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Strengthening the Faith of a Servant
Exodus 4:1-31
Many desire to do a good work for God. Some desire to give their lives to serve God’s people as officers. Others desire to shape the lives of God’s people as teachers. And some are gifted to comfort - to speak a kind word or to offer a shoulder. But to serve, we need to be humbled and then lifted up. The disciples wanted to do great things for God. But they had to be humbled from pride and division. They’d fled from the garden in shame. But their turning point was Galilee. They were restored by her shores. And Christ commissioned them there. It was their turning point.
It’s the same with Moses. When Moses encountered God at Sinai, he saw him as the LORD - the all-sufficient God - holy, faithful, eternal, and immutable. It was his turning point. 40 years ago, he wanted to accomplish great things. But he was weak. He shed blood. But he was humbled. He became a fugitive shepherd, with stammering tongue and guilty conscience, inadequate in his own eyes. But God revealed himself to him. And through him, God made himself known to Israel and Pharaoh. Moses returned to his people and Egypt by way of Sinai. This is where God commissioned this servant by strengthening the faith of such an inadequate man. And how he did it was by word and works. These are our two points for this sermon. Firstly, God assured an inadequate man with his power; and secondly, God assured an inadequate man with his promises.
Firstly, God assured an inadequate man with his power. Moses met the Lord at Sinai. But when God commissioned him, he objected to the call five times. The first objection had to do with his rejection of himself to be commissioned. He found himself inadequate - “Who am I, that I should go?” The second was their possible rejection of God - “they’ll ask who are you!” The third’s in our passage - it was their rejection of him, verse 1 - “What if they won’t believe me or listen to my voice? They’ll say the Lord didn’t appear to you!” Now, was this false inadequacy? Maybe? But consider this - 40 years earlier, he tried to deliver his people in his own strength which ended in murder and escape. He was rejected by his people - “who made you a prince and judge over us?” Then, he was a shepherd for 40 years. He feared they wouldn’t hear him. But at the root of his fear was a profound theological problem. How could people enslaved for 400 years, surrounded by Egyptian gods, believe the God of their fathers had finally remembered them? But God assured him that he would act through him. God gave Moses powerful signs to show to Israel.
The first was a snake. When Moses cast down his shepherd’s rod, it turned into a snake and he fled from it. God told him to stretch out his hand and catch it by its tail and it turned back. The snake was a symbol of Egypt’s power. Pharaoh’s crown was like a serpent’s hood mounted with a serpent’s head. So the first sign was this - God would act through Moses to defeat the serpent power of Egypt - to render it powerless. This was significant to the Exodus generation. The snake overpowered Adam and Eve. Sin ruled Cain to kill the godly seed. Even their children were drowned by that power. But God would work through this shepherd to defeat Satan. Pharaoh also sought to kill Moses, but now Moses would return to face that power.
The second was a leprous hand. He put his hand inside and pulled it out of his cloak, it was white as snow. When he repeated it, it became normal. Leprosy was a living death - a disease that slowly killed a person and separated him from the community. But God assured him that he could take what was dead and unclean and make it alive and clean. Similarly, he could take Moses, who failed, and make him useful; to restore slaves to freedom.
The third sign was the most striking. God said if the people didn’t believe the first two, he should pour water from the Nile on dry ground and it’ll turn to blood, verse 9. This was significant. The Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt. It made life and empire possible. To turn its water into blood - a symbol of death and war - was to declare that God was judge.
To be clear, God wasn’t supplying Moses with dazzling tricks. He was giving revelation. All these signs declared that God would deliver the people from an evil power, uncleanness, and bondage in Egypt through judgment. And this God would act through Moses. While Moses was inadequate, God was adequate. Moses feared they wouldn’t hear. God assured him they would because divine power would be displayed. Human power already proved ineffective - Moses sinned and was rejected. But God was powerful to use him. And we see especially how.
God would speak through him. Now, after raising three objections, Moses raised up a fourth. Verse 10 - “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.” This was a different kind of objection. The first three were about receiving God and his messenger. This one was about his ability as a messenger. He felt he couldn’t stand before Pharaoh and form the words to demand the release of God’s people. Was this false inadequacy? After all, Acts 7:22 says he was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt; this would’ve included persuasive public speaking. There could be several reasons for his inadequacy.
Firstly, there was a 40 year gap and possible language loss. He lived in Midian with a family that spoke a Semitic tongue. When the missionary Adoniram Judson returned to America from Burma after 34 years, he struggled to use English publicly. Secondly, verse 10 seems to imply a speech impediment. He was heavy of speech and tongue - possibly a stammer? Or thirdly, some suggest he was out of practice. As a prince, he would have carried himself with assertiveness, but not as a shepherd. He would’ve been out of practice. It could be any of these. But underlying it all, Moses was just terrified of this assignment - he gave 5 consecutive excuses to get out of the commission - with this lack of eloquence being the fourth. So he likely exaggerated his weakness out of a deep inadequacy.
