God Calls and Equips (Exodus 3:11-4:17)

Bible Passage: Exodus 3:11-4:17

When God appeared to Moses from the burning bush, he commissioned Moses with a task (3:10). Moses was to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites to freedom. This sermon focusses on the dialogue between Moses and God, as Moses offers five objections why he cannot do what he has been called to (note – the sections of this passage pertaining to God’s revelation of himself are covered in more detail in the previous sermon). Just like Moses, many of us come up with reasons to not step into the things that God is calling us to do, and God’s responses to Moses here can be instructive for us all.

1 – I am not the right person (3:11): Moses’ first objection is to doubt his own credentials. ‘Who am I?’ It is easy to look to the qualities and accomplishments of other people and dismiss ourselves in comparison. Moses had tried leadership in the past and it didn’t go well. Since then he had lived an ordinary unspectacular life. Whether the reasons are past failures or present ordinariness, most of us have reasons to doubt ourselves. However, as we look through the list of people God called and worked through in Scripture, not many of them seem qualified (see 1 Corinthians 1:26). The key thing is not how impressive we are, but the fact that God himself is with us (3:12). The example of Peter and John in Acts 4:13 bears this out, as they were ordinary uneducated men, but they had been with Jesus – and so the way they spoke astonished their hearers.

2 – I don’t know enough (3:13): Moses’ second objection was that he did not have enough knowledge to answer a question that he might be asked – specifically, what is God’s name. God graciously met with Moses and gave him the answer. Sometimes lack of knowledge can be a real barrier, but this should not be an excuse. If there are knowledge gaps that need filling in order to fulfil a call (e.g. learning language and culture for cross-cultural mission) then the answer is to do the hard work of learning and gain the knowledge that is needed. At other times, lack of knowledge can be an excuse. We will never have all the answers, and sometimes we need to step out on the basis of what we do know, trusting God that we can learn as we go.

3 – This Might Not Work (4:1): Moses was afraid that if he goes to the people they might not believe that God has spoken to him. When we have the opportunity to step out and do something for the kingdom of God, sometimes fear of failure can paralyse us into inaction. In this case, God gives Moses signs to show the people. He has spoken clearly, and Moses can be confident that God will work. Other times (e.g. 1 Samuel 14:6) we may not have this kind of certainty. Either way, stepping out in faith and having a go is much better than hesitating through fear of failure. The results are in God’s hands; our part is to simply obey.

4 – I don’t have the skills (4:10): Moses was particularly worried about his lack of public speaking ability. Whether this was true or not (Scripture does record some very eloquent speeches by Moses), this was how he perceived himself. Sometimes we can lack confidence in our own gifting or ability and shirk away from what we are asked to do. This is not healthy. There is a balance to strike between not being arrogant or brash, but still being willing to use the gifts we have been given. God had promised to help Moses, and we should each be ready to step out with the gifts that we have, leaning on God’s help, and do the things he is calling us to do.

5 – Send someone else (4:13): Moses’ final plea is for God to send somebody else. As we see the many needs out there, it can be tempting to think of it as somebody else’s problem to deal with, but sometimes God is asking us. The barrage of objections from Moses amounted to a lack of faith in God, and this began to anger the Lord. Nevertheless, God graciously provided Aaron to help Moses in the area he felt insecure. As we step out in our calling, God does draw others alongside us. We must take responsibility for our own part, but we can know that we are never in it alone.

Potential Applications:

• This is a challenging passage. It invites us to think about what excuses we might be making to God, and how God might respond.
• If you (or someone else) has a prophetic gift, you might ask God for words about particular callings he is giving to individuals.
• You could offer to pray with any who are discounting themselves because of past failure or a perceived lack of qualifications.