Go For It – Exodus 4:1-17
Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail”—so he reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back into your cloak”—so he put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his body— 8 “If they will not believe you or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or heed you, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. 17 Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
What does the passage say?
I apologize for the previous email. An unfinished version has been sent out. Here is the completed version.
V. 1-5 God appears in front of Moses, in the burning bush. God calls Moses to carry out God’s plan to save his people from Egyptian slavery. However, Moses was afraid of the people not believing in his word, so God shows him the sign of Moses’ staff turning into a snake.
V. 6-9 Even God knew the misbelief of the people, so God offered two other signs for Moses to show the people of Israel, which reveals that he is from God.
V. 10 – 17 After receiving these signs and wonders, Moses still worries and says, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” v. 10 NRSV.
God reminds Moses of God’s presence in his life, assuring that God will speak to him, but Moses still worries. Then God, being patient to Moses, offers to send Aron on behalf to speak for Moses.
What does this mean to me/us
God has a purpose for all of us, to shine the light of Jesus to the world so that it will bring people out of the bondage of darkness.
However, in front of the call of God, inviting us into GOd’s mission, we stand worried like Moses.
We do live in the world of skepticism. Not only that the people of the world do not believe, but we as children’s of God also have a hard time to believe.
God does give us the signs and wonders in our lives. We all might have a story of God’s working hand being evident in our lives. But does the signs really convince the people of the world? We need to remember in this story, despite the signs the people, both Israelites and the Egyptian, were still against God’s plan.
Then what makes the difference? It is our lives transforming into the full belief in God’s plans. The Moses who encountered God, in front of this burning bush and the Moses who led the people out from their slavery is an entirely different person. These signs led him to believe fully in the presence of God in his life, and as his faith increased, he was able to carry out God’s Mission.
Then what is it that we need to ask from God when we are worried? Is it signs and wonders? Yes, if the signs increase our faith. But ultimately we should ask for more faith. To fully trust in God leading our lives for God’s mission.
What does this MEAN to you?
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