The Only Response that Angers God

The Bible is full of people making excuses to get out of what God’s calling them to do, including Jonah, Gideon, Saul, Moses, even Ananias in the New Testament (Acts 9), and many others. We do it too. I think it’s usually out of fear. God always calls us to something we can’t do without him, something bigger than ourselves.

Look at Moses. He makes a lot of excuses to get out of God’s calling (Exodus 3-4). And God is fine with all of them, having an answer for them, talking Moses through them.

All the Excuses

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” — Exodus 3:11

We call this “Imposter Syndrome.” It’s that feeling of inadequacy we all feel when we realize God’s called us to something bigger than ourselves, that we can’t do on our own. Which is actually the point. He wants to do it in partnership with us.

I’ll go into this more in a future blog, but God’s answer is simply, “I will be with you” (Exodus 9:12). The cure to imposter syndrome is spending time with the One who longs to spend time with us.

“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?” – Exodus 3:13

“What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” – Exodus 4:1

Fear of man. Moses actually brings this up twice. God is not angry at Moses for this, but gives Moses a strategy (signs to perform).

“I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” – Exodus 4:10

Translation: “I’m terrified of public speaking, and I stutter. I am genetically flawed and physically incapable of doing this.”

God’s not angry at Moses for this one either. God’s answer is partnership. “I’m bigger than your stutter. We’ll walk through this together.” (Exodus 4:11, my paraphrase)

The Response that Angers God

There is only one response Moses ultimately gives that angers God.

Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” – Exodus 4:13

Moses essentially tells God, “No.” And that is the one word that angers God.

The Lord’s anger burned against Moses. – Exodus 4:14a

God is fine with all of our excuses and objections. He will help us work through them. It’s perfectly fine to put a fleece out and say, “God, if you want me to do this, I need a solution to this problem.” Then, if the call you’re trying to follow is truly God, he will either remove the problem or give you a strategy for it.

But the one thing that ticks God off is when we say, “No, I’m not doing that.” This is not confusion about whether it’s really God or no, or just plain not knowing what to do next. This is overtly saying, “I know this is what God’s calling me to do, but I’m not doing it.”

And yet, even then, God gave Moses a solution.

“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. 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. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” – Exodus 4:14b-16

Even after Moses told God “no,” God had grace for Moses. And he has grace for you.

God gives us the help we think we need to get over the hump, even if we don’t really need it.

Moses Says “Yes”

Talked out of all his excuses, Moses finally says yes. Eventually, Moses didn’t need Aaron to speak for him. Check out this (abbreviated) sequence of events:

• Aaron speaks for Moses to the elders of Israel (Exodus 4:29-31).
• Aaron speaks for Moses to Pharaoh and performs the first few miracles and plagues (Exodus 5-8).
• Moses begins speaking directly to the elders of Israel (Exodus 6:9).
• Moses begins to answer Pharaoh directly, when Pharaoh asks for relief from the frogs (Exodus 8:9-10).
• Moses, not Aaron, begins initiating the plagues, starting with the plague of boils by tossing ashes in the air in front of Pharaoh (Exodus 9:10).
• Moses goes to Pharaoh alone, and answers Pharaoh directly when Pharaoh tries to work a compromise after the plague of darkness (Exodus 10:24-26).
• Moses finally initiates conversation with Pharaoh, about the plague on the firstborn, and storms out of  Pharaoh’s presence, hot with anger (Exodus 11:4-8).

Moses grew into the person God knew he was all along. And so will you.

Your Turn

Are you struggling stepping into the call of God on your life? Have you told God, “no”? Or have you said “yes” to something that was scary and seemed impossible, but God moved and it worked out? Tell us in the comments. Your sharing will help someone else. And please share this post if it would bless others.