Who Am I, That I Should Go

Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11, NIV 1984).

My Musings – I think most believers who struggle in knowing their purpose, would likely say, “if only God would show me my purpose, I would gladly do it.” But I also wonder, how few would actually be reluctant to do so. Moses, that powerful hero in the Old Testament was one of the reluctant heroes.

Despite God appearing to Moses in a spectacular way. “The angel of the Lord [likely Jesus, the second person of the Godhead] appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ Then [God] said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:2, 4-6, NIV 1984). Yeah, that’s kind of spectacular.

Moses, who in his reluctance to do God’s bidding would later say, “O 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” (Exodus 4:10, NIV 1984), out did himself with this “articulate” reply, “Here I am.” Then, “Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” (Exodus 3:6, NIV 1984). To give Moses his due, I think would have been struck speechless and fainted dead away.

Although little is recorded of God’s interactions with the Hebrew people after Joseph, apparently the interactions God did have with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been well preserved through oral tradition. For Moses did not hide his face when he was spoken to, only after God identified who He was.

Moses gave a lot of excuses on why he should not go. Just like we might do. but after much back and forth, guess whose will won out? Not “who am I that I should go?” But rather, “I AM WHO I AM. I AM [sending you]. Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(Exodus 3:14, 4:12, NIV 1984).

My Advice – When you feel that it is God who is saying “now go,” go. There is no excuse greater than “I will help you.” That is all the help you will ever need. And God if calls you to it, He will see you through it. So, “go in the strength you have… Am I [God] not sending you?” (Judges 6:14, NIV 1984). And be glad that God chose you to go. While it might not be as big as what Moses was told to do, God does not measure by the size of the task, but by the faithfulness in performing the task. Be faithful.