The Study of Exodus: Post Four
***Note – We have completed the book of Job and the book of Genesis! This is our fourth week in the book of Exodus!
Focus: Exodus Chapter Four
Tip: I highly recommend journaling your responses to the questions, prompts, and reflections. Writing them out can help you process more deeply and see how God is working in your life.
This week’s devotion includes:
Exodus Chapter Four – “God Equips us for our Callings”
Bible Memory:
Did you memorize last week’s Bible verse?
Hiding God’s Word in our hearts is such a valuable practice. Since I’ve been memorizing Scripture, I’ve experienced so many moments where God brings a specific verse to mind just when I need it most. It’s amazing how He uses His Word to speak into our lives right where we are.
This Week’s Memory Verse:
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Exodus 4:12
Exodus Chapter 4
“God Equips us for our Callings”
(Read Exodus Chapter 4 First)
We begin this chapter with Moses doubting that the people will listen to him. He tells God that they will not believe him, listen to him, and that they will say the LORD did not appear unto him. This is excuse number one that Moses gives.
I think many of us can relate to that. The LORD may place something on our heart to do, whether it is speaking to someone about Him, obeying something he’s told us to do, serving somewhere we’ve never been, or sharing our testimony, and immediately we begin thinking of reasons why we should not or could not do it. Sharing the Gospel can feel uncomfortable sometimes, but the LORD will always equip us with exactly what we need.
Another issue that stood out to me is that Moses was worrying about something God had already addressed. In Exodus chapter 3, God had already promised that the elders of Israel would listen to Moses. Fear is loud and can make us forget God’s promises. How often do we do the same thing? We focus on the “what ifs” instead of remembering what God has already said.
The LORD tells Moses to take the rod in his hand and throw it on the ground. When he did, it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it. Then the LORD told him to catch it by the tail, and when he did, it became a rod again. The LORD explained that He was giving Moses these miraculous signs so the people would believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had truly appeared unto him. Let’s talk about the rod for a moment…I find it interesting that God used something Moses already had in his hand. It was just a shepherd’s rod, a tool Moses used every day. Yet God chose to use that ordinary rod to show us His extraordinary power. Sometimes we think we need more gifts, more experience, or better qualifications before God can use us, but often He starts with what is already in our hands.
Then the LORD gave Moses another sign. He told him to place his hand inside his bosom, or chest. When Moses pulled it back out, it was leprous as snow. Then the LORD instructed him to place it back inside his bosom again, and when he removed it the second time, it was restored like his normal flesh.
The LORD then told Moses that if the people did not believe the first sign, they may believe the second. If they still refused to believe, Moses was to take water from the river and pour it upon dry land, and the water would become blood upon the ground.
One thing that really stood out to me while reading this chapter is that the LORD gave Moses three signs. Throughout Scripture, the number three is often associated with completeness, confirmation, and God revealing Himself. I think of the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It made me think about those times when God is leading you in a certain direction and He graciously gives little confirmations along the way. I know those confirmations aren’t the same as the miraculous signs Moses received, but they remind me of God’s kindness in reassuring His people.
God did not send Moses out on his own and tell him to just figure it out. He equipped him with what he would need, confirmed that this was His calling, and showed him that He would be with him every step of the way. What an encouragement that is for us. When God calls us to something, He doesn’t leave us unprepared or uncertain of His presence. He faithfully provides what we need to obey Him.
What did God do when Moses doubted himself and feared the people would not believe him? He patiently provided sign after sign to strengthen both Moses’ faith and the faith of those who would witness these miracles. I love how this chapter shows that God does not call us because we already feel confident or capable to do something for Him, but He equips us for what He calls us to do.
Like many of us, Moses focused on his weaknesses and fears, but God focused on His own power. These three signs were not really about Moses’ ability at all, but instead they were about proving that the LORD Himself would be with him.
Now the LORD has listened to Moses’ first excuse and provided him with reassurance, but then comes excuse number two:
“O my Lord, I am not eloquent…”
The word eloquent here means able to speak smoothly, clearly, persuasively, or fluently. Moses continues by telling God that he is slow of speech and slow of tongue. Some believe Moses may have had a speech impediment.
The LORD quickly reminds Moses that He made man’s mouth. He reminds him that He is sovereign over all things, even human weakness. Then He tells Moses something incredibly comforting:
“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4:12
What a powerful reminder for us today. The LORD can still do that for us. We can ask Him to be with our mouth and teach us what to say in difficult conversations, moments of witnessing, parenting, encouraging someone, or even praying.
Then Moses begs God to send another person. He says:
“O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.”
Can you hear the overwhelm in his voice? Can you relate?
Sometimes God asks us to step completely outside of our comfort zone, and fear immediately rises up within us. We feel inadequate, unqualified, incapable, or overwhelmed. That is exactly where Moses was.
The Bible tells us that the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses because of his continued resistance, but even in that moment, we still see God’s mercy. God tells Moses that his brother Aaron is already on the way and that Aaron will speak on his behalf. Moses would receive the words from God, and Aaron would act as the spokesperson.
I find this chapter both deeply convicting and incredibly hopeful.
It reminds me that God listens to our concerns, fears, and insecurities. He is patient with us in our weakness. Moses did not feel ready, but God still chose him.
I also think Moses’ humility mattered. Scripture repeatedly shows us that God values a humble and contrite heart.
Psalm 51:17 says:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Isaiah 57:15 says:
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit…”
I love this verse because it shows us that the God who rules over eternity chooses to dwell near the humble.
What do we hear repeated in reading these verses? Humility draws us closer to God because it makes room for dependence on Him instead of dependence on ourselves.
Moses was never enough on his own, and neither are we. But God never asked Moses to rely on himself. He simply asked him to obey and trust that the LORD would go with him. To obey, we don’t have to have every question answered, every detail mapped out, or complete confidence in ourselves. We simply have to trust the One who is calling us. Moses’ story reminds us that we will have fear, but we have to be courageous and choose to obey God in the middle of it.
Journaling Questions:
1. Have you ever felt God leading you to do something that scared you?
2. What excuses or fears tend to rise up in your heart when God calls you outside of your comfort zone?
3. Are you focusing more on your own weakness or on God’s ability?
4. In what area of your life do you need to trust that God will equip you?
5. How can humility help you depend more fully on the LORD this week?
Final Thoughts:
Exodus chapter 4 reminds us that God is not searching for perfect people. He is looking for willing hearts. Moses was fearful, hesitant, and full of excuses, but God still used him mightily because His strength is made perfect in weakness.
If God has placed something on your heart, do not let fear convince you that you are incapable. The same God who equipped Moses is still faithful to equip His people today.
The Georgia Nest 