“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."--Matthew 5:13

Friday, April 1, 2011

Thoughts on Exodus: Moses' Four Objections to God's Call

When God came to Moses in the burning bush, He told Moses that He wanted him to go back to Egypt to lead the Israelites into a land in which God had given them. Moses responded with four objections as to his disqualifications for this service.

1. "Who am I that I should go" (3:11).
Moses claimed that he was a "nobody". God responded, "I will be with you" (12).

2. Moses stated that he did not know God's name (13). God responded by telling Moses to say, "I AM has sent me" (14). The people were to know God by that name.

3. "They will not believe me or listen to my voice" (4:1).
God responded by saying that He would give Moses power to perform miracles in His name (2-9).

4. "I am slow of speech and of tongue" (10). Moses claimed that he had a speech impediment. He implied that this definitely disqualified him to speak in front of Pharaoh.
God first responds by asking a series of rhetorical questions. “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (11-12). Then the Lord says that He will guide Moses speech. The Lord promised that He would give Moses the right words to say. Throughout all of Moses' complaints, the Lord remained patient with him.

After all these reassurances of the Lord's provision, Moses still objected to God's call (13). Finally, God became angry with Moses' lack of faith. He allowed Moses' brother Aaron to help Moses with his speeches to Pharaoh and to the Israelites. When God calls, we should not make excuses as to our lack of qualification. God has created each of us with a purpose to bring glory unto Himself.

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