Take seriously God’s call. Exodus 4:1-17 Throughout our journey in life, we may become so accustomed to familiar things and the quietness of our existence that we forget our responsibility to God and others. It is possible to feel so content and complacent that we resist God's intervention and change needed to meet the needs of others. The older I get, the more susceptible I become to apathy. Human beings are naturally reluctant to do things that make them uncomfortable, even when they know it is right and what God desires from them.
Skeptical people seek extraordinary signs to prove whether God exists. Willful blindness is caused by Satan, who manipulates people into doing what they inherently know is wrong. For some twisted reason, people resent God telling them what to do or not do, even though He is the Sovereign of the universe. They doubt God, openly question His actions or decisions, and if things don’t go their way, they curse God.
The conversation between God and Moses continues in this chapter, but Moses still shows his reluctance to obey God. He had already tried to make excuses for not wanting to do what God asked by calling himself unworthy to speak for Him. Fake piety is just an excuse for our fears. The second reason he gave for his reluctance was blaming others, suggesting that those he was to lead wouldn’t believe him. The third reason is in verse one of this chapter, where he asks a “What if” question that again blames the children of Israel.
In Moses's experience with God in the wilderness of Midian, everything he had become accustomed to was about to change - and he was eighty years old. Life had become calm and peaceful as he had unlearned the ways of Egypt and embraced a quiet, almost mystic life. He had been speaking a different language for forty years and was not up-to-date with what was happening in Egypt. He seemed to believe he had to be an eloquent speaker to approach the Jewish elders and Pharaoh. God needed to awaken His servant to the importance of a higher life. His life story was not over; it was just about to begin.
Signs and wonders often awaken people to something or someone significant. "Wonders" serve to reveal Divine Power and Majesty. Usually, these are terrifying to witness. Recently, we have seen the wonders of an unleashed tsunami causing the loss of life and property for thousands. It moved ships onto land and objects on land into the sea. Cyclones, tornados, hurricanes, and massive storms have rapidly destroyed human works. These wonders seem to be used by God to speak loudly to nations that have forsaken Him and, in arrogance, have made themselves into other gods. Signs are proofs of God used to showcase Divine grace and truth and are often blessings that remind us of God's tender interest in us. God used these signs to motivate His reluctant servant, Moses, to move forward in faith and humility.
Moses was afraid of how God's people would respond negatively. Their rejection of his message of deliverance and their refusal to accept him personally were his main concerns about God's call. When God guides someone to do His will or to be His messenger, it is a very serious matter. We must not take lightly anything that is important to God. God is not limited in what He can use to fulfill His plans. In Moses' case, He was going to use what Moses already had. "What is that in thine hand?" At another time, God used what a woman had in her house - a little flour and oil. A young boy had two fish and five loaves of bread, with which the Lord fed over five thousand people. The things God told Moses He would use were his rod, his hand, and the river water. What could be farther from our usual ideas of signs?
Moses had his list of objections to doing God's will and His work: lack of fitness, lack of words, lack of authority, lack of power in speaking, lack of ability to adapt, lack of success, and lack of acceptance. It is easy to see how we can relate these objections to ourselves when we resist change in our lives. We prefer to stick with what we've always done and stay in peaceful retirement. Instead, we should ask, “What do I have in my hand?”
The issue at stake was not really his credibility but God’s power. We, too, must ask ourselves: Can God do what we know we can’t do on our own through us? Is my faith in Him such that I am willing to do what He says and trust Him to produce His desired result through my weakness? God doesn’t make ways for us to be proud of ourselves. He “resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.” We need to understand that meekness is power under control, which comes by taking the “yoke” upon us. When we are willing to do that, Jesus said we will “…learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest to your soul.”
Moses did that and became “the meekest man in all the earth.” God used what Moses had in his hand, a rod: a dry, sapless, lifeless rod, to make him aware of himself and who he was. He was an individual with personality traits that God could use. The very rod he held in his hand, probably lifeless for years, would be known as "the rod of God." A frail, fearful mortal man can be made into God's servant. He then began to recognize the abilities God had given him.
God gives us talents through our natural birth and spiritual gifts when we are born again to serve Him. He does not send us into the battle for people's souls without power, any more than He would send Moses to work for Him in Egypt without ability. The lifeless, dry rod turned into a fierce serpent. God granted Moses divine power to seize it by the tail, and it returned to its original form. When we look beyond ourselves and our shortcomings, we realize the need God has called us to fulfill and has given us the strength to do so.
The sign of Moses becoming leprous would have greatly concerned him because it affected him personally. We must remember that the world influences those who live in it. Apart from God, it is impossible to remain "unspotted by the world." In God's tender mercy, Moses learned that His grace reaches out to us personally and continually. Beyond our own efforts, God can provide the purity needed to serve Him acceptably. The ability of God's power to heal the incurable leprosy shows that He can use what He has cleansed. The Egyptian symbol of authority was a metal cobra. Satan cannot defeat divine authority. Leprosy shows us there is a problem we cannot solve, but God can.
It was necessary for Moses to realize that God was not limited to what Moses possessed or who he was. God can use the creation He made, even beyond what is normal, to fulfill His will. He can turn water in a river into blood. He does not give us power over creation but enables us to interpret and apply natural acts to divine purposes. Creation is impacted by man's sin. We are expected to act for God despite our shortcomings and doubts. There are burdens that hinder our faith, and unbelief is one that can weaken our service. We are responsible for setting these aside and taking action by faith. God intends for us to take His call seriously and, despite our fears and inexperience, to move forward with Him in faith.