Exodus 4 ~ “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Exodus 3:10-12
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Exodus 4:10-15
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.

Prophets are billed as mighty thunderers for the LORD, God, The Almighty. Who else said, "Could You send someone else?"

Samuel , Peter, the Disciples ran away from Jesus, minus beloved John, adopted first into the Family of God. Tarshish- Jonah ran there!  We add to this group - Moses. Jeremiah resisted the call by complaining that he was only a child and did not know how to speak.

We have to say, even the greats of GOD, said - "Oh my, no." How did God overcome this initial 'no'? Relationships.

Nathan stayed by David's side for decades and saw David name one of his sons, Nathan. Saul worked so closely with Saul, he mourned Saul's failures and didn't want a better fitted King for Israel. Samuel was still nearby when Saul started killing the priests to find David, 1 Samuel 21 to 25. Isaiah, according to Biblical Scholars, is the first cousin of King Uzziah, then King Azah and lastly King Hezekiah. Isaiah was one of the grandsons of King Joash, the son of Amoz.

Moses is not unknown to Pharaoh. However, Moses is an unknown to his brother Aaron. And God says - get to know one another - for a good reason.

Prophets intercede for people - not out of a desire to thunder, but like Nathan - the desire for God's glory to witness to more people. Nathan was dear to David and in trying to reason with David, worked creatively on the parable of the ewe. Prophets ... Love.

We look in awe in the Book of Acts. And what do we see is the only time 3,000 pages of Scripture say - "ENCOURAGE!" - When the early Church is being built. Paul and Peter with a newly released Holy Spirit - make multitudes of converts. Yet if we look how the new Church was built, we would see really - real and deep and meaningful change come about like the growth of a Body in Christ. With encouragement, love and time. The first chapter of the Book of Acts leads to the second chapter in Acts.  Significantly, this is the time Jesus' brothers, mother, and sisters join with His Disciples and the Church is built from the core - out. They are building one another up before they go out to serve the world.

Paul encouraged Barnabus - Barnabas, meaning "Son of Encouragement." Barnabus encouraged his own cousin John Mark. Who wrote a book called "The Gospel According to Mark." Paul encouraged Timothy and Timothy grew the Church in Greece. Sometimes we forget that the Exodus isn't just forty years, but tribes continued to battle unbelievers for 500 years until David reclaimed Jerusalem for his tribe of Judah. And David had a relationship with God, Samuel, Jonathan and Nathan.There were quite a few times David looked for encouragement.

David, for that matter, didn't always thunder - he "changed his behavior before King Abimelech" and Abimelech - went - away. David was known for the lovingness of his heart and his willingness to trust his Father God.

Father God, each day - let me say - I open my hands to You - Send me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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