Yahweh
said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
Exodus 4:11-12
Exodus 4 [10.] Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Exodus 4 [11.] Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
Exodus 4 [13.] He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
Meaning:
At the burning bush, God called Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses offered excuse after excuse, ending with his lack of eloquence. God's answer is a series of searching questions followed by a promise. These two verses reveal God as the Creator of every human ability and the faithful helper of those he sends.
- Moses’ Last Excuse
Moses had grown up in Pharaoh's court, but he had spent forty years as a shepherd in Midian. Now, aged about eighty, he felt unqualified to speak before the most powerful ruler of his day. "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue," he protested. Some have suggested a speech difficulty; others think he simply felt rusty and inadequate after decades in the wilderness. Either way, he looked at his own limitations rather than at the God who was calling him.
- The Creator of Every Mouth
God answers with questions: "Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?" God claims sovereign authority over every human faculty. This is not a statement that God delights in disability, but a declaration that nothing about a person lies outside his knowledge, purpose and care. The Psalmist praises the same Creator: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-16).
When Jesus' disciples later assumed that a man's blindness must be punishment for sin, Jesus replied that it was "that the works of God might be revealed in him" (John 9:2-4). God's sovereignty over our bodies means that even our weaknesses can become places where his glory is displayed.
- “I Will Be with Your Mouth”
God does not promise to make Moses eloquent. He promises something better: his presence. "I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak." The God who made Moses' mouth would fill it. Paul learned the same lesson when the Lord told him, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). God's power works through human weakness, not only through human strength.
Sadly, Moses still pleaded, "Please send someone else," and God, though angry, gave him Aaron as a spokesman. Yet in time Moses became the great prophet and lawgiver of Israel, whose words have shaped God's people for more than three thousand years.
- Fulfilled in Jesus
In the Gospels, the Creator who asked "Who made man’s mouth?" is seen at work in Jesus. In the Decapolis, Jesus put his fingers into a deaf man's ears, touched his tongue and said, "Be opened!" The crowds exclaimed, "He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!" (Mark 7:31-37). This fulfilled Isaiah's promise that "the tongue of the mute will sing" (Isaiah 35:6).
The Significance of Exodus 4:11-12
- God Equips Those He Calls
Many believers feel unqualified to speak about their faith. God's reply to Moses still stands: the one who made our mouths can teach us what to say. Our task is to go in obedience; his task is to supply what we lack.
- Every Person Is God’s Creation
These verses remind us that every person, whatever their abilities, is made and known by God. That truth calls us to treat people with disabilities with honor and to see each life as precious in his sight.
Cross-References:
Mark 7:37: "He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!" Jesus shows the Creator's power over mouth and ear.
Isaiah 35:6: "Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert." The prophets foresaw a day when God would restore speech to the mute.
Psalm 139:14: "I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well." Every person is the handiwork of God.
2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you" God's grace and power are enough for the weaknesses we bring to his service.
Conclusion: Exodus 4:11-12 answers our sense of inadequacy with the greatness of God. He made every mouth, he knows every limitation, and he promises to be with those he sends. The same Creator was at work in Jesus, opening deaf ears and loosening tongues. Trusting him, we can go where he sends us and speak the words he gives.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible