By PASTOR MARK MOLINA
Living Waters Church
Pastor Mark Molina
Special to the NEWS
Moses is on Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God. He is receiving instructions from The Lord who is manifesting through the burning bush. It is indeed a significant assignment. He is being sent back to Egypt to deliver the nation of Israel from bondage.
All pretty heady stuff! This was, after all, what Moses was trying to do in the first place when he killed the Egyptian. Now he was being given a second opportunity to rescue Israel, but this time in the power of God’s Spirit instead of his own carnal spirit.
How did Moses respond? Did he say, “Finally! I am here and ready to do your bidding my Lord and my God!” or “I have been with these sheep for the last 40 years day and night – I am ready for my shot to fulfill my divine destiny!”?
Remember, Moses knew exactly with whom he was talking. He knew he was talking to the God of his father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God even told him, “Take off your shoes for where you are standing is holy ground!” Surely Moses would be in awe of the opportunity to go back to Egypt a new man! I can imagine him thinking, “Yes, I left in fear from my sin, but now I am here a new man, forgiven and redeemed by the God of Heaven!” But that’s not quite how he responded to God’s call to go deliver the Israelites from bondage.
“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11 NIV). All of the sudden Moses was having an identity crisis. The man raised in the house of Pharaoh, given a socio-economic pedigree that only the elite few ever know, now responds like a scared child.
After a series of protests and excuses from Moses (“what if they say this or what if they say that”), God instructed him how to respond to the people. “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.’” (Exodus 3:16 NIV)
Again the Lord reaffirmed Himself to Moses. He promised to confirm his assurance to the Israelites. God even turned Moses’ staff into a snake and turned his hand leprous then returned the staff and the hand to their original states to further establish and prove His complete power. Surely this should have been enough for Moses.
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, 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.’” (Exodus 4:10 NIV). What? Are you kidding me!? The Bible describes Moses this way: “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.” (Acts 7:22 NIV). The same one who was raised up in the house of Pharaoh with every advantage was now giving self-deflating commentary to God.
In reality this is how we can respond to God when the nature of His assignment for our lives is revealed. We begin to list our weaknesses in hope of a reprieve from duty. However, God does not relent nor repent from the job He has called us to.
“But Moses said, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.’ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, ‘What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.’” (Exodus 4:13-14 NIV)
The time has come for the servants of God to stop making excuses as to why we are not fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives. God does not let us off the hook. We should not let others or ourselves off the hook either. It is time for us to be strong and to respond to the call of God!
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