Exodus 4:10-13
Moses said to the Lord, “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.”
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.”
But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
It's fascinating to read about Moses' encounter with the Lord and to realise just how reluctant he was to give up his life and go to confront Pharaoh.
Even though God gave him many different miraculous signs to perform in front of Pharaoh, Moses wasn't exactly champing at the bit to take up the cudgel!
So this famous so called spiritual giant was an unwilling conscript into God's army.
We often sing that chorus "Here I am, Lord" https://youtu.be/gZK-5v9gMTI - very fine words, but I admit to being much more in tune with Moses' attitude than the prophet Isaiah, who was so very eager with unconditional obedience towards whatever task God gave him.
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Perhaps that's why Moses was one who was sent to talk with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration? The humanity of Jesus certainly recoiled at the thought of the cross ahead. He could pour out His heart to Moses who knew what it was to be a reluctant witness in the face of dangerous enemies. Elijah too, was familiar with disillusionment and could relate to how Jesus felt at the looming sacrifice ahead.
That great prophet had once sat down and prayed that he could die, such was his depression. He reached the end of his tether and wanted to runaway - even after defeating the false prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 19:1-4
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Be encouraged as you read of the "feet of clay" that the characters in the Bible had. They are like us - earthen vessels - to show the great difference that the Lord makes even in the weakest and most reluctant of followers.
We may not be able to give Jesus our willingness, but here's what we can give:
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