The story of Moses is interesting. He was born during a time when an order was given for every male child to be killed. This was all part of Pharaoh’s plan to control the Israelites due to fear that they would betray Egypt by joining forces with their enemies and wage war on the land (Exodus 1:8-22).

A Levite woman, the mother of Moses, saw that Moses was beautiful and weaved a basket for him and hid him. As the basket floated down the Nile, the daughter of Pharaoh had compassion towards him and decided to look after him (Exodus 2:1-10).

As Moses grew up, he later saw the oppression of his people and killed a taskmaster. After finding out from his fellow Hebrew brothers that they were aware of his previous actions, Moses fled from Pharaoh. (Exodus 2:11-15).

Fast forward 40 years later, the Lord encounters him in a burning bush and explains to him that He wants Moses to deliver His people for He has seen their suffering (Exodus 3:7-10)

After a few powerful signs, such as throwing his staff to the ground, then the staff becoming a snake, to putting his hand in his cloak, and it was leprous. Surely Moses would be eager to deliver God’s people. Right?

Here are three lessons that we can learn, when God called Moses.

1. God knows us

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10).

Like Moses, we tend to see only our weaknesses and not God. In Moses’ case, he was slow of speech. God’s response wasn’t “You’re right, Moses, I can see we have a problem here”. Instead, He reminds Moses of who He is.

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.” (Exodus 4:11-12).

God knew that Moses was slow of speech and yet, He asked Moses to be his mouthpiece and to lead God’s people out of Egypt. Moses’ slowness of speech didn’t catch God off guard. Neither do your weaknesses or insecurities surprise Him.

Despite our weaknesses, God still chooses us, not because we are perfect or worthy, but to glorify Himself in us.

Moses’ concerns were genuine. He didn’t feel qualified and didn’t understand why God would give him this assignment. God’s response was also genuine. He wasn’t disregarding how Moses felt. He wanted to show Moses who it is that is with him.

He asked Moses the question, “Who has made man’s mouth?” The obvious answer is God, the Creator of heaven and earth. And maybe, we too need to remind ourselves of who we’re serving.


2. God is with us

…Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:12

God encourages Moses that He will be with him. He will give him the grace to speak the words and teach him what words to say. Moses wasn’t doing this alone without God and neither should we.

If we could do the things God asked of us by ourselves, then we wouldn’t need God. The same could be said about salvation. If we could save ourselves and obtain righteousness on our own, then Jesus’ death on the cross would be in vain (Galatians 2:21).

All throughout the bible, God desires us to depend on Him and not be self-sufficient. When God commissioned Gideon, he had an excuse, too. He came from the weakest clan, and he was the least of his family (Judges 6:16), and God answered Gideon.

And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:16).

God asked him to narrow down his men from 22,000, later 10,000, until he was left with 300 men. It didn’t make sense to Gideon, especially since he was going into battle with two other armies. But God did this so that He would get the glory and not man, for if the latter should take place, then it would have led to pride.

David is another example. While men relied on their experiences in war and put their trust in their armour, David put his trust in God. He collected five smooth pebbles and a slingshot. Before he slew Goliath, these were his words,

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” 
(1 Samuel 17:45-47).

This story was more than just David slaying Goliath. This event was for all of Israel to see that they serve a living God. This is just one of the many stories in the Old Testament where God reminded His people that He is with them.

Even in the New Testament, Jesus encourages his disciples that when he leaves, the Holy Spirit will come (John 14:26). He will teach them and also help them to testify as witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8). In the last part of the Great Commission, Jesus tells his disciples,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

We too, must remember that He is with us always. If God started it, He would surely finish it.


3. God’s story is not about us.

It’s easy to read the stories about ordinary men and women and identify with their weaknesses (and sometimes their disobedience) because we’re human. But we shouldn’t forget who is at the centre of the whole bible.

Hebrews chapter 11, discusses what faith is and gives multiple accounts of men and women who put their faith in a faithful God through obedience. They did these great exploits not because they were extraordinary but because they served an extraordinary God.

Every story in the bible points to Him. As we read them, we learn more about who God is and also the weakness of our human nature. There is a greater narrative, and it doesn’t start with us. We are only part of it by God’s grace. After all, it is His story.

Moses saw his flaws and his capabilities (or lack thereof) but God was concerned about something bigger than Moses. God was concerned about His people who were in bondage for 400 years. He heard their cry as they groaned in slavery and saw the oppression that they experienced under the Egyptians (Exodus 2:23).

He remembered the covenant He made with Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 2:24). He desired for them to worship Him. They would be His people, and He would be their God (Exodus 6:7). He desired them to inherit the Promise Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Most importantly, the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would eventually come from one the 12 tribes of Israel and deliver us from the bondage of sin.

Whatever God is asking of you, whether small or big, trust Him. We won’t always see the full picture until we obey. Sometimes, we’re led by our feelings more than we are led by His spirit. Sometimes, we look to ourselves more than we look to Him. We don’t mean to, but it does happen.

Paul the Apostle was a slave for Christ. He had every reason to be confident in his flesh, but he counted it all as loss (Philippians 3:7).  He never boasted in himself but boasted in Christ alone.

Whenever we’re tempted to trust in ourselves, that is when we should be putting our trust in God. He knows our weaknesses; He is always there to guide us, and His plan is bigger than us. At the end of the day, it’s about Him.

God bless,
Susan.