Session 12: The Bush

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

Coming soon.

Key Elements

• Key Passage - Exodus 3:1–4:17
• Scripture Memory - You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. John 15:16
• Catechism - Q: Who is the source of all mission success? A: God.

Introduction

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Let the Church awake to her calling to train the feeblest of her members to know that Christ counts upon every redeemed one to live wholly for His work. This alone is true Christianity, is full salvation.

Citizens of God’s kingdom are heralds of the king. God has called each and every Christian to the work of evangelism and Christian witness—announcing the good news of God’s salvation, redemption, and rescue in King Jesus. While we may not all be uniformly gifted for the task, we are all equally enrolled in the work. God does not wait for our full maturity before he commands us to begin telling others about the gospel. In fact, evangelistic work should be understood as a part of the very inception of our Christian faith. The calling of gospel witness is a means of Christian formation. Inasmuch as we all need to mature in Christ, our call to ministry is a call to face and overcome our deepest insecurities. The summons to witness is an invitation to grow more deeply rooted in the faith.

In this way, learning about evangelism is not the same as doing evangelism. While the earlier lessons in this study are vital for our maturity as Christians and our faithfulness as Christian witnesses, we must address inner barriers to evangelistic work. Deep within our spirits, we fight fears and insecurities, doubts and uncertainties, and reservations and excuses that make us reluctant to speak to others about God. In truth, God calls us to a work that we cannot perform on our own. He does this in order to galvanize our trust in him and showcase his incomparable power to the world. Many Christians have an understanding of evangelism. What remains is an activation to do the work of evangelism. Thankfully, God has recorded a powerful biblical narrative to mobilize us to the work.

In Exodus 3:1–4:17, we learn about God calling his servant Moses to ministry. At Mount Horeb, God revealed himself to Moses through a burning bush and summoned him to a very important work. God had a plan to liberate his people from Egyptian bondage, and he chose Moses to be a spokesperson to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. After God commissioned Moses to this work, Moses responded with a series of hesitations, reservations, and refusals. Crippled by fear, insecurity, and doubt, Moses tried to escape this divine calling on his life. God graciously responded to each of Moses’ concerns. God assured Moses that his divine presence would be with him. Rooting his work in hope, God revealed himself to Moses and gave a promise that his mission would succeed. Offering his servant reassurance, God armed Moses with powerful signs and told Moses that he would enable him to speak. In the end, God even provided an assistant—a teammate—for Moses as he went about his God-given assignment.

As we consider the vital work of evangelism and Christian witness, we acknowledge that we are much like Moses. We hesitate to speak to others about God, and we cower at the prospect of rejection. Even though the message of deliverance and the promise of liberation are glorious, our fears and insecurities often immobilize us. Our minds and hearts are filled with reservations and excuses, seeking to sidestep this very basic Christian responsibility. The ministry of evangelism is not only for a select few. It is a work into which God has invited all of his people. While we can relate to Moses’ insecurities, we can also be helped by God’s responses to Moses. On the horizon of this story is hope that we can serve as God’s spokespeople with courage, confidence, and conviction. May we study this biblical story with an eye toward our own ministry calling.

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: The Bible is God’s inspired word to his people. Christian disciples mature in the faith when they are grounded in God’s word. In this movement, you will study the basic details of the biblical text.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Retell the story in your own words, recounting the overall flow of the narrative, the main segments of the story, and the major developments that take place.

Narrative Elements

Story Retell

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: God’s word is his trustworthy and sufficient revelation to his people. We grow as Christ’s disciples by rooting our lives in God’s unchanging truth. In this movement, you will explore vital teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Summarize the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions. Be attentive to the truths taught in this text. Use the commentary on the next pages to uncover core principles this passage teaches about the Christian faith.

Biblical Commentary

Use this commentary to help you understand the meaning of the text. Refer to the infographic on the next page to think through how narratives work.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

God equips and empowers his willing and available servants to be his spokespeople in the world.

Passage Overview

Entry requirements into God’s work do not involve a long list of accolades or achievements. God calls willing and available people who have expressed genuine faith in Christ. Moses’ story confirms this. Moses’ call to ministry was embedded in a personal encounter with the living God. Although Moses expressed availability for the work (“Here I am”), he also voiced numerous reservations. Gracious and patient, God addressed each of Moses’ hesitations. God’s presence, divine revelation, powerful signs, empowered speech, and a ministry coworker were some of the gracious means God provided to activate Moses in his calling. While we can be comforted by Moses’ honest reservations, we can also be strengthened by God’s timely replies. As a whole, this narrative cautions against mere talk about the work and enjoins us to actual participation in the work. Use the following commentary to help crystallize your thinking about the call and commission to be a spokesperson of the gospel in the surrounding world.

