Exodus 04

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:31:17utc

In chapter four Moses continued his objections to God's call. As we have seen, he presented three points: Nobody will believe him (ch. 4:1); he has a handicap; he cannot speak (ch. 4:10); he does not want to go (ch. 4:13).

In ch. 3:13 Moses had already brought up the point of unbelief, asking God to identify Himself. As an answer, he received more than he had bargained for. This was too much for him to take in, and he feels that if he takes God's case to the people, just like that, it will go completely over their heads. In this second plea of unbelief on the side of the people, his intention is, obviously, that God will give him some down-to-earth things he can show to the people: something on their level.

God's answer could not be any more simple. God asked for Moses' staff, the shepherd's rod that he carried with him. From that moment on, the staff changes owners. Moses' staff becomes "the staff of God" (vs. 20). It is with this stick that Moses will enter Pharaoh's palace and perform his miracles. Initially he will be mocked, because, in comparison with Pharaoh's golden scepter, his wooden stick made a poor show. But with this he will strike the Red Sea to let the people of Israel pass and to drown the whole Egyptian army, all this because he gave his staff to God. Before God met him it was the symbol of his trade; after the encounter at the burning bush, it became the symbol of God's authority. There is a beautiful poem in Dutch about a cleaning woman who cleans floors with a broom and dustpan. She spends her life doing this lowly work. The poet says: "One day God will find her on His floor, going the golden streets of His city, beating with the broom on the dustpan. For symbols become cymbals at the hour of death."[ 1 ] It may be pure poetry to portray it this way, but I believe that when Moses went to heaven, he took this stick with him.

In our life with God, we can use anything to build a monument of praise for Him. The woman washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Jesus Himself took a basin and a towel and left us a monument of humility that stands throughout the ages. He took the bread and wine that were on the table during the Passover feast and said: "This is my body, … this is the blood of the new covenant.…" We are surrounded by utensils that can become instruments of praise, as long as we open our eyes and fix them upon God.

The staff becomes the first sign of Moses' authority and victory. When Moses threw it on the ground, it turned into a snake. The word used for snake, nachash, is the general name for any serpent. It was not necessarily a poisonous snake that Moses saw, but the shock of the transformation was enough to scare him out of his wits. God ordered him to take the snake by the tail. One should never pick up snakes by the tail; that is the surest way to get bitten. And experienced snake handler will pick up a snake by the head, but when Moses obeyed God and grabbed the snake's tail, he had again his wooden stick in his hand.

It seems a strange sign that God gave to Moses in order to prove that he was on a divine mission. So are the two following: the hand covered with leprosy and the water that turned into blood. I believe can interpret those three signs as symbols of victory over sin and evil. Sin entered the world in the form of a serpent. The effect of sin upon man is an infection with an incurable disease, a leprosy of the soul, and the victory over sin and its author is through blood. Moses and the people of Israel may not have seen more in these signs than miracles, the suspension or reversal of laws of nature. But God had much more in mind. He thought of the redemption of Israel in terms of the defeat of the enemy and the salvation of the whole of creation. These three signs place the exodus in the larger context of God's eternal covenant, signed by the blood of Christ and confirmed by His victory over death.

The first sign of the serpent symbolized a power that came from outside. The snake was not present in the stick that Moses held in his hand. It appeared, so to speak, from nowhere. The leprosy seemed to develop from the inside as an external sign of internal corruption. It showed how bad the inside of the bosom actually was. The water that was poured out on the ground symbolized the sacrifice. Water or blood that is poured out cannot be recovered. It is given up to God, and it cannot be reclaimed. Moses and the Israelites may not have understood all this, but their enemy probably received some insight into what God was up to and he must have trembled. Maybe the signs were meant more for him than for them.

The signs may have convinced Israel; they did not convince Moses. Or at least Moses was not ready to yield yet. According to The Pulpit Commentary, the expression "O Lord" is a very forceful one. Moses is making a plea of despair, even though he realizes that he must be trying the Lord's patience to the limit. He pleads a lack of eloquence, which he deems necessary to appear in Pharaoh's court. The fact that God spoke to him had not brought healing. Several suggestions have been made as to the meaning of "I am not eloquent." If it had been a matter of not finding the right words, his conversation with God would have been less clear. He seemed to have no trouble being understood. The Pulpit Commentary quotes Kalisch, who interprets it as "a natural impediment owing to defect in the organs of speech." The commentary further mentions the Jewish tradition that Moses had difficulty in pronouncing the labials b, v, m, ph and p. All this, of course, is hard to prove because of intervening centuries. We can understand though how Moses must have felt if, standing before Pharaoh's throne, he could only stutter words like: "Llllet Mmmy Pepepeople go-o-o!" The effect upon Pharaoh would have been less than overwhelming. If this is true, Moses did have a valid reason.

