September 29

“SEND SOMEONE ELSE!”

Exodus 3:1-4:20

Did you ever have an argument with God? Has he ever asked you to do something, and you argued with him about it? If you answered yes to those questions, then let me also ask you this: did you ever make God angry with your arguments?

In Exodus 3 and 4, we are looking at the account of God appearing to Moses in the burning bush. He appeared to Moses to commission him to go back to Egypt to lead the Israelites to freedom. But Moses talked back to God. He had a whole list of reasons why he was not the one for the job. He argued with God! And at the end of the exchange, we are told very specifically in Exodus 4:14: Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses.

What I want to do in this message is to look at Moses’ objections and arguments and then look at God’s answers. I especially want to look at what it was that triggered God’s anger. As we examine the passage (which runs from Exodus 3:1 to 4:20) we find that Moses actually raised five questions or objections.

Moses’ First Objection: Who am I?

We find this in Exodus 3:11: But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

“Who am I?” That is a very common and maybe natural question when we are faced with God’s call to a particular task. “Who am I?” As I thought about what Moses was really asking, it seems to me that his question covers a number of concerns.

It covers the question of personal status. At this point in time, Moses was a shepherd on the far side of the desert. He had been a shepherd for approximately 40 years. “Who am I? No one will pay attention to me! I am just a shepherd.” Status is assigned in many ways in human society. It can be assigned on the basis of race or nationality. It can be assigned on the basis of occupation or rank in the company. It can be assigned on the basis of education or qualifications or income. Sometimes, even as Christians, we buy into that ranking system. And when God calls us we say: “Who am I? I’m just a…”

This objection also covers the question of personal adequacy. The question “who am I?” is an inherent question of adequacy. “I am not the right person for the job. I am not adequate! It is a job from someone bigger, more qualified, more adequate than I am.

If we read between the lines here, I believe Moses’ objection here also covers the question of prior failure. We know that Moses had tried, many years before, to act as a deliverer for his people. He tried in his own strength. This led to his killing an Egyptian and then being rejected by the Hebrews himself when he tried to sort out one of their quarrels. He ended up fleeing for his life. This failure bit deep into Moses’ self esteem. We know this from Stephen’s sermon in Acts 7:25: Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. His attempt at deliverance was a colossal failure. Now God is sending him to deliver Israel. His response is “Who am I?” Been there, done that, failed! You’ve got the wrong person.

Does God have a job for you to do? Are you, like Moses, arguing because of questions of personal status, or personal adequacy, or even prior failure? Who am I, Lord?

Let’s look at how God answers Moses’ first objection in Exodus 3:12: And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you, that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.

In essence, God bypasses Moses’ objection. “Who you are is irrelevant, because I will be with you. Moses, your status is not the point because I, the only true God, will be by your side. Your adequacy is not the issue, because I, the eternally adequate God, will be your strength. Your prior failures are not significant, because this time, I am sending you and I will empower you. The promise of God’s presence is the answer to all the “Who am I?” questions.

Let me ask at this point: Was God angry when Moses asked the “Who am I?” question? No. He graciously and patiently answered Moses. It is a fair question to ask. Just be sure you listen carefully to God’s answer.

Moses’ Second Objection: Who are you?

Look at Exodus 3:13: Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” This question is cloaked in a little bit of double talk on Moses’ part. He puts the question in the mouth of the Israelites. “What if they ask?” But I can’t help but feel that Moses is also asking this question for himself.

In this objection, Moses is raising questions of God’s adequacy. When Moses raised the objection of his own adequacy, God responded by promising his own presence. The next logical question is, “Who are you? How do I know that you are adequate? Are you a God who can be trusted?”

To this objection, God answered by revealing himself. It is at this point that I would plug in all of last week’s message on the Name and character of God. That he is a holy God; That he is a promise keeping God; That he is a God who hears and sees and knows; That he is a Deliverer; That he is the eternally present God, the great I AM. We might summarize it all in the phrase, I am the All Sufficient One. I AM adequate to the task I have called you to do, and I will be with you.

Now I want to ask again, was God angry when Moses asked him, “Who are you? What is your name?” No! He gladly and graciously revealed himself to Moses. Once again, it is a fair question to ask. But once again, when you ask the question, be sure to take time to listen to the answer.

Moses’ Third Objection: What if…?

We find this question in Exodus 4:1: Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”

We all tend to ask “What if” and “What about” questions when we are confronted with a task or assignment. They can spin off in different directions, even as Moses’ question did here. First of all there is the question of authority and authentication. What if they do not believe that you sent me? How will you authenticate my ministry? This then can also become a question of resources. How will I persuade them? What resources will I have to accomplish the task you are sending me to do? Over it all is the simple question of the difficulty of the task. Moses knew from prior experience how difficult the task would be, and most difficult of all would be the task of injecting hope into the hearts of the Israelites that God had indeed come down to deliver them.

We also are quick to ask the same kinds of questions. What if? What about? How? We see all the difficulties, all the hurdles, the size of all the mountains we will have to cross. So, how did God answer Moses? God answered by promising him the necessary resources for the task.

In this case, God gave Moses three specific, supernatural signs. He told Moses to throw down his shepherd’s rod. When he did so it turned into a snake so that Moses fled from it. Then God told him to grab it by the tail. If you know anything about snakes, you know that is not a good way to grab a snake! But when he did so, it turned back into a rod. God said, “This will convince them that I have appeared to you.”

