12 But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
Moses has been obedient to the Lord. He went and told his own people, the Israelites, about the Lord’s plan of deliverance. His message was not warmly received. They did not believe that the Lord had appeared to Moses. Can you blame them? It is pretty hard to believe that a bush was on fire but didn’t get burned up and that a voice came from the bush. We have difficulty believing this, so why wouldn’t they have the same difficulty. There are so many obstacles to faith. It only takes one to stop God working in your life. Moses did what the Lord said and they rejected both Moses and the message. Discouraged, Moses goes back to have a talk with the Lord. His concern is a real concern. If my own people won’t listen, why should the Leader of the nation listen to little old me? Please notice that the Lord does not answer Moses. The Lord does not change His mind. He does not let Moses out of the assignment. This assignment is not about Moses and his ability to convince Pharaoh. It is about the power of God. It will not be Moses’ words, but God’s power that ultimately pushes Pharaoh. And even then, Pharaoh’s heart will not be soft toward the Lord and His plan. Have you ever struggled with your own inabilities when faced with a task? I hope so! God-sized tasks are by definition bigger than us. They require God to be involved. If we could do it, it would be a human-sized task. The secret is to recognize that you can’t do it and then allow God space to do His work. He won’t move in until we step aside. Are you willing to step aside and let the Lord do His work?
The Arnold Journey 