God's answer is astonishing and in a way incomprehensible. "The LORD said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?' "(vs. 11) We feel that Moses would have a right to expect healing. We believe that healing is included in the atonement. This is part of the Fourfold Gospel that is preached by The Christian and Missionary Alliance. Not only does God not give healing to Moses, but He takes responsibility for the defect! In our thinking God gives life and health, but the devil makes deaf and mute and blind. Also, God's answer seems to contradict the fact that God pronounced His creation perfect. In Genesis we read: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."[ 2 ]

So, obviously, God was not speaking to Moses about creation. God knew, as well as Moses, that sickness and death, including Moses' impediment, were the result of the Fall. What God seems to be saying to Moses is the same thing He said to Paul when the apostle prayed for the removal of his "thorn in the flesh": "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."[ 3 ] God intends to fight the devil with his own weapons. He uses the weakness and suffering and death that the enemy brought into this world that God had created to defeat the foe. It was through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ that death was defeated and the devil dethroned. It is through the foolishness of the Gospel that people are saved. Pharaoh may have laughed at and mocked the stuttering Moses who told him in the Name of YHWH to let His people go, but it was not Moses who lost. Moses and the people of Israel had the last laugh at the other side of the Red Sea.

This does not mean that Moses was given a pleasant task. It is hard to be mocked, even if it is for the sake of the Gospel. And we need all the encouragement of Jesus Christ, when He says to us: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."[ 4 ] "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."[ 5 ]

God did promise Moses, though, that He would not let him down. In vs. 12 He says: "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Moses will have to learn that it is the message that counts, not eloquence. There is always the danger that eloquence will distract from the message and sometimes even replace the message. My call to the mission field of Irian Jaya came through a man who was, decidedly, a poor speaker. But the presence of God was obvious in his life and in what he said. The apostle Paul, evidently, was not an eloquent speaker. He quotes people as saying: "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."[ 6 ] And in I Corinthians he admits: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."[ 7 ]

Finally, Moses refuses. In vs. 13 we read: "But Moses said, 'O Lord, please send someone else to do it.' The KJV is probably closer to the original, although, definitely less clear. It says: "And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." Adam Clarke comments: "The Hebrew literally translated is, "Send now [or, I beseech Thee] by the hand thou wilt send"; which seems to intimate, Send a person more fit for the work than I am. So the Septuagint: 'Elect another powerful person, whom thou wilt send.' " The fact that this reply kindles the Lord's anger, as vs. 14 shows, is proof that Moses' words should be read as a refusal.

There is something to be said in favor of the man who considers himself unfit for God's call. As a matter of fact, without such consideration the person would be useless to the Lord's work. Anybody who feels himself called by God and believes that God made the right choice, will have to

rethink his premises. We cannot become "fishers of men" unless we have the attitude of Peter who fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"[ 8 ] We must conclude, though, that Moses' answer was more than a realization of unworthiness, it was unwillingness to obey. The Lord would have responded differently to an absence of pride and an expression of humility.

Moses' refusal is not accepted by God. He has no choice but to obey. He could have quoted the apostle Paul: "I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"[ 9 ] Paul's compulsion was a moral one. He felt he had no choice because of his previous persecution of the church. Moses' compulsion is less clear. It could be his previous volunteering to be the "ruler and judge" of the nation. God did not allow him to brush this off as if it had been a youthful impulse instead of a divine vision.

The bringing in of Aaron seems like God's "plan B," but this supposition is contradicted by the fact that, according to God's word, Aaron was already on his way to meet with Moses, while this conversation was still going on. Obviously, God knew what would happen. He knew Moses' reactions before Moses knew them himself. The encounter with God, therefore, was for Moses a lesson in learning about himself.

The relationship between Moses and Aaron will be, to use God's own words, that Moses will be as God and Aaron will be the mouth, or the prophet. Aaron was the older brother who had to bow to the authority of the younger one. Also Moses would be one step further removed from the people and from the action at Pharaoh's court. There would be no direct communication. This relationship seems to have changed over the years as Moses gained more confidence. In the book of Deuteronomy there is no trace left of Moses' shyness as was exhibited at this point.

