A couple of teachings came together in my heart recently; and when I was trying to figure out what to title this post, the above came to mind.  Of course, for my family it holds a bit of humor because one of my sons’ name is Aaron.  However, I am not going to write about him—I am writing about Moses and his brother, Aaron.

When Moses encountered God in the wilderness, appearing to him as fire engulfing yet not consuming a bush, he gave a number of objections and excuses for why he could not follow the Lord’s instructions—and the God-given destiny for his life.  As you read the account in Exodus 3:1 – 4:17, you will see that Moses was quite adept at using the “Yeah, but….” avoidance technique.

I wonder if Moses was grasping at whatever he could come up with when he “said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue’” (Exodus 4:10)?  Moses was about 80 years old at this time, with a home, a family, and a career—he was quite established in his identity and his lifestyle and yet God was calling him back to a place where he was rejected, despised, and endangered.

And the Lord responded, “Who has made man’s mouth?  Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind?  Have not I, the Lord?  Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say” (vs. 11 & 12).  Not surrendering easily, Moses came up with one more “But”—“O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send” (vs. 13).

I think it is interesting that, after all of Moses’ arguments and excuses, God finally got angry.  …and yet He was merciful towards him:  “So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said:  ‘Is not Aaron the Levite your brother?  I know that he can speak well.  And look, he is also coming out to meet you…So he shall be your spokesman to the people” (Exodus 4:14, 16).

God, our Father, does not reject us when we ask questions, when we are honest with him about our fears and our vulnerabilities—in fact, He is willing to help His children in the places we feel most vulnerable.  Yet, as much as we would like to “let Aaron do it” when it comes to ministry or speaking truth in the midst of a dark and decaying society, every one of us is to be a sentinel of light, testifying to the righteousness of God and His awesome, magnificent, generous salvation available through Jesus Christ.

As easy as it is to look at Moses’ vulnerabilities, it is best to keep our eyes on the mercy and kindness of God—and to realize that this was the beginning of a powerful relationship and example of a growing life of faith for Moses.  The book of Hebrews records, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ great riches than the treasure in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:24-28).

Although God got angry at Moses for what seemed to be a lack of faith, or fear, or unwillingness to move away from the life he was accustomed to, God recognized faith in him and a potential that Moses himself did not recognize—and that we might not recognize just by reading the account in the wilderness.  The same goes for each one of us; we might not see ourselves as God sees us or recognize in our hearts the same faith that propels us to seek Him and obey His call on our lives.

It is more than a matter of deciding whether we have faith or whether we are “gifted” enough to serve God, because faith and His destiny for our lives are gifts and it is up to receive them, to nurture them, and to use them for God’s kingdom and glory.  “…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1b, 2a); and, “therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble” (2 Peter 2:10).

Just as Moses made the decision “to suffer affliction with the people of God [rather] than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt,” we also must decide what is most important to us—whether we will choose the pleasures, the morals, and conformity to the opinions of this world or honor God’s kingdom principles, which may lead to reproach and persecution for our faith.  He calls us to be light in the midst of darkness; it is up to us not to hide that light—not so much by the doctrines we preach; rather by way we live and how we treat others.

Jesus told his disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).  In whatever field God plants us, it is our mission not to lie dormant!  Jesus also declares, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing…By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples….You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that you fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These thing I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:5, 8, 16-17).

Let us man/woman up for the kingdom of God! …bearing much fruit so that the gospel will spread throughout our personal fields and the Father will be glorified!