Passage Outline

Missionary Sending

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

We are so [reluctant] to displease men, and so desirous to keep in credit and favour with them, that it makes us most unconscionably neglect our known duty. A foolish physician he is, and a most unfaithful friend, that will let a sick man die for fear of troubling him; and cruel wretches are we to our friends, that will rather suffer them to go quietly to hell, than we will anger them, or hazard our reputation with them.

Introduction

The work of Christian witness is both a great honor and a grave responsibility. As God’s representatives to a lost world, Christians speak to others about the saving work of Christ. In this great work, Christians announce liberty for the captives, salvation for the ruined, reconciliation for the estranged, cleansing for the stained, innocence for the guilty, and restoration for the broken. Offering hope to the despairing and life to the condemned, the good news of the gospel is essential for all humanity to hear. Certainly, the fundamental truths of the gospel message are joyful refrains to the ears of a desperate humanity, at least for those ready and willing to listen.

While the glorious promises of this message motivate disciples to share the truth of the gospel with all who will listen, the immensity and intensity of the task can cause the most devoted follower to pause. Handicapped by a perceived lack of knowledge, many refrain from gospel proclamation lest they find themselves in a conversation beyond their knowledge. Others are hesitant to speak the name of Christ for fear of rejection. Many are eager to talk to people about Jesus, but question their speaking ability. Hesitations and reservations abound when people remain insecure in their identity, seeking to take stock more in their own self-esteem or the opinions of others rather than the presence of God. God is not only aware that people can struggle with such things, but he recorded the story of Moses to help us address this very concern.

In Exodus 3:1–4:17, the Bible recounts Moses’ call and commission to God’s work. Specifically, God summoned Moses to be a spokesman of his word and an agent of his deliverance for his people. Much like Jonah (the prophetic messenger in the first narrative of this study), Moses had many reservations about submitting to God’s call on his life. After a miraculous encounter with God at a burning bush, God commanded Moses to go to Egypt as God’s representative. Rather than immediately obeying God’s voice, Moses resisted God’s call. Struggling with insecurity about his personal identity, incomplete knowledge about God, fear of failure, and inability in speech, Moses attempted to evade God’s call. In the end, Moses simply pleaded with God to send someone else for the work. Amazingly, as much as this story records Moses’ hesitations, it also chronicles God’s patient and compassionate encouragement of his servant to heartily embrace his divinely appointed call.

This narrative is both comforting and convicting. As much as it offers an honest and transparent depiction of Moses (in all of his flaws and frailties), it also shows that God is aware of the fears and insecurities we face. In terms of God’s overarching plan of salvation, God has chosen to use those who are weak and feeble. On the other hand, this passage is a challenge to all believers. It confronts reservations for what they are: a lack of trust in and submission to God. It also supplies vital resources to build courage, confidence, and character when it comes to speaking God’s word to others. In this way, may we study Moses’ call in order for us to have the humble trust to take up our own.

Here I Am: Encountering God’s Holy Presence and Divine Call

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 3:1–10)

Moses’ call to ministry began with a life-altering encounter with God. Fleeing for his life, Moses left Egypt and settled in the land of Midian, where he married Zipporah, the daughter of a priest called Jethro (cf. 2:11–22). Moses settled in Midian for some time and tended Jethro’s animals. One day, “Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro” and “he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness” (3:1). When Moses came to this location, he “came to Horeb, the mountain of God” (3:1). At this mountain, a miraculous event occurred when “the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush” (3:2). God’s appearance to Moses was so spectacular that “the bush [was] ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed” (3:2).

Moses decided to “go over and see this marvelous sight” (3:3). At this time, “God called out to him from within the bush” (3:4) saying, “Moses, Moses!” (3:4). In response, Moses said, “Here I am” (3:4). God instructed Moses “not come any closer” and to remove the sandals from his feet because the place where he was standing was “holy ground” (3:5). At this time, God revealed himself to Moses as “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (3:6). At this, “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (3:6).