But then he gave him a second sign. He commanded Moses to thrust his hand inside his cloak. When he withdrew it, his hand was white with leprosy. It must have been a terrible shock to Moses to look his own hand, shriveled and white in front of him. But then God told him to put it back into his cloak, and when he withdrew it again, it was once again whole and healthy.

And then God went even further. “Just in case there are still some doubters in the group, take water from the Nile, and pour it on the ground.” When he did so, the water turned to blood on the ground. Each of these signs was supernatural, done only by the power of God. Each was designed to turn the doubt in the Israelites’ heart into faith in God and into confidence that Moses was indeed his messenger.

For most of us, the tasks that God sends us to do will not require supernatural signs and wonders. But inevitably they will require resources that exceed our meager supply. But the overall principle of God’s kingdom is that when God sends, he also supplies the resources. They may be resources of ability or power or wisdom or strength, or physical resources like finance and physical facilities. God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack for God’s supply. That is the ultimate answer to all the “What if?” and “What about?” questions we ask.

By the way, did God get angry when Moses asked the “What if?” question? No! He responded by giving him the resources he would need for the task. It is fair to ask questions of authentication, of resources, of difficulty. In fact we might be considered irresponsible if we didn’t ask these questions. Just be sure you listen carefully to God’s leading and answers.

Moses Fourth Objection: But I can’t…

This objection is found in Exodus 4:10: 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.”

In this objection, Moses raises the question of ability, or more accurately, the question of disability. We are not exactly sure what Moses is referring to here. One of the film versions of the Exodus story I’ve been watching, entitled Moses depicts Moses as having a speech impediment. He stuttered. Others suggest that he is saying that after 40 years in the desert, communing only with his sheep, he has lost fluency in the languages of either the Egyptians or the Hebrews. Others believe that he is simply referring again to his failure to convince the Israelites on his last attempt that he was called to be their deliverer. “I simply lack the eloquence and power of persuasion for such a great task.”

We all face questions of disability, don’t we? If we are honest, we all have a list of things we think we can’t do. These lists may have come from our past failures. They may have come from critical parents or families that always tore down our self esteem by telling us we would never amount to anything, that we were useless. These lists are often exaggerated in our mind. But let’s face another fact. Sometimes our list of disabilities may be absolutely accurate! We really do stutter, or become tongue-tied, or whatever we feel our disability is.

So, how did God answer Moses’ objection? Look at Exodus 4:11-12: The LORD said to him: “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.

This is an important Scripture for us to get hold of. God is saying to Moses, “I made you and I will help you! I create each individual unique. I am the God of abilities and disabilities. I know exactly how I designed you. And if I am calling you or sending you to do a task, then you can do it, because I will go with you and help you do it, disability or not.” There is an old Christian saying that says: God’s will will not take you where his grace cannot keep you. I would suggest a corollary to that truth that goes like this: God’s commission will not send you where his power will not equip you. Where God calls, he also enables.

So, did God get angry with Moses when he raised the objection of his disability? No! Once again, he graciously reassured him of his support and help for the task that lay ahead.

I kind of wish I could stop preaching right here. It would make for a nice, positive conclusion. But the text doesn’t stop here, so neither can I. Moses raises one final objection.

Moses Fifth Objection: But I don’t want to…

Look at Exodus 4:13: But Moses said, “O, Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

The Hebrew is a little complicated here, but the essence of it is: “Send anyone you want to send,” but the force of it is: “Anyone but me!” In this final objection, we come down to the core issue. It is the question of willingness. “I don’t want to.” Now, I will admit to a great sympathy for Moses at this point in the text. You see, I’ve read the rest of the story. I know what God was calling Moses to do. He is being asked to take on an incredibly difficult, stressful and often thankless task. I am not sure I would have wanted the job. In fact, I am quite sure I would not want the job! But God doesn’t always call us to easy, fun, happy tasks. He calls us to difficult tasks, and hard work. He calls us to sacrifice, to suffer and sometimes even to die for his kingdom. And at the heart of the question for each one of us is the question of willingness. Will we go?

Let me ask you this. Did God get angry when Moses raised his fifth objection? Yes, he did. Exodus 4:14: Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses. God patiently answered and addressed all of Moses’ other objections and concerns. But when all of those were stripped away, addressed and answered, it came down to the final question: Moses’ willingness.

It will ultimately come down to that for us as well. When God calls us to a task – be it a life calling, or the general call to every believer to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ or a call to volunteer in the church - he waits for our answer. He is open to our questions and our objections. He will graciously respond to our objections of Who am I? Who are you? What if? and even But I can’t… He doesn’t get angry at any of those objections. But what about the final one? “But I don’t want to…” That one made him angry.

Tell me, is God angry with you? Have you said, or more importantly, are you still saying “No,” to God out of unwillingness to obey his call and to follow his command? Only you can answer that question.

The story here in Exodus does have a happy ending. God, even in his anger at Moses, was gracious. He said, “Yes, I will send someone else. I am sending your brother Aaron. But I am sending him to help you, not to do the job for you. Now take your staff and go.” And we are told that Moses went. I trust your story will have a happy ending as well.