IX.

A Helper Appointed.

(EXODUS iv. 13-20.)

SET us now first remark an interesting feature in this history-it is that Moses himself relates his blamable backwardness to obey the will of his God. Instead of being proud of the great powers which he had received, and of the glorious mission which was entrusted to him, he is careful to tell us how timid, obstinate, and unbelieving he was when God deigned to call him to this service. This truthfulness, this humble uprightness of the men of God, who do not hide any of their faults or of their weaknesses, form admirable features in their characters, of which evidence is to be found all through the Bible. You recollect how Jonah relates his flight to Tarshish, and his murmuring under the gourd; and in the New Testament it is Matthew who tells us that he was a tax-gatherer.1 It is Mark, the friend of Peter, who gave us the fullest account of Peter's fall, when he denied Christ thrice. Paul resisted Peter, and "withstood him to the face;"3 and it is Peter who most strongly recommends the Epistles of St. Paul.*

Moses gives a detail here of the objections which he made five times, one after the other. He even tells us that the Divine wrath was kindled against him. You 2 Mark xiv. 54-72. 3 Gal. ii. II. 4 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16.

1 Matt. ix. 9.

remember all his objections, and the answers of the Lord, so full of goodness and patience. At last the Lord said to him-"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say;" to which Moses replied, "O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." He dared still to resist. He asked God to send another, one more able, more worthy. He wished that God would let him stay with his flock; he was not fit for anything else; he was fearful of the dangers, difficulties, and struggles he might meet with; he was content with his lot, and feared death or the loss of the quiet which he enjoyed; he was too old, too weak.

It was thus that Jonah shrank from performing his mission. It was thus that Elijah, when called to go to Ahab, went into the wilderness, sat under a juniper tree, and asked the Lord to take away his life.3 There was in these men of God a deep sense of their own unworthiness. We are, it is true, never sufficiently convinced of our weakness, ignorance, and incapacity; but, if it is good to distrust ourselves, it is wrong to distrust God. When he calls us to perform a duty, we are very sinful in saying, "I cannot do it, I am unable, I am unworthy; it is more than I can do; send some one else." But do you wish that, instead of you, some one else should be saved, some one else should go to heaven, some one else should be pleasing God, and serve and obey him in your stead? Remember the words of Mordecai to queen Esther, "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house 2 Jonah i. 3. 3 I Kings xix. 4.

1 Exod. iv. 12, 13.

shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"1

Thus it is said that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. We do not know how this was shown, perhaps the flame in the midst of the bush glowed more brightly, and rose in the air in a more dreadful manner; perhaps the tones of the voice of God became as terrible as thunder. Be this as it may, admire at the same time his mercy. None but He would have exhibited so much patience. He not only condescended to prove to him how wrong his fears and objections were, but he promised him a great pleasure he was to give him a helper that would encourage him, and this helper was to be his own brother, from whom he had been rated for forty years: "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? behold, he cometh forth to meet thee." Moses was to see him again; to find in him a servant of God, a brother in the faith, a companion, a friend. "He can speak well . . . and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart."

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It appears that Aaron was very eloquent, as the Lord said, "I know that he can speak ;" and he added, " And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee." What news for Moses! Yes, at the same time that God had first appeared to him, he had spoken to his brother; he had revealed himself to him; he had caused him to set out on his journey, and Aaron was already on the way. "When he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart." Ah! their joy may be imagined when they found themselves united again, after they had thought that they had been separated for ever; and when they discovered that they were brothers in the faith, brothers 1 Esther iv. 14.

for eternity, brothers to continue together the journey of life, and to help each other! And what joy can be greater than to meet again, not upon the mountains of Midian, but in eternity-one's father, mother, brothers, sisters, children, and all those who by the same faith will one day assemble around the throne of God and of the Lamb.

But admire, my children, the manner in which God governs the things of this world and of his church. When it pleases him to save a soul, or call a servant, he causes all persons and all events to work together for this end, and in a way already determined. As a skilful general sends each division of his army, without the knowledge of the others, to assemble on the same field of battle, so the Lord sends his servants who are fighting the good fight, to the place and at the time where they ought to meet. It was thus that he sent Peter to Cornelius, Ananias to Paul, Philip to the eunuch.1 It is thus that in our time he sends missionaries to heathen lands. It was thus that he caused Farel and Calvin to meet at Geneva, that they might help each other, and form a friendship that lasted during their lives, and greatly contributed to the success of their work. How this thought enlightens, strengthens, comforts, and rejoices those who are engaged serving God. "And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do."2

Notwithstanding the eloquence of Aaron, it was necessary that the Lord should be with his mouth in order that his words should be of use; and it was 1 Acts x. 9-23; ix. 10, 11; viii. 29. 2 Exod. iv. 15.

needful that God should teach the two brothers not only what they were to say, but what they were to do. Aaron "shall be thy spokesman unto the people,” said the Lord; and "he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God." That is to say, Moses was to tell him the words as he received them from God. Aaron, then, though the elder brother, was to be inferior; but, on the other hand, Aaron should speak to the people. It is thus that God distributes his gifts, so that his servants may help and sustain one another-as in the body all our members and senses sustain and help each other. God might have granted all these gifts to Moses, but it seemed good to him to share them between the two brothers.

"And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." Remark that this order is again repeated here. We spoke in our last chapter of what God was to do with this rod of Moses. Was there any virtue in this staff? No, assuredly not! but God had need of it as he had need of Moses. It was as though he said to him, "I have no greater need of thee than I have of thy staff; I make use of it merely to show thee that thou art nothing by thyself, and that I make use of the smallest instruments to perform great works." I have already told you that when God sent twelve peasants as apostles to make known salvation to the world; when he sends humble missionaries, or even a colporteur or scripture-reader to announce his word, they are, in a manner, no more than the rod of Moses, and receive their power of doing good from God alone.

“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father