Then, God told Moses of his plan to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Showcasing his compassion, God told Moses that he was aware of Israel’s suffering: “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt,” “I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors,” and “I am aware of their suffering” (3:7). God told Moses that he had “seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them” (3:9). As a result, God informed Moses of his plan to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and to bring them into a promised land, “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (3:8). God promised to liberate his people decisively and definitively. Although the Israelites had suffered for many years (in fact, many generations) in Egypt, God was not ignorant of their affliction. “The cry of the Israelites [had] reached” this kind and loving God (3:9).

After rehearsing his compassionate concern for his people’s suffering and his sovereign plan to rescue them, God revealed from the bush that he was appointing Moses as an agent in this work. Initially, God gave Moses a commission: “Therefore, go!” (3:10). Specifically, God told Moses his assignment: “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt” (3:10). Having encountered an extraordinary demonstration of God’s holy presence, Moses also received a direct commission to serve God in God’s saving work.

Biblical Principles

Personal Encounter and Call. At a fundamental level, evangelism is the work of telling others about the God who has radically transformed our lives. Foundational to all Christian witness is a personal encounter with the living God. The opening of this narrative records how God revealed himself to Moses through a burning bush (3:2–3) and how God summoned Moses by calling his name (3:4). In this way, Moses’ ministry call is wrapped up with his personal encounter with God. While we may not receive a visible or extraordinary encounter at a burning bush, each and every disciple of Christ has a (no less) transforming encounter with God. Our service of God in the surrounding world comes from a life-altering experience with God. Since this personal encounter forms the substructure of our Christian life, our work of Christian witness is built upon this foundation. Speaking with others about Jesus is an overflow of a living relationship with God.

God’s Character. When God appeared to Moses, God revealed fundamental aspects of his character. Arriving at “Horeb, the mountain of God” (3:1), Moses encountered God’s holiness (3:5), compassion (3:7, 9), power (3:2–3, 8), and goodness (3:8). Being holy, God is completely set apart and in a category to himself. His absolute purity required Moses to remove his sandals (3:5), and his awesome presence evoked fear within Moses (3:6). Additionally, God promised that he would deliver his people from Egyptian slavery. Alongside God’s holiness and power is his compassion and goodness. God was fully aware of the hardship his people had endured, and he had a plan to bring them into a good and flourishing land (3:7–9).

When we meet God in a powerful and transforming way, we come to know the true character of God. When it comes to Christian witness, we are called to communicate what God is really like to the people around us. God is holy, and we are to honor him with deep reverence. God makes true promises that require our faith and expand our hope. God is powerful, and he is able to save us. God is good, and he can be trusted with our lives. God is merciful, and he acts on behalf of the oppressed and afflicted. To the degree Christians have a vibrant relationship with the living God, our witness to the surrounding world will be powerful and compelling. When our knowledge of God dims, or our trust in God weakens, our representation of God will become lackluster at best or even nonexistent altogether. God does not advance his kingdom by means of pure pragmatism, utilizing humans as stoic salespeople. Amazingly, God sweeps his people into a transforming relationship with himself and then deploys them for his work in the world.

Divine Commission. In the context of God’s revelation to Moses, God commissions Moses to his work (3:10). While God does not need human agents to assist him in his cosmic work, God employs his people to accomplish his redemptive purposes in the world. Not long after God revealed his plan to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage (3:8), God told Moses that he would send him on a mission to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (3:10). God was the exclusive source of gracious salvation, but Moses was an appointed ambassador of this divine redemption. Because this plan of salvation was rooted in God’s promises (3:8; cf. 3:16–22), the mission’s ultimate success did not rest on Moses’ shoulders. God guaranteed that his plan would be accomplished. In the context of certain success, God included humans in his work. Serving God is a gift and a privilege from God. Christians best serve God in the world when we recognize that ultimate success belongs to God and our commission to the work is an honor filled with joyful participation rather than gloomy duress.

Who Am I: Embracing Our Call with the Promise of God’s Presence

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 3:11–12)

Moses struggled to fully accept his divine call in God’s work. In response to his commission, Moses replied to God with questions, doubts, protests, insecurities, and fears. Throughout the rest of this narrative, Moses’ insecurities and God’s responses are recorded in dialogue form. Moses expressed these reservations to God in an attempt to excuse himself from God’s work; God replied to Moses’ concerns and encouraged his servant to confidently embrace his call. The first question that Moses raised was, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (3:11). Moses recognized that he was not a ruler of a nation or a mighty warrior. In fact, when he fled Egypt, he abandoned the privilege and prestige he had maintained there.

