God’s answers for Moses’ excuses
Nick Lica
Outline
Excuses regarding himself
Excuses regarding education
Excuses regarding people’s reaction
Excuses regarding spiritual gifts
Excuses regarding comfort
* * *
Introduction
We are used to think about all that Moses said that was true because we tend to think about him that was a perfect man. The truth is that he was just a man with his strengths and weaknesses. When God challenged and called him to do the ministry, he did a common thing that almost everybody is doing: he excused himself.
The point is that these excuses that he told to God were not true. Is a common thing to do this up to our days when it’s come to service and ministry. Let’s analyze these excuses and see if some of them are not ours. On the end of this message I hope that we will be more sincere before God, and more open to do what he has called us to do than to find excuses or reasons for not being involved in God’s ministry
First excuse of Moses was an excuse about himself.
I. Excuses regarding himself - "Who am I,“
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11
Who am I is a question of identity that Moses had to face. Some time ago he was someone but now he was tending the flock of his father in law for almost 40 years. When was challenged by God to go to the Pharaoh and to bring the Israelits form Egypt he was thinking at least at 2 things that we are thinking too sometimes when God wants us to do something through us.
Personal background
Moses’ first concern is that he is a "nobody and is therefore unqualified to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Lord’s people. He knew that he came from a family of Jews that were slaves and could not see himself in such a resposable possition. He had what to do to escape from Egypt himself not to go now and help such a great nation to escape from the years of slavery. When he looked at his family and past he was not motivated to go.
b). Uncertain self-esteem
Next issue that Moses thought by „Who am I“ was his very low self esteem. Being 40 years only among the sheeps would not develop a healphy self image. Because of that he did not think that would be possible to do something elsein life than tending the flock.
In spite of what we think about ourselves God challege us to become people who are involved in his ministry. To do this we need to stop looking at ourseves and start looking at God.
God’s response:
God’s response to Moses, and to us, is to give a pair of precious promises. First, He tells Moses, "I will go with you." This is the promise of His presence. Apart from Him we can not do anything. Secondly, He says, "After you accomplish what I have sent you to do, I will meet you here." This is the promise of a glorious reunion someday. Sometimes we think that we must be someone in order to do God’s ministry but in fact He is looking for a nobody to tell everybody about somebody that can save anybody.
II. Excuses regarding our knowledge: Then what shall I tell them?"
After telling God of his inabilities, Moses moves on to talk of his inadequacies. In these verses, Moses is saying to the Lord, "I just don’t know enough about who you are!" This excuse is about inadeqvate knowledge. He was the last who could say about himself that he is not educated. 40 years he spent at Pharaoh’s palace and was educated like nobody from Israel and at that time he was one of the most educated young man from Egypt. In fact he confessed that he doesn’t know the name of God suficiently so that he can tell to Israel people in whose name is he comming. God had revealed to Him and told Him his name: I am who I am. With this statemet God wanted to remember Moses and Israel in the middle of their slavery that He exist. God contrasted Himself with the many gods of Egypt because He is the eternally existing One, ever present to help His people.
Not only do we feel that we are incapable of serving the Lord as we should, we also feel that we are just inadequate, that somehow, we just don’t know enough about God, His Word, etc, to get the job done.) This type of excuse keeps away from the ministry many people. Moses needed a personal relationship with God and from that time on he was available.
God’s response:
God’s response to Moses is to remind him that He is the great "I AM!" While Moses may be inadequate, God who calls him and equips him. God is in essence saying to Moses, "Just do as I say, and I will show you who I AM as you need me to."
This is how the Lord works in our lives. He leads us out to follow Him by faith and we know very little about Him or His ways, but as the needs arise, God proves Himself adequate and faithful to every challenge. His great Name, I AM, becomes and open ended statement of fact. In those 2 words, God tells us that He is what we need to Him to be at every moment of our lives. There is not a situation we will ever find ourselves in that God doesn’t hold the solution to. He is able and He enables us as we go through life!
III. Excuses regarding people’s reaction
With the third excuse, we can get a much clearer glimpse of the root of Moses” problem. Forty years before, Moses had presented himself to the people assuming that “ his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” Acts 7:25. They had responded with rejection: “ Who made you a prince or a judge over us?” Ex 2.14. Moses knew by direct experience what does it mean the emotional rejection; those words made him feel that people don’t want him and he certainly didn’t forget these words afeter the years.
