Exodus 4 - Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh

https://freedailybiblestudy.com/february-21st-bible-meditation-exodus-4/

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html
"God encourages Moses to be bold when speaking with Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  He also equips Moses with three miraculous signs if the Pharaoh does not believe Moses spoke with God.  God also tells Moses that Aaron the Levite, Moses' brother, will be his spokesman.  Aaron will help Moses with public affairs since Moses is not eloquent with public speaking.  Moses then tells his father-in-law, Jethro, that he must depart and return to Egypt.  Moses returns to Egypt on a donkey with his wife and sons.  Moses carries God's staff.  God tells Aaron to meet Moses at Mount Sinai, or the mountain of God.  Moses meets with Aaron, and Moses explains what God has told them to do.  Moses and Aaron then go to all the elders of the Israelites, and they tell them what God intends to do:  God will free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bring them to a Promised Land."

Some key verses from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..

• "Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a [living] serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]; and Moses ran from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and grasp it by the tail.” So he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— [“You shall do this,” said the Lord,] “so that the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has [most certainly] appeared to you.” v.3-5

• "Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I am not a man of words (eloquent, fluent), neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, or the seeing or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and will teach you what you shall say.” But he said, “Please my Lord, send the message [of rescue to Israel] by [someone else,] whomever else You will [choose].” v.10-13

• "The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God (Sinai) and kissed him. Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went [into Egypt] and assembled all the elders of the Israelites; and Aaron said all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then Moses performed the signs [given to him by God] before the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the Israelites and that He had looked [with compassion] on their suffering, then they bowed their heads and worshiped [the Lord]." v.27-31

My personal observations and reflections...

• MOSES HESITATED, BUT GOD WAS PATIENT. God was calling and raising up Moses as a 'mediator' between the Israelites and God, but he seemed a little afraid, doubtful and reluctant.. After 40 years of living as a shepherd in Midian, I could somehow understand where Moses was coming from. It's always hard to go out of our comfort zone, especially when we just focus on our own selves or our own strength. The key is looking unto God, and His strength and power to use us for His glory and honor.

Moses concerns was valid though, and he showed truthfulness when he expressed his doubts and asked his questions to God. What if they don't believe and take seriously what Moses says (God's message)? So God generously displayed His awesome powers and wonderful signs to Joseph!

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:   
"i. It was good when Moses had no confidence in the flesh; but it was bad that he then lacked confidence in God. In view of the burning bush, the voice of God, and the divine encounter, there was no place for Moses to say, “But.”
ii. “We are ever prone, when God is calling us to some high service, to say ‘But,’ and this to introduce our statement of the difficulties as we see them.” (Morgan)

a. What is that in your hand? This reflects a precious principle regarding how God uses people – God used what Moses had in his hand. Moses’ years of tending sheep were not useless. Those years had put into Moses hand things he could use for God’s glory. God didn’t use the scepter that was in Moses’ royal hand when he lived in Egypt, but He did use the simple shepherd’s staff.
i. God likes to use what is in our hand.
    · God used what was in Shamgar’s hand (Judges 3:31)
    · God used what was in David’s hand (1 Samuel 17:49)
    · God used the jawbone of a donkey in Samson’s hand (Judges 15:15)
    · God used five loaves and two fish in the hand of a little boy (John 6:9)"

• A STAFF THAT BECAME A SNAKE. The first sign was astounding! God made Moses throw his staff (used for shepherding the flock), and God turned it into a living serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]. What a miracle! That must have been amazing to see, eventhough snakes are scary. Moses ran from it, but the Lord told Moses to reach out and grasp it by the tail. When Moses did that, the snake turned into a staff again. God said that Moses shall do that (throwing the staff, and reaching the snake by the tail), and the elders will believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob truly appeared to Moses.

