Moses, Pt. 1

Have you ever had a burning in your heart as someone is speaking? The kind of burning that touches you deep and brings great excitement…and fear. The kind that you know this is how is should be, but it requires so much of you, you don’t think you can do it. But it is so close to your heart that failure at it would cripple you, and it would have seemed better just not to try. It’s when you know something has to be done, but you just don’t have the strength to do it. If so, you have more in common with the faith of Moses than you realize.

Moses had always wanted for his people to be out of Egyptian bondage. He even protected a slave who was being beaten by killing the oppressor. He thought it would be the start of something great, but no one else saw it that way. “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?'” (Acts 7:23-26). Moses realizes he is trouble so he runs. He leaves all the comforts of home, his people, his royalty, and becomes a nomad in the desert.

Moses seemed to lose it all, but thankfully his kindness earned him a family. He has a good father-in-law, Jethro, and a wife. He becomes a lowly shepherd (a profession detestible by the Egyptians according to Gen. 36:44), probably believing the life of a prince is far behind him. For forty years he is a shepherd, but then he encounters God.

God knows the heart of Moses, and He knows the pain that Moses has for the captivity and mistreatment of his fellow Israelites. He may have buried his hope of their freedom, but I’m sure it never went away. Then God calls him to the very thing that Moses so desires to do. God wants Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. But instead of excitement, Moses senses great fear. He is afraid of his hope and his desire. He is afraid of failure, for it happened before and he lost everything. Moses makes excuses.

Excuse #1-Who am I? This seems to be the most common question we all have. I am nobody special. I don’t need to call attention to myself, it would seem arrogant. I can’t do that, I don’t have the time or skill, etc. God’s response-“I will be with you.” I have heard it said that God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.

Excuse #2-Who should I say sent them? Who are You? I’m nobody, but what if they believe that God is nobody? God responds by telling Moses his name, Yahweh-I AM Who I AM, or I Will Be Who I Will Be. It is God’s covenant name with Israel. It is the best way God can explain Himself to us it seems. He just is who He is.

Excuse #3-What if they don’t listen? God shows Moses that they will listen, eventually. Besides, people not listening is never an excuse to not talk about the Word of God. People not listening doesn’t absolve us of telling the truth.

Excuse #4-I’m not a good speaker. I don’t have the right skill. God’s response-I made your mouth, and I will teach you. Trust me, this is not about you.

Excuse #5-Send somebody else. I can’t do this. It is at this point that God gets angry, and will not let Moses out of it. Now he tells Moses to let Aaron be the speaker, but Moses doesn’t have another choice. It is rare indeed when God doesn’t let someone chose. Of course, Moses had chosen this, but he was just scared to do it.

Moses lets fear keep him from the very thing that he so wants done. He gives excuse after excuse (and they aren’t unreasonable questions) why he can’t do it. God doesn’t let Moses out of it. Moses was chosen, but