CROWN OF THORNS – By Raphael ben Levi
In this week’s Torah portion (Ex.6:2–9:35) Moses, the displaced Jew, who is disconnected from his nation and people, a prince of Egypt, reduced to a common shepherd of a Midianite’s flock, is now commissioned by the living God to lead his people from captivity to freedom. Outwardly he was a most unlikely choice but it was God’s perfect choice. The one who was separated from his people for 40 years in Egypt at birth, then exiled for a further 40 among the pagan Midianite nation suddenly becomes reconnected in the most staggering Divine encounter.
God demonstrated to Moses His faithfulness. Never once had He failed in any one of His promises. The Creator of the Universe who closed the wombs of Sarah, Rachel and Rebecca for so many years now informed Moses how much He cared for their offspring held captive as slaves in Egypt. And God told Moses that He would demonstrate this by delivering them from the Egyptians and returning them to the land given to their forefathers.This is the parasha we will be looking at later.
God chose to reveal His presence to Moses within a thorn bush considered useless by the heathen even for carving their wooden idols illustrating something of great importance – the Creator of the universe revealed Himself clothed in humility. And it was this event that changed Moses’ life forever and transformed him into a man of God more humble than anyone who walked the earth (Num 12:3).
At a later stage in history, Yeshua gave His life for us crowned with thorns, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the “Suffering Servant” who willingly paid the price for our sins. And God has made His name known throughout all creation. Yud-He-Vav-He in human form, the Incarnation – Yeshua the perfect and complete expression of humility, who humbled Himself even unto death on a crucifix stake, and paid the price higher than eternity can fathom.
What was it that changed Moses’ life from a common shepherd with a speech impediment to become Israel’s greatest leader? It was his encounter at the burning bush – God’s staggering humility shattered his life completely. Humility is the partner of one who walks in spiritual authority but pride is the partner of a tyrant.
When Moses confronted the proud and arrogant Pharaoh, his initial efforts met with failure. Not only did Pharaoh refuse to release the Israelites, he made their abject working conditions even worse. At this point, even the Israelites turned against Moses to the point where they were ready to stone him.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks provides a further insight:“So Moshe told this to the Israelites but they did not listen to him, because their spirit was broken and because the labour was harsh.” Ex.6:9
The phrase seems simple enough. The people did not listen to Moshe because they were busy trying to survive day by day. They had no time for hope, or for promises that seemed to have no grounding in reality. Moshe had failed to deliver in the past. He had brought them messages from God before which had done nothing to improve their situation. So they had no reason to think he would do so in the future. But there is something more subtle going on beneath the surface. When Moshe first met God at the Burning Bush, God told him to lead, and Moshe kept refusing on the grounds that the people would not listen to him. He was not a man of words. He was slow of speech and tongue. He lacked eloquence. He could not sway crowds. He was not an inspirational leader.
It turned out, though, that Moshe was both right and wrong, right that they did not listen to him, but wrong about why. It had nothing to do with his failures as a leader or a public speaker. In fact, it had nothing to do with Moshe at all. They did not listen “because their spirit was broken and because the labour was harsh.”
It’s difficult to hear God’s message if our spirit is broken and our labour harsh. And yet although tempted to blame God for our circumstances, a true believer fights through it because he understands that true freedom is not freedom from our persecutors or freedom from the worst physical deprivations and torture ever designed by man. We dare not miss the urgency of the moment and allow Satan to paralyse our future because the more hopeless our situation may appear, the sweeter will be our victory.
