Excuse Three: What if they don’t listen? (Exodus 4:1-3)
Moses struggled with intimidation. He worried about people’s reaction to him. Even prophet Jeremiah struggled saying, these people are tough, they will not listen to me. Fear of man keeps many people from fulfilling their calling, from obeying the voice of the Lord.
God’s response: When I am finished, they’ll listen. Trust me.
Excuse Four: I’ve never been a good speaker. (Exodus 4:10-11-12)
Moses struggled with inadequacy. Who would follow him if he couldn’t speak well? Are you saying, I am not gifted
God’s response: Guess who made your mouth? I’m the source of your gifts.
Excuse Five: I know you can find someone else. (Exodus 4:13-14)
Moses struggled with an inferiority complex. He compared himself with other more competent people, and he felt inferior. How many times we have compared ourselves with others and stopped short of fulfilling your call.
God’s response: OK, I will let Aaron go with you… but I’m still calling you. God will send people to help you and support you.
Questions for you:
What excuses do you have for not leading well?
What do you believe God’s response might be?
So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” (Exodus 4:18)
Moses did not tell his father-in-law that God had appeared to him
Exodus 4:24-26 Circumcision
Notice that God called Moses before he had it all together. He had been broken and humbled, but he was certainly far from perfect.
One of the things that Moses had neglected to do was to keep the covenant of circumcision that God had made with Abraham.
Genesis 17:9-12 God said to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations..."
Moses hadn't kept that covenant. And when they stopped for the night, he was afflicted and was near death.
When God calls you to a ministry, He turns up the heat a bit. The things that He tells you to do, the requests that He makes of you, He expects you to do them. There is an increased accountability, both to God and to men. James 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.
You cannot have one standard for the people and another for yourself
The Pharisees told the people to do certain things but they themselves did not do it
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. (Matthew 23:1-3)
If Moses is going to lead God's people, God isn't going to make him perfect, but He is going to take out glaring sin and disobedience out of his life - one way or another.
In regards to Moses' wife Zipporah, she somehow made the connection between his disobedience and his deadly affliction, and circumcised their son. She's obviously angry at having to do this and says, "You are a bridegroom of blood" as she unceremoniously throws the result of the surgery at his feet.
We're not going to read anything else about her or their son for a long time. At some point - and it is very likely right here - Moses sends his wife and son back to his father-in-law Jethro. In chapter 18, Jethro brings them back to Moses.
Was Moses divorcing her? Was he tired of her already? Was he concerned that she wasn't spiritual enough to be part of his new ministry? Was he simply afraid that they might be in danger in Egypt? The Bible doesn't tell us. All we know is that at some point he sent her away.
Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. (Exodus 4:29-31)
The signs convinced the people that God was with Moses and that indeed the LORD had visited them. Mere words did not convince people then and will not even today.
Pattern for Preaching the Word
Notice, the Word was preached and then the Word was demonstrated.
This is the perfect pattern for presenting the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40