The verbal exchange between God and Moses in chapters 3 & 4 of Exodus presents us with a interesting display of confident Divine calling and skeptical receipt of such calling. God called Moses (who had been away from his people for 40 years) to return to Pharaoh in Egypt and tell him to release the Israelites from bondage. God approached Moses while he was watching his father-in-law's flock in the desert near Horeb (Sinai). I'm sure that after 40 years tending to the flock in the desert, Moses had resigned himself to a rather uneventful life being a shepherd. Whereas he earlier had been reared in Pharaoh's palace and had experienced the privilege of royalty, he had fled from Egypt after killing an Egyptian. This Egyptian had been beating a Hebrew slave, and Moses' "intervention" brought Pharaoh's anger and his edict of death for Moses. Moses knew he couldn't stick around if he wanted to live, so he got out of town to save his life.
Forty years later, Moses was summoned by the Lord to go back to Pharaoh and deliver the Israelites from their bondage. Moses first response to God was "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh . . . " Moses doubted his own worthiness to be God's emissary to the most powerful ruler in the known world at that time. God replied by saying "I will be with you"; then God gave Moses a prophetic sign to confirm his calling.
Moses then questioned his ability to present a convincing message when he got back to Egypt. He asked God, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" Again, God confirmed His calling by changing Moses' staff into a snake; God wanted to show Moses that He would work supernaturally through the messenger. Moses did not need to worry about proving himself to the people in Egypt; he simply needed to be obedient.
Moses then questioned his own eloquence in speaking. He lacked the confidence to speak in the presence of such powerful rulers. God told Moses, "Who gave man his mouth? . . . . Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say."
Finally, with one last desperate attempt to discourage God's calling, Moses simply said, "O Lord, please someone else to do it." This lack of faith brought the anger of the Lord upon Moses, and apparently this response from the Lord was enough motivation for Moses to surrender to God's calling. Whereas Moses had his eyes on his own abilities and believed himself not to be an effective messenger, God had to reorient Moses' focus away from himself so that he would look to the Lord Almighty and His ability to accomplish great things through His chosen servant. Moses needed only to respond in faith to this summons from the Lord.
What is telling is the epitaph that was written of Moses at the end of his life: "No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt-to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel" (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). Even though Moses initially did not believe himself worthy or able to do what God called him to do, when he submitted to the will of God to go to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of captivity, he became one of the greatest prophets that the people of Israel would ever know.
This is a great word for us today. God in His sovereign power can take the ordinary servant and accomplish extraordinary things to accomplish His will. When God calls us, we must take our eyes off of our abilities and circumstances and surrender to the will of the Lord for our lives. When we are obedient to God's calling, we can expect that He will work supernaturally in us and through us to further His glorious kingdom.
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