Here’s an idea: let’s all quit our jobs, leaving all sources of income behind, and, after borrowing all of our neighbors’ jewelry, let’s convoy out to live in Death Valley for, oh, forty years or so. Sound good? No? Has it ever occurred to you what a tremendously influential person Moses must have been? Speaking simply in the name of “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” Moses led tens of thousands (at least) of underpaid, over-worked servants out of Egypt into the Arabian desert.

Perhaps they were just excited about a change. They had been crying out to God for relief, but the world power of the day—Pharaoh—was neither sympathetic nor interested in even hearing their complaints. He hated the Hebrews and feared the growth of their population. What made things worse, they seemed to succeed at everything whereas he and his had to work diligently for any advances. So Pharaoh, wanting Egypt to be more purely Egyptian, works them to within an inch of their lives and implements male infanticide as a policy. Life is utterly miserable for the Hebrews, but God hears their prayers.

Moses, born Hebrew but raised Egyptian, is no saint; in fact, he is a murderer. Yes, he killed a bad Egyptian in a good cause, but that hardly excuses murder. Moses, un-hero-like, runs away to an absolute nowhere in the desert. His kindness to Jethro’s daughters nets him a beautiful spouse, and he settles down to desert life. One day, while he was minding his own business tending sheep, he sees a burning bush that isn’t actually burning. When he checks it out, The Lord speaks to him: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, and I have something for you to do.”

Moses seems glad for the plan in general, but when he realizes he will have to do some public speaking—which terrifies him—he asks whether or not God might have the wrong number.  God simply tells him, “I will be with you.”

Isn’t this what about 90% of our prayers amount to?  “Lord, be with my friend in the hospital,” “Lord, be with my husband as he travels,” “Lord, be with us as we grieve”—so much of our prayer life is simply this: calling upon the Lord’s presence and asking that he be present with those who suffer afflictions, dangers, pains, or perplexities.

The promise to Moses that, “I will be with you” is as wonderful and gracious a promise as any of us could hope for. To have God with us is our ultimate comfort and final hope. What would you and I not face with the assurance that God is with us? No trial, no temptation, no earthly danger can compare to the blessed assurance of God’s presence.

It was the mere presence of God that empowers every great act of faith. It put David before Goliath in trust and strength. It kept Daniel cool-headed in the lion’s den. It made Paul—when on death row—feel and act as though he were on vacation.

When we pray, “Oh Lord, be with…” whomever we pray for, we invest ourselves in trusting God’s power and presence. Furthermore, we do so joyfully, knowing that we do in fact have access to the greatest power of all. That is why it always blesses us to pray for others.

But Moses wasn’t convinced. When God lays out the plan, Moses tries to give God the third degree: “Lord, if I’m to do this, I need some serious authorization! If I, a stranger [and a murderer, don’t forget], tell them all this, they’re going to ask for my credentials. How shall I tell them about You and who You are? Who am I to tell them about You and Who You are?” It is as if Moses didn’t even hear the “I’ll be with you” part.

Moses goes for broke: “Give me your name so I can use it to authorize myself. So…what is it?”

God sighs. “Moses, I AM WHO I AM! God reveals himself to Moses as the one, true GOD in the midst of a pagan world of manmade idols. Moses says, “Okay, exactly how do you spell I AM WHO I AM?” and, I think, God sighs again. After this, Moses makes his faith clear: “Please Lord, can’t you ask somebody else?”

God is revealed through servants who are reluctant—who want to stay at home even if that home is a slave hut—and there is much complaining and griping on the road to freedom and the land of God’s promises. Moses wanted to throw in the towel more than once, but deep down, God helped him and grew his faith. We don’t so much say that Moses had faith; rather we say that God was with him, and that made all the difference †.