Studies in Exodus

Studies in Exodus Presentation 04

The Table of Contents Chapter 1v1-22 Introduction Chapter 2v1-25 Preparing a Deliverer Chapter 3v1-22 The Call of Moses [1] Chapter 4v1-17 The Call of Moses [2] Chapter 4v18-5v21 Final Preparations Chapter 5v22-6v27 Discouragement and Comfort Chapter 6v28-7v24 The Exposure of Evil Chapter 8-v1-10v29 Idolatry: A Dangerous Refuge Chapter 11v1-10 Corrective to Final Judgment Chapter 12v1-30 Blood on the Doorposts Chapter 12v31-42 God’s Faithfulness Chap.13v1-16 Consecration of The Redeemed Chap.13v17-14v18 God’s Dead Ends Chap.14v19-31 Power to Deliver Chap.15v1-21 The Exultation of God Presentation 04

The Call of Moses [2] Chapter 4v1-17 Presentation 04

Introduction What do worms and humans have in common? An amazing capacity for wriggling when asked to do something. A child is asked to carry a rubbish bag outside and they reply, “Why can’t my big brother do it, he’s stronger than me?” A teenager is asked to tidy up their room and they reply, “But then I won’t be able to find anything.”God calls us to responsible service and our response is often, "Anyone but me".Moses reveals this wriggling tendency. The work of God can be temporarily arrested by the unwillingness of his people. Moses may have wriggled but God was determined not to let him off the hook. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great In reply to God’s call, Moses could have stressed the difficulty of influencing a man of Pharaoh’s convictions, just as some today, argue that mission is a waste of time because of the resistance of a secularised society. But Moses’ reason for not wanting to get involved is based on the inadequacies of God's people, “they will never listen, they are comfortable in Egypt”. A present day Moses might blame the apathy of church members for not engaging in mission. “We'll never see things happen in this church Lord because of the members’ lack of commitment and so we wont get too involved.” Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great A famous minister, was depressed by the unbelief of his congregation. One night he dreamed he was working with a pick axe on top of a rock outcrop but was making no impression. When he was about to give up, a stranger approached and said it was his duty to work on whether the rock responded or not. "Work is your duty, leave the results to God", said the stranger. As a result the discouraged minister resumed his work among his people and was eventually rewarded seeing their unbelief shattered and their faith and obedience to God grow. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great How did God respond to Moses excuse? He gave him two signs; his rod turned into a serpent, and his hand became leprous and then was healed. “Now that’s what we need in the church today,” some say, “more miraculous signs”. But these signs were given principally to encourage the faith of Moses and God’s people and not to create faith among an unbelieving community. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, some of those who witnessed that miracle returned to Jerusalem to plot Jesus’ death. Jn. 11.43-46. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great Miracles do not guarantee the creation of faith. Indeed, the response of the unbelieving world is to try to reduce their impact by replicating them as we see in Ex.7:8-12 or, they try rationalise them and explain them away. When Jesus promised his disciples that they would be involved in greater miraculous works than those they had seen him do, [Jn. 14.12] he was referring to lives miraculously transformed by gospel preaching. Transformed lives indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit can make an impact on an unbelieving world. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great What might God have been teaching Moses through these remarkable signs? God asked, “what is that in your hand”. It was an ordinary shepherd's staff - a common thing of little apparent value. Now God can use the most common things in our possession. Under God’s control much can be accomplished with glorious results. Our lives are like that staff accomplishing little in the spiritual realm until God is encountered. We are commissioned and empowered for service and then the most ordinary weak and insignificant of people can begin to accomplish Great things for God. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses The Task is too Great ‘What is in your hand?’ “A sling” said David. ‘It is enough go up against the giant’. ‘What is in your hand?’ "A pen," said John Bunyan from his cell in Bedford jail. "It is enough write down the story of your dreams” and "Pilgrims Progress” was given to the church. God can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Moses had been convinced that the task before him was impossible, the difficulties were too great. But you see, we never plumb the depths of God’s resources until we attempt the impossible. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Blame Personal Resources Moses belittled his own resources. His excuse in v10 is that he was not eloquent. Had years of isolation in the desert left his Egyptian a bit rusty? Many feel genuine inhibitions when called of God to daunting tasks. Donald Carghill was called to preach in a famous Glasgow church. He felt so overwhelmed by the task that he prepared to leave the city. But a woman recognised him and said, "Sir you have promised to preach on Thursday, have you appointed a meal for poor hungry people and will go away and not give it?" Carghill returned and before long made the pulpit his home. God equipped him for the task. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Blame Personal Resources Many who reject the call of God to Christian service are convinced they are displaying a biblical humility, "I'm not the best person for the job", they say. But our inability is not an adequate excuse. Timidity and self-distrust in God’s service is one thing but when these give way to cowardice and unbelief then something is seriously wrong. God's responds to Moses' feeble excuse by reminding him that he the Creator of the tongue can equip Moses for the task. Moses is promised God's personal tuition! "I will help you to speak and help you with what you have to say” v12. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Send Someone Else Driven into a corner with no escape route open to him, Moses reveals his true colours, “O Lord please send someone else to do it”. v13. Sadly this is a common response to God's call. Someone has said : “the church is full of willing workers, some willing to work, others willing to let them”. There is surely something wrong if we are happy to hold out our hands for God's blessings and enjoy the privilege of being adopted into God's family but shun the responsibility of his of service. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Send Someone Else Are there too many Christian sponges and not enough Christian water jugs in the church? Too many people who want to soak up the blessing of God but not enough eager to be a blessing by pouring their lives out in the service of others. If your salvation is God's business; then his service is your business. In the Lord’s prayer we are instructed to pray, “Thy kingdom come”. But do we realise that when we take these words upon our lips that God is saying, ‘you can begin to answer that prayer by giving yourself in my service’. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Send Someone Else How did God respond to Moses’ real reason for not wanting to return to Egypt. We read in v14 that ‘God’s anger burned against Moses.’ We are not told how God displayed his anger nor is it important that we know. What is plain is that God refused to be fobbed off with excuses and he sent Moses into the work. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Send Someone Else Jim Elliot the martyr missionary to the Auca Indians of South America, before leaving home wrote these words, "It is not a call some people need but a good kick in the pants." As he tried to encourage Christians to engage in mission, they repeatedly told him, “God has not called me”. Elliot’s response to an unwilling Christian constituency was to give them a kick in the pants. This is what God gives Moses here. It is very humbling, very embarrassing but also very effective. Some people do not appear to respond to anything else. Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Send Someone Else In addition God also provided Moses with a companion, his elder brother Aaron, who would act as spokesman. God is not insensitive to our frailty. He does not make unreasonable demands of us. And so Aaron was given to share the burden and the challenge of the work at a human level. Even as God spoke, Aaron was on his way. So often in matters of service we discover that God has begun to prepare the way long before we say "Yes". Presentation 04

The Call of Moses Conclusion God continues to challenge us with service in his kingdom. It may be service in our home town or miles away from family and friends. It may be some sort of Christian service within the community. God calls us all to serve him in some capacity. But the all important question is this, “How do we respond to that call?" Do we say, ‘Lord send someone else...v13’, or like Isaiah of old say, ‘Lord here am I send me...Isaiah 6v8’ ? Presentation 04

Studies in Exodus