02(Exodus 03-04) Why Me

Why didn’t God just send angels to destroy the Egyptian army?

Why not go to the Hebrew people himself as he appeared to Moses.

God’s way is to appoint a human ministry to effect divine salvation.

I.    Who Am I? (3:11)

A.    Feeling inadequate for the task. (Lk 9:57ff).

1.     When its our idea (Ex 2:11) we are bold, but when God truly calls us, we come up with many reasons not to go.

B.    Inadequate because of your lifestyle (Isaiah 6:1-8).

1.     Sinful background is no disqualifier. In fact, becoming aware of your sinfulness before God is the first step. So it was for Isaiah and Moses.

2.     Sinful surroundings do not disqualify you either. Your family or upbringing is no excuse to ignore the call of God.

C.    Inadequate because of your age (Jer 1:1-8).

D.    God’s Answer: “I will be with you.”

1.     His promises to Moses assure success.

II.  What Are You Like? (3:13).

A.    Not “who” – they knew His name YAHWEH from Genesis.

B.    In Hebrew, a name denotes character. They would want to know the character of this God they haven’t heard from in 400 years.

C.    Ans: I am the One who is/will be. I have seen your affliction & will fulfill my promise. I am a covenant God.

III. What Can I Offer? (4:1).

A.    Words of a man afraid to fail. God has told him that the people will believe him, but Moses doubts God’s word.

B.    “Has God really said?” is the tall lie of the devil.

C.    We fear failure because we feel inadequate for the task. And yet what does God say?

1.     “What is in your hand?”

2.     Time? Talent? Treasure? Testimony?

3.     What you have at hand is all you need to persuade the world, with God at your side.

IV. I am just not the right kind of material. (4:10).

A.    No natural skills? “Who made the mute, the deaf, the seeing, the blind?”

B.    The blind man (John 9:1-3).

V.  Any one but me (4:13).

A.    No longer an objection, now just plain rejection.

B.    God finally displays anger at this comment. He is patient to answer our weak faith, but impatient to deal with our outright refusal.

C.    yet, God provides providentially for His will to be done. (4:14).

D.    Yet, Aaron will prove to be high maintenance.

E.    Moses is ready when learns that Aaron will go. Amazing how we depend on other fallable humans, rather than the strong hand of God.