HE AND AARON ARE AGAIN SENT TO PHARAOH
Exodus 6:10-13.
Exodus 6:10-13 10Then the LORD said to Moses, 11"Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." 12 But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" 13Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh King of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses, Willing obedience is always according to the strength of our faith. The faith of Moses was so feeble that he could scarcely carry out his work. Though our weaknesses ought to humble us, they should not discourage us from doing our best in any service we have to do for God. When Moses repeats his puzzling arguments, God ignores him and refuses to argue longer, but God gives him and Aaron a charge, both to the children of Israel and Pharaoh. God's authority is sufficient to answer all objections and binds all to obey. "Do everything without grumbling or arguing." (Philippians 2:14) And the Lord spake unto Moses,... At another time, and renewed his orders to him to go again to Pharaoh, and require their dismission: saying; as follows
11 "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country."
"Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go." Go into Pharaoh's palace and his presence, to whom access seems not to be very difficult, and perhaps access to princes was not provided with as much ceremony as it now is. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt; though a king, and a king of so large a country as Egypt, yet do not be afraid to speak to him; speak to him plainly and boldly, not in a prescribed, predetermined way, but a commanding fashion, in the name of the King of kings, God Almighty.
"out of his country."
The Israelites, having shown themselves, for the time, unimpressible, God commands Moses to make his next effort upon the Pharaoh. He is to enter his presence once more and demand, without roundaboutness or vagueness, that the Israelites be allowed to quit the land (leave his land). Moses is now bidden to demand not a permission for a three days' journey (Exodus 3:18), which might be within the boundaries of Egypt, but for departure from the land; that he let the children of Israel go out of his land; this demand had been made before but was rejected with a haughty air, and now it is repeated before the Lord proceeds to punish him for his disobedience, that his judgments upon him might appear to be justified and correct.
"Out of his country." Note the advance in the demand. No longer is there any limitation to the three-day journey mentioned at first (Exodus 3:18; Exodus 5:3). The children of Israel are to be let go "out of the land." (cf. Exodus 7:2). An unconditional release of the people is asked for, not merely a temporary one, to hold a three-day feast in the wilderness. So generally, if God lays a light burden upon us and we refuse it, we may expect him to exchange our light burden for a heavier one. We had better accept the first cross he offers. Exodus 6:11
12 But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"
The increased severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have entirely crushed their spirits and irritated them, so they refused to listen to any more communications (Ex 14:12). Even the faith of Moses himself was faltering, and he would have abandoned the enterprise in despair had he not received a positive command from God to revisit the people without delay and, at the same time, renew their demand on the King in a more decisive and determined tone. Moses is bidden to demand of the Pharaoh the release of the Israelites. He balks and explains that if his people have not listened to him (v. 9), the Pharaoh will do much less.
"If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me" The difference between the reception of this communication and that recorded in Exodus 4:31 is accounted for by the change of circumstances. On the former occasion, the people were comparatively at ease, accustomed to their lot, sufficiently afflicted to long for deliverance, and sufficiently free in spirit to hope for it.
When Moses communicated this solemn assurance of God to the people, they did not listen to him, "for shortness of breath;" not "from impatience" like Proverbs 14:29, but from anguish, inward pressure, which prevents a man from breathing correctly. Thus the early belief of the Israelites was changed into the despondency of unbelief through the increase of their oppression. This result also produced despondency in Moses' mind, so he once more declined the commission, which followed the promise to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let Israel leave his land (Exodus 6:11). If the children of Israel would not listen to him, how would Pharaoh hear him, especially since he was uncircumcised in the lips (Exodus 6:12) so that he could not quickly bring out his words, meaning the same as "heavy of mouth" in Exodus 4:10? — If the anguish of their spirit makes them deaf to that which would compose and comfort them, much more will his pride and insolence make him deaf to that which will but exasperate him. Who am of uncircumcised lips — He was conscious that he had not the gift of utterance. The Lord gave them a charge to the children of Israel and Pharaoh — God's authority is sufficient to answer all objections and binds us to obedience without murmuring or disputing.
Suppose the children of Israel would not listen to him. How would Pharaoh hear him, especially since he was uncircumcised in the lips (Exodus 6:12), like one whose lips are, as it were, covered with a foreskin, so that he cannot quickly bring out his words; meaning the same as "heavy of mouth" in Exodus 4:10. They were in anguish, out of breath, as it were, after their cruel disappointment, they were absorbed by their misery, unable and unwilling to listen to any fresh communication. The contrast between the reception of this communication and that recorded in Exodus 4:31 is accounted for by the change of circumstances. On the former occasion, the people were comparatively at ease, accustomed to their lot, sufficiently afflicted to long for deliverance, and sufficiently free in spirit to hope for it
The reply of God to this objection is given in Exodus 7:1-5. For, before the historian gives the decisive answer of Jehovah, which removed all further hesitation on the part of Moses and completed his mission and that of Aaron to Pharaoh, he considers it advisable to introduce the genealogy of the two men of God to show clearly their genealogical relation to the people of Israel.
The answer to v. 12 does not follow till Exodus 7:1, where the way is prepared for it by the repetition in the substance of vv. 10–12 in vv. 28–30.
since I speak with faltering lips?"
It depends upon the Bible's translation; however, faltering lips are replaced by uncircumcised lips, polluted lips, unclean lips, barbarous and rude speech, speech impediment, or stammering.
An uncircumcised ear does not hear clearly; an uncircumcised heart is slow to receive and understand warnings; uncircumcised lips, such as cannot speak fluently. The recurrence of the hesitation of Moses is natural; great as was the former trial, this was far more severe; yet his words always imply fear of failure, not of personal danger (see Exodus 3:11).
faltering lips.—Rosenmüller argues from this expression that Moses was "tongue-tied," but it is not clear that more is meant here than in Exodus 4:10, where Moses says, "slow of speech and a slow tongue means the same." He had some difficulty with the utterance, but whether or not it was a physical impediment remains uncertain. According to the Hebrew idiom, " "Uncircumcised" is used for any imperfection that interferes with efficiency. An "uncircumcised ear" is explained in Jeremiah 6 to be an ear that "cannot hearken," and an "uncircumcised heart: (Lev. xxvi 41) is a heart that fails to understand.
13 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh King of Egypt, and commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
The Israelites, having shown themselves, for the time, unimpressible, God commands Moses to make his next effort upon the Pharaoh. He is to enter into his presence once more and demand, without complication or obscurity, that the Israelites be allowed to quit the land (ver. 11). Moses, however, balks. He had done God's will concerning the people willingly and at once, expecting that, as he had persuaded them before, he would a second time. Nevertheless, he was disappointed; the people had refused to listen to him. Immediately all his original self-distrust and hesitancy recurred - even the old form of coldness and distrust of his ability to persuade men (Exodus 4:10). How shall he expect to persuade Pharaoh, who had already rejected him (Exodus 5:2-5), when he had just failed with his own countrymen, who previously had "believed" his report (Exodus 4:31)?
Speaking before a group or a person or persons of great importance is something many people fail at. It is a problem I have, and it can be highly unpleasant. But it can be overcome. That is why I always pray before I speak in public. "The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
