Exodus 3:6 English Standard Version (ESV) And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

This was Moses’ burning bush moment. All of us have a burning bush moment but they do not all look like this one. It is that moment when God reveals Himself to us in a personal way. For Moses it was a life changer that was related to his personal family history.

Moses became afraid, but in that moment was it a “fear God” moment? In that moment Moses hid his face. Hiding ones face is a sign of feeling exposed, being seen for what we are in truth.

Moses went through moments of doubts as to his identity and ability.

Verse ^11a But Moses said to God, “Who am I?”

That is the real question behind our burning bush moments. Not so much about who God is, but who we are to God. With Moses it was a foreshadowing of Christ. God sent Moses to set his people free. Moses went from a man who hid his face from God to a man who hid his face from the people he led.

Exodus 34:32-34 English Standard Version

³² Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. ³³ And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

³⁴ Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded,

Whenever Moses came before the Lord he exposed his face to God. He did not hide himself, he was real with God. This is the lesson to us about coming before the Lord, to be real. This veil is a veil of flesh which when we come before the congregation this is all they see, flesh.

Mark 9:35 English Standard Version (ESV) And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Mark 9:35 King James Version (ESV) And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples. The words were from teacher to student. The ESV version makes it sound like teacher and student. The KJV sounds more like the servant of God to those who are being trained to serve.

There is another way to hear Mark 9:25 today that is not included in how it sounded back then.

Jesus is Lord sitting on the throne of heaven. As Lord He has the power to make things happen because He has the power to control all things. Here is another way to hear what the Spirit says to us on a personal level.

“If the desire of your heart is to be selfish, I will put you at the end of the line until your heart changes.”

We don’t see ourselves as being selfish until we are shown to be selfish. We are experienced with lying to ourselves to make ourselves feel better.

God will not put up with a liar, even if we are just lying to ourselves.

Psalm 37:4 English Standard Version (ESV) Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If the desire of our heart is the Lord, He will give us the Lord.

If the desire of our heart is selfish, we will find ourselves alone at the end of a very long line.