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52_Concerns don’t excuse disobedience

Exodus 3:11-16 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Assuredly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

Exod 4:10-17 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I Myself will be with your mouth, and instruct you in what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”

14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [n]he speaks fluently. 15 So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do.”

A newlywed wife, a freshly purchased piece of land, and a new team of oxen—what do they have in common? These were the excuses given by invitees to a royal wedding feast, in the Lord’s parable in Luke 14. Excuses often reveal misplaced priorities, or a reluctance to embrace what truly matters.

Exodus 3 depicts another story where excuses took center stage. In Exodus 3, God revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush in a purposeful encounter. God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Unchanging One. He was calling Moses to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. Yet, Moses responded with a series of concerns that veiled his reluctance and fear.

Moses was daunted by the task. He was deeply unwilling to take it on. He objected repeatedly out of His insecurities, doubts, and reluctance were reflected in his repeated objections. But God’s answer to each of these objections was: I am with you. He wanted Moses to rest on God’s sufficiency rather than gaze on his own inadequacy.

Moses first excused himself on the ground of unworthiness and insignificance. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” he asked. Forty years earlier, he had killed an Egyptian while defending a Hebrew slave. He buried him, thinking nobody would know. However, the next day, the Hebrews rejected his attempt to resolve a quarrel between two of them. “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” was the challenge.

Finding that the Egyptian’s killing was public knowledge, he fled from Egypt for fear of Pharaoh’s wrath. For forty years, he was a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian. He was equally distant from the Egyptian palace and from the struggles of his people. He lacked authority and credibility in his own self.

In response, God did not bolster Moses’ self-esteem. His single answer was: “I will be with you.” God did not call Moses because of his credentials, abilities, or past successes. Moses’ authority did not come from who he was. It came from God’s call, and was based on who God was, and his sufficiency. When we feel insignificant or inadequate to answer God’s call, our gaze is wrongly directed. The God who calls us is the one who is with us. This assurance is our strength. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Moses next wondered how to introduce God to his people. “What is His name? What shall I say to them?” he asked. God’s response was simple yet unanswerable: “I AM WHO I AM.” This name signifies God’s eternal and unchanging nature. He is the God who was, who is, and who will always be. He does not change, nor does he come short. As he was to Abraham, he is to Moses.

God’s people have always called upon His name to express their faith. Whether as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides, or Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of peace, each name reflects who he is to his people. His name speaks of His sufficiency for every need in every situation for all generations. If we wonder, like Moses, how to represent God to others, He is always “I AM” yesterday, today, and forever.

Still, Moses doubted. “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?” he asked. God had already assured him, “They will listen to you.” Now God gave him three miraculous signs: his staff turned into a serpent and back into a staff, his hand became leprous and was then healed, and water from the Nile turned to blood. Each sign demonstrated God’s surpassing power over all of creation. These weren’t just for the Israelites, but to reassure Moses of God’s authority.

When the Lord Jesus sent His disciples into the world after his resurrection, He gave them both authority to proclaim the forgiveness of sins in his name, and power to perform signs. These signs testified that they had received their commission from their Risen Lord. They lent credibility to their testimony of Christ’s resurrection as the Son of God. God’s call always comes with His provision.

But Moses still hesitated. “I have never been eloquent,” he said. “I am slow of speech and tongue.” Moses was afraid that his personal deficiency would hinder his performance of the task. God’s response reminded Moses that he was the creator of human speech. He could certainly give Moses the right words to convey God’s message.

Indeed, throughout Scripture, we see how God equips those He calls. He gave Noah and his sons the design, the materials, and the skill to build the ark. He revealed his plan for the temple to David. He filled Peter with boldness and wisdom to preach at Pentecost.

Moses made one last plea: “Please send someone else.” At this, God’s anger burned against him. This wasn’t humility. It was outright resistance. In response, God appointed Aaron to be Moses’ spokesman before Pharaoh. The Scripture account, though, seems to show that Moses himself spoke directly to Pharaoh and led the people. After all, he rose to the task.

Many of God’s servants throughout Scripture expressed similar feelings of reluctance. Gideon, Barak, and Jeremiah all come to mind. In each case, God’s response was the same: I am with you.

Faith isn’t just believing that God exists. Faith is casting ourselves on God’s power to fulfil his promises. It’s recognizing that God’s call isn’t about our sufficiency but His. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

God’s patience and persistence with Moses are mirrored in his dealing with our doubts and weakness. They also remind us that we are still bound to submit to God’s call, despite our reluctance. Humility is not doubting God’s ability to use us. When we focus on our inadequacies, we try to evade God’s work. When Isaiah saw God’s glory, he immediately responded: “Here am I, send me.”

God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies those he calls. If you hear God’s call, don’t let fear or doubt hold you back. God’s name is “I AM,” and His presence is sufficient. Respond with faith and joy, saying, “Here I am.” God bless.