Now, as a herdsman for his father-in-law, Moses questioned his right and worthiness to approach a powerful leader like Pharaoh. Further, he doubted his fitness to bring Israel out of slavery. In the face of Moses’ deep insecurity, God offered Moses a word of security, safety, and surety. Specifically, God’s reply to Moses is powerful and encouraging: “I will surely be with you” (3:12). God reiterated the success of Moses’ mission and gave him a sign to affirm his divine appointment: “This will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain” (3:12). In this word, God promised Moses his presence and the ultimate success of his mission. What God spoke to Moses is appropriate for our consideration as well.

Biblical Principles

Identity and Insecurity. Moses’ initial response to his commission reveals a common reservation many people face when they think about Christian witness. Through his self-doubting “Who am I” (3:11), Moses questioned his fitness to approach Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Rather than focusing on the mighty character of the God just revealed to him, Moses fixated on his own inadequacy and insufficiency. Whether he was self-conscious about his status, apprehensive about his abilities, uneasy about the risk, or uncertain about the final outcome of the work, Moses caved to his questioning thoughts. Moses’ response is not foreign to many of us. Often, our greatest inhibitions to Christian witness come from our deepest fears and insecurities.

When Christians are secure in their identity—a security that comes from mature faith in Christ—they can face the risks and dangers in the mission with confidence in God’s power and presence. When faith is weak, or when fears preoccupy our hearts, our minds exaggerate the dangers around us and paralyze us from engaging in the work. When insecurities rule our hearts, the results are tragic. Fearful of rejection, we hesitate to speak with others about Jesus. As we will see in the next section, sometimes we question our ability to answer questions or provide the right explanations, causing us to withdraw from the work. Forecasting the difficulty of the work, we measure ourselves for the task and find that we are wanting. Although God calls us to the work (and this call is clear and evident), we choose self-doubt and reservation rather than trust-filled and obedient service.

Presence and Promise. God did not want Moses (and he does not want us) to yield to our insecurities or fears. God addressed Moses’ reservations by guaranteeing his presence and promising that the mission would succeed. God told Moses, “I will surely be with you” (3:12). He also told him that he will successfully bring the Israelites out of Egypt; the sign for this will be, “you will worship God on this mountain” (3:12). Importantly, God did not try to bolster Moses’ self-confidence by affirming his abilities, massaging his self-worth, or minimizing the brawn of Pharaoh. Instead, God brought reassurance through the security of his presence and promise. Rather than fixating on “who am I to go,” Moses should have directed his insecurity to a more fitting question: “Who is he that goes with me?” With God, a novice becomes a powerful instrument for the work of Christian witness. Without God, the most skilled and trained human does not stand a chance at success.

What Shall I Say: Speaking the Truth with Conviction of God’s Revelation

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 3:13–22)

Moses responded to God with a second reservation. If his first excuse focused on his insecure identity, this second excuse expressed his lack of knowledge. Moses anticipated his conversation with his fellow Israelites. Upon telling the Israelites, “the God of your fathers has sent me to you,” Moses envisioned the people asking, “What is His name?” (3:13). In this case, Moses asked God, “What shall I tell them?” (3:13).

In response to Moses, God told him his name: “I Am Who I Am” (3:14). He instructed Moses to tell the Israelites, “I Am has sent me to you” (3:14). God also specified that he is “the Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (3:15). God said that his name was “forever” and was to “be remembered in every generation” (3:15). Moses was not only supposed to tell the Israelites God’s name, but he was told to tell the Israelites that this God sent Moses to them. Moses went to the Israelites under God’s authority.

In addition to disclosing his name (which is also a revelation of his character), God also wanted Moses to tell the Israelites about God’s plan for deliverance. God wanted the Israelites to know that he was fully aware of the affliction and mistreatment they experienced in Egypt (3:16). God promised to bring the Israelites “up out of … affliction in Egypt, into … a land flowing with milk and honey” (3:17). God assured Moses that the people would listen to him (3:18). After having gained the confidence of the people, Moses and the Israelite elders were supposed to go to Pharaoh and tell him that God appeared to them, asking for Pharaoh to let the Israelites go into the wilderness to sacrifice to God (3:18).

