Exodus 4:10“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.’”
False Humility Is Unbelief
Is this true humility… or hidden pride?
Forty years earlier, Moses rushed ahead in his own strength.
Now he sees himself as a worthless failure.
But humility is not thinking poorly of ourselves.
Humility is simply thinking of ourselves less and making God everything.
A humble servant is consumed with:
* God’s will
* God’s glory
—not their own inadequacy, success, or failure.
Moses was clothing his pride and unbelief in a confession of weakness.
This isn’t:
> “Moses just lacked confidence.”
Because by Exodus 4, God had already:
* Revealed His name
* Shown miraculous signs
* Promised His presence
* Promised His words
At some point, continued self-focus becomes unbelief.
Sometimes what sounds like humility is actually distrust in God.
God’s Answer
Exodus 4:11–12
> “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? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what
There’s an interesting tension here.
Moses repeatedly complains about his inability to speak, yet later Stephen describes Moses as powerful in speech.
Both may be true.
Moses was struggling with who God was calling him to become.
Moses saw:
* Failure
* Insecurity
* Weakness
God saw:
* Deliverer
* Prophet
* Leader
> “Moses introduced himself by his past…
> God called him by his future.”
Don’t Doubt God’s Craftsmanship
God is not intimidated by weakness.
The real question was never:
> “Can Moses do it?”
The question was:
> “Will Moses trust God enough to obey?”
Exodus 4:13
“But Moses said, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.’”
At this point, Moses’ issue is no longer inability.
It becomes resistance.
The Progression of Moses’ Excuses
Week 1
* “Who am I?”
Week 1
* “Who are You?”
Week 2
* “What if they don’t believe me?”
Now
* “I can’t speak.”
(False humility / unbelief)
Finally
* “Please send someone else.”
(Resistance)
The conversation keeps peeling back layers until we finally reach the real issue:
> “I don’t want to do this.”
Where Are You Wrestling God?
Moses calls Him “Lord”…
yet refuses to obey Him.
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
If God is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
What are the ways we politely tell God “no”?
Exodus 4:14
“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.’”
This verse bothers some people.
But if the Bible never bothers you, you may need a translation you can understand.
“Anger burned” carries the picture of nostrils flaring.
God is authentic.
He is frustrated.
Perhaps even with you right now.
And yet—even in His frustration—He still provides help through Aaron.
Exodus 34:6
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…’”
Moses eventually obeyed.
God’s anger burned against him—
and still, God remained gracious.
What Are the Ways We Politely Tell God No?
We delay.
We excuse.
We hide behind insecurity.
We spiritualize fear.
We call resistance “wisdom.”
But delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The Burning Bush Was Never About Fire
The miracle wasn’t:
* A bush burning
The miracle was:
* A man finally surrendering
It was never ultimately about the fire.
It was about the “yes.”
* “God is not limited by the weakness we surrender to Him.”
OR
* “The greatest obstacle to God’s calling is often not inability, but unwillingness.”
Exodus 4:10
“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.’”
False Humility Is Unbelief
Is this true humility… or hidden pride?
Forty years earlier, Moses rushed ahead in his own strength.
Now he sees himself as a worthless failure.
But humility is not thinking poorly of ourselves.
Humility is simply thinking of ourselves less and making God everything.
A humble servant is consumed with:
* God’s will
* God’s glory
—not their own inadequacy, success, or failure.
Moses was clothing his pride and unbelief in a confession of weakness.
This isn’t:
> “Moses just lacked confidence.”
Because by Exodus 4, God had already:
* Revealed His name
* Shown miraculous signs
* Promised His presence
* Promised His words
At some point, continued self-focus becomes unbelief.
Sometimes what sounds like humility is actually distrust in God.
God’s Answer
Exodus 4:11–12
> “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? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what
There’s an interesting tension here.
Moses repeatedly complains about his inability to speak, yet later Stephen describes Moses as powerful in speech.
Both may be true.
Moses was struggling with who God was calling him to become.
Moses saw:
* Failure
* Insecurity
* Weakness
God saw:
* Deliverer
* Prophet
* Leader
> “Moses introduced himself by his past…
> God called him by his future.”
Don’t Doubt God’s Craftsmanship
God is not intimidated by weakness.
The real question was never:
> “Can Moses do it?”
The question was:
> “Will Moses trust God enough to obey?”
Exodus 4:13
“But Moses said, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.’”
At this point, Moses’ issue is no longer inability.
It becomes resistance.
The Progression of Moses’ Excuses
Week 1
* “Who am I?”
Week 1
* “Who are You?”
Week 2
* “What if they don’t believe me?”
Now
* “I can’t speak.”
(False humility / unbelief)
Finally
* “Please send someone else.”
(Resistance)
The conversation keeps peeling back layers until we finally reach the real issue:
> “I don’t want to do this.”
Where Are You Wrestling God?
Moses calls Him “Lord”…
yet refuses to obey Him.
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
If God is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
What are the ways we politely tell God “no”?
Exodus 4:14
“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.’”
This verse bothers some people.
But if the Bible never bothers you, you may need a translation you can understand.
“Anger burned” carries the picture of nostrils flaring.
God is authentic.
He is frustrated.
Perhaps even with you right now.
And yet—even in His frustration—He still provides help through Aaron.
Exodus 34:6
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…’”
Moses eventually obeyed.
God’s anger burned against him—
and still, God remained gracious.
What Are the Ways We Politely Tell God No?
We delay.
We excuse.
We hide behind insecurity.
We spiritualize fear.
We call resistance “wisdom.”
But delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The Burning Bush Was Never About Fire
The miracle wasn’t:
* A bush burning
The miracle was:
* A man finally surrendering
It was never ultimately about the fire.
It was about the “yes.”
* “God is not limited by the weakness we surrender to Him.”
OR
* “The greatest obstacle to God’s calling is often not inability, but unwillingness.”
* “Who are You?”
Week 2
* “What if they don’t believe me?”
Now
* “I can’t speak.”
(False humility / unbelief)
Finally
* “Please send someone else.”
(Resistance)
The conversation keeps peeling back layers until we finally reach the real issue:
> “I don’t want to do this.”
Where Are You Wrestling God?
Moses calls Him “Lord”…
yet refuses to obey Him.
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
If God is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
What are the ways we politely tell God “no”?
Exodus 4:14
“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.’”
This verse bothers some people.
But if the Bible never bothers you, you may need a translation you can understand.
“Anger burned” carries the picture of nostrils flaring.
God is authentic.
He is frustrated.
Perhaps even with you right now.
And yet—even in His frustration—He still provides help through Aaron.
Exodus 34:6
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…’”
Moses eventually obeyed.
God’s anger burned against him—
and still, God remained gracious.
What Are the Ways We Politely Tell God No?
We delay.
We excuse.
We hide behind insecurity.
We spiritualize fear.
We call resistance “wisdom.”
But delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The Burning Bush Was Never About Fire
The miracle wasn’t:
* A bush burning
The miracle was:
* A man finally surrendering
It was never ultimately about the fire.
It was about the “yes.”
* “God is not limited by the weakness we surrender to Him.”
OR
* “The greatest obstacle to God’s calling is often not inability, but unwillingness.”