Silencing Your Doubts
“Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”
This excerpt comes from the fourth chapter of the book of Exodus. If you are at all familiar with this book, you may recall what is taking place. But first, let’s take a look at some background to this passage.
Further back in the book of Genesis, particularly chapter 11, we meet this man named Abram. Abram was the son of Terah and he quickly became an important figure within scripture. No more than eight verses after we first read of his name, we read of God telling Abram, “I will make of you a great nation,” (Genesis 12:2). This promise of a great nation is something that plays a huge part in the life of Abram. In chapter 17 of Genesis, this promise is reiterated when God says, “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you,” (Genesis 17:5-6). God reveals to Abraham that despite being at the ripe old age of ninety nine years old (along with his wife Sarah who was ninety years old) the two of them are going to bear a child and that child's name shall be Isaac. It is through this offspring of Abraham that the promise of many nations will succeed.
Isaac would go on to be the father of two sons, Jacob and Esau. While the story of Jacob and Esau is still told today, it is Jacob who we are going to focus on. The nation promise that was given to Abraham and passed through Isaac is clearly seen to be going through Jacob (after Esau sold his birthright for a meager pot of stew). Jacob would have twelve sons in whom this great nation would be born. In chapter 35 of Genesis, Jacob would have his name changed when God speaks and says, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name,” (Genesis 35:10). From this man, the Israelite nation was born.
A great famine would come in which Jacob would send his children to Egypt to go find food. After a reunion with their long lost brother, the family would eventually move to the land of Goshen, which was in Egypt.
However, there is a problem. After having been in Egypt for some time and growing as a people, a new Pharaoh ascended to the throne. This new Pharaoh did not know the people of Israel and for fear of them becoming too large, he enslaved the Israelites.
The Israelites were not treated well and God sought to have His people delivered from the hands of the Egyptians. So God chose a man who had grown up in Egypt himself before fleeing his homeland. This man was none other than Moses. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush while he was leading the flock of his father, and informed Moses that He would be the one who would go to Egypt, stand before Pharaoh, and bring God’s people out of the land.
This was rather difficult for Moses to understand and accept. Moses asks, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses does end his protest with this as he goes on to say, “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,” (Exodus 4:10). Still his doubt and his fears remain, as later on as he says, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else,” (Exodus 4:13).
Moses had a lot of fears. Moses had a lot of doubts. The encouragement from all of this? God didn’t let that stop Moses. Each time Moses expressed his doubts and his fears before God, God responded to Moses with, “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 3:12). “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak,” (Exodus 4:12). “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. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and you shall be as God to him,” (Exodus 4:14-16).
Time and time again, despite Moses’ fears, despite his doubts, God was there for Moses and would not let his fears stop him from achieving what was possible.
In your doubts, in your trials, in your fears, and in everything that you face, always remember that there is a God in Heaven who is there for you and who will guide you through whatever storm comes your way. We often feel like Moses, we want God to send someone else. We often feel like we are not capable of doing what we have been sent to do. We often want to back down and let somebody else take our place. But we must remember that, “with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26).
Silence Your Doubts With God’s Word This Week!