At the same time that God assured Moses of ultimate success, God also told him that Pharaoh would fiercely resist his message. God acknowledged that “the king of Egypt will not allow [the Israelites] to go unless a mighty hand compels him” (3:19). In response to this refusal, God told Moses that he would strike Egypt with powerful wonders (3:20). God would be acting through Moses. He would not leave him alone. Moses would face resistance, but God assured Moses that Pharaoh would eventually let the Israelites go free (3:20). So decisive would this deliverance be, that God foretold to Moses that the Israelites would gain “favor in the sight of the Egyptians” (3:21). In fact, the Israelites would not leave Egypt “empty-handed” (3:21). When the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians would supply the Israelites with “silver and gold jewelry and clothing” (3:21). In this way, the Egyptian slaves would leave Egypt by God’s powerful hand and be resourced by their taskmasters: the Israelites would “plunder the Egyptians” (3:21).

Biblical Principles

Lack of Knowledge. Moses’ second reservation highlights his lack of knowledge. Moses wanted to know what to tell the Israelites if they asked about God’s name (3:13). This concern was not only Moses’ need for more information (about God) but also his desire for the “backing” of a credible authority. Lack of knowledge or the apparent lack of knowledge can be one of the great inhibitors of mission. As God calls us to be his spokespeople, we need to know the God we represent in order to clearly and accurately communicate him to people. God has graciously revealed himself to us in his word so that we can know him. In addition, God’s people have the right, authority, and duty to speak to others about God. Many people wonder, “What right do I have to speak to this person about God?” In reality, no human has this right based on their own credentials. However, since God has sent us, we are not only under his authority but also empowered by his strength. Revelation about God provides us with what we should say to people (i.e., telling them the truth about God) but also why we should say it (i.e., God has sent us to tell others under the authority of his name).

God’s Name. From the burning bush, God revealed himself to Moses as “I Am” (3:14) and “I Am Who I Am” (3:14). These ways of identifying God could highlight God’s presence with his people (“I am with you”) or God’s eternal character (“I will be who I will be”) or both of these meanings in one profound phrase. In fact, God told Moses to tell the Israelites that God was “the Lord” (3:15; cf. 3:16). This term “the Lord” is God’s special name, and in Hebrew it can be pronounced Yahweh, which sounds like the Hebrew root of the verb “to be.” Addressing Moses’ hesitancy, God highlighted his eternal nature and constant presence with his people. Given confidence and stamina in God’s work, Christians bear witness in the name of Yahweh. We are sent into the world under his authority and in representation of his name.

To Moses, God also revealed that he was the God of the Israelite patriarchs: “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (3:15; cf. 3:16). God’s faithfulness is not limited to space, time, or geography. The God who is “I Am Who I Am” discloses his faithfulness to fulfill his covenant promises across generations. While God wanted Moses and the Israelites to know his name and character, he also intended his name to be known to the surrounding world. Moses and the elders were instructed to tell Pharaoh that God is “the Lord, the God of the Hebrews” (3:18). Reinforcing this truth through powerful miracles, God would compel Pharaoh to let the Israelites go by " a mighty hand " (3:19). Serving as God’s spokespeople, Christians rest in the power of a God who accomplishes his purposes throughout the whole world and across all generations. God’s faithfulness in the past offers encouragement and hope for those engaged in the work today. Knowledge of God (gained through divine revelation in God’s word) emboldens and authorizes God’s people in Christian witness.

Certainty of Success. Because God’s word is true, we can engage in his work with confidence. God not only revealed his name (and character) to Moses, but God also guaranteed the success of the mission. God told Moses, “I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt” (3:17). So certain was this guarantee that God said that the Israelites would “listen to what you say” (3:18) and the Egyptians would be compelled to let the Israelites go (3:19). Although God involved people in his plan of redemption, the ultimate architect and source of success was God. God announced his plan to stretch out his hand and perform powerful miracles (3:20). The victory would be so definitive that God would give the Israelites favor with their enemies (3:21). They would leave the life of slavery, but they would not leave empty-handed (3:21). They would plunder their Egyptian enemies (3:22). God is most invested in his redemptive plan. While many doubts, fears, and inadequacies can make us tentative to serve God’s work, our attentiveness to the guaranteed success of God’s mission can (and should) bolster our involvement in it.

What Is In Your Hand?: Performing Our Duty with Trust in God’s Power

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 4:1–9)

Although God gave a powerful revelation of his name and a detailed promise of his work, Moses remained tentative. Despite God’s assurance that the people would listen to his message (3:18), Moses questioned whether the Israelites would believe him (4:1). Moses even suspected that the Israelites would deny that God had even appeared to him at all. Clear in this reaction is Moses’ fear concerning how others might (or might not) respond. This fear caused cowardice and faint-heartedness in the heart of God’s chosen servant.

