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Despite feeling discouraged and defeated by Pharaoh’s initial refusal, the LORD tells Moses to go back to Pharaoh and again tell him to let the people of Israel go.

“Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” Exodus 6:12, ESV

Moses is convinced that he’s unsuited to serve as the LORD’s messenger because the Israelites have refused to listen to him despite his having conveyed to them what God told him to tell them. However, despite Moses feeling that way, the LORD persists, commanding both Moses and Aaron to listen and obey.

But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 6:13, ESV

Despite all of the reasons why Moses and Aaron were seemingly inadequate for the job, Moses and Aaron were God’s choice, and as such they needed to get to it.

Notice that the sentiments we found in verses 10-13 are, for all intents and purposes, repeated in verses 26-30 where we read.

These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” Exodus 6:26-30, ESV

In composing this account the Holy Spirit inspired author purposefully puts this genealogy right in the middle of this section, and he does so as a response to Moses feeling like a failure and therefore doubting that God can use him to effect his purposes.

What we find in verses 14-25 of our text is a partial genealogy of the 12 tribes of Israel, most of it related to Levi’s descendants, because that’s the family line that Aaron and Moses come from.

These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron. Exodus 6:26-27, ESV

The extended family of Moses and Aaron is marked by some pretty messed up people, both prior to the historic events of Exodus 6, but also after those events in the succeeding history of God’s people of old. Yet none of them limited God’s ability to accomplish his plan and purposes. Therefore, no matter the personal insufficiencies of Moses, the Lord will fulfill his purposes through him. In fact, it’s through his weaknesses that the Lord’s power will be magnified.

Now, in one way or another, as those in Christ we’ve all been where Moses is in this passage. Like Moses, there are times when every one of us who know the Lord feel like just giving up. However, through faith in Christ we’ve become part of the genealogy of God’s chosen people, and despite the fact that our family tree is characterized by failure and disappointment, even like our own lives, the Lord has graciously used his broken people to affect his plans and purposes.

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2a, NIV