Illiterate or Intelligent?
Acts 7:22
“Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”
Exodus 4:10
Moses said to the Lord, “pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Which one is it? Is Moses illiterate or is Moses intelligent?!
One verse says Moses was educated in all wisdom and another says he has never been eloquent. Revelation exists between two seemingly contradictory statements.
Moses was raised in the palace of Pharaoh. Moses was raised within the mindset and educational system of the Egyptians which I would venture to say was absent of any teaching concerning the God of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Even if Moses was considered a genius concerning the lifestyle of the Egyptians he wasn’t well versed on the lifestyle of one who is governed by God.
Even though Moses was 40 years removed from living amongst the Egyptians he still lacked a true understanding of who God was.
Moses wasn’t telling God that he was stupid, he was telling God I have no clue who you are! What am I supposed to say? I was raised by the Egyptians and they didn’t teach me about you. Now I’ve been in the wilderness and to be honest the God that Jethro is teaching me about isn’t one who could deliver a million people from 400 years of oppression.
Moses wasn’t saying I’m an ignorant person he was saying I must be ignorant concerning who God is because I wasn’t aware the God I knew could do what you’re saying you are about to do!
That is why God revealed a new side of His character to Moses. Moses had to be taught about the “I AM” nature of who God is. Exodus 3:14 says, “I AM WHO I AM.” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!
Moses had to allow God to teach him about who He was! Moses wasn’t confident to go in the name of the God he was currently in possession of. That’s why he said I can’t speak. It was his way of saying I don’t know about you. I don’t know what to say about you. I don’t know how to describe you. Most importantly I’m not confident God is capable of doing what you are telling me to go do!
In order for God to use you in ways that aren’t normal within society. In order for God to perform things that haven’t been seen in 400 years you will have to approach God with a mentality of – I have no idea who you are. Teach me God! Show me who you really are! The God I am currently in possession of hasn’t done what you are telling me can happen so teach me what I don’t know!
Renew your mind. Don’t settle for the God of your ancestors. Let that be a foundation for God to build on. Don’t allow the revelation of who you think God is to shape your world. Allow God to show you who He is and watch your world begin to reflect on earth as it is in Heaven!