But what was God’s response? Verse 11 - “Who made your mouth? Isn’t it I, the Lord?” So ultimately it was his lack of faith in God’s power. If he only trusted God, his inadequacy would melt away into faith. But he, like us, as a man, was inadequate. And we can understand Moses - how many excuses to we often make in not serving God. So God told Moses he’d be with his mouth, to teach him what to speak, verse 12. Now, to be exact, God didn’t address Moses’ inability. Moses said he couldn’t speak. God said - I made your mouth. Moses said, I’m not eloquent. God said, I’m the Lord! The answer to Moses’ inadequacy was not more training - it was God himself. That’s the assurance of God’s power for an inadequate man. But Moses needed more.
So secondly, God assured an inadequate man with his promises. We learn that eventually, Moses yielded. He took his family and headed for Egypt. He was assured God’s people would believe, verses 8-9 - if not at first, then after the second and third signs. He knew Israel would believe. But he was also knew not all would believe. God told him he’d harden Pharaoh’s heart. Verse 21 - “[when you return to Egypt, perform all of these miracles powerfully]…But I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.” Now, this is one of the most sobering statements in all the Bible. God promised Moses Pharaoh wouldn’t listen or believe the signs. All these glorious acts wouldn’t soften his heart but harden it. Why? It has to do with God’s covenant and promises. Follow the thought. Pharaoh had set himself up as god over Israel. He enslaved Israel, killed their first born - drowning them in the waters of the Nile. And he did all of these atrocities with his serpent power. Who does this remind you of? Satan. Behind Pharaoh was Satan. He’s a murder from the beginning. As that lying serpent, he destroyed the souls of Adam and Eve through sin. He enslaved Cain to kill the godly seed. Through unequal marriages, the thoughts and imaginations of all, save the godly seed Noah, were continually wicked. But remember the promise of God - God would deliver his people by crushing the serpent. Just as he delivered Noah from the flood waters, he’d deliver his people here. So God told Moses to say these words to Pharaoh - “Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.” These were really words to the power behind Pharaoh. Satan had used his firstborn to attack God’s firstborn. God would use the death of Satan’s firstborn’s firstborn, to free God’s firstborn. He’d do this by hardening Pharaoh’s heart. So this was not an arbitrary action, but a judicial one, founded on the first promise in the Bible.
But there was another promise. God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - to bless them and their descendants. So Israel was God’s son by covenant. Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” So Pharaoh’s refusal to free Israel was not just a political act, it was an assault on God’s Son. God’s a father who loves, protects, and redeems his people. So in the hardening of Pharaoh, we see God’s covenantal love; it would be the means by which God would deliver his people and punish evil. Moses’ inadequacy? No problem! Pharaoh’s hardening? Part of the plan! Deliverance will happen. Because he’s a promise-keeping God. And that would’ve assured the people in the wilderness - they’d reach the Promised Land - just trust in God’s power and promises! And that applies to us too. Even though there are hardened sinners and we’re slow in be holy, God assures us that “He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation.” Surely, this would’ve ministered to Moses’ heart - to stir his heart up.
But we also see that God softened Moses’ heart. He gave him hope. Now, we come to one of the strangest passages in all of Scripture. As they’re on their way to Egypt, verse 24, God met “him” at an inn and sought to kill “him.” We’re not sure who the “him” was - it could be Moses or his son. But we see Zipporah taking a sharp stone. She circumcised Gershom and touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin. She called him a bloody husband, or literally a “bridegroom of blood”; and thereafter, God spared “him” - whoever that was. Now, what in the world is this?
Clearly, we know Moses had neglected to circumcise his son. He didn’t give the covenant sign that God commanded Abraham and every Israelite to have. To neglect circumcision was to disbelieve God’s covenant. It was to say in effect - I don’t belong to God’s people or I don’t believe God’s promise to save my people. Now, one can only wonder why Moses hadn’t circumcised him. Perhaps he was disappointed. After all, he went to deliver his people and they rejected him. When in Midian, he named his son Gershom which means “foreigner.” Maybe he lost hope in God. Maybe he was bitter. Perhaps he didn’t want to serve his people anymore. Maybe that’s why he had all the excuses. Regardless, he was wrong. Why? Because Moses was going to his people to remind them of their special privilege as God’s Son; to remind them that their covenant keeping God would deliver them. But how much did he believe in this when he hadn’t even circumcised his own child? Was he going in faith? Did he believe God cared for his people? Was he in the right frame of mind? Did he care for them as he once did?
You see, when Moses refused to go into Egypt, God patiently showed him his power. But Moses couldn’t only motivated by power. He had to be motivated by love. Did Moses have a heart for his own people? How could he identify with them when he hadn’t even circumcised his son? So God was changing and softening his heart - that Moses would have God’s burden for the people to deliver them. Moses needed his own delivering. He sinned. But when blood was applied him, God’s wrath was appeased. He was touched by the blood; he knew deliverance. He knew God’s heart of deliverance toward the people - people he was commissioned to free. And such character and faithfulness he had to learn before he could teach them. How could he lead the people, if he didn’t have this settled in him? Moses was inadequate. He failed to keep covenant. But God, in His grace, would keep covenant. He’d provide a way of redemption. Blood was shed and applied. That “him” was spared - whether Moses or his son. It showed God loved his Son in Egypt. Moses needed a turning point. And God gave him not one but two - Sinai to understand power; the inn to experience God’s faithfulness.
