God met Moses at the burning bush and invited him to join Him in His plan.
The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:9-10).
Victor Hamilton lists 5 excuses that Moses gave to God in an attempt to avoid aligning his life with God’s plan. Like the good preacher he is, Hamilton begins each point with the same letter.
(1) Inadequacy: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (3:11)
(2) Ignorance: If I come to the people of Israel and they ask me what is his name, what shall I say to them? (3:13)
(3) Incredibility But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you. (4:1)
(4) Inarticulatedness: O my Lord, I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. (4:10)
(5) Insubordinationl: O Lord, please send I pray some other person. (4:13)
Excuse #1 – Inadequacy
Moses’ first excuse was that he was not up to the task.
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).
In every response, Moses consistently refers to his own resources rather than God’s power.
When God responds, He tells Moses that what matters is not who he is as an individual, but to whom he belongs.
He said, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain” (Exodus 3:12).
A study points out that when God says, “I will be with you,” is overwhelmingly used in connection with individuals who are in, or are about to assume, positions of leadership.
These leaders typically face either significant danger or a task where the potential for failure is high. The study concludes that this formula is never intended as an unconditional guarantee of the status quo.
God’s words, “I will be with you,” serve as a challenge to step out boldly under God’s guidance and to rely on God’s resources.
Excuse #2 – Ignorance
Moses’ second excuse may have stemmed from whether the Hebrews, after their long period of slavery, had forgotten God’s name, which represents His character and presence. God’s response directly provides His name.
But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3:13-14).
The Hebrew name of God, formed by the four consonants Y-H-W-H, is commonly pronounced in English translations as either Jehovah or Yahweh. In these translations, we insert vowels that are not present in the Hebrew.
There are different ways to understand what is meant by God’s holy name. Here are some suggestions found by various scholars:
- He is or He will be.
- He is who He is.
- I am whatever I mean to be.
- I am the one who is.
- I am there with you wherever you are.
- I really am.
- I am who I am.
- I am He who is.
- I am that.
- I am who I always have been.
While interpretations vary, one statement holds true: we can say “He is” when speaking of God. Only God can say “I AM.”
Reflections
As we continue the story of Moses, we will encounter more of his excuses. We may even recognize that we have used similar excuses ourselves when trying to avoid trusting God to do challenging things He calls us to do.
One common thread connects all of this: God invites us to trust Him. When God is about to do something “God-sized,” He will also provide us with “God-sized” abilities to match.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 