Exodus 4

“Moses said, ‘Please, Lord, send someone else.’ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice. You will speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him. And take this staff in your hand that you will perform signs with.’” Exodus 4:13-17 (HCSB)

Has the Lord ever asked you to do something, and your reply to him was, “Could you send someone else?”  It seems ridiculous, but we do it all the time. Perhaps you have felt that internal nudge, that whispering “heart voice” urging you to share the gospel with a stranger. “Oh no!” you reply. “That’s a preacher’s job…someone more eloquent and knowledgeable than me!” This is precisely what Moses was doing.

I have heard preachers go on & on about Moses having some kind of speech impediment. But that is simply NOT true. Check out the testimony about Moses, given by the early Church martyr, Stephen:

“So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was POWERFUL in his speech and actions.” (emphasis mine) Acts 7:22 (HCSB)

Moses didn’t have a speech problem; he had a confidence problem!! As we continue reading in Exodus, notice how Aaron’s role as “spokesman” diminishes as Moses’ confidence grows. Eventually, Moses does all the talking.

Consequences. Whenever we disobey the Lord and fail to heed his Word by faith, there are consequences. One of the consequences of Moses’ lack of faith in this instance remains to this day. God designed a situation where He would speak to Moses, and then Moses spoke to the people. When Aaron was added to the equation, God was left out. Notice:

“He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him.” Exodus 4:16 (HCSB)

To this day, in essence, “Moses” (the Torah of God) still seems to occupy a more centric place in Judaism than Adonai, the God of the Torah. And in many respects, the Talmud (rabbinic opinion) is even more centric than the Torah. Are you allowing something to come between you and God’s calling? Doing so may add an unnecessary link between your unbelieving friends and the Lord. What is it you lack which keeps you from being bolder? Like Moses, do you simply lack experience with God’s faithfulness? That is exactly why we are reading God’s Word. Over and over, we experience God’s faithfulness in Scripture…and in turn, our confidence in Him builds.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV)