Exodus Chapter 6:10-15 - A Charge to Keep I Have | Exodus Bible Study
Exodus 6:10–15 — When God Gives You an Assignment
Introduction
There are times when obeying God becomes difficult, not because we misunderstood what God said, but because the people, circumstances, or opposition surrounding the assignment make obedience difficult.
Moses experienced this firsthand.
God had already commissioned Moses to go before Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Yet Moses encountered resistance from Pharaoh and discouragement from the very people he had been sent to deliver.
Moses could have looked at the circumstances and concluded that the assignment was not working.
But God's command had not changed.
This passage teaches us an important lesson:
Difficulty does not necessarily mean that God has changed His instructions.
When God gives us a charge, our responsibility is to remain faithful to what He has commanded.
The LORD Speaks Again
Exodus 6:10 KJV
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
This simple statement is important.
Moses had just experienced discouragement.
The children of Israel were suffering under increased oppression, and Exodus 6:9 tells us that they did not hearken unto Moses “for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.”
But their inability to receive Moses' message did not silence God.
The LORD spoke again.
When circumstances become confusing, we must return to what God has spoken.
Our confidence cannot rest entirely upon people's response to us.
People may receive the message.
People may reject the message.
People may misunderstand the message.
But the servant of God must remain faithful to the One who gave the assignment.
Go In and Speak
Exodus 6:11 KJV
“Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
God's instruction was direct:
Go.
Speak.
Moses was not responsible for controlling Pharaoh's response.
He was responsible for delivering God's word.
This distinction is important in ministry.
God may give us something to teach, preach, say, or do. Our responsibility is obedience.
We cannot control what another person does with what God has spoken.
The messenger must not change the message simply because the hearer resists it.
Moses Looks at the Circumstances
Exodus 6:12 KJV
“And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?”
Moses looked at what had already happened.
Israel had not listened.
Therefore Moses reasoned:
If Israel will not hear me, why should Pharaoh hear me?
From a human perspective, Moses' concern makes sense.
But God's assignment was not based upon Moses' ability to produce a favorable response.
Moses was looking at himself.
God was looking at His purpose.
Moses saw his limitations.
God knew His power.
Moses saw Pharaoh.
God saw deliverance.
“Uncircumcised Lips”
Moses described himself as being “of uncircumcised lips.”
This expression communicates Moses' sense of inadequacy and inability to speak effectively.
Earlier Moses had already told God:
Exodus 4:10 KJV
“O my Lord, I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Moses repeatedly focused upon what he believed he lacked.
But God's calling did not depend upon Moses possessing perfect natural ability.
God knew Moses' limitations before He called him.
That is an important lesson for us.
God does not discover our weaknesses after He gives us an assignment.
He already knows them.
Therefore our weakness does not automatically disqualify us from obeying what God has commanded.
God Gives Them a Charge
Exodus 6:13 KJV
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.”
This is the heart of the passage.
God gave them a charge.
A charge is more than a suggestion.
It carries the idea of something entrusted or commanded.
Moses and Aaron had responsibilities concerning both:
the children of Israel
and
Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God had determined that Israel would be brought out of bondage.
Moses' discouragement did not change God's purpose.
Israel's anguish did not change God's purpose.
Pharaoh's resistance would not change God's purpose.
The assignment remained.
When the People Do Not Listen
One of the hardest parts of ministry is continuing faithfully when people do not respond.
Moses had delivered God's message, yet Israel did not listen.
But Exodus 6:9 explains why.
They were suffering from:
“anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.”
Their response was connected to their suffering.
This gives us an important pastoral lesson.
Sometimes people are not rejecting us personally.
They may be hurting.
They may be exhausted.
They may be afraid.
They may be overwhelmed by circumstances.
A servant of God must therefore learn not to measure the truth of God's Word by the immediate reaction of the people hearing it.
Do Not Rewrite God's Instructions
When obedience becomes difficult, there is a temptation to modify the assignment.
We may begin saying:
“Maybe God didn't really tell me to do this.”
“Maybe I should change the message.”
