After God told Moses in Exodus 3 that the Israelites would believe him, he said to God in the beginning of Exodus 4, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.'” God asked Moses about the object in his hand. Moses told Him that it was a rod. God told Moses to throw the rod down on the ground. So he did, and it became a serpent and Moses quickly jumped back away from it (like the majority of us would have done). God told Moses to reach out and grab the serpent by the tail and when he did, the serpent once again, became a rod. Would you have been brave enough to pick up the serpent by the tail, especially at God’s direction? Is there something that God is telling you to do and you have not done it yet because you are too afraid? This was the first sign to make the people believe that the Lord God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob appeared to Moses. God told Moses to put his hand inside his shirt and he did so. When he removed his hand, it was leprous, like snow. God told him to put the hand back inside his shirt and again he did so. When he removed it this time, his hand was restored to normal like his other flesh. God gave him the second sign so if they didn’t believe the first one, then they might believe the second one. Then God said that if they don’t believe those two signs, He told Moses to take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water will become blood on the dry land. Of course, these signs are for Moses, because God already knew what was going to happen. Actually, Moses knew too because God already told him.

Moses then said to the Lord that he couldn’t speak well; that he was slow of speech. Excuses, excuses – Moses’ speech problem didn’t seem to be an issue when he was getting involved in other people’s business in Exodus 2. God asked Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” God told Moses to go therefore, and that He would be with his mouth and teach him what he should say. This still wasn’t enough for Moses because he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” Really, Moses? Have you ever passed up a God-given opportunity because of fear? God got angry with Moses and said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well.” God told Moses to look because Aaron was coming out to meet him and he was going to be happy to see him. God instructed Moses to tell Aaron everything and that He would be with his mouth and with Aaron’s mouth. Aaron would be Moses’ spokesman to the people and Moses would be as God speaking directly to him. Moses was instructed to take the rod to use to do the signs.

Moses goes to his father-in-law, Jethro, and requests permission to go back to Egypt to check on his brethren there to see if they are still alive. Jethro tells him to “Go in peace.” While Moses is still in Midian, God tells him to return to Egypt because all the men who wanted to kill him are dead. Moses put his wife and sons on a donkey and returned to Egypt with the rod of God in his hand. God told Moses to do all of the wonders He showed him in front of Pharaoh when he gets back to Egypt. However, God told him that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the people go. God told Moses to tell Pharaoh, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” So, what is God saying here? Yes, I googled. Many sources said that this is referring to Israel as a nation being adopted by God as His “chosen people”. This has no reflection on the fact that Jesus is God’s firstborn as referenced in Hebrews 1:6 . Jesus and Israel are firstborns in different senses of the word. Another source stated that this was language that Pharaoh would understand in regards to how dear Israel was to God. Moses was to also tell Pharaoh that if he would not let Israel go so that they could serve God, He would kill his (Pharaoh’s) firstborn.

In Verse 24, on the way to Egypt, when they had set up camp, God sought to kill Moses because he did not keep the covenant of circumcising his son. Some Google sources state that Moses may not have circumcised his son due to a dispute with his Midian wife, Zipporah. When Zipporah saw that God was going to kill Moses because of the matter, she took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and threw it at Moses’ feet saying “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” God let Moses live. Zipporah repeated to Moses, “You are a husband of blood!” – because of the circumcision. Zipporah definitely was not happy about having her son circumcised, but had to do it to spare Moses life from God’s wrath.

God told Aaron to go into the wilderness to meet Moses. He obediently went and met him on the mountain of God and greeted him with a kiss. Verse 27 appears to be the mandate for Aaron to go meet Moses which actually occurred in Verse 14. We first see the meeting of Moses and Aaron, then Moses’ actions after the meeting. In Verse 27, we see how God orchestrated it all. Knowing that Moses was going to have excuse after excuse not to do as commanded, God already prepared Aaron to be on the way. For example, in a movie, we may see the major car pile-up accident at the beginning, then we see each person’s story line that caused them to be in the place of the accident at that appointed time. Verse 28, in which Moses tells Aaron all that God has told and shown him, is the fulfillment of Verse 15.

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel together. Aaron spoke the words to them, that God spoke to Moses and demonstrated the signs in front of the people. The people believed. When they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and looked upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Do you know the task or purpose God has appointed for you? If so, how far along are you in doing what God has commanded you to do? Are you saying, “Lord, give me a sign”?

https://youtu.be/U8U_gR58eJU

Or, are you trusting God and fulfilling the call on your life?

We are off to Exodus 5 next week.

To God Be the Glory!

Scripture Date – February 26th

Genesis 32:26 – And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” (NKJV)