When God spoke to Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go, Moses immediately began to make excuses, explaining to God why he wasn’t the man for the job. He had a whole list of excuses, and he started with the question: “Who am I to go?” (Exodus 3:11). Although he saw himself as inadequate, that was a good question and became the turning point of Moses’ life. Moses’ next question was: “Who should I say sent me?” (Exodus 3:13). God’s response was, “I AM has sent you” (v. 14). Unbelievably, Moses persisted: “They will not believe You have appeared to me!” (Exodus 4:1). The miracles God then demonstrated (Exodus 4:1-9) were for the benefit of Moses, to prove to him that God was indeed with him. After God had supernaturally shown Moses that He would take care of all the details, Moses still had one more excuse: “I am not eloquent? I am slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10). God took care of this final series of excuses by telling Moses, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say” (Exodus 4:12). Moses did go before Pharaoh, and the Israelites were freed, but not before Egypt was struck with all manner of plagues. The miracles that God performed to sovereignly protect the people of Israel were for their own benefit, to build their faith in Him. Once Moses and Aaron had declared all of the words God had spoken to them and had displayed all the signs He had shown them, the people then believed (Exodus 5:30-31). The psalmist recalled that great day of deliverance from Egypt: “He brought them forth also with silver and gold [the wealth of the Egyptians] and there was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Psalm 105:37).
