‘……for by strength shall no man prevail.’ 1 Samuel 2:9 AMPC
In our last class, we studied how the man Moses was distracted from his busy-ness so that he can see the purpose of God for his life, the main reason he was created and on that precept we shall build our study for today.
Moses after the burning bush encounter where He encountered God and God revealed the course outline for his life unto him, that he was the deliverer purposed and promised unto his ancestor, Abraham. Thirty years after the expected date of delivery from Egypt, the Israelites were still praying and hoping that one day God would remember and deliver.
But in chapter 3 of the book of Exodus, God stated that He never forgot them there, only that the deliverer was enjoying the greener pasture in the company of flocks leaving his original flocks in hard labour. After God revealed his plan to Moses, the demand looked too cumbersome for him and he felt an overwhelming challenges. Today, we will take a look at these challenges in three phases.
But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 NLT
1. OVERWHELMING DEMAND FROM GOD: First on the line was that Moses had the impression that God was making him bite more than he can chew. ‘Why me?’ He protested unto. Moses, for the first time, became broken and incapacitated to fill such vacuum. He asked God a rhetorical question of who was he to stand before Pharaoh. Remember that Moses grew up in Egypt, attended press conference with Pharaoh and in fact, he finished from King’s college in Egypt, so there is virtually nothing strange or new to him. He had the best of training and exposure while growing up. The entire architectural design of the presidential villa was in his head yet, he protested that he could not stand before Pharaoh.
For a future task as this, the Lord had given Moses that great opportunity of exploring Egypt as the prince so as to studied and understood the topography, pathways in and out of Egypt. But when the time came to really take up the task, he asked who was he? He thought within himself, God was stressing him.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever sat down for once and assessed your life, why has God given you so much opportunities? Why had he deposited so much skills, treasures, resources into your life? Just for fantasy? Or have you ever asked yourself why has he allowed you to meet those influential personalities and have access to them? You think it was just for you to take selfies and have their names appeared on your contact list.
Definitely not, like Moses in Egypt, God was using him to plan set up for the fall of king Pharaoh which will lead to the delivery of Egypt. No strangers would have explored the land in few days and lead the Israelites out, but a first class citizen like Moses took few days from his first appearance to the end of the ten plaques to devised plans and marked out pathways for exit. Like Moses, never feel God should have passed you by and move to your neighbour, will you allow God’s resources and assets in your life be for fun?
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” Exodus 3:13 NLT
2. THE PEOPLE: The second overwhelming challenges was the people he was sent to. While God was still explaining (from God’s perspective) why Moses was the right man for the job, Moses yet found another germane excuse that might probably disqualify him ‘the people’. He asked God what will I tell the people I’m bringing to the table. Who will I say send me?
If you would remember from our previous studies, this was the same question that set Moses on his heels forty years ago ‘who made you a leader over us?’ Even though that was the question that led him to loneliness and purpose discovery. Yet, rather than finding answer, he found temporary comfort in Jethro’s house and he forgot why he left his princely role.
Forty years after, there is now a need to compulsorily provide an answer to that same question. He could not answer on his own and if he would appear at Goshen again, the people will still ask who made you our deliverer? This time, beyond passion, Moses has been commissioned and sent, making him to have something he was bringing to the table.
To the people and niche God is sending you to influence, what are you bringing to the table ‘just perspire to acquire, e for energy and all those nonsense?’ You won’t last with that.
This is why it is essential you stay with God until He commissioned you, for Elijah, God told him to eat for the journey is far. For Moses, God revealed who he is to him ‘I am who I am’ and not only that He gave him some miracles to perform. With those, he cannot be deny access this time. He didn’t send himself, the greater one lives in him and that one send him.
Because you were sent or destined to be great doesn’t mean everything will fall in places spontaneously for you. There are overwhelming challenges even from those you were sent to. The people Christ was sent to also rejected Him, but He (Christ) came with higher anointing, he could not but made influence even till today.
Likewise you, there is still a need for equipping and pocket rehearsals. Let God communicate explicitly now that he has got your attention. Give him your whole.
Lastly on this note, Moses saw overwhelming challenges in Pharaoh he was to faced and the people he was called to served but God eliminated those two hurdles. Still, Moses presented another problem to God ‘he complained about his anatomical composition’ my tongue is tied he said.
But Moses pleaded with the Lord , “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Exodus 4:10 NLT
Like Gideon, I’m the smallest in my clan and my entire clan is the smallest in Israel, King saul also said his clan was the smallest. You really do not know that God specializes in using DEFECTS to make EFFECTS. And using the weak prevail over the strong? So that by any human explanation and analysis, it would not make sense but men would have no choice but give God the credit.
Over your life and what God is set to do through you, if it is what you can do without breaking a sweat, then there is probably no need of any God’s factor. But in the journey of destiny and purpose, you must come to a place of inadequacy, lack, weakness, deadness or lifeless. So you will say I can do nothing of my own and like John, you must decrease, so that God will increase.
Are you still seeing the journey of life like a quadratic equation or linear graph that you will plot at a go? God might not do business with you. You are too strong and wise for him. Should you win, you will give glory to your academic degree, family background and your human connections. Then you are not God’s kind of subjects.
However, once God sees that he has beaten you to a pulp and you are limping like Jacob, he will then send you.
Moses with a tied tongue
Jacob with a limping leg
Gideon with doubts
Jesus the son of a carpenter from a village where all odds were against.
God knows your weakness and he is very much interested to make it a debut story.
In fact, your weakness was what attracted him at first. If it is by strength, you will be busy bidding for heavyweight champions.
Lastly as we conclude today’s story, know that when the time is right the Lord will make it happen. After the burning bush encounter, no delay, no limitation on Moses’ path, everything was on point ‘king pharaoh that declared him wanted then had died, his father-in-law didn’t treat him like Laban treated Jacob by delaying him with extension of service. Is everything in your life also coming through at the right time, ‘luck or coincidence’ you always call it? Brother and sister, rest, you are too brilliant for God that is what makes you have grammar for every move of God in your life. He has been calling your attention with signals but you prove too brilliant and strong, will you not rest at this point?
Bush might not burn in your case, neither will river Osun or Ogun divide so that God will capture you like Moses, but in those unseeming, unspectacular and silent order of events in your life, think deep, God is in the midst of your life wanting to do something tangible. Will you now allow him? Let’s pray
Lord, help me to see beyond the overwhelming challenges of myself. Please God, don’t let me miss you in search of the spectacular, I align myself. Help me.
God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 NLT
Are you blessed by this?