Promise Keeper: Moses doubts God: God can do ANYTHING through you
When we left Moses last week, he was standing in front of the burning bush, where God the Son, from inside the bush, has revealed to Moses that He is ready to rescue the Israelites from slavery and He is going to use Moses to do it.
Moses isn’t sure that he’s the right guy for the job–
Exodus 3:11 | But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
In other words, isn’t there someone else better qualified? But it isn’t about who Moses is, God’s plan rests on who God is since God will be with Moses–
Exodus 3:12 | God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
In His grace, God reassures Moses and even reveals a promise of what will happen after God rescues the Israrelites. But Moses still doubts. He first asked, who am I and now, He asks God, who are you?
Exodus 3:13 | But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God reveals Himself to Moses as the “I am.” He is the Eternal One who always was and will always be - the One who is Life Himself. Then, in Exodus 3:16-22, God tells Moses exactly who to go talk to and in what order. He also reveals that He will do miracles to show His power and not only will the Israelites and Moses get out of Egypt alive, but God promises they will leave richly blessed by the Egyptians. What an incredible promise!
But for Moses, it still isn’t enough!
Exodus 4:1 | But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”
God then gives Moses three amazing signs that should blow his mind!
Exodus 4:2-4 | Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.
God tells Moses, if they don’t believe you, perform that sign and they’ll know it was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who sent you. If that isn’t enough, God says this next sign should do it–
Exodus 4:6-7 | Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.
And if the second sign still doesn’t convince them, then God says–
Exodus 4:9 | “And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.”
There shouldn’t be any doubt for Moses now– clearly this is the One True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the I Am and Creator of the universe. So Moses turns his doubt back to the only place it can go – himself.
Exodus 4:10 | But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
Finally we see the true source of Moses’ uncertainty. He doesn’t doubt God. He doubts himself! But God reveals that when we are insecure and doubt ourselves in areas God has called us, we actually ARE doubting Him–
Exodus 4:11 | Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?”
Basically He says– Moses, I made your mouth! Do you doubt MY ability to speak through you? He tells Moses to “go” and promises He will lead Him in what to say. And Moses replies–
Exodus 4:13 | “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
Wait… what!? God has gone above and beyond to reassure Moses and to show him His power. Yet still, Moses refuses because of his insecurity.
Exodus 4:14 tells us this makes God angry! What will God do? Is His plan to rescue Israel thwarted? Absolutely not. His plan does not rely on man - His plans will always come to pass.
Proverbs 19:21 | You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
So will God force Moses to go and speak? No! God doesn’t want us to follow Him out of compulsion.
Does He cut Moses out of His plan? Moses would deserve it, but no! God, in His grace, still allows Moses to be used and He gives Moses the reassurance He needs by sending his brother Aaron to be his mouthpiece. Moses will miss out on having his mouth filled by the Lord and the Lord showing His strength in Moses’ weakness, but God shows His love by still allowing Moses to be part of the work He will do in Egypt.
Our Timeless Truth today is: God can do ANYTHING through you. We see God use Moses and Aaron in amazing ways. He uses others throughout Scripture to make city walls fall, to slay giants, to defy death, to make the lame walk, to bring the dead to life, to multiply flour and oil, and on and on and on. God can do ANYTHING through you and He will do it for His glory, because, like we learned last week, God wants to use you for His glory!
Ephesians 3:20 | Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
The question is, will you let Him? Once Moses realized he had no reason to doubt God’s ability, his doubt of his own ability (or insecurity) left him paralyzed. As a result, he missed out on part of the plan God had for him. Don’t make Moses’ mistake! When God calls you to do something that seems impossible or crazy, remember, God can do ANYTHING through you. God’s ability is not weakened by your inability. When He calls you, obey Him and let His power shine through you to make Him known and bring Him glory.
What was God calling Moses to do?
Why did Moses doubt God’s calling?
What doubts did Moses have about God?
What doubts did Moses have about himself?
What was the consequence for Moses doubting God?
How did God show grace to Moses despite Moses’ doubts?