Why the serpent? At first it reminds me of when Adam and Eve "sinned" in the Garden of Eden. But interestingly, the snake was a royal symbol on the crown of the Pharaoh, and Moses will also showcase that God's miraculous sign before the Pharaoh. This shows that God is the most powerful, Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

"The rod becomes a serpent (Exodus 4:3-5)"

https://st-takla.org/bible/commentary/en/ot/matthew-henry/exodus/ch4.html

"Uraeus is the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian spitting cobra (asp, serpent, or snake),
used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity, and divine authority in ancient Egypt."

https://www.crystalinks.com/uraeus.html  

• HAND TURNED SICK, AND GOT HEALED. As a second sign, the Lord told Moses to put one hand inside his robe, and when he took it out, it was white as snow, and leprous. (Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew term for “leprous” referred to any of several severe rashes or skin diseases, including Hansen’s disease (true leprosy). God commanded Moses to put his hand again inside his robe, and then God restored it. This was not usually depicted in the movies, so it was really interesting to know! God is truly amazing. This shows me that it is God who control all the elements, He is the Creator of our bodies and everything in the world, the giver of life, the Author of life.

https://www.fromreformationtoreformation.com/post/exodus-4-6-9-a-leprous-hand-and-waters-of-blood

Surely with these 2 signs, the people will believe in the powerful God. But if not, Moses is 'to take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which he take out of the river will turn into blood on the dry ground.' (v.9)

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"b. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land: The third sign was simply a sign of judgment. Good, pure waters were made foul and bloody by the work of God and they did not turn back again. This showed that if the miracles of transformation did not turn the hearts of the people, then perhaps the sign of judgment would. If they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice shows that if the sign of judgment was only given when unbelief persisted in the face of the miracles of transformation right before them."

• SEND SOMEONE ELSE. After all the powerful signs that God showed Moses, he was still concerned about (his lack of) abilities, citing that he was not eloquent, and fluent, and that he is slow of speech and tongue (Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue.) I wonder what Moses meant by that, did he stutter, or have any difficulty speaking, maybe a fear of public speaking, a diminished confidence eversince fleeing and turning away as a prince of Egypt?

The Lord responded by saying that it is He who made the man's mouth, that He will be Moses' mouth, and He will teach Moses what he will say. Even after God said all that and "Go" to Moses, he still begged for God to choose and send someone else. But God won't change His mind!

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"ii. If Moses was a poor speaker, it didn’t matter – the mighty God said, “I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” By extension, God is sufficient for us, no matter what real or imagined inadequacies we have." 

• GOD'S RIGHTEOUS ANGER. Even though "the anger of the Lord was kindled and burned against Moses" (v.14), because of Moses' unwillingness and reluctance-- God still made a way for Moses to obey and answer the call. God will be sending Moses' brother, Aaron the Levite, who speaks fluently. In fact, he will be coming to meet Moses, and when they see each other, Aaron will be overjoyed. God in His infinite wisdom has arranged everything in advance, and in perfect order.

"You must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; I, even I, will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; he will act as a mouthpiece for you, and you will be as God to him [telling him what I say to you]. You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs [the miracles which prove I sent you].” v.15-17

So, it will be a teamwork between Moses and Aaron..? It seems that God is showing something here. Even though Moses was feeling weak, he will be like a 'God' to his brother Aaron, for he will be transferring or telling him God's messages. Despite his limitations, Moses was a man of God and a prophet.

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  

"i. There may be a hundred understandable reasons why Moses was unwilling, some of them making a lot of sense. Perhaps Moses really wanted to serve, but was unwilling because of past rejection. Nevertheless, the basic truth was that Moses was unwilling, not unable. 

c. Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well: When God brought Aaron to help lead with Moses, it was an expression of His chastening to Moses, not of His approval or giving in to Moses. Aaron was more of a problem to Moses than help.
i. Aaron did turn out to be a source of problems for Moses. Aaron instigated the worship of the golden calf, fashioning the calf himself and building the altar himself (Exodus 32:1-6). Aaron’s sons blasphemed God with impure offerings (Leviticus 10:1-7). At one time, Aaron openly led a mutiny against Moses (Numbers 12:1-8).
ii. As these episodes unfolded, Moses surely looked back at why the Lord gave Aaron to Moses as a partner – because God was angry at Moses’ unwillingness.