“Maybe I should stop because people are not responding.”
But Moses could not rewrite God's command simply because Pharaoh was difficult or Israel was discouraged.
God said:
“Go in, speak unto Pharaoh.”
The servant's responsibility was obedience.
Not My Will, But Thine
Jesus gives us the supreme example of submission to the Father's will.
Luke 22:42 KJV
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
Obedience is easiest when God's will agrees with our comfort.
The test comes when obedience becomes costly.
There are moments when following God requires us to say:
“Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
The Genealogy Is Not an Interruption
After Exodus 6:13, Scripture begins recording the heads of the fathers' houses.
Exodus 6:14 KJV
“These be the heads of their fathers' houses...”
At first, the genealogy may seem to interrupt the story.
It does not.
The genealogy establishes the family identity and lineage of Moses and Aaron before the narrative moves into their confrontation with Pharaoh.
Scripture is grounding these men within the covenant community of Israel.
Moses and Aaron did not appear from nowhere.
They belonged to Israel.
They came from the tribe of Levi.
The men whom God commissioned had a history, a family, and a place among God's covenant people.
Observation
Several truths stand out in Exodus 6:10–15.
God's command remained even when Moses became discouraged.
The people's response did not determine whether Moses' message was true.
Moses' weakness did not cancel God's calling.
Pharaoh's resistance did not overthrow God's purpose.
God gave Moses and Aaron a charge, and they were responsible for obeying it.
This is the difference between assignment and outcome.
God gives the assignment.
God remains sovereign over the outcome.
A Charge to Keep
There are assignments God gives His servants that must not be abandoned simply because they become difficult.
Paul later told Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:2 KJV
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
Notice:
“in season, out of season.”
There will be seasons when the work feels fruitful.
There will also be seasons when the work feels difficult.
Faithfulness cannot depend entirely upon the season.
Personal Application
When God has clearly instructed me through His Word, I must be careful not to allow discouragement to become disobedience.
I should ask myself:
Am I measuring my assignment by people's response?
Have I become discouraged because someone did not receive what I said?
Am I focusing more upon my limitations than upon God's ability?
Have I allowed resistance to convince me that God has changed His command?
There is a difference between stubbornly pursuing our own plans and faithfully obeying God.
Therefore, I must continually examine my assignment according to Scripture.
If it is merely my desire, I must be willing to surrender it.
But when God has clearly commanded something in His Word, I should not abandon obedience because obedience has become difficult.
Reflection Questions
What did God command Moses to say to Pharaoh?
Why was Moses discouraged?
According to Exodus 6:9, why were the Israelites unable to listen to Moses?
What did Moses mean when he described himself as having “uncircumcised lips”?
What charge did God give Moses and Aaron?
Did Pharaoh's resistance change God's command?
What is the difference between being responsible for delivering God's Word and being responsible for another person's response?
Have I ever mistaken opposition for evidence that God wanted me to quit?
Do I focus more upon my weaknesses or upon God's ability to work through me?
Is there something God has clearly commanded in Scripture that I have been avoiding because it is difficult?
Closing Encouragement
Moses could see every reason why the assignment might fail.
God could see the end from the beginning.
The children of Israel were discouraged.
Pharaoh was powerful.
Moses felt inadequate.
But none of those things changed what God had spoken.
When God gives a charge, the question is not simply:
“Will this be easy?”
The question is:
“Will I be faithful?”
Do what God has commanded you to do.
Speak what He has commanded you to speak.
Remain faithful when people listen.
Remain faithful when they do not.
And leave the results in God's hands.
Closing Prayer
Father, teach me to be faithful to every responsibility You have given me. Help me not to measure obedience by ease, popularity, or immediate results.
When I become discouraged, bring me back to Your Word. When I focus upon my weaknesses, remind me that Your strength is greater than my limitations. Give me wisdom to distinguish between my own desires and what You have truly commanded.
Give me courage to obey You even when the assignment is difficult. Help me speak Your Word faithfully, walk humbly before You, and trust You with the outcome.
Let my heart continually say, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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