God spoke to Aaron, as He spoke to Moses. We read in vs. 27 - "The LORD said to Aaron, 'Go into the desert to meet Moses.' So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him." This call must have taken place previous to the call to Moses, or maybe simultaneously, for we learn that Aaron was already on his way to meet Moses while God was still speaking to him. Also the brothers met while Moses was still at Sinai. It must have been shortly after the burning bush episode, and it is likely that Aaron accompanied Moses to Jethro's house and that they left for Egypt together.

The revelation ends with God reminding Moses about his staff. I do not know if there is any irony in God's reminder, as if He wants to say: "Do not forget your stick." Vs. 17 "But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." On the other hand, this verse is the Old Testament counterpart of Jesus' words in the Great Commission: "Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go ....' "[ 10 ] Moses went with God's authority of which his staff became the symbol.

It does not seem that Moses mentioned anything about the divine revelation to his father-in-law Jethro. He pled family reasons as an excuse to go home. This would seem strange if indeed at this point Aaron were with him. It also seems that God had to remind him again to return to Egypt. For we read in vs. 19: "Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, 'Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.' " In the light of the following episode we would conclude that Zipporah was aware of her husband's encounter with God.

Whether God appeared to him once at Mount Sinai and twice in Midian is not clear. We get the impression that God spoke to Moses several times. After the dramatic call at the burning bush, there was the assurance that it is safe to go back to Egypt. Moses' life was not in danger. And then, probably during the third revelation, God told Moses to announce to Pharaoh directly the tenth plague, that is, the killing of the first born of Egypt. In ch. 4:22,23 we read the instruction to "say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,' And I told you, 'Let my son go, so he may worship me. But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' " The fact that Israel is spoken of collectively as God's firstborn son would make Pharaoh understand that the killing of his firstborn son would involve more than the death of one individual. Pharaoh knew this from the very beginning. The tenth plague cannot have come to him as a surprise. God told him clearly what he should expect if he persisted in his disobedience. But even during the progressive increase of pressure, Pharaoh persisted in his refusal. The tightening of the screws only made his resistance worse, till he reached the point of no return. But we shouldn't run ahead so fast.

In vs. 20 we see Moses and his family packing up and leaving for Egypt. This was the end of his forty-year-long preparation in the desert. He was then about eighty years of old, and he recognized that the staff in his hand was now "the staff of God."

God's speaking to Moses in vs. 21 - 23 seems to have taken place subsequently to the encounter at the burning bush. Thus far we have heard only of three miracles that Moses was given power to perform. But, evidently, in these verses the Lord is speaking about all the ten plagues that will come over Egypt as a result of Pharaoh's hardness of heart. Whether God told Moses at this point what the content of each plague would be, is not clear. But Moses is told what Pharaoh's reaction will be.

God takes responsibility for Pharaoh's hardness in the same way that He took responsibility for Moses' speech impediment. And the same question arises here, as to how all this fits into the perfect character of God.

First of all, we have to recognize that the battle was not against flesh and blood, but against demonic powers. God knows who governs Pharaoh, and He knows that the enemy will not give up without resisting to the very end. The fact that Pharaoh, at some point in his life, had surrendered to those powers of darkness, cannot be laid at God's doorstep. He had as much freedom to refuse as does every human being. He used this freedom several times by hardening his own heart. We read six times that Pharaoh hardened his heart [ 11 ] before we read for the first time that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Ch. 9:12 says: "But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses." So the hardening of Pharaoh's heart was not the result of God's predetermination, but of his own choice. God knows how man will react. That is why God did not have to kill His Son as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. It was enough to send Him into the world. The prince of this world would see to it that He would not stay alive.

God's Word also makes clear that the purpose of redemption is worship. The essence is: "Let my son go, so he may worship me." This demand hits the core of the devil's resistance. His objection is to the worship of God. In the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, the devil says: "All this I will give you, ... if you will bow down and worship me."[ 12 ] Deliverance from slavery could have been compromised, but not this worship. The enemy knows that people who come to worship God are lost to him for eternity. A three-days journey into the desert would mean the end of Israel's slavery in Egypt for ever. They would no longer be slaves, even if they could be forced to work. That is why Paul could say to people who were legally slaves of their masters: "For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men."[ 13 ]

When God calls Israel His firstborn son, He is referring to the Incarnation. Israel is seen and treated as one person in Christ, just as everybody else is considered as one person in Adam. In dealing with Pharaoh, God speaks about the most fundamental issues. It is between death in slavery or life in worship. This is also why Matthew can quote Hosea's prophecy about Israel's exodus and apply it to Jesus, without violating the principle of prophetic interpretation. See: "And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called my son.' "[ 14 ] and compare with: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."[ 15 ]

