Exodus 3:11
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Moses isn't just saying he's unqualified; he's deeply unsettled because God's past promises to his ancestors suddenly seem irrelevant, and he questions if he can even speak for a God who feels distant to his generation. This reveals a subtle but crucial tension: Moses worries not just about his own weakness, but about the people's lost connection to their heritage and God's perceived silence.
God has just appeared to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses, feeling inadequate and uncertain, immediately voices his doubts about his own ability to undertake such a monumental task. He recalls his past boldness and questions why he, of all people, is being chosen for this seemingly impossible mission.
Moses had once boldly stepped forward, ready to deliver his people. Now, decades later, he’s terrified. What changed?
Forty years prior, Moses acted with youthful zeal, striking down an Egyptian oppressor (Acts 7:25). He assumed his people would recognize God’s hand in his actions and rally behind him. But they rejected him, leaving him disillusioned and exiled. This past rejection, coupled with his long season of quiet shepherding, had deeply impacted him. He now saw himself through the lens of his past failure and his people's likely distrust, rather than through God’s empowering presence. His confidence had crumbled, replaced by a profound self-doubt.
Moses highlights his own inadequacy. But God’s answer isn't about Moses’s skill; it's about God’s presence.
Moses’s question, “Who am I?”, stems from a focus on his own limitations. He’s thinking about his lack of courage, his inability to persuade Pharaoh, and his people’s potential disbelief. He’s measuring himself against the immensity of the task.
But God's response, "Certainly I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12), shifts the entire focus. God doesn't say, 'Moses, you are exceptionally skilled,' or 'You have the perfect background.' Instead, He declares His own immediate and unwavering presence. This is the ultimate qualification. God's presence isn't a reward for Moses's ability; it's the source of his ability. It’s God’s power and faithfulness that will accomplish the task, not Moses’s inherent talent or past successes.
Is Moses’s question a sign of weak fear, or a mark of genuine humility before God?
Understand the original words
elohim · Hebrew Noun
A supreme being or deity; the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, recognized as the singular object of worship in biblical monotheism.
Par'oh · Hebrew Noun
The title given to the Egyptian monarch, representing the highest human authority and often viewed as a divine or semi-divine figure in the Egyptian worldview. In the Bible, Pharaoh frequently functions as a symbol of worldly power in opposition to the kingdom of God.
bene yisra'el · Hebrew Noun Phrase
Used in a corporate sense to refer to the descendants of Jacob; the chosen people through whom God promised to bless the nations and establish His covenant.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
Generations after settling in Egypt, the Israelites become enslaved, forced into harsh labor under oppressive conditions.
c. 1446 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
Moses, after killing an Egyptian overseer, flees Egypt and becomes a shepherd in Midian, living in exile for 40 years.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses Encounters the Burning Bush
While tending his flock at Mount Horeb, Moses encounters a burning bush and is called by God to return to Egypt and liberate the Israelites.
c. 1406 BC
Moses Expresses Doubt
Moses questions his own ability and God's authority, asking 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?'
c. 1406 BC
God Assures Moses
God promises to be with Moses and reveals His name, 'I AM WHO I AM,' empowering Moses for the mission.
Gideon expresses a similar self-doubt when called by God to deliver Israel, asking, "Who am I, that I should save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." This highlights a recurring pattern of God calling those who feel inadequate.
Jeremiah 1:6The prophet Jeremiah also protests his calling due to his youth and perceived inability, saying, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." This parallels Moses's feeling of inadequacy and God's reassurance.
1 Samuel 15:17When Samuel anoints David king, he acknowledges David's own perception of his lowliness, stating, "Although you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel?" This illustrates how God often chooses the humble and overlooked.
2 Corinthians 12:9Paul's experience echoes Moses's when God says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." This New Testament passage directly addresses the principle that God's strength is most evident in our perceived weakness, providing a theological framework for Moses's doubt and God's response.
calvinExodus 3:10-14: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Et ait Moses ad Deum, Ecce ubi ego venero ad filios Israel, et dixero eis, Deus patrum vestrorum misit me ad vos: tunc si d…
pooleExodus 3:11: "And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
What a mean, inconsiderable person am I! how unworthy and unfit for that employment! He was more forward in the work forty years ago, by reason of the fervours of his youth, his inexperience in affairs, the advantage of his power and interest in the court, by which he thought he could and should procure their deliverance; but now age had made him co…
Moses isn't just saying he's unqualified; he's deeply unsettled because God's past promises to his ancestors suddenly seem irrelevant, and he questions if he can even speak for a God who feels distant to his generation. This reveals a subtle but crucial tension: Moses worries not just about his own weakness, but about the people's lost connection to their heritage and God's perceived silence.
God has just appeared to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses, feeling inadequate and uncertain, immediately voices his doubts about his own ability to undertake such a monumental task. He recalls his past boldness and questions why he, of all people, is being chosen for this seemingly impossible mission.
God has just appeared to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses, feeling inadequate and uncertain, immediately voices his doubts about his own ability to undertake such a monumental task. He recalls his past boldness and questions why he, of all people, is being chosen for this seemingly impossible mission.
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Moses’s self-questioning, 'Who am I?', can be seen as a moment of profound, albeit hesitant, humility. He's not boasting or overestimating his abilities; instead, he’s keenly aware of his limitations in the face of an impossible task. This isn't the false humility of seeking praise, but a raw honesty about his own inadequacy.
This contrasts sharply with the misplaced confidence of his youth. Now, forty years seasoned by exile and reflection, Moses understands that true strength doesn't come from within. His hesitation, while understandable, is rooted in a self-assessment that overlooks the One who is truly capable. God’s call isn't for the perfectly qualified, but for the willing, upon whom He bestows His presence and power. Moses’s humility, when understood correctly, makes him more teachable and ready to rely wholly on God.
c. 1406 BC
Signs Given to Moses
To bolster Moses's confidence and provide proof to the Israelites, God gives him the signs of the staff turning into a serpent and his hand becoming leprous.
"But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”" — Moses isn't just saying he's unqualified; he's deeply unsettled because God's past promises to his ancestors suddenly seem irrelevant, and he questions if he can even speak for a God who feels distan…
