Moses has been placed in a wonderful but horrible situation. Either God will work on his behalf or he will lose his opportunity to deliver his people. He wants to know – What happens it the don’t believe me? What if it isn’t apparent the hand of God is on my life. He needed the opposition and the people he was going to lead to know that God’s hand was upon his life. Moses was not concerned about his name but knew that he needed them to know that God appeared unto him for His (God’s) Namesake!
And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Exodus 4:1
I deal with this fear. What if it is evident to the people I lead that God is working in and through my life. Much of this fear is motivated by a pride that desires to be recognized. However, I also know that the ministry I am in is only possible if I have the confidence of the people in it. I do not have any extra access to God than the students I lead. I do not have a magical cloak. I do not the ability to speak in tongues or perform miracles. I must take what is in my hand and use it and pray that God works through it. When he does it will be evident that I hold no intrinsic power. However, that I am a vessel that God has chosen to use.
Moses knew that he needed people to recognize that the “Lord had appeared unto him” for him to effectively lead the people that God had chosen him to lead. He was at a place that He needed something big to happen and he could not make it happen. I believe this wonderful. A man who was prepared for a special task stands nervous in front of the world. Then the God of heaven works on his behalf in a awesome but simple way. He took something very simple – a rod and accomplished the seemingly impossible.
