The story of Moses is an amazing tale of God's protection and direction. Moses, born to an enslaved Israelite family, was spared miraculously from the infanticide of male children that was being used to "control" the slave population in Egypt. Discovered floating down the Nile river by the daughter of the king of Egypt, Moses was snatched from the waters and adopted into the king's family. His mother was employed to nurture him until he was weaned and then he was given to the king's daughter to raise. As a young man, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating one of the Israelites only to discover that the Israelite didn't appreciate his help. The king found out about the killing and tried to kill Moses, so Moses ran for the hills - literally. He married the daughter of a Midianite priest after defending her and her six sisters from shepherds that tried to chase them from the well as they watered their flocks. (Recognizing any pattern here? Moses the defender of justice.)
Moses seemed to be happy living in Midian working for his father-in-law. But God saw what was happening to His people, the Israelites, in Egypt and remembered His promise to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. So, while Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock, God sent the angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses as a bush on fire to get his attention. When God called to Moses from the bush, Moses answered, "Here I am." (Exodus 3:4) God declared it a holy place and told Moses "Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground." (vs. 5) In this holy place, God shared His plan to use Moses to rescue His people from the torturous hands of the Egyptians.
"God said, 'I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I've seen for myself how cruelly they're being treated by the Egyptians. It's time for you to go back: I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.'" (Ex. 3:7-10 MSG)
It's at this point that Moses starts down the road of doubt. "Why me?" (vs.11) Moses makes excuses and arguments about his abilities and qualifications to be a leader. God reassures him "I will be with you." (vs. 12) He even gives Moses the promise of proof. "This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." (vs. 12) The very mountain on which Moses was having this conversation was going to be the place of worship to seal the deal!
Moses said, "Okay, I'll tell them ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you.' But what if they ask me ‘What is his name?’ Who do I say you are?" The Israelites understood who the God of their fathers is. That alone would have been enough but Moses wanted stronger proof. God told him "'I AM WHO I AM' When you go to the people of Israel, tell them, 'I AM sent me to you'" (vs. 14) From that time on, God was to be known as I AM (vs. 15)
God even gave Moses the strategy by which to convince the people. He told Moses, "The older leaders will listen to you. And then you and the older leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt (Pharaoh) and tell him." (vs.18) God also told Moses that the king would resist and not let them leave. "Only a great power will force him to let you go, so I will strike Egypt with all the miracles that will happen in that land. After I do that, he will let you go. I will cause the Egyptians to think well of the Israelites. So when you leave, they will give gifts to your people. Each woman should ask her Egyptian neighbor and any Egyptian woman living in her house for gifts - silver, gold, and clothing. You should put those gifts on your children when you leave Egypt. In this way you will take with you the riches of the Egyptians." (vvs 19 - 22) What an amazing promise!
Now, mind you, Moses is having this conversation with a TALKING, burning bush that will not be consumed and still he doubts. God gave Moses even more signs of proof that it was God Almighty talking to him. “Throw down the staff in your hand.” It turned into a snake and when Moses picked it back up again it turned back into a staff. “Put your hand inside your cloak.” When Moses pulled his hand out it was leprous like snow. “Put it back into your cloak,” and when he took it out again, it was restored. (Exodus 4:1 - 7) God gave Moses a plan and an instrument, his staff to perform miraculous signs with, for proving his call to the people. God had provided everything Moses needed to carry the message of deliverance to the Israelites. But Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” God replied “Who gave man a mouth to speak, ears to hear and eyes to see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
I guess we shouldn't be too hard on Moses. It has not been my experience to converse with a burning bush, but there have been times that I knew God was speaking to me and I had some of the same arguments with Him that Moses did. "God, are you sure? I'm really not qualified." "What if they don't believe me or accept what I'm saying?” “Can't you use someone else?" Etc...... In reality, God told Moses I AM has come down to help His people, pry them loose, get them out and bring them to a good land. All God was asking Moses to do was give them and Pharaoh the message. (Ex. 3:8-10) God never expected Moses to do the rescuing, just the telling. God would do the rest! He would even help Moses and teach him what to say but Moses asked for a “pass”.
The saddest part of the story to me happens in the next verse, Exodus 4:13 “But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Can you imagine God’s heartbreak at this response? After all God had done for Moses and all the ways He had proven that He saw, valued and prepared him, Moses says “Please send someone else.”
“Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite?” Exodus 4:14. God didn’t change His rescue plan for the Israelites, just the messenger. Moses didn’t give up his job of carrying God’s message, just his audience. “You (Moses) shall speak to him (Aaron) and put words in his mouth. I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” (Vvs 15 & 16)
Even though they had a rocky start, God’s story of deliverance for the Israelites from Egypt went just as He said. God used Moses and Aaron to demonstrate the power of God to Pharaoh through ten plague events that only God could have orchestrated, Exodus 7 - 12. The Israelites followed the Lord’s commands given to Moses and Aaron, Exodus 12:28. Pharaoh gladly released them “take your flocks and herds as you have said and go.” Exodus 12:31. The Egyptians gave silver, gold and clothing to the Israelites as they left, Exodus 12:35 & 36. Because they did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, “on that very day (the day of their obedience) the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 12:51.
God NEVER asks us to do something that He has not already prepared the way for. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Proverbs 16:1 “ Go ahead and make all the plans you want, but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps.”
He NEVER expects anything of us that He has not already prepared us for. 1 Corinthians 1:7 "Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Proverbs 16:3 & 4 "Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed. 4 The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose."
God can be trusted to do what He says He will do - especially whe He asks us to help!
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
