Please Send Someone Else (Exodus 4:1-17)

Exodus 4:1-17 shows us more of the excuse-making that Moses did for why he should not be the redeemer of Israel.  We can understand why Moses was so reluctant to be their redeemer.  He had no illusions of being some kind of God-man hero who could save his people.  And he knew from experience that they might not follow his lead.  These might seem to be reasonable objections, except that God had promised to be with him and promised that the elders of Israel would obey him.  So we might suspect that his further objections are just making excuses.  The first one in our passage today is not really new, but since God promised that the elders would obey Moses stresses how the people will not obey.  Later in this passage Moses adds the excuse that he is not well-spoken.  And God is remarkably patient with Moses through all of this, up until Moses — out of excuses — simply said, “Please send someone else.”  Eventually Moses did get his wish (just as he eventually got his later wish that all of God’s people would receive the Spirit).  God sent someone else for us to trust and obey — He sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.  The same Jesus who risen from the dead called us to be disciples who make disciples and promised to be with us.  Yet you know the excuses for not making disciples.  They are the same ones Moses made.  Let’s hear what God says this time.

New audio file.