Dr Kelly Fleming

Moses was one of the greatest leaders in the Bible.

Many people are shocked to think of him as a disabled man.

Moses was born with a stutter or had some other type of speech impediment. When God called him to be the leader of the Jewish people and deliver them out of the hands of Pharaoh and Egyptian bondage, Moses argued with God that people would not listen to him because of his inability to speak clearly.

“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, ‘O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I have never been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. (Ex. 4:10-16 NLT)

After being rebuked by God, Moses led the Jewish nation out of Egyptian bondage. He led them to the Promised Land (although he was not gifted the chance to set foot in the Promised Land and died shortly before the crossing over to the Promised Land). Moses, a disabled man who had a speech impediment became the greatest man of the Jewish nation until Jesus Christ became Incarnate.

What an amazing declaration from God! He is the one who choses if a person will be disabled. How often is this overlooked in the Bible, how many people suffered in the time of the Bible and throughout the years up to the present day as outcasts simply because so many people “missed the mark” of this very important declaration from God? It is God who makes disabled people!

An equally important point God makes to Moses is that He would use Aaron, the brother of Moses to assist Moses in speaking with the people. Aaron does not speak for Moses; he took the role of an interpreter, so that Moses could convey God’s Words to the people. If God used an interpreter for one of the greatest prophets that ever lived, how much more so should the Church welcome interpreters and communication aids for disabled people who are not able to speak or do not speak clear enough for others to understand?