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Today’s lesson scripture builds on this week’s theme: that God’s call will always be accompanied by his empowering presence.  Israel was called - through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and now Moses – to serve as God’s messenger to the world.  We see this call reiterated in today’s scripture from Isaiah:

8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10 do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
11 Yes, all who are incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.
12 You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.
13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:8-13 (NRSV)

Through Isaiah, God makes clear that Israel is to save the world through servant-hood.  We understand that Christ fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy, but the prophecy has its roots in God’s call to Abraham and (as we are studying this quarter) Moses.  The people of Israel understood this call (understandably – they were human) to involve nationhood, worldly dominion.  After all, the exodus experience taught them nothing if not that the power of God was unlimited.  For the next several hundred years the people of Israel would struggle with God’s relationship with the nation, just as we struggle today.  We wonder why our loyalty and devotion are not rewarded in the way we want to be rewarded – without regard to whether it is the way God wants to reward us.

Too often we confuse our agenda with God’s agenda.  At the time of the exodus, God’s agenda was to free Israel from bondage.  To a degree, this was Israel’s agenda as well (although, as would soon be seen, the people quickly longed for the comfort of Eygpt’s civilization over the rough freedom of the desert).  But go back to the reason Moses was to give Pharaoh for letting the people go: it was to worship God!

When we answer God’s call, we will be empowered – so long as we are about God’s business.  It’s when we confuse God’s business with our own agenda that trouble can start.