And he also experienced the promise again at Sinai. En route, he passed the mount of God where he met Aaron. In verse 27, God prepared Aaron to meet Moses. Why? Because earlier, Moses had a fifth objection. He still felt inadequate. He asked God to send someone else. God didn’t. Moses still had to go. But he promised to be with his mouth, and Aaron to be his mouthpiece. He sent Aaron not because Moses was inadequate, but because he was gracious. Moses needed help. To be clear, Aaron wasn’t the source of words. God was. He’d be with Moses’ mouth to give Moses the words. But Moses would speak it to Aaron so Aaron could address Pharaoh. Moses had help. The inadequate one had another inadequate one to help him. They were a team. All God said had come to pass. Both returned to Egypt, gathered the elders of Israel. Aaron spoke all God spoke to Moses and signs were performed. What happened? The people believed and worshiped. Verse 31 - “And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” They trusted the Lord, saw his power, heard his promises, and Moses testified of the Lord’s faithfulness to his covenant. All worshiped.
Beloved, this is the church. We all need to be strengthened for service because we’re inadequate. We all need to see God’s power and hear his promises. We all need to know the gospel afresh - that God redeems us from his wrath. This is the only way we can serve God and worship him. How can we apply this?
Firstly, let’s address our inadequacy to serve. All of us are inadequate. It’s a theological truth. We’re all inadequate because of sin. But not all of us accept this. Some believe we’re adequate - that we have the answers - like the disciples. We need a turning point - one that would humble us and point us back to Christ. Some parents think - I can handle being a parent and bend my child to my will. No, you’re inadequate. Or I have time now, I can do more for God’s kingdom - I have experience. This is great, but many bring their pride into the church. Or I’ve been trained, I know the Word - then everyone else must be wrong. But we can be like Moses. I’m a single older lady, what can I possibly do in the kingdom? Or I’m just a teenager, how can I serve? Beloved - we’re all inadequate. That’s why we must see Christ. To the adequate - the Lord Jesus washed feet, and he fills you so you can wash feet, and not direct people. To the inadequate, the Lord Jesus promises to use you. Christ’s strength is made perfect in weakness. If you’ve failed like Moses, his grace is greater than your sin. Don’t look at your adequacy; you have none. Don’t look at your inadequacy, because Christ will fill your mouth to speak.
That’s why secondly, we must be prepared for service. Moses was prepared at Sinai and the inn. He saw God’s greatness and power. Like that bush, God is not consumed. So for those who serve - we can be strengthened by God in times of tribulation. Moses couldn’t speak, but God said, “I’ll be with your mouth.” God assured him with covenantal signs. For fathers who are consumed by your busyness and you feel defeated - God says unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. So stay close to him, brothers. He builds your household. For the working adult who’s weighed down, he assures you! Young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, you’ve overcome the evil one. Sometimes you’ll crawl, other times you’ll walk, run, and fly. But where do we find strength? Your turning points. And so, when we come to the Lord’s Supper, our devotions, our times apart with Christ, we’re reminded that our sufficiency rests not in ourselves, but in Christ alone. Look to his promises and believe them. Be humbled and strengthened. If Christ has redeemed us from sin, he’ll use us. When Peter was restored, he fed the sheep and lambs. He strengthened his brethren who needed strengthening. So remember - our preparation to serve includes the knowledge that God has given other people to serve alongside us. No lone rangers. No cowboys. No “I know better.” Officers, support each other. God has gifted you one another. Wives of officers, how do you free your husbands to serve God’s kingdom? Beloved, serve one another. When Peter was restored, he strengthened his brethren.
And thirdly, beloved, the goal of our service is worship. When all Israel saw God’s power, they worshiped. When Thomas was rescued from unbelief in that Upper Room by touching Christ’s scars, he worshiped - “My Lord and my God!” Christ said, “you’ve seen and believed, but blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Beloved, our goal is to glorify God. Does your inadequacy cause you to stop serving? Does your “adequacy” cause conflict? Maybe you think others aren’t enough. How have the means of grace softened you for service?
Then you must see him in the Word, in the Supper. He’s the great God who has power over Satan, to trample him lower. He cleanses us from our leprous sins and uncleanness, bringing us into the camp of God’s people. And by his crucifixion, where he was cut off from the land of the living, he redeems us. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him to anoint him to preach the gospel and heal the broken hearted. Only he is adequate - God’s beloved Son in whom he was well-pleased. He shed his blood and touches us with it, to free us from sin, that we might serve and worship him - to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen generation, called forth to proclaim praise.
1. God Assured an Inadequate Man by His Power (1-17)
A. God will act through him (1-9)
B. God will speak through him (10-13)
2. God Assured an Inadequate Man by His Promises (14-31)
A. God would harden Pharaoh’s heart (18-23)
B. God softened Moses’ heart (14-17, 24-31)
Application
1. Our inadequacy to serve
2. Our preparation to serve
3. Our goal of service
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2026, Rev. Mark Chen
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