Exodus chapters 3 and 4 tell the story of Moses being called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Chapter 4 begins with Moses expressing his uncertainty. “But Moses spoke up and said, “What if they [Israelites] do not believe me and do not listen to me but say: ‘The Lord did not appear to you?’” (Exodus 4:1, Tanakh). It appears Moses was astounded by the notion that God had chosen him for such an important task, and didn’t think anyone would believe him.
Could Moses’ uncertainty stem from knowing himself, and remembering how he killed the Egyptian that attacked an Israelite (Exodus 2: 11-12)? Was he feeling exiled? Rejected? Of no value? …Do these feelings sound familiar? It’s so easy to remember our failings and become despondent, believing that our sins and failures have now precluded us from being accepted by God. We begin to believe we are of no use or value. It’s difficult to understand that God does not see us through the lens of our failures, and He demonstrates this through Moses.
God used Moses, through the mouthpiece of his brother Aaron, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the border of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. God looked beyond the sin of Moses and called him to perform His work. So it is for us today. While God does not overlook sin, He made a way for us to receive forgiveness for our sin by the perfect sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes it’s difficult to forgive ourselves and receive the gift of forgiveness and mercy.
It’s important to understand that God does not see us as we see ourselves, or how other people see us. God created us. He knows our heart and has a plan for our lives. He is able to see beyond our sin and failures, redeem our souls and lives, thus allowing us to become a delight to God. It is nearly impossible to grasp such love, although through His Holy Spirit He can heal and renew our minds. “…keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.” (Romans 12:2, Complete Jewish Bible) We can know God’s love for us and accept his gift of forgiveness. Following repentance, feelings of shame and worthlessness are not what God intended for us. Moses is just one example of the mercy of God and his ability to fulfill his plan through imperfect human beings.