Rather than harshly chastising Moses, God gave Moses more reassurance of his mission’s success. God told Moses to throw his staff on the ground, and it miraculously turned into a serpent (4:2–3). Moses was afraid of the serpent. He ran away from it, (4:3) but God told him to pick it up by the tail (4:4). When Moses did this, the serpent “turned back into a staff in his hand” (4:4). God gave Moses this sign so that the people would believe that God appeared to him (4:5; cf. 4:8). For a second sign, God told Moses to put his hand in his cloak, and it became leprous when he removed it (4:6). When Moses put his leprous hand back in his cloak and removed it again, it was " restored, like the rest of his skin" (4:7). For a third sign, God told Moses to take water from the Nile River, pour it on the dry ground, and it would turn into blood (4:9). Patient and generous, God gave Moses three signs that clearly demonstrated God’s power as a means to persuade God’s people that God had sent him. As much as these signs were for the people, they were also for Moses, God’s timorous servant.

Biblical Principles

Rejection and Unbelief. At this point in the narrative, Moses expressed his fear of being rejected by the people. As he envisioned going to the Israelites to communicate God’s word to them, he did not think that the people would “believe” him or “listen” to his message (4:1). In fact, Moses thought that the people would deny his commission from and encounter with God: “the Lord has not appeared to you” (4:1). When we share the gospel with others, we can easily be handicapped by this same fear of rejection. Longing to be accepted by people, we will often say and do things to gain their approval. Ultimately, when we seek validation from people, we cannot be effective spokespeople for God. The work of Christian witness requires surrender and self-denial. Faithfulness to God’s message means we will face people who will spurn, dismiss, and oppose us. Our loyalty to the truthfulness of the message, however, overrides the often unpredictable and fickle responses of people. Despite the difficulty of an inhospitable audience, we do not enter into this battle zone without God’s strength on our side.

God’s Power. In response to Moses’ fear of rejection, God gave three signs that demonstrated his power (4:2–9). God made the purpose of the signs explicit: “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you” (4:5). God gave Moses these signs so that they would believe him (4:8–9), addressing the very concern Moses expressed at the beginning of this scene (4:1). The narrative point of focus of these signs was Moses’ hand. Moses’ hand turned the staff into a serpent and the serpent back into a staff (4:3–5). Moses’ hand turned leprous and was restored to normal flesh (4:6–8). Moses’ hand would take water from the Nile, pour it on the ground, and it would turn into blood (4:9). Clearly, Moses was not the cause of these miracles. God’s power was conspicuously at work. Nevertheless, God used Moses’ hand to accomplish these powerful acts.

Christians best embrace the work of Christian witness when they are armed by God’s power. As God chooses, there may be miracles that accompany the proclamation of his word. Other times, God will show his power by a dramatic transformation in the life of a person who humbly receives the gospel. In either case, Christians share God’s word with others with God’s power on their side. In fact, God will demonstrate his power over all other false gods. Importantly, all three signs God gave to Moses showed God was more powerful than what the Egyptians considered powerful: snakes, disease, and the Nile River. The Egyptians associated deities with these kinds of things, but the miraculous signs were a powerful display of God’s supremacy above all other claims of deity. Inasmuch as Christian witness is an announcement of God’s superiority as the true and living God, Christians can trust God to validate his strength and might to those who hear and believe the message.

Who Made Man’s Mouth?: Proclaiming the Word with the Assurance of God’s Help

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 4:10–12)

Although he personally witnessed (and performed) three impressive wonders, Moses still had reservations about his calling. At this point, Moses expressed insecurity about his ability to speak. He said to God, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue” (4:10). While this confession did not necessarily mean Moses had a speech impediment or was bad at public speaking, it at least reflected self-doubt about his speaking ability.

In response to this protest, God again addressed Moses’ concern. God asked Moses three rhetorical questions: “Who gave man his mouth,” “who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind,” and “is it not I, the Lord?” (4:11). These questions asked something obvious to Moses (and us). God is the designer of the mouth (and ears and eyes). A person aligned with God, who made the mouth, should not be afraid of a lack of ability when it comes to speaking on God’s behalf. The God who made the mouth can and will empower the voice of his willing and faithful servants. In fact, while reiterating his command and commission—“now go”—God gave Moses a promise, “I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say” (4:12; cf. 3:10). The Creator is the Enabler. The architect of vocal biology is the source of all verbal empowerment. The question is not whether we have the ability to speak well or the history of persuasive rhetoric, but whether we are in faithful submission and service to the divine architect.

