Exodus 4:1-17

¹ Then Moses answered, “But see, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, because they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.'” ² The LORD said to him, “What is this in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” ³ And he said, “Throw it to the ground.” So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran from it. ⁴ But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”- so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand- ⁵ “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” ⁶ Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” And he put his hand inside his shirt, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. ⁷ Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your shirt.” So he put his hand back inside his shirt, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. ⁸ “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. ⁹ If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you will take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you will take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” ¹⁰ But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not articulate, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, but I am heavy of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹ Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” ¹³ But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” ¹⁴ Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. See, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. ¹⁵ You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. ¹⁶ He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth, and you will be as God to him. ¹⁷ And take into your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.”

what I cannot do

Moses was an expert at knowing what he could not do. The LORD had just given Moses the vision of a rescue that he intended Moses to be part of. Then Moses responded with “But…” He was actually speaking to God by means of the burning bush wifi connection. You would think that this tremendous supernatural event would help Moses get his eyes off of his own insecurities and lack of ability. But, no. Moses is so caught up in his own history of failure at rescue that he refuses to believe that God could ever use him.

Moses was probably being very honest to admit his own limitations here. But what I cannot do is not the point. God begins our story by telling humanity to reflect his image and have dominion over the planet. We cannot do that. But God not only commands us to do what we cannot do, he rests from his own work, as if to say “You can handle this.” The miracle of divine rescue is that he always chooses the unqualified. The only one qualified for the task is the Lord Jesus. All the rest of us must accept the challenge to be part of the rescue by faith.

The LORD, knowing that Moses would be caught up in his own incompetence, provided Aaron, because he knew Moses would feel more comfortable with the help. So, in my ministry and yours, our LORD gives us helpers, because he has compassion on us. He knows what we cannot do. We just need to remember that he is not limited.

LORD, we surrender our limitations and inabilities. Grant us courage to do what we know we cannot do, because we know the power at work among us.