But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
Exodus 4:10-17
It now becomes clear that Moses is prevaricating, for he moves from one objection to another. Now he pleads lack of eloquence as an excuse for not going to Pharaoh. (The fallacy in this is to suppose that eloquence is a necessary qualification in the service of the Lord. This is not so; what God was asking him to say to Pharaoh, 'Let My people go' did not need any eloquence. There is a givenness about the Lord's message that precludes the need for eloquence). In answer to the divine assurance (11), Moses replies in terms of 13. This may be interpreted in two possible ways, either to mean, 'O Lord, send someone else' or a little more flattering to Moses, but not much - 'I go because I must; I greatly question Thy choice, but if there is no alternative, be it so'. Either attitude on Moses' part would have been sufficient to kindle the anger of the Lord (14), and something solemn takes place at this point, for Moses is punished for his continued reluctance. As he seemed determined to decline the sole leadership of the people of God, he was deprived of its honour and happiness. Aaron was appointed to share the honour of the office. Dean Stanley comments, 'In all outward appearances, Aaron and not Moses, must have been, in the eyes of the Egyptians, the representative and leader of Israel'. Moses lost a blessing that day, and this is what we must learn from the story before us. As F.B. Meyer pointedly comments, 'Beware. If you will not step up to the opportunity which God offers, you will not only miss it, but will live to see it filled by an inferior man to yourself, through whom you may have to suffer many sorrows.'