Connect Jeremiah 1:7 with Moses' reluctance in Exodus 4:10-12. What similarities exist? God’s Call Meets Human Hesitation “But the LORD said to me: ‘Do not say, “I am only a youth,” for you must go to everyone I send you and speak whatever I command you.’” 10 “But Moses replied to the LORD, ‘Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant—because my mouth and tongue are sluggish.’ 11 And the LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, sighted or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go! I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to say.’” Parallels in Their Protests • Both Jeremiah and Moses focus on personal inadequacy—Jeremiah on youth, Moses on speech. • Each speaks directly to the LORD, voicing reluctance in the very moment of divine commissioning. • The LORD answers both objections immediately, refusing to accept self-limiting excuses. • In each scene God redirects attention away from human weakness to divine authority and presence. The LORD’s Reassurance in Both Texts • Provision of Words ‑ Jeremiah: “You must … speak whatever I command you.” ‑ Moses: “I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to say.” • Promise of Presence ‑ Jeremiah 1:8: “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you.” ‑ Exodus 4:12: “Now go! I will be with your mouth.” • Sovereign Authority ‑ In Jeremiah, God appoints a prophet to nations (1:5, 10). ‑ In Exodus, God reminds Moses He created the mouth itself (4:11). Shared Themes Across Scripture • God equips those He calls—Isaiah 50:4; Luke 12:11-12. • He delights to use the weak—1 Corinthians 1:26-29. • His presence overcomes fear—Joshua 1:5; Matthew 28:20. Takeaway for Today’s Believer • Feelings of inadequacy never nullify a divine assignment. • The same LORD who fashioned the lips of Moses and the youthful Jeremiah still forms words in servants today. • Obedience rests not on self-confidence but on confidence that “faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). |
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