Never too old to make excuses
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Introduction
Excuses excuses.
When we don’t want to do whatever we’ve been asked to do, we make excuses - it’s part of our DNA, I think - we think of a logical, reasonable excuse for not doing what we have been asked to do.
Or perhaps it’s not even when we don’t WANT to do whatever it is - sometimes we make excuses when we are afraid of what it is we’ve been asked to do.
Perhaps we’ve been asked to do something that terrifies us and so we make excuses.
I noticed online, when I was preparing this, that there are websites that actually give advice on how to give the best excuse for missing work.
Here are some real-life excuses given for missing work. Apparently these were actual excuses.
[Show list]
Ok, so these are funny excuses…and, like I said, apparently they are real - and I suppose for some of them you couldn’t really make them up, or at least, if you were, you’d think of something more convincing than that.
But the point is that we make excuses - legitimate excuses for things that we don’t want to do or for things that we are scared of doing.
And if you have ever made an excuse like that, you’re not the first...
Because, today we’re going to see the great lengths that Moses went through to get out of going back into Egypt, face his own people and face Pharaoh.
Because Moses went to such lengths to make excuses that he got God himself angry - and that’s pretty impressive. God who is SLOW to anger even got to the end of his tether with Moses, as we shall see.
Pause
And it all starts in chapter 3 where we see one of the most well-known stories in the bible and in the story of Moses. Moses has an encounter with God through a burning bush.
Now, if you remember from last week, Moses was brought up by his own mother, although under interesting circumstances - but he was brought up as a Hebrew boy because he was one....
And he then lived with Pharaoh’s daughter until he murdered an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew slave. Pharaoh wanted to kill him so he ran for his life to Midian and he settled down and got married to Zipporah, the priest of Midian’s daughter, they had a son, and Moses became a shepherd.
Now, how old was Moses at this time? Well, Acts 7 tells us that Moses was 40 when he fled Egypt to Midian. And Exodus 7 tells us that he was 80 when he returned to Egypt - so Moses, at this point in time was around 80 years old…somewhere between 40 and 80, but more likely much closer to 80 years old.
And it was when he was out with the sheep in the wilderness that he sees this bush that is on fire but is not being consumed. And it is interesting that it is in the wilderness that he experiences God.
And sometimes in our lives, it is in the wilderness times of our lives, when it appears that nothing is happening or has happened for years, and we are in a drought of sorts, that we, too can experience God. Sometimes that’s when God reveals himself most clearly.
But what you’ve got to see is that the bush wasn’t on fire - what Moses saw was the fire of God - this was like the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness, which we’ll see later in the story - this was the fire of God. And God spoke to Moses from within the bush.
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
Moses said here I AM… Interesting use of words.
Pause
God then tells Moses to take off his sandals because the place where he is standing is holy ground…Again, note that it’s not the bush that is holy, but the place where he is standing is holy.
And Moses takes his sandals off out of reverence for God.
And God introduces himself to Moses and says that he is the God of his father, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, at which point Moses is freaked out - he is afraid to look at God and he turns his face away.
6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord tells Moses what we touched on at the end of last week’s sermon - he tells Moses that he has heard the groaning of his people and he’s come to deliver them...
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
Now I want you to notice verse 8 here…What does God say to Moses?
God says that I have come down to rescue them. God doesn’t say, I want you to rescue them. He doesn’t say, I have chosen you to rescue them.
God tells Moses, ‘I…ME…I am the one who has come down to rescue them.’
But he still wants to use Moses, which is why he says to Moses in verse 10...
10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Pause
So when it comes to Moses leading the people out of Egypt - God is doing the work here, not Moses.
Let’s stop here for a second and remember what we said last week - that God has chosen the church to be his instrument in spreading the good news about Jesus Christ.
Let’s remember that God doesn’t NEED the church to do this work.
And in the same way as with Moses, let’s ALSO remember that when it comes to the church God is doing the work, not us. He USES us - sure, but it is GOD who is doing the work.
Pause
One commentator wrote this on the passage...
God’s word, God’s rule, God’s teaching, God’s deliverance come not from man, no matter who that man may be, but from God
That needs to be front and centre of everything we think about with respect to the church, with respect to our own mission and individual calling, and with respect to everything that we say and do…God does HIS work HIS way - and it is GOD who is doing the work.
We might be the vessel to be used, but it is GOD who is doing the work because it is HIS work.
So when it comes to the church, who is God’s chosen instrument in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ - it’s GOD’S work and he does it HIS way. Now, that should take the pressure off us a little.
Pause
But when Moses is told to go to Pharaoh, the excuses start to flow...
The first one is in verse 11...
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
WHO AM I? Interesting use of words. When God calls Moses, he says, ‘Here I AM.’ And now he asks, ‘Who AM I?’
This isn’t humility - this is inferiority. Moses is scared. He doesn’t want to face Pharaoh.
Of course God’s reply is...
12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
It’s OK Moses…I will be with you. Don’t forget, Moses, this is MY work and I’m doing it MY way and it WILL be done…so don’t worry because I AM God and I AM with you.
Pause
But that doesn’t seem to help Moses, so off comes another excuse...
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
Ok, God, let’s leave Pharaoh aside for a second…what happens if I go to my OWN people, the Israelites and tell them that their GOD has sent me and they ask what his name is, what am I going to say?
Now, there is so much in these verses that it would take weeks to unpack, which we don’t have.
But God’s response is one of the key moments in the bible...
