“Moses continually focused on his own human inabilities and offered them to God as excuses as to why he could not do what God was telling him.”
In Exodus 4, we see Moses meeting with God—the infamous burning bush experience. Something subtle yet crucial occurs, and I believe it is significant for all of us.
Verse 2: “The LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ Moses answered, ‘It is my walking stick.'”
Some translations render it “stick,” and some say “staff,” and some say “shepherd’s staff.”
The fact is, all of those terms are accurate and relevant. A shepherd could and would use his “stick” as a walking stick and his staff. The point here is that it is:
1) owned by Moses
2) used by Moses
3) used for walking
4) used for leading sheep
Verse 20: “So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.”
That rendering of verse 20 is from the NASB 95, regarded by scholars as the most accurate word-for-word English translation of Scripture. The verse is rendered the same in the ESV and the HCSB, both highly regarded as word-for-word translations. I mention this because I wanted to point out that the phrase “staff of God” is how it is rendered in the ancient text because some modern “looser” translations render it as a stick.
What’s my point?
If you read Exodus 4, especially verses 2-20, you know that Moses struggled with God because God was telling Moses that He had chosen Moses to lead God’s people out of captivity and gave Moses the plan. Moses continually focused on his own human inabilities and offered them to God as excuses as to why he could not do what God was telling him. God is patient until He becomes angry. Throughout those verses, God keeps giving Moses evidence of WHO He is and Moses keeps giving God evidence of his inability to do what God has told him to do. That said, the most significant aspect, in my opinion, is that God states, “I will go with you.” What more do we need?
Now, consider this because this is the crucial point I mentioned.
In verse 2, it’s a shepherd’s staff…just a stick.
After meeting with God in verse 20, it’s now the “Staff of God.”
Before God anoints, appoints, and declares that He will go with Moses, this is a stick, a shepherd’s staff, owned by a man, for the purpose of leading sheep. Now, after God anoints and appoints Moses and declares that He will go with Moses, the man’s stick has become God’s staff for the purpose of leading people.
God can and will take whatever you have, your talents, skills, tools, etc., and turn them into His to be used by you for His purposes.
It took me too long in life to fully realize that my “natural” talents, acquired skills, and spiritual gifts, given to me by God, are my “staff.” God has anointed and appointed me to use these things to help people, and God will go with me as I do.
Here’s a hint: I’m not the only one. 🙂
