By David Brooks | Founder and CEO of Divine Timing Ministries
Bible Stories with Legends: Charlton Heston as Moses, “The Man Who Told God ‘I Can’t Do It'”
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent… I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth?”
— Exodus 4:10-11 (KJV)
🎧 LISTEN NOW: THE RELUCTANT PROPHET
Listen to Charlton Heston reflect on his iconic role, before slipping into the voice of Moses himself.
🎧 Put on your headphones. The mountain is calling.
Charlton Heston here. I’ve been watching the people listening to these podcasts, these Bible Stories with Legends. David asked me to come in because of my extensive role as Moses in The Ten Commandments. My career spanned many decades, but I have to tell you… no movie changed me like this one.
Think about it. Who could play the role of Moses? It was such an honor for me. Cecil B. DeMille didn’t just hand me a script. He handed me a mountain. But to truly understand the man… you have to let the actor step aside. You have to let the prophet speak.
Moses here. In retrospect… I wasn’t even supposed to be alive. I was supposed to be killed as an infant by the command of a Pharaoh who had no fear of God whatsoever. But I was miraculously saved by the Pharaoh’s own daughter. Little did anyone know the plans that God had for me. But I’ll tell you… I was a reluctant participant.
THE PRINCE WHO BECAME A SHEPHERD
I had a good life. I was a prince of Egypt. But somehow, with the heart that God had wired into my DNA, I couldn’t stand to see the Hebrews being beaten and treated cruelly. One day, I snapped. I killed an Egyptian taskmaster. And just like that… I had to run for my life.
For forty years, I was in the desert. Living with nomads. I took a wife, Zipporah. She was beautiful. Everything I wanted. I was perfectly content leaving the life of Egypt behind me. I was done. I had traded the palace for the pasture. But God wasn’t done with me.
THE BURNING BUSH & THE EXCUSES
Until one day… God called me in the form of a burning bush. Who could imagine meeting the Creator of the universe face to face like this? Do you think I saw that coming? Absolutely not. But there I was, with my sandals removed, and the Lord gave me an ultimate command: Go to Pharaoh. Tell him to let My people go.
I did not want the job.
I said, “Lord… I don’t have a voice. I’m slow of speech. Please… send somebody else.” The Lord looked at me and said, “Who hath made man’s mouth? Is it not I the Lord? Go.” I said again, “Please, Lord. Send someone else.” And with that… the Lord became angry. He gave me Aaron. And together, we went.
THE FATAL FLAW: WHEN THE ANOINTING BECOMES PRIDE
But trust me when I tell you… going through these experiences with a stubborn, hard-hearted dictator like Pharaoh, watching God give me a staff to perform His miracles… it changes a man. And not always for the better.
I started to think they were my miracles. I started to take credit for the power of God. And that… that is where my downfall ultimately happened. Because of my pride, and because of my short fuse, I was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land.
It’s a message for some of you out there. When God gives you an anointing… remember where the anointing came from. It’s got nothing to do with you. The people were stubborn, constantly testing the Lord, testing my patience. I had a short fuse, and I needed to learn how to control it. Had I done so… maybe I would have stood on the other side of the Jordan.
God doesn’t call the qualified. But He demands that the called stay humble.
⚡ YOUR 5-MINUTE ACTIVATION: SURRENDER THE ANOINTING
God is calling you, but He is also testing your heart. Take 5 minutes to align your spirit with the Shepherd, not the Prince.
⚡ 5-MINUTE ACTIVATION: SURRENDER THE ANOINTING
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.” — Psalm 115:1 (KJV)
Step 1: CONFESS Your Reluctance (60 sec)
Where is God asking you to step up, but you’re saying “I can’t do it”? Write it down. Then pray: “Lord, I surrender my excuses. I will go where You send me.”
Step 2: AUDIT Your Ego (90 sec)
Have you started taking credit for God’s miracles? Have you let your “short fuse” damage your ministry? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hidden pride.
Step 3: RETURN the Staff (90 sec)
Pray aloud: “Lord, this anointing, this gift, this platform—it is Yours. I am just the vessel. Take the glory. Keep my heart soft. Keep my tongue controlled. Amen.”
⏱️ TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
Take off your sandals. The ground is holy.
🔥 MARANATHA
I am Moses. And I am still learning to let God be God. The King is coming. Will you be ready to cross the Jordan?
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
— Amos 3:7 (KJV)
Maranatha.
The King is coming. And He is calling your name. 🙏
