Moses went out to his brethren and saw their burdens, recognizing the oppression of his people and feeling that he could deliver them. In his righteous indignation he began to right their wrongs, believing himself chosen by God. Yet after the first strike for God and for the right, God sent Moses into a period of blank discouragement, placing him in the desert to feed sheep for forty years.
When the forty years ended, God appeared to Moses and commanded him to bring forth His people. Moses replied, “Who am I, that I should go?” He realized that although he was destined to deliver the people, he first needed training and discipline from God. His initial conviction was correct, but he was not yet ready until he learned communion with God.
The passage draws a parallel for believers who may have a clear vision of God’s will and begin to act, only to encounter a prolonged period of discouragement that feels like a wilderness. In that time, the sense of purpose can wane, and the call to action may seem absurd. The text urges that, like Moses, we must recognize that our individual effort is insufficient without a personal relationship with God.
It concludes that the first great stride of God is to affirm, “I AM THAT I AM… hath sent me,” and that personal enlargement awaits those who learn to align with God’s stride rather than merely focusing on individual effort. The reflection cites Matthew 3:11 to emphasize that our individuality is to be illuminated through a relationship with God, promising a renewed sense of purpose after discouragement.
