Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, “the Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to….. a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Exodus 3: 16 – 17
This passage is a small part of the conversation that God had with Moses when God appeared to Moses for the first time. He instructs Moses to return to Egypt, meet with the elders of Israel, and speak to Pharaoh. This interaction must have been an overwhelming moment for Moses. To the Hebrews, the faith of their fathers came from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – it is even the name they give to God. Moses would go on from this encounter with God and become the most revered leader of Israel: the one who God used to deliver Israel and give them His law. To us followers of Jesus, Moses is a prefigurement of Christ. Jesus Christ came to set us all free from the bondage of sin and death. He promises to give us fellowship with God in the present, and an eternity with Him, in heaven, far surpassing the land flowing with milk and honey. The events of Exodus, the Passover, the release from bondage, the crossing of the Red Sea – all brought to the fullest of meaning in Jesus Christ. Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God on the cross, His glorious resurrection, and the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion are all foreshadowed by the events of Exodus. On this middle day of Lent (Meechink), let us remember what God has done in the past and look forward to all He will yet do.
Let us pray with St. Gregory:
It is you, Lord, who cleanses us, as you did first with your chosen, Moses.
It is you, who looked over the tribe of Jacob in their sin and lawlessness,
as they became accustomed to the dark Pagan ways of the land of Egypt.
It is you who replaces the stubborn, hardness of stony hearts,
with the obedient softness of flesh, receptive to the Word.
It is you who can guide hearts to a single way, respecting you with their full lives.
It is you who instill respect, fear and faith, to heed you.
Illumine again the light of my soul’s darkened eye with the touch of your life giving right hand.
For yours is majesty, victory and power.
And you are atonement and healing, renewal and bliss.
To you all glory and praise forever.
Amen
Prayer 35 B, C, D
