We know the story of Moses. He was a Hebrew child adopted by an Egyptian princess and raised in wealth and privilege while his brothers and sisters worked under Egyptian oppression. At a young age he recognizes the oppression of his people and in a fit of rage murders an Egyptian task master, then runs away to hide in the wilderness. While there he meets his future wife, marries and settles down to life as a shepherd. But God has plans for Moses. Moses is to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt to a land God has promised them.
On the surface it is a hero story - the story of an unlikely man rising to the call of God and doing great things. Its an epic story - its foundational in the Hebrew faith. It has inspired revolution in South and Central America and played a role in the abolition of slavery. But it is also a very human story.
At the heart of the story of Moses is the story of the liberation of the human spirit.
Standing between Moses and his freedom was Pharaoh - a self absorbed, self centred, self aggrandizing, bullying force with the power to enslave.
We all have Pharaohs in our lives - things that trap and enslave us. A diagnosis of critical illness. The end of a relationship. People who have power over us, either at work or school. Loss, of a job, of independence, of self dignity. Grief. Physical pain from illness or injury. All of these things trap and enslave us. They keep us captive through fear. What is going to happen to me, we wonder. We cannot see a future beyond our captivity.
In the story of Moses we can find some answers.
The first clue arises when Moses meets God on the mountain. He says to God "Why me, God. Who am I to speak to Pharaoh?" He is terrified of Pharaoh, and rightfully so, because Pharaoh literally holds his life in his hands. Moses feels powerless. But God says to him "I will be with you". And this is enough. Moses goes and faces his captor head on. "Let my people go." He says.
My people...When we are held captive by forces beyond our control in our lives, its not just us that suffers. Statistics say that for each person who suffers, there is, on average, nine other people who suffer as well. Family, friends, co-workers. People around us are affected by our suffering in a multitude of ways. When we face those things that hold us captive, we are not alone. Everyone around us is in this with us. Freedom for us means freedom for the people around us.
Now in Moses' story, predictably, Pharaoh ignores Moses request to be set free. He ignores him. He thinks himself too big to fail. Too important to be questioned. But Moses doesn't give up. He pummels him time and time again, over and over until finally Pharaoh softens, relents and opens the gates.
This is where we think that the happy ending comes. Hooray, we've been set free, the worst is over! Have you watched the movie the Ten Commandments? Its 220 minutes long! That's over 3 1/2 hours! And the scene where Pharaoh lets the people go is half way through. There's lots of story left to tell.
Pharaoh pursues Moses, dogs him, chases him. Even after the people have crossed into the desert and left him far behind, there are times when they look back and remember and even wish they were back in Egypt. Those things in our life that have held us captive never really leave us. They become part of us. Grief never goes away. It softens and becomes bearable. As an adult 40 years past my school days, I still carry the scars of the bullies who called me names, or made fun of me. - I was chatting with a lady in a store the other day who has the same name as me - Patti. O the taunts we endured just because of what our parents called us. When I was expecting my children, high on the list of priorities for a name was one that could not be put in a rhyme - its pretty tough to find words that rhyme with Jason or Justin or David. Those taunts still hurt, and I am who I am because of them.
Loss changes everything. Even when things get better, the threat of loss is always there, hovering around. Living with illness and pain can be managed with treatment and medication, but we become acutely aware that our lives have taken on a "new normal" that can change again in a moment. Death is always with us. It is part of who we are. It is the natural progression of our lives.
What I am trying to say is that our Pharaohs, those things that can hold us captive, are never dead. Even though they may be conquered, they are always with us.
For me, the most profound thing that Moses teaches us is this: Moses is in constant communication with God. If you open the book of Exodus and look at the first 20 chapters you will find the line "and then The Lord said to Moses" in every paragraph. Moses is constantly listening to God. Constantly. God guides Moses through all of the challenges, the fearfulness, the frustration. God helps Moses to navigate the politics, and the logistics of getting himself and his people from captivity to freedom. And in the end, when death comes to claim Moses, God shows Moses the promised land. But you're not going there, God says to Moses. You're coming with me.
To all the Pharaohs in our lives, the things that hold us captive, that paralyze us with fear, that suck the life out of us, we can, with the help of God, say "set me free", knowing that freedom does not mean that those things disappear, but that they become part of who we are, companions, rather than captors. Grief becomes a process through which we learn to live the rest of our lives with the ones we have lost. Illness, born of our bodies, becomes part of our bodies to be managed rather than feared. Bullies lose their power over us and become reminders of the power of our own spirits. Loss becomes a friend that has shown us how much we truly have. Death becomes the promised land.
Psalm 91:15 says
Those who love me, I will deliver
I will protect those who know my name
When they call to me, I will answer them
I will be with them in trouble
And The Lord said to Moses - "I will be with you"
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