All his life had led up to this moment. He was born a Hebrew, saved from death as his mother made a basket and hid it in the reeds of the Nile; discovered there by Pharaoh’s daughter she immediately grew fond of the young child. Nearby was child’s older sister who when seeing Pharaoh’s daughters affection for the child asked if she could find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, was sent away to do so. As time would come and go, the young Hebrew child would eventually grow up on Pharaoh’s palace as his grandson. So, one who was to die by the hand of Pharaoh was sustained by God’s providence in Pharaoh’s own home.
The child grew into a man and we know him as Moses. Eventually Moses had left Egypt because he had killed an Egyptian that was beating his fellow Hebrews. Fearing for his life he left Egypt for Midian and eventually became a shepherd. During this time the Lord had appeared to Moses calling him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and to worship the Lord. But, somewhere along the way, before Moses gets to Egypt to lead God’s people, Moses speaks to the Lord looking for a way out from leading God’s people.
First, Moses addresses God concerning the Hebrews if they should believe that God had indeed sent Moses or not. God’s response to Moses’ concern is three miracles to help the Hebrews believe. The first miracle is that Moses’ staff is turned into a snake and back again. But if the Hebrews still would not believe there is a second miracle. The second miracle is that Moses’ hand, when placed into his cloak, is turned leprous white. Upon putting his hand back into the cloak once more it would be healed. The third miracle is that when Moses takes water from the Nile and pours it out it will become blood on the ground.
Moses, apparently still not wanting to lead Israel then says to the Lord, “O 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.”
You can almost hear the Lord begin to lose patience with Moses when the Lord says, “Who gave man his mouth” Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
But Moses finally gets all his feelings out when he says, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.”
At this point the Scripture says, “Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses…” and it did so to the point that the LORD wanted to kill Moses. And except for Moses’ wife interceding for him we may very well have never heard of the great things that Moses did serving his people and his God.
Well, what is the moral of the story here? Don’t spurn God’s opportunity to serve him. There are times in our lives when we want to serve the LORD in our own special way and we seek his blessing and the Lord either blesses our request or he does not. Or, maybe, sometimes we have to wait. And then, there are those very special times when the Lord just lays right before us, the opportunity to serve. We did not ask for it, we did not seek it, and we may or may not even want this particular opportunity to serve. But when such opportunities to serve are presented that serve God’s people and bring glory to the Lord who are we to turn away from such a calling. Such things as this are more than likely directly from the Lord. He has chosen us to lead, to serve, to minister on his behalf to his people and his creation for his glory.
Who are we to question him? Why should we second guess him? If we do, we may be doubting his wisdom as well as doubting the grace and giftedness that he has placed within us. We may be unwittingly making ourselves lord over our own lives rather than truly allowing him to reign over us according to his power and wisdom.
What opportunities of service has Christ laid before you lately? What has been your response to those opportunities? Have you prayerfully and joyfully accepted them? I want to encourage you to hear God’s voice, hear his calling, see his leading a little more clearly the next time God lays before you the opportunity to lead and to serve. And to know, that by faith, your accepting God’s calling to humbly serve by leading, pleases Him!
Serving Christ,
Keith