What does God's control over speech in Exodus 4:11 teach about divine authority? Setting the Scene Moses is standing before the burning bush, hesitant to accept God’s call because he feels “slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). The Lord responds with a probing question that reframes everything: The Verse Under Focus “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11) What the Question Reveals About Divine Authority - God alone is the Creator of every human faculty. • Speech, hearing, sight, and even their absence exist by His deliberate design (Psalm 146:5-6). - Authority over ability means authority over mission. • If God can enable or restrain the mouth, He can commission a spokesman and guarantee the outcome (Jeremiah 1:6-9). - Human limitations do not limit God. • The One who formed Adam’s lips from dust can empower stammering lips to proclaim His truth (Isaiah 6:5-7). - Sovereignty is personal, not abstract. • God addresses Moses directly—“Who gave man his mouth?”—reminding every believer that divine control extends to individual circumstances. Supporting Witnesses Across Scripture - Zechariah is struck mute and later freed to speak, illustrating God’s power to close and open a mouth (Luke 1:20, 64). - Balaam’s donkey speaks when God wills, showing authority even over animal speech (Numbers 22:28). - The disciples “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4), demonstrating that gospel proclamation depends on divine empowerment, not natural talent. - James warns that the same mouth can bless or curse, and accountability rests with the Lord who gave it (James 3:9-10). Implications for Worship and Obedience - Reverence: Recognizing God’s control over speech fuels awe—every word articulated is possible only because He permits it. - Confidence: If God sends us, He supplies what our mouths lack. Hesitation fades when we trust His authority more than our inadequacy (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). - Humility: Boasting in eloquence is misplaced; ability is a gift on loan from the Giver (1 Corinthians 4:7). - Submission: Yielding our tongues to God means aligning words with His purposes—truth over flattery, grace over bitterness (Ephesians 4:29). Living This Truth Today - Begin each conversation mindful that your capacity to speak is granted moment-by-moment by the Lord. - When facing tasks that seem beyond your verbal ability—teaching a class, sharing the gospel, counseling a friend—rest in the God who fashioned your mouth and can fill it (Psalm 81:10). - Remember that silence can also serve God’s purposes; He who opens the mouth can call for quiet reflection or restraint (Proverbs 10:19). - Encourage others who feel tongue-tied: point them to Exodus 4:11 and the God who equips the called. Summing Up Exodus 4:11 shows that the Lord’s authority reaches to the smallest muscle of the human body and the slightest syllable that passes across it. He made the mouth; He rules its function. Therefore, His people can speak—or be silent—with unshakable trust in the sovereign God who controls every word. |
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