God's Mercy in Our Weakness (Exodus 4:1-17)

As a father of four girls, chore time comes with its fair share of groaning and complaining. Far too often, chore time turns into, “It’s too much! We can’t do it!”. My logical side kicks in, and I tell them to do one thing at a time, and eventually the whole room will be clean. That’s met with more excuses. I then say, if you start cleaning, I’ll help you. Even that’s met with more excuses. Eventually, the chores get done, and the excuses vanish into thin air 5-10 minutes after they put for the effort. 

Excuses, Excuses…

After receiving his calling from the LORD, Moses had many valid excuses—from a human perspective at least. Let’s look at his first excuse: “[The Israelite slaves] will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say 'The LORD did not appear to you'" (v. 1). Forty years prior, some Hebrews rejected him after his heroic attempts to take justice into his own hands. What would change forty years later? If you’re a close reader, you probably noticed back in chapter 3 that God said, "... and they will listen to your voice" (3:18). Like Eve in the face of the serpent, Moses had heard and believed the exact opposite of what God clearly spoke.

His next excuse hits a lot closer to home for many of us: "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" (v. 10). He's basically saying, "God, I'm not a great public speaker... and I have a heavy tongue." Whether Moses had a speech impediment or simply didn’t feel up to the task, he expressed that God had chosen the wrong man. Some scholars even think Moses criticized God when he said, "I've never had a good mouth, not before or even after we've spoken" (v. 10; paraphrase). If God knew Moses wasn't a good speaker, why would He choose such a guy for this massive task?!

His final excuse isn't quite an excuse but rather a plea to get out of the situation altogether. Depleted and weary, Moses finally gives up debating and dialoguing with God and kindly asks the Lord to send someone else" (v. 13, emphasis added). Despite God's signs and sovereign power, Moses just can't seem to accept this weighty task God has given him.

If we look closely enough, we might be peering into a mirror as we read this passage. What is your greatest fear as a Christian? Are you afraid to evangelize because you'll be ridiculed in front of a friend or family member? Do you fear taking a bold stance because you'll be canceled and shut down by the influential people in our society? Are you fearful of persecution? Is failure in ministry what keeps you up at night? Like Moses, we all have fears, and they make us feel inadequate for the work of God. We, too, wrestle with God and tell Him what we can or can't do. Oh, that we would trust Him more!

Extravagant Mercy

God had every right to take the call away from Moses and give it to someone else, but in light of all his excuses, God poured out His infinite mercy on Moses. When Moses questioned whether the people would listen, God gave Moses three powerful signs. These signs foreshadowed the power He would display in the presence of Pharaoh. Moses' staff turned into a snake, his hand became leprous, and the Nile's water turned to blood. The LORD was powerful over the dangers we fear in this life—especially things that could harm us, like deadly animals, disease, or lack of clean water.

When Moses's weak speech made him feel inadequate, God responded yet again with mercy! As he did with Job, God questioned Moses: "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" (v. 11). In other words, God said, "I know your mouth because I made your mouth!" Then, in Great Commission fashion, the LORD told Moses, "Therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" (v. 12; compare this with Mat. 28:19-20; Joh. 16:12-15). Instead of punishment, God promised Moses His presence!

After this, Moses ought to have surely trusted God, right? He didn’t. Instead, he asked God to please send someone else. At this, "the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses" (v. 14). God was perfectly and righteously angry with Moses. At this moment, He could have poured out His full fiery wrath on Moses' unbelief and arguing. Instead, God brought Aaron, Moses' well-spoken brother, with a glad heart to assist Moses in fulfilling this mighty call. God would still teach and speak to Moses, but now Moses would be "as God to [Aaron]" (v. 16). Aaron wasn't Moses' replacement, for Moses still kept the staff (v. 17). But Aaron would prove to be both a mouthpiece and a menace in Moses' life and ministry (Exo. 32:1ff).

As it was with Moses, so it was with David, Jeremiah, Peter, and Paul. God calls weak men to His work, and He shows them the mercy and grace they need to press forward on His mission. The man God uses isn't the one with the most grit, bravery, discipline, or zeal. The woman God uses isn't the woman with the most industrious, witty, nurturing spirit. Rather, God uses weak people to shame the strong in order for His glory to shine through (1 Cor. 1:27). We see this vividly in the story of Moses and Israel as God frees them from Pharaoh's grip.

Mercy for Us

Thanks be to God that He showed mercy to Moses. And we owe Him more thanks for showing mercy to us, too! As we've already seen, we stutter and stammer. We argue and debate with God. We hide behind our fig leaves as we fear failure. We wait for the big shots to come and speak for us. Yet in it all, God has new mercies for us every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). His steadfast love endures forever. His grace powers our lives as we live out His mission.

The greatest mercy we have ever seen is found in these few short words: "I am with you." The LORD said it to Moses (v. 12). Our Lord said it to the Church (Mat. 28:20). The Holy Spirit applies it to our hearts (Tit. 3:4-8; Rom. 8:9-11). God is with us because of His mercy, and He displayed His love and desire to walk with us and our neighbors by sending His Son to die on the cross. What a glorious picture of our merciful God!

Reflection Questions:

• What excuses do we often make when faced with God's specific calling or general calls to obedience?
• How does the gospel help us overcome our doubts and trust in God's promises and power?
• In what areas of our lives do we need to rely more on God's mercy rather focusing on our inabilities?
• How can we support and encourage other believers who struggle with fears and reluctance to live out God’s mission in their lives?
• What steps can we take to build a deeper relationship with God and rely on His presence in our lives and mission?

Prayer Points

1. Confess your fears to God. As you reflect on things you’re afraid of, confess them to God and ask Him to replace your fears with faith in Him.
2. Rejoice in God’s mercy. Spend a few moments celebrating and rejoicing in God's mercy toward you. Rejoice not only in the mercy shown through the gospel but also new daily mercies God is giving you.
3. Seek and follow God’s call in your life. As you read the Bible, pray, and reflect on Moses’s calling, ask God to show you clear, specific ways He wants you to live out the great commission. Even if you don’t sense a response or a profound sense of calling, pray for specific ways to obey God’s Word today.

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