Lessons From the Life of Moses:
There Are No Excuses with God
Exodus 3:11- 4:17
“Excuses,” some wise sage once said, “are like armpits. Everyone has them and they usually all stink.” I was struck by a news article published by UPI that listed the most absurd excuses The Metropolitan Insurance Company had received through the years from its customers who had reported automobile accidents. Listen to some of these excuses:
An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished.
The other car collided with mine without warning me of its intention.
I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident.
As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision.
I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.
The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him.
The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.
The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.
The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
We all make our excuses, from getting out of that un-solicited lunch date to why we didn’t finish the job we were given on time. But nowhere are the excuses more evident than when we hear the call of God on our lives, and for one reason or another, we just can’t bring ourselves to listen or accept that God wants us. We can’t believe that God wants to use us, or we just don’t want to be bothered by the requirements or the sacrifice that God might ask us to make. So we make our excuses to God.
Guess what? We’re not the first generation to make excuses with God. Our friend Moses, when he was confronted with God’s call, could not bring himself to answer, and he like we often do, stammered around looking for just the right excuse thinking that God would change his mind. We find the event in Exodus 3 beginning with verse 11. Now, it would take too long to read the whole episode because it extends well into the fourth chapter of Exodus, so what I want to do is set the scene and then call your attention to Moses’ particular excuses. I want us to look at these biblical excuses, and as we do, I want us to discover that there really are no excuses with God.
First, the scene. Moses was busy for forty years keeping the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro on the backside of the Midian desert. One day, Moses sees this bush that burns unconsumed by the flames and decides he must get a closer look at this phenomenon. As Moses approaches, God speaks from the flames of the bush and reveals to Moses God’s plan to deliver the Hebrew nation from Egyptian bondage. You may remember that Moses had fled Egypt forty years before with a bounty on his head after he murdered an Egyptian soldier. Moses cannot believe that he is the chosen deliverer, and when God finishes telling him the plan, Moses begins to make his excuses for why he can’t do what God has asked him to do. Look at his first excuse:
Exodus 3:11
And Moses said unto God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
The Malone translation, if there were such a thing, would read thusly:
“But God, you can’t use me.”
Moses had a self-esteem problem. There was no way he could ever believe that God could or would want to use him for anything as daunting as facing Pharaoh, and asking him to let the Hebrew people go from their bondage. “Lord, I’ve been living on the back side of the desert dealing with these smelly old sheep. Who am I? I’m just a nobody.”
“I’m just a nobody.” Perhaps that is the key to understanding why God would call Moses at this point in his life. Only when we understand how helpless we are that we become willing to look for help. When we reach the point of really understanding that we are nobody, we can then begin to depend on God, and we know that when something great is accomplished, it is God who will receive the glory because we know we could never accomplish what was accomplished. To acknowledge we are a nobody is not saying we are worthlessness, but it is rather an acknowledgement of our dependence on God.
But God has an answer for the excuse that we’re a nobody. Here’s God’s answer to Moses in verse 12:
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Hear the language of God—“I will be with you,” and “When…” See, there is our strength. God says he will go with us, and God uses the word “when”, not the word “if”. That means that God graces the person He calls with His presence and power. God doesn’t need extraordinary people. God needs willing people. There are no excuses with God.
Moses, finding no satisfaction with his first excuse, devises another one. Listen to chapter 4, verse 1:
And Moses answered and said, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.”
The Unauthorized Malone Translation: “What if they reject me?” Humans thrive on acceptance. You educators know how difficult it is the first day in school for a new student. The stress and fear are almost overwhelming. We pastors in new appointments are much the same way. We hope against hope that the people will accept us and our families. For you it is the same way with a new job, or moving into a new community. We know the feeling, don’t we?
Moses was concerned that his own people would reject him. Let’s validate his fear. Remember that just before Moses fled Egypt, he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. Moses sought to break them up, but they turned their anger on Moses. Moses had already been rejected once. Moses may have been saying to himself, “Not gonna’ try that again, Lord.”
But the Lord had an answer for that excuse, too. God told Moses that He would send signs of confirmation to the Hebrews so they would believe that God sent Moses. “Throw down your rod, Moses,” was God’s command. Moses did, and it turned into a serpent. When he picked it up again it turned back into a rod. But God said, “That’s not all. Put your hand in your robe, and then pull it out.” Moses did and his hand was leprous. God said, “Now put it back in your robe.” Moses did and his hand was healed. God said, “If they don’t believe you still, I’ll turn the Nile River to blood.”
Where’s the lesson? It is here—when we are obedient to the call of God in our lives, God will send the signs of His confirmation. How does the confirmation come for us? Not with serpents but with answered prayers. Not with leprous hands but with encouragement in the body of Christ at just the right moment. Not with rivers of blood from the Nile, but from changed lives that have been washed in the blood of Christ flowing from an old rugged cross. The signs are all around us. There are no excuses with God.
