EXODUS 6
8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.10 So the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” 13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
– Exodus 6:8-13
EXODUS 6 CHARGE GIVEN TO MOSES & AARON
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Moses told the Israelites that God will deliver them
They didn’t listen to Moses because of the harsh slavery
So, Moses went back to God and told him he can’t do it
The Lord charged Moses and Aaron to do as they are told.
After hearing how Moses continually groaned and try to get himself out of the task God had asked him to do, I marvel at God’s patience. From the beginning Moses was giving all the reasons why he is not worthy to do this job. God solved his first excuse which is his inability to speak well. He got Aaron to join him to do this calling. Now, each time Moses hears rejection both from Pharaoh and the Israelites, he groans to God and convinces God that he isn’t the right person for the job. God is such a loving and understanding God that he still insists that Moses can deliver his people. What Moses was forgetting was the fact that he isn’t the only one who is going to make this deliverance possible. He forgot that it is God doing it, using him so that God’s power can be manifested and that the people’s faith will grow stronger. Each time an obstacle comes, Moses backs away.
Can we identify with Moses’ lack of trust? He didn’t trust the Lord enough to press on with the task despite the obstacle. He made excuses and God never stopped supplying resolutions to his roadblocks. Eventually, God didn’t take his groans, but charged them instead.
REFLECTION
- Why are humans always running away from difficulties and rejection?