There is a strange interlude in vs. 24-26. On the way to Egypt, while the family spent the night in an inn, somebody became violently sick to the point of death. Although the text does not mention the name, it is generally understood that it was Moses' life that was in danger. Because of the lack of details given, it is hard to fill in the blanks. Evidently, there had been some difference of opinion between Moses and his wife regarding the circumcision of their sons. We gather from this incident that circumcision was being practiced among the Israelites in Egypt, but that the Midianites did not practice it. The Pulpit Commentary supposes that it was Moses' second son, Eliezer, who had not been circumcised and that he was born shortly before the departure of the family for Egypt. Since only one child is mentioned, it is logical to suppose that the child in question was the last born. Moses must have prevailed upon his wife to have the circumcision done on Gershom, but had not overruled his wife's objection regarding Eliezer. The commentary also suggests that Eliezer had been born eight days before this incident took place, since, according to Genesis, that was the day when circumcision was supposed to take place.[ 16 ] It is true that Eliezer's birth is not mentioned in chapter 2. But omissions do not constitute proof. It is obvious from Zipporah's comment that she had objected to the rite, probably because she could not stand that sight of the blood of her little baby. And after the circumcision she called Moses a "bridegroom of blood."

Adam Clarke's explanation is that it was the child's life that was in danger, whether Gershom or Eliezer, is not clear. He also supposes that Zipporah, after this incident decided to take her children and go home. He refers to ch. 18:1-6. The text is too condensed to argue one way or the other. It seems to me that, if it was the son's life that was at stake, Moses would have performed the circumcision himself. The impression we get is that Moses had been disobedient to God's command and that, before going down to Egypt, he had to put his house in order.

One could wish for more details in the story. It seems that there are some precious lessons hidden in the text. The text may have been corrupted in the transmission. These verses seem to be saying to us that one must obey in the smaller issues, before he obeys in the larger ones. It also seems to say that when a wife must choose between her husband and her child, she should choose her husband. It also seems to teach us that in God's economy the man should be the head of the home.

It seems that vs. 27 and 28 go back in time. God had told Moses in vs. 14 that Aaron was already on his way to meet him. It could be, of course, that Moses had returned to Midian and passed again by Mount Horeb on his way to Egypt when Aaron met him. Anyhow, Moses briefed his brother about his meeting with God and the powers that were given to him for the encounter with Pharaoh in Egypt. The meeting of the two brothers was warm and affectionate. Moses stated specifically that Aaron kissed him. We have to remember that the brothers had not grown up together; Aaron had stayed at home while Moses lived in the palace. They hardly knew each other. But blood is thicker than water. Whatever envy there may have been in Aaron's heart toward a brother who had lived in ease and affluence while the rest of the family suffered persecution, melted away when they met after almost eighty years.

The miraculous signs mentioned in vs. 28 are probably only the three: the first involved the staff; second, the leprous hand; and third, the water turning into blood. Whether or not Moses gave a demonstration to Aaron, we are not told. But in the next verse they have arrived in Egypt, and Aaron explained to the elders of the people what the Lord had told Moses, and Moses demonstrated the signs. The first reaction of the elders is faith and joy. We may suppose that the first meeting was held in secret. It was the beginning of an underground movement against the government of Egypt. It was also the beginning of worship. We read in vs. 31: "And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped." We do not know how much worship of YHWH there had been in Israel during the four centuries of their exile in Egypt. There must have been some decline after the death of Joseph; in fact it is a miracle that, after such a long period of time, there was a revival of religion: the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Worship and hope are analogous. Circumstances had not changed, but change was in the air. It would not take long, though, for the reality of slavery to catch up with these people. We will see in the next chapter that their joy and worship were short-lived when Pharaoh clamped down on them.

We should never underestimate the enemy, not even when he is defeated. He knows he has nothing to lose and that makes him bite back ferociously. For Israel it was enough to lose their worship and joy.

[ 1 ] De Werkster - Gerrit Achterberg

[ 2 ] Gen. 1:31

[ 3 ] II Cor. 12:9[ a ]

[ 4 ] Matt. 5:11,12

[ 5 ] John 16:33

[ 6 ] II Cor. 10:10

[ 7 ] I Cor. 2:1-5

[ 8 ] Luke 5:8

[ 9 ] I Cor. 9:16

[ 10 ] Matt. 28:18-20

[ 11 ] (ch. 7:13,22; 8:15,19,32; 9:7, (34))

[ 12 ] Matt. 4:9

[ 13 ] I Cor. 7:22,23

[ 14 ] See Matt 2:15

[ 15 ] Hosea 11:1

[ 16 ] See Gen. 17:10-12