d. I know that he can speak well: Aaron was a smooth talker, but a man weak on content. Moses had to put the words of God into the mouth of Aaron (you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth). In this sense Aaron was like a modern-day news reader, who does nothing but read what others have written for him.
i. Aaron wasn’t God’s spokesman; he was the spokesman of Moses. God doesn’t need leaders like this. It isn’t God’s way to have a man minister as a smooth talker but not be qualified for leadership. God wants to combine the offices of “talker” and “leader.”

• MOSES FINALLY OBEYED. Satisfied with God's ways, and maybe having no choice but to partake in the privilege of fulfilling God's plans, Moses went away and asked his father in law Jethro to let him go back and return to his relatives in Egypt. Jethro allowed him to go in peace, maybe God also spoke to him-- either way, it's all God's favor. God seems to assure Moses that he can go back to Egypt without fear as all the men seeking for his life (for the murder of an Egyptian taskmaster) were all dead. He took his wife Zipporah, and his sons Gershom and Eliezer, and the staff.

• PHARAOH'S HEART WILL BE HARD AND STUBBORN. And he will not let the people go (easily). God, in advance, told this circumstance to Moses so that he will not lose heart or give up, perhaps.. It's gonna be hard, but Moses can be assured that God is in control. And it is all for the greater glory of God.

"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, ‘Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” v.22-23

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"ii. Who really hardened Pharaoh’s heart? We might say that it was both God and Pharaoh; but whenever God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He never did it against Pharaoh’s will. Pharaoh never said, “Oh, I want to do what is good and right and I want to bless these people of Israel” and God answered, “No, for I will harden your heart against them!” When God hardened, He allowed Pharaoh’s heart to do what Pharaoh wanted to do – God gave Pharaoh over to his sin (Romans 1:18-32)."

• MOSES GOT DEATHLY ILL. Due to Moses' disobedience of God's covenant to Abraham (because he had not circumcised one of his sons), God allowed Moses to be sick. Moses was about to do a great calling before God, so God had to address this problem in Moses' life.

* Bible Footnotes: Exodus 4:25 "Moses had not circumcised his son in obedience to the commandment that God had given to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:10 ff). It is possible that Moses refrained from doing the procedure because his wife Zipporah, a Midianite, had objected. If so, Zipporah now reluctantly performed the procedure herself as a last resort to save Moses’ life, not hiding her disgust over the situation."

We must obey God no matter what, because disobedience will always have consequences. And God does not want that to happen to us. In the story, maybe Zipporah had to do the act of circumcision because Moses was so weakly sick, that's why she said to Moses “You are a husband of blood to me.” She must have been overwhelmed by the mere act of doing it herself, and the amount of blood that came from doing the circumcision to his son.

• AARON CALLED BY GOD. As previously mentioned to Moses, God spoke to Aaron, who also came from the priestly tribe of Levi. Aaron also obeyed God and met Moses at the Mt. Sinai (mountain of God). As commanded, Moses told everything to his brother Aaron. Together, they went to Egypt and assembled all the elders of the Israelites (how many was that?) Aaron the fluent was the one who spoke to the crowd, everything that God told Moses. Then, Moses performed the signs from God, and the people believed. Upon knowing God's compassion in their sufferings, they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord. What a sight to behold was that! Broken people having hope, being moved by God's power, they all worshiped God.

* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:  
"i. “Aaron, who came to meet Moses, could speak well; but he was a weak man, whose alliance with Moses caused his nobler younger brother much anxiety and pain.” (Meyer) "





Read the Bible:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+4&version=AMP

Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-4.cfm ©2013 David Guzik