Moses' objections overruled. (What's my excuse?)

Where have I been this month!  Only at chapter 4!

O dear! All the killing and spoiling that went on! No wonder people give up on reading the Bible, especially if they start at the beginning.

As I read the beginning of Chapter 4, I thought about Moses’ ability as a public speaker at that stage of his experience. This is the man who asked God why he should be called by Him to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt when he was slow of speech. He said, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither theretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Ex. 4:10)*. God had an answer for him at every stage. Which reminds me of the Devil’s temptation of Jesus; there is always an answer from God, either directly from God or from the Scriptures or Mrs. Eddy’s writings, or the writings of those who have proved God’s power and shared in the Christian Science periodicals.

I actually thought of Moses’ upbringing at court in Egypt. Would he have been so great if he didn’t have that 40-year experience? And then there were the next 40 years in the wilderness….

Next I am reminded of Joshua whose task it was to take over from Moses in leading the people over the Jordan and into the promised land. What a responsibility!

Verse 35 of chapter 4 gives us a theme which is repeated throughout the Bible and in Christian Science literature, “...the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.” What a theme for Joshua to live with! We too can make it our theme for living and demonstrating God’s allness.

Chapter 5 has a repetition of The Ten Commandments, and chapter 6 tells us how important those Commandments are and how they must be obeyed.

I like the promise of verse 7 of chapter 7: “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.” And the people will be blessed. There were warnings though – Beware of graven images, etc.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. The Message Bible (Eugene Peterson) says: Moses raised another objection to God: "Master, please, I don't talk well. I've never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer."