THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
My office is full of artwork, and I’m proud of my collection. Before you start guessing whether I prefer abstract, modern, renaissance, or cute Bible verse plaques, I’ll give you a hint: I have three young children. The “artwork” that graces my wall is a compilation of squiggly lines, letters, pandas, and a drawing of yours truly flying with a cape. The amazing thing about children is that, no matter how their drawings look or how far outside the lines the colors go, they are always so proud of their work. (And so are their parents.)
When did we lose that pride in our work? When did we start comparing ourselves to others? Instead of being satisfied with what we can accomplish, we tend to measure ourselves against others, and we often conclude we’re not capable.
While our culture may value our appearance, the size of our bank accounts, and the trophies on our walls, God operates with a different standard. Instead of valuing us by what we can or cannot do, God accepts us as we are.
As we see in the life of Moses, God takes us as broken vessels with blemishes and weaknesses, and He accomplishes what we never thought was possible.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Exodus 3:11-12
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
We’ve all had trouble in our past. But imagine you were separated from your mother as an infant because a death sentence hung over your head. Imagine that your birth mother nursed you, but then you were handed over to a different woman who adopted you and brought you up. Imagine that you committed murder as a young man, then fled to a foreign country and took on a whole new way of life.
That was Moses’ story. Although he grew up as royalty in Egypt—having been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter—there were moments in his past that held him down and caused him to doubt God. So, when God called Moses to be His instrument of salvation for the Israelites, Moses balked. He asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Moses may have been remembering that time when, as a prince in Egypt, he tried to save an Israelite from being beaten by an Egyptian taskmaster. He may have thought: If I couldn’t save even one Israelite when I was a prince, how can I deliver all of the Israelites from the Egyptians as an exile? Perhaps God’s call brought to Moses’ mind the question he heard 40 years earlier: “Who made you a commander and judge over us?” (Ex. 2:14).
It’s easy for us to find objections and rationalize our unbelief. But God, what if…? But God, what about…? Yet our heavenly Father extends to us the same answer He gave to Moses to curb his doubts and negative self-image: “I will certainly be with you.”
Exodus 4:10-12
10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent — either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant — because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”
Moses was living in the shadow of his past. In his own effort and in his own way, Moses had tried to rescue one Israelite 40 years earlier. He failed miserably. Therefore, he was keenly aware of his own shortcomings.
Unfortunately, Moses allowed those shortcomings—his past sins and his present self-perception—to shape his future. Years of running and living in fear had deeply affected his identity. He was broken and looking for a way out of God’s plans for his life.
For these and other reasons, Moses didn’t see himself as the best person to speak publicly on Israel’s behalf—and certainly not to speak against Pharaoh. In fact, Moses seemed convinced that he wouldn’t be able speak at all in the presence of such a man.
Do you see the irony here? Moses was expressing his fear and inability to speak in front of an extremely powerful man, which seems reasonable. Yet Moses was expressing those fears to God! He was talking to the Creator of the universe about how he would be unable to talk in front of another man.
Let’s be honest: if you can speak to God, you certainly can speak to any earthly king. Which begs an interesting question: why did Moses think he could negotiate with God but not with Pharaoh? Why did he persist so stubbornly in his desire to doubt himself?
The problem was that Moses was looking at himself and not at the One calling him. That’s why God reminded Moses just who it was that made him the way he was. To paraphrase verse 11, God told Moses: “You think you’re slow and hesitant in speech, and you’ve never been eloquent in communication. Well, who do you think gave you the ability to talk in the first place? Now get up and go!”
Whatever you may see as shortcomings are not shortcomings in the hands of God. God created you just as you are, and He will use every part of you for His glory. Nothing is beyond God’s grace and power.
Exodus 4:13-17
13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”
God told Moses, “I will help you” (v. 12). God even gave Moses a play-by-play description of the immediate future, showing Moses three miracles that would prove God had sent him.
Unfortunately, even those gifts didn’t convince Moses.
Instead of replying as Isaiah did centuries later—“Here I am. Send me” (Isa. 6:8)—Moses begged, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” No wonder “The LORD’s anger burned against Moses”!
Moses failed to understand that God wants to equip those He calls, rather than merely calling those who are already equipped. When God calls you to Himself, He will equip you with everything you need to follow Him, live for Him each day, and experience His joy and fullness in your life.
