Applying Moses' Hesitation and God's Reassurance to Personal Struggles

Moses' hesitation to accept God's call to lead Israel out of Egypt, detailed in Exodus 3-4, serves as a foundational narrative for understanding human reluctance in the face of divine commission and God's subsequent reassurance. When God first called Moses from the burning bush, Moses questioned his own suitability, asking, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) ^[7]. This initial objection highlights a common human response to daunting tasks: a feeling of personal inadequacy ^[7].

Moses' reluctance was not a desire to refuse God's command, but rather a profound distrust of his own abilities and a trembling at the immense importance of the task ^[5]. He perceived himself as lacking the courage to confront Pharaoh and the skill to lead an undisciplined, dispirited people ^[7]. Calvin notes that the remedy for this distrust was for Moses to assure himself that God, whose command he obeyed, would provide ample strength ^[5]. Moses continued to raise objections, even suggesting that God send someone else, indicating a desire for the task to be transferred to another more capable individual ^[10].

Despite Moses' repeated hesitations, God consistently offered reassurance. This divine response underscores a key theological principle: God equips those He calls. The narrative demonstrates that God's presence is the ultimate source of strength and comfort for those who are afflicted or feel inadequate ^[2]. For instance, when the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army, Moses, facing a "seditious and desperate multitude," displayed "magnanimous composure" rooted in his confidence that the miraculous cloud still accompanied them and that God would act ^[6]. He declared, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13) ^[6]. This moment illustrates Moses' developed faith, where he understood that God would not fail, but rather the enemies would ^[8].

The biblical witness consistently portrays God as a refuge and strength for the afflicted, promising His presence and comfort ^[2]. The Psalms, for example, frequently express prayers for God's presence and support during times of trouble, and for deliverance from affliction ^[1]. Isaiah 43:2 states, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." This promise echoes the divine reassurance given to Moses.

The concept of patience is also relevant in understanding God's reassurance. Patience is enjoined in scripture, with trials leading to its development (Romans 5:3; James 1:3) ^[3]. Waiting for God and for Christ are presented as aspects of exercising patience (Psalm 37:7; 40:1; 1 Corinthians 1:7) ^[3]. This aligns with the idea that God's timing and method may not always be immediately apparent, requiring faith and endurance from those He calls.

Moses' journey from initial hesitation to confident leadership, even in the face of immense pressure, serves as an example of how God works through human weakness. His early attempt to rescue Israel "in his own strength" (Exodus 2:11-15) was abortive, highlighting his tendency to assume responsibility himself ^[11]. However, through divine calling and reassurance, Moses learned to rely on God's power rather than his own. This transformation is a testament to the principle that God strengthens "limp hands" and steadies "feeble knees" (Isaiah 35:3) ^[4]. The experience of Moses demonstrates that even when one's "soul is cast down," there is liberty to access God and open to Him the causes of dejection, finding comfort in His presence ^[9].

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Afflicted Saints — God is with -- Ps 46:5,7; Isa 43:2. God is a refuge and strength to -- Ps 27:5,6; Isa 25:4; Jer 16:19; Na 1:7. God comforts -- Isa 49:13; Jer 31:13; Mt 5:4; 2Co 1:4,5; 7:6. God preserves -- Ps 34:20. God delivers -- Ps 34:4,19; Pr 12:13; Jer 39:17,18. Christ is with -- Joh 14:18. Christ supports -- 2Ti 4:17; Heb 2:18. Christ comforts -- Isa 61:2; Mt 11:28-30; Lu 7:13; Joh 14:1; 16:33. Christ preserves -- Isa 63:9; Lu 21:18. Christ delivers -- Re 3:10. Should praise God -- Ps 13:5,6; 56:8-10; 57:6,7; 71:20-23. Should imitate Christ -- Heb 12:1-3; 1P”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Patience — God, is the God of -- Ro 15:5. Christ, an example of -- Isa 53:7; Ac 8:32; Mt 27:14. Enjoined -- Tit 2:2; 2Pe 1:6. Should have its perfect work -- Jas 1:4. Trials of saints lead to -- Ro 5:3; Jas 1:3. Produces Experience. -- Ro 5:4. Hope. -- Ro 15:4. Suffering with, for well-doing, is acceptable with God -- 1Pe 2:20. To be exercised Running the race set before us. -- Heb 12:1. Bringing forth fruits. -- Lu 8:15. Well-doing. -- Ro 2:7; Ga 6:9. Waiting for God. -- Ps 37:7; 40:1. Waiting for Christ. -- 1Co 1:7; 2Th 3:5. Waiting for the hope of the gospel. -- R”
Isaiah “Isaiah 35:3 (BSB) — Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Harmony of the Law, Vol. 1, section 17.2: hunc accipies in manu tua, ut facias per eum ( vel , cum eo) signa. 10. O my Lord. Moses catches at every word of escape, so as to force himself from the task imposed on him, not that he desires to refuse the command, but because he trembles at its importance. It is this distrust of his own powers which makes him so hesitating and timid. The remedy was obvious, that he should assure himself, since he well knew that he was undertaking nothing rashly, that God, whose command he obeyed, would supply him with ample strength. In this, then, lay the ”
Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 14:13: Moses said, . . . Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence”
Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 3:11: God, having spoken to Moses, allows him also a liberty of speech, which he here improves; and, I. He objects his own insufficiency for the service he was called to (Exo 3:11): Who am I? He thinks himself unworthy of the honour, and not par negotio - equal to the task. He thinks he wants courage, and therefore cannot go to Pharaoh, to make a demand which might cost the demandant his head: he thinks he wants skill, and therefore cannot bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt; they are unarmed, undisciplined, quite dispirited, utterly unable to help themselve”
Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 14:13: 14:13-14 One person, at least, had learned the lesson of the plagues and applied it to this crisis of faith. Moses did not know what God would do, but in one of the great statements of faith in the Bible, Moses declared his confidence in God. It was not the Lord who would fail, but the Egyptians.”
Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 42:6: Complaints and comforts here, as before, take their turn, like day and night in the course of nature. I. He complains of the dejections of his spirit, but comforts himself with the thoughts of God, Psa 42:6. 1. In his troubles. His soul was dejected, and he goes to God and tells him so: O my God! my soul is cast down within me. It is a great support to us, when upon any account we are distressed, that we have liberty of access to God, and liberty of speech before him, and may open to him the causes of our dejection. David had communed with his own heart about its ”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Harmony of the Law, Vol. 1, section 17.5: . for there is no weight in their conjecture, that Moses preferred his brother to himself. The third sense is more probable, viz., that God should stretch forth his hand to direct whomsoever he destined for the work. In that case, the relative must be in the masculine gender; but in order to avoid all ambiguity, I prefer the feminine, as I have translated it. ( Mitte per manum per quam .) For there is no doubt but that Moses desires the task, too weighty and difficult for himself, to be transferred to some one else; just as if he had said — Sin”
Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 2:11: 2:11-15 This section addresses Moses’ first abortive attempt to rescue Israel in his own strength. This incident shows Moses’ courage and decisiveness, but it also shows his tendency to assume the responsibility himself, which would later have tragic effects in his life (Num 20:1-13). Moses’ concern for his people’s welfare was good; his timing and manner did not accord with God’s plan. 2:11-12 Moses had a privileged upbringing as compared with the toil and hardship of his own people, the Hebrews, but he was willing to identify with them and help them to the point”

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