Biblical Principles

Fear of Failure/Performance. Moses hesitated to accept God’s call on his life because he considered himself ineloquent and “slow of speech and of tongue” (4:10). Whether Moses had a speech handicap or not, this admission reveals another level of insecurity that gave Moses pause to be God’s spokesperson. Connected with the fear of rejection is the fear of failure. The thought of doing a task that we are not gifted at (whether this lack of gift is imagined or real) can be quite terrifying. While God does not rank us according to our merits, people often measure their worth and significance by the standard of performance and achievement. When it comes to Christian witness—a work that involves speaking—many Christians can become frightened at the prospect of giving a verbal testimony about Christ.

God’s Help. In answer to Moses’ fear, God reassured Moses that he was the one who made the mouth and gives people the ability to speak. Additionally, God told Moses that God—the one who created the mouth and speech—would be with Moses’ mouth and teach him what he should say (4:12). Divine enablement supported his divine commission. The promise of God’s empowerment should be all the assurance we need to engage the work. If God enables our speech, we need not wonder about our performance or its effectiveness. As it is, the only way people can speak is because of God’s creative work; the only way a person can effectively communicate God’s word to others is by God’s same divine empowerment. The thought of God’s help in the work of witness is a deep comfort and a great encouragement. Like the call of Moses, when people join in faithful service of God’s mission, God will supply his timely and enabling help to complete the work. Our duty is to be faithful; his is to accomplish the work.

Who Made Man’s Mouth?: Bearing Witness with the Encouragement/Knowledge of God’s Patience

Biblical Narrative (Exodus 4:13–17)

One final time, Moses resisted his divine commission. This time, the protest lacked real substance or a meaningful excuse. In a simple and raw tone, Moses pleaded, “Please, Lord, send someone else” (4:13). At this, “the anger of the Lord burned against Moses” (4:14). Even though he was angry, God did not completely reject his servant. Exhibiting both authority and patience, God identified Moses’ brother, Aaron, as a person who could speak well (4:14). God told Moses to speak the words to Aaron (4:15), and Aaron would speak to the people on Moses’ behalf (4:16). God promised to be with the mouths of Moses and Aaron and teach them both what to say (4:16). At the same time, God told Moses to bring with him the staff with which he performed the signs (4:17).

Biblical Principles

Refusal. Moses finally resorted to pleading with God to remove the call on his life. Moses’ petition for God to “send someone else” (4:13) amounted to a willful refusal to follow God’s instructions. While Moses did finally yield to God’s commission (cf. 4:18–20), this final word of desperation was essentially a statement that Moses did not want to do what God was calling him to do. This angered God (4:14), but it well represents the internal resistance many disciples feel when it comes to serving God’s mission in the world. Many believers want to be excused from the work of Christian witness. They may come up with many excuses, busy themselves with countless activities, or delegate the work to other people. Regardless, each attempt to avoid our evangelistic duty is equivalent to a rejection of God’s call on our lives. Although this greatly displeases God, he responds to his people with patience and longsuffering.

God’s Patience. It is an enormous blessing that God does not reject his people when they have reservations. In the instance with Moses, God provided Aaron as a mouthpiece on Moses’ behalf. Even though God gave Aaron as an assistant to Moses, God still expected Moses to speak on God’s behalf (4:15). While Aaron’s assistance would support Moses, God would not absolve Moses of the responsibility of his divine calling. That God uses broken and fragile creatures like Moses should be a great encouragement to us all. God does not only employ orators or rhetoricians with the greatest skill as part of his witness-bearing community. God calls the people of his choosing and then empowers them for his service, patiently helping them grow into the work. Amazingly, God is as concerned about our own formation as the success of his mission. As clear as this is in the narrative of Moses, it is also an important dynamic at play in our own lives. God is calling us as spokespeople, and to the extent we submit to his call, we are putting ourselves in a position to grow more mature in the faith.

Conclusion

Moses’ call narrative should serve as a great encouragement to the church in all generations. At a human level, it was not eloquence, ability, intellect, or social status that made Moses fit for his task. Moses was clearly a less powerful human agent before the Egyptian king. Nevertheless, God’s presence provided security to face a stubborn and hostile opponent. The revelation of God’s name—a name that explicitly asserted God’s special covenant relationship with his people—rooted Moses in the good soil of truth and conviction. God granted Moses confidence and courage through his power, showing himself as mightier than all. Undergirded by God’s promise and encouraged by God’s patience, Moses eventually embraced his God-given call as a spokesman of deliverance.

