Day 19: “What Shall I Say?”
Passage: Exodus 3:13-22

When Moses began his prayer filled with awe, fear, and doubt, and in spite of God’s assurance that Moses would not be alone, Moses questioned God and asked Him in verse 13, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them the God of your ancestors has sent me and they ask me what is his name? What shall I say to them?”

God, in verses 14-22, revealed to Moses his divine name, a divine self-disclosure of who He is: “I AM WHO I AM.” It is by the power of His name Moses shall go forth into Egypt and proclaim Israelites’ liberation not just before the Pharaoh but also assure that deliverance was at hand before the entire nation of Israel. To the elders of Israel, Moses will declare that they would be freed from the oppressive hand of Egyptians and that they will be divinely protected by God as they face various enemies in the Promised Land. If there was a shred of doubt that the Jewish leaders would follow suit, God reassured Moses that he would not only gain the support of Israelites but also be opposed by the Pharaoh and become an instrument by which God will demonstrate His awesome power and wonders before the entire Egyptian nation. Once all signs were performed, Israel will not only leave Egypt but also be affluent because of all silver and gold jewelry and clothing they would get from the Egyptians as plunder, a prize given to the victors of a war.

All believers are commissioned by God to proclaim the Gospel message (which means “good news”) before all men and women (Matt. 28:19-20). Yet we often ask God out of fear like Moses, “What shall I say?” In other words, what is the Gospel message we must know, accept, and proclaim in order to liberate men and women from the power of sin and death, and to restore their relationship with God again? 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 gives us an apt summary of the message we must know, accept, and proclaim before the world:

1. Christ died for our sins;
2. Christ was buried (in other words, literally dead); and
3. Christ rose from the dead on the third day.

Additionally, we must proclaim that Christ offers His salvation as a free gift to everyone that can only be received by faith, apart from any works or merit on our part (Rom. 5:15; 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9). The gospel is “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16). Apostle Paul, the same author, tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

The essential elements of the Gospel are as follows:

1. All men are sinful, or separated from God;
2. Christ died on the cross to pay for those sins;
3. Christ rose from the dead to provide eternal life for those who follow him; and
4. God offers the free gift of salvation to everyone who believes, accepts, and follows Christ.

Just like the Egyptians did and ultimately failed, the world will resist the gospel message for a while, but Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It is through the power the gospel and of God, the “I AM” of Exodus, that everyone will bow down in this world one day in the future.

What shall you talk about? The gospel message, the good news of how God has been reconciled with sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The challenge is this: Are you committed to proclaiming the simple yet awesome, grace-filled, and liberating power of the gospel message before all sinful men and women through whatever means possible and wherever you go on a daily basis?