But Moses was not done yet. Listen to Moses’ third excuse. Chapter four, verse 10:
And Moses said unto the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Again, the Malone translation: “That’s not my gift.” My friend there is no more lame excuse in the world than to say when God calls to us that “it’s not my gift.” How did God respond to Moses? Look at 4:12—“Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say." Listen very closely. God does not call the qualified. God qualifies the called. God provides the gifts we need to fulfill the call He places on our lives.
Perhaps you have heard so much about spiritual giftedness, and people who are passionate about certain ministries. It is true that we serve most faithfully in those ministry areas that we feel passionate about. One of the greatest tasks I have as a pastor is to help you discover where your passions lie. That is the biblical task to which I’ve been appointed. Listen to Ephesians 4:11-12: He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ…
But more than me helping you discover your passions, please understand that God knows where your passions lie, and God is not going to call you to service in an area you’re not passionate about. God knew Moses’ compassionate heart for the Hebrew people, and God knew that Moses would be driven by that passion. God was not going to set Moses up for failure, and God will not set us up for failure. If God is calling us to service in His kingdom, he will provide the gift.
I heard the story of the minister who was leading a building campaign in his church and need to raise some additional funds. Sound familiar? One day, the minister was checking the store room (we know this isn’t a story about Benton United Methodist Church because there ain’t no store room!), and he discovered several cases of bibles that had never been opened or distributed. In his Sunday sermon, the pastor asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to go door-to-door selling these bibles for $10 each to raise money for the building fund.
Peter, Paul, and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer. The pastor knew that Peter and Paul both earned their living as salesmen and were quite capable of selling some bibles, but he had serious doubts about Louie. Louie was just a small local farmer who always tended to keep to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Louie just stuttered very badly. Not wanting to be a discouragement to Louie, the pastor decided to let him give it a try.
The pastor stacked each man’s car with bibles after the service, and sent them on their way with instructions to report back in a week’s time. Next Sunday came, and the pastor was eager to find out how each man did. He asked Peter how many bibles he had sold. Peter proudly handed the pastor an envelope and said, “Pastor, I am proud to report I sold 20 bibles, and here is $200 for the building fund.”
“You’re a fine salesman, Peter, and the church is indebted to you,” replied the Pastor.
Then the pastor turned to Paul. “How many bibles did you sell, Paul?” asked the pastor.
Paul stuck out his chest proudly and responded, “Pastor, I’m a professional salesman, and I am pleased to offer my gifts to the church. I sold 28 bibles and here is $280 cash to go toward our new building.”
“Wonderful,” the pastor said. “It is great to have such willing people serve the congregation.”
Finally, the pastor came to Louie. A bit apprehensively the pastor asked Louie how many bibles he had sold. Louie just handed him an envelope. The pastor opened the envelope and to his amazement there was $3,200.00 inside. “Louie,” the pastor exclaimed, “are you saying you sold 320 bibles?”
Louie just nodded.
Of course, Peter and Paul could not believe it. “We’re professional salesmen. Do you mean to stand there and tell us that you sold ten times as many bibles as we did? How could you do that?”
“Yes, Louie,” the pastor said. “That does seem a bit strange. Can you tell us how you managed that feat?”
Louie just shrugged and said, “I-I-I-I re-re-really d-d-d-don’t know f-ffffor sh-sh-shure.”
Peter interrupted, “For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said when these people answered the door.”
“A-a-a-a-all I-I-I-I s-s-said w-w-w-was,” Louie replied, “W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-t-to b-b-b-b-buy a b-b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks o-o-o-or w-w-w-would y-y-y-you j-j-j-just l-l-l-like me to s-s-s-s-stand h-h-h-here and r-r-r-read it to y-y-y-y-y-you?”
God gives gifts to those he calls, because he calls them to their passion. There really are no excuses with God.
I want to ask you if you’ve heard the call of God in your life. God’s call comes in many ways. There is, first of all, the call to salvation. He calls us into a continuing love relationship with himself through his son, Jesus Christ. I know you’ve heard the call. What was your excuse? “Oh, there is plenty of time for that later.” “That religion stuff is losers.” “I’m not sure about all that God stuff.” What’s your excuse for not responding to God’s call to salvation?
Then, there is the call of God to be like Christ. Have you heard that call? What excuse have you used? “Lord, I’m not strong enough to be like Christ.” “Lord, I’m having too much fun not being like Christ.” “Lord, it’s just too hard to be Christ-like.” What’s your excuse for not responding to God’s call to Christ-likeness?
Finally, there is the call of God to service. What ministry has God called you to? What excuses have you used? “Lord, I will do it when I retire.” “Lord, there’s just not enough time.” “Lord, that’s not my gift.” What’s your excuse for not responding to God’s call to service?
God’s call was never louder, nor was it ever clearer than at the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross was God’s call to forgiveness and life, to surrender and sacrifice. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was God’s call to life, and that more abundantly. The resurrection was the sign of God’s power, and the Holy Spirit is the sign of God’s enduring presence with us. The call is loud, the call is clear. There are no excuses with God.
