God equips us to be able to do all that He desires us to do

In Exodus 3-4, Moses meets God, in the form of a flaming bush. He offers five different objections, trying to pass off this responsibility to "someone else (Exodus 4:13)." Each time, God tells him, in one way or another, that He, God, has equipped him, Moses, for the job He has given him, namely to give God's message to Pharaoh to let His people go.

In Exodus 3:11, after God reveals that He will send Moses to Pharaoh for the express purpose of delivering the Hebrews, Moses objects, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

God replies, "Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain (3:12)." God did not answer the question, "Who am I [Moses]," but reassured Moses that He would be with him and empower him to fulfill God's plan.

Moses next objects, somewhat reasonably, "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, "What is his name?" what shall I say unto them? (3:13)" Given the pantheism and polytheism in Egypt, it was a fair question, at least to an extent. The problem, as I'm sure a lot of people would pick up on, is that Moses seems reluctant - and apparently afraid - to do what God is commanding.

God response is, "I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." God reveals His name, which in Hebrew is one of absolute timelessness and greatness. God further adds, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, "the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you": this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations (3:15)." God adds some instructions as well as expanding upon His earlier promise to free His people (3:16-22).

Moses objects again, at the beginning of chapter 4, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, 'The Lord hath not appeared unto thee (4:1).'"

God this time answers with a question of his own; what is Moses holding? (4:2) When he replies, "A staff," God commands him to throw it to the ground, whereupon it transforms into a snake (4:3). After Moses runs away, God tells him to take it up again by the tail, which he does, and it turns back into a staff (4:4). This is one sign that Moses is given to prove to the elders of Israel that indeed God is at work (4:5). God then has Moses put his hand into his cloak, whereupon it becomes leprous (4:6); God tells him to do it again, and this time the hand is clean (4:7). This is the second sign Moses is to do (4:8). A third sign, if they do not believe the first two, is to take water from the Nile, and then pour it on the ground, where it will turn into blood (4:9).

Moses fourth objection is, "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 (4:10)." A lot of people take this to mean that Moses had a speech impediment, but this is probably not what Moses was talking about. Egyptian magicians, who were Pharaoh's advisers, according to the note on my Study Bible, were known for eloquent speech, and what Moses is probably concerned about here is that he isn't a fancy speaker like them.

God's response is much more direct; "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 (4:11-12)." God is revealing here that He is the Creator, who makes all things and all people, and equips them for every need.

Moses finally says, "O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send (4:13). The ESV puts it this way; "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else (4:13 ESV). Moses is clearly asking God to send someone other than him to the job. The objections Moses has given, in the light of this response, seem to be leading up to this question. Like Gideon, in the book of Judges, Moses is reluctant and scared to do what God has equipped him to do, even after being reassured four times by the most powerful Being there is.

God finally becomes angry; "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, 'Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart (4:14).'" God, though displeased with Moses' attempts to refuse His appointment, nevertheless provides further encouragement by promising Moses that Aaron, his brother, will aid him in his God-given quest. God further adds, "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. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs (4:15-17)." God will be there to give Moses the messages that he will speak to Pharaoh. The idea of a "mouth," in this sense, would probably have been understood by Moses, who had formerly been an adopted prince; again according to the note of my Study Bible for 4:16, there was an official called "the mouth of the king"; his job was to hear a message from Pharaoh and then speak the exact same message, without any alterations, to the common people.

Moses, to God's glory, does not try to put off his mission anymore, and goes to Egypt. And, as God promised, everything happens according to His good word and activity. The Israelites are freed and God's wonder is shown in His dealings with Israel and Egypt. From the Ten Plagues all the way to Moses' death and beyond, God led the way and provided for His people (even though they sinned, and grievously at that, against Him).

God still does this for us today; He has empowered us to do what He has given us to do, while Himself removing obstacles and making situations happen in such a way that we accomplish the goal given to us. Various obstacles may seem to be in the way, such that they frighten us the way Moses was frightened to go to the king of Egypt and demand, in God's name, that Pharaoh let the Hebrews go. However, these are not at all invulnerable to the All-Sufficient, Almighty God, and these things can, in His timing, be altered or removed so that our path remains clear. In the meantime, steadfast prayer, Bible-reading, and seeking godly advice from other believers (especially from those who know more) should be our resort when we find an obstacle that is either too big for us to move or that we're afraid of. He will not leave us in the lurch.