Can God Use Me? – Exodus 2:11-22; Exodus 3:1-7a, 3:10-4:17
Exodus 2:11-22
2 (11) Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to see his brothers and he observed their hard labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of Moses’ brothers. (12) He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one else present, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. (13) And he went out the next day, and he saw two Hebrews fighting with each other. He said to the offender, Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew? (14) The man replied, Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you plan to kill me like you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses became afraid and thought, Surely, what I have done has become known. (15) When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh’s presence and went to live in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.
(16) Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. (17) Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. (18) When they returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, How is it that you have come back so soon today? (19) They answered, An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock. (20) Reuel said to his daughters, Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Invite him to eat bread with us. (21) Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. (22) She gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, I have become a sojourner in a foreign land.
Exodus 3:1-7a, 10-4:17
3 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) There the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. Moses looked and saw that, although the bush was burning with fire, the bush was not consumed. (3) So Moses said, I will go over and take a look at this strange sight—why the bush is not burnt up. (4) When Jehovah saw that he had come over to look, God called to him from within the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here I am. (5) Then he said, Do not come near. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. (6) Furthermore, he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
(7) Then Jehovah said, I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt…(10) Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.
(11) But Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? (12) Then he said, I will certainly be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain. (13) Moses said to God, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? what shall I say to them? (14) God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, This is what you shall say to the children of Israel: I AM has sent me to you. (15) Furthermore, God said to Moses, This is what you shall say to the children of Israel: Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. (16) Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me and said, I have certainly visited you and have seen what is done to you in Egypt, (17) and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite—to a land flowing with milk and honey. (18) They will listen to you. Then you—you and the elders of Israel—shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him: Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now we request that you allow us to take a three-days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may offer a sacrifice to Jehovah our God. (19) I know that the king of Egypt will not give you permission to go; no, not unless a mighty hand compels him to do so. (20) So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. (21) And I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that when you leave, you will not go empty-handed. (22) Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing, which you shall put upon your sons and your daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.
4 Then Moses responded, But they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, Jehovah has not appeared to you. (2) Jehovah said to him, What is that in your hand? Moses answered, A staff. (3) Then he said, Throw it on the ground. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses ran away from it. (4) But Jehovah said to Moses, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail. So he reached out his hand and took hold of it, and once again it became a staff in his hand. (5) This, declared Jehovah, is so that they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you. (6) Furthermore, Jehovah said to him, Now place your hand inside your robe. So he placed his hand inside his robe, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. (7) Then he said, Place your hand inside your robe again. So he placed his hand inside his robe again. And when he withdrew it from his robe, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. (8) Jehovah said, It shall be that if they do not believe you, nor take heed to the first sign, that they may believe this second sign. (9) But if they will not believe even these two signs, or accept what you say, then you shall take some water from the River and pour it on the dry ground. The water that you take from the River will become blood on the dry ground.
(10) Then Moses said to Jehovah, O Lord, I am not eloquent; I never was eloquent, nor have I become eloquent since you have spoken to your servant. My speech is hesitant and my tongue is halting. (11) Jehovah said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who causes a man to be mute or deaf, or who gives him sight, or who makes him blind? Is it not I, Jehovah? (12) Now, therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and instruct you as to what to say. (13) Then Moses said, O Lord, send your message by the hand of whomever you desire. (14) Then the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Indeed, he is coming out to meet you, when he sees you, his heart will be glad. (15) You are to speak to him and put the words into his mouth; I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will instruct you as to what you are to do. (16) He will be your spokesman to the people; he will be a mouth for you, and you will be to him like God. (17) You shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
