TUESDAY 28 September 2021 “Reluctant” Exodus 4:10-17

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Hello “Walking with Jesus” friends,

When you hear the word RELUCTANT who comes to your mind? A strong willed child reluctant to obey their parent? A skeptical buyer reluctant to believe the salesperson? A prideful athlete reluctant to follow the coaches? A fearful patient reluctant to trust the doctor they don’t know? A wounded spouse reluctant to trust the promises of their unfaithful spouse?

Yesterday we left Moses sitting on a rock contemplating the remarkable things he had heard from a voice emanating from a burning bush not being consumed on the hillside of Mount Horeb. This voice has claimed to be God and most recently has done two great miracles to assure Moses the Almighty God can accomplish His promises even if those promises seem preposterous. Moses is reluctant. Reluctant to believe all he has heard and even seen. Reluctant to strongly consider God’s invitation to join with God in returning to Egypt and confronting Pharaoh. Reluctant to believe God will actually accomplish the rescue of 1 million Hebrew slaves from centuries of enslavement in Egypt. Moses has spent some extended time struggling to find words to express his reluctance to God. Finally Moses speaks: “Oh 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.” (Exodus 4:10)

Did you notice something in the spelling of the word ‘Lord’ in Moses’ response? Remember Moses wrote the book of Exodus, so this in a sense this is his autobiography and I’m sure Moses was very careful in his choice of the names of God. “LORD”, in all capital letters, is the name God expressed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. The formal, scholarly word for this name is ‘Tetragrammaton’. This word is taken from the Greek “tetra” meaning four, and “gramma” meaning letter. The four Hebrew letters of this name of God, when translated into English, are “YHWH”. ‘Jehovah’ is another English translation of this name God spoke when He said “I AM WHO I AM”. That is the name Moses has written in his description of this burning bush encounter up until this moment in Exodus 4:10 when Moses asks this reluctant question. This time “Lord” is spelled in lower case letters and is usually the English translation of the name “Adonai” which means Master. I wonder if Moses is thinking as he was trained in Egyptian royalty, to always honor the highest royalty especially when asking a question or expressing some reluctance. Clearly something changed in Moses as he addressed God with the name “Adonai” rather than “YHWH”.

Moses’ explanation of his speech impediment sounds like a reasonable cause for reluctance don’t you think? Some scholars have concluded maybe Moses had a lisp, or he stuttered or had difficulty putting his thoughts into words, and as with many people, with stress or pressure those limitations were magnified. Surely God would not want His spokesman to stand in front of Pharaoh unable to speak clearly or confusing his words, at least that’s what Moses thought. But the burning bush voice responded to Moses’ reluctance with a question: “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? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex. 4:11,12)

Now if you’ve ever been the reluctant person trying to express WHY you are reluctant to trust or to do something, do you remember how you felt while you waited for the response of the person to whom you have tried to explain your reluctance? That’s probably what Moses felt, waiting for God’s answer. But once again I doubt Moses was ready for such a sweeping response. Oh my, how do you argue with God? If the creator of the tongue, the brain, the thought process which creates speech assures you HE will be with you to guide your speech… what other reluctance can you claim?

Moses was out of excuses, out of reasons so he simply tried to find release from involvement in this God project: “Oh Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (Ex. 4:13) Now let me ask you to be honest with yourself here for a moment. Have you found yourself reluctant with God, especially if you feel the Holy Spirit of God is challenging you to do something a bit outside your comfort zone? In your reluctance, have you found yourself arguing with yourself trying to make a case which explains why you can’t do what you know God is asking you to do? Have you ever finally come to the place Moses came to… ‘God, please ask someone else…let me take a pass this time.”

My friends, we need to take special note of what the Exodus record says next: “Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses…” What? Does God get angry? Oh yes my friends. I find this same phrase in Numbers 22:22 and 25:3. Why was God angry with Moses here on this hillside, while Moses held the staff in his hand which God had turned to a snake, and Moses stood near a burning bush which was not consumed? Since the day of Moses’ birth God had been working miracles to bring Moses to this moment of opportunity, and rather than Moses responding with humble willingness to partner with God in accomplishing something very significant which would make a huge difference for many people, Moses shrank back in fear and reluctance. God responded with mercy. Rather than killing Moses and looking for someone else to use to rescue the Hebrew people, God met Moses where he was in his reluctance and suggested an alternate plan...to partner Moses with his older brother Aaron, knowing that with his brother at his side, Moses would find the courage he needed to at least get started in this great adventure with God. As we will see in the next few days, Moses did not lean on Aaron for his courage very long.

As the voice of God at the burning bush finished this remarkable, life changing, multi-sensory encounter with Moses, God’s final instruction to Moses was significant: “Take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.” (Ex. 4:17) It was simply a stick of wood, perhaps carefully crafted to fit Moses’ height and hand, but still only a piece of wood. But that staff, empowered by God, was going to do amazing, miraculous things in these next chapters of Exodus. Now watch this my friends. Most of the time that wooden staff would simply be a walking stick in Moses hand, keeping him steading on the trails he would walk. But it was far more than that… it was a reminder to Moses of that hillside encounter with God. Do you have tangible things in your home which remind you of places and events where you and God have had significant encounters and you have experienced the power of God changing your life? We don’t worship those tangible artifacts, but we sure treasure them as symbols, reminders of those life changing times with God, right? We need things like that to help us remember, because we so easily forget don’t we?

As we’ll soon see, continuing this journey with Moses, when Moses stood before the most powerful man in the world, Pharaoh of Egypt, it was that staff in his hand which reminded him of the unlimited power of Almighty God, which would accomplish the unimaginable, and eventually humble that prideful Pharaoh and gain the release of those 1 million Hebrew slaves. So what do you have which reminds you of God’s power at work in your life in your past? Is He about to unleash that power again into your life today and tomorrow? Has Jesus met you my friends, right at the point of your need, with His power and is Jesus leading you to bring His power into your city, your part of the world, these days?

Let’s thank Jesus for His promised power and that He will never leave us as we follow Him and obey His instructions. Here’s a song to help you celebrate that great truth:

Today’s Scripture is Exodus 4:10-17.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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