Slow of Speech

Ex. 4:10-13

10 But Moses said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ ¹¹Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹²Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.’ ¹³But he said, ‘O my Lord, please send someone else.’

When the Lord called Moses to speak to pharaoh, Moses seems unwilling.  His excuse is that he is slow of speech.  Yet in Acts 7:22, Stephen tells us that “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.” This verse speaks of Moses as being a highly educated man, one who could work and speak well. Moses, who is now 40, spent his time in Midian learning a new language and before he left Egypt he was able to speak to the Hebrews.  So why did he believed that he would be unable to communicate, especially with the Pharaoh, who he was raised with like a brother.

Now think of Moses in his situation. The people, whom he is called to lead, were not ready to accept him. Also, he had to face an uncooperative pharaoh. A lot changes in 40 years, one of which is the language, notice the difference in the words I use and the words you use.  But was it his ability to speak or his fear that God has asked too much of him?

Previously Moses had challenged the Lord and seemed to be avoiding returning to Egypt. Moses first tried to avoid Egypt by asking God, "who am I that I should go before Pharaoh and bring the Israelites, out of Egypt?" (Ex. 3:11)  The Lord replies that he will be with him. Then Moses asked, "What if I go to Israelites and they ask me what God’s name is?" (Ex. 3:13) Does Moses not know the Lord?  Interestingly enough, the Lord tells him his name.  Moses needed to learn that with God’s grace nothing is impossible.  The strength of Exodus is not in the epic hero but in the Lord.  Look at what Moses did through God’s grace!

With Pharaoh, he not Aaron does the talking.  He speaks with great courage and authority. He is the leader when the Israelites are victorious in battle. He leads them through the Red Sea and prays during the battle with Amalek.  He leads a people who were slaves to freedom.  He did this for 40 years in a desert with little food and water. When the Israelites abandoned worship of God and built the golden calf, Moses calls them back. At the end of his life, he proclaims the speeches that make up Deuteronomy.

The standard of language for those who believe that Jesus is Lord is measured in the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Ex. 20:16) In the Catholic Catechism, we are instructed about the eighth commandment:

The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations of the covenant. (CCC 2464)

One of the core values of Hoban is integrity.  What is the integrity of your language?  Is your language always a witness to the grace God gives you? Is your word honorable?  Coming from God and speaking what the Lord is calling you to say?  Can a parent, teacher, or young child hear you and be proud of what you are saying?  How does your speech protect the reputation of others?  Does your language defend the poor and vulnerable?  If you were like Moses and spoke directly to the Lord, what would he hear?

A prayer:

Lord - Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it. (Pope Clement IX)