS GREAT GOD MAKES IT CLEAR THAT HE CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. AND

ONE MAN SAYING YES TO GOD CHANGES THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!

THERE IS A CONNECTION, OF COURSE, BETWEEN ONE MAN’S ENCOUNTER WITH GOD ON A BARREN DESERT AND 1,000,000 SLAVES CRY FOR HELP FROM A GOD THEY HARDLY KNEW . .

A lot of things happened in the next few months to Moses and to Egypt and the people who were slaves but were to become the people of God. Great miracles took place. and God nearly destroyed Egypt getting the people out and away from their old masters. But the bottom line is this: one man met God Almighty God and obeyed Him.

When this one man invited the slaves in Egypt to follow God they believed him, they responded to the promises of this God. And one day the living descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob stood at the Mountain of God, and they saw the fire and they experienced tremendum, and they experienced mysterium, and yet at the same time they knew fascinans.

When WE think of this story of Exodus we think of the details of the journey the parting of the sea, the manna, the water from the rock– and that is only natural.

But really this story is about a God of fire and holiness and mystery who calls people to look up and believe and to walk with Him and trust Him. And they find they have never been so free and so happy. Exodus is about being drawn out of life that goes around in circles into a life that ascends in spirals that never, ever, ever end. Exodus is about an invitation to fellowship with the eternal God, the I AM THAT I AM. THE WONDER OF EXODUS IS THAT GOD WANTS TO COME NEAR HIS PEOPLE AND NEVER, NEVER LEAVE THEM AGAIN!