Although Christians are not called to the exact same work as Moses, his divine commission (and recorded hesitations) offers great guidance for us today. This biblical text also offers us serious cautions. Christians should not serve God’s mission as a means of personal affirmation or public approval. By appealing to the opinions of people, we will never faithfully discharge our duty of Christian witness. Attempts to perform this worthy work in the strength of our flesh will only bring us face to face with our own deep insecurity and ineptitude. These cautions also unveil a hidden promise. Confronted with the greatness of the work, the urgency of need, and our own personal inadequacies, humble and obedient followers recognize their utter dependence upon God. Amazingly, this dependence anchors us to a God who has already guaranteed the final outcome of the work. Grounded securely in this God (and his firm promises), we can freely and boldly go about his work of announcing God’s gracious deliverance to the world. When we are obedient in this calling, it (slowly but surely) uproots the lingering insecurities of our old life. As it was for Moses, our own Christian growth becomes a divinely intended byproduct of our obedient service of God’s coming kingdom!

Session Synopsis

SESSION 12 SYNOPSIS
Hesitations in God’s Work	In this passage, we learn how to overcome hesitations in God’s work. Moses had a life-transforming encounter with God on Mount Horeb. God appeared to him in a burning bush and commanded him to bring the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. In this conversation, Moses expressed several concerns and fears about this work. Moses voiced his insecurity, and God revealed his promise and presence. Then, Moses voiced his concern about lacking adequate knowledge of God. God revealed his name to Moses and gave him certainty of his success. Moses expressed fear of rejection, and God gave Moses three signs of his power. God’s servant expressed concern over failure, and God assured him that God would be his help. Last, Moses tried to have God give the task to someone else. God kept Moses on his assignment, but gave him a helper, Aaron. This narrative helps us evaluate our own hesitations to gospel witness and discover how to embrace this work with faith, courage, and humility. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
Divine Commission and Personal Encounter	Our commission (3:10) to God’s work is based upon a life-transforming, personal encounter with God (3:1–6). We are called to be representatives of God, speaking a message of deliverance and rescue (4:15–16).
Faith, Mission, and God’s Character	The life of faith and mission is based upon God’s character. In this passage, we learn about God’s holiness (3:5), compassion (3:7–9), power (3:2–3, 8), and goodness (3:8). Our experience and knowledge of God’s character are the basis of our mission and message to the world.
Common Hesitations to God’s Work	God’s people experience many hesitations, concerns, and fears in his work: personal insecurity (3:11), lack of knowledge (3:13), fear of rejection (4:1), concern over potential failure and inability (4:10), and blatant refusal (4:13, 18–20). God is patient with his people and offers us his divine help to overcome these insecurities and fears.
Overcoming Hesitations	God overcomes personal fears and insecurities with his presence (3:12), his promise (3:8, 12, 17–18), and certainty of success (3:12, 20–22), his truth and authority (3:14–16), his power (3:19–20; 4:2–9, 17), his enablement (4:11–12), and his patience (4:15).
God’s Name	Christians should go forward, armed with the knowledge of God. This passage reveals God with the following phrases: “I Am” (3:14), “I Am Who I Am” (3:14), “the Lord” (3:15; cf. 3:16), “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (3:15; cf. 3:16; 4:5), and “the Lord, the God of the Hebrews” (3:18).

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: The word of God is binding and authoritative, the only reliable guide for faith and godliness. True disciples submit themselves to God’s word. In this movement, you will apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share a testimony about how this story has impacted them so far. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

Ministry Acceptance

Reflect on your reservations and hesitations about evangelism. Consider how you can relate to Moses’ own concerns. Then, write an acceptance letter to God that expresses your commitment to be a spokesperson for the gospel. In your letter, identify truths from the biblical passage that provide encouragement for this important work of Christian witness.

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text: God’s word is living and active. Through God’s word, the Christian community is edified. In this movement, you will utilize the biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Application Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: The Bible is a message of God’s gracious salvation to the world. In word and deed, God’s people proclaim the good news of the gospel. In this movement, you will use this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Strategy Questions

Reflect on the infographic below. Consider how you can use this passage to witness to the surrounding world. Use the suggested ideas to prime your imagination. Then, put together a plan to share this passage with unbelievers, Afterward, reflect on this mission experience.