God’s response:
After the Lord handles all of Moses’ other excuses, Moses decides that if he tells people that he has had a personal meeting with God Himself, they will decide that Moses is lying. In other words, no one will believe what he tells them.
Many believers feel this exact way when it comes to serving the Lord without fear. Many seem to have the impression that others will think they are crazy when they begin to talk of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, or of they say they talk to God and that He talks back. The truth is, we often feel that we are inferior to the world around us. We have had this wonderful, life-changing event and we are sure that they will never believe us, when we tell them about it.
God’s response to Moses is to let him know that when the Lord gets through working in and through him, there will be no doubt in the minds of others as to the truth of Moses’ story! God gives Moses various signs that will prove that Moses has authority.
A rod will become a snake. Vss. 2-5
A hand will become leprous and then normal again. Vss. 6-8
Water will turn into blood. Vs. 9
The point of this sign is that God can use what is in our hands. If we give to him our little he can use it and multiply it for his purposes. God wants us to look at his calling rather than at people reaction. We must listen and believe and if people around us will not do the same thing they are responsible for their actions. More important is our reaction to God’s calling than how people will react.
IV. Excuses regarding our spiritual gifts
The next Moses‘ excuse was about his gifts. He knew that the one who is going to meet Pharaoh must have some abilities and gifts. After 40 years of being a shepherd he concluded about himself, "O 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."
No doubt Moses has been at one time very eloqvent but suffering from the feelings of inferiority and insecurity it had a dramatic effect on his ability to communicate effectively.
Many of the Lord’s children are just like Moses. They look at their lack of education, a physical handicap, their age, they name it, in an effort to stay out of the Lord’s field. Todays‘ excuses are often: I do not know my spiritual gift, I have only one gift, I am not strong enough, I am not so gifted. Many people are spectators because they are waiting to much for being strong to get involved in God’s service. Of course God has a time of preparing us and for Moses was 40 years. But it comes time when God expect us to obey and make the step of faith. When God is calling us he knows that we are not perfect, and but he knows that we are prepared. In truth, these are not legitimate excuses for not serving the Lord. There are none! The evedence of this is that God took time to respond at every Moses‘ excuse and every time he pointed his eyes from his resources, abilities, gifts, and knowledge to God’s presence, power, strategy and purposes.
God’s response:
This time God sent Moses and promised to him help and assistance. “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." God’s response to Moses is that He made man’s mouth and He made man’s mind, and He was able to give man what he needed when he needed it! The point is that what if we don’t use our gifts they will not be developed. When God’s call us he gives us the necessary gifts to do his ministry. And we can see this in the life of Moses that after his obedience he was never eloquent. God has done many things for Moses up to this point on Mount Horeb. God has revealed himself; told Moses of his holiness, faithfulness, compassion and activity; promised success; and given him three signs that the people will believe him. Despite all this revelation, it's not enough for Moses. God didn't do for Moses the one thing Moses wanted him to do: Make him a better speaker. But God was not concerned with what he lacked but with what he needed. The attribute Moses needed most was faith in God. But Moses was still not ready or willing to obey God. His last excuse tried God’s patience.
V. Excuses regarding our comfort: But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." v. 13 This last excuse was in fact the root of the problem: unwillingness to go. He was comfortable with what he was doing. Going to Egypt would be a big change in His life. Moses knew that will be hard to go back from where he left. But finally he agreed to go when He saw that the LORD's anger burned against him. Ministry is leaving the comfort, wiling to change and dedicate yourself for God’s calling.
God’s response:
Finally Moses saw that God has a plan well prepared for his calling. Even at this last excuse God offered him Aaron and promissed that He will teach him what to say and do. Regardless of the excuses that man speaks about for not doing the will of God, God always has an answer. Here is the bottom line. God wants to use US. He has saved us by His grace not only for heaven but also for ministry here on earth. He is concern about a lost and dying world and wants to use us to spread the gospel of salvation people from sin. He has a plan with us and his calling is the invitation to join him in his work. The best thing we can do is throw our excuses down and realize that God is able where we are not. Our heart’s desire should be and must be to serve Him at all costs, regardless of what He asks from our lives. After all, He gave His all, and He asks no less from us.
The question is: Are you willing to come to Him and be willing to be use? Are you willing to say, "God, here I am send me and I will go"?
All He asks from us is to be available and usable. That’s why let’s be obedient and
trust God that
He can use us in spite of our weaknesses in handicaps.