Moses is called to be prophet and liberator of Israel. He is the greatest of the prophets (Deuteronomy 34:10–12). Prophets get visions and oracles, but with Moses God talks face to face: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles
(Numbers 12:6–8).
When prophets and leaders are called by God, we often hear about a special promise of the Lord. He says, I am with you (to Moses in Exodus 3:12; to Joshua in Joshua 1:9; to Gideon in Judges 6:16). We also sometimes see signs (Exodus 4:1–7; Judges 6:36–39). Furthermore, God often calls their name twice (Moses
in Exodus 3:4; Samuel
in 1 Samuel 3:10; and Saul
in Acts 9:4). Often, we also read of an objection, for example: I am not a good speaker (Exodus 4:10; see also Jeremiah 1:6). Lastly, we sometimes find the appearance of God in such callings (Exodus 3:4; see also Ezekiel 1:1–28; Acts 9:3). Only in the story of Moses’ call do we find all these elements!
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.