Do We Make The Same Excuses?
[By Cameron Piner]

The “conversion” story of Moses is one that is incredibly unique and different from our stories, but at the same time it is also quite easy to relate to him. He gives up an easy and luxurious life, to then try to deliver his people on his own and in his own way. That didn’t work, so he tries to run and hide. Then he experiences God’s presence, receives a calling, but makes all kinds of excuses to explain why he was not the man for the job. Nevertheless, God responded to Moses in ways that nullified his excuses. Moses would go on to successfully leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Our “conversion” stories may not line up perfectly with the story of Moses, but we should all experience God’s presence, and we all have received a calling from God to share the good news. Unfortunately, we often try to do things on our own and in our own ways, or we run and hide from responsibilities, or we make very similar excuses for why we are not the person for the job of evangelism. Let’s consider what we can learn from God’s responses to the excuses of Moses, so that we too can lead people out of slavery and to the mountain of God.

The Calling of Moses (& Us)

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Heb. 11:24-26, NASB). – Moses started out in the luxury and comfort of a palace, but was willing to give that up and choose to suffer for God and His people. Have you chosen to stand and suffer with God’s people, rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin? But, the way that Moses first tried this was to take vengeance by killing an Egyptian, and “he supposed that his brethren had understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:24-25, NASB). Moses tried to deliver God’s people in his own way, but it didn’t work. Have we tried to go about delivering people from sin in our own ways? It won’t work without God giving the increase (1 Cor. 3:6), so let’s do it in His ways. Then at the first sign of things not working, Moses ran away and hid for forty years. When we are met with opposition or setbacks, do we give up and hide from our responsibility to spread the gospel? Finally, Moses met the LORD in the wilderness, when he saw a burning bush. The LORD introduced Himself, expressed that He had heard the cry of the suffering Israelites, and said that He was going to deliver them. But then… God said that He was going to send Moses to bring God’s people out of Egypt. If you’ve come to know God through becoming a Christian, then you too have been called to bring God’s people out of a land of darkness and slavery to sin.

The Excuses of Moses (& Us)

Moses didn’t immediately accept God’s calling, and sometimes we also drag our feet when it comes to evangelism. Do any of the excuses of Moses sound familiar to you? If so, then maybe God’s responses can help you overcome your feelings of inability.

Moses begins by saying, “Now they may say to me, “What is His name? What shall I say to them? (Ex. 3:13, NASB). Sometimes we, like Moses, hesitate before sharing the gospel, because we are afraid that they might ask questions about God that we don’t know how to answer. But, God had already introduced Himself to Moses… and we should already know who God is as well… So, God reminds Moses about who He is and some of the things that He had done and promised to do. We can also be reminded about who God is from His word, and then go tell others about what He has done and has promised to do.

Moses then responded by saying, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you’”(Ex. 4:1, NASB). Sometimes we, like Moses, are afraid to spread the gospel, because we are afraid that people might not believe us or listen to us. God responded to Moses by giving him the ability to perform a few miracles to provide evidence that he was speaking the truth about God. Now, God is probably not going to have us turn sticks into snakes or make our pockets into instant leprosy machines; nevertheless, God has provided signs for us to believe in His word, and many miracles were written down for us to learn from. “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31, NASB).

Moses begins to get desperate in his attempts to avoid this responsibility… “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Ex. 4:10, NASB). That certainly sounds like the same excuse that many people make today for not evangelizing. I love God’s response to Moses. God doesn’t encourage Moses by telling him that he actually is eloquent, but God asks Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Ex. 4:11-12, NASB). You may feel like speaking to others is just not what you are good at, and you may be absolutely right, but that is still not a good enough excuse for you to refuse to evangelize. God tells Moses that He is the One who made Moses’ mouth (and He made our mouths), and He will be with Moses (and with us) and give him the words to speak (which He has also given to us).

Moses tries one more time by saying, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever you will” (Ex. 4:13, NASB). By that Moses was asking for God to send the message by anyone else but himself. Do we sometimes want the gospel to be spread, but we just hope and beg that God isn’t wanting us to be the desired messenger? ‘Send Your gospel by whatever preacher, elder, teacher, or whoever (besides me) you will.’ This response by Moses infuriated God, even though He provided Aaron as a helper to Moses. And God is infuriated with us when we run from, hide from, or make excuses for why we aren’t spreading the gospel, even if He sometimes does provide others to help us in that effort. Let us learn from God’s responses to Moses, and go bring God’s people out of bondage!