Saturday, March 28, 2015

Exodus 4: The Reluctant Prophet

People respond to God's call in their lives in all sorts of ways.  Some are enthusiastic like Isaiah and embrace it wholeheartedly ("Here I am, send me!" - Isaiah 6:8).  Others flee and run the opposite direction from where God is sending them.  (I'm looking at you, Jonah! - Jonah 1:3).  Far from being an eager servant of the Lord, Moses is reluctant to be the chosen deliverer and comes up with a lengthy list of excuses in an effort to wriggle out of the call.
First Moses brings up his fear of failure and rejection: "But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me?" (vs. 1)  Moses hasn't even left the Presence of God at the burning bush yet!  Already he is concerned that his mission will not succeed because the Israelites will refuse to believe him.  God treats this objection seriously and responds by empowering Moses to perform three miraculous signs as evidence for the people: he will be able to transform his staff into a serpent (and back again), be able to instantly make his hand leprous (and back again), and be able to change the waters of the Nile into blood.

Strike one.

Moses has another problem that he believes will be a deal-breaker.  Hasn't God considered the fact that Moses is a terrible public speaker?  "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (vs. 10).  Some scholars have suggested the Moses stuttered or had a speech impediment that undermined his confidence.  Whatever the case, Moses doubts that God really wants to use a poor speaker like him.  Yet God is not dissuaded by this objection.  He doesn't care about Moses' ability; He wants his availability!  God reminds Moses that He is the One who gave man his speech after all.  All Moses has to do is say the words God gives him.

Strike two.

Moses pulls out all the stops at this point and directly asks to be taken off the hook as God's man.  "O my Lord, please send someone else" (vs. 13).  Ah, the plea of God's people everywhere!  Moses is trying to politely decline and simply wishes that God would move on and nominate someone else for this role.  Surely there must be someone else for the job?  (Don't call God Shirley!)  Now God is getting mad with Moses.  His anger is "kindled" against Moses and He tells him that his brother Aaron will be a helper for him and speak in his place.

Strike three.

There's no getting around it.  Moses is God's man for the job.

Remember, two words that never go together are "No, Lord."  If you receive a calling from God to do something in this world, don't be a reluctant prophet!

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