God was concerned. Last verse of Exo 2 says “So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”
• He approached Moses and said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” (Exo 3:7)
• He wants Moses to enter Egypt and tells the elders of Israel: “I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt…” (Exo 3:16-17)
God is concerned. God knows the sufferings of His people. This is the truth about us. God knows what we are going through and He sees them all.
• There may be times we felt all alone in our suffering. But the truth is, God is watching over you. Don’t go by what you feel, go by what you know from the Scriptures.
• Not only is He concerned about the plight of His people, He has a plan – a plan to bring them out of their misery.
God’s answer is in the person Moses. God plans to use this man to deliver His people from slavery.
• Moses is God’s answer to the problem, but apparently Moses isn’t prepared for this. He is God’s man for the hour, but Moses do not see it that way.
• We don’t expect God to use us, usually. We pray, “Lord, save them!” and we expect God to send someone else to do that. That someone is usually not us.
Do you know that you can be the answer God has in mind for someone in need?
• You may just be the person God use to comfort someone in pain? You may just be the one God calls to encourage the person who is discouraged?
• The answer may not be somewhere else. It can just be right here in this room.
• We are God’s answer to the problems we see around.
I remember this incident when Pastor Tony Campolo was preaching at a conference, and at one point in the program the people were challenged to raise funds for their mission project. Pastor Campolo was asked to pray for God’s blessing upon the project of raising funds and meeting their goal. The sum needed was not big.
Pastor Campolo walked to the podium, and instead of praying, he looked down to the relatively well-off church and said: “You already have the necessary resources to complete this project right here in this room. It would be inappropriate to ask God’s blessing when God has already blessed you. The necessary gifts are in your hands. Let’s take the offering and underwrite this project, and then we will give thanks to God for freeing us to be generous and good stewards.”
When the offering was taken, the goal was over-reached. The pastor led them in giving thanks instead.
Moses is God’s answer to the need of the hour. But he wasn’t prepared to be the one. So he came up with reasons to show that this wasn’t a good idea.
Exo 3:11 "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
Excuse 1 - WHO AM I? A question of IDENTITY
We know what he means, “I am nobody. I am just a shepherd. How can I be doing this?”
• We can understand where he is coming from, because he was once the Prince of Egypt. But that was 40 years ago.
• Then, according to Stephen in Acts 7:22, Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
• He has the status, the influence, and the prestige. He was at his prime.
But now, he is just a shepherd tending to his father-in-law’s flock.
• For the last 40 years, he probably speaks more to sheep than to people, not to mention speaking to a big name like Pharaoh.
• And he did not end up here by choice. He killed a man in Egypt and is a runaway fugitive.
Who am I? This question reveals the wrong placement of his trust - I.
• Moses had his eyes on himself. He is thinking that to accomplish this feat, he would need a name, a position, a status, or a standing, before he can convince the Pharaoh.
• But he was wrong. The Lord’s answer is: “I will be with you.” (3:12)
PLACE YOUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD, not yourself.
• Moses had nothing, in and of himself, to pull this off. Without God, he is nothing. But with God, he is everything that God wants him to be.
• He can challenge Pharaoh not because he is great, but because the God with him is great.
WHO ARE YOU? I am a child of the living God, the servant of the most high.
• Our confidence is in God, not in ourselves.
• This was what David sees when he was charging towards Goliath, the Philistine:
• 1 Sam 17:45 “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
• 17:47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
When God calls, He is calling us to put our trust in Him, not in ourselves.
• Very often, the real challenge in doing God’s will is not the battle we fight on the outside, but the battle within ourselves.
• Can we really trust God, or are we depending upon our own strength? Are we looking at our resources, or leaning on the everlasting arms of God (hymn says).
Exo 3:13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
Excuse 2 - WHO IS GOD? (What Shall I Tell Them?) It’s a question of CREDIBILITY
Who do you represent? Who ask you to come? By what authority are you here telling us what we should do?
• And the Lord says, “I AM WHO I AM.” Tell them, I AM has sent me to you.”
• And God assured him in 3:18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you…”
It’s amazing to see how God assures him in the proceeding conversation, because He reveals many things that will happen:
• Exo 3:12 - When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."
• Exo 3:19-20 - But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
• Exo 3:21 "And I will make the Egyptians favourably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22Every woman is to ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."
Exo 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, `The LORD did not appear to you'?"
Excuse 3 - WHAT IF It’s a question of FAITH
This is our favourite – what if. We ask that many times. What if it does not work? What if they do not believe me? What if they do not like what I say?
• There is no end to WHAT IF. They are at most our speculations, our best guesses.
• Frankly, God has already said in verse 18 “The elders of Israel WILL LISTEN to you…” Moses wasn’t really listening. He was thinking about WHAT IF and not WHAT DID God said.
• Are we listening? Did we really hear what He says?
God is patient with Moses. He demonstrates to Moses what He can do through him in front of the elders. He shows him, not one but three miracles (See Exo 4:3-9).
• They are not just signs for the elders, but assurances to Moses. He has what it takes to convince the elders.
Up to this point, we have been reading all about what God WILL DO for Moses. God gives him assurances after assurances of what He will do for him.
• Moses had not even say a word of what he will do for God. But God has already told him ALL that He is prepared to do for him.
• Do you know that this is our God? It is not so much of what we can do for Him, but what He is willing to do for us.
• God wants to bless us. He wants to save us from our slavery to sin and give us the freedom of a new life.
Yet Moses wasn’t sure. And then he came with the 4th excuse.
Exo 4:10 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."
Excuse 4 - I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH It’s a question of ABILITY
Sound familiar? Too close for comfort. Are we are described here, including myself?
• We always like to compare, and sometimes, compete. We lack the confidence. There are so many people better than me.
• True? True! Even the Lord testified that Aaron can speak better (4:14 “I know he can speak well.”)
• Yet God wanted Moses. He has chosen Moses to be His instrument. God knew he can do the job. Or rather, HE CAN DO THE JOB THROUGH HIM.
Exo 4:11-12 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
Moses have been giving excuses and God the assurances, again and again.
• And finally Moses stopped giving excuses. He gave something worse than an excuse.
• He Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." (4:13) He gave his REFUSAL. Nope, send someone else.
Despite all that God has said and done, from beginning of Exo 3 until end of Exo 4.
• God was angry. That’s what makes God angry – man’s stubborn refusal to accept the truth of God’s Word.
• God is not angry with our doubts (He comes to enlighten and assures you). He is angry with our stubbornness, despite all the evidences He gave.
Moses had been focusing too much on himself. He kept making references about himself - his name, his status, his credibility, his influence, his standing, his abilities.
• Don’t do that. It’s never about us. You are not going to serve God well if you are always focusing on yourself.
• The danger of looking too much upon ourselves is the tendency to put our confidence in our abilities, wisdom, strength, experience, education, or standing.
God wants us to trust Him, by believing what He has said, what He can do and will do through you. He wants us to look up to Him.
• Is the God of Exodus 3 and 4 worthy of our trust? Yes. Moses eventually got to understand it. He has learnt to trust God.
• By the end of his life, Exo 33:11 tells us God would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
All the excuses cannot stand because…
GOD DOES NOT CALL THE QUALIFIED. HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED.
He enables and equips those whom He calls.
• Look at the Scriptures, actually, no one qualifies. Abraham lied. Jacob was a cheater; David had an affair; Jonah ran from God; Gideon was insecure; Peter denied Christ 3 times; Thomas was a doubter; and Paul was a murderer.
• Yet God changed them and used them all, and He used them all in great ways.
And so, what is our excuse?
