Moses was having a difficult time believing God knew what He was doing. “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Exodus 4:1. “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.” v. 10. “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” v. 13. He was afraid. He felt so inadequate. Do you ever feel that way? I do. All too often. Right before I blog if I’m being honest. We know so well our true inadequacies. Sometimes it seems like everyone else is so smart, accomplished, successful…fearless! Who am I? Please send someone else. The problem with that mindset is that it isn’t by our power or might or fearlessness. It’s God.

God enabled Moses’s shepherd staff to turn into a snake and back into a staff. God caused Moses’s hand to turn white as snow and be healed a moment later. 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? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” v. 11-12. He was showing Moses who to trust. They had already gone way past the hurdle of Moses trusting in himself. Now he would grow in trust in the Lord as He led him. Trying to put myself into Moses’s place, I would have marveled at my skin turning leprous and then healed the next moment, or seeing a common item turn into a snake and trusting God when He said pick it up by the tail and it returned to a common item. But I have to be honest and admit I would need God’s courage and strength to confront Pharaoh. I ask God to inspire His words when I don’t know what to say after reading a Chapter in His Word. He always does. Trust and obey.

We come to a curious verse. At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision). v. 24-26. In the commentary below, God was about to kill Moses because Moses had not circumcised his son. Genesis 17:10-14: This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

Moses is learning two vital things about God. Trust and obey. A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. Romans 2:28-29. What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. Romans 3:1-2. Moses is entrusted by God to speak His words to Pharaoh. I don’t have words good enough to convey that honor. God commanded Abraham as a sign of the covenant between them that all males 8 days and older would be circumcised. God is about to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob regarding their descendants which include Moses, Aaron, the Children of Israel. He is doing His part. Moses needed to do his.

Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped. v. 29-31.

Trust and obey. Moses was chosen by God to bring His chosen people out of bondage. He had to be prepared. God allowed Aaron to speak for Moses but he could only say what God had told Moses. Moses was His choice and He stood by Moses and worked through him….and the result? They bowed down and worshipped…they believed God.

Fast forward to today. Where do we stand? Do we trust God? Do we obey? Jesus told us if we keep His commands, we will remain in His love just as He kept His Father’s commands and remains in His love. And what is His command? My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:9-12. Trust and obey.