The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 117

1rnd gloried in the fact, that his very lack of fluent speech, so far from being against him, "-as rather in his favour (2 Cor. iv. 7). II. Gon's TREATMENT OF THIS PERSEVERING RELUCTANCE. Observe God's continued patience. So far there has not been a word of rebuke to Moses; no action such as corresponds with the smiting of a stupid or inattentive scholar. But it was really quite time for Moses to begin to reflect a little before he spoke. Moses seemed to hint in this latest appeal that it we.s desirable at once to confer on him what he judged to be the requisite powers of speech. But God saw that the real want was not speaking, but thinking; quiet, earnest, introspective thinking. There had been quite enough of speaking une.d,isedly with the lips, only to be excused by the fact that Moses had become so recently acquainted with Jehovah. Now God gives his servant something to think about. Moses has said in effect, " Here am I, called to II grent work, for which, through no fault of my own, I lack the necessary faculties." And God in return is not slow to meet Moses with a plain admission of the Divine responsibility for many things which we count dqfects in human nature. " Where," says tbe sceptic, " is the wisdom of tha~ God who allows the world to abound in so many human beings deficient in one or another of their natural faculties?" God meets the charge himself, and meets it boldly. He not only allows man to be so, but he makes him so; in other words, what we call defects a.re not defects at all. The defect is-.in us, who are not able to look at them in a right and comprehensive way. There ·a.re defects and defects. Man, thinking of the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the la.me, begins to wail what an imperfect thing creation is; yet he is only complaining of spots on the surface. Our outward senses, with all the knowledge and pleasure that they bring, are only subsidiary parts of humanity. Let Moses consider, and he will see that, inasmuch a.s these defects come from no fault of his own, God ca.n easily make them up. The fact that Moses was so slow of heart to believe all that God had spoken was a far greater hindrance than all his slowness of speech. We find serious defects and hindrances where, so to speak, God rather finds helps; while the things that hinder God's work and stir his i:ndignation it takes a great deal to make us conscious of. The worst obstacles to be encountered by Moses did not come from any of the things he had laid such emphasis on; they lay in his own heart-that heart into which the dawning of God's presence had only just begun to penetrs.te.-'-Y. Vers. 13-16.-Moses, taldng a step too far, is sU<ldenly arrested. In ver. 13 we must evidently look at the spirit of the words, rather than the words themselves. '!'here is nothing wrong in the words. Uttered in a different tone and in different circumstances they Inight have drawn forth the approval of God rather than his anger. They Inight be used as expressing the most devout submissiveness, the consciousness of one who, though he is treading forth into darkness and danger, is sure that he is filled with the fulness of God. But not so had Moses yet learned to speak. God has tried to call him away from the turmoil of his doubts, from his hasty conjectures and crude anticipations; but instead of obeying, instead of acquainting himself with God, and thereby being at peace, he flies in his face with this half-despairing half-defiant cry. It is the crisis of the struggle, and it is very instructive to notice how firmly and yet gently God deals with his servant. Observe, then, how we have here a due mingling tJj right,e,ous anger and compassionate a-id. I. Gon's MAJ\'IFEBTED ANGER WITII MosEB. The expression is a strong and suggestive one. Not simply that God was angry, but that his anger was kindled. We may take it as meaning that there was some anger already, growing indeed hotter and hotter, but only now under this great provocation breaking into flame. The anger of God must inevitably rise at every contact with human ignorance and stubbornness, though it may be so veiled beneath love, pity, and patience as to be concealed from the man wl1ose conduct excites it. And note in particular that there is no inconsistency in attributing to God anger with Moses. Moses himself was to be excused, as having only recently become acquainted with God; but he could not escape his share of the due effects arising out of the alienation of the entire human race from God. Besides, God's anger must be looked upon as one of his instruments in bringing us effectually to compliance with his will. God's anger is really part of the goodness which leads us to repentaD.ce; and if gentler methods fail, then the time will come at last when that en, 1v. 17.] THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 99