Who Am I?

Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

Exodus 3:11

For several weeks I’ve been writing Bible studies on Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah focused on how God called each of them for specific assignments He had for them.  Today I just want to share a few thoughts about how God called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of cruel slavery in Egypt and bring them to the land He had promised to Abraham long ago. I pray that some of the valuable lessons I’ve learned for my own life will encourage you to say “Yes” to God when He calls you for a specific assignment. We can learn a lot from what God says about Himself, what He promised Moses, and how Moses responded.  I hope you’ll take time to read the whole story in Exodus 1-4, but here is a brief summary:

Moses was a Hebrew who had been raised in Egypt by the Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1-10).  The Hebrews had been suffering greatly as forced laborers in Egypt. As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian who had beaten and killed a Hebrew slave. Pharaoh tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled for his life. Fast-forward about 40 years.  The next time we read about Moses, he is minding his own business on a normal day shepherding his father-in-law’s flock in the wilderness.  From a distance he sees a very abnormal sight – a bush is on fire but it is not being consumed! When he turns aside to investigate, the angel of the Lord speaks to him from the burning bush. He tells Moses, “I have seen the misery of My people and have come to rescue them.  I am sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people out of Egypt.”

Then we get to listen to the ongoing conversation between the Lord and Moses:

The Lord:  Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh.  You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.

Moses: Who am I to appear before Pharaoh?  Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?

The Lord: I will be with you…

Moses: If I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of you fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?

The Lord:  I Am who I Am…  Now go to the Israelites…assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: “Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me and said, ‘I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.  And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites…a land flowing with milk and honey.’”

Moses: What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me, but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?

The Lord gives Moses several miraculous signs to convince him that He is in charge.  Moses finally turns from his “What if…” questions to tell the Lord about his inadequacies for the task.  Moses makes excuses for not doing what God asks:

Moses: O Lord, I’m not very good with words… I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.

The Lord: Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?  Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.

Moses: Lord, please send anyone else.

The Lord became angry with Moses, but He answered Moses’ request by agreeing to allow Moses’ brother Aaron to be the spokesman instead of Moses.  You can read in the rest of Exodus how the Lord miraculously provided for the Israelites to be led out of slavery in Egypt.  Their story continues with their grumbling and complaining and refusal to trust God to conquer the enemies living in the land God had promised them. That led to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness before they were finally allowed to enter their promised land.

Here’s what I have learned for myself.  Even after God’s declaration of Himself as the “I Am,” the eternal covenant-keeping God, the assurance of His own presence to be with him,  Moses continued to focus on himself and his own inabilities and inadequacies.  So many excuses and “what ifs.”  It’s easy to be judgmental. But then I think of what God has called me to do – to write these devotionals and then to set up a website to publish them.  My initial response was to think about all the amazing devotional books already in print written by world-famous people.  What do I have to say that hasn’t already been written? How do I even begin to set up a website? “Who am I” seems like a legitimate question.  But God has a way of making His will clear.  So, after some amount of hesitation, I began to realize that I just needed to take each Next Step as He led me. I know the promises in His Word, that when He calls His people to an assignment, He provides all that is necessary to complete it.  He empowers us by His Spirit as we depend completely on Him. So, no more excuses! I’ll just do what He asks and trust Him for the results.

Next week I’ll share the story of Mary.  I’m so encouraged by her response to the announcement from the angel Gabriel that she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus.  No excuses!

Personal Reflection

What is God calling you to do?  Have you given excuses for not doing it?

Here are a few promises from God’s Word to encourage you:

Jeremiah 29:11 I know the plans I have for you…

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you…I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on  your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.