“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.” Exodus 4:10
The story is told in Scripture of a “mad” prophet, not just one who was angry with God’s ways, and what God had called him to do, but foolish, his actions defying all reason with regard to the God who had spoken to him. God, knowing the heart of Balaam the prophet, and his defiant attitude, was angry with him, and would have killed him were it not for a donkey upon which Balaam rode. Three times the donkey turned aside from the path because she saw “the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and His sword drawn in His hand.” (Numbers 22:23) Balaam inflicted heavy blows upon the donkey when she turned aside, for he did not see the angel of the Lord, nor realize the peril that he was facing. The third time of refusing to follow the way, knowing what awaited Balaam if he persisted in going forward, the donkey fell down under Balaam. It was at the moment when he began to strike the donkey, that “…the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said unto Balaam, ‘What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?” (v.28) What is so very important about this moment, this event, when a donkey was given the capacity to speak with the voice of a man? (2 Peter 2:16) Its importance lies in the fact that it is God who gives the capacity to speak, how and what to speak, and this for His glory, accompanied by His power.
Moses, at about eighty years of age, after having spent almost forty years in the court of Pharaoh of Egypt, having been “…learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds,” (Acts 7:22), and then being forced into exile into the wilderness to escape Pharaoh, where he would herd sheep and raise a family, that God would call him to deliver His people from slavery in Egypt. To a great extent this would be done by Moses communicating the words of the Lord to Pharaoh, and to the people. Moses’ response to such a calling was, “I am not eloquent!” The response of the Lord to Moses’ argument, and objection to God’s clear calling was, “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing or the blind? Have not I the Lord?” Then came the word of the Lord so specifically: “Now therefore, go and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Ex. 4:12) The call of God to Moses was NOT to look at his own capacities, and abilities, but to Christ alone. This was the key not only to receiving the word of the Lord for Pharaoh and the people of Israel, but to know the power of God in and through that word to save.
When Jeremiah was a young man, God spoke to him: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer. 1:5) Jeremiah’s response to such a calling resembled that of Moses to some extent, for he said to God: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak for I am a child.” (v.6) Jeremiah committed the same error that Moses had committed so many years before. He looked at himself, his resources, even his age, and thought to himself the was not capable to do this. He was right. But then came the Lord’s clear command: “Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” (v.7)
The Apostle Paul summarized the matter by writing: “My speech and my preaching was NOT with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
Dear Father, Touch our mouths today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.