Exodus 4 Moses: Uncertain

Moses is a powerful person in the Bible and called the greatest prophet. Even Moses himself realized that God used him in a powerful way in the history of Israel and the world. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses points to the coming of Jesus, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” Israel eagerly waited for this great prophet, this Messiah and they thought they found him in John the Baptist, “They asked him, “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” John instead points to Jesus as the great prophet, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Moses points ahead to Jesus in many ways: he’s a prophet and law-giver, like Jesus; Moses leads Israel out of slavery into freedom, Jesus leads out of slavery to sin into freedom; Moses performed miracles such as manna while Jesus feeds 5,000 people and the people right away connect Jesus with Moses, John 6, “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Yet this amazing prophet started off filled with uncertainty and self-doubt, unsure he could do what God was calling him to do. This same uncertainty filled me this past week as I looked at the world around us with all its brokenness, injustice and violence. As a pastor, as a husband and father of a family with both white and First Nations children who have experienced racism, I asked God, “What do you need from me, who do you want me to be right now, I can’t let this simply go by, but I feel so inadequate right now.”

Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s palace to lead. But Moses led in his own strength when he killed an Egyptian soldier for beating an Israelite and he ends up running away and herding sheep for 40 years. Now God meets him in a burning bush, calling him back to Egypt to lead his people out of oppression and injustice into freedom. God’s calling Moses to stand up against the most powerful nation in the world. Is it any wonder that Moses has doubts?

Question: when have you had times when you have been asked to do something and you thought you did not have the skills required? How did you feel?

Moses’ doubt comes out in his first 4 excuses for not being able to go to the elders of Israel and then the king of Egypt with the message to let God’s people go free. Moses basically says, “I’m nobody really, what if they ask hard questions, nobody will listen to me anyway, and I’m a lousy public speaker.” Moses sees all his faults, all his weaknesses and inabilities to be able to do what God is asking him to do. In Moses’ eyes, his weaknesses are bigger than God’s greatness. God gently and patiently responds, giving Moses powerful signs to show the elders, promising to give Moses the words that he needs to convince the elders and Pharaoh. God gives us what we need to accomplish the call he makes to us to be his witnesses in our communities. “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” He’s not going to send us into these situations and opportunities on our own and without his help. We’re called to join God in his exciting plan of redemption, renewal, and restoration of our world.

But then comes Moses’ fifth excuse, “Please send someone else.” Does this all sound familiar? Have you even used some of these same excuses to give yourself permission to not be God’s servant and embrace Jesus’ call on our lives and his commands to love and to make disciples, to not share your faith with others, or maybe you’ve come up with your own, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t already know Jesus,” or “I’m so busy, I don’t have time.” Moses moves from uncertainty and being unsure of his ability to plain refusal. There seems to be something in many of us that, even though our self-doubts and feelings of inadequacy are addressed, we still refuse to accept that we are capable.

Question: what are some excuses you’ve used to get out of doing something you we being asked to do? Have you ever given excuses to God to not do something the Bible tells us to do?

I’ve sometimes wondered if that’s because our self-image is often based on what we can’t do rather than what we can do, and this gives us permission to not engage the world as Jesus calls us to. Why are so many Christians so uncertain and filled with so many doubts when it comes to giving Jesus our whole heart and lives, of embracing who Jesus calls us to be, of accepting the challenges of living out God’s kingdom here on earth. In times like this, do you feel a call to stand up and speak out Jesus’ words calling for love, for justice, for healing? What holds you back from speaking out against injustice and standing up alongside those who are oppressed, silenced, rejected and ignored. This past week I heard of some of our young adults wanted to attend the rally in Edmonton or Red Deer to add their voices against the injustice of racism, and I was proud of them because our faith calls us to stand up against injustice. In unity with others, we find what we need to respond to God’s call. Ecclesiastes talks about 2 being better than 1 and 3 being even stronger; talking about how community gives us strength.

It’s not a sin to feel inadequate or have doubts. Jesus told us to count the cost of following him before committing to do so because he knows it will be the biggest commitment of our lives. We’re called to carry our crosses and we look to the cross of Jesus to recognize that this is no small thing. Jesus gave up his life for our sin and he calls us to now give him our entire life in return. Our hope lies in the resurrection, knowing that Jesus is powerful enough to give us whatever we need in any circumstances to follow his call and be the persons and church he has created us to be. Our strength lies in Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit to give us what we need to accomplish Jesus’ call to love God with everything we are, to love our neighbours and to make disciples.

Question: do you really believe that God will give, or has given you what you need to be his church here in Lacombe to follow his call to love our neighbours as ourselves and to make disciples? What do you feel you need?

When Jesus and the Holy Spirit call us, it’s not because we’re so special or have special gifts; what Jesus is looking for is faithfulness and trust that he will give us what we need to do what he’s asking us to. It’s important that Jesus calls us to be part of a community, that we are never called alone. God tells Moses “Your brother Aaron is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to se you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you to speak and will teach you what to do.” Healthy Christians consistently reflect on themselves and look at who they are, their lives and actions, and their relationship with Jesus. You will never be perfect; what Jesus is looking for is a willingness to allow the Spirit to lead you and shape you. Jesus is looking for your openness to keep growing and maturing, to anchor yourself in Jesus. When you look at Jesus’ disciples, none of them were special in any way, but they were willing to trust and obey and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.

All week I’ve been thinking, reading and praying about how to respond to the unrest and injustice of the time we’re in. I don’t have a lot of answers, I’ve felt Moses’ uncertainty, and yet, as followers of Jesus, we cannot remain silent, nor can we refuse to act. How, I don’t know yet, but this is when we need to really start listening to understand the experiences of our black, First Nations, Korean and other minorities, and then humbly ask how to work towards a just, righteous society that reflects the kingdom of God.