Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Moses, adopted prince of Egypt, with a top education in the best universities of Egypt, eloquent and “mighty in deeds”, had faith in himself, and moved in that self-confidence from strength to strength, victory to victory.
One day he realized who he was. A son of Israel, which by the will of Pharaoh had become a nation of slaves. He felt deeply the plight of his brethren, and decided to do what he could for them, utilizing his best capabilities as a prince and a leader of men.
Acts 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, …
He fled into the backside of the desert of Midian, where he lived long enough to have two sons.
29 … and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
Where were his vaunted abilities, his self-confidence? All of no use in the thing that had come to be nearest to his heart: the freedom of his people.
He knew somewhere in the inner recesses of his mind that this was the call of God on his life.
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Then one day, after forty years in Midian, God did call Moses at the bush that burned but wasn’t consumed.
Did Moses rejoice? Did he say, “At last! God, what took you so long?”
This is what he actually said:
Exodus 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
And later, in chapter 4, this is what he said:
Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Did this reassurance find Moses ready to launch into action?
Exodus 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
God was angry with Moses for his unbelief, and yet He did send Moses’ brother Aaron to support him. Yet Aaron’s role was to be Moses’ mouthpiece. It was Moses who was God’s mouthpiece.
Why?
God was looking for a man who would have no confidence in himself. With that as a base, God could develop in Moses the requisite confidence in God Himself.
But first it had been essential (and it took forty years) to bring to nothing Moses’ well-developed self-confidence which ruled him in his earlier years.
So often, when we see a talented person, we think “How God could use him (or her).” We bend all our efforts to reach out to this talented one, and, maybe, our efforts bear fruit, and the person comes to saving faith in Jesus.
But the person is still unusable! God needs to break down his self-confidence in his own talent!
It is only then that usefulness to God will have its starting point.
Bibloscope 