Fortunately for Moses, God was merciful; He relented and allowed Moses’ brother, Aaron, to go with him. But God didn’t let Moses off the hook. God didn’t say, “All right, Aaron will speak and you can just manage the process.” Instead, God said, “You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do” (emphasis added).
God still insisted that Moses do the work God had called him to do. Why? Because God had a greater plan in store for Moses than whatever Moses was willing to settle for.
When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is pray. I start off my day by praying: “Lord, here I am. I ask that You would use me today.” I want to be a faithful, willing, and available servant to God. After I pray those words, I begin to get ready for work. While I’m getting ready, I continue my prayer by saying, “Lord, please speak to me and through me today.” In every interaction that I have with others, I want to be available for God to speak to me and through me. As a result, I will then often end my prayer with, “So I offer up to You the work I need to accomplish, my meetings, my interactions with coworkers, as well as my interactions with my neighbors, wife, and children. Please guide those moments for Your glory.”
This practice works for me, and it can work for you. Begin your day with the understanding that God will be with you. He will equip you to accomplish His purposes in your life. And He actively desires to work through you despite your shortcomings.
LIVE IT OUT
How will you respond to God’s continued call in your life? Consider taking one of these steps in the days to come:
- Deal with the past. Moses’ past sins affected his outlook and posture in life. What temptations tend to come up repeatedly for you? What sins do you often commit? Ask the Lord to free you from those chains.
- Focus on the present. When you wake up each morning, start your day by submitting yourself to God and His plans.
- Be accountable. One of the best ways to overcome your shortcomings is by sharing them with others and inviting others to keep you accountable. In fact, this is one of the key attributes to being a disciple of Christ—building relationships with others and living unashamed. Who can you ask to keep you accountable in your walk with Christ?
You and I have shortcomings. It’s true. Even so, you and I are valued members of God’s kingdom. We have the chance each day to work for Him as He equips and encourages us to make a difference.
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Teacher's Notes:
As a kid, I loved the book The Little Engine That Could. The story of the little switch engine called upon to haul a long train over a high mountain. Switch engines aren’t designed for this work, but this little engine psyched himself up to do the impossible by chanting “I think I can. I think I can.” And he does … because he thought he could. Virtue of optimism - power of positive thinking.
Moses is issued a call this morning to accomplish a great task. But he offers up excuses instead. Maybe Moses just needed some positive thinking from a Norman Vincent Peale, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, or a Joel Osteen.
Let’s listen to Moses’ excuses and how God answers those excuses in our story this morning.
I. Who am I? Exodus 3:11-12
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
What was Moses’ first excuse? Why do you think Moses asked this question?
- Moses was once a member of Egypt’s ruling family. He was a prince, perhaps in line to be the king. Now he was far removed from the splendor and glory he had once known in Egypt. Instead of being a rag to riches story, Moses’ story was riches to rags. He ran from Pharaoh’s palace to Jethro’s farm, from a prince to a lowly shepherd. 40 years had passed since he had been in Egypt. He was an old man, already past his prime. This prompted Moses to wonder whether he was the right man for the job.
What was God’s reply?
- God’s reply and promise was quick and to the point: “I will be with you.” God promised to be with Moses, and this promise should have been sufficient. This has been God’s overriding promise to His people. He promises to go with us and be with us wherever He sends us. We can count on His presence.
Why wasn’t God’s presence with Moses enough for him to move forward?
- Moses was concerned with his past and his age. He couldn’t see his abilities through God’s eyes. He was focused on his past and age. He couldn’t submit to God. When God calls a person to a task, He also equips that person.
Let’s listen to Moses’ second excuse…
II. I Have Never Been Eloquent Exodus 4:10-12
10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent — either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant — because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”
What was Moses’ second excuse?
- Moses’ claim to have never been eloquent was a thinly veiled excuse, by which Moses hoped to escape his calling. Words did not come readily to him. When they came, he had a difficulty in uttering them. According to his own admission, his “my mouth and my tongue are sluggish” (4:10), meaning not handicapped, but lacking in eloquence.
God has a way to overcome our weakness and our insufficiencies, doesn’t He? The person most aware of his own inadequacy is usually the person most dependent on God’s all-sufficiency. Our inadequacy causes us to rely upon God. His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. His glory is manifested through our flaws.
What was God’s answer?
- God’s reply and promise, once again was on point: I made the mouth and “I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say” (4:12). Our talent may appear inadequate, but God always equips those He calls.
