Day 929: Send someone else - Exodus 4 vs 10 - 20

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11-12 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, 15-16 “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19-20 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” So Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand. Exodus 4:10-20 English Standard Version

Even though God gave Moses two remarkable signs - that of his shepherd's rod becoming a snake and his hand being made white as if leprous - he was still reluctant to be used by God to be the one to bring good news to the Hebrew people who were in bondage in Egypt. In the New Testament a named Stephen tells us that, after Pharaoh's daughter found the baby Moses in basket made of bulrushes in the Nile River, “she adopted him and brought him up as her own son.” And he says: “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.” (Acts 7:21-22) Yet, despite his educated upbringing, Moses felt he was not eloquent. What can we learn from God's reply in vs 11-12?

Not having been mute, deaf or blind myself, I write the next few words very cautiously. If I had suffered any of those great disadvantages in life, I hope I would have found comfort in what God said to Moses. It means that even in life's greatest handicaps, God knows what He is doing. We must never say 'I was born in the wrong body', or 'I wish God made me better looking, or more clever.'

The other encouragement in God's reply was He assured Moses He would give him the right words to say. Jesus promises the same thing to His disciples for when they face opposition and trials. Despite God's gentle assurances, what did Moses say in vs 13, and what do you think of God's response in vs 14?

Some people might ask 'isn't anger something sinful'?“ And the answer is no, anger is not sinful in itself. There is such a thing as righteous anger. God wasn't angry because Moses had 'exhausted His patience'; Moses was doing wrong by doubting God's ability to use him. So the apostle Paul says to believers: “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Ephesians 4:26) And the apostle James wrote: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20-21) Sinful anger is when we have a temper tantrum because we didn't get our own way. Sinful anger springs from self-centredness and selfishness, not righteousness.

So even though we’re told that God was angry with Moses, notice how He provided a way for Moses to be obedient by saying He would use Aaron to do the talking. This is the grace of God that He still uses us despite much reluctance and failures along the way. Paul had persecuted Jesus, yet Jesus used him mightily. Peter had denied Jesus, yet Jesus restored him and made him a rock. If an opportunity arises to take a stand for Jesus, or to attempt a task in His name, may we never respond “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”