Challenging Present Limitations

‘WHY?’ QUESTIONS No.5

Ex 6:30 But Moses said to the LORD, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

You may be tempted to think we are covering the same verse as yesterday. Look again, this is a repeat of the content of v.12 that we looked at yesterday, but today we have a different emphasis. Yesterday we considered how we sometimes allow the past to hinder our present or future faith. Now we focus on what we feel about our own abilities.

There are those fairly rare individuals who feel they can do anything, but mostly most of us are diffident about our abilities, especially when it involves something ‘out front’ in life or in church. Ask someone to come out front at church and speak about something and so often there is a very diffident response. “Oh, I’m not sure what I could say,” or “well I haven’t anything worth saying that people would find interesting,” or “suppose I make a mess of it.” All of these responses say, “Well, I’m not very good, I’d much rather you asked someone else to do it.” How very much like Moses we are. Sometimes we read about Moses and think how weak and washy he was with all of his excuses to God, but the truth is that when we start thinking about doing something that is not overtly easy, many of us immediately look to our own inabilities. “I can’t do this,” or “I’m not very good at this,” are common responses in the average Christian.

This is the third time Moses is recorded as saying this. We’ve already noted v.12 of this same chapter and back in 4:10 we find, “Moses said to the LORD, “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.” It may be that lacking social contact for forty years wandering in the wilderness with sheep meant that Moses just felt utterly out of his depth at being asked to do this thing. It is perhaps the equivalent of asking a Trappist monk who has lived with a vow of silence, to go to the big board room of a major corporation and argue with the Managing Director. He is genuinely out of his depth. At this point you might be starting to think, so why ever did God send Moses? Surely there must have been other people? I believe there are three answers to that and they all apply to you and me.

The first answer is that the Lord knew Moses’ potential. Yes, his previous experience was not going to help a great deal when it came to arguing with the world’s number one despot, but there’s a lot more to the future than just Pharaoh; there are going to be forty years of wandering in the wilderness looking after the people of Israel, and the wilderness is the place where Moses is most at home now and, more than that, looking after silly sheep is his forte. So, yes, the Lord knows his potential in the bigger picture.

The second reason is that the Lord seems to love choosing the weak to confound the wise, as Paul said, “think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Cor 1:26 -29). God wants the world to know that this was His activity. God wants Israel to realize and remember this. Yes, Moses came through as the great law-giver, but all he was really, was an obedient messenger boy. God was the boss, God was the one who would do the mighty things that would sort Pharaoh and Egypt out, not Moses.

The third answer is that God can enable us to do whatever He places before us. After Moses first query about his ability to speak, the Lord said, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex 4:12). Now, in our present context, the Lord tells Moses to use Aaron has his mouthpiece and He, the Lord, will back up all they say by signs and wonders. Jesus taught, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Lk 12:11,12). The apostle Paul knew this very well: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8) You can’t get more positive about it than that! Also – “my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19), and, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13). The promises of God for provision to enable you to do what He calls you to do, are there in abundance.

So, to answer Moses question, why would Pharaoh listen to me?, the answer is because God will enable you to speak and keep on speaking and God will back up what you say by what He does. The issue is not our ability, but His!