January 19, 2019 Bible Study — When We Do What God Directs and It Doesn’t Turn Out Like We Expected, It Doesn’t Mean We Failed

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 4-6.

In yesterday’s passage, when God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let the people of Israel go, Moses asked questions that anyone should ask in such circumstances.  In today’s passage, his questions become the questions of self-doubt; “Why would people believe that God called me?”  In answer to that, God gives Moses signs to perform for those who question his calling.   Then Moses questions God’s choice in calling him; “This job calls for someone who speaks well.  I am a terrible public speaker and not much better in private.”  God answers that by pointing out since it was He who had made people’s mouths and ears He was perfectly capable of giving someone the ability to speak in front of others.  Finally, Moses outright begs God to find someone else.  God answers this by telling Moses that He will give him an assistant he can trust, his brother. 

The story given here of Moses’ calling should give all of us who struggle with doubt more confidence, even Moses, the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, suffered from self-doubt.  Further Moses thought that his self-doubts were confirmed after he returned to Egypt.  He went to the Children of Israel and then to Pharaoh as God had commanded, but things only got worse.  Moses was convinced that he had failed, but God saw thing differently.  Once again when God told him to go to Pharaoh, Moses replied that he did not have the skills necessary to the task.  He said this because he thought he had failed, despite the fact that God told him that this was all part of the plan.