“And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Ex. 4:10-12). Moses ultimately became one of the great teachers of the Israelite nation (cf. Deut. 4:1), but it was not without his need of encouragement from the Lord. All teachers, whether just starting out or those highly experienced, need to be strengthened to do some of the greatest work among mankind. Consider some thoughts about encouraging teachers.
- Further Development Builds Greater Ability. Moses was a man of learning in the ways of Egypt. Stephen stated of Moses, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22). However, when it came to his speaking for the Lord, he felt extremely inadequate. Solomon wrote of wise and just men and their continued learning, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” (Prov. 9:9). All teachers need to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the Bible. Teachers of all fields are required to stay abreast of things to improve their competency of instruction. Man will always need to be exposed to both the fundamentals and the deeper principles that give a broad understanding of the Bible. Moses went “back to school” at the age of 80.
- Faith in the Lord’s Approval Gives Courage. The Lord encouraged Moses by saying, “I will be with thy mouth” (Ex. 4:12). Jeremiah was told when he saw himself as unqualified to serve as a prophet due to his youth, “But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord” (Jer. 1:7-8). While it is true that both Moses and Jeremiah were inspired prophets who did not have to study as to what to say, they still had to have the courage to do the work. Knowing that the Lord is with those who work for Him is a very encouraging thought. Paul wrote to the young man Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). When man draws nigh to God, He draws nigh to man (cf. James 4:8).
- Future Blessings Abound in the Task. Moses’ teaching was paramount to the success of the nation (cf. Deut. 4:1-8). It was their wisdom (cf. Deut. 4:6). How much more is the New Testament the blueprint for success in the world today? Paul specifically instructed Timothy to pass on the inspired word of God to others that they also might teach (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2). That word is food to the soul (cf. Matt. 4:4), light in a dark world (cf. Ps. 119:105) and the sword to stand against the wicked one (cf. Eph. 6:17). No one who learns it and passes it on to others will every regret it. Let everyone know and remember that God’s own Son was a teacher (cf. Acts 1:1). Jimmy Clark