A Journey Towards Purpose and Freedom
Exodus 4:10-12
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
The Book of Exodus tells the story of God’s covenant people being freed from slavery in Egypt and their sojourn in the desert. Before the Children of Israel are freed, Moses is banished from Egypt and finds out his purpose while in the land of Midian.
In the text Moses has just come into the knowledge of who he really is: a Hebrew born in poverty and slavery but raised in Pharaoh’s home by Pharoah’s daughter. In a unique twist of fate Moses is now in the desert and dealing with the contradictions of his life and what God wants him to do.
Moses has already experienced God’s Grace as he escaped to the desert of Midian after killing an Egyptian. He is married and has spent long days and nights reflecting on being birthed by a Hebrew, floated down the Nile River in a basket and survived, raised by Pharoah’s daughter (the oppressor’s), escaped to Midian and spoken to God through the mystery of a burning bush that did not burn.
We can’t really serve God unless we deal with ourselves and our issues. It’s through self-reflection and the desire to change that we find our purpose in life. In today’s fast paced world it is so difficult to slow down long enough to hear and listen to the God.
When God speaks to Moses through the burning bush we are confronted with another major question about God. How does God speak or reveal God-self to humanity? In the passage God is speaking in a clear voice to Moses. Sometimes God may speak to humans through nature, a current event, God’s silence or through something tragic or joyous.
Moses experienced the burning bush and now God clearly gives Moses directions. It is our job to create a relationship with God and the environment where we will be able to understand when God is speaking to us. Perhaps Moses had to go the desert in Midian to be still enough and quiet enough to be able to hear God’s voice.
We will never truly understand how God can use us if we simply don’t submit. God often uses vessels that are not worthy or the most unlikely to be chosen by societal standards. That is God’s prerogative. But it’s up to the person to listen to God’s voice and follow.
Moses gave every excuse he could think of to not obey God’s directives. Moses told God, I have a speech impediment (I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue). The Lord replied, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” God also tells Moses later, that Aaron will be Moses mouthpiece. We will never have all the tools God wants us to have, but if God calls us God will equip us.
If Moses had not told God yes in Exodus 4, who would have helped free the Children of Israel from Slavery and Bondage.
