I'm referring to Moses.
We all pretty much know his story.
Born a Hebrew, thrust into Egyptian royalty. With God's help he freed the Hebrew slaves from the clutches of the pharaoh. Moses delivered the Ten Commandments.
Moses had some sort of speech impediment. It's not very clear what it was; many believe it was a stutter.
He had no confidence in his ability to speak.
Exodus 6:12- 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?"
Exodus 4:10- Moses said to the LORD, "O LORD, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you spoke to your servant. I am slow of speech in tongue."
in verse 13 he pleaded, "O LORD, please send someone else to do it."
Exodus 4:14- Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and He said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well... You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and you were God to him."
These verses are referencing the point when God had told Moses, via the burning bush, to tell Pharaoh to free the Hebrews he had enslaved. I love the part that says, about Aaron, "He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and you were God to him." Even though Moses wasn't the most eloquent of speakers, God still used him. He used Moses to deliver some very important words to his brother, Aaron, who then delivered them to Pharaoh.
But Moses spoke beyond that. He was the one who delivered the Ten Commandments. He came down Mt. Sinai and told this mass of Hebrews what the Lord had spoken to him.
Moses would actually become quite a bold speaker.
At one point, God commanded Moses to speak to a rock so that it would bring forth water. Moses instead struck it twice after having said to the Israelites, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?"
He spoke with bitterness.
The Lord then said that because they had not believed Him and treat Him as holy, Moses would not lead the Israelites into the promised land. Ouch.
Moses let his words prevent him from fulfilling what God had asked him to do.
Despite Moses's bitter speech, God still had used him in big ways. He was a man who got to interface with a Pharaoh AND God. God entrusted him with so much. He was a prophet. He was believed to write the Pentateuch- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Moses, buddy, I feel ya.
In elementary school I had to go to speech therapy every Wednesday. I think all of my siblings had speech therapy... we all spoke way too fast, mumbled and slurred our words. Not much has really changed haha.
I still mumble from time to time. If I get really excited I speak fast. If I'm overly tired, my words become slurred.
But I know despite the mess that my words are at times, God can still use that.
He wants to use that. God's not a liar, so He wouldn't tell me something untrue.
Uh, so yeah- Moses.
This post wasn't that well thought out haha.
(this was fueled by the albums Perceptions by VersaEmerge and Live at Stubb's by Matisyahu)
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