Exodus 4:13-17: a reflection

13Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.” 14The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God. 17You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

God has called Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, and Moses, after several objections, finally pleads: Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. He does not want the task; he feels unequal to it. God is displeased with his reluctance, yet he does not abandon Moses or withdraw the call. Instead, he provides help: Aaron, Moses' brother, who can speak well, will go with him and be his mouth. God meets Moses' reluctance not by giving up on him, but by supplying what he lacks.

Notice how God responds to Moses' reluctance. Moses feels unequal to the call, and asks God to send someone else. God is not pleased with this; but neither does he cast Moses aside. He provides Aaron to help, and promises to be with both their mouths, teaching them what to do. Where Moses felt he lacked what the task required, God supplied it, not excusing him from the call, but equipping him to fulfill it.

That is an encouragement for when we feel unequal to what God asks of us. Like Moses, we may feel we lack what the task requires, and be tempted to ask God to send someone else. God may not excuse us from the call; but he does not leave us to our inadequacy. He provides what we lack, whether help, or gifting, or his own presence with us. When God calls you to something you feel unequal to, do not let your sense of inadequacy make you refuse the call. God who calls you will equip you, supplying what you lack, as he supplied Aaron and promised to be with Moses' mouth. Trust him to provide what the task requires; your inadequacy is not the last word, for the God who calls also equips.

Lord, when you called Moses, he pleaded, please send someone else, feeling unequal to the task; and though you were displeased with his reluctance, you did not cast him aside, but provided Aaron to help and promised to be with their mouths, equipping him for the call. Encourage me with that when I feel unequal to what you ask of me. Like Moses, I may feel I lack what the task requires, and be tempted to ask you to send someone else. You may not excuse me from the call; but you do not leave me to my inadequacy. You provide what I lack, whether help, or gifting, or your own presence with me. When you call me to something I feel unequal to, keep me from letting my sense of inadequacy make me refuse the call. You who call me will equip me, supplying what I lack, as you supplied Aaron and were with Moses' mouth. Help me trust you to provide what the task requires; my inadequacy is not the last word, for you who call also equip. Equip me for what you call me to, Lord.