God says...
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
I AM…interesting choice of words.
Moses says, ‘Here I AM.’
Moses says, ‘who AM I?’
Then he says, ‘Who are YOU?’
God’s reply is ‘I AM’
What does this mean?
Simply put, this is God telling Moses his name and also who he is - God IS…he always IS, he never WAS and he never WILL BE, he always IS… And because he always is he, is assuring Moses of his presence.
Moses isn’t given a name, per se, he is given an assertion of authority…but when you write down the words ‘I AM’ in Hebrew it is almost identical to the the written form of Israel’s God’s name... Yahweh.
So God is telling Moses - tell my people that the God you were speaking to IS the God of their fathers, the eternal God who was and is and is to come…in fact, who IS and IS and IS again. And it is my IS-ing that means that I am always present. I AM hearing their cries and I AM answering…and I AM with you.
Pause
That isn’t enough for Moses.
1 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
Excuse after excuse after excuse. Either Moses didn’t want to do this or he was scared…or maybe a bit of both. But he’s being called by God and God wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.
So God gives Moses a few signs. First of all his staff turns into a snake - and digging a little deeper you’ll discover that snakes were worshipped by Egyptians - so God has power and authority over the Egyptians gods.
Then Moses’ hand becomes leprous and then is healed.
And the third sign isn’t performed, but the water in the Nile will be turned to blood, which was the first of the plagues in Egypt, which we’ll see later in the story.
Pause
But that isn’t enough for Moses, so Moses says...
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
And God’s response is a great encouragement to back up all the other encouragement that he has already given...
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
‘Hang on a second, Moses…you say you can’t talk, that you are slow of speech and tongue? Who made your tongue? eh? Who makes you able to hear? Who makes you able to talk? Who gives you eyes?’
That excuse isn’t going to cut if for Yahweh, so he says...
12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
And what the text literally says is this...
I AM with your mouth
I AM…I AM…with your mouth. There’s the I AM again...
I AM - remember that’s God’s assurance of his presence and his eternal existence and authority…You have nothing to fear, Moses, because don’t forget, I have come down to rescue my people - NOT YOU.
I have come to deliver them from Egypt - NOT YOU…so GO and speak to Pharaoh and to the Israelites, because I AM with you and I AM with your mouth.
Pause
But then Moses goes too far...
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
And this ticks God off. Moses has gone too far here, because the anger of the Lord burns against Moses...
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.
God gave Aaron to help Moses, but I think that Moses has missed out on something extra special here by making excuse after excuse after excuse, and now Aaron is involved.
But God will still use Moses, because...
15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.
Moses will still be the one speaking, because God is giving MOSES what to say, but Moses will tell Aaron and both of them will fulfil God’s purpose of redemption.
Long Pause
So what we have here is Moses, an 80 year old (or close to it) making excuses not to return to Egypt and do what God is telling him HE is going to do.
You’d think that Moses would have seen the flames but the bush not being consumed, the snake, the leprous hand and believed that God wouldn’t let him flounder with Pharaoh or with his people.
I mean, how much more evidence does Moses need that God is the one doing the work and so he needs to just be obedient and offer himself up for service and let God do what he does.
You’d THINK that Moses would relax and be exited and say, ‘this is brilliant…I’ve been assured with speech, signs and miracles, that God will have my back, protect me and speak through me. Off I go.’
But nope. Moses is either scared or doesn’t want to go, and he ends up winding God up so much that God is angry with him and sends someone with him. Not that there’s anything wrong with having help, but I do believe that Moses missed out on something special when God relented and brought along Aaron.
You’d think he would be on fire - buzzing - that God was going to do his thing and bring Moses along for the ride.
Because that’s exactly what he was doing…Moses, in a sense, wasn’t doing anything. God was doing all the work - Moses was the passenger.
Pause
But isn’t it like that with us?
We saw last week that Jesus left his Spirit with us to continue the work he started, and that we are God’s chosen instruments in that work.
And yet we make excuse after excuse after excuse for not serving God or for not going where we are called to go.
And by doing that don’t you think that we are missing out on something special because God is bringing in other people to do the work?
People say, ‘I’m too old.’ Moses was 80 and he led the children of Israel for 40 years after that, so until we get to 120 then that’s not a good enough excuse.
People say, ‘I’m not gifted.’ Paul says in Corinthians that to EACH one is given the manifestation of the Spirit - we all have a gift. That’s not an excuse.
People say, ‘I can’t speak.’ Neither could Moses, and God’s response was, ‘who made your mouth? I did, so I can equip you in whatever way I see fit.’
In fact, Paul, the apostle, couldn’t speak well, but it was the power of God working through him that made people believe.
All God wants is people to be willing to serve and to be available and committed After that, HE does the rest of the work.
So regardless of your age or stage, of your gifting or lack of it - all God wants is YOU…and he’ll do the rest. He’ll equip, he’ll give you the skills and abilities you need.
After all, HE was the one who came down to deliver his people from slavery…GOD did...
8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
And he did it again hundreds of years later…HE came down to rescue us when Jesus, God incarnate, came down to rescue us from our slavery to sin.
And it’s Jesus’ work that we are continuing - HIS work…which is why we can’t make excuses, because we AREN’T the ones who are doing the work. GOD is - he’s just doing the work through us.
But he requires people who are humble, broken, but available and willing…and we’ll miss out on something special from God if we make excuses for not being part of this.
Let’s pray.