- We have the promise of God’s provision. God blesses not the silver-tongued orator, but the one He gives the words to say. God uses not the most gifted and talented person, but the one that He teaches to speak. God utilizes the most unlikely persons to shake a church or a community or a nation. Never underestimate the power of God, teaching and equipping the most unlikely people.
- God sometimes chooses those as His messengers, who are the least advantaged, that His grace in them may appear the more glorious. Christ’s disciples were no orators, till the Holy Spirit made them such. God answered Moses’ excuse. As the sign on the church marquee proclaimed: “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.”
God tells Moses, “I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” Why wasn’t this enough?
- What we see as deficiencies are not too great for God to overcome. God has created us just as we are, so He’s not too surprised by what we can or cannot do. We may not immediately see what God can do through us, but we can trust Him as we step out in faith.
- Don’t let past failures or fear of the future render you useless to the Lord. God knows exactly why He chooses you to carry out His purpose. All He asks of you is to trust and obediently follow Him.
Let’s hear Moses’ final excuse…
III. Please Send Someone Else Exodus 4:13-17
13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”
God told Moses, I will be with you, I will help you, I will teach you what to say. God even gave Moses a play-by-play description of the immediate future, showing Moses three miracles that would prove God had sent him. Unfortunately, even those gifts didn’t convince Moses.
What was Moses’ third excuse? Send someone else.
- Moses finally admitted that he did not want to obey God. Moses simply did not want to go. The previous excuses were simply a smokescreen attempt to his unwillingness to respond to God’s call to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
What was God’s answer?
- God once again gave a quick and assuring promise to Moses. God provided a “mouthpiece” for Moses, a press secretary, a human loudspeaker, in his older brother by three years, Aaron. God’s gracious act was both an aid to Moses and a discipline for his disobedience. On the one hand, Aaron was an encouragement to Moses, but on the other, he proved to be a source of frustration as a mediator. God reminded Moses that he would be as God to Aaron because he would tell him what to say, just as God would tell Moses what to say. The staff in Moses’ hands was a symbol of God’s powerful Presence.
How do we equate this burning bush experience today? When have you felt God called you? When have you felt like asking God to send someone else?
- Every day God is calling us to move forward despite our past failures, weaknesses, or just lack of trust.
In last week’s lesson, Peter failed miserably by denying he even knew Jesus 3 times and after he repented – Jesus picked him back up and questioned him 3 times on whether or not he loved Jesus. Then He then gave Peter a purpose to move forward and accomplish what Jesus wanted him to do.
Moses didn’t need to psych himself up. He didn’t need to look in the mirror and give himself a pep talk. He needed what only God could give him. And if you’re going to succeed in life—if you’re going to overcome your past and move forward—you’re going to need what only God can give you.
We don’t need pop psychology; we need a dose of the same truth God spoke to Moses.
1. When you live in obedience, God is with you (Ex. 3:11-12).
2. God created you just as you are (4:10-12).
3. God equips you with all you need (vv. 13-17).
We have all failed and we all have shortcomings. But Christ is greater than our past, and He overcomes every objection we can think of. The only barrier to moving forward with our life has nothing to do with pumping ourselves up mentally or emotionally; it is whether or not we will surrender and be obedient to what Christ wants to do in us and through us. Since He’s with us, He will empower us.
Instead of I think I can, it should be I think I’ll trust.
Lesson: When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is pray. I start off my day by praying: “Lord, here I am. I ask that You would use me today.” I want to be a faithful, willing, and available servant to God. After I pray those words, I begin to get ready for work. While I’m getting ready, I continue my prayer by saying, “Lord, please speak to me and through me today.” In every interaction that I have with others, I want to be available for God to speak to me and through me. As a result, I will then often end my prayer with, “So I offer up to You the work I need to accomplish, my meetings, my interactions with coworkers, as well as my interactions with my neighbors, wife, and children. Please guide those moments for Your glory.”
This practice works for me, and it can work for you. Begin your day with the understanding that God will be with you. He will equip you to accomplish His purposes in your life. And He actively desires to work through you despite your shortcomings.
LIVE IT OUT
The Lord has an assignment for each of us. He gives it to us personally and waits for a response. In truth, no one is worthy of His call or capable within themselves to do what He asks. Humility ought to be the mark of everyone who serves Him.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
